Chapter 1
“Brookie! I’m here. Are you ready yet?” Your best friend has just shown up so that you can both go to the masquerade party thrown by her company.
“I’ll be right out.” You finish fixing your makeup and walk out into your living room. Hillary’s eyes go wide when she sees your dress.
“Damn, girl! Every eye is going to be on you tonight. And unfortunately, I won’t know whose eyes are to which people.” You both giggle. “OK, we better get going. Our limo awaits. You hook your arms and head out.
Getting to the venue is like walking into a different world. Men and women are all dressed in tuxes and gorgeous dresses, and they wear masks. Hillary leads you to the bar, and you grab a glass of champagne.
“Here’s to us. Maybe we’ll head home with some hottie tonight!” You clink glasses and start to mingle. You don’t know anyone other than Hillary, but Hillary seems in her element. She’s talking to almost everyone while you sit at the corner table. You sip your champagne when you see a set of eyes lock onto yours. Even from across the room, you can see that they are a bright blue that you could get lost in. Those eyes don’t leave your gaze as he makes his way over to you.
“May I sit?” He gestures to the empty chair at your table.
“Sure.” The man sits down.
“What’s got you sitting all by yourself in the corner?”
“Well, my best friend invited me as her plus one. But she’s the one who works for the company, so she’s mingling. I feel like an outsider, so I’m just sitting here watching. I even thought about just leaving.” You look down, sipping on your glass again.
“I’m glad you didn’t. You have the most mesmerizing eyes. When I saw them from across the room, I knew I had to come and talk with you. May I ask you for this dance?” The man stands, extending his hand to you.
“Sure, why not.” You place your glass on the table, taking the man’s hand. He leads you to the middle of the dance floor as he twirls in, out, then back into his chest. Hitting it was like hitting a brick wall. He’s built, that’s for sure. He takes your hands as he wraps them around his neck, then places his hands on the small part of your back.
“You sure can dance.” He whispers into your ear so you can hear. You begin to blush.
“Well, that’s only because I have a good partner here. I honestly have two left feet.” He chuckles. You get lost in each other’s eyes, not realizing the song has ended.
“How about we get some air?” The man retakes your hand, leading out to a balcony. Once you have hit the balcony, you take a deep breath, inhaling the night’s crisp air. You go over to the railing as you look up at the sky. The man stands next to you, brushing your arms. “So, may I get the name of this woman who’s taken my breath away tonight?” He turns, looking into your eyes as you turn to him.
“What’s the fun in that? Isn’t this a masquerade party? To stay hidden?” The man places his hand on your waist pulling you close enough to smell his cologne.
“You do have a point there, but I’d just love to know before I take this mask off, revealing the beautiful face to go with these bright green eyes. His other hand is at your mask as if he’s going to take it off. “May I?” He goes to pull your mask up. You take his hand, stopping him.
“I feel like we should keep the surprise for later.” The man drops his hand and kisses your forehead.
“Okay, I guess I can wait. Why don’t we sit here and get to know each other better without names?” The man leads you to a table as a server brings over two glasses of champagne.
“I can deal with that. Maybe you’ll know my name or see my face by the end of the night.” You sit and talk about everything and nothing at all. You are learning much about each other without knowing names or job titles. You don’t know how much time has passed until you look back into the ballroom and the crowd has gotten significantly smaller. “I guess the party seems to be winding down. I better get going.” You go to stand as the man stands, taking your hand.
“If you don’t mind, I’d love to take you home.”
“I’m not looking for a hook-up tonight, sir.”
“Oh, I never meant anything like that. I just wanted to make sure you get home safe. Please, let me do this for you.” You think about it for a moment, then nod.
“OK, you can drive me home.” The man smiles as he leads you out to the limo waiting for you. You continue to talk after you give the driver your address and ask for him to drop you off at the end of the block so the man doesn’t know your exact address. The car comes to a stop just as you asked the driver.
“Well, this is me.” You point out the window.
“Let me walk you to your door.” You shake your head as you start to get out of the limo.
“We still have to keep some mystery, right?”
“Touche, but how will I contact you?” You think hard, trying to decide whether to give him a name, a fake name, or just your phone number.
“Give me your phone, and I’ll put my number in it.” He wastes no time getting his phone out of his coat pocket. You put your number in, but name it Green Eyes. “There you go.” You hand the phone back to him.
“So, still no name, huh?” You shake your head.
“Maybe once we get to know each other more, I’ll give it to you.” You give him a wave as you watch the limo drive off.
You hit your couch and take off your mask. Then you text Hillary.
“That party was amazing. There was so much curiosity.” She replies.
“There was. I met someone tonight. He said his name was Evan. But we will talk in person. I’m on my way.”
You wait for Hillary to show up. When she does, she flops on your couch next to you.
“So, are you okay? I saw you at the table, and you were gone the next thing I knew. Don’t tell me you called a Vber and called it a night early.”
“I just got home. A mysterious stranger brought me home. We talked out on the balcony most of the night. He’s so intriguing.”
“So, what’s his name? Do I know him? What department does he work in?” Hillary’s listening intently as you make her frown.
“Well, let’s see, no name, no, who knows.” You laugh. “We didn’t tell names or what we do for a living. I thought it would be more fun that way. He didn’t mind.” Just as you say that, your phone pings. You pick up your phone and read it.
“Green eyes, I had the greatest time with you tonight. I would love to see you again, but this time without the masks. I will let you decide when that happens, but I hope we can at least still talk until then. Sleep well.” Your face lights up as Hillary looks at your phone with you.
“Hill, seriously? You had to be reading my texts?” She laughs.
“Well, if it’s from Mr. Mysterious, yeah! And Green Eyes, huh?” You blush.
“That’s how I put my name in his phone. He said he loved my eyes, so I figured I’d just put it in since we don’t know each other’s names.” Hillary raises her eyebrow.
“So, what are you going to put him as? Mr. Mysterious?” You giggle.
“Probably Mr. Mysterious until we finally exchange names. But Hill, he was terrific. We connected so well. I can’t wait to get to know him more. But we will only talk or text. I don’t want to rush anything. I feel like this could be so much more fun.” You both laugh.
“Ok, if you say so.”
“So, tell me more about Evan.” You sit back and chat for the rest of the night before falling asleep on the couch.
The next morning, you are up making coffee when Hillary wakes up.
“Oh, coffee. My friend. I need you.” You hand a mug over to Hillary. “Brookie, you should just give in and meet this guy for real and get his name.”
“No, Hill. I feel like I like this right now. The mystery of it all.” You sip your coffee.
“So, what will you do when he wants to meet you again in person?” You pause, thinking of what you would do.
“I haven’t thought that far yet. I mean, it’s someone you work with. I don’t want to get into something; something happens and affects your job.” Your phone pings, and you look at it.
“Good morning, green eyes. I hope you slept well. I haven’t gotten my mind off you since last night. Is there any way we can meet up today?” Your face lights up, and Hillary notices.
“Ok, I know that’s Mr. Mysterious. I can guess what he said. He wants to meet you again.” Your face turns tomato red.
“Fine, yes, that’s exactly what he said. He wants to meet up today. I’m not sure I want to reveal myself yet.”
“Brookie, if that’s the case, see if he will meet you at the park, but with the same masks from last night. I mean, you guys talked all night, so you know each other’s voices and his build. So, it’s not like it would be a surprise. Then maybe you could show yourself at the end of the day.” You think about it.
“But what if he thinks I’m just stupid? What if he thinks I’m truly trying to hide something like in Phantom of the Opera?” Hillary laughs.
“There’s only one way to find out but tell him why you want to meet like this again. Text him back, or I will do it for you.” You take a death grip on your phone and start to text back.
“Good morning, yourself. I did sleep well, thank you. I would love to see you again. But I have a condition…..” He replies quickly.
” And what’s that condition?”
“Could we meet at the park, but with our masks? I want to keep this mysterious. If not, I understand…. Honestly, you probably think I’m dumb. But if you want to meet, then we can.” You see three dots as he replies, and then they just stop.
“Hill, he’s probably thinking about what he did find—a crazy woman who would rather wear a mask than show her true identity. Maybe I should just say I’m joking…yeah, that’s what I will do.” You pick up your phone again and text as quickly as your fingers allow.
“Hey, I was just joking about the masks. I just wanted to see what you would say.” Those three dots start moving again.
“You sure do have a sense of humor. Maybe you were like the Phantom of the Opera, hiding a deformity. But if you were, I wouldn’t have thought any different. So, on that note, would you still like to meet again?”
“Hill, what do I do now? What if he’s your boss or some mailroom guy?” Hillary chuckles.
“Well, if he’s my boss, then go for it! He’s single but a workaholic. And you know I always tell you he’s hot as hell. If he’s a mailroom worker, he has a job, right?” You shake your head because you know she’s right. Even if he’s a mailroom worker, he does have a job. “So, what are you going to do?” You look at your phone and start to type.
“Yes, I would. Meet at two in the park near the statue?” He replies immediately.
“Sounds wonderful. I’ll be the one standing around with a flower in hand. See you soon, Green Eyes.”
“Brookie! You did it. I can’t wait to hear who this mysterious man is!!! Now, let’s get you into something sexy.” Hillary drags you off to your room and starts rummaging through your closet. Later, you take a cab to the park and approach the statue near the center.
Reaching the statue, you start looking around for Mr. Mysterious. As you turn around, you see an extremely handsome man looking nervous, holding a flower. Slowly, you approach as the man turns around. When he sees you, his eyes light up, revealing a smile you would recognize anywhere.
“This is for you, Green Eyes.” He hands you the flower. Placing it up to your nose, you inhale the fragrant scent.
“Thank you. How did you know it was me?”
“I saw those eyes again, and I just knew. Would you like to take a seat over there?” He points at a bench nearby.
“I’d love to.” He places his hand on the small of your back, guiding you over to the bench where you both sit down.
“I must say, your beauty is more than my mind was imagining.” You blush.
“Why, thank you. You are more handsome than I was thinking.”
“So, may I finally get the name of this gorgeous Green-Eyed woman?”
“My name is Brooke-Lynn. And who’s the name of my Mr. Mysterious?” He places a hand on your knee.
“Well, if my face doesn’t tell it, my name is Keegan Galti.” Your eyes are as wide as saucers.
Oh my god! This is Hillary’s boss! The man everyone fawns over, the billionaire and CEO of Galti Realty. He owns at least half of this city and has properties worldwide. What does he want from me? I’m just a college student trying to get her PHD working part-time.
“Brooke-Lynn?” His voice snaps you out of your thinking.
“Yes?” You look back up to him.
“I was asking if you knew who I was. You seemed to have at least heard of my name because you went silent.”
“Yeah, I have heard of you. You are my best friend, boss.”
“What? Hillary Plagent? My assistant?” You nod.
“Yep, that’s her. We’ve been best friends since Elementary School.”
“What a crazy world. Is getting to know me more going to be an issue? I’m sure she’s told you all about me and how I’m told I’m a workaholic?”
“That it is a crazy world. And she may have mentioned some things.” You giggle.
“Does that make a difference now? I mean, I’m the workaholic, and you seem crazy busy trying to get your degree so you can help save the world?”
“I am in my last semester of school before I get my internship. My professors have already told me that they would love to see me stay in the city, but unfortunately, it’s not up to them, so I may have to go wherever they place me.”
“Well, I hope you can stick around the city as well. Would you like to take a walk?”
“I’d love to lead the way.” He stands holding his hand out for you to take. You take it to a stand and start walking around the park. You talk about your jobs and schooling, just trying to get to know each other. You feel like you have known each other for years by the way you talk to each other. As the sun starts to set, you both stop and look at each other.
“Brooke-Lynn, I’ve had such a great time today. I know your exams are coming up, and I don’t want to stress you out anymore by trying to see you more…” You interrupt him.
“Keegan, I’ve had a great time as well. I must get through these next two weeks and be free.” He gives a great smile.
“Well, does that mean after those two weeks, you’ll be mine?” Your face blushes, and you look down at your feet.
“I can’t say I’ll be yours, but I can say I’ll have more time to spend with you. But I do have one thing I need from you.”
“What’s that lovely?”
“Please don’t say anything to Hillary. I’m not sure how she will react. I want to see how this all goes before I tell her.”
“Ok, my lips are sealed.” He closes his lips and zips them as if to say he won’t speak. Now I have something to ask you.” You look up at him; his blue eyes are like an ocean. “May I kiss you?” You smile as he takes that as a yes. He closes the gap between you, taking your face into his hands. You feel a spark when he kisses your lips with a small, soft kiss. As he pulls away, his eyes sparkle. You don’t waste any time, so return for another kiss. It’s still soft this time, but there is more desire in it. He puts a hand at the nape of your neck, running his fingers through your hair as he pulls you closer. Your tongues are dancing with each other, and when you finally pull back, you are both panting. He places his forehead against yours. “Wow.”
“Yeah, wow.” He places one softer kiss on your lips.
“Well, I better get going. I know you have a long week ahead of you, and I don’t want you to get behind or stressed because I am taking your time instead of you studying. He pulls away. “Have a good night, beautiful. Contact me when you can. I don’t want to interrupt you.
“Good night, handsome. I will contact you on my study breaks.” You both turn away from each other and walk home. Getting home, you look at all your books on your coffee table. You look at the time, grab a quick bite, and then head to bed. You know you should study, but your mind won’t let you forget the day with him. Of course, your phone pings with a text from Hillary.
“Hey girl, I haven’t heard from you all day. I hope this guy didn’t kill you.” You laugh.
“No, honestly, I just got home.” Next thing you know, your phone is ringing.
“Hi, Hill.”
“Brookie! You’ve got to tell me how it went today.” All you can do is smile.
“He’s perfect, Hill. We just talked about what we did and how my finals are going. You know, just usual stuff.”
“So, what does he do at the company? Is he that mailroom guy you thought he was?” You don’t want to tell her that he is her boss or even his name because she would know right off the bat. You’re trying to figure out what to say to her. “Brookie?”
“Yeah, sorry. So, he left it vague, but he works in the tech department. You know I’m not tech-savvy, so I didn’t press him.”
“Yeah, you barely know how to use your phone.” She laughs.
“Shut up! I know what I need to know. I have to learn computer programs at the place where I will have my internship, but I can do that. I have to do that.”
“That is true. So, what’s the guy’s name? Do I know him?” You think quickly.
“His name is Nathan. I don’t know if you know him, but he’s heard of you, but he said just because you’re the CEO’s assistant.”
“Nathan doesn’t ring a bell, but we have so many tech guys worldwide that I can’t remember their names. So, you are going to see him again? Did he kiss you?” You are so glad Hillary can’t see your face cause, one, she can read you like a book, so she would know you were lying about what he does and his name. Then two, your face is so bright red you could lead Santa’s sleigh.
“Yes, we are going to see each other again. He wants to make sure I get through my finals, so he’s giving me the space and waiting for me to contact him.”
“And a kiss?”
“Hillary. I can’t even describe it. I felt this spark. I didn’t want to stop, and I think he felt that way too. It was just beyond words. What about you and Evan?”
“Wow, girl! It looks like you may have found your guy. He’s already giving you the space to get your medical license. He sounds like a keeper, for sure! As for Evan and I, we chatted today. We are going to take it slow just because we do work together. We are going to dinner tomorrow night after work, though.”
“That’s awesome. I can’t wait to hear how the dinner goes. I hate to cut this short, but if I don’t get some sleep, my studying tomorrow for the test on Tuesday will be bad.”
“Ok, girl. Good night, Brookie!”
“Good night, Hill.” You hang up the phone and head to bed.
