Survivor

by Mary Alford

  “You’re kidding, right?” The words were out before I could stop them. I slapped my free hand over my eyes. Aaron didn’t need me worrying about him.

  “Careful, Grace. That almost sounds like you might care what happens to me.” At my silence, I think he figured out I wasn’t amused. “I got in around ten but wanted to go over some things at the office first. I just walked into the apartment.”

  I listened while he told me about his flight and wondered what his life must be like in New York. I lay back against the pillows with the receiver cradled against my ear and let my thoughts wander. Against my will, my thoughts went back to Sara. I found the thought of Aaron being involved in such superficial relationships unsettling. I’d started to respect him a little. I couldn’t understand why someone as intelligent as Aaron would let himself become involved in such an empty relationship.

  “Grace? Are you sleeping?” I barely caught the amusement in his voice. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Go back to sleep.”

  I woke a little while later to the sound of the dial tone buzzing against my ear. I’d fallen back to sleep without ever answering him. I wondered what he thought about me. To someone like him, I probably seemed young and certainly naïve. I was nothing like the women he dated and would never be. I’m sure compared to them, Aaron found me extremely amusing.

  Chapter Seven

  By the time Monday morning arrived, I was organized and somewhat ready for my new role.

  I talked to Aaron about Deb, and he assured me she would be taken care of. He even liked my idea of meeting with the other assistants to discuss their immediate futures.

  “Just remember, don’t let these ladies tell you what to do, and make sure everyone knows not to be discussing any part of the business with anyone. Most of them will no doubt still have some contact with the former bosses.”

  By midmorning, I was wading through the hundreds of e-mails I’d received, several from Aaron requesting different things from me. All the while, carefully searching for any personal messages from a certain woman in New York.

  For some reason, I found myself morbidly curious about what type of relationship she and Aaron shared. Were they still involved? If so, how involved? No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t let go of those thoughts.

  Finally, out of sheer desperation and a need to clear my head of such things, I decided I needed to get away from the office for a while. I was becoming a little too obsessed with Aaron and his love life.

  I readily agreed to meet with the new decorators and let Sally know that I probably wouldn’t be back.

  I took the laptop with me on the pretense of working from home and drove over to Aaron’s new home to wait for the decorators to arrive. Even devoid of furniture, the place was simply gorgeous. My dream home. With four bedrooms and plenty of space to spare, it had everything imaginable, from the fourteen-foot ceilings in the living and dining areas to three indoor fireplaces, and of course, the one outside. The perfectly manicured lawn swept down to a wooded area running behind and to the side of the house. It acted as a privacy barrier between Aaron’s house and its closest neighbor. Even though the place was so far beyond my modest income it wasn’t even in sight, it was still kind of fun to be able to help fill the interior with warmth and color.

  Once I’d given the decorators their keys to get in the place and went over some final details with them, I hung around for a while.

  As hard as I tried, I couldn’t imagine living in such an enormous house alone. But then, maybe Aaron wasn’t planning to live alone for long.

  I scolded myself again. Aaron’s personal life was none of my business. I didn’t care what he did there or whom he did it with, did I? I closed the computer and went home to my empty apartment where I promptly called my grandmother, denying there was any particular reason behind the call.

  “Gran, there’s nothing wrong. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

  “Uh-uh. You never were any good at keeping things from me. You’re still coming home for Thanksgiving, aren’t you, doll?”

  “I’m certainly going to try. I miss you guys terribly, and I want to be there with you. Aaron Severn will just have to do without me.”

  “Everything going okay between you two?”

  “Sure. Fine. Why do you ask?” My answer came out sounding just a little too upbeat for me.

  “Well no reason, honey. You just have that sound in your voice. I was only wondering. After all, he is the man who’s going to change your life.”

  “Oh, Gran. Don’t start.”

  “You know it’s the truth, Gracie. Even if you aren’t ready to admit it just yet.”

  I didn’t hear from Aaron again until later in the week, which had me thinking all sorts of terrible thoughts, none of which I particularly liked. When he finally called unexpectedly, I was unprepared for the sound of his voice or the way it affected me.

  “There’s a ticket waiting for you at the airport for a five o’clock flight tonight to New York City. Go home and pack.”

  I glanced at my watch. It was almost lunch.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I need you here in New York. I want to introduce you to the team you’ll be working with on occasion, and I think it would be a good opportunity for you to get more familiar with the inner workings of the business from this end. It will help you to understand what’s going to be happening in Austin.”

  “Are you saying I don’t know what I’m doing?”

  “Grace, don’t argue with me for once. Of course, I’m not saying any such thing. Just be on the flight. You can spend the week here while things are still slow in Austin, and we’ll fly back together. I’ll have someone meet your flight at the airport. So, get going. Go home. Pack.” With that little command, he hung up on me, and I sat looking at my watch and wondering how I was going to manage to drive home, do laundry, and then pack in time to make the flight.

  I all but ran out the door and just managed to let Sally know where I would be for the next week if she needed to reach me.

  By a quarter to five, I was standing in line to board the plane. Once I found my assigned seat in first class, I began to question the wisdom in just going along with whatever Aaron requested.

  I’d never been anywhere bigger than Dallas before, and just barely out of the state of Texas. What did I know about getting around in New York? I didn’t know a single soul there with the exception of Aaron.

  By the time the captain announced our arrival, I’d reached the panic stage. What if Aaron forgot to tell someone to meet my flight? What if I couldn’t reach anyone at his office? I didn’t even know his home number, much less his address.

  When I saw Aaron waiting for me at the ticket counter, I almost ran into his arms.

  “You were worried? Why? Did you think I’d leave you to find your own way? Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  I wasn’t sure if he was teasing or not, but I decided it was best to leave well enough alone.

  “Sorry, I just got a little scared I guess. This is my first trip to New York.” I’d almost slipped up and admitted I’d never been much of anywhere to a man who so clearly had.

  “So don’t tell me, let me guess. You’ve never been abroad either?” I shook my head in shame. “We are definitely going to have to change this.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked in fear.

  Aaron, in his usual fast-paced way, had taken my bag and was making his way deftly through the crowds of people leaving LaGuardia, forcing me to try and keep up as best as possible, which meant I was pretty much running. “And would you slow down for a second before I have a heart attack!”

  He came to such an abrupt stop that I almost ran right into him.

  “Sorry, I forgot you’ve got those short legs. What I meant is, I will expect you to accompany me to meetings at the various branches oversees. Do you even have a passport?”

  My crinkled brow was answer enough. Aaron rolled his eyes. “How can anyone not have a p
assport these days? Don’t worry. Jenna will take care of it. She has ways of getting one in record time. Make sure you handle the paperwork while you’re here. I have a feeling once things settle in at the Austin office, especially after the first of the year, we’ll be traveling a lot and there won’t be time to do it then.”

  All of this was news to me, and none of it was what I wanted to hear. Aaron had never mentioned traveling before. “Does Jenna travel with you now?” My question was out and sounding every bit as accusatory as I didn’t want it to.

  He stopped once more and gave me one of his mischief grins. He knew exactly what I was thinking.

  “She used to travel with me quite a lot until recently. Since the girls have gotten older, Jenna’s been cutting back on her hours to spend more time with them. Including traveling. Trust me, this isn’t some ploy I cooked up to get you alone in a hotel far away from Grandma and Grandpa.”

  “I didn’t think it was,” I managed to say as he grinned at me. Actually, he was right. I didn’t trust his intentions in hiring me in the first place. I was still waiting for the catch.

  “Yes, you did.” He grinned even more at my embarrassment. “But it’s okay. It’s kind of refreshing to run into a woman who doesn’t actually want my attention for a change.”

  We stepped outside the terminal. Aaron dropped my bag next to one of the taxis lined up along the curb.

  The driver popped the trunk and put my bag inside while Aaron gave him the address.

  “You’re staying with me at my apartment by the way.”

  He had anticipated all of my arguments before I could even get the words out. “Don’t look at me like that. The place is huge. You’ll never know I’m there, so relax. It just seemed easier this way since I’m the only person you know in town. I thought it would be more comfortable for you to stay with me rather than at a hotel. New York can be a cold place at times. Being alone is tough. Trust me, I know—I’ve certainly spent my fair share of time alone. Anyway, you’ll ride into the office with me, but for now I thought you’d want to get settled in so you can relax.”

  I looked away from the gentle expression in his eyes I couldn’t associate with Aaron.

  “What’s wrong? Please don’t tell me that you still don’t trust me. Do you need me to sign an oath in blood?”

  “No. It’s just, well, I don’t want to be in the way.” And I didn’t want to meet Sara in the flesh. I also doubted Aaron spent much time alone.

  “You’re not in the way, and I think I can forgo having ‘company’ for a few days, don’t you? Give me some credit.” He rolled his eyes.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right and thank you. I wasn’t looking forward to being on my own,” I told him when I could actually look at him again.

  “You’re just a small-town girl at heart, aren’t you? A word of advice. This town can eat you alive if you let it. Luckily you have me to take care of you.”

  The taxi came to a halt outside Aaron’s apartment building. I had no idea what I’d been expecting to find. All I knew about his taste was what I’d learned from the house in Austin.

  His apartment was on the top floor. In fact, it took up the entire top floor of the building. It was beautifully decorated in a style I’d discovered, from my tutorial in decorating, classified as modern. The most amazing part of it all was the breathtaking view of the city from his balcony. I guess if you have to live in an apartment in New York, this would definitely make it easier.

  “Do you like it?” Aaron waited until we’d stepped out onto the balcony to ask.

  “It’s beautiful. I can definitely see you living here.”

  At my less-than-flattering observation, he smiled. “I’m not so sure you didn’t just insult me in your confusing Texas style, but I’m willing to overlook it. Why don’t I show you to your room so you can get settled in? I’ll be in there.” He pointed through the open door, and I just caught a glimpse of a desk with papers scattered all around. “Feel like doing a little sightseeing before we have dinner?”

  By the time we’d hit most of the tourist attractions around the city and had dinner, it had grown quite late. I was beginning to feel the effects of the day.

  Over dinner, Aaron gave me the rundown of the corporate staff members I would be meeting the following day. There were almost five hundred employees in the New York office alone, and another three hundred worldwide, not including the LoneStar staff. With its latest acquisition, Severn Advertising was one of the biggest in its field.

  “Since you’re all but falling asleep in your coffee, I think I’d better get you home and in bed. I’ve got a few things to go over still, but I’ll see you in the morning, alright?”

  “How many hours do you normally work each day anyway?” I asked, barely stifling a yawn.

  “As many as are necessary. Don’t worry. You’ll get used to the schedule soon enough. I didn’t get to where I am right now by sleeping in and working nine to five.”

  Once we reached the apartment, I said goodnight without responding to the typical Aaron comment.

  It didn’t matter how late the hour was, I wanted to share everything about the day with my grandmother.

  “Honey, I was just thinking about you. In fact, I was about to call you. Did you make your flight on time, and are you calling me from New York?”

  “Hi, Gran. Yes, I did, and yes, I’m calling you from New York. You weren’t sleeping, were you?”

  “Gracie, you know we don’t go to sleep early. We were just watching the news.”

  I’d long ago shared many of my doubts about Aaron with my grandparents because I’d needed the opinion of the two people I trusted the most in the world. Since that time, I must have called Grandma Ruth at least half a dozen times for her strength and each time her answer was always the same. Grandma Ruth believed God had put Aaron and me together for a purpose.

  I told her all about Aaron’s apartment and my first day in New York.

  “It sounds like you’ve got yourself a nice boss and friend, Gracie. You’re going to be just fine. Stop worrying so much. You know my dreams are never wrong. Aaron is going to be good for you.”

  Of course, I knew my grandmother believed Aaron and I were meant for each other, but she also believed God was going to use me to change Aaron’s life. I just didn’t know if I had it in me to make any impact on him. Aaron was way out of my league as far as I was concerned. I’d never met anyone so driven and so lacking in normal basic human emotions.

  I mean he hadn’t even blinked an eye when he’d told the executives back in Austin they were fired.

  Grandma Ruth knew I still had misgivings about working for Aaron, but she hadn’t known all the not so nice details about the man.

  I hung up the phone with a sense of peace for the first time since I’d started working for Aaron. In my heart I didn’t believe any of those things I’d read about him. He wasn’t heartless. I’d seen another side of him. The caring person he chose to bury beneath the hard, untouchable exterior he presented to the world. The man Aaron believed he needed to be to exist in his world.

  Chapter Eight

  My stay in New York did not get off to the best start. I overslept the following morning, which meant I barely had to time to make myself somewhat presentable before facing Aaron again.

  Much to my embarrassment, he was dressed, coffee in hand and waiting for me when I was finally able to walk out my bedroom door.

  “We’re late.” He handed me a cup and all but dragged me out the door, heading for the elevator. “One thing you’ll learn about this town, Grace. Everything moves fast. It takes a little getting used to, but don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it in time.”

  “Why?” My question didn’t please him. “I’ll be working in Austin. It’s not likely I’ll be coming here all that much.”

  “I disagree. In fact, I haven’t told you this before because I didn’t want you to feel too overwhelmed right away, but since you’ve brought it up, I see no reason not to tell you n
ow. Jenna wants to start working part time, which means she will no longer be my assistant. You’re it, Grace. Jenna will be moving to support my second-in-command. So you see, there may well be times when I will need to be in New York for a much longer period, and I will expect you to be here with me. That’s one of the reasons I wanted you to take this time now, before the jobs pick up, to get familiar with what Jenna does. She’ll be turning over the controls to you over the next few weeks.”

  We’d reached the ground floor. The doorman held the door for us just as the meaning of Aaron’s words finally registered. I stopped dead in my tracks. This wasn’t what I’d been expecting when I took the job. In my mind, I saw myself as just a small part of the business. Aaron apparently had other plans for me.

  He reached for my hand when I would have stood there all day staring at him as if he’d lost his mind.

  “Come on, you can yell at me in the car.” He waited while the driver of what I had to assume was Aaron’s private car service held the door open for me, leaving me no other choice but to get inside.

  “You never mentioned any of this before. I’m not sure I’m the right person for the job under the circumstances. I think maybe we’d both better rethink the whole thing.”

  Aaron settled in next to me, wished the driver a good morning, and then introduced me.

  “You’re going to do fine. You’re just what I’m looking for to tackle the job. Someone without a whole lot of experience who doesn’t already have their mind made up on what is or isn’t the correct way of doing things. It’s what I like about you. You don’t fit the mold.”

  I couldn’t tell him I didn’t have any clue what the mold was. Instead, I sat silently beside him, trying not to be overwhelmed.

  Severn Advertising was on Madison Avenue. The building was a mere ten stories, but impressive in all ways from the coffee shop on the ground floor to the well-dressed receptionist who greeted us, to the marble and glass reflecting the company’s logo, We bring the world to you.