Her Perfect Valentine Birthday Surprise (2 page)

   My pretending to not recognize him had clearly annoyed him, but I didn’t care.  I couldn’t start harboring stupid fancy notions about him.  The past needed to stay in the past; besides the man was married.  “I can’t do that,” I said as diplomatically as possible.  “I will give up my lunch hour, but I cannot work past four.”

   “You keep saying that.”  He finally rose and walked toward me.  “What is so important that you have to leave at precisely four o’clock?”

   I wanted to tell him that it was none of his business.  I wished he had stayed seated, because his nearness was disarming.  What was it about this man who had the power to knock all good common sense out of my head like he’d done that night, six years ago?

   “I never forgot, Elizabeth.  Even after all these years, I can’t get you out of my head.  I remember every single moment we spent together in that hotel room.  You infected me that night.  You’re in my blood.”

   Don’t trust him
, my head screamed.
  He’s married.  For all you know, he was married that night he made love to you then disappeared.  It’s because of him why your marriage didn’t work out, why you can’t commit to any other man.
 

   
“Are you seeing someone?” he asked.  “Is that why you have to rush out at four?”

   He almost sounded jealous.  But I quickly squelched that thought.  I had nothing for Sheldon Tanner to be jealous about.  
Or did I
?  “I really have to get back to work, Mr. Tanner,” I said, edging toward the door.

   He cocked his head and stared at me.  “You really don’t remember me, Elizabeth?”

   I realized that it would be foolish to continue acting as if I didn’t know him, so I decided to clear the air and prevent future awkwardness between us.  He was my boss, and I didn’t want to have to walk on eggshells around him for the rest of my temporary employment.

   “Yes,” I said, softly.  “I remember you and our night together.  But that was a long time ago, Mr. Tanner.  I’ve moved on, and you obviously have, too,” I added, pointing to his family picture.

   “But you’re not married.  I noticed you’re not wearing a ring.”  A hopeful light flashed in his eyes.

   Was he a player?  “I’m divorced.   But there
is
someone very special in my life,” I answered.

   He winced as if I’d struck him across the cheek.  “I see.  I hope he knows how lucky he is.”  He rubbed his temple as if his head hurt.  “It’s good seeing you again, Elizabeth.  You can leave at four, and you don’t have to give up your lunch hour.”  He waved me away and went back to his big black leather chair.

   I raced out of there and back to my office.  I have no clue how I got anything done after that encounter, but I kept busy until four without even breaking for lunch.  I would not have been able to keep anything down, anyway.

   I couldn’t sleep that night, and laid in bed thinking that if the economy wasn’t so bad, I’d look for another job.  By dawn, I realized that I had no choice but to get up, go in, and tackle whatever challenge life threw me that day.  The pay and benefits at Tanner Enterprises were the best out there.  And if Joyce didn’t return to work, my financial future would improve exponentially.  Since David wasn’t paying child support, I had to think of my daughter’s wellbeing.  I would wrestle the devil for her.

   The next day I went to work, determined to avoid Sheldon as much as possible.  I didn’t have to try too hard.  He wasn’t even there.  He’d gone on a three-day business trip.  I breathed sighs of relief the first two days.  My luck ran out on the third day, though.

   I was on my way out of his office when he walked in.  A shiver ran through me, and my knees buckled at the sight of his muscular frame in the doorway.  “Mr. Tanner.  I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

   Joyce had told me that the one thing I must never do is get caught in his office when he wasn’t there.  Even though he knew we dropped off files for approval in his absence, for some reason, walking in on us annoyed him.  He had invasion of privacy issues, I supposed.  This was strike two.  I held my breath waiting for the hammer to fall.

   “It’s okay, Elizabeth.  No need to panic.”  He walked over to his desk, dropped his briefcase on it then turned toward me.  His gaze was as soft as a caress as our eyes met.  

   I dropped my gaze.  What the heck was he doing?  He was married.  “Look,” I said, meeting his stare again.  I felt I had the right to voice my opinion.  “I don’t know what kind of games you’re playing, or what kind of woman you think I am, but I don’t
do
married men.”

   “What kind of man do you think I am, Elizabeth?”

   “I don't know.  But please don’t judge me from our one-night stand, six years ago.  I’d never done anything that reckless before, or since.”

   “I never judged you, Elizabeth.”   He dropped his weight into his leather chair and picked up the file I’d left on his desk.  “How’s it going?  I hope you’re settling in nicely,” he said, keeping his eyes on the folder.

   “I am.  Thank you for asking.”  I edged toward the door.

   He raised his head, and stopped me with his intense blue eyes.  “I wanted to see you again, you know.  But I didn’t realize it until I was having breakfast with my father later that morning.  I raced back to the hotel, hoping you’d still be there, but you’d already left.”

   My stomach muscles crunched, painfully.  I swallowed the lump in my throat.  “You did?”

   “We didn’t talk much that night.  I didn’t even know your name.  I had no idea where to begin looking for you.  “But here we are again.  Do you think we—”

   I didn’t want to think about anything concerning us.  One part of me wanted to ask him if he’d been married and cheated on his wife, but the other part didn’t want to know.  I cringed at the thought.  I looked at the clock on his desk.  Thank God it was almost four.  “I have to leave, Mr. Tanner.”  

   “Would you please call me Sheldon?”

   I forced a smiled.  “Okay.  I have to leave, Sheldon.”

   He gave me a puzzled look.  “What is it you rush out of here to do at four o’clock everyday?”

   I was spared from answering when his phone rang.

   I made my escape.

   I was late the next day because I forgot to set my alarm.  Sheldon called for me just before noon.  Fear knotted in my stomach as I walked to his office.  He didn’t tolerate tardiness.  I was ready to pour my heart out and beg him not to fire me.  I knocked on his door.  Upon his response, I opened it, and stepped into his office.  “You wanted to see me, Mr.” I caught myself.  “Sheldon?”  May as well be informal to offset any displeasure he may have over my tardiness.

   “Hi, Elizabeth.”  He looked up from a folder he was studying.  “How are you?”

   “Fine, thanks,” I answered skeptically.

   “It’s not about you being late,” he said as if sensing my fears.

    I let out my breath.

   “I was just going over the report you did on Gleason Software and I’m very impressed.  I want you to work with me on the buy-out.”

   I swallowed my shock.  “You do?  But I’m—”

   “No buts.  I think you’re a very intelligent woman, Elizabeth, and a great asset to this company.  I’m giving you the opportunity to prove me right.  You want it?”

   “Yes.  Yes,” I chirped.

   And so for two week, Sheldon and I stayed in close contact, pouring over files, sales statistics, annual reports, and all legal and financial documents pertaining to Gleason.  It was very hard working that close to him and not constantly dwell on the intimate moments we’d shared.  But our ship had sailed.

   His patience and gentleness toward me were touching.  His enthusiasm about me was empowering.  He was a perfect gentleman and never once made a pass at me, even though I saw the desire in his eyes, felt it when he accidently brushed against me and when our fingers inadvertently touched.  I started doubting that he’d cheated all those years ago.  Or maybe he had, and had redeemed himself.  I didn’t know.  But I grew to respect his loyalty to his wife.  She was one lucky woman.  I envied her, more so because I’d once experienced the strength and intensity of his passion.

   On Friday of the second week, Sheldon walked into my office.  It was close to four and I was getting ready to leave.  His hands were shoved deep into his pockets and his shoulders were drooped.  He looked haggard.

   “You have a minute?” he asked, closing the door.

   “Just one.  It’s almost—”

   “Four,” he finished for me.  He came up to my desk and stared down at me.  “Elizabeth, I know you have a child.   She’s the reason you run out of here every day at four.  You have to pick her up from daycare.”

   My heart sank, but I managed to keep my composure.  “How do you know?  Who told you?” I asked, watching my life crumble before my very eyes.

   “I followed you yesterday.”

   I felt my throat closing up.  “Are you stalking me, Sheldon?   Are you spying on me?  That’s harassment, you know.”

   “No,” he responded hastily.  “I was curious.  These past two weeks, I was introduced to a side of you I find absolutely…” He cleared his throat.  “Well, don’t tell me you don’t feel the tension, the pull between us.”

   Not wanting him to see the tears in my eyes, I swiveled around and turned my back to him.  “You shouldn’t be saying such things, Sheldon.  You’re a married man.”  My hands balled into fists on my lap.

   “Yes, and up until yesterday, I thought you had someone special in your life.  A man to be exact.”  He walked around my desk and crouched down in front of me.  “I know we used protection that night, but I also know that condoms aren’t always one hundred percent full-proof, so I’m going to ask you once, and don’t lie to me, Elizabeth.  Is that little girl my child?”  

   The earnestness in his voice shook me to the core.  I could lie about anything except the paternity of my child.  I was shocked when I learned I was pregnant.  But how could it be? I’d asked myself a million times.  We’d used protection.  But now that Sheldon knew about Marissa, it was pointless to lie to him.

   “Yes, she’s yours,” I said, releasing the burden I’d been carrying for more than five years.

   A broad smile swept across his face.  He pushed to his feet and stared out of the window for a few silent moments before turning back to me.  “I knew it the very moment I saw her.  She looks just like Ruby.”

   “Yes, she does resemble your youngest daughter,” I said without emotion.  The fact that he had a wife and another family brought me back to reality.  There was no room for Marissa in that circle.  “Look,” I said, “I don’t need anything from you.  As long as I can keep this job, I can take care of Marissa myself.”

   “Marissa.  Marissa.  That’s such a pretty name.”  

   “I named her after my mother.”

   “How soon after our night together did you get married?”

   “A month.”

   “So your ex-husband must have known she wasn’t his.”

   “Well, David and I had been dating for two years.  We’d been broken up for about a little over a month when you walked into that bar that night.”

   “So it was a toss up?”  He waved his hands in the air.

   I nodded.  “We had a quickie marriage, but three years into it, things began falling apart.  He’d been an excellent father to Marissa, but had become verbally abusive to me.  One day, out of spite, he threatened to leave me and take Marissa.  I told him about my one-night-stand with you, and that she may not be his to take.  He demanded a paternity test, and when it proved that Marissa was not his, we divorced.”

   “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he said with a tender note in his voice.

   “I always knew in my heart that Marissa was yours,” I replied.   “I was just in denial.  I never thought I’d ever see you again.  I wanted my marriage to work for her sake.”

   “Is your ex still part of her life?  Does he see her regularly?”

   I sighed.  “No.  He moved to California, remarried, and started another family.”

   “How is she coping with him being so far away?”

   “It was really bad at first.  She cried every night for months, but she’s learning to live without him.  She doesn’t ask for him as often as she used to.”

   “No child should ever have to cry for a parent’s attention.  Especially not another child of mine,” he said with a hint of harshness in his voice.

   I frowned.  His anger seemed to stem from more than David’s paternal neglect.

   He glanced at his watch.  “Let’s go.”

   “Where?”

   “To pick up Marissa.  I want her to know who I am.”

   I jumped to my feet.  “Sheldon, you can’t just approach her and tell her you’re her father.  You’ll confuse her.  David’s the only father she’s ever known.”

   “But he left her to father his own child.  Didn’t he?  He doesn’t love, nor does he want her.”

   I couldn’t argue with that hard fact.  

   He raked his hands through his hair.  “I want to see her, hear the sound of her voice, and maybe even hug her.  She’s my firstborn child, and I’ve never even held her.  I’ll follow you in my car,” he added, making a dash for the door.