Authors: Krysten Raine
Chapter Nine: Romantic Encounters
When Alyssa got to work the next day she was in a terrific mood. For the first time in a long time she was truly happy. She still felt terrible about getting her mother into bigger trouble, but she was starting to accept what happened. Of course a weekend of great sex really helped to elevate her mood. June passed Alyssa as she headed toward her cubicle. She saw the smile of guilty pleasure plastered all over Alyssa's face and she turned back around to get the inside scoop on what was happening with her friend.
"You look happy," June said knowingly as she sat on the corner of Alyssa's desk. June crossed her legs and stared at Alyssa, silently begging her to spill the details.
"What can I say? I had a good weekend," Alyssa replied with a smile and a little blush.
"New boyfriend?" June asked with an even more interested look.
"That's the thing, there's like three of them," Alyssa admitted despite her own inhibitions to share such intimate details.
"Oh my God, you slut!" June said teasingly.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Alyssa with a sexy, bad girl look on her face. The two girls started giggling and then Jack Coleman walked into the office.
"God, I'd like to add him to the list," Alyssa said aloud when she saw Jack. June's eyes got as large as oranges when she heard this. Alyssa had never before openly admitted that she had a thing for Jack. June
didn't know what to say; instead she just stared at Alyssa, who was now completely red in the face. Seconds later Jack walked over to the two girls.
"I'm not sure what is going on over here, but you two look like you're up to something," Jack said as he leaned against the cubicle and bit into an apple that he was carrying. Alyssa's face grew redder with increased embarrassment. She wondered if he overheard her comment.
"It's nothing, sir. We were just about to get started for the day," June said as she made her way to her own desk. Alyssa nodded in agreement but she was still wearing a crimson face.
"Mr. Coleman, I never really got to say thank you for what you did for me," Alyssa began, trying desperately to repeal the embarrassment within her.
"You said thank you several times already, but you're welcome. You look much happier today. I'm glad to see that. You've looked so sad lately."
"Yeah, it took me some time to come to terms with everything. My mother got a much longer sentence as a result of my statement and I feel really bad about it." Alyssa looked down as she said this. It was the first time she had brought this up to Jack and she wasn't sure how he would respond.
"I'm sorry about that
, I didn't realize they would extend her sentence by so much. Truly I figured that they would go after Trevor Barnes rather than your mom, he really was the bigger fish there so to speak. As it stands right now he is still a free man. I'm sorry for your mother though," Jack looked truly remorseful as he spoke. He looked down and he had a genuinely sad look to his eyes; it reminded Alyssa of a lost puppy dog.
Oh damn him for being so cute,
she thought.
"The last I heard, my mom was being sent to a rehab section of the prison. At least she's finally getting some help for her addiction. She probably never would have if she was on the outside. The heroin would probably have killed her eventually. I suppose this is a better option for her life than going out like that," Alyssa said but she was honestly trying to convince herself more than Jack.
"Once she's completed the program, I'll see if I can get her some good legal representation. I can't take the case personally, because it would offer too much insight into your personal life.
It's a conflict of interest and the situation is best kept out of the office if you know what I mean. But I know some damn good lawyers that I could probably talk into taking her case pro bono in exchange for passing on some other, high end clients."
"Oh my goodness! Thank you, Mr. Coleman. That means so much!" Alyssa said excitedly. At the same time she couldn't help but be a little miffed that Jack was once again being so helpful and sweet.
Damn him, he's making it impossible to stay mad at him.
She thought as she looked into his sweet and sexy blue eyes.
"I can't promise anything, but I will do my best to help your mother, Alyssa. In the meantime, you just keep doing what you are doing and you will have a bright future here with us. Keep smiling, too. You're so pretty when you smile," Jack said with a wink and then he tossed his apple core into the garbage and disappeared into his office.
Alyssa sat down in her chair.
He thinks I'm pretty when I smile? What did he mean by that? Was he just being nice or was he actually flirting with me? Ugh what is with this guy? Why do I like him so much?
It felt like a million thoughts were racing in Alyssa's head all at once. All last week she thought Jack was angry with her or that he wanted to distance himself from her. Now he was being sweet and lovable and she couldn't help but fall for him all over again, but now she had Aaron and maybe the guy from the pizzeria too. She felt so confused and so overwhelmed. She didn't know what to do!
Alyssa had a hard time concentrating on her work for the remainder of the day. By lunch time she had fallen way behind in her assignments. She toyed with the idea of working through lunch, but since her problem was that she was distracted, she figured maybe taking a break would help her to be more productive in the afternoon. She did choose to eat at her desk though. She opened up her personal email while she ate her sandwich. Much to her surprise, Aaron wanted to see her again. She honestly thought that since she already gave him what he was looking for that their time together was over.
The email asked if she wanted to have dinner on Tuesday. Alyssa smiled and figured that she would give the cute English boy another go. After all he was hot as hell and she did enjoy the night she spent with him. She happily responded to his email and then she closed the browser tab. She smiled to herself as she finished eating and by the end of lunch she was feeling refreshed and ready to work. She put her best effort into her job for the rest of the day and she managed to catch up, although she did stay an extra hour just to make sure everything was completed and that her work was done correctly. She was just packing up her personal items to leave when Jack left his office.
"Quitting time was an hour ago, why are you still here?" Jack asked as he passed her.
"Oh I got a little behind this morning, so I stayed to make sure that all of my work was finished and filed appropriately," Alyssa said looking down. She did not want to admit that she had fallen behind on her duties, but she didn't want to lie to him either.
"
That's what I like about you, Alyssa. You are very dedicated for a paralegal. Have a good night then," Jack said and he waved goodbye and headed toward the elevator.
"You too," she said as he started to walk away.
The next night Alyssa met Aaron at a French restaurant downtown. It was quite a bit fancier than the pizzeria and Alyssa felt a little underdressed even though she wore a nice black skirt and a silky, maroon colored top. She looked nice but some people were clearly dressed for the occasion. Even Aaron was wearing a suit. He looked more like a gentleman than a laid back surfer. They shared a nice dinner together and a bottle of fine wine. Aaron was incredibly charming and he doted on her like a lost puppy dog. He told her several times that she was beautiful and that he loved spending time with her. By the end of the dinner, Alyssa was starting to worry that Aaron wanted something more than just a casual dating experience. What was she going to do if he fell in love with her and then he went back to England? Would he expect them to carry on a long distance relationship? She had serious doubts about that sort of an arrangement.
For desert they ordered a delicious crème brulee. It was absolutely heavenly but Alyssa figured that she would have to work out for an extra hour the next day just to burn off the calories that it probably contained. Maybe Aaron would want to come back to her place and they could burn off some of those calories tonight. When dinner was over, Aaron took her hand and he looked sorrowfully into her eyes. His own blue eyes looked so sad that Alyssa was fearful of what he was going to say.
"I'm leaving tonight, Alyssa. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, but I wanted us to enjoy our last evening together. I wanted to thank you for the
wondrous time we shared before. I thought that I could at least be a gentleman and take you on a proper date before I go. My mother is doing better and my father has asked me to come home and help him with his business. So I have to catch a plane in about two hours."
Aaron took Alyssa's hand in his and gently kissed it and then he looked deep into her eyes. She leaned forward and gave him a deep and passionate kiss as if her lips would offer him a sweet goodbye without uttering a word. Afterward it took Alyssa a few moments to speak.
"Aaron, I know that we don't know each other well and that this was a one-time thing right from the beginning, but I will never forget you. You are so sweet and so cute and we had such great sex, that I will remember you forever. If you are ever in New York again, please look me up," Alyssa said with genuine sorrow in her voice. Even though she loved Jack it was really hard to say goodbye to the sexy Englishman.
"Believe me I will keep your number and I will give you a call the next time I come to see my Mum."
After that Aaron took Alyssa home in his rental car. It started to rain as they drove back to Alyssa's house. She looked out the car window, watching the raindrops gather on the glass and then slide away. Her love life seemed to do the same thing; men would gather around her and then just go away. Aaron must have noticed Alyssa's sadness at the thought of his departure. He reached out to hold her hand for the rest of the ride home. By the time they arrived it was pouring out. Aaron started to step out of the car to walk Alyssa to her front door.
"What are you doing? You're going to get soaked!"
"Now a decent gentleman walks a lady to her door. Besides I want to say goodbye properly," Aaron insisted in no uncertain terms. He exited the car and walked around the help Alyssa out. He removed his coat and tried to shield her with it, to which she protested. She told them although the gesture was appreciated, it was unnecessary and that she didn't want him to be wet when he got to the airport. He laughed and told her that he was going to get soaked anyway. Then the two of them walked as quickly as they could through the apartment's courtyard. Right before they reached the front door of the building, Aaron wrapped his arms around Alyssa and kissed her. Rain poured
down on the couple as they kissed. It pooled around their feet and dripped off of their hair, making Aaron look so sexy in Alyssa's opinion.
This is how I want to remember him, she thought.
Then he whispered that he had to go and he ran back to his car. Alyssa blew him a kiss goodbye and then she ran inside to dry off.
Chapter Ten: Barnes Behind Bars
When Alyssa arrived at work the following morning there was a message on her desk for her to come and see Jack when she got in. Alyssa hesitated for a second. She had been working at Coleman, Patters and Schleicher for over six months now and Jack had never called her into his office. She wondered if she had done something wrong or if he was finally ready to start bringing her in on his projects. Either way she was terrified to go into his office, but she didn't want to keep him waiting either. Alyssa reached in her purse and sprayed some breath mint mist into her mouth, and then she checked her makeup and hair in her compact mirror. She looked nice at least. She hesitantly made her way over to Jack's office and knocked on the door.
"Yes?" Jack's voice rang from inside.
"Mr. Coleman, Sir? It's Alyssa Snyder. There was a note on my desk asking me to come and see you," Alyssa said with as much courage as she could manage. Jack opened the door almost before she could finish her sentence. He met her with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eyes.
"Come right in, I have some good news for you," he said as he gestured for Alyssa to enter his office.
"Oh, okay," Alyssa said nervously. She looked around at Jack's office. She had never been inside before and she marveled at how elegantly it was decorated. Jack's mahogany desk sat in the center of the room, perfectly organized with not even a pen out of place. Leather bound chairs, adorned with golden snaps were perched in front of Jack's desk. They were slightly oversized and positioned just a little bit lower than Jack's own chair. That was a psychological technique and Alyssa knew it. Having the person behind the desk seated higher than the other people of the room gives a sense of superiority and respect. The oversized chairs feign a sense of luxury and comfort but really they add to this effect as well. Alyssa didn't judge Jack for using these techniques though, nearly everyone in positions of authority in any business use them. Alyssa just happened to be one of the few people who were wise to it.
On the opposite sides of Jack's desk sat two large house plant
s. Alyssa recognized them as being Bird of Paradise trees. They were gorgeous plants with large leaves, also a sign of power and dominance. Behind Jack's desk was a huge, three section shaved metal art piece. With colors and swirls, the abstract art signified money and exuberance, as did the hand-woven Oriental rug that rested beneath her feet. Jack's office had clearly been decorated by a professional designer who understood the psychological impact of the selected pieces.
Jack invited Alyssa to sit in one of the leather chairs and he offered her some coffee, which she politely declined. Jack walked in front of his desk and he sat on the edge of it just inches away from where Alyssa was seated. She looked up at him anxiously but her gaze was met with warmth and comfort of Jack's all too familiar smile.
"I have a couple of pieces of good news for you, Alyssa. First of all a friend and former colleague of mine has offered to take your mother's case. His name is Brian Corvet and he specializes in cases involving
addiction and crimes that are committed as a result of an addiction. He thinks he can get her sentence drastically reduced and help her to get recovery treatment for quite a while after her release. Of course he has taken her case pro bono so there is no worry about the cost."
Alyssa cupped her mouth with her hands and tried hard not to cry when Jack told her this wonderful news. She had been so worried about her mother and she felt so incredibly guilty for the role she had played in her mother's case. At least now her mom had a real shot at having a life once again.
"Oh Jack! I mean Mr. Coleman, I can't thank you enough! It means so much to me that you would help her like that. Thank you!" Alyssa said through tears and sniffles. Jack just smiled again and assured her that it was really no trouble at all. Then he told her that he had more news. He had found out that the reason why Trevor Barnes had not yet been arrested was because the DEA had already been planning a case against him, but that they did not want to make a move against him until they had enough evidence to put him away for a long time. Jack told Alyssa that her statement had helped them by giving them some more evidence and by confirming some of their suspicions. According to one of Jack's contacts, an informant had told the DEA that Trevor Barnes was expecting a shipment of heroin this weekend. Rumor has it that they are going to pick him up then.
Alyssa breathed a sigh of relief and she told Jack that she truly hoped that Trevor would be arrested. She told him that she had been fearful that Barnes would come after her and that she had been a bit paranoid since she got out of jail. Jack told her that there were supposed to be police officers checking up on her but that they felt that the risk was minimal because at this point Trevor doesn't even know that anyone made a statement about his criminal activities. Alyssa told Jack that she had occasionally seen police cars parked outside of her building and that twice an officer had called to check on her, but that she was still concerned because of the threatening note she had found the day she was arrested. Jack said he was pleased that the police were at least checking up on her occasionally and that hopefully by Monday morning, Trevor Barnes would be behind bars and Alyssa wouldn't have to worry anymore. Alyssa thanked Jack again and she told him that she didn't know what she would have done without him. Jack moved toward her and looked deep into her eyes.
"I care about you, Alyssa. I wouldn't let anything happen to you," Jack said softly. His tone and his gaze were intense and Alyssa couldn't help but wonder how she should take his comments. There were times in which she was sure that he was coming on to her and other times he acted like she wasn't even there. Then as quickly as the moment came, it was over and Jack was telling Alyssa that she could return to her desk. She didn't even know what to say after his last comment. She just sat there dumbfounded for a moment before she realized that he was dismissing her. Then she sha
kily thanked him again and left his office. Her head was spinning as she walked back to her desk. She couldn't get his last statement out of her mind, plus the information that he had given her was a lot to think about. After a while Alyssa decided that Jack didn't mean anything by saying that he cared for her. He must have just been trying to reassure her or maybe he meant that he cared for all of his employees. In any case she figured she was simply reading too much into it due to her obsession with him. So she forced herself to let it go and she focused on her work instead.
Right around lunch time Alyssa's cell phone started to vibrate on her desk. She grabbed it quickly because even though the ringer was off, the vibration was loud against the hard wood. She glanced at the number and she did not recognize it, so
she clicked the button to send it to voice mail so she wouldn't get into trouble for taking personal calls during work hours. Twenty minutes later Alyssa was on her lunch break and she decided to check her messages.
"Hello, Alyssa? I don't know if you remember me. My name is Antonio Romero; I work at Romero's Pizzeria. You gave my uncle your number. Anyway I'm on my way to work and I can't talk but text me if you still want to go out," said the voice on the message.
Alyssa smiled to herself as she listened. She may not understand Jack Coleman's intentions toward her but the cute pizza guy was pretty easy to understand. He wanted pussy and she was happy to oblige that request. Alyssa happily sent Antonio a text message that said that she was still interested and that she wanted him to call her when he could. A few seconds later she got a text message back that read, "Awesome can't wait."
Alyssa thought about Antonio for the rest of the day. She had hoped he would call her, but when time went by she figured he wasn't interested. Now she was very excited to see what was up with this cute Italian boy. Alyssa had already made one daring move with him when she wrote her number down on the paper towel and slipped it to his uncle at the pizza shop. Tonight she decided to make another move. Right before work she called the pizza shop and she ordered a small pizza
with sausage and peppers as a pick up order. Antonio had taken her call but she didn't tell him who she was on the phone. When Alyssa arrived to pick up her pizza, Antonio's eyes lit up and a huge smile was plastered all over his face.
"Bella ragazza, you ordered a pizza?" he asked her sweetly.
"What can I say? I couldn't wait to see you again," Alyssa said nervously. She bit her lip and looked down at her feet for a brief second before bringing her gaze back to his.
"Your other boyfriend is gone now?" Antonio asked hopefully.
"Yeah, he wasn't my boyfriend. We just went on a couple of dates, and then he went back home to England. I knew that there wasn't going to be anything serious with him since he was only here for a short while. That is why I figured I would go ahead and take a chance with you, "she said with a smile.
"Good," he said. "So you're not seeing anyone else then?"
"Hopefully I'll be seeing you," Alyssa said with a wink as she took her pizza and slyly exited the restaurant, leaving Antonio speechless but intrigued.
Minutes after Alyssa left Romero's Pizzeria, she got a text from Antonio asking her to dinner and a movie on Friday night. She happily texted him back and accepted his offer. Maybe things were looking up for her after all she thought as
she made her way home to enjoy her delicious pizza and a good movie on Showtime.
When Alyssa got home there was a message on her machine from her mother. She sounded happier and she told Alyssa that a lawyer had come to see her and that he was going to take over her case. The new lawyer had told Valerie that it was daughter's employment at Coleman, Patters and Schleicher that prompted him to take the case. Alyssa's mother was basically calling to
say thank you, and Alyssa just smiled. Her mother sounded better, like she was clean or at least through the roughest part of her recovery. Things were definitely looking up and Alyssa was feeling pretty good.
By Friday she was feeling even better and anxiously awaiting her date with Antonio. The two of them had been sending each other text messages all week and they had talked on the phone a couple of times. Alyssa learned that Antonio's father and his uncle had started the pizzeria together a few years back. Their parents had come to America from Italy in the late 1930's. It had been an almost cliché arrival at Elise Island for the Italian immigrants. They had struggled financially while they raised their children, but the pizzeria had proven
to be a successful venture. It had been past down for the last two generations and Antonio was set to take over the family business when his father was ready to retire. For now though, Antonio made pizzas and went on deliveries, along with the daily cleaning and maintenance of the shop.
When Antonio picked Alyssa up for their date, he asked her where she wanted to eat. His preference was simple, anything but Italian worked for him. Alyssa just laughed at this and then she suggested that they eat at a quiet Chinese buffet that was nearby. It was a small place but the food was always excellent and the price couldn't be beat. Over dinner the pair talked more about Antonio's restaurant and Alyssa told him all about her job at Coleman, Patters and Schleicher. Well, she told him everything except for the fact that she had a mad crush on her boss and that she was dating in a fruitless effort to forget about him. She figured such information would be kind of a downer for the dreamy eyed Italian.
Then Antonio started talking about how close he was with his family and how lucky he was that they all worked together. He said that being together all the time strengthened their familial bond. Then he asked Alyssa about her family. Without even thinking, Alyssa blurted out the whole story about her mom's addiction and about what happened with Trevor Barnes. She even told him about getting arrested and how her boss had come to her rescue. Then suddenly she looked up and saw the shock and awkwardness on Antonio's face. She realized that perhaps she shouldn't have shared this particular information. She didn't want to scare Antonio away and all of this was a lot to take in.
After Alyssa had spoken she realized that she probably had needed to tell someone about all of this and just get it off her chest. Still now she had created the mother of awkward moments as Antonio clearly didn't know how to respond. After a few long moments he touched her hand and he told her that he hoped that everything works out with her mom.
Alyssa just looked down at her lap. She didn't really know what to say. Thankfully Antonio noticed the time and he suggested that they make their way to the movie theater before 8:00 to have the best selection of films. Alyssa gratefully agreed, anything to change the subject was welcomed right about now. Plus once the movie started there would be two hours or so before they had to talk again. Maybe that was enough time for this awkwardness to subside. They arrived at the theater just
before eight and they quickly picked an action film. They sat in silence through the feature and Alyssa was wondering if she had blown her chances with Antonio. He did put his arm around her during the movie though. At least there was that.
At the same time that Alyssa was at the movies with Antonio, Trevor Barnes and his associates were standing in the shadows in the New York Harbor, anxiously awaiting a small boat with a very important shipment. Barnes lit up a cigarette and looked around nervously. He had been getting his heroin deliveries from this same small boat for years and he had never had a problem, but tonight the shipment was late and Trevor had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't say a word about his feelings to the men who stood by his side. Instead he tried to remain cool
and collected. Part of being successful in this business meant making sure that the boss was always in control. The slightest sign of doubt or weakness and one of these fools would try to take over. Trevor couldn't risk that and so he kept quiet and released his apprehension with each puff of his cigarette. Before long the tiny vessel arrived. Trevor breathed out a sigh of relief covered up by the exhale of his smoke. He did however motion for his boys to wait just a second before they made their move. Trevor and his crew looked around cautiously before finally approaching the boat.