EXTRACT FOR
Racy Romance
(A.X. Foxx)

The first gift arrived at the cafe where I worked in the form of a dozen red roses...and a single diamond pendant necklace in a hidden in an envelope midst the roses. It fell into my open palm with a solidness that worried me.



"Someone's got a secret admirer," my coworkers teased playfully, drawing towards me to admire the beautiful red roses that was mildly scented with a sweet perfume. The teasing stopped the moment they saw the necklace. Even to our untrained eyes, it looked expensive. The chain was made of tiny circular silver rings the glimmered in the light.



Hanging from the end was the diamond pendant that seemed to emit light rather than reflect it.



There was just awed silence as I held the pendant up to the light. It shone with an unnatural brightness that made my heart tighten and my fingers tremble. It looked real.



"That's...fake, right?" someone said, voicing what everybody was thinking.



"It's got to be," I mumbled, letting the girls have a closer look at the necklace while I pulled out the contents of the envelope.



There was a piece of paper in the envelope and instead of a card or a note, there was a diamond certificate telling me the carat weight (2.5 Ct.), color grade (D), clarity grade (VS1) and cut grade (Excellent). There was even a report number, laser inscription registry, and other various details that I didn't quite understand. I gulped, wondering where the mysterious gift had come from.



"It's real," Tanya gasped, quickly handing the necklace back to me. It felt surreal.



I held the diamond between my forefinger and thumb. The slight pinch of the sharp edges of the shimmering gem assured me that I wasn't dreaming.



My first thought that someone had stolen my credit card details to purchase the necklace was quickly squashed by the knowledge that this was real diamond. Even my maxed out credit card couldn't possibly be enough to purchase something as extravagant as this.



"This has got to be a mistake," I said to the flower delivery man, who was still standing in the small cafe. He looked too well dressed to be a flower delivery man, what with his buttoned up tux and all. At first I thought it was an outfit, but the more I looked at him, the more I realize that he was waiting for a response of some sort from me. Should I be tipping him?



"If you don't want it, I'll take-" Daphne's hand that reached forward to grab the chain of the necklace was promptly held by the muscled man.



"There is no mistake," he said, his voice a stressed deep tone that sent shudders all the way down my spine.



He released Daphne's hand and sent her a glare that could've melted glaciers.



"Alright fine, it's hers. I was just kidding around," she faked a laugh and rubbed the ache from her wrist. I gave the stranger a thankful look. Everyone knew Daphne wasn't kidding around. She's been known to just take things she fancied and not giving them back. I put the necklace into the envelope carefully.



"This is too much," I held the envelope to him. "I can't accept this."



"Mr. Hunter would like your company for dinner," he said, ignoring my outstretched hand.



I lowered my hand reluctantly. "Mr. Hunter?" I murmured, the name not clicking in my mind. It sounded only vaguely familiar, like an acquaintance of an acquaintance instead of a name that I should know.



"Yes..."