Terraformed Skies

by Anna Lewis

  He laughed again.

  “I’m not asking for sex, though I won’t turn you down if you want it. But it’s a long night, and I want to make sure that you’re taken care of while you look for a job.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s something special about you, Shawna, and I don’t want to see that light fade because of a bad work experience.”

  “Can I think about it?”

  “Of course, you can. Remember, you’re the one with the power here.”

  “But you have the money.”

  “Money is only powerful if you give it that power.”

  Shawna laughed sarcastically and shook her head.

  “You wouldn’t say that if you’d ever been poor.”

  “You’re right,” he said. “I’m horribly out of touch, but I admit to that shortcoming. Will you let me know by eleven in the morning?”

  “Sure,” she said, standing up.

  He handed her the check.

  “It’s been a pleasure, Shawna,” he said, shaking her hand and lingering for a moment longer.

  Shawna’s stomach was in knots again, but she smiled through it, leaving the office quickly without saying goodbye and clutching the check in her hand.

  She was all the way home after depositing the check when she realized that she didn’t know how to contact him in the morning.

  ***

  Shawna’s phone rang at exactly eleven the next morning, and she rolled over in bed, still exhausted after a long, sleepless night.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, Shawna. It’s Eric.”

  She sat straight up in bed, shocked to be hearing from him on her personal cell phone.

  “Hi, Eric,” she said quickly.

  “Have you decided?”

  “Um,” she said, then wanted to kick herself.

  “I still need some time to think,” she said.

  “You can take a few more minutes, and I’ll let the driver know that you need a moment.”

  “Driver?”

  “There’s a limo outside your apartment, waiting to take you shopping.”

  Shawna closed her eyes, then opened them slowly and walked to the window. She saw the limo right away and rolled her eyes. So much for him waiting to hear her choice.

  “You can still say no,” he said as if reading her thoughts.

  “No, I’ll do it.”

  “Are you sure, because you sound thrilled.”

  “I am thrilled. What could be more thrilling than dressing up and pretending to be someone I’m not around a bunch of Dallas’ elite.”

  “Are you going by a different name tonight?”

  “No.”

  “Then you’re not pretending to be anyone. You’re Shawna Jones, and I’m sure that even Shawna Jones likes to wear pretty dresses. Pick something green to match your eyes. The cut and length are up to you.”

  Before she could say anything back, the line went dead in her ear and she was left holding the cell phone, staring at it.

  He’d noticed the color of her eyes?

  Shawna got dressed quickly, running a brush through her hair and brushing her teeth and heading out the door at a run. She was starving, but that was going to have to wait.

  A man appeared out of the limo and opened her door, offering his hand to help her inside.

  “Are you hungry, Miss?” he asked.

  “Starving.”

  “Lunch is on Eric, so pick your place.”

  She thought about it for a moment, then settled on a quick lunch from Free Birds.

  “Good choice,” he said as if she’d chosen some posh joint downtown. “Burritos sound wonderful.”

  They pulled away from the curb and Shawna looked out the tinted window at the apartment building. As she expected, every curtain was drawn to the side and faces were watching out the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of who was in the limo through the tinted glass. If someone had actually seen her get in the limo, the entire building would know by suppertime.

  Great, she thought. Just great.

  ***

  “You look beautiful,” Eric said, squeezing her hand reassuringly from his seat beside her in the limo.

  “Thank you,” she said, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle from the front of the satin dress and smiling. “The stylist was a nice touch. I don’t think my hair has ever looked this good.”

  “I want you to feel confident,” he said. “If you feel good about yourself, it shows.”

  “I feel like a million bucks, so maybe I’ll fit in,” she teased.

  He laughed at her lame attempt at a joke, then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a six-inch square box and smiled.

  “I know that you won’t accept this as a gift, but you need some jewelry to wear, and you can give it back at the end of the night if you’re uncomfortable keeping it.”

  He opened the box and Shawna gasped.

  “What if I break them?”

  “I’m not worried about it,” he said. “Turn around.”

  She did as he asked and he slipped the delicate chain around her neck and fastened it. The diamond was heavy and cool against her skin. The chain was short, and the pendant hung halfway between her throat and her cleavage. Eric put a matching bracelet on her wrist when she turned back to face him, then he reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

  “I wish they’d left your hair down, but it’s alright this time. How do you feel? Are you ready?”

  “I’m not sure. What if they know I’m a fraud?”

  “Don’t be silly. You’re Shawna. Don’t try to be anything else.”

  “Are they going to know that I’m not your girlfriend? Is that going to look bad?”

  He shrugged.

  “I can’t imagine that I care what other people think of me,” he said lightly.

  “That sounds liberating.”

  “It’s wonderful,” he said. The limo stopped and the door opened beside Eric. “We’re here,” he said, stepping out and reaching for her hand. “Enjoy the night. There’s nothing more beautiful than a woman who’s having fun.”

  “I’ll try,” she said, smiling through the nerves in the pit of her stomach.

  “Trust me, you won’t have to try.”

  He smiled at her, leaning in and kissing her softly on the cheek just as the flash of a camera went off. She jumped, as much from his touch as from the photo, then smiled at him as he pulled away.

  “Let’s do this,” she said softly, her green eyes sparkling as she took his arm.

  “Yes,” he said warmly. “Let’s do this.”

  A pair of smartly dressed men in crisp, white tuxedos opened the double doors and Shawna gasped softly.

  “This is amazing,” she whispered.

  “Wait until you see the actual ballroom,” he teased.

  “This is so amazing.”

  He led her through the hall and out to a balcony that looked down on the ballroom below. Grabbing two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, he handed her one, then held his glass up in a toast.

  “To new beginnings and to finding your power,” he said, gently tapping his glass on hers.

  “To new beginnings,” she said, taking a sip and smiling at him over the glass.

  Their eyes locked, and she stared into his hazel eyes that were almost honey-colored and felt herself blushing. He was so handsome, and he had a presence about him that she couldn’t quite name. He was comfortable in his own skin, she decided, and she envied his confidence. Shawna would give anything to walk through the world knowing who she was the way he did. He was untouchable and unbothered by the pettiness of others. She had no doubt that he would have handled Richard Lange completely differently than she had, and she was starting to regret not being bolder when she’d been fired. After all, what had she had to lose?

  It’s the champagne talking, Shawna, she admonished herself. You’ll wake up tomorrow a few thousand dollars better off and you’ll still be the same old person.

&n
bsp; “What?” Eric said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

  “I’m sorry, I was just thinking.”

  “I can see that.”

  “Don’t laugh,” she said, laughing with him. “It was serious stuff.”

  “How serious?” he asked, and for a moment, she was sure that he was actually interested in an honest answer.

  Why does he care what someone like me thinks? Shawna wondered, but she shook it off and decided not to answer truthfully. She didn’t want him to realize that internally, she was a nervous mess. She was here to be arm candy and to help the time pass. He wasn’t paying her to worry about what she should have said to Richard Lange. It wasn’t like she could go back in time and fix that mess anyway.

  “I was wondering how a man as young as you was already a millionaire.”

  “Technically, I’m a billionaire,” he said, and Shawna almost choked on her drink.

  A billionaire? she thought.

  “But you’re only what, thirty-five?”

  He chuckled.

  “Do I look that old?” he teased.

  “Thirty-five isn’t old.”

  “It is when you’re thirty.” He winked at her and she felt her cheeks color again.

  Put down the champagne, she told herself, sure that wasn’t helping her at all.

  “Enough about me,” he said, setting his glass on the tray as a waiter made his way around the room and gently taking Shawna’s glass from her, too. “I want to know about you. Who is Shawna Jones, and how did you end up coming to work for Furst Industries.”

  “I don’t want to talk about that,” she said. “Let’s dance.”

  “You dance?” he said, eyebrow raised.

  “Doesn’t everyone?”

  He held his hand out with a tilted smile that tugged at Shawna’s heart. In another world, and another lifetime, she wouldn’t want this night to end. But this wasn’t her life, and reality was going to be a huge slap in the face come Monday morning. She knew it would be easier on her if she didn’t get too attached to Eric Furst. He was just her boss, and it was only for the night.

  He led her to the dance floor and she stepped into his arms as the band ended a moderate waltz and slid right into a slow dance that Shawna almost recognized but couldn’t name off the top of her head.

  “I’m not going to bite you,” he said, obviously bothered by the near foot of space Shawna was keeping between herself and Eric.

  She laughed nervously, but she let him pull her closer, resting her head on his shoulder and letting him lead her around the dance floor. Her stomach was in knots, her skin beneath his hands on fire. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and tried to imprint the moment on her memory. She didn’t want to forget this night.

  Or this man.

  ***

  The limo pulled up to her apartment building and she sighed inwardly before looking at Eric.

  “I had the most magical night,” she said. “Should I have the dress cleaned and send it to the office?”

  “This dress is yours. I thought I made that clear.”

  “I can’t accept this,” she said, panicking a little at the thought that he might mean the dress to be her payment.

  Did it cost five grand? She didn’t know because there hadn’t been prices on the tags and the dress had been charged to Eric’s account. She had no idea how much the dress was worth and—

  Eric handed her an envelope and when she looked at the address window, she could tell it was a payroll check.

  “I figured you would want it this way, but I can rip this up and give you cash if you want,” he said.

  “A check is good,” she said, the relief washing over her.

  “I had a wonderful time tonight.”

  “I did, too,” she said, and she meant it.

  “Thank you for going with me. You made an intolerable bore of a night go much too quickly. And you’re a much better dancer than you give yourself credit for.”

  “I’ll remember that when my feet are killing me tomorrow,” she said wryly.

  “I like your humor.”

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  “Thanks,” she said, putting her hand on the door handle.

  “Let the driver get the door. May I walk you to your door?”

  Shawna thought about it for an instant, but she already knew her answer.

  She shook her head.

  “People are already going to talk enough seeing a limo in front of my building twice today. If you walk with me to the door, it’s only going to get more people talking about what I could possibly be doing.”

  “Why not just tell them?”

  Shawna laughed.

  “It’s different when you’re one of the normal people. You’re a billionaire; if you do or say something eccentric, no one questions you. But I’m just plain Shawna; the girl who can’t hold a simple job in a secretary pool. I’m not extraordinary.”

  “You are if you choose to be,” he said.

  He reached out and touched her hand, raising it to his lips and kissing her knuckles gently.

  “I had an amazing time tonight, Shawna. I won’t walk you to your door because you don’t want me to. But I want you to know that you are extraordinary and powerful beyond your understanding. I hope to show you that power someday.”

  Shawna stared at him for a long moment, lost in the magic of his lips on her skin. Then the driver gently pulled the door open and the moment was lost.

  “Thank you,” she said, clutching the envelope in her hand and taking the hand that the driver offered.

  “Anytime, Shawna Jones,” Eric said with a soft smile on his face, then he sat back and settled into the seat as the driver shut the door.

  The driver held his arm out but Shawna waved him off.

  “I can walk myself up,” she said.

  “We’ll wait until you get into the lobby,” the driver said.

  Shawna didn’t bother to argue. These men were Texas gentlemen, born and bred. They didn’t have it in them to let her out in the dark street at such a late hour without making sure that she got home safe. She couldn’t fault them for that; she didn’t live in the best neighborhood, though it was a step up from where she grew up.

  “Thank you,” she said, then she turned and walked on sore feet that were strapped in delicate heels with stones that glimmered when they caught the light.

  She went through the lobby door and bypassed the stairs, heading straight for the elevator that she rarely used. Her legs were exhausted and she didn’t know if her feet could take one more minute in these shoes.

  Letting herself into the apartment, she locked the door behind herself and dropped the keys into the bowl on the entryway table. She walked to the window and smiled. The limo was still sitting by the curb. She pulled the curtain to the side and waved. The rear window of the limo lowered and Eric’s hand slipped out and he waved back as the limo pulled away.

  Shawna’s heart fluttered in her chest, but she just shook her head.

  “Don’t be a fool, Shawna,” she admonished herself aloud. “He’s way out of your league and he’s not into you like that.”

  Shawna sat down on her chocolate colored suede couch and opened the envelope carefully. She slid the check out and a small square of paper fell out onto the floor. She ignored it for the moment, taking a pen off the coffee table and endorsing the check with the words “for deposit only”, then taking out her cell phone. She logged onto her banking app and took a picture of each side of the check, then accepted the deposit.

  Watching the icons on the top of her cell phone screen, she held her breath until the email icon popped up and the automated system told her that her deposit had been accepted. The air came out of her in a huge sigh of relief. That was over seven thousand that she had deposited in two days. It wasn’t much when she didn’t have another job lined up, but if she could get a job in the next week, she would have a nice little chunk of money left to fall back on.

  She leaned down to unbuckle her stra
ppy heels, and only then did she remember the small paper with the note on it.

  She picked it up and turned it over, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply when she read the words. How could she have forgotten?

  The jewelry is yours to keep, the note said simply.

  She stood and looked in the mirror, the diamonds shining in the dim light of her living room. She couldn’t accept these gifts, but she didn’t have much of a choice. He’d let her forget intentionally and obviously planned it from the start. She either kept the jewelry or she went to his office Monday and tried to give it back. There was no way she was doing that. Eric Furst was gorgeous, rich and available. She knew if she went to see him again so soon, she’d be playing with fire.

  There was no way Shawna would risk getting burned.

  ***

  Shawna walked into her apartment and let herself fall backward onto the sofa. It was Thursday already, and she was still without a job. She was starting to get worried, even though she had plenty of money saved up and her bills were all caught up. Getting set up in a higher paying job was always a long process, with multiple interviews, competency exams and waiting while the company ran several other candidates through the same hoops. It could take upwards of three weeks to get offered a job, and then another week or two to start if someone was leaving the position she would be taking. Adjusting to be on the safe side put her starting a job in six weeks. She needed gainful employment within the next eight weeks, or she was going to be dangerously close to running out of money.

  “If you can’t get the first interview, there’s no way you’re going to get a job by eight weeks,” she said aloud, her voice filled with tension.

  She was six days in and nothing. No one was hiring, and those that were turned cold when she answered their questions about her more recent employment. Lying was tempting, but Shawna knew that they would find out the truth eventually, and it was better to go in honestly. Still, it was making getting a job in her field almost impossible and she didn’t know what else to do.

  She couldn’t go back to working in the food industry. Standing up, she began to pace the floor in her bare feet, trying to focus on slowing her breathing, but nothing was working. Nothing was going right and she was running out of viable options.