“Here we are,” I said after stepping out of the cab.
Paige stood next to me, shading her eyes from the unforgiving sun. “This is yours?”
“Yes.”
She shook her head. “It’s huge.”
“The space is multi-purpose. Let’s look around.” I led Paige to the front of the building and opened the door. I flipped on the lights and allowed her to walk the space on her own. I wanted her to picture this as her office space and visualize her employees all in one place.
Her heels clicked over the concrete floor as she wandered farther into the space. Sunlight flooded through the windows, giving a light and airy feel to the open area. The natural light was one reason I invested in the space. Even though it looked like every vacant warehouse in the city, there was something about it which tickled my architectural mind.
“This is the main space, but there are several private offices down this hallway.” I pointed to the left. “You can use them for meetings or your own space.”
“I would like to stay with my employees,” she said softly. “At least for the time being. We’ve been apart long enough.”
“Through there,” I pointed toward another door across the way, “there’s a loading dock. It’s easier to bring in desks and whatever other furniture you might need without battling for street parking.”
Paige walked to the center of the space and turned in a slow circle, her eyes darting around the room. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
“What?” I asked, inching closer to her. She was the sun to my earth, and she drew me nearer each time she was in my presence.
“This place. It’s much bigger than I thought it would be.”
“Do you think it’s enough space for you and your employees?” I asked. “It’s not beautiful by any stretch of the imagination, but it might work for what you’re doing.”
“It’s perfect,” she said, facing me. “I’d love to rent it from you.”
I waved a hand in front of me. “Your money is no good here.”
She cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms. “So then, what do you want from me?”
I wanted plenty of things from her, but I also wasn’t going to demote her to a prostitute. “Nothing. I don’t want rent. I want you to borrow the space from me for the time being. It’s an even trade.”
“That would imply I’m giving you something,” she said.
I shrugged. “Well, I don’t want anything.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know if I can do that. You’ve already done so much.”
“Paige, this place has been sitting here vacant for years. It would be my pleasure to help you out and make it useful for a little while.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. “This seems like too much. I have the money if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I took her hands in mine. “I would rather you use your money for the long-term building than this one.”
She sighed. “Okay then. If you’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Reese, thank you so much.”
“It’s my pleasure.” I didn’t tell her the real reason for giving it to her for free. Allison had told me about the threats to them both in their small office. Getting Paige here would give her the opportunity to grow her company without any threats. No one knew about this investment, so for now, she was safe and under my protection in more ways than one.
“Can I bring Allison out here tomorrow?” she asked, breaking through my thoughts. “I’d like to get started right away.”
I unhooked the key from the metal ring and handed it over. “It’s all yours to do what you want with now.”
“Reese, how can I ever repay you?” she asked. “You’ve been so amazing during this process. I feel bad for how I treated you when we first met.”
“Seeing you happy and successful is all I need. You deserve it, Paige.”
She wrapped her arms around me, and I pulled her close. “Thank you,” she said against my chest.
“Take care of this place,” I said. “You’re the first and probably the last renter.”
“I’m sure Allison can help you rent it out after we leave. She’s a genius.”
I wasn’t sure I ever wanted anyone in this place except for her.
Chapter 8
The next morning, I woke with a new sense of purpose. Reese had come through for me in so many ways, giving me the opportunity to get everyone in one place before we broke ground on my new building. Every time I started a new project, my insides fluttered with excitement. I loved staying focused and busy. After dealing with the dregs of this city, I wanted to leave them behind me and move on with strategizing the future growth of my business. The first thing I had to do was go over the proposal and plan with Allison before roping the other employees into the fold.
At the same time, I wanted to celebrate this victory. After meeting Reese, the puzzle pieces of my life started to fall into place, and his warehouse was no different. Who better than to celebrate with than my business partner?
I texted Allison early Sunday morning to meet for brunch around eleven. I wanted her awake and her stomach full before I could bombard her with shared tasks. Once we got the ball rolling with the move, I wanted things to proceed quickly. The sooner I had everyone in the city, the better.
We met at the restaurant at the Hyatt downtown, which I heard boasted one of the best brunches in the city. I arrived there around ten forty-five to reserve our seats since I hadn’t made a reservation. Normally, we stuck to places which didn’t need them, so I was a little ashamed when the hostess asked me.
Going out with Reese upped my fancy-factor when it came to places to eat. Which didn’t quite fit his budget, but I knew he was trying to impress me. Either way, he changed my life for the good, and I wondered if I’d ever be able to repay him like he deserved. I thought about putting extra in the budget for the building for his stipend to make up for it. I hoped this project would help him long term so he wouldn’t have to stress too much about money.
Allison came through the door precisely at eleven. I waved her over to our table.
“This place is really nice,” she said, smoothing her hands over her blouse. “I feel underdressed.”
I glanced around the room at the covered white tables, and a brief flashback of the encounter with Jonah filled my mind. There had been a table set for me at the restaurant where we’d met, and I doubted he ever intended on sitting with me. Though, the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling gave the room an elegance, unlike the dingy place I’d visited. I tried to focus on the light in the room, and soon, the sick feeling in my stomach subsided.
“You look amazing,” I said, trying to ease her mind. “You have slacks on.”
“These people look like they’re going to meet the queen.”
I’d been so stuck in my head with plans for the business, I hardly noticed. Good thing I wore a sundress. “We’re paying customers. I doubt they care.”
“I feel like I need a hat,” she said, slipping into her seat.
A server came to the table with a glass pitcher of mimosas.
“Keep those coming,” Allison said.
“We have a Bloody Mary bar over there,” the server said, pointing her manicured finger across the room. “There are different variations you can create yourself. When you’re ready, you can start walking through the buffet.”
“Thank you,” Allison and I said at the same time.
I knew Allison wanted food. Somehow, she was always hungry. Me, on the other hand, I went days at a time with the smallest bites of food when I was in work mode. Today might be the most food I’d have in one day for a while.
“Before we go up, I wanted to raise a glass,” I said, picking up my flute.
Allison’s was already almost finished, and she wiped a hand over her mouth before doing the same. “Sorry. What are we celebrating?”
I hadn’t told her the major surprise, but I couldn�
��t help the grin crossing my face. “I found a temporary space for us. So, we can finally move forward with getting everyone here.”
Allison’s mouth popped open. “Are you serious? That’s amazing, Paige. Tell me all about it.”
I sipped from my glass. “First, let’s get something to eat.”
As we dug into three courses of plates heaped with food, I told Allison about Reese’s warehouse and its location. “It’s not too far from the train, so wherever everyone chooses to live, it should be a straightforward commute. The place is gigantic, and I have so many ideas on how to structure the interior.”
“This is amazing,” Allison said, dipping a piece of shrimp in her Bloody Mary before eating it. “I can’t believe how easy this was. Reese seems to be a lifesaver.”
“He really is,” I said, not meeting her eyes. The less I spoke about him on a personal level, the better. I couldn’t have Allison know how much I cared for him outside of our professional relationship.
“What’s the plan?” she asked. “When can I see this place?”
I shrugged. “I was hoping you’d come with me after brunch.”
“Girl, you’re going to have to wheel me out of this place.”
I laughed. “I’ll pay for a cab.”
“Let’s put it on the business,” Allison said. “And make sure he takes the long route. I’m sure I’ll need a short nap.”
With all the delicious food, I would probably need a nap later too.
My excitement grew as I filled Allison in on the details. Then, it was time to sit back, relax, and enjoy my friend’s company. It had been a while since we talked about our personal lives. In my effort to keep Reese’s name out of the conversation, I asked Allison what was going on in her life. She enjoyed talking about herself so much that I barely had a chance to say anything by the time I paid the bill.
I charged it to our business account, and I knew it was just the beginning. Even though the warehouse was temporary, I wanted to show everyone how much their work had built the company, and I wasn’t going to scrimp on perks.
I’d never met any of my employees in person—only over Skype—and I knew first impressions were important. If they were picking up their lives to move to me, then I wanted it to be worth it to them.
We reached the warehouse later that afternoon. Allison had eaten two plates of dessert to soak up the alcohol in her system, and it seemed to work. She perked up on the way to the warehouse and was practically shaking from sugar shock by the time we got there.
“This is it?” The twist of her lips highlighted her displeasure.
“It’s temporary,” I said. “And think of it as a blank canvas. We just need to add a personal touch.”
Allison still looked unsure, but she followed me to the front of the building.
I gestured at the warehouse. “We’re going to have to make some renovations to the space before everyone can come, but that’s easy enough with the budget plan I came up with.”
Somehow, Allison looked even more disgusted. “You worked on a budget plan without me?”
“I wanted to surprise you. Besides, it’s a first draft.” As much as Allison was the public relations guru, she had a knack for numbers and always enjoyed preparations for our annual budget meeting.
“You know I’m going to rip it apart,” she muttered.
“I fully expected you to,” I said and then opened the door.
Wandering into the space felt a little strange, as if I were trespassing. Reese had assured me this building was mine for the time being, but it still felt off to be there without him. He’d spent a lot of money to buy the place, and I wondered how he could afford to keep it. I supposed his frugal nature helped, but I wasn’t sure how much. Space in this city wasn’t cheap.
But I’d already gone too far by pushing about his past. I wasn’t going to do it again unless he wanted to discuss it.
I walked Allison to the set of offices first. Each of them was twice the size of our current space. But the section I was interested in the most was the open floor plan in the center of the building. Sunlight poured into the space, even before I turned the overhead lights on. The ceiling was open, exposing wide pipes and other mechanical things, but for some reason, I found it charming.
“I wanted this to be the main hub,” I said. “We’ve all spent enough time apart. I think this is a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other before we move into the bigger space where we might work more separately. I don’t want dividers between the desks, but I do want each person to have the opportunity to personalize their space.”
“That sounds cool,” she said tentatively.
I smiled. “Right? And we need to soften some of the industrial edges. I was thinking of bringing in some couches for the lounge room. I wanted to convert one of the offices back there into a space for unwinding, also an eating area.”
I’d read somewhere that keeping spaces separate for different activities—work, relaxing, eating—proved to be more efficient for productivity. We all worked well separately, but I was forcing a substantial change on everyone, including Allison and me. Bringing the company together on a personal and professional level was key to our success.
“I think you have the start of a good plan,” Allison said.
I knew her tone. Skepticism dripped from her words. “What’s on your mind?”
She shook her head. “How can we afford this place, the renovations, and the other building?”
I knew that question was coming, and I wasn’t sure how she was going to take my answer. “Reese is letting us use it, rent free.”
Allison raised her eyebrows. “I don’t understand. How can he afford the upkeep on this place on his salary?”
“I think he owns the building,” I muttered.
“You think?”
I shrugged, crossing my arms over my chest. “I wasn’t going to get into his finances. He gave me the key, and that was that.”
Allison shook her head. “There are a lot of mysteries surrounding Professor Baker.”
I winced. Her formality with his name bothered me for some reason. But to her, he’d always be her professor. To me? I wasn’t sure what he was. I could call him my Superman since he seemed to swoop in and save the day all the time, but his mysterious past rarely fled to the back of my mind. I wanted to be sure the decisions I made for my company came from my head instead of my heart, though both relaxed whenever I was around Reese. He gave me the opportunity to think about the more in my life.
“They are good mysteries, though,” Allison said. She walked away from me. “Where is the bathroom in this place?”
I pointed her in the direction of the hallway, and she disappeared.
I walked the space alone for the first time. I closed my eyes and visualized every inch of the interior with my changes. I wanted a quick transition from the warehouse to the new building, so it was best to buy furniture and items to use in both. A smile crept over my lips as the room came to life around me in my mind.
Then I saw Reese’s face. I wanted to do good by him. I opened my eyes, and the image faded away. I pulled out my phone and opened the document with the budget proposal, jotting down a few ideas I’d come up with.
As it always did when it came to Reese, my mind wandered to him and the mystery around his past. I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed, and for some reason, it eased my mind. I hoped Allison was right about his past involving good mysteries. So far, he hadn’t done anything negative to affect my life or business. He’d made both better. But those knotted scars across his body told a different story, one I wished he’d share with me.
Chapter 9
The shrill sound of my phone woke me from a dead sleep. I blinked awake and grabbed my cell from the side table. Nothing about my room was right. It was too bright. As my gaze slid over my alarm clock and then my phone, I already knew I’d fucked up.
“Shit,” I said and saw Chance’s number on the screen.
I hopped
out of bed as I answered the phone.
“Yo—” he started.
“I know I’m late. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“What’s—”
I hung up before he finished speaking. It was eight o’clock. How the hell had I slept that long? I checked the timer app on my phone. Shit. I hadn’t set one the night before, even though I could have sworn I did.
“Fuck!” I grabbed the first suit I saw in my closet and shoved it on. I couldn’t believe I’d slept late. Out of all days, it had to be the first day of finals. I raced out of the room and slammed my hand against the wall as I realized I’d forgotten my shoes. I slid into my room and grabbed the first pair I saw. I didn’t have much time to flick on the lights, so I hoped they matched. It didn’t fucking matter much to me. I had to get to my first class in fifteen minutes or else I was screwed.
I had no time for a shower. I ran into the bathroom and guzzled some mouthwash before slicking my hair back with a little too much gel. I hadn’t set the alarm, but I’d had the forethought to pack my bag. I lifted it from the floor and sprinted out of my place.
I’d been forced to park far from my apartment the day before, so I didn’t have enough time to get to my car, find a parking spot at school, and get to class on time. The train was unreliable and filled with an insane amount of people that early in the morning. So, I decided to cab it.
The second my feet hit the pavement, my hand shot out into the air. Somehow, luck was on my side, and a yellow cab rolled up within seconds. As it pulled to a stop, I crossed my fingers and hoped I had everything I needed for the finals. There wasn’t any time to go to my office. I’d be surprised if the entire class hadn’t walked out by the time I got to campus.
We hit one red light, and I knew there were at least a dozen more to come.
I was never late. Ever. No wonder Chance sounded a little freaked out on the phone. I sent him a quick text to let him know I was on my way. I wished he could have told my students, but his class wasn’t even in the same building. I didn’t want to give him a reason to yell at his students again if he suspected they cheated in his absence.
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