by Krista Lakes
I didn’t say anything, but just looked at the door. She walked me to the door and held it open like she was a gracious host all along.
“Have a wonderful night, dear,” she said as I stepped out onto the porch. “Oh, and one more thing. I’ll know if you’re trying to keep things from me. I’d hate to find out you were lazy or incompetent. Imagine how disappointed your father would be if you were either of those things.”
She smiled, the threat hanging in the spring air like cold ice.
I didn’t look back as I walked away. The street was dark and full of shadows. I stomped my way down the street to the bus station, knowing that the anger in my face would keep everyone away. I had a long ride home to think about what she was forcing me to do.
There was nothing good about today.
What about Henry? I thought. His smile made me warm a little bit. I remembered the kindness in his eyes and the way his hand had felt in mine. The happy way he made my heart speed up and my stomach flutter.
Well, I amended, other than Henry, there was nothing good about today.
Chapter 5
I wore my favorite dark gray slacks and cream colored silk top for my first day back at my old job. Just because I was going back in time didn’t mean I had to dress like it. Besides, wearing something that made me feel professional and attractive would at least make the day start out better.
Gus greeted me warmly as I walked in the front door.
“Good morning, Aria,” he said, smiling at me.
“Good morning, Gus.”
“If you get hungry later, the missus made banana bread. I’m happy to share.”
I’d forgotten how good Mrs. Gus’s banana bread was. It was almost reason enough to come work here on its own. Today was already a better day than yesterday.
“That sounds great. Thank you.”
He just grinned and waved me on to the stairs so I could go up and start my work.
I stopped by Jaqui’s office and said hello. She showed me where I was working and gave me the password to the WiFi in the building.
“Here’s your work space,” Jaqui said, bringing me to a small office on the top floor. It was already warmer up here than on the lower levels, and it was only the beginning of spring. It was one of the downsides of working in an historic old building. The heating and cooling weren’t always efficient.
Boxes filled the room except for a small table, where a scanner attached to a laptop sat waiting for me. One small window let in the light from outside. I sighed. This was going to be my life for a while.
“It won’t be too bad,” Jaqui promised. “Want to get lunch with me today? My treat? And Gus brought his wife’s banana bread.”
“Lunch sounds good,” I replied, staring at the sheer amount of work I had in front of me. This was going to take forever to scan everything. So much for a paperless society. “Oh, wait. I might have someone bringing me lunch,” I said quickly.
“Oh yeah?” Jaqui grinned. “Is he cute?”
I thought about Henry’s green eyes and the way he smiled.
“Yeah. But he’ll probably forget. So, if he does, I’m all yours.”
“Sounds good,” Jaqui said. She pointed to the stack of boxes closest to the table. “I need you to start with these ones. We’re backlogged and I’d like to catch up a little bit before moving onto the new stuff.”
“Okay,” I said, glad to at least have a starting point.
“Once you finish those, then you can move onto the Paradisa stuff,” she said, motioning to the rest of the room. “And I’m supposed to remind you, none of this may leave this room. It’s confidential and the US Government will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law, yada yada yada. You know the legal disclaimer on all this stuff.”
She said it nonchalantly, but it made my blood run cold. I was going to be doing exactly that for my stepmother.
“Got it,” I replied, hoping that my smile looked normal rather than guilty. I hadn’t even done anything yet and I felt bad about it. I needed to come up with a way out of doing this for her. I had to.
“I’ll leave you to it then,” Jaqui said. “If you need anything, you know where to find me. Hopefully I don’t see you for lunch.”
She winked and walked out of the office leaving me with boxes of boredom.
The first few boxes were all unrelated to the Paradisa trade deals. Most of the documents were several months old and pertained to other countries, so I didn’t have to worry about delivering them to my stepmother.
My watch read that it was ten ‘til noon. I was going to give Henry until one to show, then I would go find Jaqui. I hoped that he would come. I hoped he wouldn’t forget. Just thinking about him made me smile.
My phone chirped on the desk beside me as I started in on my third box. I picked it up without thinking and groaned.
* * *
Anything interesting?
-Audrey
* * *
If this was going to happen every day, I was going to go crazy. Not only was she making me do something I didn’t want to do, she was going to hound me every step of the way?
Luckily, today I didn’t have to debate the morals of what I was doing.
* * *
Backlog today. Nothing useful.
* * *
I texted back. I couldn’t help the smug smile that crossed my face. Hopefully, I could just do backlog forever. I didn’t want to give my stepmother a single thing if I didn’t have to.
* * *
You can’t do backlog forever. I expect results.
* * *
I stuck my tongue out at her message and put my phone away. It wasn’t my fault that she wasn’t getting what she wanted. She was the one who put me here.
I sighed and opened up another box. I knew that the backlog wouldn’t last forever. I would eventually get to the Paradisa files and I would have to give her something. It was that or lose my career and my father’s reputation. I didn’t want to think about it. Maybe I could avoid it forever if I really tried.
A knock on my door got my attention. I looked up to see Jaqui in my doorway. I glanced at my watch. It was exactly noon.
“You have a visitor downstairs,” she informed me, her voice sing-song and light. Her eyes sparkled as she grinned at me. “I think he has lunch for you.”
This day just got even better.
I stood up so fast my knees knocked the table and I nearly tipped the scanner onto the floor. Jaqui giggled as I made sure everything was safe on the table before moving out from under it.
“I have to say, you didn’t tell me just how cute he was,” Jaqui said as I grabbed my purse and headed out of the office. “Plus the accent? Hot. Super hot. Where is he from?”
“I’m not actually sure,” I admitted as we went to the stairs. “I only met him for a few minutes.”
“I think it sounds Paradisian,” Jaqui said thoughtfully as we clattered down the stairwell. “It’s not quite English sounding, but it’s not Irish or Scottish either. And definitely not Australian.”
“Just how much did you talk to him before coming to get me?” I asked, giving her a side glance.
She grinned. “Just enough to make sure he was good enough for you.”
“Uh huh.” I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing to have Jaqui talking to him.
“He seems pretty smitten with you,” Jaqui said. “Do you think he has a brother? Or a friend.”
I thought of Andre. He seemed like Jaqui’s type. “I can ask.”
“Please do,” she said, holding the bottom door of the stairwell open for me. “And have fun. I want details when you come back.”
I grinned at her. I had missed working with her. It wasn’t work with Jaqui. It was hanging out with a friend when she was around. She followed behind me, wanting to catch another glimpse of my handsome suitor before going back to her office.
I smoothed my shirt before heading around the corner and into the lobby where he would be waiting.
My heart fluttered in my chest and my palms went sweaty, but in a good way. I was excited to see him again.
He stood in the middle of the entrance area before security, looking calm and comfortable despite the evil eye Gus was giving him. I nearly forgot how to breathe. He was even more handsome than I remembered, and I’d been sure I’d been exaggerating his good looks in my memory.
He wore fitted jeans that accentuated his lean figure and a dark suit jacket that broadened his shoulders. The dark color accented the reddish blonde of his hair and the blue of his eyes. He stood with one hand in his pocket, looking like some sort of magazine model.
He smiled as soon as he saw me and my heart sped up to insane cardio level. That smile would make anyone’s knees weak. It certainly was making mine turn to Jell-O. How in the world had I talked this guy into buying me lunch? I had to be dreaming.
“Hi,” I said, coming closer. I was unsure of what to do. Where we supposed to hug? Shake hands?
He held out his hand and greeted me warmly. I was grateful he knew what to do, because my brain suddenly didn’t have any blood. All I could think about was his smile, not what I was supposed to be doing.
“Are you available for lunch now?” he asked, releasing my hand. I wished for a moment that he would just keep holding it. That we could walk out on the street hand in hand, which was a silly thing to want from someone I’d known less than fifteen minutes.
“I am,” I told him. “What did you have in mind?”
I noticed then that he didn’t have any food with him. He had said he would bring me lunch, but unless he was hiding the noodles in his coat-sleeves, there wasn’t any food here.
“I know that I said I would bring you lunch, but I was hoping I might convince you to come with me to lunch,” he said, a slight blush crossing his cheeks. I wondered for a moment if he was as nervous as I was, which would be silly. He had nothing to be nervous about, looking the way he did.
“I have an hour,” I said, smiling shyly.
“She actually has two,” Jaqui called out from the corner. “It’s a new hire thing.”
I looked over at her and she winked. Knowing Jaqui, if I got her Andre’s number, she’d let me have the rest of the day off. There were some perks to working at a job that didn’t need to be done immediately. I never could have done this in my other job.
“I guess I have two hours,” I said.
He grinned and it lit up the room. My stomach fluttered and I could feel a blush heat my cheeks. How in the world was I going to make it through an entire meal feeling this flustered? It felt like a first date.
I was suddenly really glad I had worn my favorite work outfit. It was close enough to first date clothing that I didn’t feel under-dressed. I at least knew that I looked good today.
He offered me his arm and I felt like a true lady as he escorted me out of the building.
“Have her back in two hours, young man!” Gus called out after us, his arms crossed and expression grumpy. I loved him for it.
A lovely spring day awaited us outside. I’d been cooped up in my office scanning documents and hadn’t realized how beautiful it was out. The sun was warm, contrasting the cool breeze that threatened rain later.
Henry pulled out a ball-cap with a large blue R embroidered on it and pulled it down over his hair. He looked almost like a different person with it on, but he at least had the sun out of his eyes.
An older woman with her grand-kids in a stroller walked past us and smiled. “Ah, young love,” she murmured as she passed and I blushed.
I liked that she thought we were a couple.
“What were you thinking for lunch?” I asked, holding onto his arm as we walked along the sidewalk. I didn’t want to let go. I liked the way he felt next to me and under my fingers.
“According to my phone, there is a highly rated Greek restaurant, an American diner, and a place that sells grilled cheese,” he replied. “I’m not sure how there is a restaurant based solely on grilled cheese, but it’s close.”
“Do you like grilled cheese?” I asked, knowing what restaurant he was talking about. It was a cute little restaurant that did a creative spin on the American classic sandwich. It was one of my favorite lunch spots.
He lowered his head closer to mine. “To be honest, I’ve never had one.”
“What? How have you never had a grilled cheese?” I asked, astonished. “How did you survive as a child?”
He chuckled. “It was never served. I did love macaroni and cheese, though. And pickles.”
I giggled. “Then we are going to go pop your grilled cheese cherry,” I told him. “And they have a great mac and cheese if you hate the sandwich.”
“Do you like this place?” he asked, looking down at me with those blue eyes. Today they were the color of the sky just before nightfall. Dark and blue and beautiful.
“I do,” I told him. My favorite is called ‘The Young American.’ It’s cheese, tomato, and bacon on sourdough bread. Sometimes I have them add avocado and roasted red peppers, too. It’s delicious.”
“That sounds amazing,” he agreed. “I thought grilled cheese was supposed to be boring. That’s why it’s a kid food.”
“Traditionally, it’s just toasted white bread with melted cheese inside. Which is delicious, if a bit simple,” I agreed. “I actually really like all the extra ingredients. It feels decadent, but comforting at the same time. Like being home and still traveling.”
Henry grinned. “I like the combination. Let’s try it.”
He let me guide us down the street. The restaurant was only a few blocks away and I could practically get there blindfolded, I’d made the walk so many times.
I smiled back at him as we walked side by side down the street. My hand still rested on his arm and I could feel the flex of the muscles underneath as he moved.
“So where are you from that you didn’t have grilled cheese as a kid?” I asked, mostly to distract myself from his closeness.
“You don’t know?” he asked, sounding genuinely surprised. “I thought you might have guessed by now.”
“Jaqui thinks that you’re from Paradisa,” I told him. “I’ve never met anyone from there, so I don’t know what the accent sounds like exactly.”
“Jaqui is a good guesser,” he replied. “I am from Paradisa.”
The way his accent wrapped around his homeland made it sound rich and warm. There was love in the way he said where he was from.
“Are you just visiting? Or are you coming to stay in America?” I asked, pulling on his arm to have him cross the street with me.
“Just visiting,” he replied. He glanced at me as we resumed walking on the sidewalk, as if he was trying to figure me out.
“Business or pleasure?” I asked him, feeling like I was playing twenty questions, but I wanted to know more about him. He dropped my arm and stopped walking, pausing in the middle of the sidewalk. He just looked at me, his blue eyes unreadable. The wind ruffled the red-gold hair peeking out under his hat.
“What?” I asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Did I say something wrong?”
He shook his head and smiled. “No. You’re perfect,” he told me. “I’m just not used to so many questions.”
“I can stop, if you want,” I replied, feeling a blush cross my face again. “My dad always said my curiosity would get the best of me.”
“No, it’s wonderful,” he replied, giving me a smile. “I’m here for business.”
“So, you’ll leave then?” I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice. “You’ll be going home? How long are you staying?”
He looked over and gave me a cocky grin. “Why? You think you’ll miss me?”
I did my best to shrug. “I just met you. How could I miss you?”
The confident smirk didn’t leave his face. “I plan on staying here for at least a month. I might be able to stay longer. If the conditions were right.”
My heart did a little flip flop. I could try and m
ake those conditions even better. I hadn’t known him for very long, but I certainly wanted to. I wanted to know him a lot longer.
I cleared my throat, feeling the blush settle on my cheeks. “The restaurant’s just over there,” I said, trying to keep from getting ahead of myself. I didn’t even know the guy’s full name. I couldn’t start planning our life together just yet.
“What does the R stand for?” Henry asked as we crossed the last street to the little sandwich shop.
“The R?” I asked, confused.
“Aria R?” He repeated. “That who you told me to ask for.”
“Oh, right.” I nodded, remembering that I had told him to ask for me at the security desk that way. “It’s Ritter. Aria Ritter.”
“Aria Ritter,” Henry repeated. The way his accent curled around my name made my belly heat. There was warmth and sexuality to it that I’d never heard before. When he said my name, it sounded exotic and beautiful.
“And what’s yours?” I asked him. “You never did give it to me.”
“Henry Prescott,” he replied, ducking his head politely. It was a good name, even if it didn’t seem to suit him.
“Well, Henry Prescott, it’s very nice to meet you,” I told him.
He chuckled and opened the door to the grilled cheese shop, holding it open for me like a gentleman. Again I was struck by his politeness. It had been a while since anyone had held a door open for me on a date.
The restaurant was small, but smelled amazing. The aroma of thick, crunchy bread, melty cheese, and all sorts of meats filled the space. The sandwiches were all made to order along a tall counter, and tables and chairs were tucked into every available corner. There was some patio seating too, now that it was finally getting warmer.
Luckily, we beat the lunch rush. Given the close proximity to the White House, this place was usually packed with tourists and assistants grabbing lunch for their politician bosses. Today was our lucky day. There were only a few people in line ahead of us, giving Henry enough time to look over the menu.
