Simply Irresistible

Chapter One

Chloe came flying into the parking lot of the big glass office building, checking her watch as she carelessly swung around the rear of a car and down a row in search of a place to park her old beater so she could get to her appointment. When she looked up, she saw the stupid man step into her path. Closing her eyes and holding her breath, she stomped on the brake. Her hands shook like an addict without his fix. Slowly, she opened one eye and peered at the man in front of her who was very angry if his two extended middle fingers and loud shouting gave any indication.

Because she had her window down, she heard his every word very clearly.

"You dumb broad, what the hell do you think you're doing? You could have killed me!"

Chloe tuned him out as she looked in the mirror and noticed that her make-up had started to run. Damn it, she cursed mentally as she reached into her open purse on the seat next to her for her powder and lipstick. The smell of cherry lip gloss and cheap perfume assaulted her senses when she pulled her purse closer. The damn containers had burst inside a couple weeks ago, and she didn't think she was ever going to get the smell out of her only purse that didn't have holes in it. Rolling her eyes at the thought of all that had gone wrong lately, she figured she had nothing else to lose. But everything to gain, and she intended to start gaining by getting this job. Smudged make-up wasn't going to do it for her. Cursing she fingered through the purse until finally her fingers closed around a small tube. Clutching lip color in her hand, she ignored the enraged man and made a move to swing into a nearby parking space. But before she could move so much as an inch, the big lout stepped in her way and she couldn't move forward without hitting him. Annoyed, she glared at him, mumbled a curse when another car took the spot she'd been aiming for, and then leaned on the horn.

The man moved and she let off the brake. Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe saw the man step toward her window, continuing to shout, "Of all the stupid, irresponsible--"

Chloe had enough. She stomped on the brake, rolled her window down further, leaned out, and shouted back, "Look, mister, if you'd been watching where you were going, we wouldn't be having this problem. Now, if you'd kindly accept responsibility for your own stupidity instead of blaming me, we could both get on with our day."

Chloe stifled a laugh as she watched the man turn a whole new shade of red. She hadn't known it was possible for a body to turn quite that color. It was too bad she had nearly run him over, he was kind of cute. His dark hair hung loose at the collar--not too long and not too short. He was built but not in the muscle bound maniac kind of way. In all his huffing and puffing, he wouldn't hold still long enough for her to determine the exact shade of his eyes, but she was quite sure they were a nice color.

"You've got a lot of nerve, lady!"

"So I do. Now, will you move it?" she shouted back, irritated that he had once again stepped into her path, making it impossible for her to move. Another stream of curses rent the air. Chloe sighed, glancing at her watch again. Finally he shut up and stepped out of her way. Smirking at him, she gunned it to the parking spot she'd just seen open up.

Finally parked, Chloe shut off the engine to the old clunker she drove. It had definitely seen better days. A month ago, the air conditioning had crapped out on her and she didn't have the money to have it fixed. Hell, she didn't have money period. If she had enough left over after paying her rent and utilities to buy bread and peanut butter, she considered herself lucky.

Such is the life of the starving artist. Chloe thought dramatically. Little jobs here and there had gotten her by, but after her last terrible experience, she was ready for something stable. Even if it meant her career in art would have to wait.

Chloe yanked the visor down and flipped open the crusty old mirror. Quickly, she dabbed on a little of the bright red lipstick she had earlier retrieved. Only a small nub remained. Hopefully this will be my last interview, she thought as she closed the tube and stuck it back in her handbag. She rifled through the contents for the powder, cursing with each minute that passed. All the way at the bottom, under candy wrapper, old receipts, wadded up paper, and things that she didn't even want to know what they were, she found the compact. Quickly she opened it and dabbed on some of the pressed powder then clicked the round, royal blue disc closed and tossed it in the bag. Chloe sighed. If she didn't find a job soon, she didn't know what she'd do. She couldn't keep living on hand outs from her friends. Chloe glanced down at her watch once again and grumbled. Her pride had suffered terribly since the loss of her last job, and no matter what it took, despite the fact that she was now almost fifteen minutes late, she would get this job.

Chloe stepped out of the car and pulled her black mini skirt down to a respectable length. The low cut red blouse was the perfect accent to the slinky piece of fabric covering her nether regions. Maybe it wasn't appropriate for a job interview, but Lacy, her best friend, had told her to be simply irresistible. The only way Chloe knew how to do that was with her body. When she made herself up right, she knew that men would be panting after her with their tongues wagging. She hoped that was true of one Mr. Gabe Anderson.

Fifteen minutes late wasn't too bad considering what she'd been through. The rude man that nearly gave her a heart attack had thrown her off her schedule. Maybe she could just explain and they'd have a chuckle over some people's inability to watch where they were going, and then he'd get down to the business of hiring her.

The elevator dinged and Chloe stepped in. On the third floor, she stepped out and turned right as she had she had been instructed. When she found the door that said "Anderson Law Firm", she stopped, cupped her hand in front of her mouth and exhaled. Inhaling with her nose, she smiled. Still minty fresh, even if a touch of nicotine dulled down the zing of the mint.

Satisfied that she was ready, she pulled open the door and stepped into the small office. There was a wide-open space where she assumed she would sit once she was hired. The furniture was ghastly with its dark brown hues that reminded her of dog poo. On the plain ugly wooden table, there was a stack of magazines that looked like they'd been chewed over by rats. There were a couple of terrible paintings hanging on the wall and a coat rack that looked as if it could compete with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Off to the left was a room that held a bunch of boxes stacked from one wall to the other. It was stuffed so full the door couldn't be shut. She took a step forward and looked into the tiny room on the right. There was a small refrigerator, coffee pot, and a microwave. Paper plates sat empty and dirty on the counter.

The room right in front of her, behind the desk had the door closed. The nameplate read, Gabe Anderson, Attorney at Law. "Well, Mr. Anderson, it looks like you need me as much as I need you," she muttered as she stepped forward to knock on the door.

"Come in," the deep male voice that was vaguely familiar to Chloe called.

Chloe reached out and turned the handle, her excuse on the tip of her tongue ready to escape. He spoke first, "I'm sorry, I'm not quite ready for your interview. Some nut tried to kill me in the parking lot." He hadn't turned to face her yet, and he didn't have to. A knot of sorrow welled up within her because she knew that once again she wouldn't be getting this job.

"I'm really sorry about that, Mr. Anderson." Chloe said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

At that, he turned and looked up at her. Recognition dawned in his eyes. "You," he said in a voice that reeked of distaste.

"Me. I'm the nut that tried to run you over." Chloe tried to hide the sheer humiliation she felt.

"What are you doing here?" He turned such a violent shade of red, Chloe wondered if he was having a stroke or something. But she discounted the notion when he sputtered on. "Did . . . did you follow me?"

Chloe swallowed the lump in her throat, "No. I . . . you . . . the paper . . ."

"What are you mumbling about? Maybe you need to be behind the wheel, nearly mowing people down to speak clearly."

Chloe found her dander being fluffed again and she couldn't just stand there and let him insult her. It wasn't in her character to take a beating and not land a few punches of her own.

"If you hadn't walked out in front of me, we wouldn't be having this problem. Didn't your momma ever teach you to look both ways before you cross the street?"

"Where'd you get your license from? A crackerjack box? Everyone knows you are supposed to yield to pedestrians and for God's sake, you don't fly through a parking lot at eighty miles per hour. And leave my momma out of it."

"I was going sixty."

"What?" The man looked at her incredulously.

"You said I was going eighty, I was going sixty."
"Good grief, what does it matter? Either way it was too fast. Did you follow me up here to clarify how fast you were going when you tried to kill me?"

"I didn't follow you, and I didn't try to kill you. It's not my fault if you are suicidal." She smiled sweetly at him. "Now, I'm here because there was an ad in the paper," Chloe held up the wrinkled paper she had clutched in her palm. "I'm assuming you are Mr. Gabe Anderson, Attorney at Law."

"Absolutely not." He turned away from her, obviously dismissing her without a thought.

"I have an interview scheduled." Chloe clenched her fists, ignoring the sting of the tears that burned her eyes. Could nothing ever go right for her?

"You had it," He turned to her once again. His fierce expression hadn't changed. "In the parking lot." He enunciated each word in a fast-paced staccato.

"But, I need this job! You obviously need the help."

"I don't need your help." There was a hint of humor in his voice.

"You think someone else's desperation is funny?" Chloe was outraged. "Well let me tell you, Mr. High and Mighty lawyer man." Chloe took a breath, and ignored the fact that he had picked up the phone and punched in a three-digit number. "You're no better than anyone else. You put your underwear on one leg at a time too."

"Yes, please send someone up," he said into the phone.

Chloe eyed him cautiously. She wasn't about to get thrown out of here. "Call off your little minions, I'm leaving! In my opinion, you can rot!"

Chloe stormed out of the office just as the security guard stepped off the elevator. "False alarm, mister. That crazy ass in there is paranoid!" Holding her head high, she strode past him and punched the down button with as much dignity as she could muster. It wasn't until she was safely ensconced in her old clunker that she felt the crushing blow of losing out on the job because of her big mouth. Her mother had always told her not knowing how to hold her tongue would get her in trouble, and so it had--more than once.

* * * *

Chloe angrily swiped at the tears that fell from her eyes. Curled on the couch with her knees pulled to her chest, she buried her face deeper between her knees to drown out the sound of Lacy's raucous laughter.

"You mean to tell me, you nearly made the man road kill, and then seriously expected him to give you a job?"

Okay, so it was ridiculous, but she was desperate. It wasn't as if she'd actually hit the man. A little fear never hurt anyone--made a body know they were alive, if you asked her. But of course, no one had asked her.

"Tell me again how the interview went. I especially like the 'Mr. High and Mighty Lawyer man part." Lacy dissolved into another fit of laughter.

"Lacy, please stop making a joke out of my life. It wasn't funny, I was humiliated." Lacy sobered, but Chloe could see the laughter lingering just beneath the surface. "Oh forget it. I'm going to take Wanker out for a walk." Chloe grabbed the leash and bent over to place the hook on the collar of her poodle. Making her way to the door, she said over her shoulder, "I don't even know why I'm friends with you."

"It's because you love me." Lacy said seriously.

"Yeah, well, I don't know why." Chloe grumbled as she pulled the door open.

"You do too, Chloe. Think of all we've been through together. I wouldn't have wanted to go through it all with anyone but you." Chloe's irritation at the other woman started to wane. Lacy was right. They'd been through a lot, and although Lacy had a bad habit of finding humor at Chloe's mishaps, she was always right behind her, cheering her on in her own way, and first to defend her when she needed it...that was why she loved her. "I love you, Chloe, you know that."

"I do. And I appreciate it." Chloe sighed as Wanker started to pull her. "Wanker is ready for his walk. I'll be back."

"Hey Chloe?" Lacy called out as she stepped out into the cool night air.

"Yeah?" She turned to meet the other woman's gaze.

"Don't forget to look both ways before you cross the street." Lacy doubled over in laughter.

A stab of hurt pricked Chloe's tender feelings, but she was quick to hide it behind a saucy come back. "Yeah, Mr. High and Mighty might come racing around the corner at any moment. Wouldn't want to give him the opportunity for payback."

That brought another round of obnoxious laughter as she shut the door and headed off to the little park across the street with Wanker walking faithfully at her side.

The broken down old playground could really use a little tender loving care. Graffiti decorated the flat surface of the slide, and out of four swings, only one hadn't been sliced through and destroyed. The basketball court, if you could call it that, was in a state of severe disrepair with the blacktop breaking apart in chunks and the net missing from the hoop, which hung precariously from the backboard.

The neighborhood itself wasn't too bad. It wasn't a place she'd have picked had she an actual choice in the matter, but she didn't. The apartment was in her price range and that's all that mattered, it was a three-story building, painted the gaudiest shade of pink she'd ever seen. The landlord did his best to make the place livable, but you couldn't take the ug out of ugly no matter how hard you tried. The nearby houses were in various states of condemnation, but she tried to ignore that fact as she made the best of her circumstances. The area wasn't crime ridden, although there was that group of teens last week who'd been caught stealing cars. It was too bad they'd been caught before they made their way to the hoopty she drove.

Wanker began to growl as a pair of headlights flashed from one of the nearby streets and started toward them. The engine sputtered as the car choked its way along the narrow road. If she hadn't been sitting right there on that swing, where she could see the old clunker safe in her parking space, she might have thought one of those thieves had actually heard her thoughts and taken the damn piece of junk.

The engine of the poor sap's car revved high, sputtered and then died. "Another one bites the dust." Chloe muttered to Wanker who lay at her feet, his not so ferocious growl, dimming to a low whine.

The car door slammed and Chloe heard heavy footsteps approaching. She didn't turn and it didn't occur to her to be afraid. Getting mugged would really be the icing on her cake. If some rough wanted to demand all she had, she'd gladly hand over the nickel and two pennies in her pocket. After all, the old saying was, if you give to those in need, it will come back to you ten-fold.

"Excuse me." A mugger with good manners? That was a first. The footsteps came closer. "Ma'm, do you happen to have a phone? My car seems to be having issues tonight."
Chloe sighed, untangled the leash from around her ankles and stood. When she turned, she was stunned speechless. There standing underneath the single streetlight, illuminated by its pissy yellow glow, was the man responsible for her utter humiliation.

"You." She said, surprised.

"Why me?" He muttered sounding equally as surprised.

Chloe moved closer to him, a slow smile dawning across her face. "So your car broke down, huh?" She watched his gaze travel the length of her body. Wanker growled viciously. Chloe looked down, and there was her faithful companion, teeth bared, looking like he was ready to kill, should she give the command.

"Your guard dog?" Amusement lit his eyes as his gaze settled on the dog.

"A girl's got to protect herself." Chloe said absently.

"That dog, couldn't protect a flea."

"Why would he want to protect a flea?"

A deep chuckle escaped him. "Never mind." His gaze turned serious, "The phone?"

Wanker settled himself between the two of them, his ears perked high, just waiting for her signal.

"Oh, yeah I got a phone. Did you need it for something?" Chloe tapped her temple as if thinking deeply.

"Very funny." The light tone of his voice was forced, Chloe could tell by the tightness in his jaw. "Look, we got off on the wrong foot. Perfectly understandable if you consider the circumstances. I mean, after all, it's not every day someone tries to run you over."

"I didn't try to run you over." Chloe balled her fists and slammed them against her sides.

"I was in a hurry. I had an interview to make."

"Given that I was the interviewer, I think I'd have preferred you a few minutes late to the roaring maniac I met this afternoon."

Chloe moved closer to him, leaning in, she said, "For the last time, I did not try to run you over. It is not my fault you stepped in front of my car. If you had been paying attention to what you were doing, you'd have seen that you didn't have time to cross." With each word, she became more angry. This crazy lout wouldn't know the truth if it hit him between the eyes.

Gabe reached out and tucked a hair behind her ear. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the loud growling at her feet. Before she could react, Wanker launched himself at the infuriating man, attaching firmly to his ankle.

The second it registered that her dog was attacking a man, okay, not just a man, a lawyer, she rushed into action. "Wanker, stop that!" Chloe shouted. "Wanker, I didn't say kill, Stop it Wanker!"

Frantically she tried to pull the dog off his leg, and as luck had it, she got tangled up in the dog's leash and landed on her ass in a heap at his feet.

Wanker jumped into her arms and she cradled him close. The silence was painful as she sat there, too afraid to look up. Suddenly a hand reached down and grasped her own, pulling her to her feet. When she finally dared to meet his gaze, she didn't see the fury she'd expected. Instead, she saw pure fascination.

"What are you staring at?" She asked irritably.

"Did you call your dog--" he paused dramatically, "Wanker?"

"So what about it?"

The jackass then had the audacity to laugh. And it wasn't just any laugh, it was a hearty, gut busting, full out, knee-slapping laugh.

"Wait!" He called after her in between chuckles. "What about that phone?"

Chloe stopped and turned back to him, "What was it you told me this afternoon?" She stepped closer to him, "Oh yeah, it was 'absolutely not!'" Chloe spun on her heel once again and walked as quickly as her feet would carry her toward her apartment. When she got to the front door, she realized not only did the man have balls. He was also persistent. "Stop following me." She called over her shoulder.

"Didn't we have a conversation similar to this earlier today?" Finally, there was irritation in his voice. Somehow he seemed more desperate when he didn't think the situation so danged amusing.

"And it ended with me not getting what I want, so why should I give you what you want." Chloe opened the door and tried to slam it, but he stuck his big, ugly foot in the way.

A groan of frustration escaped her and she silently counted to ten as she made her way to her door. When she opened it, she turned and said, "Will it do me any good to close this door?"

"No. I'll knock all night if I have to." He nodded as if to affirm the truth of his words.
"Who is this?" Lacy asked from behind her.

"My worst nightmare." Chloe said looking at her friend. She set Wanker down and watched him curl around her ankles, his watchful gaze never leaving the man in front of her.

"I'm Gabe Anderson."

"You mean . . . your . . . the man she tried to run over?" Lacy doubled over in another round of hysterical laughter.

"Finally, a woman with some sense. Do you have a phone?" He asked dryly.

"Why, oh why couldn't you have been a mugger." Chloe rolled her eyes.

Lacy tried to get a hold of herself. "You mean to tell me." More laughter. "That he really did." Still more laughter, "Come around the corner seeking," the most obnoxious laughter yet, "Revenge?" Wanker began to bark adding to the noise that had the slow tick in her temple increasing. A pounding headache was on its way, she was sure of it. Damn him! She thought for the second time that day.

"Lacy, please." Chloe pled. Normally, Lacy's sense of humor went hand in hand with her own. They had enjoyed many laughs at each other's expense and she always came away feeling happier. Tonight, Chloe simply felt picked on.

When his laughter mingled with that of her friend, Chloe had had enough. "Look this is the deal. You need the phone, I need the job." Chloe bent down and picked her dog up, quieting him with a gentle pat to his snout.

Gabe wiped tears from his eyes as the remnants of laughter escaped him. Chloe pursed her lips and tapped her toe against the floor. Lacy had finally quit laughing and Chloe was loathe to say anything more for fear of setting these two loons off again. She met and held Gabe's gaze challengingly.

"You do realize I could turn around and knock on any other door in this building and probably get a phone without all the hassle."

Chloe shrugged, "So do it." She reached out to shut the door, but his hand shot out, stopping her.

"Why should I, when I've got you here and I can see your phone sitting there." He nodded toward the table where the phone sat.

"Well, you see, I would let you use it, but I can't." Chloe forced a sad look and nodded, the same way he had earlier.

"Oh? Why is that?" He asked.

"Money. I don't have a job, and can't pay the bill. I don't think the phone company would like me running up the bill, seeing as how I know I can't pay it."

"Okay, fine. Be there at eight tomorrow morning."

A slow smile came over her face as she walked backward into the apartment. She handed Wanker to Lacy, grabbed the phone and held it out to him. Before she let it go, she said, "Promise?"

"I'm a lawyer, I never promise. But, I'm happy to tell you I am a genius at deal making."

"Fine." Chloe moved the phone to her other hand, spit in her palm and stuck it out with a big, bright smile. "Deal."

His gaze settled on her hand and she saw a twitch in his temple as his lip turned up in a half smile. In his most shocking move of all, he lifted his hand to his mouth, spit like he meant it, grabbed her hand and pumped it, "Deal," he said just before he grabbed the phone and dialed a number.

Chloe watched him out of the corner of her eye. She had the sinking feeling that she had met her match. Working with Mr. High and Mighty Lawyer might just be more fun than she had ever dreamed.