Moment of Weakness - The Esquire Girls Series - Hailey (Book 1) by Cassie-Ann L. Miller Page A
Authors: Cassie-Ann L. Miller
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what is going on.
“That man – he mugged me – I was walking – and he mugged me – he grabbed my purse,” I scream frantically, pointing in the direction he ran off in. I feel hot tears coursing down my face.
The people around me try to calm me down to get a better grasp of the situation. Someone is trying to flag down a nearby police officer. Through my tears, I try to explain that I was mugged – not by a panhandler in tattered clothing, but by a gorgeous man in a thousand-dollar suit who looks like he just stepped off of one of the fifty-foot billboards overlooking Union Square.
It’s utter chaos. My mind is spinning. I feel faint. Frozen with shock. Suspended in time.
Suddenly, a tall, rugged-looking man pushes his way through the crowd. He’s out of breath and his sandy brown hair clings to his damp forehead as he raises my damaged handbag in the air, waving it around. “Ma’am, this is it right? This is your handbag?” His Texan accent is unmistakable.
I stare up at him in disbelief. “It is.”
He hands it to me before wiping the torrents of sweat running down his face and straightening his tie.
“Thank you,” I mumble barely able to get the words out of my tight throat.
“You’re welcome, ma’am,” he says with a boyish grin. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’ve got a job interview I’ve gotta get to.” The crowd erupts into applause as it parts and makes way for him to pass through. He hurries away, lifting his ill-fitted jacket to slide the tail of his rumpled shirt back into the waist of his pants.
“Wait –” I call weakly after him.
But he’s already gone. He’s disappeared into the thick of Manhattan’s early morning foot traffic.
Chapter 2
“What’s this?” I ask attempting to suppress a smile as Amber sets an aluminum tray in front of me.
“Lentil-walnut burritos…I think,” she says, her forehead crinkling as she rubs her baby bump and sinks into her chair.
“You think ?” I feel myself frowning.
She shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. “I don’t know. Spencer made it.”
My roommate, Ruthie, looks concerned. “Honey, are you sure it’s vegan?” she asks. She knows how important it is to me that I only eat foods free of animal products.
I became vegan shortly after moving to New York. It was yet another desperate attempt to control my weight. Staying away from meat has been tough for me. I mean, I’m the daughter of a rancher. I grew up on a cattle farm. And I am intimately familiar with the joys of a medium-rare rib-eye steak with gravy and mashed potatoes. But I care more about getting rid of these extra curves than I do about any type of comfort food. So, I’ve adopted a vegan lifestyle and I plan to stick to it.
“I’ll go call him to double-check,” Amber says rolling her eyes dramatically as she rises to her feet and waddles slowly into the other room to call her fiancé, Spencer.
“See – that’s why I just stuck to salad,” Nadia says nodding towards the bowl of vegetables that she’s contributed to tonight’s potluck. “Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes. Simple. And very vegan.”
“Ugh – you’re just lazy, Nadia. No effort whatsoever.” I’m only teasing her. I appreciate her contribution. I’m determined to put on a happy face tonight. Even if it kills me.
My friends are hosting a small potluck dinner for me in an attempt to cheer me up and I love them for it. It’s not everyday that I get mugged in broad daylight right on the steps in front of my workplace. Especially not by a guy that I was hoping would turn out to be my long-awaited Prince Charming.
Still, I have lots to be grateful for, starting with the five beautiful, intelligent women I’m sharing dinner with tonight. We all met as interns at Cartwright Moretti Stevenson and we’ve nicknamed ourselves the Esquire Girls.
Nadia Chester is sitting to my left. She has gorgeous
“That man – he mugged me – I was walking – and he mugged me – he grabbed my purse,” I scream frantically, pointing in the direction he ran off in. I feel hot tears coursing down my face.
The people around me try to calm me down to get a better grasp of the situation. Someone is trying to flag down a nearby police officer. Through my tears, I try to explain that I was mugged – not by a panhandler in tattered clothing, but by a gorgeous man in a thousand-dollar suit who looks like he just stepped off of one of the fifty-foot billboards overlooking Union Square.
It’s utter chaos. My mind is spinning. I feel faint. Frozen with shock. Suspended in time.
Suddenly, a tall, rugged-looking man pushes his way through the crowd. He’s out of breath and his sandy brown hair clings to his damp forehead as he raises my damaged handbag in the air, waving it around. “Ma’am, this is it right? This is your handbag?” His Texan accent is unmistakable.
I stare up at him in disbelief. “It is.”
He hands it to me before wiping the torrents of sweat running down his face and straightening his tie.
“Thank you,” I mumble barely able to get the words out of my tight throat.
“You’re welcome, ma’am,” he says with a boyish grin. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’ve got a job interview I’ve gotta get to.” The crowd erupts into applause as it parts and makes way for him to pass through. He hurries away, lifting his ill-fitted jacket to slide the tail of his rumpled shirt back into the waist of his pants.
“Wait –” I call weakly after him.
But he’s already gone. He’s disappeared into the thick of Manhattan’s early morning foot traffic.
Chapter 2
“What’s this?” I ask attempting to suppress a smile as Amber sets an aluminum tray in front of me.
“Lentil-walnut burritos…I think,” she says, her forehead crinkling as she rubs her baby bump and sinks into her chair.
“You think ?” I feel myself frowning.
She shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. “I don’t know. Spencer made it.”
My roommate, Ruthie, looks concerned. “Honey, are you sure it’s vegan?” she asks. She knows how important it is to me that I only eat foods free of animal products.
I became vegan shortly after moving to New York. It was yet another desperate attempt to control my weight. Staying away from meat has been tough for me. I mean, I’m the daughter of a rancher. I grew up on a cattle farm. And I am intimately familiar with the joys of a medium-rare rib-eye steak with gravy and mashed potatoes. But I care more about getting rid of these extra curves than I do about any type of comfort food. So, I’ve adopted a vegan lifestyle and I plan to stick to it.
“I’ll go call him to double-check,” Amber says rolling her eyes dramatically as she rises to her feet and waddles slowly into the other room to call her fiancé, Spencer.
“See – that’s why I just stuck to salad,” Nadia says nodding towards the bowl of vegetables that she’s contributed to tonight’s potluck. “Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes. Simple. And very vegan.”
“Ugh – you’re just lazy, Nadia. No effort whatsoever.” I’m only teasing her. I appreciate her contribution. I’m determined to put on a happy face tonight. Even if it kills me.
My friends are hosting a small potluck dinner for me in an attempt to cheer me up and I love them for it. It’s not everyday that I get mugged in broad daylight right on the steps in front of my workplace. Especially not by a guy that I was hoping would turn out to be my long-awaited Prince Charming.
Still, I have lots to be grateful for, starting with the five beautiful, intelligent women I’m sharing dinner with tonight. We all met as interns at Cartwright Moretti Stevenson and we’ve nicknamed ourselves the Esquire Girls.
Nadia Chester is sitting to my left. She has gorgeous
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