by A P Gore
“Samantha,” she said, biting her lower lip. “My name’s Samantha.”
He moved behind her and assessed her situation. She wasn’t crying or shouting, so she wasn’t too bad off. Most probably, her muscles were spasmed. After a massage or a painkiller, she’d be fine.
“Samantha, I’m going to push and pull. Push at your lower back and pull from your shoulders. It’ll hurt, but you’ll be okay.”
Samantha nodded heavily, her body quivering.
Resting his knee on her lower back, he pulled her shoulders toward him. It was a brute force method, but a sure shot solution for small snap outs like these. His gym trainer had shown it to him couple years ago when he accidently lifted too much weight and snapped his own back.
With a shriek, her back settled into the right position. Her body relaxed, and she straightened to stand in a normal human way.
With a hand at the back of her neck, he guided her to the couch. The main thing she needed right now was rest. She would be fine in a couple of hours.
Her body quivered under his touch. Strange.
She panted. “Thank you, Mr...?”
“Gavin,” he said. Gavin always sounded better than Mr. Hamilton. “Are you feeling okay now?” He probed her. She wore extra-large clothing, but she wasn’t fat. Quite the opposite, she was thinner than he would have guessed. Likely tired and petite because of eating less or working too much. Why was that?
She sighed. “Thanks to you, I’m fine now. I really thought I’d die like that. Squatted.” She smiled shyly. He was wrong. Her sea-blue eyes weren’t the only brilliant feature she had. Her smile marveled him too.
He sat on the edge of the main table. “Why were you carrying such a heavy box by yourself?” There were five things he could think of that would improve her tired appearance. Getting her into appropriately sized clothes was be one of them.
“Because of the workaholic idiot joining this office tomorrow.” She snapped, her eyes flaring up.
“Interesting. Do you know the CEO?”
She shook her head.
“Then how can you call him an idiot?”
She relaxed into the couch and wiped sweat from her forehead. Her hair was scattered all over her face, and a strange urge came over him to push it away from her face. This lady had something different about her than the woman he had met before. Not that he dated much. How could he? He didn’t have time in his busy schedule. He’d come here tonight to avoid wasting time tomorrow.
“It’s simple.” She rolled her eyes, her pain seemed to have subsided. “If it was you, would you move up your start date by two weeks?”
“Why not?”
Her brows arched. “Why would you? Why would you work extra? Why wouldn’t you enjoy a time off period between two companies?”
He scratched his chin, feeling the two-day-old beard. “You’ve got a point, but this company might not survive if he takes a longer vacation.”
A sheepish smile played on her lips. “Is that it? I didn’t think of it that way.” She lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry. Maybe you’re right. The CEO can’t be an idiot, right? He’s CEO because of his talent. He should have his reasons to start earlier. Stupid me.” She slapped her forehead in a cute way.
She surprised him. When she’d called him stupid, his pride hurt, but then she agreed with so little reasoning. That caught him off guard. He was used to opposing board members and directors, always arguing with him about everything. One simple solution never satisfied them, nor himself. So, he was ready with five different reasons for the CEO moving up his arrival. But suddenly, the lady—Samantha—agreed, and he was left speechless.
Was she stupid or cute?
Chapter 4
Samantha’s ears turned red. Gavin the security guy was right. The CEO would have his reasons to start early. She shouldn’t badmouth a person she knew nothing about.
Jesus, save her from her sins.
“How’s your back doing?” he asked, tearing the brown tape from the box. The vanilla scent intensified as he removed the tape. He seemed like a nice person; he was helping her without being asked. But she wouldn’t let him unpack the box. It was her job, not his.
She started getting up from the couch, but her lower back screamed, and she had to slump back on the soft leather couch. The soft leather sucked her in and provided the needed rest for her back. Aaron would love a couch like this in their small apartment. He would jump all day on it. If only she could afford one.
Gavin stopped unwrapping the box and looked at her.
“Stop pushing yourself.” He tapped the table leg with his dark blue sport shoe. It went well with his blue shirt. “Don’t worry. I’m good at this.”
“But...”
He rounded the table and sauntered over to her. Stopping in front of her, he rested his hand on her head like she used to do with her kid.
“Trust me. No one can do this better than me. Not even God.”
She probed him with her big eyes. He had coffee brown eyes, and for a security guy he was way too handsome. Especially his square jawline. It reminded her of a famous movie star playing a superhero in a recent flick.
She nodded.
With a smile on his lips, he went back to the table. His blue shirt hugged his muscular back. His black jeans fitted nicely around his strong legs. Overall, he was too good looking to be a security guy. He must be in physical security. It was impossible to maintain a muscular build in a desk job.
Suddenly she felt uneasy. Not because he’d touched her, but for her own reaction. Well, for the lack of a reaction. Why didn’t she even flinch when he came so close to her? After James died, no man had come so close. Whenever someone approached, her heart would force her to stay away from him. Like it feared all men in New York City. But today he touched her, and she felt no animosity.
She shook her head. It must be because he had already touched her a few minutes back. He’d straightened her back in a magical way. And thank God he was here, otherwise she might have died in the night. Whatever name that method had, it did wonders for her and eased her stiff muscles instantly. Yes, that was the reason she wasn’t wary of his touch.
It made sense.
Gavin opened the box, letting out the rest of the vanilla scent trapped inside, filling the beautiful office with a sweet fragrance. Aaron would love drinking this flavor. Every night, when she pulled the vanilla packet out of the overhead drawer, he jumped and jumped until she poured it in milk for him.
“Gavin, what’s the name of that coffee?” It must be costly. The CEO used it, after all. But maybe. Maybe she would be able to afford it someday. Anything for her sweet pumpkin.
Gavin pulled a green and orange package out of the box. “It’s Life Coffee, imported from Busan, Korea.”
She swallowed. “Wow! It must be expensive.” Korea, really. The CEO imported his coffee from another country? Why? God had given everything to their country. Why would he import something from outside?
“Not really. It’s only three hundred bucks a package, import taxes included.” He sounded like that was nothing to him.
Her gaze dropped. Three hundred dollars was half of her weekly salary. There was no way she could afford that. The ten-dollar package she got from 7-11 sounded like a much better choice.
She smiled shyly. “Oh. I bet it tastes awesome.”
“You want one?” He tossed the package to her. “Take it. It’s the best vanilla flavored coffee in the world.”
After catching the package like it was her life, she growled at Gavin.
“What the heck? Why did you do that? What if it broke, and coffee spilled on the carpet?” Sweat beaded on her forehead despite the air-conditioned office.
Gavin’s lips formed a big O, like he didn’t expect her to say that. “Why are you getting worked up?” He pulled another package from the box and tossed it in the air.
“Gavin!” Screaming, she jumped on her feet. Ignoring the pain in her lower back, she rushed forward, trying to catch the package, but tha
nk God, Gavin caught it and placed it neatly on the table. She swiped another package from his hand and placed it on the table. “Do you want me to get fired? This job might not be important for you, but my life depends on it.” That was close. One misplaced package, and she could kiss her well-paying job goodbye.
Gavin gave her a what-the-heck look. “Come on, there are so many packages in here. He wouldn’t even notice one missing. I bet he doesn’t even know how many packages are in the box.”
Samantha shook her head firmly. “No, that would be so wrong. Don’t even think about stealing anything. My job is to unpack and set everything up. Please, let me do that.” Jesus, this man was making things difficult.
Gavin reached for the box again.
Samantha swatted his hand away. Giving him a dreadful glare, she pushed him away from the table. “Stop it, or I’ll report you to your boss.”
Gavin chuckled. “My boss? That would be interesting.”
“Interesting? Do you think you’re the CEO or something?” She grabbed the glass nameplate inside the box. “Look at the name here. Gavin Hamilton.” She bit her lower lip, her gaze jumping at Gavin. “Other than your name, you’ve nothing in common with the CEO.”
One step at a time, he inched forward, again stopping inches away from her.
Samantha stepped back, but there was nowhere for her to go; she was trapped between Gavin and the table.
“What if I say I’m the CEO?”
Samantha rolled her eyes. What kind of joke was that? Gavin, the CEO? But the name, the glow on his face, and the looks. He looked nothing like a security guard. Instead, he gave off a rich guy vibe.
She shook her head. No way. Gavin was a security guy. How could he be the CEO?
She pushed him away. “Just look at yourself. Your cheap shirt from Target gives you away. Maybe you can become CEO of your own security agency one day. But don’t bite off more than you can chew.” She giggled. Guys these days had lots of big ideas about themselves.
Gavin chuckled like she’d made a joke. “Whatever. Let’s steal one package each. Don’t forget, you called him idiot a few minutes ago. It’s not a crime to steal from an idiot.”
Blood rushed to her cheeks. What was wrong with this guy? Sure, he’d helped her, but why was he pressuring her to steal something from the CEO?
“Gavin, if you say one more word about stealing, I’ll call security.” She pointed her finger at him. “And believe it, I’ll do it this time.”
Gavin winked. “Okay, Miss Honest. Let’s just get this stuff done and get out of here. Are you okay with that?”
What a moron. He changed his tune so fast. Was it safe to let him set the passcode? What if he returned and stole something?
She shook her head and took over unpacking the CEO’s stuff. It was already past nine thirty, and Aaron would be waiting for her. She’d better get home by eleven, or he wouldn’t sleep easily.
With that thought, she lifted an orange coffee machine from the box. But as soon as she picked it up, her lower back shrieked again, and she lost her balance. Darn, Satan was hell-bent on getting her fired today.
Chapter 5
Gavin picked up a Life Coffee package from the table, wondering where he should put it. Better ask Samantha, or she would report him to his boss for putting it in the wrong place. What would she do if he pulled down some books and put the coffee there? Or just throw away the ancient desktop and place his coffee machine there?
He chuckled.
The idea of her reporting him made him laugh like reading Gintama for the first time. It was his favorite manga in his school days. Maybe he should take some time and re-watch the animated series. It had been years since he did a re-watch of that ultimate show while drinking his favorite vanilla flavored coffee. What bliss!
Licking his dry lips, he stared at the coffee package in his hand.
Suddenly he felt an urge to drink some coffee with Samantha. It looked like she wanted to taste it, but she’d declined his offer to take some home. She was too honest for a normal worker, but it also made him trust her. Especially after she helped him in the elevator.
While he pondered his favorite anime, Samantha once again cried out in pain. That foolish woman, she again went for the heaviest thing in the box. The coffee machine slipped from her hands and went straight toward the floor.
Dropping on his knees, Gavin somehow caught the machine. It was almost fifteen pounds, and the sudden jolt sent a shock to his hand, stretching his muscles. Well, at least the machine was fine, or he would’ve fired her on the spot. It was a special edition from England, and it’d taken him a month to get it through customs.
“Are you crazy?” He rose, glaring at Samantha. “I told you not to push yourself.” Many curse words floated on his tongue, but he swallowed them all as tears rolled out from her closed eyes. His heart pounded against his chest, and he had a sudden strange urge to hug her and tell her that it was fine.
But he didn’t do that. It would be inappropriate. She was just a worker in his company. Why would he hug her?
He put the coffee machine on the table. “Don’t cry. The machine is safe.” His voice turned softer.
She shook her head, tears continuing rolling down.
He tapped her shaking head. “Open your eyes and see for yourself.”
Half opening her eyes, she glanced at him.
Upon seeing her scared cute face, he muscled down a laugh and pointed at the table. She reminded him of a cute small girl every time he saw her like this, scared and silly. But damn adorable Was she really that naïve?
When her gaze landed on the intact coffee machine, she jumped in the air, then cried out again in pain.
God, this woman.
But she was fun. Scared and delighted by the little things. He missed this in his life. Always clashing against his father’s ambition sucked the joy out of his life. Nowadays, he didn’t even know which anime played on TV. All he knew was which business was going bankrupt and what would he do if he bought the company.
“Gavin, I owe you lunch someday.” She clapped her hands. “How about next Monday, after our payday? Does MacD sounds good to you?”
Chuckling inwardly, he nodded. Then he suddenly realized what he had done. A lunch date with an unknown plain looking lady, but then she was the most fun he’d had in a while.
“Deal, then.” Another cute smile spread on her round face. “But you got to help me by putting this machine on that corner table. I doubt I can elevator that thing.”
Gavin lifted the machine and put it on a small table in the corner. The office lacked so many things; it didn’t even have a pantry attached to it. He’d have many things to change here.
“I wonder if the CEO will paint this office in bright orange,” Samantha muttered as she placed the glass name plate on the table. Upon seeing the dust on the table, she pulled a small cloth out of her bag and wiped the table clean. Was that part of her job too? Was she a cleaning lady?
“I doubt he would go that far.” Gavin plugged the machine in and turned it on to check for power. “It’s got power, so we’re good here. Let’s just put the coffee next to it, arrange the magazines on the shelves, and we can leave. I bet your back needs some rest.”
Samantha nodded, dusting the executive chair behind the table. A Van Gogh painting hung on the wall behind the chair. At least something seemed appropriate for the CEO’s office. Not that he cared about anything other than his work and coffee machine, but a nice painting would entice his VC’s.
After finishing cleaning the chair, Samantha lifted the cloth toward the painting.
“Wait.” He grabbed her hand. “You don’t clean a Van Gogh with a normal cloth like this.” Maybe it was a bad idea to agree to go to lunch with her. She knew nothing, and she was the cleaning lady.
“Aha, sorry. I don’t usually do this, so I don’t know.” She smiled apologetically.
“It’s okay. Let me arrange the mangas and we’ll get out.” His voice turned a little r
ude. Letting her work on his office was a bad idea. She might damage things. She had already nearly broken his coffee machine and a Van Gogh. He’d better ask his secretary to hire a professional for the job. Not some naïve lady.
Fifteen minutes later, he sent her off in a cab. For a moment, he thought about dropping her off himself, but then he shoved that thought away. She was a normal employee, not a director or a department head. Paying her cab fare in advance was enough.
When he jumped into his F12, a message popped up on his cell. His father’s name flashed on the screen, giving his forehead a thousand creases.
Son, we’re waiting at the dinner table for you.
Typical. Whenever Gavin bought a new company, his father would invite him to dinner to humiliate him over his past mistakes. And then there was his mother, who kept nagging him about marriage and how his dad had two kids when he was twenty-eight.
It would be an annoying dinner.
Chapter 6
The chilly wind intensified as Gavin pulled his F12 up to the front gate of his father’s huge estate. It was always chilly here, no matter how hot it became in the city. A chauffeur walked out of the security office to valet his car. Glancing at the golf cart waiting for him, Gavin sighed. It was too much of an annoyance to ride in the golf cart. The distance between the main gate and his parents’ house was only one miles, and he preferred covering it by walking over the nice green lawn around the concrete drive connecting to the house—or manor, as people often called it—but his dad prohibited it. And after moving out of his dad’s house, Gavin preferred following his rules. At least on his property.
The golf cart traveled slowly along the driveway. He sometimes wondered if his dad made this rule so his guests would appreciate the greenery extending into a golf course to the left and a man-made lake on the right. Gavin found it to be too much. A waste of the landscape.
After ten minutes of crawling along at a snail’s pace, the golf cart dropped him off in front of a fifteen-foot stone gate that looked like something out of the Roman era. No matter how many times he’d looked at it in his twenty-eight years of life, it always looked giant and unnecessary.
