I take our plates to the sink. “The first day of work will certainly be interesting. When I walk through the office, they even look at me differently now. Before, I was just a nobody. Now I’m the marketing assistant to the CEO. Respect.” I smile.
“Yeah, respect. And money. But there is one other thing.”
“What?” I say with creased brows.
“I almost hate to bring it up. You don’t want to be the latest gossip girl.”
“Oh, please.” I wave my hand at her. “It’s not like I’m dating Brad Pitt.”
~~~
I barge into the apartment on Friday morning and show Lia my bank receipt. “It’s here. It’s here!” Lia comes out of the bathroom, tilting her head to one side against a towel, her hair wet and falling over her shoulders.
I bound up next to her and show her my bank balance: $50,011.42.
“That’s shocking.” Her mouth is agape.
“I know. I never thought I would actually see it.” I smile at her.
“Not the fifty thousand. The fact that you had $11.42 left in your account.” She smirks.
I swipe the receipt across her shoulder and laugh. “I know,” I say, wagging my head at her with wide eyes. “It was pretty bad. I got this just in time. But I ain’t poor no more, Lia. Today is our day to celebrate. Shopping day,” I say in a high trailing voice.
Lia and I spend all day at the mall replenishing our wardrobes, neglected due to a serious lack of funds. She has been struggling to pay her tuition for nursing school. She has a little help from her parents, but they aren’t rich and they don’t know she was helping me pay the rent. Her dad owns an auto repair shop in New Jersey, and her mother is a beautician. She has one brother in the military. They are just keeping their heads above water, helping Lia with her tuition. Had they known she was helping me with rent, she wouldn’t have heard the end of it until she found a new roommate. But Lia stuck with me through it all, and now I am going to treat her.
If everything goes as planned, and Kalin Davis is not a kinky strange sex fiend as Lia still suspects, then I plan on paying for a large chunk of her tuition. But I want to be sure before I get her hopes up. Kalin Davis could fire me, or he could have a dark dungeon in his mansion that would leave me screaming for the hills.
Lia pulls the shopping bags from the car and strolls toward the door. Before we can open the door, the smooth roar of an Italian motorbike makes our heads turn with curiosity. The stranger roars up to the apartment drive. No one who lives here can afford bike like that. Not unless they’ve stolen it.
We are both excited to see who the tall figure is, driving the impressive piece of machinery. He sweeps his long leg over the bike and stands for a moment, pulling black gloves off of his large hands. His shoulders are incredibly broad, and his long, muscular frame dwarfs the sleek machinery behind him. He pulls his helmet off and runs his long fingers through his wavy brown hair. I recognize him immediately.
“Kalin Davis? What are you doing here?” My voice is throaty. Lia and I bump shoulders as we both glow like love-smitten schoolgirls.
Lia tilts her head slightly toward me and twists her mouth into a whisper. “Holy heaven. In his case, maybe he can stalk you.”
“I wanted to see you today,” Kalin says. “You could say I’m checking up on my investment.”
Lia gapes at me, and I shove her away.
“You mean the bonus?”
“Yes, I wanted to congratulate you myself.” He lifts the saddlebag and hands me a smaller helmet, obviously designed for a woman. “Let’s go for a ride and celebrate.” A seductive smile moves across his mouth.
“I don’t know. I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle before. It could be dangerous.”
“It is dangerous, Annabelle. But I’m an experienced rider, and you’re in good hands. Just follow my lead.”
“That’s a beautiful bike, Mr. Davis. Titanium piston rods, carbon fiber bodywork, adjustable suspension and traction control, racing exhaust, two hundred horsepower. Light, fast, powerful. Not a machine for the faint of heart.” Lia smiles.
Kalin presses his fingers over his jaw in a curious expression. “You certainly know your machines, Lia.”
“My father is a mechanic. He’s worked on everything from cars to racing bikes. I spent a lot of time in the garage.” She smiles proudly.
“This machine’s power can be intimidating, and must be handled by only the best riders.” He smiles at me, and I blush. “In the normal course of things, like street riding, it must remain tame, but on the track it begs to be let loose.” I glance down and pull my knees together.