Authors: Brandy Jellum
“I see.” His smile falters for a moment before returning to full-
wattage once more. “Care to elaborate?”
For some reason, I feel compelled to do just that. “The plot is the same in every book.” I glance away. My heart is beating rapidly just looking at him, and I can’t let him get under my skin. I’m a girl with a list that has to be followed down to the very last bullet point, and I
can’t be bothered by the likes of a man like him. “Boy-meets-girl, girl-
meets-boy, one has a dark past that makes them feel they are unworthy
of love. The two endure a long challenging road, facing inner demons.
Eventually, everything turns out alright, and they find the love that
they didn’t even know they were searching for.”
The words sound cold and bitter.
“That’s the beauty of it, though, isn’t it? That’s what keeps the
readers coming back for more, time and time again.” He sounds so sure of himself.
“What?” I snap my head back towards him. “For what? A happy ending? One that doesn’t truly exist. One that everyone in this world secretly hopes happens for them. It’s a bunch of crap. It’s just fiction, not the real world.” I stare into his eyes as if to prove to him I mean every word I say. “Life isn’t like any of the romance books. There are no happy endings. Nothing ever turns out the way anyone plans. At least, not in my world.”
“Ah, I get it,” he murmurs, causing me to pause. To my dismay, he pushes off the desk and crosses the distance between us in four long strides. Stopping just in front of me, he brushes back a strand of my wild, black hair. His touch causes me to jump, but I refuse to pull
away. The man is standing too close, close enough to smell the rich
scent of his cologne and to notice the stubble on his chin. He leans
forward, close to my ear. A chill runs down my spine as his breath
caresses my face. “Tell me, who was it that broke your heart?”
I turn away, walking as fast as I can without glancing back over my shoulder. He’s struck a nerve. I don’t know how he did it. I don’t know how he figured it out so quickly, but he did. I need to get out of here as quickly as I can. With my head hanging low, I can’t see where I am walking and walk right into someone. I look up and find Mr. Harder standing in front of me. “Oh my, I didn’t see you there,” I say quickly. “I’m sorry.”
“That’s quite alright, my dear,” he says in his deep voice. “I see
you met my nephew, Reid, my brother’s son. He’s just come back from
overseeing our branch across the Atlantic for the last four years.”
Of course, it has to be his nephew. Though my boss has salt and
pepper hair and green eyes, I can see a bit of resemblance between the
two of them. My face heats up, and I am sure that it is beet red by now.
“I’m a lucky man to have met such a bold and beautiful woman,” Reid
chimes in.
I glance over at him, only to find he is now standing right beside
me, grinning wider than before, if that’s even possible. Irritation courses
through my body at the sight of his smile. I do my best to grin at Mr.
Harder. “Your nephew was quite enchanting.”
Irritating is more like it.
I
still want to know how he figured out so quickly something that I have
been working hard to keep hidden. I am not an open book or anything.
I don’t mope around, acting like a woman who has had her heart
stomped on, even if it was six years ago. Something about the man
standing beside me sets my veins on fire.
“So what can we do for you, Lisa?” Harder Senior asks.
I groan inwardly. “It’s Liza,” I say softly.
“What was that, dear?” Mr. Harder raises an eyebrow and stares at me curiously. I can feel the heat of Reid’s eyes on me. My chest tightens,
and I struggle to breathe. He is standing so close that when he makes the
slightest movement his arm brushes against mine and sends electricity
dancing through my veins.
I. Need. To. Get. Out. Of. Here. Now.
“It’s Liza,” I say louder. I clear my throat and take a breath.
I feel Reid wrap his arm around my shoulder, the touch startling
me, and I hear him laugh softly. He drops his arm and I don’t dare
look at him. “Liza here came to talk to you about working in Romance,”
he says.
“
Oh, really?” My boss raises his eyebrow again. “Now remember,
Liza, it’s going to take some time, but I think that you will find it a very
good fit for you there.”
“Yeah, who doesn’t like a good story about love and overcoming your demons?”
I glare at Reid. Did he really just use my own words against me?
I feel the heat rushing to my face again, only this time it’s anger I’m
feeling rather than embarrassment.
“Besides, I’m sure Reid here will be able to make the transition
smoother from here on out.” I glance at Mr. Harder. I must have seemed
scared
, because he
laughs
loudly. “Don’t fret,
darling
; you are in capable
hands.” Still confused, my eyes dart back and forth between the two
men. What is he talking about? “Silly me! I forgot to mention that Reid
is filling the open Senior Agent position on your floor.”
Oh boy, Harder’s nephew is my new boss, which means I will be seeing
him every day.
This is not good, not good at all. I need to get out of here
quickly, by any means necessary.
“So what do you say, Liza? You up for giving Romance another
chance?” Reid flashes his million dollar smile as my heart flutters and
my knees feel like jelly.
“What choice do I have?” I barely manage to say.
“That’s the spirit.” Mr. Harder says as he claps a hand down on my
shoulder. I smile softly, tell them I have to get back to work, and walk
as quickly as I can out of his office.
MY LIFE OFFICIALLY SUCKS.
Not only did I not achieve getting out of Romance, but I am now
stuck with Harder Junior for who knows how long. Something about him drives me insane, something that irritates the hell out of me. Yet I can’t get him out of my mind.
I stare at my computer screen, attempting to read another query
letter, but I’m too distracted. I cannot stop thinking about Reid’s smile,
the kind I always swore I would never fall for on a guy. When he
smiles, his face lights up, softening his deep, dark eyes. I can’t forget the way I felt when he stood close to me, brushing the strand of hair
out of my face, or his breath against my ear. I can still smell his cologne
and hear the sound of his sultry voice bouncing around in my head.
I grab my phone, pushing the button to call Heidi’s desk, and wait
for her to answer. She picks up on the first ring. “What can I do for you,
Ms. Win— I mean Liza.” I laugh quietly as she catches herself yet again.
“Let’s grab lunch,” I reply quickly. “My treat.”
Through the window, I see her smile. She nods her head, and that’s
all I need for an answer. I hang up the phone, open the drawer in my
desk, and pull my cell phone out. One of the very few things in the
office that is mine. My office is plain, barren of any personality, and
shows no sign that it belongs to me. In every office, each agent has
pictures of their families and clients. Some even have their college
degrees plastered on the wall. Others have wall art personalized by their children. Even Heidi has decorated her desk with mementos of
her family and her boyfriend. My walls and desk are empty. I don’t
have any pictures to hang, at least none that I wanted the world to see.
All my photos hold horrible memories of a broken past. Of being hurt,
disappointed. That life is behind me now. This life is a new day and age,
a new Liza Winter.
I grab my purse and jacket off the coat rack in the corner of my office before I step out the door and close it softly behind me. Heidi
has her coat on and is ready to go. I nod at her. She smiles, and falls into
step next to me. We don’t say a word as we weave through the cluster
of desks out in the bull pen, where all the assistants’ desks are, and head
towards the elevator. In the short time we have spent together, Heidi
has become the closest thing to a friend I will allow someone to be. She’s
already learned how to tell when I’m in a foul mood, frustrated, or don’t
want to talk. Clearly, now is one of those times.
The air is brisk and cold as we step out of the towering glass building.
We turn to the right, walking down the sidewalk to the same little bistro
we eat lunch at every day. The walk is short, and we arrive in just a few
minutes. The bistro is emptier than usual, probably because there’s still
at least another hour until everyone in the business district is fighting
to get in here to grab some lunch. Out of the eleven restaurants on the
block, everyone wants to eat here. Some days, I send Heidi out a bit
earlier to make sure we can get some food and bring it back to the office.
Today, I am glad we came earlier. I need the peace and quiet, plus
the time and space to calm and collect myself. We order the same thing we
always do: chicken and raisin salad for Heidi and a cheeseburger
with fries for me. Heidi seems to think she can’t indulge in fat, greasy
foods for fear of gaining too much weight. From what I have learned of
her, she grew up in the south, feasting on large home cooked meals, and
isn’t any bigger than a twig. I have insisted that she is absurd for feeling the
need to watch her
weight
, so now
she
finally
joins me in our
traditional
strawberry milkshakes. Although she orders hers with soy milk.
The waitress brings our food in a timely fashion, faster than we
have ever been served before. I make note to grab lunch early every day from now on. Getting away from the four blank walls that stare at me only a daily basis is nice. I’m halfway through stuffing my face
when the bell chimes as the door opens. My back is towards the door;
however, I notice the sudden change in Heidi’s demeanor.
“Oh… my…” she says slowly. I turn to see what has drawn her
attention. My heart stops beating and drops to the pit of my stomach.
Here, in my very own private sanctuary for the moment, is
him
. Reid Harder. I groan loudly and turn back to my food, hoping he doesn’t see me sitting here.
“What is
he
doing here?” I mutter to myself. Heidi glances up at me and raises an eyebrow.
“Wait… you know him?”
Know him?
Hardly. Had the unfortunate
mishap of meeting him and making a fool of myself less than an hour
ago? I wish the answer isn’t yes. I catch Heidi staring at him as he
stands at the register, her mouth gaping, eyes wide open and filled with
infatuation.
“That’s Mr. Harder’s nephew.”
“You’re telling me that that is Harder’s nephew? That irresistible,
mouthwatering
,
I-wanna-take-him-to-my-room-and-have-my-way-with
him, God-like man is the boss’s nephew? No way!” Heidi stares at me
in disbelief. I say nothing and nod my head, aware that her attention is
turning back to him. Jealousy sparks in me at the way she is gawking towards him. Who am I kidding? It’s not like he belongs to me. I just met the guy. He’s annoying, like the getting under your skin kind of
type, fully aware he’s attractive and uses it to his advantage. But man,
I can’t get him out of my head. Great, now I can’t even stop peeking at him.
Oh crap, he’s turning around, and then he sees me. Reid heads
towards our table as I turn my attention back to my plate, and I suddenly
lose my appetite. I can feel him watching me, but I can’t see to gaze at
him. I’m fully aware of his presence and smell his lingering cologne.
“Liza…” he says my name, which sounds like music to my ears. Now
that he has approached us, I can’t ignore him. I can’t pretend that he isn’t hovering right above me. I turn my head and glance up at him. “Reid,” I say plainly. “Please don’t tell me you followed me here?”
What the hell? Why did I say that?
“You’re only wishing I did.” He laughs, which is sweet and light.
It’s one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. I can feel the
blood rushing to my face, which I’m sure is beet red by now. “That
cute little blonde down in reception suggested I come here for lunch.”
Like uncle, like nephew? Now I’m officially annoyed. “Who is this
little beauty you got here?” Reid asks.
I hear Heidi giggle and see her flushing face. I roll my eyes and shake
my head. “Reid, meet my assistant, Heidi. Heidi meet Mr. Harder’s
nephew, Reid,” I say rather sharply. What is it about this man that
gets my blood boiling so quickly? One minute I’m swooning over him,
and the next he opens his mouth and I instantly become irritable.
“Heidi, such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” He’s flirting with
her.
He is totally flirting with her right in front of me.
I know it shouldn’t
bother me, but it does. “How did you get the pleasure of becoming the
assistant for the lovely Liza?”