9Prologue
"And to Kristen Caldwell, our wonderful marketing director. Kristen, only you have the ability to make drinking black coffee sound orgasmic. I've heard back from a lot of interested suppliers, and I'm happy to say that Kelsington Coffee is off to a great start for the upcoming year." Arnold winked at me from where he stood, holding a glass of champagne above his head.
I grinned, my cheeks growing warm, as everyone around me applauded, raising their glasses in a similar fashion. My boss, Arnold Kelsington, was generous in everything he did, from throwing out compliments to hosting annual New Year's Eve bashes at the Hilton. Tonight was no different. It was half an hour until the New Year, and Arnold had even commended Terry, who had a very likely chance of claiming the Guinness Book of World Records title of Worst Employee Ever. Luckily, he and I were in different departments, so I rarely had to interact with him, but from what I'd heard from others, he apparently spent his days throwing a pint-sized, plastic basketball into a mini hoop that he'd installed on his office door. I had to admit, though, his ability to slack and still get paid was an enviable talent. The fact that he was Arnold's nephew, though, may have also played a role.
"Well, well, it's the woman of the hour." Julia approached me with a large smile on her face. "Have I told you lately that I think you are completely awesome?"
"We're too old to be using a word like 'awesome,'" I pointed out. "But yes, you may have told me that once or twice. It doesn't hurt to hear it again, though."
"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes. "You may be ready for the big three-oh soon, but I am still very much a teenager at heart." She paused. "Did I really say 'have I told you lately'? God, I sound like that Rod Stewart song."
"The fact that you know who Rod Stewart is should be a warning to you that you are indeed no longer a teenager."
"Oh, hush." Julia elbowed me gently, and we both dissolved in laughter. She had been one of my closest friends ever since her first day on the job. We had bonded over the latest issue of People, which had featured Jude Law on the cover page. To this day, that man's blue eyes still induce a series of dramatic swoons from the two of us. Julia still held hope in the fact that he wasn't married, and I knew for a fact that she had dreams involving him, her, and half a dozen children living in the English countryside. I was happy merely with only a picture of the man. Everyone at the office dubbed us "the dynamic duo," since she was pretty much my right-hand woman in the marketing and sales department.
I smiled and glanced at my watch. Twenty minutes until midnight. "You seem to be having a good time tonight. Got in some time with Warren?"
"Five minutes tops," Julia grumbled. "I'm starting to think that he has a girlfriend."
"I thought he told us he broke up with some girl just last week."
"Then why the hell is he not making a move already?" She exhaled noisily. "Are men really this stupid? Have my hints not been completely obvious?"
"Are you really asking this question? Men are as dense as fog. You can't keep giving him hints—just ask him out already."
"I refuse to make the first move—I'm going to spend my life pursuing the ultimate Jane Austen cliché if necessary."
I rolled my eyes. "You know," I began, enunciating each word carefully, "Jane Austen wrote novels—novels with characters that don't exist in real life. Can you really find a rich, intelligent, handsome, charming, and generous man in real life? I don't think so. So you should really give up this futile quest of yours."
"Why must you be such a party pooper?" Julia exhaled dramatically and took a sip of her drink.
"I'm not," I reassured her. "It's called being realistic. And you, my friend, are way too much of a dreamer."
"I know." She shrugged. "But hey, it gives me something to hope for, right?"
I didn't reply. Even though I often found Julia's ideas ridiculous, I still admired her eternal optimism. She'd gone through a good deal of heartache and tears while searching for her Mr. Darcy or whomever (apparently she preferred Mr. Knightley to Darcy, but I found no difference, since they were all rich anyway) but still seemed to think that her man was out there, somewhere, but apparently took the long way in trying to reach her. Personally, I loved Jane Austen books myself and did go through a Mr. Darcy phase in high school as well, but I read them for pure entertainment, not as some sort of manual on how to find the Perfect Guy For You. Ah, well, maybe I was a party pooper.
"Do you think I should kiss Warren when it's midnight?" Julia's voice sliced through my musings.
"It would be kind of forward," I said. "But heck, you've been waiting this long—you might as well do it, right?"
"Right," she replied resolutely. "I'm going to do it." She glanced at her watch. "Oh, God, only ten more minutes left. Excuse me while I get another glass of wine. I need to calm my nerves and get some courage."
"Good luck," I said, and she winked in reply, sauntering off to refill her glass. I vaguely wondered how Warren would react to Julia's bold move. I could never tell with that man—he was rather mysterious and withdrawn for the most part. He worked in the finance department of the firm, and was brilliant with numbers. Julia had been enamored with him for months, claiming that his quiet demeanor was "sexy." I didn't quite see the appeal, and neither, apparently, did most of the other women in our company. At least that left Julia with virtually no competition.
"Ah, Kristen, how did you like my speech?" Arnold was approaching me, a wide grin adorning his face.
"I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that you used the word 'orgasmic,'" I replied dryly. "What does your wife think of that?"
He snorted. "She's a bit tipsy and didn't hear a single word of my lengthy oratory. Anyway, I really did mean it. You're a sharp kid, Kristen. I'm lucky to have you here."
"I'm lucky to be here," I said honestly. And it was true. Kelsington was small, yet intimate. Most of my co-workers were friendly and open, and Arnold was a great boss. Not to mention, the pay was very satisfactory.
"So, you didn't bring a date to this shindig?" he questioned. I refrained from rolling my eyes. It was so like Arnold to pry into my personal life.
"No, I didn't, boss," I replied. "Why, was it mandatory?"
"No… it's just that I want you to be happy, Kristen. Are you happy? Julia told me that you never seem to have time for a boyfriend."
I was lucky, really, to have such a tattletale friend and a nosy boss. "I'm fine, Arnold—really. I go on dates, so my love life isn't completely pathetic. I just haven't really found anyone to settle down with, you know?"
"Well, you're not getting any younger," he said warningly.
"I'm okay… you don't need to worry, Dad."
Arnold chuckled. "I guess I am kind of acting like an annoying parent, aren't I?"
"Just a little—but it's okay. You should be glad that I like you."
Before he could reply, though, I heard a chant ring through the room. The countdown began. Arnold muttered an excuse about joining his wife and left me alone. I found Julia and Warren standing close to each other and counting down with everyone else, and I sincerely hoped that she'd gathered up enough courage to plant one on him.
I thought back to the conversation I had had with Arnold. I gave the same reasoning to him about not having a boyfriend as I did for most people, even my closest friends and family members. But no one knew the real reason for why I kept my distance from most men. I had been in love once, or something close to love anyway, and I had never quite gotten over him. I was foolish enough to believe that perhaps we would meet again someday and no hard feelings would arise. Alas, life was never that simple, and old emotions were certainly never easily washed away.
When the countdown reached one, I arched my neck to see Julia and Warren engaged in a lip lock session and couldn't help but smile. Good going, girl. At least someone has the guts to find a good guy and not let him get away. Too bad I never did.
A/N: So I've semi-abandoned "Love Crashes In" for the time being, because I think my plot for this story will be more interesting and drama-filled, as I'll be dealing with two characters with a strong history. Anyway... please review and let me know what you think. Love it? Hate it? Intriguing?