Debt Collector

by Weston Parker

  “Hey there,” I said softly when I reached the first stall. “How are you doing?”

  I rubbed my hands over the horse’s face while she whinnied and nestled against my hands. I laughed and played with her a bit more, taking in the sight of her beautiful brown coat and warm eyes.

  “You’re so pretty,” I said softly. She whinnied again and pressed her heavy head into my palms. I laughed and kissed the side of her face. “I wish I had something to feed you.”

  As if on cue, I heard a pair of heavy footsteps coming up behind me. I spun around, afraid that it would be Andrew. Luckily, it wasn’t. It was a young woman, not much older than me, with long strawberry-blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

  “Hi,” the woman said. “Can I help you?”

  “Oh,” I said nervously. “I’m sorry. I’m working for Andrew, and I just came out here for a break. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course,” the woman said with a smile. “These guys need some company. Most of the time, it’s just me.”

  “No one rides them?” I asked with a frown.

  She shook her head. “Not in years.”

  “Wow.” I looked back at the horse in front of me. “I can’t imagine owning horses and not spending all my time with them.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  She smiled at me again. I took a step toward her and extended my hand, realizing that I hadn’t yet introduced myself.

  “I’m Sophie,” I said.

  “Amy,” she said, shaking my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too.” I smiled.

  “Do you want to feed her?” Amy asked, gesturing toward the horse. “I have some carrots and sugar cubes inside.”

  “Please,” I said eagerly.

  Amy nodded and hurried inside the stables. When she came back, she had a few carrots and a bag of sugar cubes in her hands. She handed the carrots to me and watched while the horse ate from my hand.

  “That’s Gemma,” she said. “She’s the baby of the bunch. Only about a year old now.”

  “Hi, Gemma,” I said, cooing at the horse.

  “Come here,” Amy said. “I’ll introduce you to the others.

  Amy walked me through the stables. There were only four other horses: Tucker, Heidi, Mac, and Donna Lee.

  “Donna Lee?” I asked with a laugh. “Who named her?”

  “That would be the late Mr. Hopper,” Amy said, grinning. “He thought it was only fitting that we have at least one country girl out here.”

  “He sounds like fun,” I said, smiling with her. “Much more so than his son.”

  Amy’s face fell at my words, and I instantly regretted them. Was she friends with Andrew? If I had to guess, I would say Amy was only a few years older than me. Was it possible she and Andrew were romantically involved?

  “I’ve never met him personally,” Amy said.

  “Never?” I frowned. My suspicions were obviously wrong. “How long have you worked here?”

  “Six years,” Amy said.

  I blinked. She couldn’t be serious.

  “I know,” Amy said, shaking her head. “It sounds insane, doesn’t it?”

  “Incredibly,” I said. “How is that even possible?”

  She shrugged. “He keeps to himself. I don’t venture inside the main house much. My job is out here, and I like it that way. I keep up with the horses, I get a paycheck. It works.”

  “But still,” I said. “That’s so odd. You knew George, though, right?”

  “Yes,” Amy said. She smiled sadly. “Mr. Hopper was a kind man. He loved these animals so much.”

  “Did he ride?” I asked.

  “Not while I’ve been here,” Amy said. “He was too old. His body couldn’t take the strain.”

  “So, who rides them?” I asked.

  “Me,” Amy said. “I rotate them once a week. It keeps them active, but it’s not enough. They need more attention than one person can give.”

  “I can help you,” I said quickly. “I’d love to ride.”

  “Do you know how?” Amy asked, not unkindly.

  I nodded. “I took lessons as a kid.”

  “That would be great,” Amy said brightly. “I’d love the company, and I know the horses would, too.”

  Amy and I spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the horses and getting to know each other. She was kind and warm, just like Liam. She was also young and vibrant. I could easily see us becoming good friends.

  “What do you know about Andrew?” I asked as the sun began to set. “I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about him that gets under my skin.”

  “He’s a really difficult person,” Amy said. “At least, that’s what everyone tells me. Honestly, from the stories I’ve heard, I’m not at all upset that I’ve never met him face to face.”

  It was so strange how Andrew behaved. When Amy and I said goodbye, I slowly made my way back toward the glass doors. As I walked, I could feel someone watching me. I looked up just in time to see Andrew’s face appear in an upstairs window.

  He was staring down at me with a deep frown etched on his face. I’d never taken the time to really look at him before. As he stood in the window, I realized how attractive he was. His dark hair was styled well, making his features stand out. He had broad shoulders that were made more prominent by the tight sweater he wore. Our eyes met for a split second, and then, he was gone.

  I stayed there for a few minutes, wondering if he would come outside or maybe reappear in the window. He didn’t. The glass doors remained closed, and the only thing in the window were a pair of blue curtains.

  Shaking my head, I hurried back inside.

  Chapter 9

  Andrew

  I didn’t sleep much that night. My head spun itself in circles as I thought about Sophie Newman. Not only did she barge into my office without an invitation, but she took it upon herself to befriend my other employees.

  Seeing Sophie in the courtyard felt like a punch to my stomach. I was in an upstairs room, taking a break from work when I watched her walk across the lawn, practically running in her haste to reach the horses. She played with Gemma for a while before Amy appeared. I knew Amy by sight, but we’d never met. My father hired her six years ago, and Liam handled everything else. All I did was sign her paychecks, and I liked it that way.

  Sophie didn’t feel the same way. She and Amy spent hours outside, talking and playing with the horses. I watched them on and off throughout the afternoon. As hard as I tried to focus on my work, I was constantly drawn back to the window. Even I didn’t understand why I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Sophie.

  She looked different down in the courtyard. Her light brown hair fell loosely down her back, waving slightly and glistening when it caught the late-afternoon sun. I could see her smiling every time a horse whinnied at her. She loved the animals. That was obvious. They made her face light up in a way I’d never seen before. It was captivating.

  My interest in her made me angrier than anything else. I didn’t want to be curious about Rick Newman’s daughter. I wanted to hate her, just like I did her father. The more I watched her, the harder it became to feel anything but confused. I was no longer angered by her presence. I liked having her there, right outside my window.

  When she saw me looking down at her, I froze. She stared up at me, a small frown on her face. She didn’t look angry or upset, just confused. It took all my strength to walk away from the window, but my embarrassment drove me forward. I half-ran out of the room, not stopping until I’d made it back to my study.

  There, I settled in at my desk and forced myself to review catalogues. Anything to distract me from Sophie. It wasn’t until I went to bed that night that I finally gave up the struggle. I let myself think about her until sleep finally took me.

  I woke too early the next morning. With only a few hours of sleep under my belt, I didn’t feel like my usual self. I hurried into my study without stopping for breakfast.

  “Are
you hungry, Mr. Andrew?” Liam asked, poking his head around the door. “I made French toast this morning.”

  “None for me,” I said shortly. “Just coffee.”

  “Of course.”

  Liam disappeared for a few minutes. When he came back, he was carrying a small tray with my usual coffee mug placed in the center. A banana and a bowl of yogurt accompanied it.

  “I said I wasn’t hungry,” I told him without looking up.

  “It’s just in case,” Liam said.

  He left me alone to work, but I found it hard to concentrate. It wasn’t just Sophie that was weighing on my mind. The more I worked, the more confused things became. It was obvious that my father didn’t take enough interest in the business side of the company.

  Dad loved to travel the world in search of new and exciting pieces. He was great at finding and selling artifacts, but when it came to sitting down at a desk, he was terrible. Many things slipped through the cracks, and now, I was facing the consequences of his carelessness.

  About halfway through the day, I heard a soft knock on my study door. Frowning, I got to my feet and hurried across the room. It wasn’t like Liam to knock. I wondered if his hands were full, or if he was escorting a client back to meet with me.

  When I opened the door, the breath was immediately knocked out of my chest.

  “Sophie,” I said shortly. “You shouldn’t be in this wing.”

  “So, I’ve been told,” Sophie said impatiently. “But you need to see this.”

  She held up a folder and raised her eyebrows. I weighed my options. Looking from her to the folder and then back again, my curiosity began to grow.

  “You can show that to Liam,” I said. “Whatever it is.”

  “Are you serious?” Sophie snapped. “I’m here to help you, Andrew. This is your company, is it not?”

  I narrowed my eyes and glanced at the folder again. Sophie was hellbent on pressing my buttons. It was only her third day, and already, she’d forced her presence on me three different times. Either she was stupid or just plain reckless.

  “You asked me to help with your books,” Sophie said slowly. “That’s what I’m doing. Now, are you going to let me inside or what?”

  “No,” I snapped. “We can talk out here.”

  I took a step forward, forcing Sophie to back up farther into the hallway. No matter how curious I was, I still refused to let her into my office. I had crates full of artifacts in there. I was determined that Sophie would never lay eyes on them. Her father had already crossed that line. No Newman ever would again.

  “Out here?” Sophie asked, glancing up and down the hallway.

  “It’s as good a place as any,” I said firmly.

  “Whatever.” Sophie rolled her eyes and sighed.

  She flipped open the folder and began rifling through the pages. When she found what she was looking for, she handed it to me and pointed to a number at the top.

  “Do you see that?” she asked. I nodded. “This is your bill from Benson’s for the past year. It shows everything you spent on refurbishments and restorations.”

  I nodded again. “Okay?”

  “Don’t you think that number is oddly high?” Sophie asked with raised eyebrows.

  “We’ve always paid that much,” I said, shrugging. “Benson is the best in business.”

  “Actually, he’s not.” Sophie opened the folder again and grabbed another sheet of paper.

  “What’s this?” I asked as she handed it to me.

  “Those are estimates from four other firms,” Sophie said. “All of which charge half what Benson does. And their delivery time is shorter. They are newer, but they’ve received nothing but positive reviews.”

  “You want us to end our contract with Benson?” I scoffed. “My father worked with him for over twenty years.”

  “I thought you might say that,” Sophie said with a grin. “So, I called Benson’s myself.”

  “You did what?”

  “These are the new numbers he’s willing to work with,” Sophie said proudly.

  She pulled out another piece of paper. Benson’s logo was printed on the top. It was an outline of charges and new prices for each of Benson’s fees.

  “I told Benson that he’s overcharging you horribly,” Sophie said. “From the way he reacted, I believe he already knew that. I made it clear that if something didn’t change, Hopper Antiquities would take their business elsewhere.”

  “That wasn’t your place,” I snapped.

  Sophie frowned. “You want me to save you money, right? Fix up your finances?”

  I paused. I didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t wrong. Her entire purpose here was to balance the books and find ways to cut corners. I didn’t have an argument, as much as I wished I did.

  “This will do that,” Sophie said. “Look at the numbers, Andrew. This will save you hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.”

  I looked down at the paper she’d handed me. Everything seemed to be handled. I didn’t know how she managed to talk Benson into the deal, but whatever she did, it obviously worked.

  Still, my annoyance was too strong to allow any praise. She went behind my back and called someone she had no business calling. What if she’d been wrong?

  “What makes you think you can just call people on behalf of this company?” I asked angrily.

  “What?”

  “I didn’t give you permission to call Benson,” I said. “Or anyone else for that matter.”

  “So, you don’t want this deal?” Sophie asked pointedly.

  “That’s not the point,” I said.

  “It’s exactly the point,” she snapped. “I did my job. You’re welcome.”

  She glared at me, and I glared right back. Neither of us wanted to give in to the other. It felt like we stood in that hallway for days, silently challenging each other.

  “I’ll call Benson back,” Sophie finally said. “I can tell him the deal is off the table. He won’t mind. I’m sure he’d love the chance to continue dicking you over.”

  My anger burned hotter. Who was this woman?

  I took a deep breath and stepped away from her. No matter how mad I was, I couldn’t deny that she was right. She did her job, and she did it well. She caught something that no other accounting personnel had caught. I couldn’t deny that.

  “We’ll take this new deal,” I said with a sigh.

  Sophie smiled and nodded. She turned to walk away, but I called her back quickly.

  “I’ll have Liam make us dinner tonight,” I said, surprising even myself.

  “What?” She turned back to face me with a confused expression.

  “Dinner,” I said. “Tonight.”

  “Okay.”

  “But for the love of god, wear something decent.” I eyed her casual clothes scornfully.

  She just shook her head and disappeared down the hallway, leaving me to dwell on my confusion alone.

  I slipped back inside my office and looked over the papers she’d left with me. Rick wasn’t wrong. His daughter was good, brilliant even.

  ***

  That night, I found myself sitting at the dining room table. Dinner would be ready in a few minutes, and still, Sophie was nowhere in sight. Part of me worried she thought my invitation was a joke. After all, I’d made it clear that I didn’t want her around. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she didn’t show up at all.

  Just before eight o’clock, I heard the familiar tap of high heels coming down the hallway. I stood up quickly to see Sophie walking toward me, her arm wrapped tightly around Liam’s.

  My eyes trailed down her body. She wore a simple dress that fell just above her knees. It was emerald green and made her eyes shine in the evening light. My mouth felt dry as I took in the sight of her bare legs and high heels. She looked incredible.

  Her eyes found mine, and I swallowed hard. She had her hair tied back in a tight bun, making her cheekbones stand out prominently. I felt a sudden urge to run my fingertips over he
r face, to feel the silkiness of her skin.

  “Good evening,” I said, clearing my throat.

  I had to pull myself together. This dinner was nothing more than a thank you. Sophie saved my company hundreds of thousands of dollars today. This was just a celebration.

  “Thank you for the invitation,” Sophie said.

  She smiled shyly as Liam helped her into her chair. She settled in nervously, adjusting her napkin on her lap three times. I sat back down and did my best not to stare. It wasn’t easy. As Liam disappeared to bring out the food, I became acutely aware of the fact that Sophie and I were alone.

  Chapter 10

  Sophie

  My entire body felt strange as I sat down for dinner. Liam slipped into the kitchen to get the food, leaving Andrew and me alone. We’d been alone before, but this felt different. I didn’t know what to say or how to act. My suspicions were stronger than ever as I wondered what his true intentions were. Why did he invite me to dinner? After all the grief he gave me about staying away from him, it didn’t make sense that he would suddenly want to share a meal with me.

  I knew it had something to do with the Benson deal. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Andrew was impressed with my work. He knew I was right about the deal saving Hopper Antiquities a huge amount of money. Maybe this dinner was his way of saying thank you, of recognizing that I was useful to him.

  Still, I felt nervous and uncomfortable as Andrew’s eyes continued to watch me. He looked away often, glancing at the table or at the kitchen door. It was as if he didn’t want to be caught staring, but he didn’t know where else to look. The longer this went on, the more nervous I became.

  Finally, I couldn’t take the silence any longer.

  “So,” I said. “What are we having?”

  Andrew shrugged. “I’m not sure,” he said. “Whatever Liam decided to make.”

  “Will he join us for dinner?” I asked.