Running From Forever

by Ashley Wilcox

“As long as he’s not a serial killer. But yeah, why the hell not.”

  “Yup, pretty sure he’s not.”

  I laughed. “Okay, I should be home a little after two and then we can go.”

  “K,” she replied. “See you then.”

  I smiled to myself with my phone still in hand. Even though my escape to the big city didn’t originally involve my sister, I’m happy it did now. You can have all the friends you wanted in this world, but nothing compared to having family by your side.

  For the next two hours I was swamped. Of course, Connie had a zillion errands for me to run, dry cleaning to pick up, and even stop by her loft to feed and take out her dog since apparently her housekeeper was off on Fridays. I missed Miles’ call at a little before noon. I assumed it had to do with lunch, but lunch just wasn’t in the cards today. I had too much to get done before leaving at two. A coffee date seemed doable, though. On my way back through the lobby for the sixth time, I grabbed two large caramel lattes and made a pit stop on his floor. I smiled at his receptionist, whom I had met already but couldn’t remember her name. She smiled back, though, and didn’t say a word as I passed her, heading in the direction of Miles’ office.

  When I turned the corner, I could see him through the windows, sitting at his desk and talking on the phone. He didn’t seem happy with whomever he was talking to. His forehead was wrinkled, an arm waving in the air as he yelled at the unfortunate person on the other line. He noticed me right before I reached the door and lowered his tone when I stepped inside.

  “I have to go…it’s none of your concern. The situation has changed,” he grumbled before hanging up the phone roughly. I didn’t envy the person he was talking to. “To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?” he asked, his tone dramatically changing into a much more satisfying, friendly one as he stood to meet me on the other side of his desk.

  I wasn’t sure how he could go from outright angry to warm and inviting almost within one breath; however, as long as the warm and inviting was geared towards me, I wasn’t complaining. I’m sure the highs and lows someone in that position faced on a day to day basis were was all part of the big CEO job description

  “I needed coffee. I took the chance that you did, too,” I told him, a smile covering my face as I handed him the steaming Styrofoam cup.

  “Indeed,” he answered, taking it from my hand. His other rested on my lower back as he leaned in to kiss my forehead. “Thank you.”

  “Rough day?” I questioned, taking a seat on the sofa he had pressed against the wall, and sipping my coffee.

  He sighed, sitting back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “It wasn’t, until…” he started then stopped. “Never mind my boring talk. How’s your day going? I called you earlier but you must have been out.”

  “I’ve been everywhere today.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m just getting back now. Again. It’s very back and forth today.”

  He snickered and shook his head. “My apologies for Connie. We’ll need to fix your job title.”

  I looked at him in question. We’ll what?!

  “I won’t have my girlfriend ordered around by my sister,” he added.

  “It’s my job, Miles.”

  “Yes, I’m aware. However, it’s not suitable.”

  Suitable? I was under the impression that an assistant was a glorified gopher, and while I wasn’t going to argue that I wished I was doing something a little more useful to the company than picking up Connie’s dry cleaning and walking her dog, I also knew that I didn’t want to create friction within the office. It was the job I signed up for and I fully intended on keeping it until a better opportunity was available.

  “Anyway,” I smirked, rolling my eyes and taking another sip of my drink, “what are the plans for this evening?”

  “Ah, yes, tonight…” Miles grinned, standing before walking over to where I was seated. “I’ll pick you up at six-thirty.” He sat down beside me, his arm stretched behind my back. “Is that a suitable time for you?”

  “I believe it is.”

  His eyes surveyed my face, pausing at my lips before returning to my eyes. I liked when he looked me over, admired my features. It made me feel special…adored.

  “Good,” he grinned, causing my body to ache for his. Being in close proximity, the attraction was building. He leaned in closer; his breath tickling my skin. “I look forward to spending more time with you this evening,” he said in a low, seductive tone before gently pecking my lips.

  My mind was racing, cursing the wall of windows facing his desk that would reveal the naughty things that I’d like to do to him on that couch, but I shook my head to clear it. I needed to get back to my desk. I still had loads of work to finish before leaving. Although the temptation was there, I had to control my hormones.

  Relief consumed by body when two o’clock finally came along. I was more than ready to leave, already exhausted from the day. Maddy was waiting outside my building when my cab pulled up, eliminating the need to call another one.

  Our first stop was to the salon. I had asked Sami earlier in the day which one she recommended the most. She mentioned Christopher’s and Co. Salon and Day Spa. I booked appointments for both Maddy and I to get manicures, pedicures, and our hair blown out. I was thoroughly impressed—not only did my stylist do an incredible job on my hair, he advised us of the most exquisite shops in the area for us to shop.

  “What do you think about this one?” I asked Madison as I stepped out of the changing room, seeking her opinion.

  Her eyes immediately lit up with a pleasing smile. “I love it—it’s perfect!”

  I turned in front of the angled mirrors, getting another glimpse of the back. It hung low, draping just above my ass, but the front was modest with only a slit up my right leg.

  “Do you think it’s too plain? Being black?” I asked, looking at Maddy through the mirrors.

  She shook her head. “Not at all. I think it’s very elegant.”

  I smiled. I loved the time we were spending together. The friction from the other night had been forgotten and we were carrying on like the close sisters we once were.

  As soon as we returned home, I hopped right into the bath, careful not to get my hair wet. My nerves were soaring at this point as the time was ticking closer to having to leave. I’d never been to an event of this stature and had no clue what to expect. Not to mention, Connie’s voice kept slipping into my head, telling me to be careful. She and Leah were two peas in a fucking pod. I still had no idea what that meant, but I was beginning to take notice. I’d been too loose with Miles, letting my guard down way too fast. Already, I gave myself to him—that wasn’t in the New Kayla plan. I was losing my self-respected, sophisticated persona and getting too swept up in Miles. I needed to take a step back, proceed with caution, and remember why I came there. I didn’t move to New York City for pleasure. I was here to change my image; to become something better.

  Someone new.

  At exactly six-thirty, the buzzer to my apartment rang with the receptionist verifying my guest. I wasn’t expecting Miles to meet me at my door. I was planning on meeting him outside the entrance, but I was still putting the finishing touches on my makeup so I didn’t decline. Maddy met him at the door. My stomach was churning at the realization that he’d be seeing my minuscule apartment, which was probably not even a quarter of the size of his. But that wasn’t it. The thought, and slight insecurity, wasn’t the real reason my stomach was going haywire and flipping out of control…no, it was his voice. As soon as I heard him greet Maddy, my attitude, my self-control, any dominant female image I was trying to carry diminished. I was weak. Weak and vulnerable to Miles Blackwell.

  “She’s almost ready,” I heard Maddy say, her voice a few octaves higher than normal. I smiled. He’d done it to her too.

  With one last twirl in the mirror and a deep breath to follow, I opened the door to the bathroom and met the two of them in the living room. They were talking about something I couldn’t make
out but both stopped immediately as Miles’ eyes locked on me. His face was priceless; his mouth cracked a little, speechless, as his eyes moved slowly from my feet up. By the time they reached my face, his lips were curled up and there was a devious sparkle in his eyes.

  “You look…” he started to say, shoving his hands in to his pants pockets as he licked his lips, eyes focused solemnly on mine, “stunning. You look stunning, Kayla.”

  His words held heavy in my heart. They were honest, unadulterated…real. Miles stood there in awe of me; I could feel it in every ounce of my body. Not to mention, he looked amazing. His everyday suit was replaced with a perfectly tailored tuxedo with a black bowtie to boot. His dark brown hair was flawlessly styled back and his crystal blue eyes seemed to shimmer even more than normal. Miles was gorgeous, lustrous, and incredibly sexy.

  “Thank you,” I responded, failing to withhold the redness in my cheeks. I had no control. Miles made me blush. He had since day one. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

  He smiled, and not just a pleasant grin. It was a full-fledged smile that spread across the length of his face. Like everything else on Miles’ body, his smile was flawless, with perfectly straight, white teeth.

  And then I felt them.

  I’d never experienced them before. So many girls, including Leah, told me about them, but I thought they were blowing steam out my ass, too caught up inside their fairytale lives and making something appear that wasn’t really there. They didn’t exist—not to me, at least. Not until today. But they were real and fluttering inside me right then.

  I had butterflies.

  My heart. My stomach. My entire body was consumed by tiny little butterflies flapping their wings, taken away by Miles Blackwell.

  I smiled back. It was uncontrollable. I was filled with so much emotion that the only thing I could do without screaming it to the world was smile. Miles and I stood there, our eyes molded together, beaming at one another.

  “I could be wrong, but, uh… shouldn’t you guys get going?” Maddy interrupted, breaking our stare.

  “Oh, uh…yes. Yes, we should be going,” Miles agreed, adjusting his jacket and fixing his bowtie like he was trying to put himself back together. He was just as discombobulated as I was…weak, exposed, and vulnerable.

  Miles held out his arm, escorting me to the door. I wrapped my arm with his, letting him lead.

  “Have fun!” Maddy called exuberantly, waving us down the hall.

  I grinned over my shoulder. “Thanks! You too,” I told her, remembering she had a date tonight, too.

  As soon as we stepped outside, we were greeted by a sleek, black stretch limousine with the driver holding open the door outside of it. I felt important; classy. Although I was doing everything in my power to stand tall and unaffected, my anxiety was through the roof as we approached. I wasn’t that girl from Nevada anymore or even the crazed out sorority girl from Cortland. No, I was a professional, high class, charity event attendee aside one of the wealthiest, most prosperous men in New York City. I was going to be stared at, judged, and expected to blend in among the high powers of Manhattan. I could do it. I dreamt of being that person, but the knot in my stomach told me otherwise. There was no denying the sinking feeling in my stomach. What the hell was I thinking? Could I really pull this off? Could I really stand among this level of living?

  I guess I was going to find out.

  Soon.

  The ride there was short and quiet with no words exchanged. Miles rubbed my leg methodically while I stared at the city lights outside the window, incapable of speaking. My nerves were too out of control for small talk, but Miles didn’t seem to mind. For some reason, I got the distinct feeling that he was nervous, too. He’d always been calm, cool, and collected, but not right then; that wasn’t the man sitting next to me. This Miles was tense, quiet, and seemed to be breathing irregularly. It wasn’t crazily obvious, but enough for me to take notice. I smiled. It didn’t worry me, instead it was amusing; a nice change. Miles was human after all. Things worried him and made him anxious just like the rest of us commoners. It was comforting to know that even executives felt the pressure and rise of fame at times.

  It wasn’t until our limo came to a stop that my eyes practically jumped from their sockets. We were parked outside of the iconic Gotham Hall, the same place where the BMG Grammy after party was held and where Sports Illustrated launched their 2003 swimsuit issue. I was about to walk the same entrance hundreds of celebrities had before. I wished I could call Leah or even pull my cell phone from my clutch to take pictures, but I knew that would be too much—nobody needed to see the girl from Nevada. I had to keep my cool, be calm and poised. Superior. Mesh with the high profile man beside me.

  “Ready?” Miles squeezed my hand, grinning, his eyes lit with a mix of nerves and excitement, as the door beside him opened.

  Taking a deep breath first, I nodded my head and smiled. “Uh huh,” I answered.

  He looked me over, eyes skimming my face before leaning forward and kissing my forehead. It was all I needed to calm my anxiety. His unspoken assurance and emotion was enough to ground me, preparing me for the evening ahead. But I soon found out how unprepared I actually was; the shock that I had when I stepped outside the limousine into an aisle of photographers and a red carpet leading to the Gotham Hall entrance was unprecedented. It was straight out of the movies; an honest to goodness red carpet event complete with camera flashes and people hollering from every angle you looked. I wasn’t expecting that. Not in the slightest. I was frozen with one foot sticking out of the car.

  ***

  “It’s okay, baby.” Miles leaned forward, whispering into my ear and kissing my cheek. “Pretend they aren’t even there,” he said, gently tugging at my hand, prompting me to stand.

  I felt like I was going from zero to one hundred within seconds; it’s like I went from white trash Vegas girl to college floozy to famous girlfriend overnight. It was all I had ever wanted, but in a blink of an eye. I was freaking out, my heart was beating out of my chest, my breathing was rapid, and my stomach was so uneasy I felt like I could hurl at any moment, but I had to brush it aside. I had to act unaffected; I had to stand tall with a radiant smile. Miles invited me tonight, thinking that I was important enough to handle this. He respected me enough to invite me to hang with the big people. Miles had faith in me. I needed to, too.

  So I did as he said—I pictured an empty walkway with no one around us, just Miles and I walking into a building dressed in normal, casual attire. I stood tall and smiled brightly like I would walking down the sidewalks of Manhattan, confidently holding the arm of my boyfriend. Miles did the same, not answering any of the zillion questions being thrown at him from every direction. He just smiled, waved a few times, and said hello to a few people I’m assuming he knew. Before I knew it, we were inside the doors, away from the craziness outside, and I was able to breathe again.

  Immediately people were greeting Miles, shaking his hand, seeming genuinely happy to see him. Miles made sure to introduce me to them all, labeling me as his lovely date, Ms. Reynolds. A small ping bruised my chest, given only the date label instead of girlfriend, but I couldn’t let it bother me—we’d only known each other five days, after all. He spoke with sincerity and still had the sparkle in his eyes when he said it. I didn’t need the label. Anyone could see the emotional attachment we shared. I could feel it. I’m sure that others could, too.

  With each person Miles spoke to we inched closer and closer to the main event area. I had to hand it to the event coordinator—the space was beautifully decorated, everything sparkling white, silver, and crystal. There were what seemed to be hundreds of tables dressed up throughout the room with a band and dance floor at the front of it. I spotted Connie after a few minutes, talking to a different group of people, mingling just as Miles was. I got a head to toe glance, but nothing more. Not that I was expecting it. It was apparent by her closed off body language that she didn’t want me there and didn’t par
ticularly want any contact with me, but thankfully she didn’t broadcast it; at least not to my face or within earshot.

  “If I could have everyone take their seats, we’re going to get things started.” An older man stood on the stage in front of the band, speaking through the microphone. He looked like the stereotypical very wealthy older man. He was wearing an exquisitely tailored tuxedo and a friendly smile, his salt and pepper hair neatly styled back and his eyes so blue that I could see them from a distance. He was very handsome—an eye-catcher back in the day, I’m sure.

  Miles ended his conversation with someone (I lost track of names five or six ago), placed his hand on my lower back, and escorted us to a table towards the front with none other than Connie already sitting at. Again, it came as no surprise. She and Miles are both CEOs of ETV, of course they would be seated together. I had hoped deep down that they wouldn’t be.

  As soon as we came into view, an older woman, very elegantly dressed with a wavy silver bob, stood from the table, a loving smile carrying from one side of her face to the other. Miles chuckled to himself, seeing her dart towards us. As soon as she came into hearing distance, he raised his free hand in her direction.

  “Sweetheart,” he started, making my heart flutter once again, “this beautiful woman is my mother, Josephine Blackwell.”

  My stomach sank. Meeting his parents was not on the list of todos tonight. I’m not sure why, but it wasn’t something that even entered my mind. Although, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Of course they would be at an event held by their children’s company.

  I reached my hand out as I told her what a pleasure it was meeting her, but she bypassed it, pulling me into a warm, friendly hug instead. The elated feeling filling my chest was smeared across my face. It’s always nice being accepted by the parents; it’s step one with entering a successful relationship. At least that’s what I’d been told.

  “As soon as I heard Miles was bringing a date, I was filled with joy and so anxious to meet you!” she gushed after pulling back from our hug.