by Lauren Wood
I pushed away and he told me that I was being a tease. This was why I hated coming here, but I came for Amy.
“Don’t think that I don’t know who you are. Do you need a few dollars?”
My face fell and for a moment I was mad at someone else, more than I was this man. But then I had to wonder how I could deal with this every day. When Tony started to pull some money out of his pocket, I turned around and hoped that I didn’t feel his hands on my arm to stop me. I was humiliated and I walked right back to the table where Amy was.
“What just happened?”
“He thought I was someone else and thought he would get liberal with his touching.”
“Oh, ewww, sorry.”
We were both quiet for a while. I wanted to leave right now, but Amy wanted to finish her drink. She at least had the decency to not say anything about Amber. I didn’t want to talk about it and it was nights like this that I hated sharing a face with someone else, that someone who is my twin, someone so different than me, yet close enough to the same that I had encounters like this a couple of times a week since I came to Atlanta.
“Don’t worry about it Claire, that was one guy.”
It was one guy, all the time it felt like. How was I ever supposed to date here if that was how it turned out? “I think we need to try somewhere new. This place isn’t working for me.”
“It’s not so bad. Some of the guys are really nice. I just like the atmosphere.”
The atmosphere was dark and bright all at the same time. Colored strobe lights moved throughout the place. It felt like more of a light show than anything else. The music was loud enough to vibrate my rib cage and I could barely hear without the person doing a sort of shout talk that was only okay in a club.
“I think I have had enough of this atmosphere for the night.” My attention was on Tony who was staring me down from the bar. I didn’t know if he was going to be a problem or not, but he made himself being there uncomfortable.
Amy saw the exchange and agreed that it was time to go. “If he gets up when we do, we need to talk to the bouncer.”
She was getting the same feeling I was and I agreed one hundred percent with her plan. Tony didn’t get up though. He stayed on his stool, eying us as we left. I got a shiver down my spine with the way he was looking at me. I was going to have to warn Amber about him. That guy seemed a little too forceful and I didn’t want her to run into him as well.
I took Amy home and even though she offered to finish the night at her house, I had had enough.
“Come on Claire, it’s not like you have class or work in the morning. You might as well get some of the benefits of being unemployed, think of all of the off time that you get.”
“I would rather have a job.”
“I could always get you a job at the diner.”
She had offered before and I had refused several times. I wasn’t quite to that level yet. I would be soon if I didn’t find something in my field before my savings ran out. I had projected up to nine months to find a good job. I moved to Atlanta for better job prospects, but I was finding it hard to bust into the market. I hadn’t given up, but I was getting discouraged.
“Maybe in another week or two. I am going to go online and see if I can find anything. I haven’t done too much of that yet. I took too much time off after college because I thought finding something would be a breeze.”
“Well I am here if you want to do something. I can’t sleep. I might call Justin over.”
I told her that it was a bad idea. He was an ex-boyfriend for her and most of the time a person was an ex for a reason. Justin was like her kryptonite and I didn’t want to see her get hurt again. Amy was an absolute mess last time she broke up with Justin.
“Don’t call him over Amy. You will regret it when he is asking you for gas money in the morning.”
“I know, but he is good at some things.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I would never get how some people could put up with so much because of sex. That was the real reason, I knew that, but I didn’t understand why. I was still waiting for the right one. I wasn’t going to waste my time with the Justins of the world. I was looking for the real thing. “You will regret it in the morning Amy.”
“I know, but what else is youth for but regrets?”
There was no arguing with her and I wasn’t even going to try. “I will see you in the morning. Are we still on for lunch?”
“Yeah, I will see you then. You sure you don’t want to stay over?”
I declined again and wondered if she was that worried about calling Justin. Why did she act like an addict when it came to him? Would I ever find that? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. It didn’t seem to be that fun.
Driving home, I thought of Amber and what she was doing right now. I hadn’t seen her in a couple of days, but after meeting Tony, I thought I would give her a call. She didn’t answer, that was usual and I left a voicemail for her to call me back when she got it. It would most likely be three or four in the morning when she got off of work, but I was used to her late hours.
I got home to Rosco and fed him for the second time today. It was like a peace offering because I had been gone so much today. He purred after I sat down at the computer and started to weave his way around my feet. I had this cat since college and he cheered me up about as much as he cleaned me out of tuna.
“Not now Rosco. I need to find a job.”
He looked at me disinterested and lay on my feet, purring like a small motor on the tops of them. I ignored the weight on my feet, settling for that instead of him lying on my keyboard and went to the job board in Atlanta. I was looking for a few different key words and for once there was more than a few new ones. It was two in the morning when I started to apply to a couple jobs around the city. I didn’t want to go to work at the diner, but I knew it was going to happen soon if I didn’t get something that would use this degree I was going to be paying back for the next decade or two.
I wasn’t too hopeful that I would get a call back. When I first starting looking I was sure that it would be an easy thing. Now I knew differently and I felt like I was just plugging along, hoping that something would change, even though I had a fear that it wouldn’t.
Turning the computer off, I sighed to myself and checked my phone to see if Amber had called. I would talk to her later and went to lie down. I didn’t want to wait up for her, but I knew she would wake me up one way or another.
My thoughts raced when I lay down as they did most nights, uncertainty at the core. I thought of Amy and Justin. I didn’t get why she kept going back, but I had to wonder what the draw was. I knew the basics, but the emotions and feelings I didn’t get at all. Why in the world would someone put themselves through that over and over again, for a guy? It just didn’t make sense to me.
Amber and her line of work didn’t make sense to me either. Why would she choose to be around men like Tony?
The phone rang around four in the morning and I answered, not even needing to look at who it was. I already knew.
“Hey sis, long night?”
Chapter 2
Claire
I woke up groggy and the phone going off next to me. It was late, I could tell by the sunshine coming through the window like tiny little blades of glass in my eyes. I closed my eyes and lay back down. My head hurt, most likely from the few drinks I’d imbibed.
The phone stopped ringing and I laid there for several minutes in the silence before I braved opening my eyes again. It was pretty outside when I finally pulled the curtain back. It was like jumping in cold water, get it over with quick. Pulling the shade back had me squinting, but I was finally able to see the day in front of me.
I wanted to be positive, even though my head was throbbing incessantly. I picked up my phone only after I had a cup of coffee in my hands. I had a feeling that it was going to be Amy. She always drank more and recovered quicker. It was proof I was a light weight or she was a witch, not sure which one.
“Hey Amy, I can’t believe you are up so early. I was going to give you some time to wake up before I called, but since you already did, what’s up?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Didn’t you call a little while ago?”
“No, I am trying to figure out why I am even awake right now. It is only nine Claire.”
I laughed and apologized. “I will call you back when you have gotten your beauty sleep. Just answer me one thing?”
“What?”
“Is Justin there?”
There was a pause that spoke volumes and I just shook my head. I should have known that she would call him up.
“It’s your fault because you wouldn’t stay over.”
“Bye Amy. Call me when you have rolled out of bed and gotten rid of him.”
“Okay.”
I hung up and just shook my head in disbelief. Amy really was a bit off when it came to men. If sex is what made a woman like that, I was thankful that I hadn’t gone that way. How exhausting it would be to make bad decisions based on a few minutes in bed.
Looking to see who did call me if it wasn’t Amy, I didn’t recognize the number. Pushing the recall button, I heard a recording that I had reached the offices of Future Plans HR Department. My heart instantly started to race. This was the call that I had been waiting for and I had been lying about in bed.
Waiting for someone to come on the line, I told them that my name was Claire Adams and I was returning a phone call. When she didn’t automatically know what they had called me for, I told her that I had recently put in an application. It was very recent, like a few hours ago, but I was holding out for this being what I needed.
“Yes, Claire. We were calling to set up an interview later this afternoon if you are available. I have a couple of positions for someone with your degree as a starting position. I would like to fill those as soon as possible if you are interested.”
I was, far more interested than I would be able to express. “Yes of course. Just let me know the time and place.”
“Very good, we like eager. I will connect you to Andrea and she will take care of you.”
I thanked the woman, never catching her name. Staring at myself in the mirror, I frowned at my appearance. My blonde hair was hanging limp around my face and my blue eyes were dull. The best thing I could do was get started on straightening myself up. I was going to worry about it for the next few hours anyways, so I might as well look my best. This was the interview that I was waiting for and everything had to be perfect.
***
The building in and of itself was enough to be impressive. It was at least fifteen floors and I felt quite small standing in front of it, looking up to the top. I couldn’t actually see where it all ended. From this vantage point, Future Plans looked like something from the future. I just had to find out if this was going to be part of my own future or not.
I gave my name to the lady in the front. She was a general secretary and she was the one that had the information. “You have an appointment at four with Caroline Channing.”
I nodded my head that her information was correct. I was given a visitor badge that I wasn’t expecting and instructions on where to go after I got off the elevator. There were several people behind me as I was leaving and I hoped that they weren’t there for the job as well. I needed this and no matter what, I had to get this job today. All I wanted to hear was that I was hired.
The elevator was slow and it took several minutes to get almost to the top. I would be meeting Caroline on floor fourteen and as the elevator went up, so did my anxiety. This was the big time and I was scared to death to mess this up.
The instructions from the elevator were a little confusing, but it made more sense when I got there. The financial level was a maze of cubicles and offices and the four turns were necessary to find the office of Caroline Channing. I took a deep breath and knocked. It was now or never.
***
“Come in.”
I opened the door slowly and was almost instantly relieved at the smiling woman that was in front of me. She wasn’t much older than me and I don’t know why I felt better. I felt like I had a chance now, as she hadn’t been out of college that long either.
“Claire Adams?”
I nodded my head that I was she and she motioned me to the seat across from her desk. “Nice to meet you. I was glad to see your resume in my inbox this morning. You have all of the educational requirements that we are looking for. Sadly that has been a hard thing to find it seems and even with several recruiters I have two open positions.”
She was babbling and I was just to the point of smiling and nodding. I was listening, but more just waiting for her to get to the interview. Her desk was covered in work and I could tell that she was scattered brain for a reason. It seemed like she needed me, as much as I needed the job.
Caroline asked me about school and my grades. I had a copy of my transcripts with me just in case and when I offered to show her she took a few minutes going over everything. “Great grades and I can see that Stats was your best class. Very impressive Claire.”
“Thank you.” I was waiting for the but now. Like I had all of the education, but we were looking for someone with a little more experience. That was the but I was waiting to come out of Caroline’s mouth.
“Well everything looks to be in order Claire and I think you would be a great fit here. We focus on efficiency and I can see that you will be perfect. I have talked to a couple of your professors and bosses and everyone raves about you. We need the passion they describe here. I need people that are passionate about numbers.”
It was a silly thing to say, but I could relate. Numbers were easy because they didn’t change. Everything else changed and I liked the simplicity of numbers. I found it soothing, while most found it mind numbing.
Caroline went over the pay packet and the benefits that they offered. It was higher than I would have thought and there were many perks to working there. While Future Plans was still small in comparison to their rivals, they were making a name for themselves and apparently believed in taking care of the employees. “The employees take care of the customers, so Rick likes to make sure that we are taken care of. You couldn’t ask for a better boss. He is demanding, but I am sure you won’t have any trouble here. I have a good feeling about you Claire.”
I thanked her for her kind words and the opportunity. I almost wanted to get out of there quickly so that she couldn’t change her mind. I don’t know why I was so worried about it, but I was. I needed this job and it had just fallen on my lap a little too easily. I wasn’t used to it and I am sure that is why I felt this way.
“Do you have any questions for me Claire?”
I couldn’t think of a thing. “When do you want me to start?”
Caroline smiled and the woman looked beautiful for a moment. Her smile made the rest of her face more inviting and it was almost like seeing an eclipse with the belief that you wouldn’t see it again for a very long time.
“Start tomorrow at nine sharp. Make sure you are on time. You will have a meeting with the rest of the consultants and with the CEO Rick in the morning.”
“Sounds good, thank you again.”
She told me that it was no problem. “I am just happy you applied. I was starting to think I would never fill those positions and I was going to have to do it all. We are in our busy time with all of the annual reports going out. Businesses are feeling the pinch and many want to know where all of their money is going.”
I left not long after that. Caroline had a lot of work to do and she was happier than when I first came in. She was inviting in her own way and I hoped to see her again. Caroline had changed my life and she didn’t even know it.
Going down to the fifth floor, I picked up a packet from HR and made my way out
to the parking garage. I had a handful of paperwork in my hands to do with the insurance and the 401K. I felt like for the first time, I was finally an adult, with a real job and everything.
I had to call Amy with the good news, but first I had to get home. It had been a long day with a late start, but everything was starting to look up if nothing else.
Chapter 3
Rick
“Good morning baby.”
I looked to Bella and smiled. She was lying next to me and I could feel by where our skin touched that she wasn’t wearing any clothes. I don’t remember asking her to stay the night, but I wasn’t going to argue with the results of waking up to her supple body. It did something to me and it wasn’t long before I was pulling her to me. The softness of her skin was intoxicating and before long I had her on top of me. It gave her the power and me the best view in the house.
“Do you have to work today?”
I grabbed her hips to hurry her along. “You know that I do.”
My teeth gritted to the tightness surrounding me and I pulled her down for a kiss. I didn’t want to talk, but Bella had something on her mind. She was pouting, her bright red lips poked out. Did she sleep with makeup on?
Pushing her hands to my chest to brace herself, she slowed down and made me groan. It wasn’t enough to push me over and I think that was her purpose. I was starting to feel need boil up, but the way she was riding me was prolonging it. I was going to be late and didn’t have time for her antics. She knew exactly what it was that she was doing.
Rolling her underneath me, I thrust in a few times hard and fast, sending us both to the edge. I heard my name called out and it was the best start to the day.
I got up and told her that I would call her a cab.
“Why can’t I be here when you get back Rick? Do you have another girl planned for tonight?”
She shouldn’t ask questions that she doesn’t want answers to. “It’s not like that Bella. You know that I like my privacy. I will call you.”
I would too, but it would be a week or two from now. I had to give her time in between so she wouldn’t get clingy fast. While Bella knew she wasn’t the only one, she still wanted to be the only woman in my life. I tried to tell her that I wasn’t looking for a relationship, but like many women, she thought falsely that she could change my mind.