The Matchmaker

Chapter 29

My entire being feels like lead as I flee from the emergency staircase and make a dash for the elevator needing to be in my apartment and under the covers of my bed, either fighting back tears of frustration or over-thinking what just transpired.

Managing to press the correct elevator button leading to my floor, I lean against the cold, almost mirror-like wall and sigh in exasperation with a single consuming thought; the President's son likes me. Zander Nolan likes me. 

And it's this realisation that makes me gnaw at my lip while my palms become slightly sweaty from the battle of feelings within me; I'm terrified yet slightly pleased, if not ecstatic. Groaning, my mind decides this is the perfect moment to wander off to recall our kiss and I have to almost slap myself to avoid reliving the feeling. Gawd! I must be so physically deprived that I'm becoming a wreck over a kiss! A damn kiss...although it wasn't just any kiss.

Grunting, I start tugging at the ends of my hair before stepping out of the elevator and make my way to my apartment in a trance, "this is not good for you Catherine," I grumble to myself, walking straight to my room and crawling into bed, wrapping the blankets around me like a protective barrier.

Settling among sheets and blankets, I let my mind freely wander and groan out loud and blush from embarrassment as I recall my hasty declaration of getting Zander hitched as well as threatening to find Richard Young a match; I had entertained the thought, and even now I really want to but having seen the look on Zander's face when I mentioned Richard sends a tingling sensation along my spine. Somehow he makes me feel like I've done something wrong, my comments injudicious or insensitive.

Falling back till my head hits a pillow, I stare at the ceiling with so many questions rushing through me, there's so many things Zander needs to explain to me! Has everyone been leading me on? Letting me assume a sense of anonymity when in reality, my identity has been known to everyone these past few weeks?

I'm so overwhelmed by my thoughts that the sound of my phone blaring makes me yelp, and I glance down at the screen to see Celia's name and answer on the second ring, "hello?"

"Hey Cat, I need you to go over one of the files for me since I forgot to bring the hard copy with me when I went out to do some field work."

"Hmm...um, yeah okay." I mutter absentmindedly.

"What's wrong? You don't sound normal?"

Sighing, I can't help but roll my eyes. "Was my normal ever normal?"

"Err, yeah. For the most part it was."

"Hmm, tell me. Did you know that Zander knows? "

She inhales sharply, her breathing heavy on the other end of the line, "Wah...wait. Is this about...yeah I did know."

"CELIA! When?" I yell out incredulously, jumping from the volume of my own voice before glancing around the room swiftly.

"Remember how I told you that I couldn't find any information on his little slip up or controversy with a fiancee? Well after that I went over to his place and demanded he tell me what was going on and I heard his side of the story. It's one ugly mess, but not of his own making."

"So you've known for several days?" I hiss bitterly, clutching the blanket with my other hand.

"Yeah you could say that...look Cat, I'm sorry but his reasons were really personal and you shouldn't be hearing those things from me."

"Gee, thanks best friend." I drone out flatly.

"Ouch. If it makes you feel any better I wanted to punch his face right there and then but I felt sorry for the guy since out of all the people in the world he ended up liking you, and that's a challenge in itself!"