Chapter 1
Rebekah Paige
“This was …” I trail off not knowing exactly what this was. Was it a one night stand? A drunken stupor? I wasn’t drunk. A fateful meeting?
I sigh and tighten my hold on the sheet that I have against my chest “This was …” I can’t get the words out of me. The thing is, if I say it was nice, then he takes it as an invite for it to be more than one night and if I say it was good then that blows up his ego, but if I say it was bad … well that would just be lying.
And my mom taught me that lying is bad.
He comes out of the bathroom, dressed in his clothes from last night and I start to understand why I did the one night thing with him.
Suit pants on that body, who wouldn’t take the guy to bed?
His smile is bright and charming as he buttons up the last three buttons on his blush pink button down shirt. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and his tie is hanging around his neck, still needing to be tied.
Oh sweet mamma.
“It was.” He says and I almost roll my eyes at him.
Thanks for filling in the blanks, bucko.
“Yes, yes. Listen, this isn’t going to happen again so I suggest you get going.” I point to the door of my bedroom and he looks at me and gives me a nod “Of course. If it’s meant to be, you’ll get the opportunity for me to rock your world again. Don’t worry.” He winks and I look down at my sheets for a moment before looking back up at him.
As if bugs bunny himself just climbed into my window and threw it into my head, I can feel the idea start up in my mind. I do a quick analysis of pros and cons to doing what I want to and realize that I need to start living on the edge more.
As my therapist says: “Rebekah, if you want to overcome your difference, start living it.”
He is now busy struggling to make his tie, so I drop the sheet that I am covering myself with and stand up.
Okay therapist.
Completely naked, I walk and stand in front of him with as much confidence as I can muster.
His fingers have frozen and his brown eyes have traced my body more than once as I take his tie and put it around my own neck before I start to make it. “Are you sure I didn’t rock your world?” I ask and he clears his throat before running a hand through his chocolate brown hair.
“I mean, let’s just leave it at a one night stand.” I smile and when I am done with his tie, I take it off of my neck and put it onto his before I tighten it, a little too tight on purpose, and bring his collar back over it. It seems he is going to work is the same clothes as yesterday.
Now the people he works with, who know him, are going to know he got laid last night. They just won’t know that it happened after the girl he was dancing with at the bar, jumped him.
No, he’ll probably tell his friends. Guys do those kinds of things.
“Thank you.” He says, his voice husky and I give him a nod before I make my way to my bathroom, not taking my eyes off of his once and swaying my hips the slightest bit.
I take a moment to act as if I dropped something and bend down to pick it up in a very daunting way before I continue my walk to the bathroom.
I stop before I get to the door and turn around again “The code for you to exit by the door is 2515. Adios.” I reach in to grab the door handle, not taking my eyes away from him, but then I stumble into the bathroom, falling because he left the door open, and I didn’t register it.
I always close it.
I flip around on the cold bathroom floor so that I am sitting on it and looking towards the door and put my hand up to move the hair that has fallen in front of my face away.
“No.” I say more to myself. I feel my nipples perk up from the cold and do everything I can to ignore it.
It was going so well, I had him flustered and made sure I got into his head, now I have completely embarrassed myself. Maybe not though, what if he just thinks I walked into the bathroom quickly?
Scratch that.
He is now standing by the door giving me an amused look “Are you okay?” I give him a nod and point in the direction of my bathroom door without making eye contact.
I can’t.
He gives me a simple “Okay.” And before I know it, I hear my bedroom door close and continue to sit on the bathroom floor, wishing it would swallow me.
“That’s it. It’s over and you are a strong, independent queen who doesn’t care about these things.” I give myself a pep talk and brush what just happened off as I stand up and turn on my shower.
Jokes on him, I don’t need to get undressed now.
By the time I have finished getting ready for work, I am sitting by my kitchen island drinking my coffee while I look out at the city beneath me.
New York has never been more alive.
I have also convinced myself that nothing about this morning matters because I am never going to see the guy again.
It made me feel better instantly.
I take a sip of my coffee and let out a sigh as I watch the taxis drive by “What a great day to be alive!” I say my morning mantra and then my phone rings.
I look down at the caller ID and connect the call with the swipe of the answer button. I put the phone on speaker and turn back to the wonderful view from my penthouse.
Magical.
“Morning Natalie.” I chirp and wait to hear what she says “Mornin! Listen, did you tell Jacob that you are going to be late today?” She asks and I shake my head, a smile breaking out on my face.
Natalie is my best friend, well, best work friend. Outside of work, I have no friends and I like it that way. I don’t need distractions and I can’t afford to let precious time fall through my hands.
Besides, I have a lot on my plate when it comes to being social and I don’t see reason to be uncomfortable outside of work. Natalie likes to touch me and I don’t like uninvited touching.
Well … unless it’s from last night’s mister.
“I didn’t.” I answer her and when silence follows, I raise an eyebrow while rinsing out my coffee mug “What did you do?” I ask.
I pick up my phone from the counter and make my way to my living room where I grab my bag and give myself a once over in the mirror.
I am wearing a lead grey pant suit today with a white button up shirt underneath my blazer jacket. I smile in satisfaction and key in my code at the door.
It opens and I walk down the hall to the floor elevator where I press the button to go down. I wait a few minutes and when it finally reaches me, I am relieved that it is empty.
Natalie still hasn’t answered me, so I check to see if the call is still connected before I let out a groan “is he going to give me scut because of you?” I ask and then I hear her gasp.
“Of course not! What do you think of me? Just steer clear of him for about an hour after you get here.” I raise an eyebrow and before I can say anything, she cuts me off with “okay, see you now. Love you, bye!” Then she cuts the call and I shake my head while I lock my phone.
Of course.
Stepping off the elevator, I find myself in the parking garage of my building before I walk over to my Mercedes A class.
It’s white.
No, I’m not rich because of my job. Well, not yet at least.
My dad is a real estate tycoon and he bought me my penthouse and my car, despite all of my objections for him not too. All he said when I objected was ‘No back talk.’ So, I took it and I have found myself more than thankful for it on more than one occasion.
I plan to get rich from my job, I just need to work myself up to it. Currently, I am a Managing Editor at The Big Read. The biggest tabloid company in all of New York, but they have now gone into publishing, and I plan on heading the editing department there.
The moment the job opens, I am going to give my all to get it. I’ve wanted it for too long and waiting for Jacob to die so that I can take his job has been exhausting.
Jacob is my boss. He heads the department that I work in - Lifestyle - and he sucks. He is the worst Senior Editor that you will ever have. He is stuck up and a pain in my ass.
When I make it to work, I drive into the staff parking and make sure I admire the Senior Editor parking spot that they just created for the publishing department.
The Senior Editor position at a publishing house is the second highest position that you can get in a publishing house, and I want it. Not to mention that it is the publishing house for the biggest tabloid in New York.
It’s going to be great. Should it not be great, I plan on having the job that will make it great!
I park in my spot and don’t waste any time walking into the building. I pass by the usual people who love to waste their time in the lounge at the back and I walk straight to the elevator.
I click on the 17th floor and smile at Blake Colins as he enters the elevator. He clicks for the 16th floor, and we wait for the doors to close patiently.
“Morning, Rebekah.” He greets me and I smile at him before I greet him back. It’s a short greeting, but I make sure to fill it with enough of the right tone.
Blake Colins is the Senior Editor for the Sport section of the tabloid and is also Natalie’s husband. She is just an editor, though.
The thing is, because I don’t have friends outside of work, I don’t know Blake as well as I do Natalie, making the elevator ride very awkward.
Ultimately, I am very relieved when the elevator opens on his floor, and he steps off before I wait the short ride to my floor.
When it dings for my floor, I step off in seconds and make my way to my office. It’s behind the 7th cubicle on the far left of the floor. It’s surrounded by big windows that overlook the city. Just as I like it.
I see Natalie’s head pop up from her cubicle and smile as she waves me over. When I said that she is my work best friend, I meant it. I get excited to see her at work and I love her energy.
She keeps me entertained enough to do my best while I work and I also share everything work related with her, of course with the occasional snippet from my personal life.
I start making my over to her cubicle and she seems to have a lot to say, but before I can get to her and talk before I go to my office, I get interrupted.
“Rebekah, come see me.” My head snaps to Jacob who is standing in the door of his office as he looks at me. His arms are crossed, and he is leaning against the glass wall.
The whole floor is cluttered with cubicles for the people to work at while the main offices at the back, mine and Jacob’s, are closed off with glass walls and at the far right is a boardroom which also has a glass wall.
I let out a sigh and instead of walking over to Natalie, I walk over to Jacob.
Great.
