 
### Table of Contents

Illusions Begin

Copyright

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Magic Unfolds

Twisted

#

# Illusions Begin

The MysticSeeker Series

NL Greene
Illusions Begin

Copyright 2014 © N.L. Greene

This is a work of fiction.Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover photography by K Keeton Designs/Wilson Photography

Formatting by Allyson Gottlieb of Athena Interior Book Design

# Prologue

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."-Roald Dahl

"Now munchkin, make sure you stay close and hold onto Nanny's hand, okay? Your mommy and daddy would not be too happy if you got lost. Are you listening, honey?"

"Yes Nanny," Katherine Rebecca answered absently as she stared around, owl eyed and barely blinking. Everything was so wonderful, colorful, and completely magical. She could smell the sweet aroma of cotton candy mixed with salty popcorn as it engulfed the air around her. She could hear the venders announcing the sale of their enticing treats, as well as programs and dazzling toys that lit up and spun around, glowing in the dim florescent lighting. "Get your popcorn! Get your peanuts!" they bellowed loudly through the air, the sound mingling with the theatrical sounds of elephants trumpeting, tigers roaring, and hundreds of children squealing with gleeful delight. It was like music to her ears.

Although she enjoyed the sounds and atmosphere, Katherine Rebecca didn't squeal or yell like the other children did; no she was a proper young lady with impeccable manners. She knew better than to draw attention to herself or cause Nanny to have to scold her. But that didn't mean that she didn't take it all in with a wildly beating heart and an excitement she had never felt before.

She had heard of the circus before of course, her school friends talked about it for days after they attended, but her parents had never allowed her to go. They only conceded this time because she had begged and pleaded for weeks. Eventually, they grew tired of telling her no. She was a persistent thing, her daddy would say, telling her that it would come in handy when she became an amazing attorney. She wasn't entirely sure what persistent meant since she was only seven years old. Nevertheless, the way her daddy beamed and patted her on the head when he said it, made her believe she was a very good girl.

Although her parents gave her permission to go, they told her they would not be the ones escorting her to the big event. Her mommy thought it was too smelly and she didn't care to be around 'those sort of people' and her daddy agreed that it wasn't a place he wanted to be seen either. So Nanny said she would be happy to accompany her. Katherine Rebecca wanted to squeal and clap when she was told. Yet she remained skillfully composed, just as her mommy had taught her. Silently, she began to count down the days until she would be attending her first ever circus!

Now, here she was, taking in the multicolored sights, captivating sounds, and intoxicating smells that danced bewitchingly around her. She didn't know what part of the circus she was more excited to see. Her friends at school had told her everything she needed to know until her brain was over flowing with information. She knew she wanted to eat cotton candy and buy one of those spinny toys that would light up in the dark, but there was also so much more she wanted to see and experience. The elephants and tigers would be wonderful she knew, much better than when she got to see them at the zoo.There they just lay around or stand still. She was told that here they would perform tricks and be dressed up in sparkly clothes.

She also wanted to see the clowns and all the funny antics she had been told they do. Maybe even get to meet one if she's lucky. Then there was the tightrope walker and the pretty girls that did the acrobatic stunts. Her friends had already warned her not to be scared when they performed; they were professionals and knew what they were doing. But just the thought of them high up in the air made her nervous. She knew she would have to be a big girl when they performed.

All of these thoughts raced through her mind as she held Nanny's hand and followed her to their front row seats. Her daddy had pulled some strings and made sure that his baby girl sat front and center. She was so happy he did! She would be able to see absolutely everything from her seat. As the cotton candy man walked by, Nanny motioned for him to come over and told Katherine Rebecca to pick a color. Of course she picked pink. She sat back and began to eat her sweet, sticky treat. Just then the lights dimmed and everyone began to cheer.It was starting!

She sat up straighter in her chair, her feet dangling in the air, gripping the stick of her cotton candy tighter in anticipation. The lights got even darker and then colorful laser beams began to swim around the room, as if they were searching for something. Finally they all zeroed in on the same spot, center stage where a man was standing. She hadn't even seen him appear. He was tall and thin. He had long black hair, a black beard and a twisted mustache. Katherine Rebecca knew right away who he was by the red jacket and black and red top hat he wore. He was the ring master, leader and commander over the entire circus. He was the 'big guy', as her daddy would say.

"Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls, welcome to the Big Apple Circus!" His voice boomed over the crowd. Everyone applauded wildly, cheers and whistles flew through the air, but it all stopped when he raised his hand. "Thank you all for coming and I hope you enjoy the show." He paused again then yelled while thrusting his arms in the air, "Let the circus begin!"

The crowd cheered again, but it was drowned out by the sound of music. Katherine Rebecca watched in awe as a tiny car drove out into the center ring and ten huge clowns climbed out. They were bright and colorful and oh so silly, her side was hurting from laughing at them. Nanny just smiled down at her and watched the show beside her. It was nice to be allowed to be a little childish.

She watched the rest of the show in alternating admiration and amusement. The animals were amazing and so smart. She couldn't believe the tricks they could do! The acrobats and tight rope walkers were scary, she even covered her eyes once, but they never fell. Oh, how can they be so brave, pretty, and graceful? Everything was just as wonderful and exciting as she had expected it to be.

Until the magician came out.

The instant she saw him she knew there was something special about this act. She sat up straighter in her chair again and leaned forward so that she wouldn't miss a thing. He was by himself in the center ring, all lights trained on him. The music was mysterious, even a little bit chilling and it made her heart pound faster. She watched, completely captivated as he performed trick after trick.He pulled a rabbit out of his hat, he turned a pitcher of water into flowers, he escaped from a rope he had been tied with and he cut a pretty girl in half. It was amazing! Katherine Rebecca could barely breathe during the entire performance. She was mesmerized by the magician and the magic he was capable of executing perfectly. When he finished with his performance she clapped so hard her little hands hurt and then she only half-way paid attention to the rest of the circus performers. She couldn't get the magician and his tricks out of her head.

She felt an unexplainable pull to find out how he did those things. Was the magic real that he was doing? Oh how she hoped so! She wanted to know all of his tricks and secrets so she could do them herself. She had never wanted anything more. When she and Nanny finally got home that night, she couldn't stop telling her parents about him. They laughed at her enthusiasm and her inability to remember much of the other things she saw at the show. She admitted that the entire experience was great and that she really enjoyed herself, but the magician overshadowed the rest by so much, they just paled in comparison.

For the first few weeks after her exciting day at the circus, Katherine Rebecca thought and talked of nothing but magic. She begged her parents for a magic set and asked to be taken to any and all magic shows that may be happening. At first they humored her, smiled and patted her on the head when she attempted to do a trick of her own. Finally, they grew tired of her constant pleading for all things magic. When she refused to stop talking about it, they absolutely forbid her to even think about magic again. They told her that it was all fake, just silly tricks and gimmicks to get people to pay money for cheap entertainment. There was no such thing as real magic.

Her heart broke at their words and their lack of belief. She cried for days until she finally decided that she DID believe in magic and she would prove it to them one day.

# Chapter One

Beep! Beep! Beep! The sound of the alarm clock pierced the quiet morning. A hand moved from under the blanket to slap the offending device and stop the horrible sound. Six a.m. Monday morning was not a happy time of day for Becky. She groaned in dread when she realized it was that time of day once again. In fact, she pretty much hated all mornings and every day of the week except Saturday and Sunday. Those were the only two days she not only got to sleep in, but that she was left to her own devices.

Not the weekdays though. No, on the weekdays she had to get up at an ungodly hour to report to a job she hated and a boss that was nothing more than a slave driver. Yeah, she really hated Monday mornings.

There was no point in her mental pity party though because no matter how much she complained to herself she would still have to go in. She threw the down comforter off her body, reluctantly exposing herself to the cool morning air and swung her feet over the side of the bed. Her toes touched the cold wood floor and scrunched up in defiance. She shivered and yawned, then braved the cool floor as she stumbled to the bathroom.

Turning on the iPod that never left its docking station on her bathroom counter, she stripped off her pink tank top and matching panties to the sound of one of her many favorite songs. Humming the tune to herself, she turned on the water and stepped into the warm shower. She tried to block out the thoughts of her job and just focus on the better things in life as she scrubbed with coconut scented body wash.

She was fortunate to have a job in this economy, one that paid well and promised a great future. She had a family that loved her, in their own way. And she had her evenings and weekends completely to herself. That thought was the only one that perked her up and got her through the long days. She actually spent most of her work day day-dreaming about what sort of magic her evening would hold. She planned and plotted, organized and re-organized until she knew it would be just right. She couldn't wait to see what would happen and how it would happen. She lived for her secret nights.

Thinking about it now gave her goose bumps and made her heart race with anticipation. She knew she was probably too old for things like this, getting excited over childish dreams, but she didn't care. Well, she did enough to keep it a secret from everyone, but still. Twenty-one was still young. She could be fun and irresponsible, even if her parents didn't think so. She rolled her eyes just thinking about what they would say.

They were all about giving off the proper image and maintaining that persona all the time. Your manners must be impeccable at all times. You must always say the correct thing to the right person and you must never behave like a child. Even if you were a child. Oh she knew her parents loved her, there was never a question of that growing up. They spoiled her with items but also with affection and as much of their time as they could spare. But they were both prestigious attorneys and they had a public image to uphold.In addition to very busy schedules that didn't permit for much time. Shaking away thoughts of the past, she rinsed the rest of the soap from her body and the conditioner from her curly red hair.

She quickly set about the rest of her morning routine, blow drying and then straightening her hair. She loved her naturally curly, almost waist length, fire red hair but the wild and unruly locks weren't really appropriate for her work environment. She had been told one to many times how sexy she looked when her hair was left to its own devices. She didn't want to be viewed that way by her co-workers. Once that difficult task was complete, she applied just the right amount of make-up to accent her perfect bone structure, pouty lips and deep green eyes. She slipped into a knee length pencil skirt, white blouse and matching black jacket, all of which fit her slim but shapely figure perfectly. She did all of this while drinking her usual two cups of morning coffee and singing to her favorite songs.

When she was finally done, she dropped her coffee mug into the sink, slipped into her black peep-toe heels, grabbed her purse and headed to work.

***

"Morning Ma'am," the security guard greeted her as she came through the revolving door of the massive building in downtown Manhattan.

Becky let out an exaggerated sigh, "Ralph, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Becky? I am entirely too young to be called ma'am!" she said as she pouted her lips at him and gave him her best puppy dog eyes.

Ralph couldn't help but to chuckle at her overly dramatic display. "I know ma'am but if the boss heard me call you anything else, I'm sure I'd be fired."

Becky scanned her badge and walked through the turnstile while waving off Ralph's comment. "Oh he would not! It is my name after all and we've known each other since I was a little girl. You didn't call me ma'am then." She raised a defiant eyebrow at him.

Becky had known Ralph since as far back as she could remember. He was an older man now, probably sixty years old, but he had been the security guard in this building since he was in his early thirties. Anyone that even walked near this building regularly knew Ralph. He was a friendly man who always had a smile on his face, a kind thing to say, and a helping hand if you needed it. He was also still in pretty good shape for his age. He was tall, maybe six-one or six-two, ex-military, and still had the muscle to prove it. Above all, he was loyal to a fault.

"Yes ma'am, I know that. But now you work here and it's my job to maintain a professional relationship with all the employees, even if I did see them in diapers." He follows his statement up with a wink, letting her know how much he really did care.

Becky couldn't help but to smile up at him. "Well okay, I guess." She sighed in mock defeat before taking a firmer stance and wagging a finger at him. "But if I see you later at the market, you better not call me ma'am!"

He chuckled again. "Yes ma'am."

"Grrr," she growled at him before turning to the bank of elevators behind her and pressing the button. She could still hear Ralph chuckling as the doors opened and then closed behind her. It made her smile.

That is, until the elevator stopped on the next floor and a new occupant joined her. "Well hello gorgeous. Why the big smile this morning?" Her smile immediately faded as she turned to look at the man that was now beside her. She watched with narrowed eyes as he pressed the button to the top floor of the building and then turned and offered what she was sure he thought was a seductive smile. She rolled her eyes, turned back to stare at her distorted reflection in the doors, and prayed for the elevator to move faster.

"Good morning Lance," she said stiffly. She felt him move closer to her and stiffened even further, knowing that he would touch her.

He didn't disappoint. He leaned in, his hand moving to the small of her back, his lips moving just a breath away from her ear. "What's wrong darling? You aren't happy to see me?"

She shivered in disgust. "Please, do not touch me." As hard as it was for her, she remained still, making him be the one to move away from her, standing her ground, and not giving in. He snickered like he knew her thoughts, but removed his hand and took a step back. Lance wasn't naïve to her feelings for him. She had made herself quite clear when she found him with another woman.

She had been the naïve one then. Her parents and Lances' parents had been lifelong friends and although he was ten years older than her, he had always been a presence in her life. As a young child he teased and tortured her, just like an older brother would. But when she began to develop into the beautiful woman she was now, he began to take notice. He became more protective of her, watching her all the time, and keeping other boys away. Then, once she turned eighteen, he began to pursue her. He bought her gifts, took her out to nice dinners, on dates to the museum, and treated her like a royal princess. Both of their parents were thrilled that they were dating and after a year, they began making wedding plans and business mergers. Becky didn't care though. She was nineteen and in love with a handsome, charming, successful man; one that she had known her entire life and trusted without a single doubt.

Their relationship was near perfect. In fact, the only thing Lance seemed to be bothered by was the fact that she was saving herself for marriage. They didn't exactly fight or argue about it, but he didn't exactly agree with her decisions either. He begged and pleaded, coaxed and tempted her, trying to get her to change her mind, but she wouldn't give in. She should have known that a twenty-nine year old, charming, handsome, and successful man would not be content waiting for her. Thankfully she found out before it was too late.

On the evening they were going to officially announce their engagement, their parents threw them a party. Everyone who was anyone was there, including some very beautiful women. Becky walked in the women's bathroom to witness one of those women on her knees in front of Lance with his pants around his ankles. She definitely wasn't so naïve that she didn't know what she was witnessing. Nor was she passive enough to let it go. She walked right up to the pair, both so lost in their lust that neither noticed her approach. She calmly tapped Lance on the shoulder. When his eyes opened and focused on her, she slapped him in the face and told him to never speak to her again.

She had been heartbroken, but proud of herself for standing up to Lance, until she spoke with her mother about it. Her mother informed her that sometimes men needed those sorts of pleasures and that she should be thankful Lance was not asking it of her. Becky was appalled. She would not marry a man that cheated on her, no matter how much her parents wanted her to. She knew that if Lance was unfaithful now, he would only continue to be and that wasn't a marriage Becky wanted. Her mother didn't seem to understand why she was being so stubborn and her father didn't know all the details so he continued to try and talk Becky into taking Lance back. It took almost a year, but she finally got her parents to quit pestering her about it and back off. She knew they hadn't given up entirely and that they were just biding their time, but she would take it for now.

If she could only get Lance to back off too.

When the incident first happened, he sent her flowers, chocolates, jewelry, anything he could get his hands on it seemed, in hopes of her forgiving him and taking him back. Then he begged and pleaded. He apologized and blamed the woman, saying she came on to him and he had been drinking so he didn't realize what he was doing. When she still wouldn't give in, accept his apology and move on with him, he became very angry. That was when she learned that not only was he a cheater, he was also an arrogant pig that did not like to be told no.

He yelled and threatened her until she finally started making some threats of her own. Knowing that she was daddy's little girl and his key to a partnership in this law firm, he finally backed off enough to allow her to sleep at night. But she still didn't trust him and knew that he always had an agenda. She tried to keep her distance but that was proving difficult since they worked in the same building.

"Still a cold bitch I see," Lance sneered, dropping the sweet act and effectively pulling her from her memories and thoughts.

"Hmm," was her only answer. She learned long ago that ignoring him seemed to be the best route to take.

"One day," he said under his breath as the elevator door opened onto her floor. She ignored him and stepped off, but she knew the thought of his threat would stay with her for the rest of the day. He had made many before but they were coming more and more frequently. She knew it was only a matter of time before Lance snapped and took it out on her. She wasn't entirely sure of what he was capable of, but she needed to figure out what to do before that happened.

She tried to push it to the back of her mind for now, as she made her way to her office. She absently said hello to her receptionist, quickly moving past her, not feeling up to faking a cheerful conversation at the moment. As she turned the corner she let out a sigh. As if dealing with Lance first thing this morning wasn't enough. Now she had to deal with the slave driver too?

She pasted a smile on her face and squared her shoulders as she approached him. She thrust as much cheer as possible into her greeting. "Good morning Daddy."

# Chapter Two

He turned to face her, a wide smile instantly taking over his older, but still handsome face. "There's my girl," he declared proudly as he spread his arms wide and waited for her to step into them.

When she did so, her fake smile dissolved into one of genuine delight. She loved her father. He was a great man whom she never doubted loved her with his whole heart. Growing up with two parents that owned one of the most prestigious law firms in not only the state but in the Northeast and who were also two of the most sought after attorneys with in that firm, wasn't easy. But she never wanted for anything. He and her mother raised her well, giving her as much time as they could and always reminding her how much they loved and cherished her. They always explained things to her and tried to make up as best as they could for late nights and long work weeks. They took extended vacations when they were available and they made sure they were home for dinner most nights. It wasn't always easy and there were times that they let her down, but those were far and few between. Knowing that her father loved her wasn't the problem. The problem was that he was her boss now and as far as bosses went, in her opinion, he had to be one of the worst.

He demanded nothing short of perfection when it came to his employees. Now that she was one of those employees, he didn't pull any punches with her either. It was a side of her father she had never known before and was quickly realizing that she didn't care for at all. His unyielding requirement of long hours, endless demands, and high expectations were beginning to wear on her last nerve. She had only been working for him for a month. She didn't know how she was going to last until he retired, in like ten years from when he actually said he would retire.

Truthfully though, it wasn't just her father's demanding work ethic. It was the company as a whole and the job itself. She didn't want to be a lawyer, she didn't want to run the law firm, and she definitely didn't want to do it at Lance's side. All of which were things that were expected of her. Now wasn't the time or the place for a repeat of that discussion, so she pulled back with a smile on her face and looked up at her dad's matching grin.

"What are you doing here Daddy?"

"Oh, I just came to check in and see how everything was going with you? I've heard nothing but great things about you, but I thought I would come down and see for myself."

"Checking up on me huh?" she asked with fake indignation as she let go of him and walked through the doorway to her office. She put her purse in one of the drawers and sat behind her desk. Her father wanted her to start out like every other lawyer did at the firm, from the bottom, but she was still his daughter and he insisted she have a private office. Even though she was sure it was more out of wanting to keep unwanted attention from his baby girl, she definitely wasn't complaining. She liked the privacy as well as the peace and quiet.

"Of course I'm checking up on you. What kind of father would I be if I didn't make sure you were doing okay down here?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, okay. And what kind of boss would I be if I didn't make sure my biggest asset wasn't fitting in and learning the ropes?"

"That's more like it," she said as she powered up her laptop.

"Katherine Rebecca, you know I only want what's best for you and your future, both of which hinge on this law firm. It has been in our family for almost one hundred years..."

She cut him off. "I know daddy, you've told me a million times. Great-grandpa Wellington started the firm from nothing and our family has built it into the empire it is now. His only stipulation, his dying wish, was that it always remains in the family. Being as I'm the last living heir to the empire, it's all on me. I get it." She rolled her eyes when she finished with her speech. She really had heard it a million times and it was starting to get old. She understood her responsibility to her family, even if she hated it with every fiber in her body.

"Oh pumpkin, I know it's a lot to live up to, but your mother and I have every faith that you will be even more successful than we have been. Besides, it will give me peace of mind after I'm long and dead, knowing that you're okay."

"Daddy!" she said sternly. She hated it when he played the death card. He may have been almost sixty but he was a strong and healthy sixty. She had every confidence that her father would be around to see his grandchildren. However, that didn't mean a stab of dread didn't hit her heart every time she thought of him or her mother not being around any longer. If they were taken away from her now, she would be left all alone and be completely destroyed. They were all she had and she couldn't imagine her life without them in it.

"What?" her father tried to give her an innocent look. "You can't blame a father for trying can you?" He chuckled and moved behind her to give her shoulders a light squeeze.

"You are incorrigible, you know that?"

"So your mother tells me." He sighed, but she could hear the love in that heavy sigh. Her parents may have married as a business deal between their families, but over the last thirty years their marriage had grown into much more than that. In fact, she hadn't seen two people who were more devoted to each other. They spent as much time together as their work permitted and always seemed to find a reason to talk to each other in between. When they were in the same room, they always found some excuse to touch or be near one another. It was actually really romantic. Becky could only pray that someday she would find someone to love that deeply and that reciprocated that love, just the way her parents did. Right now the possibility seemed impossible.

"So other than checking up on me," she smiled at his sheepish look "what did you need?"

"Well..." he hesitated and she braced herself. He only did that when he was asking for something he knew she would not like. "Your mother is having a dinner party this weekend and she asked that you come."

She narrowed her eyes. There was more. She waited.

He blew out a breath. "The Huntingtons will be there."

"No," she stated simply then turned to her laptop and began checking her e-mail. She wasn't even reading what she was opening but she refused to make eye contact with her father. He would try to persuade her to go and she would not bend on this. She knew what her mother and Mrs. Huntington were up to and it would not work. There was nothing and no one that could make her even entertain the idea of reconciling with Lance, ever. Furthermore, she had no intention of putting herself in a situation where she would be badgered by her mother and his mother at the same time. Was. Not. Happening.

It was silent for a few moments but she could feel her father studying her. Then he moved closer to her chair and crouched down beside her, turning her chair to face him. "Is there more to this Lance thing that you haven't told me Katherine Rebecca?"

She wanted to tell him about what happened, how Lance had cheated on her and embarrassed her. She also wanted to tell him that Lance had threatened her and that she was really scared of what he said and how he seemed to be getting angrier and angrier with her, but she just couldn't. She and Lance's parents had been friends for years. They genuinely liked each other and she didn't want to be the cause of a rift between the two families, not if she could take care of the problem herself. She just needed a little more time to figure out how. "No Daddy..." she started to reassure him, but he cut her off.

"I hope you know that you can tell me anything and I will always believe what you tell me. Do you understand? No one will ever hold my ear over your word."

She looked up into his eyes and saw the truth and determination in his statement. She wanted so badly to tell him but she knew she couldn't. She believed what her father was telling her and knew that he would never doubt what she told him. Even so, she also knew that once her daddy heard the things Lance had said to her, he would not only fire him, but he would ruin him forever. Lance was a complete jerk, but still she didn't want him to be ruined and she didn't want his family to hate her or her parents. She just wanted him to go away. She sighed. "I know that Daddy, but there's nothing to tell. I just don't have feelings for him anymore. I don't want a relationship with him and I just wish mother would stop her prying."

"You know how your mother and I ended up together, right? We didn't love each other at first, but now I cannot imagine my life without her. Don't you think the same could happen for you and Lance?"

She started shaking her head before he even finished. "No, Daddy. I am sure. I will never love Lance. I don't even like him."

He narrowed his eyes on her and studied her for a moment longer before standing and placing his hands in his pockets. "Okay. I still don't think you're telling me everything, but you are an adult and I will respect your privacy and your feelings. I'll tell your mother you have plans for Saturday evening, but..." he removed one of his hands from his pocket and pointed sternly at her. "I do expect you for brunch on Sunday young lady."

"Yes sir!" she saluted him and then said softly. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Anything for you, my love," he said just as softly before straightening his shoulders. "Now get to work young lady. I expect great things from you." He winked then strode purposefully down the hall toward the elevators, everyone stepping to the side to clear a path. He may be a slave driver, but everyone that worked for him respected him.

Turning back to her laptop, she scrolled back to the top of her e-mails so she could re-read all the ones she had already opened but couldn't remember the content. Since she was returning from a weekend, her inbox contained almost a thousand new messages. Most of them were requests for advice on whether or not they needed an attorney or the cost involved in retaining their services. She hit delete on every single one of those.

Wellington and Wellington was not like most law firms. They didn't have a website with a form that people could fill out and get free advice and they didn't give price quotes via e-mail. No, they were one of the top law firms in New York and only took clients on a referral basis, which they didn't even do often. In fact, most of their clients were inherited through death, passed from family member to family member. So although Becky scanned each e-mail, just in case something stuck out, she ended up deleting ninety percent of her inbox. Once that was finished, she could focus on the other e-mails that were actually legit and from current clients.

Still having to go through about a hundred or so more messages, she decided she needed another cup of coffee before tackling the list. She locked her laptop screen and headed to the break room. Thankfully her father was a coffee lover and understood the need for the good kind. He equipped each and every break room in the building with a traditional coffee maker and a cappuccino/espresso machine. It was so nice to get coffee shop quality coffee at work.

While Becky waited for her drink to brew, she thought about the evening ahead of her. She had heard about a new show that was starting this week and bought a ticket as soon as they went on sale .She purchased one for the very first show, tonight, and made sure it was a front row seat. She was so excited! She just wished she had someone that enjoyed the same things she did so she could share her experiences with them. Life could get really lonely at times and it had been even more so for Becky lately.

When Lance was pursuing her, she didn't have much time to think about just how alone she was. Then when that relationship ended, she was so worried about graduating early so she could impress her parents and start working, she didn't have time for friends or socializing. But now that she was finally finished with school, she realized just how much more free time she had and how she had no one to spend it with. Sadly, it seemed there wasn't anyone that shared her same hobbies or interests anyway. Everyone she had grown up with was either still in college and studying all the time or out seeing the world and partying constantly. Becky had enough of school with her doubling up the way she had to so as to finish early like her parents wanted her to and the party scene was just not for her. She had tried going out a few times when her and Lance had first broken up, but she found that she was uncomfortable and awkward in the bar/club scenes. She didn't enjoy drinking and definitely didn't do any drugs. Plus, she was very inexperienced when it came to men and didn't enjoy putting herself in uncomfortable situations, which was where she had found herself the two times she let her friends talk her into going out. Now two years had passed and she didn't even talk to those friends any longer.

She truly wasn't complaining though. As sad as it was, she much preferred loneliness to being overwhelmed and uncomfortable. At least she knew what to expect and what to be prepared for. She hadn't minded Lance's company but she had missed being able to do what she wanted. She hadn't dared tell him of her secret, for fear of him telling her parents or laughing at her. She may be naïve in the world of dating and men, but she wasn't in the world in general. She knew how odd her interests were. She also knew how disappointed and angry her parents would be if they found out. It didn't matter that her hobbies and interest were harmless and could be much worse. Most children born of the wealth she was were into drugs or sex, flunking out of school and having to be supported by their parents. It didn't matter that Becky had graduated three years early from law school, was the model daughter in public, and would allow her parents to bend her to their will and take over the family business. None of that would make a difference.

This was precisely why Becky didn't have many friends and why she kept her own company whenever she was away from work and her family. She couldn't risk anyone letting her secret out because she knew she would deeply regret it if her parents ever found out just how obsessed she was with magic.

# Chapter Three

Becky returned to her office, steaming cup of delicious coffee in hand, and continued her day as usual. She tried to stay on task, scanning e-mails, answering calls, and assisting the other attorneys that actually had cases. Though she usually failed miserably and had to be snapped back to attention whenever her phone rang or someone knocked on her office door. She really did try to enjoy her job and appreciate how lucky she was. After all, her future was secure, not only would she be set financially for life, but her grandchildren would be also. Even so, she just couldn't help feeling slighted by the pressure of it all. Being an attorney didn't call to her. She didn't get a sense of comfort, joy, or even contentment when she was working here at the law firm. But being the good daughter that she was, she would do whatever was necessary to make her family proud, even if that meant scarifying her true calling to run the family business.

Which was why she found herself day-dreaming often about doing magic. She felt such joy and excitement when she thought about her magic, that she could barely contain herself. Ever since her first (and sadly only as a child) circus trip, it has called to her. She was never, and still isn't, one to believe in mystical things, magical beings or any other nonsense like that. Still, she couldn't deny the deep gut feeling she had when she watched the circus man pull the bunny out of his hat. It was... magical.

Since that day, she had spent every free moment learning the tricks of magicians. It had first started out with minor tricks; cards, scarves, pulling a coin from behind an ear, but once she mastered all of those skills, she couldn't stop herself from moving onto bigger and better things. By the time she was in High School, she had solved all of the big name magician's tricks. She knew how to make big objects disappear, how to cut someone in half, how a magician walked on water, and how to solve every other trick that had been performed. She even started doing research on magicians that dated back before she was born and studied and solved all of their tricks.

At first, when she was still a child and discovered that there wasn't any real magic involved, she was disappointed. But then the thrill of solving the mystery took over and she fell even more in love with magic and magicians. It was an adventure to discover their secrets and even practice some of them herself. She had perfected many tricks and even improved on some of them, making them significantly better. She knew that if she were given the chance, she could be one of the best magicians ever. But she knew that would never happen. Her parents would never be okay with her having a career that involved magic, not after all of the hard work and money they put into developing her career as a lawyer. So instead, she found her joy in watching every magic show she could possibly see, studying and then solving their tricks and occasionally putting on a small, secret show herself (okay, only once in public). She had even gone as far as to contact a few of the extremely good magicians and built a sort of on-line friendship with them. She wasn't ashamed to admit to herself that she lived vicariously through them.

Recently one of her magician friends introduced her to an on-line forum that was full of other magic lovers. Some were like her, and knew the ins and outs of the 'magical' world. There were also some that still believed in real magic. She tried to steer clear of them. While their thoughts and posts were entertaining and even stirred that long forgotten whimsical cord in her body, she couldn't allow herself to get sucked down that path. Magic is card tricks and sleight of hand, some smoke and mirrors; that's it. In spite of all that, she loved every aspect of it.

Her phone beeped, pulling her yet again from her magical thoughts. The quiet ting letting her know that it was four-thirty and time to start ending her day. She glanced at her laptop and realized that she had only gotten about halfway through her e-mail list. She let out a tired sigh, knowing that she would have double that again in the morning. She made a mental note to try and get through at least a few more of them tonight before bed. But for now, she had places to be and no time for thoughts of her boring job.

She quickly powered down her laptop, threw it in her briefcase, and grabbed her purse and dirty coffee cup. Pulling her office door shut behind her, she turned to check the lock when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she dropped her coffee mug, which crashed to the wood floor and shattered into a million pieces. Angry now, she whirled around and came face to face with Lance.

"Damn it Lance! What do you want?" she demanded.

He threw his hands up in mock surrender, but didn't take a step back. He was standing way to close to her, invading her personal space, and her back was pressed to her office door giving her nowhere to go. She didn't like it one bit. "Whoa, little miss goody two shoes knows some swear words. Cute," he mocked as the corner of his mouth pulled up into a smirk.

She narrowed her eyes. "You'll hear a lot more if you don't take a step back."

Now he narrowed his eyes, no longer pretending to joke. "What's the matter Katherine Rebecca?" he said her name with a sneer. "Can't stand to be this close to a man?"

"I would answer that if there were a man around to judge by, but I don't see one."

His eyes snapped and his jaw went tight. He had never physically hurt her, but she had felt the threat a few times, like now. And with his recent behavior having become worse, she knew she shouldn't press him, but she couldn't help it. She didn't like to be cornered and threatened. He took a step closer, his front flush with hers now. She pushed back further into the door behind her, hoping to keep some space between them, but it was no use. She had nowhere to go. "You think you're something else don't you? Daddy's little girl being groomed to take over the company? Well let me tell you something, you fucking bitch. I plan to get half of this company, just like our parents agreed to when I proposed to you. So you better get used to this man in front of you and you better do it quick .I've been patient, but no more. Do you understand me?" he whispered in her ear as he quickly moved one arm around her back and splayed his hand firmly on her butt as if he owned it.

She shivered in fear.

He purposefully mistook her action. "You like that baby? Maybe that's where I went wrong with you. Instead of waiting for you to give it up, maybe I should have just taken what was mine. Is that it baby?" He squeezed her bottom, hard and she had to fight back tears. "You like it rough don't you sweetheart? Well I'll show you rough." His voice was husky and Becky could feel how aroused he was. She was really scared now.

She worked in an office full of people, but her private office was at the back of the hall and surrounded by attorneys that were her seniors meaning they were usually in court and hardly ever actually there. On top of that it was the end of the work day and everyone else was gone or on their way out. Usually Becky liked the peace and quiet she got from being so secluded, but now she was all alone with a very small chance of anyone walking by and stopping Lance.

She whimpered. "Please, Lance."

"Oh baby, don't worry .You don't have to beg. I know what you want." He dipped his head and ran his tongue up the side of her neck as he pulled her even closer with his hand still tightly on her butt. Then he moved his free hand to her stomach, placing it under her jacket and began moving it up toward her breast. She shivered with dread. Would he really do this to her, right here in the office? Not wanting to find out, she tried to push him away but he only held her tighter. She was just about to open her mouth to scream when someone spoke up.

"Umm, I'm sorry," her assistant muttered from behind them, causing Lance to back away just enough for Becky to wiggle free and race around him.

"No! No, Helen it's okay," Becky practically sprinted to the older woman's side, stopping her from turning around and leaving her alone with Lance again. "What is it that you needed?"

Helen stopped and looked at Becky than glanced at Lance who pushed passed them with a muttered curse, not making eye contact with either of them. "Are you okay?" Helen asked with narrowed eyes once Lance had disappeared around the corner.

"Um...yes. I'm fine," Becky assured her while smoothing the front of her shirt and tucking her unruly red hair behind her ear. She wasn't fine. Her hands were shaking and her heart was racing. She didn't know what she would have done if Helen had not come down the hall. Lance had never been so aggressive with her before, even when she broke off their engagement and refused to accept his apology. Yes he had been very angry and made her nervous on more than one occasion, but he had never actually touched her. He had crossed a line today and Becky wasn't sure what to do about it. However, she did know that involving Helen right now wasn't an option. She needed to think about it and decide what to do once she was calm and more rational.

Helen's eyes flicked to the shattered glass on the floor then back to Becky. She watched her for a moment, doubt clear in her eyes but when Becky offered nothing further, she let out a sigh. "You have a call holding."

Trying to regain some sort of composure, Becky grabbed on to the work related item quickly. Leaving the broken mug on the floor, sure the cleaning staff would take care of it later, she ushered Helen down the hall toward the front office. "Who is it and did they say what they were looking for?"

"No, actually he didn't. He was very evasive but persistent that he spoke with you. I asked him to hold instead of sending the call straight through. I wanted to give you a heads up."

"Thanks Helen. I don't know why so many people insist on speaking directly to us. If only they knew you could probably help them better than I could," Becky forced a chuckle, trying desperately to sound calm and relaxed. She knew Helen wasn't buying it. Like almost every one of the other employees in her family's law firm, Helen had been a permanent fixture in the office since Becky was a child. She had actually been her mother's assistant but moved to be Becky's when she started working there. Becky had felt awful, worried the older women would feel as if she had been demoted. Helen only laughed and reassured her that it was an honor to be put into the position and that the raise wasn't bad either. Over the last few weeks Becky had been more than grateful for the woman. Helen helped her with everything, having become more of a friend than an assistant, and was the only reason Becky hadn't quit yet.

"Yes well, most people don't realize how much an assistant in a law firm really does. At least here our attorneys are educated and do a lot of their own work. You should have seen the office I worked for before your parents hired me. The assistants did everything except appear in court. I honestly think that if they could have gotten away with it, we would have done that too."

Helen's laughter and easy mood are what finally eased Becky's nerves, giving her yet another reason to be grateful to Helen and her friendship. "Thank you Helen," she said again, thanking her for more than screening her calls.

"You're welcome, honey," she replied, looking for just a moment as if she wanted to say more so Becky quickly picked up the phone to stop her from doing so.

"Katherine Wellington, how may I help you?" she said to dead air. "Hello?" she listened for just a moment longer then shrugged and hung the phone back up. "Hmm, I guess it wasn't that important after all," she said to Helen with a wink.

"It usually never is," she smiled back. Glancing at Becky's brief case she asked. "I see you're headed out on time again today." Her lips twitched and Becky knew she was holding back a smile. Becky was very much not the norm when it came to office hours. She got here at exactly eight in the morning and left at exactly five every day. Everyone else came in early and stayed late, the only exceptions being the other attorneys on her floor who were usually in court in the afternoons, still working though. Becky couldn't stand to be there the hours she was forced to; she definitely didn't stay a second longer than she had to. Helen found it amusing and Becky knew the woman probably sensed her reasons but she never asked. She just picked on Becky about her ridiculously accurate internal clock. Helen didn't know she set an alarm to be reminded it was time to leave every day. That was another of Becky's little secrets.

Becky smiled. "Yes. I'll probably finish up some e-mails at home later but I have an appointment I need to keep. Goodnight Helen." She offered a small wave and headed toward the elevators before Helen could ask about her appointment.

"Goodnight honey. See you tomorrow," Helen called after her. Helen was definitely one of the many that stayed past the end of the work day. Becky had tried to send her home several times, but Helen wouldn't hear of it. She claimed she needed just a few more minutes without the phones ringing to get organized for the next day or she wouldn't sleep at night. Becky finally quit arguing and left the woman to her own devices. She knew how much she hated it when someone tried to tell her what was best for her; she wouldn't do it to someone else.

The elevator was there within seconds of pressing the button and completely deserted, just as it was every day. She hummed with the instrumental music playing softly into the quiet space as she descended to the lobby. When she stepped from the elevator, her eyes scanned the large space, verifying that it too was empty, except for Ralph of course.

"See you tomorrow Miss Wellington," Ralph said stoically, but she could see the corner of his lip twitching.

"Good evening Ralph," she said with an exaggerated eye roll. His smile finally broke through and she heard his chuckle just as she exited through the giant building's elegant glass doors and onto the busy streets of lower Manhattan.

# Chapter Four

Becky took a deep breath, feeling the restrictions of work fall away and relishing in the freedom of the New York City streets. Having been raised just outside of the city in the Hamptons and her parents firm being located where it was, Becky was never a stranger to the city growing up. Her parents tried to shelter her from most of it though, never taking public transportation like the masses did and never taking side stops when they did venture into the city. When she would get to visit the city with them as a child, they were in and out quickly, only stopping at the destinations that were on the prescheduled list. But that didn't mean her eyes weren't glued to the window, taking in as much as she could as they drove down the streets. Despite her parents' attempts at sheltering her, Becky did not hold the same feeling for the city as her parents did.

As soon as she was old enough to venture out on her own, she was running all over the place. She loved being in the heart of the city with all the hustle and bustle that went with it. She relished in the fast-paced atmosphere and the impatience of the people around her. She delighted in the mass amount of people and the ability to be completely swallowed up by them. In a city of millions of people it was so easy to get lost and forgotten. One could walk all day and not be noticed or remembered by a soul. While some people may dislike that, Becky craved it. She could be herself without the constant worry of being discovered.

Taking another deep breath, pulling on her sunglasses, and placing her earbuds in her ears, she began walking the two blocks to the subway stop that would eventually take her to her Upper West Side apartment. She smiled remembering when she informed her parents that not only was she moving out, but that she was moving into the city. They were angry but more scared than anything else. They reminded her of what they did for a living and of the people they had met over the course of their careers. Muggers and murders were not a myth; they were very real and running wild in Manhattan. Becky had almost failed at holding in her laughter when they were telling her these things. Becky may have been physically sheltered from the city life, but she was very intelligent and informed. She watched the news, read the paper and kept up on current events. She knew the crime rate of the city and felt more than comfortable living there. In fact, she had been beyond excited about the idea.

When her parents realized that she would not concede, they insisted on helping her decide where she would live. She was fine with that. She knew they would pick a high priced area but she could afford it with the salary she was earning and with her trust fund left by her grandparents which was released to her when she graduated college. She had already chosen a place that she knew her parents would be fine with. The building she picked was right off Columbus Circle on Broadway. The location gave her quick access to the subway as well as a busy street to hail a taxi and prime shopping and dining without having to travel more than a few blocks. She purchased an apartment on the top floor that offered an amazing view of Central Park, one that she already spent plenty of early mornings and late nights enjoying. She loved it for the location and view, but more importantly, her parents loved it for the security and other high profile occupants which further ensured her safety as far as they were concerned. They were all happy.

Feeling that contentment, she returned her attention to weaving in and out of people and lightly hummed to her music, as she walked steadily and with confidence to her stop. Swiping her metro card like a pro, she walked through the turnstile and waited patiently for her train to come. There were hundreds of other people on the platform, as was usual for the time of day, so she headed down to the far end of the platform where she would have a better chance of slipping onto the train without much of a fight. Just as she took her final steps, the train came screeching in and stopped in front of her. The doors whooshed opened and she quickly stepped on while others stepped off. She was jostled and shoved, but no more so than usual. Ignoring this, she found a spot to stand, wrapped her hand around the metal pole and continued to listen to her music. There were a few stops before she had to get off so she got as comfortable as she could, standing in a crammed subway car with thousands of strangers.

The next stop came and went, she was jostled a bit more but held firm to her spot. The next stop was a bit more crowded and the car became impossibly full. Her front was flush with the pole she had been holding onto and now her back with flush against a stranger. This was normal and she thought nothing of it until she felt a hand on her hip. She tried to move from the hand but it gripped her tighter just as a mouth was whispering at her ear. "Don't move or speak and everything will be okay. Nod once if you understand."

Becky immediately nodded her head once while thoughts began to race through her head. How was this man expecting to hurt her on a train full of people? He must be aware of the fact that they were surrounded and someone was sure to see. But then her earlier thoughts of why she loved this city so much came back to her. The fact that one could be completely surrounded by thousands of people and still be totally invisible. There was a possibility this man could hurt her and not a soul would notice.

"Good girl. Now reach into your purse and get your wallet. Then you are going to hand it to me, nice and slow. Then this will all be over. Understand?"

She nodded once again. As she reached into her purse she realized just how calm she was. She wasn't sure why but this man didn't scare her. Once she came to that realization she also realized that she wasn't okay with him robbing her either. She wasn't helpless. A plan formed in her mind quicker than she ever thought it could.

She took her time reaching into her purse, digging around as if she couldn't find her wallet, but made sure not to make it obvious. When she felt the train slowing, she knew her assailant would be getting off at this stop. She pulled her wallet out and reached back to give it to him as the doors opened. She then turned quickly to look at his face. When they locked eyes she could see his surprise at her willingness to face him, but then he quickly got over it and snatched what was in her outstretched hand. He jumped from the car just as the doors were closing. She watched him as he looked down then whirled around, his face filled with confusion. She smiled and held up not only her wallet, but his as well. His face turned from confusion to anger as the train picked up speed and he disappeared from sight.

She had no training as a pickpocket but knowing sleight of hand and how to take advantage of a diversion were two things she was damn good at. She couldn't help her inner praise at having bested a would-be thief with magic. She could still envision his look of surprise when he glanced down into his hand, expecting to see her wallet but finding a few folded up napkins that she always kept in her purse for emergencies instead. She rode that high all the way to her final stop and up the elevator to her apartment. Once there, she called the police and gave them the details of her experience. At first they laughed but once she informed them of her name and occupation, the discussion became much more serious. They wanted to send over an officer right away to get an official statement and the evidence she now had, but that would have to wait. She had somewhere to be. Making an appointment for them to meet her at her office first thing in the morning, she hung up, placed the thief's wallet on the counter where she wouldn't forget it in the morning, and went to get ready for her evening.

***

Becky was giddy with excitement when she handed her ticket over to the man at the door. He smiled at her and looked around as if expecting a companion. She didn't wait for the pitying look or the appreciative one that would come when he realized she was there all alone. She was entirely too excited to let anyone get to her tonight. Instead, she quickly grabbed her ticket stub and walked into the large theater, instantly feeling like a little girl all over again. As she made her way down the aisle toward the front row, memories of cotton candy and lite-up toys began to dance through her mind. She could almost smell the sweetness of the treats in the air and hear the vendor shouting that his toys were for sale. She rubbed at the goose bumps that formed on her arms from all of the wonderful memories. In fact, it was one of the best childhood memories she had.

She had no problem finding her seat; she had been to the theater many times before for other shows. Still having about thirty minutes before the show would begin, she sat back to wait, but she didn't mind. In fact, she loved to sit and observe the people as they filed in and took their seats. Most were families, parents with their children, excited for the show they were about to see. Some were older couples with their grandchildren in tow, all equally as excited. She got a little nostalgic when she saw the grandparents taking the time to spend with their grandchildren. Becky's were always too busy when she was younger and by the time they retired, they were too old and so was she to enjoy any sort of childhood adventures like this. Shaking the sentimental thought away, she continued to people watch. As the people filed in and the seats began to fill, she was happy to see that there were even a few young couples, maybe on a date or newly married. She could always tell by how loving they seemed to each other, unable to stray too far from one another.

She loved to see all the different types of people that, for just a couple of hours, shared her love for magic. Though the children were what intrigued her the most. Their faces were so pure and innocent, so eager to see what would happen up on that big stage. To them, she knew that it all seemed larger than life, so unreal. That was how it had felt for her when she witnessed her very first magic show. To be perfectly honest, she still felt a little of that now. Sitting back and watching someone do things seemingly out of thin air, by magic, was entrancing. It was surreal and mesmerizing. That was why she loved it so much. She liked the idea of something being magical and unknown. She couldn't help that tiny hidden part of her that hoped maybe there was more to the world than fact, logic, and rules.

Caught up in her daydream, Becky hadn't realized that someone had taken the seat beside her until a sharp elbow met her rib. Instinctively crying out and reaching for her side, she turned to look at the occupant of the seat beside her.

"Oh, I am so sorry," the man said leaning toward her, true concern etched on his face.

"Oh, it's okay. It wasn't even that bad.You startled me more than anything." Becky could feel her cheeks blush. The man was really cute. Probably a few years older than her, dark hair, dark eyes, nice face and looked fit from what she could see of his sitting form.

"Are you sure?" his eyes scanned her face as if looking for confirmation. She smiled at him in reassurance. "I really am sorry.I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I was worried I was late so I was rushing."

Becky's smile grew at the idea of someone being as enthusiastic as she was about the upcoming show. "Yes, I'm sure that I'm fine. Are you excited about the performance?" she asked eagerly.

"Oh well, not exactly..." he trailed off when a woman came rushing to the seat beside him calling out his name.

"Thomas! I am so sorry I'm late!" she bent and kissed him before taking her seat beside him.

Becky quickly turned from the couple and tuned out their conversation, a little bummed and embarrassed. Seeing him sitting there unaccompanied, she had thought maybe he came to the show alone, like she did. She had hoped that she had miraculously found someone that didn't care what others thought but loved the idea of the magic so much he would risk embarrassment. She had been wrong of course.

Sadly, she was pretty sure there wasn't another soul like her. Thankfully the lights dimmed before her thoughts could get any more depressing. The room became almost pitch black and she heard squeals and cries from the children around her, followed by parents reassuring or hushing them. Then the music started and the magician appeared in the center of the stage, out of thin air. Becky had seen it a million times before, but she still let out a soft gasp in surprise and delight. It never seemed to get old.

As the show began, all the depressing thoughts of being lonely and all the overwhelming thoughts of following in her parents footsteps completely melted away. She became entirely caught up in the tricks and illusions of the magician. She allowed it to sweep her away. The only thing that pulled her from the performance on the stage was an odd feeling she got twice during the show. It wasn't anything overly obvious, but a weird feeling that prickled the back of her neck and had her glancing over her shoulder. There was never anything out of the ordinary around so she just shrugged both times, chalking it up to the buzz and excitement around her. She sat back and enjoyed the rest of the amazing show, content for the time being, and enjoying what she loved most in the world.

Magic.

# Chapter Five

When the show was over, Becky couldn't help but to spring to her feet and give the magician a standing ovation. He was spectacular. She knew she would be spending months solving the mysteries behind his amazing tricks. Her hands had been itching during the performance to take notes or even pull out her phone to record the show so she wouldn't forget any of the details but she knew better. She actually gave into the cravings before. The first time had been to take pictures, and when she did she was almost immediately asked to turn her camera over so security could delete the footage. The second time was when she pulled out a notepad and pen to take notes; she didn't miss the many odd looks she was given by those near her. Both instances were extremely embarrassing and she had no desire to go through that again. So instead, she paid close attention to everything, committing it all to memory so she could write down as many details as possible when she got home. Which she was anxious to do now.

Once the lights were back on in the theater, she grabbed her things and swiftly made her way toward the exit. Just as she was approaching the doorway, she was jostled from behind. "Jesus!" she exclaimed involuntarily. She couldn't help the slip. Today apparently wasn't her day. She had been almost raped by her ex, assaulted by a thief on the subway, jabbed in the rib here at the show and now she was being pushed from behind. Would her day of abuse never end?

Strong arms gripped her shoulders to steady her. Given her day and evening, she just wanted to get away from the crowd. She wanted to be safe and sound in her apartment where she could reflect on the one good thing that came out of her day. She wanted to curl up in bed and think about nothing but the amazing show she had just seen and work out the mysteries and puzzles the magician had presented. So she didn't even bother to turn for an apology or thank the person for keeping her from falling. Instead she shrugged her body out from under his grip and made her way quickly through the crowd, without even looking back. She didn't need apologies or questions; she definitely didn't need anger or frustration. What she needed was to get home and put this day behind her.

She took a much needed deep breath when she finally made it outside of the theater and broke away from the crowd. Given the late hour, she chose hailing a cab over dealing with the possible shady characters on the subways. She didn't relish the idea of being mugged twice in one day and with the way things were going, she wouldn't doubt it may happen again. Thankfully, she had no problem hailing a cab right away and it was a short, incident free ride. Before she knew it, she was safe and sound in her apartment. Slipping off her coat and shoes at the door, she let out a soft sigh as she felt herself truly relax for the first time all day. It was nice to be home for the night.

Not wanting to waste any time or forget any important details, she grabbed her pen and a pad of paper before making her way to the master bath which held her amazing soaking tub. Originally she thought she would be content to crawl right into bed, but now that she was home, she had second thoughts. Tonight called for a bath while writing down everything she could remember from the tricks she saw. Her excitement began to surge all over again as she turned on the warm water and began to strip her clothes off. Nothing could deter her from her goal she thought to herself, but apparently she would be delayed because when she picked her jeans up off the floor and began to fold them over, something dropped out of them.

She blinked a couple of times at what appeared to be a business card resting on the floor, just in front of the tips of her toes. She didn't recall having been given any business cards today; she hadn't even met anyone new that would give her one. Confused, she bent down and picked it up. It was face down, so all she saw was a black rectangle. When she touched it she knew it was indeed a business card by the weight of the paper and quickly flipped it over to see whose it was. She blinked again when she did so.

The front of the card was all black, just like the back, with only one word in the center, embossed and typed in a deep blue script.'MysticSeeker'.

Utterly confused now, she flipped the card over to look at the back once again, just in case she missed something. But she hadn't.It was completely black with no words. She flipped it back over again and let out a small breath. She could have sworn the one word was the only thing on the front of the card. But now there was a website printed at the bottom edge of the card. It was very small and the same deep blue as the embossed word. She shook her head in confusion, but then rationalized that she must have just over looked it because it was so small and blended in with the card itself.

In fact, the website was so small she had to bring the card closer to her face to actually read it. "Huh?" she said out loud when she scanned the web address. Not only was it a site she had never heard of before, but the URL was different from the usual ones. It only began with two of the three traditional 'w's' and it also ended in an unfamiliar domain. Although she wasn't an expert by any means on the internet, she found it odd. Figuring the card must have been slipped to her by someone on the subway; she tossed in on the counter and turned to her awaiting bath.

She could see the tendrils of steam rising from the water and knew it would be warm enough to turn her skin a pretty pink color, but also knew it would turn cold much too fast if she didn't do that. She intended to soak for a while. Becky placed her pen and paper in the tray that lay across her tub.It held all the essentials for her baths. An iPod with soothing music she only listened to at times like this, her lavender scented candle and lighter, bath salts, a hand towel to wipe her wet fingers on, and a couple of romance books (just in case). Once her music was on and all of her items were placed just so, she pulled her unruly hair up into a messy bun before dipping her toes gingerly into the water. It was a bit hotter than she intended but she forged ahead, knowing the warm water would relax her muscles. It took a few moments, but she finally got her whole body in and the water was now almost touching her chin. Even though she was sweating from the heat, and knowing she would have to take a cool shower after her bath, her body felt so good at that moment that she didn't care.

Blocking absolutely everything out of her head, she began scribbling notes and thoughts of the magic show. She noted the magician's hand movements, distraction techniques, and the outcome of all the tricks. Most of those things were obvious to anyone that paid even a little bit of attention. She then made note of the other small things that no one else in the audience would have noticed. Specific things that were so much easier for her to spot since she had been studying and watching magic shows for so long; those things that the audience wasn't supposed to see.

When Becky first started doing her research, she was surprised to find out just how much went into performing a magic trick. Not only did the magician have to research and practice his trick, but he also had to prepare occurrences, like staged audience members that were meant to draw your eye from the magician, if only for a second, to ensure the trick would be flawless. There were also props on the stage that the magician used, but that nobody actually saw. They were designed to blend in so well, only a keen eye or knowing they were there would reveal them to you. Then of course there is the genuine skill of the magician; his ability to distract from noticing how quickly he moves his hand to hide elements of his trick from his entire audience. All of those factors play a role in a show and each one of them is equally as important as the other. Being a successful magician requires not only a high level of talent, but also a lot of hard work and determination.

Taking all of those things into consideration as she wrote, Becky could barely keep up with her thoughts. She scribbled as fast as she could until her hand finally started to hurt. Only then did she put her pen down and reconnect with her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was that her bath water was cold, just as she knew it would be, and then she noticed the time. She jumped out of the bath tub, almost spilling the contents of her tub tray into the water. It was nearly midnight. Becky already struggled as it was to get up in the morning, staying up all hours of the night for her magical mystery solving wasn't something she needed to make a habit of.

She quickly jumped in the shower and washed her hair and body, then just as quickly jumped out and got ready for bed. She towel dried her hair as she put her things away and then crawled into bed falling asleep almost instantly. She wouldn't remember until morning that she never did check the rest of her e-mails nor did she do something with the odd business card.

***

When the alarm blared, Becky groaned. She really hated mornings.

Swinging her feet over the side of the bed, she turned the alarm off. She knew she would regret staying up so late. She was more tired than usual and seriously considered calling in. The only thing that stopped her was the knowledge that within minutes of calling in, her mother would be on her doorstep, demanding to know what was wrong with her daughter, probably forcing her to see a doctor immediately.

She would rather face work, tired and grumpy, than deal with her mother. Given the mood she was in, that wouldn't be a fun visit. So she went about her morning ritual and grudgingly got ready for work. It wasn't until she walked into the bathroom to apply her make-up that she saw the little black business card lying on her counter. Picking it up gingerly in her fingers, she studied it again. She was still curious about how it managed to find its way into her pants pocket and even more curious about what it was for. The card was so plain and simple, with no helpful information on it what so ever. Although the embossing and name in the center were very pretty, it told her nothing. She couldn't deny that it intrigued her and made her want to type in the website just to see what it was all about. Glancing at the clock, she knew that she didn't have time now. Not only did she not want to be late, but she had an appointment she had to keep. A police officer would be meeting her this morning about the attempted mugging yesterday. She could not be late for that, in fact, she needed to be early to warn her father.

God forbid he heard about the police being there and questioning her from someone else. Not only would he be furious, but he would be worried. That was another reason for her to dread this morning even more so than others. After hearing the story of what took place on the subway, she knew her parents would insist she move back home. That was sure to be a long and torturous argument. Sighing with defeat, she placed the card back on her bathroom counter, turned up her iPod, and finished getting ready for work.Sadly, her music couldn't even boost her spirits this morning.

She made great time and managed to get to work early, but the raised eyebrows she received only made her grumpier. Why did her coming to work early have to be a big deal? Ralph and Helen were two of the culprits and they didn't even bother trying to hide their amusement.

"Don't even start with me Ralph," Becky grumbled without looking at him as she made her way to the elevators.

"Yes Ma'am," she heard him say with a strained voice, no doubt trying to keep from laughing at her.

She narrowed her eyes and took her frustration out on the elevator button, pushing it a few more times than necessary and just little too hard, all the while muttering under her breath, "stupid thing, hurry up."

Helen wasn't any better at hiding her amusement at Becky's early arrival when she finally walked off the slow elevator and onto her floor. Helen raised an eyebrow in disbelief and started to open her mouth. Becky was still entirely too grumpy about what the day held for her and was not ready for normal conversation. However, she didn't want to sound mean, so she held up her palm and shook her head at Helen. "Just give me a minute, please."

This time Helen's eyebrows shot down and her teasing smirk turned into a frown. "Okay, but only five. Then I'll be in there and you'll be explaining."

"Yes ma'am."

Becky moved into her office and slipped into her leather chair. Procrastinating as long as she could, she pulled out her laptop and powered it up. As soon as it was on she groaned. She had totally forgotten to go through her e-mail the night before like she had promised herself she would. Now she had hundreds more! Turning from her mountain of work, she picked up the receiver to her desk phone. Finding nothing else to distract her and knowing that Helen would be knocking on her door at any moment for an explanation, she dialed her dad's extension. Might as well get this over with now, she thought to herself as she listened to the phone ringing on the other end.

"Wellington here," her father's crisp voice sounded through the phone.

"Morning Daddy," she said, not nearly as calm or confident as he sounded.

And apparently he could tell. His voice instantly became softer and more alert. "Good morning baby girl, what's wrong?"

"Oh nothing .I was just calling to check on you," she deflected, hoping to ease his mind.

It didn't work. "Oh no missy! Don't you think I know you better than that? Not only are you early to work, which I know never happens..." She could feel the blush creep up her cheeks at being caught. She hadn't realized her father knew, which was just stupid on her part, he knew everything that happened within the walls of this building. "But Ralph already called up and told me you were in a bad mood. You are never in a bad mood when you talk to him. So, tell me why you're really calling, honey?"

She let out an audible breath and slumped back into her chair. "Okay, but you aren't going to like it."

"I'm sure I won't but you're going to tell me anyway," there was a hint of command creeping into his voice letting her know she wasn't getting out of this easily.

"So, yesterday on the way home from work a man tried to rob me on the subway," she said the words fast and held her breath when she finished.

"WHAT!?" her father bellowed over the phone so loudly she had to pull the phone from her ear.

Before he could have a heart attack she rushed on. "Don't worry Daddy.I wasn't hurt and it was on a full car so he didn't intend to hurt me. Anyway, I stole his wallet and reported it to the police. They will be here in an hour to take my statement and retrieve the wallet," she waited quietly for her father to respond. When she heard nothing, she finally asked softly, "Daddy?" There was no answer.

She hung up the phone quickly and ran out of the office. She made it to Helen's desk and the front of the lobby just as the elevator doors opened and her father walked off. His stride was purposeful and swift as he made his way toward her and scooped her up in his arms, lifting her off her feet and holding her tightly to his chest.

"I'm okay Daddy," she whispered into his neck.

He made a noise in the back of his throat and held on to her for a bit longer .It was Helen clearing her throat that brought him back to where he actually was. He dropped Becky back to her feet but didn't let her move away from him. Instead he wrapped his arm firmly around her shoulders and kept her close to his side as he looked at Helen.

"What on earth is going on, Katherine Rebecca?" Becky felt bad for the concern in the woman's voice but she knew that her father was the first one she needed to tell. She opened her mouth to explain but her father interrupted.

"Come with us back to Katherine Rebecca's office, Helen. There are some things we need to discuss."

Helen raised her eyebrow in question, but trailed obediently behind them to the office. Once inside, Becky explained everything that happened, in much more detail than she had planned because they both kept asking questions. By the time she was finished explaining, the police were there and she had to do it all over again. Becky twisted the story just a bit when she explained how she became in possession of the man's wallet. She didn't think details of how she used some of her magic skills to not only trick the man, but to also steal his wallet, would go over very well with the police or her father. Instead, she just said that she saw it sticking out of his pocket and snatched them both back as he was walking off the train. Among the large crowd, it was believable that she could have succeeded without any sort of retaliation from the would-be-thief.

By the time the police left, after informing her there would be a formal investigation and probably a need for her to identify the suspect once they arrested him, she was exhausted. She let out a tired breath when the elevator doors closed and the office was quiet once again. She glanced at the clock on the wall to see that it was already lunch time. Her work day hadn't even begun yet. She hadn't started on the massive amount of e-mails waiting on her or looked at the stack of messages Helen had left for her. As if sensing her inner turmoil, her father wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tight. "Why don't you go home and get some rest. I'm sure Helen can man the desk for the day." Helen nodded her head in approval when they both glanced in her direction. "Besides, you're going to need some energy for later," her father finished solemnly.

Becky looked at him questioningly. Her father at least had the sense to look uncomfortable when he explained. "I will wait until I get home this evening, but your mother has to know about this and when she does, well...you know your mother."

Becky groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Do you have to?" she asked hopefully but already knew the answer.

"I'm afraid so. Neither one of us would live it down if she found out from someone else. And with our line of work and contacts, it's bound to happen at some point. Better to get it over with as soon as possible," he gave her another squeeze and started moving her toward her office. "Now get your things and go home. Take a nap and relax. I won't be home until after six, so you have some time."

She sighed, "Okay. Love you Daddy." She reached up and kissed his soft cheek then gathered her things and headed home. By the time she walked through the door of her apartment, she was dead on her feet. She tossed her things on the sofa, kicked off her heels, and stripped down to her bra and panties. Not bothering to put anything else on, she crawled into bed and promptly fell asleep.

# Chapter Six

Becky finally woke up to the reoccurring harsh shrill of her cell phone ringing from the other room. Having not turned on any of the lights when she got home, it was dark in her apartment now, telling her that it was probably well past six. She groaned but quickly got out of bed and jogged to her living room to answer the phone. She knew before she even looked at the display who was calling. Taking a deep breath to help brace herself, she slid her finger across the screen, and placed the phone to her ear.

"Hello mother," she said on a sigh.

"Don't you take that tone with me young lady," her mother snapped at her, but then her voice softened and Becky could hear the concern that was hidden before. "Are you okay honey?"

"Yes, mom," she let out another sigh, but this one in exhaustion and sadness, "I'm fine, really."

"Do you want me to come over, bring you dinner?" Her mother's voice was so hopeful and as much as Becky didn't want to have it out with her mother face-to-face, she couldn't deny how much she really wanted to see her either.

"That would be great. Could you bring me some soup?" She could hear her own voice become softer so she knew that she probably sounded vulnerable and more like a child than the adult she always insisted she was. But she couldn't help it. Sometimes it was nice to be taken care of and babied by your mom. Her parents had tried to be there for her growing up, but they were very busy. As a result, she had always taken advantage of times like this, when her mother wanted to take care of her and pamper her. Just because she was an adult didn't mean she couldn't relish in the caring attentiveness of her mother. Besides, it would be good for both of them.

"Of course sweetheart, is there anything else you need?"

"No Momma, just the soup and you."

"Okay honey. I'll be there in an hour. Just call me if you think of anything else.I love you Becky," her mother said softly before hanging up the phone.

As Becky set the phone down, she couldn't help the soft smile that tugged at her lips or the moisture that gathered in her eyes. Her mother was very proper and formal all the time, only ever calling Becky by her nickname when she was feeling overly emotional toward her daughter. Becky hated that it was under the circumstances that it was, but she would take it. Glancing down at herself, she realized that answering the door in her bra and panties when her mom got there probably wasn't the best idea. Her mom may be babying her, but she would still have a stroke if she thought Becky paraded around the house so indecently. She giggled at the thought of her mother being so scandalized at such a small thing as she headed to her room to get dressed.

As she was throwing on her worn Juicy lounge pants and a matching tank top, her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten all day. But she ignored it knowing that the soup her mother was bringing would be well worth suffering through the hunger pangs. Having nothing else to do with her time, she flopped down on the couch and pulled out her laptop, deciding to tackle some of the e-mails she knew were waiting for her.

She groaned when she saw just how many there were.

"Are there really this many people that need legal advice?" she grumbled to herself as she started to weed through the hundreds of messages. Getting rid of the spam and the junk first, just like she did every day, she was able to get rid of about half pretty quickly. Her victory was short lived though, when she realized she still had over a hundred to read. Sigh. Snuggling deeper into the couch and resigning herself to her fate for the next hour, she started scanning the list. She decided to start at the bottom this time, needing to get to the ones that she should have the day before. She was about twenty messages in when she opened one that startled her. Sitting in her message box, it looked like all the rest. The sender being a normal name and the subject stating legal advice was needed. But when she opened the messages, her entire computer screen turned black.

She stared for a second then checked the battery indicator at the bottom right of the screen. She had a full bar and the tool bar at the bottom was still there, letting her know that the laptop was still on and functioning .She narrowed her eyes and started pressing buttons on the keyboard, hoping to knock it out of whatever it was doing. Nothing seemed to be working. She sat back and stared again. "What the hell?" she mumbled.

All the sudden, the screen flashed dark blue as if someone had shone a light on it. Then gradually words started to form on the screen. It was appearing on the screen extremely slow, almost one pixel at a time. Just when the image started to look as if she could make it out, there was a loud knock on the door. Startled, she looked up and shook her head, realizing that it was her mother. She glanced back down quickly to see what the image was but sighed when she saw that the screen was black once again. She blew out a frustrated breath and snapped the laptop shut.

Chalking it up to a spam e-mail, one that probably just infected her computer with a virus, she hurried to answer the door. She opened it just in time to save her mother from another knock. "Hey mom," she said as she breathed in the smell of homemade soup and smiled at her mother.

"Oh my poor baby," her mother cooed as she walked in the door and pulled Becky into a tight hug. It always surprised Becky how strong her small, fragile looking mother was. She was an even thinner and shorter version of herself, only twenty-five years older.

Becky didn't hesitate to hug her mother back. For some reason, the feel of her mom's arms around her made her lose it just a bit. She had been strong and calm during and since the incident, but now she felt shaken and scared. "Thanks for coming Momma," she whispered into her mother's soft, fragrant hair. Becky only let go of her long enough to shut and lock the door, then they walked arm in arm to the couch. They both sat down, her mother setting her items on the glass coffee table in front of them, before turning to face Becky. Her mother looked at her intently. Scanning her face, shoulders, and arms for injuries, Becky was sure. Once she seemed satisfied that her daughter wasn't physically hurt, she leaned in and took Becky's hand in hers.

"Your father already told me everything and insisted that I not badger you about how unsafe it is for you here in the city." She paused and gave Becky a pointed look before continuing, "So I will save that for this weekend when you come over for brunch. For now, I want to see you eat something and reassure me that you really are okay."

Becky let out a relived breath and relaxed her posture, thankful for the fact that her father had run interference. Her parents may not have been up for 'parent of the year' awards, but she had no doubt about how much they loved her and at times like this she was reminded of that love. But beyond that, she was thankful she was given a short reprieve from the motherly lecture. "Thank you Mom," she squeezed her mother's hand as she leaned back into the couch completely. Her mother did the same, but made sure her body still faced her daughter. "I'm fine, really. It shook me up a bit, but I was calm and kept a level head while it was happening. I'm so glad I did too because I would have hated myself for letting that man get away with what he was doing."

"I'm just so happy you're okay. He could have really hurt you honey. And stealing his wallet? My goodness, you mustn't ever do anything so dangerous again. It scared five years off my life when your father told me!" her mother said while fanning herself with her hand as if she were reliving the entire thing right now.

Becky couldn't help but to smile at her mother's theatrics. She wasn't an overly dramatic person usually, but whenever Becky was hurt, her mother seemed to lose it just a little and it was usually pretty entertaining. Well for everyone but her mother.

She narrowed her eyes now at her daughter, seeing the laughter in her eyes. "Don't you dare laugh at me young lady! I'm serious. I thought I was going to have a heart attack right then and there. Thankfully your father waited until we were home or I'm sure I would have worried the entire office and had them all telling the story about it tomorrow."

"Well I'm glad you didn't," Becky said, the smile leaving her face and her mood sobering at the thought. "I don't think I could have handled that."

"Oh, don't you worry about me or your father. We have never been healthier than we are now." She dismissed Becky's worry with a wave of her hand then turned to the delightfully smelling food in front of them. "Now, are you hungry? I would hate for this wonderful soup to get cold. You know it's just not the same heated up."

Becky welcomed the quick dismissal and change of subject.S he didn't like it when those morbid thoughts began to dance in her head. "Yes, I'm starving! I made sure not to eat a thing because I knew you would bring me the best soup in town and I didn't want to spoil my appetite."

Her mother looked at her sternly while still opening up the containers and getting their dinner ready. "You didn't eat lunch did you?" she didn't even wait for Becky to respond before she was scolding her. "You know how important it is to eat Katherine Rebecca. I will not have you malnourished and getting sick. Do you understand?" her mother asked as she shoved the cup of soup into Becky's hand.

"Yes Mother," Becky responded obediently before taking the first spoonful of her chicken and dumpling soup. She moaned her approval as she shut her eyes and savored the taste. It was SO good. Nanny still made the absolute best homemade soup she had ever tasted.

"That good huh?" her mother teased her.

"Oh my God! Yes!"

Her mother rolled her eyes but Becky didn't miss the grin she tried to hide as she took a bite of her own soup. Becky waited. "Oh, yeah, it is pretty good isn't it?" her mother admitted. Becky laughed and they both chatted about nonsense while finishing their dinner of soup and sandwiches. By the time they were done Becky was surprised to find herself yawning.

"Goodness. I don't know why I'm so tired. I took an almost three hour nap when Daddy sent me how from work. I should be wide awake and ready to go," she covered another yawn with her hand as she finished her sentence.

Her mother rubbed her back for a moment while reassuring her, "All the excitement from the last two days is probably just catching up with you. You need a good night's sleep and I'm sure you'll feel much better in the morning." She patted Becky once, signaling it was time for her to go before she gathered up their trash and threw it away. "Now if you don't feel better, you make sure to call your father and let him know you won't be in. I don't want you over doing it Katherine Rebecca," her mother told her sternly, with a half raised eyebrow to back up the tone of her voice.

"Yes ma'am," Becky mock saluted her.

Her mother's eyes narrowed further but her lips twitched at the corners before she pulled Becky into another tight embrace. "Get some sleep young lady.I love you very much," she whispered into her hair.

"Thank you Momma and I love you too," Becky whispered back, fighting tears. She didn't know why she was so emotional all of the sudden. She pulled back and took a deep breath to help her keep it together. She didn't want her mother worried any more than she already was. "I'll call you tomorrow when I get home from work just to check in and I'll see you on Sunday."

"Alright baby and don't forget I'll be giving you the third degree on Sunday so bring your boxing gloves." She winked at her daughter before turning down the hall toward the elevators. Becky knew there was a driver waiting in the lobby for her mom, so she closed the door and locked up for the night. While she was turning out the lights and getting her things together for the next morning, she spied her laptop. She hesitated, wondering about the odd e-mail and the way her computer acted up when she opened it. She hoped it worked properly tomorrow when she got to work. The last thing she needed after the last two days she'd had was to have to worry about replacing it.

Deciding that worry could wait for the morning, she grabbed her cell phone, turned out the lights and went to her room. She plugged her phone in to charge, making sure her alarm was set for the ungodly hour that she had to get up, then washed her face and brushed her teeth. As she was pulling her fiery hair back into her usual ponytail for sleep, she glanced down to see that the business card from the night before was still on her bathroom counter. She picked it up and flipped it over a few times. The image seemed familiar but she wasn't sure from where. Deciding that she needed to figure out where this card came from, she finished up and brought the card out of the bathroom with her. She placed it next to her phone so she wouldn't forget it in the morning, and then turned off her lamp.

She lay in bed running over the past few days and weeks in her head. She was so exhausted and a little depressed. While she had been exhausted during school, doubling up on classes and studying as much as possible to make sure she aced every single one of them, she still had time for herself. She made the time to enjoy the one thing that she loved and that was hers alone. Not only had she spent time researching and connecting on-line with people who had a deep love for magic like her, but she had even been brave enough to do a small show herself.

She'd been chatting with a group of amateur magicians in one of the many forums she frequented on-line. They were discussing the shows they all did to help raise money to fund their passion in hopes of one day making it a career. Becky knew the odds were slim that any of them would actually make it big, but she encouraged them as best she could. Truthfully, she was more jealous than anything. None of them would probably ever become famous magicians, but they were all pursuing their dreams and they were happy doing it. Becky envied the freedom and independence they had. She wished that just once, she could have the freedom and courage to do what she wanted to do. She voiced her dream and was encouraged to do a performance of her own. She told them all how impossible it was, given who she was and who her parents where. Not one of them would entertain her excuses though, and within in an hour her 'friends' had come up with a plan for Becky to do a magic show.

It had been one of the best nights of her life. She had gone to a costume shop just outside of the city, where hopefully no one would recognize her, and purchased a sexy magician's outfit. One that was low cut and paired with fishnet stockings and red heels. She hesitated when trying it on, knowing that it was way more revealing than anything she would ever wear, but then she spied a matching mask and went for it. Something about hiding her face behind the mask gave her the confidence she needed. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it big. She had everything else she needed at home, having collected quite a few things over the years. With her wardrobe and equipment all secure she was ready to go. She chose a section of Central Park that would be pretty populated at night, but was far enough away from her work and home so that hopefully no one she knew would be around. Becky set up a small table with trembling hands and tentatively began her little show. She started performing basic tricks, using cards, and flowers as her props and before she knew it, a small crowd formed around her.

It hadn't been much and she had done it under a disguise but she did it and that was what counted. She thought back to that amazing night and couldn't help but to become even more depressed. That night happened before she graduated law school and then immediately started working for her father. She thought she didn't have time before, but now that she was actually working, there never seemed to be enough hours in the day. She knew that small performance in Central Park would be her one and only.

She finally drifted off to sleep, dreaming about how truly magical that night had felt.

# Chapter Seven

Waking up before her alarm blared was a first for Becky. Although it had been a depressing few weeks, falling asleep to such great memories had her waking up in an unusually good mood. When she picked up her phone to see what time it was, she also saw the business card she set on her nightstand the night before. She sat up, card in hand, and studied it while she flipped it over between her fingers. It seemed the more she looked at it, the more curious she became about it. She wanted to know how it came into her possession and what it represented. It was unusual and extremely vague for a normal business card. She had seen people with personal cards they liked to use for dating and socializing, but this didn't even have a name or phone number on it. It only had that cryptic word and a web address that didn't make sense.

Glancing at the clock on the wall she saw that she still had plenty of time before she needed to start getting ready for work. She decided to take advantage of her mood and the extra time she found herself with. She fixed her usual cup of morning coffee and turned her iPod on low so her apartment wasn't so quiet, then she pulled out her laptop, set it on the kitchen bar, and opened it up. She really hoped it still worked and wasn't overridden with some sort of crazy virus. Crossing her fingers mentally, she pressed the power button. While she waited, she sipped her coffee as she gazed out of the window and down at the people already milling about. The sun shone brightly over the treetops of Central Park, giving the area an ethereal look. It was absolutely breathtaking and she really couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

The familiar chime of her computer pulled her back to her task. She set her mug on the bar top beside her and smoothed a fingertip over the shiny business card, then narrowed her eyes at her computer screen. Thankfully the machine acted just as it was supposed to and turned right on, giving no indication of any problems. She let out a relieved breath and clicked on the internet. As she typed in the odd URL, her heart rate started to pick up for some unexplainable reason and her fingers were a little shaky. She didn't know why she was so nervous. It was just a website, on a strange card, that somehow mysteriously got in her pants pocket. Okay, so the whole situation was a little weird, but there was no need to be fearful. She took another deep breath and straightened her back as she pressed the enter key and waited for the site to appear.

She reared back in her chair when the whole screen went black, just as it had the night before when she opened up that e-mail. She knew better than to believe in coincidences, but how could the two be related? Not wanting to jump to any conclusions without the facts, she stared at the screen and waited. Sure enough, moments later little blue pixels began to fill the screen, forming a fuzzy image in the center. Eventually she could make out what looked like a word. Her arms broke out in goosebumps. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, eyes glued to the screen, as she waited for the image to become clear. When it finally did, she sucked in a deep breath. She glanced at the business card lying on the table beside her laptop.

In the center of the screen, just like in the center of the card, was the deep blue embossed word MysticSeeker.

Her eyes bounced between the two, unsure of what to make of this whole situation. She quickly brought up a new browser and logged into her e-mail. She rolled her eyes at the enormous amount of emails she received overnight (didn't these people ever sleep?) and scanned the list for the one she opened last night. Once she found it, she clicked on it and sat back again. The e-mail did the same as it had last night and as the website had done just then. The whole screen turned black and then the word MysticSeeker slowly materialized onto the middle of her computer once again. The only difference was that the small website appeared at the bottom of the e-mail, just like it did on the business card.

How had this person or company, or whatever it was, gotten her e-mail and slipped her a business card? The idea of someone intentionally seeking her out and getting that close to her without her knowledge made her shiver in fear. This person obviously knew who she was and where she worked. She checked the date of the e-mail and saw that it was sent to her Sunday night. She would have opened it Monday if she had been able to actually get through all of her waiting mail. Monday evening was when she was almost robbed and that night when she got home after the magic show was when she found the card in her pocket. Whoever this person was, they were persistent. Apparently when she hadn't responded to their e-mail, they decided to seek her out.

Was it the would-be-thief that she tricked? Could he have been the one to slip the card in her pocket? She shook her head. No, if he was able to do that without her noticing, he would have just slipped her wallet out of her purse. He wouldn't have drawn attention to himself the way he did, even if he hadn't anticipated Becky turning the tables on him the way she had. No, this was someone else and that thought scared her. She didn't know what they wanted but knew there was only one way to find out. She closed out her e-mail and returned to the website.

The word in the center seemed to be almost pulsating, as if were trying to gain her attention. Not seeing anywhere else on the screen to go, she decided to click it. The word immediately dispersed into tiny pixels again, all bouncing around the screen. It looked almost like a laser show on the screen. After a few moments, the pinpoints of light began to move toward the center of the screen again. This time they transformed into multiple words; a question actually.

Do you believe in magic?

Becky's breath caught in her throat and she slammed the screen shut. Her hands were shaking and her heart was racing. She didn't know why that one tiny question had such an intense effect on her, but it did. How did this person get to her?How did they know about her love for magic? She would have thought maybe it was just some sort of sales ploy by someone at the magic show, but then why did she have an e-mail from the day before she even went to the show?

The very idea of someone knowing her secret, one that she kept hidden for so long and so well from every single person she knew, was unnerving to say the least. How would a perfect stranger know this about her and why would they be mocking her with their knowledge? It wasn't that big of a deal. Only to her and her family was it really a problem. Other than Becky being utterly humiliated, what did this person think to gain from taunting her this way? Her parents' approval meant the world to her, seeing their disapproval would crush her, but it was hardly anything she could be blackmailed for. So what was the purpose of the e-mail and the card?

Suddenly the alarm on her phone began to go off, scaring her so badly that she fell out of her chair. She sat on the floor for a moment as she tried to regain her composure and think about the situation logically. She obviously needed to get to the bottom of this and right now her only option was to explore the site further. But for now, as her still blaring alarm was reminding her, she needed to get ready for work. She would put this problem out of her mind for the time being and puzzle it out when she got home.

She smiled and let out a breath. Looking at it that way, it didn't seem so bad. She would treat it like she did a magic trick. Take the facts, do the research, and solve the mystery. Easy. With her mood lighter once again and a new mission to focus on, Becky went about her morning routine and got ready for work.

***

Ralph stood to greet her as soon as she pulled open the heavy glass doors to her office building. She could see by the look on his face that he was well aware of why the police had paid her a visit the day before and instantly felt bad for his concern and worry. "I'm fine Ralph.I promise," she reassured him before he could voice his concerns.

He nodded his head in a way that told her he expected nothing less. "Yes ma'am.I knew that you would be," his voice softened just a fraction and he offered her a kind smile, "but if you need anything, make sure you let me know."

She couldn't help but to walk over and give him a quick hug. When she pulled back she could see that Ralph was just a little more relaxed than he was when she came in. "Better?" she teased him.

"Much," he wasn't ashamed to admit.

"Good. I'll see you this afternoon Ralph."

"Yes ma'am. You have a good day."

"You too Ralph," she smiled at him again and made her way to the elevators. The day before, she had been so preoccupied with the police coming to meet her and the conversation she was going to have with her father that she thought of nothing else. Today her mind was clearer and her memory vivid. As she pressed the button and waited, she stood looking at the silver doors and her distorted reflection within, but wasn't really seeing herself. Instead she remembered Lance and the terrifying encounter she had with him the other day. When the shiny doors finally opened and she stepped inside, she couldn't help but to give the lobby a nervous glance, making sure he wasn't lurking somewhere in the shadows. She practically held her breath the entire ride up, scared she would stop on another floor and he would step into the small space with her again.

She still didn't know what she was going to do about him. She saw a side of him that she had never seen before and she was sure it wasn't the last time she would see that Lance. She knew he wouldn't stop until he got whatever it was that he wanted from her. She was tired of being so naïve and she was done making excuses for his behavior. She was scared of Lance and of what he might do the next time they were alone. The right thing to do would be to tell her father.L ance was not only the son of their lifelong friends, but he was an employee at the law firm and his behavior deserved termination. But the idea of doing so, right after telling him about the subway incident, made her think twice. Not only did she not want to alarm him or cause him more distress, but she was being selfish too. She didn't want any more pressure to move back home and she knew, without a doubt, that was exactly what would happen. For now she would just be vigilant, deal with the other things that were happening in her life, and then take care of Lance once things cooled down a bit.

Plan solidly in place, Becky stepped off the elevator onto her floor with more confidence than she had when she stepped on. She greeted Helen warmly, reassuring her that she was indeed all right and then made her way to her office. She sat down with a new determination that transitioned into her work, helping her to power her way through her e-mails, not taking a break until Helen stepped in her office insisting she take lunch.

"Katherine Rebecca," Helen's voice gently scolded, breaking through the bubble that Becky had inadvertently put herself in.

Becky blinked a few times."Huh?" she asked dumbly.

Helen chuckled. "You've been so quiet back her I thought this may be the problem. You're just like your parents, you know that?" She smiled and sat in one of the chairs in front of Becky's desk. "They both get so engrossed with their work that they completely forget what time it is. Sometimes I thought they would have worked straight through the night if I hadn't stopped them and sent them home."

Becky finally leaned back in her chair and smiled. "I'm sure.I remember Nanny having to reassure me a few times that they would be home because it had gotten so late. I would worry about them. I always insisted that we wait for them for dinner and they would feel so bad when they finally got home, telling me that time just got away with them. Now I know what they meant. I hadn't even realized the day was already half way over."

The older women shook her head. "Just like your parents," she muttered almost to herself, and then louder she said, "I hope you at least got a lot accomplished with all that effort."

"Oh I did! I finally managed to get my outstanding e-mails down to twenty-five. I know I'll have more when I get back from lunch but I'll be able to leave today with nothing unresolved, finally!"

"Well good!" Helen got up with a smile and walked toward Becky's office door. "Now get out of here and go have some lunch, or else I'll call your mother," she threatened but then winked before leaving the office.

Becky knew Helen wouldn't actually follow through with the threat, but she also didn't need to be told twice. Now that she was out of her zombie like trance of doing work, she realized how hungry she was. Normally she would have had another cup of coffee and maybe a muffin to snack on while she worked, but today she had been so determined to get caught up, she hadn't eaten a thing. Her stomach grumbled as if agreeing with her thoughts.

She shut down her laptop, grabbed her cell and purse and made her way to the elevators. Waving goodbye to Helen and then Ralph as she passed them, she walked outside and took a deep breath. It was crowded as usual, but the bright sun and the fresh air helped to wake her up just a bit. She pulled her sunglasses from her purse before placing them on her face as she walked toward her favorite diner.

The bell jingled over the door as she walked in and took a seat at the bar. The bubbly blonde waitress approached right away and smiled."Hey Becks, how you doin' today?" she asked while popping her gum and wiping down the counter in front of Becky before setting a glass of water down for her.

"Hey Jenny, I'm good. How are you?" Becky asked, opening a straw and placing it in her drink before taking a sip and waiting for Jenny's reply.

"Exhausted!" she exclaimed over dramatically. "These college courses are killing me. I don't know how you did it Becks! I'm only taking three this term and I'm worried I might fail."

"You'll be fine, but if you need any help you know you just have to ask."

"Thanks Becks! You're the best!" Jenny smiled gratefully and it made Becky feel good that she had helped her. "So, the usual?" Jenny asked, like she always did.

Becky smiled and nodded at Jenny. "Yep. Thanks!" She watched the waitress walk away to turn in her order and then help the other customers before she turned her gaze toward the window beside her.

This was why she loved the city so much. Being able to walk into pretty much any restaurant and find the most amazing food was a huge plus, but it was the small things that mattered. Sure the city was full of millions of people, most of them literally not even seeing the person next to them on the street or the subway, but it wasn't like that in the neighborhood restaurants and diners. In the neighborhoods, people knew each other. The owners and waitresses not only remembered all the regulars, but they got to know them personally. They remembered what they always ordered and they treated you like family. There was a coziness that most people didn't get to experience when they just paid a visit to NYC.

As she people watched, she saw a few groups of girlfriends, all carrying shopping bags and giggling with each other. It turned Becky's homey thoughts to depressing ones. Trying to distract herself, she picked up her phone and started to scroll through it while she waited for her food. She didn't know why she did this, it wasn't like she had any missed calls or texts she needed to answer. Because of this, her distraction technique quickly backfired. Becky set her phone down and let out a frustrated huff.

She didn't have any friends, therefore no one called her. It was pretty depressing when she thought about it, which was why she tried so hard not to, but that became harder when there were constantly reminders all around her. She knew she was a nice person, successful, and beautiful. She just wasn't interested in the things normal girls her age were. She was shy around guys, sometimes even afraid, especially after Lance and that was before the aggressive incident the other day. Now she knew she'd be a mess. Aside from the guy problem though, she wasn't a big fan of crowds in general, making it difficult to have friends when you were twenty-one. Everyone her age wanted to go clubbing or to parties all the time, which involved large crowds. So she kept her own company and ended up pushing all her friends away. She had been so busy with school; she hadn't even missed them until recently when she graduated. That was when she suddenly realized she didn't have anyone to celebrate with or hang out with in her free time.

Instead of dwelling on it, she threw herself even more into her love of magic. She made more connections on-line and those were the friends that encouraged her to do her own little show. No matter how hard she tired though, she still couldn't deny how lonely she was. Internet friends weren't the same as real, living, breathing friends.

Sighing again, she glanced around, hoping that Jenny would be there with her food soon. That would occupy her enough for now. No such luck, though. She watched as Jenny delivered food to another table and then headed in the opposite direction. She began to tap her fingers on the bar top and people watch again. After a few seconds her fingers stilled when she got a prickly feeling on the back of her neck, similar to the one she had gotten at the magic show before. It felt like someone was standing right behind her and made her instantly uneasy. She knew there wouldn't be anyone there, just as there hadn't been at the show, but the feeling was enough to make her look. Turning around slowly, she glanced around the room to see if anyone's attention was on her. But everyone was occupied in their own conversations, not paying any attention to anyone else in the room, much less her. She shrugged, trying to shake the feeling, and turned back around just as Jenny bounced up with her food.

"Thanks," Becky sighed, both from relief at her thoughts being interrupted and at the sight of her food.

"No problem Becks. Let me know if you need anything else. 'Kay?"

"Will do," Becky answered absently as she took a whiff of her food. Jenny hadn't even turned around before she was putting a fork full of it in her mouth and then groaning when the amazing taste hit her tongue, sending her taste buds into a frenzy .She looked over her plate as she chewed - fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and a homemade biscuit. It may not have been the best food health wise, but the comfort food would do wonders to soothe her. It didn't hurt that it was probably the best fried chicken in the entire city either. She dug in with a flourish, uncaring about her manners or lack of lady-like behavior. This food was way too good for that.

As she ate, she got that prickly feeling again on the back of her neck, but ignored it. She didn't know what was going on with her senses lately but she wasn't about to let her paranoia mess up her delicious meal. Ignoring the feeling of being watched, she took her time eating, savoring every bite, and groaned when she swallowed the last one. "That good huh?" Jenny asked with a smirk as she started clearing away the empty dishes.

"God yes!"

Jenny laughed."Good.See ya next week?"

"Yep," Becky said as she laid cash on the counter for the meal and a hefty tip. Jenny was young and such a sweet heart. She deserved a good tip. "And don't forget to let me know if you need any help studying. You know how to reach me," Becky reminded her as she gathered up her things and headed for the door.

"Thanks Becks!" Jenny yelled after her as she left the diner.

When she stepped into the warm sun again, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and the feeling of being watched intensified. So much so that she couldn't ignore it this time. She took her time pulling her sunglasses on as she glanced around. At first she didn't see anything, but on her second sweep of the area, she noticed a guy standing across the street. He was leaning against the brick wall behind him, his hands in his pockets and one knee bent with his foot propped up on the wall. He wore a New York Yankees hat and it was pulled so low that she could only see the bottom of his nose and his lips. But there was no doubt that not only could he see her, but that he was purposefully watching her.

Given the past couple of days and the mysterious events surrounding them, Becky didn't feel up to finding out why this guy was staring at her. She turned away from him and quickly walked back to work without a backwards glance.

# Chapter Eight

Once back at work, Becky threw herself into knocking out the rest of her outstanding e-mails and then returning calls. There were new messages from Helen as well as e-mails from important clients that actually required their services and attention. The tasks kept her busy and her mind occupied for the rest of the day, just as she knew it would.It was busy work, after all.

When she graduated with her degree, her parents insisted that she start from the bottom just like any other freshly graduated attorney would have to do. She may have been around the law firm her entire life, but she wasn't really familiar with how her parents ran the office or what the day to day job was like. She was still technically 'in training' so she didn't have someone else to defer all of her work to like the rest of the attorneys did. She had to do all of the grunt work herself, but she didn't mind on days like today when it kept her occupied. In fact, it was Helen again that drew her out of her little bubble. Becky looked up with a smile when she heard a throat clearing, but immediately lost the smile and sat up straighter when she saw the look on Helen's face.

"What's wrong?" she asked with concern.

"Lance is here to see you. I wouldn't let him come back on his own after what I think I saw the other day," she gave Becky a pointed look but continued without further mention of the incident, even though Becky could see she wanted to. "He's pretty mad about it. Do you want to see him?"

At the mention of Lance's name, Becky's stomach dropped and her heart rate sped up and not in a good way. "No!" she blurted much more forcefully than she had intended. She knew Helen saw and probably heard much more than Becky wanted her to the other day, but she was grateful for her silence and allowing Becky to handle it herself. Although, she realized she shouldn't be so obvious with her fear of Lance. She knew if she wasn't careful, Helen wouldn't hesitate to call her father. She definitely didn't need that. She calmed her nerves and answered Helen more appropriately ."I mean, no. Tell him I have a meeting in five minutes and will be tied up for the rest of the day please."

"Of course," Helen nodded, but she gave Becky one last concerned look before leaving her office.

Becky let out a shaky breath and ran her fingers through her hair before pulling it back into a ponytail. Her fingers froze in her mess of curls when she heard raised voices coming from outside of her office. Knowing that it was Lance trying to argue his way back, she held her breath and listened intently. She felt awful for putting Helen in the path of Lance's scorn, but she just couldn't face him. She was entirely too scared of him and what he might do. Thankfully the voices quieted down after only a few moments. She let out a relieved breath and dropped her hands from her hair, not bothering with the ponytail. As she slumped back into her chair it tumbled down and around her shoulders. With her fiery hair framing her face, she was sure she looked as wild as she felt now. She had been so sure Lance was going to storm back there and she had no idea what she would have done then. When did her relatively boring life decide to turn completely upside down?

Glancing at the clock, she decided to call it a day a little early. Since Lance had just been up there, hopefully it would be a little while before he started looking for her again and she could slip out without him noticing. Feeling a need to hurry up and carry out her newly hatched little plan, she double checked to make sure all of her work was done then packed her things up. She stopped at Helen's desk to say good-bye but had to wait for her to finish up her call before she could tell her that she was heading out.

Helen hung up from her call but before Becky could inform her she was leaving, Helen spoke up. "Are you going to talk to your father about that man? I don't like the way he's been acting lately."

"I know.I was hoping he would just go away, but now I'm not so sure."

"Someone like that doesn't just go away. He has an ego to protect and I think you've bruised it. I would be very careful if I were you," Helen warned.

Becky was already feeling threatened by him, but hearing it come from Helen made her even more nervous. She had really hoped she was just overreacting. "I will Helen," she reassured her then changed the subject. "I'm all caught up for the day so I'm heading out early. Is there anything you need from me before I go?"

"Nope.You go and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. I'll see you tomorrow hon."

Walking the few feet to the elevator, Becky pressed the button to call for it and looked back at Helen. "Alright.Bye Helen and thanks."

Helen winked as the doors opened and Becky stepped on. She gave a small wave then leaned back against the cool walls as she descended. When she arrived in the building's lobby she glanced over to see that Ralph was assisting someone. She caught his eye and gave a wave, he nodded back and then she was outside again. She slipped her sunglasses on and took a step in the direction of the subway station. Just as she moved past the glass doors of the building, someone grabbed her arm roughly and pushed her up against the hard brick wall. She let out a squeal and glanced up to see Lance glaring down at her.

"I thought you had a meeting," he sneered at her, digging his fingers into her arm at the same time.

"I...I do, I'm on my way there now," she lied quickly.

She could see by the look in his eye that he wasn't buying it. He leaned in close, his breath fanning her face. "You are such a lying bitch!"

"Lance, you're hurting me," she breathed out as her eyes darted around, hoping someone would notice what was happening and step in. Of course, not one person was even looking their way.

"I don't give a shit if I'm hurting you," he said as he moved his free hand to her hip and dug his fingers into her flesh to emphasize just how much he didn't care. She yelped from the pain. "Shut up!" he demanded. His eyes were blazing with an anger she had never seen before, making him appear uncontrolled and almost wild. Scared and unsure of what to do, she complied. She closed her mouth and allowed her body to relax just a fraction. As she took a deep breath, she gave a slight nod of her head. Her rational side reassured her that he could only do so much to her out here on the public street with so many witnesses. The best reaction was to hear him out and hope he let her go soon.

When he felt her body relax and saw her give in, he smiled an evil grin down at her and flexed his fingers on her hip. "Good girl. Now, listen to me. You are going to stop acting like a stuck up bitch that's too good for me and start doing what I tell you to do. Understand?"

She nodded.

"Good. I don't like being ignored or disobeyed and I really don't like how the entire office is talking about how you dumped me. You are making me look like an idiot."

"But..." she trailed off and had to fight a whimper when he squeezed her again. This time it was so hard that she knew, without a doubt, there would be bruises on her skin tomorrow.

"I said to shut up," his voice was deadly soft this time, his face close to her ear, and his breath hot on her skin. Her determination to see this through faded away quickly as she began to tremble in fear. There was no doubt in her mind that Lance wanted to hurt her and it was quite possible he would do it right then and there.

"You and I are..." he began but his voice trailed off when they were interrupted.

"Excuse me?" a man's deep voice sounded from behind Lance. Becky tried to look around Lance to see who the person was that was unknowingly saving her, but she couldn't. The bright sun was shining from behind him, leaving his face in a dark shadow. The baseball cap he was wearing only helped to shield his face further.

"Get lost asshole, I'm busy," Lance snarled back without taking his eyes from Becky.

The stranger wasn't deterred by Lance's rudeness or the anger in his voice. "Look man, I just need directions. It'll only take a sec."

Lance's eyes blazed as he let go of Becky and whirled around to face the stranger. "Fuck off man!" he shouted while taking a threatening step toward the man.

That was all the wiggle room Becky needed and she didn't hesitate to take advantage of it. She slipped out from between Lance and the building before running as fast as she could down the street and away from the threat. She heard Lance yell from behind her but didn't chance a look back. She ducked and dodged people as she turned down random streets until she was sure Lance was no longer behind her. She finally stopped, completely out of breath and feet throbbing, to hail a cab. She had gone way out of her way by that point and didn't really feel comfortable waiting for the subway with Lance possibly lurking around.

Safely tucked inside a cab, she gave the driver her address and slumped back into the seat, taking a much needed deep breath. She wondered who the man was that unknowingly saved her from Lance's threats and torment. The pain in her side was a vivid reminder of how much he had already hurt her before her savior had shown up. Who knows what else may have happened? That man was a blessing and the only thing she knew about him was that he wore a New York Yankees baseball cap.

An image of the man across the street from the diner earlier in the day flashed in her head. It was a mysterious man that was leaning against the wall, with the same New York Yankees hat. Becky wondered if it could have been the same guy, but then shook her head. Everyone in New York had a Yankees hat. Hell, even the cab driver was wearing one now. There was no way she could logically assume they were the same man just by that alone. But whoever he was, she was indebted to him. She wasn't entirely sure where Lance's threats were going, but she had a pretty good idea. The time had come for her to involve her parents.

Just the idea of telling the whole story made her cringe. When she broke off the engagement, she let her parents believe it was due to cold feet. She knew that was the only reason they - well her mother - still tried to set up dinners between the two families. She hoped Becky would become more comfortable with the idea of marriage and being a part of Lance's family. Her father seemed to be suspicious though. He was always narrowing his eyes at her when she gave some excuse for not wanting to interact with Lance or his family and reminding her often that he was always there for her and would always listen.

She felt stupid now for thinking that sparing her parents all the gory details was a good thing. If she would have told them everything in the beginning, she was sure she wouldn't be in this mess now. Looking out the window as the other cars passed them by; she decided that she would tell them when she saw them for brunch on Sunday. It was already Wednesday evening so it could hold a few more days. Becky knew it would be better to have this sort of conversation in person and with plenty of time to discuss everything after she laid it all out on the table. Her parents were going to be furious with her, but that was a price she was going to have to pay for being so naïve.

Arriving at her apartment building and feeling marginally better now that she had a solid plan for her Lance issues, she paid the driver and stepped out of the cab. She couldn't help but to glance around quickly, making sure Lance had not somehow magically beaten her here. She knew how silly she was being but she couldn't help her paranoia. With no sign of Lance, she walked toward the doorman who was patiently holding the door open for her. "Good afternoon Miss Wellington," he greeted her kindly.

"Good afternoon..." she trailed off when her eyes glanced just over the doorman's shoulder and she saw a figure leaning against the building next to hers. He was quite a few feet away, but something about the way he was standing gave her pause. He was standing just as the man had earlier outside of the diner. He had his hands in his pockets, one foot propped against the building behind him, and his ball cap pulled low over his face. There was no mistaking that he was staring in her direction.

"What the hell?" she mumbled under her breath.

"Excuse me ma'am?" the doorman asked in concern. He noticed the direction of her stare and turned to look for whatever it was that she was looking at. When he did, the strange man pushed himself away from the wall and began to walk away. "Is there a problem Miss Wellington?" she heard the doorman ask, her mind whirling.

She shook her head while she watched him disappear into the crowd of people, as if he had never even been there. "No, I'm sorry.I just thought I recognized that man but I must have been mistaken."

"You're sure?" he asked, turning back to look down at Becky, concern evident in his tone.

She pulled her gaze away and looked up at the doorman with a reassuring smile, "Yes, Henry. I'm sure. Thank you."

He smiled back at her, "You're welcome. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

"You too," she said as she patted his arm before finally walking through the open door and into the building.

On the ride up to her top floor apartment, her mind swam with thoughts of the mysterious man she seemed to be seeing everywhere. The similarities between the man she saw outside of the diner, the man that rescued her from Lance, and the man she saw just now outside of her apartment were making her wonder. Was it the same man? Was he following her? If so, why didn't she get a creepy, uneasy vibe when she saw him? Just the thought of Lance made her skin crawl, but for some reason she hadn't felt threated or scared when she saw this person. Instead, she only got the feeling of being watched and now, an overwhelming curiosity as to why.

Shaking her head and mentally rolling her eyes at her wayward thoughts, she stepped from the elevator and pulled her keys from her purse. There was no way it was the same guy. It would have been impossible for him to have followed her all day. Not only that, but if he was the same man that saved her from Lance, how could he have possibly beaten her to her apartment when she took a cab?

Laughing at her own silliness, she unlocked her door and stepped inside the security of her apartment. Dropping her items onto the couch, she then slipped out of her now uncomfortable heels. Running from Lance in a pair of four inch heels probably wasn't the best for her feet, considering they were killing her now. A nice long soak was what she needed. Becky made her way to the bathroom, stripping her clothes from her body and dropping them as she walked. Living alone definitely has its advantages sometimes.

Once everything was ready, she slid into the warm water, closed her eyes and leaned back against the cool porcelain tub. After a few moments of complete, mindless silence, she lit her scented candle, started her iPod and grabbed her small notebook from the tray running across her bathtub. Then she spent the next thirty minutes writing out theories on how to solve the mysteries of the magic tricks from the other night. It felt nice to be lost in her own magical world, where the problems of reality didn't exist and the wonders of the universe were the only things that mattered.

Becky remained in her own little world until a shiver wracked her body, letting her know the water was now cold. Letting out a sigh, she closed her pad, blew out the candle, and turned off her music. Getting out and wrapping a plush bathrobe around her body, she padded in bare feet to her kitchen for something to eat. Settling on breakfast for dinner, she fixed a bowl of cereal and sat down on the couch to eat it. When she had arrived home and threw her stuff down, the contents of her purse had spilled out, so she started shoving everything back in to make more room. Glancing down, she spied the infamous little black business card.It was the first time all day she thought about it or the website.

Suddenly feeling an urgent need to explore the site, she reached over and grabbed her laptop. Balancing it on her lap, she opened it up and pressed the power button. She shoveled cereal in her mouth quickly while she waited for the impossibly slow thing to boot up. Then she typed in the address, one handed, and waited semi-patiently for the site to appear on her screen.

When it finally popped up, she began to go through the same routine as before. Eventually, the one word appeared in the middle of the screen again, pulsating and begging for Becky to click on it. Suddenly, she found herself nervous, unsure of what was going to happen next. She set down her empty cereal bowl, wiped her now sweaty palms on her bathrobe covered thighs, and then reached to move the cursor over the word in the center of the screen. She hesitated for a second longer before she finally worked up the nerve to click the button on the mouse.

# Chapter Nine

Becky let out the breath she had been holding when a forum popped up on the screen in front of her. "Seriously?" she asked into the empty apartment. All that anticipation and trepidation over a forum? She felt oddly let down. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting but it sure wasn't this. Disappointed, she started to shut down the site and resign herself to some mindless TV but before she could, some of the words in the discussion threads caught her eye. Words like magic, mystical, and illusion practically jumped off the screen at her. She blinked a few times, making sure she wasn't seeing things, before clicking on the first conversation thread.

A strand with over a hundred threads popped up and each one was about magic. She had spent a lot of time researching magic, magicians, and illusions on line, visiting hundreds - if not thousands of sites that were related to magic in some way or another. This site was unlike any of the other sites she had come across. First of all, the obviously cryptic way she entered the site and how she found out about it in the first place were much different than having stumbled on it. But the way she was able to get into the site and view some of the threads and conversations without having to log in was also bizarre.

Worried it may be some sort of fluke and kick her out at any time, she quickly scrolled down the page, reading the comments and discussions in wonder. These people spoke about magic as if it were real. They discussed the supernatural things they had done, how they had taught other people to experience some of those things, and how to harvest the energy for the magic. The rational, educational part of her mind kept telling her how bogus this all was and that she couldn't believe a word of it. No matter how right that side of her brain was though, the other side wouldn't let her pull her eyes away from the screen.

After a few minutes of scanning and reading, one particular user name seemed to keep popping up, having input on each and every discussion. MysticSeeker. She wondered at the name because it matched the name of the forum as well as the name on the card she had somehow been slipped. The logical explanation was that this person must be the creator of the site, explaining why both the name of the site and the user id would be identical. Curious about this person in particular, she clicked on the name to pull up the user profile. Disappointment struck again when it didn't offer very much information. It only revealed the sex, age, and city of the user; male, twenty-five, and New York. She wanted to be surprised by the city, but common sense set in and reminded her that the card somehow found its way into her pants pocket, here in New York.

Below the profile, there were threads to conversations he had led. Clicking on the first one, Becky began to read about this person's belief in real magic. After reading quite a few of the conversations and his comments, she was able to pick up on some things that made her breath catch. He said that he had always had an affinity for seeing what others didn't always notice, being able to reveal secrets that were hidden well, and as a child he was able to perform magic tricks like a seasoned magician. It all sounded pretty familiar and made Becky's heart rate pick up. She read about how his grandfather began to teach him how to recognize real magic when he was a teenager and taught him how to use the elements of the earth and the power contained within himself to invoke real magic.

She was totally getting sucked into his story. It all sounded so believable. He wasn't talking about witches and wizards or faeries and unicorns. He wasn't trying to get others to believe in alternate universes or magical realms. He was talking about using the magic that was already around us. The natural magic that comes from the earth and the universe and combining it with the power within a person to do things that were beyond what a normal person could do. If Becky ever believed in any sort of magic, this was what she had envisioned. She had always felt that there were special people that could connect with themselves and with the world around them on a level others couldn't. She always believed that nature, space, and time were magical in a way that was beyond what science could explain. The idea of combining the magic in the world with the strong inner power of a human seemed possible. Right?

Becky shook her head and chuckled at herself. Why was she buying into this craziness? Just because this guy wrote so passionately about it and it played to every whimsical thought she had ever had, wasn't a good enough reason to believe in the existence of bona fide magic. She had read some pretty well written vampire and werewolf books as well, the writer was so vivid with their descriptions that she felt like she could just close her eyes and be in the world that the author had created on the pages. But she didn't believe in vampires and werewolves did she? No, not even remotely. So why was she yearning so desperately to believe in this?

She knew why, because deep down inside of her, there was still a little girl who wanted more than anything in the world for magic to be real. That was why she still solved the tricks she saw other magicians do, why she went to every show she possibly could, and practiced the tricks on her own. She even chanced someone discovering her secret by doing her own little magic show in Central Park. She was subconsciously hoping that one day she wouldn't be able to solve one, because if she couldn't solve a trick or illusion that a magician did, then it meant there was a slight chance there was more to the world of magic. She wanted someone to prove to her that magic was always real. After all these years of researching, discussing, and watching all she possibly could regarding magic, it looked like maybe she had finally found the first real sign of hope for undiscovered magic.

Except she hadn't actually been the one to find it...it or they had found her.

How did these people find her anyway? And why were they so persistent that she locate them? They couldn't possibly advertise this sort of thing or encourage others to find out about it; especially if it's real. No, if these people really knew true magic, they would want to keep it a secret. Evidently they'd done an amazing job so far. Becky had spent hundreds of hours on the internet looking up sites like this and never had she even come close to discovering a group such as this one.

Sure she had stumbled on many sites and met various people that believed in magic. But they also believed in every mythical creature she had ever heard of and some she hadn't. They were usually pretty crazy and fanatical about what they believed, turning Becky off from them immediately. This was different. This was a belief in something that, although still seemed impossible, was totally plausible.

Deciding that she needed to know exactly what this group of people was all about, she began looking for some contact information. Maybe a phone number or address would be provided somewhere and she could just call them up. Once she actually spoke to someone she would know if they were crazy like all the rest. But there wasn't anything. There wasn't even a place to join the site or any way to send a message or e-mail to inquire about more information. She may have been given the site information, but she wasn't given any sort of access beyond that.

This whole thing was bizarre. Why would someone want her to see this, not only sending her an e-mail but also seeking her out and slipping her a card, but give her no way to contact them? With that thought, she remembered the e-mail. Giddy with excitement, she quickly pulled up her account and found the e-mail. She opened it up and hit reply. Fingers flying across the keyboard, she typed a quick e-mail asking for further contact information and then hit send.Her excitement quickly turned to disappointment and frustration when almost immediately her computer dinged; alerting her she had a new message. In her inbox there was an error message telling her that the action failed and the message was undeliverable.

Becky let out an irritated sigh. She felt like she was being teased. Being so close and yet so far away from everything she had ever dreamt of was beyond exasperating. Having no way to contact these people, she knew that her only option was to wait and hope they would attempt to contact her again. Knowing there wasn't anything else she could do about it now; she slammed her laptop shut, cleaned up her mess, and stomped off to bed.

Before drifting off to sleep, a thought floated across her mind...if there was a group of people that knew and practiced natural magic, of course they wouldn't have contact information readily available to the public. They would be the ones seeking out others, deciding who could know their secret. And they had sought her out...

***

The next morning Becky woke up feeling even more tired and frustrated than she had when she went to bed. She hadn't slept well at all. When she first fell asleep, her dreams were pleasant and wonderful. Dreams filled with discovering magic, meeting people that could move objects or make light fly from their fingertips, and encountering a whole world of magical creatures. Then suddenly, they morphed into images of people chasing her and trying to kill her with some sort of dark magic. Angry Wizards were throwing fireballs at her and evil people began to morph into the people she loved. She knew that all of her dreams were ridiculous, both the good and the bad ones. She was only dreaming about the things she had seen on TV or wished for as a child. However, she had no control over her dreams and the bad ones had really taken a toll on her sleep the night before.

Waking up on time, but dragging her feet due to of her lack of sleep, she went about her morning ritual much slower than usual. Thankfully she was too tired to spend much time on herself anyway, so she just went through the necessary routines. Grabbing a much needed cup of coffee, she got dressed and brushed her hair. That was it. She didn't feel like applying make-up, straightening her curly hair, or doing any of the other labor intensive morning tasks.When she was finished, she grabbed her stuff and left her apartment. Not wanting to deal with the mass amount of people on the subway given the mood she was in, she hailed a cab to take her to work.

She waved to Ralph when she entered the building. He raised an eyebrow at her odd mood and appearance, but didn't comment as she hurried by and stepped onto the already waiting elevator. She was grateful that Ralph had let her slip past without any questions. Sadly, she wasn't as lucky with Helen.

"Are you feeling okay this morning Becky?" she asked in concern as Becky approached her desk.

"Yeah, I just didn't sleep well last night."

"Are you sure you need to be here? You could work from home for the day if you wanted to. It shouldn't be too busy since you got everything caught up yesterday."

"No, I'm already here so I may as well stay," Becky offered her a reassuring smile, "I'll be fine Helen, but thank you for your concern."

"Okay dear, if you're sure.I'll try to get as many of the calls as I can and help as many of them as possible so you don't get too overwhelmed. The last thing you need is to overwork yourself when you're already exhausted. You'll end up sick," she said as she patted Becky affectionately on the hand.

"Yes ma'am," Becky answered obediently. She couldn't help but to chuckle at the old school theory as she made her way back to her office. Helen was such a mother hen sometimes and Becky absolutely adored it. Having grown up here at the office, she sometimes felt like she had multiple parents.Helen and Ralph were the main ones though. Becky loved them just as much as they loved her.

Becky took her time on a small trip down memory lane as she started setting up her desk for the day. Unfortunately the trip was a really short one. She hadn't even powered up her laptop before her office phone was ringing. Knowing Helen would keep her word and try to run as much interference as possible, the ringing phone told her that this call was either one of her parents or extremely important. Taking a deep breath because she really didn't want to deal with either just yet, she answered the phone on the second ring.

"Good morning, this is Katherine. How may I help you?" she answered pleasantly as she took a seat at her desk and pulled over a pen and pad of paper, just in case she needed to jot down some notes.

"Good morning Miss Wellington. This is Detective Hopkins. I'm in charge of your case and was calling to discuss a few things with you. Do you have a moment?" The Detective's voice was deep and professional but he also sounded polite and pleasant, which effectively put Becky at ease.

"Of course Detective, how are things? Did you catch the guy?"

"Yes ma'am, we think so. That's why I'm calling. I was hoping you could come down to the station this morning and identify him for us. There isn't really any doubt that he's our guy, but we need your confirmation."

"Oh, I understand and yes, I can. What time would you like me there?" she glanced at her calendar just to make sure there wasn't anything on it and then at the clock to see what time it was now.

"How about in an hour? Would that work for you?"

"Yes. Umm, I'm sure my father will want to come with me. Will that be okay?" she asked hesitantly, feeling like a child for having to ask. But she knew the moment she told her father where she was going, he would insist on escorting her there.

Detective Hopkins chuckled in her ear, "Yes that would be perfectly fine Miss Wellington. I'll see you in an hour. Thank you."

"Thank you Detective," she said before hanging up. Then she picked the phone right back up and dialed her father's number.

"Wellington," he answered briskly, which immediately made Becky feel bad. He was busy today and sounded as if he were already having a bad day. She hated dumping more problems on his shoulders like this.

"Morning, Daddy."

"Oh, morning honey," his voice instantly became softer. "How are you? Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine Daddy. I just wanted to let you know that I got a call from the Detective that is over seeing my case. They caught the guy that tried to rob me and want me to come down to identify him in person. I have to be there in an hour." She didn't bother to ask him if he wanted to go because she already knew what the next words out of his mouth would be. He didn't disappoint her.

"Okay, I'll be there in thirty minutes to go with you. Don't leave without me."

"Okay. Love you."

She could hear the smile in his voice when he responded, "I love you too munchkin. Bye."

She hung up and savored her happy moment for just a second before picking up the phone once again and calling Helen.

"What did they need?" the woman asked as soon as she picked up the phone.

Becky laughed. "I have to go down to the station in an hour to identify the guy that tried to mug me. Can you handle things while I'm gone?" Becky already knew the answer, but it was still polite to ask. She never took Helen for granted.

"Oh, of course! I already told you to go home. I've got this," she reassured Becky then asked in a much more serious tone, "You've told your father right? I do not want to be on the receiving end of his anger if..."

Becky quickly cut her off."Yes, Helen. I already called him. He'll be here in thirty minutes to go with me."

Helen let out a relived breath, "Good girl. I'll call you when he gets here."

"Thanks Helen."

She hung up and stared into space for a minute. At least this would be one less thing she had to worry about now. She would identify the man, he would go to jail, and her parents would feel marginally better that he was off the streets. She was surprised that she wasn't even the least bit nervous about what she had to do either...only relieved. She had been raised with attorney parents, they had a lot of friends that were attorneys, she went to law school, and was now an attorney herself. So she wasn't a complete stranger to the law, criminals, or the processes all who were involved went through. Even so, she had only been a licensed attorney for a few months and hadn't actually worked in the field yet so she hadn't actually dealt with a hardened criminal yet either. In fact, her only appearance so far at the police station was to get her fingerprints done for a background check while she was in school. She should have been nervous.

She shook her useless thoughts away and put her laptop to sleep. She didn't bother packing up though, because she had every intention of returning to work. She wasn't going to stay home just because she had a rough night. The last thing she needed was her peers thinking she was getting special treatment just because she was the boss's daughter, even if that were a little true sometimes.

Her phone rang and she glanced at the clock. That would be Helen calling to tell her that her father was there. She picked it up and didn't bother with a greeting. "I'm on my way out Helen."

"Okay sweetheart," she responded and they both hung up.

She pushed away from her desk, grabbed her purse, and walked out to meet her father. He looked worried but smiled and scooped her up in a great big hug when he saw her.

"You ready for this honey?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Yes, I am. I'm surprisingly not nervous about it," she reassured him as he set her on her feet.

"Okay well I am, so let's get this over with shall we?" he turned and motioned for her to step on the elevator before him and she did so with a small chuckle at his admission. They both waved goodbye to Helen as the doors shut and the elevator made its way downstairs where Ralph already had a car waiting to take them to the police station.

# Chapter Ten

The ride to the police station was quiet and quick. Becky could sense her father's unease as they made the short trip, so she grabbed onto his hand and held it tight for the ride. He didn't say anything to her when she took his hand in hers, but she could see the small twitch of his lips when she did so. When their car stopped in front of the police station, her father helped her out of the car, still holding onto her hand, then wrapping it around his arm so that they could walk into the station side by side.

Entering the station, Becky was surprised to find that it wasn't as busy as she imagined it would be. After watching way too many movies and TV shows she expected to see all of the hustle and bustle that was portrayed in those programs. She expected to see hookers barely dressed, popping bubblegum and flirting with the officers in hopes of getting the charges dropped. She also thought she would see drug dealers handcuffed to the chairs, yelling obscenities and threats if they weren't released. Maybe even a drunken person or two, slurring and having to be held up by an escort. She was oddly disappointed that this wasn't the sight that greeted her.

Instead, she walked into what appeared to be a pretty quiet and relaxing environment. She saw a few police officers sitting at desks, filling out paper work or talking quietly on the phone. There were also a few sitting comfortably in chairs with cups of coffee in hand, chatting with each other as if it were just another day at the office. And she supposed it was. This was what these people did every day. They came into work just like she did, filled out paper work and answered phone calls, just like she did and when need be, solved crimes and saved lives. That part wasn't so much like her job. She would love to be able to solve puzzles all day, ones that actually mattered and made a difference to someone other than herself.

She didn't have long to think about this though because her thoughts scattered when she heard the familiar, deep voice of Detective Hopkins. "Miss Wellington?" she glanced up at the sound of her name being called and her eyes widened. He was HOT! Sure his voice had sounded nice over the phone but she hadn't expected this. He looked more like a model than a police officer. She couldn't help but to take in all of him as he approached her and her father. He was at least six foot tall, sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, and a chiseled face that looked more like it belonged on a magazine cover instead of in a police station. If she could judge by the way he moved and how well his clothes fit him, he had a body that was just as chiseled as his face. Becky wasn't normally one to drool over men, but this man was totally drool worthy!

"Don't stare honey, it isn't polite." Becky was snapped out of her embarrassing behavior by her father's amused whisper.

As much as she didn't like her father calling her out like that, she was thankful to him for saving her from further humiliation. She nodded once and regained her composure in time to greet Detective Hopkins with a handshake. "Yes, Detective Hopkins?" he nodded a confirmation and she continued, "It's nice to meet you and please call me Katherine," she smiled politely and looked into his eyes.

His light blue eyes instantly snagged hers. "It's a pleasure Katherine." She had already established that his voice was deep but the way he said her name made it sound even deeper and caused a shiver to go through her. Not wishing to make a complete idiot of herself, she quickly dropped his large, warm hand and turned toward her father. "This is my father, Hugh Wellington," she gestured between the two men. "Daddy, this is Detective Hopkins, the officer that is in charge of my case."

The Detective stepped closer, allowing her to feel the heat of his body as he reached for her father's outstretched hand. "Mr. Wellington," he greeted her father with his deep, sexy voice.

"Hugh is fine. It's nice to meet you Detective."

They finished the handshake and Detective Hopkins stepped back to look at both of them. "Please, both of you call me Ethan," he smiled warmly at both of them and then winked at Becky.

She felt the blush that invaded her cheeks all the way down to her toes. Her sometimes overly protective father didn't miss the gesture, as indicated by the swift placement of his hand on the small of Becky's back and subtle movement closer to her side. "Okay then, Ethan. What have you called my daughter down here for?" Her father already knew the answer, but that was his way of getting down to business.

Detective...Ethan took the hint, "Yes sir, let's get right to it. If you two will follow me back to my office I can go over what we have and explain how this works. Then we'll do the lineup. Okay?" He glanced down at Becky and waited for her to agree before he turned and led them back through the station.

Her father leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I don't think I like the way this guy is looking at you."

His words startled Becky and she would have stopped walking to gawk at her dad had he not continued to guide her down the hall with his hand firmly on her back. "What are you talking about?" she whispered, barely moving her lips.

"He is attracted to you and not doing a very good job at hiding it."

"What?" she shook her head and smiled. Her father had always thought she was the most beautiful girl/woman in the world, right along with her mother. Admittedly, Becky knew that she was beautiful, but she also knew that she somehow sent off a don't mess with me vibe that prevented most men from talking to her, much less flirting with her. She knew her father was mistaken and that he was allowing his overprotectiveness to take over, making him see things that were not really there. Ethan had not given any indication that he found Becky even remotely attractive. He had been polite and very business-like. She told her father exactly that.

"Trust me on this one honey. I am a man you know. I know these things," he smirked and winked at her.

Becky couldn't help but to laugh. It was a much louder laugh than she had intended and quickly placed her hands over her lips to muffle the sound. Ethan turned and smiled warmly at her, and this time she noticed the glint in his eye. She stopped laughing immediately.

"Told you," her father whispered smugly.

Becky didn't know what to think.The idea of this man finding her attractive was exciting but it also made her nervous. She was so inexperienced when it came to men. Lance was the only man she had ever really dated and that wasn't a very good example. He treated her nicely, took her out on dates, but she was always so careful to keep an invisible line between the two of them. A line that he had never crossed until recently and then by hostile force. Before Lance she was so caught up in school that she hadn't had time for interacting with boys much less dating. On the rare occasion a boy ignored her standoffish personality and actually approached her, she fumbled for words and usually made a complete fool of herself.

All the boys she had known, including Lance, were much different than the Detective. They were rich, cocky, and pompous, used to being taken care of and catered too. Some of them were even a bit on the nerdy side. Detective Ethan Hopkins did not present that sort of personality at all. No, he was confident, controlled, and without a doubt masculine. She would not have the first clue what to do with a man like that. Furthermore, she was pretty sure she wasn't ready for what a man like him would want to do with her. She shivered at the thought.

Her father, thankfully misunderstanding the shiver, pulled her closer. "Don't worry honey. Everything will be fine. I won't leave your side."

"Thanks Daddy," she answered back, but she could feel the heat building in her cheeks again and knew that they would be bright pink.

Before there was time for the tell-tale sign of embarrassment to fade away, the Detective... Ethan stopped in front of an open door and motioned for them to go in before him. "If you'd like to have a seat, we can discuss the details of the arrest and what we would like from you, Katherine."

Ignoring the way her name rolled from his mouth, Becky ducked her head and moved passed him quickly into the room, taking the seat furthest away so that her father could take the other one. Ethan moved around the desk and took a seat on the other side. When he sat facing them, he winked at her again before he began shuffling a few papers around and then pulled out a manila file folder. He opened it up, placed his hands on it and then looked up at them again. He still looked kind, but she could see that he wasn't being flirty any longer. His face was set and his posture formal. He was in full on Detective mode, and Becky felt a bit breathless at seeing him like that.

What was wrong with her? She'd just met this man and he was the Detective in charge of her case. This was a professional meeting about a serious incident and all she could do was think about how handsome this man was and how his voice made her body shiver. What had her more worried though was that she had never experienced these sorts of instant feelings when meeting a man before. Although, she had to admit that she had never met a man quite like this one. She felt a bit off balance and didn't really care for the feeling. Thankfully, she was forced to push the thoughts away and focus on the task at hand when he began speaking to them once again.

"Thanks to your statement and stroke of luck with getting ahold of the suspect's wallet, we had no problem tracking him down. His name is James Smith and this isn't his first offense by a long shot. There shouldn't be any problems convicting him of the crime, but an ID by you," his eyes bore into Becky and she had to stop herself from staring at his long eyelashes, "will ensure that he is."

She heard what he said, but it didn't quite register since she had been thinking about his eyelashes instead of a proper response. Thankfully her father wasn't as memorized by the man in front of them as she was.

"Very good. Let's get this over with then. Katherine Rebecca and I are both very busy today," her father said briskly as he stood before anyone else could even agree. Becky rose, being used to her father's commanding behavior, and waited to follow behind him. Detective Ethan was slower to rise, almost as if he didn't like answering the commands of another. Becky could see his eyes narrow slightly before he quickly schooled his features and obeyed her father as well. She quickly turned her face so the Detective wouldn't see her smile. Sometimes it took others a while to get used to her father's 'take charge' attitude, even when he wasn't the one in charge. And by the looks of the Detective, she could tell that he was definitely used to being the one in charge.

Following her father out into the hall, and then stepping aside to allow the Detective to move in front of them, Becky and her father then followed him down the hall. They moved past a few more closed doors. Ones that Becky's over active imagination told her were interrogation rooms filled with hardened criminals, even as her rational side told her they were probably just more offices. Eventually they came to an open door and followed the Detective through it as well. The room was small and cold, the walls were bare except for the one in front of them, which had a glass cut out in the center. Although this was her first real visit to a police station, she knew it was a two-way mirror and on the other side would be a line of possible suspects. This part at least, was like the movies.

Once they were tucked inside the room, Ethan took a moment to explain the room and the process to them. "This is a two-way mirror," his hand motioned to the glass cutout as he spoke, "that can only be seen through from this side. The people on the other side will not be able to see you. When I call for the line-up, six men will walk out in a straight line, each having a number in front of them; they will all face forward where you will be able to get a good look at each one of them.Take your time and study each one carefully. Once you are sure, tell me the number of the man that attempted to rob you. Understand?" Becky and her father both nodded. "Good.Tell me when you're ready, okay?"

"Okay," Becky shook her head and let out a breath to help relax her nerves. She wasn't really nervous about identifying the suspect exactly. She was more nervous about making sure she identified the correct man. Her word would put a man in jail and she knew she needed to be calm and relaxed to ensure nothing interfered with her choosing the right man. Her father must have mistaken her nervousness for fear because he quickly moved beside her again before he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side for comfort. She smiled up at him then returned her focus to the glass in front of her. She nodded once."I'm ready."

The Detective picked up the phone that was hanging on the wall and spoke into it, saying only three words, "send them in," before hanging up the receiver once again and moving to stand on Becky's other side. She watched as six men walked in, one after the other. All six of them looked about the same height, weight, and build. They all had similar hair color and their profiles were very much alike. She started to get even more nervous, worried that she wouldn't recognize her would-be-mugger. Once each one of them reached their designated spots, they all turned as one to face her.

She immediately let out another breath, this one in relief. She recognized him instantaneously. "Number three," she said with utter confidence.

Ethan turned to her. His face was blank, giving her no idea of what he was thinking or whether she had made the choice he was hoping for. "Are you sure?" he didn't sound skeptical or surprised, just as if he wanted clarification.He remained professional and she knew it was to make sure he didn't sway her answer in any way.

She nodded, "Absolutely."

He nodded in return before he turned to the phone on the wall again. "Take them up and put number three in a holding cell."Then he hung the phone up and turned to them once again. He had a smile on his face this time. "That's our guy, good job!" he told Becky.

For some reason, her heart soared at his praise. "Thank you," she said quietly and with a hint of her own smile blooming on her face.

"That's my girl," her father said from beside her. "How about I treat you to lunch before going back to the office?"

"Sure Daddy. That would be nice," she answered before turning back to the Detective. "Is there anything else you need from me?"

"No, not today but thank you. I'll be in touch though," he offered her a charming smile, paired with a twinkle in his eye that made her stomach flip.

"Very good," her father answered for her while placing his hand at the small of her back and guiding her out of the room. Detective Ethan winked at her once again as they passed, causing her to blush again, but she didn't speak or stop. Her father propelled her out of the building and straight to the car waiting at the curb for them, all the while muttering about disrespectful men flirting with his daughter right in front of him.

Becky just smiled.

***

Becky and her father had lunch together. But he had spent so much of the work day away from the office; he was tied up with phone calls for the entire hour they were at the restaurant together. She didn't mind though. She spent her time thinking about the Detective and what it would be like to date someone like him.

She never really imagined herself with a guy at all and if she had, she doubted it would have been someone like him. She was so used to rich jerks like Lance or nerdy, shy guys like the ones she went to all of her private schools with. It seemed with all of them, business or school was their priorities. She had grown up surrounded by men who cared little for the opposite sex. For some of them it had been because they were just completely oblivious to them. Girls couldn't compete with math equations or science discoveries when it came to most of the boys she attended school with. As for most of the others, it was because they felt they were the ones that should be pursued. They were arrogant and felt it was beneath them to seek out a woman. Lance was one of those men.

The Detective didn't give her either of those impressions. He noticed women and she was pretty sure he did his fair share of pursuing them as well. She didn't doubt for one second that he rarely got turned down. Even with her serious lack of dating experience, she could see the sexiness and confidence that poured from the man. Just thinking about him made her blush. Thankfully her father was too preoccupied to notice her odd behavior.

After lunch, they returned back to the office and parted ways in the elevator when it stopped on Becky's floor. Her father kissed her goodbye on the cheek and made her promise to call her mother when she got home from work later that evening. Stepping off the elevator, she quickly filled Helen in on what happened at the police station, took the few messages Helen had for her, and headed back to her office to finish her work for the day.

# Chapter Eleven

Becky absently set her purse on her desk and pulled out her chair as she read over her messages. They were all the same as usual. People seeking free advice from a big name attorney's office that didn't even accept new clients unless they came highly referred. She felt bad sometimes for having to turn people away, especially if they really needed the help, but that wasn't how this office worked. She crumpled the messages as she thumbed through them and tossed them in the trash. Helen knew she would and that it was a waste of time to even take the information down, but some of them insisted and it was Helen's job to do so.

The next message she pulled out caught her attention and made her heart stutter. The name Ethan Hopkins was scribbled on the top with a phone number. She knew instantly that it was not the number to the police station. It must be his cell number. She also noticed that it didn't say Detective but his actual name. Why was he calling her so soon after leaving the station and why did this message seem less professional to her? It had to be her overactive imagination that caused her to think that way, but no matter how much she tried to convince herself of that, she couldn't stop the butterflies that beat against her stomach as she picked up her desk phone and dialed the number.

"This is Ethan," his deep voice said into her ear. She was speechless. The sound of his voice over the phone felt like he was whispering in her ear, she could almost imagine him in the room with her and it made her quiver.

"Hello?" he asked, sounding a bit irritated. It snapped her out of her ridiculous thoughts.

"Uh....H...Hi," she managed to squeak out.

"Hi," he chuckled softly. God! That sound was not helping to calm her nerves. "Who is this?" he asked with less irritation and more amusement this time.

"Umm...its Beck...I mean Katherine," she took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together. "I was, um, returning your call." There, that was better, at least she didn't stutter that time.

"Oh, hi Katherine, how are you?" Now his voice wasn't irritated or amused, it was deeper and way sexy! There was no way she was getting through this conversation without melting into a puddle right here on her office floor. Helen would have to come in and clean her up. It was so embarrassing; at least he couldn't see her.

"I'm fine Det...I mean Ethan. How are you?" she could hear the breathiness in her own voice, so she knew he could too. But she couldn't help it, talking to this man made her more nervous than she had been in years. She just prayed she could continue to form coherent words and thoughts.

"I'm good now that you called," he said, his voice smooth.

Oh. My. God! Was he flirting with her? She had no idea. She had never really done this before, not as a grown up and definitely not with a man like Detective Ethan Hopkins. She didn't know what to say. Deciding to remain professional but friendly, just in case she was misunderstanding, she said, "Um, thank you? So, is there a problem? Did I do something wrong when I was at the station? Do you need me to come down there again?" Now she went from being speechless to rambling. She planted her face in her free palm and shook her head at herself. Thank God he couldn't see her!

He chuckled again. The warm deep sound traveled through the phone, into her body and all the way down to her toes. She sighed. "No, Katherine. You did everything perfectly. I was actually calling you for a personal reason. I hope that's okay?" he still sounded confident but maybe with just a touch of nervousness.

"Umm, okay. Yeah, that's fine. Did you need legal advice or something?" She was feeling much better now that they were talking about work.

"Uh, no. I was actually wondering if you would like to go to dinner with me some time?"

"Oh."She found herself speechless again. He wanted to take her dinner? He was asking her out on a date! A smile grew on her face before it quickly vanished. He was asking her out on a date! She didn't know how to go out on a date with a man like him. She was already nervous talking to him on the phone. How would she get through an entire dinner face to face with him?

While she was lost in thought, apparently Ethan was taking her silence as rejection. "Hey, I understand if you have a boyfriend or..."

"No!" she blurted, cutting him off. "I mean, no.I don't have a boyfriend or anything like that. I'm...um...I would...uh...sure," she finally finished lamely.

He chuckled again. "Listen, you really don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, I do. It's just...well...I'm kind of new at the whole...you know...dating," she finished, embarrassed at her admission. There was no way he was going to want to take her out now. Who admits to that anyway? she asked herself in disgust.

He was silent for a moment and she knew he was trying to figure out a way to get out of his invitation. She figured she would make it easy on him. "You know, never mind. It's okay.Thanks for asking though," she hung up before he could say anything further.

She could feel the heat in her cheeks and she wanted to cry. How was she ever going to meet someone and fall in love if she couldn't even keep her mouth closed long enough to get through the initial invitation? She hadn't even gotten a chance to ruin everything on the actual date! She stemmed the tears and pulled her shoulders back. Whatever. It was over now and she would just learn from her mistake. Next time she would simply say 'yes', maybe then she would at least get to go out on an actual date.

***

Becky threw herself into her work and completely lost track of time. She didn't even pull herself away when Helen knocked on her office door. "Come in," she yelled to her as she continued to read the case file she had been asked to review. It was so boring but something she had to do.

"These came for you Becky," Helen said as she came into the office. Becky finally pulled her eyes from the papers in front of her and looked up to see Helen. Well, actually she couldn't see Helen because she was being blocked by the huge bouquet of flowers she was carrying.

"What in the world?" Becky breathed out as she quickly cleared a space on her desk for Helen to set the large arrangement down. "Where did these come from Helen?"

Helen had a huge smile on her face. "I don't know, but they're beautiful and they smell heavenly. Why don't you read the card?" she suggested as she plucked it from the bouquet and handed it her.

Becky's stomach rolled. This was similar to the type of things Lance did when he was trying to win her back. She really didn't want to go through all that again. She opened the small envelope so cautiously; she had Helen laughing at her. "Good grief girl! It's not a snake. It won't bite. Just rip that baby open and see who sent you these beautiful flowers!"

Becky stuck her tongue out at her but did as she said. She ripped it open and took the small business card sized note in between her fingers.

I would really like to take you out to dinner.

Call me.

Ethan.

She nearly fainted. She felt her cheeks heat as the blood rushed to her face. Her stomach began to dance around and her fingers started to shake.

"Becky? You okay honey?" she heard the concern in Helen's voice but it quickly faded when Becky looked up at her with a huge grin on her face. "Oh honey, I haven't seen you smile like that in ages! Who is this from?" she now asked with a coy smile of her own.

"Ethan," Becky answered dumbly.

Helen raised one penciled in eyebrow ."Who is Ethan?" she asked but then her eyes widened. "Oh! Is he the Detective working on your case? The one with the deep voice that called for you earlier?"

Becky nodded, remembering just how deep and sexy his voice was.

"Oh!" Helen said again, her smile growing. "Well, what does it say?" she demanded.

"He said he wants to take me to dinner and to call him."

"Well call him!" Helen yelled while handing Becky the phone so she could do just that.

Becky had to laugh. Helen was at least fifteen years older than her and most of the time she acted like a second mother to Becky. But now she was squealing and jumping around like a schoolgirl.

Becky set the phone back down and quickly held her hand up to stop Helen from protesting. She was way too nervous to just call him. She needed to process what was happening and make sure she would be able to form coherent thoughts and complete sentences once he was on the other end of the phone. And that's exactly what she told Helen. She told her about how Ethan made her feel and how difficult it was to talk to him because she just didn't know how to. She told her about her lack of experience with men and how that made Ethan even more intimidating.

Helen sat down in one of the chairs in front of Becky's desk and studied her for a moment. Becky could tell that she was deciding what to say and if the conversation was appropriate for them to have. Becky remained silent. She didn't want to pressure Helen into stepping over a line she had drawn between her personal life and work, but Becky desperately wanted to talk to someone about this. She didn't think her mother was the right person, especially not after she seemed okay with Lance cheating on her. She still couldn't understand why her mother would be okay with something like that. She knew her parents loved each other and although she could admit that she probably saw them through rose-colored glasses, she knew beyond a doubt her father would never do something like that to her mother.

Helen finally pulled her from her thoughts when she spoke up. "Becky, you know I love you like a daughter but I've always tried to keep our relationship more on a professional level."

Becky nodded and waited.

"But I care about you too much to let you sit here and not have someone to talk to about all of this." Becky let out a sigh and smiled at Helen.Helen returned the smile but then became more serious. "I need to ask you something first though...why aren't you talking to your mother about these things?"

Becky hesitated. Lance worked in the office building and she didn't want to talk about him to others in a negative way, even if he was the world's biggest asshole. She also didn't want Helen to think badly of her mother. On the other hand, she needed to talk to someone. She needed advice or else she was going to make a complete fool of herself on a date with Ethan, if she could even get that far! So she opened her mouth again and everything came pouring out. How she found Lance at their engagement party, her discussion with her mother, and her mother's crazy response.

Helen gave her a sympathetic look when she finally closed her mouth again. "You poor thing!"

Becky shrugged. She was pretty much over it now.Her heart had only been broken for a little while, which told Becky she probably didn't really love him anyway. Lance was still harassing her but Becky didn't tell Helen that part. Besides, she was more worried about her loving, attentive mother's blasé attitude about her finding Lance with another woman.

"Sooo?" Becky finally prompted.

Helen sat up straighter and leaned in toward the desk separating them. "Okay, well I can tell you that your father and your mother do NOT have that sort of relationship if that's anything you've been worried about. They have been one hundred percent devoted to each other since the first day I met them. Trust me; gossip spreads around here like wildfire. If either of your parents had been unfaithful, I would have heard about it."

Becky let out a relieved breath. She knew her parents loved each other more than anything in the world, but it was nice to hear someone else back up her beliefs.

"But I will tell you this, as I'm sure you already know...your parents didn't marry out of love. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the sort of thing your mother was told by her mother when she was getting talked into marrying your father."

Becky nodded her agreement. "Yeah, I guess that would make sense..." she trailed off, thoughtful of what Helen just said. She and her mother never really had too many 'mother-daughter' talks about boys, dating, or even sex now that she thought about it. Becky always had her nose in a book and her mother never brought up the subject. When she and Lance began to date, her mother pulled her aside once and told her to make sure she started seeing a gynecologist and that it might be a good idea to be put on birth control. They were both so embarrassed during the conversation that it was short and the last one of that kind they ever had. Now that Becky looked back on the memory, she realized how strange it was that her and her mother were so awkward with each other about guys and sex when they were as close as best friends about everything else.

Helen let her mull over those thoughts for a few moments before speaking up again. "So, my long term advice would be that you should talk to your mother. Ask her about her relationship with your father and explain to her how you feel." Helen gave her a look that Becky didn't quite get.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

Helen shrugged. "Well if we're going to step over the professional line, I might as well go all the way. I think you should also talk to your parents about what it is that you want to do with your life."

Becky didn't know what to say so she lied. "I don't know what you're talking about." She felt so bad for doing so that she couldn't even look Helen in the face.She just couldn't look her in the eye and lie to her like that.

Of course Helen still didn't believe her. "Oh I think you do. I know you don't want to be here and that law isn't your passion. I can see it when you zone out almost every day, when you set your alarm to leave right on time, and when you walk in here every morning as if you're walking to your final meal." Helen chuckled but Becky's heart dropped.

"You can tell?" her voice was soft and filled with sadness. Did her father know too?

Helen must have been able to tell what she was thinking by the look of alarm that crossed her face. "Don't worry; you put on a pretty good front whenever your father is around."

Becky slumped back in her chair in relief but still didn't say anything.

"I don't know what it is you want to do, but I know there's something else and I think you should tell them."

"I can't Helen. You know how important it is to them that I take over the business."

Helen nodded her head in agreement slowly but argued Becky's statement. "I do know that they would love for you to follow in their footsteps. But I also know that they would want you happy. That's more important to them than anything else in this world Katherine Rebecca."

"I don't know Helen," she said sadly. The only thing her parents had ever talked about was their daughter being a criminal attorney just like them and how proud they were going to be when she took over the family business and made it even better than it already was. She couldn't shatter their dreams by telling them she had always wanted to be something else.

Helen watched her for a moment and then let out a sigh. "Well I'm only here to offer my advice, not to tell you what to do. You should at least think about it.In the meantime..." she gave Becky a wicked grin, "I think you should call that Detective and accept a date with him."

Becky groaned, "But I don't know what to say!"

"Oh I could tell you a thing or two to say!" Helen said with a wink as she rose from the chair and headed for the door.

Becky rolled her eyes but laughed, "Okay, okay.I'll figure it out and then I'll call him."

"Good!" Helen said triumphantly before leaving her office, shutting the door behind her.

The smile stayed on Becky's face as she glanced down at the card that was still in her hands and wondered what she was going to say when she called Ethan back.

# Chapter Twelve

Although Helen left her with encouraging words and a smile on her face, it still took Becky over an hour before she worked up the courage and calmed her nerves enough to pick up the phone and dial Ethan's number.

As the phone rang in her ear, she bit her nails and stared at the beautiful flowers he sent. She could tell they weren't cheap and felt equal parts guilt and excitement. She felt guilty that she ended their call so abruptly earlier when she assumed he wouldn't want to take her out after her admission that she was inexperienced with dating. She should have given him the chance to say what he wanted but she just didn't think she could stand to be rejected. If she had just heard him out, he wouldn't have felt the need to send her such a nice and expensive gift.

The fact that he did though made her excited all over. Lance was the only one that had ever given her gifts, besides her parents of course. Plus, knowing what she does now, she's pretty sure Lance wasn't sending her things out of the kindness of his heart. No, he had ulterior motives for those gifts. It seemed Ethan just wanted to take her out on a date. She bit down on her nail even more as her stomach quivered with nervousness.Thankfully she was saved from chewing off her entire nail and her mixed up thoughts by the sound of Ethan's voice. She slumped in relief when she realized it was his voicemail. It would be so much easier to leave a message.

When the beep sounded she left one. "Hi Ethan. Thank you very much for the flowers. They are beautiful. I'd like to apologize for earlier and would love to accept your invitation to dinner." She left her cell number for him to return her call and ended it with a quiet "Thank you again." As soon as she hung up the phone a new wave of anxiety hit her. Now she would sit here all day, waiting for her phone to ring. Letting out a sigh at her own crazy emotions, she turned to her work and tried hard to stay focused.

She failed miserably. Every time the phone rang, she jumped so high she almost fell out of her chair a few times. She would have to calm her racing heart and still her trembling fingers before she could even answer it. This reaction did not lessen any as the day progressed. In fact, with each call that she answered and Ethan's voice was not on the other end, she grew more and more nervous. She started to wonder if he was even going to call her back. She chastised herself for second guessing his intentions. The man spent a good amount of money trying to get her to go out with him. He wouldn't change his mind now.

Her nerves were so frazzled and she was so intent on trying to relax that for the first time since she started working, she worked past five o'clock.She totally forgot to set her alarm so it would remind her to go home.It wasn't until Helen was knocking on her door once again that she realized what time it actually was.

"Oh my goodness!I can't believe I didn't realize it was time to go," Becky got up and started shutting down her laptop and shoving her things into her bag as she spoke.

"Soooo," Helen drew the word out, catching Becky's attention. "Did you call your Detective back?"

"Yes, I did."

"And?" Helen prompted.

"He didn't answer so I left a message. I'm still waiting for him to call me back."

She didn't make eye contact but Helen must have heard the insecurity in Becky's voice, "Don't worry honey.A man doesn't put so much work into asking a woman out if he doesn't plan on following through. He's probably been busy all day with work. I'm sure he'll call you later this evening."

She let out a sigh, relieved to have someone back up what she had been telling herself. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks Helen," she said as she walked over and hugged her.

Helen hugged her back and then pulled away. "You going to talk to your mother?"

Becky backed away and finished getting her things together before walking out toward the front office with Helen. "I'm going to try.I'm not sure how far I'll get but..." she shrugged.

"That's all you can do honey, is try. I'm sure it'll go much better than you think. Your parents love you so much and only want the best for you. Once you explain to them what it is that you really want to do, they'll support you. You'll see," Helen told her confidently. Becky really wanted to believe her, but she wasn't so sure.

As she agonized over Ethan's call, or lack thereof, she had also thought about the advice Helen gave her. She knew she should talk to her parents about what she wanted to do with her life, but the truth was, she didn't know. She did love magic and knew that she had a skill for solving mysteries and performing tricks herself, but did she want to actually be a magician? It sounded so ridiculous. There were so many other things she could do though. She could organize events, she could do research for other magicians, and she could invent new illusions and sell them. The possibilities were endless. She had a lot of contacts already, thanks to her time on forums and the people she met during her personal research.

She knew she had a lot of thinking to do before she talked to her parents. She needed a solid plan if she was going to convince them to support her in a different career path. Right now she had nothing. Thanking Helen again for her advice and encouragement, she said goodbye and stepped onto the elevator. As it descended, her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse and didn't even think about checking to see who it was when she answered, having been so preoccupied with her and Helen's personal conversation.

"This is Katherine," she said as she watched the numbers on the panel light up.

"Hi," the rich, warm voice on the other end breathed into her ear.

Her heart rate immediately doubled and she almost dropped her phone. "Oh...hi," she said back to Ethan, a bit breathlessly.

"Are you busy?" he asked as the elevator came to a stop and she stepped off. She waved goodbye to Ralph as she answered him.

"No, actually I'm just leaving work."

"Okay good. Sorry I didn't get a chance to call you back sooner.It's been a pretty hectic day."

"That's okay. I understand."

They were both silent for a second, each of them waiting for the other to continue. There was no way Becky was going to lead the conversation. Ethan finally picked up on this and chuckled softly. "So when are you free for dinner?"

"Anytime!" she answered a little too eagerly and shook her head at herself.

He chuckled again. "How about tonight? I know its short notice but I would really like to take you to dinner tonight," his voice became softer and smoother as he finished.

She felt like butter, getting ready to melt all over the floor. "Um...okay. Do I have time to go home and change first?"

"Yes, you do. What if I pick you up in an hour? Would that be enough time?"

"Yes, it would." She quickly rambled her address off to him and then hung up with a huge grin on her face. She picked up the pace to get to her subway stop, practically floating the whole way there. She arrived downstairs at the same time the train was coming to a stop and had to smile again. Apparently luck was on her side today. She stepped on the full car and wrapped her hand around the metal pole. When the doors swooshed shut she glanced around quickly, more out of habit than anything. As she scanned the full car, her eyes narrowed on what she thought was a familiar figure. There was a man standing at the other end of the car with jeans and a black hoodie, New York Yankees ball cap pulled low over his eyes, and he was looking right at her. She shook her head and turned away. There was no way that was the same man. She reminded herself of just how many people fit that description daily here in the city. But there was just something about the way he looked at her that seemed so familiar. She looked again but her line of sight was now blocked by the shifting people around her.

She continued to glance in the direction of the mysterious man but couldn't catch a glimpse of him again. Soon they were pulling into her stop and she shuffled her way to the door. When she stepped off, she turned back to see if the man got off too. He didn't but when the car was pulling away, she saw him through the window. His face was mostly in shadow because of his hat, but there was no mistaking that his attention was on her.

She turned back around and quickly made her way up the stairs and down the block to her building. Tony, one of the two doormen for her building, was standing there waiting with the door open for her."Good evening Miss Wellington."

"Good evening Tony and thank you," she moved through the door but then stopped and turned to him. "Umm...there will be a man...Detective Ethan Hopkins here in about an hour for me. Will you let him in please?" she asked nervously.

Tony smiled brightly at her. "Of course ma'am."

"Thank you Tony," she said before turning back toward the lobby and making her way to the elevator doors. She was beyond nervous if she couldn't even tell the doorman she had a date! How was she ever going to get through this night without making a complete fool of herself?

Trying to calm her nerves for the millionth time today, she rode the elevator up while thinking about what she was going to wear. By the time she reached her apartment door, she had narrowed it down to two choices.It was a first date, and short notice, so she decided she would go with casual. She opened her door, threw her stuff down and ran to her room. She pulled out her two favorite pair of jeans, one blue and one black, and then her two favorite tops. One was a cream cowl neck sweater that would go with the black jeans and her black knee high boots and the other was a light brown top with sequin accent that would look hot with her dark blue jeans and her brown, fur accented boots. It wasn't cold, but since it was night and the evening air could get pretty chilly, she would be comfortable in either outfit without a coat.

She tried on both quickly, looking at every angle possible in the mirror before deciding on the cream top and black jeans. She liked how she felt a little sexier in that outfit without being over the top. She brushed out her long red hair and left it loose so the unruly waves could fall around her shoulders and down her back. She reapplied her make-up, going just a little heavier with the eyeliner and mascara to bring out her green eyes and she was done. And just in time, because the doorbell rang five minutes later.

She walked to the door, running her sweaty palms down her pants legs before turning the knob and opening the door. Ethan was standing there with a bouquet of red roses in his hand and looking even more gorgeous than he had when she saw him at the police station. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans with heavy white stitching, making them appear much nicer than regular jeans. And they fit him perfectly; not too tight but snug enough to hint at how muscular and trim his lower body was. The long sleeved gray shirt he had on did the same for his upper body. The light, thin material was just tight enough to accent his muscular chest and arms. When she finally made her eyes leave his perfect body and make their way up to his face, she could see that he was checking her out just as much as she had been him.

"Hi," she breathed out when he finished his perusal and their eyes finally met.

"Wow, you look beautiful," he told her softly with a sexy grin as he handed her the flowers in his hand.

"Thank you, you do too. I mean...not beautiful...I mean you look good too," she finished finally, feeling heat flood her cheeks.

He reached out and ran one finger softly down her cheek. "Don't be nervous. It's just dinner."

She huffed at him. "Easy for you to say. You probably do this all the time."

His hand dropped to his side and he leaned casually into the door frame. "Eat dinner? I do, every night. Don't you?"

She rolled her eyes but smiled because he was trying to help her relax and it was working. "Yes, I do. Let me put these in water and then I'll be ready."

"Okay. Take your time." He waited in the open door way as she quickly put some water in a vase and set the flowers in.

"I'll fix them when I get home tonight. Let's go," she grabbed her purse off the bar and then walked back toward him. He stepped aside to let her go through the door before him and then he turned to pull it shut for her. As she locked it, he didn't move away, making her extremely aware of how close he was to her. She could feel the heat coming off his much larger body and smell the woodsy scent of his cologne. She couldn't help but to inhale deeply at the heavenly scent. When she was finished, he placed his hand on the small her back and guided her toward the elevator doors. She could feel the heat of his hand through her shirt and it made her stomach do a little flip. She never felt this way when Lance touched her. She knew it was only based on the physical attraction she had to him, but she liked the feeling and hoped it would grow once she got to know him.

They didn't speak during the elevator ride or as they made their way through the lobby of her building. Tony shot her a covert wink as he held the door for them that had her blushing furiously. Ethan glanced down and saw.He ran his finger over her cheek again but still didn't say anything. Neither of them spoke until they were tucked inside of the black car that had been waiting by the curb.

"How does Italian sound?" Ethan's deep voice asked through the quiet.

"Perfect," Becky said and offered a shy smile.

Ethan reached over and took her hand in his. "I'm so glad you changed your mind and decided to give me a shot."

"I'm really sorry I was such a basket case when we talked on the phone. I just..." she trailed off when he squeezed her hand.

"It's okay. I understand. You don't have to apologize anymore."

"Okay," she sighed and leaned back into the seat while still looking up at him.He didn't let go of her hand as he began to question her.

"So you're an attorney? Tell me about that. Do you enjoy what you do?"

Becky hesitated for just a second, thinking that she might actually tell him the truth. But it didn't feel quite right, so instead she told him the same story she told everyone. How it was her family's business and how fortunate she was and honored that she would one day take it over. He listened intently, prompting her for more details when she would trail off or commenting when appropriate. The conversation flowed nicely until they reached the restaurant, only halting so they could be seated and to look over the menu, then continuing smoothly once they placed their orders.

They talked about Ethan's job and how hard it could be sometimes but also how rewarding it could be. They also talked about their families. Ethan was an only child just as she was; both of his parents lived in upstate New York. They hated that he was a cop in the city but were very proud of him and visited as often as they could.Becky felt a small amount of envy toward him. She wished she loved what she did and that her parents supported her choices, even if they didn't agree with them.

By the time their meal was over and dessert was long gone, Becky felt like she really knew Ethan. She liked him a lot, felt really comfortable with him and liked that he made her laugh. The same car service picked them up and drove them back to her apartment. Ethan got out and walked her to the door where Tony was waiting. Ethan and Tony had some sort of non-verbal exchange before Tony left his post and stepped inside of the building. Becky turned to Ethan with a raised eyebrow.

He just chuckled again. "I had a really nice time. Can we do it again?"

"I did too Ethan, really! I would love to."

"Good," his voice suddenly became lower, deeper as his eyes locked onto hers. He took a small step forward so that there were only a few inches separating their bodies. She could feel the heat from him and it made her shiver slightly. As he looked into her eyes, he leaned down and brushed his lips over hers softly, once then twice, before stepping back again. "I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Okay."

He nodded and then walked back to the awaiting car. Becky stood there watching as they drove away. Once the car turned the corner, she turned to go into her building but stopped in her tracks when she spotted a lone figure across the street, leaning against the brick wall, his face in shadow but clearly watching her. She stared back for a moment, trying to figure out who this mysterious person was when her common sense caught up with her. She shouldn't be standing here like this, all alone with someone clearing watching her. Wrapping her arms around her body, she hurried into the building.

# Chapter Thirteen

Becky lay in bed for hours that night going over everything that had happened. She liked Ethan a lot.He was kind, intelligent, funny, and extremely good looking. He made her feel pretty and when he touched or kissed her, he made her feel...nice? No, it was more than that. He made her feel alive. But no matter how much she thought about how nice Ethan made her feel, she couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious man she kept seeing everywhere. She wasn't really scared of him, more curious. And every time she saw him, her curiosity grew.

He saved her from Lance once already so she felt comfortable enough assuming he wasn't out to harm her. Truthfully, he could have by now if he really wanted to anyway, considering he seemed to be aware of her well before she was of him. No, she got the feeling he wanted something from her. She just didn't know what. Every time she asked herself this, she also contemplated the mysterious business card and secretive website it led her to. Were the two connected?

She tossed and turned all night, playing out events and running theories through her mind. By the time morning arrived, she found herself in another grumpy mood. She quickly got ready for work, forgoing her usual routine again, as well as deciding to take a cab to work. Hoping to avoid too many concerned questions, she waved at Ralph as she passed but by if the chuckle she heard from him was any indication, he was well aware of her foul mood. At least she didn't have to offer any sort of explanation, she thought as she rode the elevator up to her floor.She found her luck had run out though when she stepped off into her front office. She groaned inwardly when she spotted her father.She didn't feel like faking a good mood this morning.

"There's my princess!" his voice boomed as he scooped her up in a bear hug.

"Hi Daddy," she said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. Apparently it wasn't enough.

"What's wrong honey? Nothing happened did it?" he asked, setting her down, concern filling his voice and eyes.

"No, nothing like that. I just didn't sleep well last night and now I'm tired and grumpy," she pouted.

He chuckled at her fake pout but didn't let the subject drop like she hoped. "Are you sure? This is the second time this week you've had trouble sleeping."

She shot Helen a narrow eyed look for ratting her out, which the woman ignored by acting as if she were busy with something on her desk, before reassuring her father. "Yes Daddy, I'm fine. It's just been a rough week. I'm sure things will get better as the day progresses."

He studied her for a moment but when she maintained eye contact and kept the small smile on her face he relented. "Okay, how about I take you to lunch today then? Maybe that will help to make your day better?" he asked hopefully.

"Okay," she smiled at him, already feeling a little bit better just because he offered to take time from his busy schedule to help make her happy.

"Good. Then get to work and I'll see you in a few hours."

She chuckled at his comment and rolled her eyes. "Bye Daddy. Love you," she told him with a shake of her head as she made her way to her office.

Although her father had effectively lightened her mood, the morning still dragged like she knew it would. When lunchtime finally arrived she was beyond grateful that she already had plans that would get her out of the office. She quickly wrapped up the phone call she was on and started closing things down for lunch. As she was finishing, her phone rang again. Assuming it was Helen calling to let her know that her father was there, she picked up with a simple greeting. "Hey Helen, I'm on my way up," she said quickly and was about to hang up the phone when a male voice answered her.

"Did you get my card?" he asked.

"Huh?" she answered dumbly. Her mind was still trying to register that it wasn't Helen she was talking to so his question wasn't even making sense.

"Did you get my card?" the man on the other end of the line asked again pleasantly.

Her brain finally registered what he was asking and everything clicked into place. He must be asking about the business card. "How did you get that into my pocket?" was the first thought that came to mind.

"Magic," he answered simply, but she could hear the smirk in his voice.

Instead of being nervous like she should have been about this possible stalker calling her, she was intrigued. "Okay, I'll bite. What sort of magic?"

"The only sort of magic there is, the real kind," he answered softly.

"But magic isn't real and I think we're both a little too old to still believe in it, don't you?"

"Oh, you're never too old to believe in magic, Becky."

Becky startled at the use of her nickname from this man that she did not know. Reality crashed in and her back stiffened. Whether magic was real or not was irrelevant right now. This man seemed to know way more about her than he should.

"Who is this?" she demanded a little more forcefully than she had intended but didn't apologize or relent, "And how do you know me?"

"I told you. Magic," his voice was silky and smooth, with a hint of mystery. A voice most women would probably swoon over, but she ignored it.

"No, that is not an answer. I want to know right now how you know my name, how you slipped that card into my pocket, and how you seem to have all of my contact information. That is not magic, that is stalking."

At the anger that was clear in her voice, his finally became more serious. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I promise that I'm not stalking you. At least not in the way you're inferring."

"Well what other way is there to stalk someone?" she asked, exasperated.

"It's something I would prefer to talk about in person. Would you consider meeting me?"

"Huh-unh," Becky was shaking her head even though he couldn't see it. "I don't think so. You just admitted that you've been stalking me and now you want me to meet you in person? I don't think so."

He chuckled. It was deep and sensuous and Becky had to stop herself from getting caught up in the sound. Really Becky? This is your stalker you're drooling over and it was just a laugh for crying out loud. "I understand your reluctance, but we can meet somewhere public and I promise I won't hurt you.I think you already know that, don't you Becky?" His voice dropped with the last question and it sent a shiver up her spine.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, even though she knew.He was the guy.

"You've seen me around and we've even semi-met."

"When?" She knew but she needed his confirmation that he was who she thought he was.

"When your boyfriend was yelling at you," his voice had a hard edge to it now but it didn't really register because she was thinking about how she had thought that guy was familiar but dismissed the idea.

"That was you?" her voice turned soft as she tried to put the pieces together."Was that you across from the diner too and then later by my apartment..."

"And on the subway? Yes," he finished for her, proving that he knew exactly what she was talking about and that it was him in all of those places.

"But how?" Now she was whispering in disbelief, her thoughts going a mile a minute."I took a cab. There's no way you could have beat me there."

"I told you Becky, it's all by magic."

"No way," she breathed out as she slumped back into her chair. She didn't believe him, she couldn't. As much as she fantasized about it her whole life and even last night while looking at the website, she knew magic wasn't real. It just wasn't.

"It is," the man whispered in her ear.

"How did you..." she trailed off."Never mind."

He chuckled in her ear again. Becky shivered.

"Will you meet me?" he asked hopefully and Becky felt herself wavering. She knew it was stupid to meet a man that she had never even met before, who admitted to some sort of stalking, and that not only believed in magic, but used it to explain everything she asked. He was probably a murderer or rapist, but she had to find out.

"I don't..." she started to say, not knowing what her final answer was going to be, but she was cut off by Helen knocking on her office door. She opened it a crack and stuck her head in."Your father's here," she whispered and then shut the door behind her.

"I have to go," Becky told the man on the phone.

"Meet me tonight. Seven o'clock at the diner you ate lunch at the other day. I'll get us a booth in the back so we can talk," he said in a rush and then hung up without waiting for an answer from her.

She slowly set the phone back down and shook her head .This was crazy! How could this man really expect her to just go meet up with him after all of the things he just told her? What was even crazier was that she was actually considering it.

***

Lunch with her father was a blur, her mind on the mysterious caller and the things he told her. Thankfully she was able to maintain a decent conversation though and was much more convincing that she was that morning when she reassured her father that she was feeling better. The hour flew by and before she knew it they were back at the office. With a kiss to his soft cheek, she thanked her dad for taking the time out of his busy day to make her feel better and promised to call him and her mother later that evening. As she stepped off the elevator, Helen handed her a stack of messages that she blindly thumbed through on her way to her desk. She couldn't focus on what they actually said though because thoughts of the mystery man were still dancing in her head.

Which is where he stayed, distracting her from her work for the rest of the day. She struggled to push through, trying to focus on her job, but knew she was only giving her work half of the attention it required. She couldn't focus or concentrate and it wasn't because she was tired. Her grumpy attitude and fatigue really had fled after her lunch with her father. This distraction was worse.

But she trudged on and right before the day ended, her call rang. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Ethan. After their date last night and the soft kiss he left her with, she should have been shaking with nerves to see his name on her screen. But the truth was, for the first time since she met him she wasn't nervous to talk to him. In fact, she hadn't even thought of him since she woke up this morning. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Either way, she still had to answer his call ."Hey," she said as she held the phone between her ear and her shoulder so she could start packing her stuff up.

"Hey beautiful. How's your day been?" his deep voice greeted her.

"Good. You?"

"Long," he chuckled. "I was hoping you were free tonight and we could have dinner again?"

"Oh, umm...actually I have dinner with my parents tonight. Maybe tomorrow?" the lied rolled off her tongue much easier than it should have. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to lie to him. She wasn't going to meet her...er... the mystery man. She knew it was a bad idea and as curious as she was, she wasn't going to give in to her impulse. She was just going to go home and go to bed. She could have told him that, but she didn't.

He sounded a little disappointed but didn't make her feel guilty about her plans. "Oh, of course. No worries. I'll call you tomorrow then?" he asked hopefully.

She couldn't help but to smile, "Yes, please."

"Good. Enjoy your dinner Becky," he breathed softly into the phone.

"Thanks Ethan. I'll talk to you tomorrow," she hung up and sat down feeling guilty for lying to him.

She glanced down at the notepad in the middle of her desk where she had scribbled the time and place to meet her 'stalker'. She hated referring to him that way, but what other way was there to describe someone that knew who she was, where she worked, where she lived, and seemed to know her deepest secret. He even pretty much admitted it when she accused him. He may have said he wasn't stalking her exactly and that he would explain, but she would be crazy to believe him.

On the other hand, he had plenty of opportunities to harm her or scare her and he never did. He even saved her from Lances' threatening treatment just the other day. He didn't have to do that. She didn't know him and hadn't even known who he was or that he was near. He could have watched or walked away and she would have never known the difference. Instead, he stepped in and faced Lances' volatile temper to allow her to get away, when no one else had even looked her way that day.

Becky was a smart, rational person. She knew all the horrible things that existed in the world; she was a criminal attorney for crying out loud. She knew there were muggers, stalkers, rapists, and murderers in the world. Her parents helped put them in prison every day and soon she would be standing in the court room doing the same. She had just been assaulted and come from the police station to point the finger at the assailant herself. So she knew better.

She knew better than to be even considering going to meet a stranger and talking to him about the possibility of magic. Magic? Was she crazy? Magic didn't exist. Even if she could talk herself into believing that this mysterious man wouldn't harm her, she just couldn't talk herself into believing that he was right and that magic was real.

With that thought, Becky tore the paper from the pad and crumbled it up into her tight fist before tossing it in the trash can. She wasn't going to fall for it. Giving a stiff nod to solidify her decision, she turned to her lap top and finished shutting it down. She packed her things up, doubled checked her voicemail and made sure she had taken care of all the messages Helen gave her after lunch. She didn't think about the mystery man, magic, or anything even remotely close to that topic while she did so. Nor did she think about him as she said goodbye to Helen, made her way down the elevator to the lobby, and said goodbye to Ralph as well. Nope she didn't think about magic, not once.

So why, when she pushed through the big glass doors and stepped out onto the busy New York sidewalk, did she find herself walking toward the diner?

# Chapter Fourteen

Becky took her time walking toward the diner. She was nervous. Way more nervous than she was when she went to the police station for the first time in her life and had to identify a suspect that tried to rob her. She wasn't even scared a little bit about that. She was even more nervous than she was when she spoke with Ethan and even more nervous than when they went out to dinner. And those two things had her acting like a complete basket case. But now, as she took each step in the direction of where she was set to meet her mystery man, her nerves frazzled more and more. She honestly didn't know if she was going to be able to walk into the diner and meet him. Her heart rate accelerated, her palms grew sweaty, and she could feel her fingers shaking when she tried to wipe them on her pants leg.

As she reached the corner just before she would turn onto the street the diner was located on, she stopped and leaned against the building behind her. She took a few deep breaths and thought about what she was doing. She was meeting a stranger to talk about magic. Was she insane? But she was doing it in not only in a public place, but a place she frequented. Everyone at the diner knew her, knew where she worked, and who her parents were. If anything happened, they would be able to help her. There was nothing for her to fear. So why was she so scared?

It wasn't in fear of being kidnapped, hurt, or even worse that she stood there trembling. It was in fear of getting her hopes up, only to be let down when she found out that this man was a complete fraud. No matter how many times she tried to talk herself out of it, she really, really wanted to believe what this mystery man had been telling her. She wanted to believe the stories she was reading on the website he directed her to and she wanted to believe in magic again. She really had thought she grew out of her hopes and dreams of real magic, but now that she was being tempted with the possibility of it again, she realized just how much she wanted it to be true.

She took another calming breath and looked at the time on her cell phone. It was six-thirty. She was half an hour early, but had a feeling he was too. She sent a quick text to her father, letting him know she would be calling her mother later due to an unplanned invite to dinner with a friend. She did make sure to mention to him where she and her friend would be eating, just in case. She may be being naïve about the whole magic thing, but she wasn't stupid. She waited another few seconds for the response from her father, telling her to have fun and that they loved her, before tossing her phone back in her purse and taking one last calming breath. Before she could talk herself out of it, she pushed away from the dirty brick wall and rounded the corner. In just a few short steps she was in front of the diner.

She pulled the door open and was greeted by the cool air conditioned breeze, sending goose bumps up and down her arms. She rubbed at them distractedly while her eyes scanned the diner. It was pretty busy but Jenny still managed to yell out a generic greeting at her, which she returned absently. Her eyes had zeroed in on the lone figure in the back corner booth. His back was to the wall, so he was facing her, but she still couldn't see his face. He was wearing the same black hoodie and New York hat that was pulled low over his face. Did he ever change clothes?she wondered vaguely. He was slumped back into the booth and his fingers were busy playing with the sugar packets that were scattered on the table.

She studied him for a moment, hoping to pick up some sort of vibe from him that would either send her away running or reassure her that she was doing the right thing. She didn't get a vibe, instead she got his gaze. As if sensing her arrival and need for reassurance, his head slowly turned up and his eyes zeroed in on her. When they did, her breath caught. His eyes were the deepest green she had ever seen and even from across the room she could see just how beautiful they were. His eyes completely captivated her and all of her attention, filling her instantly with a sense of calm and tranquility. She was so mesmerized that she wasn't able to pull her gaze away to look anywhere else on his face, but his eyes alone held a smile that she was sure matched one on his lips. Those inviting eyes offered the reassurance she needed to take the final few steps it took to be at his booth.

As she took those steps, his eyes never left hers. Once she was standing beside him, he blinked for the first time, almost as if he had been just as captivated as she had been. She would have laughed at the idea had he not chosen that moment to stand. That was when Becky finally took in much more of the mysterious man's appearance than just his eyes. When he unfolded from the seat, with such grace and confidence, to stand beside her she had to tilt her head up to look at his face. Not only was she not a short woman, but she was also currently wearing four inch heels, and he still towered over her by a couple of inches, meaning he was well over six feet tall. His chest was wide but his waist was slim and his clothes were fitted just enough to tell her he was fit and muscular but not bulky like a body builder. His skin was naturally tan, like that of someone with an Italian heritage and his thick, black hair only backed up that theory. His lips were full and looked soft, his nose straight, and his cheekbones perfect. He was gorgeous, but his eyes were the most attractive part of him. She couldn't help but to stare into them. He didn't seem to mind letting her either.

He didn't speak when he stood. He only stared back down at her with just a few inches of space separating them. The odd spell she seemed to be under was only dispersed by the approach of Jenny. Their eyes broke from one another and swung toward the waitress who had a knowing smirk on her face. Becky felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment as she quickly sat on the other side of the booth and busied herself with placing her purse beside her and picking up the menu.

This seemed to amuse Jenny even more ."You're actually going to look at the menu Becks? You haven't ordered anything new in forever," her bubblegum smacked as she smirked down at Becky.

Becky lowered the menu slightly and glared over the top of it, feeling annoyed with the bubblegum-smacking waitress for the first time ever. "I just thought I would take a moment to look over the choices, since I haven't in so long. I think I'll try something else for dinner. What are the specials?" The truth was, Becky had no intention of eating greasy fried chicken in front of this man. She loved the meal entirely too much to be able to use proper manners. Besides, who could eat fried chicken with a fork and knife anyway?

Jenny wasn't fazed in the least by Becky's tone or sarcasm; instead she smiled down at her and spouted off three different specials quickly.

"I'll have the grilled chicken salad and a glass of water with lemon please." A salad was safe to eat in front of new company, right?

"Sure thing hon," Jenny murmured as she scribbled down Becky's order on a small notepad before turning to her companion. "What about you handsome?"

Becky watched as Jenny moved closer to the man across from her and seemed to lean in just a fraction more. Her eyes were only for him and her smile was flirtier than Becky had ever seen before. For the second time ever, Becky found herself irritated by the girl. She always liked Jenny, thought she was sweet and pretty and a really great waitress. But now she thought she was dressed just a little too inappropriately for work, her skirt was too short and there were one to many buttons unbuttoned on her top. Her voice was a little too high when she spoke and her bubblegum smacking was starting to irritate her.

It wasn't that she was jealous, she reassured herself; it was more about the lack of respect. This man was here with Becky and Jenny shouldn't be openly flirting with him like this. It wasn't nice. But she also didn't want to cause a scene or say something that would give off the wrong impression. So instead, she moved her gaze from Jenny to the man sitting across from her. She was startled to see that he was ignoring Jenny and still staring at her.

When they made eye contact, he gave her a soft smile and finally answered Jenny, still without looking at the girl. "I'll have what Becky is having please."

Jenny glanced between the two of them and a small smirk returned to her face. "Okay. Be back in a bit." Becky didn't know what the smirk meant but she didn't really care. Now that they had some privacy and she was no longer mesmerized by this man's eyes, she wanted answers.

"Start talking, "she demanded.

He chuckled, it was low and deep and heartwarming. "Don't waste any time, do you?"

"Nope. Now let's start with your name, how you know mine, and how and why you found me and then go on from there."

"Okay." He let out a deep sigh, brought his hands on top of the table, interlaced his fingers, and leaned a little bit closer to her over the table. "My name is Blaine Winters and I run the MysticSeeker site. I live here in New York and I spend a lot of my time seeking out people who either have a deep love or an immense talent for magic. I noticed you first at a few different magic shows that I also attended. I saw how mesmerized you were by the tricks and illusions but I also noticed how attentive you were to them. You watched more with a critical eye than with a wistful one. You were studying them, memorizing them, and picking them apart as you watched.I could see that you were puzzling them out and solving them almost as quickly as the magicians could perform them."

He paused then, waiting for Becky to comment or question him, but she didn't. She couldn't. She was so surprised that this man had picked up on all of that from just watching her, without having even spoken to her. She hadn't realized how transparent she was. He continued almost instantly, reassuring her as if he had heard her thoughts. Apparently she was that easy to read.

"Only someone like me would have been able to see that in you or anyone else. What you were doing wasn't obvious. It would have been only seen so easily by someone that not only knew what to look for, but who was actually looking for it as well. I was. After that, I sought you out at every show I attended. Then one night I saw your performance in Central Park."

This information startled her even more. "Wait, how did you know it was me? I wore a disguise?"

"Oh, I would know those eyes and that hair anywhere Becky," he told her with a look she wasn't sure how to interpret so she decided to ignore it.

"Okay, so that still doesn't explain why you started stalking me and what it is that you want from me."

"The show you did proved that you not only had a deep love for magic, but also an understanding and a willingness to know more. You were absolutely amazing, your magic was flawless. You taught yourself all of it didn't you?" he asked, studying her as he waited for her answer.

"Yes," she admitted slowly. So far he had exposed a lot about her that no one else knew but she hadn't confirmed whether he was right or not. She didn't want to do that just yet. She still knew nothing about this man and felt very much at a disadvantage.

"I thought so," he nodded his head and paused for a second, thinking, then continued. "I followed you that evening to see where you went. I wanted to know more about you. Who you associated with, if you were around magicians or magic users, where you got your passion for magic from, that sort of thing. When I saw where you lived, I couldn't piece it together so I dug a little.I found out your name and where you worked and then I was really confused but also intrigued. You're a lawyer." It was a statement of disbelief, not a question, but she answered anyway.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"All the magic users I've met have been or are some sort of magician or psychic, or work in some sort of occupation that allows them to tap into their magical side and use it. At the very least, they have ties to others like them, whether it is family or friends, they are surrounded by other people like them in some way. You're all alone when it comes to your magic. You go to the shows alone, no one seems to know that you even like it, and you don't associate with anyone on a personal level that practices or believes in magic. It is very odd."

At his brief but accurate summary of her life, her curiosity turned to anger. "Well thanks. If I wanted someone to point out the obvious, insult my hobby, mock my loneliness, and make fun of just how odd I am, I would have told someone long ago. I don't think I needed to meet you here for that." Becky grabbed her purse and began to move from the booth but Blaine reached across the table and put his hand over hers before she could get up. She froze and stared at where his hand rested on hers. It was warm and soft, but it was also electrical. Like really electrical, she could actually feel the hum of electricity coming from his hand and moving into hers, slowly making its way up her arm. Her eyes met his and she could have sworn she saw them spark.

She ripped her hand back but didn't move. "Okay," she breathed out. "You've got my attention."

"Good," he moved his hand back to clasp his other again and the spark left his eyes, but the intense look did not, "because I did not seek you out to mock you.I sought you out because you are like me, us. You have a gift for magic and a love for it that is very rare these days. I would like for you to become a part of our group and I would like to teach you magic."

"You keep talking about magic as if it was real, but it's not. It's all tricks and illusions, smoke and mirrors. I know, I've figured them all out and mastered them. There isn't real magic!"

"Oh, I assure you Becky. Magic is very real," there was an intense look in his eyes that made her want to believe him.

"I don't believe you," Becky crossed her arms over her chest and had to admit to herself that she probably looked like a stubborn child, but she didn't care. Some strange man couldn't just announce that magic was real and she was going to believe him without any sort of proof. It didn't matter how good looking he was or how it felt like electricity was moving through her body when he touched her. Blaine smirked at her and there was a twinkle in his eye. Not the electrical spark she saw before, but a mischievous glint that she instantly grew leery of. She leaned back and narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"So proof is what you want?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Her eyes narrowed further. How...? He hadn't known her thoughts. It wasn't possible. She shook the idea away and waited without saying another word.

Blaine leaned back into the booth and began to rub his hands together. "Okay then.Let's see." He thought for a moment then glanced down at the table between them. They hadn't received their food yet and the sugar packets he had been playing with were still scattered around. He quickly shot her a wicked grin then turned an intense gaze to the tabletop. She watched him for a moment and then turned her attention to the table where he was staring. She was just about to ask him what it was he was looking at when she let out a soft gasp instead, jerking back in disbelief.

There had been five little white packets of sugar resting on the table and now all five of them were not. Each one of them was standing up, balancing on one corner of the packet. Her eyes quickly darted around, glancing at Blaine again and then at his hands to make sure he wasn't somehow holding them up, even though she knew it was impossible for him to hold so many packets up at the same time like that. As she moved her eyes back and forth between the table and Blaine as well as the surrounding area, searching for any clue as to how he was doing the trick, the packets began to spin around slowly. They didn't move around the table, fly in the air, or move anywhere else. They just stood on that one tiny corner of each packet and slowly spun in a tight circle, around and around.

Becky watched, mesmerized by what the tiny little packets were doing all on their own. She didn't know what to say or how to react, so she didn't do or say anything. Truthfully, she was so enthralled by what she was seeing before her, that she probably could have sat there for hours watching. But just as quickly as the packets began to spin, they stopped and fell to the side, lying harmlessly on the cool table top once again. Becky glanced up in disappointment, just in time to see Jenny approaching the table with their food, thus explaining why Blaine had to suddenly drop whatever spell it was that he had on them.

She glanced over to see that Blaine was leaning back in his seat again, looking cool and collected. She wished she felt that way. Her mind was going a mile a minute with all of the thoughts and questions she had for him. As if sensing those thoughts, Blaine whispered cryptically, "In time," just as Jenny started placing their food on the table.

"Sorry it took so long Becks, we are mad crazy tonight," she finished setting everything down, wiped her hands on her apron, and looked expectantly back at Becky. "Do you need anything else?"

Becky blinked a couple of times, trying to focus on what Jenny asked her, but she couldn't. She just kept thinking about how Blaine made those sugar packets stand up and turn without touching them. She was thinking about all of the magic tricks she'd seen, researched, or heard about and trying applying the technique she used to solve them to what she just witnessed. No matter what scenario she came up with or what solution she tried to apply, she just couldn't come up with a reasonable way he performed that trick. She didn't see any strings or magnets, she couldn't find any mirrors or other tools he could have used, and he performed the trick right in front of her without trying to distract her or draw her attention away from what he was doing. She was completely dumbfounded by what he had done and even more so by how he had accomplished it.

She vaguely heard Blaine answering Jenny, assuring her that they had everything they needed and thanking her. Truthfully, she couldn't have cared less about that or even about the food in front of her now. She wanted to know his secrets and how he did that trick. She finally looked up at him, intending to demand just that, but he raised a hand and shook his head. "Not here."

"But you just..." she trailed off and looked pointedly at the packets.

"I know and I shouldn't have. It's too risky," he glanced around as if looking for someone. Becky couldn't help but to do the same. She peeked over her shoulder and let her eyes sweep the diner before turning back to face Blaine. When she did, he had a smirk on his face. "Do you even know what you're looking for?" he teased.

She blushed. "No, but..." she shrugged, embarrassed that he was right but it had been an instinct. "Whatever! Why not here and what were you looking for?"

He leaned over the table and whispered so low she almost couldn't hear what he was saying, "We are talking about magic here, Becky. Real magic. I sought you out because I could tell that you wouldn't abuse it and you would keep the secret that we have been keeping for hundreds of years. Of course, that's not the case with everyone. There are always people that would use it for not so good intentions and we have to keep it from them. I shouldn't have shown you that but I needed you to believe me."

She blew out a breath. "Okay, I believe that part. I'm a criminal lawyer so I know just how bad people can be and I can't even imagine how much worse those people could be if magic were involved. But who is we? How many of you are there? And why me, really? I'm sure there are hundreds or thousands of good people that believe in magic even more than I do and would keep the secret just to be a part of it. Why did you pick me?"

He hesitated for a moment and Becky was sure he wasn't going to give her any answers when he finally started speaking softly to her again. "We are the MysticSeekers. We are an organization of magic users; most of us have inherited the abilities from our parents, passing the abilities down generation after generation. There are just over five hundred of us... in the world. We are a very small group and like to keep it that way."

He paused so Becky prompted him. "Okay, keep going," she motioned with her hand to emphasize her point.

"You're right in the fact that there are probably hundreds of other possible candidates, but I sensed something in you. Your willingness to learn and your love for magic will make you a much better student. Plus, I've seen you perform and you have a natural ability already. You will be a very easy student."

"Okay, so see, that's where I'm really confused. You talk about it as if you can teach me magic."

"I can."

She gave him a skeptical look. "How?"

He shook his head and sat up in his seat. "That is where the conversation has to end for now. We need to talk in a place that is more secure and private. There are too many people in here; the possibility of getting overheard is much too risky."

"Well why did we meet here than? If you weren't going to tell me everything?" she snapped, frustrated that she wasn't getting the answers she wanted.

Blaine raised an eyebrow at her frustrated tone and question. "Well, you're the one that accused me of being a stalker and hesitated to even meet me here. Do you think you really would have come if I asked you to meet in Central Park at midnight?" he asked with a knowing grin.

This time she glared, knowing that he was right but not wanting to admit it. Now that she had a taste of what he could do, what he was telling her, and what he claimed he could teach her, she wanted more. "Okay, so probably not. But we can go somewhere now," she said eagerly, causing him to chuckle. "What?" she asked with a pout.

He glanced down at his plate in front of him, then at hers. "Maybe we should eat our food and then talk about where we go from here."

Becky opened her mouth to object but promptly closed it when her stomach growled loud enough for Blaine to hear it. "Fine," she said grumpily and then began to eat her meal as quickly as she could while still appearing lady-like and using her manners. It was hard though. She wanted to wolf down her food as fast as possible and leave the diner so Blaine could tell her more about magic and how it was that he had that sort of power. She knew that she didn't possess even an ounce of any sort of magic or power. She was sure she would have felt it or sensed it at some time. So she was still unsure of the real reason he sought her out.

Becky could sense Blaine watching her as they both ate silently, but she refused to look at him. Although everything he told her and showed her had distracted her, she hadn't forgotten what this man looked like. She was trying so hard not to notice how attractive he was and to forget the electrical spark she felt when his hand touched hers. She knew now that it was from the power that he must have, but she couldn't help comparing it to all the romantic notions she heard about feeling a spark with someone special. She never experienced that before, hadn't even believed it to be feasible, but now her wistful side really started to like the idea of it being possible.

Mentally shaking her head, she reminded herself that she wasn't here for that anyway. She was here because this mysterious man knew magic. Somehow he possessed a power within himself that many people would kill to know even existed, much less to actually possess. She wanted to know his secrets and she needed to stay focused on that goal. She almost let out a rueful laugh when she thought about the two different men that she had met in the same week and how they both affected her in similar ways. She had little experience dating much less with men, especially like the two she just met. Both were beyond handsome, confident, and powerful. What were the odds that she would meet these two, in the same week, and have an instant attraction to both of them? She shook her head again as she let out a frustrated sigh. It didn't matter. Blaine was here with an agenda and it wasn't to date her. Ethan, well she didn't know what was going on with him but the fact that she hadn't felt the spark with him that she did with Blaine made her wonder if he was the right guy for her. Annoyed with where her thoughts turned, she placed her fork down a bit harder than she intended and pushed her empty plate away. When she glanced up it was to see Blaine had finished as well and was studying her intently.

"What?" she asked as she wiped her mouth, worried that she may have something on her face.

He shook his head and removed his wallet from his pocket. "Nothing," he began to place money on the table and Becky quickly realized that he was intending to pay for her meal.

"Oh no, I've got mine," she reached for her purse but he placed his warm hand on hers again.

The small jolt was there again and she looked up in surprise. He quickly pulled his hand away. "I asked you to meet me here so I would like to pay for your dinner. Please?" he asked when he saw that she was going to refuse.

"Oh, okay. Well thank you then," she said kindly and watched him place enough money to cover their meal as well as a nice tip for Jenny. She grabbed her purse and stood beside the table looking down at him impatiently. "Can we go now?" she asked eagerly. He smiled and shook his head but got up quickly and stood beside her.

Becky had to look away quickly when he looked down at her. The way she seemed to get caught up in his gaze was too much at the moment. She wanted to get out of the diner and away from all of these people so Blaine could answer all of her questions. She said a quick goodbye to Jenny and led the way out of the restaurant and onto the busy sidewalk. Once outside, she put a few feet of distance between the two of them before finally looking back up at him. Thankfully it was dark outside and that combined with his hat pulled low once again, she couldn't see his eyes very well. It was so much easier to talk to him that way. "Where should we go?"

"Is Central Park okay? I know it's a little far, but there's some stuff I want to show you and we'll get the space and privacy we need there."

A trickle of unease washed through Becky's body. She still didn't know this man, no matter how enchanting his eyes were and how well he was able to do that trick with the sugar packets. Central Park was huge. You could literally get lost in the park and at night it was even worse. There were all sorts of nooks and crannies that you could hide in and under the shadow of night, not a soul would see or hear you. Going into a place so large, at night, with a stranger wasn't a really good idea. He could do anything to her there and she would be defenseless.

As if, once again, he could sense her thoughts, Blaine quickly changed his suggestion to something more reasonable. "Or we could go to Bryant Park. It's closer and even though it's smaller, there are places we can sit and have privacy but still see who is around and make sure no one is eavesdropping."

In other words, they would be out in the open so if he tried to kill her, people would be sure to see. At least that's what she heard. The suggestion not only made her feel better about going with him now, but it also gave her some insight into the person he was. He seemed not only thoughtful and perceptive, but he seemed to really want her to trust him and knew what he needed to do to gain that trust.It was working.

"Okay, that sounds good. Would you like to just split a cab or take the subway?" She said the word subway with a slight wrinkle of her nose. She really hoped he would go for the cab. Now that they had agreed on where they would go, she felt like she couldn't get there fast enough.

He chuckled under his breath at her lack of discreetness. "I think a cab will be fine."

She let out a breath and practically ran to the street, throwing her hand up in the air and shouting 'taxi' as she did so. One came to a stop in front of her just as Blaine was reaching her side, smiling a wide toothy grin. She knew he was laughing at her but she couldn't find it in herself to be mad at him; his smile was just as captivating as his eyes. Before she could get lost in that smile, she opened up the door and slid across the seat to make room for him. "Bryant Park, please," she told the driver as Blaine shut the door and the driver stepped on the gas.

# Chapter Fifteen

They took the short trip to the park in comfortable silence, both lost in thought, the cab driver being the first one to speak up when they arrived at their destination. "That'll be eight dollars," the cab driver said gruffly but not rudely as they pulled in front of the park.

Becky began to dig around in her purse for her wallet but looked up sharply when she heard the cab driver mutter a 'thank you' and the door opposite of her being opened. "Blaine, did you just pay?" she found her wallet and opened it, pulling out a five dollar bill and shoving it toward him before he could even answer."Here take this."

"No," he said as he got out of the cab without taking the offered money from her. Becky huffed and scrambled out behind him, trying not to spill the contents of her purse in the process.

She slammed the car door shut harder than she intended but the driver pulled away before she could offer an apology. She glared at Blaine instead. "Why do you keep paying for me? It isn't like we're on a date or something. We just met! Besides that, I am completely capable of paying for my own things," she huffed out the last of her statement, her arms crossed over her chest and her foot even stomped. She knew she was acting like a child but she couldn't help it. Blaine was just standing there, hands in his pockets, held tilted to one side and a sexy as hell grin on his face, looking down at her.It irritated her that he insisted on being such a gentleman, that he was thoughtful of her feelings of being alone with him, and that she couldn't stop thinking about how hot he was. The fact that he found her irritation amusing was even more frustrating. When he still didn't say anything after her mini tantrum, she stomped her foot again for good measure before walking past him in a huff.

She heard him chuckle from behind her and although the deep sound caused her to shiver slightly, she ignored it and him. She walked further into the park and spied an empty bench. It was in front of a nice tree that would offer them some privacy but there was also a street lamp next to it that would keep them out of the shadows and visible to those who passed by. She plopped down onto the bench and slumped against the back with her arms still crossed over her chest and her lips pursed. The light from the street lamp made her curly hair look a deep auburn color and her pale skin gleam. She didn't notice the appreciative look in Blaine's eyes or the way he had to catch his breath before he could come near her.

Blaine sat down beside her, much more gracefully and smoothly than she had, and then leaned back as well. His arms were crossed over his chest and his legs were extended out, feet crossed at the ankles. She glanced down at herself after looking at him and noticed the obvious difference in their demeanor. She looked like she was pouting and uncomfortable, scrunched up and awkward. He looked relaxed and casual, and dammit...sexy. She did not like the way this man was making her think, act, or feel. What was wrong with her! Giving herself a mental shake and a good scolding for allowing him to get under her skin and lose focus; she dropped her arms and sat up.

"Thank you for paying for the cab fare. That was very kind of you," she told him meekly while glancing up at him from the corner of her eye.

"It's no problem and I know you can take care of yourself, but that isn't how I was raised. I didn't mean to offend you," he said awkwardly and for the first time Becky realized that Blaine was probably just as nervous as she was, if not more. He had a lot more to lose if she decided she believed him but didn't keep his secret. She could tell the world about his ability to use magic and probably even prove it once he told her everything. He was placing his faith in her and willing to trust her, just like she was with him.

She let out a sigh at her own behavior. "No, you didn't offend me. It's just that I've always been coddled and taken care of. My parents, who I know love me more than life, have always been a bit over protective and always taken care of everything for me. I just recently graduated and finally moved out on my own. I am relishing my first taste of freedom and independence.It's difficult to let that go now."

"I understand. Growing up, I was always protected and guarded more than any of my friends because of the magic within our family. The fear of someone discovering it was always there, making it very difficult to be independent in any way. I only got that when I moved out of my family's home as well. I remember those first few months of being able to do everything for myself," he glanced at her with a wicked grin. "It was nice to do whatever I wanted, when I wanted, and not have to answer to anyone."

"Exactly!" she said pointing at him and then pulled her hand back self-consciously when his smiled widened and she caught the glimmer in his eyes. Her breath caught, making her realize that they were getting off track; talking about things there were a little too emotional and personal for her comfort. She quickly changed the subject. "So...tell me about this magic."

The glimmer left his eyes, almost as he was disappointed but he continued the conversation without missing a beat. "I wondered how long it was going to take you," he said in a teasing tone that made her think she was mistaken about the look she thought she saw.

"I was just trying to be polite. I didn't want you thinking I only wanted you for your magic." As soon as the words were out of her mouth she realized what she said. She instantly felt her cheeks blush and was thankful for the camouflage of night so he wouldn't see. She bit her lip and waited, hoping he would let it slide. She should have known better.

"So, what else is it that you want me for, if not my magic Becky?" Blaine asked, his voice soft and low.

"Umm...I...I mean, I didn't..." she blew out a frustrated breath and slapped her open palms on her thighs before glaring at him. "I didn't mean it like that!" she said in frustration.

Blaine laughed, loud and deep, the sound taking her by surprise. It was a good laugh. One that would make anyone who heard it laugh too, including herself. She found a smile tugging at her lips when he finally responded to her outburst. "I know you didn't mean it like that Becky. I was just teasing you. Why are you so nervous now? You weren't like this back at the diner?" he asked curiously.

"Well maybe because we weren't in the middle of a dark park, at night, with no witnesses, and the perfect opportunity for you to murder me," she told him with a smirk. She wasn't nervous about that anymore but she would rather him think that than discover she was uncomfortable because he was so attractive.

He didn't seem to believe her though. "Well I don't think that's it but I'll let it go for now. And I do know what you meant. I don't think badly of you for being so curious about what I told you and eager to know more.I would be too."

Just like that, every single other thought was gone. "Good. Tell me everything!" she exclaimed.

He smiled again but it was brief, his face turning serious as he removed his hands from his pockets and sat up straighter. Becky instantly responded to his shift in mood, finding herself sitting up straighter and more alert as well. "I can't tell you everything but I will tell you what I can for now. The most important thing about all of this is secrecy. I sought you out because I had a good feeling about you. However, until I know for sure that you won't share any of this with anyone else; I am only allowed to reveal certain things. You understand?"

As much as she hated to admit it, she totally understood and agreed with what he was telling her. Like she had stated earlier, they had just met and he would be stupid to divulge such an amazing secret with someone he didn't know if he could completely trust. Unbeknownst to him, Becky had every intention of proving that he could trust her. She wanted to know everything. "Yes, I do."

"Good," he took a breath, wiped his palms on his pant legs and then looked out into the park. His voice was soft when he spoke. "I am a MysticSeeker. We are a group of people that know how to use real magic. We have existed for thousands of years, sometimes being a larger group and sometimes being even smaller than we are now. Like I told you earlier, there are a few hundred of us now, but once upon a time there were thousands until knowledge of our abilities began to get out and people became either scared or jealous of our power. A lot of those stories about witches and whatnot you've heard about in history have some sort of relationship with our group. That part of it is a very long story that we don't have time for now and one that you will learn if you choose to join me and learn how to use magic. For now though, you should know that every single human being has the capability within themselves to use magic. It is something we are born with that never leaves us. That internal magic combined with the magic of the earth and the universe can be harvested and used to do amazing things. The key to actually using the magic is having the knowledge to harvest it and not everyone has that ability. There have been a few, very few, over time that have figured it out, but for the most part it is something that is taught and learned by The MysticSeekers. It is something that is held very sacred and passed down from generation to generation. There are not books or manuals that contain the secrets to teaching these skills. It is only done verbally. Usually it is kept strictly within the family lines, seldom, if ever, letting an outsider come into the fold, but..." now he glances at her, his gaze boring into hers, "occasionally a natural magic user is found and exceptions are made."

Becky was quiet for a moment, taking in everything he had told her. It all sounded so simple and too good to be true. She told him just that. "It just seems simplistic. I know you said the key is learning to 'harvest' the power, but how could more people not do it on their own if they believed?"

"You're right, it is so simple but you just said yourself why more people aren't doing it."

"Huh? I don't understand."

"If more people believed, then maybe they would, but they don't." Seeing the look of confusion on her face, he continued. "Remember when you were a little girl and you believed in magic?" She nodded but let him go on. "Your belief was so deep that you probably believed in everything magical; fairies, vampires, and unicorns. All of it." She nodded again but still remained quiet. "But as you grew up, you became more aware of the difference between reality and make-believe and I'm sure you had adults telling you those things you believed in were fake and fanciful. So when you stopped believing in those things, you stopped believing in magic all together. The one most important attribute a magic user needs is a concrete belief in magic."

"But I believe in magic," she argued, but he was already shaking his head before she even finished her sentence.

"You believe in magic shows, magicians, illusions, and tricks. You find them enjoyable, entertaining, and you love to solve the tricks and illusions they show you. You don't and haven't in a very long time, actually believed that magic was real. That lack of belief is the key."

"So your telling me that if I believe, like truly and totally believe in magic, that I'll be able to do magic. Just like that?" she asked skeptically.It was really sounding too good to be true now.

"No, that's not what I'm saying." He shook his head and adjusted how he was sitting so that he was facing her more. "I'm saying that the belief is the key. Once someone has a true belief, they are more receptive to the power within and around them. They can feel or sense what they need and use the natural power to perform the magic they desire."

"Okay, so I think I understand. But what sort of magic are we talking about? Manipulating objects, making things disappear, what? When you say magic my mind conjures up all sorts of possibilities."

"Honestly, the possibilities are endless. The ability of magic is all based on the MysticSeeker. The amount of power and energy in the world is infinite. So it's all up to how much the individual can learn to control and manipulate. With time and practice, I have seen people do absolutely astonishing things. On the other hand, I've also seen the power go to some users' heads, just like it can with anyone that gains any sort of power. I've seen some very horrible things, which is why it's so important we keep our secret and are very careful who we trust with it."

"I understand and I know it's only words for now, but I want you to know that you can trust me," Becky told him solemnly.

He smiled at her then, the first one since he started explaining things to her. "I think I know that."

She stared at him for a moment, lost in his eyes and that smile, overwhelmed with happiness that he trusted her, before she realized that she was staring. She blinked and sat up straighter. "Good," she said enthusiastically, "Now why don't you put your money where your mouth is and show me some magic!"

# Chapter Sixteen

Blaine sat up even further and leaned forward slightly as he began to rub his hands together, almost as if he were warming them. Becky glanced up to see the wicked smile on his face and the mischievous look in his eyes. He wasn't cold. He was rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Becky's smile grew impossibly bigger as her excitement grew too. This is what she had been waiting for her whole life!

"So, its real magic you want to see?" he asked, already knowing the answer but apparently set on teasing and torturing her further.

"You know I do! Now stop teasing and show me!" She felt like that little girl she once was, giddy with excitement and hope.

"Okay, but we have to start out small and I can only show you so much out here in the open like this." She started to argue which would have probably led to begging, but Blaine held his hand up to stop her. "Trust me. What I show you will definitely satisfy you," he said suggestively.

If she hadn't been so impatient to see him do some more magic, she probably would have been embarrassed over the possible double meaning in his comment. Instead, she smacked him on the arm and gestured with her other hand for him to hurry up.He chuckled but did as she demanded.

He turned his body so that he was facing her as fully as he could while still sitting on the bench. She did the same so that they were face to face, knees touching, and only a foot of space between their bodies. He looked into her eyes and then down to his now open palms between them. She did the same. Just as she did, a small fire ball formed in his hands. It was almost like an orb of blue and red light, but there were small flames dancing from the top of it. It was beautiful, but it wasn't something she hadn't seen before. Magicians always used these little packets that were small enough to place in the palm of their hands without the audience seeing them. They ignited and made it look like the magician could make flames come out of his bare hands. Blaine wasn't doing a very good job of impressing her.

She looked back up at him and was about to tell him just that when he shook his head and nodded back down to the flames. "Open your hands like mine."

She hesitated for just a second but then mirrored his position, placing her hands just like his, her fingertips just a breath away from his. She watched as the fire ball danced and moved from his hand to hers. She sucked in a breath when she felt the warmth engulf her palms, afraid it would burn her when it was fully in her hands, but the heat never intensified. Her hands were bathed in a toasty temperature that warmed her whole body. She watched the orb float and the flames dance, the colors beautiful and mesmerizing. She had to admit that this was much more impressive, him moving the flame from his hands to hers, without touching it but she wanted more.

She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, silently challenging him. He met her challenge with a raised eyebrow of his own then looked back down at her open palms. He slowly moved his hands over hers and the orb, before lowering them until their palms were touching each other. The heat was still there but the orb was gone, replaced with that zing of electricity she felt every time their skin touched. She almost jerked her hands away, but he wrapped his fingers around hers, causing her to look up in question. He shook his head again but didn't say anything. His fingers released her and she looked back down. He slowly moved his palms back up and then away from her, revealing a lovely butterfly.

This time the breath she took was more audible. "Oh," was the only word she could manage as she gazed down at the beautiful blue butterfly that was now sitting in her hand, wings slowly moving up and down as if it were just taking a rest.

"You don't see many butterflies just hanging around Downtown Manhattan this time of night do you?" his voice was soft, as to not break the quiet of the night that had surrounded them.

She shook her head, "No, you don't." She looked back up at him and she knew he could see the wonder in her eyes. "This is amazing."

He nodded, "Yeah, it is but those are things that could be explained away still."

She knew he was right even though she was positive he hadn't had a butterfly up his sleeve this entire evening. And if he had, she would have easily seen him do the trick because she had been watching for any of the usual signs. But to anyone else, yes they could be explained away. "Okay then, show me more," she encouraged. Her voice was still soft, the earlier challenge replaced with wonder and curiosity. She didn't doubt him anymore, she was entirely caught up in what was happening and wanted to see everything he would show her.

"Let it go and let's take a walk."

Gently raising her hand, she gave the butterfly a little prompting before it took flight and fluttered away. She watched it for a moment until she couldn't see it anymore, fully aware of Blaine's eyes on her as she did, but she didn't look his way until she stood beside him. He was watching her with a soft look that she didn't understand but it made her stomach roll and not in the way it did when Lance looked at her. Shaking the thought away for now, she gestured for Blaine to lead the way. She didn't hesitate this time to follow him wherever it was that he was taking her.

They walked through the park, side by side for a few moments until they were safely tucked further into the shadows and away from the possibility of being seen. Then Blaine leaned closer to her, almost whispering in her ear, "Look over there at the base of that tree." He gestured with his hand where she should look and she did.

It was just a regular tree, nothing around the base except for mulch and grass. But as she looked, a bed a flowers began to bloom around it. She froze in her tracks and watched as small sprouts began to come up from the ground. They were green and looked almost like blades of grass, until they began to blossom and bloom, turning into lovely tulips of every imaginable color .She took a few tentative steps toward the bed of flowers, unsure if she should get closer, but then Blaine's large, warm hand was on the small of her back nudging her toward them. "Go check them out. They're real."

She gave him a sheepish look over her shoulder at being caught doubting him, but he just smiled and gave her a gentle push. She didn't need to be told again. She closed the distance much quicker than before and crouched down in front of the flowers. She reached her hand out and brushed her fingertip across a petal of one of the tulips. It was soft and waxy, just like a real one would be. She pinched the petal between her finger and thumb, rubbing it between them to get a better feel for it, and then plucked the petal from the flower. She brought it closer to her face where she examined it carefully, taking in the texture and color. Then she lifted it to her nose where there was no mistaking the floral aroma. Holding the soft, delicate petal in her fingers, she looked at the rest of the gorgeous flowers in front of her and found herself utterly speechless.

She felt Blaine move behind her and then crouch down next her as well. He didn't say anything, didn't even look at her. Becky watched as his big, tan hand reached out, his long masculine finger extended and the tip delicately brushed the petals of one of the flowers. She couldn't explain the surprising response she had to his actions, but watching him do that made her heart thump a little bit harder and her breath became short. She was enthralled by the way his finger and his thumb moved and caressed the flower; she could almost imagine how that delicate touch would feel on her bare skin. She had to bite her lip to fight the sudden warm feeling she got in the pit of her stomach at that thought. She closed her eyes quickly, trying to clear her head and when she opened them again, she noticed that Blaine's fingers were no longer caressing the flower.

She looked up to see his focus was now solely on her. The look in his eyes made her bite her lip even harder but the pain wasn't enough to break the spell and make her look away. There was a spark in his eyes that reminded her of the electricity she felt whenever he touched her. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it or if he was somehow magically making it appear there but either way, it took her breath away.

She couldn't pull her gaze from his, so she didn't see him move, but she did sense it. His finger, the same one that had so delicately stroked the flower petal, touched her check just as softly as it had the flower. Then, while still staring into her eyes, he moved it slowly down the side of her face. He touched her so softly it felt more like a feather running along her jawline, barely there but still being the most wonderful touch she had ever experienced. When he finally reached her chin, he left his finger there and waited for just a moment. When she didn't pull away, he slid it back once again, his other fingers joining the journey until he was cupping the side of her face with his entire hand and his thumb was resting lightly on her chin. He then used his hold on her to his advantage, keeping her in place as he moved his face slowly toward hers. The only time he broke eye contact with her was when his eyes flickered to her mouth quickly before meeting hers again. With that one glance, she knew his intent and wanted it more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. As his face moved closer, his eyelids began to lower, closing slowly, and Becky felt her eyes doing the same.

Her heart was racing, her breathing shallow, and her stomach warming as she felt his warm breath touch her lips just before she heard a loud cracking sound from beside them. It sounded almost like when lightning strikes and was loud enough to make her ears ring. Blaine and Becky both swung their heads around to find the source of the noise. Becky didn't see anything but Blaine must have because he stood quickly while grabbing her hand and pulling her roughly behind him. They moved at a fast jog until they were about thirty feet from the tree before he stopped and turned back around.

Becky, still unsure of what just happened or what Blaine was looking at, turned as well and gasped in horror. The tree they were just standing under was on fire. It wasn't a large flame, but it was getting bigger and the smoke that was coming off of it was black and thick. Becky glanced up at the sky in confusion. "Did lightning just strike that tree?"

"No," Blaine answered. She could tell that he was gritting his teeth when he did. He stared at the tree for a moment, and then waved his hands at it. Just like that the flames were out.

"Wow," Becky breathed in awe. "That was amazing."

"No. That was someone trying to warn us," his voice was ominous and scary, causing her head to jerk back and look up at him.

"What?" she practically screeched, fear starting to set in just from his tone.

But he wasn't looking at her. Instead, his gaze was scanning the area rapidly. Becky couldn't help but to do what she did earlier in the diner and look around as well. She had no idea what she was looking for but if she saw some sinister character, lurking in the shadows, with a cape and an evil smile, she was pretty sure she would know that was the suspect. Thankfully there didn't seem to be anyone around that fit that description; which meant they were probably safe for now from whoever had just tried to hurt them. Thankfully, it also meant that no one had witnessed the sudden combustion of a tree and then it just as suddenly being extinguished all on its own. She had no idea how they would have explained that away.

They both remained quiet as they scanned the area, but now that the coast seemed to be clear, Blaine broke the silence by answering her question. "I'm not sure who it was, although I have a pretty good idea. That's why it is so important that we are careful of where and when we do our magic as well as what we discuss when we're out. You never know whose watching or lurking around the corner and magic users are even more deceptive and sneaky than regular people."

"Umm...suddenly all of this magic stuff is starting to sound really bad and scary," Becky said as she wrapped her arms around herself and fought a shiver.

Blaine moved closer to her and wrapped one of his arms around her. "It isn't always bad and I don't want you to be scared. Like I told you before, just because we are able to use magic, it doesn't change the type of person we are. A good person will use magic for good and a bad person won't. Just like any other good or bad person."

"Yeah except a regular bad person can't blow me up or catch me on fire without me even knowing their around," she said sarcastically. She didn't intend to sound mean but she was scared. She didn't like the idea of someone being able to just light her on fire and her not even have the chance to fight back.

"Someone isn't going to just attack you for no reason, not a magic user."

"Well what do you call what just happened then?" she asked instantly, but then what he said caught up with her brain and she started putting two and two together. She stepped away from his warm body and out from under his comforting arm so that she could look up at him. "You know who that was and why they were trying to hurt you." It was a statement and the look on his face confirmed it to be true.

He nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I have a pretty good idea of who it was and why."

Nervous and unsure of what to say, Becky said the first thing that came to mind. "Please tell me you don't have some sort of stalker ex-girlfriend that just tried to kill you because we almost kissed." She laughed at her own silly thoughts, but when Blaine didn't make even a peep at her ridiculous comment she looked up to see him with a guilty look on his face.

"Seriously? That's it? Your ex-girlfriend just tried to kill you? Oh wait! She just tried to kill me didn't she? Oh my God! This is just freaking fabulous and so cliché!" Becky said as she whirled away from him and threw her hands in the air at the same time. How could her life get any more complicated? She already had an ex gunning for her, she didn't need another one!

"Wait!" Blaine said urgently and grabbed her hand to keep her from walking too far. "It isn't safe for you to go off on your own and we really should get out of here. Can I take you home?" When she gave him a mocking look because they had taken a cab to get there in the first place, he amended his question. "We could share a cab so that I can make sure you get home safely. Would that be okay?"

She watched him for a moment, noting that his hand was still holding onto hers and the slight electric tingle that was still present. She liked that feeling. She looked into his eyes and was instantly a goner. They were just so perfect.She let out a breath in defeat. "Okay, fine. But you have a lot of explaining to do.I need to know what I'm getting myself into here."

He smiled and tugged on her hand, keeping it firmly in his as they made their way out of the park and to the sidewalk again. He hailed a cab and they both climbed in. When she glanced out of the window toward the charred tree one last time, she could have sworn she saw that dark and sinister creature she was looking for before, but the cab pulled away from the curb before she could be sure.

# Chapter Seventeen

As soon as the door shut and the driver was given her address, she turned toward Blaine. "Start talking," she demanded softly

He glanced at the driver before he let out a sigh and leaned back into the seat, eyeing her wearily. His voice was low, for her ears only when he complied. "She's not exactly an ex-girlfriend. She's a girl I grew up with and that was trained by my grandfather just like I was. He's the oldest member of our organization so he teaches all of the kids when they get old enough to start learning our history..." he hesitated with another quick peek toward the driver before he continued, "and other things. Most of the time we did our lessons together, so naturally we became very close over the years," he finished with a shrug but wouldn't meet her eyes.

When she said nothing, he finally looked at her. She raised an eyebrow at him, knowing he was being evasive.

He rolled his eyes and blew out a breath. "We may have dated a little, but we were young and it was all innocent. As we got older we realized that we weren't compatible as a couple," there was something in his voice now that had Becky's back straightening. "We started seeing things...differently."

"Like what?" Becky asked, even though she was pretty sure she already knew.

Blaine glanced at the cab driver once again to make sure he wasn't listening to their conversation and then lowered his voice even further. "She didn't really see anything wrong with using her abilities for things other than what my grandfather taught us."

"What did he teach you?" she asked, eager and curious for more information. Blaine seemed like a really nice guy so she assumed his grandfather taught him to use his magic for only good things, but they hadn't gotten to that part of the conversation yet. She really wanted to know what they did as an organization. She couldn't help the silly thoughts that flitted through her mind.O nes of secret superheroes going out into the night to save the world.She actually had to hold back a giggle when she pictured Blaine in an outfit similar to Superman.

He cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him. There was a humorous glint in his eye, as if he knew where her imagination had wondered. She shook her head and motioned with her hand for him to continue. He glanced at the cabbie quickly again before meeting her eyes, the laughter now gone. "Let's just say that my grandfather was a really good man that had strong moral beliefs, beliefs that he tried to instill in me and every other student of his over the years. He knew that what we were able to do was special and was meant to be treated with respect. He warned us about using our talents for the wrong reasons and what the consequences could be. But no matter how much he drilled that into our heads, there were always a few of those students that didn't believe what he taught us. It didn't help that there always seemed to be someone lurking in the shadows, trying to persuade us to do the wrong thing. Those people saw the benefits of using our skills for the wrong things and tried recruiting us when we were very young to join them. She was one of those students that were persuaded to go against the rest of us."

Becky nodded her head in understanding, knowing there were probably many people out there using their magic skills to do bad things. The exact thought had crossed her mind when Blaine first told her about him and the MysticSeekers. She realized then how important secrecy would be for them. There would always be people who would want to use such an amazing gift for their own personal gain. But she was still dying to know more details about what exactly they were taught and what sort of things the bad people did. Her mind drifted again to a superhero and villain scenario, complete with all the dangerous things that could involve. Like fireballs being thrown at you, she thought ruefully. As much as she wanted to ask all the questions that were swirling around in her head, she knew that he couldn't tell her those things with someone listening. And as much as the cab driver was acting like he was focused on the road, he was totally eavesdropping on their conversation.

Before she could figure out a way to ask more without giving anything away, the cab stopped in front of her building. She was so caught up in her own desire and need for more information that she didn't even think before she blurted, "Come in with me."

Blaine met her eyes and watched her intently as if he were waiting for her to change her mind. It wasn't going to happen. Becky knew that he wouldn't hurt her; he had just saved her life for crying out loud. Even if it was from his enemy. And that hadn't been the first time he had rescued her from a dangerous situation, so there was no doubt in her mind that she was safe with him. Well, she thought, looking into his electric eyes, safe from physical harm at least. When she said nothing and only held his gaze, he nodded once and opened the door. He took his wallet out and paid again before she could even get out of the car. She huffed out her frustration as she pulled her purse over her shoulder but didn't bother to argue.

She made her way to the door where the doorman was already holding the door open for her, Blaine following silently behind. The doorman eyed Blaine cautiously and then looked at Becky with a tight smile. "Everything okay this evening Miss Wellington?"

His tone confused her until she realized that her temper may be causing him to come to the wrong conclusion about her companion. Then again, he could be jumping to a completely different assumption given the fact that she had a totally different man here with her just the night before. Great! She went from being a lonely homebody to a complete whore. She blew out a breath and smiled kindly at the older man. "Yes, Tony. I'm fine. This is my friend Blaine," she couldn't help but to emphasize that to him. She didn't want him thinking badly of her. "And he keeps insisting on paying for stuff for me. It's getting to be annoying." She shot Blaine a glare but turned back to Tony when she heard him chuckle.

Much more relaxed now, he shot her a wink. "Well, I'd say you found yourself a keeper then Miss Wellington."

She couldn't help but to blush at his meaning while she mumbled a thank you and slipped past him into the building. There was no use arguing over his assumptions. It would just be more embarrassing for her. She heard Blaine exchange a polite greeting with the doorman as he entered the building behind her but didn't look up as she swiftly walked toward the elevator doors and pressed the button. While she stood waiting, she felt Blaine come up beside her, so close that his arm brushed lightly against hers.She still didn't look up. She was so embarrassed over the fact that Tony thought they were a couple and implied that they would be together for a w hile.She didn't know what to say to Blaine or how to apologize for the assumptions.

The elevator arrived while she was agonizing over what to say. As they stepped on and the doors shut behind them, Blaine said softly, "It's not a big deal Becky."

Her head jerked up and her eyes snapped to his. She eyed him in surprise for a moment and then they narrowed on him. This was not the first time he made a statement that mirrored her thoughts so closely. She immediately became suspicious. "How?"

That was the only word she needed to say .He knew exactly what she was asking. He shrugged, "I don't know for sure, I've never really experienced it before, but when your emotions are running really high, I seem to be able to get a sense for them."

"You mean you can read my mind?" she asked, her voice going much too high and her cheeks flaming.

He chuckled at her reaction ."No. I can't read your mind. I don't know exactly what you're thinking or anything like that. I just know when you're scared or extremely uncomfortable. Once I know that, it's not that hard to figure out why or what caused it."

She watched him without saying anything, trying to decide if she believed him or not. How embarrassing would it be if he could actually read her mind! The thoughts she had earlier about how attractive he was and the way she imagined his fingers touching her skin came back to mind in a rush. She began to mentally freak out as she tried to push them away.

Of course he picked up on that. "Please don't freak out. I swear I can't read your mind." When she only gave him a wide-eyed look, he rushed on. "Look, just now I could see you blushing when the doorman made the comment about keeping me around, then I felt how uncomfortable you were and after that you wouldn't look at me. It wasn't that hard to understand that you were worried about what I would think. It's not a big deal. I don't mind if he thinks we're a couple."

Becky could literally feel her eyes bug out of her head at his last statement. Blaine's eyes did the same and he threw his hands up in front of him. "I mean... I'm not saying...I didn't..."

Becky laughed. All of her embarrassment faded and she was overtaken with fits of giggles. She didn't mean to be laughing at him, but it was nice to see someone other than herself completely embarrassed and fumbling for the right thing to say. "I know what you meant Blaine," she reassured him between muffled snickers.

He let out a breath and sagged against the elevator wall. "I guess you can tell what I'm feeling too huh?" he asked with a crooked grin.

Becky calmed herself down and smiled a mischievous grin. "Maybe." She hadn't really felt anything but she thought it would be funny for him to squirm for a few minutes like she had all night. He narrowed his eyes on her and opened his mouth, getting ready to call her out she was sure, just as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Becky stepped off quickly with Blaine following close behind. She walked ahead of him, not giving him a chance to give her a hard time about her teasing him. She was fishing the keys out of her purse when she felt Blaine's hand grab her arm and pull her to a stop. She glanced back at him with a smile that quickly turned into concern when she saw the serious look on his face.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, but would you mind if I checked things out first before you went in?"

"Oh, umm...yeah sure," she handed him the keys and let him move around her to the door. Did he really think someone would be in her apartment? She hadn't even considered the possibility but after having fireballs thrown at her head, she probably should have. What if Blaine hadn't walked her up and she went in by herself? What if someone was in there waiting for her? She would have been alone and helpless, caught completely off guard. She made a mental note to be more vigilant from now on as she watched Blaine. He slowly pushed open the door to her apartment, peering around inside the dark room before walking in, leaving the door open behind him.

Becky peeked around the corner and watched as he moved around her apartment quietly but quickly. When he disappeared into her room she had to tamp down the embarrassment over him seeing her bed and personal items in her bathroom. He wasn't there to look at her intimate things, she reminded herself.He was searching her apartment for danger. When he strode out of her bedroom a few seconds later, he smiled at her as he motioned her in. "All clear," he told her as she closed the door and turned to face him again.

"God! This is so weird," she shook her head and moved around him to set her stuff on the kitchen bar. "I can't believe all this crazy stuff keeps happening to me!"

"What else has happened?" he asked from behind her, the concern clear in his voice.

She waved off his concern with her hand before she motioned to the couch. "It's nothing serious. You want to sit? Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, water, wine?"

"Sure, I'll take some water please," he said as he took a seat on the couch.

Becky made her way to the kitchen to grab two bottles of water out of the fridge before joining Blaine on the couch. She handed him his water and sat down beside him. When she did, her body shifted closer to his, causing her leg to rub against his. At the contact, her relaxed, teasing mood fled and she found herself flustered all over again. She didn't understand how he could do that to her with barely a touch. She hadn't even felt this way when Ethan kissed her the other night. It had been nice and made her feel special, but her stomach didn't feel like there was suddenly a stampede of elephants tromping through it.

Apparently sensing her unease, Blaine moved his leg slightly away so they weren't touching but he didn't move his body away. He remained close and although the lack of contact helped, she was still nervous with him so near. She could feel the heat coming off his body, one that was so much larger than hers and made her feel like leaning into it. While she was fighting the urge to do just that, she felt his eyes studying her. She had been avoiding eye contact since she sat down, knowing that if she met his gaze she would be captivated once again. But she knew she couldn't avoid them forever and she didn't want to be rude by staring down at the floor the entire time either. Bracing herself mentally, she looked up and sucked in a breath as their eyes met.

She was instantly snared by the electricity zinging in his eyes and the emotions they revealed. They were so intense it was like she could feel all of the sensations he was experiencing at that moment. They were all so deep too. The one that stuck out the most though was concern.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned now herself.

"Are you okay Becky? After everything that happened? I can't tell you how sorry I am."

She really had been shaken up when everything was happening, but now she felt better. It was just another thing to add to the long list of crazy she had experienced already that week. So she just tried to wave of his concern. "Yes, I'm really fine. After the week I've had..." she just shook her head and blew out a breath.

"What else has happened to you? Has that guy been bothering you again? Did he try to hurt you?" his sat up quickly, his voice becoming urgent and angry.

Becky quickly reassured him, not wanting him to be worried about her. "No! Lance hasn't been bothering me. Not since you rescued me the other day. Thank you for that, by the way."

He sat back again, the tension leaving his body as he asked, "What was going on that day?"

She was a little surprised he was asking her. Most people would say it wasn't their business or ask in a less blunt way, but Blaine didn't seem to have the same reserve.

"Umm, well. He's just upset that I broke up with him."

"Well I could understand why he would be upset to lose you, but that doesn't excuse the way he was being so rough with you. There's more. Tell me," his voice was hard and commanding but it didn't bother Becky. She knew it wasn't directed at her as much as it was at the idea of Lance hurting her. She also knew the situation was serious but she couldn't help the little flutter in her tummy at the idea that he seemed to care about her.

"Well, we were actually engaged. The night of our engagement party I walked in on him...and...umm..." she waved her hand in the air and turned her face to hide her burning cheeks. "You know," she finished lamely.

"Yeah, I think I do," his voice was a little sharper and he sounded angry which brought Becky's gaze back to his. When she was looking at him again he questioned, "It sounds like he found someone else, why is he so angry you broke it off?"

"Well Lance is one of those guys that like to have their cake and eat it too. I wasn't...well since I wasn't giving him what he wanted..." she cleared her throat but forged ahead. She was already this far. "He found it somewhere else. He thought I should have understood that and been okay with it. I wasn't. So when I broke off the engagement, not only was he humiliated at being dumped, but he also lost his chance at being half owner of my parent's law firm."

"How is that?" Blaine asked his voice snippy, almost sarcastic.

She almost giggled at his tone. He was making it so easy to talk to him about something that would normally be torture for her. He didn't draw attention to the awkward or uncomfortable parts of the conversation and making his dislike for Lance so apparent made her like him even more. "If we married, he would have been given half the law firm as a gift from my parents. They want to keep it in the family and since Lance's grandfather was part of the law firm years ago, and Lance is now a lawyer there himself, they felt comfortable with giving him half. As it stands now, I'll get the whole thing."

"Ah, okay. I think I understand now," he paused then asked the million dollar questions. "So what are you going to do about him?"

Becky shrugged. "I don't know. I've been asking myself the same question for months now. He's a respectable attorney and good at what he does. I hate the idea of ruining his career."

"Do you love him?" he asked softly but she could see the barely contained anger in his eyes at that thought.

Even though Becky could see that he didn't like asking the question, it still angered her that he did, especially after what he witnessed himself. With narrowed eyes and heat in her own voice now, she asked, "Did it look like I loved him to you?"

"Well, no, but you seem to be protecting him and I've only seen that when a women still loves the man that is abusing her."

"He's not abusing me!" Becky's voice rose at the accusation.

Blaine's voice remained calm when he disagreed. "Yes, he is." When she started to shake her head in denial, he reached for her hand and held it in his. The electrical currents that began to zing through her hand shut her up real quick. "Just because he isn't physically abusing you - which it looked pretty close to that the other day by the way - doesn't mean he isn't abusing you. He's scaring you and threatening you but also making you feel sorry for him. He's manipulating you and you're letting him."

She shook her head. He didn't understand.

"Explain it to me," he stated, picking up on her emotions again. She wasn't sure whether she liked that or not now.It was so weird for someone else to be able to pick up on how she was feeling when she was trying to hide it. Although she could admit to herself that it was nice to not be able to hide for a change, it was also strange because this man was a virtual stranger and he seemed to already know more about her than anyone else in the world.

She sighed and decided to tell him everything. "My parents have these expectations, ones that they've had since I was born. The law firm isn't just a family business, it's a legacy. One that I'm expected to carry on. Lance was meant to be my husband and partner to help with that. Of course after everything that's happened, I have no intention of letting him do that. But it doesn't change the fact that my parents like and respect him and his family. They've been friends with his parents for years and I don't want to be the cause for problems between them."

"How would you be the cause? It's isn't your fault that he's the way he is. It wasn't you that cheated. You've done absolutely nothing wrong and yet you feel responsible," he shakes his head at her before continuing. "You are a great person to take on so much, but you need to stop. It isn't your job to protect him. It isn't your job to make sure your parents and his parents stay friends. And it isn't your job to do what you obviously don't want to do in order to make your parents happy. Why are you a lawyer if you don't want to be?"

"Because my parents have worked so hard to make sure I became one, just like them and I don't want to disappoint them."

"Do you really think they would be disappointed in you if you wanted to do something else?"

Now he sounded like Helen. "No probably not, but I don't even know what I want to do so how can I tell them that? Mom and Dad, I don't want to be an attorney, take over the family business or follow in your footsteps but I've got no clue what I do want to do. I don't think that conversation would go over too well with them."

He chuckled at my silly voice but offered up some good advice. "I think that you should tell them you need some time to find yourself. Find out what you want to do and pursue it. You don't have to know right now what that is, but you do need the time and freedom to explore your options and find out what that is."

Becky nodded her head in agreement. That made sense but she still didn't know what she was going to do. Blaine hesitated and Becky knew he had something he felt was important to say but he seemed to be struggling with it.

"What is it?" she asked, giving him her full attention.

"I know you're dealing with a lot right now and I hate the idea of compounding that, but I would like you to consider training...with me."

"Okay. I mean I know I still have some stuff to sort out, but we could still meet up and you can tell me everything I need to know and teach me some stuff." She was starting to get excited again.S he had some thinking to do and some decisions to make but the idea of learning about magic and how to use it would help her through all of that. Plus, it would be so much fun!

Blaine broke eye contact and started looking around the room nervously. She could sense his unease and she began to worry again. "Umm...well...you see..." he stuttered then trailed off.

"Just spit it out Blaine," she finally demanded.

His eyes swung back to hers. "I can't train you here. You would have to come away with me."

# Chapter Eighteen

Becky fell back against the couch and stared at Blaine, her dreams crashing down around her once again. She couldn't go away with him. Even if she worked up the courage to tell her parents she was unhappy and wanted to do something else with her life, she wouldn't be able to just leave them.

"I know it's not the best time for this and that it is a difficult decision for you to make, but it's the only way. There are so many things you need to learn and the middle of New York City isn't even close to the ideal place to begin teaching you those things."

She began to shake her head no before she even spoke. "I can't."

"Why not?" He asked, sounding just as disappointed as she felt.

"I can't leave my parents. They're all I have Blaine," she sighed as she sank back into the couch even further.

He leaned forward and took her hands in his, the warmth of them engulfing her much smaller ones and seeping into her body. The feeling was so nice that she had to force herself to focus on what he was saying. "It wouldn't be forever Becky. In fact, we could even break up the training." A new light entered his eyes and he began to get excited, dropping her hands and becoming more animated as his plans started flying out of his mouth. "You could come with me for a month. It would give you a chance to meet everyone, especially my grandfather. We could give you the history of our group, how we started, and all the important stuff you would need to know. Then you could come home for a while; spend time with your family, and start figuring out if this is something you want to pursue. Then if you do, which I really hope you do, you can go back with me for small periods of time for training. You wouldn't be gone for too long at any given time and you would still get to see your family. Once the training is done, you can still live here just like I do."

Blaine's enthusiasm was rubbing off on her. She could see how that might work. It wouldn't be any different than normal people going away to train for a new job or something. Maybe she could even get around telling her parents about her doubts and lack of interest in her current job for now. At least until she knew more about Blaine and the MysticSeekers and could decide if that was a path she wanted to pursue. Truthfully, she couldn't even make the decision about whether or not she wanted to learn more about magic until she went with Blaine and everything was explained to her. She could even decide she didn't want to be a part of their group once she knew all the details. They could all be some sort of cult or something filled with crazy people for all she knew at this point.

She rolled her eyes at herself and her wayward thoughts then glanced at Blaine. He wasn't crazy. She knew it, she could feel it. She doubted the people he wanted her to meet were either. But it was a huge leap of faith for her to consider going away with him somewhere, alone. She still needed more facts and details before she could consider this crazy idea further.

"Where is this place you want me to go?"

"It's actually not that far, just up in Pennsylvania. My family owns a lot of land up there. We get the privacy we need to practice magic without anyone seeing anything out of the ordinary and asking questions. We can also make the area more secure and guarded since we own the land and it's in the middle of nowhere."

"So a day's drive? I could come back whenever I needed to pretty easily?"

"Yeah, but there will be so much information for you to learn in order for you to decide if you want to join us or not. It would be much quicker and more efficient if you just stayed for a few weeks. You could meet a lot of my family; see how we do things, how the organization works and is run, and learn our history and everything we stand for. That way you can decide if it's for you."

He looked so excited and hopeful. She wished she felt that way too. She seemed to be on this rollercoaster of emotions when it came to everything Blaine was telling her. She wanted, more than anything in the world for everything he was telling her to be completely true. She not only wanted there to be real magic, but she wanted to be able to use it. She couldn't even imagine how that would feel. But then her rational, grown-up self would step in, reminding her just how crazy all of this was and how it couldn't possibly be real. A whole secret organization, living right there in Pennsylvania, full of magic users, and they wanted her to join them? What could she contribute to a group like that? And what did they even do with all of these alleged amazing abilities? Her modern day super hero scenario jumped back into her head. She could see them all in some super-secret compound, learning magic to help save the world. That was a pretty cool idea actually. Her parents would be cool with that as a career, except she probably wouldn't be able to tell them.

She let out a frustrated breath completely confused and having no clue what she should do.

Once again, Blaine knew exactly what she was feeling and what to say to relieve some of the pressure. "Listen, you don't have to decide now. Why don't you think about it and call me. I'll answer whatever questions I am able to, but truthfully, that's not going to be too many. So don't get to upset with me," he shot her a teasing wink as he stood. She stood beside him, intending to walk him to the door. She didn't really want him to leave but she knew she had some thinking to do and wouldn't be able to do that with him so close to her. When she stood though, he didn't move back to give her space. Instead, he turned to her, their bodies so close they were almost touching. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with the electrical charge she had seen so many times already, as he reached his hand up to cup the side of her face. Tiny tingles began to move through her skin, warming it and comforting her at the same time. "I don't want to pressure you but I really hope you decide to take a chance on me. I think we would make a really great team. Think about it, please?" his voice was whisper soft, just like his hand was on her skin.

She nodded her head, unable to speak past the lump in her throat and knot in her stomach. She stared into his eyes and everything else faded away. He was so handsome and kind, but there was more. There was this pull to him that she couldn't seem to resist and she didn't want to. Her body swayed toward his all on its own, her hand moving to his chest. His free hand moved to her hip and she immediately felt another, more intense jolt of electricity where his fingers grazed the bare skin that was exposed between her shirt and pants.

"Why does it feel like this?" she asked breathlessly.She didn't mean to ask that out loud but now that she had, she waited for an answer.

"I don't know," Blaine whispered softly, "I've never felt it before."

"Oh," she breathed out as his face began to move slowly toward hers. She licked her lips in anticipation of his beautiful lips touching hers and didn't miss how his eyes followed the movement. When their eyes reconnected, there was a new heat in his and it was blazing.

Just as she felt the tickle of his warm breath on her waiting lips, his only millimeters from finally touching hers, Becky's phone started to ring. They both froze as the shrill sound blared into the quiet room. She blinked a few times at the offending sound and then groaned, knowing that it was her mother calling. "Sorry," she mumbled as she pulled away from Blaine's embrace, startled by how close he had seemed to pull her to his body without her even noticing. Embarrassed over being so caught up in him and now at being interrupted by her mother, she avoided his gaze as she made her way over to the bar where her purse was. She pulled the phone out and confirmed that it was, indeed her mother. Knowing that answering was the only option, unless Becky wanted her mother to get in the car and come over, she grimaced but put the phone to her ear.

"Hi Mom." She tried to sound happy to be hearing from her mother, but she knew she was failing miserably. Her nerves were already frazzled from that almost kiss and the fact that she could feel Blaine's eyes on her, watching her every move, wasn't helping matters.

"Oh honey! Thank goodness I got you," her mother's frantic voice had Becky freezing, her own worries completely forgotten. Becky never heard this tone in her mother's voice before but she knew her mother well enough to be alarmed by it.

"What is it momma?" Becky whispered, terrified of what the answer was going to be. She felt Blaine move to her side instantly, his hand tighten on her arm. She must have been unsteady on her feet because he moved her to a chair and forced her to sit in it. This was only a vague awareness though, all she was concentrating on was the sound of her mother's voice and the terror it sent coursing through her veins.

Although her mother was trying to keep it together she could hear the unshed tears in her voice when she spoke again. "It's your father sweetheart. I think he's had a heart attack. I'm on my way to the hospital now. Will you meet me there, please?" Her strong, stubborn mother sounded so vulnerable that it nearly broke Becky's heart.

"Of course momma, I'm leaving right now," she reassured her as she stood and immediately began to throw things in her purse. Once she had her things, she hurriedly slipped her shoes back on while still reassuring her mother that she was on her way. Blaine handed her a coat and they both left the apartment together. He didn't ask her any questions; just kept a firm hand on the small of her back as he escorted her to the elevator and then to the street, all while Becky remained on the line with her mother. She just couldn't let her go right now.

Becky quickly moved to the edge of the sidewalk and thrust her hand in the air. "Which hospital?" she asked her mother as she watched all of the cabs zip right past her, not one of them even giving her a second glance. She blew out a frustrated breath and was about to let out a curse to go with it when Blaine stepped beside her, then into the road right in front of an oncoming cab. Becky gasped as the cab came to a screeching halt just inches before hitting him.He motioned for her to come to him and she didn't hesitate.He held open the door for her and she scrambled inside while telling the cab driver the name of the hospital her mother had just given her. She turned to pull the door shut but instead had to slide over when Blaine followed her into the cab.

She didn't have time to protest. She turned her attention back to the phone at her ear. Her mother was trying to explain to her what happened, but Becky couldn't understand a word. Her mother had completely lost it when Becky confirmed that she was in a cab and on her way. So instead of trying to figure out what her mother's was saying she focused on trying to soothe her instead, all the while fighting her own tears.

Having sensed her need for comfort, Blaine's warm hand engulfed her free one, holding it tight during the entire ride. She had never been so grateful for such a small gesture in her entire life. Having Blaine's hand tightly wrapped around hers somehow kept her grounded and calm when she needed to be the most.

# Chapter Nineteen

As the cab pulled up in front of the emergency entrance of the hospital, Becky barely let the car come to a stop before she was swinging the door open and running toward the ominous glass doors. As the doors whooshed opened, she told her mother she was there; only hanging up the phone after her mother reassured her that she would be right down to meet her. Finding herself without a purpose for the first time since her mother called only thirty minutes ago, she glanced around the cold, sterile waiting room in a daze. She noticed that there were other sick people sitting around the room but she couldn't focus on their faces. All she could think about was that her father was in this building somewhere, suffering and possibly dying. Not having her mother to soothe as a distraction, she found herself about to lose it for the first time since the call. Her body began to tremble and her knees were starting to feel week.Just as she was sure she was about to go down, someone came up behind her and placed their arm firmly around her shoulders. Although thankful for the support, she still jerked away from the stranger.

Only when she looked up and focused her attention did she realize it wasn't a stranger after all. "Oh God, Blaine! I am so sorry. I totally forgot to pay the cab driver didn't I?" She began to dig through her purse for money as she started walking toward the doors leading outside so she could pay the cab driver, feeling like a complete idiot and totally embarrassed. "I am so sorry Blaine, I just..." she trailed off when Blaine's hand wrapped around her elbow, pulling her to a stop. She glanced up in confusion.

His eyes were soft with understanding and sympathy. "Its fine Becky, I took care of it."

Her confusion quickly turned to embarrassment. He already paid for her dinner even though they weren't on any sort of date. Then he paid for their cab fare to her apartment earlier and came with her to the hospital because he was probably worried about her losing it. On top of that, now he had to pay for the cab ride here because she had lost it and ran out on the fare like a crazy person. "Blaine..." she began to apologize and insist on repaying him but was cut off by her mother's voice.

"Oh Becky!" her mother yelled from inside the elevator that had just arrived, pushing past people and moving toward her quicker than she had ever seen her mother move.

Hearing the fear still in her mother's voice as well as seeing the evidence of her tears on her delicate face, Becky didn't hesitate. She ran toward her mother, both of them meeting in the middle of the lobby and throwing their arms around each other. As soon as they were tightly wrapped up in one another, they both began to sob. "Oh Momma, what happened? Is Daddy going to be okay?" she asked against her mother's shoulder, unable to keep it together any longer.

Her mother pulled herself together first, moving back from Becky just enough to look into her eyes. She began to wipe the tears from Becky's face as she offered her a sad smile and slight shrug. "I don't know honey. He's still getting tests. The doctors and nurses say they can't tell me anything until they get all the results back."

Becky began to cry again. "What are we going to do Momma? We can't lose him."

Her mother wrapped her up in her arms again, murmuring to her as she rocked her daughter in her arms. "Don't think like that honey. Your father is a very strong and stubborn man. He's not going to let something like this take him from us so soon. I am so sorry for scaring you like this. It was so selfish of me.I should have waited until I knew more before I called you."

Becky reared back and scowled at her mother. "Oh no you should not have! I would have never forgiven you if you didn't tell me. What if you waited and something happened to him? No, I need to be here with you and Daddy. I admit I am terrified but you shouldn't be alone at a time like this and I'm sure Daddy will need both of us once the doctors finish with him and tell us what is happening."

"Yes, I'm just..." her mother trailed off as her gaze left Becky's and focused on something behind her. "Who is that?" her mother asked softly.

Becky turned around in confusion; unsure of whom her mother was referring too. Then she smiled when she saw Blaine standing just a few feet away, hands in his pockets but watchful of everyone that passed, as if he were guarding Becky and her mother. The thought instantly made her feel a little better.He hadn't left her side the entire time and she knew he was staying close in case she needed him.He really was a nice man.

She pulled away from her mother and used her palms to wipe the wetness from her face. She took a few steps toward him. "Blaine?" she called and watched as he turned toward her, his eyes intense. She smiled at him and the smile he gave her in return was breathtaking. Becky heard her mother mutter "my word" under her breath. She ignored her mother's comment as she motioned him closer. "I would like to introduce you to my mother," she told him as he came to stand beside her. She turned her attention to her mother when Blaine did. "Mother, this is Blaine. Blaine, this is my mother, Victoria."

Blaine immediately extended his hand. "It's very nice to meet you Mrs. Wellington."

Her mother took his hand as well, "You too Blaine. Thank you for making sure my daughter arrived here safe and sound."

"You're very welcome ma'am. Is there anything I can do to help? Anything you need?" he asked politely but she could also see that it was genuine. He was willing to do whatever either of them needed if it meant making things easier for them. Her heart melted just a little bit.

"No, thank you though, I really appreciate the offer. I think we'll just go up and wait for the doctors. I don't want to miss them if they come looking for us. You're welcome to come with us if you would like," Becky's mom offered, more out of politeness than anything else.

"Oh no, I'll just head home now. It was nice to meet you," he said with a soft smile before turning to Becky ."Thank you for dinner Becky, I'll call you tomorrow?" he asked her, his eyes shooting those electrical sparks she was growing so used to as he gazed down at her.

"Yes, please," Becky responded quickly making Blaine's smile grow and causing her to blush. She knew now was definitely not the time for her whimsical and romantic thoughts, but she couldn't help it when he looked at her that way.

His smile faded a bit as he reached out to run one finger across the outside of her hand. "Call me if you need anything at all and I really hope your father's okay," he said softly and with a look of utter sincerity.

"Thanks Blaine," she said equally as soft, trying to fight the shiver that wanted to work its way up her spine at the feel of just his fingertip on her skin.He smiled one last time before turning and walking away. Becky watched him as he walked down the hall and out of the glass doors.

"Who was that young lady?" Her mother's question startled her, making her jump and clutch her chest.

Becky tried to regain her composure and ignore her mother's knowing look. "He's just a friend Mother. Now shouldn't we go check on Daddy? His doctors might be looking for you."

"Yes, we should, but while we wait for the doctors, you are going to tell me all about this friend of yours," her mother said in a voice that told Becky she wouldn't be getting off the hook on this one.

Becky let out a sigh but took her mother's hand in hers as they walked toward the elevator. "Okay, but there isn't much to tell."

"Hmmm," her mother hummed as she pressed the button to call for the elevator. "How about starting with how you met him and why he was here with you?"

Becky thought for a second. She knew she couldn't tell her mother the truth. Even if she could prove to her what Blaine had told her (which she couldn't) something told her that she could never tell anyone, not even her parents. So she had to lie, which she hated doing, but she tried to stay as close to the truth as possible. "I met him at the diner, you know, the one I go to for lunch almost every week?" Her mother nodded but said nothing, meaning that Becky should keep talking. "He goes there often and we started talking one day and found that we had a lot in common. He asked me to dinner for the first time tonight. We were actually at the diner when you called." She didn't want to tell her mother that they had actually been at her apartment.She couldn't tell her the real reason why and the only other reason was one that she DID NOT want to discuss with her mother.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I ruined your date," her mother apologized.

"Seriously? Mom! You didn't ruin anything and I was serious when I said I would have been furious if you hadn't called me immediately like you did." Becky thought for a second and realized what her mother had said. "And it wasn't a date, not really, just friends having dinner," she told her stubbornly.

"Okay dear, if you say so," her mother said slowly with disbelief but she quickly spoke again, not giving Becky a chance to defend herself. "So it's obvious why you initially agreed to hang out with him..." her mother winked and Becky looked at her blankly. Her mother blew out an exasperated breath. "I may be old but I am not blind Katherine Rebecca! That man is gorgeous!"

"Oh!" she said with a blush. She couldn't help it. He was gorgeous and so much more. She glanced over at her mother and began to giggle at the way she was dramatically fanning herself. "First of all, stop that!" she said as she pulled her mother's hand down and held onto it. "Second of all, you are not old!" Her mother shot her an incredulous look but Becky didn't give her time to say anything. "And third of all, yes, I'll admit that he is very attractive but that is not why I went to dinner with him. He happens to be a very nice man."

"So you do like him?" her mother asked with an evil grin.

Becky blew out an exasperated breath. What did she say now?

Thankfully her mother stopped being dramatic and squeezed her hand. "Okay, okay.I'll stop." Becky sighed with relief but her mother wasn't quiet finished. "I'm sure he is a very nice man. He seemed very polite when you introduced us, but the fact that he rode all the way over here with you just to make sure you made it safely says a lot more about his character than a few polite words did. I like him and I think he really likes you."

"I'm pretty sure he came with me because I was acting like a total basket case. He was probably worried I would get injured or killed if I was left alone and he didn't want that to be on his conscience." She tried to laugh it off. She didn't want to start getting hopeful thoughts about Blaine. She barely knew him and after the sudden turn of events tonight, she wasn't sure if she would ever get to know him.

Her mother didn't seem too happy with her brush off. She tugged on Becky's hand, pulling her to a stop before facing her. "A man does not jump into a cab and ride all the way across town, just to get back in that cab and go all the way home by himself unless there is some sort of emotion involved. Trust me. I'm much older and wiser than you are."

"I understand what you're saying Mom, but I just met him. There is no way there is any sort of emotion involved. It was strictly a sense of duty."

Her mother just smiled at her before turning away and continuing to walk down the hall. Becky thought she heard her mother murmur something that sounded suspiciously like "if you say so honey" but she was afraid to ask. She didn't want to talk about Blaine anymore.

Deciding that a subject change was a better idea, she asked about her father. "So tell me exactly what happened with Daddy and what the doctors have said so far." Talking about the non-existent relationship between her and Blaine had allowed her and her mother time to calm down and it had even helped to lighten their moods. So she really hated bringing it up now because she knew it would get them both upset again, but she needed to know what was happening with her father and how they ended up in the hospital.

When her mother began to tell her, sadness seeped into her eyes again, but she kept the tears at bay and told Becky what happened. Her parents had been having dinner, sharing stories of their day and laughing over silly things like they always did. Her father had been complaining of discomfort throughout the day but wrote it off as stress. During dinner, the pain in his chest became even more intense and he turned very pale. Her mother decided she wasn't going to take any chances, and although her father protested, she called for an ambulance. By the time they arrived, her father's pain was becoming unbearable and the paramedics said it looked as if he was having a heart attack. That was when Becky's mother lost it. Her mother had wanted to ride in the ambulance but her father refused to allow her. He told her to get a driver to bring her and to call me.

Becky was guessing that her father had been trying to save her mother the pain of seeing him that way and he was right. Her mother was a strong, hard-working woman, but her family was her weakness. She couldn't bear it when either Becky or her father was in any sort of pain or even sick.

So her mother relented, allowed a driver to drive her as she called Becky and arrived at the hospital just after her father had. The nurse that greeted her informed her that it looked as if her father had suffered a heart attack and that they were working with him then. After being told that tests were being done and that a doctor would call for her as soon as they knew more, Becky's mother was instructed to a waiting area, where she sat and talked to Becky until she arrived. Which brought them to the present.

Becky and he mother walked into the CCU waiting room and sat down in the hard plastic chairs. Becky glanced at the clock on the wall, taking note of the time. They had told her mother it would be over an hour before they got back to her. After the time they spent downstairs talking and taking their time to get back upstairs, they only had about ten more minutes until they would be expecting some news. They were both much more somber now, after having rehashed the details of her father's pain, so they sat silently with their hands holding onto each other's, and waited for the doctors to deliver what they hoped would be some good news.

Thankfully the nurse had been accurate in her time estimation and a doctor came walking through the door ten minutes later. "Mrs. Wellington?" he asked while confidently striding toward Becky's mother. They were the only ones in the waiting room so it was an obvious assumption, but her parents were also pretty well known so the doctor probably knew who she was already.

Becky and her mother both stood and greeted the doctor. "Yes, please call me Victoria and this is our daughter, Katherine Rebecca."

"Katherine, please," Becky murmured and smiled politely.

"Victoria, Katherine," he nodded at both of them and extended his hand. "I am Doctor Smith. I'm sorry to be meeting you both under these circumstances." They all shook hands as the doctor continued. "Your husband is stable and resting comfortably for right now Victoria. We ran some tests and confirmed that he did have a heart attack." Becky's mother let out a soft gasp at the news.Dr. Smith offered a sympathetic smile but continued. "We are still waiting on the rest of the test results before I can confirm what may have caused it. Once I have those, I'll come see you again. But in the meantime, there's no reason why you can't go see him."

"Okay, what does that mean though? Will he be okay?" Victoria asked anxiously.

He offered that sympathetic smile again. "It is very common for a man your husband's age to start suffering from some minor health issues.I saw in his medical history that he hadn't seen a physician in some time so I'm not sure of what his current state of health was. Like I said before, we don't have his test results back, but I'm sure there will be something there that will give us a better indication of what we're dealing with. Whatever it is, adding the stress of his job probably pushed him over. I am going to assume that he works extremely hard and has a hard time delegating?" Victoria nodded her agreement as the doctor continued. "Until I get the results I can't be sure, but I'm hoping this is something that can be prevented in the future with some minor adjustments to his diet, exercise routine, and cutting back on work. He needs to relax, delegate more, take a few days off or even a vacation. And soon," the doctor finished ominously.

"Okay doctor. I understand. Thank you so much for everything. Can we see him now?" her mother asked eagerly.

"There is no need for thanks Victoria, and yes you can. It shouldn't be much longer, wait here and one of the nurses will come get you just as soon as he's settled in his room. It was nice meeting both of you and I will see you again as soon as I have the rest of the test results," he shook both of their hands again before leaving the room.

They both sat back down, lost in their own thoughts. The doctor was right. Her father worked entirely too hard. He never took a day off, much less a vacation, especially since she had grown up and moved out. When she was a child, he always took two weeks off each year so they could go on a family vacation, but he was never completely off. He still answered calls and did teleconferences from wherever they were. He had been working extra hard lately, trying to get the office in order and ready for her to take over the reins. He hadn't put a timeline on it, but she knew he planned on giving her a few years to get her feet wet and to get comfortable with running the whole company before doing so.

Now it looked like the choice had been taken from them. The doctor sounded hopeful for a recovery this time, but they still weren't sure of the damage that had been done and how her father would recover from this. Was he going to even be able to go back to work? As much as she appreciated him taking her into consideration and giving her time to get comfortable in her new job, she knew now that they didn't have that time. It was time for her to bite the bullet. She needed to give up on her whimsical wishes for a world of magic and take her job and responsibilities more seriously. It was time for her to step up to the plate and show her father that she was ready to take over the family business so he could retire and live a long and healthy life. Sacrificing her love of magic was well worth saving her father's life.
Acknowledgments

Once again there are a million and one people to thank and acknowledge for making this book (and soon to be series!) possible...

My family and friends are the most important of all. They have been so supportive in so many ways; telling anyone who will listen about my books, buying them themselves even if they wouldn't normally read the genre, and most of all, offering encouragement and praise when I've needed it the most.

My husband has done more than I could have ever imagined, encouraging me when I get frustrated and giving me ideas when I get stumped. I love you!

My girls...for just being the best daughters a mother could ever dream of. They are beautiful and smart but also have the best hearts I've ever seen. I couldn't be more proud of them!

My best friend and editor Carie...you are seriously the best friend anyone could ever wish for. You are always there when I need you and go above and beyond when asked. I love you and am so happy that you have been such an important part in making my dreams come true! THANK YOU!!!

My sister Stacy and cousin Raye...once again, thank you for offering great advice and feedback during the process of writing this book. I couldn't have done it without either one of you!

The amazing Kelsey Keeton for designing an AWESOME book cover that is even better than I imagined and the amazing cover photography by K Keeton Designs/Wilson Photography... Thanks!

And of course to each and every one of you that reads and shares my books! I love what I do and it means so much to me when you love it too!!
About the Author

Author N.L. Greene is a writer of many genres from YA Fantasy, to NA Paranormal Romance and Contemporary, to Adult Historical Fiction, and many more to come. Her first series, The Deadly Flowers Series (written under the pen name Riana Lucas), is a 4 book series about a Faery warrior, Poppy. Writing under the name N.L. Greene, she has written NA magically romantic books in the series The MysticSeeker Series and about bullying in her mature YA Contemporary novel, Twisted. She has also had the opportunity to collaborate with four other amazing authors to create Fractured Glass and Seven, both of which are award-winning novels.

N.L. Greene currently lives in Florida with her husband and two beautiful daughters. When she isn't writing or reading, she enjoys traveling around the world with her family, shopping and doing other girly things with her girls, or playing video games with her husband. She is a lover of dogs, chocolate, and anything pink!

Find her at:

Amazon

Facebook

Twitter \- @AuthorNLGreene

Instagram \- @greene_nichole

Blog

Other Books by N.L. Greene

Twisted

Illusions Begin

Magic Unfolds

Secrets Revealed

Fractured Glass

Seven

Written as Riana Lucas

Poppy

Poppy: Awake

Poppy: Revealed

Poppy: Unclaimed

Keep reading for a preview of Magic Unfolds, Book 2 in The MysticSeeker Series, available now, as well as an excerpt from Twisted, also available now
Chapter One

"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."   
― W. B. Yeats

Reaching over to turn the alarm off before it could sound, Becky rolled out of bed. She started the coffee maker before turning on the morning news so she could listen to it as she got ready for work. It was amazing how much someone's life could change in just a few months.

The night she got the phone call from her mother changed Becky's life forever. To think, it started out almost too good to be true, so full of promise and hope. Finally meeting Blaine and getting a glimpse of the world he was so eagerly offering to share with her. She'd been so excited to see the magic he could wield and to hear that he could teach her to do those things as well. She even considered talking to her parents about the possibility of making a career change, of pursuing her dreams. But then the call came; her distraught mother, saying Becky's father had suffered a heart attack and was lying in a hospital bed, awaiting his fate.

All her hopes and dreams fled while she sat there in the waiting room, holding on to her mother's hand. Becky decided her wistful dreams and magical thoughts were something she could no longer entertain, much less pursue. And Blaine... Well, the feelings he stirred in her, the way her stomach fluttered and her heart rate increased when he was near, were things she wouldn't have time for now. Her parents, her father, and the business she was to take over, would become her top priority.

Becky kept her realizations and decisions to herself that evening. For one, her parents didn't know about her love for magic or the choices she'd been considering, so it wasn't like she could tell them what she was even giving up. Also, she didn't want them to know how much she hated the idea of taking over the company. In light of everything that happened, how quickly their lives got turned upside down, she began to feel childish and selfish for considering walking away in the first place.

Her parents worked very hard, sacrificing their own happiness, and now their health, to make sure Becky had a business to take over, and a future that was financially secure. Not only for the rest of her life, but for that of her children, and possibly even her grandchildren. If she ever has any children, that is. How could she have taken such advantage of their hard work and never appreciated it for what it was? Never understood what they'd done for her?

So instead, she supported her mother and father as much as possible. Becky pasted a bright smile on her face when she finally got to see her father that night, even though it killed her a little inside to see him looking so weak and fragile in the hospital bed. Images of him getting frail and old assaulted her so fast; she had to take a deep breath to keep from bursting into tears. But she held it together during the entire visit.

Words couldn't describe the inner turmoil she was feeling over the decisions she was being forced to make. Her lips trembled unabashedly as she lay in bed later that night and recalled the sight of her father lying so helplessly in the sterilized room with its stale walls and linoleum floors, his arm connected to an I.V. He wasn't falling into the hands of the Grim Reaper quite yet, but seeing her father so worn out and helpless quickly tossed all whimsical dreams and ideas that sprouted in her head regarding magic, and Blaine for that matter, out the window.

She lay staring at the blank, white walls that now began to symbolize what she knew to be her existence. Life was so cruel. She was given a small taste of what could've been. A glimpse at a world she yearned in her heart to belong to; a world full of mystery, excitement, and enchantment. His world... Blaine's world.

The memory of the soft flower petals between her fingers, and the light she'd seen in Blaine's eyes as he demonstrated his gift to her, came rushing forward. His strikingly beautiful, expressive eyes, along with the touch of his hands transferring foreign feelings and warmth that spread throughout her flesh, became all too real again. She lifted her pale, soft hand to her face before touching it delicately, trying to capture the feeling of electricity Blaine had sparked in her. Nothing. Swallowing thickly at her defeat she laid her hand down, gripped the pillow beneath her, and forced the fresh memories back to the recesses of her mind.

Tears welled up in her eyes once again; but she closed them tightly to keep the moisture at bay. She had to grow up. She was an adult with bills, and problems, and, most importantly, a lifestyle with no room for magic. The reality was, her father needed her to run a company her family broke their backs to secure for future generations. A company she didn't want any part of until the risk of her father's life being taken threatened her foundation. A company where, not only did her ex work, but also where she was reminded of his transgressions and threatened by him when no one was around to witness his violent and vulgar behavior. Tears overflowed and rained down her cheeks now, staining the pillow she rested on. Even with Lance around, there was no other choice. She'd focus on the company and put her family's wellbeing before her own. Solidifying her decision would mean there would be no room left for magic--or Blaine--in her life.

***

The next morning, she woke up with a newfound determination. She let everything out the night before so she'd no longer cry about things that were out of her control. There would be no complaining about the work she needed to do, and no more day dreaming about doing something that was now impossible. She'd be strong, support her parents, and do what was expected of her. No one would ever know how close she'd been to abandoning them with her selfish ideas. That first day, when she went to the hospital to see her father, she made her intentions clear.

"Knock, knock," Becky said as she pushed the door open slowly to give her father time to deny her entrance. When he didn't, she peeked around the corner to see him reading a book. She smiled at how cute he looked with his glasses barely hanging on the tip of his nose as he peered down at the pages in front of him. He hated wearing his bifocals, but couldn't read a thing without them, so he typically only used them when he was in the privacy of his own home. Not wishing to startle him, Becky took a few more steps and cleared her throat. He finally glanced up.

As soon as he laid eyes on her, his face broke out into a wide smile. He placed the book on his lap, face-down to hold his place, and removed his glasses. "There's my beautiful baby girl. How are you this morning, sweetheart?" he asked with a hint of concern in his eyes. It was amazing how much more concerned he was about her and her mother when he was the one lying in the hospital bed. But, that was Becky's father.

"Good morning, Daddy. I'm fine. How're you?" she asked as she took the seat beside his bed before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

"Oh, well, you know... uncomfortable, cold, starving, and ready to go. But I'm not complaining," he said with a wink.

Becky chuckled and rolled her eyes. "I'm so happy to hear that you're being such a model patient."

"Well, maybe they'll let me out early for good behavior."

This time Becky was laughing at her father's antics. "Oh, Daddy, you aren't in prison, for crying out loud!"

"Well, it feels like it. I'm ready to go home. I have so much work to do and it's only piling up as I sit here."

Becky's spine stiffened, and her carefree mood fizzled away at the mention of her father doing work.

He didn't miss the change. "What it is, Katherine Rebecca?" He demanded to know.

Her tone was just as commanding and authoritative when she answered. She knew this was going to be a hard enough battle as it was. If she sounded meek or unsure, she'd instantly lose. "You do not need to worry about work. In fact, where's your cell?" She began to look around, knowing it wasn't too far. "I'll be handling all of the company business from this moment forward."

She spotted his cell on a table on the other side of his bed; but before she could get to it, he snatched it up himself and narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about, Katherine Rebecca? You're not ready to take over Wellington and Wellington. You've barely graduated, and you've only been working there a few months. You have no idea what it takes to run a company so large, nor are you ready for the demands you'll face. Besides, I'm perfectly fine to continue working."

She was standing at the foot of his bed, having stopped her progression when he snatched his phone. Now, she stood staring at him, her face as hard and determined as his was; unwavering. She could even feel the tick in her jaw; she was sure it matched the one she was currently watching in his. She got her stubbornness from him, so she knew how hard he was going to fight; but she knew she could fight just as hard.

"I may have only graduated a few months ago, but I've been familiar with what you do since I can remember. I know how to run a business; you've been prepping me practically since birth. I will not sit around and continue to be 'trained' for a position I already know how to fill. Besides, there are plenty of people that'll help me, and I can still come to you for major cases or with any issues I have. But you heard the doctor, you need to rest and take a step back."

"I'm very aware of what the doctor said, young lady, and he did not say that I needed to quit my job. You just aren't ready for the responsibility that comes with running the company." Now her father's eyes were narrowed, and she could see his grip tightening on his phone. She knew he wouldn't like what she was doing. But she didn't care. She'd rather her father be angry with her for a while than him be dead. Knowing that arguing with one of the best attorneys in the state wouldn't get her anywhere, she didn't say anything when he finished. She just folded her arms over her chest and stared at him.

After a few moments of both of them trying to intimidate the other, her father finally blew out a breath and looked away. "Fine," he said.

She could tell he was clenching his jaw and had to force the words out between gritted teeth, but she also couldn't help the triumphant smile that touched her lips.

However, he continued and the smile quickly vanished. "But I'm not giving up full control."

Becky growled in her head. Why did this man have to be so stubborn?

"I'll train you myself. Once I see you can handle everything, I'll let you take over."

"And how long, exactly, do you think that'll take?" she inquired, her own jaw clenching even harder now.

Still not meeting her eyes, he shrugged. "I don't know, maybe a year or two?"

"Daddy!" She scolded him. She didn't want to cause him any more stress, and she certainly didn't want to yell at him, but he was being ridiculous. If he thought it would still take a year or two until she was ready with them fast-tracking everything, what had his original time line been? How long had he planned on keeping her sitting at a desk, filtering through e-mails?

"What?" he asked innocently--a little too innocently. He knew what he was doing. He'd prolong and procrastinate as long as he could, still holding onto the reigns; and, as far as Becky was concerned, dying a slow death. She wouldn't have it.

"No deal."

Her father's head whipped around to face her, his eyes finally meeting hers once again.

She straightened her spine, placed her hands on her hips, and narrowed her eyes at him. She commanded every ounce of assertiveness and authority she gained from her parents to come forth. "For as long as I can remember, you've been telling me this is what I was born to do, so now I'm going to do it."

"Katherine Reb--" he began to say, his own tone taking on the commanding force he usually reserved for the office and the courtroom.

She cut him off. "No. Now give me your phone," she demanded as she quickly walked back to the side of the bed and within reach of the device.

"I don't see why I have to give you my phone--" He started to argue just as his cell began to ring. She looked at him and lifted her eyebrow. "That's probably just your mother." He began to defend, but then the door to his room opened and in walked her mother.

Becky turned back to him once again, this time with a triumphant smirk on her lips; one she wasn't going to let him wipe off her face again, because she was going to have the final say this time. She stretched her hand out and waited for him to turn over the device. There was another silent stare down. She wasn't giving in and she was making sure he knew it.

Finally, with a huff, he slapped it into her open palm.

"What's going on?" her mother asked with a hint of worry.

"Your daughter has decided to conduct a hostile takeover," he grumbled, shooting Becky a glare.

"Oh, so now she's my daughter, huh?" Her mother had a knowing smile as she reached his bedside. Standing beside Becky, Mom bent down to kiss her husband on the cheek before doing the same to her daughter and taking a seat, shooting Becky a covert wink.

"Yes, whenever she's disobeying me you get all the credit!" he snapped. But no matter how angry he tried to appear, he couldn't hide how happy he was to see his wife.

"What's she done to make you disown her then?" Victoria asked as she set her purse on the side table and began to make herself more comfortable.

Becky knew they were in for a long discussion so she followed suit.

"She took my phone and has announced that she's stepping into my shoes."

Her mother glanced at Becky with a look of surprise, but remained quiet while her father finished telling his side of what had transpired.

"She says she's taking over the business; intends to run the company even though she has no idea what she's doing. She can't even begin to imagine what sort of responsibility it requires."

Becky had to keep her features schooled so her parents wouldn't see how much his words were hurting her. Why have they spent so much time and money getting her ready for this if they didn't think she could do it? The lack of faith her father seemed to have in her cut pretty deeply.

Her mother must have seen or sensed the pain because she reached over and took Becky's hand while speaking to her father. "That's enough, Hugh."

At the tone of her mother's voice, he stopped ranting and looked up at her.

"Now, Becky may have just graduated from college, but she was practically raised in that office. And when she wasn't there with us, she was around us while we worked from home, discussed business at the dinner table, and, when she became older, even discussed things with her. She's a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders. We raised her to one day take over and step into our shoes. Now, that time has come. Just because you aren't ready," when he would've interrupted, she spoke over him with a pointed look, "doesn't mean she isn't."

Dad remained quiet when she finished. Becky watched as her parents locked eyes, carrying on some sort of silent conversation. She always found this amusing. She usually thought it was so sweet that they were so connected they could do this, but not now. She wasn't sure what the outcome was going to be, but she was prepared to continue to fight if she had to. She intended to do whatever was necessary to make sure her father had a long and happy life. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to fight this time. When her parents finally broke eye contact, her father let out a defeated sigh and her mother beamed.

"Very well," her father said as he finally looked back at Becky. "But I want to stay in the loop until I feel confident you're comfortable and everyone has fully accepted you as the new boss. I don't want anyone giving you a hard time or questioning your authority. I'll also expect to be consulted on every major decision and all complex cases. This is still my company, young lady."

She had no problem with those terms, especially since she already knew of one person that would definitely question her authority. She hadn't factored Lance into the equation when she made her decisions earlier this morning. However, she'd just gotten her father to agree, she wasn't about to bring up Lance and his issues right now. She'd deal with him one way or another; she just had to figure out how. For the moment, she'd focus on accepting her father's terms and moving forward.

"Of course, Daddy, I completely agree and think that's more than reasonable. For the record, I'm not taking over; I'm simply taking my place."

Hearing that statement her father smiled up at her. He reached for her hand. "Yes, yes you are, and I couldn't be more proud."

Letting out a relieved sigh, she leaned back in her chair and spent the rest of the day talking about the basics she needed to know, and the steps she needed to take, to start running the company.

Over the next few days, Becky and her mother spent as much time at the hospital as the nurses would allow. They found out he had some other, minor, health issues, and he'd need to have a strict exercise schedule as well as dietary restrictions. He'd have to take medication daily for his weak heart; and, most of all, he'd need to lower his stress level. This meant turning over the reins of the company to Becky. She knew that was probably the hardest of all the news for him to accept, but since their conversation he seemed much more willing to do as he was told.

When her father was finally released from the hospital, she didn't hesitate to do what needed to be done. She was there with her mother to help get him home. He complained about them fussing over him, but Becky could see in his eyes how much he loved all the attention he was getting from the two of them. In preparation for his arrival home, not only did she take his phone from him, but she also had the office forward all his calls to her cell. She didn't want anything slipping past her and getting to him at home. Thankfully, Helen helped handle them because Becky hadn't realized just how many calls her father received each day and night.

Her father complied with all her wishes and commands to take it easy and allowed her to run things. Only occasionally would he slip in a muttered, "for now" under his breath that he thought no one else heard.

She didn't let it bother her though. Becky planned to show him she was more than ready for the task she'd taken on. Hopefully, by the time he was healthy enough to return to work, he wouldn't have to.

She did learn quickly that she had to involve him in some way. Not as much for her sake, but for his. Her mother had taken some time off the first week of his return home, but she went back to work part-time. That was when he started to get bored. He was home by himself all day for the first time in years. After a week of that, Becky could see he was going stir crazy. The abrupt switch in his daily life was too much for him to handle. She knew he needed something to occupy his mind, and it wasn't fair to expect him to give everything up and become a couch potato. So Becky and her mother would both consult with him daily, asking for his opinion or advice in whatever cases they were working on. This compromise seemed to work well for everyone. Between his advice, Mom's help, and the assistance of, not only Helen, but her parents' secretary, the office ran just as smoothly as it always had.

The only real problem was that Becky was exhausted. Between working twelve hour days--most of them without a lunch break--and dinners at her parents' every night, she wasn't getting home until after eleven. She knew it wasn't necessary to spend so much time at her parents' home, but she couldn't bear to miss an opportunity to spend quality moments with them. Now that reality had slapped her in the face and shown her just how easily one of them could be taken from her, she didn't want to take any of it for granted any longer. Thanks to this grueling schedule, she literally fell into bed each night and was knocked out until the next morning when it was time to get up and do it all over again. She didn't even have her weekends anymore. Not that she would've done much other than sleep if she did.

However, her days of researching magic tricks, watching shows, and even practicing a little on her own were long gone. At first, she thought she could just put it off for a few weeks until things got settled, but she soon realized her world of magic no longer had a place in the real world. Sadly, it was probably for the best. The fact that she had no one to share it with made it less appealing anyway. She'd thought that Blaine... Well, she'd thought wrong. She hadn't heard from him or seen him since he left her at the hospital. If she were honest with herself, she knew it was for the best. She didn't have time for magic or for him. Unfortunately, that didn't stop her mind from digressing to thoughts of him daily. So instead of dwelling on what could've been, she forced herself to focus on what was, and put all her effort into that.

Until the nightmares started.

Chapter Two

"Ah!"

Becky sat up, her body drenched in a cold sweat. The sheets and pillows lay strewn on, across, and to the side of her bed. Her pupils dilated as she tried to focus on the shadows and random pieces of furniture in the darkened room.Frantically, her eyes darted around, searching for the source of her terror and what had awakened her from her deep slumber. Her heart thumped wildly inside her ribcage, practically launching itself out of her body. Shaky, clammy hands came up to touch her face, feeling the cold sweat and curly pieces of red hair stuck to her flesh. Fear coursed through her veins with the adrenaline pumping her into flight or fight mode. Shadows played off the furniture in her sleeping quarters, illuminated by the light of the moon shining through her window, only serving to heighten her irrational fear. With labored breath, she reached over to her empty nightstand and flipped on the lamp to shed light into the room, and hopefully onto the memory of the nightmare that woke her.

With the reassurance there was nothing or no one in her room, she closed her eyes and tried to get hold of herself, pulling her knees up to her chin in an attempt to gain comfort. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled heavily before looking over at the clock which said it was a few minutes after midnight. Despite being alone, she couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched. Goose bumps layered her arms in a pitiful attempt of protection, or maybe a warning of things that lurked in the midnight hour. Sighing, she stood, feeling the soft fabric of her loose t-shirt sticking to her sweaty form as she padded her way to the window. Gripping herself in a firm hug around her middle, she peered out into the darkness that blanketed Central Park below.

Becky's heart finally managed to calm to a steady beat as she focused on the still of the night, finding it oddly soothing to her senses. Her mind wandered, trying to salvage anything of importance that could've caused the current state she was in, only to come up empty. "What's going on with me?" she whispered aloud before looking up at the moon forlornly, and placing the palm of her hand on the cool glass as if trying to touch the glowing ball.

There were no answers there for her. Shaking her head, she glanced back down at the streets below, getting ready to return to bed, before something flickered in the peripheral of her vision. She focused her sight as much as she could on the few stragglers on the streets, and the couples walking hand-in-hand at such a late hour in the park, then past them to a lone figure standing in the distance. Squinting, she tried her best to make out the figure that reminded her so much of one that was burned into the deepest depths of her memory, before blinking. When she looked again with refreshed eyes, the figure she thought she'd seen was gone.

Biting her lip, she quickly reached for her curtains to pull them together, disgusted with her sudden weakness. Not only was she having terrifying nightmares for no apparent reason, she was also so desperate to see someone she knew she had to put behind her, she was imagining him. Throwing the two cloths together bitterly, she turned toward the kitchen to fetch herself a glass of water. After retrieving the soothing, cool liquid and feeling it run down her throat, she made her way back to bed. Sitting down heavily she turned to put her glass down, her eyes fighting to stay open.

"What?" She breathed out before quickly blinking to be sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. When she was positive what she was seeing was indeed real, she reached over with a trembling hand toward the small item that hadn't been there before. She picked it up carefully, as if it would disappear if she were to move any faster. Once it was securely in her clinched palm, she ran back to the window and threw open the curtains. Wide, green eyes flitted back to the area where she swore she saw the man that came into her life and rocked it, only to find the spot still empty. In fact, the area was all but deserted. The only evidence of life now was a homeless man pushing his full cart, shouting his disgruntled message loudly into the night.

Although disappointed, she couldn't help but smile softly as she spread open her small hand and looked down. She ran her fingers over the rough exterior of the wrapper before pressing her fingers together lightly so she could feel the tiny beads of sugar roll around in the small packet. A sugar packet from the diner she used to be so familiar with. Flipping it over, her heart nearly stopped when she saw a smiley face drawn on the back with black ink. Looking up once more, she closed her curtains before padding softly along the hardwood floors back to her bed. Lying down and pulling the sheets up over her body, she set the tiny token on the nightstand beside her and stared at it until she drifted off to sleep. A minuscule seed of hope blossomed in her soul as she did. All may not be lost for her after all.

***

The first week passed and Becky was hopeful. She looked for signs of Blaine everywhere, hoping he was watching her and would seek her out. But he never did. As the first week ended and turned into the second, then the third, Becky's hope began to die. She never heard from Blaine again. There weren't any midnight spottings or magical visits to her apartment with cute gifts left behind. He seemed to have just disappeared. She still had the MysticSeeker card he left for her before, but her pride kept her from trying to seek him out.

Before she knew it, a month had passed since her father's heart attack and her last encounter with Blaine. Truthfully, time flew by so quickly, it felt like she just blinked her eyes and there she was running the law firm she always hated, and doing a pretty damn good job of it, too. The first week was a struggle after having been obviously forgotten about by Blaine, but she became so swept up in her work it got easier to cope. So much so, she started to take things for granted. Like the fact that Lance hadn't bothered her since she took over for her father. It wasn't until she attended a charity ball, in her parents place one Saturday evening, that her bubble burst and the reality that had been her life before came crashing back down on her.

It was a Monday afternoon and Becky was sitting at her desk, which was now located right next to her father's office, trying to finish up some paperwork for the day, when her intercom buzzed.

"Yep," she answered, knowing it was Helen.

"Your mom is on line one for you."

Becky blew out a breath as she put her pen down, knowing she wasn't going to get any more work done if she was on the phone with her mother. Leaning back in her chair, Becky glanced at the clock quickly, noticing it was time to call it a day anyway. "Thanks, Helen. Why don't you go on home? Once I'm finished talking to my mom, I'll be leaving, too."

"Okay, honey. I've got a few more things to take care of but I'll probably still beat you out of here." Becky could hear the smile in the older woman's voice. She knew that whenever Victoria called, it was usually for a lengthy conversation.

"I'm sure you're right. Have a good night and see ya tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, dear."

The intercom shut off and Becky reached for the phone receiver. "Hey, Momma." Ever since her mother backed her up in the hospital room the day Becky went head-to-head with her father, she couldn't ever find a reason to be irritated with her mom. They'd always been close, loved each other more than anything in the world, but there would occasionally be stiffness between them. Not anymore. They were closer now than ever before, and Becky loved it. She used to irritate her mom by referring to her as Mother, but hadn't done it since the incident. Mom had also ceased using the name Becky, as well as Katherine Rebecca, reverting to terms of endearment instead.

"Hello, sweetheart, how's your day been?"

"Exhausting but productive. Yours?"

"Well, I've been dealing with your father all day, so take a guess." Mom probably tried to sound irritated, but she couldn't hide the love and adoration that was obvious in her voice.

"You know you love him just the way he is." Becky couldn't help but to tease her mom.

"I know." She let out a contented sigh that caused Becky to giggle. "Anyway," her mom continued, "I didn't call to talk about your father. I called to ask if you wanted to go to the annual charity ball for the hospital this weekend. Your father and I go every year, but we thought it would be a nice night off for you. You deserve it."

Becky let out a humorless laugh. "I don't really think I'd classify that as a night off, Mom." Attending a charity ball, rubbing elbows with the rich, and pretending to be enjoying it wasn't anywhere in the realm of an ideal night off for her. In fact, her idea of that simple yet, apparently unattainable luxury, would've been sitting in front of the TV, in her PJ's, with a carton of Ben and Jerry's.

Her mom let out a sigh but her voice was soft with understanding when she spoke up. "I know, honey, and you have no idea how grateful your father and I are for the sacrifices you've made--"

Cutting her off, Becky's guilt instantly consumed her. "No, momma, don't say that. I'm more than happy doing this. I didn't mean--"

This time she was cut off by her mother, her voice sharp. "Let me finish."

"Okay," Becky said softly.

Mom's voice softened when Becky complied. "Your father and I are very aware of the sacrifices you've made, not just now but your whole life. You've given up your childhood, your own dreams, and now your time. You work hard and we're so very proud of you."

"Thank you, Momma--" She was cut off again.

"I'm not finished."

Becky clamped her mouth shut and listened.

"There's something you need to realize, though. Now that you're in the position you're in and working toward running the company, there will be more sacrifices you must make. Attending events such as this and getting to know our clients, and other potential clients, is a necessary requirement for the job. I know it's still work; however, if you view it as a nice evening out, and maybe even bring a date, you may find it more enjoyable."

She understood where her mom was coming from. Becky hadn't officially been given the reins of the company, but she'd been running things practically on her own and she knew things like this would be part of her job now. Choosing to address that and not the silent "hint-hint" her mom thought she subtly threw in there, Becky agreed to attend. "Of course, Momma, I'd love to go. Thank you." She began clearing her desk and shutting down her laptop so she could go home when she was finished talking, hoping her mom wouldn't bring up the date thing again. Of course, Becky wasn't that lucky.

Her mom's next question wasn't subtle at all, and had Becky's movements come to a brusque halt. "Who are you going to take as your date?"

"Date?" Becky asked, playing dumb.

"Of course, darling! You have to take a date! It's a ball." She could almost see her mom's eye roll at such a ridiculous question and obvious answer.

"Oh, well, I don't really have anyone to ask."

"Of course you do. What about that nice young man? The one from the hospital? Blaine was his name, right?" she asked innocently.

At the mention of his name, all the breath left Becky's lungs and she sank back into her chair dejectedly.

Becky wouldn't lie to herself and go as far as saying she'd completely forgotten about him, but she had pushed him to the back of her mind; and had done a very good job of it, for the most part. Although there were still the occasional daydreams, things that reminded her of him, and even some weird remnants of her dreams at night that had her thinking of him when she woke in the morning, she didn't think of him at all. Yeah, right!

The truth was, she thought about him all the time; she didn't, however, talk about him. It was actually a pretty easy task since only two people even knew about him. Jenny at the diner, where Becky hadn't been since that night, and her mom, who up until now had been too busy with Dad to even remember a man had been with Becky that night. The fact that Blaine made no effort to contact her since he left her that small gift helped as well. Helen was like a Rottweiler when it came to fielding phone calls and e-mails; but there hadn't been any messages from him, so Becky assumed he hadn't tried. She also knew Helen wouldn't be able to stop him--no one would--if he really wanted to get in touch with Becky. So there was no doubt that he hadn't, and it stung.

Honestly, she wasn't really surprised. It seemed every time they made contact, she was either already in trouble or trouble eventually found her. Their very first meeting was him rescuing her from Lance practically attacking her on the street. Their second "meeting" was over the phone when she accused him of being a stalker. Then, even though she thought he might be crazy, when they met for the third and final time, things went from bad to worse. They were attacked by flying fireballs and he witnessed her acting like a mad woman when she received the call from her mom. Who'd want to add all that extra drama to their lives? Besides, Becky didn't have time to deal with Blaine and all his magic talk right now. She couldn't allow herself to get sidetracked from her work and taking care of her parents. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

Not wishing to dwell too much on Blaine and the reasons he chose not to contact her, and not wanting her mom to be concerned, Becky quickly gave some reassurances then changed the subject. "No, he won't be able to take me, but that's okay, really. So what should I wear? I think we may need to go shopping."

Victoria hesitated, but as soon as Becky mentioned shopping, she was successfully sidetracked. "Oh, yes! We definitely should go shopping! This will be your first public event in our place, you need to stand out and make a statement."

Placing all thoughts of Blaine firmly out of her mind again, she listened to her mom make plans and finished wrapping things up for the day. They ended the conversation after setting a lunch and shopping date for the next day and Becky declining her mom's dinner invitation for the evening. It was already late and Becky was tired. Deciding to pick something up on the way home, she left the building and headed to her apartment.

The trek to her train stop, the subway ride, and the walk to pick up her food was seemingly normal. It wasn't until she was entering her building that she felt the prickle of awareness on the back of her neck. She stopped abruptly, causing Tony--the usual night doorman--to look at her curiously. Completely ignoring him, she gazed around, searching for the source causing that familiar feeling. When she saw nothing, she shook her head at her own wishful thinking. Her mom bringing up Blaine must have triggered a need to see him. Becky was just imagining his gaze on her in the hope he'd returned.

Offering an apologetic smile as she passed Tony, she made her way through the open door. "Sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew."

"No worries, Miss Wellington," he said with a polite smile.

Scolding herself silently for her stupid behavior, she made her way up to her apartment. No longer hungry, she stuffed the bags of Chinese takeout into the fridge, took a quick shower, and went to bed. She didn't linger on the feeling of being watched earlier, she didn't try to figure out if it had been Blaine. If she had, she may have realized the familiar feeling wasn't so familiar after all.

Chapter Three

She woke with a start, her heart racing and her body drenched in sweat. It took her only a moment to adjust to her familiar surroundings and realize it was her dreams once again that woke her in such a startling way. Over the course of the last month her dreams--or more accurately named nightmares--had grown increasingly disturbing and more frequent. She was to the point that she was having them every other night now. The first few times it happened, she woke terrified and trembling. Nightmares weren't something she was prone to having and waking with a pounding heart was definitely new. In fact, at first she thought there was someone in her apartment and that was what woke her up. When there was no trace of an intruder and it continued, she realized it was her dreams that were scaring her so badly, causing her to wake up in the middle of the night saturated with sweat. The worst part was, even though they were coming recurrently, she still couldn't remember what they were about. All she knew was they were somehow tied to Blaine and they always left her feeling truly frightened.

Glancing toward her nightstand, as she did every time she woke up, she read the display on the clock: four in the morning. She groaned and flopped back down on the bed. She kicked the sheets off, allowing the cool air to move over her damp skin in hopes of lowering her body temperature. Usually she would've just gotten up since she had to be up in only two more hours anyway, but she was so tired. These nightmares were starting to wear her out. So, instead, she snuggled back into her pillow and closed her eyes, praying sleep would take over soon.

***

Becky woke the second time that morning with the alarm blaring and her head throbbing. She reached over to shut the annoying sound off before rolling to the side of the bed. As she sat up, she tried, and failed, to remember her nightmare. She'd never been the type of person to have so much trouble sleeping, and it was beginning to drive her crazy! She always dreamt, but it was usually about magic shows or performing her own magic and those dreams left her feeling peaceful and happy. Sure she had the occasional nightmare, just like anyone else, but it was usually after she watched a horror movie. This was different and it killed her that she couldn't remember any of it, only impressions and feelings. Feelings of being petrified and alone as well as an overwhelming fear for Blaine.

There was no use dwelling on it, she thought to herself. She'd been trying to figure out what was going on for a month now and she still wasn't any closer to the solution. Shaking her head, she stood up and dragged herself to the bathroom where she took a quick shower to wash the sticky sweat off her skin and get ready for work.

When she finally arrived, she dug right in. The morning flew by in a sleep deprived haze and before she knew it, it was time to meet her mom for a little dress shopping followed by lunch. As much as Becky didn't want to attend the charity ball, she couldn't deny the fact that she was looking forward to an afternoon with her mom.

They met at a boutique that was only a few blocks from the office. It was small but Becky knew the woman who owned it. Becky and her mom had shopped there a few times before, so they knew they'd have a great selection of beautiful and elegant dresses. As soon as Becky opened the door, the store owner, Maggie, greeted them.

"Hello, Miss Wellington, Mrs. Wellington, it's so nice to see you both again."

Becky nodded. "Hello, Maggie. It's nice to see you as well. How are you?"

They made polite conversation for a moment before Maggie was off to the back in search of a few dresses she thought would be perfect for the occasion. She had impeccable taste, so Becky knew she'd get to see something she'd fall in love with. Therefore, instead of browsing the store, she relaxed into the plush couch that sat in the middle of the boutique and waited patiently while she chatted with her mom.

Of course, Victoria was never one to beat around the bush, so she went ahead and got the hard questions out of the way while they were alone. "So how upset are you really that you're attending this ball?"

Becky thought for a moment before she blew out a breath and glanced at her mom. "I'm really not upset, promise. I just didn't realize how tiring all of this would be."

Mom offered up a sympathetic smile. "I know, honey, and I'm sorry; but it's very important for you to attend events like this. The community needs to see you out and about. You need to be seen, not only taking your place within the walls of the company, but also out in the community. Our clients, and potential clients, want to know you on a more personal level. It's important to build a sort of friendship with them, and events such as this are the perfect opportunity to do that. It can be exhausting, but I promise that it does get easier."

"I know, Momma, and I promise I'm not upset. I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun and I'll get to meet a lot of really great people. It'll be nice to finally put some faces to names, too." Becky let out a small chuckle. "It's kinda weird sometimes to talk to some of our clients about such personal things and not even know what they look like."

Her mom giggled. "I know what you mean. I used to spend so much time imagining what they'd look like I'd build them up in my head. It almost became a game for me. I'd even tell your father and he'd tease me when I finally met them and they didn't look anything like what I thought."

Becky laughed. "I do that, too!"

"Well then, be prepared because I assure you that you're in for a real surprise!"

They were both giggling like schoolgirls when Maggie appeared from the back, multiple dresses draped over her arm. "Do you ladies need a moment?" She teased them.

Victoria waved her hand in the air. "Of course not! Come show us what beautiful dresses you've picked for my even more beautiful daughter." Her eyes were sparkling with excitement and Becky had to smile. Her and her mom didn't get to do this often enough, and with everything that had been going on in Becky's suddenly crazy life, she needed it. So she sat up and allowed herself to get completely sucked up into oohing and aahing over dresses.

"That's it!" her mom suddenly exclaimed when Maggie displayed the third dress. "That's the one!"

Becky laughed. "Calm down, Mom! It's not a wedding dress."

"If only," her mom murmured, but Becky chose to ignore it. She was not going down that road today. Louder her mom said, "Come on honey, go try it on. I just know it's going to be perfect!"

"Okay, okay!" Becky said, swatting away her mom's hands that were practically pushing her daughter off the couch. "I'm going!"

As she walked toward the dressing room, she heard her mom and Maggie whispering, and what sounded like a request from Mom to see other dresses. Becky was going to have a stroke if she came out of this dressing room to find her mom looking at wedding dresses! Ignoring their giggles and hushed murmurs, Becky hung the garment on a hook and began to undress.

She actually hadn't really gotten a good look at the dress; her mom's excited proclamation of it being the one had startled Becky and pulled her gaze away. In fact, looking at it on the hanger now, she wasn't sure what made her mom so sure it was the best one. It didn't really look all that special to Becky.

Shrugging, she quickly stripped and put the dress on. Looking down, struggling with the neck line, or lack thereof, she turned to face the mirror. When she finally looked up at her appearance she was so startled by her reflection, she froze.

The dress was long, form-fitting, and simply beautiful. It was all black but made of a material that looked like stardust. It was as if there was a shimmering silver layer over the black; occasionally reflecting a color like pink or purple. However, she couldn't deny that what made the dress breathtaking was the way it fit her. It complemented her figure in every possible way and she looked stunning in it. It had a slit that came up to her thigh, revealing enough of her leg to show the contrast between the dark material and the paleness of her skin in a way that was sexy and mysterious. The back dipped to just above her waist line, so much so that she knew, just like everyone else would, there was no way for her to wear panties with it. Nor would she be able to wear a bra with how low the front dipped, revealing the top swells of her breasts, guaranteed to draw everyone's eyes. She looked totally sexy in this dress and it made her equally uncomfortable.

"Becky?" Her mom's voice followed by a light tap on the door pulled Becky from staring at her own reflection. "Are you okay in there?"

"Um, yeah, one second." Knowing there was no way to get out of showing her mom the dress, Becky made one last attempt to tug the neck line up higher before opening the door.

She gave her mom a pleading look, hoping she'd say it was inappropriate for a work function, or it didn't look as good on Becky as she thought; but that didn't happen. Instead, her mom let out a soft gasp, covering her mouth with her fingers as her eyes began to shine.

No words were needed, Becky was getting the dress.

Once it was purchased, as well as a few accessories to go with it, they headed to lunch. It was an enjoyable afternoon as they sat outside the restaurant on the patio, talking about work and her father as well as some old memories. The fall air was crisp, but the warmth of the shinning sun kept the chill at bay. Becky was relaxing and basking in a rare, stress free, moment when she felt the prickle of awareness again. She immediately stopped talking and turned her head, searching for the source. She hoped it was Blaine, but as she gazed around her, she took note of the feelings coursing through her. It was familiar; but she knew, without a doubt, the person watching her now wasn't Blaine. A shiver of fear racked her body and she wrapped her arms around herself. Her eyes swept the area again, but there were just too many people for her to pinpoint the source of her discomfort. She was so desperate to locate them she forgot where she was and who she was with until her mom's worried voice finally broke through.

"Becky, honey, are you okay?"

Blinking, Becky focused on her mom and the conversation they were having. "Sorry about that. What were you saying?"

Victoria eyed her daughter skeptically. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah! I'm fine, really! Just zoned out for a sec. So tell me what you were saying. About the ball?" She prompted with a smile before lifting her fork to take a bite of food. She felt anything but fine, but the last thing she wanted to do was worry her mom. Besides, Becky didn't even know what was going on, there was no way she could explain it to someone else.

Her mom's eyes narrowed further for a moment, but when Becky's smile didn't falter, her mom relented. "So, no date yet for this weekend?" she asked as she speared some of her salmon with her fork, purposely not meeting Becky's eyes.

"No, Mom, and there won't be one." She didn't get angry but she inflicted a bit of steel in her voice, hoping it would deter her mom from asking any more questions. Nope, it didn't work.

"But why not? I'm sure there are plenty of men that would love to go with you.

"Mom," Becky said with a sigh as she lowered her fork again before leaning back in her chair.

Her mom finally looked up and their eyes met. "I just want you to be happy, honey."

"I am, Mom, really. It's just not a good time for me to be dating right now."

"But what about--"

Becky held up a hand. She wasn't sure what her mother was going to say, but if she brought up Blaine, Becky was afraid she might lose it. "Please, Mom?" she pleaded softly.

Her mom watched her for a moment but then conceded. "Okay, but I'm only letting you off the hook for now. Once I see you better settled at work, I'm going to be bugging you again; so be ready."

"Deal," Becky said and hoped she'd have some answers for her mom when the time came; because, right now, Becky didn't have a clue.

# TWISTED

by NL Greene

In the Beginning

My name is Natalie and I have a problem.

My problem isn't one of the normal problems that teens come to their parents with or seek advice from a counselor for. I'm not failing school or worried about ending up in jail. I don't have a drug or drinking problem. I'm not pregnant and there's not an STD scare I need them to help me with.

No, it's not that simple for me. Simple? What's so simple about teen pregnancy or substance abuse in teens, you ask? Why am I brushing aside the gravity of becoming a juvenile delinquent or contracting an STD? Especially since any person with a lick of common sense can see that these things are no laughing matter. These problems keep parents up at night worrying about their children and thinking of ways to prevent them from falling victim to these exact things. They keep the police out patrolling the streets at all hours of night hoping to catch the evil culprits, or hoping to save maybe just one kid.

I say my problem isn't that simple, because my problem is my best friend.

That makes even less sense, doesn't it? I mean, how can anyone call their best friend a problem and then compare that to the problems I just listed? The statement alone is like an oxymoron or something, right? Best friends are those special people that you love almost more than yourself. They're like sisters but better, because you actually want to be around them as much as possible. They're that person you can never get enough of, who you share your deepest, darkest secrets with, and who you plan your entire future around. Who cares that the guy you marry one day won't want a double wedding, complete with matching dresses and saying his vows to you at the exact same time as the couple standing right next to you at the altar? Does it really matter if he wants to live next door to that same couple, and spend every vacation and holiday for the rest of your lives together with his wife's best friend? No! Because this person is your other half; the one person you know you can depend on no matter what, and therefore you plan for them to be a part of every aspect of your life for the rest of your life.

These are things that besties do. Well, they are if your best friend is all of those great, wonderful things. But the relationship with my BFF is a bit different; a bit twisted. My best friend is the meanest, most manipulative girl I have ever met. She treats everyone like shit, and thinks the world owes her big time.She takes what she wants, no matter who she hurts in the process...and she does it often.

Even to me.

But, I ask you - what sucks even more than having this sort of best friend? Not even knowing it.

My severe case of being oblivious started when I was in the fourth grade.

I don't really remember a lot from that time period, but I do remember that life was pretty normal and less complicated. More importantly, I definitely remember the day I met my best friend. It was about midway through the school year when we got a new student. Her family had just moved here from another state. I don't know where they moved from or why they moved, and still don't to this day. But when you're ten years old, those aren't really questions you ask anyway. The burning questions at the age of ten are... Is it a boy or a girl? Where will they sit? The girls all say, "Yay! Our new student is a girl, so now there are more girls than boys!" That's critical at this age, really.

And luckily, she got to sit by me. Our desks were arranged in small sections; four desks put together to make four separate table-like areas in the classroom .The only empty seat in the class was at my area, right across from me. And thank goodness, because I had been forced to sit with two other boys since Charlotte had left the month before. For that reason alone, I already loved the new girl and decided that she would be one of my best friends. It's easy like that when you're so young. You just ask if they want to be best friends, and BAM! Instant best friends.

That's pretty much how it worked for me and Melanie, and we soon became inseparable. My parents even started giving her a ride to school in the mornings, even though she lived around the corner and not on our street. I wasn't really at the age to start having sleepovers or anything like that yet, and my parents were kind of over-protective, so I never asked. But Melanie (who by the end of the school year had been dubbed 'Mel' and I became 'Nat') and I still spent as much time together as we could. We ate lunch together and played on the playground together, which were the sort of things that were critical when you're in elementary school. Then fifth grade came and suddenly we were in different classes. We still said we were BFF's and hung out on the playground together, but that was it. From what I can remember, the year was pretty uneventful. What can I say - I was like, eleven? What really happens when you're that age, other than the occasional new kid coming into your class?

Toward the end of our fifth grade year things began to pick up a little. Excitement and nervousness began to build, due to the fact that we would be going to middle school the next year. Mel was still going to be at the same school as me, and we were even going to be riding on the same school bus. Our parents let us hang out more over that summer between, and now that we were older, we could ride our bikes to each other's houses and Mel even came over sometimes to go swimming in our pool. We talked about how awesome middle school was going to be, and made plans to be best friends forever - no matter what.

Middle School Days

Chapter 1

I held that promise near and dear to my heart as we started the sixth grade. I remember being scared and excited about going to middle school. There was definitely much more responsibility, between changing classes, having lockers, and meeting a ton of new people while being separated from those I'd known my whole life. Mel and I were on different teams at school, which meant that we had different classes. We still stuck close to each other at every opportunity though; meeting up between classes, eating lunch together, and catching up before and after school on the bus ride. I remember thinking that I would wake up on the first morning of middle school and magically be a different person - older, wiser, and maybe even prettier. Nothing like that happened. I was still me. I was shy, nervous, and painfully average. But not Mel, though - she seemed to go through an overnight change. It wasn't major or anything crazy, but it was definitely different. She started to develop her own sense of style, and even her attitude started to change, almost imperceptibly.

She'd always had a quiet personality like mine. But now she liked heavy metal (I think it was because of her older brother, but she would never admit that she liked the same things he did), she wore rocker-type clothes, combat boots, make-up, and had started to curse a lot. I didn't really mind, because I was used to the language from all the other kids at school, but it was sort of weird to hear it from Mel. She also argued a lot more, with both the boys and the girls, and sometimes it even got a little intense. I'd even heard a few kids call her badass or cool, so I guess I was proud of her for starting to get popular and build a reputation for herself...and I thought it was even better that she still wanted to be my best friend. She made sure that everyone knew who I was and not to mess with me, not that anyone did, anyway.It was still kinda cool though.

Sadly, the only significant thing to happen to me was convincing my parents to finally let me shave my legs...and that didn't even happen until the very end of the year! I remember having to beg my parents for this rite of passage, only after one of the cutest, most popular guys in the eighth grade had pointed out my hairy legs to the entire bus. I remember how giggly and nervous I got when he sat in the seat beside me and turned toward me with a smile on his face.I was already blushing, and he hadn't even spoken to me yet! He glanced down at my bare legs, and the smile turned into a smirk. "Aren't girls supposed to shave their legs?" he asked, way too loudly.I turned away quickly as tears pricked my eyes.I held it together while on the school bus, but as soon as I got dropped off and started walking home, I couldn't hold it back any longer. That night I told my parents, and they finally took pity on me.

After that defining milestone, nothing else really happened and Mel and I were able to sail through our first year of middle school and into the second. Mel made a name for herself as a mover and a shaker, someone who was always in the know, and made sure that my name got associated with hers. We made a lot of friends, and Mel even made a few enemies, but none of those relationships could compare to the bond that was steadily growing between the two of us. We shared secrets, spent as much time together as possible both inside and outside of school, and began to call each other 'sister'.

***

As time progressed, so did our egos.My attitude still wasn't quite as bad as Mel's, but she was definitely rubbing off on me. I remember feeling like we were so much older and more mature than we really were, and that the people around us didn't have a clue. We weren't at the bottom of the totem pole anymore, and we were steadily working our way up the social ladder. We weren't what you would necessarily consider popular, but we were friends with almost our entire seventh grade class and also had tons of friends in the eighth grade. I mean, we were practically eighth graders ourselves! On top of that, Mel and I would be turning thirteen later that year. We would be teenagers, which meant we knew it all, right?

Too bad no one told me how wrong I was.

I finally had that defining moment where I woke up and everything was different, but it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. I remember feeling like I was walking in slow motion through a tunnel to a whole new world, and suddenly I was seeing things that I'd never noticed before. All at once I had friends who were smoking, drinking, skipping school, doing drugs and having sex. Talk about information overload! I didn't even know when it had all happened, but it was happening and I was right in the middle of all of it. Not directly, but I could see it, and if I wanted to, even touch it.

After the first initial shock of being thrust into this unfamiliar world, I began to realize that it wasn't all that bad. I knew that most of the smokers had parents who smoked too, so I guess it was only normal for them to pick it up. The part about skipping school, drinking and even drugs wasn't anything major (beer and pot mostly, and then only on special occasions), and I really only knew of a few kids that even took part. But the thing that seemed to affect me the most was that all of my friends had boyfriends, and some of them were even talking about S-E-X. I'm not sure if they were actually having it or not though, because I was way too scared to ask. I hadn't even had my period or my first kiss yet, so I knew absolutely nothing about sex. My concerns centered primarily on those two milestones. My mom reassured me that she had been a late bloomer and so that meant I probably would be too, and that I shouldn't rush it because once it happened, I'd hate it. But I didn't care.I wanted it to happen ASAP! It was supremely awkward when the other girls talked about it and all I could do was nod my head as if I actually knew what they were talking about, all while hoping and praying that no one would call me out...and definitely keeping my questions to myself.I had so many of them too, but I knew if I asked any of them they would all know the truth, and I was worried I would get teased and made fun of. Kids are cruel, and I swear teenage girls are the worst.

So I just kept on, keeping my mouth shut and my ears open, all while following along behind my much more knowledgeable best friend. Mel seemed to fully embrace the changes in the world around us. She didn't exactly jump right into trying all of the new things, but she didn't shy away from them either. She embraced who she wanted to be and did the things she wanted to do. It helped that her parents let her express herself and pretty much do whatever she wanted, even if some of the other parents didn't agree with her choices (like mine). She became more outspoken and confident in a way I couldn't have imagined being. She didn't care what people thought of her, and didn't even care if she got into trouble for letting them know what she thought of them. I wished that my parents would let me dress and act more like how I wanted (even though I'm not sure what I would have changed), but I knew it would be something.

Mel, at least, encouraged me. She let me wear her clothes when I was at her house, and we'd listen to music and watch movies that my parents wouldn't approve of at all. Mel would assure me that I needed to find what I liked, not what my parents wanted me to like. She also showed me better ways to wear my clothes, my hair, and how to do my make-up to make me look better. It was like having an older sister who knew everything and wanted to share it all with you. I loved her for wanting to help me so much, and for making sure that I wasn't walking around making a fool of myself. I never took her encouragement to defy my parents or her remarks on improving my looks as anything other than friendly advice. Back then, her comments were so subtle and insignificant.It wasn't until much later that the warning bells stated to go off.

I slowly began to take Mel's advice and apply it to my everyday life; make-up improvements when I got to school, wardrobe shifts that my parents would never approve of, and a little bit more defiance in my attitude. Because of this, I finally reached the next landmark and got my first boyfriend. Truth is, I'm not even really sure if I wanted him or not, but Mel promptly informed me that A) he liked me, B) he was cute, and C) he was in the eighth grade - so I totally needed to date him. How do you even date when you can't actually go anywhere? Anyway, I did what Mel said and presto! I had a boyfriend. We dated for a week. That's it. He was cute, with sandy blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, and he was really nice, too. We became boyfriend and girlfriend on Monday at lunch; all coordinated and communicated through Mel, of course. His name was Casey, and he didn't even ask me himself to be his girlfriend. He was the friend of a friend, who told that friend, who told Mel that he thought I was cute. Then Mel just barreled in and took over from there. By the end of that lunch period I found myself hand-in-hand with a boy I barely knew. Casey silently walked me to class after lunch each day, then met me at my locker after school and walked me to my bus. He also waited for me in the mornings and walked me to my first class of each day. This was our routine for the entire week, and those were the only times during the day we saw each other. As we spent more time together we actually started to get to know each other, and I found that I was beginning to like him. I was in boyfriend/girlfriend heaven, walking around school with a cute boy, until the end of that week.

Little did I know that this tiny event would be the first of many tiny, seemingly unimportant events that would lead up to one of the biggest mistakes of my life. On Friday of my one week in paradise, Casey walked me to my bus, hand-in-hand like we had been every other day of that week. When we got to my bus, we saw that his was parked right behind mine, which meant that he could stand with me until it was time to actually get on board. We stopped just to the right of the door so the other kids could still get on, and then turned to say goodbye to each other. That was when some of his friends came around the corner and started asking him if he was going to kiss me. It wasn't nice or polite; it was teasing and insistent. I could feel my cheeks heating and my heart racing.I had never kissed a boy before! And now they all wanted me to do it right there in front of everyone?

I knew I couldn't do it, but thankfully Mel was there too, waiting for me so we could get on the bus together. I glanced at her with what I'm sure was a look of panic, hoping she would help me out. She knew that I'd never kissed a boy before, because we told each other everything and I wouldn't have left that part out. But instead of the help I desperately needed, she just smirked with her I Dare You look and said, "Well come on! We gotta go. Hurry up and kiss your boyfriend." I remember my heart sinking at that moment. I had always been so grateful to her in the past for showing me the ropes and helping me to be cool like her, but this was not the time I wanted one of those life lessons. I wanted her to rescue me, but she didn't.

I looked back up at Casey. Not sensing my utter terror, he smiled down at me and moved closer; intertwining one hand with mine while moving the other hand to my waist. He pulled me closer and dipped his head toward mine. I stared into his eyes as all of this happened in slow motion, until our lips met. Then reality slammed back in and moved faster than ever. At first his lips were warm and soft, and I started to lose some of the tension I had been feeling. -'This isn't so bad, it's actually kind of nice.I can do this!'- I began to think. But then his tongue slipped out from between his parted lips and began to touch my closed ones .I may never have kissed a boy before, but I had paid attention to my friends when they talked about it. I thought I understood what I was supposed to do- in theory. I didn't. I knew I should probably open my mouth to let his tongue in, but I just couldn't do it. I didn't know what to do, I knew he wasn't going to tell me, and I definitely wasn't going to ask in front of all of those people! My heart almost thudded out of my chest and my body flamed with embarrassment as I tore my tight lipped mouth from his. I pushed him away at the same time and turned to run onto my bus. I made my way to the very back where I could bury my face in my knees, and I tried to keep from bursting into tears.

With my eyes squeezed tightly shut and my face buried, it felt like I could hear even better than usual. I heard some laughing and talking around me, and my mind instantly concluded that they were all laughing at me. I wasn't really sure if it had anything to do with me at all, or if it was just kids playing around as usual, but I didn't bother to look. I simply couldn't bear the thought of them making fun of me. I scrunched myself further into the corner of the seat, hoping to disappear. I only glanced up when I heard Mel finally get on the bus a few minutes later. A soft, cruel smile played on her lips as she plopped down in the seat beside me and slung her backpack onto the floor at our feet. She turned to me, and I prayed she would have some sort of sisterly advice or encouraging words to make all of this better. And this was the moment when she let me down for the second time in our friendship.

"What is wrong with you? Why'd you run off like that? You looked like such a dork, and made Casey look like a punk!" she scolded me.

I stared at her in horror, my mouth opening and then shutting again with no words coming out. I had just suffered the single, most embarrassing moment of my life, and she was worried about how I made Casey feel? What about me? I didn't know what to say, because that was also the first time that Mel's new attitude had been directed at me - and not in a good way.

"Seriously Nat, you need to grow up. It was only a kiss! No big deal. Now I'm going to have to deal with everyone asking me next week what your freakin' problem is."

After those not-so-helpful words, she turned to face the front of the bus again and completely ignored me the rest of the way home. I was lost. The ten minute bus ride felt like hours as I forgot my horror and embarrassment over my first failed kiss, and turned to trying to figure out how to get Mel to forgive me. I didn't want her mad at me. I was pretty sure my relationship with Casey had just ended, and I couldn't stand to lose her, too. How long would she be mad at me? Would she stop being my friend over this? Those were the only things I could think of the whole ride home. We finally got off the bus at our stop and she started walking toward her house. I stood there for a minute, not sure what to do. "Mel, are we still hanging out tonight?" I asked in a small voice; unsure of our friendship for the first time ever. Mel had always protected me and defended me! She'd never gotten mad at me like this, or blamed me for making someone else look bad. This was new territory for me, and I didn't know how to deal with it.

She turned back to look at me like I had lost my mind. "Umm, yeah. Why wouldn't we? Call me later. Love ya Nat!" she yelled with a big smile, before turning and walking home.

I let out a relieved breath as I turned around with a matching smile on my face, happy that although my love life was probably over, at least my best friend wasn't mad at me anymore. I made a mental note right then not to upset or disappoint Mel like that again. I didn't know what I would do without her in my life and I definitely didn't want to find out.

Chapter 2

Thankfully my first possible social disaster wasn't so bad.Mel ran damage control, telling people things like Casey's breath stank and that's why I didn't want to kiss him, or that his lips were dry and it grossed me out. I felt really bad at first, because of course this caused everyone to make fun of Casey instead of me. But honestly there wasn't much I could do. Mel was talking, everyone was listening, and no one was making fun of me.

Before I knew it, the school year was more than half way over. Mel and I both turned thirteen, and we chose to celebrate by going to the movies on one of our many sleepovers. We also gained a new friend. This development was the biggest deal of all, though. Mel and I both had other friends, but none of them had ever threatened the foundation of our rock solid friendship. Ashley did. She moved in across the street from Mel just a few months before school ended, and she and Mel hit it off right away. I soon found myself spending as much time with Ash as I did with Mel.

Honestly I didn't mind, because Ash was a year older and had her own set of friends; plus, she was really nice and super cool. But I knew that Mel thought all of those things too, and it made me wonder if she would still like me the best. Ash was better than I was! Why would Mel keep me around? With these thoughts, I found myself trying to do whatever I needed to do to please Mel more and more. It was only little things at first. I started showing more of a surly attitude with my parents, and I became a little bit more daring with what I would wear out, even though I knew my parents might catch me. But the biggest change happened about a month before school ended, on a night I was sleeping over at Mel's.

It was Friday evening and the bus had just dropped us off. I hurried home to do my chores; excitement building over going to Mel's. Ash was going out of town with her parents, so this would be the first weekend Mel and I would be hanging out, just the two of us, since Ash had moved in. As I did my chores, I thought about how Mel always teased me about how my parents treated my sister and I like slaves. We had a regular list of chores that had to be done daily, and then another set to do over the weekend if we wanted to have any sort of sleepover or activity. Keeping our room clean, doing the dishes, feeding the dog, vacuuming the house, and doing the laundry pretty much made up the list. I never really thought it was that bad, because half of the things on the list were my own stuff (or my sister's). But then Mel started telling me how my parents were just using us as their personal slaves so they wouldn't have to do it themselves. That made sense. I mean, I was just a kid! This wasn't my house to run! That's what my parents were supposed to be doing - taking care of their kids. So of course, courtesy of my new attitude, I started making smart remarks about being treated like a slave under my breath. At first my mom ignored me, but that didn't last long. I knew I would get grounded for the weekend if she heard me mutter any of those words now. Not wanting to be grounded, especially since Ash wouldn't be at Mel's, I hurried up and finished all my chores before my mom and dad even got home from work.

By the time they got home from work around six, I was all ready to go. My chores were done, my bags were packed, and my sister and I were actually getting along. Being only thirteen months apart was more of a curse than a blessing for the two of us, so this in itself was a small miracle. My parents already knew I wanted to go to Mel's because I had asked them earlier in the week, but I knew that if I started pestering them, they would just say no. So I waited patiently until they finally told me I could go. My dad told me he would drop me off, and I sighed inwardly.I hated it when he dropped me off. He would always lecture me on the way there - even if I hadn't done anything wrong lately - about what I should and shouldn't be doing. He was always warning me about drugs and alcohol, the dangers of being around boys, and whatever else he could think of in the short five minute trip it took us to get to Mel's house. I had to fight to keep from rolling my eyes, but I did...just barely.

"Love you daddy!" I yelled, jumping from the car as soon as we pulled up; hoping to get away without further advice.

"You need to be home by nine tomorrow morning," he called out of his lowered window.

I stopped and turned to him with what I hoped was a look he wouldn't be able to refuse. "But daddy, we'll just be getting up at nine in the morning! We won't have any time to hang out before I have to leave!" I could hear the petulant whine in my voice, and I hoped it would appeal to his softer side.

No such luck. "You asked to spend the night, not the day. Home at nine, or you won't go next time. If you really want to hang out that bad, I guess you'll have to get up earlier, won't you? And be good," he warned as he pulled away; leaving me no more chances to argue or plead. I huffed and stomped to the front door, and then let myself into Mel's house like I always had.

It was seven in the evening, so I knew Mel's parents weren't home. Not that they would have cared even if they were. They were really cool about Ash and I both coming and going as we pleased, but I knew they were probably already up the street at the corner bar by now. The truth was I probably wouldn't even see them this time, since they always got home way after we were asleep. I wouldn't see them in the morning either, since I'd be the only one up at the crack of dawn so I could walk home, by myself. My parents thought Mel walked with me halfway, but she never even got up to tell me bye, much less walk with me. The first few times it hurt my feelings when she told me it was my parents' fault that I had to get up so early, so why should she have to suffer too? I was used to it now though, so it wasn't really a big deal anymore.

I had been so lost in my own thoughts and anger at my parents for being so strict and making me go home so early, that I didn't notice the room full of people as I walked into the house until James spoke up.

"'Sup Nat?"His voice was soft and a bit slurred. I glanced up to see Mel's brother James slouched back in the recliner with heavy lidded eyes and his feet propped up. There were three other guys sitting on the couch looking equally relaxed, with their feet propped up on the coffee table in front of them. With my attention finally on my surroundings, I noticed the thick smog and smell of pot in the air. The coffee table was covered with bongs, pipes, rolling paper, bags of weed, full ashtrays, and beer bottles. This was the normal scene whenever I came over, even when Mel's parents were home. Mel and I weren't allowed to partake in the activities because they said we were too young, but James and his friends were sixteen so anything they did was cool with their parents.

I smiled at the guys, because I knew all of them. "Hey!" Ray, Allen, and Austin had been best friends with James since Mel and her family moved there. They were all over at the house as much as I was, if not more. They were all pretty cool too, treating Mel and I like little sisters. James was the only exception. He'd stopped treating me like a sister a few months before. It started out pretty subtle at first, so much so that I didn't even notice it until Mel pointed it out with a smirk. Now he wasn't quite as subtle, proving this when I moved to walk between his chair and the couch to Mel's room.

James reached his hand out and snagged my wrist. He gave a small tug, which knocked me off balance and caused me to drop my bag and fall into his lap. I immediately tensed up, not liking James' interest in me or how he was able to just make me do what he wanted. He didn't notice my hesitation though, because he was way too high.

"Hey baby. How you doin?" he whispered in my ear. One of his arms snaked around my waist, not tightly, but still holding me to him. The other hand was on my leg, his thumb rubbing back and forth over my jean-covered thigh.

I'll admit James was cute, with dirty blonde hair left just a little too long, brown eye, and a tall, thin frame with a little muscle. Most of Mel's friends thought he was hot - Ashley was practically in love with him! - but I didn't like him that way. I'd known him for years, and really did think of him as a big brother. Besides, to be brutally honest he was pretty much a loser, and I didn't see myself with that type of guy. I knew Mel would just make a big deal about it, asking me if I thought I was too good for her brother or something, so I chose to stay quiet about it. I just let James hold me for a second, knowing that he'd want to get back to his friends and drugs sooner rather than later. Plus, he actually was a nice guy. I knew he wouldn't make me do anything I genuinely didn't want to do.

"I'm good. What are ya'll up to tonight?" I glanced at the others, not wanting to make eye contact with James with our faces that close. I didn't want him getting the wrong idea, or taking advantage of my nearness.

"Party," Ray answered, not sounding very enthusiastic about the party; more like he would rather go to sleep.I couldn't stop the snicker that escaped my lips as I looked around at all of them so stoned.

"What are you laughing at?" James asked with a squeeze to my thigh, before moving his hand up just an inch further.

I felt my cheeks heat but didn't move. "Umm, nothing. When are you leavin'?" I asked, hoping he'd say soon so I could get off his lap.

He ignored my question and asked one of his own. "You wanna come with us?"

"You know I can't. If your parents found out you took me and Mel to a party, they would kick your ass." I smirked at him, knowing it was true and thankful for the handy excuse.

"Well I didn't invite Mel, so only your parents don't need to find out. Mine'll be too drunk to even notice," he offered with a smirk of his own.

I opened my mouth to try and get out of his invitation without saying the wrong thing, when I heard the door open down the hall.

"James !Is Nat...?" Mel started to yell, but then stopped when she saw me in her brother's lap. "God, James, you're such an ass! Let Nat go, we got shit to do!" she yelled at him as she reached for my hand and pulled me from his lap, thankfully.James just laughed and slapped my butt when I bent over to pick up my bag. I straightened quickly and followed Mel down the hall into her room, where she slammed the door shut behind us.

I turned to her to apologize, but she spoke before I could. "Don't tease him like that, Nat. You know he likes you."

"I wasn't teasing him! I tried to walk by and he grabbed me. He wouldn't let me go!" I tried to defend myself, hating that I even had to.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes."Just don't tease him." Then she gave me a look like I should know what she meant by that, but I didn't have a clue.I was not a tease! "Come on, we got shit to do."

I looked around for whatever it was that we had to do, but I was lost. "Umm okay, what?" I asked, not seeing anything promising.

She rolled her eyes at me but at least she explained. "I made sure not to empty the ashtrays today so we would have some cigarettes for tonight. We gotta go find some smokeable ones, though. You need to go distract my brother and those idiots while I hunt for some. Otherwise they'll never let us live it down if they see what we're doing." Oh, that.

Mel had started smoking when she was like ten, but she never really pressured me into trying it. Actually, she did the opposite. She always told me I was too young to do it, and that I wouldn't be able to handle smoking. I 'need to grow up some first' she would say. I tried not to be offended by her questioning my maturity, but I honestly didn't want to smoke anyway. My parents had always told me how bad it was, and that if they ever caught me doing it I wouldn't live to see the next day. I believed them, so I never tried it.

Well, all that changed when Mel wasn't the only one of my friends who smoked anymore. Now it seemed like they all did. I felt like I was the only one who wasn't doing it, and Mel actually confirmed that by telling me that a few people even mentioned how weird it was that all my friends smoked but I apparently thought I was too good to do it, too. That wasn't it at all! In fact, I thought all my friends were so much cooler than I was. So I knew that I needed to do this. If I wanted my friends to truly believe that I was with them and totally supported them, I needed to be more like them, right? When I told Mel this, she nodded her head in complete understanding. She reassured me that I was exactly right and said she would even teach me.

So there I was, I guess, getting ready to smoke my first cigarette. Mel hadn't warned me that we would be doing it that night, so I started to get a little nervous. But before I could address that issue, I had to address the whole 'distract my brother' thing. "How do you expect me to distract them?"

"Well you were doing a great job just a second ago. Do that again." She waved me toward the door.

"What? You just got done telling me not to tease your brother. Now you want me to go do it some more?" I asked in complete confusion, feeling a bit used.

She just smirked at me and pushed me toward the door. "Told you that's what you were doing." I opened my mouth to argue, but she shoved me out of the door and whispered with a look in her eye that told me not to argue. "Just go! Jesus!"

"Fine." I rolled my eyes and huffed at her, but turned to do what she told me to do. What choice did I really have?

I walked slower than usual down the hall, trying to figure out what I was going to say without being obvious that I was trying to distract them. I turned the corner and sagged in relief when I saw that the guys were standing up around the coffee table, cleaning all their stuff up. They were getting ready to leave.

I strolled into the living room with much more confidence than before. "You guys leaving so soon?"

"Yep.What are you and Mel up to tonight? Playing dolls?" Allen asked with a laugh and a wink, letting me know that he was only teasing me. Allen and Austin were twins, and they had to be two of the nicest guys ever. They weren't that cute, but their personalities more than made up for it .I liked them both a lot.

I rolled my eyes playfully back at him. "Whatever.Y'all better be careful," I told them as sternly as I could. I knew they wouldn't be. They were already high and well on their way to being drunk, but it made me feel better to at least say it.

Austin, probably the most responsible one of the group, reassured me as they finished cleaning up and all started to walk past me; each giving me a quick one-armed hug. "We'll be cool, Nat. See ya later."

"K." I smiled at him and watched them go. James was the last one, and his hug was with two arms and a quick nuzzle to my neck that I tried to ignore with a forced smile on my face.

"Later, babe," he whispered in my ear, before trying to kiss me. I turned my face quickly, so his lips only got my cheek. Thankfully he wasn't offended. He just chuckled as he walked out the door and pulled it shut behind him. I quickly locked the bolt before running back to find Mel in her parents' room digging through ashtrays.

Her head jerked up guiltily when she heard me run into the room. "What are you doing?" she hissed, and glared like an angry cat.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Relax! They left." She opened her mouth, but I answered her follow up question before she could ask it. "And I locked the bolt. They'll have to knock to get back in."

She relaxed and lost the glare. "Okay, cool. Now help me look for good butts." She held one up to show me what I should be looking for, and together we scoured the ashtrays for all the cigarette butts that had even the littlest amount of tobacco left in them. We found about seven or eight; all together they would probably equal a half of one whole cigarette. Not much, but I was cool with that.It meant I didn't have to smoke that much.

Mel lit the first butt and took the first and only drag off that one. She did it like a pro, and I guess she sort of was one, since she had been doing it for like, three years already. She put it out and showed and explained what to do, and then it was my turn. I took the butt in my fingers and put it to my lips. It was so disgusting! There was pink lipstick from her mom on the white paper, the end was a dirty brown color from already having been smoked, and it smelt like old, stale ashtrays. I tried not to gag when my lips touched the pink-stained paper, and I almost didn't succeed. I quickly brought the lighter up and flicked it. The flame was way closer to my face than one had ever been before, and I flinched; dropping the lighter and the unlit cigarette. Mel laughed.

"You have to flick the lighter away from your face first, you big dummy! Then bring it closer. You do it like that again and you're going to singe off your eyebrows. Then you're going to look like such a dork!" she got out between fits of hysterical laughter. Wanting to impress her and not wanting to look like an idiot again, I took my time and tried to light it again. I flicked the lighter and slowly brought the flame toward the end of the butt. When it touched, I inhaled and immediately started hacking and gagging. The smoke burned my lungs and tasted absolutely awful. I knew it would, but still, it was nothing like I'd imagined.

Mel just laughed even harder.

I huffed at her as I tossed the cigarette butt into the ashtray and threw the lighter at her. "That's so gross! I don't want to do it," I told her defiantly, with my arms crossed over my chest.

"God, you're such a baby. It takes a few tries. You aren't going to get it the first time, or even the second. Once you get used to it, it'll taste better. Trust me," she said as she tossed the lighter at me again before digging through the ashtray for the longest butt. I eyed it skeptically when she started to hand it to me. She rolled her eyes and became more insistent. "Just do it."

I rolled my eyes back at her but did what she said. I repeated all of the same steps with similar results. The first puff ended with more coughing, but once my lungs cleared I brought the lit cigarette up to my lips to try again.

"Try to actually inhale it all the way this time," Mel helpfully advised.

I thought I was inhaling, hence all the coughing! But instead of pointing it out, I took another puff and held it in, only coughing a little that time. Satisfied, she took the butt from me and put it out in the ashtray before taking one for herself. She got about two drags from that one before she put it out, and then handed me another. "Okay, last one. Make it count."

Determined to make her proud and keep her from laughing at me, I did.

I inhaled that time without coughing it all back up. I smiled with triumph, but it quickly faded when I began to feel light headed. I put my hand to my forehead and Mel burst out laughing.

"Oh my God! You got a buzz from a few puffs of a cigarette. You are so lucky!"

Lucky was not what I felt. I felt like I was going to puke, but I held it in as we made our way out of her room and into the kitchen to throw away the evidence of our smoking session. We heated up leftover Chinese food and ate while we watched movies, and then we both fell asleep in her bed. Thankfully I never puked.
