“This is, Jesse.”
“Hey. What are you doing today for lunch?”
“Not a thing. Why?” Jesse answered.
“Well, I thought we could meet up and get a bite to eat.”
“What?” Jesse responded. “Mayor Worthington is going to make time for me during his lunch hour? What gives? This is an absolute honor.”
Derek rolled his eyes. “Canceled meeting, so don’t feel too honored.” He laughed. “Come up to the office and we’ll head out.”
“Actually, just heading back to the office. Had a meeting this morning. Meet you there? Say Hacienda Mexican Grill?”
“Sounds good…see you in ten. Bye!” He hung up his phone and left his office. He spotted Lily’s boyfriend standing at her desk. He nodded and waved. “We don’t have anything going on until later today. If you need more time. Feel free to take it.”
She smiled. “Thanks!”
“Good to see you, Brayton.”
“You too, Mayor Worthington.”
Derek got onto the elevator and took it down to the parking garage. He got into his car and started it up, then pulled out of the garage and headed to the restaurant. He hadn’t forgotten the conversation he had with Jesse the night before, so he really hoped he didn’t regret having lunch with him.
When he got to the restaurant, he spotted Jesse’s car already in the parking lot. He parked and got out of the car, then hurried up to the restaurant door. He held the door open as a woman, and her young child was leaving the building. She smiled and looked extra long at Derek. “Good day, Ma’am,” he replied.”
“Thank you!” She beamed as if she had just talked to the President of the United States. He looked away from her and entered the restaurant. The hostess looked up and smiled.
“Good afternoon, Mayor.”
“Good afternoon. I’m meeting Jesse Tremble.”
“Of course. Follow me.” She grabbed a menu and led the way to a table. “The waitress will be with you in a minute.”
“Thank you!” He sat down and Jesse opened his mouth to say something, but Derek quickly put up his hand. “I just want it noted that we are having lunch today, and I don’t expect you to rehash over our conversation from last night. Got it?” He sternly looked at Jesse.
“What? You invited me to lunch, and you’re not even going to give me the opportunity to change your mind?”
“That’s what I said. I mean it. My decision…my call. If you can’t accept that, then maybe this lunch wasn’t such a great idea.” Derek acted like he was going to get back up.
“Wait!” Jesse argued. “Fine. Your decision.”
Derek smiled. “Thank you!”
“Whatever!” Jesse answered back.
He looked down at his menu and tried to decide what to order before the waitress arrived at the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jesse watching him. He snickered under his breath and figured Jesse would never truly stop nagging him, but he would have to accept that, after all, it was who Jesse was, and nothing would persuade him otherwise.
***
“Oh my God, it’s noon!” Charity jumped out of bed and turned to face the man that still laid next to her.
He smiled. “Yes, it most certainly is noon, and I’m not even nearly ready to leave this room.” He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her back to the bed. “Just five more minutes.”
She slapped his hand away. “No, you have to leave…now. I have to get to work, and I’m already behind schedule. She grabbed a robe and threw it on over her naked body. She still couldn’t believe she got caught in the moment, lost track of time, and repeatedly found herself caving to his wants.
He groaned. “You have to take a shower, don’t you?” He winked at her and tossed her a smug grin. “I think I could get cleaned up, as well. Imagine, you…me…hot, steamy shower. What do you say?”
She smiled, slowly succumbing to his request, but then smacked herself out of it and stiffened up. “I mean it, Damian. You have to go.”
He sighed. “Fine!”
He crawled out of bed, and it took every ounce of her being not to watch him as he got dressed. There was a reason she lost control and kept him in her bed. His body completely made her weak, and she couldn’t fault herself for that. He finished getting dressed and walked over to her. For the first time, she looked back at him. “What?” she asked when he gave her a sly grin.
“Do I get a kiss for the road?”
She put her hand to his chest and pushed him away. “I’m not that type of girl.”
He laughed. “What type of girl is that?”
“I’m not the intimate and relationship type girl,” she mumbled as she pushed past him. He slowly followed her to the door. She opened it up and remained a lack of eye contact.
“I had fun,” he softly replied. “I thought you did, too.”
She sighed. That wasn’t the problem. She did have fun, but once realization hit that he stayed longer than she intended, she had no choice but put up all sorts of walls. “You did your job well,” she coldly responded. “Good day!” Her voice was dry and calm when deep down she was begging herself to let him stay. She never had a moment when she felt something more than great sex. He was different, but she couldn’t figure out what it was about him that made her quiver with need.
He tilted his head and stared at her, hoping to break her, but she kept her ground. He left her apartment, and she closed the door behind him. She hurried into the bathroom and got into the shower. The thought kept drifting into her mind of how she felt when he held her in her arms. It was strange. After all, they’d only met a little more than twelve hours earlier. She finished her shower in record time and threw on her work clothes, giving herself time to stare long and hard in the mirror.
“I’m going crazy,” she replied to her reflection. “He is no different than every other guy I shared a bed with.” The only problem he was. He was handsome in a way that no other guy could compete with. He was hot. He was a bad boy, showing off his skills on his motorcycle. He was the type of guy that she would’ve longed to be with in her younger days. “He’s not that guy!” She argued to her reflection.
She turned away from the mirror and hurried down the hallway and to the front door. She grabbed her purse, which was discarded on a living room table and raced to the front door. When she opened it up, she was startled to find her landlord standing there, about to knock.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she angrily asked.
He snickered. “I own the building, and I can pretty much go anywhere I see fit.”
She stepped back and stared at him. “Right, so why am I so lucky to find you at my door?”
He pushed his way into her apartment. “Well, I left you a message and since you didn’t bother calling me back…I thought maybe you didn’t get it.”
“I did,” she quietly confessed. “I’ve been busy working, and it simply dropped from my mind.”
He nodded. “I’m sure it did, but you do know that time is drifting away, and you really need to get me your rent. I don’t have a lifetime to wait.” He snarled in her direction. “So, when will I receive it?”
She had to talk to her boss when she got to work. She couldn’t give him a definitive answer. “I don’t know, Richard. I’m doing the best I can. Really…I am.”
He hesitated, staring long and hard at her, making her feel an awkwardness she’d never felt before. She kept her eyes locked on his, so he didn’t see her nervous energy fighting through. “I’m really an easygoing guy, Charity. You can ask anyone.”
Right, she thought. “I know, and I don’t want to put you off, but I don’t have the money right now. Please, just give me a few more weeks.”
“Here’s the thing,” he started, “I want to be able to help you out, and I think that I might have a solution to your problem.” He lifted his hand and brushed it against her cheek. She froze in place. “I know how you enjoy spending time with the guys. I’ve seen what goes on here.”
Her mouth opened. “You’ve been watching me?” she asked.
He smiled. “Observing…that’s all. The point is…I would be willing to give you all the time in the world if you provide me a little action. What do you say, Babe?”
She put her hand to her face and knocked his hand away. “I say that you’re a disgusting pig, and you better get out of my apartment before I call the cops.”
He laughed. “This is still my apartment complex and frankly…you are running out of time and options. If you sleep with me, then you don’t have to worry about being thrown out on the street.”
“Are you threatening me?” Charity asked.
He shook his head. “Promising. Think about it!” He turned away and left the apartment. Charity stared off in disbelief. She didn’t care what he said, she would not stoop to his level. She would figure out another way. She hurried out of the apartment building and got in her car. Richard stood on the sidewalk, and his eyes followed her, but she made sure not to give him a second look.
She practiced her speech over and over, as she contemplated what she would say to Bill. “I’m a hard worker, and I will diligently work day and night if I have to. Please, just give me the chance to show you that you won’t be disappointed.” She pulled into the parking lot of the diner and took a deep breath. She grabbed her purse and jumped out of her car, continuing to practice her spiel. When she got in the diner, she waved at Tina and pushed her way through the backroom. She spotted Bill at his desk, and her mind went blank. “Think…think…” she muttered under her breath.
She knocked on his door, and he looked up and greeted her with a smile. “Good afternoon, Charity.” He put his pen down and put his attention on her. “What can I do for you?”
“It’s what I can do for you.” She cringed; that sounded so cheesy. He chuckled softly, and she sighed. “I just really need to talk to you.”
He smiled. “I gathered that. What’s up?”
“I was wondering…I was hoping, actually, that we could discuss the possibility of getting more hours. I can work day…night…every weekend. I just really could use the extra money.”
He looked down at his desk. “I was waiting for you to come in here to talk to me.”
“You were?” she asked.
He nodded. “People talk and I have crunched all sorts of numbers, and I have looked into whether I could offer raises. I have tried to work out a schedule that I feel is fair, but the fact of the matter is…everyone could use some extra hours, and I just don’t have any to give.”
“What about Stella? She wants to go visit family. You could give her a vacation and those hours would be up for grabs.”
He nodded. “True, but we’re looking at a couple weeks. It wouldn’t be forever, and you would be back to where you started off. Plus, I can’t work you sixty hours in a week. You’d be burnt out and resenting me.”
She hadn’t thought about that, but he was right. She needed something more permanent that would offer more benefits and more money. “I don’t want to look for another job.”
“I don’t want you to look for another job, but in this economy, I would completely understand. You have to do what’s best for you and maybe down the line, I would have more to offer, but at the moment…I don’t. I hope you understand.”
She didn’t want to show her disappointment, but she couldn’t lie about the fact that it wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear. “Thank you for hearing me out.”
“Anytime, Charity.” He gave a weak smile, and she left his office. She had to fight for the tears not to fall, as they wanted to creep out of the corner of her eyes. She clocked in and walked out of the backroom. Now, she had no other decision to make but what job to apply for. She had to find something else.
***
When Derek got back to the office, he noticed Lily was already back. He headed to his office, and it wasn’t too long before she was at his door. “Did you have a nice lunch?” he asked.
She nodded. “I did…you?”
He smiled. “Refreshing. Thanks!”
“While we are gone, I received a call back from the records office, and they said the property has been abandoned for a little shy of four years. They’re doing some more digging to find the owner.”
“Hmmm…” He sat down at his desk. “I’ll have to talk to Jesse and see if he knows the statute of limitations on abandoned buildings. Keep me posted and thanks for the update.” When Lily continued to stand there, he turned his head to her. “Was there something else?”
She nodded and her facial expressions turned solemn. “I really don’t know how to tell you this.” She sat down in the chair across from him. This was never good. He could see it written on her face.
“Well, obviously something is bothering you. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything. You’re not just an employee. You’re a friend.”
She smiled. “The lunch today with Brayton wasn’t just about going to lunch with him. I’ve been holding back with the truth because I was scared to admit it, but he is moving to San Diego, and I decided to go with him.”
He gazed at her. This wasn’t the news he wanted or expected to hear. Lily had worked with him for nearly five years, and he couldn’t imagine finding someone that could handle the daily stress of the job as she could. Yet, he couldn’t keep her from following the one she loved, if that truly was what she wanted to do. “Wow. So, when do you leave?”
“Brayton goes in two weeks, and I told him that I would come whenever you get someone hired, and I get them trained. I won’t leave you in the lurch, so you take your time to find someone to replace me.”
“I don’t know that anyone can replace you. You’ve honestly been an amazing person to work with. I could never thank you enough.”
She blushed and looked down at her hands. “Well…honestly…you’ve taught me a lot, Derek.” She looked up and in the corner of her eye, there was a tear. “I’m going to miss you and Belfast.”
He stood up and walked over to where she sat. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she stood up. Without doubting his choice, he hugged her. “You’re going to be missed, Lily.”
She sighed, pulling back from the hug. “I…I have work to do.” She twirled on her heel and hurried out of his office. No doubt it was an emotional decision for her. He walked over to his chair and sat down, then picked up his phone and dialed the extension for human resources.
“This is Amanda.”
“Hey, Amanda. It’s Mayor Worthington. Lily is going to be turning in her two weeks notice, and I hope you can put out a notice that I’ll need another assistant.”
“Oh…I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll put it out right away.”
“Thank you!” He disconnected the call and stared at his computer. He hoped he could get applicants right away, because there was a lot of work to do and not a minute to lose.
***
Charity cleared a table when she noticed the door of the diner open. “Good afternoon, have a seat and—“ Her words fell off when she spotted Damian. He grinned at her. “Have a seat and I’ll be right with you.” She took the dirty dishes to the opening where the dishwasher would handle them and took a deep breath to approach him. Once she did, she didn’t hold back any punches. “Are you following me?” she asked between clenched teeth.
He chuckled. “I thought you’d see it that way. No, I’m not following you. I was hungry, and I noticed your nametag next to your bed before I was rushed out of your place. I thought I would give this place a try.” He winked at her. “Nothing harmful, it’s as simple as that. May I see a menu?”
“Oh…right.” She left the table and grabbed a menu, then walked it back to him. “Our specials are the butter burger basket and the shrimp plate.” She started to walk away from him when he grabbed her hand. “Do you mind?” she asked, glaring at him.
“I can’t stop thinking about last night and this morning. I thought maybe we could meet up tonight. What time do you get off?”
Her mouth dropped. “What? I told you this wasn’t something that would ever happen again.”
“I believe you said that you’re not that type of girl. Well, maybe I can change that.” He snickered and shrugged, confidently staring at her. “I’m willing to try.”
She crossed her arms. “You think you can charm a lady into changing? Get over yourself. It wasn’t that great.” She stormed away from the table and left him hanging. When she reached the counter, she spotted Tina.
“Who is that?” Tina asked.
Charity played it off nonchalantly. “No one special.”
The girl beside her laughed. “Right. It didn’t look like no one special.”
Charity couldn’t tell her it was just some guy she screwed to take her mind off of one of her many problems. She just shrugged it off. “Do me a favor?” Charity asked.
“Sure! What?”
“I’m not feeling the best. Will you take over his table?” Without waiting for a response, she hurried into the back room. She peeked out the window in the door to find that it didn’t take long before Tina had gone to his table. She breathed a sigh of relief and waited in the back room. She felt bad leaving the dirty work to her co-worker, but they weren’t busy, and she couldn’t face him again. About two minutes passed when the door swung open, and Tina walked inside.
“He’s gone.”
Charity frowned. “Gone?”
She nodded and handed a napkin to Charity. “He asked me to give you this.” Tina turned away and headed back into the Diner, and Charity opened up the closed napkin.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. If you change your mind, give me a call. Damian 472-5562.” She crumpled the napkin up and stuck it in her pants pocket. She had no intention of calling him, but she was relieved he chose to leave. She walked back into the diner and was ready to work.
Chapter 5
Derek texted Jesse before heading out of the office. He needed to talk to him about the abandoned building and see if they could figure out what the next step should be. Jesse arrived after supper, and Derek asked him to join him for a drink. He poured two scotches and handed one off to his friend, before sitting down. “Lily found out the building at the corner of Elm and 64th has been abandoned for four years. Do you know what the statute of limitations of that would be?”
The Inheritance (Forever Bound #1) Page 5