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CHAPTER FOUR
Tucker is waitingat the condominium complex, as he said he would be. I hired him from the best security firm in the country, Steele Security, out of Miami. He relocated here to Dallas to be my head of security and has been worth his considerable muscled weight in gold. As the head of security, one of his responsibilities is to make sure each condo is secure and ready for the next tenant. He’s even stricter on security measures than I am, so I have no doubt that Sophia will be fine here.
“Hello, Mr. Powers,” Tucker says as we exit the car. “We have swept the condo and it is secure. Miss Vasco is all set to go up. She’s in unit 2220. The kitchen is fully stocked and Ms. Hernandez is waiting inside for her.”
Tucker hands Sophia two keys to her unit and gives her the paperwork with the security codes. “Memorize these and destroy this paper. Your safety will be compromised if anyone else gets these codes, Miss Vasco.”
Sophia looks at the information and stutters, “I - I will. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Tucker. I will escort Miss Vasco upstairs,” I state.
Tucker nods to each of us and walks away toward his full-size truck. Tucker is a big man—taller and much thicker than I am. He has a distinguished military background and is loyal to a fault. I placed him in charge of a team of men that he personally handpicked and they answer directly to him in the event of any issues. I have never had to step in and handle any error on a security measure. Tucker is swift and thorough in all his dealings.
“He’s very serious,” Sophia whispers when Tucker gets in his truck and is out of earshot.
“He is. He’s the best at his job and it’s what I pay him to do,” I reply. “Ready to see your new place?”
Sophia nods enthusiastically and a beautiful smile splits her face in two. She is truly breathtaking when she gives her all-out, high-wattage smile. Her white teeth gleam in contrast to her tanned skin, her eyes sparkle, and she makes me want to smile in return. “I know I was a little hesitant about this, Dominic, but this place is amazing. I can’t thank you enough for this.”
My responding smile can’t be contained, “Let me show you around, Sophia.” Taking her elbow in my hand, I gently steer her toward the front door of the high-rise building. We enter the lobby and I hear a muffled gasp from Sophia. Her hand is covering her mouth, which is gaping open, and her eyes are huge, trying to take in all the luxurious surroundings. It’s the stark opposite of the building she is currently vacating.
The lobby of the executive condominium building is very opulent. The walls are covered with English oak panels with fluted marble columns evenly spaced throughout the room. Couches, chairs, coffee tables and two enormous fireplaces also fill the space. A separate room provides a comfortable sitting area for chauffeurs. The armed security guard behind the desk is in plain clothes, and behind the wall is a hidden room where more security personnel monitor the security camera feed from the grounds.
At the elevators, I show her how to enter the security code to gain access to her floor. The elevators are locked from floors twenty and above for our employees’ safety. Sophia stands close to me in the elevator and her intoxicating perfume once again permeates every cell in my body. When I eventually identify the scent, I realize I will never again be able to smellFlowerbombwithout thinking of her.
Finally on the twenty-second floor, she excitedly looks around the vestibule. The condos are large so there are only a few doors on each floor. Just outside the elevator doors on each floor is a round table with an elaborate flower arrangement in the center. There are various types of houseplants, paintings, wall sconces, and a mixture of other elegant decorations to give each floor a more regal touch.
When she finally works up the nerve to open the door to her new place, she takes a couple of steps inside and stops cold. Watching her with amusement and admiration, I can’t help but feel a little satisfaction at giving her such happiness. She suddenly bolts into action, darting from room to room to take in everything about her new home.
A sudden, high-pitched squeal from the master bedroom sends me into action. I race toward her, ready and willing to defend her and fight off whoever has joined us uninvited. When I reach her, she’s standing frozen-still in front of the walk-in closet. Her hand is still on the doorknob and I quickly push her behind me to shield her from whatever is inside. When I get a full, unobstructed view, I realize there is no one and nothing inside the closet.
I turn quickly and look her in the eyes. “What’s wrong, Sophia? What happened?”
“The closet…it’shuge!” she exclaims, her voice infused with sincerity and amazement at once.
After a second or two of allowing my pulse to return to normal, I find myself once again laughing. She is so amusing and easy to please. I hang my head, my hand still on the doorknob and my shoulders shake from intense laughter. “Well, I’m pleased that you appreciate your new closet,” I finally manage to say while shaking my head.
When I look up at her, she’s beaming—her face is glowing and she’s smiling from ear to ear. Her eyes sparkle with happiness and appreciation. Once again, I feel fortunate to be the person who could bring her such pleasure with something so simple.
Mrs. Hernandez, my household manager, joins us in the bedroom. “Hello, Miss Sophia. My name is Christine and I understand you need some help getting clothes and other toiletries,” she smiles warmly at Sophia.
Sophia looks questioningly at me, as if she’s waiting for me to answer Mrs. Hernandez for her. The many contradictions I have seen and felt with Sophia over the past twelve hours are mind-boggling, but I can’t help but be drawn more and more into her with each revelation. This woman is hard and soft, strong and weak, happy and sad, a mystery and an open book. I give Sophia a single nod and she answers Mrs. Hernandez.
“Yes, I’m afraid I do. What do you have in mind?” she asks somewhat timidly.
“All you need to do is give me your sizes and your preferences. I will take care of the rest for you,” Mrs. Hernandez reassures her.
“If you’re sure,” Sophia responds, but her eyes catch mine and I know she is also asking me.
“Mrs. Hernandezlivesto spend money, Sophia. She doesn’t mind at all,” I respond and give Mrs. Hernandez a playful wink.
Mrs. Hernandez takes Sophia into the kitchen and expediently makes a list of the necessary items. I continue my slow perusal of the condo, telling myself that I’m double-checking after Tucker but deep down I know better than that. I’m stalling and waiting to be alone with Sophia again for some reason. The masochist in me wants to be tortured by something I know I can’t have.
I rejoin them just as Mrs. Hernandez is leaving the condo. Sophia is still gushing at her, convinced she is being a burden and that Mrs. Hernandez has better things to do.
“Christine, I really appreciate this. Thank you so much for your help. Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Sophia asks, but I’m sure it’s not the first time.
