Fated (5 page)

“Good, be there at eight tomorrow. Good night, Sophie. I’ll see you in the morning.” For whatever reason that sentence coming out of his mouth makes all the hairs on my arm stand on ends.

I force my mouth to open again, “Austin,” he turn
s around to look at me and I step closer so I don’t have to yell at him, “Thank you, for tonight. The past three days I haven’t really been able to not think about it and well today… well you saw me, it was bad.” He nods walking back over to me and intently staring to me.

“It’s my pleasure, Soph.” and he leans down and places a kiss on my cheek, I turn around, and
I start to walk inside. I understand why woman find him irresistible.

I push the door open and begin to walk inside when I hear the footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Soph, where have you been?” Mar asks.

“I went to Austin’s for a little while.”

“Soph,” she whines.

“What Mar, we are just friends. He came by and saw me moping on the balcony, and then invited me over, we sat and listened to music and he walked me home, that
is it. Well he offered me a job.”

“A job?” she asks me, “Doing what?”

“He said that he needed a secretary and told me to show up tomorrow.” She nods smiling at me, “What?”

“I’m not sure if it’s a good idea, but I’ll be happy that you won’t be cooped up in the house all the time.”

I left out the part about having more fun tonight than I had in the last year combined and that Austin made me smile wider in the short time that I had known him than most people. And that he made me laugh harder tonight, in one night, than I think I have ever laughed in my life. I knew that she wouldn’t approve. I knew that she wouldn’t understand. I wondered what Austin was thinking about; wonder what it would be like to work for him. I decided that I wasn’t going to take the job; I would go out and find something for myself… I don’t need something handed to me.

Chapter Six

I wake at seven in the morning to the sound of my phone ringing and I groan silencing it, and pulling the covers back over my head. I exhale trying to fall back asleep into the rhythm that only sweet sleep can bring when my phone starts ringing yet again. I snatch it off of the night stand and whip it open.

“Whoever this is, there better be some
body fucking dying.” I growl into the phone, and then I hear a laughter come through it

“Alright, note taken that you are not a morning person, get up, and get ready because I will be at your house in five minutes.” I hear Austin tell me through the earpiece.

“Why?” I ask.

“Because you are late for work.”
He says.

“But-,” he cuts me off.

“No, look Soph you have to get out of the house. Just try it out, come in for the day, if you hate it than I will start looking for someone else.”

I groan rolling over and looking at the clock, “What the fuck, it’s only seven fifteen.”

“I know,” I hear him laugh, “But I knew that you would back out, and I thought it would make it easier if you walked in there with someone that you knew. Also, I called early because I figured that you would need some time to get ready.” How did he already know me this well?

“There better be coffee involved.”
I groan.

“I think that I can arrange that.”

“Fine,” I tell him getting up, “How much time do I have?”

“Twenty minutes.”

“Ugh,” I groan. I can hear his smile through the phone. I hang up and begin to hurry and get ready.

I hear the knock on the door before I get a chance to open it, as I walk out in a simple white dress, a belt around my middle, and a pair of pointy toe shoes; I decided to wear my hair down and my glasses. I might as well make a statement the first day. I see Austin’s eyes widen again when he sees me step out from the inside of the house.

“Wow,” he pauses looking me over. I know that this outfit used to get a lot of compliments.

“Thanks, can we get this over with.” I ask him walking to his car. I grin when he walks to the passenger side and opens the door for me letting me step in and then closing it behind me. I watch him walk over to his side and get in as well. “You know, I could have driven myself.” I tell him.

“I know, but I wanted to.”

“Don’t you think that it will cause people to talk?” I look to him, “Wouldn’t they think I got this job for some other reason?”
The thought of what I am implying makes my stomach tighten.

He shrugs, “Who cares, everyone else sort of thinks that I am a joke
anyways.”

“Why’s that?”
I ask

“They think that I don’t care about it. They think that I’m too flirty, and that I’m never going to meet anyone and ‘settle
down’,” he actually hand quotes it with his one free hand, “I don’t know they probably get the feeling that I would rather be doing something else.”

“Why would
they, I mean you have won every case you have worked on.”

“Because I would rather be doing something else.”
He says bluntly, and then looks over to me.

“Then why don’t you?”
I ask him.

“It’s not that easy, Soph.”
He looks to me like I am crazy.

“Sure it is, you think ‘I’m not happy, let me do something that w
ill make me happy’ you only live once Austin why not do something that makes it worth it?”

“But I have already built up so much, I already have this lifestyle. How am I supposed to just leave it?”

“Fuck, how do you know that you can’t still have this lifestyle doing what you love? It’s worth the risk or possibly failing and being poor, than to wake up one morning and wonder why you never even tried.” I tell him as I look over.

“It’s not that easy, Soph.”

“But it is,” is the last thing I say to him before we pull up to the building and walk inside.

It’s lunchtime before I get another chance to catch my breath. Apparently working for Austin is going to be more than I thought it would be. It does catch me off guard when I come across a few documents about my case, but I ignore them as I place them into a pile that I need to take into his office; I knock on the door,

“Come in,” I hear through the thick wood, I push the door open and walk to his desk. “Hey, Soph,” he smiles as I place the stack of papers on his desk, “You want to go get some lunch?”

“Sure,” I shrug.

“Alright, be ready in ten minutes,” he tells me and I begin to walk out of his office and back to my desk as
an older man stops me,

“Well, who are you?” I hear the older man who is looking at me to the extent that he is
making me uncomfortable.

“So-Sophie,” I stutter at him.

“Ah,” he smirks, “So, you’re Austin’s new secretary.” I nod my head, “I see why he wanted you; although you’re not like most of the girls he would go for.”

“Excuse me?” I ask him, slightly annoyed now.

“Usually they are a lot more-,” he pauses as if trying to think of the perfect word to us, “Artificial, but not you… nope. You look completely natural.”

Well, if it eases your mind I do dye my hair.” I mutter to him causing him to step back and laugh a bit.

“Well just so you know,” he says looking back at the room that I had just walked out of, “He’s never going to change. The way he is, he will always be that way.”

“You don’t seem to have much faith in him.”
I bat back at him.

“It’s not that I don’t have faith, he’s a great lawyer, although he doesn’t want to be here and I know that, but I just want you to know, you can’t change him he will always be this way.”

“It’s not like that.” I say trying to explain that I’m not trying to be with him.

“They all say that, but-,” he starts to say but is interrupted.

“Dad,” I hear Austin say, “Can you stop pestering sweet Sophie?” Then he turns to me and smiles, saying, “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, I just have to put this away.” I tell him and he tells me that he will meet
me downstairs, and walks away. At first I look back to Austin’s father and he looks stunned, but he lets the look fall.

“It will turn into that. That son of mine has had more secretaries than anyone else I know.” I wonder to myself if he is still talking about only secretaries as I slam the stack of papers on my desk as I turn to him.

“Like I said, it isn’t like that.” And I turn and walk down the hall following in the footsteps of Austin. I wonder to myself why I even let what his dad said get to me. It’s not like Austin and I were anything more than friends. I step out of the elevator car and walk towards the exit as I see Austin, leaning over the desk, flirting with the secretary, as I approach he straightens himself and looks to me smiling.

“Are you ready to go?” I quickly nod my head then he looks over to the girl behind the desk and winks. I feel my stomach tighten. We walk into a different restaurant only a few moments later, and I feel my bad mood
radiating over. I don’t want to be here, with him, and I’m not sure why. “Soph, are you alright?” I nod my head, but don’t say a word. “Sorry, I left you with my dad.” He says looking down to the floor, “It’s just I can hardly stand the guy.” I nod my head in response, agreeing with him. “What did he say to you?”

“He was warning me about you,” I hear him stifle a cough, “I told him it wasn’t like that, but he felt the need to inform me that it never starts that way with you, that you have had more ‘secretaries’ than anyone he has
ever met.” I actually air-quote the word secretaries; I’m not sure why I am so mad at him.

“He doesn’t know what he is talking about.” He tells me.

“Oh really, because I walk up to your office and it’s clear that you have been making out with one of the girls in the building and right after you dad tells me that, I come down to see you fucking her with your eyes.” I’m raising my voice.

“I wasn’t doing that.” I see him becoming irritated now. I’m not sure why I am doing this.

“Don’t lie, it’s not becoming.”

“What does it matter to you anyways?” he asks trying to keep his voice down as my use of profanity had gotten us a bit of attention.

“It doesn’t,” I say getting up and looking back at him, “Just know now that it won’t happen so don’t even try.”

“Where are you going?” he snaps at me.

“There’s some paper work that needs to be finished.” And I storm out of the restaurant before the server has a chance to come over to us. I think I see him looking out of the window at me as I storm down the street.

For a split second I admitted to myself that yesterday when we had those moments in his house I felt
something that I wanted to feel something, hell that I felt something the first time I met him. When he comes back to his office he doesn’t even look at me, in fact at four thirty I see the girl from the lobby floor come up the elevator and walks into his office again. I huff to myself as I bury all my feelings down inside of me.

A quarter till five I walk to his door and knock loud and hear him shuffling around and then call for me to come inside. When I open the door the girl from the lobby floor slides out looking slightly less put together than the last time I watched her scurry out. He lowers his eyes as I walk up to him handing him the paper work that I needed to for the day and I turn walking back out the way I came. All I can think about was the conversation I had with Mar after I saw her leave the last time.
It didn’t smell like sex when I walked in
… well I definitely can’t say that this time.

“Soph,” I hear him say as a sigh escapes his mouth, “I’m sorry,” I hear the sincerity in his voice but I can’t look at him.

“It doesn’t matter, Austin.” I start to walk back towards the door when he starts talking again.

“But it does,” he says getting up from his chair and walking to stand in front of me, I turn my head so I don’t have to look him in the eyes. “See this is the crazy thing and I’m not sure why, but I care about what you think
of me.”

“Well you sure have a funny way of showing it,” I snap at him.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Nothing,” I pause finally let my eyes meet his. “Also, Mar is coming to get me, and I’m not sure if this is going to work for me here. So, I should probably not come back tomorrow.” I tell him and walk back out of the room.

He doesn’t come out after me, and he doesn’t try to get me to stay. I know with the anger that sits inside of me that I wanted him to.

Chapter Seven

The week passes slower with me laying around and listening to music. I only hear from Austin once and it’s a quick phone call to talk about the court case which they have moved up a few weeks to the middle of February, he says it is them trying to mess with me, trying to make it so I will not be able to make it there for the day; trying to screw me. It is Friday afternoon and Mar has taken today till Thursday off because of Christmas, but as I make my way down the stairs I see a cleaning crew leaving and I walk around the corner to see Mar pacing and I know that she is nervous about something.

“Mar
, what’s going on?” She jumps when I call to her.

“Um, nothing, why do you ask?”

“Because you have hired a cleaning crew and you are pacing around. So, spill now!”

“Well-,” she stutters and I know that I am not going to like whatever it is that she is going to tell me. “Mom and Dad are coming on Sunday.”

“What?” I yell, “You couldn’t have given me longer to prepare for this?”

“I knew that if I told you, that you would fly back to Boston to not have to deal with them, and I wanted one holiday that we were all together again, you know you haven’t been to a Christmas since before college.”

“I know, for the last few years I was always busy during Christmas, believe it or not.”

“I know that you have been, but… I just wanted you here.” She tells me, and how can I be mad at my sister for this.

“Fine,” I finally say, “But you owe me… a night to relax.” She nods quickly.

“Tomorrow night. We will all go out.” She says and I wonder if she is going to ask Austin to come out, she hasn’t asked me what happened that day that I worked for him and I haven’t volunteered any information either.

It’s Saturday night and I am staring at the mirror as I get ready, and all I can think of is trying to impress Austin although he should be the last person I should be trying to impress. I pull out a punk chic styled dress; it’s an all-black extremely short dress, and my makeup is semi-dark to match it. I pull out a pair of flat leather boots and pull them onto my feet, they go up to my knees and lace all the way down, Joe always called them my adventure boots. I like to think of them as my ass kicking boots. I walk downstairs and when Mar sees me her eyes budge.

“What?”
I ask her.

“This sounds weird because you are my sister, but you look hot.” I can’t help but laugh.

“Thanks,” we leave the house and start to head downtown to one of the more laid back bars, as we get out I see all of Mar’s friends coming over to greet us. I smile, politely at the rest of them as Toby walks over and I get a glance of him as he kisses Mar and I can’t help but grin at her as he walks away. We walk up to the front of the bar and Mar walks in and we all follow behind her. I hope for my sake that Austin isn’t here tonight.

But I spot him the moment we walk inside
, already in the back corner kissing on some girl. I know that I am torturing myself by even looking at him.

An hour and a few rounds later we are all sitting around a table talking, and laughing. I can’t help but watch Austin as he gets up from the table and walks across the room. When he reaches the door to the restroom he turns back once and grins when he sees that my eyes are still on him, he looks back into the room as if telling me to come follow him, and I can’t help but look down at the table and smirk
. I’m just drunk enough to follow him and I’m getting ready to stand up when I hear someone speaking to me. “What do you think, Soph?” I hear Becka ask me and I look over completely unaware of what she is asking me.

“Huh?” she laughs at me.

“Let’s all go swimming.” They all say in unison.

“Swimming in December, that is definitely something that I am going to have to get used to,” I say as everyone starts to laugh. “Nah, I should probably get to sleep soon. You know Dad can overlook Mar being hung-over but not me.” I say almost a little smug. I think that I have embarrassed Mar as I feel someone slide in next to me and I freeze as I feel his hand slide over my thigh, but I don’t tell him to move it. I’m not sure why. It’s been a week since I have spoken to him and this is how he interacts with me, “But Mar, if you want to go, go I’ll call a cab.”

“Go where?” I hear Austin ask me as he slightly drifts his hand up higher. I’m pretty sure that my cheeks are on fire now.

“We’re going to go swimming, you want to come?” Marr asks him.

“Nah, I’ve got to get to bed. I have family shit to do tomorrow, but I’ll give you a ride home, Soph.” he says turning to me and I mumble to him a pathetic
sure.

We all walk out of the bar together and everyone walks to the designated cars and get
s into them. Austin walks with me to my side of the car opening the door for me and I’m pretty sure before he shuts it Matt tells him to
Have fun
with a wink. I can’t keep my eyes off of him as he walks around the car to his side.

We pull out of the parking lot and start towards the direction of our houses. As I see everyone that we arrived with fade into the distance of the rearview mirror Austin sighs and looks over to me.

“Why haven’t you called me?” I almost laugh at his question.

“Why am I supposed to call you?” He sighs again.

“Look, Soph, I don’t know what to say here.” He pauses and I have no clue what he is going to say. “But let me be honest. You do something to me.”

“That’s called a boner, Austin, I feel like you of all people should be familiar
with that.” He doesn’t appreciate my joke and glares at me while we slow to a stop at a light.

“Damnit, Sophie, listen to me,” he says, “Fuck, you have this effect on me, it makes me want to change, want to be better. I can’t fucking explain it, but I felt it the first tim
e I saw you when we were in Savannah. I have never believed in love at first sight, Soph, but that night when I met you. It was as if I already knew you.” he admits to me.

“Because you know my sister,” I tell him.

“No,” he yells, causing me to jump, and he hits his hands on the steering wheel. He doesn’t say another word until he pulls up into the driveway and gets out of the car to walk me to the door. We stop at the door and as I look over he runs his hands over his face. “I mean it.” he says leaning in closer to me and for moments longer than life I feel as though I cannot breathe, as if he has taken all of my breath away.

“Stop, Austin,” I say with a weakened voice and he pulls back looking to me confused, “All of this you will regret saying in the morning, so why don’t we forget you said it and go about things as they were… as us being friends.” I say then rush inside the house, quickly closing the door and leaving him out on the porch. I rush up the stairs as my phone vibrates in my pocket.

Austin: Friends; that means that you will call me, right?

Yeah

The majority of the night I don’t sleep, in fact when I actually begin to feel tired I still haven’t heard from Mar but the sun is starting to come up. So, it’s a surprise to me when I finally wake and its well into the afternoon. I roll over and look at my phone which is lit up. I see the screen display Austin’s name and I smile.

Austin: Good morning, I hope that you slept well
. I’m not sure if that is a “friendly” text

Something
like that.
I type back placing my phone down on the table and walking into the bathroom; I let the water over my body for longer than normal and then dress afterwards. I smile wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top and then start to walk down the stairs. I hear voices as I reach the bottom step and my body freezes when I see the silhouettes in the kitchen. I hear my father’s voice first, and then I see him as he rounds the corner and we come face to face. I can’t move although I look to the back door and I think about making a run for it. I smile to him as my mother and Mar round the corner behind him. I see that Mar is still in the clothes from last night, and that she looks exhausted.

“Nice of you to join us this afternoon, Sophie,” my father says snidely at me, emphasizing afternoon.
Then he shakes his head looking back at me, “Can you put something on more presentable for the first time that you have seen us in over a year.” I don’t say a word, but nod my head, turning around, and walking back up the stairs. I walk into the room that I have been staying in, and walk out onto the balcony. I stand staring out into the distance, at the ocean lapping onto the sand. Up here, away from the family that never wanted me, I feel at peace. I hear my phone beep in the corner and walk over to it.

Austin: You know that I can see you, right?

I actually did not, what a creepy thing to send someone.

Austin: Ha, you alright? You look pretty upset about something, still upset about the whole Joe thing?

As much as it had hurt me when it had happened I wasn’t upset that much about it anymore. It had happened, and I had moved on. Joe wasn’t worth my time and feelings so I gave up on him.

No, actually the parents just got here.

Austin: You guys don’t get along?

No, I’m more like the child that they never wanted.

I thought that after I shared such an intimate detail of my life that he would respond with anything, but he didn’t the only thing that I got was radio silence. I sigh to myself as I change into a pair of jeans and then a nice blouse as I walk down the stairs for a second time I hear laughter erupt from the main floor, I turn the corner as my dad looks over to me and sighs, again, shaking his head, and says, “Sophie, it took you long enough,” and then another sigh, “Are you trying to out stage us now, I mean I know that you blew all the money that you did make in that ridiculous business of yours on clothing, but that outfit probably costs as much as my mortgage payment.” I couldn’t argue with him, he was right. I look behind him and I see Austin standing in the room with him; he’s wearing a simple pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. The laughter that I had heard from my father was because something that he had said.

“Awe, John, I think she looks stunning.” He smiles at me, “She always does, I have never seen her look bad since the moment that I first saw her.” I watch as my dad turns to look at him, stunned, I am sure of it. I mouth the words
thank you
in his direction and he smiles at me and nods. I am sure that he is aware that my thanks are because he came to ease the tension in my family and for sticking up for my clothing choice and my father seems to admire him.

“Come on, Austin, the lunch is ready out on the porch. It really is incredible outside.” He says and walks with Austin, not once asking me to join. As they approach the door Austin stops before crossing the threshold and turns to look at me.

“Soph, are you coming?” he asks me and I notice my father’s surprised expression by his interest in what I am doing. Heaven forbid anyone wants to be interested in anything that his screw up of a daughter is doing. I look from Austin to my father.

“Yeah,” I tell him and exhale, Austin walks up to my side and holds his hand out to me. My father huffs out of the house and Austin smiles to me. “How did you do that?” I can’t help but ask him.

“Your dad? OH, I met him a few months ago. They came down for whatever reason and Mar had invited us all over, you see I manage to do really well with parents… except for my dad.” He smiles, “I knew that he liked me, and thought that if I came over then maybe he wouldn’t give you so much crap.”

“How did you know he would give me shit?”

“Because I’ve met him before, I just didn’t realize he would be like this to you.” he smiles, but it’s a sad smile. We walk out of the table and sit down, Austin sitting right next to me. I don’t say a word for some time, not wanting the conversation to verve to me and my screw ups. It doesn’t take long though before my loving father looks to me.

“So, Austin you are representing Sophie in her latest fiasco, how is that going?”

“Well John, I can’t really talk about that, seeing as it is confidential.” I look down because I can’t help but smile as my dad scoffs.

“Soph, what happened to Joe? We liked him. It’s a shame that you ran him off.” I knew that Mar hadn’t told him what had happened, and it shouldn’t surprise me that he thought it was my fault we
weren’t together anymore. I don’t say anything just set my fork down on my plate as my mother scolds him for saying it as he did. “What I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised Barb, she never could keep a man that was decent in any sort.” I feel Austin’s hand wrap around mine and he squeezes it several times as if telling me when to breathe. I feel the tears stinging at my eyes and I watch Mar’s sad expression look at me, as the corners of my mouth turn down. “So, Sophie, what did you do this time?” His tone is even harsher than it was at first.

“John, don’t.” I hear Austin say next to me.

“What are you standing up for her now, after the work that she has managed making for you to do.” His voice seems to rise with every word, but I know it’s not directed at Austin, it’s solely directed at me.

“I don’t mind, really.”

“What are you even in trouble for, Sophie?” He pauses looking to me along with everyone else, I know that I won’t be able to get out of this one, “Huh, what is it?” he is yelling now.