by Tia Wylder
“You know, I have a question.” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“I have an answer.” A sly smile played along his lips.
She leaned in closer, and her fingertips brushed against his on the center portion of the seat. “How did you know the combination to turn off my alarm system that night?”
Derrick resisted caressing her fingers with his own. It would be so easy to reach out. “It’s the address reversed. Most people have some variation of that or their birthday. Since you were new to the house, I figured you hadn’t had time to update to anything personal, so I went with the address.” He pulled away from her and leaned against the door of the car.
The car came to a stop outside of a tall building with a sliver arch angled over it. Derrick opened the door for her and waited for her to exit before tapping the roof of the car. The driver pulled away. Tall, slender women and men with chiseled jaws were coming and going through the glass double doors.
“Shall we?” He held out his arm for her, and she took it sheepishly.
Derrick led her into the lobby where a blonde with a French twist and a clipboard rushed to meet them. Her red heels clicked rhythmically across the white tile floor. “Mr. Page, Charlemagne is waiting for you. Follow me, please.” She spun in a pirouette of grace and led them to an elevator.
When the doors opened again, they were on the top floor of the building. The floors and walls formed a wall of white. Various scenes were set up in different areas. Lighting instruments were meticulously aligned to set the desired moods. A man with blonde hair in a fade cut approached them. His size reminded Elizabeth of a Viking.
He extended his hand, “Derrick, pleasure to see you again.”
“You, too, Char.”
“And who is this lovely creature beside you?” Charlemagne took Elizabeth’s hand in his own and brought it delicately to his lips. Derrick felt a small thorn of jealousy twist in his chest.
“This is Miss Elizabeth Adams. She is the new girl I told you about.”
“Well, Miss Adams,” the photographer placed his hand on the small of her back and led her over to a set, “why don’t we get started?”
Elizabeth stumbled onto the set and stood stiffly, “I’ve never really done this before. I’m not sure what to do.” The set was a faux window overlooking a city with a staircase leading off to the side.
“Really, I would have thought you were a natural.” Char winked at her, and as she smiled up at him through her lashes, he snapped a picture. “See? A natural.”
As the camera clicked, she moved into various positions. It became easier as she loosened up in front of her audience of assistants. Derrick watched her blossom from a shy girl into a bold and confident young woman. He found himself smiling in spite of himself.
“I think we are missing something.” Char stood back from the camera. His eyes seemed to smolder as he thought. “Derrick, why don’t you step up there, too. The ladies need something to look at in these ads, too.”
“Me?” Derrick looked at him a little surprised. Charlemagne nodded. Letting out a sigh, he stepped up onto the set and put on his business smile.
“What are you doing? Get closer. She won’t bite.” He motioned for Derrick to stand closer to her.
Clearing his throat and giving a small glare to the man behind the camera, Derrick stepped up closer to her. He could smell her perfume. It smelled like wild flowers and strawberries. As he came closer, Elizabeth could feel the heat from his skin. She became aware of each breath she took.
“Beautiful. Now, let me get Derrick on the staircase. Miss Adams, could you just step up in front of him? Great. Now give me a sultry look. Pretend you are making love to the camera.” He took a few snaps then paused. Charlemagne walked around to get another angle, “Derrick, I want you to wrap your arm around her.”
Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath as his strong arm encircled her waist. Her breath was quick and shallow. She knew he had no choice but to feel the gasps that his touch had incited. Her ears began to ring. For a second she thought she felt him pull her closer to him. His chest pressed into her back.
“Miss Adams?” Derrick whispered her name.
“Huh?!” She turned to look at him. He nodded to where the photographer had been trying to get her attention.
Char smiled at them with the camera up to his face, “Turn and look up at him. You are the woman everyone is going to wish they were. Place your hand on his chest as if pushing him away, but he won’t let you go. Stare into his eyes. Get lost in them.”
Her hand hesitated in front of his chest. He was still her boss. She hovered just above his shirt, unable to touch him. Sensing her indecision, Derrick grabbed her hand forcefully and pressed it against his chest. Elizabeth’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart was pounding. His blue eyes pierced any remaining defenses she may have had left. Derrick let his thumb trace across the top of her hand as he held it against him. She shuddered at his touch, and he took pleasure in seeing her melt in front of him. Just the touch of his hand sent goosebumps across her skin. There was something empowering about seeing a woman react in such an involuntary and innocent way.
The camera snapped, pulling them both out of the moment. “I think that is our money shot.” Charlemagne waved his hand to his assistants, “That’s a wrap!”
The bright lights flipped off. Elizabeth blinked to try and clear the stars from her eyes. Derrick’s hand fell away from hers. “You can let go now, Lizzie.” His breath tickled her ear as he whispered.
“Oh. Yes.” She pulled away from him and brushed her hair away from her face. “Is it hot in here, or is it just me?” She laughed nervously and fanned herself, avoiding his eyes.
Derrick walked over to examine the pictures that Charlemagne was pulling up on his computer. Her hand trembled as she reached out for a bottle of water on a nearby table. She glanced at him over her bottle as she took a small sip. Her heart fluttered again, and butterflies twirled in her stomach. A giddy smile lit up her face. Elizabeth bit her lip and closed her eyes. She could still feel his thumb on her hand.
Her eyes snapped open. What was wrong with her?! Derrick—no, Mr. Page—was her boss. She couldn’t have these feelings about her boss…could she?
Chapter 6: Storm Clouds
A violently loud ringing startled Elizabeth out of her thoughts. Derrick chuckled to himself and sighed as he answered his phone, “Page speaking.” His face darkened, and worry lines wrinkled his forehead. “Let me know if anything changes.” He ended the call and scratched the stubble on his chin.
“Is everything okay?” She lowered the water bottle from her lips and looked at him with concern thinly veiling the euphoria in her chest.
“That was the pilot. A severe storm is rolling in, so we can’t fly home right now. He’s supposed to watch the weather and update me if anything changes.” He glanced from his intern to the photographer, “Excuse me for a moment, I need to go make some arrangements.”
Elizabeth noted his shoulders were drooping slightly as he stepped away from them. They couldn’t fly home? Now what? She was never going to get her furniture delivered at this rate. Not only that, but moving had been expensive. Her first paycheck wouldn’t be in for another week at least. She didn’t have the money right now to stay in a hotel. He had just sprung all of this on her, and now they were stranded away from home. The butterflies in her stomach were joined with angry bumble bees of aggravation.
“Would you like to see?” Charlemagne swiveled towards her in a computer chair.
“Hmm?” She had zoned out again.
“The pictures. Would you like to see them?”
“Oh! Yes.”
He pulled up several images to let her see. It was amazing. She had never seen herself look so glamorous. It was hard to believe it was really her. Nervously, her eyes landed on the final image. The way Derrick looked at her could easily be mistaken for desire if you didn’t know any better. She tilted her head to the side and smile wistfully.
> “You two make a handsome couple.”
Charlemagne’s words caused a small wave of panic to roll over her. “Oh, no. Pssh. No, we don’t. I mean, look he’s got that…” She struggled to find an appropriate insult.
“Obnoxiously perfect smirk and square jaw?” Char’s eyes sparkled. “How horrible.”
She groaned inwardly, “Exactly.”
“Lizzie, gather your things.” Derrick’s voice echoed across the room, breaking into their conversation. He didn’t like how closely she was standing to the photographer. He had other things to worry about right now, and he didn’t need that distraction.
“Where are we going?”
“I had our hotel in town set aside some rooms for us.” He held out his hand to give Char a polite hand shake. “Send the images over to my PR department after you finish touching them up. Thank you for fitting us in so quickly. We really need to get this rolling as soon as possible to make the best of her viral internet fan base.”
“Not a problem. I’ll have them to you tomorrow at the latest.” He turned to Elizabeth, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Adams.”
“You, too.” She smiled sincerely and followed Derrick into the elevator.
“You did well today, but don’t go letting this go to your head.”
She sensed he was upset about something. The air around him felt cold. “I won’t. Mr. Page?” She bit her lip.
“What is it, Miss Adams?”
Embarrassment colored her cheeks, and she looked down. “I can’t afford a hotel room right now. Are you sure they can’t just fly us home? Is the weather really that bad?”
“Lizzie,” he sighed, “it’s my company. You won’t be paying for your room. This is a business trip and a business expense. I wouldn’t make you pay for something like that.”
“Oh. Thank you.” She hadn’t even thought of that.
The elevator chimed as they reached the first floor. Derrick walked briskly towards the doors. The sheer amount of tall, beautiful women around them was astonishing, but he didn’t even glance at them. He was distracted by something. Did the upcoming storm make him that upset? Elizabeth fiddled with the fabric of her dress.
The wind outside bellowed around the buildings. Darkness loomed above them, menacingly. Her hair whipped around her face and caught in her lip gloss. Derrick ushered her inside the car that was waiting for them before running around and getting in himself. As soon as his door was closed, droplets of rain began to pound against the hood of the car. They left behind large splatters that the windshield wipers fought to keep at bay.
Derrick chuckled at her. Her mouth was gaping open at how quickly the weather had escalated. “Here, let me help you.” He reached up and pulled the strand of hair that had gotten stuck to her lip away from her face. The windswept look wasn’t glamourous like in magazines or movies, but somehow on her it was even more beautiful than that. Her hair was a mangled mess, but it didn’t destroy the illusion for him. The chaos seemed to suit her. He was lucky they had gotten to the photoshoot before the storm hit, or she would have needed some major touch ups.
“This is insane!” Elizabeth stared out the windows. Her head was on a swivel. Storms made her uneasy.
“It’s just a little rain.”
“Yeah, and Pompeii was just a little a little ash. Seriously, look at the streets!” Water was already streaming down the sides of the roads and pooling against the edges of the sidewalks.
“You’ll be fine.” He sounded as if he were reassuring a child that the sky wasn’t falling.
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?”
&n
bsp; “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.