Audra – The Prequel

“How do I look?”

Claudia, Audra’s friend and co-worker, checked her appearance in the mirrored door of the elevator, puckering her lips and then turning around to examine the fit of the dress on her backside.

“You look fantastic,” Audra said.

Claudia was wearing a hot pink bandeau dress that matched her hot pink lipstick. Her blonde hair fell midway down her back in glossy waves. Her outfit was perfect for the springtime weather during the first week of April.

Audra, on the other hand, looked plain in purple shorts and a white sleeveless top, which she didn’t regret wearing. She hadn’t wanted to come to this party in the first place.

She shouldn’t have let Claudia talk her into coming, but what else did she have to do on a Saturday afternoon? And Claudia didn’t want to come alone. She’d had a big fight with her long distance boyfriend, and when a friend of a friend told her about the get-together, she saw it as an opportunity to meet and nab a man in town.

Of course, Claudia didn’t listen to Audra when she warned that ball players—celebrity males in general—were not exactly the kind of men she should consider for a serious relationship. Audra knew this from firsthand experience.

“I don’t know why I’m so nervous.” Claudia laughed and sent a quick glance her way.

“Because you’re hoping to pick up a man while we’re here, know full well you and Kent are going to make up and this will all have been a waste of time.”

Claudia pouted her pink lips. “You’re wrong. We’re not making up this time. I’m done with him.”

The doors opened on the top floor where the party was taking place, at some baseball player’s condo. A few members of the team were celebrating the end of spring training and the pending start of the season.

Since Audra didn’t pay attention to sports, she had forgotten the nickname Claudia said the fans called the host. She vaguely remembered his name meant fast. Was it Lightning….? Mr. Speed? She wasn’t sure.

They walked down the hallway to a door marked with the number eleven-fifty in gold. Music thumped from the inside, and Claudia turned to Audra with excitement in her eyes. She shimmied her shoulders before she rang the doorbell, and almost immediately, a tall white guy with dark hair and a five o’clock shadow on his jawline swung open the door from the inside.

Is this him—The Rapid One? Audra wondered, trying another name that didn’t sound right, either.

“Well hello, ladies,” he crooned, his eyes practically devouring Claudia. He stepped aside. “Come on in and welcome to the party.”

“Thank you,” Claudia smiled up at him as she sidled past.

Audra followed, hiding her amusement. Claudia was a master at flirting.

There were a few dozen people in attendance, mostly women dressed in revealing outfits. Her discerning eyes flicked over the decor. She saw white—walls, furniture, and most of the furnishings, which she figured wouldn’t withstand the party atmosphere. What wasn’t white was black. Outside the large windows was a balcony where some of the party-goers had congregated, looking out over the city and the highway nearby.

“I’m Jacob, by the way, and you are…” Jacob extended a hand to Claudia.

“Claudia, and this is my friend, Audra.”

“Nice to meet you both. What can I get you ladies to drink?” He held on to Claudia’s hand, and her friend didn’t pull away.

“I’d like something fruity,” Claudia said.

“I will make you something fruity,” Jacob said. “Do you have a specific drink in mind?”

“Surprise me.” Claudia twirled a lock of hair around her finger.

“Will do. And what can I get for you, Audra?”

“Coke is fine,” she replied.

“A non-drinker. Smart woman. I’ll be right back,” Jacob winked and strutted away.

“You’re being real subtle,” Audra teased.

“I told you I came here to get a man, and I meant it,” Claudia said out the corner of her mouth. “Let’s see what other fine specimens are available for me to sink my claws into.”

They strolled through the large room. The men in attendance were definitely good-looking and in excellent shape. Audra suspected most, if not all of them were athletes. Maybe I should pay more attention to baseball, she mused.

She helped herself to a nacho at one of the food tables. As she was crunching the snack between her teeth, her gaze wandered toward the balcony doors.

She froze.

There was a man standing there, dressed casually in chinos and a snug-fitting burnt ochre shirt that showed off his defined chest and exposed tattooed arms. Clearly one of the athletes in attendance.

A diamond stud sparkled in his left ear, a striking contrast to his milk chocolate skin. A mustache connected to a beard formed a circle around his mouth—neat and low the way she liked. He looked tall, but everyone looked tall because she was short. His casual sexiness caught her off guard and made her stare. He looked like he spent a lot of time on his appearance and probably smelled good too.

He was looking at her—blatantly, openly. The way he looked at her made her knees soften and almost give way. Her whole body tingled under his watchful gaze.

Jacob approached with their drinks and blocked her view of the man by the door. He handed Claudia a red, slushy drink that looked like a daiquiri. Audra took her Coke.

While Claudia and Jacob flirted, her eyes searched for the hot guy near the door but didn’t see him. Feeling like a third wheel, she interrupted her friend’s conversation. “Excuse me, I need to make a quick phone call.”

Claudia opened her mouth to say something, but Audra slipped away. For show, she pulled out her phone on the way to the kitchen.

Other than the stainless steel appliances, the entire kitchen was white too. “This guy needs a decorator, stat,” she muttered to herself.

There was extra food and snacks on the island in the middle of the kitchen. She opened a bag of chips and munched on a few as she scrolled through her Twitter feed.

“Hiding?” The voice came from behind her, and she spun around, drawing a startled breath when she saw the hot guy standing several feet behind her. Damn, he was fine.

One hand held a tumbler of dark liquor. He put up the other hand in a disarming way. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I was mesmerized by a Twitter war between a Democratic representative and a Republican senator.”

His eyebrows shot higher. “Deep stuff to be looking into at a party.”

“I needed a break from out there.”

“You’re not having a good time?”

Audra shrugged instead of answering honestly.

“Oh no.” He laughed. Slow and sexy, which made her entire body tingle.

“Honestly, I didn’t want to come. I’m keeping my friend company.”

“Oh, gotcha,” he said, slowly nodding.

His probing eyes examined her from head to foot, and Audra felt her cheeks burn under his scrutiny.

“I’m Damon, by the way. Damon Foster.”

“Audra Connor. I guess you play baseball, like the owner of this place?”

He tilted his head and looked at her with an odd expression she didn’t understand.

“Is there something wrong?” Audra asked.

He smirked. “Nah, it’s just… never mind. It’s nice to meet you, Audra.”

“Nice to meet you, too.” She shifted from one foot to the other, unsure what to say next. “Well, I guess I better head back out there. Excuse me.”

As she moved toward him, he shifted out of the way and spilled some of his drink on the counter near the door. He swore softly.

“Careful now. With all this white on white, Shazam is already probably going to have to do a lot of cleaning when this party’s over. Don’t give him any more work to do.”

He shot a confused look her way. “Did you say Shazam?”

“Yes, the guy who owns this place. His name is Shazam—or something, right?”

Damon ripped a sheet from the paper towel holder and sopped up the spilled drink. “Pretty sure his name’s not Shazam.”

“What is it then?”

“The Flash,” he answered. “Some people say Flash for short.”

She snapped her fingers. “I knew it was something like that. Fast, Mr. Rapido, something.”

“Mr. Rapido? Wow.” He continued to watch her with amusement. “You’re not much of a baseball fan, huh?”

“I’ve never seen a game,” she admitted.

“Interesting.” His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was trying to figure her out. “Your comment a second ago, about the color scheme. Was that a critique?”

“Far be it from me to criticize anyone’s choices, but…” She looked around the kitchen and wrinkled her nose. “All the white everywhere and only black to break it up, makes the place seem kind of colorless and cold. But please don’t tell Shazam—I mean, The Flash what I said. It’s my opinion, and I’m sure he had his reasons for decorating the way he did.”

“I’m sure he did. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” With a twist of his fingers, he pretended to lock his mouth.

“Thank you.” Audra cleared her throat. “Okay, I’m going to find my friend now.”

“Sure. Nice meeting you, Audra.”

“Nice to meet you too, Damon.”

She walked out, feeling his eyes on her the entire time. Being around Damon made her feel tense and awkward. As if she’d never spoken to a man before. Only once she was moving toward the middle of the room did she relax.

“There you are!” Claudia slipped an arm around her and drew her into a conversation with another woman.

Audra halfway listened to them, her mind elsewhere.

During the brief conversation with Damon, she had experienced more than awkwardness and tension. An emotion she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Excitement.

There was something magnetic about him. Even now, she felt a flutter of awareness low in her stomach.

And like she had suspected, he smelled good too.

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