Michelle Monkou - Here and Now

A dull murmur filled the room. Much to Chase’s embarrassment Freeman had mentioned his arrival to the department as if it were something new. Of course, he knew what an asset he was to any university, even if in name only. At least his colleagues played along with their excited boss at each meeting.

However, at each meeting, mentioning Freeman didn’t eclipse their unease when cutbacks and the board of regents were also part of the discussion. Topics like this placed Chase at a disadvantage. Chase’s income had spiked like a rocket as he won numerous championships, broke records and raked in various endorsement deals. Today, he commiserated with a few of his fellow coworkers out of a need to belong, to fit in with his new world.

He’d turned into an everyday kind of man now.

Freeman stepped back into the room. He was always the character, with his disheveled, shocking white hair and twinkling, vivid blue eyes, now grinning with boyish exuberance. He turned toward them. “She’s here.”

His pose reminded Chase of a game show host opening the magical Door No. 1 with a great deal of theatrics. He’d heard that his boss belonged to an amateur actors group.

Chase eased to the edge of his seat, craning his neck to see around the head of another eager observer. As an afterthought, he set down his empty coffee cup on a nearby window sill. He didn’t trust his hands with the task of holding on to anything. Anticipation zipped through his body as if on roller blades, shooting to the tips of his fingers and toes. Jitters from the stomach-knotting tension grew without regard to his fervent wish to remain calm. His nervousness took him back to his competitive days, waiting in the starter box for the race to begin.

And then, Laura Masterson entered the room.

A few of the men sitting nearby paused in their conversations.

Chase gulped.

The girl he knew on the cusp of womanhood had rounded the turn. Nothing less than a confident, sexy young woman stood at the front of the room.

He’d have loved to offer up a whistle of appreciation. But she didn’t deserve anything so common. All he could settle for was his heart beating on hyper-speed on the verge of a panic attack.

“Welcome. Welcome. Come on in. They don’t bite,” Freeman offered with a deep, underlying chuckle. He indicated an empty chair close to him. “Everyone, please introduce yourself to Laura Masterson, our new physical therapist.” Freeman’s chest puffed with pride like an old lion looking over his dominion.

One by one, the staff welcomed Laura. She acknowledged with a soft, personal smile for each person. What they said to her held no importance for him. Right now, memory had to catch up with the current, real version of his former love.

Only the woman in the front of the room mattered, sporting a tightly secured ponytail, a stylish navy blue pantsuit on her slender frame and sensible shoes.

Chase eased back in his chair, pushing it back toward the wall. He wasn’t hiding, but simply wanted to lengthen the time that he could study her without her knowledge. He’d broken her heart once. He didn’t expect her initial reaction to be along the lines of a happy family reunion.

As his colleagues stated their names, Chase scrutinized Laura’s face noting that she wore more makeup now. The soft colors accenting her eyes enhanced their roundness. Years ago, he used to trail the length of her nose playing connect the dots with the tiny freckles sprinkled against the natural beige tone along the bridge. The small rounded tip of her nose had a cute uplift that got her teased as a teen for being a snobby nose. And who would have figured that when provoked, her dainty small mouth could curse like a sailor?

Right now, that small mouth with full lips shimmered with a coppery glaze. She smiled at each introduction. He noticed that her lips trembled ever so slightly. Occasionally, she ran a shaky hand over her hair, adding credence to his summation. Wow, she was nervous.

With only two colleagues separating her from him, Chase hoped that she wouldn’t be too blown away by his sudden appearance. He took a deep breath. His hands grew clammy. Heck, he couldn’t deny that he also was nervous.

Then Laura shifted her ready smile from the assistant coach to him. Her eyes widened and the smile drooped as her mouth shut in a decisive snap. With an imperceptible shake of the head, she again turned on the smile, reviving it to its original brilliance. Gone, however, was the warm, curiosity in her face. He knew a fake smile when he saw one and he could sense a deep-seated grudge with his eyes closed.

“Miss Masterson, I’m Chase Westfield.”

“He’s the senior assistant director of athletics and head coach for the men’s track team,” Freeman added, still beaming from his chair.

“Very nice to meet you. I know that you’ll like it here. Welcome.” His voice had lost its smooth quality and turned into a froggy version.

Just as well. If he had any more time to talk, he may have slipped and turned it personal. He could’ve commented on how the longer hair suited her with the thick ponytail lying over one shoulder. Or follow that compliment by mentioning how well the navy blue suit fitted her slender body. And the curves had become curvier. But that would get him punched in the eye.

As a sophomore in high school, he’d patted her behind as part of a bet. The act had earned him a solid punch to his right eye and ridicule from his friends. Like that day, he didn’t walk away from a challenge. Did he really expect that Laura would run carefree into his arms with sincere well wishes?

No, not when he’d broken her heart.

“Laura, Chase temporarily oversees your department. The reporting structure is in a state of flux.” Freeman’s voice boomed over the conversation buzz.

Laura sucked in her breath. She’d often wondered if constantly thinking about someone could make them appear. Being level-headed proved to be difficult in this case. She felt as if she’d done an aerobics tape on fast forward. All she could see was the instant that she moved from the assistant coach, whatever-his-name was, to Chase. That image looped repeatedly. Then his lips moved. She tried to concentrate on what he said. But, her thoughts bounced around like a ping-pong ball with one possibility, then another and even a third idea of why she was standing in front of Chase. When his lips stopped moving, she knew it was her cue to speak and hopefully sound sensible.

“Thank you,” she responded. Of course, “kiss my butt” would’ve been more appropriate. She’d save that for later.

“Laura, you can take a seat. Then, we’ll get started.” The boss pointed her toward a vacant chair.

Grateful that it wasn’t near Chase, she hurried over to the opposite side of the room. Although on the other side of the room, the distance didn’t help matters when she had such a clear view of his profile. The 90’s haircut had been replaced by a layered cut along the sides and back. She remembered how soft his hair felt when she’d ran her fingers along the wavy grain of his hair.

And that thick head of hair always belonged to a handsome face. Chase’s smooth skin earned her envy with its clear, unblemished, even tone. Why were long lashes, a milk chocolate complexion and chiseled features wasted on someone like him? She wanted to work the paper from her pad into a ball and throw it at his profile. If she thought that Mr. Freeman wouldn’t be appalled and fire her on the spot, she’d let one rip.

When he stood at the end of the meeting, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. And why didn’t he look the least bit surprised or uncomfortable at seeing her? Right now, he chatted with his colleagues, slapping their backs in friendly fashion, gesticulating with grand hand motions. He was all business. His coolness irritated her.