A/N: I can never say it enough that you all rock. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Ch. 5
The loud ring of an irritating alarm clock went off causing Haley to push the snooze button and pull the covers back up. A few minutes later, it buzzed again. 'Arrgh! Why do alarm clocks have to be so annoying?' Haley threw the white covers off her bed. As much as she hated waking up early, she was use to doing so her whole life, but it didn't mean she had to like it.
Picking up the phone next to her bed, she made a phone call and then walked to the bathroom. About half an hour later she came out of the bathroom, freshly cleaned.
A light knock on the door and the voice of a room service personnel reminded Haley that she made a phone call earlier. Opening the door, a male dressed in his black and white uniform rolled in a cart overflowing with food. He carried the tray and placed it on the table in the living room. Haley went to her room to grab her purse and handed him a five- dollar bill, thanking him as he left the room.
Setting the food out on the table, Haley carefully poured orange juice into two glasses and coffee into mugs. Then she proceeded to knock on Lucas' door just as he was about to open it; both surprised by the other's presence.
"Morning," Haley greeted, grateful that her voice sounded normal.
"Morning," Lucas replied back in a husky morning voice as he rubbed the back of his neck. He was already changed into this suit. His hair was jelled into a spiky, but professional manner. "Mmm...something smells awesome."
"Breakfast awaits," Haley gestured toward the food as Lucas followed her to the table. Taking a seat on the couch next to each other, he saw the mountain of food waiting to be devoured: waffles covered with maple syrup and strawberries, eggs, bacon, yogurt, bananas and bagels. Smiling appreciatively, he grabbed a knife and a fork. 'She sure was thinking ahead.' "You did a great job ordering breakfast," Lucas praised Haley, as they both began to consume the delicious food in front of them.
-----
"You conducted yourself extremely well at the seminar Haley. I was very impressed."
Haley managed to thank him for his kind comments. Both went to their perspective rooms. Kicking off her shoes, she carried them while heading towards her bedroom. Relieved that the long, draining day had finally come to an end, she placed her shoes by the bed and changed into more comfortable clothes. Throwing on her pajamas, she went to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
As she conducted her nightly routine, his voice entered her head. "You conducted yourself extremely well at the seminar Haley. I was very impressed." Those two sentences threw Haley's world upside. It showed her that as the years passed, he still possessed a kind nature and a show of appreciation; traits she always admired about him the most. It set him apart from the rest of the male population and was her biggest weakness. She could never help but fall for "good guys". How was it that he was able to throw out all her senses?
Her mind was constantly reminding her that he was unattainable, the forbidden fruit.
He was her boss for heaven sakes! But her heart was not listening to her mind. It was as if both were battling to control her, leaving her in a state of utter confusion; the reason why she was a victim of insomnia for the past two nights. When she was able to capture a few hours of sleep, she was plagued by his presence in her dreams. Dreams – a place where the subconscious wills you to acknowledge your inner thoughts and desires. Dreams that were taunting her, telling her that it was the only place she would only be able to be with him. Waking up in cold sweats after tossing and turning in bed was not her ideal sleeping situation.
Even as she walked back to her bedroom, her mind wouldn't halt for a minute. She laid down on her bed as her brain continued on overdrive. Never had she had it this bad, but never was she in such close proximity to him either. What was so special about him? He was just high school crush. An infatuation she rationalized. Who he was then may no longer be the person he is now. It was obvious during the meeting that his laidback personality about school did not apply in his career. He was able to handle himself with such confidence as the host of the seminar. He put in two hundred percent in everything he did when it came to his work. In a strange way, she was proud of him. She was working for a successful and well-liked publisher. All the editors she met at the conference treated him with the same respect he treated them with.
Placing a pillow over her face, she let out a muffled yell. She was doing it again; overanalyzing her feelings, or lack there of, which only led her in circles. 'Stay determined' her mind reprimanded. Her determination to defy her feelings....err...not reminded her that she will maintain a boss-employee relationship with Lucas. Being friends with him was not an option. The reason was obvious. It would be her death sentence. Becoming friends with Lucas may risk him discovering that she lied to him. She would never be able to be an editor of the company her heart desired. And yet, something inside her was trying to tell her that there was another reason that she had to keep the relationship platonic. A reason she would not allow herself to contemplate. Not now, not ever.
While Haley was in a trance, Lucas was taking a shower in his bathroom as his thoughts were spinning. Something about her was familiar. At first he thought he may have been mistaken, but the more time he spent with her, the more she reminded him of someone. But who? She denied the fact that she knew him. But for some unknown reason, this didn't sit well with him. He could have sworn he'd met her before. In a past life? Shaking his head at how ridiculous that sounded, he tried to remember. But why would she lie about it? She wouldn't. He could sense her innocent and honesty. She also had an aura around her. An inner spirit that was to be reckoned with once you got to know her.
As he came out of the shower, a cotton towel wrapped around his waist as beaded water ran down his well-developed body, he began wondering if her boyfriend or fiancé fully appreciated her. He had and he'd only known her for about 48 hours. Although he didn't know for sure if she had a significant other, one thing was certain: a women like her had to have someone special in her life. She seemed like a person who would devote her heart and soul to a person she loved. Whoever that person was was lucky. He hoped he would someday find the right woman in his life.
Moving towards the dresser, he pulled out a pair of blue boxer shorts. Throwing himself on the bed, he pulled out East of Eden by John Steinbeck, his favorite author. He needed a distraction from his work. It was rare for him to find time to read these days with his hectic schedule, but he decided to make time to read tonight.
After a few hours passed, both individuals fell to a restful slumber.
Ch. 5
The loud ring of an irritating alarm clock went off causing Haley to push the snooze button and pull the covers back up. A few minutes later, it buzzed again. 'Arrgh! Why do alarm clocks have to be so annoying?' Haley threw the white covers off her bed. As much as she hated waking up early, she was use to doing so her whole life, but it didn't mean she had to like it.
Picking up the phone next to her bed, she made a phone call and then walked to the bathroom. About half an hour later she came out of the bathroom, freshly cleaned.
A light knock on the door and the voice of a room service personnel reminded Haley that she made a phone call earlier. Opening the door, a male dressed in his black and white uniform rolled in a cart overflowing with food. He carried the tray and placed it on the table in the living room. Haley went to her room to grab her purse and handed him a five- dollar bill, thanking him as he left the room.
Setting the food out on the table, Haley carefully poured orange juice into two glasses and coffee into mugs. Then she proceeded to knock on Lucas' door just as he was about to open it; both surprised by the other's presence.
"Morning," Haley greeted, grateful that her voice sounded normal.
"Morning," Lucas replied back in a husky morning voice as he rubbed the back of his neck. He was already changed into this suit. His hair was jelled into a spiky, but professional manner. "Mmm...something smells awesome."
"Breakfast awaits," Haley gestured toward the food as Lucas followed her to the table. Taking a seat on the couch next to each other, he saw the mountain of food waiting to be devoured: waffles covered with maple syrup and strawberries, eggs, bacon, yogurt, bananas and bagels. Smiling appreciatively, he grabbed a knife and a fork. 'She sure was thinking ahead.' "You did a great job ordering breakfast," Lucas praised Haley, as they both began to consume the delicious food in front of them.
-----
"You conducted yourself extremely well at the seminar Haley. I was very impressed."
Haley managed to thank him for his kind comments. Both went to their perspective rooms. Kicking off her shoes, she carried them while heading towards her bedroom. Relieved that the long, draining day had finally come to an end, she placed her shoes by the bed and changed into more comfortable clothes. Throwing on her pajamas, she went to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
As she conducted her nightly routine, his voice entered her head. "You conducted yourself extremely well at the seminar Haley. I was very impressed." Those two sentences threw Haley's world upside. It showed her that as the years passed, he still possessed a kind nature and a show of appreciation; traits she always admired about him the most. It set him apart from the rest of the male population and was her biggest weakness. She could never help but fall for "good guys". How was it that he was able to throw out all her senses?
Her mind was constantly reminding her that he was unattainable, the forbidden fruit.
He was her boss for heaven sakes! But her heart was not listening to her mind. It was as if both were battling to control her, leaving her in a state of utter confusion; the reason why she was a victim of insomnia for the past two nights. When she was able to capture a few hours of sleep, she was plagued by his presence in her dreams. Dreams – a place where the subconscious wills you to acknowledge your inner thoughts and desires. Dreams that were taunting her, telling her that it was the only place she would only be able to be with him. Waking up in cold sweats after tossing and turning in bed was not her ideal sleeping situation.
Even as she walked back to her bedroom, her mind wouldn't halt for a minute. She laid down on her bed as her brain continued on overdrive. Never had she had it this bad, but never was she in such close proximity to him either. What was so special about him? He was just high school crush. An infatuation she rationalized. Who he was then may no longer be the person he is now. It was obvious during the meeting that his laidback personality about school did not apply in his career. He was able to handle himself with such confidence as the host of the seminar. He put in two hundred percent in everything he did when it came to his work. In a strange way, she was proud of him. She was working for a successful and well-liked publisher. All the editors she met at the conference treated him with the same respect he treated them with.
Placing a pillow over her face, she let out a muffled yell. She was doing it again; overanalyzing her feelings, or lack there of, which only led her in circles. 'Stay determined' her mind reprimanded. Her determination to defy her feelings....err...not reminded her that she will maintain a boss-employee relationship with Lucas. Being friends with him was not an option. The reason was obvious. It would be her death sentence. Becoming friends with Lucas may risk him discovering that she lied to him. She would never be able to be an editor of the company her heart desired. And yet, something inside her was trying to tell her that there was another reason that she had to keep the relationship platonic. A reason she would not allow herself to contemplate. Not now, not ever.
While Haley was in a trance, Lucas was taking a shower in his bathroom as his thoughts were spinning. Something about her was familiar. At first he thought he may have been mistaken, but the more time he spent with her, the more she reminded him of someone. But who? She denied the fact that she knew him. But for some unknown reason, this didn't sit well with him. He could have sworn he'd met her before. In a past life? Shaking his head at how ridiculous that sounded, he tried to remember. But why would she lie about it? She wouldn't. He could sense her innocent and honesty. She also had an aura around her. An inner spirit that was to be reckoned with once you got to know her.
As he came out of the shower, a cotton towel wrapped around his waist as beaded water ran down his well-developed body, he began wondering if her boyfriend or fiancé fully appreciated her. He had and he'd only known her for about 48 hours. Although he didn't know for sure if she had a significant other, one thing was certain: a women like her had to have someone special in her life. She seemed like a person who would devote her heart and soul to a person she loved. Whoever that person was was lucky. He hoped he would someday find the right woman in his life.
Moving towards the dresser, he pulled out a pair of blue boxer shorts. Throwing himself on the bed, he pulled out East of Eden by John Steinbeck, his favorite author. He needed a distraction from his work. It was rare for him to find time to read these days with his hectic schedule, but he decided to make time to read tonight.
After a few hours passed, both individuals fell to a restful slumber.