by Mary Eason
They ate Chinese food from paper cartons and she listened as he told her about his day.
Apparently, the meeting that had run late tonight, ended without anything being resolved. Later, as they sat drinking coffee in the living room watching Reyna’s movie, Brody told her that he had to fly to Florida on Sunday.
“I’m sorry. I really hate to leave you right now, but unless we can get the problems with this contract worked out soon, and to both party’s satisfaction, we stand to lose the client. This is a major account for us. I can’t allow that to happen. I should only be gone for three, possibly four days at the most. Reyna forced a smile to her lips. She didn’t want Brody to see the sadness she felt. The thought of being apart from him for those days hurt. And that frightened her. She didn’t want Brody to be this important to her. Someday, she would have to leave. She couldn’t let her heart be broken.
Some of her hurt must have been reflected in her eyes since he watched her expression closely.
“Reyna, you know if there were any other way out of this, I would do it. The last thing I want to do right now is leave you, don’t you?”
“I know that Brody and its okay. Don’t worry about me I’ll be fine. I’ll just miss watching old movies with you, and…” She stopped when her voice began to tremble. She looked away and tried to think of something to change the subject. She remembered the job offer.
“Oh, Brody, there is something I want to ask you, to get your opinion on, that is. One of the interviews I went on last week made me an offer.” She told him the details of the job, including the salary she would be earning. She could tell by his expression that he wasn’t impressed.
“I know it isn’t very much, but they are willing to work with me as far as my hours go, so I could leave early two days a week, which would allow me to finish my degree. I only need two classes to finish.” When he didn’t say anything, Reyna rushed on. “And, I’ve checked with the university and they offer the classes I need in the afternoons, so I could finish my teaching degree in one semester.” Reyna looked at Brody sitting close to her. She could see the exhaustion in his eyes and she wished she could take back her words. He didn’t need to take on her problems any more than he already had. “I’m sorry. I really don’t have the right to ask you this. I’m sorry, forget I said anything. I’ll decide what’s best.”
* * * *
He turned to her, his hand going up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear, effectively killing whatever else she might have considered saying. Brody smiled. He saw the way his touch affected her. She was comfortable with him in the boundaries of friendship, but when he touched her in this tender way, or when he had deliberately used an endearment, she didn’t understand him. He had grayed the boundaries on their friendship; he had crossed over those lines into something she wasn’t sure how to define.
“No, I’m glad you asked actually, because there’s something I’ve been tossing around in my head for days. You see, I need your help with something, but I wasn’t sure just how to ask for it until this moment.”
“What is it, Brody? Surely, you know I would do anything in the world for you. Tell me what I can do to help.”
“I need you to work for me. As my assistant. I’ve been without one for months now, and there aren’t any prospects I trust enough to hire.” He held up his hand stopping her instant refusal. “Just listen for a second. I have some critical accounts I’ve been working on with my team. Accounts that will help us expand the company more internationally. Needless to say, without a qualified assistant, I’m drowning in paperwork when I should be concentrating on other things. I need someone I can trust. So far, I haven’t found anyone who can handle the job to my satisfaction.” He smiled slowly at her. “You see, I’ve been told by my personnel guru that I’m hard to work for. Apparently, that’s why it’s been almost three months since I’ve had anyone at all sitting outside of my office for more than a few hours a day. According to her, the chances aren’t looking very positive that they will be replacing my last assistant anytime soon, which is why I need your help.”
* * * *
Reyna rejected the idea immediately. There was no way she could work close to Brody each day and not go out of her mind with desire.
“Look, I know you don’t have any experience as an assistant, but I’m desperate, and in a way, I think that may work out best, since you won’t have any preconceived ideas of how to do the job or anything to compare it to. I’m willing to double the salary of the other company, and I’ll give you the afternoons off you need to finish your degree. What do you say?”
Still Reyna hesitated. was he simply trying to help her once more? She didn’t believe his story. Brody was never desperate. “What happens in a few months when I have my degree? What will you do then?”
Brody smiled. He knew her too well already. Brody would know that all she needed was just a little push.
“Well, two things could happen. Either you will quit, or you might just decide you like it and end up staying with me for a long time. I don’t need to tell you which one I’m hoping for.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on his face. He looked like a child who had just gotten his favorite toy. “Oh, there’s one more option. You could decide that I’m not qualified to be your assistant and fire me.”
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her, taking her completely by surprise. It was sheer heaven being this close to him, no matter what the reason. Reyna didn’t want to leave his arms. She heard him click the movie back on, but he didn’t let her go.
“Somehow, I don’t think there’s anything you could possible do that would make me let you go. I’ll take care of all the arrangements with Penny in personnel. I’ll call her tomorrow and let her know you’ll be starting on Monday. She’ll have everything ready for you. Penny can show you what you need to know to get started. Unless, of course, you want to go with me to Florida? It might be a good way to get your feet wet, by seeing the negations firsthand. Oh and by the way, I will want you to travel with me at times.”
* * * *
Brody somehow sensed her hesitation. He let her go and smiled at her reassuringly.
“It’s okay. There will be plenty of time for that later on. Don’t worry about it. Take the weekend and have some fun. Oh and, Reyna, you’re going to need to do some shopping, you know. In the advertising world, image is everything. I’ll leave you my credit card to use.”
“I don’t need your money.”
“Reyna, it’s part of the job. Consider it part of your salary. I’m sorry, but I insist.”
* * * *
“Brody,” she started to refuse. The very thought of him buying her clothes was ridiculous. Before Reyna could say a word, she was interrupted by the sound of his laughter, making her all the angrier with him.
“Reyna, hush. Most women wouldn’t think of complaining when a man offers to buy them clothes.”
“In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not most women.”
He clicked the volume up on the television and then reached for her, tugging her back into his arms. “No, you most certainly are not.”
Reyna hated to admit it, but it felt good being this close to him. She should feel guilty. After all, her husband hadn’t been gone all that long. She didn’t.
She didn’t want to think about why he wanted her so close to him. She wouldn’t worry about the consequences tonight. She just wanted to be with him. What could possibly be wrong with that? For this moment, surely that was okay. Everything was right with the world and nothing needed any explanation anymore.
* * * *
“Reyna, wake up, love. It’s late you can’t sleep here.” Reyna opened her eyes to look into Brody’s dark blue ones and saw them soften as he watched her slowly resurface from sleep.
He smiled at her embarrassment when she realized that she was all but lying in his lap. She pushed against his chest in an effort to break free of his embrace, but his arms only tightened around her b
efore he picked her up and carried her to her bedroom.
“Put me down.” Reyna’s heart slammed against her chest. She struggled, frightened by her own reaction to Brody’s touch. It was pointless to try to get away. Brody did not intend to let her go. His arms tightened around her body.
“Reyna, for God sake, relax. I’m not going to hurt you.” He wasn’t smiling anymore. She could hear the strain in his voice as he opened her bedroom door and crossed the room dropping her down onto the bed before he knelt in front of her and took her cold hands in his.
“I would never hurt you. Surely, you know that. You do, don’t you, love?” Brody watched her far too closely. Reyna forced her gaze away. She couldn’t look at him and have him see the truth that she tried so hard to deny, even to herself.
She wasn’t sure when it had happened. Maybe she’d been in love with him from the beginning. Maybe it took being with him every day to realize that truth. It made her want to cry, to hide away from her own foolish dreams. She wasn’t supposed to love him. Brody didn’t want her love. How could she have been so foolish as to fall in love with her husband’s friend? Brody, who had shown her nothing but kindness, had offered her his friendship at her most vulnerable moments and she allowed her heart to be lost to him. Reyna wanted to be alone with that painful realization.
Too late, she realized that everything going through her mind at that moment was being reflected on her face for him to see. He said something under his breath and then he brought her into his arms.
“I’m so sorry. For a moment, I forgot about Cade. It’s still too soon for you, isn’t it? Dear God, he really didn’t have any idea just how lucky a man he was to have you love him.”
Each of his words fell on her tender heart like stones. Brody still believed she was mourning over Cade. Reyna moved away. She didn’t want him to see how much those words hurt. It was all there, all of Cade’s sins were right there, closing the door on any future between them.
Brody stood up, looking down at her silently but she refused to meet his gaze. She felt nothing but despair at realizing she loved Brody. Knowing he would never return her love. He didn’t want her to love him.
“You’re tired. Try and get some sleep now, okay?” The distance in his voice hurt. She heard him walk to the bedroom door turning to look at her once more in concern.
“Reyna? Are you sure, you’re all right? I don’t want to leave you if you’re not.”
She forced herself to answer him, hating the bitterness in her voice that even to her own ears, sounded sharp as she turned her face away from him.
“I’m fine. You’re right. I’m just tired. Please just leave me alone.”
Reyna heard the soft click of the door and waited, holding her breath. When she heard his footsteps receding down the hallway, she curled up into a tight little ball in the center of her bed and cried.
Reyna got out of bed and went into the adjoining bathroom stripping off her clothing. She stood under the shower letting the warm water wash over her for what felt like hours. Once she was dressed in her white tee shirt, she crawled under the covers shivering with reaction to her despair.
She had been so foolish to rush into what she believed was love with Cade, realizing much too late it wasn’t love at all. Just her own foolish imagination. She had married Cade in haste and she had regretted her actions almost from the very first moment.
It hadn’t taken him much longer than a few weeks to shatter all her illusions and make her see the painful truth. But now? Brody was nothing like Cade, she knew he would never hurt her. He was attractive yes, but his attraction was so much more than just physical. He was strong, but he cared about her feelings, about what she thought. The way he took an interest in what was happening in her life, no matter how insignificant, had been the reason she’d liked him from the start.
When had like turned to love? She couldn’t say for sure. It had been such an easy transition for her. To go from liking him as both a person and a man to loving him.
The thought of not having this man as part of her life anymore tore her up inside. Of not being able to see him, to talk to him each day terrified her. She knew she could never tell Brody how she felt about him, for that very reason. She didn’t want to lose that friendship with him that was far too important to her.
Reyna pulled the covers up, hugging her legs as she began to shiver again. How could she possibly be near Brody each day both at work and home and not have him discover her true feelings? She should refuse his job offer and move out of the house immediately.
How could she do that when he needed her help? How could she refuse him anything when he had been so good to her? She told herself she would take each day as it came, and try to strengthen her heart so Brody never guessed just how much she loved him.
Chapter Seven
Penny Albright was a tall, severe looking woman, dressed in a gray business suit that only seemed to accentuate her severity.
She shook Reyna’s hand firmly before directing her to a small office that had her name outside.
“Mr. Samuels wanted me to make sure that everything was ready for you today, Ms. James. He asked me to fill you in on the basics of what the job will entail, but I believe he will give you more detail on what he is expecting from you when he returns from Florida.”
Ten minutes and countless forms later, Reyna stood beside the older woman as the elevator took them to the fourteen floor of the building.
“This entire floor is dedicated to Mr. Samuels’s office and conference room. There is also a small apartment, one floor up, that Mr. Samuels sometimes uses whenever he’s working late. Mr. Samuels has one keys and I’ll leave you the spare, along with the security code for the elevator to get to the floor. As I’ve said, Mr. Samuels is the only one who uses it.
“Your office is right in here.” Penny opened the door and ushered Reyna inside to a small, tastefully decorated office. The desk faced a wall of windows, allowing for a breathtaking view of the city skyline. There was a small sitting area consisting of a leather sofa and chairs, as well as a coffee dispenser for visitors. While her desk faced the windows, there was an extension for the laptop computer, and printer to the right, which faced yet another door that Reyna assumed, would be to Brody’s office.
“You should find everything you will need in the desk, but if not, there is a small supply area in the copy room to your left and of course, there’s always the main supply center for the building, which is on the fourth floor.” Penny smiled briefly before adding, “Of course I don't expect you to remember where everything is. This building can be very confusing until you get used to it.”
She opened the door to the right and indicated that Reyna should precede her inside.
“This is Mr. Samuels’s office.” Reyna glanced around the room seeing Brody’s unique taste in every piece of furniture. Understated yet elegant without being overdone or flashy. Exactly like the man who had started this business from nothing to become the success that it was today.
“There will be only the two of you on this floor, so it may get a little lonely when Mr. Samuels is traveling for any length of time. The administrative pool has offices on the fourth floor as well should you need any help with anything, or if you just want to get away for a moment to take a break. Why don’t I go over the software on the laptop with you? You will have access to all the departments within the building through e-mail. Mr. Samuels’s appointment schedule, travel arrangements, presentations, and other pertinent documents are kept on the laptop as well. Of course, you have access to Mr. Samuels’s e-mail. Even when he is in the office, he prefers his assistant to scan through it and then go over anything that requires his attention. It should be current up through this morning. I checked with Eva, the assistant who has been monitoring his e-mail and taking messages for him this past week. There wasn’t anything that required his immediate attention.”
Half an hour later once she was satisfied Reyna wasn’t going to crash the computer, Penny
left Reyna on her own to become familiar with Brody’s work schedule.
Reyna flipped back through past months of his appointment schedule, seeing the pattern of long days and late evening meetings emerge. She knew from various statements he’d made that he rarely took the time for lunch and she was amazed that over the past months, his work hours had almost doubled. How had he possibly been able to keep up such a hectic pace without feeling some effect?
Reyna was so involved in what she was doing, that the sound of the phone ringing next to her made her jump. It was her direct line instead of Brody’s. She reached for it, while wondering why someone would be calling her extension. According to Penny, there hadn’t been anyone sitting at this desk for months now.
“Hi, Reyna, it’s Brody. So you made it. I was afraid you might change your mind after all. Can you hear me okay? I’m on my cell phone and it’s extremely noisy in here.”
The relief in his voice surprised her, but then Penny told her that Brody had been without an assistant for way too many months. Of course, he would be relieved to have someone he could trust helping him.
For a moment, she couldn’t answer. She hadn’t expected to hear from him. The sound of his voice was doing strange things to her concentration.
“Brody—hi. Yes, I made it okay. Penny was very kind to show me where everything is located. How are the negotiations going?”
The silence that followed told her that he was listening to someone else and then he was with her again.
“Slow. Very slow in fact, but good I think. It’s still far too soon to tell, but I believe we can work out most of the major problems.” When he stopped speaking the silence stretched between them uncomfortably. Reyna just couldn’t think of a single thing to say to break the silence.
