Mine to Cherish

by Shaw Hart

I walk over and hit the button for the elevator. I know they make her nervous and it makes me a bastard, but I want to feel her pressed up against me again. Plus, the other option is walking down forty flights of stairs. Maybe I can help her get over her fear.

  We step into the elevator and she steps closer to me as the doors slide shut. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her closer as the elevator starts to descend. I feel her eyes on me and look down to see her staring up at me. My eyes flick down to her lips and I see her little pink tongue dart out and lick her bottom lip. I start to lean down towards her, hungry to claim her lips in a kiss, when the elevator comes to a stop and the doors open. Poppy jumps away from me and makes her way past the few people waiting to step onto the elevator. I catch up with her a few steps later and lead her outside and down the street to a deli that I usually order my lunch from.

  We step up to the counter and each order a turkey club sandwich and some chips, then snag a table that just opened in the back. I watch her bite into her sandwich and have to hold back a groan when I hear her moan around the bite. I’m amazed at how fast she finishes off her food and end up offering her some of mine. I make a mental note to feed her more often and to keep snacks stocked in our break room. We finish up lunch and stand to throw our trash away before I lead her back to the office.

  “I’ll take you to HR now and you can fill out the paperwork and then you’ll officially start work tomorrow.” I tell her as I hold the door open for her and then lead her down to HR’s offices.

  I knock on the door and let them know that they need to have Poppy fill out the new hire paperwork and make sure she’s settled before I head back up to my office. I try desperately for the next two hours to concentrate on work but by the time the clock hits 3 pm I find myself headed down to check on Poppy again. I don’t like not having my eyes on her.

  When I walk into HR, my eyes immediately seek out Poppy and I see her slinging that backpack that she’s been carrying all day over her shoulder.

  “Paperwork all set?” I ask her as she makes her way towards me.

  “Yep! I’m an official employee. Even got my employee id badge!” She says proudly.

  I smile down at her as she comes to a stop in front of me. I realize that I’m blocking the door and turn to let her walk through first. I can’t help but let my eyes drift over her as I watch her walk down the hall in front of me. We get out to the front lobby and I realize my time with her is about to end.

  “Let me give you a ride home.” I offer already pulling my phone out to call my driver.

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to.”

  “No, really. I’ll be fine.”

  “I insist.” I say as I place my hand on her back and steer her out the front door and into my waiting car. We settle into the car and my driver looks to me for the address.

  “What’s your address?” I ask.

  It’s then I notice how nervous Poppy looks. She keeps fidgeting and she won’t meet my eyes.

  “Poppy? What’s wrong, Sunshine?”

  “I don’t have a home. Or anywhere to stay. I was in foster care but I turned eighteen today and they kicked me out.”

  I’m shocked. Who in their right mind would kick this perfect creature out of their home? Who wouldn’t want this girl? I tell my driver to take us to my home. I won’t be stupid enough to let this girl go. I will protect her and take care of her until I die. She’s mine now.

  Chapter Five

  Poppy

  The driver pulls up to the curb and I get my first look at Asher’s home. It’s a clean brownstone in the nice part of town. While I’m looking out the window, Asher gets out of the car and comes around to open my door. He holds his hand out to me and I place my hand in his and grab my backpack with my other hand. I go to put my backpack over my shoulder but Asher takes it from me and leads me up the steps. I wait while he unlocks the door and then follow him into the foyer.

  “Let me show you around.”

  I nod at him as he turns and leads me further into the house. He shows me the living room, a formal dining room, office, kitchen and a bathroom before we walk back and head up the stairs to the second floor. He shows me the two guest rooms and their en-suites and finally he shows me his room.

  The color scheme seems to be the same here as at his office. His home is also just as bare. The living room has a simple leather couch and coffee table with a giant flat screen tv mounted on the wall, the dining room was just a table and four chairs, and the bedrooms were just beds and a dresser. The house barely looks lived in.

  “Did you just move in?” I ask as I look around for pictures or something to make the house feel more personal or warm.

  “No, I’ve been here for about five years now.” He says and I watch him look around his house too. I wonder what he sees when he looks around.

  “Are you hungry?” He asks and I realize that it’s already close to 5:30 pm.

  “Yeah, I could eat.”

  “Ok, we can order some take out then. Unless you’d rather go out to eat?”

  I’m about to answer when his phone rings and he excuses himself to answer it. He walks into his office and starts talking on the phone. I make my way to the kitchen and open the fridge to see if maybe I could just make some food for us.

  The fridge is pretty bare, with just some butter, milk and eggs inside. I try the cupboards and pantry next and find some pasta, syrup, and some flour and sugar. I can’t make much with this but I know I can make pancakes and eggs. Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? I take out the ingredients and dig through the cabinets until I find his pans. I’m just pouring the first pancake into the pan when Asher walks into the kitchen.

  “Something smells good.” He says as he makes his way over to me at the stove.

  “It’s just some pancakes.” I say as I flip them over to the other side.

  He sets some plates and silverware out for us and then comes to watch me finish cooking. We bring everything over to the counter and each take a seat. It’s quiet as we pour syrup over our food and dig in. He moans as he chews his first bite and I find my eyes drawn to his lips. Hearing him make that sound does something to my body. My core clenches and I shift my thighs to try to ease this new ache.

  “This is really good.” He says as he pops another bite in his mouth and smiles at me.

  “It’s just pancakes. Pretty simple stuff, really.”

  “I couldn’t make them. I’m terrible in the kitchen.”

  “Is that why there wasn’t really any food here?” I ask and he nods his head.

  “Yeah. I guess I just got used to eating out or ordering take out.”

  “I can show you how to make a few things, if you like? Or I can do the cooking? While I stay here. I promise that I’ll start looking for a new place tomorrow I just ne-”

  “You can stay for as long as you like. You don’t need to rush out of here. I like having you here.”

  I don’t want to admit it but I love his home and staying here with him. Sitting here with him feels so natural and has made me feel so safe for the first time in my life. Now that I’ve had a taste of security, I’m not anxious to give it up so soon. I’m starting to fall for Asher already though and I know the longer I stay here, the harder it will be to leave. Or what if he has other women over? I think I would die if I had to watch him take some other woman to bed.

  We finish dinner and keep the conversation going as we stand side by side and do the dishes together. I’m amazed at how freely the conversation flows between us. It feels like I’ve known him for years and not just a few hours.

  We move into the living room, sitting down on the couch together and end up talking for hours. I tell him about growing up in foster care and moving from house to house. How lonely it was and how I always wished for my own permanent home with a real family.

  I tell him about my love for decorating and how I wanted to go to school to study interior design but I knew I would have to work fo
r a few years to save up enough money. He offered to let me decorate his home and office and I almost jumped at the chance before I remembered that he had already given me a job and I didn’t want to leave him hanging at work to decorate. Besides, I wasn’t a professional. I just liked finding different things and pulling them all together to create something new.

  Asher tells me about his childhood and his parents. He was an only child like me but that was where the similarities ended. His parents loved him and had made sure that he knew it every day. He told me that they’re still close and he has brunch with them every Sunday. I don’t know why but when he tells me that, I can feel myself fall even more in love with him. He even invited me over for brunch this Sunday but I’m not sure that I should go. I have a feeling he’ll convince me to though.

  “Let me walk you to your room.” He says after we’ve sat on the couch for a few hours talking.

  I take his hand and he pulls me up. He keeps ahold of my hand as he leads me up the stairs and to the guest room located right next to his room. We stop outside the door and suddenly I’m nervous. I look up at him and I can see him staring at my lips. I want to kiss him so bad, to feel his lips pressed to mine. I wonder what it would feel like. He would be my first kiss. My first everything. He’s already the first person to hold my hand.

  Then I remember why I’m here and that I’ll be working for him and how much I desperately need this job. Reluctantly, I pull my hand from his and twist the door knob open.

  “Goodnight” I say as I stare at his toes before hastily opening the door and rushing through. I all but slam it in his face before I lean back against it and try to calm my racing heart. I hope I didn’t just embarrass myself, I think as I make my way over to my backpack and change into some pajamas. I go into the en-suite and brush my teeth before I pull the covers back and crawl into bed. I’m worried that I won’t be able to fall asleep but I’m out before my head hits the pillow.

  Chapter Six

  Asher

  I didn’t sleep a wink last night. After I walked Poppy to her door, all I wanted to do was pull her to me and kiss her. She ran away before I could find out what her lips tasted like and I went to my room and laid awake wondering why she ran from me so fast. I could see from her body language and the way she licked her lips and leaned into me that she was interested in me too.

  I spend the rest of the night trying to come up with a plan to convince her to give into this feeling between us. First step is to get up early and go pick up fresh pastries for breakfast. I want to show her that I can take care of her and anticipate her needs. She seemed like she liked to cook but I don’t even know where to start in terms of ingredients. I picture going grocery shopping with her after work. Walking down aisle after aisle with her and hearing her tell me what she plans to make with each ingredient. Such an ordinary mundane task but I know doing it with her would still be interesting.

  I slip out of bed and quickly pull on some jeans and a t shirt before I move quietly down the stairs and out the door. I walk over a block to my favorite bakery to grab some pastries and muffins for breakfast. I pick up some juice and coffee too since I don’t know what she likes to drink. I make it home and am setting everything out on the counter when I hear Poppy come down the stairs. She finds me in the kitchen a moment later and I watch her eyes widen when she sees the spread before her.

  “I might have gone a little overboard at the bakery this morning. I just wanted you to have options.”

  “That’s very thoughtful.” She says as she looks around at all of the choices.

  She ends up deciding on a blueberry scone and an orange juice. I grab a coffee and a cheese Danish before joining her at the counter.

  “Are you nervous for your first day?”

  “A little. I think it will take me a day or two to really catch on but hopefully I’ll be able to handle everything soon.”

  “I’m sure you will. Besides, I’ll be there to help you out if you need anything.”

  “Aren’t I supposed to be the one helping you?” She asks with a small smile.

  I chuckle lightly as I watch her pop the last bite of her scone into her mouth. She hops off her stool and washes her hands off in the sink. She seems to be stalling and I watch her as she slowly dries her hands off. Finally, she turns around and looks up at me.

  “What’s wrong, Sunshine?”

  “It’s just that I don’t think that I have any appropriate clothes to wear today. Everyone I saw yesterday was dressed so professionally and all I really have are jeans and some shirts.”

  She seems embarrassed to admit this and I want to kick myself for not thinking of this sooner. I scramble to find some way to make this right and quickly pull out my phone, sending a quick message to my personal shopper.

  “My stylist will meet us at the office with some options for you. You can just go ahead and wear whatever you want to today though. If your boss gives you trouble, I’ll have a word with him.” I joke.

  She smiles gratefully at me before darting up the steps to get ready. I smile after her and when I finish cleaning up the kitchen and go upstairs to follow her, I realize that I’m still smiling.

  Chapter Seven

  Poppy

  Asher opens the back door of the car for me and holds it open as I slide in before following after me. I feel a little self-conscious dressed so casually while he’s in a suit besides me. I’m a little nervous to see what his stylist has picked out for me. I’m sure the clothes will be beautiful but I’ll probably only be able to afford one outfit.

  A few minutes later we pull up outside of the office and I marvel at how much different my commute was this morning compared to yesterdays. Once again, Asher holds the door open for me and places his hand on the small of my back as he leads me into the building and then over to the elevators. I know that I’ll have to get used to riding in them but until I feel more comfortable, I’m glad that I have Asher here to lean on.

  We ride up to the top floor and as the doors open, I see that the conference room is now filled with racks of clothes and shoes. Asher keeps his arm wrapped around me as we make our way to the conference room and he introduces me to his personal shopper, Tia. She’s a friendly, slight, energetic woman who vigorously shakes my hand before bouncing over to one of the racks where she starts to pull out outfits.

  “I’ll leave you two to it.” Asher says and he smiles at me before he steps out of the room. I watch him through the windows as he disappears into his office. I turn back to Tia in time for her to hand me the first outfit and push me over towards a privacy screen in the corner of the room. I spend the majority of the morning trying on outfit after outfit.

  Just as I step back behind the curtain to change back into my clothes, I hear Asher come into the room. Knowing that I’m almost naked in the same room as him sends a thrill through me and I squeeze my thighs together as I hear Asher and Tia talk about how it went. I dress quickly and tuck my hair behind my ears as I walk back out to meet them.

  As soon as I come out from behind the screen, Asher’s eyes find me. He smiles at me as I make my way over to him and holds his hand out to me as soon as I’m within his reach. He pulls me into his side and I know that I shouldn’t let him, but it feels so right to be tucked into his side after being away from him all morning.

  “Find some stuff that you like?”

  “Yeah! Lots of stuff.” I say thinking back to all of the business dresses, skirts, and pant suits that I tried on this morning. Tia had even brought some other clothes that weren’t for work. We put all of the choices that I liked in one pile and I look over to see that it’s stacked much higher than I thought. There’s no way that I can afford all of that. I pull from Asher and make my way over to the pile to try to sort through the choices. Tia wouldn’t let me look at the price tags when I was trying everything on but I sneak a look now and I think I might faint when I see the prices. I would have to use all of my savings to buy just one outfit. I feel my cheeks redden in embarrassm
ent as I picture telling Tia that I can’t afford anything and that I wasted her time this morning. I go to turn around to do just that when I feel Asher walk up next to me.

  “Is this it?” He asks, like the pile of clothes three feet high isn’t going to be enough.

  “Yeah, but there’s no way that I can afford all of this. Or any of this.” I say under my breath.

  “It’s on me.” He says before he turns back to Tia and tells her we’ll take it. I go to protest

  but he holds a hand up to stop me before he walks back over to me and pulls me into his arms.

  “Let me do this for you. Please.”

  What can I say to that? I need new clothes to work here.

  “At least let me pay you back.”

  “Absolutely not. Please, just let this be my treat. I like giving you the things that you need.”

  I feel my cheeks heat and I bury my face into his chest as I quietly say, “I like it too.” I’m not sure if he’s heard me but I feel his arms tighten around me. We stand like that for several minutes before I hear clothes racks being moved and realize that Tia is packing everything up. I offer to help her take everything down but she makes a call and two assistants come to help her haul everything back. She bags up all of my clothes for me while they pack everything up and within minutes the conference room looks back to normal. I stack my bags back behind my desk before taking out one of my new outfits and heading to the bathroom to change.

  I chose a deep purple dress that makes my blue eyes pop and accentuates my curves. I pair it with a pair of black kitten heels. I fold my old clothes up and then turn to look into the mirror. I look like I belong here now and it goes a long way to make me feel like I can really do this job. I wonder if Asher will like it too.

  I grab my old clothes and walk out of the bathroom. I’m just straightening from putting my clothes into one of the bags when Asher walks out of his office.