I tried not to look at the price tags. A single shirt cost a month’s salary and some of the dresses made me feel woozy thinking about how many times I could pay rent with a single garment.
Rachel made sure I had everything I could possibly need. We spent the next three days perfecting my look, getting measured for custom clothing, and picking up more clothes than would fit in my closet at home. I even got real French lingerie.
The only thing I insisted on was keeping my current pajamas. Rachel tried her best to convince me that a new pair of embroidered satin pajamas would be far preferable to my very comfy scrub pants and t-shirt.
“But I like my current pajamas! I don’t want new ones. Besides, anyone who sees me in my pajamas shouldn’t be worrying about whether or not I look like I belong with a billionaire,” I told her.
“What about Mr. Saunders?” She asked, raising her eyebrows and clearly expecting me to relent.
“Who says I will be wearing pajamas with Mr. Saunders?”
She let me keep my scrub pants and t-shirt.
I stepped out into the cold, March, New York air and took a deep breath. It smelled different here, the scents of cars, food, and cement all different than the city smells from Des Moines. I still couldn’t get over how big the city was and I had a feeling I never would. I pulled up the collar of my new jacket against the wind and headed towards the waiting car.
Dean smiled and opened the door for me as I stepped into the warm car. He ran around to the passenger seat and slid inside, moving stealthily like a hunting cat. As soon as his door shut, the driver pulled out onto the busy street and merged with a sea of yellow cabs.
“Off to visit Mr. Saunders today?” Dean asked, turning in his seat to look at me. I could feel the blush creeping onto my cheeks as I nodded.
“I haven’t seen him since I arrived. Rachel says he has been working nonstop at the office, so I thought I would surprise him.”
Dean’s face clouded for a moment. His mouth made a twist, like he was going to tell me bad news. “So, his secretary doesn’t know you are coming? This may not be the best idea Emma.”
Indignation flared up in my stomach. His secretary? His secretary was the reason I was in this mess in the first place. I was away from my home, my friends, and my family because a secretary released a picture. I was here because Jack wanted me here and no secretary was going to stop me. I bit down a flippant remark and smiled instead.
“I want to see Jack. He’s the reason I’m here and it feels weird sleeping at his house and eating his food, but never seeing him.”
Dean frowned, but nodded and turned back in his seat. He wore the ‘she’s got to make her own mistakes’ expression that my dad wore whenever I was about to do something stupid. I sighed, suddenly feeling a little less confident. I was going to see Jack today, even if it meant breaking the rules.
The rest of the drive was uneventful, the city flying past in shades of gray and glass. The DS Oil and Gas building quickly loomed up in front of us, a tower lost in a sea of murky sky. Dean opened the door and I stepped out, the air colder than I remembered. I hurried though the big glass doors and into the yellow warmth of the lobby.
Business suits swam around me like a school of giant black and gray fish as I worked my way towards a security desk. I stepped up to the desk and a man in an imposing uniform glared down at me. I was about to speak when Dean stepped up. The security guard broke out in a smile, completely changing his features from scary to pleasant.
“Dean! How’s it going?” The big guard greeted Dean. Dean leaned up against the counter, his frame shielding me from the people entering and exiting the elevators.
“Doing good. I want to introduce you to Emma LaRue. She is to have full access to Jack Saunders’ floor.”
The big man smiled at me, suddenly friendly. “Nice to meet you Ms. LaRue. Or will it be Mrs. Saunders?”
“Emma is fine,” I said. I wasn’t sure myself.
“Of course Ms. Emma. Let me get you a badge. I believe Ms. Weber had one made for you already.” The man ducked under the desk and unlocked a cabinet. He reappeared with an official looking badge with my picture smiling on the front. “This should get you onto his floor. The rest is up to you and his new secretary. Dean, you’ll show her the way it works, won’t you?”
“Of course. Thanks Jim,” Dean said. The big guard waved and replaced his friendly smile with the threatening frown as Dean guided me towards green elevators. I stayed close to him, not wanting to lose my guide. We stepped onto a green elevator with several other people and Dean hit the highest button, 27. I was sure that Jack’s office was higher than that, but I didn’t say anything.
We stepped out at our stop and Dean led me around a corner to another elevator. This one was golden instead of green.
“If you come in through the front door, this is the path you should take. The main elevators don’t go up to the higher floors for security reasons.” He hit the button for the gold doors and we stepped inside. “Scan your card against the button there and then press the 45 button. If you don’t scan your card, the elevator won’t move and security will be called.”
I held the card up to the reader and a green light blinked. I hit 45 and the elevator whizzed upward. It took only a couple of seconds for the doors to open into the lobby I recognized from my first night. It was more brightly lit than in the evening, and there was a hum of energy. A man and a woman in expensive suits hurried past toward the offices, deep in discussion. An older woman sat at the big desk, speaking confidently into her headset.
Dean caught my arm. “This elevator goes down to the garage. If you come in through the garage, you can take this without having to get off as you would if you use the main elevators. I will be over there when you’re ready to leave.” He pointed to some comfortable looking leather chairs in the lobby by the secretary’s desk. I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. Now that I was actually up here, my courage had disappeared.
I took a steadying breath and headed towards the big desk guarding Jack’s office. The woman looked up at me as I approached and smiled kindly.
“You must be Emma. I’m Jeannette. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” she greeted me warmly. I smiled at her. She was probably in her early sixties, but despite the gray of her hair, she showed no signs of slowing down.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you too. I would like to see Jack please,” I said politely.
“I’m afraid he’s in a meeting right now. I would be happy to let him know you stopped by though.”
“I can wait. I’d really like to see him.” I didn’t come all the way to his office to be stopped at the threshold by a secretary. Besides, how long could a meeting take?
Jeannette sighed. “The meeting is scheduled for another three hours. He’s meeting with investors. If you would like, I can schedule you in to see him tomorrow.”
“What if I just peeked my head in the door?” Frustration was starting to build. I gave serious thought to barging past the secretary and opening his office door, but knew I was too chicken to actually do it.
“I’m afraid he’s not in the building for this meeting. He is meeting them downtown. I’m very sorry Ms. LaRue. If I had known you were coming, I would have scheduled something.” Jeannette looked apologetic, but I felt ridiculous. I should have known better. Jack was a busy man, he wouldn’t be sitting in his office waiting for me to show up.
“Thank you for your time, Jeannette. Will you let him know I stopped by?” Jeannette nodded and smiled understandingly at me. “I guess I’ll go say hi to Rachel.”
“Ms. LaRue, I’m afraid Rachel isn’t here either. She went with Mr. Saunders to the meeting.”
“Oh, I see. Thank you for telling me.” I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next. I thanked Jeannette again and headed slowly back towards the golden elevators.
“I’m sorry that didn’t work out like you expected, Emma,” Dean said softly behind me as the golden doors opened. Dean hit the button ma
rked garage.
“Did you know? Did you know they wouldn’t be here?”
“No. I don’t know their schedules. I suspected they wouldn’t be available, but I didn’t know.” Dean sounded earnest, but I still felt like he had let me fail on purpose. Resentment was bubbling up inside of me. I was in New York, away from the people and things I knew, because Jack wanted me here, but he was too busy to see me. Rachel was too busy to see me. Everyone I knew in this new place was too busy with their lives to care that I didn’t have one.
The doors opened to the waiting car with tinted windows. Dean opened the door for me again.
“Where to, Miss?” asked the driver.
I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t want to go back to Jack’s empty apartment. I didn’t want to sit up there watching TV and eating food by myself. I had eaten dinner by myself every night after Rachel and I had finished shopping and I was tired of it.
“The Statue of Liberty,” I blurted out. I could see it out the window from Jack’s apartment and it was something to see. If I was going to have to entertain myself, I was at least going to get some sightseeing done.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Dean countered before the driver moved the car.
“Why not? What do you suggest then?” I tried my best not to sound defensive, but I was pretty sure I failed.
“It’s a crowded place and I don’t have the manpower to properly protect you. These things need to be planned, Emma,” Dean said. He sounded like my father and it made me angry.
“Then tell me what I can do! I can’t see Jack. I can’t go sightseeing. I’m tired of shopping and I don’t want to go back to an empty apartment. I’m not going to sit in Jack’s house like a pretty bird in a cage. If that’s all I’m going to do, I might as well go home where I at least know some people!” I wanted to scream. My world felt off kilter. I wanted to go home and have my life be familiar again.
Dean waited a moment before answering. “I know you want to do something. How about the Met? I can give you a tour. I’m familiar with the building and the security there will make me feel more comfortable.”
“You mean the art museum? You know enough about the art museum to give me a tour?”
“I know enough to give the curator a tour. It’ll be fun,” he coaxed.
“Won’t it be super crowded? Just like the Statue of Liberty?”
“It’s a weekday, and at this hour it won’t be busy. I can promise the tour will be amazing.” He raised his eyebrows up, his face bright as he tried to convince me, “There’s a sphinx and a mummy.”
“Fine. We’ll go look at art. It’s better than sitting in the apartment,” I said with a pout. I had never been big on museums and knew next to nothing about art, but from the information I had gleaned from the TV, I knew it was a place I should see.
“To the Met!” Dean shouted, pointing his arm like he was charging into battle. I felt a smile crack my frown, but I still wasn’t happy.
The car glided forward into the city traffic, and I leaned my head against the cold glass. Dean started talking about all the exhibits at the museum, his passion for the place obvious. It wasn’t my first choice of activity, but I was willing to give it a chance. I half listened to him talk about the museum as I looked out the window at the giant buildings whizzing past.
Looking out at the cold gray city, I felt a sadness growing in my chest. I didn’t want to be here anymore. I was homesick. I wanted my mom’s cooking, a coffee from the shop on my way to work, to walk the dogs staying overnight at the vet's office. I wanted to be able to go wherever I wanted and not have a bodyguard telling where I could go and what I could do... , but I was here and I couldn’t leave.
I pressed my forehead into the glass, trying to merge into it. If I were glass, I wouldn’t care. I wouldn’t be in this strange situation, surrounded by people I didn’t know. If I were glass, I wouldn’t care that the only people I knew in the city other than my bodyguard, were too busy to see me. If I were glass, then these safety measures would make sense.
“We’re almost there,” Dean said, breaking into my thoughts. I roused myself from the window, and actually looked out at the buildings. A giant stone building, more beautiful than any building I had ever seen, caught my attention. It looked like a place where beautiful things should be kept.
The car slowed and Dean jumped out first, helping me onto the sidewalk. I barely noticed the car move away as I gravitated towards the wide steps leading towards the entrance.
I was about halfway up the steps when the clouds broke open and a stream of sunshine cascaded onto the stairs. I closed my eyes and basked in the warmth for a moment, letting the beauty of the building and the glimmer of sunshine raise my spirits. For a moment, I thought this day could be salvaged. This could be a good day.
“Hey, it’s the billionaire chick—Emma LaRue! Take her picture!” Someone shouted, throwing me out of my moment. I heard a camera click and I opened my eyes, glancing around for Dean. I wasn’t worried about one person taking my picture, but my moment of peace had been shattered. I turned to head into the museum and the sun ducked back behind the clouds, the world plunging back into shades of gray.
Another flash went off, and two more. Dean was hurrying down the stairs, his face dark. He looked like an angry mother bear, ready to rip the heads off the people messing with his cub. The wind was suddenly cold and I felt a tremor of apprehension. I turned to see several taxis releasing people with cameras, and all heading straight for me.
Dean was at my side, pulling me down the stairs towards the street. The cameras were all around me, their lenses in my face. I couldn’t move forward, the cameras all flashing and circling like sharks. They were calling my name, yelling questions and trying to get my attention. I clung to Dean, lost in a sea of cameras and shouting.
“How’s he fuck?” yelled one photographer, his camera close enough to make me shy away to avoid hitting it with my face. I felt my cheeks go hot. I turned to get away, but I was surrounded by cameras. I felt like I was in a lightning storm, the flashes making it hard to see. I tripped on one of the stone steps, and I would have crashed into the ground if Dean hadn’t reached out and caught my arm.
He pushed his way down the stairs, towing me behind in his wake. I was so overwhelmed I followed him blindly, unsure of what was going on. Nothing could have prepared me for the onslaught of flashes and questions.
The black SUV peeled up to the corner, and Dean practically tossed me inside, slamming the door behind me. The camera flashes glared off the window and I fell forward as the car accelerated away.
“Put your seat-belt on,” Dean growled as the driver darted around a taxi. “You okay?”
“What just happened?” My voice cracked. Adrenaline was pumping through my system and I couldn’t figure out if I wanted to run or cry.
“Someone tipped them off. They’ve been hungry for pictures of you since they found out you were in New York,” Dean said. His voice had lost the smiling quality. “They’re still following us.”
I looked back and could see several cabs jockeying for position behind us. I buckled my seat-belt, feeling the car accelerate underneath me, weaving in and out of the traffic. I was glad I wasn’t the one driving.
“But why now? I’ve been out in the city with Rachel every day and they haven’t done this.” I gripped the car door as we took a tight turn.
“Those were organized trips. We cleared them with the stores ahead of time. Didn’t you notice no one else was shopping?”
“I thought that was because the prices were so high. I didn’t realize it was for me.” I slouched in my seat. I felt like an idiot for not noticing earlier that every trip with Rachel had been carefully timed and organized.
Dean looked back at me, his eyes darting to look through the back window. “Rachel didn’t want to say anything because it was pretty obvious you already felt out of place here. But you should know now. The tabloids are clamoring for pictures. You are the hot
topic right now and they want you. They’re offering some high prices for pictures and that means they are watching every move you make.”
“What do I do?” I asked. I felt helpless. This was way out of my comfort level.
“You don’t have to do anything. Just let me do my job,” Dean said. He smiled kindly at me. “Don’t you worry. We’ve lost them.”
“I guess that means my trip to the Met is off for the day. No mummies for me.”
“Unfortunately.” He sounded more disappointed than I did. “I can take you tomorrow though if you like. I’ll even get Ms. Weber to come have lunch with us.”
“You promise the best tour ever?”
Dean laughed, his demeanor back to the watchful yet relaxed status I was used to. “The best tour that museum has ever seen.”
“You have yourself a deal then,” I said with a nod. Dean turned back around and I leaned back in my seat.
I understood now why we had to schedule things. I didn’t like it, but I understood. Something about a schedule tickled at my brain. Perhaps I could get onto Jack’s schedule. An idea began to form. I pulled out my phone and opened a text message to Rachel.
Chapter 14
I checked my reflection in the golden doors of the elevator, feeling nervous. The food cart behind me filled the elevator with delicious smells and my stomach grumbled. I had been too nervous to eat earlier, and now I was starving.
The doors opened with a ding and I pulled the cart with two dinners behind me into the big lobby on Jack's floor. Jeannette looked up and smiled as I approached her giant desk.
“You look lovely Emma. Jack has been looking forward to dinner all day, but don’t tell him I told you. He should be finishing up signing some papers, so you can go on in.” She gave me a wink as I headed towards the big office doors and said, “I’ll be leaving in a little bit so don’t you two worry about me out here.”
Tangled: A New Adult Romance Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle of Billionaires, Bad Boys, and Royalty) Page 10