Free Love Isn't Blind 1 by Sweet and Special Books Page B

proper upright posture did she remember why she was here in the first place.
    Anthony Lang was completely blind. She could be naked and reclining on the couch with her feet in the air and he wouldn't have a clue but for the fact that her voice would be coming from a few feet lower than where it should be. Still, she thought to herself, how people carried themselves physically influenced how they spoke and appeared in conversation. A polite and businesslike posture would ensure that she kept her mind focused on making a good impression.
    In the middle of working out exactly what that impression should be, she caught sight of the man who was obviously her new boss walking casually through the parlor with no shirt on. His skin glistened with sweat, and his perfectly toned upper body was taut from whatever exercise he'd been doing. She hadn't even seen the way he'd come in, and he was half way across the room when he entered her field of vision, inducing a startled noise.
    "That wouldn't happen to be my new assistant waiting for me, would it?" he asked, turning in her general direction.
    "Yes, that's me," she said. "Helene said I should meet you in here? She said she'd tell you I had arrived."
    "Ah, well in that case, I apologize. Helene has become very dear to me over the last few years, but the woman has her own agenda most of the time. If you'll excuse me a moment, I'll just go grab a shirt and come back to greet you properly."
    He ran a hand through his sweaty hair and smiled directly at her. She was taken aback by how handsome and fit he was, and she grimaced when she realized she was sitting there staring like an idiot while he waited for an answer.
    "Of course," she said. "I'll wait here."
    Anthony laughed and walked out of the room. Ashley found it remarkable that he could walk through the room so smoothly and quietly without the use of his eyes or a cane of some sort. She hadn't known any blind people personally, but what she'd seen in movies and on television made her think this was more than a little extraordinary.
    "Sorry about that," said Anthony upon returning. He'd slipped into a pair of khaki pants and a light blue pinstripe button-down shirt whose sleeves he was rolling up as he entered the room. Ashley saw that he was barefoot and was feeling rather thrown off guard by the awkwardness of this first meeting.
    "It's perfectly alright," she said. "It's your house after all. I'm sorry if I surprised you."
    "This is the fastest way to my room from the gym in the garage," he said. "If Helene had remembered to mention that you were waiting for me here, I would have taken the long way around."
    "It's no trouble, really," she replied, unsure whether to stand up or stay seated.
    Anthony stepped towards her and thrust out his hand for her to shake. She reached for his hand, trying to remember everything her father had taught her about making a good first impression. She pushed her hand forward until the groove between her thumb and forefinger locked into the same place on his hand, and she closed it firmly while shaking.
    "Nice handshake," he said. "Women are always giving me the limp half hand. I hate that."
    "My dad always said that a handshake is the best way to take the measure of a man, and he made me practice when I was young. I guess it always stuck with me," Ashley smiled.
    Anthony sat in a wing back chair at a right angle to the couch she'd been sitting on. "Sounds like a smart man. I assume Helene has shown you to your room. Is everything acceptable?"
    "It's a great room. The sunlight was streaming in when I arrived, and it was extraordinarily beautiful."
    "I'm glad you like it. I'll have a lot of work for you each day, and although you're free to work anywhere in the house you please, you'll probably find it's best to stay out of Helene's whirlwind cleaning and cooking schedule. We spoke a little about this on the phone, but I want to reiterate that I typically work late hours. Some writers find they get their