Page 3 of Mister Lane

“Thank you!” I gasped, then looked up into the deepest blue eyes I’d ever seen. My mouth went dry, and I found it hard to swallow. I barely heard the doors as they closed behind me while I continued to stare up at a man that shouldn’t exist among mere mortals. Forcing myself to blink seemed to break whatever spellI had been caught up in, and I was finally able to straighten my spine enough to move away from his hold on me. I desperately needed the space so I could think and breathe.

“Sorry,” I muttered as I stepped away, staring down at the floor. There was nothing but silence, so I took a peek at the shiny doors to see our reflections. The gorgeous man in what was likely a custom fitted black suit was looking at the back of my head with a frown on his face. Maybe he was upset that I had crashed into him? Well, I said I was sorry, didn’t I? What more did he want from me? I took another tiny step away from him and watched as his frown deepened. Wow. I had really pissed him off. I hoped he wasn’t anyone important.

The elevator slid to a smooth stop, and I sighed with relief when I saw that it was at the lobby. Since I was right in front of the doors, I quickly darted through as soon as they started sliding open and headed straight for the front doors without taking time to admire the fountains or other amazing decor in the lobby. I smiled at the nice guard who held the door open for me, thanking him, then glanced over my shoulder when I could have sworn I heard a growl, only to see the angry face of the gorgeous man I’d fallen into. I quickly turned my head and darted forward, not wanting to do anything further to piss him off. I looked along the curb to see several large black cars waiting.

“Well, crap.” How was I supposed to figure out which one was waiting for me?

“Miss Fontaine?”

I turned to see an older man standing next to the back door of one of the nicer looking cars. He had a warm smile aimed my way, but I saw him glance behind me, then back at me a few times, so I stepped forward so he’d know that I was the right person.

“Yes, that’s me. Hello!” I stuck my hand out. “I’m Emily. It’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

The man chuckled, took my hand gently with his much larger one, and gave it a little squeeze. “My name is George, Miss Fontaine. I’ll be your driver. Please, slide right inside, and I’ll get you on your way.”

“Thank you so much. But please call me Emily, George. If that’s okay? I don’t want to get you in trouble or anything.”

I saw him glance behind me again, then give a slight nod like he’d agreed to something. “Alright, Miss Emily it is.”

I gave him a big smile just as he was about to shut the door. “Great!”

Chapter

Four

Emily

Iwoke with a groan. I rolled over and turned the alarm off my phone, wishing I could have a few more minutes of sleep before I remembered it was my first day of work, and my eyes popped open.

I’d spent hours the day before shopping. I’d never shopped so long in my life. I’d also never spent so much money in my life. I shuddered in horror every time I thought of the price tags on even one blouse, but it was the store George had been instructed to take me to. The place didn’t have a single clearance rack. Not one. I looked extensively. When I asked the sales lady where one might be located, she got a pinched look on her face. She started to say something when the phone began to ring in her hand. She gave me a forced smile and held up a finger. Before she could even speak, the caller said something to her that had her clamping her mouth shut, then darting her eyes over to me. Whatever the caller had to say had her eyes widening. Then she said, “Yes, Sir,” hung up, gave me a bright smile that showed off her fancy dental work, and then proceeded to lead me toevery expensive clothing rack around the showroom, despite my protests. By the time we were done, I had everything Mrs. Gunter had instructed me to buy, and then some.

Now, here I was, the morning of my first day, and I was already feeling overwhelmed. Excited, but overwhelmed. Shower first.

I ran through my routine, grateful that the water stayed warm enough to finish washing my hair before running cold. Remembering the hair dryer had stopped working the morning before, I decided my best bet was to leave it wrapped in a towel for a while. It was going to be wild with the unruly waves, but I could throw it into a bun. I figured it would do nicely for the office.

I carefully applied some subtle makeup, then walked into my small living area, where bags of clothing greeted me. I had sorted through some of them the night before, trying to decide what would be the best choice for my first day, so I already knew what I wanted to wear. I went straight to the pretty pink dress with the scooped collar and scalloped hemline delicately embroidered in white stitching. It had a simple white belt and matching shoes that had low heels. I was sure I could walk in them without feeling like I would topple over. The entire ensemble was simple and feminine. I felt pretty.

After carefully combing the tangles out of my hair, I twisted it up into a bun low on the back of my head and set it into place with a few pins. I spotted a silk flower that matched the color of my dress almost perfectly from an arrangement on top of my dresser and smiled. Using an extra pin, I attached it to the side of my bun, then looked in the mirror.

“You look like you’re a CEO’s assistant.”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I did or not. I just knew that I looked nothing like I usually did. I looked different wearing the fancy clothes, as if I were more confident and could accomplishanything. Inside, I was still me, though. I desperately hoped I could do the job I was hired for.

Glancing at the clock, I realized that my driver would be arriving in a few minutes, so I rushed to the kitchen to grab a granola bar for a quick breakfast. I’d have to grab a coffee at the office, which would work out perfectly since I was out of coffee beans anyway. I was out of a lot of things, which is why I was desperate to find a job.

Granola bar in hand, I snatched up my purse and keys, then dashed to the door. After unlocking the interior deadbolt and chain, I made sure to lock the door behind me. There had been a couple reports of recent break ins in the neighborhood. I didn’t have much, but I would like to keep what I did have. With my new wardrobe that cost more than the rest of all my belongings put together, I definitely didn’t want to risk losing anything.

The driver from the day before was already waiting for me by the time I made it to the street, and I gave him a big smile. “George! So nice to see you again! I hope you weren’t waiting for me long. I’m not late, am I?”

“Good morning, Miss Emily. No, Ma’am. You’re right on time.” He eyed the granola bar in my hand with a disapproving look. “There is a breakfast sandwich inside waiting for you, along with a glass of orange juice if you care to drink it. If you have any allergies or dislikes, you can give me a list, and I will make sure to make note of it.”

“What? Really? That’s so kind of you, George. You really didn’t have to go to all that trouble. I am fine with my granola bar, really.” I was both shocked and delighted at the offerings. It was one of the kindest things anyone had ever done for me.

“I’d love to take the credit, Miss Emily, but that honor goes to Mr. Lane,” he said, right before he closed the door. I sat there, unsure if I was glad for the sudden surprise new perk of the job, or disappointed that it was just another job benefit, like theclothes, and not done out of kindness. Either way, I was grateful to have food to eat.

We pulled up to the building as I was finishing off the sausage, egg, and cheese wrap, and quickly dusted off my dress, checking to make sure there were no crumbs left from the delicious breakfast. By the time I finished drinking down the last of the orange juice, George was already at my door and swinging it open. I had never had such delicious orange juice before, and didn’t know it could be so good. Swallowing down the last drop, I licked my lips, and I looked around for a place to set the glass down.

“Here, I’ll take it,” George offered with a smile.