The Calling

by Ashley Lynn Willis

  “I hate this stupid recession. The rich folk need to stop listening to politicians and buy million-dollar jets. It gives us little people jobs.”

  Ben nodded as if he were paying attention to her rant, but the far-off look in his eyes told her he was probably calculating unemployment benefits in his head.

  She scooted her chair from her desk and stood. “I’m going to be late for the delivery if I don’t get moving.” Once a month, an engineer was chosen to attend an aircraft delivery, and lucky her, it was her turn.

  He smiled weakly, his brown eyes as sad as a puppy who’d lost its ball. “Take your coat. The wind’s blowing hard enough to knock down a barn.”

  “Will do.” She grabbed her wool jacket and hurried to Doug’s office.

  By the time she got there, he was waiting outside his door, adjusting his tie and smoothing his navy blazer.

  He studied her figure-hugging gray pantsuit. “Nice choice.”

  “I assumed slacks and a button-up blouse wouldn’t cut it today. Plus, you told me five times to dress up.”

  “Glad you listened.”

  They took off toward the delivery hangar, their strides long and purposeful. As soon as they were out of earshot from the office, he slowed the pace, and his expression tensed. “Sales and Delivery wants you to greet the customer.”

  “They what?” She stiffened so fast her back creaked in protest. He had to be joking. No one in their right mind would want her within ten feet of a customer. As she stared into Doug’s serious brown eyes, she realized he wasn’t teasing.

  “Why?” she squeaked.

  “They’re interested in you and want to see how you interact with a customer.”

  Was he trying to transfer her so he didn't have to lay her off? Oh, heaven help her. He’d been talking about her job when he’d had the Freudian slip. "Are you going to axe me if Sales and Delivery doesn’t want me?"

  “No! Now, keep your voice down.” He lowered his tone to a whisper. “I’m not supposed to discuss layoffs with anyone.”

  She sighed with relief until she realized the futility of Doug’s plan. “I know nothing about sales.”

  Doug picked up his pace again, and she scurried to keep up. “I know that, but they pay well, and you’ve got the right look.”

  “Maybe I have the look, but I’m an engineer for a reason. I have no social skills.”

  “You sell yourself short.”

  “I managed to offend the entire accounting department with one email. Remember the bean counter comment?”

  He chuckled. “Served them right for cutting our travel budget.”

  “What if I screw up again?”

  He shook his head. “There are things going on at this company I have no control over. I don’t want to lose any of my employees. You’re all exceptional, but that‘s not my decision. If I can find a spot for someone, I’m going to do it because, when things turn around, I’ll snag them back.”

  Finally understanding, Jessica gnawed on her bottom lip. He wanted to move her to save someone else. “So the layoff rumors are true?”

  “I can neither confirm nor deny.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You guys in management suck at keeping secrets. The whole company knows.”

  “I can neither confirm nor deny,” he repeated in a monotone. “And that’s the end of it.”

  “When?”

  “Tomorrow.” He pressed his lips firmly together. “Keep that to yourself.”

  A sick feeling settled into the pit of her stomach. If she didn’t impress Sales and Delivery, tomorrow would be the last day for someone in her department. But no pressure, of course.

  She pushed down her panic and tried to compose herself as she stepped into the delivery hangar. The space was so cavernous, it felt like stepping out of a tiny cabin into the great outdoors. A mechanic at the far side of the building pushed a button, and twenty-five-foot tall doors moaned and creaked as they slowly rolled open.

  The morning sun streamed in, momentarily blinding her as the rays bounced off the glossy epoxy floors. Funny how in Kansas it could look like a beautiful summer day and still be twenty degrees outside. A shiver ran down her spine, and she tugged on her coat. Blast the long winter. She’d give anything to find a good job down south where the wind didn’t suck away her last ounce of warmth.

  Seemingly indifferent to the cold, Doug pointed outside. “There’s the Baron we’re delivering.”

  A sleek, large-cabin business jet sat on the tarmac just beyond the hangar doors. Jessica admired the swept-back wings and chrome detailing, wondering what it would be like to fly in one. She’d probably never know unless Sales and Delivery offered her a job. Promotional flights were one of the perks of working in that department.

  Rebecca, Director of Customer Delivery, sauntered to Doug’s side. She was an attractive woman in her mid-forties, with short blond hair and a gift for brown-nosing. It was no wonder that customers loved her.

  She scanned Jessica from head to toe, and her face lit up. “Did Doug give you your assignment?”

  Jessica nodded, sure her nerves showed as she fidgeted with her coat buttons. But fidgeting was better than chewing her nails like she usually did when edgy, though button fiddling wasn’t nearly as satisfying.

  Rebecca smiled reassuringly. “You’ll do great. Just be polite, introduce yourself, and lead them to the hangar. Their names are Abel Karras and Brandon Hahn. They’ve come all the way from London, so if you can’t think of anything to say, just ask them if they had a comfortable trip to the States.”

  Jessica’s heart skipped a beat before picking up pace and thundering against her ribs. “I’m doing this by myself?”

  “I’ll be with you the whole time.” Rebecca pointed at her own eyes and then at Jessica. “I’ll be watching you.” She gave a coy smile with a warning behind it—‘Don’t screw up, newbie.’

  If someone’s job wasn’t at stake, she would have put her foot down and refused the assignment, but she didn’t want to be the reason an engineer in her department lost their job. She squared her shoulders and swallowed hard. She could greet a customer. It’d be as easy as making toast. Except she burned toast more times than not. That clinched it; the assignment was doomed.

  “Jessica?” Doug asked, breaking her from her nervous trance.

  “Yeah?”

  “Take off your coat.”

  And just like that, she became a prop. She shrugged out of her jacket and tossed it to Doug. Cold and defeated, she stalked through the hangar with Rebecca by her side. Before they stepped through the door leading to the lobby, Rebecca’s phone rang.

  Rebecca glanced at the number. “I’ve got to take this.”

  “You’re going to make me do this alone?” Jessica’s voice raised an octave.

  “I doubt the customers are here yet. Go stand in the lobby and wait for me.”

  Jessica nodded with the sinking feeling that she would end up greeting them on her own. Without a shadow of a doubt, she knew that was a really bad idea.

  * * *

  Waiting for the light to turn green, Abel drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He’d never been so anxious to meet someone in his life, and his back muscles screamed with tension.

  “Have you talked to Jessica yet?” Brandon asked.

  Abel rolled his shoulders, trying to work out the kinks. “No, I’m still strategizing. I’ll talk to her after the aircraft delivery.” Twenty-three years he’d waited to meet her, and now that the day had arrived, he couldn’t get to her fast enough.

  “Did you ever think of offering her a job instead of going through this charade? She might accept.”

  Abel glanced at Brandon and bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep his impatience at bay. The way the younger generation thought they had the answers to everything annoyed the hell out of him. “I did offer her a job, through a college scout before she graduated. She declined. It was for the standard loan division. She’s an engineer. Did you know that? I don’t have a
position in London that would interest an engineer.”

  When the light turned green, Abel stepped on the accelerator, applying more force than he’d intended. The car sped forward as if he were drag racing, the force pressing him deep into his seat.

  “Slow down. You’re going to get us killed.”

  Abel quirked an eyebrow, shooting a look of disbelief at Brandon.

  Brandon chuckled, though his fingers dug into the armrest. “Just try not to get a ticket.” He eyed the speedometer warily. “What kind of engineer is she?”

  “Her resume said Bachelor’s in Mechanical and Master’s in Industrial. I’m not sure what either of those entails.”

  “Industrial involves Logistics. She could work for Peder’s department at the microfinance division. Girls dig non-profits.” A wide grin lit up Brandon’s face. “That’s genius. You really should start consulting me. I’m full of good ideas, and sometimes you can be out of touch with the times.”

  Abel glowered at him before returning his gaze to the road. Brandon reminded him of Constantine, always pointing out his shortcomings as if he were doing him a favor. He’d hired Brandon three years ago, fresh out of college. His blood lineage, more than his resume, had led Abel to Brandon’s doorstep. When he’d turned out to be an indispensable part of Abel’s finance division, it had been a pleasant surprise. Too bad he couldn’t keep his opinions to himself.

  He pulled into the Clyde Aircraft office complex and parked in front of the delivery center, a large white building with tinted glass windows. After stepping into the gusty February day, he smoothed his white dress shirt and buttoned his black blazer.

  Brandon hurried out of the car and shut the door. “Do you even know what Jessica looks like?”

  Abel reached into his front pocket and pulled out a photo. “Constantine sent this to me several years ago.”

  “Is she hot?” Brandon asked, his expression hopeful.

  “Is that all you ever think about?”

  Brandon shrugged. “Pretty much.” He took the photo and studied it. “Oh, wow. Definitely not a babe. How old was she here?”

  “Sixteen.”

  “Well, at least that explains the braces and zits, but nothin’s gonna explain away those pink clown glasses. What was she thinking?”

  “Be nice,” Abel said. “The first picture I saw of you, your hair was tinted green.”

  “That was from chlorine. I spent too much time at the pool that summer.”

  “Didn’t look like you bathed either.”

  Brandon narrowed his eyes as he returned the photo. “Would you like to complain about anything else while you’re at it?”

  Abel scrutinized Brandon, making sure he appeared presentable. He didn’t like his employees unkempt. Brandon never dressed up more than khaki pants and polo shirts. Today, he wore a red long-sleeved polo under a wool pea coat. While not as formal as Abel would have liked, he was clothed respectably. “You’re satisfactory.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Brandon buttoned his coat and fell into step beside Abel. “So, what happens when you pick up your jet?”

  Abel tucked the picture back into his pocket. “My pilots have already done the delivery flight. This is a formality. Ceremony, I guess you could say.”

  “In other words, you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Jessica.”

  Abel nodded as he walked toward the lobby. He needed a new business jet, but his decision to buy one from Clyde Aircraft had been influenced by Jessica’s employment at the company. His purchase might give him the credibility that would make it easier to lure her away.

  Brandon grabbed the front door and held it open for Abel. They entered a lobby with a black-and-gray granite floor and crisp white walls. A receptionist sat behind a desk surfaced with the same granite as the floor. She smiled as they approached.

  To her right stood an attractive girl with long brown hair and flawless skin. She wore a gray fitted pantsuit with an ice-blue camisole peeking out of the top of her jacket. There was nothing particularly remarkable about her, nothing that would make her stand out from the thousands of attractive girls Abel had seen in his long life, until she gazed straight at him. Pale blue eyes the color of the Kansas sky pierced his flesh to the bones.

  Her cheeks flushed an enticing rosy hue when she smiled. Abel’s breath caught in his throat. He forced the air down and smiled back. Something was oddly familiar about her.

  As he stepped closer, her scent overwhelmed him. It was like being blasted in the face by honeysuckle, or maybe strawberries. Unable to stop himself, he breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with her and noticing the underlying spice of black licorice. The smell told him she was in the midst of her most fertile time, and thus completely off limits. But his body didn’t listen to logic.

  Instead, a dormant craving sprang to life, and in his mind’s eye, he saw her in his arms, his teeth nipping at the fragrant nape of her neck, her head tilting back and a breathy moan escaping her cherry lips.

  The blood quickly vacated his head and traveled somewhere most unwanted. He chastised himself. She was only a pretty girl, and just because he was celibate, didn’t mean he’d go the rest of his life without finding someone captivating.

  As the longing grew into an ache, he tried to push the vision of her beneath him from his mind. It refused to budge. Heaven help him, he needed to put some distance between himself and the beautiful woman. Instead, he quickened his stride until he stood a few feet in front of her. Brandon stopped right behind him, seeming just as eager.

  She stepped forward and held out her hand. “Good morning, you must be Mr. Karras and Mr. Hahn. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Brandon nudged Abel out of the way and took her hand, staring at the girl’s chest the whole time. He gave the hand a gentle pump. “You can call me Brandon.”

  Abel had never cared before when Brandon ogled a woman, but the current indiscretion made his chest tighten. With a movement faster than the human eye could process, he elbowed Brandon’s arm. Brandon blushed as his eyes darted to the girl’s face.

  “Okay, Brandon,” she said. “I hope you had a comfortable trip to Kansas.”

  Brandon gave her a goofy grin. “It was great.”

  She glanced at their clasped hands and back at Brandon. He stared at her with the same silly grin. After a few awkward seconds, she tugged herself free of Brandon’s grip and held her hand out to Abel.

  He took it, enjoying the warmth radiating through his skin. “You can call me Abel. And your name is?”

  “Jessica Pierce.”

  Brandon flinched. Abel’s eyes widened.

  This was the girl they’d come for? With her braces gone and her skin as smooth as porcelain, she looked nothing like her picture.

  Just to be certain, Abel flipped her hand over to inspect her wrist. Sure enough, the birthmark branded her, and in that instant, he realized he knew everything about the girl standing before him, from the hospital where she was born, to the address of every home in which she’d ever laid her head. In a strange way, the knowledge comforted him, gave him a claim to her that no other man in his elite circle had. Well, almost no one. Constantine didn’t really count, did he? He’d been hired, after all.

  He came back to the present with a start when Jessica jerked her arm, trying to free her hand. Only, he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet, and he held his ground, wrapping his fingers tighter around her wrist.

  Apprehension tensed her features as he held up her arm for Brandon to see. Brandon peered at the red mark and let out a long whistle. She jerked her hand again, but Abel couldn’t stand the thought of letting her go.

  Brandon chuckled, though a hesitant warning showed in his eyes. “Abel, I think she wants her hand back.”

  “Yes, please,” she squeaked in an unnaturally high voice.

  Abel bowed his head and released her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  With lines creasing her forehead, Jessica stumbled backwards. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll t
ake you to your airplane.” She whirled around and hurried away, not stopping to see if they followed.

  Brandon shook his head, his mouth pulling down at the corners. “Smooth, Abel. I’m pretty sure you just topped out on her creep-o-meter. Good luck getting her to take a job with you now.”

  Abel’s jaw clenched. Brandon was right. He had wanted to make an impression, but not a bad one. “She caught me off guard. I didn’t expect to meet her at the delivery.”

  He’d planned to seek her out after the plane inspection and make her a job offer she couldn’t refuse. But if she thought he was ‘creepy,’ as Brandon had so eloquently stated, he might have to change his strategy.

  Brandon rolled his eyes and hurried after Jessica. Abel sighed and took off behind Brandon. Good thing he wasn’t above playing dirty to get what he wanted. And he definitely wanted Jessica.

  * * *

  Jessica ran a finger over the red birthmark above her wrist as she hurried into the hangar. Why had Abel found the ugly, oversized freckle so fascinating? She slowed, remembering that Rebecca was watching. It probably wouldn’t bode well for her future employment if she were halfway across the hangar before Abel and Brandon even made it to the door.

  She glanced over her shoulder and saw Abel staring at her with piercing jade eyes. She was positive his gaze could bring an entire harem to their knees, and that voice of his, with its deep velvet smoothness and respectable British accent, could surely command armies. He was also blessed in the height department, standing at least six-foot-five, with bronze skin and perfectly groomed short, dark hair. He even had a chiseled jaw. Pair that with an expensive tailored suit that showed off his slender but sturdy frame, and it all made her knees wobble. She quickly turned her attention back to the plane on the tarmac and focused on not tripping in her high-heeled boots.