up from one
of her drawers, stockings, pants, and bras spilling over the sides, ‘can you
work Friday? I’ve got a date with James.’
Keiko nodded her head, her bob bouncing around her
ears.
Of course she could. It wasn’t as if Keiko Teshi
had anything to do on a Friday night.
At least work would pay for the lace.
Chase Harlow
Chase sat in the director’s chair, hands clasped
over his lap as he turned towards the windows. The glass was clear and clean,
the view the best in the city.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ Victor pushed the
document he’d been flicking through over the table.
‘No,’ Harlow answered. He didn’t bother to turn
back to the table.
‘No one’s seen one of those in twenty years,’
Julius poured himself another whiskey, letting the liquid slosh in the bottom
of the glass as he rested back against the dresser.
‘Indeed,’ Chase stared out at the city. The spires,
the streets, the buildings. He tugged down on his jacket, loosening the last
button.
‘It sounds dangerous to go after this, Chase,
remember what happened to the last one,’ Victor’s voice wavered.
Chase turned, the chair swiveling smoothly. ‘Yes,
yes I do.’
Okay, so he probably looked like a Bond villain
here, swiveling in his chair and sounding mysterious. Chase didn’t feel like
one though.
He felt like a failure. He’d been after a picture
of her, a statue, a relief, anything half his life.
He had nothing to show for his efforts. A couple of
scars, some bruises, and a chunk of his wealth wasted. But nothing worth
showing.
Victor leaned back in his chair. His brow was tight
and taught, his cheeks drawn thin. ‘They’ll know. If you get this, if it’s
real, they’ll find out. Do you really want to take them on again? Remember London?’
How could he forget?
Chase leaned forward, resting his elbows on the
polished wood of the table. Shrugging his head between his shoulders, he
nodded.
‘Can you imagine what it’ll be worth if it’s real?’
Julius gestured towards them with his whiskey, the golden liquid sloshing only
slightly under his controlled hand.
Neither of them had to answer that.
Priceless. Nothing more, nothing less.
‘So, do we contact them?’ Chase glanced at his two
friends. He controlled the spike of emotion that shot through his heart.
Chase Harlow was a collector. Antiques, artwork, jewelry.
His father had built an auction empire, and Chase had expanded the Harlow
corporation even further since he had taken the reigns two years ago.
Investment funding, stocks, bonds. Harlow did it all. A Forbes 500 company,
Chase’s personal wealth ranged in the billions.
Chase had it all. Except he didn’t. He would give
up his arms, his heart, his soul, his company for a picture of her.
Any man would.
Chapter 2
K eiko tugged down on her white shirt. Staring over
at the other waitresses, she tried to muster up the enthusiasm she needed. It
would be a long night, and if she served every drink and crepe with a glum
frown, she would probably be fired.
‘What’s the function for again?’ Clare asked as she
yanked her straight hair into a ponytail. ‘I always forget. It’s not like we
need to know though, anyway,’ she laughed, grabbing a bobby pin between her
teeth as she smoothed her hair further.
‘Just shut up and serve the drinks,’ Keiko cracked
a grin.
‘Don’t make conversation, don’t ask people how they
are,’ Clare laughed.
‘And definitely not who they are,’ Keiko
joined in as she played with the top button of her shirt, smoothing her collar
until it sat straight.
‘These people are too important,’ they both added together,
mimicking the drawling voice of their boss.
‘So where’s Jenny? Busy again?’ Clare finished with
her hair, whipping her ponytail over her shoulder as she fumbled her brush back
into her bag.
Keiko nodded politely.
‘God you are good to her,’ Clare shook her head as
she grabbed her skirt and straightened it. ‘She’s lucky
of her drawers, stockings, pants, and bras spilling over the sides, ‘can you
work Friday? I’ve got a date with James.’
Keiko nodded her head, her bob bouncing around her
ears.
Of course she could. It wasn’t as if Keiko Teshi
had anything to do on a Friday night.
At least work would pay for the lace.
Chase Harlow
Chase sat in the director’s chair, hands clasped
over his lap as he turned towards the windows. The glass was clear and clean,
the view the best in the city.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ Victor pushed the
document he’d been flicking through over the table.
‘No,’ Harlow answered. He didn’t bother to turn
back to the table.
‘No one’s seen one of those in twenty years,’
Julius poured himself another whiskey, letting the liquid slosh in the bottom
of the glass as he rested back against the dresser.
‘Indeed,’ Chase stared out at the city. The spires,
the streets, the buildings. He tugged down on his jacket, loosening the last
button.
‘It sounds dangerous to go after this, Chase,
remember what happened to the last one,’ Victor’s voice wavered.
Chase turned, the chair swiveling smoothly. ‘Yes,
yes I do.’
Okay, so he probably looked like a Bond villain
here, swiveling in his chair and sounding mysterious. Chase didn’t feel like
one though.
He felt like a failure. He’d been after a picture
of her, a statue, a relief, anything half his life.
He had nothing to show for his efforts. A couple of
scars, some bruises, and a chunk of his wealth wasted. But nothing worth
showing.
Victor leaned back in his chair. His brow was tight
and taught, his cheeks drawn thin. ‘They’ll know. If you get this, if it’s
real, they’ll find out. Do you really want to take them on again? Remember London?’
How could he forget?
Chase leaned forward, resting his elbows on the
polished wood of the table. Shrugging his head between his shoulders, he
nodded.
‘Can you imagine what it’ll be worth if it’s real?’
Julius gestured towards them with his whiskey, the golden liquid sloshing only
slightly under his controlled hand.
Neither of them had to answer that.
Priceless. Nothing more, nothing less.
‘So, do we contact them?’ Chase glanced at his two
friends. He controlled the spike of emotion that shot through his heart.
Chase Harlow was a collector. Antiques, artwork, jewelry.
His father had built an auction empire, and Chase had expanded the Harlow
corporation even further since he had taken the reigns two years ago.
Investment funding, stocks, bonds. Harlow did it all. A Forbes 500 company,
Chase’s personal wealth ranged in the billions.
Chase had it all. Except he didn’t. He would give
up his arms, his heart, his soul, his company for a picture of her.
Any man would.
Chapter 2
K eiko tugged down on her white shirt. Staring over
at the other waitresses, she tried to muster up the enthusiasm she needed. It
would be a long night, and if she served every drink and crepe with a glum
frown, she would probably be fired.
‘What’s the function for again?’ Clare asked as she
yanked her straight hair into a ponytail. ‘I always forget. It’s not like we
need to know though, anyway,’ she laughed, grabbing a bobby pin between her
teeth as she smoothed her hair further.
‘Just shut up and serve the drinks,’ Keiko cracked
a grin.
‘Don’t make conversation, don’t ask people how they
are,’ Clare laughed.
‘And definitely not who they are,’ Keiko
joined in as she played with the top button of her shirt, smoothing her collar
until it sat straight.
‘These people are too important,’ they both added together,
mimicking the drawling voice of their boss.
‘So where’s Jenny? Busy again?’ Clare finished with
her hair, whipping her ponytail over her shoulder as she fumbled her brush back
into her bag.
Keiko nodded politely.
‘God you are good to her,’ Clare shook her head as
she grabbed her skirt and straightened it. ‘She’s lucky
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