Close To You: Part 1 Read Free Page B

sticking a flag on a mountain, then going back to the same peak the following year. Once was a conquest; twice was revisiting the same old scenery.
    These weren't the kind of men she craved. Though the sex had been incredible. It always was. But that had more to do with her than them.
    I'm good at it, she told herself. I'm really good at it. I enjoy it. Why waste it on these fucking losers all the time?
    Then another thought hit her . I'm still young.
    What if I find my Prince Charming? And what if he's loaded? Isn't it just an added bonus?
    She signed up, a part of her screaming not to do it. But she hit SUBMIT anyway. Then she signed out of the computer and left, thinking nothing more of it.

 
    7.
     
    Scarlet went back there two days later to send more resumes off and to check her GMail. She signed in and found several from MYSUGAR.COM.
    Two of them were things like "Welcome to MySugar!" and "Your registration with MySugar  . . ."
    She didn't even open these. Who does? One near the top read "You have one new message!" Scarlet opened the email, hit the link in the middle of it and found herself teleported back to MYSUGAR.COM. She logged in, went to the tab that said MAIL and saw above a standard, automated welcome message that she had one from an actual member of the site.
    From: Julian Hunter
    To: Scarlet Clarke
    Msg: Hi! I saw you've just joined. I was looking at your profile and saw we're the same age. Do you have a photo? I have a couple on my page. Maybe we could meet up. JH.
    Huh, she thought. Let's have a look. She clicked his name and his member profile popped up. Julian Hunter was extremely handsome, dark hair and tanned skin. His green eyes were like brilliant jewels against his smooth, chiselled features. Scarlet felt an instant attraction to him. In his picture – and the subsequent shots she cycled through – he was smiling. It wasn't a big beamer of a smile, nor was it a cheesy grin. Just a confident smile.
    She read his details.
    Name: Julian Hunter
    Age: 28
    Nationality: American
    Employment Status: CEO of Hunter Enterprises.
    Scarlet went to her own profile and added a photo from her Dropbox folder, mostly stuff she had on Facebook. She picked the most flattering of the snaps, a full body shot with her facing the camera. It was taken during a trip to Mexico a year earlier.
    Close enough , she thought.
    She clicked back onto her messages and hit REPLY.
    From: Scarlet Clarke
    To: Julian Hunter
    Msg: Hi Julian. I've just added a photo. Let me know what you think! Scarlet.
    Silly arse , she thought to herself. The CEO of a big company? He was probably a fifteen-year-old, three-hundred-pound virgin from Cleveland. Either that or a sixty-year-old whacko looking for his next victim.
    She logged off and left, again wondering if she was making a fool of herself.
    * * *
    She couldn’t help but go back there the next day.
    "You're becoming a regular," the guy at the counter said.
    "I should get free coffee," she said.
    He laughed, as if to say, Yeah right, and told her she was at cubicle five.
    The first thing she did was go to MYSUGAR.COM, and sure enough, there was a reply from Julian Hunter.
    You're beautiful, it read. I've been on here a while and it's the first time I've seen someone I'm truly attracted to. We should meet for a coffee. Or some lunch. JH
    She bit her bottom lip and hit REPLY.
    Thank you Julian, that's really sweet. Sure, I can meet you somewhere. Scarlet
    She hesitated, then added an X at the end of her message, deleted it, then added it again. She hit SEND before she could change her mind again.
    * * *
    She went back there that evening, anxious to see if he'd replied again, her job search forgotten. Sure enough he'd answered her back with a place, a date, and a time.
    Is this convenient? he asked her. If not we can rearrange? JH
    She smiled. It felt good to have something positive happening for a change. She wondered what James would make of it all and decided it best not to tell him for