I was shaking my head in mystification over the marketing campaign Crystal managed to sign Reynolds up for when I caught movement in my peripheral vision. When the hair on my scalp instantly prickled I knew what to expect.

A spider. Right in the middle of the room.

It was just one of the long-legged cellar spiders that are common around here, but even with a tiny body, I wasn't looking forward to rescuing it. Thankfully it was sitting still, because the synchronized movement of their legs gave me the willies.

I dug up my nerve and muttered, "Alright, buddy, you belong outside," as I leaned sideways on my red plastic chair to grab a disposable cup from the water cooler.

I got up and walked forward, grateful for the brown utility carpet that muffled the vibration of my steps so the beastie didn't run away.

"Just hold it right there," I said. "This is for your own good, little guy, well, big guy, because man you've had a lot of flies to eat, haven't you? And there are so many more for you to eat outside. Where you belong. So let's get you there."

I slowly got down on my knees, totally focussed on capturing it instead of my fear at being so close to it. I raised the cup, and I swear the thing shrank into the floor ready to leap forward.

Only a foot away now, I fell forward onto one hand and slapped the cup down - just in time to watch it scuttle away toward the receptionist's desk where a man was now standing. He must have come from the door behind him that led onto the warehouse floor.

"Stop it!" I yelled and pointed.

He stamped his foot and the spider abruptly changed direction, running back into the open space of the waiting room and towards a large potted plant on the other side.

"No, you don't!" I yelled again as I awkwardly threw my body forwards so I could slap the cup down - on empty air.

The man quickly grabbed a cup from the water cooler and made his own lunge that missed.

On hands and knees, we crawled forward, eyes locked on the potted plant. It was just empty wall on either side, so we knew our quarry had to be in it, under it or behind it.

The man whispered, "I'm going to flush it out towards you. Be ready."

I nodded. "Got it."

He crawled forward and pulled a cell phone from the back pocket of his jeans, then slowly held it out, display facing us so we could see the back of the pot.

"Clever!" I whispered, taking my first good look at him. His cheek lifted in a smile and my heart, already fast from the spider hunt, beat a little bit faster.

As he reached forward with his cup, his baby blue t-shirt rode up higher on his bare arm to show off how muscular it was.

I gulped and stared at his smooth, dark skin and resisted the urge to pull down his sleeve just for the excuse to touch him.

"It's at the base. See it?" he asked and looked back at me.

My gaze went from his arm to his dark brown eyes and flames of embarrassment shot up my body, most certainly turning my face bright red. A knowing look came into his eye that he'd caught me ogling him.

Oh my God. I was ogling a man.

That was just Not Allowed. There was very clear direction given that if you saw someone attractive you were supposed to lower your gaze. Not only had I not lowered my gaze, but for the first time ever, I'd wanted to reach out and make physical contact. My stomach shrank at the same time it felt all tingly.

Crinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes when he smiled, not arrogantly, but full of the knowledge his attractiveness was having on me. "Here we go." Was there a second meaning in his rich, make-me-tremble voice? "Get ready to catch it."

I gritted my teeth, resisting the urge to fan my burning face, and swivelled my eyes to the plant. I nodded and got into position on the other side of the pot. "Ready."

Thank God I'd be able to go into the meeting with Mr Reynolds and hopefully not have to deal with this man further than rescuing this dratted spider.

I focused on the bottom edge of the pot as if my life depended on it. Which, from an afterlife perspective, it might. Part of my decision to actively stop lying came from an effort to reduce the amount of sins I was amassing that might tip me into Hell instead of Heaven. I'd already sinned massively by forgetting myself and proper decorum with this man and lusting after him. Lusting after him so blatantly that he could tell. Something I'd never done before in my life. I really needed to talk to Dottie and Jaya about how to handle this kind of attraction. Jaya was always going on about 'hotties'. Is this what she was feeling?

I cleared my throat. "Ready," I repeated.

I'm not sure what he did, but the spider came racing out toward me. I had to fight my instinct to run - the way they moved, ugh! - and slapped the cup down on it.

I kept it pinned with one finger, eyes wide and pricking with tears of fear as I watched the thing run around and around the interior edge. My fertile imagination had me feeling the brush of its legs through the plastic.

"Are you going to take it outside?"

For one blessed moment my fear had made me forget him. I looked up and concern instantly etched on his face. He reached out towards me, but stopped short of touching me.

"Are you okay?"

I shook my head. "I don't think I can take it outside," I admitted. "I'm actually terrified of spiders. This thing is way bigger looking under the cup."

"Hold on," he said and darted behind the reception desk.

He returned with a folded piece of paper and dropped to a knee beside me. I relished and hated at the same time all the goosebumps that raced over me when his cool hand brushed mine as he took control of the cup.

"If you're afraid of spiders, why not just kill it?"

I didn't want to go into the whole sin thing, because it sounded too extreme for most people that my moment-to-moment behaviour was directed by a fear of not getting into Heaven.

"They're one of God's creatures. I just try not to kill them if I don't have to."

He smiled slyly, "What qualifies as 'having to'?"

"Well, if one startles me, and I whack it by reflex. Sometimes if I can't get by it. Definitely if it's on me." I shrugged. "Situations like that."

He nodded and traced my hijab with his eyes, which made me realise we were crouched with our knees and faces only a few inches apart.

I swear I heard him chuckle when I jumped up and moved away.

In my peripheral vision I saw him expertly slide the paper under the cup and pick the lot up. He smiled warmly at me, and with a quick nod, headed to the full-glass door, pushing it open with his shoulder to disappear into the bright afternoon sun.

Just as the door swung closed, the interior door beside the receptionist's desk opened and a short, burly man came through it.

"Hello! I didn't realise anyone was here. Sorry! Our receptionist, Sally, is off today. Have you been waiting long?"

"No, not long. I rang the bell, but no one heard I guess." I motioned to the old fashioned brass bell on the desk.

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the door he'd come through. "We can't hear that thing back there. Sally swears she can, but no one else. How can I help you?"

"I'm Abi Khan from Peak Marketing. I'm supposed to meet with Mr Reynolds. Are you...?"

The man shook his head and stepped forward with a big smile, hand extended. "Nah, I'm not the big guy. I'm Sam Shrader." As we shook he nodded back over my shoulder. "He's the boss."

I turned to see the front door swing shut behind my co-rescuer. He transferred the cup and paper to his left hand, and stepped forward to shake.

He was a head taller than me, and vaguely resembled Jason George. My heart thumped and sweat broke out on my palms.

I usually tried not to think of my boss Crystal at all because then I ended up imagining bad things happening to her, but at that moment, most of me wished she was there instead of me.

"Derek Reynolds. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Khan. Is it Miss, or...?" It was an innocent question, but again I sensed an underlying inflection. Or was that just my own wishful, lust-riddled thinking?

Heat rushed to my face again at his voice and the longing to feel his hand wrapped around mine.

It would be the height of rudeness to not shake his hand, since he'd just seen me shake Sam's, and this was a client, too! But the last thing I wanted was contact with this man who was affecting me in ways I'd never experienced before.

Now I understood why some people made it a policy to not have physical contact with the opposite sex. What if I couldn't stop comparing his hand to my future husband's? How many sins would I rack up that way? It was bad enough he'd already brushed my hand and I knew his skin was deliciously cool.

I was in so much trouble.

I tore my eyes from his outstretched hand to his face. I felt heavy with the burden of future responsibility to a man I hadn't even married, hadn't even met, but wanted to do right by. I begged him for understanding with my eyes, even though it was absurd to expect him to understand at all, since he'd just seen me shake with his very male employee.

Confusion raced across Mr Reynolds face.

I inhaled and held my breath, then slowly relaxed my hand from the fist I'd bunched it into, preparing to extend and give him the briefest possible handshake I could.

Suddenly, Mr Reynolds sneezed - or pretended to - into his right hand.

"Sorry about that," he said, grimacing at his palm then smiling apologetically at me.

I blinked in surprise and turned sideways to give him more room to pass by as he headed to the receptionist's desk for a tissue.

"You're not getting that cold going around, are you, Boss?" asked Sam.

Mr Reynolds swiped his nose and shook his head. "I hope not. Well, Miss Khan, shall we go through to my office?"

Relief flooded me. I don't know how or why, but this man had read my mind, or at least my discomfort, and given me a way out.

Chivalry, apparently, was not dead. When he smiled warmly at me and held the door open, though, my heart skipped a beat or two and I thought I might be.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: After Mr Reynold's kept showing up in my notes as 'Derek', I've swapped his first name with his second-in-command. So we now have Derek Reynolds, and Sam Shrader. Sorry, for the late swap. These characters really know who they are and where they want to go!