by Brenda Dugas
A little girl played in front of the antique mirror, but the mirror was on the wrong side of the room. Mrs. Mullen looked much younger now, where was the key to her box? She couldn’t seem to find it. Leah stirred, not knowing if she was asleep or awake. She shifted positions, and the scene changed.
Now there was a young man, he was singing a lullaby while rocking a baby girl who clutched a blanket and cried… Mommy….Daddy… home. The scene shifted and an older, sadder looking vision of Mrs. Mullen appeared, watching a lonely little girl play. It’ll be alright, Child, Mrs. Mullen’s comforting words finally brought peace.
Leah woke to the glare of sunlight in her face. She didn’t feel like she had gotten much sleep at all. She couldn’t remember what she had dreamed about, but hoped tonight would be more restful. The blinding sunlight reflecting off the mirror made it hard to keep her eyes open. She would ask Dustin to help her move it to the opposite side of the room next time he was over.
Leah was tempted to stay in bed to try and catch up on some of the sleep she had missed the night before, but felt that she shouldn’t delay going to church any longer. She had a lot to be thankful for. She was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel in her new home. Since her arrival in Rockport, every time things had seemed hopeless, God had sent someone to her aid. First, He sent Dustin Brannon, then Slade Coleman, although I can’t quite picture the man with angel wings and a halo! Leah smirked to herself. Of course, she was also thankful that an employment opportunity had presented itself so quickly, even if it was temporary.
Leah had noticed the church spire rising picturesquely in the center of the village from her vantage point on the hilltop the day she arrived in Rockport. She had made it a point to pass in front of the church on her way home from her latest shopping trip to check out the service times. She was thrilled to find a charming little covered bridge leading to the church entrance. She decided to attend the 9AM service.
She took a seat quietly in the back just as the service was beginning. The music was uplifting and the message about trusting God to light your path left her feeling as if Mrs. Mullen wasn’t so far away after all. It was over before she knew it, making her realize how much she had missed going to church for the past several weeks. The attractive new face piqued the curiosity of the locals; however, the only familiar face Leah saw was Slade Coleman’s maid. She wasn’t sure whether to reintroduce herself or not.
She didn’t have to. The older woman immediately recognized Leah and headed her way as the congregation began exiting the church. She was eager to talk. “Good morning, Miss Leah, it’s good to see you looking so well!” Even though she was feeling the lack of sleep, Leah felt sure she did look notably better than the night she landed on Slade’s doorstep.
“Good morning, Mrs. Croft,” Leah had to reach hard, but managed to recall the name just in time. “How are you this morning? Do you have Sundays off work?”
“Oh, no Miss Leah, I’m on my way back right now. I’ll need to take lunch out of the oven for Mr. Coleman and Miss Anderson. I’m off on Mondays and Saturdays. Now that Miss Anderson is back, I’ll need to be around to clean her room and do her laundry. I’ll be running from now until she leaves again!” It was apparent to Leah from Mrs. Croft’s demeanor that day couldn’t arrive soon enough for her. At that point, she bid Leah a hasty goodbye and headed out the door, as if fearing unpleasantness ahead if she delayed any longer.
While driving back home, Leah wondered what this “Miss Anderson” had done to cause such distastefulness every time Mrs. Croft mentioned her name. Slade must not have the same reaction, from the intimacy suggested by the cozy living arrangements and the lunch the twosome had shared in the tiny deli across from the Riley Agency. Leah again realized how much she missed Dustin’s lighthearted humor and the ease and lack of complexity in their friendship. He couldn’t return home soon enough!
Chapter 6
Leah hit the snooze button on her alarm clock, and sleepily checked the time. She had slept better than she anticipated, but it was still difficult to entice herself out of bed. At that moment, the idea of working from home seemed very appealing. These cold New England mornings are a little difficult to get used to when you’ve grown up in Florida! She excused herself for the ungrateful thought; in reality, she was very thankful for this job, even if it was temporary.
She had set the coffee pot timer the night before, and could smell the tempting aroma drifting down the hall from the kitchen. Allowing herself the luxury of lying in bed with the first cup, then refilling the mug, she got busy preparing for her first day of work. Taking a last look in the mirror which was now tilted slightly away from the morning sunlight, she grabbed her jacket and purse while dashing out the door. The traffic moved freely, allowing her to arrive at C & A Enterprises a few minutes early.
Security personnel at the guarded entrance directed her to the front of a rather large office complex. Upon walking inside, she was met by the receptionist, identified by the nameplate on her desk as “Liz Michaels”. Leah introduced herself as the new temp; however, Liz obviously knew nothing of her scheduled arrival. At that moment the front door opened again, and the familiar face of Anne Riley appeared on the scene. Wow. She is good! Leah was directed to a chair across the room by a window while the recruiter engaged in conversation with the receptionist.
“So she’s filling in while Melissa’s out on maternity leave?” In the brief period it took to regain her composure, it had become clear to Leah that Liz Michaels expected to see someone else show up this morning. Leah was clearly a surprise!
Within minutes, she was led down the hall and seated in a nearby waiting area while the HR Manager, Mr. Ryan, was summoned. Mrs. Riley spoke with him briefly and then left, after instructing Leah to stop by the Agency some time during the week to set up payment arrangements.
Mr. Ryan gave a brief rundown of her new responsibilities and waited around for a while, intending to introduce Leah to her new boss. However, it was almost 9:30, and time for a scheduled teleconference. He excused himself apologetically, and Leah was left to wait alone.
Time seemed to be passing by slowly and she found herself getting a little edgy. As minutes continued to tick by, she became more and more fidgety as nerves took over. After checking her cell phone for missed calls and applying more lip gloss, Leah decided to get up and walk around a bit. She had noticed a restroom and water fountain somewhere along the way. Maybe she could make a quick trip before anyone came looking for her.
However, she didn’t anticipate getting lost! She made a few turns, walked down a few halls, made a few more turns, and the building suddenly seemed to become a maze of empty halls and offices. Trying not to panic, she continued to walk on until finally hearing a distant voice. She started to call out, but decided to follow the voice and try to appear unruffled.
Finally, there was the water fountain, Leah certainly needed it now! The restroom was right across the hall. The voice belonged to Liz Michaels, whose back was turned to Leah. She obviously thought no one else was within ear shot, as she excitedly spoke into the phone…Liz momentarily appeared to lose her connection. “Are you there now? Did you hear me? I lost you for a moment… Alaine Anderson is livid…do you hear me, livid! Melissa called her Friday afternoon… Well, that’s how she knew Melissa would be gone today…Melissa told her where to get the key and left notes on her desk…Obviously she didn’t know anything was up either…Listen, here’s the best part…When Alaine showed up this morning, the guards wouldn’t let her in…That’s right!…What do you think’s going on?”
Leah didn’t want her to know she had overheard the conversation, so she slipped quietly into the bathroom, still undetected by the gossiping receptionist. When she felt she had regained her composure enough, Leah quietly opened the door, curious about the situation she’d found herself in. Liz was now nowhere in sight. She found a stack of paper cups by the water cooler and then hurried to find her way back to the waiting area. Rushing around a
corner, she bumped headlong into… Who else? Leah felt as if she had stepped around a corner and walked into a time warp! Slade Coleman seemed to reappear out of nowhere, just when she least expected it! She stood looking aghast as she realized the entire contents of her cup were now deposited on his crisply ironed shirt and tie. “I am SO sorry,” she moaned. “What are YOU doing here?”
“I take it you’re lost again, Miss Liles,” he said impatiently, ignoring the very wet shirt. How could a small cup of water look like a gallon when spilled on a shirt? Leah was thankful the cup was full of water and not hot coffee.
“Yes, I guess I do get turned around easily.” Leah’s face burned as she remembered the cold night when Slade found her at his front door. “I’m actually here on a temporary assignment, and have absolutely no idea where I’m supposed to be waiting right now. Do you know how to get me back to the HR Manager’s office?” Where I never should have left in the first place!
“I’ll show you to your office, Miss Liles, you’ll be working for me.”
What? At these words, Leah’s heart dropped to her feet. She followed Slade to a very large and tastefully decorated office in a front corner of the building, with a smaller office and waiting area, where Leah was told she would be working.
“Here, Melissa has left the computer passwords in this envelope, along with a list of projects and their completion status. Please spend the rest of the day familiarizing yourself with these projects, and be ready to hit the ground running at 8AM sharp tomorrow morning. If you need anything, please let Liz Michaels know, and she’ll be glad to take care of it for you.” Leah sincerely hoped she wouldn’t have to ask Liz Michaels for anything. “And on your way out,” he continued, “please stop and register your vehicle with Security. You’ll be issued a temporary parking pass that will allow you to access to the employee parking garage.”
As directed, Leah opened the sealed envelope, still trying to process the morning’s surprises; her mind was blown it was only ten o’clock! A name on the envelope had been marked through with a heavy marker. She had no problems getting into the computer system, and went through the list of projects, one by one, familiarizing herself as much as possible with each spreadsheet, and each document.
Lunch time arrived, and Slade finally emerged from his office. “You have an hour off for lunch, there are several places nearby.” He stopped and turned back. “Don’t forget, you should have my number; don’t hesitate to call me if you need directions. Most places here are quite safe, but there are a few out-of-the-way areas where you wouldn’t want to find yourself …lost.”
Leah noticed the slight smirk as he turned and walked away. She felt her face get hot but noticed this time it wasn’t because she was angry.
For the remainder of the afternoon, he stayed mostly in his office, occasionally asking Leah to hold calls or take messages while a meeting was in progress. By the end of the day, she felt that she was beginning to get a system in place, but she did welcome the somewhat lengthy drive home to clear her frayed nerves and disengage from the events of her first day.
Reflecting on the receptionist's phone conversation, she recalled the name … Alaine. It hadn’t registered with Leah at the time, but she was sure now that was the name someone had marked through on the envelope she had been given with passwords and project info. Suddenly the gravity of Liz Michaels’ conversation hit home. Leah now realized that she was the replacement who had shown up when everyone in the office expected Alaine; apparently everyone including Alaine herself! What’s up with all that?
The next day, Leah remembered to check the name on the envelope. Sure enough, “Alaine” was barely discernible through the black marker. She found this to be a little unsettling. Did they break up? She would have to keep her eyes and ears open. Slade walked through the door, and Leah began another demanding day of spreadsheets and meeting schedules.
Chapter 7
Alaine sat in the deli across from the Riley Agency. She tapped her perfectly manicured nails thoughtfully against the table top, oblivious to the curious glances of the restaurant staff. She was no stranger to the popular sidewalk deli, in fact, she had been a frequent visitor for many years now. One would have to say that Alaine’s appearance was striking; her short platinum blonde hair was styled to perfection, framing her soft blue eyes and lovely ivory complexion. As the epitome of high social class, the deli staff had been instructed to cater to her every whim. She was nearly always accompanied by Slade Coleman, and the two were an attractive pair, however today she appeared to be quite alone.
It was becoming more and more evident to her that things had changed. Slade’s Administrative Assistant, Melissa, had left a voicemail message last Friday evening, to let Alaine know she had taken Slade up on an offer to begin her maternity leave early. She would leave her office keys with the front gate guard to be picked up on Monday morning. She would leave a list of projects and computer passwords in a sealed envelope on her desk as she had done in the past.
At eight o’clock Monday morning, Alaine had driven to C & A Enterprises and attempted to enter through the front gate, as she had for years. For the first time ever, she was denied entry into the facility that had been jointly owned by their families; jointly owned until last Friday morning, that is…now solely owned by Slade Coleman.
After many failed attempts to reach Slade by phone she contacted Liz Michaels, who informed her that Anne Riley had just arrived with a temporary employee to fill the vacancy. She signed in as “Leah Liles”. The receptionist had also seemed quite confused. No one there seemed to know who this temp was.
Things suddenly appeared to be spinning out of control. It was a feeling Alaine was not accustomed to, nor did she like it! Her father had signed papers last Friday morning, sealing the deal to transfer the remaining half of the Company to Slade. However, it had been a natural assumption to her that, given their history, things would remain as they always had been. She would have a suite at the Coleman Estate, complete access to C & A Enterprises; free to come and go as she always had, with a voice that carried equal weight in everything about their families’ business… surely, he realized how much he needed her!
Slade had not shown up at his house at all over the weekend, which wasn’t so unusual. He had mentioned that Dustin Brannon would be going ahead of him to the Great Lakes facility, and Alaine assumed that Slade had followed. His work often took him to other divisions of the company, which was spread out over several states.
Deciding to chase down another lead, she went over to the Riley Agency, hoping to get information about this temporary employee who had shown up in her place that morning. She could give them a name, Leah Liles…but the agency apologetically informed her that, due to privacy laws, they weren’t at liberty to give out any information.
So here Alaine found herself, sipping coffee, deep in thought…sipping without even tasting, at the deli across the street; sitting exactly where she had sat with Slade only last Friday. Suddenly, she recalled his distraction as he had watched an attractive brunette walk across the street from the Riley Agency into the deli. Something in the atmosphere between Slade and herself had changed instantly, and he couldn’t deny the obvious recognition when the two of them made eye contact. After much pressing, he finally said she was “Brannon’s friend… Leah!” She hadn’t been able to put it all together before, but now she felt certain that she could match Leah Liles’ name with that face, a face that was much more attractive than Alaine found to her liking!
***
Slade sat alone in his office in deep thought. It was time to make a clean break from Alaine, there was little doubt about that. He had been biding his time, waiting patiently for her father to finally realize it was the end of the road.
Slade and Alaine’s fathers had founded C & A Enterprises some thirty years ago. In the early years things went well, and each partner built up a sizeable empire. However, Scott Anderson had become addicted to gambling, a fact he kept well concealed until he h
ad lost everything but the Anderson family mansion. In the end, the mansion had to be sold to pay off creditors whose payments had been withheld while he tried to redeem his losses with a huge win that never materialized.
Brad Coleman had graciously allowed the family to move into a wing at the Coleman Estate while his lifelong friend made a feeble attempt to get his life back in order. However, Mrs. Anderson filed for divorce and the downward spiral continued. Their only child, Alaine, spent most of her young life away at boarding schools, then college, while her mother got on with her life and her father continued to ruin his. Alaine had appeared in and out of Slade’s life as the years passed.
When Brad Coleman decided to retire and move to Europe, he passed control of his half of the company down to his only son, Slade. C & A Enterprises had gone through some bad years; however his son had managed to turn things around. The company was undergoing a massive expansion. With the port in close proximity, soon a dock loading and storage facility would be part of the C & A conglomerate. It didn’t come without a price.
In fact, it had taken a massive personal investment of the Coleman fortune to get the company back on its feet. Scott Anderson had been granted a loan by Slade to cover his half of this investment. He was legally obligated pay the funds back within a five year period, or sign the remaining half of the company over to Slade. It had seemed to Scott at the time he entered into this agreement that five years would be plenty of time to get his finances back in order, but instead, he had found himself and his daughter, Alaine, in the corporate attorney’s office the previous Friday signing the final papers to sever any and all ties with the company.
