Sweet Submission: Jenny and Max Complete Series Plus Bonus Short Story (12 page)

Evan laid the tablet on the table. I studied the screen. He was reading from an essay I’d written for a philosophy class. Samantha must have included my writing portfolio in the application. They were meant to be sent to various journals, not to apply for a job.

“Beautiful,” Evan said, earnestly. “All of your writing is authentic and honest. I never was much of a writer myself. I’m more of a numbers man.”

“I got a ‘C’ on that paper,” I said.

Evan grasped my hand. “I imagine the professor who gave you that ‘C’ has a mind that’s completely closed up.” He squeezed my hand. “When I read your work, I see someone who lives life wide open. That’s why I chose you.”

I bit my lip, still unsure how to read this situation. “I still don’t see how someone with a philosophy degree can help you with your business.”

“Lucy, I see brilliant young people all the time who graduated at the top of their class. But they don’t look around them and question what’s going on, especially not with your eloquence. You are a rarity. I know you can help the business, but that’s not all I want. I want you in my life,” Evan said.

My mouth fell open in shock. My mind raced as I tried to figure out what I could possibly say. At that moment, the waitress returned with our champagne and oysters. I was happy for the distraction, though I didn’t like the looks of the those squiggly little creatures perched on ice in their shells. Evan lowered his head and sat silently for a moment.

“You pray?” I asked when he lifted his head up.

“Yes, is that a surprise?” he asked.

“I’ve never seen anyone in this city pray,” I said.

“The faithful are here if you only look.” Evan picked up his glass and clinked it against mine. “To new beginnings,” he said.

“To new beginnings,” I echoed, then took a sip. The champagne was delicious, and obviously very expensive.

“Tell me, Lucy,” Evan said. “Do you study the Bible?”

“Yes,” I said. “I’ve been going to Sunday school my entire life. I’ve read the Bible countless times.”

“And do you agree with every word in there?” Evan asked.

“There are a lot of words,” I said, diplomatically.

Evan looked at me in a way that made me nervous, like he wanted to challenge me. “‘For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church.’ Do you know it?”

The fizzy champagne caught in my throat. I swallowed hard. “Ephesians. I know it.” I’d heard that verse repeated at dozens of weddings, and it always made me cringe. “That’s, perhaps, one thing that I don’t agree with.”

“But the Bible is your faith,” Evan said with passion. “You must accept all of it.”

“It’s an old book,” I argued. “Some things are outdated.”

Evan’s eyes glinted. “The book is old, but so is the truth. Truth never changes.”

“So,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “You believe men should be in charge of women?”

“Not quite,” Evan said. “A man is in charge of the woman God chose for him.”

“And you’re telling me this because?” I asked.

“Because, Lucy,” Evan said, taking my hands. “I want you.”

The bluntness of these words cut through the fog produced by lighted candles and expensive champagne. I looked away but Evan kept his eyes on me.

“I want you, Lucy, and I want to be upfront about who I am,” Evan said. “I know so much about you already. You need to know me too.”

“Mr. Jeffrey-”

“Evan.”

“Evan,” I said. “This is so unexpected.”

Evan cupped his hand against my cheek. His touch was warm, and I wanted to snuggle closer into it. He spoke softly, almost in a whisper. “Unexpected? So is love. And so is faith.”

His words washed over me and my resolve withered. I felt a connection to him, not just physical attraction. I’d never loved anyone romantically before, and assumed, this was what it felt like. It was white hot and all consuming. I had tunnel vision, and all I could see was him. I had to remind myself to breathe.

“Now,” Evan said. He picked up an oyster. “Try one of these.”

That snapped me back to reality. “No, no thank you.” I went back to sipping champagne.

“Lucy.” Evan’s voice, though not very loud, was so commanding, I immediately gave him my attention. “Try one.”

He held the shell to my mouth. I parted my lips, and let him slide the oyster onto my tongue. At first, I recoiled, but as the buttery flesh dissolved and the fresh, salty brine filled my mouth, I closed my eyes.

“Mmm,” I said.

“Do you see?” Evan said. “All you need is a little faith.”

It was a fabulous meal. Evan ordered course after course of rich, decadent food. That night, I tried several new things, and all were amazing. Our conversation glittered, and he revealed a side to me that I was sure not many other people saw. He was kind, funny, and vulnerable. I’d heard of love at first sight, but could it really happen so quickly? I felt like I’d been sucked into Evan’s orbit, and there was no turning back.

When the check came, I offered to help pay for some. We’d eaten so much, I knew it had to be an exorbitant bill. Evan refused, slapping his credit card down. Outside of the restaurant, I started to say goodbye to him.

“Do you need a ride?” Evan asked.

“I’ll take the train,” I said.

Evan narrowed his eyes at me. “You need a ride.”

A second later, a sleek, dark town car pulled up in front of us. A driver got out, and opened the door to the backseat.

“Come on,” Evan said.

I sat in the backseat with Evan, studying everything. The car was the most luxious thing I’d ever been in. The seat was more comfortable than my bed. I watched the lights of the city pass through the tinted windows. I felt Evan slide closer to me, and my breath caught in my throat. Without a word, he took my hand in his. Our fingers intertwined. I turned and smiled to him. He stared deep into my eyes, and, I swear, I felt our souls touch.

*

My alarm went off early the next morning. I rolled over, grumbling, and shut it off. I was a morning person, but waking up early enough so I had time to get ready and take the train was too much even for me. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and the events of the night before came rushing back to me. The giddiness in my stomach woke me up. Did that really happen? Did I just fall in love with Evan Jeffrey? For someone like me, who’d never even been on a date, it was a lot to comprehend.

I heard Samantha in the kitchen making coffee. She had been in bed when I got in last night, so I didn’t get the chance to tell her about Evan. A part of me still didn’t want to tell her. I wanted to keep this beautiful thing to myself, if only for a little while.

As I raced around the apartment trying to get ready, I evaded her questions with vague answers. I told her that Evan and I just discussed an upcoming project. She nodded while she listened, but I could tell she wasn’t completely buying it.

We walked out of our apartment and headed towards the subway station. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a black car pull up to the curb, but thought nothing of it. Samantha and I chattered as our heels clicked along the asphalt.

“Miss Carver,” a man’s voice called behind me.

I turned, confused. It was the man from last night, Evan’s driver.

“Who is that?” Samantha asked, clutching my arm.

“I’m Josh, ma’am,” the driver said. He walked around to the backseat, opened the door, and then gestured for me to get in.

“I guess I better go,” I told Samantha, awkwardly.

I started to walk away, but Samantha pulled me back.

“We’re talking tonight,” she whispered into my ear.

I slipped into the backseat, and Josh closed the door behind me.
This is real,
I thought, trying to convince myself. My fairytale had come true.

When we pulled up in front of JNC Industries, Jamie waited at the curb. I didn’t think she could possibly be waiting for me, so I stepped out of the car and made my way to the building.

“Miss Carver,” Jamie said, running after me. “Come with me.”

Jamie walked in front of me very business like with her back straight. She led me to a side door that I’d never noticed. We entered a reception area that looked more like a swanky hotel. It boasted large crystal chandeliers, luxurious leather furniture, and tables full of food. I stopped in front of a display of petit fours. Jamie stopped her tracks.

“Would you like one?” she asked. “Take one. They’re here for you.”

“Well, I haven’t had breakfast yet,” I said, scooping a few into my hand.

I savored the chocolatey treats as I followed Jamie into an elevator. Even this was luxurious. Red velvet draped over the walls, and soft music played.

“This is a whole other world,” I mused.

Jamie let out a controlled laugh. “That’s exactly right.” We got off on the fourth floor. “Right this way, please.”

I was still entranced with the petit fours, so I followed Jamie mindlessly as we navigated the halls. She stopped in front of a large office. I gasped at how beautiful it was. The walls were painted a light gray, and colorful, abstract art hung on the walls. The desk was made of glass and covered with vases of white roses. Every piece of decoration gave off a feminine vibe.

“This is beautiful,” I said. “Did you decorate this yourself?”

“No, this isn’t my office,” Jamie said, giving me a confused look. “This is yours.”

I stopped chewing and looked at the door. There was my name with the title “Executive Assistant” underneath it.

“But I’m just an intern,” I said.

“You got a promotion,” Jamie said with a shrug. She handed me the file she was carrying. “Now, we need your signature on these documents.”

I flipped through them, careful not to smear them with chocolate.

“What is this?” I asked, pointing at a number.

“That’s your yearly salary,” Jamie said.

My eyes widened as I took in the zeroes. “Are you sure?”

“Lucy, let me give you a piece of advice,” Jamie said. “When good fortune comes your way, don’t question it. God blesses those who deserve it.”

I stared at her numbly. Jamie told me to have a good day, then left me alone in the office. I heard her heels clicking down the hallway. I sat behind my desk, my desk, in my office. This was all so unbelievable. The computer was brand new, and I model I hadn’t seen before. I clicked it on and started playing around. It was so much faster than my laptop at home. There was a knock at the door.

“Do you like your office?” Evan asked. He walked inside and closed the door behind him.

“Yes, thank you very much,” I said, following Jamie’s advice. “And thank you for the car this morning. It was nice to have a break from the subway.”

“Josh will drive you every morning,” Evan said. He unbuttoned his jacket and sat down. “Get used to this.”

I pursed my lips. I knew Evan was a Godly man, handsome, and successful, the perfect catch. But there was still some things I had questions about.

“I don’t want any special treatment,” I said.

“You’re on the executive level now. You’ll be treated as such,” Evan said. He said this as if his was the final word, and the subject was closed. He stood, and walked around behind my desk. “There’s something I failed to do last night.” He offered me his hand. I took it and stood.

Evan stepped closer to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. I looked up at him through my lashes. The look in his eyes made my knees weak. I leaned against his body to keep from toppling over. Evan gazed at me tenderly, and stroked my cheek. He leaned in towards me. I closed my eyes, and his lips pressed against mine.

Excitement swelled inside of me as we kissed. White light seemed to swirl around us. Nothing existed but this moment, a first kiss that surely wouldn’t be our last. Evan parted his lips, and our tongues met. I savored the warm wetness of his mouth, closing my eyes and letting out a gentle moan. Evan tangled his hand in my hair and pressed me tighter against him. I kissed him fervently, and a tingling warmth developed in my lower belly.

I’d never been in a relationship before, and I’d never experienced this kind of attraction. My desire for him was so strong, I didn’t know if I could control myself. Long ago, I’d promised God I’d maintain my purity for marriage. I never knew how hard that could be until I met Evan.

I pulled away from him, but he kept his arms tight around me. “Evan, we’re at work,” I said, blushing.

He stroked the hair away from my eyes. “You’re right, and we have a busy morning ahead of us.” He stepped away from me, straightening his tie. “Our first meeting is in a few minutes. Look in that top drawer and you’ll find a brand new tablet. Use it to take notes.”

I opened the drawer, and sure enough, there was a current model tablet, still in the box. “What kind of notes do you want me to take?” I asked.

“Write down everything you here,” Evan said. “I mean, everything.”

Instead of being intimidated, I felt like I was up for the task. In college, I was a skilled note taker, and never missed a word that came out of the professor’s mouth. My reputation was well known, and classmates always asked to borrow my notes.