by Tia Wylder
The car pulled up to a hotel made with the same crisp steel and black walls as their office back home. Derrick opened his door and darted out to open hers. A little hesitantly, she stared up at him, unwilling to go out into the storm. He rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist, pulling her after him. They ran into the lobby. Water dripped off of them. Elizabeth was drenched. Her eyes glanced up at him. His wet hair reminded her of the night her sprinkler system sprayed him. His shirt clung to his body, and she could just make out the dark ink on his skin through the now semi-transparent white button up he wore.
Their footsteps left behind a sodden trail with every step. Derrick walked up to the front desk. The concierge smiled brilliantly at them and handed them both a towel, “Welcome, Mr. Page. Here are your room keys.”
“Thank you. Could you please have someone put out a wet floor sign until the rain stops? I want someone to mop it up after every guest that comes in as a precaution. I don’t want someone to slip.”
“Right away, sir.” She picked up the reception desk phone and dialed a number.
Derrick passed Elizabeth a small envelope with a hotel keycard nestled inside. “This one will be your room.”
“Thank you.”
He led her to another elevator and up to the third floor. Abstract paintings and a large vase holding exotic reeds and orchids greeted them on the landing. Elizabeth started to walk towards her room when she noticed that he had stepped out of the elevator as well. Derrick slipped his own keycard into a room cattycorner to her own.
“You’re here, too?”
“Where else would I be?”
“I just thought, since it’s your hotel, that you would be in a suite.”
Derrick paused a moment before answering. “I would not give one of my guests a room that I would not enjoy staying in. If I stayed in a suite, that would take that room away from a guest. Besides, staying in a normal room allows me to have the opportunity to look for improvements that can be made.”
“That makes sense.” He was much more thoughtful than she gave him credit for. He really did care about his customers. She turned and placed her keycard in her own room. A loud growl gurgled forth from her stomach. Placing her hand on her tummy, she realized how hungry she was.
Derrick sighed, “Why didn’t you tell me you were hungry?” Her eyes widened. “I could hear your stomach from here. Go check out your room, and then we can go grab something to eat. Don’t worry about money. Food falls under business expenses, too.”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that. I don’t want to be an inconvenience.” He had already taken care of her hotel room. This seemed like too much.
“I won’t let you starve. If you die, my social media consultant will have a fit. Go check out your room, and then let’s go. I’m not taking no for an answer.”
Elizabeth nodded and slipped into her room. The interior was silver and black with a violet orchid nestled next to a flat screen television. Crisp, white linens draped over the bed. The furniture was modern and elegant in design. She laid down for a second. The bed cradled her. “This is so much better than the floor.”
“Lizzie?” Derrick called out to her through the door. “Are you ready?”
“No,” she mumbled to herself not wanting to get up.
“What was that?”
“Coming!” She slid off the bed and picked herself up.
He was leaning against the door frame when she opened it. The closeness of his face made her pull back a little. He watched as she blinked up at him, startled. If he listened hard enough, he thought he could almost hear her heart pounding in her chest. With any other woman, he would have grabbed her waist with one hand and her hair with the other, pressing her back against the wall in one swift motion. He could picture it in his head. The look on her face. The quick gasp as her body pressed against his.
Derrick cleared his throat and pushed away from the door before his fantasy got away from him. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” Not that it mattered. She was too hungry to care.
“There’s a restaurant down stairs. I thought that would be better than going back out in the storm.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
The elevator carried them back to the first floor. Classical music drifted through the lobby. A waiter led them to a candle lit table near a window and handed them menus. Rain battered against the glass. “What will you be drinking tonight?”
“Could you bring us a bottle of wine, please?”
“Of course, sir.”
After the waiter left, Elizabeth leaned in, “You didn’t tell him what wine you wanted.”
Derrick leaned in to match her stance, “Chad has a sticky note with my preferences behind the bar. He likes to make me think he remembers it. I like to let him keep that illusion.”
“You are such a surprisingly nice guy.”
Derrick pulled back, “Why is that surprising?”
Elizabeth tried to back pedal, “No, I just mean, most guys in your situation would be really full of themselves. You genuinely care about people. That’s all I meant.” Outside, a streak of lightening blazed across the sky. Thunder rattled the window. Elizabeth flinched and whimpered.
“So, why don’t you like storms?” He wanted to reach across the table to comfort her, but that would be crossing the boundary. Employees were off limits. It wasn’t a company policy. It was a line he had drawn for himself long ago.
“Who said I didn’t like storms?” Thunder rumbled again, and she curled into herself more.
“Lizzie, you just said that I care about people. We are here having a nice dinner. We might as well talk. Tell me.”
She bit her lip and stared at the table as she took a deep breath. “When I was little, my parents took me camping. I was out playing in the woods when a storm came up. It was a new place, and I got lost. I tried to call out for help, but the thunder drowned out my voice. I was alone and scared and after a while, I realized that no one was coming for me. Some forest rangers found me the next day.” Her voice broke as she remembered that day. “Lightning had struck a tree near our campsite, and it had fallen on top of our tent. My parents had a few broken bones from being pinned under the tree, but they were mostly okay. It was just a really scary experience for me. I never really got over it.”
“No wonder you don’t like them.” Derrick looked up as the waiter came back with a bottle of red wine. “Would it be possible for us to move to that table? I’m getting a bit of a migraine, and the lightening is making it worse.” He pointed to a table furthest away from the windows. Elizabeth was caught off guard. He was taking the blame for the inconvenience without making her fear known. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her.
“Certainly, sir.” The waiter carried their menus to the new table and helped them choose dishes to suit their tastes.
“That was really nice of you. Thank you.” She couldn’t help the butterflies flitting in her stomach. It was the first decent moment she could remember during a storm. She was still uneasy, but it was more tolerable now.
“Not a problem.” Derrick took a sip of wine. He wanted to protect her. Moving tables was the most comfort he could offer her without holding her. He could still smell her perfume and feel her hand on his chest from earlier. He was confident he could escalate things between them if he wanted to. The desire was growing inside of him, and the wine only made it harder to resist. He needed to get his mind off her. He needed a distraction. A redhead at the bar caught his eye.
Chapter 7: Distractions
After dinner, Elizabeth folded her napkin, “I guess I should go back to my room.” Part of her wanted him to take it as a hint. Part of her was terrified that he would.
“I’m going to do a walk around and make sure everything is going smoothly. If you need anything, just let the front desk know.” She nodded politely and disappeared towards the elevator. Once she was gone, he took the rest of the bottle of wine and approached the redhead at the bar. A slinky green dr
ess hung off of her shoulder. “Chad, could I have another bottle, please?”
“Are you drinking alone?” The woman brushed her hair over her shoulder, clearing his view of her cleavage.
“Not anymore.” He motioned for a clean glass and poured her some wine. “I do love a good red.”
“Well, that’s terrible.” She took a sip seductively.
“Why is that?”
She leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Because I’m a bad one.”
Derrick smirked. She would do nicely. “Shall we?” He pulled his keycard out of his pocket. The woman stood up and followed him to his room.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her red lipstick stained his lips. Derrick tossed her on the bed and let his hands roam over her body. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine it was Lizzie. Lizzie. He stopped and pulled away.
“What’s wrong?” She traced her fingers up his thigh, but he stopped her hand.
“You should go.”
“What?” Confusion and disbelief puckered her lips.
“Just go.” He pointed to the door and ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn’t go through with it. His frustration mounted. Against his better judgement, it felt like a betrayal to be here with this woman. For the first time, Derrick realized that perhaps his attraction for his intern was more than just a physical desire. After spending today with Lizzie, he had developed feelings for her. She had opened up to him and made him laugh. Until he could figure out what to do, it was best if he kept his conscience clear. It had been years since he had felt anything of merit for a woman. The fact that it was happening now with her was confusing and conflicting.
“Suit yourself.” The woman stood up and shrugged her shoulders, heading for the door.
Chapter 8: Revelations
Back in her room, Elizabeth flopped down on the bed. A smile had come to rest permanently on her lips. It was becoming harder to push down the feelings that were bubbling to the surface. In her mind, she pictured the photo they had taken earlier. Was it too farfetched to think that the desire in his eyes could have been real? Was she the only one feeling the sexual tension between them? There seemed to be an easy chemistry between them. Even him calling her Lizzie was starting to grow on her, though she would never admit it.
If she took a risk and told him how she was feeling, the worse he could do was tell her he didn’t feel the same way, right? “Just give me a sign.” She stared up at the ceiling. “What should I do?” Outside the window, the sun broke through the clouds. The rain was just a drizzle now. Her heart pounded faster in her chest. If that wasn’t a sign, then nothing was. She mentally prepared herself to take a chance. Would he be back yet from checking on his business? Elizabeth jumped to her feet and bounced on the balls of her feet. Only one way to find out.
Quickly, before she lost her nerve, she forced herself across the hall to his room and raiser her fist to knock. A large smile lit up her face, but before she could knock, the door opened. Elizabeth’s face immediately fell. A redheaded woman stared back at her. An elegant finger smoothed the edges of her smudged lipstick. In one instant, Elizabeth’s heart shattered.
“Oh, excuse me.” The woman brushed past her and left Derrick’s room leaving Elizabeth staring past her to where her boss stood.
“Lizzie,” he started to try to explain, but tears were welling up in her eyes. She took a step backwards and then bolted down the stairwell. “Lizzie, wait!” He called after her, but she wasn’t stopping.
Her feet pounded down the stairs. She felt foolish for getting her hopes up. Of course he wasn’t interested in her. She had fed herself a stupid fantasy. At least she hadn’t admitted it out loud to him. Elizabeth burst out of the bottom of the stairwell and ran outside. The sidewalks were still sodden from the rain. She held out her hand to flag down a cab. Hoping in the back, she dug through her wallet for some cash.
“Where to, Miss?” The cabbie glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
“Can you take me to the airport, please?”
“Yeah, I can do that.” He drove through the streets and ended their ride in front of the airport. “Twenty bucks.”
She could feel herself about to cry again, “I only have fifteen.”
He couldn’t stand it when women cried. “Hey, hey, hey. No need for tears. Looks like you’re having a rough day. Why don’t you give me the fifteen and a smile, and we will call it good?”
“Really? You would do that?” His kindness was touching, and through the tears she managed a small smile.
“There. See? That’s definitely worth five bucks.” She passed him the cash she had. “Take care of yourself, Miss.”
“I will. Thank you so much.” He waved goodbye as she climbed out, barely succeeding in holding back her tears.
Her savings account was scraping bare bones. She needed to get home. Her fingers found the emergency credit card tucked in a secret compartment of her wallet. She would have to deal with the consequences later.
The flight was cramped and less accommodating than the one she had been on earlier, but she was thankful just to be going home. How could she have been so stupid? She thumped her head on the back of her headrest. This day had been emotionally draining. So much had happened since she had woken up this morning. The most exciting day of her life had quickly soured. The look on the redheaded woman’s face swam before her eyes. Jealousy and hurt curled their fingers around her heart. How could she go back to work after this? How could she live next to him and relive that embarrassment every time she saw him?
When the plane landed, her heart dropped again. She didn’t have a car close by or any money for another cab. She didn’t think that she would get lucky enough to get a second cabbie who was nice enough to take smiles as a form of payment. Fighting back mental and emotional exhaustion, she fished out her phone. “Miranda? Could you come get me?”
After a few minutes, Miranda’s car pulled up to the entrance. When Elizabeth climbed in, she handed her some coffee to cheer her up. “Hey, are you okay? You sounded so upset on the phone.”
“Today has been…eventful.”
“Ut oh. Do you want to talk about it? You look like someone threw a bucket of water on you, kitten.”
“Miranda, do you think it’s crazy for me to think something could happen between Derr—Mr. Page—and I?”
“Ah.” Miranda sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Yes.”
“Wow. Thanks.”
“Let me finish. Yes, it is crazy for you to think that, but not for the reason you think. Derrick’s wife had an affair with one of his employees about four years ago. It really changed the way he felt about women. When they were married, he was head over heels for this woman. Super romantic. He did everything for her. One day, he caught her having an affair with one of his employees. He was betrayed by two people he trusted, and it really did a number on him. After the divorce, he just went into total playboy mode. He hasn’t had a real relationship since they split.”
“That’s terrible.” Elizabeth sank lower in her seat. She felt bad for him. He was so nice and thoughtful to everyone. How could someone do that to him? There really was no hope. He had closed himself off to protect himself. Who could blame him after going through that?
“Yeah, so don’t be too hard on yourself.” Miranda took her to where she had left her car the other night. “Do you want me to follow you home? I can stay for a bit if you need me to.”
“Nah, I’ll be fine.” She offered up an unconvincing smile.
“If you change your mind, just give me a call.”
“Thanks, girl.” Elizabeth waved goodbye and got in her car.
The more she thought about the situation, the worse she felt. She didn’t want to be here anymore. Maybe she could lease out the house and just get an apartment. Right now, she was willing to do anything to get away from him, away from her feelings. She parked her car in the driveway. The homeowners’ association could suck it.
She shoved t
he key into the lock in frustration. She didn’t want to stay here anymore. Elizabeth shoved loose items back into a box and hauled it outside. Shoving the box into the backseat, she went back inside and grabbed another box. Her eyes were focused on the where she was walking as she lugged another large box out to her car.
“What are you doing?” Derrick’s voice made her head snap up. He was standing in her driveway with his arms crossed.
“I’m packing up. What does it look like I’m doing?” She moved around him and tossed the box unceremoniously into her backseat.
“Why?”
Elizabeth turned on him, her eyes brimming with fresh tears, “Because I don’t want to be around you anymore, okay?”
“Why? Because you saw another woman leaving my room? You and I are not dating, Miss Adams. I know we spent some time together today, but we are not in any relationship aside from working together. This,” he gestured between her and the boxes in the car, “is childish. Instead of being an adult and dealing with your feelings, you are leaving after you just bought a house. How could I be with a girl like that? I need a woman who can take care of business not a little girl who lets her emotions get the best of her.” Derrick turned and walked away from her.
“You’re one to talk!” Elizabeth yelled after him. “You won’t date because four years later you’re still upset that your wife cheated on you!” She clamped her hands over her mouth. The words had come out before she could stop them. Derrick stood still for a second and clenched his fists before continuing walking back to his house.
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.