Chapter 6 Nancy
THE PLAYFUL TONES OF SAbrINA CARPENTER woke me from a dreamless sleep. I fumbled for the Stop button and stared at the phone display, immediately remembering the messages from Alex’s the night before. But weirdly, that tight feeling in my tummy wasn’t there anymore.
I’d built up the whole thing as a monumental issue, but today, it felt innocent and friendly.
I’d spent so long closing off that part of myself that when an attraction appeared out of the blue, I’d panicked.
Not that Alex felt attracted to me. That was the ludicrous thought of a tired brain.
Alex was just charming. Posh people took classes in that, didn’t they?
Although in my experience, they didn’t use those charms on someone like me… but maybe Alex was different.
Don’t be such a fool! I scoffed and pulled myself out of bed.
Showered, shaved, and cold from the tepid water, I quickly pulled on matching bra and knickers to wear under the new suit I’d picked up on sale. It was strange how much confidence could come from a fresh outfit, and I needed it.
As much as I hated to admit it, India’s comments were doing the rounds, and there was no way I was letting that nepo baby live rent-free in my head. Today, I would be calm and collected Nancy, a consummate professional who deserved to be a Goldfields apprentice.
I packed the clothes so they wouldn’t crease, along with a pair of black heels, and pocketed Alex’s business card on the way out the door.
Summer was only a few weeks off, and the cool air rushing through the vents of my jacket brought some welcome relief from the building city heat.
I lowered the tinted visor like a veil against the glare and squeezed the throttle.
The underground parking was easy to find, and when I punched in the code, the display welcomed me by name and directed me to an assigned space.
There was even a handy restroom nearby where I could change.
Satisfied with my reflection, I strode to the private lift and tried my keycard against the panel.
To my surprise, the car doors opened.
“Good morning, Nancy,” a silken voice spoke from behind.
I spun around, and for the second day in a row, there stood Alex Toverton, handsome as sin in a classic grey-checked suit, sporting a lopsided smile.
“Good morning,” I said, letting out a nervous laugh. “We must stop bumping into each other like this.”
“Must we?” he said curiously, and a ripple travelled up from my toes as he checked me out. Apparently, my on-sale suit was making an impression, which, for some bizarre reason, wasn’t unwelcome. His gaze moving slow and assured across my body felt strangely…exhilarating.
He gestured for me to enter first.