"But I swear I work at Empirical."
"No badge, no entry. If you work there, you already know the rules."
Liza had made it all the way from Brooklyn to Midtown before discovering she had forgotten her keycard back at the loft. Without it, she couldn't pass through building security and couldn't make it to the Empirical office. She knew exactly where the keycard was. In her purse. On her dresser. That she had switched out for the new Strathbury bag that Kelsey had just insisted she buy after work yesterday. But there was no way she could get all the way home to Bushwick and get back in time.
"I have a meeting with a new author at nine. I can't be late."
"Not my problem, ma'am," the security guard shook his head at her. Despite her real age, Liza chafed at the implication that she was old enough to be called "ma'am'.
"But you scan me in every day!" she exclaimed. A glance at her watch told her that her meeting was starting in five minutes. Diana was probably grumbling impatiently about not having her morning coffee yet, and Liza still needed to print out prospectus for the meeting.
"Listen, lady. You're not getting in without it. End of story." He turned to start scanning in the gaggle of employees that had started growing due to Liza forgetful mishap. She couldn't miss this meeting. She tried another strategy.
Scooting around the line of employees that the security guard was now scanning in, Liza reached forward and placed her hand on his forearm. She rubbed her thumb back and forth. He really was a good-looking man. In another place and time, if she hadn't been hung up on Josh, if the situation with Charles wasn't so ambiguous, maybe she would have gone for him. But that didn't matter. Flirting with him now seemed to be her only opportunity to get upstairs.
"Please give me a break. Just this once..." She batted her eyelashes and leaned in towards him. "I promise I'll make it up to you." The security guard looked Liza over head to toe before smirking at her.
"Yeah? How'll you do that, huh?" She tried to stop herself from feeling revulsion at his innuendo-laden words. It was her goal to get upstairs. Who cares if she had to deal with this leering man every day?
A stern voice broke into their banter. "She's with me." Liza turned her head to find Charles glaring at the security guard. A thrill went through her at his words. He didn't mean it like she wanted him to, but it affected her all the same. She quickly removed her hand from the guard's arm.
"I'm sorry Mr. Brooks. I will make note of that." The security guard was suddenly all business at facing the head of Empirical Publishing, a man he clearly knew by sight.
Charles looked at Liza before sputtering out, "I mean. She's with me at work. She...she works for me at Empirical." Eventually finding his typical cool demeanor, he looked back at the guard.
"You can let her upstairs," he said, turning to look at Liza, "Just this once."
Liza placed her hand on Charles' arm as the guard scanned him in. She gave him a small smile and brushed past him through the gate.
As they both entered the elevator and silently watched the floor numbers grow larger and larger, Liza couldn't bear to look at him, instead choosing to stare at her boots. She was at once thrilled at possibility and terrified. She chanced a glance at him through the curtain of her hair before standing tall and pushing the offending hair behind her left ear. It wasn't until just before the doors opened she dared speak.
"Charles." He turned towards her and looked straight at her in a way that always unnerved her. Like he could see everything. She reached up and brushed her lips across his cheek.
"Thank you," she murmured.
