Golden Hour

Chapter 7

While sipping my coffee and watching the sunset, I slipped into a vivid daydream in which I wondered how my life would have changed if I'd waited for a man like Neil. I didn't realize real men like him existed.

If they did, I always figured they would focus on women like Emily. Let's face it—if I was a gentleman with decent looks, a great personality, and an excellent brain, I'd choose a beautiful, confident, smart woman like her any day of the week.

But Neil had connected with me.

Sure, I'd trained my mind, and that gave me a sense of pride. My academic abilities used to give me confidence, perhaps even a bit too much. I'd always set my goals and reached them with success.

But beauty? Nope.

Like most plain people, I could pull off a six or a seven if I made an effort while hovering around a four or a five on average. Not anyone who would turn heads for good or bad.

The Fool had always tried new ways to shape me into the eight or nine he wanted: makeup, sexy clothes, and high heels that hurt my back. Every time it knocked me on the ground. Why couldn't he have loved me the way I was?

Did it even make sense to try again at the age of thirty-two? Or should I pledge to remain independent and grasp life with both hands without any distractions?

Autonomy is always the better choice.

Neil somehow pulled me out of my reverie, back to the land of the living.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Me?" He'd almost startled me with the question. "Sorry, what?"

Wow, super articulate. Really showing off your mental prowess there.

I dabbed my lips with a napkin. "I think the golden hour swept me away for a second. Could you repeat the question?"

Once again Neil made that barely audible chuckle. "What do you enjoy doing for fun?"

Photography sounds artistic. Don't bore him with your nerdy hobbies.

"Well, I don't have much time nowadays." I finished my latte. "But when I do, I enjoy walking...you know, in nature or around a city. It's how I like to explore."

"Interesting, I'm a hiker."

"Really? Where do you go?"

There I go again, sounding too eager.

"Lulworth Cove, Brecon Beacons, Scottish Highlands," he replied. "Have you ever been?"

My chest pulled tight. I hadn't enjoyed a proper holiday in about seven years. My heart yearned for adventure, to explore different regions and experience all the wonder of life.

"Not yet." I drew myself straight. "But I want to change that."

"You should." Once again our eyes locked. "There are so many beautiful places in the world."

His gaze had almost a magical quality. It drew me in without swallowing me whole, melting my heart without piercing my soul.

My heart gave a wistful clench.

"The problem is that I don't know where to start." I tucked that annoying stray curl back behind my ear. "I'm always worried I'll go the wrong way and end up on a dangerous cliff."

"Fair enough. It's wise for beginners to be cautious." After finishing his cappuccino, Neil reached into his breast pocket. "If you like, I can send you some straightforward trails to try."

"I don't want to impose—"

"It's no trouble, really."

My cheeks caught on fire. The hell is wrong with you? Stop blushing. Be professional.

"That would be great."

Pulling out one of his business cards, Neil added an email address on the back. My heart gave me a jolt, followed by a floating feeling in my stomach that annoyed me.

"You can send me an email with a list of the places you'd like to visit," he suggested while he wrote. "And I can send you some ideas."

He's just being nice. Building rapport. Stop turning this into something it isn't.

Even if Neil does like you, his company might want to be your client. Your cli-ent! Get it through your thick skull.

Besides, you left your husband three days ago. Not weeks. Not months. Not years. Days!

You can't feel like this! You're not some online floozy...

All that came out of my mouth was, "Thank you."

"Please be sure to send us your CV as well." He handed it to me with the professional side facing up. "If it's a good fit for our company, we can discuss future steps."

I took a moment to scan it for all the relevant information before placing it into my bag. Neil was a senior manager. Not a director, but quite an important position at the firm nonetheless. Especially for someone my age or a little older.

"Thank you. Would it be okay if I emailed you by the end of the week?"

"Yes, please do."

We rose and shook hands. Foolish me was so excited about the prospect of working with him that all my manners flew out the window. It slipped my mind to give him one in return.

"Do you have a card for me too, perhaps?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh, gosh! Yes, sorry!"

I opened up my handbag and searched around for my business card. Way to be professional, ya nut!

"Here you are." I could feel my face burning as I handed it to him. "It has all my contact details. Also the services we offer."

"Perfect, thank you." After taking a moment to read it, he placed the card carefully into his breast pocket. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Toria."

"You too, Neil."

After our talk he mingled effortlessly among the other clusters of suits and disappeared into the crowd.

After Emily had circled back around to me, we drove home and I told her everything about our productive meeting. Well, almost everything. I decided to leave out the times my stomach performed world-class acrobatics thanks to a single gaze from Neil Frost.

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Word count: 962
Total word count: 6,424