by M. E. Gordon
Walking into the lobby of the building through the revolving doors, I was still proud to know that my brothers had accomplished so much in such a short time.
“Hey, Danielle. How’s it going?” I asked, nodding over at the long-haired model-looking receptionist.
“Hump day!” she said, smiling back. “Oh hey, can you give Chuck a message for me? I’ve been trying to catch him, but we keep missing each other.”
I rolled my eyes, disgusted that she was interested in Charles. “Really, Danielle? Charles? You are so much better than that.”
“Oh, come on, he’s your brother. He can’t be that bad. Can he?” she asked, leaning over the desk and watching as I entered the elevator.
“You should know by now,” I yelled out the elevator as the doors closed.
Hitting the number seven on the panel, I leaned against the back wall as the elevator began ascending up to my brothers’ floor. Two other business men took the ride up with me. Smiling to myself about how crazy women acted when my brothers were involved, I let out a little chuckle. Both men turned to stare at me--another classically, embarrassing moment.
The numbers highlighted as the elevator kept making its way up, stopping at the third floor. One of the men exited. Hearing my phone buzz, I dived into my black hole of a purse in search of it. The other rider got off next and I continued ascending to the seventh floor. I was left alone in the elevator and finally found my phone at the bottom of the black hole. I leaned back against the wall again. It was Simon who had called. I made a mental note then to call him back as soon as my meeting with my brothers was over.
Just as the elevator came to a stop, I could feel a charge of anticipation and excitement coursing through my veins. I usually got excited to hear from Simon, but this was a new sensation all together.
The doors opened and, as I looked up from my phone, I was confronted by a man in a stunning three-piece midnight blue suit. The man stood there staring at me from the opposite side of the elevator doors.
My heart fell from my chest into the pit of my stomach with a thud that echoed in my ears. My phone slipped from my hand when I realized who it was that had just made my heart thump into my abdomen. Spencer Salvatore’s blue eyes were locked tight on mine. Coming out of my momentary paralysis, I dropped to my knees to retrieve my phone and, of course, my bag fell off my arm. All of its contents spilled over the floor. Perfect!
“Oh my God.” I said aloud. What is it about this man that makes me so, on edge?
“Here, let me help you,” he said, stepping onto the elevator with me.
Fear gripped me as he knelt down to help pick up all my scattered belongings. I am so cleaning this purse out when I get home. Honest. Only I would have candy wrappers and an empty box of Gas-X fall out of my purse in front of the most gorgeous creature alive. I snatched up the incriminating evidence before he even had a chance to see it. Or at least I hoped he hadn’t seen it. Nothing turned a man off more than a girl with gas. I can only imagine how red my face is right now.
When we stood back up, he held a lip gloss and a pen that he’d managed to grab before I could. Thank God, it wasn’t a tampon.
“Here,” he said, holding them out for me to take.
Ugh, he even sounds hot. This is not my day. As I took the objects from him, our fingers grazed against each other’s. The charge was instantaneous. I glanced into his blue eyes and felt dizzy. He ran his hand through his thick, black hair that had fallen perfectly onto his face while he was helping me. My heart again thumped loudly in my ear. Sexiest man alive. I totally get it now. Maybe he doesn’t have a trail of ex-girlfriends because they are all dead from having heart attacks. It’s a theory I’m seriously willing to consider.
With my chest rising and falling faster the longer I stared at him, I felt the elevator begin to descend. When the hell did the doors close? The sudden movement jarred me to look down and see that our hands were still touching.
“Thank you,” I said, moving my hand from his.
I tossed the lip gloss and pen back into my purse, not caring which pocket they fell into at all. Okay, breathe. What do I do now? What do I say? This Greek God of a man leaves me strange notes and flowers and then disappears for three weeks. How do you start that conversation? “Hey, asshole, what’s with the notes? Or maybe are you playing a sick joke by getting my hopes up that you have any kind of interest in me?”
The silence in the elevator was chilling, but the tension was searing. Standing next to him in the tight confines of that small space, I could feel my skin tingling. I knew he had to feel something too. There was no way that I was imagining all of this.
“Sorry you missed your stop.” His deep voice broke the heavy silence, and my knees nearly gave out.
“Oh, it’s okay. I can just take the ride back up again.” I needed the ride back up, to calm myself down.
“I was just meeting with your brothers. We decided to open on New Year’s Eve,” he said, very businesslike.
Peeking up at him, I knew my face was screaming confusion. How the hell could he just start talking to me as if nothing weird had happened in the last month and a half? I guess if he’s going to act like nothing is strange, then I will, too.
“That’s great. I’ll have to let my boyfriend know to save the date.”
Oh shit! I didn’t mean that. Damn it, I need to start thinking before I speak. I took a chance and glanced over at him. The sexy little smirk he had on earlier was gone, replaced by a hard thin line while his hands went into his pockets.
Gran’s advice rang in my ears, something about having fun and getting to know both guys. I shouldn’t want to get to know Spencer. I was happy with Simon--I thought. Damn, he looks really upset. Curse me and my sardonic mouth. If I ever wanted a chance to get to know him, I needed to bring him back from the edge of annoyance before the elevator came to a stop. “Did my brothers tell you about the charity event that we host?” I raised my eyes to gage his reaction. Thank God, the tension is fading away. At least he’s not scowling at me anymore.
“No, they didn’t mention it. We usually just keep to business during meetings.”
Leaning back against the cage of tension we were stuck in, he crossed his arms over his solid chest. I swallowed the dry lump in my throat and attempted to shake the image of him rushing across the distance and crushing his lips to mine.
God, I need to get laid. “My brothers and I host a charity event. It’s a costume thing since it’s around Halloween,” I said, still trying to shake that earlier image.
The doors to the elevator opened and we both turned, not expecting the ride to be over yet. “This is my stop, good luck with the event,” he said, stepping out of the elevator and turning back toward me. His eyes roamed over me from head to toe.
Holy fuck! He just eye fucked me!
Rubbing the stubble under his chin, he turned and headed toward the exit. Okay, I didn’t just imagine that because Danielle is staring at us with her jaw practically on the floor. There was no way I was letting him walk away after that little stunt. Taking a quick step out of the elevator, I stopped the automatic doors from closing. Standing half in and half out of the elevator, I yelled across the lobby. “Come to the charity event, for me?”
The tall, six-foot, god-only-knows-how-many-inches of pure, sexy male eye candy stopped in his tracks and turned back toward me. His blue eyes fixed on mine, and I was all sorts of messed up.
“Please,” I pleaded, when he didn’t answer.
I can’t believe I’m begging. What am I saying? Yes, I can. Anyone in their right mind would beg to those blue eyes. I dragged my suddenly heavy leg back into the elevator. Come on, doors, any time now. Why are these freaking doors not closing? Any other time they close too fast, but not today when I want them to. I hesitantly looked up, expecting to see the empty lobby. But as my eyes rose up from the floor, they latched onto Spencer, now only standing a few steps away. Any time now, doors.
Finally, they began to close, but
the last thing I saw was that megawatt smile, and I knew that I hadn’t been imagining anything.
Slumping back against the wall, I stood there in a shocked awe. My hands went to my mouth as I covered the stupid grin that was actually hurting my face. It only took twenty-three years but I was as giddy as a twelve-year-old.
I finally reached the seventh floor again. Walking past the reception area, I nodded over at Adam, a friend of my brothers from college.
“Hey, Miss Monroe, did you see that Salvatore God?” he asked, fanning himself.
“Yeah, I did,” I said, trying to stifle the effects of my intense elevator ride.
Adam was a gossip queen and I didn’t need my brothers knowing I had a thing for their business partner.
“Oh, the things I would like to do to that man! You know, I heard a rumor he swings my way.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. There was no doubt in my mind that Spencer was not hitting for Adam’s team.
“I guess anything is possible,” I said, laughing and walking past him as I headed back to Teddy’s office.
On my way, I stopped by Charles’s office. He was sitting at his desk with his feet propped up as he talked on the phone. I can’t not take advantage--
I banged loudly on his door with my fists, adding some extra oomph with both feet. Charles jumped so hard that he fell off his chair. For my own safety, I booked it down to Teddy’s office and hastily closed the door behind me.
Crouching over, I held my stomach tightly as tears ran down my cheeks from laughing so hard. Teddy was sitting at his desk, going through the mounds of papers in front of him.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked, freezing, the papers still in his hands.
“Elizabeth!”
We both turned toward the door to hear Charles storming down the hall. I ran behind Teddy’s chair for safety. The door swung open. Charles was on a mission--to kill me. We ended up running around Teddy’s desk like a cat and mouse.
“You’re going to get it, you little twerp. Come here, baby girl,” he sang devilishly.
“I’m not a baby. Stop saying that, jerk,” I yelled back.
“Oh no, not that, anything but ‘jerk.’ You know it’s my kryptonite,” he said, standing still and clutching at his heart, while falling to his knees.
“You two need to grow up!”
Charles and I looked at each other before throwing our heads back in laughter.
“Lighten up, Teddy,” Charles said, sitting in one of the two large leather chairs in front of his desk.
“We were just messing around,” I said.
“Well, do it somewhere else, not in my office. Some people have to work.”
Shit, now I feel bad. I knew Teddy worked hard and I felt bad that he couldn’t put work down to have a good time, even for a minute. I backed off and got to the point of why I was there.
“I wanted to talk to you about the charity event,” I said, sitting in the other leather chair.
“I have everything done, invitations have already been sent out. It looks like it’s going to be nice turn out this year,” Teddy said matter-of-factly, all business.
“Oh? Do you think you can send out one more invitation?” I asked.
“I just need the name and address,” Teddy said, his face still in all his papers.
“I--umm--I have a name, but I don’t know the address. It’s for Spencer Salvatore.”
Teddy jerked his face up to me with a look that could kill. “Why the hell would I send him one?” he asked, almost crumpling the papers in his hand.
“I kind of invited him. I ran into him on the elevator and brought it up. I thought you guys would have already invited him since he’s your business partner and all.” What is Teddy’s’ deal with him? I swear, I see steam coming out of his ears.
“Well, we didn’t invite him and I don’t think he should come.”
I turned to Charles for help on this one. “Come on, Teddy, it’s charity,” he said. “He’s got a lot of money. May as well take advantage and let him put it to good use to help the kids out. What’s it going to hurt, anyway?”
At least Charles is good for something.
“Fine, but if I see anything out of the ordinary, he’s gone. I’m not going to ruin what the three of us have worked so hard on because you feel bad about not inviting him.” Teddy pointed to me and his eyes showed just how serious he was about kicking Spencer out.
Thank God that’s over. Talk about overreacting. “Anyway, on to more important things,” I said. “What are we going to dress up as?” After shooting down blue body paint for Avatar people and unattractive, angry bird costumes, I finally couldn’t hold my tongue any longer. “You two suck at picking out costumes. Must I do everything around here?” I said, shaking my head.
“Pray tell, Queen Elizabeth. What do you want to wear this year?” Charles asked, looking over at me from his chair.
“Ha, very funny, Charles. I was actually thinking about a Mad Men theme.” I waited as the idea slowly sunk in before I elaborated.
“Mad Men, huh? I like it. We can get some vintage suits. Nice idea, Beth,” Teddy said.
“Thank you!” I took the small victory because there was no way I was going to strut around a party in blue body paint.
“Since that’s settled, get the hell out of my office,” Teddy demanded.
Charles got up to leave first, pointing over at me with two fingers once he got to the door. “You better watch it, baby girl. I got my eyes on you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I love you too, Chuck.”
Once the door closed behind him, I stood from my chair and approached Teddy’s desk. Call me nosy or intrusive, but I have to know why he is so against me having anything to do with Spencer. He did agree to be his business partner, after all. It must be bad. Maybe he hates kids or is involved in an underground kinky, sex ring--head out of the gutter, Beth.
“What, Beth?” Teddy asked, looking up at me as I quickly pulled my mind out of the underground sex ring.
“I--I was--umm. What’s your deal with Spencer?”
His full attention was on me the second he heard my question. “You’re my little sister. I feel the need to protect you. It’s what I do, what I’ve always done. I just think you should stay away from him, that’s all.” Teddy’s posture and the command in his voice screamed father figure.
I still don’t get it. “But why should I stay away from him? What did he do that was so horrible or unworthy of your respect for him as a person rather than just another business partner?” My need to know any and everything about Spencer was starting to become a nasty little habit.
“Beth, drop it. I said he could come to the charity event.”
Hearing the anger rise in my brother’s voice, I decided to let it go--for now. “Okay.” I sighed. “I guess I’ll see you on the plane. We’re leaving Saturday, right?”
“Yes, everything has been booked. I’m going to have a car pick Gran up.”
Walking around my brother’s desk, I leaned over and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Teddy.”
“Bye, Beth. Please stay out of trouble, no pictures on Fame. We don’t need any more stress for the week.”
“You trying to tell me I’m a trouble maker? Have you met our brother Charles? I’ll be an angel, promise,” I said with a grin.
***
Thank God, Wednesday was my light day, only one class, which I sat through thinking about Spencer and his gorgeous hair falling over those brilliant, blue eyes. That man does something spectacular to a three piece suit.
Knowing full well there was nothing to eat at home, I decided to take my chances in the cafeteria. Hours later, I was through eating and my research for my impending paper was practically done. Needing a break from ancient China, I went to my home page to catch up on the latest news. Scrolling down, my eye was automatically drawn to a small picture of Spencer with the word “Caught” under it.
Clicking on the picture took me to Fame’s we
b page. There, in black and white, was a picture of Spencer and a beautiful woman holding his arm. I think I’m going into cardiac arrest. My first instinct was to slam the computer shut, but I liked to cause myself unnecessary heartache. I tried to look away, but instantly started to size myself up to this chick. You know what makes this even better? That fact that she’s a fucking Barbie doll! Tall, thin, and blonde. Now I knew I was just imagining everything between us. Us? Like there ever was an “us” to begin with. Nope, it was just a man taking advantage of a woman who became mush when spoken to. I am officially delusional.
The rock-star Barbie was wrapped so tightly around Spencer’s arm, his face looked like he was in pain. At least he wasn’t passionately looking into her eyes. Maybe he was pulling a Chuck? Why am I trying to convince myself otherwise? This was the same man that a month ago was never even photographed with a woman. Now, he has one hanging on him like a freaking scarf! I pulled my ear buds out and closed up my computer, throwing everything into my bag. I needed to get home before I broke down in public over a man who was never mine to begin with. Jealousy is such a bitch.
It was dark by the time I made it home. “Hey, Derrick. You’re here late tonight?” I asked stopping in front of the desk.
“Getting some overtime, the new guy is running late,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders.
“Sorry, hopefully he will be here soon.” My feeble attempt to sound encouraging was dismal.
“Oh, Elizabeth, before you go, up a package was dropped off earlier for you.” Bending below the counter, he reappeared with a very small child size shoe box looking package.
The box was wrapped in brown shipping paper, I recognized the handwriting instantly. Salvatore. I took the box from Derrick’s hand cautiously, like it might explode if handled the wrong way.
“Are you okay?” Derrick asked, looking over at me curiously.