*Later that afternoon*
"How the hell am I gonna do this?"
Noree stared at the mountain of boxes surrounding her, not knowing where to start. She'd finally received all her belongings, the delivery guy giving her nasty looks as he unloaded her cargo. Since she'd felt bad she'd handed him a generous tip for his services and offered a slice of pizza and a diet coke, both of which he'd curtly refused before shoving her last box through the front door.
Now the small two-bedroom house looked like a FedEX depot and she was the sole employee.
"OK girl, your shit ain't gonna move itself. Just get started so you can finish!"
For the next 5 hours Noree worked diligently, barely coming up for air. As she tightened the last bolt on her drafting table, she felt like dropping to the floor in a heap. Why couldn't she be like everyone else and unpack gradually? No, she had to be completely anal retentive and make sure every item was unpacked and placed properly on her first day in town.
Granted, she would need to get some more accessories here and there to make the house more homey but it would do for now. The plain walls would have to work since her leasing agreement prevented her from painting them. She was a designer after all; she would accessorize to her heart's content and make this place a show piece. Sometime tomorrow she would buy new furniture; the pieces that came with the rental would not do and she'd rather fork over her own money than use any of the rickety furniture. She'd simply contact the landlord and pay a premium to store the items if necessary.
She put away her tools, wiped her grimy hands on her shorts and stood up, glancing at the clock on her new office wall.
If her calculations were right, it was now 11pm in Montreal. She'd be cutting it close but she'd promised her grandmother a quick phone call.
She grabbed her cell phone and dialled the familiar number.
"Oui allo?" (Yes, hello?)
"Grand-mère? C'est Noree." (Grandma? It's Noree.)
"Noree chérie! Ça va? Comment était ton vol?" (Noree honey! You okay? How was your flight?)
"Ça c'est bien passé, il n'y a pas eu beaucoup de turbulence. Et toi, ça va?" (It went well, there wasn't much turbulence. What about you, are you okay?)
"Mais oui, ce n'est pas moi qui viens de passer des heures dans un avion. Dis-moi, tes choses sont arrivées? Et la température; est-ce qu'il fait vraiment très chaud?" (Of course, I'm not the one who's just spent hours on a place. Tell me, did your things arrive? What about the weather; is it very hot?)
"Toutes mes choses sont arrivées en un morceau, je suis vraiment surprise. La température est horrible, c'est super chaud mais je ne me plaint pas. C'est toujours mieux que nos hivers à -30°C." (All my things made it here in one piece; I'm really shocked. The weather is abysmal, it's horribly hot but I'm not complaining. It's always better than our winters at -22°F.)
"Tout a fait d'accord. Oh chérie, avant que j'oublie, ton ancienne patronne a appelée pour toi. Elle m'a laissé un message pour toi. Elle dit qu'un Monsieur Chasez te cherche. Il avait ton numéro au bureau mais tu n'es plus là alors elle m'a contacté à la place." (I completely agree. Honey, before I forget, your old boss called you. She left me a message for you. She said a Mr. Chasez is looking for you. He had your number at the office but since you're not there anymore, she called me instead.)
"Oh, pas de problème. Donne-moi son numéro, je le rappellerai demain matin. C'est sûrement un client potentiel. J'espère qu'il n'est pas à Montréal; ça serait trop ironique." (Oh, no problem. Give me his number; I'll call him back tomorrow morning. It's probably a potential client. I hope he's not in Montreal; that would be too ironic.)
Noree quickly jotted down the number on her message pad before placing the piece of paper on her desk.
"Grand-mère je vais te laisser ok? J'ai encore des boites à défaire et je veux passer à l'épicerie faire des courses. Passe le bonjour aux filles, je les appellerai plus tard dans la semaine." (Grandma I'm gonna let you go okay? I still have some boxes to go through and I want to pass by the grocery store to stock up. Say hi to the girls for me; I'll call them later in the week.)
"Ok chérie, prends soin de toi et fait attention." (Alright honey, take care of yourself and be careful.)
"Oui grand-mère. Bye." (Yes grandma. Bye.)
"Bye chérie." (Bye honey.)
Noree didn't want to admit it but she missed her grandmother. True there'd been times while growing up she couldn't stand the very presence of the woman in her life but times were different now. After her parents' death twenty years ago, Noree had been lost and broken. She'd felt truly and utterly alone. Before the funeral she'd never spent more than an afternoon with her grandmother, a woman who seemed larger than life to her 8 year old mind. But from that day, Rose Julien had welcomed her in her house with arms wide open. Not a day went by when Noree wasn't thankful.
Looking down at the paper on her desk Noree frowned. Wouldn't it just be her luck if the moment she decided to leave Canada, a client would seek her personally?
"Story of my damn life!"
With purse and directions in hand, Noree left the house to explore her neighborhood and get some groceries. As she walked along the different houses, she couldn't help but feel a small sense of excitement. She was out on her own, in a different country and so far she liked what she saw. There were palm trees all around her for God's sake! She'd never even seen one in real life and now she was surrounded. Tomorrow she would receive her new car. No one walked in L.A. according to her cousin Sophie. That would take some getting used to as she was used to walking everywhere when she didn't need her car.
She doubted it would take her long to get a good sense of the layout of the city. The moment she'd signed the rental papers for the house she'd been studying map after map; learning the different routes to places she might need to know. She'd only taken her direction sheet as a precaution; she'd memorized the route to the grocery store on the plane ride and could most likely make her way there without any help.
A smile played on her lips when a breeze picked up and ruffled her curls. She was in L.A.! Who would've thought geeky Noree Armstrong would one day move to the land of the stars?
***
*Following Day - June 13th*
Noree woke up, the sun streaming through the sheers covering the bedroom window. For a moment she simply laid there, beneath the fresh sheets, her eyes slowly taking in her surroundings. Though the walls were bland, she'd made up for it with her own singular touches for colour. Bright blue glass perfume bottles were catching the light on her dresser, sending their array of colours across the backing wall.
She'd been relieved to see her custom-made king size bed had not only survived the trip but fit perfectly inside the bedroom. She'd have hated to get rid of it. It was the first piece of furniture she'd designed and built with her own two hands. Upon seeing the end result, all three of her cousins had requested their very own, claiming the padded headboard would certainly come in handy.
Noree loved its clean lines, the feeling of opulence she got whenever she laid on it. With a contented sigh, she stretched her weak limbs under the 1000 thread-count, Egyptian cotton sheets, a smile lingering on her lips. When her eyes turned to the alarm clock on the bedside table they widened.
"11am!"
She couldn't recall the last time she'd indulged in such a late morning. She had so many things to accomplish, places to visit, suppliers to get acquainted with and phone calls, so many phone calls to place.
Shaking off the urge to linger in bed, she bolted from under the body-warmed covers and headed for the adjoining room where her office was now taking residence. She took hold of her notepad, BlackBerry and To-Do list.
First on her list: the phone calls. She needed to call the landlord, contact some past clients and let them know she was now in their area and take the time to call her old boss out of courtesy. She couldn't afford to burn bridges. Then she needed to call the car dealership and see if her car was ready for delivery. She'd splurged on a Mini Cooper S Convertible and couldn't wait to get behind the wheel.
Her eyes landed on the phone number she'd taken down the night before, still tacked on to her bulletin board. She needed to call back this potential client. Any work at this point would be welcomed.
Taking the paper in her hand, she looked at the phone number. The area code clearly indicated the caller was at least based in Los Angeles so it was a good sign. She'd hate to have to travel so soon after arriving in town.
She looked at the name and gasped as she recognized it. It was like being hit in the solar plexus with a 10 pound sledgehammer. She dropped the sheet, her hands covering her mouth.
"Holy fucking merde! (shit)"
How had she not recognized the name last night? She could only blame lack of sleep and temporary insanity for her gross oversight.
JC Chasez was looking for her? The JC Chasez?
She had officially entered the Twilight Zone because in what normal world did some up and coming interior designer from Montreal not only moved to California but found herself in possession of one of America's most recognizable faces' phone number, with permission to use it?
He had called looking for her.... He knew her name.
"Oh shit, he's in L.A.!"
It dawned on her that, whatever his reason for calling her, she would have to meet him in person to at least discuss it, whether she accepted the mandate or not.
"Alright, deep breaths, calm down. This could be nothing. I could have the wrong Mr. Chasez. His dad's name is Chasez, so's his brother's. Yeah, that's it, I'm gonna talk to his dad or his brother or some cousin..."
With her calm somewhat restored, Noree reached for the paper and, before she let nerves get the best of her, she pressed each digit onto her cell phone.
***
"Babe, where should we eat today?"
"I can't head out today Sasha; I've got a shitload of things to do." JC's voice was muffled as he spoke with his pen lodged between his teeth, his eyes trained on the papers in front of him.
"But babe, we haven't been out together in days, I'm going stir crazy. How about we grab some brunch at that new restaurant and then do a little shopping? We never go out anymore."
The brunette made her way over to him. She was tall, rod slim and knew exactly how to work a room, any room. Moving the papers out of the way, she took her place in his lap, taking his arms and wrapping them around her waist. She truly was a beauty and if she knew her man, he wouldn't resist her long.
With a sigh, JC rubbed the bridge of his nose, moving his glasses out of the way.
"Sasha, I really need to get this done. You can invite your girls; I know you haven't seen them in a while."
"I don't want to go out with them; I want to be with you. You never make time for me anymore. It's always work and more work lately; what happened to spending some quality time with me?" She knew she was pouting and the concept would normally irk her but, desperate times called for desperate measures.
JC didn't want to get irritated with her, he didn't want to lose his patience but she was making it very hard not to. He'd been neglecting her lately, he could see it, but he was finally getting the ball rolling on a project that got his creative juices flowing again and all he wanted was a couple hours of peace and quiet to get some details ironed out.
He looked up at her and smiled. He knew she wouldn't be happy with him but there was no way around it. In the end she would understand; she always did. Wrapping his arms more firmly around her, he brought her closer.
"I would love to go and roam the city with you baby, but I can't. Once this project is under control and all the details worked out, I'll have more time, I promise. For now, I need you to be patient with me."
Sasha rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. She knew she was considered shallow as a kiddie pool by some but, to her own surprise, she was starting to deeply care for the blue-eyed man. She didn't pretend to understand everything about his life or his work, and if she were honest with herself, and she rarely was, she could say that they had nearly nothing in common but somehow they worked.
"If you weren't such a cutie Chasez..."
JC's hands travelled from her waist to her back, left bare by her halter top. With a smirk on her face, Sasha leaned forward, her lips inches from his. As he was about to close the distance between them, she pulled back.
"I'm taking the Beemer. Thank you babe!"
Without looking back Sasha bolted to her feet, grabbed her purse and the car keys from the hook. JC barely had time to blink before he could hear the mechanical sound of the garage door opening.
He knew his and Sasha's relationship, if one could call it that, was far from a great love story. They both enjoyed each other's company and neither had any great expectations from each other. As shallow as it made him sound it was exactly what he needed; a stress-free, drama-free and, let's face it, short-term relationship.
He knew that no matter what his mother told him she was eager to see him settled with a wife and 2.5 children but he kept waiting for the urge to manifest itself. In the meantime he'd please himself with Sasha and ride the wave. Even though it made him sad to do so, he didn't believe he was meant for the "Great One".
As he reached for the discarded papers his cell phone buzzed, vibrating on the glass table. He tensed when he saw the caller ID indicating Unknown Caller. He hoped to God his number hadn't been leaked again. He had no desire to change his number yet again.
"Hello?" He kept his voice as neutral as possible. If some eager fan was on the line, he could at least try to pretend they had the wrong number
"Yes hi, my name is Noree Armstrong, is Mr. Chasez available; I'm returning a phone call?"
Looking back on that very moment, JC would remember his breath clogging in his throat and his stomach seizing at the sound of the voice on the line. The only way to describe it was purely and inherently sexy. The smoky tone reminded him of seedy bars and the barely noticeable hint of an accent made him think of French films noirs.
Not certain how long he'd been silent on the line, JC hurriedly answered.
"I'm Mr. Chasez. You're a hard woman to track down Mrs. Armstrong. I've been bounced around a couple times."
"I'm afraid you've caught me in transition Mr. Chasez. I've just moved and I only received your message late last night. Is there something I can help you with?"
"I sure hope so. I was in Vancouver last year and stayed at this boutique hotel you re-designed; I was really impressed with your work. I took some time yesterday to go through your old employer's website and the projects that were associated with your name really impressed me. I recently purchased a space and I would like for you to see it and maybe go over a few ideas. I realize this is last minute but would you be able to fly to L.A.? "
"We're both in luck Mr. Chasez; I've moved to South L.A. so my office isn't as far away as it originally was."
"Wow! That's amazing. In that case, we have to meet. I would love to go over what I've got in mind for my own project."
JC couldn't believe his luck. What were the odds?
"Do you have a specific time and place you'd like for us to meet?"
"Would today work for you? I've got a lot of different aspects that need to be set in motion and they all pretty much depend on what I do with the space."
"That won't be a problem. Would you like to meet at the space?"
"That would be perfect. Here's the address. How about we meet in front an hour from now and we can talk about everything?"
"It works for me. I'll see you in an hour Mr. Chasez."
Hanging up, JC smiled. He looked down at himself and decided he couldn't very well show up to a business meeting looking rumpled and scruffy. With an extra bounce in his step he climb the stairs two at a time and headed for the shower.
***
Noree was still staring at her phone, a disbelieving expression marring her features. She was pretty certain she'd just spoken to JC Chasez. Certainly not the father nor the brother. On top of it, she was scheduled to meet him. With a shaky breath she ran her trembling hand though her messy curls.
"Let's stay calm. He's just another potential client; nothing more, nothing less. You will treat him as such and stay professional. It's not like he's the first rich man you've worked for. You did that reno for Guy Laliberté* once; this is the same thing. "
She looked down at the cell phone's display and jumped. She only had a bit less than an hour to receive her car and head over to Sunset.
Quickly, she placed a call to the dealership and after being assured she would receive her car within the half hour, she headed straight for the shower.
She was putting the finishing touches to her make-up when she heard the doorbell. With a squeal of excitement she hurried to the front door.
Within minutes the paperwork was signed, keys handed over and Noree was standing barefoot in the driveway, looking over her brand new, Sparkling Silver Mini Cooper S Convertible with Hot Chocolate Soft Top and leather Tuscan interior.
With a dreamy sigh she ran her hand over the body of the car, the chrome accents catching the light. She ran back inside the house and quickly put her shoes on, grabbed her portfolio, her laptop bag and her purse.
Noree slid into the car and, starting it, plugged in the address into the GPS. With a silent prayer she drove out of the driveway and headed towards a meeting that could very well establish her career.
She decided against driving with the top down, doubting that showing up for her first appointment with a potential client with windblown hair would make her look very professional. She'd opted for a low bun to keep her curls under control and give her a more serious appearance. Hopefully she'd make a good enough first impression with Mr. Chasez.
***
JC was standing in front of his new acquisition at the corner of Sunset and San Vicente, chewing nervously on his bottom lip, both hands shoved deep in his jean pockets. The building's exterior was nothing to write home about but that was about to change. Hopefully with the help of Noree Washington.
He turned his gaze to the street just in time to see the silver car pulling up. Behind sunglasses his eyes observed the driver as she stepped out. He took in her curvy frame beneath the simple dove gray linen suit jacket and calf length pencil skirt. Her own eyes were hidden behind large sunglasses, keeping him from fully seeing her face. The sun reflected off her brown hair, causing copper highlights. His gaze travelled down the length of her, following every curve, and his breath hitched at the sight of the bright red 5-inch ankle-strap pumps on her feet. He couldn't explain it but the contrast of the prim and proper suit with the sexy footwear went straight to his gut.
Cursing under his breath, JC fought to focus on her face as she made her way over to him, a smile curving her full lips.
-Get yourself under control you idiot. You don't want to scare her off just because you've got some weird shoe-thing going on!- the words were screamed loudly in his mind as he plastered a smile on his face
"Mr. Chasez, I'm Noree Armstrong."
She removed her sunglasses, placed them quickly in her purse and extended her free hand for a firm handshake and JC nearly whimpered. Her voice was more poignant in person, twisting his insides. The fact that she had the face of a pixie, complete with a smattering of freckles, and the voice of a sexpot didn't help his ability to focus.
"Nice to meet you Ms. Armstrong. You can call me JC, Mr. Chasez's my dad."
JC silently congratulated himself for being able to string a full sentence together.
"In that case you can call me Noree."
"Alright Noree, welcome to my run down diamond in the rough. Hopefully you can accomplish a miracle."
With a laugh JC led the way to the front door and, grabbing the large keychain, unlocked it. The air that greeted them upon entry was heavy with the smell of spilled alcohol and dust motes could be seen dancing in the air with what little natural light that came in through the small ceiling height windows on the far wall.
Unconcerned, Noree made her way around the room, taking notes and measurements and murmuring to herself. JC simply stood still near the entrance, just watching her. The floor was littered with pieces of drywall, the remnants of old booths and tables and old bottles. The space had had many incarnations during the last decade and the last one had been a bar with a rough and ready clientele. The bar had only survived a few months before the owners, a pair of Hollywood starlets, had decided to cut their losses and close the place down.
Now it was all his to do as he pleased.
Noree's heart was slowly regaining its regular rate as she made her way around the large room. She thought she'd covered her initial reaction beautifully; her hand hadn't trembled and her voice had remained steady. Now she just needed to get her heartbeat under control and everything would be alright.
Though she was a fan, Noree was glad she wasn't an obsessive one. Or else her nerves would've gotten the best of her.
He truly was a beautiful specimen of the male type. He was tall but in her heels she could look him in the eyes without craning her neck. He was dressed simply but her experienced eye let her see everything was either tailor-made or tailored to fit his long frame. His hand had been rough in hers, nearly sending a shudder up her spine. She couldn't afford to react that way. So what if it had been more than two years since her last relationship; it was no reason to act like some horny teenager.
Continuing to scribbling notes and observe the space, Noree didn't notice JC's gaze following her.
-Chasez, you're not allowed to think these things. She could be working for you before long and you have a girlfriend. This is just another beautiful woman. There are plenty of those around and you don't go ape-shit when you see them. Just remember to breathe and don't look at her ass... Damn!-
JC nearly genuflected when Noree bent forward to observe the underside of the still standing bar. To distract himself he started walking, blindly looking around at details.
"Was the foundation inspected?"
Noree's voice broke through his ongoing inner dialog.
"Oh, yeah. It's sound. I have the report in my car."
She simply nodded and kept going. Some twenty minutes and ten pages of notes later, Noree joined JC in the middle of the empty space.
Noree's first reaction was glee. She loved a blank canvas and she could really sink her teeth into a project of this size. If she played her cards right she could add another accomplishment to her portfolio and get her name within the inner circles of the Hollywood elite.
"So? What do you think? You're still here so I'm guessing it's not so horrible after all."
"There's nothing better for an interior designer than a blank canvas. I've got all the measurements I need for now, is there someplace where we can sit so we can discuss what you want to do?"
"We can head over to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf just up the street. It's just a 3-minute walk." JC said, pointing towards the general direction of the coffee shop
"That's great!"
Without another word they headed outside. Noree waited as JC locked the heavy door. Back behind the security of her sunglasses she let her eyes roam down his body, a warm flush coming over hers.
-Who knew such a skinny white guy could have such a cute ass?-
When he turned towards her, she simply smiled, hoping he couldn't read her expression. In silence they walked towards their destination.
"If you don't mind me asking, why did you move to California?"
JC could only think of it as sweet torture but he wanted to listen to her voice.
"Well, I guess I decided I'd done everything I could do back home. Interior designers aren't chump change in Canada but we're not exactly fought over either. I wanted to move on to bigger and better."
"I can understand that. I for one am thankful."
"I've actually been meaning to ask you where you got the number to my old employer. I know the hotel didn't list us anywhere in their press kit; how did you know where to start looking?"
"I can't take the credit for that. A buddy of mine, Terrence, remembered meeting you while we were in Vancouver last year and he still had your business card. I spent that entire 3-day trip raving about the place but I got sick on the last day or else we would've met then."
Noree frowned, trying to remember her visit to the Vancouver hotel. The work had drained her physically and emotionally. They'd been the most difficult clients to date and after pouring her heart and soul into the rehabbing and redecoration of the entire building she'd enjoyed their offer to use the facilities for free before heading back home. She had a vague memory of meeting a man that night. He'd made her laugh with his clumsy compliments and she'd given him her business card, fully knowing she'd never hear from him.
"Short, Latin man with hair like he got smashed into an electric fence?"
JC's laugh came quickly at her words.
"Yep, that sounds about right. You'll be happy to know we were able to talk him out of that haircut."
"Glad to hear it."
"It was an unfortunate time in all our lives, believe me."
"You don't seem too scarred by it."
"I'm made of sterner stuff than that."
Both laughing quietly, they walked into the coffee shop and headed for the counter.
"Welcome to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf." The perky blonde behind the counter was all smiles when her eyes landed on JC
"Hi there, can I have the large Chai Latte? What would you like Noree?"
"Hmm, the large Frozen Lemonade please."
When JC reached to pay for both drinks, Noree placed a hand on his wrist to stop him.
JC told himself he was being silly. He'd been spending too much time under the sun and his mind was going. The moment her hand made contact with his skin, he had the definite sensation that time stopped. His breath lodged in his throat, his eyes landed on her hand and followed the length of her arm until he settled on her face.
For a fraction of a second he saw the same shocked expression in her eyes before she blinked it away and released his wrist.
"You don't have to pay for mine, I'm not on the payroll yet." Her laugh was forced and she cleared her throat as she reached for her wallet to hand a couple bills out to the cashier who was still standing with that dreamy smile on her face
With an uncomfortable silence between them, they headed to a table at the back with their drinks in hand. To keep her hands busy, Noree took out her laptop and proceeded to booting it up.
JC was busy mentally kicking himself when Noree slid a large folder in front of him.
"These are some of the projects I headed independently from the firm I was with. You can look them over while I do a rough-in of your space on my computer."
Thankful for the distraction, JC simply nodded dumbly and started flipping through the portfolio. The projects were varied and each one of them was stunning. Some were not to his personal taste but they all held a sense of originality that showed him how truly talented she was. By the time he flipped the last page Noree was putting the finishing touches to the rough layout of the space.
Pushing the book aside, JC brought his seat closer to Noree's to get a better look at the computer screen. He was shocked to already see a 3D mock-up of the interior space.
"How'd you do this so quickly?!"
Noree smiled, her gaze never leaving the screen.
"Years of experience. Now, tell me what you would like to do with the space, what you would to see in the space, what you can't live without and what you loathe."
JC laughed, feeling at ease again now that the tension had lessened between them.
"Is that all?"
For 4 hours they sat at the little table, going over his ideas and her suggestions. With a couple quick presses of a few buttons she had different scenarios appearing on the screen. He would either dismiss them or note what aspects he liked better. By the end they both had a pretty good idea of the direction and scope of work to be done.
A quiet chime broke through their conversation and JC reached for his cell phone in his back pocket. Gesturing for Noree to wait for him, he stood and answered.
"Hi babe!" JC tried to keep his voice down as he walked a little ways from the table
"JC, where have you been all afternoon? I've been calling you." Sasha's voice came through
"I'm sorry babe, I didn't hear my phone. I've been in a meeting with the designer for the club and I lost track of time. You know how I get when I work; I tune everything out."
Sasha sighed on the line, the sound coming through loud and clear.
"Yes, I know how you get. When are you coming home? I wanted to show you what I bought and we have to figure out where we're having dinner tonight."
JC cringed, knowing his answer wouldn't please her.
"I'm real sorry Sasha but I can't make it for dinner. We're not done here and there are a lot of details we still have to go over. I want to go over some samples with Noree and head Downtown to check out some of the custom furniture we could get."
"Who's Noree?"
"The interior designer I hired."
The long pause didn't put JC's mind at ease. After a few moments, Sasha's voice broke through, with that overly enthusiastic tone she used whenever she felt uncomfortable.
"Do you want me to come help you out? You know I've got a good eye for these things babe."
JC felt bad but he truly didn't want Sasha to show up. He knew what would happen. She'd come and stay involved in the conversation for a whole 10 to 15 minutes before she lost interest.
"I appreciate it baby but it's not necessary for you to lose the rest of your day doing this. Why don't you and your friends do something tonight?"
"I've already been out with my friends JC; they replaced you at brunch today, remember?"
Because JC could feel a fight brewing, he chose his words carefully.
"This project is not just about me Sasha; it could mean something. I know it's a lot to ask of you but my time is going to be stretched very thin for a while."
JC could practically hear her thinking, mulling the words over in her mind.
"I guess I'll see you later tomorrow then."
"Alright babe, see ya."
With a relieved sigh JC placed the phone back in his pocket and headed to the table where Noree was patiently waiting.
Noree was quietly berating herself.
-Girl, he's obviously got a girlfriend so you're going to do yourself a favour and delete all those nasty fantasies you've been entertaining since you laid eyes on him. He is officially your client and you NEVER AGAIN will dip your pen in the company ink. UNDERSTOOD?-
She'd been on the receiving end of cheating boyfriends too many times to even consider the notion of pursuing something with a man who was clearly unavailable. Her only foray in mixing business with pleasure had ended so horribly she swore she never would make the same mistake again. With a resolved nod to herself she made her decision; the relationship between herself and JC Chasez would remain professional, at all cost.
She looked up as he made his way towards her.
-Damn it!-
"Well, are you ready to head downtown? I can't wait to look at some pieces already."
"Sure. I'll give you the address to the manufacturers I researched and I'll follow you in my car. I've got a GPS but I'd rather be on the safe side."
"Let's hit the road then."
With that they left the coffee shop and headed back to their cars.
JC waved as he pulled away from the curb ahead of her and Noree followed.
When they reached the first warehouse, they both got out of their respective cars and headed for the entrance.
Together they roamed the showrooms of various manufacturers and questioned the sales staff. Noree took copious notes and concentrated on the task at hand. She refused to even linger on the barely there grazes of the hand that seemed to sneak their way in despite her efforts to keep her distance.
Leaving the last warehouse, Noree sighed and massaged her neck, stretching it from side to side to relieve the tension.
"I think it's safe to say we've done all we can for the day, probably too much actually." JC's words were laced with humour
Noree grinned, nodding in agreement.
"I could probably keep going but I need fuel and flatter shoes. The retailers are closing anyway so it's a moot point."
Looking down at his watch JC cringed. It was already past 8pm.
"I've kept you a little longer than expected. Sorry."
"No harm done, I'll let you know when I can't take it anymore. I think for now the best would be for me to go ahead and produce those plans. I've got your contractor's information so I'll be in contact with him. I could have the book of plans ready for him by the end of the week and a couple sample boards for you by that time also."
"Already?"JC was impressed, he wasn't expecting her to give him such a quick timeline
"You've got the benefit of being my only client at this very moment so I'm at your entire disposition. I work pretty quickly and once I get your green light to go ahead I can relay that to the contractor and place the orders for the materials I'll need. Once you've approved the samples we'll have a better idea of the timeframe depending on the availability of the materials and the production time for the custom pieces."
"That works for me. How about I meet you at your office a week from today so we can go over the final choices?"
"Sure. Here's the address. I'll keep you up to date with everything."
JC entered her information in his cell phone and walked her over to her car.
After throwing her purse in on the passenger side, Noree turned to JC and held out her hand. Bracing himself against the jolt he was sure would course through his body at the contact, JC took the outstretched hand in his in a firm handshake.
"I'll call you to set a time to meet."
"Sure. Thanks again for taking this project."
With a nod, Noree let his hand go and slipped into her car, making quick work of starting it and leaving the curb.
For a moment JC stood there, staring at her retreating lights. He had the feeling this would be an interesting couple of weeks.
