|
|
|
Something to Believe in
Disclaimer:
In the alternate universe that all Roswell Fanfic writers visit, I own
Roswell! Sadly, in the real world,
I own nothing, so please don’t sue me! I
do, however, own the idea to this story. Summary:
Alternate Universe. Not set
in Roswell and there are no aliens in sight!
Just your regular love story! Category:
A bit of everyone Rating:
PG-13 (For now!!) Dedication: This story is dedicated to Jo, my amazing Roswell e-buddy, whom I’ve had the privileged pleasure to meet. A wonderful person who truly has a pure heart of gold.
Authors Notes: This is my own story, generated from my own bizarre imagination. I apologise if any of my ‘American’ terms are incorrect, please forgive me since I don’t live there! Just in case anyone is wondering, the song used in this part is Martina
McBride’s ‘From The Ashes. PART
1 My
right hand holds matches
The torrential rain outside continued to fall at an alarming rate, soaking anything that stood in its way towards the downpour’s eternal conquest of reaching the hot molten centre of the earth. Large pools of water were forming on the sidewalk, drains overflowed as they became unable to accommodate the blitzing surge of rain that was besieging them, creating a small river running in the road. It had been pouring non-stop for a little over 48 hours, and it was showing no signs of abating anytime soon. Although the sky was black with night, the grey clouds still hung high, drowning the heavy rain over the normally sunny state of Los Angeles. It was something the occupants weren’t used to, it didn’t often rain in the starlit movie town, but this was most certainly one of the occasional exceptions to that rule. So at least for the foreseeable future dark wispy clouds danced across the moon, hiding it’s normal bright white hue from the ground. Pulling back the curtain slowly, a distant shadowy figure sat down on her window seat and casually, blankly, stared into the damp darkness of the night. It was quiet outside, barely a soul in sight decorating the lamp lit sidewalk, but then that had as much to do with the hour than the extreme weather conditions. It was a little after midnight, but she couldn’t sleep. She was used to it by now, sleep was something she often struggled to get her body to accept it needed, no matter how tired she was. It was a constant fight each night, and one she rarely won unless she was completely exhausted. She was used to flying around, always on the go, her job was demanding and long hours were inevitable. So when she did finally get home after a hectic day in the office, she often found it very hard to unwind and relax. For it was when she closed her eyes to rest the demons entered her dreams with prevailing violence. Even after so long she could still wake up in cold sweats, shaking from the vividness of the images decorating her brain. Shards of her past, memories she’d pushed to the farthest regions of her mind, they all rose to the top in her unconscious state. It was times like these, as she stared up at the few stars she could just about make out in the midnight sky, that the feeling of sadness enveloped her body. The realisation that she was alone was all too real and somewhat scary for her to accept. She was a successful businesswoman, but through the cold nights, none of it comforted her or helped to heal the pain running deep inside her veins. Strictly speaking, the lone figure wasn’t completely alone in the big, wide world. She had her family, her kind parents and younger sister Calistia, but she didn’t see them much. On very rare occasions she’d make the trip to her family home in San Francisco, but that was only when needs must. Instead she kept her contact to telephone calls, e-mails and nothing else. In fact, she hadn’t seen much of her old life since that fateful day a little over six years previously. She’d had her whole life cut down in front of her very eyes, and it had changed her completely. Anyone going through the same experience would have struggled to cope, and she had only done what was natural under the circumstances. Don't
try to save me now Elizabeth Parker had been in love only once, or at least she assumed it was love she’d shared. It had been the only relationship in her 26-year life so it was hard to measure against. His name had been Kyle Valenti, and they’d been high school sweethearts. He’d been the hunky basketball captain, and she the head cheerleader, so their romance was inevitable, perhaps even scripted some would say. They’d been the talk of the school, their relationship one most other classmates envied and inspired to replicate. They were the ‘dream couple’, the prom king and queen, the couple most voted as ‘destined to always be together’. But no one had fathomed the tragedy that would bestow the seemingly ‘flawless’ exultant couple. It was something that was still very painful for Liz, the wounds too easy to reopen. Something she could talk to no one about, even now, six years since the event. They were both in their first year at the University of California in Berkley, Kyle studying law and Liz business. It was meant to be the happiest night of their lives, but it had ended in the most maliciously unimaginable way. Kyle had taken her to a beautiful, expensive restaurant, and just before desert he’d proposed to her. He loved Liz with all his heart, and he was most certain she was the girl he would spend the rest of his life with. Liz had been stunned, the proposal completely out of the blue, but she too was immensely happy. She loved Kyle so much, and even though she was only 19, Liz eagerly accepted the proposal, and a beautiful, sparkling emerald ring. They’d been supposed to head straight home after the meal, to do some studying for their first year final exams, but Liz had persuaded Kyle not to. She didn’t want to head home to the doom and gloom of books and studying, but wanted instead to prolong the magical atmosphere of the night. So many times since then she’d thought back to it herself, wishing she hadn’t suggested the walk, yearning that they’d gone straight home …… but they hadn’t. They’d walked along the beach after the meal, the calming sound of the waves and the reflection of the dancing moon on the black sea had added to the perfectness of the moment. Kyle had stopped them and paused for a passionate kiss, his concentration only on Liz and not on anything surrounding them. Both became lost in the never ending embrace, and neither heard two people approach the couple. It wasn’t until the first youth spoke that Kyle and Liz had sprung apart. Yielding a knife, the youth had yelled at them both to ‘hand over their money’, snarling his teeth in the young couple’s direction. Liz had started to thrust her purse to them, petrified at the scene, but Kyle had stopped her, snatching it from her hands. He refused to be intimidated by the hold-up, determined not to give any ground. Kyle was a stocky young man, who believed he could take on anyone and win. His father had always taught him to be strong and Kyle felt he was invincible at times. Unwittingly, it was his father’s constant praise over the years that made Kyle take a stand against the attackers. His father never once backed down from a confrontation, and Kyle certainly wasn’t about to start at that moment. So instead he argued with the attackers, despite Liz’s pleas, and his actions had eventually lead to his untimely death. If she closed her eyes long enough, Liz could still picture the youth lunging forward and the thrusting the knife into Kyle’s chest …….. the bright red, sticky blood that eagerly seeped out of his torn skin ……. the sound of Kyle choking on his breath …….. the images all to vivid. He’d been stabbed twice, once in the lung and once in the heart, both wounds fatal. The image of sinking to the ground and pulling Kyle’s lifeless body into her arms was one that Liz knew she’d have to live with for the rest of her life. She could still hear her screams that had rung out and reverberated around the quiet beach area, and the salty tears that had drenched her face as she felt Kyle drag in his last painful gasp of air. His still body lying in her arms as she cried uncontrollably, helpless to stop the drama happening around her. For
all that I'm losing much more will I gain Since that day she’d not let anyone even remotely close to her. Liz was too scared of getting hurt like that once more. Subconsciously though, she also thought that letting anyone close meant telling them about Kyle, and admitting something she’d only admitted to herself. It was her fault Kyle had died that night, she was sure of it. She knew that if only she hadn’t insisted on going for that walk, if only she’d listened to Kyle and returned to their studying like originally planned, he would still be there with her. In her head, Liz was convinced they would have graduated together and had the perfect life with a white picket fenced house and wonderful kids, but none of that had happened. That was something she was sure no man would ever be able to forgive her for. In her mind, she’d all but pushed the knife into her boyfriend herself, and she’d carried that pain around with her every day since his death. I'll
walk away stronger Liz had concentrated solely on her career since ‘that’ day, throwing herself into studying and eventually graduating early from her business course. It was the one thing she could control, her one way of coping with the loss of Kyle, and the pain and guilt she felt. Everyone around her saw it as a positive step for Liz; she was determined to succeed in the world. But nobody saw the changes in her, the way she was no longer the young innocent girl she had been, but instead a fierce competitor. Stepping out into the big wide world, hard earned degree securely in hand, Liz had walked straight into an excellent job. Two weeks after graduating, she took up the position of Personal Assistant to the President of the ‘Amber Inn’ Hotel Group. James T Valenti owned the chain of large and successful hotels and leisure clubs, catering for the more sophisticated traveller, that made up the ‘Amber Inn’ Group. Always keen to strengthen and broaden his empire, James Valenti was always on the look out for new and exciting ventures or takeovers. His zest for work was his drive to success, and it was something he expected from his staff too. He was a fierce slave driver at times and often used work to mask his diminishing personal life. James Valenti had employed Liz on merit, she was more than capable to do the job, but there was also a personal interest in the appointment. Kyle had been his only child, and Jim had been completely devastated when his son had been killed. Employing Liz was as much for his own comfort than anything else. Having her nearby somehow managed to help to keep the memory of his son that bit more alive, and gave him a chance to ‘father’ her slightly. Despite other employees’ reservations upon her appointment, it was very soon clear to all who worked with her that Liz was no simple ‘secretary’. She was extremely bright and had inherited her father’s excellent and shrewd business sense. Her hard work paid off and it didn’t take long before Liz was promoted to Head of Special Projects. The new position gave Liz fresh impetus for the driving force feeding her blossoming career. It was her job to find the potential hotels for takeovers, or new ideas to keep their chain inside the top 20 in the country. It was a tough and often stressful job, but that didn’t both Liz. Since Kyle’s death, Liz had thrown herself into work, creating the all too believable image of a ruthless, no nonsense businesswoman. Inside five years, Liz had changed; she was no longer the innocent, naïve girl who had dated her high school sweetheart. Instead she’d transformed herself into a very strong person, determined, with an icy exterior, especially when it came to her drive for success. Not the sort of person to mess with, she would normally chew up inferior business people and spit them out without a single thought for their feelings. It hadn’t been easy, Liz was exceptionally beautiful, and many people took, at first sight, that she was simply a pretty tool used by James Valenti to promote his chain further. The same people found out very soon though that Liz was not just a pretty face, they soon picked up on her merciless ability to undercut and beat them at their own game. She loved competing in the cutthroat world of business, thriving on the electrifying buzz she got when a deal was completed. It was her only joy in the world now, since she had pushed everyone who cared about her away, but Liz couldn’t see that. All she cared about was success, and becoming emotionally attached to anyone wasn’t on her action plan. Don't
try to save me now On a personal level though, Liz’s work hid an incredibly deep running sadness. She would never admit it to anyone, but she was most certainly lonely. The loss of Kyle had hit her hard, not only because she missed him, but because it had opened her eyes to the real world, a world in which she wasn’t sure she liked what she saw. It was a world she’d previously been shielded from, firstly by her parents and then Kyle. Everyone around her had brought Liz up to look at the world as an adventure, an enormous open space ready to explore and reap the benefits of wonderful new sights and smells. But she had found the truth out in hard-hitting fashion. Kyle being ripped from her so ruthlessly made Liz view the world away from the confinements of the ‘rose tinted’ glasses she’d previously worn. No more was it a beautiful, vast open playground, but instead she saw a cold, brutal world filled with people prepared to burn down the happiness of others. Liz also had a fear that ran constantly through her veins, that if she let anyone close there was the potential of feeling that dreadful hurt and terrible sadness she’d felt when Kyle had gone. Letting someone in meant trusting them, and she was all too aware that she wouldn’t be able to control their actions, if they upped and left she would be helpless and powerless to stop them. It was a feeling that had made her feel very weak, and out of control, something the ‘new age’ Liz Parker never wanted to feel again. She was strong, resilient and never wanted to have the need to lean on anyone ever again. She was her own independent woman; she wanted attachments to no one, not even her blood family. In her eyes, Liz believed leaning on nobody meant she would never feel helpless or in need ever again, and that suited her. Love for her was most certainly totally off limits, there was no place in her life for it. Liz was certain no man would ever come between her and the extraordinary need to succeed that fuelled every moment of her life.
Don't
try to save me now But
what Liz Parker didn’t comprehend, as she crawled back to the silky fresh
sheets of her king sized bed, was that the one part of her body she couldn’t
control was her heart. It
had a will of its own, and no matter how much she persuaded her head she
didn’t need it, her heart still craved constantly the feeling of being loved
and needed. Her
heart desired warm arms, passionate kisses, soft caresses, and, more
importantly, someone to restore her broken and trampled faith in the world Nobody
plans to fall in love, nobody actively goes out and seeks the ‘one’,
invariably it appears in front of you, turns up on your doorstep and takes hold
of you when you least expect it! PART 2
Something
to Believe in – By Linda Egan Everybody’s searching for answers Everybody tries to find some meaning in their life Where do we belong? Who will be our shelter? Looking for salvation, a haven from the storm We all need something to believe in We all need a light see us through We all need something to believe in I’ve found something to believe in, in you I was like a wayward ship, drifting out to nowhere Tossing in the raging waters, trying to find my way home You must be an angel, watching over me Your loving arms my harbour, now I know I’m not alone
We all need something to believe in We all need a light see us through We all need something to believe in I’ve found something to believe in, in you Now that I’ve found you, I’ll never let you go, Now my search is finally over, you’re the only truth I’ll ever know. We all need something to believe in We all need a light see us through We all need something to believe in I’ve found something to believe in, in you I’ve found something to believe in, in you Slipping his arm into his navy suit jacket and picking up his black leather briefcase, Max Evans opened the door to his apartment and stepped out into the world for another day at the office. He had a string of appointments to keep and something told him it was going to be a very eventful day. Maxwell Evans was 26 years old, and to most people looking in, he had everything he could possibly want. He was the Director of Evans Consulting, a firm that assisted companies in many aspects of business. His area of expertise was takeovers. It was a rather ruthless job, often he made the decision who would be fired in companies, or advised them on the best actions to make most money, regardless on what that meant for the respective company’s staff. His job was simple; make money for his client, which in turn made money for his company. He’d started Evans Consulting from scratch with the help of his best friend, Michael Guerin. It was very successful, but they had resisted the temptation to branch out too big too soon. Their office was comfortable, housing them, their joint secretary, and Max’s sister, Isabelle, and a few other medial members of staff. Max and Michael did all the work, handled negotiations personally, making sure they knew exactly what was going on around them. His personal life, however, was slightly more complicated. He had wonderful parents in Philip and Diane, people who supported their son wholeheartedly in his quest for world domination. Their love and guidance had helped him to where he was, and Max knew he’d always be grateful for them. Max’s relationship with Isabelle was also very healthy. She was a very vivacious young woman and in some ways bringing Isabelle in to work for him meant Max could keep an eye on her. She had a tendency to rebel slightly, wanting and needing to shock people around her for some reason. No matter what she did though, it never shocked her parents. Philip and Diane were worldly people, who took comfort in how independent both their children had become. Isabelle’s many boyfriends had been, as Max put it, not of the right calibre for someone of his sister’s stature, but she didn’t want someone like Max. Isabelle craved someone different, not obsessed with work, a funny guy who could make her laugh and bring out her wild side. He was out there somewhere and, at only 22, Isabelle was having fun playing the field until Mr Right came along. She knew exactly how to wrap Max around her little finger also, something she’d learnt at an early age. He would do anything for her, like putty in her hands; all she had to do was snap her fingers in his direction. He was also fiercely protective of her, and it did bug the blond princess from time to time. She knew Max only had her best interests at heart, but Isabelle was sure that she’d earned the right to live her life on her own terms. Max on the other hand had a proven track record of failures when it came to women. It wasn’t that he was amazingly fussy; it was just that most women didn’t meet his criteria. He’d slept with a few women, his Director title and healthy bank balance often impressed them, but he could only see them as after his money. Within four years of starting the business, Max had easily made his first million. People around the world clambered for his skills, eager for him to head their takeovers. His success had lead to him being labelled one of the most eligible bachelors in Los Angeles, not something Max was particularly fond of. Women who appeared on his arm were instantly photographed, and Max often attracted some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Yet despite how stunning the women were, none of his dates ever evolved into anything more serious. No one woman had managed to take a hold of his heart, despite all the advances. He was after a woman who wasn’t just a pretty face, he wanted someone with a smart brain, someone who could spar with him verbally and give him a challenge. He needed a woman who wouldn’t just jump into bed with him at the first opportunity; he needed the quest to win her over. That particular ‘dream’ woman had, as yet, eluded him, but he still hoped that one day he would find her. He’d find her eventually, that he was sure of; he just had to wait until he ‘bumped’ into her. Clicking the button on his key swap, Max put his briefcase in the boot of the car before slipping into the leather driving seat. His car was a bright red mean machine, a brand new Lamborghini Diablo, a status symbol indicating the immense wealth he had put away. Each time he drove the car he couldn’t help but feel it’s amazing power, the feeling of being invincible it gave him. It was his pride and joy, the one item that he truly loved in life. No one was allowed to drive it, or even come near the driving seat, not even his beloved little sister. Slipping the car into reverse, Max pulled out of his driveway and onto the quiet road that his apartment stood on. It was a posh area of Beverly Hills, a place where only the very well off could afford, and Max certainly fell into that category. Not only was his business extremely successful, but Diane and Philip also had a successful law firm, giving the Evans family substantial wealth and high society class in the town. Slamming her front door shut, Liz hurried to her car. She’d overslept, not something she was known for doing, and it had thrown her completely off balance. She’d had to skip breakfast and rush her shower, before realising her favourite suit was at the cleaners ……… not a good start to the week. She’d worked almost non-stop over the weekend, preparing her elaborate plan for Amber Inns to secure control of the lucrative Andersen Edwardian portfolio of hotels. It was to be a potentially risky take-over bid, so extra care was needed. It wasn’t common knowledge in the hotel industry that the Andersen’s were struggling, and Liz had only got the lead through an inside contact whom she trusted well. She’d taken her information into James the previous Friday afternoon, explaining what she wanted to do. James Valenti had mulled over Liz’s suggestions for a few moments, before finally succumbing to the enriched and lively plan. Both knew time was of the essence in their project. Once rival groups caught wind of the Andersen Edwardian chain being put up for sale, there would be an all out price war. It was a lucrative chain of hotels, granted they needed a lot of renovation and work, but the payback would be big. A bidding war was most certainly something Jim wanted to avoid at all costs. So he’d politely requested Liz to work on a plan over the weekend, ready to present to him on Monday morning. She’d snapped up the chance to get her teeth sunk into a new cause. Liz had nothing better planned for her weekend, and work served as the perfect distraction to her dwindling private life. So here she was, heading to the office, presentation completed and held securely in her laptop, various ideas flying around her head at an alarming rate. Pulling up to the traffic lights, Liz slipped the car into neutral for a moment and reached towards her bag. In her haste to exit her apartment, Liz hadn’t had time to apply any make up, and she felt somewhat naked without a shimmer of lipstick to brighten her already glowing skin. The wind whipped at his hair as he tore along the 101 highway. It was a bright sunny Monday morning. The torrential rain of a few days previously had been completely chased away, leaving a crystal clear blue sky for the sun to shine brightly in. It was times like these that he enjoyed his job, the freedom he had to drive around and clear his head before important meetings. His fast car just served to emphasise the feeling of control he felt in almost everything he did. Pulling off the highway, Max turned into a quieter street and headed towards the traffic lights. There was already another car in front of him, stationary, so Max gently eased the brake to bring his car to a halt behind the other. From his vantage point he could see the back of the woman driving the black car. It was rather sporty, and he wondered whether the car was actually hers, or perhaps a rich boyfriend’s instead. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched her tilt the internal mirror down so she could apply what he assumed was lipstick. The peaceful surrounds were shattered spectacularly though a few moments later. A car hurtled down the road, before applying the brakes to the fast car. The youngster, not more than about 20 years old, didn’t leave enough braking time though, and his car easily slammed forcefully into Max’s Lamborghini. Although Max had left a distance between his car and that of the car in front, the momentum and speed at which the first car slammed into his forced Max’s car to lunge forward. She’d leant down to put her lipstick back in her bag; ready for the lights to change when she’d felt it. The sound of crumpling metal, followed by a swift lurch forward by her car and then the tinkling sound of shattered glass filled the air. “Oh this is just great, perfect! Just what I need!” Liz fumed, fumbling for her seatbelt buckle and practically ripping it apart. Reaching for the door handle, Liz pushed it opened and began to step out. Max couldn’t believe his luck, one moment he was having a perfectly happy day, and the next it had turned exceedingly worse. His beautiful car, his pride and joy, was now a mangled wreck. Climbing out of the driver’s seat, he walked round to the front to survey the damage, before heading around the back to check that out. It was indeed quite a mess; both bumpers were pushed in, lights smashed, number plate barely holding on. All in all it added up to some serious damage to the once perfect red sports car. Turning first towards the youth who had caused the accident, Max noted he was already on the phone to the police. Max then looked towards the other car, and watched the door open. One shapely leg then the other emerged from the car, before the rest of the woman appeared. Max couldn’t help it; he started from her toes and subconsciously ran his eyes up her body. She was dressed in a dark forest green suit, with a cream blouse, indicating she was obviously someone high up in business. Her hair was twisted neatly at the back of her head adding to the air of sophistication that surrounded her. As she turned his way though, it was the young lady’s eyes that captured Max. They were beautiful, plain and simple. A stunning liquid brown colour, that seemed to change in the moving sunlight. They were also blazing brightly with obvious anger, and the fiery look in them told Max she was about to explode. He’d seen the look before, but never on a woman, it was the sort of look he normally gave during business when people angered him. He was a tough businessman and his eyes always did much of the talking when he was in negotiations. He’d never seen that passion in someone else before though, that look in which all around knew you were most certainly furious. “Just what the hell were you thinking! Didn’t you see me here? Am I invisible or something!” She ranted, striding towards Max with conviction. “Excuse me mam, I didn’t …….” Max started, trying to diffuse the potentially volatile situation. “No! Just because I am a woman doesn’t mean you can just fob me off. Have you seen the damage to my car? Do you know how much it is going to cost for this to get fixed? God!” Liz yelled, pointing her hand towards the mashed back end of her car “Yes, I can see the damage …………” Max started again before he was cut off once more by her raving. “Good! Do you know how much hassle it is going to cause me to get it fixed? Geez people like you shouldn’t be allowed on the roads. You’re in your fast sports car, thinking you’re the business, but you don’t know how to handle such a machine! Yet it’s people like me that have to take the brunt of your stupidity!” She ranted. It wasn’t that Liz meant to take her aggression out on the poor unsuspecting Max; it was more that everything was going wrong for her that morning. Although she wouldn’t admit it, the accident had shaken her up, and it was more the shock talking as she ranted, rather than the real her. Blinded by shock, her eyes didn’t even register the young lad whose car was embedded in Max’s back bumper. “Ok, look lady! I understand this has been a shock, it’s a big hassle and all, but it wasn’t my fault. Just take a look at my car. You see the dents, front and back, it’s gonna be a hassle for me to fix it too, so just deal with it! I can’t help it if someone rammed into me, I stopped in time, remember!” Max snapped back at her, watching Liz’s eyes flicker slightly at his outburst. He was angry, he couldn’t help it. Here this woman was blowing up at him, verbally abusing him ………… and the accident hadn’t even been his fault! Glancing towards his car once more, Max took a deep breath. He still couldn’t take in the mess of his Lamborghini. His pride and joy, his one pleasure in life, was now a mangled wreck. Although he’d never admit it to anyone, the sight nearly brought him to tears. Oh he was very relieved he was ok, and there were no other casualties, but to him his car was a very personal object, one that would now take a very long time to be repaired. It didn’t take long before the police arrived at the scene to defuse the situation and take charge. It took a further fifteen minutes before Max, Liz and the youth were finally free to leave the location of the accident. Although there was a fair amount of damage to her car, it was still fit enough to drive. Grateful for that small mercy, Liz climbed into the driving seat and prepared herself to complete her journey to work. The arrogant man who’d slammed into her car had got Liz all riled up. Taking a deep breath she tried to calm her anger, knowing that she needed to be in a fit frame of mind for the meeting with James. Max on the other hand hadn’t been so lucky. His car was going nowhere, or at least nowhere without the assistance of a tow truck. Picking up his cell phone, Max called a cab, before making a second call. He was going to be late for his appointment, that was for sure, and courtesy told him to inform them. By the time he’d finished talking to the polite secretary, the cab had arrived. Staring back at his mashed car one more time and sighing, Max climbed into the cab and finally left the scene of what could be easy construed as a nightmare to him. Pushing hard on the glass doors, Liz Parker dashed through the reception area of the impressive building. It was indeed a very nice place, marble floors covered the reception area, large plush leather sofas created a comfortable waiting area, everything about the building smacked of the power Amber Inns held in the hotel industry. “Hello Ms Parker.” The receptionist, Lori said cheerily. “Good Morning Lori.” Liz replied, hastily signing in before continuing on her speed walk towards her office. “Hi Liz.” Maria greeted her boss. “Hi Maria.” Liz hurried past her. “You ok?” Maria queried, putting her head round her boss’s door and noticing the flushed look covering Liz’s cheeks. “No I’m not ok ……….. I’ve had the morning from hell. Just …….. just don’t ask me about it right now ok.” Liz informed her knowing discussing it would make her angry again. “Sure, whatever you say. Oh ……….. not wanting to make your morning any worse, but you haven’t forgotten about your 10am meeting with Mr Valenti have you?” Maria asked tentatively, partly afraid Liz might explode there and then. Whatever had happened on the way to work had clearly got her boss agitated. “Oh shit! Is it that time already? Ok thanks Maria.” Liz said, dumping her bag on the floor and glancing at her watch. Seeing it was nearly 10.10am, Liz smoothed down her hair and took a deep breath before picking up the laptop which contained her presentation. “Good luck!” Maria wished her, as Liz dashed out once more. Turning back to the dictation she was transcribing, something told Maria that Liz was stepping into an important meeting. That normally indicated another potential takeover, which in turn meant more work and long hours for Maria. “James, I’m so sorry I’m late.” Liz said hastily stepping into his office. “Some stupid boy racer decided to ram my car on the way to work!” She added. “Relax Liz, it’s ok.” James said, trying to put her at ease. He could tell just by looking at her body language that she was obviously quite wound up. “I’d like you to meet someone. Liz this is Max Evans ……. Max, this is Liz Parker, Head of Special Projects at the Amber Inn Group.” James introduced them. Standing up, Max offered his hand out as he let his eyes drift up to the face of the woman who James Valenti obviously put a lot of trust into. As his eyes travelled, he couldn’t help but think there was something vaguely familiar about the woman who had just breezed into the office. It wasn’t until he reached her face that Max suddenly knew why he believed he knew her. “Oh!” Liz couldn’t help but exclaim. The hand she placed over her mouth did little to stop the noise from being omitted. The shock and surprisement in her voice was very evident for the other members in the room to see. Her face flushed with slight embarrassment, thinking about how she’d met Max. “It’s very nice to meet you Ms Parker.” Max replied formally, as she tentatively reached up to shake his outstretched hand. “I guess I’m that stupid boy racer I assume?” He added with a hint of sarcasm, dropping his voice so only Liz could hear. From his vantage point, Max couldn’t help but smirk, watching Liz’s face register shock and just a touch of mortification over it. If their earlier meeting was anything to go by, she was certainly a fiery competitor. Something told Max a few warning sparks might just fly his way throughout the hour or so agenda. Sitting back down in the large black leather seat, one clear message dance through his mind. “Oh this meeting is going to be fun”, he thought to himself with a wicked glint in his eyes!
TBC .......................?
Click here to jump to parts 3 and 4
Click here to return to the story index page
If you liked this story, please let me know! Just a few words of encouragement can go a long way!!!!
E-mail me at : Kaznstu@btinternet.com
|
