Second Chances

by Nicole Andrews Moore

  When Hannah reached the kitchen the next morning, she found a woman she could only assume to be Madge, puttering around the room. “Hello,” she said tentatively. “We haven’t been introduced. I’m Hannah.” She smiled as brightly as she could muster without the aid of caffeine or nourishment. She waited a few moments for the woman to stop scowling at her, but it didn’t look as though it was going to happen. She smirked. “You must be Madge.” Still there was no response from the elderly woman wiping so violently at the counter that Hannah’s brow shot up.

  “Would you care to share a pot of tea?” Hannah asked, refusing to have her mood dampened this early in the morning. Clearly she was being ignored, but she carried on as though unaware. “I’ll be getting the girls up soon to drop them off at pre-school on the way to work. Rory and Zoe can be a handful, so I like to self-medicate with a little tea and a whole lot of sugar before I get them moving.” She chattered happily as she filled the kettle with water and started the gas burner.

  Moving to the pantry, she opened it and found what she was looking for: muffin mix. “Would you rather have blueberry with crumb topping, or the cinnamon streusel coffee cake ones?” She paused a moment, even though she knew she wouldn’t get a response. Smiling to herself, Hannah grabbed at the cinnamon mix. “Yeah, I think this the way to go. Good idea.” She moved to the other side of the island and began to gather the baking pans and ingredients she required.

  It was more than Madge could take. “I didn’t say anything,” she spluttered angrily. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Hannah with all her might.

  Smiling warmly at her opponent, Hannah completely disarmed her. “I know. I use the same tactic with the girls when they are determined to give me the silent treatment.” She chuckled a little.

  The glare momentarily intensified then eased. “So, you’re saying I was being a bit childish?” She scowled. “I guess I can see that.” Feeling somewhat defeated, she slumped onto the couch in the keeping room.

  “Hey,” Hannah began gently, “I’m not trying to be insulting.”

  Madge looked up at her sadly. “I’ve worked for this family my whole life.” She shook her head. “And all of a sudden he moves you in.”

  Sitting across from her, Hannah leaned over the coffee table and tried to make eye contact. “So, are you concerned that I’m trying to take over? What did Gavin tell you?” She prodded gently, hoping to ease Madge’s concerns.

  “Mr. Meyers told me nothin’.” She complained. “All of a sudden, he asked me to work on Saturday morning. Just announced he had a woman and her kids moving in.” She fingered her tightly wound gray bun nervously then wiped her hands on the apron she wore over her simple black dress.

  “I’m not here to take over, I promise,” Hannah announced in the most soothing voice she could muster. “It was wrong of Gavin to drop this on you so unexpectedly.” She glanced about the room. “And I can’t think of a single way I would improve upon the job you do around here. The housekeeping is perfection. Now the décor…” Her voice trailed off.

  Madge looked at her, a hint of a smile tugging up the corners of her careworn face. “It’s awful isn’t it?” She said leaning in conspiratorially. “The former Mrs. Meyers had lousy taste.” She scowled quickly. “I shouldn’t have said that.” She quickly wiped her hands as though feeling unclean and stood.

  Even Hannah was doing a mental head slap. Great. He hadn’t hired a decorator. It had been done by his wife. She sighed. Once again she had stuck her foot in her mouth. Maybe there was something to be said for thinking before speaking. Determined to strike up a friendship with the other woman sharing the house, she also stood. “So, Madge,” she said slowly, “I don’t suppose we can start fresh?”

  Once again, Gavin had not slept well. All he could think about was Hannah up there alone in his enormous bed. His part of the plan was not working out well at all. He smirked. At least he could count on Madge to make her life hell. He had known that woman all of his life and she could be mighty unpleasant when she had her heart set on it. And he had made sure she would be in a foul mood, planting a seed of doubt where Hannah was concerned.

  After showering and dressing, Gavin gingerly opened his door, unsure of what to expect. He envisioned flying crockery in the kitchen, or at the very least, the slamming of pots and pans as she demonstrated her displeasure. The closer he came to the kitchen, however, the more worried he became. Well down the hall, the scent of fresh baked goods and cinnamon in particular, tickled his taste buds. He stood in the doorway and surveyed the sight before him. The girls were sitting on the stools at the island drinking juice and eating fresh baked muffins while Madge stood there smiling at them. Hannah was next to her, chattering like they were old friends. He scowled. Hannah had somehow managed to charm her, too. He rolled his eyes to the heavens. If he couldn’t count on Madge and his spirit had already proven to be too weak, his plan was doomed.

  “Coffee,” he said curtly at the women as he walked in.

  Smirking, Hannah pointed at the carafe on the end of the island. “We’ve got it right there for you, chief.” She saw that Madge was ready to walk over and pour it for him, but Hannah stopped her with a quick grab at the woman’s forearm.

  Gavin raised an eyebrow angrily. This was no way to start a Monday. He looked at Madge who looked down guiltily. He folded his arms in front of him. They were at an impasse.

  A chuckle broke the silence. “Okay, ladies, head upstairs and get into the outfits I laid out for you. I’ll help you with your teeth in a few minutes before we leave.”

  The girls scampered off the stools and paraded past Gavin. “Good morning,” one of them said shyly. He couldn’t be sure which one since they seemed to be as identical as twins could get. He softened slightly and nodded as they passed.

  “Wow,” Hannah said smartly. “Hope you didn’t hurt yourself being too friendly this morning.”

  He stiffened. “I need coffee,” he retorted angrily.

  As they seemed embroiled in a discussion, Madge took that as her cue to exit the room. Folding her arms across her chest, Hannah remarked, “I think it may take more than some coffee to fix you.” She cocked her head to the side. She pushed the pot and a mug towards him. She thought about saying more, but stopped herself.

  He knew she was holding back. And for some reason, Gavin was desperate to uncover all her secrets. He stared at her a moment.

  “I can’t wait on you,” she murmured and shook her head. “I can’t do it.” She turned away from him and inhaled deeply to calm her frazzled nerves.

  He stood and moved to her side. “Did I offend you, Hannah?”

  Shaking her head once more, she conceded, “It’s not that.” Her voice scarcely rose above a whisper.

  “Then what? Did you already forget you work for me?” He knew he shouldn’t have said that even as the words tumbled from his lips.

  Drawing herself to her full height, Hannah immediately turned to stone and her eyes darkened. “How could I forget?” She asked dully. “We have it in writing.” She raised an eyebrow. “Although I don’t recall ‘personal slave’ in the agreement I signed.” She turned on her heels and walked away purposefully.

  The coffee forgotten, Gavin dropped onto the nearest stool. At that moment, Madge decided to make an appearance. The instant she saw him, she tried to duck back out of the room, but he stopped her. “Am I a total ass?” He asked her, confident she wouldn’t sugar coat her opinion.

  “Yes,” she said simply and walked back out of the room.

  “That’s what I thought,” he mumbled morosely to himself.

  With an even longer commute than she was used to, Hannah had to be more organized to leave the house in ample time. Traffic grew denser the closer she came to center city. She deposited the girls at pre-school and promised to pick them up again on the way home, warning it would be later than they were used to since she was working a different job from now on. At last, she pulled into the parking garage and slipped ea
sily into the spot Gavin had assigned her. She breathed a deep calming breath before exiting the vehicle.

  Standing, Hannah brushed her long black skirt and straightened her beige two-piece top. Flinging her purse over her shoulder, she marched to the elevator and headed to the office. People filed on after her and soon she was crushed in the back corner, watching with some trepidation as they drew nearer to her floor. Finally they stopped and everyone piled out, heading to their offices or cubicles, as was the case. And Hannah wasn’t sure where to go from here.

  Reporting to the front desk, she spoke in low tones to the receptionist. “I’m Hannah Matthews, a new hire of Mr. Meyers’. And to be perfectly honest, I have no idea where to go.” She smiled shyly as she waited for a response.

  “Mr. Meyers is expecting you,” the receptionist said in her most professional voice. “Follow me, please.”

  Together they traipsed past all the cubicles to the glass encased office at the end of the room. The receptionist knocked tentatively, although it was apparent through the open shades that he was merely sitting behind his desk reading through one of his many files.

  “Come in,” Gavin said seriously. It was several long seconds before he bothered to look up, waiting until the receptionist had left to reclaim her desk, waiting until he was certain that Hannah would be standing there shifting nervously in the doorway while all eyes devoured her. He knew the women would be jealous. Several had applied for the opportunity to act as his personal assistant. He would remind Hannah that was her title, not personal slave. Yet none of them had pleased him enough that he wanted to work so closely with them. Hannah was a different story all together.

  From the moment he met her, he couldn’t imagine wanting her out of his sight. Hannah Matthews was an enigma, wrapped in a most attractive package. If she had been vapid, or selfish, or any of the many horrible things he imagined a person searching out a sugar daddy would be, then his plot for revenge would have come off without a hitch. He would be rubbing his hands gleefully at this moment. Unfortunately, Hannah was none of those things and watching her discomfort brought him very little pleasure. He sighed.

  Hannah could feel her face growing pinker by the minute. The people in the nearby offices and cubicles were talking about her. Of that she was certain. She stood in the doorway feeling utterly exposed and Gavin, at least on some level, was doing it intentionally. “Is this my punishment for not getting you coffee?” She asked warily. “Will you leave me on display all day or are you going to offer me a seat in one of those chairs?” Her tone was growing icy.

  Raising his head, he stared at her. No one spoke to him like that. She had this way of reprimanding him, making him feel infantile. He both admired and detested her for it. “Have a seat, please, Miss Matthews.” He laid the file on his desk and folded his hands.

  A perky blonde bounced over to the door, leaned way in, exposing ample cleavage in her low cut translucent white v-neck blouse, and started to ask him a question. “Not now, Leslie.” He said solemnly. “And please shut the door behind you.”

  Hannah glanced over in time to see the woman pout a little as she sashayed out the door. She sighed. He would surround himself with the stereotypical office personnel.

  “You don’t approve?” He asked with a smirk. Leslie had been his father’s hire. For years she had tried to insinuate herself not only into a position as Gavin’s assistant, but also into any number of positions in his bed. He knew the type and wasn’t interested in either option.

  “It’s your company.” Hannah said evenly. “Well, where shall I begin?” She asked, hauling a pad out of her bag and preparing to take notes.

  “I’ve been thinking about that all morning,” Gavin said as he glanced about the room. “I have been too long without an assistant, I’m afraid.” He gestured to the piles of paper work lying about. “I really need to get this place organized so that I can be more productive.” He watched as she jotted her notes. “I guess that can be your first task, then we’ll see where we’re at.”

  “Okay,” she said, feeling immensely better. At least she would be somewhat challenged. That was what she needed. A professional challenge would inspire her creative juices, her problem solving skills. That was precisely what her last job lacked. And creative problem solving was her forte. She hung her coat and purse on the rack behind his desk while he watched with elevated brows.

  “What are you doing?” He asked, confused.

  “I’m going to get to work.” She moved about, examining the piles and trying to get a sense of where they belonged. Confident she knew what she was doing, she began to open cabinets, study the lay of the office. Immediately, it was evident the room design was poorly planned.

  She was gliding about the office, supremely confident in her abilities and Gavin couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her hips were swaying this way and that, mesmerizing him as successfully as any pendulum. The worst was when she would bend over to look in cabinets. The more he studied her, the more obvious it was that she was utterly unaware of her appeal. He nearly groaned audibly. This woman was entirely too dangerous. And there was no way he was going to accomplish anything with her flitting about the office in that tight black skirt that though long, had a small slit up the left thigh. And though she wore a two-piece beige top, it still inspired his already overactive imagination.

  Sighing, he stood and packed the files he was currently working on. “I’ll be in the conference room,” he announced.

  “Umhm,” she responded vaguely, completely engrossed in the task at hand.

  She hadn’t even looked at him. Frowning, Gavin said, “I’ll be back around lunch time.” He planned on taking her out to lunch. Not originally. Suddenly it just seemed like a good idea. “Don’t leave without me.”

  “No problem,” Hannah replied, barely glancing his way.

  Without another word, he grabbed his mug and files and exited the room, leaving the blinds and door open. The conference room was on the other side of the office, and with the blinds open and if he stood in the farthest corner, he might just be able to catch a glimpse of her, if he wanted. Somehow he knew he would want to.

  Without Gavin around to distract her, Hannah made short work of his office, despite the numerous interruptions. The first came in the form of Aaron Maddox, who dropped off some papers requiring signatures.

  “I rarely get up this way,” he mumbled, “but I thought I might drop by and introduce myself.”

  She flushed as she realized this was the man who had drafted their unconventional contract. “You did a fine job on that contract,” she said warmly. “I doubt my friend, Amy, could have found a flaw in it.”

  “Amy?” He asked as his eyebrows knit together.

  “Yeah, she’s a divorce lawyer,” she said.

  “Oh,” he said, clearly racking his brain for knowledge of a lawyer with that first name before backing out of the office. He froze for a moment then rushed from the room.

  Several other male executives popped by to drop off files and introduce themselves. Each time she paused to be polite, not wanting to appear standoffish. And each time, she was glad to be finally left alone again to complete the task at hand. She was determined to have finished by lunch. And really, she only had the furniture left to take care of. By the time she was done, Gavin would be impressed with her abilities, astonished at her accomplishments, and certain he had made the correct choice in employing her.

  The file cabinets moved easily enough. And the ugly brass floor lamp required no effort at all. She merely angled his desk to take advantage of the lighting. It was that tall wooden cabinet that was giving her the most trouble. In addition to being ridiculously large, it was also in the wrong corner of the room. If she could only move it to the other corner, the layout would be perfect, the flow, the aesthetics, everything. She glanced around, but for the first time all day, not a man was in sight. Hannah knew she should just wait for Gavin, but it would really ruin the surprise and make her look helpless. Shrugging, s
he turned her attention back to the cabinet.

  It was only eleven thirty by his watch, and the conference room clock, and the laptop. He sighed. He wondered what she was doing. Slowly, he walked over to the corner of the conference room that would allow him a view of his office. Hannah had moved the furniture about the room and was currently studying that monstrosity of a cabinet shoved in the corner of the space. She wouldn’t. Gavin thought about all he knew of her thus far. Growling he launched himself back to his office. Of course she would. That woman was going to be the death of him.

  Removing the last of the items from the cabinet, Hannah closed the doors and gave a tentative shove. It barely budged. She threw all of her weight into it, all one hundred thirty pounds of it. The cabinet gradually inched along. Pleased with her progress, she failed to notice the hitch in the carpet that the edge of the cabinet was about to get snagged on. Her steady progress halted. She shoved harder and the cabinet, unable to go over the obstruction, began to topple to the side. Gasping, Hannah rushed to the side to prevent it from falling over completely. She managed to catch it, but at what price? Her back screamed. Worse, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold it. She bit her lip. Well, this was some pickle she had gotten herself into.