Utterly Forgettable

by RB Hilliard

  Utterly Forgettable

  By RB Hilliard

  Copyright © RB Hilliard, 2016

  Kindle Edition

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

  Warning: This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Names, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any similarities to real persons, living or dead, events, or places, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design by Tania Marinaro and Libros Evolution

  Cover Model: Alfie Gordillo

  Photographer: Cassy Roop and Pink Ink Designs

  Formatting: BB eBooks

  Editing: C Brose and Petra Gleason

  Dedication

  Thanks to my family and friends who make me laugh every single day. This book is for you.

  C Brose – Thank you for always finding the time to edit. Love you more than you will ever know.

  Petra Gleason – First, thank you for your friendship. Second, thank you for your support and for taking a second look. Love you woman!

  Tania Marinaro – My covers and teasers are amazing. Thank you for always pulling through for me!

  Natalie Weston and Danielle and Richard Brass – Thank you for allowing me the use of your names. Your characters made the book shine.

  Kayla Marie – The best PA on the planet. I couldn’t survive without you. Thank you for your support and love. You are the best!

  Kayla, Leah, Lyndsey, Danielle, Natalie and Ginger – Thank you for taking the first look and for your endless support.

  The best ST EVER – Hilliard’s Hellions – You women (and RK) ROCK! Love you beyond words!

  Donna Piecora – My swag is amazing! Thank you for always taking such good care of me!

  Alfie and Cassy – Thank you both for such an awesome cover photo! XXOO!

  To my blogger and author friends – Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Epilogue

  More From RB Hilliard

  RB Hilliard’s Links

  Chapter One

  Cathryn

  ‡

  I arrived in Charlotte right on schedule. As I followed the GPS through town I noticed how green the city was. April in Pennsylvania could be hit or miss depending on the weather. When I left home this morning I spotted a few buds on the bushes but there was still a formidable chill to the air. Charlotte, however, appeared to be one ginormous bloom. Everywhere I looked something was flowering. I had to admit, I kind of liked it. I wound through the town past houses and shops and into what appeared to be a residential area.

  I promised Blake I would call the second I hit Charlotte city limits but, before I did so, I wanted to check out my new home without my big brother breathing down my neck. Part of me was excited to be starting over. The rest of me was terrified. I was not known for my sense of adventure. What if this leap of faith backfires? What if I hate Charlotte or even worse, my new boss? Blake had told me nothing but the basics about Zane Mitchell. As I stopped at a red light, I picked a piece of lint off my blouse. Not sure what I was going to encounter today, I decided to dress business casual. What was the saying, “Never let them see you sweat?” I might be scared out of my mind but no one else had to know. Wearing grey slacks with a white button down blouse, I added a little color with a strand of lapis beads around my neck. Instead of flats, I went with charcoal heels and pulled my hair up into a professional looking bun. At the last second I decided against contacts and put on the stylishly retro black and red pair of glasses I purchased a few months back. I thought they made me look edgy but sophisticated.

  A few more miles passed before the GPS chimed, “In one mile turn right onto Cedar Cove Lane. Your destination will be on your right.” I slowed down and pulled into the right hand lane. After I turned onto Cedar Cove, I spotted the apartment complex directly on my right.

  Blake had described Riverbend is an older, upscale apartment complex set back in a charming little neighborhood. I was pleased to see it accurately matched his description. I pulled into the front circular drive and parked. Staring out my window, I took it all in. An attractive, two story red brick building stood before me. Red and green caladiums surrounded the base of three large trees and brightly colored flowers sat in several large beds. Overall, the place looked well-manicured and inviting.

  “Well, I’m here,” I said out loud. This was either going to be the smartest or stupidest decision I’d ever made. Only time would tell. I thought back to this morning and what my father said when we were saying our goodbyes.

  “Don’t be afraid to enjoy life, Cathryn.”

  “Here goes nothing, Daddy,” I whispered.

  Blake told me Zane lived in Apartment A. Before searching it out I walked around the side of the building to a large wrought iron gate. A lock with a keypad prevented me from venturing into what I assumed was the back of the building. I pressed my face against the bars to get a better look and gasped in delight. A gorgeous stone grotto pool was nestled among lovely green plants and colorful flowering azalea bushes. It looked like something straight out of a magazine. I soaked it in for a few seconds before making my way up the front walkway and through double doors into a large entry hall. To my left was Apartment B. Behind it stood a winding staircase and a black door with the word Elevator over it. To my right was apartment A. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door marked A, and waited.

  After a minute or so the lock disengaged and the door swung open. I expected to find Blake standing there. Much to my surprise, I was not greeted by my stepbrother. Nope…this most definitely was not Blake. The first thing I noticed was his size. In heels I am about five feet five inches tall. Otherwise, I am five three and change. The man in front of me was well over six feet tall. Slowly, I dropped my head back. Striking blue eyes tilted down to meet mine. It took me a second to take him all in. From the top of his head to his firm, masculine jaw was an ocular delight. I barely managed to hold back my groan of envy. The man had at least three rows of eyelashes. When God was handing out the finer details like thick eyelashes he skipped right over me. I guess he figured he was more than generous when he gave me big boobs and a large butt. Personally, I would rather have a tiny tu
sh and full eyelashes.

  His brow furrowed in question. “Can I help you?” he asked. I bit down hard on my tongue in order to stop the burst of lust from gushing out all over the place. So enthralled was I by his growly, deep man-voice, perfectly plump lips… and super straight, very white teeth… that I completely forgot his question. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked.

  Detecting a tone of impatience, I pulled myself together to articulate a coherent answer. “Oh, yes, I’m sorry, I must have the wrong address, I –”

  “Are you Cathryn?” I bit my tongue again, only this time harder. I swear my name had never sounded so good.

  I managed to extract my teeth from my tongue to breathily reply, “Yes?”

  “I’ve been expecting you. Come in.”

  Big Guy turned and I gave myself a mental shake. Get it together Cat. Like me, he had on a pair of grey dress pants. I found myself admiring how well his pants fit before jerking my eyes up to focus on his blue and grey striped dress shirt. My eyes then drifted to his brown hair, which was cut so short I could see his scalp. Geesh, even the man’s head was perfect. The back of my head was completely flat. When I was ten I wanted a pixie cut. Big mistake. Instead of looking like a pretty little pixie, I looked like a really ugly boy with three cowlicks and a very flat head. Dad said it was flat because Mom left me lying in my crib for long periods of time when I was a baby. Strike ten thousand against my mother.

  “I’m Zane, by the way,” Big Guy tossed over his massive shoulder.

  So this was Zane.

  …Two months earlier.

  “Mom tells me you got canned. Who do I need to kill and where does he live?”

  For the first time in days I smiled. “Hey Blake. I am already in enough trouble as it is. The last thing I need to add to my list of wrongs is conspiracy to commit murder but thanks for offering.”

  “You loved that job. What the hell happened?”

  “I’m surprised Janna didn’t tell you.” Janna, my stepmother, was known for her big mouth.

  “Trust me, if Mom wasn’t running late for her exercise class, she would have given a full report. Instead, she just told me you got fired and to call you. Talk to me, Cat, what happened?” A moan of frustration slipped out and I quickly squelched it. If I had kept my mouth shut I would be sitting at my desk right now doing my job instead of wallowing in self-pity.

  When I was sixteen years old my dad met Janna through an on-line dating service. They’d been dating for three months when he finally told me about her. At first I was shocked but after everything we had been through, I wanted my dad to be happy. Lord knows he deserved it. I liked Janna. What’s more, I liked that Janna helped to ease the damage my mother had caused.

  Dad and Janna held a small wedding ceremony in our backyard the summer before my sophomore year in college. That’s when I first met Blake, Janna’s son from a previous marriage. Blake was five years my senior and was stationed somewhere overseas with the Army. The minute I met him I liked him. Whereas Janna was a whirling dervish who never stopped talking or moving, Blake was quiet and reserved. He had a calming presence about him and whenever I was around him I felt safe and secure. Even though Blake barely said a word to me the first time I met him, I could tell he was a good guy. The second time I saw him was a few months after our parent’s wedding. Again, he barely said a word to me but for some reason I was okay with it. After that Blake came home a handful of times. Each time I got to know him a little better and eventually we formed a friendship. Now, apparently, he was trying to set me up with a job.

  “Cathryn, talk to me,” Blake sternly repeated.

  With a sigh of resignation I explained how I’d caught my office manager, Bill, stealing money from the company and how I went to our boss, Mr. Presnell, with evidence in hand.

  “Mr. Presnell thanked me for my honesty and claimed the world needed more employees like me,” I told Blake. “I thought I was in the clear. I mean, how could I not be? It turns out I was so not in the clear. Bill showed up at work the very next day and, with a satisfied smirk on his face, he fired me. How was I supposed to know they were related?”

  “Who, Presnell and Bill?” Blake asked.

  “First cousins,” I confirmed.

  “Ouch.”

  Ouch was right. “Enough about me. How are you? How is Whisky’s?” Whisky’s was the name of the bar Blake helped manage in Charlotte, North Carolina.

  “That’s actually why I am calling. I need a favor.”

  “If you are going to ask me to move across the country to wait tables, I’m going to have to decline. Not that there is anything wrong with waiting tables or anything,” I teased.

  “Are you done?” he asked.

  “Yep, all done,” I giggled.

  “Zane’s PA just quit. Since you’re between jobs and he is in desperate need of an assistant, I think it would be the perfect solution for both of you.”

  “Zane is your boss, correct?” I asked.

  “Zane is my boss but more than that he’s my friend and a solid guy. Look, don’t get mad but Mom told me the real scoop on Bill.” Bill had been hitting on me for months and each time I turned him down he acted like more and more of a jackass to me. “If you take the job with Zane the last thing you will have to worry about is him hitting on you.”

  “I can’t believe she told you!” I hissed. Janna the big mouth had struck again.

  Blake snickered. “You know she can’t keep a secret. Remember Ryan Sullivan?”

  When I was seventeen I told Janna about my crush on Ryan Sullivan. Unfortunately, Janna was friends with Ryan’s mom. Before I knew what had hit me, I was on the receiving end of an unceremonious “Let’s just be friends” speech. It took me a few days to discover my own stepmother was the one who’d outed me.

  “Like I could ever forget?” I dryly replied. Truth be told, I was a little relieved Janna had told Blake about Bill. It was nice having someone to talk to about it. Addressing his “Zane won’t hit on you” comment, I asked, “Why won’t Zane hit on me? I’ll have you know men find me irresistible.” Blake’s burst of laughter helped to lighten my mood.

  “You are way too good for Bill or Zane. No, seriously, Zane is strange when it comes to women. Trust me when I say you are not his type.”

  I didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended by this. I settled for neither. The last thing I needed in my life right now was a man. “So far you haven’t impressed me, bro. What exactly would I do for Zane?”

  “Zane owns an apartment complex and needs help running it,” he explained.

  “Wait, I thought he owned Whisky’s?”

  “He does but he also owns an apartment complex,” Blake clarified.

  “I’m confused. So would I be an apartment manager or an assistant?” I asked.

  “I think you would do some of both but I’m not a hundred percent sure.”

  “Managing an apartment complex is a big deal, Blake.”

  “Tell me about it. Zane has been going crazy trying to manage both Riverbend and Whisky’s. I would tell him to dump the apartments but the place has a sentimental connection to his father.”

  “Riverbend?” I asked.

  “The name of the complex.”

  “Why doesn’t he have his dad run it?”

  “His dad died when he was a kid.” My heart went out to the guy. I couldn’t imagine life without my father.

  “Here’s the thing, I know nothing about this guy except what little you are telling me, Blake.”

  “He’s a stand-up guy, Cat, I swear it. I would never ask this of you if I didn’t one hundred percent trust Zane.”

  “You mentioned his previous assistant quit. What happened?”

  “A difference of opinion, she wanted more money, I don’t know, who cares? I swear, Cat, the position is perfect for you. Plus, it gets you in the same city as me. Think of how much fun we’ll have. Did I mention the position comes with a rent free apartment?” I had to admit, I was worried about how I was
going to pay next month’s rent. A free place to stay that was not my father and stepmother’s house sounded too good to be true. “Give it a shot, please?” he begged. Blake had never asked me for anything. I was having a hard time turning him down. “How about this, I’ll tell Zane it is just a six month trial. At the end of six months, if you are unhappy, you can walk away, no strings attached.”

  Yes, was on the tip of my tongue but I needed more. “How much will he pay me?”

  “Four thousand a month,” he quickly answered.

  My jaw dropped. “He’s offering four thousand a month?” That seemed like an awful lot of money for an apartment manager or a personal assistant.

  “Plus a free place to stay,” he reminded.

  I thought about it for a second. “Tell him five thousand a month for six months plus a free place to stay and he’s got himself a new PA.”

  “Done,” he shot back.

  “Wait, don’t you need to ask him first?”

  “Nope.” I could hear the smile in his voice. Somehow I felt as if I’d been had. I should have gone higher. Oh well, thirty thousand in six months was just fine with me. In fact, it was five hundred more per month than I made at my old job. If the guy was willing to pay me five grand a month without blinking an eye, maybe I could negotiate a relocation package into the deal.

  In my sweetest voice, I said, “You know, it is awfully expensive to move these days.”

  Blake laughed. “Don’t push your luck, sis.” I secretly loved when he called me sis. “C’mon, say yes,” he coaxed.

  “Oh all right,” I told him.

  “Yessss,” he cheered. “You and Zane are going to get along just fine, you’ll see. I have to go but I’ll tell him you’re in. How long will it take you to wrap things up there?”

  I thought about everything I had to do, which really wasn’t that much. “Two weeks?”

  “Great. Call if you need anything. Otherwise, I will see you in two weeks.”

  It looked like I had myself a job.