Chapter 4
4
LINCOLN
I’m lost.
I pull my black Camaro over to the curb and look around. Every street looks the goddamn same.
Opening my emails to double-check the zip code, I realize I’ve typed a digit wrong. I’m only five blocks away from my destination. I was so close.
Driving in the correct direction this time, I put the windows down and enjoy the sudden gust of warm air that enters the cockpit of my air-conditioned car, and I run my hair through my overgrown floppy locks.
Having let my hair grow over the past few months, I need a good barber. A good shave is also required. I’ve never had a long beard before; scruff and goatee are my usual look and I always like to have my beard shaped, short and sharp, but it’s a lifetime away from that now.
One minute away from the venue and my mind wanders.
The last twenty-four hours have certainly been interesting, and my trip has become more exciting.
After I left the gym yesterday, I may have spent way too much time Googling Violet West, and I discovered a few things about her.
One, she’s thirty-two and a savvy businesswoman. Two, she supports a local children’s charity for fostered children. Three, she has thousands of friends and followers on social media. Four, in every photo of her, she’s smiling, laughing, and having fun.
I also concluded she doesn’t appear to have a man in her life.
I don’t know why I feel some sort of satisfaction with that piece of information.
Having read her many online interviews, she appears to be too busy to have any kind of relationship and implied she was married to her job.
I couldn’t help but laugh at that statement. We are a lot alike. I’m also happily married to my job, but I would love nothing more than to have someone to share my life with.
In fact, I’ve never been in love.
Loveless Lincoln.
I round the corner of the street I should have been in fifteen minutes ago, quickly park my car and I’m grateful the helpful receptionist within the chic, white, glass-walled building escorts me directly to the meeting room where my fellow teammates are seated, announcing me as we walk through the door.
Everyone turns to greet me with a joyful wave and a quiet hello. I mouth a Sorry and roll my eyes at Rio as I take one of the seats that are laid out in a semicircle shape.
“Sorry. I’m still trying to find my bearings.”
“Ah, that accent is not local.” A tall, thin-as-a-drainpipe, gray-haired gentleman standing in the middle of the semicircle gives me a welcoming grin.
“Scottish,” I confirm.
“Beautiful part of the world. I’ve been once. It stole a little piece of my heart. I would love to go back.” He claps his hands together, then rubs them. “You haven’t missed anything, sorry, what’s your name…”
“It’s Lincoln. Most people call me Linc.”
“Great, well, Linc, we were discussing the day ahead, but I have already partnered everyone up, which leaves you with Violet.” He smiles across at Violet. “Violet usually works the room to get to know each of you, but we have an odd number of people today. You might enjoy partner work today, Letty.”
Letty?
“Uncle Hank, don’t call me Letty.” Violet rolls her eyes with a smirk.
Hank cheekily smiles back at her. “As long as you don’t call me ‘uncle’ again.” He waggles his finger in the air at her, and the mood in the room lifts at the easy exchange.
“Deal.”
She looks stunning again today. Hair pulled up into a high, tight ponytail, she’s fresh-faced and freckled. In simple black wide-legged pants, a tight white tee shirt, and pure white chunky-soled trainers.
How the hell am I gonna focus today?