by Lexy Timms
“Oh, Miss Ternbeau?”
“Yes?” I asked.
“Your hair looks beautiful,” he said. “You made a good choice.”
Chapter 11
Jimmy
“Jimmy?”
“Yes, Margaret?”
“I’m leaving for the day.”
“Have a good day. Tell Dan and the kids I said ‘hello.’ ”
“I’ll let them know. One last thing, though.”
“A receptionist’s job is never done,” I said with a grin.
“Miss Ternbeau is in the waiting room for you,” she said.
I whipped my head up and looked at the clock on my computer. Shit. It was already six o’clock. I looked around my desk and saw a folder with her name on it, and I opened it up to find the contracts of her promotion nestled in there nicely. I whipped my gaze to Margaret, my loyal receptionist of eight years.
She was the longest-reigning employee here next to Ross.
“Send her on in,” I said. “I let time get away from me.”
“A boss’s work is never done,” Margaret said. “I’ll let her know.”
I set my pen down and got up from my seat. I grabbed the folder of paperwork for Ashley to sign as I sat on the edge of my desk. She walked into my office with a massive smile on her face, her emerald eyes sparkling in the setting sun behind my back. My eyes scanned her, taking in the swell of her hips beneath the skirt that ruffled around her legs.
She could use a wardrobe update, but she was still very beautiful.
“Apologies. Time got away from me,” I said.
“It’s not a problem. I was only sitting out there for a few minutes anyway,” Ashley said.
“I have your papers for you to sign. I want you to take time to read them. Your salary hike and when that is due to take place is all in there. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
I handed the folder to her as she stood in front of me. She opened the documents and scanned them quickly, flipping at lightning speed through the pages. Wow. She really was a speed reader. I took all of her in as the folder came up in front of her face. Her blouse hung loosely against the swell of her breasts. The lewd dip in her waist was concealed with her clothes. I wondered if she dressed like that because she didn’t know another way or if she dressed like that because she knew every man from here to Timbuktu would stare if she didn’t.
“Can I say something?” Ashley asked.
“Of course, you can,” I said. “What is it?”
“I just want to say I’m really glad things between us aren’t so ... awkward after the party.”
The folder lowered from her face, and my eyes connected with her lips. That swollen pout. She had these broad lips that reminded me of Julia Roberts’s smile. I grinned at her just to watch her reaction. Just to see her memorable smile slide across her cheeks. Her smile was so wide that it shut her eyes whenever it was in full bloom.
Cutting my view of those emerald eyes.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, no. It’s fine. If we’re going to be working alongside one another more, we have to learn to communicate,” I said.
“I also saw Nina this afternoon. She really is a gorgeous woman,” Ashley said.
“I’m sorry if she was rude to you.”
“Why would she have been rude to me?”
I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t have to do any damage control with her, which was good. Nina’s tongue could really get her into trouble if she tried, and I was relieved she hadn’t approached Ashley in anyway.
Especially because of the night we had shared.
“Do you have a pen?” she asked.
“I do. Which color would you like?” I asked.
“Any and all colors are fine with me.”
I slid a red pen into her hand, and she began to sign the documents. I watched her hand maneuver across the folder, her touch light and quick as she flipped through all the pages. She slapped the folder closed, handed it to me, and then dropped the pen to my desk.
“It is done,” she said.
“It is done,” I said with a nod.
“You won’t regret this, Mr. Sheldon. Thank you so much for this opportunity. And whenever you need NDAs signed, let me know. I’ll sign them anytime.”
“I’m sure you will, Ashley.”
Her eyes whipped up to mine at the sound of her name. I watched the light drain from them, her smile fading from her lips. I stood up from the edge of my desk and walked to her, my body drawn to her like it had been that night. Then I slipped my arm around her and pulled her close, ready to address the concern she’d had in the beginning.
“Mr. Sheldon?” she asked.
“That night we shared, Ashley, was the best night of my life.”
“What?” she asked.
“I’ve never felt more drawn to a woman than I do you. And I’m thankful I got to spend that time with you.”
I dipped my lips to hers and felt her hands press into my chest. She curled her fingers into the collar of my coat, just like she had that night. I pulled her deeper into me, my tongue parting her lips. I could taste her sweetness and feel her curves pressing into the muscles of my body.
Then, I felt her shake her head.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered.
Her hands released my coat and pushed me away from her body. I looked down at her, my brow furrowing in confusion as my hand fell from her back. I watched Ashley back away from me as fear rose in her eyes.
Fear.
Something about me frightened her.
“I can’t do this,” Ashley said.
“Then we don’t have to,” I said.
“No, no, no. I mean, yes, we can’t. Because of Nina and ... shit.”
I took a step toward her, but she practically jumped back from me.
“I can’t take that promotion,” she said.
“What?” I asked.
“I can’t believe Cassidy was right,” she said in a whisper.
“Who’s Cassidy?” I asked.
“Nobody. Jim—Mr. Sheldon. I ... this can’t. Um.”
I watched her flounder. I watched her hands twirl in the excess fabric of the cardigan over her shoulders. The confident and timid woman from the party had all but fallen away, and I was watching another side of her emerge, an anxious and debilitated side. One that was too stressed and hadn’t gotten enough sleep. I wanted to reach out to her and pull her to me. I wanted to tell her to go home and get some rest and to sleep on it.
But her eyes whipped over to mine before I could get anything out of my mouth.
“I worked for this position,” Ashley said.
“I know. That's why I’m giving it to you. Because you’re qualified,” I said.
“Then why did you kiss me?”
I understood where she was going with this, and I had to try and stop her train of thought.
“Miss Ternbeau, I didn’t give you this position because of our night spent together. I gave you this position because you’re an asset to this company. You have an incredible mind and the ability to do things I’ve never encountered before. You’re perfect for this position, and it comes with an incredible salary hike.”
“I don’t want to feel like everything I thought I worked for was only given to me because I’m your ... your side woman,” she said.
“Then you can rest assured that you have this job because of your skill set. Not your abilities in bed. Which are fantastic, but that’s another story.”
I watched her cringe as I tried to diffuse the tension between us.
“Come on. Sit down and let me get you some water,” I said.
“I can’t take this job, Mr. Sheldon. I’m sorry,” Ashley said.
“Sit and take a breath. Then we can talk about it rationally,” I said.
“I’m sorry. I can’t take the job, and I can’t be the other woman in your relationship.”
I reached out for her as she slipped
through my grasp. She threw my office door open, reached for her purse, and disappeared quickly around the corner. I rushed into the hallway in time to see her run around the corner, and then I heard the slam of the door as she headed for the stairs.
Was that woman going to run down twenty-seven flights of steps?
I jogged down the hallway and made my way to the staircase. I opened the door and looked over the stairwell, trying to see if I could catch her. But there was no wafting of red hair and no pattering of feet. There was only silence and confusion as I leaned against the railing.
As much as I hated it, I understood how she felt. I didn’t like the fact that she was going home with the notion that she had gotten this promotion because she screwed me. That was not the case. She was the only person I’d ever come across who was as good with numbers as Ross was, and she apparently could speed read like a demon. She was efficient in her work and more than willing to go above and beyond in order to get a task done.
I’d made a promise to myself to surround myself with people like that if I was going to reach the heights of success that I wanted.
I pushed off the railing and made my way back to my office. I had to find a way to get her to take this promotion. The papers were signed and dated. The only thing I would have to do was file them.
And even though I could technically bind her to the documents she’d already signed, I didn’t want to do that to her. I liked Ashley more than that, but I respected her more than that as well. I wanted her to enjoy this position because we would be working in one another’s space more frequently. It didn’t do us any good to have bad blood between us if we were going to be successful.
I sat on the edge of my desk and picked up the folder, flipping through the signed documents.
I was so close to having the perfect person for this position.
I simply needed another way to convince her to take the job.
Chapter 12
Ashley
I ran down a flight of steps before charging onto the twenty-seventh floor. Luckily everyone was mostly gone, so I didn’t get any weird looks from people. I dashed to the elevator and kept pressing the down button, trying to hold back my tears as he did so.
He kissed me.
Jimmy had kissed me.
It wasn’t the kiss that upset me. Well, it was. But not quite. What upset me was how I reacted. How much I enjoyed it. How familiar it felt as my mind reminded me of the salacious secret we were keeping.
He was my boss, and he was already spoken for.
Cassidy was right. He probably offered that position to me because of our one-night tryst. Despite his insistence that I was right for the job, I couldn’t shake her words from the last time we spoke. Her question of whether or not they were asking all this of me to try and keep me close so I wouldn’t say anything to anyone.
Tears flooded my cheeks as I stepped into the elevator.
I rode it all the way down the parking garage as I tried to breathe deep. I couldn’t take that position now. I couldn’t be the other woman in his relationship. I was already taboo enough as it was. I wasn’t fashionable, and I wasn’t outgoing. I wasn’t pretty, and I wasn’t graceful. I didn’t come from a sophisticated family, and I sure as hell didn’t have money. I was none of the things he obviously looked for in a woman.
I was a place-filler, someone to enjoy when Nina wasn’t there.
I stepped out into the parking garage and ran to my car. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as I could. I tried to rid my mind of everything that had happened as I made my way to the nursing home. Sitting with my mother was always a good thing. Being in her presence, whether awake or asleep, always calmed my soul.
And I needed her more than ever.
I pulled into the parking lot of her nursing home and wiped at the tears on my face. I didn’t want her to see me so upset because she would stop at nothing to figure out what was wrong. I cleared my throat and grabbed a lone bottle of water rolling around on the floorboard of my car. I took a few gulps of the warm water and grimaced, hoping it would unravel the emotional knot choking off my voice.
Then, I headed in to see the rock of my life.
“Knock, knock,” I said.
But I didn’t hear anyone greet me.
“Mom?” I asked. “You awake?”
“Are you talking to me?”
My heart plummeted at the question. I walked into the room and saw my mother in her bed, staring off into the distance outside. I slowly approached the foot of her bed with a smile on my face, but I could see the tears glistening in her eyes.
She was having a bad day.
And I had a feeling it was going to get worse.
“Hello there, Nancy,” I said. “How are you doing today?”
“Who are you? I don’t know who you are,” she said.
“I’m Ashley,” I said. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“I don’t know an Ashley. Where’s Gladys?”
My heart shattered into a million pieces at the mention of my aunt’s name.
“Gladys isn’t here right now,” I said. “Can I be of assistance?”
“No. I need Gladys. It’s her turn to water the flowers outside, and she hasn’t done it yet.”
My aunt Gladys had been dead for twelve years now.
“Maybe I could water them for you,” I said as I sat down. “Would you like that?”
“I’m sure the flowers would,” my mother said. “They look like they’re starving.”
“How was your walk last week?” I asked.
“Walk? What walk?” she asked. “Who are you?”
“Ashley,” I said. “I’m a friend.”
“I don’t know anyone your age. Who are you? What are you doing here?”
“Nancy, it’s okay. I’m only here to talk about your walk. Did you have a nice time with Marshal?” I asked.
“Who’s Marshal? Who are you? Why am I supposed to go on a walk? And where the hell is Gladys?”
My mother started getting more and more agitated as tears welled in her eyes. I reached over to the wall and pressed the red button, summoning someone from the nursing station. Her head was on a swivel, trying to take in her surroundings.
She was panicking because she didn’t know where she was.
“This isn’t my house. Where’s my house?” my mother asked.
“Mom, just calm down.”
“Mom? Why in the world are you calling me that?” she asked. “Gladys! Gladys!”
“Please, take my hand. You’ll remember if you take my hand,” I said.
I wrapped my hand around hers, but she yanked her grasp away. Tears slid down my cheeks as a couple of nurses came running into the room. They shoved me out of the way as my hand flew to my mouth, covering my sobs as I watched them try to subdue my mother.
The woman who had been my rock for so many years.
“Get your hands off me. Gladys! I need help! Who are you people?” my mother asked.
“Just calm down, Mrs. Ternbeau. That’s it. Relax for us, okay? You’re doing great,” the nurse said.
“Don’t you dare stick me with that thing,” she said as the needle came into her view. “Where am I? Where the hell is my home? You take me home this instant, young lady. I don’t know who you are, but I bet you’re the reason I’m in this place.”
I bit down onto my lower lip as the nurses shot my mother up with something. I watched her body relax back to the bed as her eyes fluttered shut. I couldn’t feel my body. It was like I was floating around in a personal hell designed only to torture me. The nurses looked at me with pity-filled eyes as they checked my mother’s catheter and took her blood pressure. I walked to the foot of the bed and placed my hand on her foot, squeezing gently as I drew in a shaky breath.
“I love you, Mom. I’ll be back soon.”
I walked out of the room in a daze. I shuffled down the hallway, my mind swirling into a thousand different places. I couldn't latch onto any one thought as I floated thr
ough the corridor, my body passing the front desk.
“Ashley?”
I turned my head at the sound of my name as tears stained my cheeks.
“Yes?” I asked.
“I know this is a terrible time for this, but I couldn’t get through on your cell phone today. The monthly price for residents is being raised.”
“By how much?” I asked.
“One hundred dollars a month,” she said.
“One hundred dollars. Why?” I asked. “Will my mother’s Medicaid cover it?”
“Eventually. But it’ll take a while for everything to process, especially since most of our residents are on Medicaid. You can keep track of your funds and submit for a reimbursement at the end of the year, but the raise goes into effect next month.”
“Okay. Thanks. I’ll, um, figure it out. No worries,” I said.
Of course, that would happen. Of course, I would turn down the biggest promotion of my career on a moral stance and then get hit with something like this. I couldn't afford a hike in my mother’s monthly premiums. Not twenty dollars, and especially not one hundred. I walked out to my car in a daze and got behind the wheel, my body guiding me on autopilot back to my apartment.
Back to my rundown, broken down, musty apartment on the outskirts of Miami.
I walked into my apartment and allowed the door to slowly fall closed behind me. I looked into the kitchen and heaved at the mere idea of eating. I dropped my purse onto my dusty couch and shuffled to my bathroom, ready to wash the stench of this day off my body.
I poured bubbled into the tub as the hot water filled up the small space. I had to scrunch to get into my bathtub, but it was better than nothing. I allowed my tears to freely fall as I slipped into the steaming hot water.
How did this day go from bad to worse?
I should’ve been celebrating the biggest promotion of my career. I should’ve been taking Cass out for drinks to toast my new career. But instead, I was sitting in a miniature bathtub with my legs to my chest, sobbing over a nursing home I couldn’t afford any longer and a man who wasn’t mine to begin with. Why in the world did I turn down that promotion? Why didn’t I simply tell Mr. Sheldon we were a one-time thing and take the damn job?