Chapter 3 - The Flowers

The following morning Natalia was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. She had a busy schedule today, but after what Cliff had done, she didn't feel like getting out of bed. Why did men always think a woman owed them? She had worked for him at one point but never asked for favors or special treatment. She didn't owe him anything. Natalia didn't believe in empty threats, and if he had raped her, she wouldn't have hesitated in filing charges. 

She groaned as she got out of bed and headed for the shower. She had taken an hour-long shower the night before to get any trace of Cliff off her. Even so, Natalia felt like she needed another one.    

Thinking of how Hayden had put his jacket around her and hugged her as she cried made her feel humiliated. She didn't like making anyone see her as a damsel in distress. She looked around with a smile as she walked back into her bedroom.  

She loved this apartment. It was larger than what she needed, but it was the only one they had available this high up. She had two bedrooms with two and a half bathrooms. She converted one bedroom into a home office with a large cherry wood desk and bookshelves along one wall.  

Natalia had set her bedroom up with comfort in mind. She had a teal loveseat and chair facing the fireplace. The floors were light grey wood, so she had large white rugs placed sporadically throughout her bedroom. Her bed had a teal headboard with pale grey and white bedding. 

She went into the walk-in closet pulling out a black skirt suit and a green blouse. After putting on light makeup, straightening her hair, and getting dressed, she walked out of the bedroom in her four-inch black heels.    

Her living room had a dark grey leather sectional with black tables. In this room, she had a large bright red rug and throw pillows to counter the grey and black. There was a nice-sized television hanging on the wall, but she preferred to look out at the panoramic view of the city.  

She walked into the kitchen and made herself a cup of black coffee. There were black stainless steel appliances and a six-burner gas stove, but Natalia didn't cook, so she thought it was wasted on her. She had a small dining area that she had never used, with a black rectangular table and six white high-backed chairs.  

She grabbed her briefcase, purse, and Hayden's suit jacket before walking out the door after draining her coffee in a matter of seconds. Her car was waiting for her when she got outside. The drivers were professional and knew not to make small talk unless the passenger initiated it. Natalia never did. That's why she used the car service rather than a ride-share.    

NC headquarters were located on the sixteenth floor of one of the many skyrises in the city. When Natalia walked through the door, many of her staff were already busy at work. She had twenty employees, and they all respected her as a boss. She was fair and approachable. As soon as she stepped into her office, her assistant Patrice came in behind her.

"How did it go last night? Did you get any leads?" Patrice asked her hopefully as she sat down.    

"Shut the door." Natalia trusted Patrice. She had been with her from the beginning when it was just the two of them working out of her brownstone. Patrice looked at her friend in concern.

"What's wrong, Nat?" She asked as she sat back down.

"Last night Cliff Judd tried to rape me. He pretended he had a company to discuss, then attacked me." Natalia took a deep breath to calm herself. She couldn't lose it while she was at work. 

"Oh, my goodness. Why would that pig try something like that? Did you call the police?" Patrice frowned when she saw Nat look away.

"No. I didn't want that type of attention on myself. Cliff was stopped before he could do anything more than grab my arm." Natalia shuddered at the thought of what he would have done.  

"You should have still reported him. Now he thinks he got away with something. What if he tries to do it again?" She knew Patrice was right, but at least she didn't let him off unscathed.

"I did knee him in the groin before I left. Hopefully, that pain sticks with him for a while." She gave Patrice a small smile.

"I think that may help keep him off you. Any business news?"

"Well, I did meet Hayden Sumner last night." She didn't think she needed to tell Patrice she'd cried all over him.  

"Your talking about Hayden Sumner, the CEO of Sumner Enterprises? He's the most eligible bachelor on the east coast. Women throw themselves at him just to get him to look their way. Is he as handsome in person as he is on television?" Patrice asked dreamily, thinking about how she would love to meet him.  

"He's easy on the eyes; I'll give him that. Speaking of which, can you send this to the cleaners?" She handed Hayden's suit jacket to her.

"Whose is this?" Patrice asked, staring at the jacket in her hands.

"It's Hayden's. He came into the room right after I stopped Cliff. He put the jacket on my shoulders when he walked me outside. I forgot to take it off when I got in the car." She avoided Patrice's smirk as she opened her laptop.

"Sure, I'll have it cleaned. Do you want to deliver it to him yourself?" Patrice asked with a raised eyebrow. If she didn't already have a fiance, she would have begged Nat to let her take it to him.

"I'm sure we can get someone else to take it to his office." Natalia turned back to her laptop to get to work, and Patrice stood up with a smile.  

"Just in case you change your mind, I'll let you know when it's ready for pickup." As she opened the door, Aimee, the receptionist, was getting ready to knock. She was carrying an enormous bouquet of pink lilies mixed with white roses and baby's breath in a clear vase. The petite brunette smiled.

"These were just delivered at the front desk." Aimee set the flowers on the corner of her desk as Natalia stared in surprise. Who would send her flowers?

"Who are they from?" Patrice asked.

"I don't know, but there's a card." Aimee took the card off the top and handed it to Natalia. When she opened it, she smiled softly, and the other two women looked at each other in question.  

I hope you're feeling better. I don't like that nickname, the ice queen. Let's talk about changing it over dinner sometime. Take care. - Hayden.

"Who are they from?" Patrice asked as Nat continued to stare at the card.

"Hayden." She said quietly, re-reading the small writing. She was wondering if he wrote it himself or had it transcribed.

"What? Hayden Sumner sent these to you?" Aimee exclaimed in excitement. She and Patrice exchanged a knowing smile. Many men had sent flowers to their boss, trying to win her over, but she never had the reaction she was having now.  

"Okay, that's enough. We have a busy day so get back to work." Natalia put the small card on her desk and pointed to the door so they would leave. She didn't want to answer any more questions about last night.

When her phone rang a few hours later, Natalia was busy looking over a proposed contract for another business and comparing it to the research gathered. Her office phone was ringing, but it wasn't the main line; it was her personal line. Only a handful of people had that number, so she picked it up without hesitation.

"Natalia Crawford." She answered distractedly.

"Did you like the flowers?" Natalia's heart started racing when she heard Hayden. His voice was smooth as honey.

"Yes, they're beautiful. How did you get this number?" She asked, trying to talk with her business voice.  

"I have my ways. I was worried about you and needed to ensure you were alright. I didn't like leaving you alone after what that moron did. I'm sorry, and I hope he hasn't ruined your image of other men in this business." Hayden was sincere. He had thought about Natalia all night, worrying that she was crying in her apartment alone.

"I'm fine. Don't apologize for something you didn't do. I typically don't get myself into situations like that, but I thought Cliff was harmless. I have your suit jacket too. It's at the cleaners. I'll have someone bring it to you when it's ready." Natalia's heart was still thumping loudly in her chest. She didn't like having this reaction. It reminded her of how she felt with Jon during her freshman year in college. 

"How about you let me take you out to dinner, and you can give it to me? I think it's time our two companies meet to see how we can collaborate in the future." Hayden held his breath, hoping she would say yes. He hadn't planned on calling her so soon, but he couldn't help himself.  

"I don't typically go to dinner with business associates; we meet in conference rooms. Why should I make an exception for you?" Natalia asked with a slight smile playing on her lips.  

"Well, I am the most handsome of all the others, and I'll be on my best behavior. I'll even let you choose the restaurant if you want." He felt a sliver of hope, knowing that she was considering it. He had expected her to turn him down immediately.

She thought about having dinner with Hayden. Natalia didn't do dinner dates, whether they were business-related or not. However, he had shown her compassion the night before, so it wouldn't hurt to hear him out to see how they could work together.

"You've got yourself a deal. I don't care where we go. Text me the details, and I'll meet you there." Hayden wanted to pick her up, but being that it was a business dinner, he didn't want to scare her off by making it look like a date.  

"Thank you, Natalia. You won't be disappointed." She gave him her cell phone number and then sat at her desk in a daze. She quickly picked up her phone and called Patrice when she snapped out of it.

"Hey, boss." She said in her usual greeting.

"Make sure you put a rush on the suit jacket and have it back here before I leave. I'll give it to Hayden myself." Natalia watched as Patrice turned around in her chair, looking at her through the glass walls of her office.

"You got it." Patrice grinned from ear to ear. Maybe Nat would finally find someone to make her happy.