First Class Stamp
Authors: Aj Harmon
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Genre Fiction, #Family Saga, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Sagas
First eBook Edition, September
2013
Copyright 2013 by
ABCs Legacy, LLC
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without
written permission from the author.
Ben, the last of the Lathem brothers to remain single, has a
mantra; he is happy and content. He tells himself over and over again hoping
that one day he may actually believe it. Running his brother’s company and
living the life of a well-to-do bachelor, Ben isn’t looking for love.
Sophia is a single mom and a devoted daughter. Helping out
her dad in the family business, the corner market across from Ben’s apartment,
her son meets Ben and forms a friendship, throwing Ben and Sophia into one
another’s path. Romance and love are the last things on her mind, but Ben is
what every woman dreams of marrying.
Maria works for Ben in Rio de Janeiro and her ten year old
son has been Ben’s pen pal for years. When she is transferred to New York, will
the smoldering lust that has lain dormant for years be ignited?
One man and two women. He has a choice to make. Where will
his heart lead him?
First Class Stamp is the 8
th
novel in the
contemporary romance First Class series.
More Top Rated Romance Novels by novelist AJ Harmon:
First Class to New York (Book 1) Meet Matt and Janie…the
book that started it all.
First Class to Portland (Book 2)
First Class Justice (Book 3)
First Class Voyage (Book 4)
First Class Hero (Book 5)
First Class Menu (Book 6)
First Class Rescue (Book 7)
First Class Farewell (Book 9) Coming in Winter 2013
What readers are saying about the ‘First Class’ novels:
“I think the First Class Novels would make fantastic films.”
Victoria, Facebook Fan Page
“A series worth reading over and over again...” Kerry,
Amazon
“I love FIRST CLASS SERIES!” Margaret, Amazon
“A.J.'s stories just keep getting richer and richer.” Deb,
Amazon
“…go download the whole series, because they're all great!”
Cindy, Amazon
“First class all the way… This series is one of the best
I've read.” I love books, Amazon
“I have loved every book in this series. It is so great to
read about a 30-40 something women who is dealing with so many real issues but
finds her fairy tale.” Ashley, Amazon
When I started to think about writing this book and telling
Ben’s story, I sat at the computer and the words didn’t come. So, as I have
done for every book, I sat with my husband and bounced ideas off him and he
offered some thoughts of his own. I am grateful for him and his patience and
creative ideas as I have gone to him numerous times with questions and
problems. With his willingness to humor me and listen to me ramble on and on
about the Lathems, he has been my foundation and my rock.
Thank you Brad, for always being my biggest fan and the love
of my life.
Five years ago
It was a stark contrast. Just a few streets away were
hundreds, maybe thousands, of families living in poverty and filth, yet in the
Crystal Tower where Ben Lathem now stood, luxury was abundant. From the marble
floors to the magnificent chandelier overhead, the building screamed wealth and
accomplishment. In order to lease office space here, you had to have achieved
both.
MEL Holdings had recently acquired the building in the heart
of the city and was in the process of issuing new leases to the current tenants
that had decided to stay, and hiring the necessary staff to take care of their
investment. The manager/leasing agent, Len, had been transferred in from one of
their locations that had been recently sold off. Len would be in charge of
making sure the security company, janitorial and maintenance team were under
new contracts, but Ben had been assigned by his brother, Matt, owner and CEO,
to hire the receptionists that would staff the front desk in the lobby from
every morning at eight o’clock to five o’clock in the afternoon. He would hire
two full time women and one part time.
Ben was not a chauvinist or a sexist, but he knew that women
were the right gender for the job. In his experience working at MEL Holdings
since he graduated from college, he’d found that women paid more attention to
detail, were much better at multi-tasking, and were friendlier and more polite
to the people seeking help and information.
Hundreds of applications had been sifted and sorted and
there were fifteen interviews set up for him. It would take all day. He was
ready with one exception: he didn’t speak Portuguese, and he assumed, being in
Rio de Janeiro, that it might be a problem. Len was supposed to have secured a
translator but as the minute hand on his watch was approaching nine o’clock,
Ben was wondering if he would be left to muddle through an interview not being
able to understand the applicants.
The management offices were located on the Crystal Tower’s ground
floor and Ben quickly made his way to the conference room. It had a large oval
table in the center with ten chairs. At the far end of the room was a large
flat screen television and on the opposite wall, next to the glass door, were
shelves full of local art. The wall of windows looked out to a small garden at
the rear of the building. It was typically used as the smoking area for the
employees.
Ben sat down at the end of the table in front of the
television and waited for Len to appear, the stack of applications and resumes
in front of him. They were sorted by appointment time so Ben flicked open the
first file
. Maria
, he smiled. Out of the fifteen applicants, four of
them were named Maria. His perusal of her resume was interrupted by Len.
“I’m sorry, Ben,” he said, “but I don’t know what has
happened to the translator and our first interview is here and waiting.”
“Let’s hope she speaks English, ‘cuz your Portuguese sucks.”
“I get by.” Len was offended.
“Can you translate then?” Ben asked, eyebrows raised.
Len shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked
at his hands, mumbling something inaudible.
“Yeah,” Ben smirked. “Please show Maria in.”
She was an attractive woman, average height and slim. Her
hair was dark and straight and fell down to the middle of her back. Her eyes
were dark and her smile was engaging. She walked confidently to Ben and
extended her hand. Ben stood and accepted her hand. Her handshake was firm and
then she sat in the chair he offered. She wore a short-sleeved dress in royal
blue that accentuated her curves and as she sat and as she crossed her legs,
the skirt rode up her thighs. Ben had to consciously avert his eyes and focus
on her face.
“I’m very happy to be here,” she smiled enthusiastically.
Ben nodded and opened her file. She had a thick accent, but
her English was spoken clearly and relief flooded him. He quickly looked over
her job history, noting that she had worked for a couple of American companies
in a secretarial capacity.
“My translator didn’t show up today,” he said looking up.
“I’m very grateful you speak English.” He continued looking at her resume.
“University of Florida?”
Maria nodded. “Track scholarship,” she smiled. “I ran
hurdles.”
“Cool!” Ben smiled.
“Yes, it was,” she agreed.
The interview went well and Ben really liked her. She was
articulate and personable and was familiar with the software she would need to
use in the position. He was half tempted to offer her the job on the spot.
“I have fourteen more interviews today,” he said.
“Of course,” she nodded.
“But, would you be interested in translating for me for the
rest of the day?”
Her eyes all but popped from her head.
“I’d pay you of course,” he added.
“Well,” she began, “I…I,”
“One thousand dollars if you’ll stay and help me out.”
“A thousand?” she stammered.
“Please?”
“Give me five minutes to make a phone call?”
“Sure,” Ben agreed.
And sure enough, five minutes later Maria returned to the
conference room and accepted the offer of a day’s work.
Ben had her sit to his right at the table and one by one he
interviewed fourteen more women, all hoping to get a job at the impressive
Crystal Tower. He knew Matt would not have approved at having an applicant sit
in on all the other interviews, but what was he supposed to do? Although a few
of the women spoke English, he kept Maria at his side throughout the day. He
had lunch delivered and they ate together as she asked a million questions
about the building and its occupants.
By five o’clock, it was obvious that Maria was head and
shoulders above the others and he offered her a job to begin as soon as she
could. Needless to say, she was thrilled and accepted Ben’s offer. He called
Len into the conference room and handed him the three files of the women he was
hiring.
“Let’s have dinner to celebrate, shall we?” Ben asked Len
and Maria.
“Can’t,” Len frowned. “Liz and I are going away for the
weekend.”
Maria instantly looked nervous at his declining Ben’s
invitation.
“Have a great weekend then,” Ben smiled. “I leave on Sunday,
so email me on Monday after you’ve taken care of all of this,” he nodded at the
files in Len’s hands.
“Will do.” Len shook Ben’s hand and then left the room.
“I…I need to get home to my son,” Maria said.
“Oh!” Ben replied. “Of course.”
Maria tilted her head a little and studied Ben. “Why don’t
you come and have dinner with me and my family?”
“Really?”
“Yes,” she smiled. “Do you have a car?”
Ben chuckled. “Yes.”
“Good! You can drive me home and then I won’t have to take
the bus,” she smiled.
“Deal.”
*****
Ben had no intention on acting on the fact that he found
Maria to be attractive. She was now an employee and he would
never
cross
that line. But the announcement that she had a son had all but knocked the wind
from him.
“So,” he said as he followed her directions south of the
city to her home, “Tell me about your son.”
“Luca is my angel,” Maria smiled. “He is five…just had a
birthday.”
“So, you’re married?”
Maria shifted in the leather seat and shook her head. “No. I
am not married.”
“His father?”
Maria squirmed a little.
“I’m sorry,” Ben said. “It’s none of my business.”
“It’s okay. Luca’s father is not here. He is in Florida.
Well, he was when I left. He wasn’t interested in being a father.”
“I’m sorry,” he said again.
“As hard as it is, I think it is better for us to be without
him than him being with us and not wanting to be.”
Ben couldn’t argue with that. Maria navigated him to her
home. It was small and humble, but clean and tidy and sunlight filled the
rooms. She told him to make himself comfortable and then ran next door to get
Luca. Within minutes, they returned.
There was no doubt that Luca was Maria’s child. He had the
same dark eyes and hair and looked just like his mother. He was shy at first,
but was intrigued by Ben’s tie and slowly made his way across the room, after
Maria assured him it was fine.
“Hello,” he said shyly.
“Hello,” smiled Ben. “It’s very nice to meet you Luca. My
name is Ben. Is that your car over there?” Ben pointed to the small die-cast
car on the chair. Luca nodded. “My car is red too.”
“You have a car?” Luca asked.
“I do,” Ben smiled.
“I’ve never been in a car,” Luca frowned.
“Really? Never?”
Luca shook his head. Ben looked up at Maria who was watching
the exchange.
“We like to ride the bus,” she said and attempted a smile.
“May I take you and your son to dinner?” Ben asked. “We
could go in the car,” he winked.
Luca’s head whipped up and he looked at his mom,
anticipation and hope filling his expression. Maria grinned at her son. She
nodded.
“Woohoo!!” Luca screamed. “A car!”
Ben chuckled and patted him on the head.
*****
As they sat in the restaurant Ben was reminded why he liked
coming to South America. Feijoada and rice was in front of him and he was all
but inhaling it. Luca was more interested in his toy car.
“His English is perfect,” Ben said to Maria.
She smiled and nodded. “I want him to go to university in
the United States and escape the poverty that possibly, or probably, awaits him
here. I didn’t speak English when I arrived in Gainesville and so it took that
much longer to acclimate. I don’t want that for my son.”
Ben agreed that it would certainly make it easier for the
young boy. As they finished up their meal Luca asked Ben for a pen and began
practicing his letters on the paper placemats.
“You’re writing is very good,” Ben smiled.
“Thank you,” Luca replied, beaming with pride.
“Perhaps you could write me a letter sometime?”
“Yes,” Luca exclaimed. “I could write letters to you. I
write to my dad but he never writes back.”
Ben looked at Maria and she shook her head and frowned.
“Well, I will
definitely
write back.” Ben took a
business card from the breast pocket of his suit and handed it to the boy.
“This is my address.”
“Mama? Can we go home now so I can start my letter to Ben?”
The adults chuckled and Ben paid their bill and escorted his
new friends out to the car. After the short drive back to the house, Ben said
his goodbyes and left the mother and son waving to him as he drove back to his
hotel.
*****
“I apologize for interrupting your weekend but I needed to
give you one more task to be completed on Monday.”
“No problem,” Len said into his cell phone. “What do you
need, Ben?”
“I’m leaving the rental car in the parking garage at Crystal
Towers. I have actually purchased the car and left the keys on your desk with
all of the paperwork that needs to be completed so that ownership can be
transferred to Maria.”
“Maria?” Len asked.
“Yes. Make sure she is given the car tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Len replied, completely surprised at the request.
“Anything else?”
“Nope. Just that. And let me know when you’ve taken care of
renewing all the contracts.”
“Sure thing.”
Ben hung up the phone and walked toward the gate to board
his flight home.