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  I’ve known Skylar for a few years. We met in Manhattan while shopping for clothes at Barneys. I was looking for an evening gown to wear for a black tie event my ex-boyfriend Cameron was invited to and Skylar was celebrating getting a promotion at work by splurging on new clothes. She made a comment about how lovely I would look in the black floor-length, one-shoulder gown I was holding up and admiring, and she encouraged me to try it on. I bought the dress and a pair of heels she recommended and we ended up doing the rest of her shopping together, and then going to the café on the eight floor for coffee and sandwiches. I found out that like me she’s originally from San Francisco. She has a business degree and is a management consultant working in a consulting firm, a job she clearly loves.

  We’ve been best friends since then. From the day we met, Skylar has been nothing but sweet and supportive. She is also quite headstrong and blunt, and unhesitatingly clear and direct when a situation requires it.

  While I’m more careful and reflective in making decisions, she’s impulsive. Once she decides on a course of action, she never looks back. According to her, looking back is a waste of valuable time that could be used doing more interesting things.

  “It’s been interesting.”

  “How so?”

  “Everyone seems nice.”

  “And?” she prompts.

  “I have my own office with a street view,” I say with a grin.

  In Manhattan, I didn’t have my own office. It would have taken me many more years to earn it. I worked in a cubicle along with so many other people including architects who have been in the firm far longer than I have. Having my own office is nice, really nice.

  “That’s good, Sof. So what else happened?” she asked.

  “Nothing else. Why?”

  “It’s the way you said ‘interesting’.”

  I should have known better. Skylar doesn’t miss a thing. Of course I was thinking of him when I answered her initial question.

  “Oh. Well, nothing happened.”

  “Good, because I want you to like this job so that we can move on to the next phase.”

  Confused, I ask, “What’s the next phase?”

  “Finding you a man.”

  Scowling, I’m about to protest but before I can get a word out, she continues speaking. “Sofia, it’s been months since you broke up with Cameron. You need to start dating again. It’s not like you’re heartbroken.”

  She’s right, I’m not . . . and it makes me feel guilty. I think the reason I’m not torn up over Cam may be because I came to the realization that we would be better off as friends long before we parted ways.

  Sighing, I twirl a few strands of my hair with my fingers, and lean further into my chair. “Skylar, I know you mean well but I’m not ready to date.”

  “Darling, no one is asking you to make a lifelong commitment,” she says dryly. “I just want you to go out and have fun. You’re twenty-seven, not forty-seven.”

  Adopting a teasing tone, I exclaim, “I am? You mean I’m twenty years younger than I thought? Oh wow. Imagine that.”

  “Quit the snarky comments, Sofia. It doesn’t suit you. You’ll thank me for my persistence someday soon.”

  I seriously doubt that. “Well, until that day, may I please continue being ungrateful?”

  She ignores me and continues “Why don’t you give Simon a chance? It’s just dinner.”

  Simon Raystone works with Skylar. He saw a picture of me and Skylar on her phone and asked her to introduce us. Without telling me, she invited him to join us for lunch the day after I moved back here. He’s friendly, tall and good-looking but I found him to be a bit too forward. I felt nothing for him, not even a slight spark of interest.

  “No, thanks.”

  “I don’t get it. He’s nice and attractive. Exactly the kind of guy you like. What’s the problem?”

  “He’s too forward,” I answer.

  “Why is that a bad thing? It means he knows what he wants, and doesn’t see the point in wasting time. He’s a go-getter.” That may be true but it’s hardly a ringing endorsement unless I’m an employer looking to hire him.

  “I didn’t feel the slightest bit of interest.”

  “How could you? You were busy being miffed at me all through lunch. Besides, you haven’t given him a fair chance. Come on, Sofia. It’s just dinner. What could possibly go wrong?”

  Sighing, I silently ask myself the same question. I don’t want to waste his time or give him the wrong impression. This isn’t the first time Skylar has brought up Simon and I know she’s not going to stop until something changes. Something like me going on a date with a man, any man. An image of me and Julian sitting across from each other in a room illuminated by candlelight pops into my head. I shove the image aside. Where did that come from?

  “I’ll think about it,” I say as a compromise.

  We spend a few more minutes talking about our plans for the week and agree to have lunch together tomorrow.

  After ending the call, I look up and there’s someone leaning casually against the doorframe studying me with an open expression. I wonder how long he’s been standing there. He seems a little too relaxed for someone I’ve never met and who may have been eavesdropping on my telephone conversation.

  I plaster on a friendly smile and he takes a couple of steps into my office.

  “Hi, I’m Lucas. The guy that will sort out all the fixtures and fittings you need.”

  Lucas is a sharp contrast to the man who has taken over my mind all day. He’s brown-haired and brown-eyed, and with a friendly expression on his face.

  “You’re in purchasing,” I say pleasantly, smiling.

  “And you’re the new interior designer,” he smiles in response.

  “Yeah. I’m Sofia. Pleased to meet you.” I offer him my hand without any fear of rejection.

  He takes it, his hand holding mine a little longer than necessary.

  “The pleasure is all mine. Nothing like a beautiful woman to brighten up my day.”

  I guess it’s safe to assume that Lucas is a bit of a flirt, and he’s charming. I’ve got to keep my distance. I’m not interested in an office affair. It’s not my thing. An image of Julian pops into my head. Why is he still on my mind? The man is my boss, and appears to dislike me for some unknown reason. I’m definitely going to stay away from him.

  "I’ve never seen hair as vibrant as yours," Lucas murmurs, staring at my hair and managing to look fascinated.

  I should have pulled my hair back into a sleek bun at the nape of my neck this morning but I left it loose on a whim. I love my thick, wavy auburn hair. It attracts a fair amount of attention which I don’t usually mind but today, I do. Maybe it’s because it’s my first day at work. Or it could have something to do with the piercing blue eyes looking impassively at me this morning.

  I don’t know why I let Julian Scott’s reaction or non-reaction get to me. I’m never one to bother about such things. I learned early on in life that you can’t make everyone happy and even if you’re a saint, there are lots of people who would still dislike you. I’ve always been a confident woman but today I let my boss's dislike get to me. His reluctance to shake my hand grated. I didn’t let him see it but it did.

  I’ve had to deal with a lot of men in my line of work. Men who don't always take me seriously. They don’t appreciate my input, thinking that they can do the job just as well. They can’t. Then there are clients who would rather work with a man. I’ve worked very hard to get the respect I deserve and I’m not going to let anyone or anything to jeopardize my burgeoning career. There is no way I am going to get involved with a colleague. Of course, my boss is strictly off limits. Not that he’s interested.

  “Thank you,” I murmur.

  “Have you had a chance to grab a bite to eat? There’s a really good café we could go to right across the street.”

  Not that I want to be unfriendly but I have a feeling that accepting his invitation to lunch may give him the wrong impress
ion. I would like to make some new friends and so far everyone here seems nice. Well, almost everyone.

  “No, I’m good. Thanks.” I smile at him, and to soften turning him down, I add, “Maybe some other time.”

  “Okay. If you need anything, let me know. You have my extension.” He points at the list of numbers beside my desk phone.

  “Enjoy your lunch,” I say pleasantly.

  Lucas walks out of my office. I focus on the notes I had jotted down on the Rosenburg project in front of me, but instead of getting right to work, my mind wanders to my new boss. What is it about the man that’s got me unusually distracted?

  Julian Scott appears to be a very enigmatic man. I admit that I find him attractive, which is unexpected. Since I broke things off with Cameron, I haven’t been interested in any man. I haven’t been out on a single date in the last four months. It just hasn’t felt right. Skylar, being the serial monogamist that she is, repeatedly points out that I should be eager to get out there and meet someone even if it’s for just one night of passion. She thinks Simon could be the answer to what I consider a non-problem. Just because I turned down Cameron’s marriage proposal doesn’t mean I’m on the lookout for a fling or a one-night stand or worse, another relationship. I know she doesn’t get it considering Cam and I had been together for five years.

  Before Cam, I had a single-minded focus on getting my degree. I met Cam when I was a senior at Pratt Institute. I went to watch the Nets at Barclays Center, and he was seated behind me. When I went to get a drink, he was also getting one for himself. We got talking, and by the end of the game, I had given him my number and agreed to go on a date with him.

  After I graduated, I decided to stay in New York and before long we moved in together and made plans for our future. He was my first boyfriend. To be more accurate, he was my only boyfriend. But during our last year together, I realized that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life with him. Our relationship had fizzled out and the intimacy was non-existent. Cam never wanted to talk about some of the problems we had but surprisingly wanted us to get married. The more he talked about our future, the more certain I was that we wouldn’t have one together. I did my best to avoid having those discussions.

  When I turned down his proposal, Cam was initially stunned then he became unhappy which finally morphed into anger especially after I told him that I would never change my mind. He’s held on to his anger ever since. He moved out of our apartment and has refused to speak to me. All my texts have been ignored. My phone calls went unanswered. I have no doubt that I did the right thing for us. We had drifted apart over the last couple of years and we were more like friends who shared an apartment than lovers looking forward to a happy future together.

  By the time the lease for our apartment was up, I was ready to move to San Francisco and I had this job already lined up. It helped that Skylar had moved here three months earlier to join another consultancy firm. It made my decision so much easier.

  Skylar had seen the ad for this position at Scott Design online and sent it to me. It looked exciting, so I decided to apply. I figured there was no harm in sending in an application. I heard back from them the next day, and an interview was scheduled for later in the week.

  They wanted me to fly down but I couldn’t take any time off work, so we settled on a video interview. Nadya and the other VP, Tom, interviewed me and I got a formal offer in a week.

  It seemed like the perfect job, more responsibilities, higher pay and good benefits. Now, after meeting Julian, I am not so sure.

  THREE

  Sofia

  The rest of the week passes uneventfully. Working with Nadya is turning out to be much better than I imagined, and I’ve gotten into the flow of things. Everyone at the firm is as friendly as Erin Bailey who I’ve found out handles all the firm’s administrative tasks. Alana Rhodes, an architect, and I hit it off immediately and she and Erin joined Skylar and me for lunch on Tuesday. Yesterday, the four of us had lunch together again. I’ve also met the two junior architects that Nadya supervises, Zane Saunders and Mitch Stevens.

  Lucas has been quite friendly and despite turning him down for lunch every day this week, he doesn’t fail to ask me the next day. I can’t say for certain why I turn him down, considering that he hasn’t made a pass at me or uttered any suggestive comment. It doesn’t seem to affect him though, and he doesn’t appear like he’s ready to give up.

  Today is Friday and I haven’t seen Julian since my first day at work. I’m relieved and a little curious, although not curious enough to ask about his whereabouts. It would be perfect if he never turns up at the office. I guarantee that my level of productivity would be outstanding.

  I need to stop by Nadya’s office this morning to drop off the preliminary hand-drawn sketches for a ten thousand square feet office, and if she has any feedback or questions, we could go over them together now or later. I’m ahead of schedule on the drawings but I had such a blast with it, and before I knew it I was done. I think Nadya and the client will be pleased with it.

  Gathering up the drawings, I make my way to her office. I’m about to walk inside her office but come to a halt right outside the doorway. I almost stop breathing. Julian is inside her office. I am completely unprepared to face him. He is standing in front of her desk talking to her. Even his back is sexy. I stand frozen in the doorway, undecided about walking in or retreating back to my office. I’m feeling both excited and uneasy. I’m torn between needing to move closer to him and running to the safety of my office. Nadya takes the decision out of my hands.

  Tilting her head sideways, she says, “Sofia, please come in.” How did she see me? Damn.

  Julian turns slowly and looks at me. He looks just like the last time I saw him – handsome, intense, sexy, enigmatic and impassive. Yes, all those descriptions and more. His eyes flick over my body and linger on my face for a brief moment, before turning back to Nadya. I can only stare at him. He’s wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just above his elbows, showing off his toned forearms and smooth, tanned skin.

  Why am I still standing in the doorway speechless? And why am I still looking at him? What happened to my plan to be professional at all times? What the heck is Julian doing to me? He has no right to make my heart beat faster and my stomach flutter wildly with desire.

  Taking every ounce of willpower I possess to tear my gaze away from him, I clear my throat as silently as I can and take a few steps into the room. “I didn’t mean to interrupt –”

  “I was just leaving. Nadya and I can finish up later,” he says, cutting me off. He turns and leaves the office without another glance at me.

  As tempted as I am to turn around and watch him walk away, I don’t. I focus my attention on trying to get my wits about me so that I can talk to Nadya about the drawings in my hand. I’m confused about his unwillingness to be in the same room with me. That’s twice I’ve seen him, and twice he’s made a quick exit. He couldn’t even manage a friendly greeting. Everyone in the firm is friendly, but for some strange reason he seems to be the odd one out. Erin and Alana say that they both love working for him so I guess he must be nicer to them than he is to me. Maybe it takes him a while to warm up to people he’s just meeting. I quickly remind myself to shift my focus to Nadya and the reason I am in her office.

  Nadya has a thoughtful expression on her face. I don’t know what to make of it. The good thing is that she’s not looking at me but at the empty doorway through which Julian just left.

  She turns back to me, beaming. “Why don’t I take you out for lunch?”

  I’m surprised by the invitation. I like Nadya so I say yes. “I’d like that.”

  “Lovely. Twelve-thirty?”

  “I’ll be at the lobby.”

  “So why did you want to see me?” she asks, gesturing at the plans I’m holding.

  I tell her that I have the concept drawings ready for the client’s approval. She’s surprised and looks through them, and we discuss each
aspect of the design without making any changes. I’m glad when she says she likes what I did with the space, and it clearly captures the client's vision.

  A couple of hours later, Nadya and I make our way to a bistro located a couple of blocks from the office for lunch. It is an elegant mid-sized restaurant with an inventive mix of French and Italian cuisine. I’ve never been in here and Nadya tells me that the food is very good. To say lunch with Nadya is interesting is putting it mildly. She’s easy to talk to and very sweet. She tells me about becoming an architect and some anecdotes about her first job. She asks me a lot of questions about myself, and she appears genuinely interested in what I have to say. I tell her about my parents dying in a car crash when I was in college, about my brother, Wes, who lives in Boston, and my decision to stay in New York. I leave out the part about my relationship with Cameron being a factor in my decision, but I think she senses that there’s more to the story than just getting a good job.

  “So, you’re not seeing anyone right now?” she asks, looking particularly interested in my response.

  “No. Not at the moment.”

  “There’s a reason why relationships don’t work out. It’s usually better to take a few steps back if you have any doubts before it gets complicated and you find yourself in a tangled web, not of your doing, but somehow you end up paying the price.”

  I find myself nodding, agreeing with her.

  She continues, “When I met David, I was engaged. But immediately I saw him standing across the room and checking me out at a party my cousin dragged me to, I felt this weird connection to him.” She has a little smile on her lips and I know she’s remembering the first time she met her husband. “I spent the entire evening avoiding him but he kept chasing after me until I told him I was engaged. He was surprised. Tyler, my fiancé, had proposed two days before and I was having the ring resized so I wasn’t wearing it. He asked me if I was happy, I told him I was. A few days later, I came out of a Walmart and saw that I had a flat tire. As I stood staring at it and wondering what to do, David pulls up beside me with his younger sister, Kirsten. He ended up changing the tire while his sister and I became fast friends. They invited me to a party they were having the next day at their parents’ house. I went with Tyler, but it was obvious to me that I was attracted to David. I didn’t see him for weeks but we kept in touch by texting and calling every once in a while. He didn’t ask me out and never flirted. After much reflection, I broke things off with Tyler. And then I called David up a few weeks later and asked him out for coffee. That was eight years ago.”