“Watch it, lady,” grumbled the businessman as he jerked his case free, pressing forward to where ever he thought was important. The motion pulled her around in the center of the crowd. For a second, a gap in the crowd parted behind the businessman, leaving her looking, eye-to-eye at a tall, dark man who was just standing still, letting the movement of walkers move around him. It was obvious he was staring at her. She just froze, puzzled. It wasn’t so much that he was staring, but the way he was looking at her.

He was a tall man, probably six foot four inches or more, muscular, dressed in a dark blue shirt with matching trousers, tanned from working in the sun. He had dark long hair brushing the collar of his shirt. Although he was somewhat good looking, he also seemed to be a bit scary or threatening.

The crowd closed up between them. Another person bumped her, knocking her senses as to where she was, reminding her that she was late for a meeting to show her drawings.

At last, she reached the building that housed the ad agency where she was scheduled for the most important meeting. Entering, she walked through the lobby to the bank of elevators. She knew the floor where the meeting was. She knew that her friend Alicia Trenton would be waiting when she got off. Alicia had arranged this meeting, and it helped her fears to know that she had Alicia’s support.

Riding up in the elevator, she looked at herself in the polished steel doors. She had pulled her long reddish brown hair back into a bun and put on a touch of makeup. She dressed in a black pants suit with a plain white blouse. This was a business meeting, so she didn’t want to look sexy. Just business-like. She was tall, five foot ten inches, but she wore heels, which made her six foot. She thought this gave her an advantage since it made her taller than most men, and discouraged those who wanted to make out instead of making business with her.

Alicia met her as they went into the meeting. Afterwards, giggling like schoolgirls, they rode the elevator down together.

“I was right,” Alicia said. “You wowed them. I knew you would. Let’s celebrate with lunch.”

“I can’t believe this. It’s a dream come true. Okay, lunch, but I don’t think I can eat anything.” Carry smiled as she responded.

Arm in arm, the two women left the building. This time, Carry didn’t even mind the crowd rushing past them on the sidewalk. They laughed as they decided which place they would attend. They finally walked a couple of blocks, Carry still knocking people with her large case, to their choice of restaurant, entering the dim foyer.

The restaurant was a bar restaurant combination. They pushed through the crowd to one of the tall tables that had bar stools. It still had glasses on it, but the waitress motioned them to sit down. The waitress started cleaning off the small table.

Putting their heads together, they began to decide what to order. That way when the waitress returned they could order right away. This strategy worked fine. As soon they settled down, they ordered and were now waiting for their salads and drinks.

They spent the next few minutes on what they could do with Carry’s newfound wealth. They both speculated that she was bound to find good money from working at an ad agency after the company took some of her ideas that they had looked at today.

“What about that creep, Thomas,” Alicia asked. “He actually made a pass at you in the middle of the meeting.”

“I was grateful when Mrs. Powers took over. I was trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t sound rude about his false hair piece.” At this, both women giggled.

The drinks arrived, and Alicia leaned back to drinking and then leaned forward to say in a low voice, “You have an admirer.”

“What?”

“There is this gorgeous hunk off to the left, staring at you as if he owns the table. Maybe you know him? I hope so, because the sex is oozing.”

Carry raised her drink that allowed her to casually lean back in towards her friend. She now looked in the direction her friend indicated without being obvious, but couldn’t help her reaction of total gut-wrenching fear.

She was looking at a man who was tall, well over six feet tall, He was muscular, dressed in a dark blue shirt with matching trousers. He was tanned, his long dark hair brushing the collar of the shirt. Although he was somewhat good looking, he also seemed to be a bit scary or threatening. There was something different, though. This wasn’t the same man she had seen earlier on the street. It was as if they were brothers, or related. The similarity was amazing. In addition, the danger that emitted from him was also making the hairs on her arms stand on end.

“Jesus.” Carry breathed.

“Carry, is something wrong?” Alicia asked with concern as she reached for her friend.

Carry felt Alicia’s hand on hers. She caught another breath allowing herself to look at her friend.

“What is it? Something wrong?” Alicia asked again.

Carry turned away from her friend. She had another breath and enough strength to take another glance back towards the tall man, but he wasn’t there. Someone else was at the bar with his back to them. A smaller man in a rumpled brown suit on the same bar stool.

“Did you see him? A man in a dark blue shirt?” she asked Alicia, her voice trembling.