It was as if my eyes were opened. I was far off, but I would be brought near by trusting in His sacrifice on the cross. I did believe Jesus was who He said He was, and I wanted Him to be my Savior.
I felt that tugging again, but this time I didn’t resist. I bowed my head and poured out my heart to Him.
Lord, for so long I’ve lived for myself. Everyone saw that. Mom. Dad. Even Charlotte. But I don’t want that kind of life anymore. It’s miserable and hard and there’s no peace whatsoever. Forgive me for my sin and change me into the man you want me to be. I believe in you, Jesus, and I know I prayed a prayer a long time ago when I was a kid, but I didn’t mean it back then. I mean it now, and I need this more than anything. Please be my Lord and Savior.
An indescribable peace swept through me, and I felt clean from the inside out, as if God had taken a huge scrub brush and washed out all the muck. I sat there for a long time, just enjoying the quiet and calm that settled over me.
The first thing that came to mind after that was the homeless man I’d passed on the street a couple of times when I went jogging. An intense sorrow filled my heart at how callous I had been. I’d jogged around him as if he’d been merely an obstacle in my path. Like he was an inconvenience I didn’t want to bother with. My eyes moistened, and I made a promise to the Lord right then and there. If I see him again, I’ll stop and help him to the best of my ability. Please give me another chance to do the right thing.
I went back inside my house but a restless, fidgety feeling wouldn’t allow me to settle down because I wanted to tell someone what I’d just done. Maya’s face came to mind, and without giving it much thought, I grabbed my keys and jumped in my car. Minutes later, I was on the freeway, heading to Maya’s home.
When I got there, I parked and ran up the stairs to her apartment. I pounded on the door, and when she opened it, I couldn’t stop grinning. “I did it.”
Her lips curled up in a curious smile. “Did what?”
“I asked the Lord for forgiveness. I gave Him my life.”
She beamed, her face lighting up like the sun on a warm summer day. “Easton, that’s wonderful.”
I leaned in and pulled her into a giant hug, and I didn’t let go for several seconds. When I finally released her, I stepped back and laughed, feeling happy and free and like everything was brand new. “It is, and you were the first person I wanted to tell. You helped me today, and I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
“I didn’t do much. I just—”
“You’re a true friend, Maya, and I don’t have many of those. In fact, I’ve kept to myself for far too long.” I stepped back, wanting to say more, but I didn’t know if that was wise. I waited a moment and then decided to just tell her. “You should know that I care about you a lot. I…” I trailed off. “What I mean to say is…I value your friendship. Thank you for not giving up on me.” Before she could reply, I took off and jogged down the stairs and then made my way to my vehicle.
She leaned over the railing on the second floor and laughed as she peered down at me. “Where are you going?”
“I need to make something right. Pray for me, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay, I will.”
I unlocked my door and was about to get in my vehicle when she yelled my name. I glanced up. “Yeah?”
“You mean a lot to me too. Just thought you should know that.”
A satisfied smile spread across my face, and I waved before sliding into my car. “See you tomorrow.”
An hour later, I jogged by the spot where I’d seen the homeless man before, and he was sitting on the curb, his head ducked down and eyes closed like he was taking a rest. His clothes were dirt-stained and his long hair looked as if he hadn’t brushed it in a while. I stopped in front of him and cleared my throat. “Excuse me, sir. Can I talk to you for a minute?”
He opened his eyes and squinted up at me. “Who are you?”
“My name’s Easton. I’ve seen you here a couple of times, and there’s something I’d like to give you.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“A job and a place to live.” I pulled out the five-hundred-dollar bill that Maya had given back to me. “Here…take this.”
The man’s eyebrows flew up, and he reached out and accepted the money. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because God put you on my heart.”
Chapter 17
Maya
A little over a week went by after Easton accepted Christ, and he’d asked me to have dinner with him twice after work. As friends, of course. He never said that specifically, but he implied it, and I was completely fine with that.
At least that was what I told myself twenty times a day.
It was true that I’d thought I was falling for him, but I was trying to squash those feelings so they wouldn’t get in the way. There were two things I was absolutely certain about. The first was that he was my boss, and if we progressed beyond friendship, life would become complicated very quickly.
And second, I was still conflicted about my future and what that might entail. I didn’t want to drag another person into all my health problems, no matter how much I was tempted to forget I even had medical issues. I was young, so it wasn’t normal to worry about those kinds of things, especially when nothing was currently going on, but I couldn’t help it. I tried not to dwell on it or think negatively, but it was there. Always there. Hovering in my thoughts like a black cloud.
“Hey, Maya. What do you need?” George glanced up from his computer, a curious look on his face.
I was hesitating at his doorway, wondering if it was too late to turn around and go back to my own office. Besides the fact that I was completely fine being friends with Easton, I still wanted an answer to the question that had bothered me ever since Charlotte brought it up at her birthday party.
“I have a work-related question.”
He chuckled. “Good to know you’re not asking about my personal life.” He paused and laughed. “Just kidding. What’s up?”
I walked in and closed the door and then took a seat in a chair near his desk. “So…when I read the employee handbook as well as the training materials you gave me, I never saw anything about inner-office relationships. I’m surprised it never came up, considering we’re in human resources.”
George nodded quickly and sighed. “We need to update the manual with the new policy.”
“And what is the new policy?”
“Employee relationships are fine as long as they don’t get in the way of the job. We’ll ask employees to report to us if they’re in an official relationship so we can keep tabs on the situation.” He bit down on his bottom lip as if considering something. “Thanks for reminding me. I’ll make a note to update the manual this week, and we’ll let everyone know.”
“Okay...”
George leaned in with a sly smile. “Is this about you and Bruce?”
My head jerked back, and I let out an incredulous laugh. “What? No. There’s nothing going on between us.”
“Well, now that you’re aware that it’s not against office policy…”
My face heated under his scrutiny, but it was hard to become angry when the idea was so…ridiculous. “I can assure you that I’m not interested in Bruce. He’s a great guy, but we’re only office mates.”
“You sure? I’ve seen him watching you quite a bit.”
“You’re mistaken.”
He shrugged. “All right. Just thought I’d bring it up.”
“Thanks for informing me of the new policy.”
I stood and rushed out of his office, embarrassed that he believed I had an underlying motive for asking the question. Well, I did actually, but it didn’t involve Bruce. Not that I wanted a relationship with Easton either. We were friends. On our way to becoming close friends, but still…only friends. I didn’t want to mess that up, especially since Charlotte was my best friend and he was her brother. Easton was not known for his ability to commit, and if we started dating, it probab
ly wouldn’t lead anywhere, and I didn’t want to put Charlotte in the middle. I’d only asked George the question out of curiosity, anyway.
I would just keep telling myself that.
A minute later, I hurried into my office and slid into my seat. Deanna was speaking to Bruce about paperwork, and she glanced up and waved. I smiled and waved back. I was about to make a phone call when I noticed a blinking light, indicating I had a message.
“Oh, someone just called you,” Deanna said, glancing over at me.
“Thanks. I’ll check the message.” I pushed a button and entered my passcode.
Hey, Maya, it’s Easton. Want to have dinner again after work? Let me know.
A satisfied, giddy feeling swept through me, hearing his deep voice, knowing he’d been thinking about me. We barely talked to one another in the office, but we’d hung out a couple of times after work. I didn’t want to call him in front of Deanna and Bruce, so I lifted my personal cell phone out of my purse and sent a quick text, deciding it was best to go that route. Sure, give me the address and I’ll meet you there.
A few minutes later, another text came through. Why not drive with me? I’ll bring you back to your car afterward.
A smile pulled at my lips as I thought about what to say next. So far, we’d been very discrete, and I’d taken my own car on both occasions so no one would see us leaving together. I typed a quick response. Aren’t you afraid people will talk?
Five minutes later, his reply finally came through. Let them. Doesn’t bother me.
“Who are you texting?” Deanna asked in a teasing tone. “Is that your boyfriend?”
“Ha. You know I don’t have a boyfriend.” We’d discussed our love lives or lack of in the break room many times, and it was a favorite topic for Deanna. She still brought up Easton occasionally, but he wasn’t the only man she admired. There were a few others that had caught her eye as well.
“I don’t know,” she said, winking. “Maybe you have a secret man you’re hiding from us.”
My face flushed, and I glanced away quickly, not wanting her to see my uneasiness with this subject. “Don’t be silly.”
“Hold on.” She walked around Bruce’s desk until she stood at mine, facing me. “You’re blushing. You do have a secret boyfriend.”
“I don’t. You just embarrassed me, that’s all.”
She shook her head as if she didn’t believe me. “I think I know who it is.” She swayed from side to side, a mischievous grin on her face as if she enjoyed making me flustered.
My heart began to pound in my chest, and I wasn’t sure what I would say if she brought Easton’s name up. I sucked in a breath, adrenaline coursing through my veins. There was no way she could know we’d been spending time together.
“I think you’re texting Brucey,” she said in a sing-song voice.
“As enjoyable as that would be, she’s not texting me,” Bruce said, holding up his phone. “See? No texts.”
“Ah… So it’s someone else. Who is it, Maya?” Deanna looked as if she were about to say something more when Easton walked into the room.
I was already on edge, so seeing him right after he’d texted that he didn’t care if people talked about us nearly gave me a heart attack.
“Mr. Radcliffe,” Bruce said.
Deanna swung around, one hand going to her hair. She smoothed it back as if subconsciously primping. “Easton, you’re rarely on this side of the office.”
He smiled. “Bruce. Deanna. Good to see you. I’m actually here to talk to Maya.” He glanced at me and my face heated again. “Come speak with me in my office when you get the chance.”
I nodded once. “Sure thing.”
He left, and I sighed in relief that he hadn’t said more, but what did I really expect him to say? I was freaking out for nothing since Easton and I were only friends. I needed to relax. Seriously…relax. It was no big deal.
“What was that about?” Bruce asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“No idea,” I said, nonchalantly. Easton wasn’t in the habit of asking others to come to his office, so I had to quickly think of a reasonable explanation. “He probably has a message for me from Charlotte.”
Deanna snapped her fingers. “That’s right. You’re best friends with his sister.”
“Yep.”
“Why didn’t I know that?” Bruce asked.
I shrugged. “It never came up.”
“No wonder you’re the teacher’s pet.”
I frowned. “I am not, and he’s not a teacher. That’s silly.”
“Figure of speech,” he said. “And it explains a lot. I was starting to think he had a crush on you.”
“What?” My heart stopped, and it felt as if I was on the brink of having a second heart attack. Easton and I rarely talked in the office, so I had no idea where he’d come up with that idea.
“He kind of looks at you like…” He trailed off.
“Like what?” Deanna asked.
He shrugged. “I think I misunderstood now that I know she’s a friend of his sister.”
I looked away from them and started typing on my computer in an attempt to send a message. The conversation was over, and I had things to do. I cleared my throat. “I need to get back to work, guys. Can we talk about this another time?”
Deanna laughed. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry, we’ll return to this later. You have my word.”
Just what I needed. I should have phrased it differently.
“Aren’t you supposed to go talk to the boss,” Bruce asked.
If I left now, they’d insist on finding out what we talked about, and I didn’t feel like dealing with that today. It would be better to wait until after six when most people had already gone home. “He said to stop by when I have the chance. I’m a little busy, so it can wait.”
Deanna and Bruce stared at me, eyes wide as if they couldn’t believe I wasn’t jumping to go talk to Easton. To their credit, he was the boss, and in any other situation, I would have responded instantly.
“Okay…” Deanna chuckled. “Now I’m really curious.”
***
I didn’t go to Easton’s office for fear of having to answer to Deanna and Bruce, which was stupid and ridiculous, but I wanted to be extra careful. Sure, I could have told them it was none of their business, but that would have perked their interest even more. When six-thirty rolled around, I got a call from Easton, and, thankfully, Bruce had already gone home. I picked up the phone at my desk. “Hey.”
“You never came to see me.”
I lowered my voice. “I know. Can we talk about that later? I’m starving.”
“Of course. Meet me at the elevator. I’m leaving now.”
“Okay.”
I hung up and then grabbed my purse and headed down the hall. There were a few people still working in their offices, but they were occupied and didn’t pay much attention to me. When I reached the elevator, Easton was waiting for me, and he caught my eye. My heart fluttered, and I quickly glanced away.
“You made it,” he said. “I was starting to wonder if you were avoiding me.”
The elevator doors opened, and we both walked inside. I hit the ground floor button and waited until the doors closed before speaking. “I’m not avoiding you. Just busy. What kind of food are you in the mood for today?”
“Anything. What do you want?”
“Well, we’ve already had Mexican, Thai, and Greek. Chinese sounds good.”
“Chinese it is.”
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. “You’ve been very accommodating lately. Is everything okay?”
He belted out a laugh just as the elevator doors opened and we both stepped out. A couple of people were talking near the entrance of the building, and they waved when they saw Easton. He waved back, and we walked out of the double doors, stopping before we got to the parking lot. “I know it may not seem like it, but I can be quite accommodating when it’s in my best interest.”
I wasn’t sure how to ta
ke that, and I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or pulling my leg. “I think we should drive separately.” Figuring he’d connect the dots on his own, I didn’t give an explanation.
“All right. That’s fine. We can eat at my house. I’ll have the food delivered.”
“Sounds good.”
Forty-five minutes later, I was sitting on the floor of his living room with my legs crossed in front of me and a napkin on my lap. It was a good thing I’d worn comfortable pants to work today. Easton spread the Chinese takeout over the coffee table and then sat down as well. We were eating directly out of our own containers with plastic forks, and neither of us cared that we’d both spilled some on our shirts. It was out of character for us to relax this much around each other, but it was nice. It was just fun hanging out with my new friend.
We could have easily eaten at the dining room table with plates and silverware, but Easton said he preferred being informal, and he told me it didn’t matter if we got the coffee table a little messy.
“So,” I said, wanting to bring up what happened earlier in the day. “That was awkward today when you walked in my office and said you wanted to talk.”
He glanced up after chomping down on a piece of orange chicken. “Why was that awkward?” Since he had food in his mouth, it sounded more like wa wa wa.
“Not afraid to talk with your mouth full, I see. Letting down your guard?”
“Who, me?” He opened his mouth, intentionally revealing chewed up food, and I glanced away, laughing.
“Gross, Easton.” I threw a fortune cookie still in its wrapper at him and laughed at his pleased reaction. “I didn’t need to see that, bozo. Go do that somewhere else.” I grinned to let him know it didn’t really bother me. I liked seeing this playful side of him, especially since he was always so somber.
He finished chewing his food. “In all seriousness, I feel like I can be myself around you.”
I took a moment to absorb that and nodded. “Good to know.”
Blind Date with my Billionaire Boss (Blind Date Disasters Book 5) Page 14
