Page 3 of Midnight & Memories
I don’t mean to push. I’m mentioning it because it’s where we can hear each other talk.
The dots didn’t show immediately, and he didn’t expect them to. It was now 3 AM, which was late for a human to still be up—even here in New York. He placed his phone on the charger and hoped she’d reply in the morning.
Chapter Three
POPPY
She woke up to the sound of her annoying alarm at 4 AM and let out a sigh as she shut it off.
“For the love of God! I will never get used to waking up before the sun just to get to work via the subway.”
She chucked her pillow across the room in protest and let out a groan. It had been a long night of tossing and turning for her. She remembered dreaming about being on the Titanic. Of course, she did. And she began dancing with a handsome gentleman in the grand ballroom as classical music played in the background. He dressed a little differently than what she was used to seeing on men. The man wore a double-breast suit jacket with a top hat and had gorgeous coal-black eyes. They were penetrating and looked all too familiar. In fact, the entire man’s face was familiar. The features were Ridge’s.
She questioned all last night and now this morning why she dreamed about a man she’d never met face to face. Shaking her head and cupping her face, she let out a long breath before recalling any more of the strange dream. Soon, thoughts of the ship taking on water and her being thrown overboard flooded her.
She shook her head in protest of the dream.
Obviously, my mind was being creative last night for silly reasons! That’s the last time I snack on something before bed. I always have weird dreams when I do that!
She sighed and slid on her readers to peruse her phone for any emails her boss might have sent her overnight. She didn’t have to take care of the Japanese clients by phone in the wee hours of the very early morning. But since she was overseeing those accounts at the Creative Collabs Marketing Firm, her boss would always send her the information. She dealt with anything she needed an hour before she started getting ready for her long-ass day.
There wasn’t anything pressing with her email updates, but she noticed Ridge replied to her PM. A content smile came across her face as she read the partial response to her updates. Thankfully, her stupidity didn’t scare him away. She pushed on the notification to read its entirety.
That’s completely understandable. I don’t want you doing anything that isn’t comfortable. There’s only one request I have. I’d rather go out for a drink. Coffee isn’t my thing. I don’t mean to push, but there’s this excellent nightclub on 5th called The Rose Club. Jazz bands play every weekend. I like to go there to relax. Jazz is one of my favorite types of music to relax to. I don’t mean to push. I’m merely mentioning it because it’s a place where we can hear each other talk.
Poppy smiled before biting her lip in nervousness. A drink was more intimate than she wanted. Her first meeting with this gorgeous stranger should be much more casual, but meeting at a jazz club sounded nice. If anything—she could scope the place for a potential meet and greet for her Titanic II group. And she was even starting to wonder if she was being too paranoid. He suggested a public place; if she were in Tennessee right now, she wouldn’t think twice about talking to a stranger at a country bar. She found her fingers typing before her brain protested.
I’m a country girl, so you speak my language when you talk jazz, rhythm & blues, and country music! I’ve never been to The Rose Club—not even when I have visited New York as a tourist. What’s it like?
She’d Google it the minute she finished typing her reply, but she figured asking would make for some good conversation. When she clicked back onto Messenger, to her surprise, she saw dots after she hit send.
Good morning, Poppy! You and I have something else in common… We both like to burn the candle at both ends. I am assuming you are up this early for work. What do you do?
Poppy beamed at the reply. He clearly meant what he said, and he won’t push her to meet him until she was good and ready.
Yes, I’m up for work already. I have to oversee some Japan accounts before I brave the subways to get to the financial district. I manage several large marketing accounts for Creative Collabs Marketing.
More dots formed the instant after she had hit the enter key.
I am familiar with that firm, and I’ve used them myself from time to time.
Poppy’s eyes widened at the response, and her fingers responded to him quickly.
Are you Mr. Ridge Turner? The Mr. Ridge Turner? OMG! I work on your accounts! Small world! And you are pretty modest! You own The Plaza along with other hotels and clubs across America.
She hit enter before her brain could protest how silly she must now sound to him. Dots quickly came again.
Wait! Are you the Poppy Lee I’ve talked to on the phone for several weeks about my account there?
Yes! That would be me! Small world! I can’t believe it! It’s nice to ‘meet’ you outside the office! Listen, I have to run. Gotta catch the subway. TTYL?
She didn’t wait for his response because she was already running late, and the last thing she wanted to do was to show up late. She was still trying to impress the boss, and being the newest member wasn’t making that easy. Poppy grabbed her briefcase, coat, purse, and keys and headed out to the street that led to the subway station.
Chapter Four
RIDGE
Ridge’s eyes lit up as the message came across his PM. He never thought he’d met this woman already. Still, somehow, he did it through the marketing firm that helped him advertise his businesses throughout New York and the California areas and smattering in other cities across the country. And she didn’t get that he was supposed to meet with her boss today to discuss different marketing ideas for The Plaza. Now that he knew she was involved with his account, he planned on making her simply sit in on the meeting. It would be the perfect excuse to be with her without her being pressured to meet him at his club tonight. Because if he were being honest with himself, he would have pressed on seeing her tonight if he wasn’t blessed with the rare opportunity of seeing her this morning.
