Shifting the Night Away (15 page)

She absently thumbed through her phone, playing a few games on her way back. When the driver pulled in front of her apartment, she tipped him generously and then lugged her bags up three flights of stairs to her door. This is where a man would come in very handy.

Home, she thought to herself, in all its glory. She looked around the room. No plants, no pets, and no one to share her life with. She exhaled, shook her head and retreated to the back of the apartment to start a load of laundry and then slipped into the shower. After disrobing, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Rounded waist, ample cleavage, full hips and ass...she liked to refer to herself as curvy. After years of trying every weight loss product on the market, she finally just started eating healthy and made peace with her curves. It was who she was going to be and perhaps one day a man would love them, too.

Chapter Two

The next morning, Brooke's alarm clock signaled the beginning of a new day as a courier. It wasn't a glamorous job, but it paid the bills and gave her plenty of exercise time on her bicycle. She hopped on her red Schwinn and peddled her way to her dispatch unit. Once there, she quickly started to look at her route for the day. Nothing major ahead of her, it seemed, as she glanced down the list. There were some personal deliveries such as flowers and express packages, with a few commercial items scattered in. Her last delivery of the day would take her to Steele and Steele Systems, to deliver some delicate computer components to a Draven Steele. She rolled her eyes after seeing the special memo:
must be signed, dated, and video stamped
. She hated packages that had to have more than a signature because clients never liked to stick around that long.
Ah well
, she thought,
better get the day started so that it can end
, as she got back on her now package-laden bike.

Through the traffic and the road construction, the day drug on for Brooke. Finally, about half an hour later than her normal time for deliveries, she arrived at the front desk of Steele and Steele Systems. The receptionist took one quick up and down overview of her and buzzed her through. Her dark hair clung to her face and neck and she reeked of exhaust fumes. While she knew she looked a hot mess, she still didn't appreciate the disapproving glare.

Once inside the doorway, she waited in a small corridor in front of Mr. Steele's office. After a bit, she was buzzed in, and greeted by a tall man dressed in a gray tailored suit that clung to every defining muscle he had. Dark hair, darker eyes, and just a bit of facial hair, Mr. Steele was a sinfully attractive man. For a brief moment, Brooke was struck speechless, but recovered in time to hand the package over and request all the authorizations for transference.

"I know it's a lot of things to do for a package, sorry about that. The company that sends these always wants to cover their ass." She said, before realizing she just cursed in front of a customer.
Damn, it'd been a long day.

"I mean...." she tried to correct, before seeing him already laughing at her.

"No worries, Miss. I get them all the time." He replied, with a smoother than caramel voice. The man simply oozed sex appeal.

"Well I appreciate it, Mr. Steele." She smiled up at him. He could have been an ass about it, but wasn't, which went light-years into helping her day improve.

"Please, call me Draven. And you are?" He asked of her, writing more on the manifest sheet.

"Brooke, Sir." She felt herself blush in his presence right down to her toes.

"Well, thank you Brooke for delivering this so timely. I appreciate it. I hope you have a wonderful day." He said, still smiling at her. Seconds later she heard the buzz of the door, signaling her time to go.
Well that was abrupt
, she thought as she walked out of the office, through the building, and back into the city. She peddled just to the corner before realizing she had forgot to check the manifest to make sure it was properly signed. It was then she saw it, in the special tear-off section labeled "For Deliveryman":

I'd love to have dinner with you Brooke. Call me. Draven 555-450-9833

It took Brooke a moment as she tried to recount everything that was said during the delivery. While he was nice, up until he buzzed her out of the office, there were no hints that he was interested in her.
Interesting
.
 

Brooke, finished with her day, headed back to her small apartment. Taking the stairs slowly, she dug into her pocket and fished out a crumpled bit of paper. She looked at it again, taking in the simple message and all the possibilities that it could open. He was devastatingly handsome and she knew he was richer than anyone she'd ever met. However, those two things weren't what interested her. She wondered what made Draven tick. She wondered how that razor stubble would feel brushing against her face and thighs. She found herself curious as to what layers of his personality may unfurl should she take him up on his dinner invitation.
 
By the time her key was in the lock, she knew the decision she'd make.

Chapter Three

Brooke texted Draven to see about meeting for lunch. She'd have an hour and a half in the middle of the day to kill, and it seemed like the perfect middle ground. If it went well, they could see each other again, but if it didn't it would only last 90 minutes. He readily agreed and suggested Alfredo's, which was in his building.
A man of convenience, it seems.

Draven arrived first and sat in wait for her. He thought back to meeting her the day before and how she seemed like she radiated positivity. Covered in grime and sweat, looking like the day was her worst enemy, her smile spoke to him. She still looked more beautiful in her uniform and make-up free than any of his exes. He wanted to know everything about her from her favorite color to the sound she makes when properly pleased.

She came through the door and found him there, waving. It had been a simple day so far for Brooke, and she didn't look quite so battered in her royal blue uniform with the Calvary Courier emblems. As she waved back, she was glad she made the decision to take a chance on Mr. Draven Steele.

"Hey, sorry if I'm late, I came from across town." She smiled at him as he pulled her chair out for her. She was pretty sure no one had ever done that for her since her father died.
Chivalry apparently isn't dead it seems.

"No worries at all, Brooke. I was glad you texted. It's good to see you again." He replied, while signaling for the waiter.

"I went ahead and ordered. I hope that is okay with you. I had them bring some servings of a few of their noted dishes; some lasagna, ravioli, and some baked ziti. Dessert will be canoli, it's to die for here and you'll love it."

"It all sounds wonderful, thank you." She said, stretching the napkin across her lap as the waiter poured her water glass full.

They spent the hour making small talk and finding out more about each other. They had both come from Arizona but moved for a better job availability. While that thrived for Draven, it was simple to see that it hadn't done the same for Brooke. They both loved the outdoors and slipped away to the country every chance they got. There was laughter and small sighs that peppered the conversation.

The lunch date was over too soon and Draven had to head back for a client briefing. "I'll call you tonight after work, okay?" he asked her, hopeful.

"Sounds fine Draven. It was a lovely afternoon."

He bent over and kissed her lightly on the lips, pausing for a moment to just look into her eyes. "It was indeed." He replied.

The rest of the day flew by. Brooke had a smile on her face no matter how awful the client treated her and Draven kept getting distracted thinking about how she smelled of vanilla while he tried to detail upcoming security measures to his clients. By six o'clock, both were headed back to their respective homes. Draven and Ryder shared a cab, each not trusting parking any of their vehicles in the company parking deck. Their climate-controlled garage was a much safer home for their hard-earned vehicles.

"So Draven, any plans tonight? Want to go catch the show at Sally's? They've new girls there." Ryder asked. Sally's was a notorious strip club that catered to high level executives, it was a frequent favorite of the Steele twins to relieve stress and spend the evening knocking back a few beers after work. While Draven was a spectator, Ryder frequently brought girls home from the club.

"Raincheck, Ryder. I'm going to spend a quiet night at the house. Have a call to make."

Odd, Draven never turns down new girl night
, Ryder thought.

Back at the house, Draven kicked off his shoes and loosened up his tie, while Ryder kept eyeing him suspiciously.
 

"What is it, Ryder? You eyeballed me the entire trip home."

"Just, you never turn down new girl night. It strikes me odd you'd stay home from that." Sally's had been the one place Ryder always took Draven to cheer him up, the one place that was the celebration whenever Draven broke up with someone that proved to be another gold digger.
Why he doesn't just go for one night stands is beyond me. Get what you need and get out.

"If you must know, I met someone and I'm going to call her tonight and talk some more with her. I'd just rather do that." Draven said, not looking Ryder in the eye. There was only so much he wanted to tell Ryder about her and he definitely didn't want to tell her about him until they were actually a couple. He didn't want to mess anything up.

"So why didn't you say that? Who is she? The fashion designer that needed better encryption? The model that couldn't turn on her Wi-Fi?" Draven typically had a dating type and it was thin, blonde, and thirsty. He'd fall in love with the idea of her and she'd fall in love with his money. Both relationships never lasted long.

"She's a courier. We met the other day when she was delivering. She's beautiful; dark hair, dark eyes, curves for days." As he described her, his rigid features softened. He smiled and a feeling of warmth filled him. She was different and he didn't know how to explain that to Ryder. It was not long before he dialed her number and went into his room for privacy.

Ryder didn't normally eavesdrop, but something was off with how Draven had acted and he couldn't put his finger on it. Usually, Draven boasted of his new girlfriends and Ryder was the first to hear of any new conquests. However, this time Draven was taking it slow and easy, like it was going to be more of a long term relationship.
What was it about this girl that was so different?

He heard bits and pieces of their conversation as Draven left the door partially opened. Ryder listened to him talk about his past, what interested him, and ask about her likes and dislikes.

"Oh no, I live out in the country a bit. I prefer to have some woods around. Yea it's a big house for me, but I make do. No, no one else in my life, hoping you may change that."

Whoa. Did I just hear him say that to a chick he's only known a couple of days? And did he just imply that he is all alone here and I'm not around?

It was then Ryder formulated his way of coming in first in something.