The previous January

Rian stood at one end of the busy curbside of one of the arrival areas of LAX as instructed, her roller bags beside her, eyeing the list of car rental companies on a board next to her.

Her flight had touched down twenty minutes earlier than scheduled, surprisingly, and her bags had been efficiently handled. Although the law firm that had hired her … well, hired her boss, actually … had said they’d be sending an associate to fetch her from the airport, Rian was thinking she ought to be prepared to get a rental if her pick-up arrangements fell through, given the unpredictable nature of LA freeways.

Just before she’d boarded the red-eye to LAX, she’d seen an email come in from the associate assigned to pick her up. “I might be delayed by LA traffic. It’ll be rush hour when you arrive and there’s road construction going on around my area. Just wanted you to know that.”

Since her plane had arrived early, she fired an email out as soon as she could get a signal. There still hadn’t been any response to the next email she’d sent as soon as she got her luggage. Should I wait? Or get my own car….

Just before she was about to send another email, a dark blue Mercedes CUV pulled up smoothly in front of her. The passenger-side window rolled down noiselessly. “Rian? From Lewis and Associates?”

The redhead who had leaned over the passenger seat was looking at her visibly surprised. She pulled up stylish Jackie O sunglasses over her hair, as if to confirm with the naked eye what she saw.

The redhead opened her door and stepped out of the car.

She was in a grey raw silk pencil-cut skirt, black, slim-heeled pumps and a tan, sleeveless silk undershirt. Chunky, jewel-toned necklace and a simple pair of diamond studs completed her sophisticated look.

Is this the class of woman here in LA? Damn, this one was beautiful. And those hazel eyes! Wow. Am I dressed up enough?

“Are you done checking me out ?” the woman asked Rian with a small smile.

Rian blushed and pulled down on her dark business suit jacket self-consciously.

“So, you’re Rian?” the woman asked again, but much friendlier this time. She extended a hand to shake Rian’s.