Destined for Love (13 page)

“You’re a very kind woman. I’m honoured to have met you, and I know Mark feels the same. If I could hold you in my arms and care for you forever, I would. I hope you get what you are seeking, what you long for, with or without a wish.”

Her eyes became teary. If she didn’t leave, she would break down and cry. She lowered her head, and turned away. “I have to go.”

Mark was slicing the omelette in half when she stopped at the kitchen counter. She disliked leaving on such short notice, especially since he’d prepared breakfast for her.

“I’m sorry, Mark, but I have to go.” She grabbed her purse and keys.

“It’s all right. James and I will eat it. I’ll fix something when you return.”

She planted a kiss on his cheek, just as she had done to James. “Behave while I’m gone.”

He chuckled. “We don’t have a choice since you won’t be here. But when you get back…”

She stepped back out of the kitchen. “Game on.”

His eyebrows rose and she laughed softly.

“See you in a bit,” she said and gave a goodbye wave.

Val left the apartment, skipped down the stairs, and walked briskly to her car. The bright sun warmed her skin and forced her eyes into slits. Shielding her eyes, she glanced up and saw a clear blue sky above her. Beautiful weather for a happy day—at least she hoped it would be a cheerful one.

She settled into the driver’s seat, lowered the windows then headed for the main road. The traffic had died down, since most people started their jobs between eight and nine. It took twenty minutes to reach the office from her apartment complex. After she had parked in a spot on the lot, she called Terri and announced her arrival.

Val walked into the lobby of the office building and stopped near the front desk. She waited with her attention pointed at the elevators. Terri appeared within a few minutes. Her high heels clacked loudly after she stepped from the elevator. She wore a short, navy blue skirt and matching blazer with a white blouse underneath. She greeted Val with a wide grin and bright eyes.

“You’re going to flip out after I tell you the good news.” She curled her arm around Val’s then tugged her towards the elevator.

“What’s going on, Terri?”

They stepped into the waiting elevator. Terri pressed the button for the twelfth floor.

Val immediately faced her friend. “Why are we going to twelve? You work on the eighth floor.”

“I have to show you first.” She continued to maintain her energetic smile.

Lips pressed tightly together, Val stared at her friend. What did she have to show her? Only management worked on the top floor.

The
ding
of the elevator announced their arrival. As the doors opened, Terri waved Val onwards. “Come on.”

Val followed Terri’s quick stride down the hall, passing the check-in desk along the way. When the young woman sitting behind the counter raised her head, Terri waved her hand in the air. The lady smiled at them.

As they continued down the hall, Val wondered if she was about to walk into a meeting. She hadn’t dressed for one, nor had she put on makeup or fixed her hair properly. If she had to face management looking the way she did and ask for her job back, Val suspected the big bosses would simply laugh at her.

“Please tell me I’m not walking into a meeting.”

Terri stopped at the last door on the right and withdrew a key from her blazer. “Oh no, I met with management earlier.”

More confusion clouded Val’s mind. She didn’t have a clue what Terri was up to and it was driving her crazy.

Terri unlocked the door and pushed it open. She walked into the large office and stopped in the middle. Val followed her inside with slow, hesitant steps. Windows along two walls enclosed half of the office, which was as big as her apartment. Not far from the left end of the room, a wooden desk faced away from the view of the city. A bar with stools took up most of the space at the other end of the room. In the centre, behind the bar, a flat screen television hung on the wall.

“What do you think?”

Val twisted to find Terri with her arms outstretched.

“About this office? It’s big.”

Terri chuckled. “I know. Isn’t it great?”

“Sure.” From the corner of Val’s eyes, she gave Terri a suspicious look. “Whose office is this?”

Terri lowered her arms and stepped closer to Val. “Would you believe me if I said this is
your
office?”

Val’s heart jumped. “What?”

“This is your office, and mine is across the hall.” The same excited grin from earlier made another appearance.

“But… How?”

“I met with management and provided them with a long list of facts and reasons to rehire you. They were floored with what I gave them.”

“And they just said ‘We’ll give her a job’?” Val couldn’t believe management would give her such a luxurious office, let alone reinstate her position so quickly. Nothing came that easy.

“They couldn’t give your old job back to you because they’d phased out positions. They were going to hire two new managers, so they asked me if I thought you would be qualified for one of the openings. Without hesitation, I said yes. Then they gave me the other spot because they said I had the guts and determination to handle it.”

Val stood mummified and she felt certain her eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets. Her heart raced. Could it be real?

“They laid me off and now want to rehire me as a manager? And they’re making you one too?”

Terri giggled while she nodded. “And the position comes with a very nice condo about fifteen minutes from here. I told them I wasn’t interested since Sam and I are getting married.”

Val blinked and shook her head. “Did you say the job comes with a condo?”

Terri gripped Val’s arms. “You and I will be working together as managers, and you get to move into a new condominium in two weeks.” She gave Val a small shake.

It all seemed too unreal, like a dream. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Terri turned and walked towards the desk. She picked up a piece of paper and brought it to Val. “I even have the email confirmation letters. One is for you and one is for me. They sent one to your home account, too, but I told them to forward me a copy and I’d make sure you received it.”

Val took the papers from Terri’s hand and read them. Both contained the current date and congratulated them on their recent promotions. Val’s letter was longer as it included information about the condo, such as the address and date she could begin moving into it. The letter even specified she didn’t have to pay any rent as long as she remained employed with the company. Near the bottom of the letters, they’d listed a salary. Val gasped at the amount.

“Are you kidding me?”

“What?” Terri stepped to Val’s side to look at the letters.

“Did you see the salary on here? It’s twice as much as I made before.”

“It’s all real. We start in a month.”

Val found herself speechless. Nearly all her worries were gone. She had a job making double her old salary and a free home. Talk about a well-spent wish for her friend.

“This is incredible.” Excitement filled Val’s soul. She no longer had to concern herself with looking for a job or a place to live. In her new spot, she’d have plenty of cash to buy a new car and live well, saving as much money as she could. Life seemed perfect. And, sadly, the deal seemed too good to be true. There had to be a catch.

Val lowered the papers. “What do we have to do in our new positions?”

“We’ll be working on projects to expand the company. They said we would have to work over some nights and weekends occasionally, but never more than fifty hours in a week. And if we did work that much, we couldn’t the next week.”

Manager positions required more responsibility. Val was more than capable of handling the task. And if she had to work extended hours, she would do it without a second thought. Once again, Val thought something was missing.

“Is there anything else?”

Terri shook her head. “Nope. That’s it.”

Val took a deep breath as she considered whether or not to accept her new opportunity.
If I turn it down, I’ll have to continue searching for a job and a home. And there’s no guarantee I will find a job in a reasonable time. If I accept the position, I’ll have to take the chance something could go wrong. I could turn out to be like a lottery winner who blows all their millions of dollars and files for bankruptcy within a few years. I want this new job, but can I handle it? I have a solid work ethic and I have a vast knowledge of the company and processes. I helped many co-workers and they considered me their ‘go to’ gal. I’m qualified, so why not take the job? I’m more than capable of being a manager.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“It is, Val. We could really help this company grow. I know we can make a difference. We’ve always worked well together.”

Smiling at her friend, Val said, “Okay, I’ll take the job.”

Terri threw open her arms and let out something similar to a scream and a squeal. She embraced Val in a hug. Together they laughed with joy.

“I’m so happy. Everything will work out. You’ll see.”

“I’m sure it will.”

A sense of relief flowed through Val. She still felt a touch of fear, but her confidence was much stronger. She would work hard to make sure she didn’t fall flat on her ass and wind up broke like the lottery winner.

Terri withdrew an object from her pocket. “Here’s the key. We don’t start for a month, but you’re welcome to come at any time to get it fixed to your liking.”

Val took the key from Terri’s fingers. “Do I need to respond to their email?”

“Oh, yeah, you do, so they know you have officially accepted the position. I sent them my response before you arrived.”

The minute Val returned home, she’d log in and reply.

“Anything else?”

“Nope.” Terri pushed up her sleeve and glanced at her watch. “Oh crap, I’m supposed to meet Sam for lunch. Do you want to come?”

“No, I’ll stay here a few more minutes before I head back home.”

Terri gave Val one last hug. “Call me if you need anything or have questions.”

“Thank you. I owe you big time.”

“Honey, you don’t owe me anything. You deserve this. I’m glad I could help you for a change.” Terri lowered her arms and stepped back. “Stay as long as you like. If anyone gives you a problem about being here, call me.”

“Have a nice lunch with Sam.”

Terri backpedalled towards the door and smiled. “He doesn’t know yet. I can’t wait to see his reaction when I tell him about our promotions. He’s going to freak out.”

“You’ll have to call me later and tell me.”

Terri gave a wave of her hand. “Count on it.” She turned and left Val standing alone in the large office. The loud clack of her heels on the hardwood floors travelled down the hall then finally disappeared.

Val turned to the window and stared at the view of the city. For the first time in days, life had started to feel normal again. Now that she had her home and work issues resolved, she could move forward with her life. And she wanted Mark and James to be a part of it. But did they want to be a part of her world? There was only one way to find out.

Chapter Twelve

Val watched the group of travellers walking along the sidewalk from her new office window while she waited for Mark and James to arrive. She’d called their names to summon them minutes ago. If they didn’t magically appear as they had at the club, she’d use her cell phone and call her apartment.

Happiness enlivened her heart and soul.

“Nice view,” James said.

She turned to find him standing to her left.

“I bet it’s better at night,” Mark added. He stood on her other side.

Both men wore jeans and button-down shirts. This time, they’d tucked their shirts inside their pants. And no surprise, they looked hot.

“Was everything all right with your friend?” James asked.

“Yes. She somehow convinced management to give me one of the new manager positions they had available. She took the other one. The position also comes with a free condominium. I now have a job and a place to live.”

Mark walked past her and headed for the desk. She noticed he carried a beer bottle in one hand. Judging by the green colour, she suspected it was the same bottle she’d found at the beach. Their home.

“That’s good news. See, everything worked out well. You have to have faith.” James warmed her heart with his smile.

Faith. What an interesting choice of words. Did she believe they loved her as much as she loved them, and that they’d want to stay with her if she freed them from their curse?

“What are you thinking right now?” James asked with a tilt of his head.

“I was thinking I know what I want my last wish to be.”

“Told you she would be ready,” Mark said.

She peered past James and found Mark sitting on the desk next to the bottle. He rose and headed for them, but he looked at the window as if he was trying to avoid making eye contact with her. His humourless expression bothered her.

James took her face into his hands. “Before you make that wish, could you give us one last kiss?”

Staring into his eyes, she saw sadness. Did he and Mark want to stay with her? Would they miss her in their hearts, or just miss having sex with her? Their intentions always seemed genuine, tender and loving. Then James’ words repeated in her head. She needed to have faith.

“I love you, James, and I love Mark.” There, she’d said it.

He didn’t speak. Instead, he pulled her lips to his and gave her a kiss rich with meaning. Tingles of desire spread through her as he gently played with her tongue then sucked on it. Her body weakened and her heart fluttered. She wanted to melt into his arms, mould to his strong body, and keep her mouth glued to his strong lips. He was tender and loving, and certainly proved his feelings.

“My turn,” Mark said, and she felt a soft caress along her arm.

James ended the kiss, but, before releasing her from his grasp, he pecked her lips, cheek, then moved to her ear. “My love for you runs deep into my soul. I will miss you more than you can ever know.”