breathing over her shoulder warming the side of her face, and the scent of mint and coffee. Now that she was done, it all slammed back into place and the jerk of her head sent the pencil careening to the floor behind her.
“Oops,” she mumbled.
“Jesus, you are full of surprises aren’t you?” Alan grabbed the paper in front of her and brought it closer to read before he glanced back up to stare at her. “I worked on this for half an hour, smartypants.” There was no condescension in his voice though, only shock.
“Multi-talented,” she commented while she reluctantly pulled herself away from the comfort of his desk to return to filing. “Never underestimate the abilities of your cleaning staff.” Her attempt to make light of the accomplishment did not erase the look on Alan’s face.
“Tell me again, why are you cleaning houses for a living? I haven’t believed you fit the part for one minute.” He furrowed his brow. His gaze burned a hole in her back as she crossed the room.
“I enjoy my work.”
Sure. Who wants to work at a computer when they can scrub floors and toilets for a living? Anyone without a social security card, that’s who .
“Uh huh. You are one mysterious woman, you know that?”
Liz merely turned and shrugged. If she hurried, perhaps she could print out some labels for all these folders, settle them in nice cozy slots in their new mahogany home, and get on with some other part of the house before she put her foot in her mouth.
The shrill of the desk phone interrupted what Liz assumed was about to be a long line of questions.
“Oh, thank goodness. My accountant. I’ve been waiting to hear from him all morning,” he mumbled as he reached for the phone.
“Frank, you had me worried. Are we still on for tomorrow?” Alan relaxed into his huge leather chair.
A pause ensued while she resumed the process of paper pushing.
“You what? Is it bad?”
Liz turned to glance at him. His eyes were huge and his brow furrowed even though his voice only mildly relayed the same sentiment.
“Oh my God… Of course. I totally understand.” Clearly, he didn’t as he bit his lower lip with his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. “No. No. Don’t worry. Just get some rest and get well soon. Don’t worry about me… Yes… Okay… I’ll call you in a few days to check up on you.” He put the receiver back on the hook with surprising delicacy before he bellowed his next word, “ Fuck .”
Liz nearly dropped the stack of documents in her hands. Her head snapped around to face him again. For a moment, irrational fear encapsulated her.
She attempted to calm her racing pulse as she forced air into her lungs. Even after two years, she was still skittish about men’s tempers.
Alan jumped up and slammed a book onto the desk. The action was so fast that this time Liz cringed. Inadvertently, she scrunched against the bookcase and covered her face with her free hand. The impulse was so abrupt she hadn’t time to recognize the absurdity before it was too late. Holding her breath, Liz’s heart seemed to beat out of her chest.
Flashes of her past sped through her mind. Her head swam with the memories and the sound of Matthew’s voice.
“You bitch. What do you think you’re doing? Can’t you be quieter while you clean? I’ll show you…”
“Liz?” Alan swiftly made his way around the desk to her side as she peaked between her fingers. All semblance of anger was gone. “Oh shit. I’m so sorry. I scared the hell out of you.” He gently grasped her arm with his long fingers. “You thought I was going to throw that book at you, didn’t you? Why would I do that?” His face was a mask of confusion. He took a step back, but then seemed to think twice and helped her sit in the chair across from his desk and scurried from the room.
Moments later, he returned with a glass of water and handed it to her. His voice was soft. “That was my accountant. He fell off a ladder this morning and broke
“Oops,” she mumbled.
“Jesus, you are full of surprises aren’t you?” Alan grabbed the paper in front of her and brought it closer to read before he glanced back up to stare at her. “I worked on this for half an hour, smartypants.” There was no condescension in his voice though, only shock.
“Multi-talented,” she commented while she reluctantly pulled herself away from the comfort of his desk to return to filing. “Never underestimate the abilities of your cleaning staff.” Her attempt to make light of the accomplishment did not erase the look on Alan’s face.
“Tell me again, why are you cleaning houses for a living? I haven’t believed you fit the part for one minute.” He furrowed his brow. His gaze burned a hole in her back as she crossed the room.
“I enjoy my work.”
Sure. Who wants to work at a computer when they can scrub floors and toilets for a living? Anyone without a social security card, that’s who .
“Uh huh. You are one mysterious woman, you know that?”
Liz merely turned and shrugged. If she hurried, perhaps she could print out some labels for all these folders, settle them in nice cozy slots in their new mahogany home, and get on with some other part of the house before she put her foot in her mouth.
The shrill of the desk phone interrupted what Liz assumed was about to be a long line of questions.
“Oh, thank goodness. My accountant. I’ve been waiting to hear from him all morning,” he mumbled as he reached for the phone.
“Frank, you had me worried. Are we still on for tomorrow?” Alan relaxed into his huge leather chair.
A pause ensued while she resumed the process of paper pushing.
“You what? Is it bad?”
Liz turned to glance at him. His eyes were huge and his brow furrowed even though his voice only mildly relayed the same sentiment.
“Oh my God… Of course. I totally understand.” Clearly, he didn’t as he bit his lower lip with his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. “No. No. Don’t worry. Just get some rest and get well soon. Don’t worry about me… Yes… Okay… I’ll call you in a few days to check up on you.” He put the receiver back on the hook with surprising delicacy before he bellowed his next word, “ Fuck .”
Liz nearly dropped the stack of documents in her hands. Her head snapped around to face him again. For a moment, irrational fear encapsulated her.
She attempted to calm her racing pulse as she forced air into her lungs. Even after two years, she was still skittish about men’s tempers.
Alan jumped up and slammed a book onto the desk. The action was so fast that this time Liz cringed. Inadvertently, she scrunched against the bookcase and covered her face with her free hand. The impulse was so abrupt she hadn’t time to recognize the absurdity before it was too late. Holding her breath, Liz’s heart seemed to beat out of her chest.
Flashes of her past sped through her mind. Her head swam with the memories and the sound of Matthew’s voice.
“You bitch. What do you think you’re doing? Can’t you be quieter while you clean? I’ll show you…”
“Liz?” Alan swiftly made his way around the desk to her side as she peaked between her fingers. All semblance of anger was gone. “Oh shit. I’m so sorry. I scared the hell out of you.” He gently grasped her arm with his long fingers. “You thought I was going to throw that book at you, didn’t you? Why would I do that?” His face was a mask of confusion. He took a step back, but then seemed to think twice and helped her sit in the chair across from his desk and scurried from the room.
Moments later, he returned with a glass of water and handed it to her. His voice was soft. “That was my accountant. He fell off a ladder this morning and broke
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