by Wylder, Tia
He sighed and scooped up the final two boxes effortlessly. Turning to look at her, he clicked his tongue, “Lead the way.”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that.” He ignored her and walked into the house. Setting down the boxes in the kitchen, he shook his head at her and walked away without another word. Elizabeth called out to him, dumbfounded, “Thanks?”
She walked to the kitchen sink to splash some water on her face. Her reflection in the chrome of the faucet was blotchy and drenched in sweat. Mascara dripped down from the corner of her eye. She groaned. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn’t she have been inside when he came home? Elizabeth cooled her wrists in the stream of water from the faucet and tried to forget the encounter. Turning her head, she saw the alarm system. If she had it, she might as well use it. Besides, with creeps like that mover around, she would feel safer with it on.
“Where is that…” Her voice trailed off as she looked for the piece of paper that Greta had left for her. “Oh, no.” She rushed over to the sink. The note was soaked. She must have gotten it wet when she was trying to cool down. The ink had bled into undistinguishable smudges. Pouting, she tried to pick it up. The paper disintegrated as she tried to move it. Crap.
Elizabeth scowled at the smudges. Maybe she could just do it from memory? She placed herself in front of the number pad and squinted, trying to remember the combination. There was a five, wasn’t there? She was pretty sure there was a five. Her finger hovered above the buttons. Taking a deep breath, she punched in 5513. “What was next? Arm?” She punched in the last button and the system chimed. A light on the side turned red. Was that it? She shrugged and dusted pretend dirt off her shoulder. That wasn’t so hard.
After an unsatisfying dinner of knock-off ramen noodles, she scrounged through her boxes looking for something to sleep in and a set of clothes for work tomorrow. “Oh, no.” Her fingers closed on a silky red dress that had gotten wrinkled in the move. Pouting her lips, she held it up for inspection. It was far too wrinkled to wear as it was. An idea popped into her head. Grabbing some old sweats and a stained sleeping shirt, she flounced into the bathroom. It was a trick her mom had taught her.
She closed the bathroom door and let the steam from her shower ease into the fabric of her dress. The warm, humid air relaxed the wrinkles. Elizabeth breathed in the steam. After a long day, it was nice to wash all her cares away. Her muscles ached from carrying everything in from the yard. Curbside service. What a joke. She rolled her eyes and laughed. It would certainly make a good story someday.
Smiling, her mind drifted back to Derrick—no, that felt too familiar. Mr. Page. He was certainly something, that was sure. She just hadn’t made up her mind yet on what exactly that something was. Did he live alone over there? It seemed like such a large home for one man.
She turned off the water as the heat dwindled, leaving behind only cold and frigid water. Drying herself off, she slipped into her pajamas. They weren’t flattering, but they were comfortable as heck. After the day she had, she would take all the comfort she could get. Bedtime couldn’t come soon enough. Luckily, the boxes with her bedding were clearly labeled. She busted them open and cobbled together a pallet in the floor from blankets and pillows. Elizabeth stood back to admire her handiwork. Not bad, considering what she had to work with.
Her knees sank into the pallet of blankets she had made. Elizabeth snuggled into her pillows. It was a little rough on her back, but she could deal with it for one night. All she had to do was sleep and then get ready for work tomorrow. Suddenly, her eyes flew open. Her schedule. She left it in the car. She had no idea what time she was supposed to be there tomorrow.
Scurrying out of her blankets, she turned the door knob and pulled it open. Immediately loud music filled the house. The alarm! She screamed in surprise. The sprinklers in the yard spat and sputtered to the beat of the music. Panic flooded her mind. How was she supposed to turn it off?! She couldn’t think. Her terrified fingers scrambled to punch in a code. The system didn’t respond. Shoot. She tried another combination. Still nothing.
“Oh, come on, you stupid thing!” Elizabeth stomped her foot.
“What is going on?!” Derrick ran through the door that she had left open. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of sweatpants. An intricate tattoo swirled down his left bicep. His curly hair dripped in ringlets from where he had run through the sprinklers to get inside. His eyes landed on her hopping up and down in front of the keypad. It was clear that she had no idea what she was doing. “Move!” He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and steered her away from the pad. All she could do was gape at him. His fingers expertly trailed along the keys. The house went silent. He glared at her and stomped out of the house and back across the sodden grass to his own house.
Elizabeth jumped when she heard his door slam. She hung her head. How could she have forgotten about the alarm? She wasn’t used it this yet. Sheepishly, she poked her head outside. Other neighbors were peering out of their windows in her direction. She walked to her car and grabbed her schedule. Catching the eye of the neighbor woman across the street, she waved. The woman disappeared quickly behind her curtain. “Great.” Squishing her way back to the house, Elizabeth holed up inside and cast her eyes down at her feet. Her clothes! She stomped her feet, embarrassed. Why did he have to see her like this?! She just needed to go to sleep. This day needed to end. She set her alarm and plopped back down on her pallet. Tomorrow had to be better, right?
Chapter 2: More Trouble than She’s Worth
Derrick slammed the door behind him. He was starting to regret hiring his new intern. She seemed flighty and ditzy. Even so, he couldn’t keep a scowl on his face. She had looked so clueless in front of the alarm system. Cute, but clueless. He wiped a hand over his hair to brush his curls back. He watched out the window as his new neighbor tiptoed out to her car to get something. He fought back a snicker.
When he saw the ‘SOLD’ sign go up next door, he had wondered what type of person would be moving in. When he saw it was a young woman, he thought he might be able to have a little fun. It was a shame it was her. He didn’t date employees. Besides, that girl would be more trouble than she’s worth. She was probably the type who fell in love easily. He would have to be careful with her. He wasn’t the relationship type, and even if he was, he needed a woman who could handle herself. A picture of a young boy gazed up at him from a picture frame. He had enough responsibility without adding in a relationship. It wasn’t worth it.
“Is everything ok?” A female voice called from down the hall.
Derrick put his hand against the picture frame and laid it down to hide the picture. “Everything’s fine.” He walked slowly down the hall and leaned against the doorframe. He angled his shoulders to make himself more alluring. A blonde wearing only his sheet was waiting for him in his bed. “Where were we?”
It was only a game to him. Thanks to his looks and fortune, he had his choice of women. He had started this meaningless stream of conquests to fill a hole inside of him. If he was being honest with himself it was to prove that he was desirable, that he could get any woman he wanted. There were no feelings attached aside from satisfaction, and even that had lost some of its shine over the years. He was just going through the motions at this point. Maybe it was an addiction of some sort. Sometimes he wondered if he could stop. It was engrained in him now, the pursuit, the conquest. It came as easily as breathing.
The next morning, she would be gone. Either she would understand that this was a one night thing, or he would ignore her calls. Either way, it would be over. Then the cycle would start over again with someone new. That’s how he liked it. No strings. He didn’t even keep up with their names anymore. He didn’t see the point to it.
“You seem tense.”
“Do I?” He smirked at the woman in his bed.
“Are you sure everything is okay? We could just talk, if you want to.”
He let out a harsh laugh. “I didn’t have you come over to talk.”
“I just meant—”
“Besides,” he pulled her closer to him, “I would rather let our bodies do the talking.”
Chapter 3: The Life of an Intern
A blaring sound woke Elizabeth from her restless sleep. Her eyes were wide as she tried to figure out where it was coming from. Her heart pounded. Finally, her fingers closed around her phone. “Shh!” She hissed at it and turned off the alarm. “Ugh, my head. My back.”
Groaning, she stood up and stretched. A sudden happiness overcame her. Today was her first day! Renewed by the thought of being one step closer to her dream job, she hurried to the bathroom to get ready. The red dress slipped over her arms, and—after a bit of tugging—it hugged her curves. “Hello, beautiful!” She admired herself in the mirror.
Quickly tossing on some makeup, she shimmied into her heels and headed for her car. “Oh, what is this now?” A flyer was tucked under her windshield wiper. Written on thick paper with a fancy letterhead was a letter from the homeowners’ association. Elizabeth mumbled the contents under her breath, “Welcome to the neighborhood! To keep our neighborhood happy, healthy, and beautiful, we would like to remind you that any vehicles over three years old should be kept in a garage or under a previously approved cover when not in use. We would also like to clarify that quiet hours are from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Please refrain from excessive noise during these hours. Welcomingly, your local HOA.” Scowling, she crumpled up the paper. “‘Welcomingly,’ my butt.” When did they even have time to type that up, let alone shove in under her windshield wiper?
Determined not to let the letter ruin her first day of work, she waited for the clock to hit 6:01 before she cranked up her music and rolled her windows down. Take that, HOA. Technically, she wasn’t breaking the rules. From the corner of her eye, she saw the same woman who had watched her out of her window last night peek through the blinds. Elizabeth blew her a kiss and waved as she drove away.
The parking lot outside of Page Industries was surprisingly full for as early as it was. After she found an open spot, she sashayed up the steps and opened the doors of her new work. “Breathe that in. Do you smell that? That is the promise of success.” She muttered to herself as she took it all in.
“I always thought success smelled more like champagne.” A deep voice behind her made her jump.
“Mr. Page!”
“Good morning, Lizzie.” He checked his watch as if he were bored.
“Elizabeth.”
“Don’t you have a staff meeting to go to?”
Her face paled, “I do?” It hadn’t been on her schedule.
Derrick sighed, “Miranda, can you escort Lizzie to Auditorium A, please?” He gestured a woman walking briskly down the hall.
Elizabeth recognized her as the woman who had given him papers yesterday after her interview. Miranda looked at her kindly, “Certainly! Follow me.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know there was a meeting. It wasn’t on my schedule. This is my first day, so I don’t even know where anything is yet.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Miranda lowered her voice as if she were about to share a secret, “Adeline can be a bit vindictive at times. She probably left it off on purpose.”
“Why?” Elizabeth was shocked someone would do such a thing here.
Miranda shrugged, “She likes Mr. Page to think she’s the only one around here worth anything. I guarantee you that she put a corrected copy of the schedule she gave you in your file.”
“Seriously?!” She glanced over her shoulder to where Adeline was perched at the front desk.
“Yeah, she’s not one to mess with. Don’t worry, I’ll look out for you. Your name is Lizzie? Is that right?”
“Elizabeth. I don’t know why he keeps insisting on calling me that.”
Miranda laughed, “He likes to tease people. Here we are. Pick a seat.” She held open a door to a large room with a smartboard set up. The seating was in tiers like in a theater. Miranda followed as she chose a seat.
“Oh, are you staying, too?”
“Yes, just about everyone will be here.”
Elizabeth felt a wave of relief wash over her. She was glad Miranda was staying. At least she had found one nice person so far. The auditorium was atwitter with individual conversations. There were about one hundred people seated here and there. A side door opened, and the room fell silent. Derrick Page walked to the center of the floor. He was in a well-tailored suit. Elizabeth couldn’t help but remember the way he looked last night. Each muscle was defined in her memory. The dark ink of his tattoo stood out against his lightly tanned skin. The water weighed down his hair until in hung in front of his steely blue eyes. A dreamy smile crept across her lips.
“Miss Adams,” hearing her name quickly brought her out of her reverie, “I know that it can be hard to stay awake, but please try. I had a challenging time sleeping last night. My neighbor’s alarm system went off in the middle of the night, and this morning she blared her music as she was leaving for work.” He watched as her eyes grew to the size of saucers. A smirk twitched at the edge of his lips.
“That’s horrible.” Miranda whispered under her breath to Elizabeth. “Some people just don’t have any respect for others.”
“Maybe it was a mistake.” She tried to defend herself without giving herself away.
Miranda smiled earnestly and shook her new coworker’s knee, “You’ve got a good heart. I can already tell.” Elizabeth beamed at her, and they both turned their attention back to their boss.
“Hartman and Craft are opening another hotel chain here in our city.” Derrick’s voice boomed across the hall. “That means I need each one of you to be at your best. If you can do something extra to make someone’s day better, do it. If you can smile, grab a bagel, hold a door for someone, do it. This is not the time for us to be slacking. A new hotel means they will have the appeal of novelty. Our job is to remind our guests that we have been there to provide superior service in the past, and after they get back from their tryst with our competition, we will be here to welcome them back to true luxury.” He paused to let his words settle over them. “Ladies and gentlemen, the fate of our company lies in the effort we put forth today and every day after. Thank you for your time, your service, and your commitment to our shared dream. There will be a fully stocked breakfast outside of the atrium when you leave. Eat a good breakfast, and get ready to conquer.” As he left the room, the seats erupted in applause.
“Wow,” Elizabeth stared after him.
“He’s good, right?!” Miranda clapped as hard as she could.
“Is there always a fully stocked breakfast?”
Miranda laughed, “Only when he’s cheerful or trying to motivate us. It’s like lead by example, you know? What boss would he be if he told us to do something extra for people, and then he didn’t do it himself?”
Elizabeth smiled. It was nice of him to go out of his way for his employees. For her, it made him seem more human. So far, he was hard for her to figure out. What man ran a huge company, carried in a stranger’s boxes, knew how to turn off alarm systems, and bought enough breakfast for about a hundred people? There had to be a catch. He seemed too good to be true.
“So, where are you headed to next?”
Pulling out her schedule, Elizabeth ran her finger down the list and times, “Well, going off of this I’m supposed to meet with someone named Joanna, but lovely Adeline seems to have forgotten to tell me where. Awesome.”
“Lizzie,” Derrick motioned for her to approach him.
“Ugh, why can’t he just use my name?!” She hissed at Miranda, but quickly made her way over to her boss. “Yes, sir?”
“My personal assistant called in sick today, so she couldn’t bring my special coffee to me. I thought since you’re the reason I didn’t get much sleep last night, you could go grab it for me.” He lowered his voice so only she could hear him, and it made a tingle race across her skin.
“I’m really sorry about that. Yes, of
course. I’ll go get you some coffee.” She turned to grab a coffee cup from the breakfast spread he had provided.
“Lizzie?”
“Elizabeth.” She corrected him, but turned to see why he had stopped her.
He held out a business card for a local coffee shop between his fingers, “I get my coffee from here. Just tell them it’s for me. They know my order.”
She took the card from him being careful not to touch his hand. “Will do! Oh, I’m supposed to meet someone called Joanna to go over some first day training.”
“I’ll let her know that I’ve requisitioned you for now.” He flashed her a smirk and raised an eyebrow before turning and walking away.
“Looks like I’m going on a coffee run.” She glanced down at the card he had given her. The Undergrounds. She had seen it around, but she had never actually gone in. Today was going to be a first.
Traffic on her way to the coffee shop wasn’t too bad. A tiny bell tinkled as she walked in. Mahogany brown columns were wrapped with twinkling golden lights. There were a few tables seated with a range of people from businessmen to barely awake college girls. Elizabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The Undergrounds smelled liked roasted coffee beans and nutmeg. If she hadn’t known any better, she would have thought she had just stepped into heaven.
She stepped up to the counter, and a barista greeted her with a smile, “Good morning! What can I get for you?”
“Actually, I’m here to get Derrick Page’s usual.”
“No problem. Can I get a large caramel macchiato, extra expresso, extra caramel, topped with whip?” She gestured for Elizabeth to step to the side. “I’ll get it out to you as soon as it’s ready.”
“Thanks.”
“So, we are opening next week. I want lavish ceremonies, open bar, the works. I need you to make Page look like the joke he is.” A dirty blonde man in a suit crossed one of his ankles over his knee. Elizabeth tried not to listen, but the name Page caught her attention.