Beyond 10 Nights by Michelle Hughes, Karl Jones Page A

few. She told
herself it was a good thing that he hadn’t tried to contact her, but her heart
wasn’t on board with that line of thinking and her stomach clenched nervously.
    When she got out of bed, and saw she
was still wearing the outfit she had worn the previous day, she was reminded
that she didn’t have anything else to wear. Nervously, she texted Janie to ask
what time she could pick up her things. She realized that until she found a
place of her own, she couldn’t get all her belongings, but she could at least
get enough clothes to avoid wearing the same thing all the time, not to mention
her toiletries.
    Heading for the door she noticed the
case in front of the closet. She didn’t remember the case being there the night
before and was curious to know where it had come from, as well as what was in
it.
    Carrying it over to the bed she undid
the catches and lifted the lid. She was surprised to see that it contained the
clothes Delilah had sent over to Rhett’s mansion the day before. It was a
relief to know that she had some clothes, in case she didn’t hear from Janie.
    Finding the en-suite bathroom, which
wasn’t difficult, she had a hurried shower and brushed her teeth, thankful that
the hotel provided complimentary toiletries. Mundane tasks were all that were
keeping her sane right then, so she dressed in the most casual outfit of those she
had been sent, and made her way awkwardly into the living area of the suite.
    Alex smiled and put down the
newspaper he was reading when Leah walked in. “Good morning, did you sleep
well?” he asked.
    Leah stared at her feet, feeling
more than a little uncomfortable in his company, and spoke quietly. “Yes, thank
you; I appreciate you letting me stay, and you getting my things from Rhett’s.”
She couldn’t believe how awkward she felt around him, she guessed it was
because he was almost a total stranger and yet had already done so much for
her, but she just didn’t have a clue what to say or how to act.
    “You’re welcome; Rhett thought you
would need the clothes. If there is anything missing, or if you need anything,
he asked me to relay that you only had to let him know and he would take care
of it."  He wasn't sure how she was feeling about her circumstances
this morning, but felt he was obligated to give Rhett's message. With that in
mind her position needed to be ironed out. "I think we need to discuss
your situation.”
    Was he going to kick her out? She
thought in panic. Where would she go? She still had the money Rhett had
deposited in her bank account, she suddenly remembered; it was enough, she
hoped, to keep her going until she got her first paycheck from her new job.
Accepting the cup of coffee he held out to her she settled into the armchair,
doing her best not to let her emotions and her concerns show.
    “I have a proposition for you, and I
think with a little management, we can both work together smoothly to make this
easier.” Take a sip of his coffee he set it down on the coffee table in front
of him before continuing. “Given your state of affairs, both with Rhett, and
with your friend Janie, I believe the best thing you can do is to stay with me,
for the time being. At least until you are able to sort things out."
    “If you haven’t managed to arrange
things by the time I get myself a house or apartment then you can move in there
with me. Once you have finished your probationary period at work, and we have
determined whether it is a good fit for you, I will assist you in getting an
apartment of your own. Assuming, that is, you haven’t managed to find something
for yourself before then.” He could see that she was about to argue against his
generosity and quickly held up a hand to forestall her.
    “Rest assured, you will pay your way
while you are staying with me.” The look that crossed her face almost made him
laugh but he resisted the urge and hurried on. “You will pay your share of the
bills, and until I am able to hire someone