Fortune's Angel (Fates Aligned Book 2)

by Christi Whitson

  “It’s about damn time.” Leona’s voice had me blinking back to awareness, and I frowned in confusion. “I thought I’d never see that look on your face.”

  “What look?”

  “Nevermind. So, you want me to find a job for this… friend?”

  I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the sudden twinkle I spotted in hers. She may have been my employee, but I knew she wouldn’t hesitate to lecture me about respecting my elders. Instead, I turned her attention to Charlotte, handing over the résumé I’d obtained from the staffing agency.

  “Just take a look at this. She’s working an absurd number of hours between her two current positions, and neither job is a challenge for her. They’re a waste of her skills.” I gave Leona an edited version of my first conversation with Charlotte, particularly the errors she’d managed to catch so quickly in one of our legal files. “We’ve got to have something for her. If not in legal, then in your department or… anywhere.”

  “Someone in legal does need a new assistant.”

  “Who?”

  “Samantha Branson. Her assistant ended up deciding not to come back to work after her son was born, so we’ve had a temp covering for her the past week or so.”

  “That would be perfect.” And I liked that Charlotte’s direct supervisor would be a woman. Not that I had any room to be picky. “What’s the salary for that position?”

  “I don’t know off the top of my head, but it should be more than ample. Benefits too, of course. Now,” she grinned, leaning toward me with a challenging expression. “I’m assuming the ‘delicate’ part of this situation is that you’re sleeping with this girl?”

  “No,” I answered quickly, but I could feel my face grow warmer as the image of Charlotte naked and writhing beneath me flashed through my mind.

  “Then you want to. Which makes becoming her boss a bit sticky.”

  “That’s part of it,” I admitted, wincing in embarrassment at her unintentional pun. There was really no point in trying to keep secrets from Leona. She had an instinct for that sort of thing. “The truth is… She really needs this job. She just needs a little help. A break. And I have the ability to give her one. But she won’t accept it if she thinks it’s charity. I don’t know her that well yet, but I know she’s proud. If she weren’t, she wouldn’t be in her current… situation.”

  I knew I was dancing around the heart of the issue, but I wasn’t about to betray a confidence Charlotte didn’t even know I had. Thankfully, Leona didn’t press for those details.

  “What do you suggest, then?”

  “I want her interviewed for the position like anyone else. If, after the interview, she’s deemed a poor candidate, then so be it.” But she wouldn’t be. I was sure of it. Even so, I’d figure out another way to help her if this didn’t pan out. “Oh, and someone else should do the interview. You already know too much to be objective.”

  “Fair enough,” Leona smiled, watching me with shrewd gray eyes that saw a little more than I’d have liked. “How are we going to get her to apply?”

  “Let me handle that. She’ll be here around five, so we could interview her this evening.”

  “And if we offer it and she turns it down?”

  I sighed, remembering how tiny Charlotte had looked, eating the scraps of a late night meal in the back seat of her car. My protective instincts flared again, and I shook my head in determination.

  “She won’t.”

  Ten

  Charlotte

  Eli’s office was huge. Not that I hadn’t expected it to be, but I’d never actually been inside. Conference rooms were one thing, but the executive offices were usually assigned to someone with more seniority on the cleaning staff. His assistant was a man who looked to be about my age. He wore a welcoming smile and an outfit that seemed to embody the words geek chic.

  “Very nice to meet you, Miss Douglas,” he beamed, shaking my hand. “Mr. Brighton should be with you shortly. I’d offer you something to drink, but I believe he’s ordered dinner for the two of you.”

  “I’m fine, thank you.”

  “All right, well, my name is Walter, so just give me a holler if you need anything. He should be out in just a minute.”

  I nodded and took a seat in the waiting area, feeling slightly less nervous thanks to Walter’s warm welcome. His name suited him perfectly, though not many men his age could pull it off. He was adorable from his black and white Oxford shoes to his thick-framed glasses and lavender bow tie.

  I felt a bit out of place in my serving uniform, though I supposed without the half apron, it didn’t look all that different from something most women would wear in an office setting. It was the same knee-length pencil skirt and ballet flats I’d been wearing the last time I’d seen Eli at the restaurant, but my button-down top was navy blue today. I sniffed at the collar covertly, hoping I didn’t smell like a restaurant kitchen.

  “Charlotte.”

  How was it that just the sound of his voice had my insides quivering? I braced myself before daring to look up at him, but nothing ever prepared me for the sight of Eli Brighton. He was gazing at me expectantly from a few feet away, dressed in a gray suit and charcoal tie that brought out the blue in his eyes and the red in his hair. I stood and nervously smoothed my hands over my skirt.

  “Mr. Brighton.”

  “Just Eli,” he reminded me, guiding me into his office with a hand at the small of my back. My skin tingled beneath his touch, despite the barrier of my clothing, and my heart stuttered a little. “I hope you don’t mind Chinese.”

  “That sounds great.” Chinese takeout wasn’t at all what I would’ve expected from a guy with his kind of money, and it put me at ease a little more. My eyes widened at the impressive spread of cartons and bags on his conference table, which took up half of his humongous office. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d sat down to such a large meal, and my stomach clenched with longing. “You didn’t have to do all of this. It’s so… much.”

  “Wait till you taste it. I always order from this little family-owned place in Hyde Park, and they know how to do it right. Have a seat.” He pulled out a chair for me and then settled into the one next to it.

  “Thank you.”

  “Not at all. I’m just buttering you up so you’ll accept the position I have in mind for you.”

  To my dismay, my mind dropped immediately to the gutter, wondering just what sort of position he had in mind. God, Charlotte, get it together. I gave myself a mental shake a soldiered on.

  “I brought an updated résumé, but it’s just the standard one I’ve been using since I moved here. I wasn’t sure what sort of job…”

  Eli took the paper from my hand and glanced over it, nodding in apparent satisfaction. He then turned his attention to divvying up the food, pointing out the different items he’d ordered and filling a plate with the dishes I approved. By the time he was finished, I had a bigger meal in front of me than any I’d eaten in the past six months. As much as I’d have liked to inhale it, I restrained myself, eating slowly and sparingly in case my stomach couldn’t handle the change. The last thing I needed was to get sick in front of him.

  As we ate, Eli told me more about the job he had in mind for me. It was an opening for a full-time assistant in his legal department, reporting directly to a woman named Samantha Branson. The schedule matched his standard business hours, of course, so that was no surprise. But the number he recited for the salary nearly had me choking on a mouthful of beef fried rice.

  “Is that… typical starting salary for an assistant?” I asked, taking a long drink of water as he answered.

  “Yes. You’d be eligible for a raise after six months and then once a year after that. We provide health, dental, and life insurance too, of course. Starting from your hire date.”

  Holy shit. My mind reeled with the possibilities. Technically speaking, my mother was my dependent, and having access to private insurance could make a real difference in her situation as well as mine
.

  “Do you know how much coverage…” I trailed off, desperate for more information but hesitant to reveal too much. I didn’t even have the job yet, and my prospective boss didn’t need to know certain facets of my private life.

  “I don’t have all of the details memorized, but I can have someone from HR answer those questions for you. So… you’ll apply?” The hope I could see in his expression confused me a little. He looked as though I were the one doing him the favor. Did he have any idea how much this could change my life?

  “Well, yes, but… Are you really sure I’m qualified for it, even without a degree?”

  “Positive. You’re intelligent and a hard worker. Why wouldn’t I hire you?”

  It seemed too good to be true, and I was reluctant to examine his motives too closely. I gave him a nod and a hesitant smile, and he graced me with one of his panty-dropping grins before reaching for his phone.

  “Are you good with getting the interview out of the way now? I have someone from HR ready to talk to you.”

  “Uh…” I glanced down at my outfit. To be fair, it was probably what I’d have chosen to wear anyway, though not after a long day at the restaurant. At least this way, I wouldn’t have to take off work for an interview that might not even pan out. “That’s fine, I guess. I just wish I didn’t smell like food.”

  He leaned toward me, his eyes falling to my clothing and then returning to my face.

  “You don’t.”

  Somehow those two little words seemed heavy with implication, and I had to remind myself to breathe. Eli made a quick call, presumably to his Human Resources department, arranging for someone named Jen to come up in thirty minutes’ time.

  “Half an hour should be enough time to finish eating,” he shrugged.

  And it was. Twenty minutes later, we were closing up the containers of leftovers, and he gave me my choice of fortune cookies.

  “I’ll warn you, this place gets their cookies from a company that has a good sense of humor. About half of the fortunes end up being jokes.” He opened his first and read it aloud. “I can’t believe you’re about to eat my tiny home.”

  He joined me in my laughter despite an odd trace of sadness that seemed to linger in his eyes. I cracked my own cookie open and pulled out the tiny slip of paper.

  “There is no greater risk than the one not taken.”

  “Well, I don’t usually believe in signs, but I don’t know what else to call that,” Eli smiled, his blue eyes smoldering at me yet again.

  I excused myself to the restroom to check my appearance and do a quick mirror pep talk. I was pleased to find that I looked as well-groomed and composed as possible, but my nerves were a jumble. The idea that my luck might be starting to change was a dangerous one to entertain. Could this really be it? A first step on the path to an easier life?

  When I left the restroom, I found Eli in the executive lobby with a tall, blonde woman who gave me a kind smile. Eli introduced her as Jen, an associate from Human Resources, and directed us to a conference room down the hall for the interview. When Jen and I reached the room, I realized with a start that it was the same one I’d been cleaning the night I’d met Eli. Had he done that on purpose? I was relieved he hadn’t followed us in, since I was already a ball of nerves. His presence would’ve made matters much worse.

  To my utter astonishment, the interview ended up being one of the best and easiest I’d ever done, and thirty minutes later, I found myself accepting the job. Shaking Jen’s hand and accepting her congratulations almost felt like an out of body experience, and I couldn’t stop thanking her. She wanted me to start as soon as possible, but I was determined to give at least some notice at my other jobs. I would quit the cleaning service, but I hoped Donovan would be able to keep me on for weekend dinner shifts. Those were the best for tips, and I was reluctant to let that income go entirely, even with my generous starting salary at RPC.

  Eli was nowhere to be seen when we returned to the lobby, and his office door was closed. I wanted to thank him in person, but Walter informed me that ‘Mr. Brighton’ was on a call. I would have to make sure I remembered to call him that from now on. Regardless of whatever attraction we might feel toward one another, Eli was now my boss. I couldn’t very well keep calling him by his given name.

  I asked Walter to pass along my thanks and headed to the elevator, riding it down to the parking garage to grab a change of clothes for my evening shift. I felt a strange twinge of disappointment as I realized for the first time just what taking this job would mean. It might have been the best thing to happen to me in… well, longer than I cared to remember. But there was no escaping the fact that it changed things between me and Eli. We’d been at a crossroads of sorts, and now that I was an official employee of RPC, we would be forced to take the platonic path.

  My mind was full of him as I went about my work that night. Having Eli as my employer was bound to be a little awkward, but this opportunity was just too good to pass up. Although I couldn’t help wondering how much influence he’d had over the offer, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to let myself worry about that. It would’ve been a definite blow to my pride if he’d done more than get me an interview, but it didn’t compare to months spent living out of a car. That would kill just about anyone’s pride.

  For so long, I’d been unable to get ahead of the bills, unable to catch a break. Now, thanks to Eli Brighton, I’d finally been granted one. Maybe my luck was changing after all. I’d just have to keep a professional distance between us from now on. Perhaps someday I’d be able to look at him without wishing we’d had an opportunity to do more than kiss in that secluded hallway at the restaurant. I sighed in resignation.

  It was just as well. Chemistry or not, a guy like him would never be satisfied with someone like me in the long run. He was a millionaire, and I lived in my car. We were worlds apart.

  As I moved my cleaning cart from office to office that night, I kept my thoughts occupied with my budget and my weekend To Do list. I usually had the morning and early afternoon off on Saturdays, and I planned to split the hours between the laundromat and the library. I needed to do more research into Rowan Pierce Construction and, more specifically, the employee health insurance plan. I was thrilled that the benefits would kick in immediately rather than being held off for a probationary period, and I was eager to get my hands on the specific coverage details.

  I didn’t dare to hope that all of my mother’s bills would be covered between my new insurance and her Medicare, but the out of pocket costs were bound to be less than what I was paying now. Even a little help could make a huge difference. Maybe I could find a cheap little apartment to rent as soon as everything was in place…

  I finished my cleaning duties for the evening and gave my supervisor my notice on my way out. It was a longer conversation than I’d expected, which had me leaving the building a bit later than usual, but it went well. When at last I settled behind the wheel of my car, the long day seemed to catch up with me all at once. I’d have loved to close my eyes for a few minutes, but I didn’t dare to risk it. With my luck, it would be morning before I opened them again, and someone was bound to catch me.

  To my frustration, the gym was busier than usual for midnight on a Friday. There were only a few people loitering around, but the last thing I wanted was to have my membership revoked because someone reported me for abusing the shower privileges. So, I faked a quick workout just to be on the safe side. By the time I was showered and heading for the restaurant, it was a battle just to keep my eyes open. Luckily, Glen had packed some food in the plastic bag he pushed into my hands on my way out, and nibbling on a sandwich as I drove helped me stay awake.

  Between the delays with my night shift supervisor and at the gym, my arrival at Chance Encounters was later than usual. There were only two cars left in the lot, and only one I recognized. Brent Sullivan’s dark gray sedan. I steeled myself for the inevitable confrontation, comforted only by the presence of the unfamiliar BMW pa
rked near the back of the lot. At least there was one other person there.

  Except there wasn’t. The dining room, wait stands, and bar area were completely silent, and the box of food wasn’t waiting for me in its usual place on the bar. That meant I had to go in search of it. Of him.

  I found him in the office, and he greeted me with his usual lazy smile. I suppose some woman somewhere had given him the impression it was seductive, but it had only ever had the opposite effect on me.

  “There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show. Everyone else is gone for the night,” Brent said, sounding very satisfied and speaking directly to my chest.

  “Sorry, I got held up at my night job. I didn’t see the food out there. Is it ready?”

  “It’s around here somewhere, but there’s no need to run off,” he shrugged, rising from the office chair and approaching me with a casual air. “Why don’t you shut the door so we can get to know each other better. Now that we finally have some time alone.” I shook my head and began to back away instinctively.

  “I’m already running late, Brent. I just need the food so I can be on my way.”

  “If you’re worried what the other employees will think, you shouldn’t be. I don’t kiss and tell, Charlotte. It can be our little secret.”

  It was as though I hadn’t spoken. He was moving toward me with clear intent now, and he was already way too close. His gray eyes were feverishly bright, and his breathing was labored with arousal. I kept shaking my head, searching for the right thing to say that would put him off. When I was almost to the door, I stumbled slightly, and it gave him the perfect opening to reach out and grab my hips with both hands. He tried to pull me toward him, but I pushed him away with a force that seemed to surprise him.

  “I said no, Brent.”

  I wriggled out of his grasp and managed to get out of the office, but he wasn’t far behind. Just as I spotted the box of food sitting on the floor next to one of the coolers, Brent darted around me and bent down to pick it up before I could reach it.