Glancing down at myself, I huff out a groan at the erection I’m now sporting before flicking the shower to cold.
Ten minutes later, I’m out of the shower, back in control of my body and dragging on my clothes.
Grabbing my stuff, I check my watch to find it’s six thirty am. It’s still early, but I need something to occupy my mind, I need to get to work and bury my head in the upcoming job we’ve got lined up.
Heading out of the building, I reach my car, throwing my bag into the back before sliding into the front seat. I’m about to turn the key when I notice a small pink note placed under my windscreen wiper.
Slowly, I climb back out, reaching over the door to pluck the note from it’s spot and sit back down heavily in the drivers seat.
Pulling the door shut, I peel open the folded paper, studying the printed words as my frown deepens.
When I saw you for the first time
I was struck by your powerful presence.
Something about you is so unique,
That it draws me towards you like a moth to a flame.
I look up, glancing around the parking lot to see if I can spot anyone watching me, or who the writer of the note might be. There are no other people around me as it’s still ridiculously early and there are hardly any other vehicles outside of the gym.
I fold the letter back up, tossing it into my glove compartment, most likely someone has the wrong SUV. From the corny declaration I’d take a guess that the writer is fairly young. Hopefully he or she won’t be too heartbroken when the real recipient of this note doesn’t say anything about it to anyone.
Turning the key, I check over my shoulder and back out of the parking space, throwing the SUV into gear and heading out of the carpark toward the office.
It takes only ten minutes to get to work as hardly anyone else is on the road.
Pulling into my designated parking spot, I find that no one else is here, not overly surprising, my brother and our best friend were never early risers. I am often only been beaten into the office by our father who was always a workaholic, looks like that’s changing now though.
Putting the SUV in park, I turn off the engine and climb out, striding toward the front door and unlocking it before heading up the stairs to our offices.
Opening the glass door to our reception area, I disarm the security alarm and stride into the small kitchen to make myself some coffee.
Tapping my fingers on the counter, I wait impatiently for the machine to filter before pouring myself a healthy sized mug of the steaming goodness. Heaping a spoonful of sugar into the dark liquid, I carry the mug back into my office and take a seat behind my desk.
Turning on my computer, I dive headfirst into our latest job, sipping at my drug of choice as I work. The shrill sound of my phone ringing snaps me from my thoughts and I pick up my phone from the desk, my heart rate jumping when I see Tessa’s name flash across my screen. After being late the first time I had to pick her up, I insisted that we exchange numbers, wanting to make damn sure she never had the idea to get in a car with one of those douche’s again.
‘What happened? Are you OK?’ I snap down the phone, not even bothering with greetings as images of her upside down in that damn car my father had delivered fills my head.
‘Hello to you too’ Tessa replies, her voice surprisingly normal for a woman who could be currently held at gunpoint in a convenience store. Sh*t, I should have used the find my phone app before I picked up, I could already be on the move toward her.
‘Where are you? Can you talk?’ I fire out, routing through my pockets for my keys.
‘I’m at the house, and of course I can talk, why wouldn’t I be able too?’ the teenager replies with obvious exasperation.
I still at her words, my breathing slowing as I regroup, ‘your at the house’ I repeat.
‘Yes Caleb, I’m at the house’ Tessa replies and I swear I can hear her eyes rolling. ‘You didn’t leave me the code to the alarm or the gate, I can’t get out’ she adds, her voice tinged with annoyance.
I suck in a breath, my heat rate falling as I close my eyes, the alarm, I completely forgot she’d need to set the alarm when she left.
‘Well, can you tell me what it is’ she asks, ‘I’m going to be late for class.’
‘Yeah, uh, it’s twenty seven, oh eight, seven two’ I mutter.
I can hear the scratching of a pen, ‘thank you’ she says, ‘and the code for the gate?’
‘Sixteen twelve twenty four’ I rattle off instinctively, ‘put it in and then press the green button and the gate will open.’
Tessa mumbles the number under her breath before focusing back on me. ‘Thank you, I’ll make sure that the gate shuts behind me before I leave.’ She hesitates for a moment and I wait, not wanting to hang up from her just yet. ‘I’ll uh . . see you at home later on?’ she asks quietly.
I nod, even though she can’t see me, ‘yeah’ I reply, ‘I’ll be home about six thirty.’
‘OK, well . . see you later’ she responds before the phone goes dead.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.