Chapter 2 - Mesmerized

I jumped to my feet so fast that my two left feet tangled, making me trip over my legs. Bracing myself for a fall, I closed my eyes and held my breath.

Instead of the hard floor, two warm hands encircled my waist, holding me up.

I peeked through my lashes to see what had happened. Once again, my eyes met those striking grey eyes that were captivating.

Crystal was right. He was dreamy. I had seen my share of good-looking men. But something about this guy was mesmerizing.

“Are you okay?” His soft voice brought me back to reality.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

“I’m Zach. You are?”

He asked me a question.

“I-... I’m Za-... Stacey,” I stuttered.

Shit. What the hell was happening? I had always remembered the correct name. How did I almost slip up with that today?

“Well, Stacy, it’s nice to meet you. Are you sure you’re okay? Would you like to sit down? I can get you some water.” Zach asked again. His eyes scanned my face for answers. I wanted to get lost in those grey eyes.

I nodded and started to push him away as I stood straight and tucked my loose hair behind my ears. He was so sweet.

“I’m fine, thank you, sir. I’m sorry about that. I lost my balance.” I quickly explained.

Zach chuckled and smiled at me.

“That’s totally fine. I’m glad you’re okay, though. Can I ask what you’re doing in my office?” Zach questioned.

“I’m the office maid, sir. Mrs. Jackson asked me to clean up your office before you came back. She wasn’t sure when you’d be in; otherwise, I would have had everything ready before you turned up.”

Shit, was he mad that I was in his office?

“Oh right. That’s really nice of Moira. Thank you for cleaning up here. I was dreading what this place was going to look like. You’ve done a fantastic job” Zach turned and looked around.

“You’re welcome. Is there anything you’d specifically like done?” I chewed the inside of my mouth.

Zach was exactly the way Crystal had described. Tall, muscular, and handsome. He had his hair gelled back and smelt divine. His suit was made to show off his body, and I could tell he spent a lot of time in the gym.

“Are you new around here? I haven’t been gone that long. I’m sure I would have remembered such a pretty face,” he smirked, ignoring my question.

There it was, the cockiness that came with every good-looking guy.

“Yes, I am. I started with Twin Clean just after you left for your trip” I smiled, trying to stay polite.

“Ah, right. How are the twins?” he tucked his hands into his pants pockets.

“They are good. Crystal is around here somewhere.” I awkwardly shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

Did he know all his employees? Even the maids?!

“Do tell her to stop by and say hi. I would love to catch up with her.” Zach smiled and walked over to his table.

I quickly picked up the rags from the floor and made my way out of the office. Now that I had finished cleaning the office, I could go and do the rest of my jobs.

My stomach grumbled and reminded me it was lunchtime. My breakfast consisted of a cup of coffee and a scone. I was usually sitting in the comfort of our break office, having a meal by now. I wondered what Crystal wanted for lunch.

“Stacey,” Zach called out.

I poked my head back into the office.

“Could you please refill my coffee machine? It was a long flight, and I didn’t get any sleep. Long flights mess with my sleep and my stomach,” Zach snickered as he turned on his computer.

“Sure thing, Mr. Masters. I’ll just get rid of the rubbish, and I’ll be back. Would you like something to eat as well?” my mind returned to the muffins I had left in the staff room.

“You know what, that would be lovely, but please don’t go out of your way. I’m sure you have other things to do as well.” Zach smiled at me before turning his attention to the computer.

Was he usually this thoughtful? He is a famous IT billionaire. I didn’t know many wealthy people that were so gracious towards their staff.

My phone started to ring. I quickly ducked out of the office.

“Hey Crystal,” I answered, keeping my voice down.

“Hey, where are you? I’m hungry,” she complained.

“I’m still on the 19th floor. Mr. Masters is here.”

“WHAT?! Is he here?! Oh my god!” Crystal squealed.

“Yeah, and he wants to see you. Where are you?” I started organizing my cart.

“Oh, I think I’m going to pass out from excitement. Zach wants to see me?! Lord, he is such a sweetheart. Zach isn’t your typical rich manwhore like you think he is. He knows how to respect females. He takes an interest in his employees. What billionaire does that nowadays?” Crystal rambled over the phone. Maybe my observation was right. He really was a courteous guy.

“Yeah yeah, okay. Can you please bring me some stuff to refill Zach’s coffee machine? I left some muffins in the staff room on the 15th floor. Please grab some of them as well.” I was irritated for some reason, and it was making me anxious.

I felt like I had judged Zach too quickly. Everything about his manners and persona screamed “genuine.”

“Okay, I’m coming up. Do you need anything else?” Crystal quizzed. I could hear the lift ding in the background.

‘Nah, that’s all. I’ll see you soon” I hung up.

Even though Crystal and Samantha were my bosses, they treated me like family. They were the two naughty sisters I always wanted. As an orphan, I never got to experience the joys of having siblings or even a family. So after years of loneliness, their company was refreshing.

Some days the weight of the lies I was telling them felt overwhelming, but it was lies that I had to tell to keep myself alive.

“Stacey, are you still out there?” Zach called out again.

“Yes, Mr. Masters, I’m here. Is everything okay?” I walked into the office.

“Do you know where Moira is? I’ve been trying to call her, but she’s not answering.” He was holding his phone to his ear.

“Sorry, sir, but I don’t know. She was here this morning. Maybe she’s gone for a meeting?”

Should I tell him about the safe? I know I would want to know if a staff member was being dodgy.

Zach nodded and tried dialing again.

“Umm, Mr. Masters, can I talk to you about something?” I worked up the courage.

“Yeah, of course. What’s up?” Zach put the phone down and turned his attention to me.

Considerate as well...

“Well..” as I started. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

We both turned to find Crystal standing in the doorway with a big smile.

“Mr. Masters, welcome back.” She beamed as we walked into the office.

“Thank you, Crystal. It’s really nice to be back. How have you been? How’s Sam?” Zach got up and walked over to Crystal as he spoke.

“She’s good—still a grumpy hag. We’ve secured a few more contracts and expanded our business as you had suggested, and it’s been great” Crystal was so hyper, she was practically bouncing.

“I’m so stoked to hear that. So glad my advice worked out for you guys. Although I must say, I approve of the new stuff you guys have hired.” Zach’s eyes flickered towards me as his lips curled into a sexy smile.

My heart pinched a little. It had been a while since that happened.

Crystal gave me a side look before biting her bottom lip to suppress a smile.

I, too, couldn’t help but suppress a smile. I was used to the man in the office flirting with me, but something about Zach’s words seemed more earnest than flirtatious.

“Crystal, did you bring the stuff with you?” I whispered, trying to get the attention off me.

Crystal motioned towards the door, and I excused myself.

As I got to the doorway, Mrs. Jackson’s door opened, and a tall, built guy walked out. He was dressed in black clothes paired with black sunglasses. The guy had a shady demeanor and screamed bad news. There was a big scar across his neck that a knife had definitely caused.

I would know.

Why was a guy like that in Mrs. Jackson’s office?

As soon as he noticed my presence, he pulled the collar of his jacket higher and tried to hide his face, but I had already seen enough.

As I got closer to Crystal’s cart, the guy disappeared around the corner.

I shook off the creepy vibe I was getting from the situation and started grabbing things out of Crystal’s cart.

Mrs. Jackson’s door opened again, and she emerged from the office. The color on her face drained when she saw me standing in the hallway. I hastily turned around and pretended not to see what had happened.

“I-.. is Zach here?” She cleared her throat.

“Yes, he’s in the office. I had it all clean and tidy before he turned up” I smiled, trying to make things less awkward.

“Perfect. Thank you” Mrs. Jackson brushed her skirt and walked into Zach’s office.

What was she up to?!

I walked back into the office and started to refill the coffee machine. It wasn’t long before Crystal joined me.

“Did you see the muffins on the top?” Crystal asked.

I placed the plate with the muffins in front of her.

“You know, if you want to get into his pants, you already have his attention. No need to try too hard,” Crystal whispered and winked at me. She had a cheeky smile on her face.

“I’m sure he flirts with every girl he finds attractive,” I whispered.

“Actually, no, he doesn’t. I’ve seen him around plenty of women, Stace. That’s the first time he has ever commented on someone’s looks. He must really like you,” she snickered. She was keeping her voice low.

I sighed but didn’t dwell too much on what Crystal said. Unfortunately, even if she was telling the truth, my personal experience wasn’t the greatest when it came to man.

Flashes of the face I had been trying to forget filled my memory. His hazel eyes stared back at me as his crooked pink lips curved into a smile. I took a deep breath, shaking my head to clear the image. I knew better than to trust a good-looking guy that said a few sweet words. I had dropped my panties for a guy like that before. That’s what got me into the life I had today.

I made a cup of coffee and grabbed the muffin plate. Zach and Moira were sitting on the couch chatting away.

I walked over and placed the cup and plate in front of Zach before turning away.

“Are those blueberry muffins?” Zach exclaimed, darting straight for the plate.

“Yeah, it is. I always bring little baked treats for the staff rooms. Thought you’d like some.”

“You hungry?” Mrs. Jackson asked, quivering her eyebrow.

Zach stuffed his mouth with a muffin and nodded. He looked like a little kid that had just found treats.

“I can order some food for you. Have a proper meal, Zach,” Moira insisted.

“Maybe later. I have an important meeting soon.” Zach spoke between his chews.

“Who’s the meeting with?” Moira quizzed.

She seemed very interested.

“Just a potential investor,” Zach replied, getting up. He grabbed his coffee and walked back to his table.

I could feel the awkwardness.

I turned and nudged Crystal. It was time for us to leave. Crystal walked out of the office, and I followed her.

“Let’s get some lunch. I’m starving.” Crystal started to push her cart away towards the lift.

As Crystal and I made our way to our supply office, she conveniently informed me that not all the jobs from my task list were completed. I didn’t like the idea of having unfinished jobs. I scoffed down my food and excused myself to go complete the leftover jobs. Sam called and summoned Crystal to another site that needed urgent attention.

There were seven jobs left to do on my list, and I was running out of time. I made my way to every floor, cleaning the toilets and staff rooms, refiling coffee machines, and replenishing paper towel dispensers. It was all mind-numbing things, but it kept me distracted. My previous job was very hands-on and hectic. I had done years of training for it, and just as I had reached the height of that career, everything came crumbling down.

I got so carried away with my tasks; I had lost track of time. It was 6 pm when I made my way up to the 19th floor again. That was the last floor on my task list. As the numbers on the lift changed, I let my mind wander back to the antiseptic scented hallways, the alarms, and beeping machines. The hushed chatter of staff members and visitors that were huddled around beds. All those memories, those moments, as much as I missed them, it hurt to think about it. It hurt to think about all the fantastic things I had to leave behind because I made one mistake.

The lift dinged, and the door opened. I took a deep breath in and pushed everything to the back of my mind.

The hallway was quiet as I walked toward the toilets on the left-hand side. Everyone was generally gone by 5 pm. I grabbed a paper towel refill and headed into the toilets.

As I got to the door, a loud bang made me jump. Dropping the refill and immediately reached into my apron for my phone. I was dialing Sam’s number when a groan made me freeze.

A shiver coursed through me as another groan came down the hallway.

Who was still here?!

Without thinking, I started to take steps toward the direction the noise was coming from. The groaning got louder the closer I got. I glanced behind me to see if someone was following me, but the hallway was quiet and empty. The only noise I could hear was the groaning.

As I got to the end of the hall, I noticed the light on Mr. Masters’s office was still on. I knew he stayed back late to work.

Was the sound coming from his office?

My heart was pounding against my chest as the familiarity of this situation spiked my anxiety.

I slowly peeked into the office, bracing myself to run at first sight of trouble. However, what I saw wasn’t dangerous; it was distressing.

There on the floor of the illuminated office, lay the crumpled body of Zach Masters. He was pale and clutching his neck. The stench of vomit assaulted my nostrils.

My brain kicked into overdrive, and I immediately pulled my phone out of my apron and dialed 911...