Five years later. “Tommy Anderson, you get your little butt back up here and clean these toys,” Bella said, shouting to where her son stood with his father in the backyard. She walked down the steps of their five bedroom house as her son walked inside the house. “Sorry, Mom,” he said. She dropped down to her knees and opened her arms. He went to her without hesitation. Bella inhaled his sweet scent. She adored her son, and she looked forward to their second child arriving in a matter of months. Rubbing her stomach she let Tommy go to his room. Bella tried to get to her feet and struggled to lift herself from the floor. “Does my love need help?” Clark asked. Smiling up at her husband, Bella let out a sigh. He was turning fifty in a matter of days, and he looked as handsome now as he did the first day she met him. “I can’t get up.” “Baby, you’re seven months pregnant.” He took her hand helping her up. Clark’s hands moved to her swollen stomach. “How is my
Bella Hawkins stared through the glass door to watch the owner of the building as he typed up some document on his computer. Clark Anderson was the sexiest man she’d ever seen and far out of her league. He owned the entire Anderson Corporation and was worth billions. Looking like a sex god meant there were many women begging for his attention, glamorous women with the time and money to make themselves available to him. Clark had been seen with many super models and actresses. When she’d been waiting for the bus she’d read the article in a glossy mag that linked him to several porn stars as well. Way out of her league in every way. She worked in his office from seven at night ‘til twelve. The late shift money helped pay her rent, while the diner she worked in during the day gave her the money to eat. The latest recession hit her hard. She wasn’t smart and didn’t have the qualification to get any better paying job. Being a cleaner and waitressing were fun. She loved making p
Bella walked down the street heading toward the late night bus. She walked all the way home when she missed the bus. Checking her clock, she had two minutes to get to the end of the street. She’d worked faster tonight, and getting the bus seemed to be in her favour. The shops were all closed up, and several teenagers were lurking around. Many of the people on the street were smoking and drinking. She ignored them all as she made her way to the bus stop. Hitching her purse high on her shoulder, she kept walking, determined to get the bus. Getting the bus took over thirty minutes off her travelling time. She couldn’t believe Clark had offered to drive her home. Thinking his offer was some kind of joke she’d ignored it, packed up the cleaning equipment, and headed out. Until today she’d never had to worry about using the security code she’d been given. Clark leaving before her finally gave her the opportunity to use the code to secure the building. The company had given her the c
When had she stepped into an alternative reality where Clark Anderson was eating dinner with her in a diner? Bella ran fingers through her hair, easing out the length. She kept her hair tied up when she worked as the strands got in her way. Getting it cut was not an option. She liked her hair long and intended to keep it that way. Spotting a dirty cup ring, she picked up some paper towels and wiped the mess away. “You don’t like mess, do you?” he asked. She shook her head. Putting the towel underneath her milkshake, she took a quick suck to test. The milkshake was creamy and tasted right with just the hint of chocolate. “No, I don’t like mess.” He reached over the table to take her hand. “Relax, Bella. We’re having dinner, and afterwards I’ll take you home.” “How do you know my name?” she asked. “You work for me. You know my name, and I know yours.” Smiling, she drank some more of her milkshake. Clark didn’t let her hand go. His fingers stroked her own.
Thursday was busier than usual at the diner. Bella struggled to keep up with the orders and the customers. Her late night was wearing her down. She’d settled herself into a system with her two jobs, and going out to dinner with Clark had disrupted that. By four she was exhausted and ready to go home. Instead, she finished her shift at the diner before making her way across the city to the Anderson Corporation building. Her feet ached, but she refused to give in. Her hair was tied in pigtails down either side of her shoulders. It was seven at night when she got inside. She’d missed lunch and was hungry. Ignoring the pangs, she grabbed the cleaning trolley, smiled at the security guard before making her way over to the elevator. She pushed the trolley inside, pressed the button for her floor and waited. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she pulled the trolley onto the floor. The light inside Clark’s office was on. Nibbling her lip, she wondered if she should go and talk to him
The personal questions unnerved her. She didn’t like talking about her past as that’s where she wanted her past to stay and never come out. Munching on the noodles, Bella waited for him to start talking. “Why don’t you have any photos?” he asked, ignoring her question. She finished eating and placed the carton back on the table. Why did this have to be so hard? This was why she kept to herself. The hours she worked stopped her from attaching herself to people. The diner was perfect as none of the staff had time to talk. Some of the girls tried to get her to go out, but she refused because of her second job. Working in Clark’s building took her late into the night when everyone was home. If anything, she talked to the security guard on the way out of the building, no interactions at all that left her feeling out of place. “I don’t have any photos to put up,” she said. “I don’t like these questions, and I’d prefer to know about you.” Her mother never owned a camera,
The next few days flew by, and before Bella knew it, the following weekend was there. Every night during the week Clark had been waiting for her in his building. Some nights they went to the diner to eat and others he dropped her home without going inside with her. She didn’t mind as some nights their friendship confused her. Clark talked a lot about his work, and she got the feeling he didn’t talk with anyone else. His own friends were settled down with children. He liked to talk about them a lot. She didn’t mind listening. He stopped asking her questions about her past. Turning over in her bed, Bella checked the time on her alarm clock. It was gone nine on a Saturday morning. She’d gone shopping last night after finishing work early at the diner. Bella switched on the radio and climbed out of bed. Walking into the bathroom, she cleaned her teeth and started a shower. Once her shower was finished, she dressed in a long denim skirt and pink jumper. The weather looked chill
Bella had never intended on talking about her past boyfriend. Clark shared so much with her even though he didn’t need to. The trust he displayed made her wish for the same kind of ease to share all of her troubled thoughts with him. Biting her lip, she stared out of the window. The only way for her to talk with him about Frank was if she wasn’t looking at him. “What about Frank?” Clark asked. “He was my last boyfriend. I thought he was amazing. He worked in a bank as some kind of accountant. I met him in the supermarket, and we hit it off. He asked me out on a date. I jumped at the chance to see him. I was a fucking fool. I can’t believe I gave so much of my life to him.” She shook her head remembering how quickly she’d fallen for his charm. Frank had been heavily built with brown hair and the kindest eyes she’d ever seen. He knew what to say to make her feel special. All Frank had been doing was spinning her lies. Frank knew what to say, even though he never meant an