I knew he didn't hear me coming, and when he looked up, I almost stumbled. He was even cuter up close.
"My name's Olivia," I mumbled.
Nice going, I thought. That wasn't confident at all. He put his head back down in his arms without a word. I let out a huff. He was being rude.
"Do you have a name?" I asked.
"Zander," he answered from under his arms.
I leaned down in front of him.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"I'm fourteen," he said, as he lifted his head.
"What's your problem?" I asked.
"I didn't want to come here. My dad made us move. He took a stupid job here. I'm not staying any longer than I have to. As soon as I turn eighteen, I'm going back to New York."
"Come with me," I said, as I reached out my hand.
He rolled his eyes, and I shook my hand in his face. I heard him huff as he grabbed my hand and stood.
I took him to my spot. It was in the woods behind our houses. I was taking him to the one place I could think and get away from everything, and I hoped it wasn't something I would regret.
"It's not so bad here. I've lived here my whole life. You could at least give it a chance. This is my spot. My parents never come out here. You can come out here by yourself if you want."
He let out a laugh. I had chairs and a table set up. There were a couple of plastic boxes with books and other things in them.
"This is where you hang out," he said with a shake of his head. "Is this your idea of fun?"
"No," I snapped. "I don't like being in the house when my dad gets home from work. He's mean to my mom, and sometimes, he's mean to me. It's my place to be alone without either of them."
"I don't get along with my dad either," he said. "He's too busy telling me what I need to do. Nothing I do is ever right in his eyes."
We sat out there talking for hours. I heard a woman calling his name, and he stood up and looked down at me.
"You coming out here tomorrow, Livie?" he asked.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Olivia," I snapped with my face scrunched in disgust.
"Whatever," he said.
"I am," I said. "I come out here every day."
"I'll see you tomorrow then, Livie," he said.
I knew in that moment we were going to be friends, even if he was the most irritating boy I had ever met.
When I stood up, I walked over with a smile, ruffled his hair, and cocked my head to the side.
"You're not so bad. I'm going to marry you one day," I said with a huge smile.
I could be irritating too.
"What?" he yelled out, as I walked away.
"See you tomorrow, Z," I called back at him from over my shoulder.
Summer wasn't going to be so bad after all, I thought.
His Assistant – Part 1
Prologue
Brooke
As I sat in the front row of the funeral home, I could not help but think about her life. My mom passed away just two days before. A chill ran through my body, as I sniffed in the smell that surrounded me. I was glad there were only three flower arrangements delivered. It would have been hard to get any more than that back to the house. People came in and out of the room, letting me know how sorry they were. They all stood around telling stories about my mom. The entire room acted as if they knew her so well. She had been such a good friend to each of them, they claimed. I had to laugh, as I listened to the bullshit going on around me. None of them knew her. Not a single one of them were there for her. I can't remember any of them offering to help me through those two long, painful years. If they were such good friends, where the fuck were they when I needed help?
My mom was an amazing woman. She was a single mom at only twenty. I have no idea how she raised me alone. My father passed away in a car accident before she even had the chance to tell him she was pregnant. She admitted that I was a product of a one night stand but still planned on letting him know. There were no pictures of him for her to show me, and she didn't really know anything about him. My birth certificate did not list anyone as my father. How sad right?
I always loved to watch my friends with their dads and wished I could have met mine. I was always Brooke Smith, the little girl without a father. There are so many kids in the world with only one parent, but all of my friends had two.
My mom worked her ass off making sure I had what I needed. Sure we struggled all the time, but she made sure I had the necessities. I knew there were times she went without, so that I could have something I really wanted. She had more than one job at a time for as long as I could remember. I know she was often tired, but she never let it show. Dinner was always ready. I might have had to heat it up, but it was there when I got home from school. Thinking back, I don't ever remember her dating. She was always so busy working and raising me. It was just the two of us, but we made it work.
When I was fourteen, we moved to Michigan. That was where my mom's parents lived. We had only visited a few times when I was younger, so I didn't really know them very well. I talked to them on the phone sometimes, but that was about it. They seemed nice enough. We moved into their house with them. My mom said she wanted to be there to help them, because they were getting older. I really think she was tired of working so hard, and it was cheaper to live there. They were very loving right from the start. My grandmother made sure I ate well and rode me every day about my homework. It was nice to have two more people to love.
Everything was great for four years. My mom worked one job, so I was able to see her more. It was nice to see her with her parents. They seemed so happy to have her home. I often wondered why she moved away in the first place. Mom always said it was better for us to live where we had. I thought it would have been better with them. She must have had her reasons, right?
My high school years were great. Keeping my grades up was difficult, but I did it and was looking forward to college. I wanted to go into business and planned to eventually own my own company. Working for someone else didn't appeal to me at all. It was going to be great. I would be able to take care of my mom one day. Then she wouldn't have to work. She would be able to do all of the things she never had time for while she was raising me. I had been accepted to University of Michigan. It was going to be awesome to live in the dorms and be on my own.
Two days after my graduation, my grandparents were killed in a car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver who had crossed over the line. I never understood how people could make such bad decisions. Why risk other people's lives? I get that they want to drink, but why get behind the wheel of a car? My mom had a very hard time with their death. I did too. She felt bad for not being there for them before and regretted staying away for so long. It was horrible. I had just gotten to know them. They were such wonderful, caring people. I really missed them and always would. It would have been nice to have known them longer. We should have been there.
They willed the house to my mom and me. We wanted to stay there. It was where she had grown up and where I had gotten to know them. I decided to stay home and commute to school, so my mom wouldn't be alone. It wouldn't have been that long of a drive each day, but my mom as adamant that I still dorm my first year. She didn't want me to miss out on experiencing the fun side of college life. I knew I would make sure to go home most weekends. It was going to be strange being away from her.
I jumped when I felt someone touch my leg. It was the funeral director. I had almost forgotten where I was. It was easy to block out all of the noise around me. I wanted the day to be over more than you can imagine. It was so hard to sit there while everyone talked about my mom like they knew her. They were all going to leave that day and go on with their lives. By the time they got home, they would be done thinking about her and be busy thinking about what they were going to make for dinner. She deserved better than that. I was relieved when the director asked me to go into his office to sign something. It was tiring being around all of the fake people surr
ounding my mom's ashes, pretending to care.
The viewing would be over in fifteen minutes. Then, I would take my mom's urn and ashes home where they belonged. Before she passed, we agreed to only one day of visitation. I wanted her to have a large funeral and burial, but she refused to agree with me. She wanted to be cremated and have just a short visitation. I know she thought it would be easier for me. After sitting all day in a room full of strangers, I had to agree with her. It would have been too hard for me to sit with her body in front of me for longer than a day.
I know it wasn't fair of me to think negatively about all of the people who came to pay their respects, but that didn't change the way I felt. She had worked with some of them. A few of them were my grandparents' friends. Some of my mom's high school friends came. I'm not sure how they found out. I didn't put anything in the paper. My mom was strict on her direction for that. It was not to happen. I couldn't figure out why. Again, I'm sure she had her reasons.
She was never one to explain her feelings. All she ever said was “I have my reasons.”
When the last person left, I was so relieved. It had finally ended. Everything that I had known for so long was over. What was I going to do with my life?
Chapter 1
Brooke
Two Weeks Later
As I sat in the reception area of Luke Technologies, I could not stop my hands from shaking. I was waiting to interview for a secretary position. Would I see him? Would he be there for the interview? His company was in a very nice building. I was surprised to find out it was only twenty minutes from my house. It took me a week to gather the nerve to apply for a job there. I was so relieved to find something available that fit with my resume. My legs shook as I waited patiently. Hopefully, I wouldn't start sweating or embarrass myself. I didn't want to give anything away.
You're probably wondering how I ended up there. I was surprised myself.
The day after my mother's viewing; I woke up and remembered what she had said to me the night she passed away. I was snuggling next to her in her bed. She hadn't spoken for most of the day and was very weak. I felt her squeeze my hand and looked over at her.
“I love you so much, Brooke,” she said. “You know that right?”
I could barely understand her words.
“Yes mom,” I answered. “I love you too.”
“In the attic is a box with your name on it. It's right inside the door. After I'm gone, I want you to open it. Promise me you'll wait until after my viewing.”
Her voice was so weak. What could she have in a box? It was probably stuff from my childhood. Maybe it was something she had saved for me.
“I promise mom. What is it?” I asked.
“I love you. You'll always be my baby girl. You're my everything,” she said. “Please remember that. Everything I have ever done was for you. I want your dreams to come true, Brooke. I love you.”
“I love you too mom. You're the best mom a girl could have. I could never doubt your love.”
That was the last thing we said to each other, as she drifted off for the last time.
I hadn't thought about those words since that night. Those few had past in a blur. Everything seemed like a dream. As the sun lit up the room, I thought about her words. What could she possibly have in the attic? I missed her so much. She was my best friend. We had grown so close over the past two years. Maybe it was memories of us together.
I couldn't wait any longer to find out what my mother had kept for me. Slowly, I opened the door and turned the flashlight on. On the floor was a box, just off to the right. It had my name on it. That must be the box she was talking about, I thought. I picked it up and carried it out of the attic and down the stairs. Letting out a huge breath, I opened the lid. The box was full. On top of what was inside was tissue paper. Why did she cover the contents? On top of the tissue paper was an envelope with my name on it. I picked up the envelope and sat down on the couch to prepare myself and my emotions. Slowly, I pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it. I was not even close to prepared for what I was about to read.
A Love Rekindled (The Game of Love #1)
Chapter 1
Jessica
Jessica stood as she looked at herself in the mirror. It was Friday night, and she had been invited to a Christmas party. Her friend Linda, from work, was having all of her friends over for an evening celebration. Jessica had not been out in months. Her friends from work tried to get her to go out with them often, but she always turned them down. She liked being at home with her son. He was her everything. That was what she had always told them.
Her sister Renee talked her into going to the party. She knew Jessica needed to get out and have a little grown up time. Renee was two years younger than Jessica, and they had been best friends their entire lives. Anytime Jessica needed her little sister, she was there. Renee volunteered to watch her favorite nephew for the night, so that that Jessica would go out and be with her friends. Jessica didn't want to hurt her friend Linda's feelings, so she agreed to go to the party. She figured if she stayed for a few minutes, she could leave without anyone noticing.
The doorbell rang and snapped Jessica from her thoughts. She ran and opened the door. It was her sister Renee. She had her hands full of pizza boxes and bags.
“Where is my favorite nephew?” Renee called out.
“I'm right here,” a cute, little, brown haired, blue eyed boy shouted, as he ran up to hug her.
“I brought pizza, soda, popcorn, and candy,” she said. “We are going to have some fun.”
The little boy laughed and ran back into the living room.
“You better not feed him all of that stuff,” Jessica snapped.
“We are going to have fun. I don't get to spend as much time with him now,” Renee said. “Go get ready for your party.”
“I am ready,” Jessica said.
“You are wearing jeans a sweater to a party with your work friends?” Renee asked.
“I am not staying long. This is fine,” Jessica said.
“No,” Renee said, as she put the boxes and most of the bags down.
There was a dress bag wrapped around her arm. She held it out with another bag toward her sister.
“This is what you are wearing,” Renee said. “Go get dressed.”
Jessica blew out a sigh, took the stuff from her sister, and headed to her bedroom. What did it matter what she wore, she thought? There was nobody she needed to impress. She wasn't even planning to stay. Aggravated, she took off her clothes and pulled out the dress. It was beautiful, she thought. The dress was knee length and a very pretty red. Jessica put it on and looked into the mirror. She smiled at herself. It did look much better than jeans. The front was a little lower cut than she would have liked. Her sister always wore things more revealing than her, so she was not surprised. In the bag was a pair of heels, necklace, and very cute little round earrings. She put everything on and finished getting ready.
As she looked at herself, she started to feel a little better about going out. She decided to do her hair and put on a little more makeup. By the time she was done, she had a huge smile on her face. Maybe it would be a fun night after all. She would do her best to have a great time. It was the first time she had been out in months, and she was actually looking forward to it. She felt pretty.
Jessica walked into the kitchen and her sister let out a whistle.
“Now, you are ready,” Renee said, as she laughed. “You look beautiful. That dress was made for you. It shows all of your amazing curves, and your ass looks juicy.”
“Thank you,” Jessica said, as she laughed. “I am glad you approve of my ass. It is a beautiful dress. You have such good taste.”
“Of course I do,” Renee laughed. “Go have a great time. We will be here having fun. Please try to enjoy yourself.”
“I will,” Jessica said. “I feel weird that I don't have a date. I don't want to be the only single woman there.”
“I'm sure you won't be the only one
without a date,” Renee said. “Maybe there will be a super sexy hottie there for you. If not you can always go home with John from work. He has been into you forever.”
“That's not funny,” Jessica replied. “You know I don't feel that way toward him.”
“Get out of here,” Renee said. “Don't do anything I wouldn't do.”
They both laughed as Jessica hugged her son and left for the party.
Chapter 2
Jessica
Jessica pulled up to her friend Linda's house. She parked her car as she thought about her life. Since high school, she had accomplished so much and was proud of herself. She had gotten a job in an office as a scared teenager. Seven years later, she had worked herself into management. She had become strong and confident. That scared little girl was gone. She owned her own home and had taken care of her and her son. Surely, she could get through a tiny party.
She let out a deep, nervous breath as she got out of her car. Only stay for a little while, and then you can leave. She had no idea why she was so nervous about going alone. Her friends at work knew she was single. It was not a big secret. She still felt weird about going into the party without a date. Jessica walked up the steps to the front door and froze. Maybe she should just go back home, she thought. Before she could turn around, the door swung open, and Linda reached out and grabbed her arm.
Linda pulled her into the house. There was music playing and laughter everywhere. Linda had her house decorated for the holiday, with cute things everywhere. Jessica was surprised at how many people were already there. The party had just started. Linda walked her to the bar area so she knew where to get her drinks. Then, she pulled her off to meet people. Jessica had no idea how she was going to remember all of the names Linda was throwing at her. She met so many new people. Linda was so proud of her party, and she was having such a great time.
Jessica laughed as she walked over to her group of friends from work. She was the manager in their department, but nobody would ever know watching them. They all got along really well. Tammy, Leslie, and John were already there. Their friend Heather would be there later with her date. A few more people were supposed to be going also. They were surprised to see her all dressed up. She felt beautiful for the first time in a long time. John ran off and came back with a drink for her. He made sure to tell her how beautiful she looked. She took the drink and thanked him. He was very nice to her. She did not know why she had not given him a chance. He really liked her and was always concerned with her and how she was doing. It was not that he was not attractive. Many of the ladies at work liked him. He was tall and muscular. His hair was dark and his eyes were blue. He was very attractive. No matter how many times she turned him down, he still tried to get her to go out with him. He would laugh and joke about it, but she knew he was serious. She thought he was super sweet. Her sister thought she was crazy for not going out with him. Renee would joke about how good he would be in bed. Jessica would always tell her to be quiet. Jessica caught him looking at her several times during the party as they all talked. There was nothing wrong with him. If she was going to date, he would be her first choice. Jessica didn't care how many times he asked her out, she would always say no. Love was not in her future. She saw no reason to put her heart out there for someone to tear it up and throw it back at her. Her life was just fine the way it was.
Built for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #5) Page 20