A Passion Rekindled (2 page)

Chapter 1

Starting Over

Two years later...

Scarlett stood outside the 25-story building and felt a knot in her stomach as her nervousness grew. She glanced back down to the paper and saw her meeting was on the 24th floor. Her interview was in the psychology department for the position of secretary, a job she knew she was good at. Scarlett walked into the building. She noticed the information booth and a woman filing her nails flirting with a deliveryman.

Scarlett exhaled deeply as she walked over to the elevator. She glanced around as she smoothed down her skirt then dug in her purse for a lifesaver mint. She sucked on it and glanced at the people who were walking in and out of the building at fast paces, trying to calm her nerves. When the elevator doors opened, she stepped in and wiped the sweat from her hands onto her skirt. She pushed the button for the 24th floor and heard a deep tenor male voice calling to her.

“Hold the elevator…please.”

She reached and held the doors open button and stepped back as he stepped in. Her eyes felt like they were going to pop out of her head. There in front of her was one of the sexiest men she had ever seen in her life. He was tall dark and handsome. As she looked him up and down she knew he had to be about 6’3. She loved how you could look at him and tell that he had a body and he was gorgeous. He was a mocha completion with dimples that shone while he smiled. His teeth were strait and white and his hair cut short and tapered. He had the eyes of a man who knew how to turn a woman on with one look; they were dark brown and hypnotic. With well-defined high cheek bones and a thin goatee that covered a strong jaw line and sexy chin that complete his look. As he stood next to her all she could think was this man smelled oh so good. He was wearing a pinstriped Black suit, with light purple shirt and dark purple tie. On some men that would look horrible but this man could pull it off very well. The man glanced down to her and she melted.

“Hi I’m Christian Waters.”

He extended his hand to hers. As she took his hand, she felt heat rise from her center. His hands were soft and smooth not rough with calluses as you would think a man’s would. She gave a little grin.

“Scarlett Hale.”

“Scarlett I like that.”

He continued to smile down at her, and she felt her heart flutter. She bit her bottom lip as she did when she tried to control her emotions. Christian cleared his throat.

“So you must be new here, I think I would remember seeing you before.”

“I have an interview with Dan Mario’s.”

“Dan, oh so you must be the new Psychologist nice.” He smiled at her and she frowned.

“Uh no…I'm working my way through school and well I need a job and he is hiring for a secretary.”

He lifted his right eyebrow to her. “So how old are you?”

She gave a small smile taking a stray hair and putting it behind her ear.

“27 I got a late start with school.”

“At least you’re in school trying to be better.”

They stood in comfortable silence as the elevator rose through the floors uninterrupted. Christian sighed.

“So are you nervous?”

“Very.” She said nodding. “I need this job.”

“Well, just calm down everything happens for a reason what will be, will be.” She smiled up to him.

“My mom says that.”

He leaned closer to her. “Mines too.”

The doors to the elevator opened. She took a deep breath.

“Well this is my stop I should go. It was nice meeting you Mr. Waters.”

“Call me Christian. Hope I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Scarlett bit her lower lip as he smiled at her. Stepping off the elevator and walking into the office, she tried to push the vision of Christian out of her mind. She headed towards the front desk wondering if she would see him again. The receptionist smiled at her. She had long dark hair with blonde highlights. Her skin was almost pale. She wore a dark blue skirt and white top that had brown stains on them. Scarlett figured the stains were coffee.

“He tends to do that to all the ladies.” The receptionist’s desk was a dark mahogany wood with a laminate finish with wire cutouts and spacious cubbies. The round desk with a latch opening was a place Scarlett could see herself working. It was modern and very organized.

“Excuse me?”

“You were in the elevator with Mr. Waters or Christian as he likes to be called. That fine man leaves them all speechless. If I was single he would me too.” Scarlett stared at her.

“Ok so maybe he does just don't tell my husband.”

She laughed
and Scarlett couldn’t help but laugh with her.

“My name is Mindy how can I help you dear?”

“I am Scarlett Hale and I am here to see Mr. Mario’s.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

She reached into her bag for her resume. “No I am here for my interview.”

“Oh I’m sorry you have the wrong floor.”

“This is the 24th floor right? Mr. Mario’s office? I am asking because his name is on the door.”

“It is, but whoever called you for the interview should have told you that the interview is on the 12th floor. I can call down and let them know.”

“Could you? Thank you for that.” Scarlett held her breath replacing her resume into her bag.

“No problem I should warn you though there are other people interviewing for the job and being late doesn’t work in your favor good luck.”

“Thanks you have a good day.”

“You too.”

Scarlett nodded as she walked out the office and back to the elevator. She felt tears rush to her eyes; she prayed they would still see her. If this was a sign of what was to come she just wanted to get home. Home, how could she walk through that door without a job again? She took a deep breath. She had to do whatever it took to leave there with a job. While in deep thought, the doors opened and Christian stood there with a Folder in his hand. He smiled. Scarlett looked away so he wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes. The doors tried to close but Christian held them open.

“What’s wrong? You were going down right. How did the interview go? You weren’t in there for very long.”

“I am fine and yeah I am going down.”

“So you are crying because you had to see me again? Ouch.”

She wiped the tears from her eyes and reached in her bag for a tissue but stopped as Christian handed her a handkerchief. She took it looking at the light purple material with the initials CPW embroidered on it, she wiped her eyes sighing and shaking her head,

“That’s not it. I am on the wrong floor and it frustrated me for a second I am fine.” The doors started to close again but Christian grabbed them.

“Are…you coming in or are we going to stay out here letting people think I made you cry…”

She looked at the double doors behind her and of course, Mindy was looking at them wondering what was going on. Scarlett took a deep breath.

“So is this your job? You ride elevators all day trying to rescue women in need?” Christian smiled leaning against the elevator door. 

“No thank you very much as soon as I stepped into my office I realized I left something in my car.”

“Oh.”

Scarlett looked at her watch then walked onto the elevator wiping the tears from her eyes again with his handkerchief. She wanted to run somewhere and cry but there was something about this man that made her comfortable in his presence.

***

From the moment Christian Waters laid eyes on Scarlett, he knew there was something special about her. She looked so familiar he just couldn’t place where he knew her from, but it didn’t matter when he looked her in her eyes he knew he would never be the same. She was not his type by the standard set for men of his stature but she was beautiful. Pretty short about 5’4 maybe 5’5, light skinned with smooth clear skin. Her body was so sexy too, she was thick in every aspect of the word, big full breast and curves that would drive any man crazy. She wore a baby blue dress with a suit jacket, it fit her body perfectly. Her legs were short but long if that made any sense. And those heels and stockings just did something to his body.

In addition to her overwhelming sexiness, her eyes were fascinating. They seemed to change colors. They were grayish light brown when he first met her and when the elevator doors opened they were black. Now they were a soft brown and just so beautiful behind her glasses.

She wore very little makeup from what he could tell and lip gloss but that didn’t bother him because he didn’t like a lot of makeup to take away from a woman’s beauty. The more he saw of her the more he realized that to him she was gorgeous. Her scent was overwhelming it reached into his soul and pulled him closer to her. He didn’t know what it was that she had on but he loved it.

When their hands touched, a spark
shot up his arm and to his heart. Her skin was so soft and smooth all he wanted to do was embrace her whole body. Once she got off the elevator and he inhaled her and knew he needed more, wanting to head back down to Mario’s office just to see her again.

When he realized that she went to his
office and not to the interview room he knew he had a chance to see her again so he headed back down. And when the doors opened there, she was looking so distraught and sad. As she stepped into the elevator, he smiled.

“So you’re headed back down to the ground floor?”

“12.”

He hit the button for the 12th floor and the elevator started to move. Christian wanted to say something
but he couldn’t. He prayed a silent prayer that some way he could help her. He looked at her fanning her face trying to compose herself, but before he could speak, the lights flashed and the elevator began to shake.

Scarlett pressed her backside against the wall as Christian went to her. Christian held her as the elevator swayed a
bit then stopped. He looked down to her as she looked up to him and felt his body come alive. Sexual tension built for the both of them as he they stared in silence at each other. He cleared his throat after a moment.

“Are you ok?”

“What’s happening?” she asked with his voice shaking in fear.

“I don’t know I am going to check it out ok.”

She nodded as he moved to the elevator’s phone. He picked it up.

“Hello? Hello? This is Christian Water’s I am stuck in elevator 2.”

“Mr. Waters we are experiencing a blackout. I think someone ran into the pole outside we are working to get everything back on as soon as we can.”

Christian looked over to Scarlett and sighed. “Do you know how long we are going to be stuck in here? There are two of us.”

“No sir but we will do our best to get it up and running.”

“Ok thank you.”

Christian placed the phone onto the receiver and glanced over to Scarlett who had managed to slide down the back wall. She had her hands to her face. Christian pulled his suit jacket off as he sat next to her.

“It looks like we are going to be here a while.” He said loosening his tie.

“Makes sense. Today is one of those days where bad things happen and happen and keeps on happening….dammit I needed that interview.” Scarlett hit the wall as Christian looked at her the elevator began to shake and fear came over her again. Christian reached for her hand.

“You know you can take me up on that offer to talk. We aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.” She bit her lip and looked away. He placed his hand on hers.

“So tell me what's wrong.”

Scarlett couldn’t hold her tears anymore she just broke down. She took Christian’s handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

“I don’t know what I am going to do, I was counting on that job, I had two other interviews today but I came to this one…we can’t survive without it. And because some girl gave me the wrong info I ended up on the wrong floor and now I am stuck in an elevator and any chance I had at the job is long gone.”

“I am sure if you tell them you had been stuck they would he will let you keep your interview.”

“There are like 12 other people who were on time and have better references. I wouldn’t have gotten the job anyway.”

“Don’t be like that.”

“Like what?”

“Well you are being kind of negative.”

Scarlett stood and crossed her arms over her chest. She felt the elevator rock but didn’t care she was angry.

“I’m being negative? Well excuse the hell out of me for having feelings. My life has been so frustrating that I am sure even on your worse day you wouldn’t understand.”

She dropped her arms feeling tears well up in her eyes. “I woke up this morning to complaints from three different birds chirping in my ear. Why are we stuck here, I need new clothes, school is starting and then I get out on time just to realize that I have missed the bus.”