dining with this evening.
“Okay, I’ll do that.”
“Seriously, I’d love your feedback, your opinion on the book.”
Allen Michaels was asking for her opinion? She couldn’t decide if she was freaked out or flattered. As she replaced the book in its brown bag home, she considered it might provide an inside look at the life of this mystery character inching toward her car door. Haley just hoped she didn’t find out more than she could handle.
A mesh of ice and rain began falling and Allen conveniently found refuge for his balding blond head next to Haley’s window.
“Mind if I scoot in here?” he asked.
She leaned away to avoid his contact, then glanced at her defrosted front window and clicked on the wipers, pushing the remaining slush upward and outward.
“You should get out of this snow,” she suggested, nodding to her windshield. “You’re not exactly dressed for the weather. Gloves and a scarf are a must-have here.”
“Not where I come from. Maybe you can take me shopping sometime to help me buy all the essentials.” Unsure if he was joking or not, Haley let out a huffed laugh. “Guess I better get going before the roads get bad. I’ll see you at seven o’clock,” he reminded her as the icy mixture descended in quarter-sized drops.
“See you then.”
Haley watched h er instructor trot to his car and disappear inside. She pulled the book out once again and stared at it, letting its alarming picture burn an image in her mind. With a goatee and sharp glare, he could have fit right into an America’s Most Wanted ad.
“Now I’m really curious to know what you’re all about,” she mumbled to the image on the book jacket. When she’d get around to finding out, it would be more than she bargained for. Tossing the book on the passenger’s seat, Haley drove home.
Chapter 16
W hen Allen got back to his one-room rental, he searched through his tiny yet meticulously organized closet looking for the perfect attire. Deciding on a loose, button-down shirt and a pair of jeans, Allen carefully placed the clothes on his bed. He was pleased with himself for his dating ingenuity: offering tutoring sessions to score dinner dates with Haley. He anticipated tonight’s success since he knew she’d want to be prepared for the final project. His strategy proved fruitful once again.
So far everything between them remained cordial but distant. He had hoped they’d be more personal by now, but time hadn’t permitted it just yet. Two classes over two weeks wasn’t nearly long enough to woo a woman into following him to Los Angeles; but a career opportunity of a lifetime was. Haley and Allen had spent a little more than eight hours together in a classroom setting, but he was ready to get to know this beautiful creature on a deeper level. At first it was purely physical attraction. Soon her appeal was reinforced with every new imagining. Every day since their first meeting Allen sweetly surrendered to visions of Haley. Everything she did and said reiterated one thing in his mind: She was perfect. Perfect for a broken man like himself.
She would be an ideal match—genuine, kind, and obviously eager about his creative interests. When she bounced into his classroom, her step was full of life. Yet she was submissively shy, too. Quiet , the type to stay out of his limelight, and enough of a follower to let him do the leading. Unlike his attention-starved ex who couldn’t resist competing for all the glory, Haley was exactly what he had been looking for: passive yet passionate. And at this stage in his life, he needed a zealous counterpart to carry on his work. The way she hung on his every word made it clear that she would happily carry out that task. She was the one, alright.
Allen spent time admiring Haley from afar. His tire tracks in front of her house proved his determination to know every little thing about her—from her morning routine to her bedtime habits. Haley was perpetually
“Okay, I’ll do that.”
“Seriously, I’d love your feedback, your opinion on the book.”
Allen Michaels was asking for her opinion? She couldn’t decide if she was freaked out or flattered. As she replaced the book in its brown bag home, she considered it might provide an inside look at the life of this mystery character inching toward her car door. Haley just hoped she didn’t find out more than she could handle.
A mesh of ice and rain began falling and Allen conveniently found refuge for his balding blond head next to Haley’s window.
“Mind if I scoot in here?” he asked.
She leaned away to avoid his contact, then glanced at her defrosted front window and clicked on the wipers, pushing the remaining slush upward and outward.
“You should get out of this snow,” she suggested, nodding to her windshield. “You’re not exactly dressed for the weather. Gloves and a scarf are a must-have here.”
“Not where I come from. Maybe you can take me shopping sometime to help me buy all the essentials.” Unsure if he was joking or not, Haley let out a huffed laugh. “Guess I better get going before the roads get bad. I’ll see you at seven o’clock,” he reminded her as the icy mixture descended in quarter-sized drops.
“See you then.”
Haley watched h er instructor trot to his car and disappear inside. She pulled the book out once again and stared at it, letting its alarming picture burn an image in her mind. With a goatee and sharp glare, he could have fit right into an America’s Most Wanted ad.
“Now I’m really curious to know what you’re all about,” she mumbled to the image on the book jacket. When she’d get around to finding out, it would be more than she bargained for. Tossing the book on the passenger’s seat, Haley drove home.
Chapter 16
W hen Allen got back to his one-room rental, he searched through his tiny yet meticulously organized closet looking for the perfect attire. Deciding on a loose, button-down shirt and a pair of jeans, Allen carefully placed the clothes on his bed. He was pleased with himself for his dating ingenuity: offering tutoring sessions to score dinner dates with Haley. He anticipated tonight’s success since he knew she’d want to be prepared for the final project. His strategy proved fruitful once again.
So far everything between them remained cordial but distant. He had hoped they’d be more personal by now, but time hadn’t permitted it just yet. Two classes over two weeks wasn’t nearly long enough to woo a woman into following him to Los Angeles; but a career opportunity of a lifetime was. Haley and Allen had spent a little more than eight hours together in a classroom setting, but he was ready to get to know this beautiful creature on a deeper level. At first it was purely physical attraction. Soon her appeal was reinforced with every new imagining. Every day since their first meeting Allen sweetly surrendered to visions of Haley. Everything she did and said reiterated one thing in his mind: She was perfect. Perfect for a broken man like himself.
She would be an ideal match—genuine, kind, and obviously eager about his creative interests. When she bounced into his classroom, her step was full of life. Yet she was submissively shy, too. Quiet , the type to stay out of his limelight, and enough of a follower to let him do the leading. Unlike his attention-starved ex who couldn’t resist competing for all the glory, Haley was exactly what he had been looking for: passive yet passionate. And at this stage in his life, he needed a zealous counterpart to carry on his work. The way she hung on his every word made it clear that she would happily carry out that task. She was the one, alright.
Allen spent time admiring Haley from afar. His tire tracks in front of her house proved his determination to know every little thing about her—from her morning routine to her bedtime habits. Haley was perpetually
Similar Books
