A/N Would you believe it... two updates in the same day after all this silence?
Well, I decided the prologue may have been a little bit too short to put you in the mood for this story, and so I present to you (taaa daaaa) Chapter One of Clean Start!
Let me know what you think!
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Chapter 1 – A New World
Present Day
I thought about that deciding moment which occurred in my old apartment in my head as my senses took in the new surroundings I was about to call 'home'. Anna had found a beautiful medium sized house on the outskirts of New Orleans, an area that was unaffected by the flooding 10 years back. It was just the right size for us to share without feeling crowded. We each had a bedroom; Anna's and mine each sported an en suite while Lisa's was just across the hall from the master bathroom. The one spare bedroom would be great for guests and in between visits it doubled as a makeshift home office, maybe even something of a den.
The kitchen was well equipped, the adjoining dining area and living room were both just the 'right' size to be able to feel spacious and cozy at the same time; all in all I truly felt I could learn to feel at home here. Walking into the living room I looked out through the double glass doors towards our back yard and had another sharp wake up call. The words 'You're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.' flew through my mind although a more correct phrasing would have been 'You're not in Austria any more, Karin.' Hailing from a temperate European country, the very visual of the large-ish outdoor pool visible just beyond the paved patio through the glass doors seemed unreal. It was a striking reminder that I was so far outside my comfort zone that I couldn't even see the edges of it any more.
From reflex and habit I turned around to grab my daughter's hand, ready to show her the wonders of our new life, before I suddenly and painfully remembered that she wasn't here yet. Having opted out of being a part of our lives for the past two years, Christian's parents decided that the time to resurface into my world was at the same time that I made my plans to move publicly known. Although they are not her legal guardians I could still see the wisdom in their arguments as they spoke of letting her stay on familiar ground until I was certain that this new life was for me, that we would in fact stay. 'It would be cruel to tear her up by the roots only to do it again a short while later, Karin.' Christian's mother had argued, and even though I positively hated the idea of leaving my beautiful angel behind I could not fault her reasoning.
And so, Anna and I had made the flight alone. To not make me uncomfortable Anna had asked her beau (yes, apparently they still use that word in the southern states…) not to pick us up at the airport, instead opting to rent a car to drive us and our luggage to our new house before swiftly taking off to go 'spend some quality time' with him. Oh, I knew exactly what that was code for. The kind of quality time where you don't wear any clothes was something I had not experienced for two years now, a small part of me was even jealous of her, while another felt guilty at the thought of betraying Christian.
'He has been gone for more than two years now,' Anna would say whenever the subject came up in our girl-talks. 'Karin, you would not be cheating on him. He would not want you to live the rest of your life as a nun! You are a beautiful, vibrant woman that turns heads wherever you go. You should reach out to the buffet of life and take a bite, already!'
I knew she was right, and yet I had not been able to fully commit in any of the arranged dates my increasingly worried friends had started setting my up on this past year. That thought brought me back to the present and the plans Anna had made for tonight. She had gone through great lengths to explain that this was NOT a setup, despite how it may seem. We were going to her beau's place for dinner, opting out of going to a restaurant as we did not know just how jet-lagged we would be upon arrival. I had argued I would in no way enjoy being the fifth wheel during the evening of their reunion until Anna explained that Kol's oldest brother (apparently he had 3, all older than him as his baby brother died while still a child) would join us. Not, repeating: NOT(!) as a date for me. Rather, Elijah (which was his name, it sounded as strange and old to me as Kol's name did) was the patriarch of the family after their father died a few years ago. He apparently made a habit of personally approving any woman his younger brothers were truly serious with as the family had money, old money. I scoffed at that, knowing full well that what an American considered 'old' would be, at best, a few generations whereas my European definition was a family that made its wealth in the Middle Ages.
Regardless of age-definitions, it seemed a lot of money was involved and Elijah had clearly made it his personal business to make sure his brother's love interest did not fall into the 'gold digger'-category. I guess I could respect that, to a degree, although the mere thought of anyone considering the possibility of Anna being a gold digger angered me. A more altruistic and generous person would be hard to find on god's green earth, in my opinion. I took consolation in the fact that if this Elijah person had any sense at all he would know and agree to this sentiment before the night was over. Under these circumstances I completely understood Anna's wish that I'd be present for this dinner (slash judgment).
There was another reason why I would like to make a good impression on this unknown persona. Anna told me just the day before we left that Kol had mentioned me, my background and my wish to find gainful employment to his brother. As it turned out, apparently Elijah had been on the lookout for a quality housekeeper for quite some time and once he heard enough about me from his brother he expressed his interest in hiring me to take care of his New Orleans residence. Apparently he had a number of residences but since most of his family lived in the area he had recently upgraded his New Orleans home as it was now to be his home base.
With that thought in mind I went back to the room I would probably soon consider 'mine' and brought my well stocked beauty box with me into the en suite. Time for a quick shower and then get ready for an awkward evening with the love of my best friends life and his controlling brother, also known as my possible employer. I sighed at the thought and set to work.
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I took care to lock the door and set the alarm as I walked outside our new house. Anna had told me that they would send a car for me. As in; No one I knew was going to pick me up but a car with a professional driver would show up to take me to my destination. This felt really odd to me, but I was attempting not to let the difference in culture phase me. I would try to enjoy this to the best of my abilities, no matter how uncomfortable it may make me feel. This evening was not for me, it was for Anna. Little did I know that this was to become a mantra for me all through the evening; 'Hold it together! Not for me, for Anna. Not for me, for Anna!'
When the dark green Jaguar SK showed up I admired its beautiful and sleek lines from afar, only to see it slow and stop right outside our door. This was the car they sent for me? I froze for a moment, just staring at it, while the left hand door opened and the driver slowly exited the vehicle. He was as graceful as anyone stepping out of a car which rides that low to the ground can be which is saying a lot. Once he was fully out of the car and trailed his gaze on me I completely forgot about the enticing beauty of this British piece of machinery I was to ride in.
Oh.
My.
GOD!
Casually leaning against the sexiest car ever created by man was what seemed to be the sexiest man created by god. His ankles were crossed, as were his arms, while he continued to stare into my eyes with a hint of a smirk playing across his handsome features. If this was what I could expect from a professional driver, feel free to send me a car every day, Anna! I straightened my back, unconsciously arching it slightly to improve my posture and press my chest forward, and took a deep breath to prepare for moving towards this god-among-men, desperately praying that my mouth would not be too dry to speak. It did not escape my attention that my driver made good use of this brief pause; letting his eyes leave mine to slowly, ever so slowly, glide all the way down my form and then back up again. I could almost feel his gaze on my skin as a physical touch. Wait! Was he checking me out? Yes indeed, I believe he was! Oh god Karin, don't blow this now! I told myself as I finally got the presence of mind to start walking towards him, taking perhaps a little more time than needed as my hips swayed ever so slightly more than they normally would.
He did not react to my sensual glide in any obvious way, but his pupils dilated just a little bit more than normal as he watched me walk towards him. Also, he left his relaxed stance against the car to instead stand straight and attentive as a true gentleman would. Perhaps if I had lived longer in the US I would have recognized the unusual oddity in this behavior, but fresh from 'the old world' I did not think anything of it aside from that his mother obviously taught him manners. I appreciate a man with manners, especially a drop-dead-gorgeous man with manners. Add the most erotic car ever made and make said drop-dead-gorgeous man also radiate enough pheromones to become sex-on-legs, still with manners and… Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!
As I approached the car the look he directed at me was intense enough to only be just shy of a stare. Comfortable in the presence of this hired hand, no matter how gorgeous, I looked at him through my lashes when I came closer, purposefully sending him all the seductive vibes I could. Hell, it's been ages since I even noticed a man, so when the gods chose to send me Adonis for a driver I could and would make the most of it! It's not like I'd ever have to meet him again. That made this an excellent opportunity to try my rusty wings at the art of seduction again. With that thought I allowed a small smile to grace my features and again looked at him through my lashes, just as I came within arm's length of him.
He did not disappoint. Oh no, not at all. Instead he gracefully reached out to lift my left hand into his right and bent at the waist in a courtly bow while bringing my hand towards his face. A whisper of a breath passed over my skin and then his lips touched my knuckles in the lightest of caresses before he again straightened to tower a head or more above me. I do not exaggerate when I tell you my insides went to mush from the look he gave me as he rose from his bow, aided by his husky, melodious voice.
'Good evening Ms. Aigner. It is a true pleasure to make your acquaintance.' His voice came out as close to a purr as to make no difference and struck a chord in me that seemed to be directly connected to my core. To my dismay I noticed my hand, the hand so recently kissed, trembled slightly.
Oh my, American chauffeurs are certainly well behaved. I could so get used to this. At my slight blush and mumbled greeting he sent me a smile that rivaled the sun in brightness before lightly touching my elbow and leading me around to the passenger side of the car. After opening the door for me (of course!) he gave me just enough support to make my entry into the low sports car graceful rather than embarrassing before closing the door with a small wink that made my knees feel weak. Wait, did he wink at me? Yes indeed, I think he did. Oh dear, the first good looking man that gives me attention and I am putty in his hands. Get a grip of yourself, girl!
A moment later he was back at the driver's side and got into the car, slightly adjusting the legs of his suit trousers as he sat down. Ah yes, those are nice trousers. American chauffeurs are apparently both well behaved and well dressed; I could swear that he's wearing a Hugo. So, make that well paid, also. As he settled into the driver's seat next to me I felt the faint but pleasant scent of Armani Gio mixed with some musky, manly accent that seemed to be all him. Right, add well-smelling to the increasingly long list then.
Oh god, I am staring! Maybe I should try to make light conversation? My English is not perfect, but at least I can try, right?
'So, do you enjoy giving rides to strangers?'
Shit, shit, shit! That didn't sound right!