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One look at her, and it was easy to assess that she was a latch-on kind of girl. She was trying to look sexy and coy, peering at me through eyelashes that had too much mascara on them. I ignored her. She was cute, but she wasn’t my type.

If only Krystina could be as transparent as this one.

I pulled out my credit card and absently handed it to the coquettish Cassie, careful not to give her any encouragement.

Once my transaction was complete, I collected my purchases and left the grocery store. When I stepped outside, I blinked from the bright sunlight and reached into my suit jacket pocket for a pair of sunglasses. After my vision adjusted, I saw Hale waiting for me, double-parked at the end of the block. I headed in that direction.

Hale started to get out of the car when he saw me, but I waved him off.

“I’ve got it,” I called out to him. I deposited the groceries into the trunk, then climbed into the backseat. “One of these days, you’re going to get a parking ticket.”

“Don’t worry. I have a few connections,” he told me. “Where to now, boss?”

“Back to the office. I have more work to do on the Canterwell deal. Just drop me there, then run this food back to the house. Oh, and I need you to get with Stephen and gather some information.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll call Stephen now and have him get started on it. Is Canterwell looking to unload another property?”

“No, this isn’t about Canterwell. It’s about a person. I want all the information you can find on Krystina Cole.”

Chapter Four

Krystina

Istepped into the elevator of my apartment building, punched the number for my floor, and watched the doors slowly close. I leaned against the back wall and shut my eyes. It had been hours since my conversation with Alexander Stone, yet my head was still reeling from our encounter. I didn’t know what had come over me. I really needed to talk to Allyson.

I was just about to insert my key into my apartment door when I heard my cellphone ring. I reached into my purse for my phone and gingerly answered the call, being careful not to slice my finger open on the cracked screen.

“Hello?”

“Hello, may I speak with Miss Krystina Cole, please?” asked a pleasant female voice.

“This is Miss Cole.”

“Miss Cole, this is Laura Kaufman calling from Turning Stone Advertising. We received your résumé and we’re interested in setting up an interview with you for a position in our marketing department.”

That’s strange.

I had never heard of Turning Stone Advertising. I wondered how they got a hold of my résumé. Either way, beggars can’t be choosers, as job interviews had been few and far between.

“I would like that very much. When would you like to meet?” I asked, stepping into my apartment and quietly closing the door behind me.

“Does tomorrow morning at nine o’clock work for you?” Laura asked. I mentally ran through my schedule at Wally’s. I had the next two days off.

“That’s perfect. Can you please tell me where you’re located?” I figured that was an important place to start, considering I knew nothing at all about the company. I quickly went to the kitchen and pulled a pad of paper and a pen from one of the drawers.

Laura rattled off an address in the financial district then said, “Just go to the security desk in the lobby and ask for me. The guard will tell you where to go from there.”

“Great! Thank you, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

I thought about the job prospect as I finished scribbling down the address Laura had given me.

Finally—an interview!

I put the pen down and did a little happy dance around the kitchen. This could be my opportunity to move on, a chance to step up to bigger and better things. The timing of this couldn’t be more perfect, as I had recently begun to feel discouraged over the lack of employment opportunities available in New York.

I wondered about the size of the firm and the starting pay. Anything was bound to be better paying than Wally’s. If I got the job and found out I didn’t like it or the income wasn’t what I had hoped, it was okay. All of it was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. I would be working in my field and gaining experience, something my résumé was seriously lacking.

I knew I should probably get out my laptop and start researching Turning Stone Advertising. They had most likely gotten my résumé from one of those online job sites. But either way, it wouldn’t look very good if I showed up to the interview unprepared. I glanced over at the clock in the kitchen and frowned when I saw the time. I needed to get ready for my dinner with Allyson. Interview prep would just have to wait.