Chapter 1
Tasha Williams gazed out the window of the car as the trees flew by. She sat in the cab that was transporting her to her new apartment in Ferryville, Virginia, from the airport. The fiery colors of the sky looked magical as the sun embraced the area with its warmth. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, relishing the warmth of the evening sun on her skin. The sound of her racing heart echoed in her ears, a fast rhythm that mirrored her nervousness and excitement for the life that awaited her in the new city.
The thought of moving into her fresh home filled her with joy and anticipation. She had received the apartment as part of her sign on for her new job. A delightful flutter surged through her stomach at the mere thought of her new job as a car designer. Her lips curled into a smile as her mind flashed back to the day she had found Blu Technology Company application on a job search site. She had applied on whim, not expecting to get them to even glance at her application. However, she didn’t just get an interview, but had landed her dream job as a car designer.
She bit the inside of her cheek when she remembered how she had screamed out loud in, the Chief Technology Officer, Dane Blu’s ears when he had called to deliver the news. She apologized as embarrassment took over, but Mr. Blu laughed it off, telling her he was happy that she was so happy to work in his family company. Just the memory had her feeling embarrassed all over again.
Tasha took in a lung full of air as she stepped out of the cab that had stopped in front of a six-story apartment building. Sunlight glistened off the dark windows that made up the building, reminding her of the five-star hotels in New York. She quirked a brow as she stood staring at the building even after the cab had left. “Am I at the right place?” she asked herself before checking her phone. I am according to the address on my phone and google maps. She cast a quick glance across the street, taking in the sight of people tending to their gardens or happily playing with their children. “I’m already liking this place,” she said with a small smile.
As she entered the lobby of the building, she noticed the gleaming marble floors. Is this a freaking hotel or an apartment? Gazing upon the grandiose and extravagant interior of the building, she couldn’t help but feel awestruck. Her eyes growing wide with admiration and her mouth opening in awe. It was a stark contrast to her old, plain residence in New York, which had been destroyed by a huge fire caused by a gas accident.
She stood at the door of her apartment, wondering how she got so lucky. Though it had taken her three months after quitting her auto mechanic job to move back to New Jersey, before she had stumbled across Blu Technology Company. A week after applying, she’d received an email about moving forward with her application and two virtual interviews a week apart. Then, a week later, she got the job offer.
She bit her lip as she stared at her apartment key in her hand. It wasn’t luck; it was my constant praying and faith that led to this wonderful blessing from God a month later. She smiled at the thought as she opened the door.
The interior of what she identified as the living room surprised her. It was more luxurious than her old place. The white walls. A high ceiling, and dark blue couches that looked as soft as the clouds. She felt like she had walked into a luxurious hotel. Walking further, she spotted the door leading to her room. Tasha hurried to the room to see what it was like inside. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of her bed.
The silver sleigh frame bed was as wide as a king-size. She couldn’t wait to sink into the voluminous, soft mattress of the enormous bed. Allowing her playful spirit to take over, she bounded onto the bed; the mattress sinking beneath her. She giggled in amazement, her face glowing with delight at the pillowy softness of the mattress. Glancing around the room, she noticed that the color scheme for her bedroom was sky blue. With white silk sheets covering her beautiful bed. The small nightstand next to her bed, chest of drawers, and the dresser and mirror that were placed by the wall in front of her bed matched her bed frame.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city. Tasha’s eyes sparkled. She was excited to see the view at night. “Beautiful room with an amazing view. My life cannot get any better than this,” she said out loud. A smile lit up her entire face.
Tasha took in the layout of her room. She noticed a door across from her which led to a walk-in closet. Next to the closet was a door that led to the bathroom. Stepping up to the archway of the bathroom, the size and interior amazed her. Not to mention the jacuzzi tub that was inside. An expensive-looking shower was next to it.
All her life, she would have never thought that she could live in or afford such a place. Yet here she was. She was glad and thankful for the opportunity. Yes, she had gone through a few disrespectful interviews with other big company managers after graduating from SUNY Maritime College two years ago. And a few companies had turned her down because she didn’t have three to five years of experience. How would I get those experiences when you all turned me down? However, those failures had led to her working at an auto mechanic shop, where she had realized just how much she didn’t want to work in just any company. But a company that gave her the chance to showcase her talent and designed cars everyone loved.
After applying for the car designer position at Blu Technologies, she had looked up the company on the internet and realized they weren’t just a popular company. They were a well-loved company by both the consumers and employees around the world.
Just as she turned to go check out the kitchen. Her phone started ringing. She knew without even checking that it was her best friend calling. She pulled the phone from the back pocket of her jeans and swiped to answer the call.
“Hey single lady, how is the new place?” Jade Wright greeted.
Tasha laughed at Jade’s ridiculous greeting. “Sis! It’s amazing! I could never afford something like this on my own,” she answered.
Jade was the definition of gorgeous. She was a woman that loved rocking her natural hair in an afro, if she wasn’t wearing a protective style like—box braids or cornrows. She stood no taller than five feet, with a curvy body. Her dark brown eyes matched her melanin skin. After earning a computer science degree, she found her calling as a computer programmer forging a rewarding career path. In Tasha’s eyes, her best friend was flawless.
Jade had been her best friend since they were in kindergarten. They became friends when a boy took Jade’s crayons. Tasha saw the exchange and told him he had better return them. She threatened to punch the boy in his face if he didn’t return the crayons. The little boy took her threat lightly since she was a small girl. He ended up going home with a black eye.
Their teacher, shocked at the situation, scolded her. But she didn’t care. Her father had told her to not sit back and watch someone else get bullied. Safe to say her dad bought her a small bucket of ice cream that day. Even her mother couldn’t hide the smirk on her face as Tasha’s teacher told her about the incident.
Tasha’s mom, Sasha Williams, and her dad, Kurt Williams, were strict parents. But they did not play about bullying or their child. She rubbed her chest from the pain she felt from the memory of the parents she had lost five years ago.
“Happy to hear and I’m glad you arrived safe and sound,” Jade replied.
“Yes, I did. For the most part, the flight was smooth. Still not a fan of the landing, but I am still in one piece, thank God,” Tasha said while taking in the kitchen decor. And the setup was more than she could ever dream of.
The appliances included a silver, stainless steel refrigerator, stove, and microwave, and were brand new—if she was only going off how shiny they looked. The counters were marble top. The white cupboards and walls added to the beauty of the kitchen. However, the refrigerator and cupboards were empty. I guess I’ll be ordering takeout tonight.
The corners of her mouth turned up in a giant, beaming smile. Her body moved to the music of joy in her mind, knowing she had secured a great job with significant benefits. It gave her a new start, allowing her to reevaluate what truly mattered to her. Not only that but, it also gave her the opportunity to expand her circle of friends and grow as a person. Even though she had to move a couple of states away from Jade and Jade’s parents, who were the only people who truly cared about her well-being.
Jade, Mr. and Mrs. Wright had been the only people to help her with her parents’ funeral arrangements. She had cut ties with her blood relatives five years ago. It was a decision she’d made after realizing that they were nothing more than money sharks. The realization hit her when she had seen how they only cared about her parents’ insurance on the day of their burial.
She snapped back to reality as the sound of Jade’s voice cut through the haze. “Single lady, you still there?”
Tasha cleared her throat. “Sorry about that. I got sidetracked for a bit. What were you saying?”
“Tell me what got you sidetracked first. Did you run into a beautiful specimen? Is my girl finally coming off the market after twenty-four years?”
A small smirk made its way onto Tasha’s lip as she prepared to disappoint Jade. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but the beauty that had occupied my mind was not a man but my new job and the interior of my apartment.”
“At this rate, I won’t get the chance to be an aunt.” Jade huffed as Tasha’s laughter filled her ears. “By the way, is the place that amazing? And what are you having for dinner? Knowing you, you’ll be getting something from a fast-food restaurant that delivers.”
Tasha smiled as she slowly made her way back to her room, her footsteps echoing down the hall. “Yes, it is! The white, blue and silver decor gives the place an elegant feel… Not to mention the view of the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows in my room,” she said as she started unpacking the little she had brought with her.
Not that she had much, especially after the fire which left her with next to nothing to survive with. If it wasn’t for Jade, she would have been living in a shelter in New York with only the little savings that she had. If she had not visited Jade the week before the fire happened, she would have run out of the building empty-handed. Her tendency to unpack weeks after returning from a trip definitely had its benefits that day. She sighed sadly at the loss of the few remaining things she had left from her parents.
“I’ll be ordering pizza,” she added as she placed the remaining clothes in the closet. She clicked the speaker button before going to the Domino’s app. “What should I put on my pizza?” she asked herself while looking at all the toppings.
“It truly sounds like a wonderful apartment. I can’t wait to visit after you get settled,” Jade said in an excited tone. “We both know the only thing you like on your pizza is bacon and pineapple, so just order it,” she added.
Tasha giggled. “I was thinking of trying something new.”
“Sure you were. We’ve known each other far too long for you to use that line on me, missy.”
Tasha could picture Jade rolling her eyes, and it brought a smile to her face. “That we do. Did you cook?”
“That’s what I’m doing while I’m talking to you… Anyway, I’ll talk to you tomorrow and Tasha, please take a good look at your male coworkers, I want to hear that at least one of them catches your attention, yeah?”
Tasha scoffed. “You’re acting like I act blind whenever I’m around men.”
Jade clicked her tongue. “Not far off. You shouldn’t let those dreams of that man keep you away from the men in front of you. Do you know how many guys have asked me if you were really interested in men?”
Tasha groaned. “Yes, sis, I know, you’ve told me this every time I turned down a date with a guy. But truly I want to find my person. It’s just that every time I think about another guy, it feels like my heart doesn’t agree with me… I’ll agree to a date if a guy asks me out though, okay?”
She was very grateful for the friendship she had with Jade. Being an only child was quite lonely at times, so she was thankful for the sisterly bond she had with her best friend. Even when they disagreed on certain things, like her choice to not date.
“That would make me tremendously happy…You know I care about you, right?”
“I know and I love and appreciate all the years we’ve been best friends. But I got to say the guys who’ve asked me out can’t compete with the hunk of a man in my dreams.”
Jade let out a groan. “You know what? I’ll talk to you tomorrow…I love you.”
Tasha’s laughter filled the room. “I love you, too, bye-bye,” she managed to say through her laughter.
Since her television and laptop had been lost to the fire, she decided to scroll through her Instagram feed. She smiled as a video of a black 2020 Audi R8 5.2 V10 coupe being customized caught her attention on her feed. Pitch black tinted windows, gold lining the outside of the rims, gold, carbon fiber side skirts, front, rear lip bumpers and black forty-seven-inch carbon fiber GT style wing. “That right there is a beauty,” she whispered after whistling. “Dad would have had a field day working on the engine of this Audi,” she added.
Kurt was a man with many talents. However, his genuine passion lay in working on cars. She had spent a lot of days working on cars with her dad in her youth. For Tasha, it was just a hobby that she had enjoyed doing with her dad but the older she got and the more she learned, it grew into a passion that she refused to give up on.
An hour later, she received a call from the pizza delivery guy telling her he was downstairs with her pizza.
“Oh, thank God, another hour and I would have passed out from lack of food,” she mumbled after ending the call.
Tasha grabbed her purse on her way out the door. She locked the door before heading to the elevator. She clicked the down button outside the elevator and waited.
A ding from the elevator informed her that the elevator had finally reached her floor. The door opened. An elderly woman smiled at her in greeting before exiting the elevator. Tasha pressed the lobby button and closed her eyes, waiting for the ride down to end.
As she stepped out of the elevator, the receptionist at the front desk greeted her. “Good night, Miss Williams.”
Tasha smiled at the young woman, “Good night.” She was a bit surprised that the woman knew her name. Her gaze fell upon the receptionist’s name tag, which displayed Kristy’s name in neat cursive. Her head tilted to the side, her lips forming a soft “hmm” in thought. She was sure that Kristy wasn’t present when she’d first arrived at the apartment. She shook her head to get rid of thoughts not related to food.
Tasha noticed the pizza guy sitting on the couch in the waiting area in the lobby and approached him. He handed her a box of pizza and she couldn’t help but smile as she took the box from him before handing him a twenty-dollar bill. She told him to keep the change, and he nodded at her with a grateful smile before leaving.
The minute she entered her apartment, she opened the box of pizza. Taking a deep whiff of the delicious smell. “You, my friend, are about to be devoured,” she said to the pizza.
She did exactly as she promised, devouring five slices of the large size pizza. Food was her first love and pizza was one of her go-to’s whenever she didn’t feel like cooking. Something that her mom, who enjoyed cooking, would have chastised her for if she was still alive.
“Damn, I should have ordered a bottle of Sprite with this.” She shook her head. “Maybe not. I can’t have all that calories in my body if I plan on taking up kickboxing again,” she mumbled.
Jade and her had started kickboxing at the beginning of their senior year in high school and continued until they graduated from college. However, due to a lack of work-life balance, she couldn’t attend her kickboxing lessons anymore. Nevertheless, she didn’t let that stop her from practicing at home whenever she found the time. Kickboxing helped her release pent up anger and frustration, while her weekly evening jogs helped to clear her mind.
Tasha placed the box with the other three slices of pizza in the fridge. She made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She took a well-needed shower after making sure her teeth were sparkling white. About forty-five minutes later, she exited the bathroom with a satisfied smile on her face. That shower is exceptional. Sauntering over to her dresser in nothing but a lace panty she pulled out a big t-shirt that had once belonged to her father and put it on.
I can’t wait to go sightseeing. Her last thought before she closed her eyes and welcomed sleep.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention. Tasha knew the predator had found its prey. She turned around slowly to face him. He stared at her with his breathtakingly beautiful golden eyes. Eyes that also had the wildness of a true predator. His top half was bare, with his delicious muscles on full display. His skin, a rich shade of dark brown, shimmered with a tantalizing glow as the sun bathed him in its warm embrace. Rivulets of sweat ran down his chest, giving the impression that he had run to the shop.
He was a regular at her shop. A mysterious man that stared at her with an emotionless face. He was at least a foot taller than her.
Whenever he was near, she would feel a pull. A need to touch him or to be touched by him. A shiver shot through her as his gaze lingered on her neck. He was a man who ignited a fire within her, even without physical contact. Rather than being scared, his effect on her only intensified her craving for him.
He never talked to her. His body did all the communication when he needed her to fix something on his car. She had gotten used to his head and hand gestures. However, she craved to hear his voice.
His full lips were set in a grim line as he ran his eyes along her frame. When his eyes found hers again, she raised a curious eyebrow.
He raised his head in greeting.
Tasha waved, a small smile appearing on her lips. She couldn’t help her reaction to just seeing him.
His mouth moved, and her eyes widened in surprise. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to process the word he had mouthed. “Did he just say mate?” she mumbled to herself as she stared at him. She mustered the courage to take a step toward him, only to be met with a disapproving shake of his head.
“Soon,” he mouthed.
She frowned as he turned to leave. His visits were never less than thirty minutes. Not that she would count them. And now he was leaving way too soon without an explanation.
“Wait!”
