Page 11 of Abigail
“What’s up?” Tank looks up at him in concern.
“Abigail just went into the back,” Straw answers then continues on his way. Tank stands to follow after throwing money on the table. The men cross the lobby at a fast clip. They arrive at the check-in desk about the time Abigail is exiting the back office. Her head is on a swivel and she is looking around the lobby. Her face is strained with worry. Straw does not like that look on her face. Abigail looks up and her eyes lock with Straw’s. Surprise flashes over her face, before she quickly schools her features.
“Abigail,” Straw greets her as she rounds the counter. She gives him a quick tight smile that doesn’t reach her eyes before answering.
“Mr. Ford,” Abigail says quickly. “I’m sorry, but I’m off the clock. I have to pick up my daughter. Teresa will be more than happy to help you with whatever you need, though.” She glances at him again, but begins to move around him.
“It’s Robert, or Straw,” he informs her. She stops and looks at him. “Not Mr. Ford…anything, but Mr. Ford, please.” He shakes his head and shudders. Abigail’s giggle catches him off guard. The musical sound catching a fire in his heart. He laughs along with her. When she speaks, he is totally gone.
“Noted,” she continues to giggle. “I really am sorry, but I have to be going.” She starts to cross the lobby. Straw hot on her heels.
“Look, I know you don’t know me, but I would like to escort you to your car?” Straw ends on a question. Abigail stops she studies him for a moment. Her gaze flits to Tank before she looks back at Straw. He hurries to ward off her refusal. “I’m really harmless. It’s just walking you to your car.” She nods and continues on her way.
“Um…Robert,” Abigail begins. “I really appreciate you walking me out, but I’ll be fine. I’ve worked here over a year and never had any issues, so this is really unnecessary.” She takes a moment to glance over at him. Straw thinks about how he wants to handle this. He can’t just blurt out he thinks they knew each other as children and that he knows about what she’s running from.
“I’m sure you’re perfectly safe, Abigail,” Straw informs her as he tries to figure out how much he wants to divulge to her at this point. “I…I was just worried after everything this afternoon.” Abigail gives him a nod as they continue out the side door and toward the employee parking lot.
“Well, thank you,” Abigail replies softly. She stops next to a very older model Nissan Altima, if Straw had to guess it was a 1990’s model. He is honestly surprised it’s still running. As old as it is, it must have many hundreds of thousands of miles on it. When her gaze meets his, his breath is stolen away. Her next words catch him completely off guard. “It’s nice having someone to be concerned about me. I haven’t had that before, but I can take care of myself. Really I’ve been doing it my whole life.” She hit him with a beautiful smile and he wanted to tell her she shouldn’t have had to care for herself, that he knew she’d been taking care of herself since she was a little girl. However, he doesn’t feel that would be met with the spirit it is intended.
“I know,” he says instead. Her confused look makes him realize he’s said his thoughts out loud. “I mean, I’m sure you have,” he corrects. She looks around awkwardly before she turns back to him. “Thank you again, I do need to be going, the aftercare program charges more if you’re late for pick up and I don’t want Ellie worrying that I’m not there on time.”
“Ellie?” Straw asks. It must be the baby she was carrying on the video he saw all those years ago.
“My daughter,” Abi replies as she turns toward her car door once again.
“I didn’t mean to hold you up, Abigail,” Straw answers her. He watches as she unlocks her door. He reaches out and opens her door for her. “Drive safely.” She gives him another smile as she gets into her seat. He shuts her door and she gives him a wave after buckling her seatbelt. She starts her car and pulls out of the lot. His gut knots as he watches her drive away. He is going to have to take this slow, but his time is limited. He’s only here for a few weeks then he’ll be heading back to North Carolina. He’ll just have to make good use of his time.
CHAPTERTEN
Abigail is having a minor freak out as she pulls out of staff parking lot and heads toward the afterschool care center. Good lord that man has gotten her heart beat running away. Robert Ford is without a doubt the most handsome man she has ever seen. She is drawn to him like a bear to honey. She can’t understand the intense attraction to him. She’s never been drawn to or so attracted to anyone she’s ever met. When his eyes are on her, she feels like she knows him on some cosmic level. She’s definitely losing her ever-living mind.
Shaking her head to clear the craziness from it, Abigail pulls into the pick-up line outside the afterschool program. She’s got to get her head right before Ellie gets into the car. She’s determined to not be a distracted parent. Ellie deserves her undivided attention, and as long as the sexy blond stranger is on her mind, she can’t provide that for her child. Abi rolls her beat up old car up to the pick-up spot and smiles big as her precious angel climbs into the backseat. The attendant helps Ellie get herself buckled in. “Bye, Ellie girl,” the woman coos as she snaps the buckle into place. “I’ll see you next week.”
“Bye, Mrs. Lauren,” Ellie sweetly replies. “Hope you have a good weekend!” Abigail is so proud of her little angel. Ellie is always so kind and thoughtful. Abigail is thankful the child doesn’t seem to have inherited any of her father’s venom.
“You too, sweet girl,” Mrs. Lauren replies. The woman gives her a wave and closes Ellie’s door. Abigail pulls out into traffic for the short drive to her apartment complex. The drive takes longer than usual. Traffic is a nightmare and an overturned semi-truck adds to the mess. Just another stressor to add to her day.
Abigail has so much to get done tonight. It really sucks when her long day falls on her weekend to work at the hotel and even more so when the hotel is overly busy like it is right now. It is what it is, so no use in complaining about it. She herds her daughter up the three flights of stairs to their apartment. The night flies by much too fast. Bedtime is here before she knows it.
The next morning, she is rushing around trying to get them ready and out the door on time. The last thing she needs is to be late again. Brent’s head might explode if she is late today. She pauses in the madness of her morning to smile at that thought.Ugh!She is the worst kind of person the be thinking about her boss’s head exploding and she doesn’t have time to be wasting time on such mean thoughts. Ellie is up but dragging her feet this morning. She’s normally up early every day so her being sluggish is another worry for Abigail. Maybe she should take Ellie to her doctor just to make sure everything is okay.
Abigail doesn’t have daycare on the weekends, so she has to bring Ellie to work with her. Brent hates it but knows that Abi is the best employee he has, so he doesn’t fuss too much. Sara comes to work with her and watches Ellie in the hotel while she works. They eat in the hotel restaurant, swim in the pool, and watch TV in the break room for employees. Sara’s mother, Sharon, works weekends too and doesn’t want to leave her alone, especially after the weird encounter she had the other day walking home from school. The incident is still fresh on all their minds. Therefore, Sharon is more than happy for Abigail to bring Sara to the hotel with her, and of course Abigail gives the girl some money for watching Ellie. It’s not much, but to the teen it gives her a little money to save up for new clothes.
Abigail is on edge all day on Saturday. She scans the lobby constantly looking for the Admiral she saw yesterday. She decides to check the guest registry to see if she can find his name. Perhaps he was only here for a meeting or something. Hopefully he isn’t staying in the hotel. After running through the list, she realizes he is not staying at the hotel, and she relaxes a little. Maybe she did imagine seeing him after all. She manages to get through that day without seeing the Admiral, but no without seeing the sexy Robert Ford. He seems to be in the lobby often, and her eyes are drawn to his sexy, Greek godlike body. Desire has flared in her at the sight of him striding out of the elevators with his friends. He walks confidently like he knows just how his every move is sensual and delicious.
Mr. Ford has garnered her attention, and she can’t seem to escape it. She would get a feeling come over her, an awareness. Looking around the lobby, she would randomly see him walking through with his tribe of friends or see him across the lobby at the hotel bar, sitting at a table with a view of the lobby. It seems she can’t keep from noticing him whenever he’s nearby. Occasionally she’s noticed his eyes are on her, too, but mostly it’s like she has a sixth sense whenever he’s around.Why?She wonders for the hundredth time. It’s been much too long since she’s used her vibrator. Yes, that’s it. That’s the only explanation she can fathom for this intense attraction she feels for him.
On Sunday, it is getting close to time for lunch when Sara and Ellie come out from the break room.
“What time are you taking lunch today?” Sara asks. “Ellie is getting hungry. I was going to take her swimming, but I thought we should wait until after lunch.”
Abi smiles at the young girl. She is so grown up for her young age of fifteen. While many girls her age are chasing boys, worried about what clothes to wear, or seeing how far they can push their parents, Sara is sweet, respectful, and focused on her education. Oh, Abi knows she is interested in boys and clothes. What teenage girl isn’t? She also occasionally pushes Sharon’s buttons, but Sara is smart enough to know that she needs to get good grades. A scholarship would make it easier for her to attend college and the girl has ambition. And she’s willing to work for it to achieve her goals. It’s an added blessing Sara is also very good with Ellie. She has been helping Ellie with learning her colors and reads to her constantly. Ellie loves to be read to, and Sara is more than willing to oblige her. Sara is more than patient with her relentless questions and boundless energy. Abi couldn’t ask for a better babysitter. Fate has blessed her to have found such good neighbors and a sitter for Ellie.
“I’ll be ready in a few minutes. It’s not too busy right now. Let me close this out, and I’ll just go let Brent know I’m going to lunch.” Abigail completes the report she is working on for Brent before she heads into the back office. Brent looks up at her and scowls. “What do you want, Abigail?”
“I’m going to lunch, Brent. You will have to watch the counter. Teresa isn’t due to come in for another couple of hours.” Abi doesn’t give him time to argue. She gets her purse and heads back out to Sara and Ellie.
Brent follows her out the door. “Abi you can eat lunch here or wait until Teresa gets here. There is no reason for me to have to come out here and do your job for you.” Abigail chooses to ignore him and heads toward the girls to lead them to the hotel restaurant. Normally she could never afford a place like that, but employees eat free while on the job and any guests are only half price. Not only that but the staff all know her, her daughter, and sitter. They often slip Ellie’s food in at no charge, because she never eats very much anyway.
