Page 6 of Be My Valentine

“It’s very elegant.” Noted Meg.

“My mom’s a real estate agent always dressed up. I even had the hem of the pants shortened so I could wear flats, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to run every time they call my name.”

“Miss Donovan!” Annie Carson’s nasal voice soared over everything from the doorway of Arrow’s office. She was in charge; she was the one who logged the most important documents and met with the most prestigious clients. Kate had noticed how she went out of her way to show off to Mark Arrow - not that she was surprised. Her employer was a very handsome man, perhaps a few years younger than Annie Carson, but age was certainly not an issue. Moreover, Kate found them to be perfect for each other, both beautiful, obnoxious, and particularly unpleasant towards her. They had quite a few things in common.

“It’s on.” She said sadly to her friend and set off.

“How may I help you?”

“Our guests would like something to drink, you should be able to accommodate them, right?” She spoke decidedly loudly.

“Certainly.”

Annie Carson motioned her in, lifting her chin, and with great disappointment noticed the silence that had descended upon the office.

With her hair pulled back into a soft chignon, her large brown eyes and full lips barely veiled by a lip gloss, Kate had attracted the attention of all the men. She was beautiful and the suit fit her perfectly, highlighting her slender physique. She wasn’t curvy, unlike Carson, who had a generous décolleté-which gossip swore was fake-but she had all her curves in place.

“Miss Donovan waits tables every night,” she exclaimed acidly, “she will have no trouble taking your orders.”

Kate bit her lip and met Attorney Arrow’s icy gaze.

“That’s not necessary.” he was the one who spoke “We can go down to the cafeteria on our own, I’m sure it will be better than our office slop”

“I would gladly stay here, Mark,” said a man about the same age, short hair as light as his eyes, and a brazen smile “the view is interesting.” And he pretended to look out the window as the other two colleagues from Philadelphia chuckled; everyone had a half-smile on their lips except Arrow, but Kate knew that he never laughed.

“Mark, Miss Donovan can go down to the café for us,” said Annie Carson confidently, “She’s got flat shoes on, I’d say she’ll do it in a jiffy, won’t you?”

Kate cast a glance at the woman’s wonderful shoes, you couldn’t say she didn’t have taste, they looked amazing with the ivory suit, skirt and jacket, definitely in the latest fashion.

“Not a problem.” Kate confirmed.

“Great!” the fair-haired man smiled again and turned only to Kate “We haven’t been introduced, I’m Patrick Hanks and no, I’m not related to the actor and I’m definitely better looking.” He winked at her “These are my colleagues, Robert and Jeremy Gleeson; we’re the famous Gleeson & Hanks.”

“Ms. Donovan is new; you’re not famous to her.” Mark Arrow stretched his lips into a smile.

“For now.” Murmured one of the two brothers.

Kate wished she could disappear. She was used to guys’ approaches and had no problem keeping the loudmouths at a distance, but there, outside of her circle, the college campus and the pub, she felt she had few weapons and even fewer allies.

“What can I get you?” She asked, trying to sound casual. She didn’t have a pen and paper, and she knew with certainty that if she made a mistake bringing coffee, Attorney Arrow would make sure she paid for it: they were important colleagues. She listened to the orders carefully.

She sprang out like a bolt of lightning and jotted everything down on a sheet of paper, certain that she had forgotten nothing. She grabbed her coat and ran towards the restaurant.

She came back after ten minutes, her cheeks burning with the cold and the running, a few unruly locks had left the bun and framed her face. She knocked softly and Annie Carson opened the door for her, to immediately sit back down next to Arrow, their knees brushing against each other. She had placed her order, too, to mark her territory.

Who the hell wants your territory, I want to go back to college.

She set down the cups on which she had had the barman write what type of coffee was inside each one.

“Where’s mine, Miss Donovan? Black and no sugar.” Attorney Hanks asked.

Kate felt the blood rush from her cheeks. It wasn’t possible, she was sure no one had said ‘black and no sugar’, but she had learned the lesson.

“I… I’m sorry, I’ll go right back to the cafeteria.”

“Working at a law firm and not being able to remember five coffees, not good.” He continued undaunted, clicking his tongue to remark on the error.

And this time Kate felt her face flare: God, she was practically a human traffic light.