First Love

by Natalie Ann

  “That about sums up my life,” she said, laughing. It wasn’t a funny sound.

  “Come on, don’t be shy. We’ve all got skeletons in our closet.”

  “What more do you want to know? I’ve been poor most of my life, which I’m sure you easily can figure out. My mother never wanted to be alone and the fact she had a child at home didn’t count. She wanted or needed a man in her life and just went from one to another trying to fill a void that won’t ever happen because she always thinks there is something better out there.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. It was amazing to him that they shared that. That neither of them had a parent around, and it didn’t make a difference in regards to the social standards they’d come from.

  “Don’t be. It’s in my past. I don’t want to live that life. We moved around a lot. Either rent didn’t get paid or we moved in with her boyfriends and then when they broke up, we were back looking for a place again. Let’s say I saw all the things I’ll never do. That’s the only reason I’m telling you this.”

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Plan my life around a man. Put all my eggs in one basket. Not have a backup plan or at least be able to support myself. I’ve been relying on myself for most of my life and I like it that way.”

  “Do you? Or are you just used to it?”

  “Probably a little bit of being used to it since I don’t know another way.”

  “I guess we have that in common too.”

  “What’s that?”

  He wasn’t sure he wanted to go into it right now and just said, “Being used to things because you don’t really know of another way. Anyway, you seem pretty together for someone that grew up like you’re describing.”

  “I am. Maybe because I’ve always had my eyes on a goal. I told you I started working young and I put all my money away that didn’t go toward essentials.”

  He wasn’t even going to ask if she supported herself once she started working. He was pretty sure he knew the answer to that and decided not to embarrass her.

  “Did you have a lot of friends in school?”

  He knew she’d said most of her friends were from her jobs, but he hoped she had some joy in her life. Some fun or was able to be a kid now and again. When he was a teen, he was still out trying to find ways to tweak his father to get some kind of attention. Money was the last thing on his mind.

  “I had a few. When you don’t have a lot and you don’t play sports, you aren’t in a lot of the popular groups. But I wasn’t completely alone. Honestly, Jace. It was more a choice of mine than anything else.”

  “Why?” he asked, finding that statement odd.

  “Others in my financial situation weren’t always trying to fight their way out, but rather accepted their lot in life. I didn’t want that. Those that I was striving to be like, I didn’t want them to see where I came from.”

  “So you put up a good front for most of your life?” That really surprised him.

  “I guess so. It doesn’t matter. I’ve got an education and a good job and I’m happy. Another few years and I’ll be in a better situation. As long as I’m still working.”

  She was smiling when she said it, but he knew deep down she was serious. He wanted to alleviate her mind and her fears. “I don’t know how many times I need to tell you, but whatever happens beyond tonight will not make a difference in your job one bit.”

  “I’m starting to believe you. Either that or I’m really naive.”

  “I get the feeling you haven’t been naive much in your life.” Not after listening about her childhood.

  “No.”

  “Go on and ask me some questions then. I’ll share some skeletons in my closet.”

  She laughed again. “I doubt you’ve got that many. I bet you were the popular kid everyone wanted to be friends with. The life of the party and the one all the women wanted a piece of. I might have even heard a few rumors at work about you.”

  He frowned. “What rumors?”

  “I’m just joking. I meant about women. I guess your father used to brag about how much of a ladies’ man you were.”

  Which was just another mark against him in her eyes, he was betting. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”

  “So you weren’t a ladies’ man? I refuse to think you’re gay. Not after the way you just kissed me.” She slapped her hand in front of her mouth after she’d said that.

  “What?! Who says I’m gay?” What the hell?

  “I just laughed. I wasn’t meant to hear it and it wasn’t said to me. I just overheard.”

  “Who said it?”

  “It doesn’t matter. You know how an office is full of gossip. I think it was the fact that no one knows that much about you and they hadn’t seen or heard of you with any woman.”

  “I can fix that come Monday morning,” he said.

  “Don’t even think about it. I just said I hate office gossip. Don’t pull me in to make yourself look different to others.”

  It was wrong to do what she just accused him of, but he was damn well thinking of it. “Fine. I’ll forget it was said.”

  “No, you won’t,” she said, reaching her hand over and patting his leg. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have said that. I guess I’m still a bit overwhelmed about tonight and nervous or I would have had more control over the words coming out of my mouth.”

  That statement actually made him feel better. “I like that you aren’t afraid to be honest with me. That you aren’t afraid to say things or question me when others are. And I really like that you aren’t being your normal self right now.”

  “What? That I’m blurting things out when I normally would think them through more?”

  “Yep. I’d like to think maybe my kiss had something to do with it.”

  “Now you’re being cocky.” But the look on her face told him the truth of the matter. “Let’s move onto another topic. Back to you. So...Mr. Popularity growing up, right?”

  “If you asked anyone that I was friends with back then, they’d say yes. My father would say yes too and I’m sure he did. The thing is, it wasn’t for the right reasons.”

  “So everyone wanted to be around you because of your wealth?”

  “Exactly. I couldn’t get away fast enough. My mother left because my father ran his company with an iron fist and his marriage the same way.”

  “Is that how he was with you?” she asked softly.

  “Let’s say he didn’t know another way to do anything. I guess it goes back to what you and I said earlier. We get used to something because we don’t know any other way even if it isn’t the best way to be or do something.”

  He wasn’t about to go into more detail. She may have shared a few skeletons in her closet, but there was no reason to open up old wounds on his end.

  That he was left with hired help more often than not. That his father missed a lot of important events in Jace’s life.

  That tenderness wasn’t something he’d seen, let alone experienced much in his life.

  “You don’t like being compared to your father, do you?”

  He knew it was said a lot. He knew it was said at work. As much as he was trying to be different, it was hard to break away.

  “No. I left this area to be my own man. To make my own fortune. I knew I’d come back here someday. I just didn’t expect it to be this soon.”

  “How do you get along with your father now?”

  “Wow, this is getting into a really deep conversation,” he said.

  “You started it.”

  He pulled her closer, then put her on his lap. “I did. And you know what? You’re one of the few who isn’t afraid to tell me like it is. That goes a long way with me. As for my father and me…things are better. A near death experience can change a person.”

  “But you don’t forget,” she said.

  “Will you forget about your childhood?”

  “No. But I can move past it.”

  “I guess that’s something
you can teach me then.”

  12

  True Test

  Lauren let herself into her apartment a little after eleven, feeling like she was floating on cloud nine. Or maybe it was cloud fifteen. Fifteen because that was the number of times Jace’s lips found hers.

  Fireworks? What fireworks? She didn’t remember watching much of them at all.

  Was she feeling them in her body every time his lips touched hers? Yep. There was no match needed to set off any explosions on Jace’s rooftop deck. His touch was sending shockwaves all through her for hours.

  What she remembered was that by the time the first firework lit up the sky, she was still in Jace’s lap with him leaning back on the cushions. His large hands were framing her face and his mouth was going to town on hers, showing her that the man sure knew how the hell to kiss.

  She’d had no intention of staying the night, but if he’d asked, she might have been weak enough to say yes.

  But he didn’t ask and she was thankful for that.

  Sunday rolled around and she’d gotten a text from him wanting to know how her day was going. She didn’t want to be clingy so she said she was running errands and just relaxing. He stopped texting shortly after that and she brushed it off.

  Now it was Monday morning and in her eyes, this was the true test.

  How was he going to be around her? How would she be around him?

  Would people be able to look at them and know?

  Urgh! Why didn’t she think of these things beforehand?

  She was just unlocking her office door around seven when she heard footsteps and turned. There was Jace looking at her with a big smile on his face.

  She waved at him and he laughed, looked right and then left, and made his way toward her. Oh boy, what was he going to do?

  “Good morning,” he said.

  “How was your weekend?” she asked.

  “It was nice. I had this awesome date with a hot chick on Friday. I can’t wait for another. How about you?”

  She felt her face heat up. She didn’t think anyone else was around, but if he wanted to play it that way, she could too. “That’s funny. I was out with this guy Friday night too. One of the best dates of my life. He even cooked me dinner. Talk about sweet.”

  “So are you planning on going out with him again?” he asked, following her into her office while she flipped the lights on.

  “If he asks me out again, definitely.”

  “So you won’t ask him out?”

  “I’m still a little shy about it all. What do you think? Would you want to be asked out? I get the feeling my date is the type of guy that likes to control the shots in a relationship.”

  “Sometimes looks can be deceiving.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. I should get to work now. I’ve got a meeting with my boss in two hours and I’d hate to be late.”

  He leaned down close to her ear and she thought for sure he was going to kiss her. He didn’t. She was disappointed.

  But his lips brushed her cheek as he softly said, “I really like this side of you.”

  Jace never expected Lauren to have such a fun personality.

  To be so flirty.

  To be so nice.

  To understand him so well.

  Yeah, he liked to control things, but he was trying to loosen up a little.

  Maybe it was time to just see where things fell rather than pushing them in the direction he wanted. That would be too much like his father and the last thing he wanted to think about when it came to women. He suspected his father bragged about him being a ladies’ man to prove Jace was a chip off the old block.

  “Yes, Katy,” he said when his phone buzzed.

  “Lauren is here for your meeting.”

  “Send her in.”

  He was still sitting at his desk looking over an email from Scott, the head of operations at the sub and frozen yogurt franchises. Scott was getting antsy and wanted to know what all the changes were about. Jace wasn’t ready to let him in on it all just yet.

  “Where do you want me?” she asked

  On my lap. Oh, how he wished he could say that. Not here though. Not yet.

  “The conference table is good since I see you’ve got two binders with you and your laptop. I’m going to have to get you a cart soon.”

  She smiled, one of humor and something else mixed in. He didn’t think he was being fanciful, but maybe he was. Maybe there was a bit of desire in her gaze and she wouldn’t have minded if he put her on his lap.

  He got up and joined her over there. There was nothing about her today that screamed the woman he was kissing like it was the last one he’d have before he left the face of this earth a few nights ago.

  Long gone was the sweet sundress and sandals and in its place were dull brown pants, a white button-down shirt, and plain tan flats. If she was trying to turn him off, it wasn’t working. His body was stirring just the same when he got a whiff of her citrus scent.

  “Tell me what you’ve got,” he said. Maybe he could focus more if she started.

  “The changes in the food ordering are already showing less of a deficit with both the sub and the frozen yogurt franchise.”

  “I’d like to know why we’re even showing one to begin with,” he said.

  He’d talked to other franchise owners who were killing it right now, even with the rise in minimum wage for food industry workers.

  “I think they’re over scheduling. Payroll still is very high, but without being in the stores to know if they really need that many staff on, it’s hard to say. I can see the receipts during periods of time, but having worked in fast food before, I’m not sure if maybe they need more staff cleaning and manning the store itself or if everyone is truly waiting on customers. If that’s the case, then maybe the workers are pretty slow,” she said, grinning.

  “There aren’t that many tables in there. It’s not like going to a burger joint and it takes time to clean up all the seating areas. But I wonder about the speed of the staff too. The Robinsons I bought it from were older, but you knew that. Most of the staff had been on for years and I wonder if this is one of those things where employees are taking advantage of stuff, or managers are. Maybe I’m way off base.”

  “There is probably some truth in that thought. I wonder if they are just scheduling too long of shifts. Or if maybe they plan on a rush and just don’t execute it well. For example, there is a manager or an assistant manager there at all times, plus a shift manager. Why? The food is being ordered at the offices now, so why can’t the managers pick up the slack if there is a lunch rush? What is the manager doing? I don’t have the answers to that.”

  “Neither do I without going into the stores myself. The problem is, they know my face. Or at least the managers do since I’ve met with them. If I walk in they will make sure they’re busy.”

  “I know you aren’t used to dealing with customer service. That all your other experience is in tech and start up. But isn’t your strong suit operations?”

  “It is.”

  “Then think that way. Just look at what the Operations Director is doing and go from there. You have me auditing the stores, but check out his management style.”

  He laughed at her. “I have been. We’re butting heads right now. He wants to know why I’m questioning things and I don’t want to tell him just yet.”

  “Sorry. I shouldn’t be telling you how to do your job.” She tilted her head down to look at her papers and he felt bad he caused it. He was trying to think of what he could say and found his eyes just staring at her mouth now when she looked up, wondering if she’d jump if he leaned over the table and tasted her like he wanted to. “Jace, you aren’t paying attention,” she said.

  He snapped his eyes back up to hers and saw her blush. “What did you say?”

  “I asked if there was a way to find out from other franchise owners if you could see how they run things. Not just from the main headquarters but other owners locally. Or would you rather not
reach out?”

  “I’ve got a few calls out already. I’m trying to figure out if they’d let me see their books, but I doubt it. I don’t think I’d let someone see mine if they asked.”

  “Probably not. But would they let me talk with their fiscal people? Not get actual numbers, but percentages. I’d love to know what percentage of expense is on food, salary, maintenance, rent, and so on. A percentage is just as good to me. Then I can compare it on our end.”

  He should have realized that himself, but he was too busy thinking of what his first and now next step with her would be. He’d never let a woman distract him from work before.

  “I’ll call a few of them back today and see if it’s possible to get that information. How hard would it be for you to put it together on our end?”

  “An hour or two. It’s just running reports and plugging the numbers into spreadsheets I’ve got set up. My guess is they’ve got things set up similar too.”

  “Will you sit in on a call with me when I bring it up?”

  She laughed. “You don’t need me on the call and you know it. You just want to prolong my stay in your office.”

  “Guilty.”

  “Let’s move on to some other reports.”

  “Let’s have dinner again tonight.”

  “You’ve got a one track mind,” she said, smiling at him.

  He never used to. Well, he did for business, but this wasn’t business. This was pleasure and he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  “Tell me yes and then I’ll stop focusing on it and we can get back to work.”

  “Fine. Dinner here?” she asked.

  He felt bad that she thought that. That it seemed the two of them were always working. “No. I’d say we could go out, but I’m guessing you’ll say no to that.”

  “It’s probably for the best just yet.”

  “Then my place again?” he asked. “Or we can go to your place.”

  “Yours is good,” she said. He was going to ask why and figured he knew the answer. “Can I cook for you though?”