Holiday Delights: Volume One - The Escape by Ana Vela Page A

telling that to
the board,” he said. “They replaced him with Sid Teller and his
first order of business was to clean out the trash”
    Kelsey’s blood boiled. Sid Teller was a
spineless and brainless man who would run Synergy and its clients
to the ground.
    “ Well, the board members
are a bunch of idiots!” she said in a shaky voice.
    Marty stood up, carrying the boxes.
    “ Nevertheless, Sid said
you are out. Clean out your personal belongings and these men will
escort you out. You have 15 minutes.”
    What personal belongings, Kelsey thought.
Everything in her office was work. She never displayed any personal
items or knickknacks. Of course, not wanting to give Marty the
satisfaction, she grabbed the first thing she could think of – a
“World’s Best Daughter” mug from her mom, a gift for her first day
at work.
    “ I’m done,” she said and
let the two burly men escort her.
    *****
     
    Kelsey was in shock. As she walked out into
the rain, her raincoat forgotten, holding her cup, she started to
walk. Her sensible pumps click-clacked on the wet pavement,
occasionally splashing a puddle or two. Her dark blonde hair, now
even mousier than before, had come loose from its bun and stuck to
her head. She could hardly see through her contacts but she didn’t
care.
    Like a Zombie, she walked up and down the
streets of lower Manhattan. She didn’t know how long she was
walking and she didn’t even notice how wet or cold she was. She
walked for hours. Her prim and proper black suit pants were soaked
through. Misfortune always comes in threes, she kept repeating like
a mantra.
    Finally, somewhere between Canal and Houston
St., she snapped back into reality. She hailed a passing cab.
    “ Prince Street!” she said
to the surly cab driver, who wasn’t very happy she was dripping all
over his leather interior.
    Kelsey ignored him and sat back as the cab
started moving. She would go to Carl. First, stop at the soup place
and get some hot chicken noodle soup for his cold and her wounded
ego. Then hot sex and then cuddling. Or maybe cuddling first, then
sex…well, they would decide when she got there.
    *****
     
    Kelsey walked up the steep steps up Carl’s
building. Literally, Carl’s building, as he occupied the top
apartment of one the family’s many properties. The Van Dorens were
one of New York’s elite, headed by Carl’s grandmother, Eleanor. The
family owned VD Real Estate Holdings, one of the largest property
developers in the state and was rich as King Solomon. Kelsey met
Carl because she personally oversaw the investments of the Van
Doren Foundation, ensuring they had enough money to fund charity
balls and galas for as long as they wished.
    She had been invited by the John Van Doren
to one of those balls and she met his son, Carl. He was handsome,
with blonde hair and green eyes, tall, and very rich, and yet he
chased after her. Her, the girl from Jersey – a nobody. She wasn’t
even gorgeous, with her dirty blonde hair and slightly pudgy frame.
After much playing hard to get, she went out with him and a year
later, Carl popped the question with a gorgeous, three-and-a-half
carat ring from Tiffany’s. Everyone in the family, including the
usually stoic Eleanor, seemed to have approved of the match.
    Balancing the bag of food in one hand, she
fished her keys out of her bag and slipped it into the door,
pushing it open. She peeked in.
    “ Hello?”
    She wondered why it was so quiet and dark.
The raging storm outside continued and the apartment lights were
off. She looked down the hall towards the bedroom and saw the lamps
on. She walked down and heard the shower running, and then turning
off. And then giggling. In fact, two voices giggling, one
high-pitched and screechy, the other, low and distinctly male.
    Kelsey approached the door cautiously,
gripped the handle until her knuckles were white, and then pulled
the door open. Inside, Carl was in the shower, pumping furiously
against a very wet and very