Janet Murray hadn't noticed the minute scrape on the toe of her shoe before today. The narrow scratch marring the black leather made her feel self-conscious. She thought to casually move her foot but figured losing her balance would be worse.

"Come on, come on," she chanted silently. "How long does it take an elevator to go down ten floors?"

The music piped through invisible speakers played a fast instrumental version of "Somewhere in Time." What was it about a good love story that made her a sucker for preferring happy endings? She had to admit it was probably because for her, love in real life was steeped in expectations instead of reality.

Janet had fallen into the trap of daydreams and evening wishes.

Eric Lannon was a man all the ladies in the office admired. She wasn't the only woman who had noticed the deep blue eyes of the bank's new assistant legal counsel. Could anyone blame her for admiring his broad shoulders and masculine confidence? Although he only had been with the bank for a month, he already had the reputation of being a man the women gravitated to. His legal assistant, Mary, had casually remarked that Eric always makes a woman feel feminine, yet is professional and respectful.

Was that a thread attached to the hem of her shirt? Reaching down to snatch it would only draw attention. She could but laugh at her ridiculous thoughts. Did she really think he would notice a thread hanging along the hem of her skirt? He was a man after all and wouldn't notice such a minute detail, would he?

She groaned inwardly. Here she was in the midst of an opportunity she had dreamed about for weeks. Eric Lannon, the most eligible bachelor in the building, was standing mere inches away from her and she was obsessing about a piece of thread on her skirt.

"So, how do you think Amanda's presentation went?" a male voice asked, interrupting her musings.

Janet's eyes flicked to the tall man peering down at her. The crisp lines of his blue dress shirt complimented the style of his neatly trimmed black hair. A ripple of excitement made her stomach turn a triple summersault, like the ones she did when she was five years old.

Play it cool, she reminded herself.

"I thought Amanda did a terrific job," Janet said. She was afraid her attempt at appearing casual wasn't working. Her heart was thumping wildly. "It was her first customer presentation, and I know that speaking in front of groups makes her nervous."

"You know what they say," Eric shifted a file folder to his other hand, "public speaking is the number one fear for most people."

Janet curled a long strand of honey blond hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture. "I told her no one would have known she was terrified," she added.

"I’ll bet the prospect will be signing the dotted line by the end of the week," Eric said confidently. He widened his stance and began to tap the file against his thigh. "You looked good up there, too, today. Don’t give all the credit away."

Janet Murray looked good all right. Eric couldn’t stop himself. He chanced to gaze into the soft blue-gray of her eyes. There was intelligence and passion in those beautiful eyes. Her long hair had been the first thing he had noticed after her smile. When his colleague Jim had introduced her, he thought a ten pound brick had landed on his head. Janet certainly did not fill the stereotype of a Trust Investment bank officer.

He couldn’t believe his luck when Janet had stepped onto the elevator. How long had it been since they had spoken alone? Two days? Three days? Maybe it had only been a few days, but it seemed like a week since he had chanced meeting her in the foyer. Some accident. He had been watching from his second story office awaiting her arrival.

"Oh," Janet replied hesitantly. "It was a team effort."

"I understand you prepared the pricing proposal," he said with a tilt of his head. He folded his arms and leaned against the wall of the elevator.

He was stupefied by her willingness to downplay her role in the presentation. Amanda had presented the proposal, but he knew for a fact that Janet had done the research and run the numbers. The little information he could covertly gather about Janet indicated she was a strong team player. This lady had a multi-million dollar portfolio of commercial clients. His assistant, Mary, had been quick to tell him she was highly respected in the financial industry. She was a lady to be reckoned with professionally. Eric was interested in getting to know the woman behind the successful banker’s facade.

The Elevator - 2 >>>(Continue)