INNOCENCE AND ARROGANCE

by Kimberley Reeves

  She didn’t know anyone in the city or even in her own neighborhood so she was a little uneasy when the doorbell sounded. Buster immediately bristled and padded beside her to the door. Mina put her eye to the peek hole and was shocked to see the handsome face of Scott Travis. She squeezed her eyes shut for a minute, trying to overcome the embarrassment of him seeing the shoddy house she lived in.

  The unsettling thought flitted through her mind that he’d come to withdraw his offer of a job and panic welled up inside her. When the doorbell sounded a second time, Mina knew she couldn’t keep him waiting any longer and opened the door. To her surprise, Buster didn’t come unglued as he usually did whenever anyone came within five feet of her. Instead the traitorous dog started wagging his tail.

  “Some protector you are,” she hissed before opening the screen door.

  “Sorry to bother you at home,” Scott said, looking around as if he still wasn’t sure he had the right address. “I got nailed by Human

  Resources for not getting a copy of your driver’s license so they could do a background check. I guess you must have forgotten to list your phone number on the application so I wasn’t left with much of a choice if I want you to start on Monday.”

  Great, now she’d have to confess that she didn’t have a phone or a driver’s license. But, if it was going to be a problem, maybe it was best to deal with it now.

  “Would you like to come in?”

  Scott followed her into the tiny house. He’d been a little disturbed to see the kind of neighborhood she lived in, but even more troubled to see the sad condition of her house. The outside sorely needed repairs and a fresh coat of paint but he was impressed with how neat and tidy it was on the inside. She’d done a good job of making it feel cozy and it had the same clean scent as Mina herself. He leaned down and patted the head of her very large dog. Another surprise, since he’d figured her for a cat person, or at best, the proud owner of a poodle or some other miniature dog.

  Mina’s mouth almost dropped open when Buster allowed Scott Travis to pet him. Not only that, the stupid dog followed her new boss to the middle of the living room.

  “I can’t believe Buster hasn’t tried to bite your leg off, he’s usually pretty aggressive when someone comes near me.”

  Scott shrugged as if it was a given that all animals would grant him the alpha role. “We had a German Shepherd when I was a kid. They’re pretty sharp about picking up on whether a person is afraid of them or poses a threat.” He patted Buster’s head again when the dog nuzzled his hand. “What’s his name? Buster?”

  “Yes. That wasn’t the name I originally picked out for him. I wanted something a little more fearsome like Brutus or Zeus but when he was a puppy, he got into everything. My Mom chased him around endlessly, hollering, Get out of there, Buster or I’m going to whop your behind, Buster. Every time she yelled at him, she prefaced or ended it with Buster until he thought that was his name.”

  Scott laughed. “I suppose it could have been worse.”

  “Yeah," she grinned, "if it had been my Dad taking after the dog, he’d be named Dammit.” Mina imitated her Dad’s deep voice. “Get out of there, Dammit. Dammit, I’ll tan your hide for that.”

  Scott laughed even harder then looked at her with an amused smile. “Somehow I pictured you as the type who would cover her mouth if she let a bad word slip out.”

  Mina blushed. “I’m sorry, I guess I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “Don’t be embarrassed, Miss Harmon, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. Actually, I found it rather amusing.”

  “I’m glad I could entertain you, Mr. Travis,” she said with a little curtsey.

  ****

  Scott eyed the woman before him. She seemed different somehow, and it was difficult to relate her to the prim young lady he’d interviewed earlier that afternoon. She was sweet and funny and for some reason he couldn’t even begin to explain, Scott was fascinated by her. Clearly, he’d been without female companionship too long because Mina Harmon wasn’t even remotely like the women he usually dated.

  “So, back to the reason I came here.”

  “I’m so sorry,” her blush returned with a fury. “I’m sure you have better things to do with your evening.”

  “Except for missing the Creature Feature,” he grinned, “I really had nothing planned.”

  Mina glanced back at her television. “I guess you know my weakness now; old scary movies that don’t really scare me.” She turned back to Scott. Confession time. “Look, Mr. Travis, I’ll understand if you decide not to hire me. I have to be honest with you, I don’t have a phone and I don’t have a driver’s license. I can provide my birth certificate and a state I.D., but unless my library card helps, that’s about all I have.”

  “A minor inconvenience,” he dismissed her concerns. “A copy of your birth certificate will do. Not having a driver’s license might be a problem though, since I may need you to run errands for me. Can I ask why you don’t have one?”

  “I never needed one before. When I lived in Washington, I had four brothers who drove me where ever I needed to go. They’re all pretty protective and didn’t like the idea of me driving to and from work alone so they just took me. Then when I moved here, I started using the transit system.”

  Scott looked a little alarmed. “You’re taking a bus in this neighborhood?”

  Mina averted her eyes and found herself blushing again. “I don’t really have much of a choice, do I?”

  “Now I’ve gone and insulted you again. I’ll tell you what I can do. Would you have any objections if I took you out this weekend and taught you how to drive? You’d still have to pass a written test and a driving test before you could get your license, but that shouldn’t take long.”

  “Mr. Travis, I don’t have a car. What good would a license do me?”

  “That problem is much easier to resolve. I’ll assign a company car to you. You can use it as long as you work for me and I’ll give you a gas card.”

  “You’d really do that for me?”

  “Miss Harmon, I went through hell looking for someone like you to be my assistant, I’m not about to lose you over something as minor as getting a driver’s license.”

  Mina flashed him a big smile. “Thank you. When would you like to do it?”

  “We might as well get an early start. Is eight o’clock Saturday too early?”

  “Not at all. I usually take Buster for a walk from six-thirty to seven so it will give me time to get back and shower. Let me go dig out my birth certificate. Just make yourself comfortable, I shouldn’t be too long.”

  Scott watched her disappear down the short hallway, thoroughly enjoying the gentle sway of her hips and the nicely rounded shape of her bottom. He never would have guessed she was hiding such a killer figure beneath the shapeless dress she’d worn that day. Reining in his wayward thoughts, Scott wandered into the kitchen and found it just as clean as the living room had been. He doubted Mina drank beer, but maybe she kept bottled water or sodas in the refrigerator. Scott opened the door and peered in. He stood there for a moment staring at all the vacant space. Good God, the poor thing didn’t have an ounce of food in the house!

  He leaned back and peered through the doorway to make sure she hadn’t returned yet then opened the ice box. Nothing but ice. Surely, Mina had a stash of food hidden somewhere. He moved to the cupboards and opened them one by one but they were just as bare as the refrigerator had been. Not wanting to embarrass her, Scott hurried back to the living room. Obviously, she had no money to buy food with. What was she going to do for the two weeks before she got paid?

  Dog food seemed to be the only edible sustenance in the house. His stomach rumbled dangerously at the thought of Mina being desperate enough to eat it. No wonder her clothes looked two sizes too big; she probably hadn’t had a decent meal in weeks. He thought of the overstuffed refrigerator in his own house and how wasteful he often was. Well, he couldn’t just let her starve while she waited for a payche
ck. He was a quick thinker, a problem solver. Surely he could think of some way to help her without making her feel like a charity case.

  “Found it at last,” Mina said with apologetic smile when she returned to the living room. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

  “No problem, but I will need to make a copy of it. Listen, Miss Harmon…I know it’s kind of late, but I haven’t eaten yet. Would you like to go with me to make a copy of your certificate and join me for dinner?” When she looked hesitant he tilted the scales his way by affecting a shamelessly pitiful look. “Please? I really hate eating alone and it would be my treat. Sort of a welcome dinner, what do you think?”

  Mina sent up a silent prayer of thanks. “That would be really nice. Should I change clothes? I mean, you’re still in a suit and I’m so…”

  “You look fine. I’ll throw off my jacket and take off my tie so I don’t feel so overdressed.”

  She smiled at his choice of words. Rather than tell her she was underdressed, he tried to make her more comfortable with the situation. “If you just give me a minute to run a brush through my hair, I’ll be right with you.”

  Mina hurried to the bathroom and frantically pulled the pins out of her hair. It was naturally curly and hung nearly to her waist so she usually wore it up just to keep it off her face when she worked. She was not primping, Mina told herself. She was merely wearing her hair down because she felt more…comfortable. Okay, so maybe she didn’t feel quite so unattractive with it down, but it was going to be difficult enough knowing people were bound to stare at them and wonder why a man like Scott Travis would be out with someone as plain as she was.

  After adding just a touch of mascara, she returned to the living room and discovered Scott sitting on the sofa with her killer dog’s head propped on his lap. Good Lord, what was wrong with the animal? Maybe he was sick because he’d certainly never taken to anyone like that before. Even her own brothers approached Buster slowly to make sure he figured out they were family and didn’t mean her any harm.

  Scott looked up when she came in, his warm smile slowly fading as his eyes met hers. Mina shifted uncomfortably. It must have suddenly occurred to him he’d have to be seen in public with her and it was utterly humiliating to know he was probably trying to figure out a way how to retract his offer. Somehow, she mustered just enough pride to meet his steady gaze.

  “You know, I’m really not very hungry, Mr. Travis. If you want to take the copy and bring back the original of my certificate that would be fine.”

  Scott stood up, momentarily tongue tied. All she’d done was let her hair down, but the transformation was simply stunning. Her hair was almost black, making those incredible eyes stand out even more. Her bone structure was small and delicate so the wild curls framing her face made her look like a story book gypsy. Her eyelashes were long and thick so she really needed no make-up, and if he could get her to flash one of those fantastic smiles, Mina Harmon would be quite beautiful.

  “Mr. Travis?”

  “I’m sorry if I was staring, Miss Harmon. It’s just…well, I don’t know how to say this without sounding insulting…”

  “You don’t have to apologize,” Mina said softly. “I have no illusions about myself, Mr. Travis. I understand why someone like you wouldn’t want to be seen in public with me. I just hope you don’t change your mind about offering me the job.”

  Scott walked over to where she was. “Is that what you think? That I’d be ashamed to be seen with you?”

  “It’s okay, really.”

  Scott gaped at her incredulously. “My God, you really don’t think you’re attractive, do you?”

  “Please don’t make fun of me, Mr. Travis,” she implored, her eyes misting with tears.

  “Mina,” he said gently, “look at me.” When she did as he asked, Scott locked her eyes with his so she could see the truth in them. “I think you’ll find that I’m very honest, sometimes brutally so. I don’t say things to make people feel better and I don’t judge a person by how they look. I have to admit, you seemed rather plain when I saw you in my office, but now,” Scott reached up and touched one of her soft curls, “I think you look incredible.” He dropped his hand reluctantly. “I mean it, I think you look great.”

  “Thank you,” she murmured, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

  “Come on,” he took her hand and pulled her towards the door. “I need food.” He leaned down and gave Buster a quick scratch behind the ears. “Play your cards right, buddy, and you might get leftovers.”

  Chapter 2

  Scott stopped briefly at an all night print shop and got the copy he needed of Mina’s birth certificate. He decided to take her to a little steak house not too far away that served nice meals but wasn’t so upscale she'd feel out of place. At the last minute, she’d insisted on going back inside to change her blouse and had come out looking even better in a crisp white button down.

  He’d simply stared at her for a moment, not having realized just how shapely or well endowed she was. He was almost sorry he’d hired her, because right now all Scott could think of was seducing Miss Mina Harmon and taking her to bed. A sudden vision of going back to doing those horrible interviews changed his course of thinking fairly quickly and he’d turned away from Mina to open the car door for her.

  He purposely urged her to order much more than he knew she could eat so she’d be forced to take the leftovers home. And he’d deliberately made the comment to Buster so she wouldn’t feel self conscious about asking for a doggie bag, knowing full well she’d keep the food for herself. While they ate, he pondered a way to get Mina a little cash without her suspecting he knew just how bare her cupboards were.

  Mina forced herself to eat at a normal pace when what she really wanted to do was devour everything in sight. Mr. Travis had insisted she order a plate he said was the best in the house and she’d felt a giddy sense of happiness knowing the leftovers would grant her a few more meals. They’d had a wonderful conversation, sharing sibling horror stories until they were both laughing so hard they were clutching their sides.

  “I grew up on a farm,” she told him. “I don’t miss the cows much, but I sure do miss horseback riding.”

  “I’ve never tried my hand at riding horses, though I think they’re beautiful animals. Maybe we could go to the stables sometime and you can teach me. It’s only fair,” he teased, “since I’ll be teaching you how to drive a car.”

  Mina’s face lit up. “Oh, that would be wonderful. Even if it’s only for a few hours, it might make me a little less home sick. I used to barrel race until my… until I started to develop…” She looked at Scott’s grin and laughed. “Let’s just say sports bras didn’t help much.”

  “So what made you move to California?”

  “I’m an avid reader. I devour everything I can get my hands on. I guess just knowing there was so much more out there besides the next farm house over made me itchy to see the world. Of course, I haven’t really seen much, but it’s been an adventure.”

  Scott was thoroughly enjoying his evening. He’d never heard anyone refer to life as being an adventure before and was fascinated by her thirst for knowledge.

  “It must have been scary for a woman alone to venture so far from home.”

  She thought about that for a moment then shook her head. “I wouldn’t say I was ever scared. A little anxious maybe when finances got a little tight, but I think knowing I could always go home made it easier. It was more exciting than anything else. Everything was new to me.”

  “Like what?”

  Mina’s eyes grew dreamy. “Like the ocean. The power of it was almost overwhelming. Have you ever sat on the shore just before dawn and watched the sun come up?”

  “I can’t say as I have,” he admitted, "though I have watched the sunset."

  “You should do it some time. All you can hear is the soft sound of the waves lapping over the shore. The air is misty and filled with the salty scent of the water. Then the sun breaks over the horiz
on and lights everything up in a magical glow. It really is very calming and the whole rest of the day just seems so much easier to deal with.”

  Scott could almost visualize it when she spoke in her soft, gentle voice. “I’m wondering how I can con you into taking me along some time. You make it sound very enlightening.”

  “Sure, but you have to get up pretty early, and it gets chilly down by the water so you need to dress warm.”

  “I think I can handle that. I’m a pretty early riser anyway. What time do you usually go?”

  “I like to be there about an hour before sunrise.”