My Heart Skips a Beat

by E. L. Todd

  Burton and Jacob was a well-respected firm in Manhattan. The rich and the famous trusted us with their wealth. And I got to have all the fun spending it. Most of these people were putting their life savings on the line, so I was extremely diligent in my research. The only time I’d lost a significant amount of money was years ago, the company I was investing it had a fraud patent. That wasn’t my fault, but my client took the hit and lost everything.

  I’d felt guilty ever since.

  The building was full of pristine windows that didn’t even have a smudge from a fly. I never saw anyone clean the windows, but they were cleaner than my teeth after a visit to the dentist. Every inch of the building was covered in expensive granite, the chairs were comfortable enough to sleep in, and we only served Evian. I even saw Donald Trump come in here once.

  I was grateful for the position I had. Thousands of graduates would kill for a shot. I’d only landed the position at such a young age because I mentioned who my father was. He was famous and a household name. Without that, they probably wouldn’t have even considered me.

  Of course, who my father was had nothing to do with my ability to do my job. But I didn’t let them down and impressed them right from the beginning. The partners and other advisors were all at least twenty years my senior. I was the youngest guy in the building.

  That just made me feel more special.

  The morning started off great. My assistant, Theresa, got me my coffee the way I liked. She also got the apple I requested. She was a good assistant, and knew what I wanted before I even asked most of the time. She was fifteen years older than me, so I’m sure she felt odd taking orders from a fairly new college graduate. But I was always nice to her and showed her respect. It paid off and she returned that respect. We got along well.

  After I visited my clients and moved money around, lunchtime came around. We usually had office lunches in the break room since we were too busy to go somewhere. And we pushed so much paperwork onto our assistants they were too busy to fetch lunch. I left my office then passed Mr. Roberts on the way. “Afternoon, Mr. Roberts.”

  “Hello, Mr. Riley. How’s it going?”

  “Great, sir. Just watching those numbers go up and down.”

  “I know what you mean.” He patted me on the shoulder and kept walking.

  I headed into the break room then helped myself to salad, fruit, and a hummus sandwich. Then I headed back to my office, hearing my colleagues speak from their office.

  “That new secretary is fine.” Aaron had his sleeves rolled up and his jacket was off. “I almost grabbed her ass it was so nice.”

  “I know what you mean,” Stuart said. “Man, if I wasn’t married…”

  “Who cares?” He laughed.

  Stuart laughed back.

  I kept walking and headed to my office. Almost every guy here was having an affair or had one in the past. They spent a lot of time at work, and they had a lot of money. It was easy to land chicks and get them to stick around even though they had wives at home. Fancy jewelry, five-star dinners, and European vacations always kept them close by. I wasn’t a saint, not even close, but I didn’t approve of affairs. If a guy wanted to sleep with a bunch of women, he was entitled to do that. But why get married then? It didn’t make sense to me.

  Being good-looking and rich gave me the advantage. There’s no woman I couldn’t have, and there was no woman who could resist me. I was honest with my intentions. I promised them a weekend of fun, trips, dinner, and sex. But I made it clear once the weekend was over I’d never call again. Only if they agreed to those pretenses would I go through with it.

  I didn’t hate marriage. I wasn’t against it. I just knew it wasn’t for me.

  Some people found one person to spend the rest of their life with. And when people were seriously in love, it didn’t bother me. I’d known a few people who were clearly meant for each other. But I hadn’t met anyone that held my interest for more than a few minutes. Women only wanted me because I was rich and good-looking. They didn’t give a damn what was underneath the suit. If I wore a Round Table uniform, they wouldn’t even look at me twice. No one cared who I was underneath. So why should I care about them?

  I went on a few blind dates and pretended to be somebody else. I said I was a car insurance salesman, I’d never been to college, and I wore jeans and a cheap t-shirt. They usually wanted to sleep with me, but they didn’t give me looks of longing like they did when they knew I was a millionaire. And they were dreadfully boring. Since they didn’t know I was rich, they hardly tried. I was just an average guy in the city. And let me tell you, no woman wanted average.

  I’d given up on love a long time ago. There was this girl in college, but that never went anywhere. She lied and pretended to be something she wasn’t. When I wanted to get serious with her, I caught her fucking my roommate.

  I’d been distrustful ever since.

  I ate my lunch while I played with my phone. I preferred the silence of my office to chatting with my colleagues. I talked to them enough as it was. Peace and quiet was what I preferred.

  The door opened and Jim, a stock analyst, walked inside. “I got those spreadsheets for you.” He tossed the folder on my desk then put his hands in his pockets.

  “Thanks, Jim.” I pulled it closer to me but didn’t open it.

  “Oooh…sandwiches are in the break room?”

  “Yep,” I said. “And they’re pretty good.”

  “I can’t believe you’re a vegetarian.” He shook his head in shock. “I’ll never get over that.”

  “I’ve always been different,” I said dismissively. People teased me for not eating meat, but it didn’t bother me. Being different automatically made you weird, but I couldn’t disagree more.

  “Have you seen the new secretary?” He sat on my desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s a looker, let me tell you.”

  “So, I’ve heard,” I said in a bored voice.

  “She’s got an ass that could kill.”

  I wanted to tell this woman to get out of this office as fast as possible. The dogs were about to descend. Hopefully, she had a good sucker punch. “How’s the wife?” I asked, reminding him that he wasn’t in a position to talk about some woman’s ass.

  “Fat and annoying,” he said with a sigh. “I got her a treadmill so she’d lose weight, but she prefers to eat ice cream and watch TV all day.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to that. It wasn’t unheard of for the men in the office to say mean things about their wives but I didn’t want to be a part of that. “And the kids?”

  “Brats, like usual. Why do you think I’m always the last one to leave the office?” he said with a laugh. He pulled out his phone.

  I thought he might show me a picture of them. That would be a first.

  “Check out this secretary. She’s one of the hottest chicks I’ve ever seen. And I got a good picture of her ass.” He held the phone to my face.

  I didn’t look. I smirked slightly then lowered his hand. “I should get back to work.”

  “You want to see it in person, huh?” He winked. “I got ya.”

  It irritated me that all the guys in the office assumed I was a sleazebag just like the rest of them. I never acted like I was. Perhaps they assumed I was a dog because I was young. “I look forward to meeting her,” I said politely.

  “Wait until you hear her name…” He leaned toward me. “Rome.”

  “Rome?” I asked in surprise.

  “Yep. Is that the hottest name you’ve ever heard?”

  It was definitely unusual. “It’s got a nice ring to it.”

  “Everything about that girl wreaks sex.”

  I just wanted to eat my lunch in peace. “I should get back to work.”

  “Right,” he said as he stood up. “I need to get a sandwich.”

  “Hurry before they’re all gone.”

  “Will do.” He walked out.

  I returned to my lunch, finally left in peace.

&
nbsp; ***

  All anyone could talk about was Rome. Apparently, she was the most beautiful woman anyone had seen. The more they talked about her, the more I lowered my expectations. Maybe she just had a nice haircut or something.

  Even my secretary mentioned her. “Rome is a pretty girl.” She handed me the documents for me to sign.

  “That seems to be a popular opinion.”

  “And she’s very sweet.” She gave me a look like a mother hen.

  “I’m sure she is.”

  “Are you seeing anyone, Thomas?”

  I dodged the question. “That will be all, Theresa.”

  She accepted the dismissal and left.

  I got back to work and looked at the time. The day was almost over. I wanted to stay late and finish my work, but I kept getting distracted with all this talk of Rome. People gossiped like we were in high school.

  When Terry, another advisor headed toward my door, I sighed in irritation. He was the dirtiest old man I’d ever met. There was only one thing he wanted to talk about. I quickly shoved all my papers into my bag and tossed my laptop inside. Just as he opened the door, I stood up and acted like I was walking out.

  “Hey, man. Leaving?”

  “Yep, I got a dentist appointment.” I kept walking.

  He had a malicious look in his eyes. “Have you seen—”

  “The new secretary? Nope, but I’ll make sure I do. “ I wish a month would pass so she would be old news. I wasn’t going to get anything done at this rate.

  “You need to see her. She’s—”

  “Can we pick up this conversation later?” I asked. “Sorry, I’m already late as it is.”

  “Sure, of course.” He clapped my shoulder. “Root canal?”

  Huh? “Sorry?”

  “The dentist,” he said. “What are you getting done?”

  “Oh,” I said, remembering my lie. “Just a cleaning. But this dentist is really hard to get into. Apparently, he’s the best in Manhattan.”

  “You got to keep that smile for the ladies.”

  “Yes, sir.” I shook his hand then walked out.

  “Are you leaving?” Theresa asked as I walked out.

  I stopped and turned to her. “Yeah, I have to take care of something.”

  “Well, if you wait a second Rome will be here.”

  The more people talked about this girl, the less I wanted to meet her. She wasn’t that important. She was just a regular person like everyone else. “I’ll meet her tomorrow.”

  “Okay…” She returned to her work.

  I finally walked through the lobby then reached the sidewalk. When the fresh air hit me, I relaxed. There was a coffee shop just a block over. It was dim and quiet, not loud and obnoxious like Starbucks. I headed there and walked inside.

  A line was in front of me so I patiently waited. When I was next in line, a man cut in front of me with a coffee in his hand. He didn’t acknowledge me or turn to me. If he wanted to cut, fine. I didn’t care that much to tell him off.

  He placed the coffee on the counter. “What’s this?” He was hostile.

  The young girl at the register had her hair in a messy ponytail. She looked no older than sixteen. Stains were all over her apron, and she had acne scars from her youth. “Coffee, sir?”

  “No, I ordered a latte,” he yelled. “Is this a latte?”

  She looked at it then turned back to him. “Yes…”

  “No, it’s not,” he hissed. “I drove all the way from Connecticut for a good cup of coffee. This. Is. Shit.”

  “I-I-I’m sorry, sir. I can make it again.” She was on the verge of tears.

  “So you can make this crap again?” he asked incredulously. “No, thanks.”

  “Well, I-I-I didn’t make it. But I can give you your money back.”

  “No, I want what I ordered!”

  “What did you order, sir?” Her eyes were welling up.

  I didn’t think I could take this anymore. This guy was an entitled asshole.

  “A latte! Did you not listen to me?”

  The girl broke down and the tears emerged. “I-I-I’m sorry. It’s my first day.”

  Fuck this. I moved to the counter and pushed him out the way. “Let me apologize on behalf of this asshole since he isn’t man enough to apologize on his own.” Then I opened my wallet and shoved a hundred dollar bill at him. “There’s compensation for your coffee. Now get out and don’t come back.”

  Everyone in line smirked after I told him off.

  The girl stopped crying and tried not to laugh.

  The guy glared at me but pocketed the money and left.

  A quiet ripple of applause sounded through the coffee shop.

  I turned back to the girl. “I’m sorry about that, sweetheart.”

  Her tears were gone and she seemed relaxed. “Thank you, sir. “ She smiled and her cheeks blushed.

  “Can I have a black coffee, please?”

  “Sure.” She processed the order and I handed over a hundred-dollar bill. “Keep the change. You deserve it.”

  “Thank you, sir.” She was redder than a tomato.

  “Have a good day.” I took my coffee and found a seat in the corner. After I got settled, I breathed a sigh of relief. Now I didn’t have to deal with any distractions, no guys from the office talking about how hot some girl is, and there didn’t seem to be any other rude customers in the vicinity.

  I felt eyes hovering on me, and against my will, I looked up. A woman across the room was staring at me. She had dark brown hair that reached her chest. It was slightly curly and framed her face. It was shiny and well kept.

  Her eyes were hazel, almost gray. But they stood out even though the lighting was dim. She had a thin face and a slender neck. Her lips were full and wide, and she had flattering features. The rest of her features were just as captivating. She had an hourglass figure that was highlighted by her pencil skirt. Stilettos were on her feet, and she had papers sitting in front of her like she was working.

  She was definitely cute. But I was here to work, not get distracted. I averted my gaze and got back to work. Every few minutes, I sipped my coffee. When the chair across from me moved, I knew I had company.

  The cute girl sat across from me, looking even more beautiful up close. She was thin but had curves in the right places. Light make up was on her face but she didn’t need it at all. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to say something…”

  I met her look and ignored my paperwork. “You aren’t bothering me. How can I help you?” Actually, she was. But I couldn’t be rude.

  “What you did back there…it was really sweet.”

  What was she talking about?

  “With the girl at the register,” she said.

  “Oh.” Now I understood. “Well, that jerk made her cry. What kind of guy can call himself a man and make a poor girl cry?”

  “I couldn’t agree more. It’s just nice to see someone stand up for someone else. I just wanted to tell you that.”

  “Well, thanks.” I gave her a smile then leaned back in my chair. “When I was in college, I worked in retail. I understand how it feels.”

  “Where did you work?”

  “A sandwich shop in So-Ho.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.”

  I shrugged. “It sucked at the time, but I’m glad I did it. Taught me the value of a dollar and gave me a good understanding of time management and how to treat other people.”

  “That’s nice to hear. Most of the rich people who live in New York seem entitled.”

  “What makes you think I’m rich?” I asked.

  “Well, is that suit made by Hugo Boss?”

  How did she know that? “Yes…”

  “It’s just a guess,” she said. “I’m sorry if I offended you.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Besides, you gave a hundred bucks to that jerk and then another to the girl at the register,” she noted.

  “It was a good guess.”

  “Yeah
,” she said. “But I’m glad you’re humble about it.”

  “Are you working on something?” I asked.

  “Oh, yeah,” she said. “I just started my new job and I have a lot of paperwork to do. It’ll probably take me all day because I’m a little slow.”

  “You’ll get the hang of it,” I assured her.

  “I hope so.”

  I stared at her face and noted the intense color of her eyes. I could swear they changed color sometimes. She was friendly and down-to-earth, unusual for a girl who was so beautiful. If I hadn’t spoken to her, I would assume she was a model. “Can I get you another cup of coffee?”

  “Actually, I’ve already had too much. I’ve been drinking it all day to get rid of the nerves. If I could have it hooked up through an IV, I would.”

  I smiled. “That would look interesting.”

  “It would take addiction to a new level.”

  She chuckled. “People would look at the scars and think I was into heroine.”

  “You aren’t?” I asked. “I am.”

  She laughed again. “You don’t look the type.”

  “I hide it very well.” I adjusted my watch on my wrist.

  “A Rolex?” she asked. “Definitely rich.”

  “My dad got this for me when I graduated college.”

  “Where did you go to school?” she asked.

  “NYU.”

  “Born and raised in New York?”

  “Yeah, I’ve been here my whole life and never plan on leaving.”

  “I don’t think I could leave it either,” she said.

  “Did you grow up here?”

  “My family is from Vermont. I moved here when I became an adult.”

  “Did you go to college?” I asked.

  “Nope,” she said with a sigh.

  I didn’t press her on the topic.

  She looked at her watch. “I should probably get back to work.” She rose to her feet. “I just think there’s so few gentleman in the world. And I wanted to make sure that you know people do appreciate it.”

  “Well, thanks for the compliment.”

  She nodded. “Good bye.”

  I stood up. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name?” I wanted to ask her out and have dinner with her. I hardly had connections with people like this. Most of the time, when I met a girl the relationship was forced. But with this girl, it was natural and organic. I wanted to know more about her.