Loe raamatut: «The Stallions»

Chapter 1

Noah Stallion adjusted his necktie, taking one last glance at his reflection in the mirror that decorated the men’s restroom. The expensive designer suit he wore fit him well and as he stared at his reflection he couldn’t help but think that despite his initial reservations his investment in the silk garment had been well worth the money.

He took a deep breath. This would be his third interview with the company who’d actually sought him out. He’d been surprised when the head of their Human Resources department had first called to inquire about his availability. She’d been fully aware of his credentials even though she’d never laid eyes on his résumé.

Since he had not been in the market for a new job he hadn’t thought twice about hanging up on the woman. But she’d persisted, calling back to convince him to at least meet with their management team to discuss the opportunity. After some serious consideration he’d acquiesced but not before his two sisters had pointed out that blessings didn’t just drop in your lap without a good reason. That first meeting had led to this one, an interview with the company’s chief operating officer, and Noah still wasn’t sure if he was even all that interested in the position.

As he exited the men’s room and moved back to the front foyer toward the reception desk he just missed colliding with an attractive woman, whose own attention was focused on her iPad. His reflexes were sharp as he grabbed her by the shoulders, preventing what could have been a painful accident. As he steadied himself, and her, she apologized at the same time as he did.

“Oh, excuse me!”

“I’m so sorry!”

Noah smiled brightly. The beautiful woman met the look he was giving her with one of her own. Her brown eyes were wide and darted back and forth across his face as she stared. Her own face was flushed, color warming her dimpled cheeks.

“Are you okay?” he questioned, concern tinting his tone.

Her voice was rich, the alto timbre ringing warmly between them. “I’m fine. I should have been paying attention to where I was going. Thank you for catching me,” she said.

Noah nodded. “I’m glad I could keep both of us from falling,” he said, his smile widening as he held the intense gaze she was giving him.

She smiled back before breaking eye contact. “You have a good day,” she said as she eased past him and moved down the hallway.

For a brief moment Noah forgot where he was and why he was there, wanting to continue to stare after her. The woman was stunning. As she sauntered down the hall he couldn’t help but admire the side to side strut of her full hips. The red pantsuit she wore flattered her voluptuous figure. Catching himself, he took a deep breath then quickly turned around, almost missing the look the woman tossed him over her shoulder.

Noah moved to the reception desk. A young girl with deep blue eyes and a porcelain-white complexion greeted him by name. She then gestured for him to take a seat on a blue-and-gray-striped upholstered sofa. He took a step, then hesitated, turning back around.

“Do you know who that woman was in the red suit? She headed in that direction.” He pointed behind him.

The girl shook her head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Stallion. I didn’t see anyone, so I’m not sure who you mean.”

“Oh, well,” Noah said with a slight shrug of his shoulders. He moved to take a seat. As he settled himself comfortably, he took a deep breath, holding it for a brief moment before blowing it past his full lips. Minutes passed as he waited, watching people come and go. A mountain of memories were suddenly spinning through his head, intruding on his thoughts about his interview.

A lot had happened in the past year since his mother’s passing. Norris Jean Stallion had died in her sleep, quietly slipping away on her own terms. Much like she’d lived her life, there’d been little fanfare, her children not even knowing she’d been ill. With Norris Jean’s death, her youngest child, his sister Natalie, had found her way home for the first time in twelve years, reestablishing contact with her family. And then there’d been the discovery that they had cousins they’d never known about, a branch of Stallions on a family tree thought to have only been a mere limb. Family support suddenly extended beyond their Utah ties and the abundance of it had been phenomenal. Since then he’d married off his sister Natalie and imagined Naomi wouldn’t be too far behind. Now he was being offered an amazing opportunity and a beautiful woman had just crossed his path. Noah couldn’t help but smile, thinking just how good his life was.

Noah extended his hand in greeting. “Frederick Ross, it’s good to see you again,” he said, a look of surprise washing over his expression.

Frederick Ross smiled broadly. “Noah Stallion. It’s been a while. We’ve come a long way since our days at Bountiful High School.”

Both men paused in a quick moment of reflection as Frederick gestured for Noah to take a seat. The former high school athletes were meeting in the boardroom of Fly High Dot Com, a multi-million-dollar aircraft leasing company. The high-end decor was a mix of polished woods and expensive leathers. Framed photographs of the company’s fleet of expensive planes decorated the walls.

Noah slowly eyed the images one by one. He echoed the sentiment. “I don’t think either of us ever imagined going from that muddy football field at Bountiful to the likes of this.”

Frederick nodded. “I know I didn’t but I’m glad we’re here. So, what do you know about our company?”

“I know that Fly High has a worldwide fleet of over one thousand private jets. By far the largest of any other company. You’ve proven yourself to be an industry leader in safety and security. You employ a team of some seven thousand employees. You’re currently the number two private leasing company worldwide and well on your way to taking the top spot because of your exceptional customer service and your fly share programs.

“Forbes named Fly High one of the top ten fastest growing companies and its owner the most elusive self-made millionaire next to that guy with the bio-tech firm in Georgia. In fact, the press has deemed Cat Moore the hardest interview to nab in history. So what’s he like to work for?”

A wry smile crossed Frederick’s face. The chief operating officer tilted his head as he met Noah’s questioning stare. “Not at all what you expect. And I’m impressed that you did your homework,” he said.

Noah nodded. He leaned forward in his seat. “I always come prepared and I know you’ve established an imposing security team. So I’m not sure how I can improve upon that.”

“I need someone with your skillset to manage that team as well as help us expand as the company continues to grow. Your résumé is impressive. You have a stellar military background and your tenure with the Salt Lake City police department shows that you are more than capable of taking the lead. All you have to do is say yes and the job is yours.”

The man continued to extol Noah’s virtues and the benefits of working for a private firm as opposed to his current government job. Then he made note of the starting salary and Noah’s eyes widened.

“We have some negotiating room if you demand more,” Frederick said. “Management is looking to take the company public so we can negotiate stock options and a host of other benefits, including a company car and free air travel. You’ll be based here but we’ll require some of your time in our New York and Atlanta offices, so you’ll have to travel. I really believe you would be a great asset to our organization or I wouldn’t have recommended you.”

Noah’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “You recommended me? I’m surprised.”

“Don’t be. I actually ran into one of your brothers and he told me what you did. After a little research I knew you’d be the perfect fit.”

“I’ll need some time to think about it,” Noah said, his mind beginning to race.

Frederick nodded. “You’ll receive a formal offer from us in the next forty-eight hours. Then I can give you another seven days to mull it over. But after that I’ll need an answer.”

“I appreciate that,” Noah responded.

“So, are you going to the class reunion?” Frederick questioned, changing the subject. He leaned back in his leather executive’s chair, folding his hands together in his lap.

Noah shrugged, his full lips pulling into a warm smile. “I’ve been thinking about it. It’ll be good to see everybody again.”

“I was thinking the same thing although I’m not sure that I’ll be in town that weekend. But if I can work it into my schedule, I think I might stop by. It’ll be good to pound fists with the guys again.”

For a few brief moments the two men walked memory lane, recalling their days together on the football and track teams. Both were laughing heartily when Noah glanced down to his wristwatch.

“I hate to do this but I need to get back to the station. It was good to see you, Frederick. I appreciate you offering me this opportunity,” Noah said again. “I’ll be in touch.”

Both men came to their feet and shook hands. “I really hope you’ll come on board,” Frederick reiterated. “I promise that working here will be quite the experience.”

“You’ll hear from me soon,” Noah promised.

Walking to the elevator, the old acquaintances were still knee deep in conversation when the door opened on the conveyor. Noah stopped short when he caught sight of the beautiful woman from earlier. Once again she was lost in the digital screen of her electronic device.

* * *

Catherine Moore stepped out of the elevator. She came to an abrupt stop as the two men moved in front of her. She took a quick glance one way and then the other before settling her eyes on Noah Stallion’s face. A bright smile widened across her own.

“Why do you look familiar?” she questioned, eyeing Noah curiously.

“We did just run into each other. Literally,” he said, amusement crossing over his expression.

She shook her head, tossing Frederick a brief look. “No, we’ve met before. I’m sure of it.”

Frederick laughed. “Noah Stallion, allow me to introduce you to Cat Moore, CEO and owner of Fly High Dot Com. Catherine Moore, this is Noah Stallion. You probably remember him from Bountiful High School. We all graduated together.”

Noah’s eyes widened, surprise registering on his face. “Catherine Moore? Head cheerleader, Catherine Moore?”

“Now that was a long time ago!” Catherine laughed. She repeated his name once and then a second time, hesitating briefly as she tried to put more familiarity to the face. She finally nodded. “Noah Stallion. Our senior year you played football for the Bountiful Braves, second string quarterback, right? Everyone used to wonder how you made the team.”

“I was quick and fast on my feet, that’s how I made the team,” Noah said as he shook his head.

Catherine nodded, the memories coming back to her. “Actually, you were really good. People wondered why you didn’t play before senior year. So, why didn’t you play before then?” she asked.

He smiled. “Family obligations.”

She nodded, studying the look that glistened in his dark eyes. “You were kind of nerdy with glasses back then. And really thin!”

Noah laughed. “I was not that thin.”

Her eyes skated the length of his body, and she thought that he’d definitely filled out quite nicely. She bit down against her bottom lip, her eyes glistening as she lifted her gaze back to his. “Didn’t we have a class together?” she asked.

“We actually had two classes together. Biology and Spanish. You sat two rows behind me in Miss Garcia’s Spanish class.”

Catherine’s smile widened. “Miss Garcia! I did not like that woman!” she exclaimed.

Noah chuckled with understanding. “I don’t think many of us did. But that was a long time ago.”

Catherine extended her hand to shake his. His grip was strong, his palm and fingers warm and soft. His touch was electric, sending a shiver of heat down her spine. She took a deep breath before speaking again.

“Well, it was nice to see you again, Noah Stallion.”

“The pleasure was all mine, Catherine,” he answered, his smile warm and endearing.

Frederick patted him on the back. “We’ll talk soon, Noah,” he said.

Catherine and Frederick both stood watching as the elevator doors closed on Noah’s exit. She then turned her gaze toward Frederick. “Catching up with your old pals now?”

“Something like that. He was interviewing for the security position.”

She nodded, finding that tidbit of information interesting.

“Are you going to the high school reunion? Noah was just saying that he might go and I was thinking about it.”

Catherine shrugged her narrow shoulders. “I really hadn’t thought about it. Too much on my mind with the IPO process. Speaking of, how are we doing with all the reports the underwriters need?”

“Still on schedule.”

She nodded, then without another word, headed in the opposite direction.

Behind the closed doors of her office, Catherine moved to the window, hoping for one last glimpse of Noah Stallion as he maneuvered through the parking lot to his car. She caught sight of him just as he reached his vehicle. She stood staring as he removed his suit jacket and laid it on his backseat.

Gone were the wire-framed glasses, and there was nothing nerdy, thin or awkward about the man. The former high school jock had blossomed nicely, she thought, her gaze following as he slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Seconds later he pulled into traffic and disappeared from sight.

Catherine moved to the bookcase behind her desk, searching the tomes that lined the shelves. Her friends had sent her a package recently, trying to entice her to attend their high school reunion. When she finally found what she was looking for, a copy of their high school yearbook, she pulled it into her hands and placed it on top of the desk. She flipped through the pages quickly until she found Noah’s yearbook picture. There had been no change to his smile and the shimmer in his dark eyes, both just as they’d been when he’d been a teen. Catherine felt herself grinning foolishly as she flipped from one photo to another: Noah and the football team, Noah running track, Noah on stage in a theater production, Noah’s senior portrait.

She reached for her cell phone, hitting the speed dial for her best friend Camille Trent. “Hey, do you remember Noah Stallion?” she asked immediately when the line was answered.

Camille laughed. “Yeah, he’s a police detective now. One of his brothers plays professional football and the other is a doctor. And he has two sisters. Why?”

“I was just asking.”

“You don’t call me in the middle of the afternoon to just ask a question like that for no good reason. Something must’ve made you inquire. Spill it!”

“Apparently he’s interviewing for a job here in the Utah office.”

“I haven’t seen him since his mother’s funeral.”

“You went to his mother’s funeral?”

“My mother and his mother went to the same church. I took mama to the funeral.”

There was a pregnant pause as Catherine fell into her own thoughts, staring back out the window. “I think I might go to the class reunion after all,” she finally noted.

Camille laughed again, the hearty snicker ringing loudly through the receiver. “You liked what you saw, didn’t you?”

Catherine laughed with her. “He’s all right.”

“Girl, you know that man is foine! So are his brothers.”

“You ever date any of them?”

“No, I never dated Noah.”

“I said any of them...”

“You meant Noah.”

“Goodbye, Camille!”

“Are you flying back to New York or will you be in town for a while longer?”

“I’m boarding a plane in thirty minutes. I’ve got tickets to the theater tomorrow, so I’m headed home.”

“You have a dozen homes. It’s hard to keep up!”

Catherine smiled. “I’ve got to go.”

“You do that,” Camille said, still giggling. “And you might want to call Crystal. I think she might have gone out with him,” she said as she disconnected the line.

As the call went dead, Catherine shook her head. Friends since the crib, she, Camille and Crystal had cheered together in high school. They’d been joined at the hip and had been dubbed the Three Cs by their classmates. Catherine thought of Camille and Crystal as the sisters she’d never had and trusted them both with everything. There’d been a code of conduct they’d established early in their history, rules they lived by. No dating men the others had dated being one of them.

With a deep breath, she pushed the speed dial for Crystal Baxter, the other leg in their trio. As the device rang in Catherine’s ear she wished a silent prayer that she, too, had never dated the likes of Noah Stallion.