by Sherri Hayes
Well, she was getting her wish, one way or another. Tomorrow she would find out more about her upstairs neighbor.
Chris’s life wasn’t getting any easier. No matter if he stayed late at the office or if he brought is work home, he couldn’t seem to do anything but fall more and more behind.
There was no two ways about it; he was going to have to call a temp agency first thing Monday morning. Placing an ad and doing interviews himself would just take too long. He needed someone now.
Currently he was sitting at his kitchen table surrounded by stacks of paperwork. To his left were three potential jobs he needed to research and decide if he was going to put in a bid. On his right sat bills that he’d discovered during one of his frantic searches for something else, which now urgently needed to be paid. Directly in front of him were three different piles with everything from accounts receivable to a message from his mother.
For the next four hours he tried to get through as much as he could and even managed to get checks written and envelopes made out for all of the unpaid bills. All he had to do now was take them to the post office and mail them come Monday. He’d also been able to look at two of the three jobs up for bid and dismissed one right away.
It was only his stomach’s rumbling that caused him to look up at the clock. It was Sunday and that meant dinner with Jan. She’d been feeding him every Sunday since he’d moved in, except for when he drove down to see his parents. It was a tradition they both enjoyed.
And according to the clock, he was late.
After putting the finishing touches on her pineapple upside down cake and making sure she was dressed appropriately, Elizabeth carefully walked downstairs. She was nervous, but it didn’t make a lot of sense, really. Jan was going to be there, and it wasn’t as if Chris was going to attack her or anything. With one last deep breath, she knocked on Jan’s door.
Faster than she would have thought possible, Jan opened the door and ushered her inside. “You didn’t have to bring anything, dear. I invited you.”
“I know, but it didn’t feel right coming empty-handed.”
Jan chuckled. “Why don’t you find a place to put it in the kitchen? I think there’s a little space left on the counter, although you might have to move things around a bit.”
She nodded and walked with her cake into the kitchen. Almost every surface was covered, but with a little maneuvering, she was able to find a spot big enough beside the refrigerator.
There was a small picture sitting on a shelf over the sink that caught her eye. The woman in the picture was Jan—a much younger version, but still recognizable. The man in the picture towered over her, but it wasn’t their difference in size that caught her attention. It was the look on his face. Something she had longed for in her own marriage. Joy. The couple in the picture appeared to be totally absorbed in each other. It was almost magical.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
When she heard Chris arrive, her nerves took over again. Then she reminded herself that she knew he’d be here, and she could have declined. Her original plan to avoid him had already failed anyway. It had been less than a week, and they had crossed paths more than she had in a month with her previous neighbors.
She was going to have to work through this fear that gripped her every time she saw him. It might help if he didn’t act angry every time he saw her. Maybe all they needed to do was get to know one another. Not too much though. She just wanted him to stop being angry with her and for her to stop jumping out of her skin every time she heard him walk past her door or bumped into him on the stairs. With a steadying breath, she walked back out.
What’s she doing here? was his first angry thought when she walked into the room. Okay, that wasn’t true. His first thought involved doing things to her that might even make Jan blush, and that was mighty hard to do. Of course, that just made him even angrier. Why couldn’t he just block out this woman’s effect on him or something? He didn’t even know her!
“Did you find a place for your cake?” Jan asked her.
Instead of answering, Elizabeth just continued to stare at him like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide.
“Elizabeth, dear? Are you all right?”
She finally snapped out of it. “Oh. Yes. I did, thank you.”
Chris watched her chest rise and fall under her shirt. Even though it was loose fitting, like all her clothes seemed to be, it didn’t help, and in fact only made him more eager to find out what was underneath.
What the . . .
He stopped those thoughts right in their tracks. Elizabeth Marshall was off limits. It was already decided. But for some reason, his body was having difficulty grasping that concept.
Thankfully, Jan asked him to help bring the food to the table.
Over dinner Jan kept the conversation going, and he kept a covert eye on Elizabeth, but tried not to address her directly unless he couldn’t avoid it. Jan seemed to want them to get to know each other, but it was the last thing he wanted. She’d suck him in just as Carol had, and that wasn’t happening again.
Jan asked what her plans were now that she’d moved to a new town, and Elizabeth mentioned she was going to start looking for a job tomorrow. That’s when Jan very nicely informed her of his need of a new assistant. She played it up, sharing how much he’d been working lately, how desperate he was. He began to get suspicious.
Sure enough, she dropped the bomb he might never forgive her for. “Elizabeth would be the perfect solution to your problem, Chris. She needs a job and you need an assistant. These long days are going to catch up with you soon.”
He just looked at Jan, dumbfounded and coming dangerously close to yelling at the woman he’d always thought of as a second mother.
“Don’t you think she’d be perfect?” she said again, looking at him with innocent eyes.
Perfect. That was a word he didn’t want to explore when it came to the woman sitting across from him, since his body was currently telling him the exact same thing.
He contemplated all the reasons he shouldn’t offer her a job, even if it was just until he could find someone else, but Jan was right. He was going to run himself down quickly if he continued to work these long hours.
Finally he took the plunge, hoping he didn’t regret it. “I could use the help if you’re up for it—just until I find someone else,” he said hastily. There was no way he could handle seeing her every day and not drag her into his office and—
Closing his eyes, he willed those thoughts out of his head.
Elizabeth didn’t answer right away. She was stunned. How did a simple invitation to Sunday dinner become a job offer? And from a man who scared her on a level she couldn’t even begin to understand.
She realized they were both staring at her, waiting for her answer. The job itself sounded simple enough. It didn’t have anything to do with her degree in public relations, but she’d answered phones in a vet’s office the summer after high school. It couldn’t be that different. Besides, she had to start somewhere, right? Jared had forbidden her from working. For one, it would have given her too much independence, and for another, there was his reputation he wanted to protect. She wasn’t even sure her degree would mean much now since she’d never used it. “I . . . don’t know. I mean, I don’t really have much experience.”
Jan waved her hand dismissively. “Nonsense. You’re an intelligent person and quite pleasant. You can file, can’t you?”
“Well, yes,” she said.
“Answer the phone? Take messages?”
“Yes.”
“Can you count money? Balance a checkbook?”
“Of course I can,” she said indignantly, sitting up straighter.
“It’s settled then.” Jan smiled, looking pleased with herself.
As the impact of what just happened hit her, she turned introspective and didn’t say much for the rest of the afternoon, excusing herself as soon as she could manage without being impolite. She needed to think.
What in the world have I gotten myself into? Chris thought as he watched Elizabeth leave. Some part of his brain acknowledged the logic of Jan’s plan, but it was getting lost in all the reasons why this was a bad idea.
“Do you mind telling me what it is you find wrong with Elizabeth?” Jan asked as soon as they were alone.
He stood and took his dessert plate to the sink. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Go sell that line of bull to the guys that work for you, ‘cause I’m not buying.”
He loved Jan, he really did, but this was not a discussion he was going have with her. Besides, there wasn’t anything to talk about. He’d just hired Elizabeth Marshall despite his better judgment. Now all he had to do was find a way to keep his hands off her and his mind focused on his work. No problem. He hoped.
The entire morning, Elizabeth was a nervous wreck. Every time she replayed yesterday in her mind, she panicked again. Jan had somehow made working for Chris sound like a good idea. What had she been thinking? It wasn’t as if she had to get a job right this very minute or face starvation or anything.
But Jan had mentioned how much Chris had been working lately, and how desperate he was in need of help. Maybe his anger wasn’t anger at all. Maybe it was frustration due to how overwhelmed he was at work. Stress can do funny things to people.
Trying to calm down, she concentrated on getting ready. This was only temporary after all. She could do this. Besides, it would be worth it if it made for a better neighbor.
After searching her entire closet, she picked out a pair of cream-colored pants with a blue shirt that looked very professional.
As she looked at herself in the mirror, she could hear Jared’s voice telling her that while her breasts looked good, she needed to spend more time at the gym toning her butt and thighs. The tears formed in her eyes before she could stop them.
Why can’t he just leave me alone?
Pulling herself together, she went back to getting ready. She was just putting her new earrings in when there was a knock on her door. The sound brought with it a whole new wave of anxiety.
Chris was driving her to work today. It only made sense, but she had no idea how she was going be in a car alone with him. He’d been nice enough yesterday, not as scary as before, but still, between his size and always being angry, he made her nervous.
I can do this, she thought, looking at her reflection, and with one last calming breath, she went to answer the door.
Chris waited impatiently for Elizabeth. He wasn’t late, but he had a nervous energy he only got when he was running late for a meeting or under a hard deadline. He pulled on the collar of his dress shirt, willing her to hurry up already so he could get this over with.
He’d done a lot of thinking last night and had decided that the best way to handle this was to show Elizabeth where everything was and then leave her to it. There was more than enough work on his desk to keep him busy for the rest of the day, and once she got her bearings, he wouldn’t need to have much contact with her. Although he knew he was being naive, he was trying to find a silver lining to this situation he’d gotten himself into.
Just as he was about to knock again, she opened the door.
From the moment he saw her, he knew he was in trouble with a capital T. What she wore had him shifting uncomfortably in his seat the entire drive.
What got him most of all was that the outfit was completely appropriate for work. Carol had been all about pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable, especially with the clothing she wore. Elizabeth was driving him crazy without having gone through much effort. So why am I ready to press her down into the seat and devour her?
It was better once they got to work. At least he could get a little breathing room.
She was better than he’d expected. By noon she had all the filing caught up, and when he’d asked her for a phone number, she’d been able to produce it in less than five minutes. To say he was impressed was an understatement.
Five o’clock rolled around, and for the first time in a week, he didn’t feel as if the weight of the world were pressing down on him. There was still work to take home, but it was a third of his usual load, and it was all thanks to Elizabeth.
So far she’d been nothing like Carol. She was smart, beautiful, and willing to work. It still didn’t mean he was thrilled with her being his employee, his neighbor, or the woman who was haunting his thoughts, but he was willing to admit that maybe he’d been wrong about her. Maybe.
Her first day had not been what Elizabeth had expected. Chris had shown her around and then left her to her own devices except when he’d needed something.
The first thing she’d noticed was just how unorganized everything was. It was a wonder he could find anything in that mess. Only one corner of her desk was visible for all the stacks of paper. At least fifty sticky notes littered the desk and were scattered among the papers. Thankfully, she noticed the majority were from the same people. It would make resolving those issues much easier if she didn’t have to make fifty calls.
Filing became her number one task. She couldn’t get a clear picture of everything until the papers were off her desk.
The morning passed by in a blur as she learned where everything went and put it in its proper place. Chris came out to check on her at noon, and informed her that he’d ordered in lunch and it would arrive soon. Other than that and having her track down a phone number for him in the afternoon, he’d left her alone.
When they arrived home that night, he’d politely said goodnight to her before disappearing into his own apartment. She was left completely confused when it came to him. Nothing about Chris appeared to be simple. It was difficult to fit the man she’d worked for today with the one who’d all but bit her head off last week. She was beginning to think her theory about his mood being work related, and not about her, was correct.
Elizabeth slipped off her heels and walked into the kitchen to make dinner. As she chopped and sautéed the vegetables for her stir-fry, she thought of her parents. She needed to visit their gravesite. It had been too long. With everything else going on in her life, she’d not made the trip to the old cemetery since she had decided to move. That had been two months ago.
After putting the finishing touches on her dinner, Elizabeth took her plate to the small kitchen table. So much was different now, but it was for the better. She wanted to share that with her parents. She needed to. Without thinking about it further, she made plans to make the thirty-minute drive to the cemetery just outside of London this weekend.
Chris woke up Friday drenched in sweat, just has he had for the last three mornings. Elizabeth was haunting him, truly haunting him. He couldn’t get away from her.
Every morning when she’d answer the door, he’d hold his breath to see what outfit she had on. Yesterday it had been a pencil skirt and blouse. Again, everything was completely work appropriate. Her skirt came down to her knees with only a small slit in the back. It wasn’t her fault the slit showed off just enough skin to drive him nuts. Her blouse was beyond conservative, but it couldn’t hide what was underneath. Every time she moved, it seemed, his body reacted.
He wanted to peel those layers of clothes from her body to see what lay hidden, and that wasn’t good at all. He was her boss. As if that wasn’t enough, she was a woman. Okay, that was a given otherwise he wouldn’t be having issues below his belt. That didn’t change the facts. She was torturing him. Women were nothing but trouble and to be avoided. Life was much simpler without them.
His brain broadcasted that message loud and clear. Now, if he could only get the rest of him to get with the program.
Turning on the shower, he tried to push the thoughts of Elizabeth out of his mind. He had a meeting today with the Beckmans, a couple who wanted to construct a home on their own lot. It seemed straightforward, but you never knew in this business. It was good to expect the unexpected.
The drive to work had been another quiet one. Elizabeth rarely spoke, b
ut then again, neither did he. It was almost as if the confined space of his truck was too much, too close.
At ten, the Beckmans walked through the doors of the small office. Elizabeth greeted them, and he was, once again, amazed. He could tell the couple was nervous by the way each were shifting from one foot to the other as they waited, however, Elizabeth managed to put them at ease. By the time he’d picked up his notes and walked back out to greet them, they were both smiling.
Elizabeth sat in on the meeting, taking notes and offering advice when the couple openly included her in their discussion. He found himself fascinated by her smile, something she rarely did around him. A yearning to see more of it gripped his chest before he forced his attention back to the paper in front of him. In the end, the couple signed the contract. He had a new client. And if he were honest with himself, Elizabeth played just as big a role in that as all the marketing brochures on his company had.
Elizabeth tucked her purse under her arm before exiting the vehicle. The cemetery was empty as far as she could tell, but she never felt comfortable leaving her belongings unattended in a public place.
The walk to her parents’ grave was short. Their tombstone was only about twenty feet from the small drive. She stopped once she reached them and knelt down, running her fingers over the engraved letters. Marshall. Gary and Bethany.
She could feel the tears well up in her eyes as she felt the cool granite. It happened every time she saw their names.
“Hi, Mom and Dad. I miss you.”
The wind carried her words away, but that was okay. She knew her parents had heard her anyway.
“I moved. You’d like the house. Only the second floor is mine, but it’s really nice. And I got a job. I’m not sure how I feel about that yet. I like the job, but Chris . . . my boss . . . well, he’s a little confusing.” She paused not sure she wanted to go there even with her dead parents. Instead, she took a deep breath and whispered, “I really wish you two were here.”