DREAMING OF MR. STARR

“Has he arrived yet?”          Gemma approached slowly the reception desk. The girl working there looked at her a little puzzled.“Come on, Adele! Don’t keep me hanging here! Is he already in the building?”          She sat down at the reception desk, turning to face Adele who sat behind her. The receptionist gave her another bemused look and replied in the most innocent tone.“Who? Elvis? Nope, he left the building a long time ago!”          Adele tried not to laugh when Gemma started to shake her head and mimicked an amused expression.“Oh, my God, you’re so funny! Your talent as a stand-up comedian is wasted at ‘Starr Computers’… You should save a spot at ‘Gotham Comedy Club’… They will apprecia

“Oh, you got back at me all right, Gemma Wakefield! This morning, not half an hour ago, in fact, I had a phone call from my friend, Jude Brennan congratulating me for my... engagement. I didn't know what the hell he was talking about,” Declan said forcefully. “I felt like a damned fool. But I managed to bluff my way out of it. Can you imagine what it felt like to be told by a third party that I'm supposed to be getting married? I didn't even know who Gemma Wakefield was, but I did know the name sounded familiar. Then I realized I hear it every morning when I entered the building.”“You called me… a mouse that day I came up here” Gemma reminded him resentfully. “A mouse…”“And for that, you landed us both in this mess?”          Gemma flicked back her hair.“It will be all right, Mr. Starr. We can just announce in the next issue tha

         Gemma stopped in her tracks, unconcerned when Declan turned to scowl his impatience.“But I don't want an engagement ring,” she declared.          Declan walked back the short distance between them, grasping her arm roughly and pulling her to one side of the sidewalk.“Too bad because you're going to get one. And, please, don't shout like that in the street!” he snapped.          She shook off his hand.“What else did you expect me to do? You walk so fast… You were miles away from me.”“Only because you deliberately hung back, behaving hysterically. What on earth is the matter with you? Surely you realize, since we are engaged, that I must give you a ring… People will be looking for that, especially this evening.”“I don't want a ring and I don

         Even so, Gemma wouldn't let him think he had got away with fooling her. Oh no, she would make sure she let him know his sordid little affair was known to her. And she wouldn't feel guilty anymore. Why should she?          It didn't take her long to find Declan among the crowd, his height and distinguished appearance making him conspicuous. Gemma moved swiftly through the people to be at his side. Declan turned to look down at her flushed face and gleaming eyes, raising one eyebrow questioningly.“I thought you'd got lost.”          Gemma took the glass of bubbly liquid he held out to her, flicking back her head haughtily and ignoring the curious stares of the other people.“You don't seem to be particularly bothered even if I had,” she replied coolly, sipping the chilled champagne.   &

          God… He was a master of the art of kissing… Gemma had no doubt about it, and her burning anger soon turned to something completely different. Instead of making her hate him, Declan Starr’s kiss had just confirmed that she was head over heels in love with him!          Gemma had been very nervous about meeting Declan again, but she needn't have bothered. He was acting as if nothing had happened between them. If anything, he was acting cooler than ever towards her, not having spoken more than a few sentences to her since she had got in the car.          Declan was looking vitally attractive in cream trousers and a black fitted shirt, turned back at the cuffs to expose a tanned length of an arm, the hair here lighter than the raven sheen of his head.          His clothing was