Enchanted (3 page)

Now Kramer expected her to believe Evers’s agent had requested she do the segment? She never dreamed her boss was capable of playing such a horrible trick on her.

Her temper flared, causing heat to rise to her face. “Is this a joke?”

“No joke.” Kramer pushed away from the desk and stood. He picked up the notepad, moved to her side and handed the tablet to her. She focused on the top page.

Stubby finger pointing at the writing on the page, he explained, “You were the one chosen over every reporter in the world to do the interview. Everything’s set. You leave in the morning in one of his private jets to go to his home in Wales. I’ve decided to send Blake with you to oversee the filming. You two work well together.”

“You’re serious.” Surprise returned, battled with her temper and won.

“Dead.”

“I can’t believe it. Do you realize what this means to my career?” She smiled as the realization struck her, and she gazed at the words written on the paper. There, in Kramer’s bold script, was the charismatic performer’s name, then a double slash followed by her name. When she glanced up at Kramer, a glint from the window caught her attention. She shifted her head to the right.

Through the glass, a billboard attached to the side of a building refracted a ray of sunlight. Her mouth dropped open as she stared into the deep amethyst of Shay Evers’s eyes. Blackness formed around the edge of her vision. From a distance, she heard Kramer speak.

Evers lay on his side in a field of purple pansies–his slender, leather encased legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. The white shirt draping his lean form gaped at the neck and fell in soft folds, exposing a large portion of his chest as he rested on one elbow. Long strands of tousled black hair floated in the wind around his perfect features. The picture, arresting and arousing, and obviously targeted for women, achieved its purpose. The smiling intensity in his purple eyes struck her to the core of her mind and left her breathless.

“The station’s ratings are going to go through the roof. Parker remarked about this being an hour-long documentary with you doing the report. We’ll have sole rights to it. The advertising alone will be astronomical.” His abrupt laugh sounded harsh and loud.

With a shake of her head, Caitlyn tore her gaze away from the billboard, yet when she blinked she still saw the image.

Kramer snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. “Are you listening, Reiley? You leave at four in the morning for Wales. Evers owns a place, and I mean a big place, there. Somewhere in the mountains. Refurbished an old castle. Heard rumors it’s like a faery tale castle. Plants and whatever all over. I’ve called Blake. He’ll go by accounting to pick up the paperwork and credit cards.”

Caitlyn shut her eyes for a moment. The thought of staying at Evers’s home thrilled her, but what if she did something stupid? The idea of falling under his spell did not sit well with her. She’d kept her deepest emotions concealed all her life. What if she couldn’t hide her attraction to him? So many women across the world were enamored of him.

She bit her lip, a frown tugging her brows together. Could she take the chance? Insecurity flared and for a moment she didn’t know what to do. She glanced at Kramer, hoping to find some guidance.

Her decision appeared, solid and firm, in the set of his jaw. She nodded and said with a forced smile, “This is great. He’s a fake. There isn’t any real magic, and I’ll prove it.”

Kramer’s eyes widened. “What did you do? Read my mind? Listen, Reiley, I don’t care if he’s fake, but I do care about what this means to this station.” He propped a generous hip on the desk before he continued. “Parker gave the station full authority with this interview. Didn’t even argue when I told him what I wanted to do.”

“Which is?”

“Reality or illusion? Shay Evers, the man behind the magic.”

Caitlyn studied him for a moment. “That’s good. This gives me leeway to find out the truth about his acts.”

“Thought you might approve. Come on, you need to start packing.” He stood, grasped her by the upper arms, forcing her to her feet.

“Go home. Now. Grab what you want to take. Go shopping for anything you don’t have. Charge it and put it on the expense account.”

He guided her to the door and opened it for her. “I’ll pick up you and Blake in the morning and take you to the airport. Three o’clock sharp. Bring warm clothes. And don’t forget to call me. Often. I want a daily update.”

The door clicked shut behind her, and she twisted around to stare at the knob. The word interview would have satisfied her goal to further her career, but the man she was selected to interview made this her first major assignment.

She tried to recall all she knew about Evers. He had shot to the top of the entertainment world four years before, and to date, showed no signs of falling. His performances were interlaced with his own music and lyrics. This music caught on and now it rang across the world. Caitlyn couldn’t think of a single place she’d gone where she hadn’t heard at least one of his songs.

All the tension drained from her body as she glanced at the tablet. For a moment, she stared at the name. She straightened and gasped.

Marcy.

Caitlyn had to let her friend know she changed her mind about the invitation. Tonight she would have the chance to observe Evers without anyone noticing. First objective on her agenda: call Marcy and, right after, do a search for any information about him she might have missed during the years. At least, now she could surf the web for him without waves of guilt washing over her.

She half-jogged to her desk. Dropping into her chair, she grabbed the phone and punched in Marcy’s number. “Hey, I changed my mind. It’s not too late, is it?”

“You wanna go?”

“Yes.”

“Sweet. Come by my place at five thirty. We’ll get ready together. I’m not letting you out in public dressed in one of those stiff suits,” Marcy said. “How’d your meeting go? It must have turned out okay for you to change your mind about tonight.”

Caitlyn grinned. “Yes, Kramer had some good news for me. I’ve been assigned a major interview. Listen, I’ve got a lot to do before five thirty, so I’ll see you then.”

After placing the receiver on the hook, she faced her laptop and clicked several keys, typing out the superstar’s name for an internet search. The end results, though, left her with little more information than she already knew. All the sites she glanced through showed numerous photographs, but told her nothing about his personal life except to say he was a private person. There was never any mention of a love interest, no hint of a secret scandal hovering in his closet, nothing out of the ordinary.

Caitlyn shook her head. She’d take notes on the flight so she wouldn’t have to wing the most important interview of her lackluster career. This assignment could either make or destroy her, and she refused to allow the latter to happen.

She touched a small card taped on the left-hand corner of her laptop.

Trust in your own abilities–the force behind your goals. Take each day, one by one. Look for the strength in your soul and believe you will move forward, past tomorrow. Trust that all things will work out and believe you have the power to succeed.

This card with the inspiring words was her only concession to what she considered foolishness. As practical as the loafers on her feet, she stayed away from frivolous activities. Yet, this card with its sweet phrases reminded her to stay on track with her goals. Most of these she had completed, but the one large goal, to move out of the small interviews and into the larger, more serious ones, had passed her by.

Until now. She was on the right path, and she would not allow anything or anyone to stop her.

With one last glance at the notepad, she ripped out the page and pulled her purse from her desk drawer. The sheet fit perfectly over the laptop keyboard before she closed the lid. She wanted to keep the paper as a memento of her success.

She remembered what Kramer said about shopping. She’d purchase a few of the illusionist’s videos. Excited about the changes this interview promised with her future career, she glanced about her cubicle one last time. Laptop in its carrying case and with her head high, she left the newsroom without a backward glance.

Chapter 4

In an attempt to attract buyers, the video store played the current movie trailers for shoppers browsing in the mall. All the monitors in their showcase displayed the same clips. Caitlyn ignored the screens. She started to enter the store, when a white flash caught her eye, and she swerved toward the window.

The screens lit up with the opening to a Shay Evers performance. On stage, he paced back and forth speaking to the audience. Caitlyn smiled and tilted her head as anticipation for the approaching interview built inside her. She savored the soft lyrical words spoken with a Welsh accent. Shay, with that gorgeous, sexy voice, asked the audience who among them believed in magic.

An unbelievable urge came over her to raise her hand. Surprised, she stopped the movement in mid-air and shot a look around, hoping no one noticed. Tearing her gaze from the screens, she marched into the store, determined to find some videos of Evers so she could study his acts. She refused to allow the thought of the man to distract her from the assignment. When the tall figure of a man appeared before her, she came to an abrupt stop. Blinking, she stared at his strong neck. Her gaze roamed over his strong jaw and ended at his laughing amethyst eyes.

Life sized, the cardboard cutout of Shay Evers stole her breath. His gentle, bewitching smile captured her senses. She leaned closer, and her gaze dropped to the sensual lines of his lips. Pulse pounding, she raised a finger and touched the curve. She pulled away with a jerk. The impression of being haunted by the illusionist crossed her mind. A strong premonition of someone watching her crawled over her neck, sending chills rippling across her shoulders.

“May I help you?”

Caitlyn jumped and turned to the sales clerk. A spiked-haired young woman stood with a customer-ready smile pasted on her ring-pierced lips.

“As a matter of fact, yes. I need some of his–” She pointed to the poster board. “Videos.”

At the clerk’s knowing look, heat raced up her neck and into her cheeks. When the salesgirl turned to lead the way, Caitlyn narrowed her eyes and grimaced at the poster. Frustrated but still curious, she wanted to discover what made her desire to reach out and feel the smoothness of his skin. His long silky-looking hair, his flawless skin–no, the reason behind her reaction centered on the sensuous sparkle in his gaze and the way he curved his sexy mouth into a smile. Combined, they pulled at her in an almost physical manner. She shook her head, attempting to erase the thoughts. Worry sliced through her. She had to remain in control tonight or she would ruin her chance for the interview.

Determined to ignore the tingles rushing through her, Caitlyn followed the woman to the far side of the store. The clerk pointed out the correct section and left her alone.

After a quick search of Evers’s selections, Caitlyn found three current releases. She hoped they might contain some new information on the illusionist. Satisfied, she made her way around the aisles to the front of the store where a cashier waited.

While checking out, Caitlyn refused to glance at the life-size cutout. The more she tried to ignore it, the more the urge to look increased. Unable to resist, she peered over her shoulder. The grin on his features called to her. She faced the counter again.

“I have a friend who’s crazy about Evers,” she told the cashier with a tilt of her head toward the cardboard figure. “What are you going to do with that? Can I have it to give to my friend?”

The woman lifted her brows. Caitlyn leaned her elbow on the counter, trying her best to act professional while she waited for the girl’s response. After a moment, the clerk smiled and winked. “You want it for a friend? Sure, why not?”

Caitlyn straightened, ignoring the insinuation that she was the one who really wanted the cutout. Unable to stop, she grinned, imagining the shock on Marcy’s face as she carried Evers into her apartment.

The woman went to the back of the store and returned with a plastic-wrapped fold-up. Handing it to Caitlyn, she shrugged and said, “For some reason, the promotions department sent us two of these.”

Caitlyn paid for the videos, trying to keep her excitement under control. On the way out the door, a surge of foolish embarrassment shot through her. She had never done anything like this in her entire life. Not even for a friend. Yet, Marcy would love the life-size picture of Evers. Happy that she’d bring Marcy some joy, she carried the cutout under her arm, holding it tight with one hand.

She couldn’t wait to arrive at Marcy’s apartment and give it to her. Caitlyn hurried through the mall, out into the parking lot. When she reached her car, she unlocked the passenger side door. Setting the cutout of Evers in the front seat, she removed the plastic to study his eyes and face. A gush of heat rushed through her body. He was just too handsome for his own good. The desire flaring within her at the mere sight of his face made her uneasy. She shifted the poster so it would remain sitting upright without getting damaged and pulled around the seatbelt to hold it in place. Once behind the wheel, she headed for Marcy’s.