Her Chance At Love. Nicki Night
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the gymnasium, scurrying to prepare their tables for the throngs of students outside of the double doors.
Blake helped yet another vendor gain access to the university’s Wi-Fi, showed the organizer how to do it for the umpteenth time and headed back to make sure his group was ready to go.
While he was gone, Alana had taken charge finalizing the setup. She had the custodians pull out a few more tables. A total of five six-foot-long tables were lined up in two rows with three volunteers set up at each table. She had also set up table signs that said, Résumé Services Sponsored by the NYAA.
“Let’s do a test run to make sure all of you are connected to the printer correctly.” Alana stood addressing their group as if she were conducting a symphony.
“Thanks, Alana!” Blake pulled her into another friendly hug.
“You know I’ve got your back. Everybody printing okay?” Alana asked.
“I’m getting an error message.” Cadence said.
Before Alana could respond, Blake had run to her side. “Let me help you out.” Once again, with a few clicks, he had her all set up and her test page was sliding out of one of the printers set up behind them.
Blake trotted over to retrieve the printed page and brought it back to her. “There you go,” he said, making a point to graze her hand as he handed it to her. The slight touch sent heat surging through him. He seized her with his eyes and allowed his gaze to linger. Cadence turned away first, but not before Blake made his point. He could tell by the slow way she dipped her eyes that he’d affected her, too.
As Blake walked away, he couldn’t help the quick groan that escaped his throat. He had to remind himself to remain focused, though it would be hard, since he still smelled the sweet scent of her perfume, which now permeated his nostrils. He wished he could capture the way it mixed with her scent and recall it at his will.
Blake looked at his watch. The doors would be opening in less than a minute. “Okay. Is everyone up and running?” The group responded with a collective yes. “Great! We are ready to go.”
Seconds later, the doors opened and students from all backgrounds poured into the gym, filling the space with their wide-eyed excitement. Immediately, all fifteen volunteers were busy helping to proofread, evaluate and rewrite résumés and offer career advice in response to the many questions the eager students asked.
It was quickly determined who served best in certain capacities, and the group made the necessary adjustments to keep the flow of traffic moving. Alana’s hands moved like lightning across the keyboard. She and a few others who typed fast focused on retyping résumés that required major editing. Cadence and Blake were really good at helping the students put their skills into words. They began to help those students who needed assistance with sprucing up their job descriptions.
With so many people seeking their help, the morning blazed by. Blake hadn’t realized how hungry he was until his stomach growled right in the middle of telling a young woman how to reword her administrative skills. Her endearing eyes bore into him the entire time he spoke and she smiled sheepishly when it was time for her to speak. When they were done, he typed in the last of her changes, printed the résumé and bid her good luck with a professional handshake.
As much as he loved the attention from women, he was never one to take advantage of a young starry-eyed girl. Politely he sent her on her way. As she made her way around to the vendors’ tables, she kept looking back at him.
His stomach growled again, reminding him that it was time to eat. He stood before another student took the seat in front of him. “You guys hungry?”
“Yes” rang out at various pitches.
“We can take turns going to get something to eat or I can just run and grab something for all of us.” Blake looked out over the line of folks that never seemed to cease. “Things don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. How about I go get something for all of us? I could use some fresh air.”
“That’s probably the best idea,” Alana confirmed.
“So what do you say? Pizza? Sandwiches?”
“Pizza is probably easiest,” Cadence said.
When she spoke, it was like music to Blake’s ears. He agreed just because she made the suggestion. “Pizza it is!” he said before anyone else could offer any other suggestion. “I’ll grab a couple of pies with a few different toppings.” Blake paused a moment, not wanting to seem too anxious. “Cadence, would you like to ride with me? I could use some help picking toppings.”
Cadence seemed to stiffen. It took a moment for her to respond. Alana’s back straightened and she turned to see how Cadence would answer. When she finally said yes, Blake realized that he’d been holding his breath.
Cadence needed Blake to help her climb into his big shiny pickup truck. He handled her so gently she had to tighten her body to keep it from shivering under his touch. She almost couldn’t believe that she had agreed to go with him. Maybe it was because the side of him that she’d witnessed today made her want to get to know him better—even if she didn’t think she was his type. She noticed the special attention he paid to her—the way he held her hand just a bit longer than necessary, the way he softened his tone when he addressed her and the fact that she constantly caught him stealing glances at her.
Before today, Cadence pegged him as just another arrogant lawyer—a gorgeous arrogant lawyer. After watching him in action helping out the organizers and working so diligently with the students, she started to draw new conclusions about him. It took a special person to even volunteer time for a cause such as this. She loved the way he always seemed to have everything under control.
Now Cadence allowed her eyes to follow him as he rounded the truck, after helping her in like a gentleman. As she watched him, she recalled eyeing his beautifully masculine hands as they skillfully moved across the keyboard as he typed out résumés. She remembered the way the muscles in his back strained against his shirt when he leaned over to pick up a box of paper to refill printers. The majestic rise of his chest when he stood to talk to people painted a glorious picture in her psyche. Several times she had to force herself to look away and focus on a student or her laptop in an effort to clear her mind of him. She liked the way he operated. All of it was topped off with an incredible dose of swagger that made her want to swoon.
When he climbed in on the driver’s side, she turned her head to look out the window. Those visuals continued to flood her mind as she sat next to him in his truck. Being so close to him in such a small space made her skin grow warm on the surface. Shifting in her seat, she almost felt as if she couldn’t handle the pressure of sitting near him and having to stare into those dark mysterious eyes of his. Cadence could drown in the abyss of his dimples. She imagined sticking her tongue inside of them. Where did that thought come from? It embarrassed her, as if he could hear what she was thinking. Cadence looked down at her fumbling hands and chuckled.
“Did I miss something?” Blake inquired.
“Huh?” Dang it. Why did he have to speak? The deep sultry purr of his voice gave her pause. She was so lost in the soothing rumble that she hadn’t even heard what he said.
“I thought I heard you laugh. I was wondering if I missed something.”
“Oh. No.”
A beat passed. Then another. Neither of them moved. Cadence was caught in the smoky gaze he cast her way, hooking her like a fish. Then he smiled again, flashing pearly-white teeth lined up in a neat row framed by full beautiful lips. Blake licked his lips, and his smiled curled up on one side. The sexy grin woke up feelings in Cadence that she thought she buried months ago. His dimples sank into his cheeks and once again she felt the urge to stick her tongue in them.
Cadence cleared her throat and sat up straighter in her seat before looking