Nobody's (13 page)

“H-hi, Alina,” I stuttered, scratching the back of my head in embarrassment of my current, thrown together outfit.

As I stood at the door in nothing but a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, Alina seemed to be doing her best to spread the cheer she was feeling.

“How can I help you?” I asked her.

“Help me? Now, I know you’re Thomas’s assistant, so it wouldn’t be fair to have you do anything for me if he didn’t ask it of you. I’m just here to stop by for a friendly visit because I knew you were staying the night.”

“Oh…”

I did my best to bite my tongue. I remembered the contract I signed, knowing that I couldn’t tell anybody about my relationship with Thomas. Even though it was completely obvious to Alina, she still did her best to play along and not be too blatant about it.

“I’m sure Thomas has you doing a lot of things,” she said to me. “But I was wondering if I could borrow you for just a moment.”

“Borrow me? For what?”

“To hang out. We can be friends. Go shopping. You know, while the boys are busy with their business.”

“Oh… I guess that wouldn’t hurt.”

“No, it wouldn’t. There’s this lovely little shop down the street that I go to all the time. I’m about due to stop by and I would love to drag you along. You can critique some of my outfits. Hey, maybe you can even buy something for yourself.”

“Um… sure. It sounds like fun.”

“Great. Now you get ready and I’ll be waiting for you down in the lobby. I’m familiar with your driver. What’s his name? Billy? Bobby?”

“William.”

“William! He won’t have to work too hard today but he will have to work. I’ll see you down there.”

Alina’s less-than-infectious enthusiasm didn’t rub off on me. But with nothing else to do and nothing else planned, I couldn’t refuse her offer of spending some of the day with her. When I looked at the clothes I had brought with me from my apartment, filling out my new closet space suddenly seemed like a better idea. Having access to Thomas's credit card didn't hurt.

I managed to find something that wasn’t too distasteful, since they were mostly things I wore when I was walking up and down the streets, before my meeting with Alina. I managed to pick out a pair of blue jeans and a lacy black top that wasn’t too see-through. When I got down into the lobby of the hotel, Alina was there to greet me along with William, our chauffeur for the day.

“You look lovely, Angel,” she said to me. “You look like the kind of assistant than can get a lot of work done. I’m sure Thomas will miss you but I’m only borrowing you for a second.”

“I’m sure Mr. Livingston will be fine without me.”

“Look at you. Calling him Mr. Livingston even when he’s not here. He’s not much on formalities. Believe me, Thomas isn’t the kind of guy who let money go to his head.”

We made our way into the limo and William drove us down the block to the shop that Alina was raving about. When I walked in, several saleswomen immediately rushed up to her and started to pamper her like she was royalty.

“Thank you, ladies,” she said to all of them. “But today, I brought a friend with me. She’s a very special friend. Say hello to Angel.”

Three of the women nodded politely to me as they all took turns shaking my hand. I looked around the store and even without the price tags, I knew that everything here was reserved for the exclusively elite.

“Now, let’s get you out of those jeans and into something special,” Alina said to me. “I’m sure Thomas has a relaxed dress code for his personal assistant but who says you can’t do a little more? Besides, you’re not just any assistant, you’re Thomas Livingston’s assistant.”

Alina winked at me and disappeared into the back of the boutique. I looked around, trying to decide what would look best on me but there was too much to choose from. I never thought that I would be overwhelmed by so many different outfits, each one of them more beautiful than the next. I had already experienced when I had to buy a dress for Thomas’s party just yesterday. Now I had gone from looking through racks at a thrift shop to a high-end shop in the ritzy part of the city.

The saleswomen wasted no time in their flattery. They pulled outfit after outfit, accessorizing it completely and putting it up against my body so that I could stare at myself in the mirror. Each outfit was nothing short of spectacular. I figured there was more than enough room in his closet, so I decided that everything was coming home with me. I wasn’t just looking for a new outfit today. I was looking for a new wardrobe.

I nodded and approved everything they threw at me. Even though they were handling most of the work, I felt exhausted and had to take a break from being bombarded by the outfits. I made my way to the back of the store, where Alina was standing in front of a set of mirrors in nothing but her underwear.

“Come here, Angel,” she said to me before I could step away. “I want your opinion on this.”

One of the saleswomen held a red dress up to her body and I looked at it.

“Do you like this one or this one?”

Another saleswoman held a similarly looking black dress up to her. Not sure of what the right answer was, I half-shrugged my shoulders and picked one of them at random.

“I like the black one,” I said. “But the red one is nice, too.”

“Hmm, I think you’re on to something, Angel. You’ve got the right idea. I’ll probably end up going with both. Why don’t you have a seat? I could use your opinion on more of this stuff.”

Since most of my shopping was already done, I figured there was nothing left to do except watch Alina decide what she wanted to buy.

I didn’t mind Alina’s company. She had come out of nowhere and her attitude and enthusiasm was something I couldn’t match. I didn’t have any friends or family in the city. I was by myself. It wouldn’t hurt if I just sat here and made nice with the woman that apparently knew Thomas so well.

“So, how long have you been working for Thomas? Excuse me, Mr. Livingston.”

“Just a few days now.”

“And how are you liking it?”

“It’s… fine. He’s an easy man to work for.”

“Hmm, I’ll bet. Thomas has a lot on his plate, there’s no question about that. But when you’re in his position, he could easily just throw it all away without a care in the world. Having someone like you in his life will definitely make things easier.”

“How about you? How long have you known… Mr. Livingston?”

“Let me see… I suppose I met him around the same time I met Anthony. So that would be three years now.”

Alina climbed into the next outfit and I nodded my head with approval without even considering what she was wearing. I thought about asking Alina more about Thomas but I hesitated. I didn’t want to cross the line and let her think that things were much more personal than they obviously seemed to be.

“You know, Thomas has never had an assistant before,” she said to me. “It’s curious.”

“I-I don’t know much about Thomas’s past,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “He just told me there was an opening and that he needed someone to fill it.”

“Yes. And he filled the opening with a very beautiful woman.”

She raised her eyebrows at me and gave me a devilish little smirk. I politely smiled back at her as I watched more of the saleswomen prepare new outfits for her to try on.

By the time we had finished, I thought I had purchased more than enough new clothes but Alina still managed to outdo me. William made several trips in and out of the shop to pack away all of the things that we bought into the limo. When I stepped into the limo, we were surrounded by boxes and bags filled to the brim with overpriced outfits.

“Well, it’s certainly nice to have someone to talk to again,” Alina said to me.

“Again? What do you mean?”

“Oh, well… Thomas and Anthony are good friends. As a result, I usually end up spending most of my time with Thomas’s female friends, or assistants in this case. It’s only been a few weeks but it’s good to see that Thomas is finally moving on.”

“Moving on?”

“Oh, I’ve said too much,” she sighed. “I don’t think Thomas would appreciate me spilling details about his past relationships behind his back… I mean, since you’re his assistant, you only need to know about his business matters and not anything personal.”

Alina became a bit flustered and I wondered more about what she was suddenly trying to avoid.

“You’re a lovely woman,” she said suddenly.

“Thank you.”

“No, I really mean it, Angel. There’s something about you that I just can’t put my finger upon.”

“It’s probably nothing.”

“You have this nature about you. Your demeanor is so relaxed. Usually, Thomas spends his time with stuck-up women. I think Thomas made a good choice in hiring you. You seem like the type that doesn't mind being a little devoted.”

“Thomas hired me to do a job and I have every intention of doing it to the best of my ability.”

“I don’t doubt that, Angel.”

She looked into my eyes and there was something I could see. She was hiding something. But I didn’t know what it was. Behind her smile, there was something she wasn’t saying to me. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable but there was nothing I could do or say. I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

“You know, I’ve had a lovely time with you, Angel. What do you say we have lunch together? Maybe you could spill some of the juicy secrets you’ve learned so far about being Thomas’s assistant.”

“I… I don’t think there’s much to tell.”

“Or maybe I can tell you more about your Mr. Livingston. What do you say?”

With nothing else planned and the rest of the day still ahead of me, I didn’t really have much of a choice.

“Okay,” I said. “Do you know any places in the city where we can have lunch?”

“I know just the place, Angel. You’re going to fit right in.”

She winked at me and instructed William where to go. The limo sped off into the city and I continued my adventure with Alina, learning more about what life was like on this block. I was going to have to get used to living here. Spending time with Alina was a good first step in making the adjustment to the place I now had to call home for the time being.

Chapter 12

My lunch with Alina was no more eventful than my moment shopping with her. She subtly asked me questions about my relationship with Thomas but I remained as coy as I could. Since she was likely to be someone I was going to be spending most of my time with outside of Thomas, it was only appropriate that I learned to enjoy Alina’s company. She was nothing but polite to me. Too polite. But rather than try to analyze some ulterior motive she was or wasn’t hiding, the luxurious lunch with a woman who was more accustomed to this lifestyle was insightful, if nothing else.

I got back into the penthouse suite with William carrying most of the things that I purchased.

“You don’t think this is too much, is it?” I asked him.

“Miss Angel, I am only one man and I can carry everything. You have the means for much more.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“Do you plan on wearing all of these outfits at one time or another?”

“Yes… Yes, I am. Thank you, William.”

“Of course.”

He placed the bags and boxes of clothes down next to the door then politely tipped his hat to me before leaving the suite. I looked at the pile that made up my new wardrobe and proceeded to fill out my closet. Even though I had spent a fortune, it was nice knowing that it was all on Thomas's tab.

The less than exhausting day was beginning to end. With Thomas’s suite now partly mine, it had gotten to the point that I had nothing left to do except to enjoy my brief moment before Thomas would return. It was only appropriate that I prepare for him in the only way I knew possible.

I sorted through my brand new wardrobe and searched for the perfect outfit. Dresses and skirts, blouses and tops, all kinds of decadence in fabric was splayed out over the bed as I tried to figure out which one would be best for him. But Thomas hadn’t instructed me on what his plans for me were tonight. I decided that the answer was simple. I put on a lacy black bra and a pair of panties then stepped into my heels.

Night was here. It would only be a matter of time before Thomas stepped in the door. I took a seat on the couch and laid myself out, the first thing he would see when he stepped into the room. My feet dangled over the end of the couch and my arms extended over my head. I was here right for the taking.

I laid there and got comfortable, waiting for my benefactor to open the door. The handle started to move. I swallowed in a nervous anticipation of seeing him walk through the door to see me. It finally swung open and Thomas, in a khaki suit that fitted him just like the others, walked through the door and toward the bar. He didn’t notice me at first. I laid there while I listened to the sound of him pouring himself a glass of wine. Finally, he made his way toward the center of the penthouse suite and turned his gaze upon me. He stopped in his tracks. The wine swirled in his glass as he stared at me.

“Hello, Mr. Livingston.”

He didn’t say anything. His stare locked upon me, I looked at him and narrowed my eyes, trying to give him the seductive look to let him know that I was his. But he didn’t respond in kind.

“Is something wrong?” I asked him.

He sighed and I sat up as he took a seat next to me. He took a swig of his wine and placed the glass upon the table.

“No,” he sighed again. “Nothing is wrong.”

He leaned back against the couch and sank into it. Here I was in nothing but sexy lingerie and he was practically ignoring me. His words definitely didn’t match his actions. I leaned in close to him and kissed him softly upon the cheek, trailing kisses toward his chin and moving toward his lips. I opened my eyes and noticed that Thomas was not reacting to it. There was definitely something wrong.

“Is there something you want me to do, Mr. Livingston?” I said to him.

He turned to me and I saw the resignation in his face.

“I’m afraid I’m not in the mood for that right now, Angel.”

“Well, what are you in the mood for then?”

He stared at me and I could see a bit of frustration in his eyes. He wasn’t going to tell me. He was going to force me to have to try and figure out his situation. I didn’t mind though. I was his and I was going to be here all night. There was nothing else for me to do.