Shadows

by RaeAnne Hadley

  She started giggling at his obvious embarrassment and eased his mind. “Thank you. I was wondering if you truly realized what words had come out of your mouth! Now, I have to go. There’s plenty of food in the fridge, help yourself to whatever. I’ll call the first chance I get, if I can figure out this fancy phone you got me.”

  She walked over and gave him a quick peck on the lips, nimbly avoiding his grasping hands to avoid a longer delay.

  “Have a great first day,” she heard him call out. As she left her apartment and the warm body in her bed, she felt herself regretting leaving.

  * * *

  She was thankful that traffic was light as she paid the taxi and made it into the reception area five minutes before she was due. The young, redheaded receptionist was already behind her desk and she beamed at Tabitha as she walked in.

  “Good morning, Miss Reynolds! Hope you had a fantastic weekend.”

  “Tabitha, please. Yes, it was more than I had expected.” Tabitha glanced nervously down the hallway to Stacia’s office.

  “No, she’s not here yet. You’ll make an excellent impression being here before she is. I’m Kashia and I’ll be here to get you anything you need.”

  Tabitha smiled at Kashia and reached over to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you, Kashia. Have you been working here long?”

  Kashia snorted as if there was a joke Tabitha missed, nodding her head. “A little too long, if you ask me. I’ve been here five years, so far. I started here part-time as a receptionist, trying to work my way through school for business management. Then, when I tried to quit, Stacia offered me a full-time position with a lot more money and full benefits, so I stayed on, taking night classes. When I graduated over a year ago, I put my notice in but Stacia asked me to stay to train for the manager’s job here, saying that Joan was getting ready to quit.” Kashia sighed, “She still hasn’t quit.”

  Tabitha frowned, “So why haven’t you quit?”

  Honestly, I’m getting paid more than what I would be making starting out as a manager somewhere else and the benefits are awesome.”

  Tabitha grinned and nodded her head. She read a lot about Stacia Todd before submitting her resume and she knew that Stacia always got what she wanted, including people. She made the money irresistible and it made people give up their dreams, all for the mighty dollar. She was thankful that she was in a position that she could walk away from this job, no matter how much money Stacia ever offered her. This job offered her stability, a chance for a normal life and to do what she loved to do, interior design. After meeting Justin, she wasn’t sure how long that would be an option.

  Just then, Stacia blew in like a hurricane. That was the only description Tabitha could think of when her boss whipped through the doors. She was impeccably dressed in a black Armani suit, talking on her cell phone while she gestured to Kashia for what Tabitha guessed was a cup of coffee. Stacia momentarily looked at Tabitha, her eyes showing some appreciation that Tabitha was there on time, before nodding back towards her office. “I understand that Muga silk is rare but I would have never purchased one hundred yards of it from you if I knew you couldn’t produce the product!”

  Tabitha hastily followed Stacia down the hall towards her office. The minute they walk through the threshold, Tabitha felt an uncontrollable shiver wrack her body. It was just as strong as the one she had in the garage and quickly glanced around the room, searching every shadow, nook and cranny. Her eyes rested on the open cabinet door, the same one that had swung open during her interview on Friday. Tabitha was almost positive it had been closed when they came in, the bar was the first thing you saw behind Stacia’s desk and she was sure the door had not been open then.

  “Fine, I’ll delay my clients for another thirty-six hours but I swear, Peter, if that fabric is not at my office in that period of time, I’ll not only drop you, but I’ll let everyone know I dropped you!” Although Stacia’s voice remained calm and composed, it held a tone that told the subject that she was to be taken seriously. This was not a threat, it was what she would do if he didn’t come through. As Stacia ended the call, she absently shut the cabinet door before sitting down behind her desk. She smiled at Tabitha and opened her briefcase, pulling files out and setting them on her desk. “Have a seat, Tabitha. Thank you for being prompt. So very few young people seem to have an appreciation for a paying job and being there at the appointed time. I trust you had a well rested weekend and are ready to go?”

  Before Tabitha could respond, the cabinet door slowly creaked open and the shiver that hit her dropped her down into the chair. Stacia swung around in her chair and frowned at the open door. “Damn it, can’t anyone else do their job?” She angrily pushed the intercom button and seethed into the box. “Kashia, I thought I asked you to have maintenance come in over the weekend and fix this cabinet door.”

  “I did, they did, Ms. Todd. Jack himself was here and said he couldn’t find anything wrong. He said he tightened the hinges and that it should be fine.” Kashia’s voice, slightly on edge, floated through the intercom.

  “Well, obviously it didn’t, this is the second time it’s been open in less than five minutes.” Stacia sighed, “just have Jack replace the whole bar, new cabinets and countertops. Granite is out anyways. I want a new concrete countertop installed, I’ll pick out the color later today. Tell him to make it a foot longer and install a sink, I’d like some running water in here too.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Turning to Tabitha, she grinned again. “Actually, I’m going to have you pick out the countertop, along with everything else. This will be your first test. My office is the main focal point that my clients see, I meet with them in here and we sign contracts in here. It needs to be male and cutting edge and granite is so…” She hesitated.

  “Five years ago?” Tabitha supplied.

  Stacia grinned and nodded. “Yes, five years ago. Everything needs to be changed and updated. I’ll use the office down the hall for now and I’ll give you two weeks to get it done, anything you want to do. The only thing that’s off-limits is my desk.” A troubled look came over Stacia’s face and she gently stroked the dark mahogany wood. “It was a present from my father.”

  Tabitha thought she saw Stacia’s eyes become a little brighter and she expected to see tears but when Stacia looked up again, there was nothing but professionalism.

  “But let me make this clear, Tabitha, this is a test. If you pass, you will be my right hand, you will be with me for every important client at every location. You will help design and decorate the most elite houses and your name will be attached to every job. By the end of the year, every important person will know your name and its association with Stacia Todd designs. However, if I find your work shabby and lacking, I will fire you. No one in this industry will give you a chance. Do you understand?”

  Tabitha was about to respond when a second cabinet door opened. Her eyes were automatically drawn to it, and she shuddered as she caught a glimpse of dark red eyes, glowing as red as hot embers. Stacia caught Tabitha’s shutter as well as hearing the cabinet and she swung around to the exasperating bar. “Dammit, now we’ve got rats too. I thought I saw their beady little eyes last week. Make sure you call an exterminator while you’re at it.” Seeing the terror in Tabitha’s eyes, she cleared her throat, “Do you think you can handle this or shall we just part ways now?”

  Gaining her composure and with an idea already forming in her head, Tabitha met Stacia’s unwavering stare. “Yes, Ms. Todd. I can handle this.”

  Pleased with Tabitha’s response, Stacia smiled again and without looking away, hit the intercom for a second time. “Kashia, our newest employee will be revamping my office. Get her anything she needs, I’ll be working out of the office down the hall.”

  “Yes, Miss Todd.”

  “Welcome to your first challenge, Miss Reynolds. I look forward to seeing you again in two weeks.”

  THIRTEEN

  After meeting with Kashia and getting the names
of the carpet, paint and furniture suppliers that they used, she stepped out into the elevator lobby to call Justin. She wasn’t comfortable enough to be in Stacia’s office alone yet, knowing that eventually she’d have to be. She almost cried out in relief when she heard Justin’s deep, sexy voice.

  “Hey beautiful, how’s your first day at work?”

  “Scary, great, exciting!” she blurted out.

  “Wow, so much emotion and you’ve only been there for two hours. How can I compete with that?” he laughed.

  “You won’t have to. How’d you like a job? Here, with me?”

  “I’m flattered, honey but you’ve seen my place. I don’t think retro slob is in or would impress Ms. Todd.” he drawled.

  Tabitha laughed, again relieved that she had met this wonderful man. “Not as a decorator, that’s my job! You would be the exterminator.”

  “The exterminator? Tabs, I consider myself a man of many talents but dealing with creepy crawlies on the worldly level is not one of them.”

  “In this case, we would be perfect. Just hear me out, okay?” She quickly explained to him about her shivers and the cabinet doors. She told him that Stacia had been dealing with the cabinets long before she came to interview and wondered out loud what that could mean. “She also saw them!” she exclaimed. “I mean, not them but their eyes! She said this wasn’t the first time she’s seen their eyes and she just automatically assumed it was rats. And even though I saw it too, today, it didn’t come out!”

  Trying to take in all of the information, Justin countered, “Are you sure they aren’t just rats? I mean, this is New York. It could be just large sewer rats, hanging out until dark to get the tasty pastries left behind.”

  “No, I’m sure. The shivers I had today were as strong as the ones I had in the parking garage.”

  “As strong? And you didn’t get the hell out?” Tabitha heard the anger ascend in his voice. “Damn it, Tabs! We agreed that if it got bad, you would leave that damn job!”

  “But it didn’t! I told you, it didn’t even come out when I saw it!” she argued, “Besides, Stacia said she’s been seeing them for awhile, what could that mean? Could she possibly be like us but just doesn’t know it? This is our way of investigating. Maybe we can make a difference, like you said.” she didn’t know if throwing his argument back in his face would piss him off or not, so she held her breath. He didn’t say anything for a few moments and she began to panic. She didn’t want to lose this job but she didn’t know how she could do it without him. She heard him sigh and braced herself for his refusal.

  “Do you realize you’re putting everyone there at risk?” he asked quietly.

  “I’ve been thinking about it and I think I’ve figured out a way to keep everyone safe. Since you would be our ‘exterminator’, we could have everyone evacuate the place. You could come over today and we could scope out the office, then we could decide how to proceed from there.”

  Justin cut in, “Scope it out? Proceed from there? You make it sound like some covert operation. It sounds crazy!”

  “But you told me that this is what you wanted, to figure these things out and make the world a safer place.”

  “I did, I do! But I thought we’d have a little more time to get you up to speed and us to be able to research a little more!”

  “Justin, you know as well as I do that life doesn’t go the way we plan it. We have to be flexible, we have to learn to adapt to any situation. This just proves it. Please, Justin.”

  She was a little taken aback when he started laughing over the phone and when he wouldn’t stop, she found herself getting slightly irritated. “I’m glad I can bring some amusement into your life.”

  “Oh, honey, it’s not you!” he snorted, “Well, it is you but I find it funny that I spent the weekend trying to convince you to help me with these boogymen and now here you are, bright and early on a Monday morning, trying to convince me.”

  “I just needed time to process all of the information, that’s all.” she explained sheepishly.

  Adaptable, Justin thought again to himself, she’s so damned adaptable…

  “O.K., when do you want me there?” he asked.

  “Awesome! How soon can you get here?” she asked excitedly.

  “Give me about thirty, I’ve got some things to do here and I’ll be there as quick as I can. I’m at my place right now.”

  “O.K., do you need the address?”

  “Nope, already looked it up. Just in case you needed me.” he replied, the playfulness apparent in his voice.

  “Always prepared, you never cease to amaze me.” she laughed.

  “I try. I’ll see you in a few.”

  She ended the call and walked back into the office lobby. Kashia was eyeing her quizzically, “You know, you’re free to use Stacia’s office to make private calls. It’s basically yours for two weeks and no one will bother you, including Stacia.”

  “Poor reception.” Tabitha smiled, trying to explain but then realized Stacia used her cell phone in her office frequently. She signed and sidled up to the desk conspiratorial like. “Ok, thing is, my boyfriend is a great, uhm, exterminator but I don’t think Stacia would like the idea of me using him. Please don’t say anything! I wouldn’t dare use him if I didn’t believe he was the best!” Tabitha pleaded.

  Kashia smiled and nodded, “My lips are sealed. Besides, I love the idea of having something over your head!” Seeing Tabitha’s blanch, she started laughing. “Oh, Tabitha, it was a joke! I would never do that to someone, especially if I thought they were going to become a great friend.”

  “You think I would be a great friend?” she asked tentatively.

  “Of course I do! Which is why I would never say anything to Stacia. The less the boss lady knows, the better, right?” When Tabitha nodded in relief and agreement, Kashia smiled softly, “You don’t have many girlfriends, do you?”

  Tabitha hesitated, unsure as to whether or not she should answer honestly or not. If she said no, it could lead to more personal questions that could turn knotty. She finally decided that Kashia deserved the truth, even if it was conservative. “No, I don’t.”

  Kashia cocked her head to the side, bobbing it up and down. “I knew it! I thought so because, girl, you’ve got a kicking body and no true friend would let you dress that way! Now, if you would have told me you did have close girlfriends, I would have told you that they weren’t true friends, letting you dress that way, because they were jealous of you.” she laughed.

  “Is it really that bad?” Tabitha asked, looking down at her outfit.

  “Not if you’re forty and twenty pounds heavier. Did you borrow your outfit from your Mom?” she instantly started to apologize when she saw the look of pain flash across Tabitha’s face. “Oh, I’m so sorry, If you did, I understand! Going to school and everything can be so expensive and having the money to buy clothes usually takes a backseat. She has great taste, though. You should’ve seen the clothes I wore when I first started. All my Mom’s eighties clothes. Ugh! It was horrible!”

  Tabitha tried to smile, she knew Kashia was trying to be nice and had no idea of her past. “ I lost my parents in a house fire. I was six.”

  “Geez, Tabitha, I’m so sorry. I’m known for sticking my foot in my mouth.” Kashia apologized then frowned, “That’s really weird.”

  Tabitha tensed, “Why is that weird?”

  “Not your parents dying, that’s so sad, but weird because you’re the second person in this office to lose their parents that way. I swear, with smoke detectors and sprinkler systems, no one should have to go through that kind of loss.”

  “Second person? Who else lost their family to a house fire?” Tabitha held her breath, she thought she already knew who it was but needed to hear the name spoken from Kashia’s lips.

  “Stacia Todd. She lost her father a year ago.”

  FOURTEEN

  Tabitha was pouring over fabric and carpet swatches in the front waiting area when Justin arrived. When
Kashia had suggested she might be more comfortable in Stacia’s office, Tabitha claimed the light was better out here. She’d vaguely heard the front entrance door open but didn’t look up until she heard Kashia’s gasp.

  “Oh my! Well, hello! Welcome to Stacia Todd Designs, may I help you?”

  Tabitha heard the flirtatious tone in Kashia’s voice and looked up to see who had made her so amorous. Justin was striding across the room, dressed in a blue button down shirt that matched his eyes, crisp jeans that hugged his hips and a black leather belt that accentuated his trim waist. He hadn’t seen Tabitha, the table and chair she was at tucked neatly in the corner. She sat there quietly, taking in his presence and curious to see how he would handle the coquettish looks Kashia was giving him.

  She giggled quietly, pleased that his eyes were everywhere, searching the area, possibly for boogymen or maybe, she secretly hoped, for her.

  “Yes, I’m looking for Miss Tabitha Reynolds. She’s expecting me.”

  She saw Kashia’s face fall but to her professional credit, composed herself before Justin noticed. “You must be the boyfriend, Justin Murphy.”

  Shocked, Justin finally looked at the receptionist. “She told you about me?”

  “More than you know and yes, you’re secret is safe with me.” Kashia nodded in Tabitha’s direction and muttered under her breath.

  “Thank you.” Justin grinned and turned towards Tabitha, not letting on that he heard Kashia’s comment of ‘lucky bitch’.

  Tabitha stood and smiled mischievously. “Thank you for coming so quickly. I really appreciate it.”

  “Not a problem, you can make it up to me, later.” Justin replied loud enough for Kashia to hear.