CHAPTER 8
ROXY
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
"Come on, Roxy," she repeated to herself, walking toward Centennial Park with fidgeting keys. "It's just a bloody run, breathe."
What the hell was happening?
She still didn't know what the heck got into her when she reached Ellen to suggest it to her.
On paper, she did exactly what they trained and asked her to do.
First contact went smoothly, and she quickly established proximity with Ellen.
She followed up on her own, which was what they were hoping for, and the best scenario for them. Phase one was complete.
The right thing for Roxy to do would have been to leave it at that and focus on maintaining a purely professional relationship.
Roxy couldn't help herself, and naturally, had aimed to do the opposite. There was a little voice inside her that wouldn't shut up and had only one topic: Ellen Caldwell. And it haunted Roxy's thoughts.
Maybe it was the way she hid behind her intelligence but let her guard down for half a second when Roxy said her name. Or maybe it was the way her eyes lingered on her mouth, as if she were trying not to.
Roxy saw it all and felt it. She would have been lying if she said the idea of wanting to be around her wasn't constantly on her mind. It'd been clear since the first time she saw her photo that Ellen Caldwell did not leave her indifferent.
Roxy had never felt such a powerful attraction before. Just having Ellen in her field of vision could completely throw her off balance. It was incredibly difficult for her to concentrate during the meeting.
The nature of this attraction was so confusing, and it stirred up a lot of emotions in her.
She waited four—long—days before contacting Ellen again, and all she really wanted to know during those four days was whether Ellen felt the same way, because for her part, she hadn't stopped thinking about her.
Roxanne Powell - 4:17 PM Hey Ellen. It's Roxy. Would you be down for a run with me?
Ellen Caldwell - 4:18 PM Roxy? Oh! The consultant, right? ;) Why not? What's the plan?
Roxanne Powell - 4:18 PM Looks like we got a funny one here. Centennial Park. North entrance. 6 AM
Ellen Caldwell - 4:18 PM Perfect. See you tomorrow :)
Ellen responded swiftly, and it was the wonderful answer Roxy'd been hoping for. It filled her with a warm sensation, a feeling of pure joy. No other word could describe it better.
She couldn't help thinking that Ellen might cancel at the last minute or not even show up at the meeting place.
Roxy couldn't bring herself to do that herself, even if it was the logical thing to do.
She needed to see her again. It wasn't about the assignment, but instead about regaining power over the narrative.
She couldn't ignore how it made her feel to think Ellen might not show up.
Rejection had never frightened her as much as it did then.
On top of all that, she barely slept last night, tossing and turning, haunted by the fear of oversleeping or her alarm failing.
At precisely 5:45 a.m., Roxy reached the north entrance of the park, seeking a moment to ground herself before Ellen's arrival.
But Ellen beat her to it. She was there, leaning against a black sedan car with her driver sitting behind the wheel.
She wore a black cap, snug leggings, and a black sports bra that showed a glimpse of her toned stomach.
Roxy was mesmerized as she examined her from every angle.
She was beautiful—even more so than Roxy could remember.
After all, Roxy had only seen her twice in a purely professional context. How could she have imagined otherwise? Okay, maybe she had let her imagination run wild. A lot.
Ellen was absorbed by her phone, likely responding to emails.
It would have made sense because it was already 1:45 p.m. the previous day in Montreal.
She looked up and her eyes sparkled and smiled when she saw Roxy.
Without thinking, she smiled back and opened her mouth to say something, but Ellen beat her to it.
"Hey, you!" Ellen called out, stepping forward to give Roxy a welcoming and thigh hug. Her warmth was comforting for Roxy, and the pressure was just spot on. But when Ellen stepped back, she looked worried. "Sorry, maybe that was weird."
Roxy simply whispered, "No, it wasn't."
And the smile returned immediately. "Oh good," she blushed as she said, "I'm just really glad you asked me to join you, Roxy. It means a lot to me."
"The pleasure is all mine, Ellen. I thought you might want to explore a bit of Sydney, starting with one of my favourite parks in town."
Ellen didn't take her eyes off Roxy, nor her smile. Roxy could tell, by the way her eyes sparkled and her smile widened, that she was truly pleased to be there with her. "Knowing this is a special spot for you makes me quite certain it will become one of my favourites as well."
Only one word could describe Roxy: speechless. What could she possibly say to that? Ellen wasn't even subtle; she was showing some sort of interest in Roxy, and she wanted her to know. She struggled a bit and finally managed to ask, "Ready to go?"
"Not yet, I have… um… something for you." Ellen didn't wait for a reaction from Roxy.
Roxy arched an eyebrow. "For me?"
"Yes." Ellen gasped for breath. "A secret I've kept from you is that my sister in town."
"Taylor?"
"Yeah," Ellen responded, a smile gracing her lips, "and I mentioned you to her about your being a fan of SNARL. So, we ended up shopping together."
Ellen didn't wait for Roxy to react—instead, she elegantly opened the car door and out a thin gift in a square form, perfectly wrapped in black paper with a refined gray ribbon accent.
"I hope it isn't too much." She handed her the gift.
"It's nothing. Don't worry. I just thought it might make you happy with what you said after our first conversation. "
Roxy unwrapped the gift to find a 12-inch vinyl record in its original packaging. The biggest surprise came when she lifted the edge and saw the silver signature on the front. It took Roxy's breath away.
Her SNARL's favourite album, featuring her favourite song. 'Undivided.' Signed by Taylor Caldwell herself.
She gazed at the record as though it were the most valuable item she had ever possessed. This small gesture made her realize that most people didn't do things for Roxanne Powell unless there was something in it for them. She was always the one who remembered, protected, and took care of things.
Ellen handed Roxy something so personal and precise, which proved one important thing: she had listened to her.
Roxy blinked once. "Ellen, this is..."
Ellen didn't let her finish. "Look, like I told you before, it might be too much.
But when I told Taylor, she didn't hesitate for a second.
We walked around town and found it yesterday in a great little indie music store.
You should have seen the look on the guy's face when he saw Taylor walking into his store.
I had to take at least fifteen photos of them.
" She caught her breath, just before starting again.
"I really wanted to ask Jessie to sign it too, but she's in Los Angeles right now.
And I really wanted to give it to you today. But hey, maybe next time?"
Roxy was touched by Ellen's genuine desire to make her happy. She could sense Ellen's pride in her voice, not just for the record itself, but also for the joy it had brought Roxy.
" I…"
Ellen took off her cap and ran her hand through her hair in a nervous way. "Damn, I should have listened to myself too... I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. Do you even have a record player?"
"No, Ellen." Roxy couldn't help but look at her, trying to calm the storm of thoughts in her head. "It's just perfect. Thanks."
It was as if Roxy had just lifted a ton of bricks off Ellen's shoulders. "Oh, well, that's good. I'm glad you like it."
"But I will be honest with myself. I don't think Taylor would have been the one I would have seen first in the store," Roxy muttered.
Why did she just say that?
A tiny whimper escaped Ellen's lips, but she quickly suppressed it. And as if she wanted to ignore hearing Roxy's last line, "Well, she said, 'Thank her for having good taste.' Those were her exact words. I could introduce you to her someday if you want."
Roxy's hands suddenly felt too clumsy and too rough for something this personal. "You didn't have to…"
"I know, Roxy, but I wanted to. We can put it in the car until after we run. I wouldn't be reckless enough to take you jogging with a rare SNARL vinyl autographed by Taylor Caldwell herself."
Roxy let out a breath of disbelief, grinning despite herself. "Thank you, Ellen. Sincerely," she said. "You're possibly the most dangerous woman I've ever encountered. And believe me, I don't say that lightly."
Ellen smirked. "Well, that's flattering." The moment between them settled by itself. Ellen put the vinyl back in the car, and before they could realize, they were already jogging at a light pace, their running shoes padding softly on the asphalt.
Their strides matched almost instantly, as if they had done this before. And if the pace became out of sync, Roxy would unconsciously correct it, just as she had done in her military past.
While they ran, Roxy and Ellen found themselves engaged in an easy, flowing dialogue, touching upon a vast array of topics, both significant and insignificant.
The conversation wasn't particularly deep, but each tidbit Ellen revealed about herself only deepened Roxy's curiosity to learn more.
Roxy's curiosity had nothing to do with her mission. No. It was personal.
Roxy was running at her usual rhythm when she became aware that Ellen was finding it hard to match her speed. Glancing back, she saw Ellen wincing, her hand pressed to her side, clearly in pain from a cramp.