by Tia Wylder
Elizabeth stormed back inside, slamming the door behind her. “Ugh!” She huffed to herself. He made her so mad! Childish? She was being childish? Elizabeth stomped her foot on the ground and crossed her arms over her chest. She caught her reflection in the glass of the oven door. Childish. She looked like a little kid throwing a tantrum. Elizabeth quickly lowered her arms. Fine. If that was what he thought of her, then she would have to prove him wrong. She could act more mature.
Chapter 9: Potential
Derrick shut the door behind him. His fists were still clenched as he dug a beer out of the fridge. Embarrassment and shame burned his skin. How dare she bring up Catherine? He chugged the alcohol angrily. Had it really been four years now? It seemed like only a few months had passed. He had buried himself in work and meaningless sex as a distraction from the pain she had caused him. When he married her, he had meant for it to last. As soon as he had found out about the affair, everything had changed. It was like a switch had been flipped inside of him, cutting off all the love he had for her. She had betrayed his trust. Something like that couldn’t be rebuilt.
It was his anger and resentment towards Catherine and her lover that had made him promise never to date an employee, or anyone really. Now, this girl next door was in the picture, and he was on the brink of breaking his promise. She was impulsive, childish, and lacked any sort of real plan for her life. She was everything he hated in a person, so why was he so drawn to her?
His thoughts wandered back to her first night in that house when the alarm went off. She had been so beside herself and frazzled. It was easy to tease her and get under her skin. She wore her emotions on her sleeve and fought for what she believed in. Her first day on the job, she had gone viral in a coffee shop defending him. Derrick smiled remembering the video footage. She was so passionate, and despite himself he craved that. He had become so closed off to love ever since the divorce. Being exposed to someone with that much life in them was entrancing.
Maybe four years was long enough to punish himself. Maybe he had paid his penance for failing at his marriage. The truth was, he blamed himself for Catherine cheating. He had always felt if he had just done more then maybe she would have been satisfied. That was why he had thrown so much of himself into his business. He needed something in his life that he could control when everything else fell apart. Now, here he was calling Lizzie childish when he had been running away from his own emotions for four years. If there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was a hypocrite.
Derrick peered out his window towards Elizabeth’s house. She wasn’t bringing any more boxes out. If she could set aside her childishness and show up at work tomorrow, then he could set aside his own issues and give her a chance. It would show she was at least trying to improve herself after he pointed out a flaw. He pounded down the rest of his beer.
The next day, Derrick got out of bed early and dressed himself for work. For the first time in years, he was looking forward to work for more than one reason. Nerves rolled in his stomach. He hadn’t been this hopeful about a woman in years. Now all she had to do was show up.
He paced back and forth at the office, waiting. In his excitement, he had shown up early. He checked his watch one more time. Derrick silently prayed for her to walk through the door. Each person who came in offered false hope. The minutes ticked by. There were only a few minutes left now before she was either late or not coming at all. A sad boulder of disappointment sat on his chest. He turned to walk back to his office when the sound of heels clicking across the tiles caught his attention. Derrick turned towards the door hopefully.
It was her! Elizabeth had worn a simple black dress with no frills or trace of childish abandon. She was all sharp lines and strictly secured hair wrapped up in a neat bun. She had taken his criticism to heart. He fought to keep his joy from showing too vividly on his face.
“Miss Adams, may I speak with you for a moment?”
“Yes, Mr. Page.” Her tone was cold and removed. It hurt him more than he expected.
He led her to his office so that they could talk alone. A thin layer of sweat had formed on his palms. It had been so long since he had asked a woman out for a proper date. He was out of practice. “I see you made it in today.”
“Yes, sir. I realized that you were right, and it was time for me to put away my childish emotions.” Her voice and face were bland as she spoke. Her spark was missing. “Did you have something work related to talk with me about? I really should be getting started.”
“I guess that will be all then.” Derrick couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not like this. She was being so distant with him. Everything felt wrong. He hadn’t wanted her to change completely. “Lizzie, it wasn’t my attention to hurt your feelings yesterday, I—”
Elizabeth held up her hand, “Not at all, Mr. Page. No need to explain. I should be going now.” She opened the door and left him standing there with an ache in his chest.
His computer chimed. Derrick clicked to open the attachment of the email that had just come through. The picture of him holding her from the photoshoot. The Page Industries logo was placed in the bottom righthand corner with the slogan, “Page Industries: Luxury Awaits,” written in curling letters. As he stared at the picture, he realized that the couple in the photo could become an actual reality. He had to admit, they looked good together. A smile crept across his face as he stared at her. Determination settled in his heart. He had to win her over, no matter what it took.
Chapter 10: Leap of Faith
Maturity was not Elizabeth’s strong suit. She felt boxed in and confined. Even if she appeared calm on the outside, she was still a jumbled mess on the inside. Seeing Derrick still made her heart jump involuntarily. It was hard to keep her composure in front of him. She couldn’t bear to hear him utter excuses for why he had shut her down yesterday, so she bolted.
Miranda caught her in the hallway, “Hey, where are you going?”
“I’m going to get the intern training I’ve missed the last two days.”
“Mr. Page just called an emergency meeting.”
“What? Why?” Had something happened to him? She quickly followed her friend to the auditorium, biting her lip in apprehension.
The building was crammed into the seats by the time they got there. Derrick was leaning against the wall, waiting for something. A hush fell over the room. Elizabeth felt like his eyes were staring into her, but she pushed the thought quickly out of her mind. Thinking like that was going to get her nowhere. She needed to put that behind her.
“I want to thank you all for coming here today.” Derrick’s voice boomed across the room. “I want to thank one of you. Even though she had only been with us one day, she has already helped our company and myself move forward.” He pressed a button, and the picture of the new ad popped up on the electronic whiteboard behind him. “Miss Adams, I owe you an apology. I told you that you were childish, and while that may be true, it is your passion that sets you apart from everyone else. Even if you have emotional outbreaks, that is part of the core of who you are. The truth is, you were right about me, too. I’ve been childish in my own way. Today, I would like to take a big step towards fixing that part of myself. Elizabeth, would you do me the honor of going on a date with me?”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened in shock. He had called her by her real name and asked her out in front of the whole company. Her heart felt like a hummingbird. She sat there mortified and astounded until Miranda nudged her in the ribs with her elbow. “Y-yes.”
The room erupted with applause. There were a few jealous glances from some of the other women, but for the most part everyone was just excited that Derrick was finally making a step towards his own personal happiness. He had put himself on the back burner for so long. He deserved to be happy.
Derrick smiled, “Meeting adjourned!” As people began to file out, he locked eyes with Elizabeth. Her face was beet red, but she was smiling.
“I’ll meet up with you later.” Miranda winked at he
r and left the room.
When they were the only two left, Elizabeth wandered down to where he was still waiting, “The ad turned out nice.”
“I think so, too.” He glanced over his shoulder to admire it. “So how about tonight?”
“Tonight?”
“For our date.”
“Oh!” Elizabeth giggled “Yeah, tonight works perfect.”
Derrick flashed her a crooked smile, “Great. I’ll cook you dinner. Meet me at my place at six.”
“What should I bring?”
“You forget. I’ve seen the inside of your place. I bet if you even own any pots and pans they are still stashed in boxes somewhere. Just bring yourself.” He caressed her cheek with his thumb and then pulled away, leaving her craving his touch.
Once he was out of the room, Elizabeth placed one hand on the cheek he had touched and squealed. She did a goofy happy dance and let the excitement wash over her. She couldn’t believe this was really happening. She had a date with Derrick Page!
Chapter 11: Kiss the Cook
Every piece of clothing Elizabeth owned was strewn in a chaotic cyclone around her living room. It was almost six, and she still had no idea what she was going to wear. She glanced around frantically. This was a special occasion. She needed something that would make a good impression. Her eyes landed on a slip of pink fabric peeking out from under a pile of blouses. Bingo. She grabbed the fabric and pulled it out. It was a light pink dress trimmed with lace, the perfect mix of classy and fun. Elizabeth pulled the dress on and adjusted herself. She glanced in the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her in excited anxiety. She felt like a school girl again.
The walk to Derrick’s house seemed longer due to her anticipation. She wondered what the inside of his house looked like. Fighting back another excited squeal, she pressed the doorbell. After a minute, the door opened. Derrick had a wooden spoon in one hand and a dishtowel tossed over one shoulder. The smell of rich tomato sauce wafted out to greet her.
“Come in! You look beautiful.”
“Thanks, so do you. Handsome, I mean.” She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She was already making a fool of herself.
“Dinner is cooking. I’ll bring some wine to the living room. Have a seat.” He showed her to a room filled with slivers and blacks. It was clear that most of his business buildings had been styled after his own personal taste.
The alluring smell of garlic and cheese drew her attention. “It smells great.”
“Thank you. I hope you like Italian.” He handed her a glass of wine and sat down next to her.
“Love it.” She took a sip to fill the silence. She wasn’t sure what to talk about. Her whole body felt like a ball of nerves.
Derrick smiled at her timid nature. “I have a question.”
“I have an answer.” Her eyes sparkled as she repeated back the line he had used on her earlier.
“Why do you want to be a concierge so badly? Of all the things you could do, why is that your dream job?”
Elizabeth cupped her wine glass in her hands. “Do you remember the story I told you about getting lost in the woods during a storm when I was little?”
“Yes. I remember.”
“After I was found and my parents were looked over at the hospital, they needed a few days to recover before they could travel back home. We ended up staying in a hotel during that time. I was young, and my parents needed rest, so the concierge would set up board games and play cards with me behind the front desk. She helped me make the best of a tough situation, and that really stuck with me. I want to be a concierge so that maybe someday I can repay that same kindness to someone else. When you work in a hotel, you meet people from all over the world who are dealing with so many different things. I want to help them.” A small smile pulled her lips into a bow as she remembered it fondly.
“You’re beautiful.” His words surprised her, and her face tinted to match her dress. She tried to look away, but his hand caught her chin and pulled it up. Their eyes met. He could see her bosom rising and falling faster. “I mean that. You are a beautiful person. Inside and out.” He leaned in to kiss her. One hand cupped her face while the other found the small of her back to secure her in place. Just as their lips were about to touch, a buzzer sounded from the kitchen. Derrick’s head dropped. “Hold that thought.” He got up to check on the food.
Elizabeth took a swig of her wine to calm her nerves. The doorbell rang. She pulled her glass away from her face, “I’ll get it.”
Her feet carried her to the door while Derrick was in the kitchen. She pulled the door open. On the front porch was a blonde woman and a little boy with very familiar dark curls. The boy brushed past her without a second glance. His backpack bounced as he walked. The woman glared at her and looked her over with disdain.
“Can I help you?” Elizabeth checked over her shoulder to see where the little boy had gone and then looked at the woman in front of her again.
“Daddy!” The little boy’s voice carried back to Elizabeth. Daddy? She didn’t know he had a kid! She wasn’t prepared for this at all.
Derrick’s voice answered, a little confused, “Hey, buddy! Is your mom here?” He came back out of the kitchen and saw the woman standing in front of Elizabeth. The kid went off to amuse himself in the living room. “Catherine, what are you doing here?”
Catherine put her hands on her hips, “Last night was your night, and you canceled. I had to miss a date with Mason, so if you can change up the arrangement whenever you please, then so can I.”
“I told you, the weather was too bad. I wouldn’t have been back in time to pick him up from school. I didn’t want him to have to wait there when I didn’t even know if I could make it home.”
“Well, tonight you get to make up for it. And just so you know, I don’t want your flavor of the week around my son.” Catherine shot a hateful glare at Elizabeth.
“Hey, Charlie is my son, too. You know I wouldn’t bring him around something like that. If you had let me know you were bringing him over tonight, I would have rescheduled.”
“Whatever. Make sure he eats dinner.” Catherine turned, brushing him off and got in her car.
Derrick closed the door silently and whispered to Elizabeth. “I am so sorry about this. I had no idea she was bringing him over. I know this is a lot to take in.”
“You have a son.”
“Yes.”
“You have a son, and his name is Charlie.”
“Yes.”
“You have a son, and his name is Charlie, and you didn’t tell me.”
“Yes. Elizabeth, I’m sorry. I haven’t dated in four years. He has never met any of the girls I’m typically with because I don’t want to parade women around in front of him. I want him to grow up to respect women. I would have told you about him when I was ready. I just don’t want him to get attached to someone if it turns out they won’t be around very long.”
She took a deep breath, still trying to adjust. “I understand. It’s just a bit of a shock. What do you want to do now? He’s already seen me.”
Derrick nodded, “Would it be okay with you if I just introduced you as my friend? I don’t want to hurt your feelings. That is not my intention. I’m just trying to protect my kid.”
The selfish part of her was hurt by the suggestion. He could ask her out in a room full of her colleagues, but he couldn’t introduce her properly to his son? In her head, she understood his reasoning. It was just their first date after all, and introducing someone to his child really seemed to be an important thing for Derrick. She needed to respect his decision on how to raise his child. “Of course.”
They walked into the living room where Charlie was playing with a car on the floor. Derrick’s phone was beside him. “Hey, buddy. This is my friend Elizabeth. Would it be okay if she stayed with us for dinner?”
Charlie looked up at her and cocked his head to the side as if he were analyzing her, “Do you like cars?”
“Yes.” Elizab
eth looked down at him.
He reached inside his backpack and pulled out another car and held it up to her. Elizabeth took the toy and sat down beside him on the floor. Charlie nodded as if she had passed some sort of test. “She can stay.”
“Thanks, buddy. I’ll have dinner ready soon.”
“How old are you, Charlie?”
“Seven.” Charlie ramped the toy car over his shoe and onto the coffee table. His fingers landed it safely next to Elizabeth’s forgotten glass of wine.
Derrick’s phone rang loudly next to them. Elizabeth let out a little scream and jumped as it startled her. Charlie laughed and pointed as she realized what had scared her. “Charlie, did you turn my phone up again?” Derrick came out of the kitchen and scooped up his phone shaking his head at his son. He stepped out of the room to take the call.
The little boy leaned in and whispered to Elizabeth, “I like the song, so I turn it up whenever I’m over here.” He giggled mischievously.
Derrick stepped back in the room, tapping his phone on the palm of his hand. He looked worriedly from Charlie to Elizabeth. “Lizzie, could I see you for a second?”
“Uh, sure.” She stood up and straightened her dress. “What’s up?”
“That was work. I need to go in for a little bit. There is a special client that showed up last second.” He took her hands in his, “Look, I know this is last second, but I won’t be gone long. Could you watch Charlie for me? Just fix him a plate for dinner, and I should be back before you guys finish eating.”
“Yeah, sure. No problem.” She had never babysat anyone in her life before, but sure. No problem.
“I promise to hurry. We can have a one-on-one date next time.” Derrick gave her hands a squeeze and then went to tell Charlie what was going on.
“You’ll be back?” He looked up at his dad with big, brown eyes.