Thirst

by Mia Ford

  "How did you know that?" Brian yelled back.

  "How did I – what do you mean? Know what?" Clint shouted. The other two choppers where just starting to lift in the air. Their noise combined was deafening.

  "That's where we're heading right now! The ferry got hit pretty bad by some king waves! Fourteen stranded!"

  Clint felt the color drain from his face as the reality of the words hit him. And as they sunk in, he suddenly noticed how empty the chopper was. In fact Brian was the only diver on board.

  "Hold up! Where's the rest of you?"

  "This is it! Those other choppers have other boats they going for!" He yelled, before turning back to face the pilot. "Come on, we gotta go – hold up! What are you doing!"

  Clint had begun to climb inside the chopper, only pulling up when Brian stuck his hand out to stop him. "I'm coming to help!" There was no way he wasn't going. Not while Olivier was in trouble. Not when there was only one diver for fourteen people.

  "There's no way --"

  "Outta my way Brian. I'm getting on this chopper." He didn't yell this time. He didn't need to. His voice was firm and strong like iron. There was no debate about it, not trepidation. What was said was meant.

  Brian hesitated before finally nodding and moving his arm to let Clint onboard. Clint, about to hop up, was again pulled up. This time by a hand grabbing at his shoulder from behind.

  "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" It was Randall. He had come from nowhere, but now had his hand gripped firmly on Clint's shoulder. He looked beyond furious at what he was seeing "I'll have you for this!"

  "Then have me. But I'm on this chopper!" Clint yelled, shrugging Randall off his shoulder.

  "You definitely are not --"

  Clint's fist connected with Randall's jaw, sending the Lieutenant to the ground in a heap. He had never felt such hate towards someone than he did in that moment. He didn't care that he was going to get kicked out of the army for it either. That eventuality didn't even register as a concern. All he cared about was getting on that chopper, no matter what.

  Brian stared dumbstruck at his commanding officer, curled up on the ground, out cold. But only for a second. He then shrugged his shoulders and stepped aside to let Clint onboard. Clint nodded his head in confirmation, climbing on.

  --

  It was as if the ocean had come to life. As if it had turned into some sort of gigantic, sentient creature that was raging within itself. Waves over fifty feet high rose into the air, before crashing down and pummeling the ocean surface. The effect of this crash was another gigantuous wave, slapping against the wind and rain.

  As the chopper flew over the storming ocean, lightning shot down around them, like bolts sent from the heavens. They seemed to reach the sea bed itself, lighting up the waves as they peaked and crashed.

  "Where is it?" Clint yelled out to Brian. "How far?!" They had been flying for less than five minutes, but to Clint it felt like hours. He knew that every second countered. One lost could mean the difference between life and death.

  "Around here somewhere!" He yelled back. "Keep your eyes – there! I see it!" Clint followed his pointed finger, spotting the marooned ferry a second later. "Take it in!" Brian yelled to the pilot.

  The chopper dropped its altitude, flying in over the ferry so that it hovered maybe twenty feet above it.

  Somehow the ferry had capsized. It’s entire hull stuck out of the water as bodies populated the water around it. Even in the chaotic thrashing of the storm, the bodies had managed to group themselves together for the most part. They all clung together as one, hanging in for dear life.

  Clint scanned the bodies, trying to see if he could spot Olivier. It was hard, with the waves continually crashing down on their heads, but even so, he was sure that she wasn't amongst them.

  "I'm going down!" Brian yelled. He was already in his suit as he now strapped on his oxygen mask. "There's a spare suit in the corner there. Throw it on!"

  But Clint wasn't listening. He wasn't listening because he was pretty sure that he just spotted Olivier. It had to be her. She was, for some reason, on the other side of the hull, away from the group of people. From where Clint was, it looked as if she were with someone else. And more than that, as if she were helping keep them afloat.

  As she did her best to drag the person she had with her, back towards the others, the ocean roared around her. Bits of debris hit her from all sides, creating a minefield in her path as water sprayed in her eyes. Clint didn't wait another second. He pushed Brian to the side and dove from the chopper.

  His body shot forth like an eagle flying through the sky and for a moment he was suspended in mid air. The lightning struck over his head, the waves crashed below. As he flew forward he tilted his body and speared through the water, head first.

  As his body propelled itself into the water, calm of the ocean washed over him. With his entire body submerged beneath the waves, he was isolated from the storm. There were no sounds. There were no tidal waves or screaming people. It was total silence. But then he rose to the surface, his head breaking the water.

  It was chaos. Water splashed in his eyes the moment he breached, making it impossible to see. And as he wiped that away, more hit him. From all sides. And as that happened, he found himself being picked up and tossed aside like a rag doll.

  The hull of the ship was directly in front of him, barely visible in the storm. To his right was the group of people, all hanging together. He spotted Brian drop from the chopper, directly by them. They would be fine. But it wasn't them he was worried about.

  He turned to his left and began to swim. He was an expert swimmer and even still he found it hard to move. The tide seemed to want to take him in any direction bar the one he actually had to go. He pushed himself forward, one foot at a time. The whole time an image of Olivier planted firmly in his mind.

  Just as he had thought, Olivia had her arms around an older man and she was doing all she could to keep him afloat. It looked as if he had been struck in the head and was out cold. He was dead weight and Olivier was struggling. By the look of determination on her face too, it was clear she wasn't going to let him go, even if it meant her going down too.

  "Here!" Clint yelled over the clap of thunder as he reached Olivier. As he did he wrapped his arm around the older man, pushing Olivier to the side. It took her a moment to realize what was happening. When she did she almost went under from the shock.

  "Clint! What are you -"

  "Never mind that!" Clint yelled back to her. He had the man now, freeing Olivier entirely. "We have to get around the other side of the hull. The chopper is there!"

  "Clint! I'm so sorry! I can't even explain how --"

  "Olivier!" Clint yelled back. Although he held the man around the waist, he was still able to look over his shoulder at Olivier. Tears poured down her face. Her lips shook and quivered. He had never seen anyone more beautiful. "I know. Now come on!"

  Olivier nodded her head, grabbing onto Clint's shoulder as she attempted to drag him. As she did that, Clint kicked backwards, keeping the man afloat. And together, the two of them, they managed to make their way back to the group.

  By the time they got there nearly half the survivors had been lifted up to the chopper. Brian took the old man next. Once he did that, Clint and Olivier turned their attention to the other people in the water. A few were barely holding on, and Clint and Olivier made sure to help them out first. Clint was a Navy SEAL after all and Olivier... well she was just as god.

  One by one the people were lifted into the chopper, until finally it was just Clint and Olivier left. As they waited for Brain to come back down, they held each other, saying nothing. And as Brain came up to them, Clint pushed Olivier into his arms. And then, only when she was aboard the chopper, safe, was Clint finally out at ease.

  When Clint finally climbed aboard the chopper, he felt a great physical force throw itself at him. So strong was it that it nearly knocked him back out the chopper and into the watre
r. It was Olivier. She threw her arms around him, hugging him so tight that she near squeezed the air from him.

  They didn't talk. They didn't kiss. They simple held one another. As they did the chopper made its way back to land and as it did that, Clint began to think on that future that had crossed him mind earlier that day. He had forgiven Olivia sooner then he had originally intended. And he was glad that he did. Now at least the two could begin sharing the rest of their lives together. Clint knew without a shadow of a doubt that there was nothing that could get in the way of that.

  Office Romance Collection

  BOOK 1: OFFICE ROMANCE

  Blurb

  Belle Freedman is a wide-eyed enthusiastic small-town girl, who has just landed an internship at the biggest ad agency on the East Coast. Her new boyfriend, Jesse, has followed her to New York so that they can chase their dreams together…to make it big in the Big Apple. Belle believes she has it all, a kind boyfriend and a brand new job.

  When she has a chance encounter with a stranger on the elevator, things begin to start changing in her world. Devon Rymer is not only one of the partners at the ad agency, but he is also well into his forties, single and the hottest man Belle has ever laid eyes on. Suddenly, the world she thought was perfect, doesn’t seem so perfect any more.

  Belle wants Devon. He is irresistibly handsome and strong, but she has a boyfriend, and a job to keep.

  Chapter 1

  Belle

  Belle stood staring at herself in the full length mirror at the corner of their studio apartment. She had spent hours laboring over the right look. First day at the new job. She had butterflies in her stomach and she drew in a deep breath to steady herself. Behind her, Jesse, her boyfriend, was flipping pancakes in the section of the apartment that they called the “kitchen”.

  Through the reflection in the mirror, Belle could see Jesse at the stove. His longish blond hair was ruffled and he was still in his boxer shorts with no shirt on. Belle watched him in silence for a few moments. His slender pale frame, the concave shape of his stomach…she had always thought he was the “cutest” boy ever since she’d known him. And now he was her boyfriend!

  “How do I look?” Bell asked, flipping around to face him. Jesse looked up and fixed his eyes on her with a bored expression. He was always grumpy in the mornings, that was something that Belle recently discovered about him, ever since they started living together.

  “You look great. Stop fretting,” he said and started stacking the pancakes on two plates. Belle tried to be in a cheerful mood, even though the nervousness was wrecking her on the inside. She didn’t want Jesse to feel worse than he already did about his own situation.

  She had been offered a position, even if that was as an intern, but it was a job nonetheless. Jesse was yet to find a job or internship of any kind. They had already been in New York for over three months and it was going to get harder and harder to pay the bills if he didn’t find some kind of employment soon. Belle’s meager internship stipend wouldn’t even cover the rent they were paying.

  She walked over to the small table beside the stove where Jesse had started setting their breakfast. Belle took a chair and he took the one across from her. She could see that he hadn’t shaved in days, and she had lost track of how many times she had tried to politely suggest that he take a shower.

  “What are you going to do with your day?” she asked, digging a fork into the pancakes. She heard Jesse take in a deep breath and looked up at him. He looked offended that she had asked him that.

  “If you’re trying to subtly hint that I should go out there and look for a job, I’m going to do that any way. You don’t have to mother me,” he snapped at her and she fell silent.

  “I was just making conversation. You don’t have to do anything,” she mumbled, already kicking herself that she had even bothered to ask.

  Jesse’s mood swings were unpredictable. Some mornings he woke up feeling energetic and excited about going hunting for jobs, and on other days he was grumpy and touchy about it. Belle was hoping that he would feel inspired today so that he could uplift her mood too for her first day.

  They ate their pancakes in relative silence for a few more minutes.

  “Well, have a great first day,” Jesse said suddenly and stood up. Taking his half finished pancakes, he shoved the remains into the bin beside the stove.

  “What’s wrong?” Belle asked, stopping her chewing.

  “Nothing. I’m going back to bed for a few hours. It’s only eight,” Jesse said distractedly. Belle gulped, trying to control her heart from racing out of her chest. She wished she could do something to ease his frustration. She watched as Jesse crossed the room and fell on to the mattress on the floor and rolled over to his side.

  He hadn’t even offered her a kiss goodbye or a hug. She finished her food in silence, throwing nervous glances at the man she had a crush on for so long. She wasn’t sure if she had done something to upset him, or what she could do to make him feel better. For now, she was getting late for work so she stood up from the chair.

  “I’m off, Jesse. Hope you have a nice day. I love you,” Belle said as she grabbed her purse off the floor near the door. Jesse made no movement, but had his face pressed into his pillow. She heard a muffled goodbye and opened the door.

  She closed the door gently behind her and took the steps two at a time as she rushed outside. This was too much to handle. Her first day at a job and also Jesse’s mood swings. She wasn’t sure what bothered her more.

  Jesse had been her middle school crush, back in their hometown. They went to the same State college, and her feelings for him returned. It wasn’t until the last year, when they happened to bump into each other at a house party, that they actually started talking and went on a few official dates. When Belle told him that she was moving to New York, Jesse declared that he loved her and would move with her.

  So they had officially been a couple for no more than three months, since they moved to New York. No more dates at restaurants, or going for movies or sharing milkshakes. Real life and real responsibilities had come tumbling down on them, when they were least prepared for it. While Belle had a plan for her professional life, Jesse had none and so the hunt had begun and he kept hitting a brick wall.

  All the romance that should have existed in a young relationship, between two twenty-two year olds never made an appearance. He was too upset about finding a job, and every day ended with him falling into bed exhausted and uninspired. Belle gulped as she hurried down the busy New York streets towards the subway. Starkly aware that tonight wasn’t going to be the night either, when Jesse might make a move and be the first guy to make love to her.

  Chapter 2

  Belle

  Bell looked up at the forty storied building and licked her lips nervously. She had only been here once before, when she came in for the interview. It was exciting for her to be working there, but at the same time she wasn’t sure what her first day was going to be like. She had been hired to intern with the marketing team at the advertising agency, and she had no prior experience in it. The only reason she had even been hired, Belle assumed, was because of her professional and cheerful personality. The interviewer seemed to like her go-getter and proactive attitude.

  Belle pushed open the glass doors and stepped into the lobby. She knew that Rymer & Mills had their offices across five of the top floors, so she went straight for the elevators. Her heels clicked against the marble floors loudly as she walked, and Belle began to wonder if she was even dressed appropriately. She pressed the elevator button and stood with her hands clasped together in front of the double doors.

  She caught a faint reflection of herself in the polished steel doors. She had picked out a gray professional looking pencil skirt that reached her knees and accentuated the curves of her hips. She’d tucked in a white shirt neatly on top and picked out a pair of high black stilettos to complete the look. She had spent a considerable amount of time on her hair, to achieve the perfect fi
shtail braid and now she was happy with the way it lay on her shoulder, just about reaching the top of her breasts. For her lips she had chosen a chocolate brown color to match her coffee brown eyes.

  When she sensed someone come and stand beside her, Belle straightened her shoulders. She was self-conscious now that someone had caught her staring at herself. The elevator doors pinged open just that very second, and she stepped aside to let the people out.

  When the carriage was empty, she looked to the side and noticed that a man was holding the door open, gesturing her to take a step inside.

  “After you,” he said in a calm deep voice and Belle felt her cheeks flush. He was an incredibly attractive man, and she didn’t want to stare. So, she quickly stepped into the elevator and pressed her back to the cold metal wall. The man stepped in after her, and stood to the side.

  He seemed older, at least in his early forties and had dark short hair with some smattering of white near the temples. He was much taller than her, and was dressed in a sharp black suit, with a white shirt and a rich red tie. His eyes were a clear sparkling blue, which he turned to her, and a soft smile grazed his lips.

  “Which floor?” he asked, and Belle realized that she had indeed been staring at him.