Out of Nowhere Read online

  Out of Nowhere

  By

  LaShawn Vasser

  Out of Nowhere © 2013 LaShawn Vasser

  All Rights Reserved

  Chapter 1

  Jason stood with his back to his executive team looking out of the window. Discussions were swirling on all around him. Barely any of it registered. The view of CkR International, Inc. was breathtaking. They had moved into this building more than 5 years ago. Why hadn’t he ever noticed this view before? There were several CkR locations throughout the country and overseas but Minneapolis, MN was the corporate headquarters. This was the multi-billion dollar technology company his grandfather, Charles Kincaid Rutherford had built from nothing. A company his father John Kincaid Rutherford had successfully run for 35 years and a company Jason Kincaid Rutherford had been groomed to run since the day he turned five years old. In recent years, Jason mainly worked out of the Atlanta office. That’s where he’d tried to build a life with his girlfriend, Bridget Reed. Lately, that relationship was becoming harder and harder to define. He guessed he could still call her his girlfriend. She’d actually needed time to “think” and had left him the day before yesterday to stay at a friend’s place. “Jason, Jason is there anything you’d like to add before I conclude this portion of the presentation?”. Franklin Roth was one of his best friends. They had known each other since they were ten. They’d met at the prestigious Kirkland School for Boys. There was no one he trusted more than Franklin. He was also the chief financial officer of CkR International, Inc. Jason needed to shake this feeling that was starting to consume him and focus on the task at hand and right now that was discussing the vision of the company for the coming fiscal year. “No Franklin, as usual you’ve manage to paint the financial picture very well. I’ll take it from here”. Basically, revenues were good but stagnant. No one was going to like the budget cuts that were coming but were necessary to streamline processes and get creative juices working. No time like now to lay out expectations.

  When the meeting was over Franklin didn’t leave the conference room. “What happened in there? As long as I’ve known you you’ve never checked out in a meeting. Is everything ok?”. Jason wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question. Lately, it seemed that there had to be more to life than just ‘this’. However, he wasn’t quite sure how to even define ‘this’. At thirty-four Jason had to ask himself was he already suffering from a mid-life crisis? “I don’t know how to answer that question Franklin. I just feel unfulfilled. I can’t put my finger on the cause I just know I do. On the outside everything in my life is fine. Not great but fine. Business is fine. Until day before yesterday my love life was fine.” Franklin walked over to the bar and poured himself and Jason a drink “I thought you told me a few months ago that you were going to ask Bridget to marry you? What happened there?”. That was a good question. Why didn’t he ask her? “She wants to get married. I want to get married too. I was all set to propose. I bought the ring and I’d planned a romantic evening at our favorite restaurant and when the time came to ask her to marry me, I just couldn’t do it.”. Jason walked back over to the window he’d been looking out of earlier and took a sip of his drink. “Franklin, I just don’t know. Bridget is perfect. She’s beautiful, witty, funny, and a great partner. The sex is pretty damn good too. Bridget’s been good for business. She gets along great with my friends, my family, and can handle all the necessary social functions required of me.”. As Franklin downed his drink he walked over and clapped Jason on the back “Jason, there is no rush. You are only thirty-four. When it’s right or IF it’s right you will know it. There will be no hesitation. One rule of business that I’ve learned from you is to trust your gut. If you’re unsure don’t make any moves just hold tight. The answers will come”. Jason took another sip of his drink “Yeah, but will Bridget be willing to wait?”. “That’s a good question and a risk you’ve got to be willing to take. At the end of the day it is your life. Not your father’s, not your grand-father’s but your life.”. Franklin’s administrative assistant interrupted them to inform him that his fiancé was on the phone. “Can I call her back”? Jason finished his drink “No need. Take the call and tell her I said hello. I’ve got to get a move on anyway if I’m going to make it in time for my flight home. I’ll call you later”. Franklin looked confused “You’re flying commercial?”. Jason smirked “Dad and Mom have the jet on a second honeymoon or something”. Franklin shook his head “Must be nice. Anyway, safe travels”. Franklin left to take the call as Jason started packing up his files. A few minutes later he headed for the elevators. While on the elevators Jason went over what he and Franklin discussed. He typically felt like he had some clarity after talking with Franklin. Yet, today Jason still didn’t feel as though he’d made any sense out of it.

  Chapter 2

  Vicky Martin had been working for CkR Industries for a little more than a year in customer service and still had not gotten used to all the in-bound calls that came through. She certainly hadn’t gotten used to her calls being “monitored for quality assurance”. Vicky hated this job with a passion but it paid the bills and there was just no shortage of those. She had been out of work too long not to appreciate having a steady paycheck. Without a college degree and a three year old daughter at home it made the choice of being in customer service very easy. CkR Industries was like most fortune 100 companies they paid you just enough so you didn’t quit. There was no white knight coming for people like Vicky and she’d learned a long time ago that sometimes you have to take those lemons and pretend their peaches.

  As Vicky ended her most recent call she noticed Joshua Jones, the Director of Sales coming down her aisle. He was at least six feet two inches tall with an amazing athletic build. He kept his hair tapered and low. He had a smile that would melt stone and make you want to do all kinds of kinky things. All the girls in the office just loved to stare at him as he’d walk past our cubicles to meetings. He was a smooth talker too. Vicky had heard he was single but left a trail of broken hearts everywhere. She’d met him one afternoon in the cafeteria and knew instantly that he was nothing but trouble and whenever she did run into him it always seemed as if he was flirting with her. However, Vicky couldn’t be exactly sure. She couldn’t be sure because it always seemed like an innocent compliment here or an accidental touch there. Mr. Jones did this with just about all the women in the department so maybe it was nothing. Today, Mr. Jones made a pit-stop at Vicky’s cubicle on his way into his meeting “How are you Ms. Martin?”. She was surprised that he would remember her name. Before Vicky could answer his question, out of nowhere came “Ms. Martin please come into my office” from her headset. That voice was Sandra Catchings, Vicky’s supervisor. She sat in a glass windowed office where she could see the entire floor. At the moment she was staring directly at Vicky. The tone in Sandra’s voice always made her very nervous and would make her start retracing her earlier conversations with customers. Vicky gathered her pen and paper as she spoke to Mr. Jones “I’m fine. Thanks for asking Mr. Jones. I apologize but Ms. Catchings has requested to see me”. Mr. Jones gave Vicky his mega watt smile, tipped his head to her, and continued to walk to his meeting.

  As Vicky made her way into her supervisor’s office she took a deep breath. She never knew exactly what mood she’d find Sandy. Today it seemed Sandy wasn’t Dr. Jekyll but Mr. Hyde. “Good evening Sandy you wanted to see me?”. Sandy was a beautiful woman. You couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her beauty. At thirty-something she had an amazing figure. She had curves in all the right places. She wasn’t too tall but not too short either. Her hair, her makeup, and her nails were always on point. Not to mention, her clothes seemed to always be of some designer sort. But her most amazing feature was her eyes. They were an incredible s
hade of blue. Looking into Sandy’s eyes was like looking into a deep blue lagoon. Today those eyes were piercing blue and iced-cold. She’d been with CkR for more than a decade in customer service. That might be enough to make anyone have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. For some reason, it just seemed as though Sandra didn’t like Vicky. Vicky could never quite put her finger on it but she was always cool towards her. “Yes, Vicky. I wanted to talk to you about your time off request for next week. I’m not sure how we can work that into our schedule. We are going to be short staffed and I’ll need you here.”. Vicky was baffled. When she made the request her name was the only name on the vacation request board. Vicky really needed this time to take her daughter Angel to get her immunization shots. The appointment had been scheduled for weeks. “Sandra, I made the request well within the two week’s notice period and I’m not sure if I can re-schedule it in time to meet the daycare’s deadline. It took a couple of months to get this appointment. I really need this time off”. It seemed people without children just didn’t understand the challenges of people who did have them. If your child wasn’t up to date on their immunizations then they couldn’t go to daycare. If they couldn’t go to daycare then the parents couldn’t go to work. This had the potential to be a big problem. Sandra looked at Vicky with an ice-cold stare “Re-schedule it. I can’t grant you the time off. Your problem is not my emergency. Oh and by the way, we don’t need you to stay tonight. You’ve exhausted your overtime for this month.”. Vicky stood there stunned “Now, I’m on my way to a meeting so, I’ll see you on Monday morning.”. Just like that Sandra had dismissed Vicky. As Vicky left Sandra’s office she was angry at her callousness and thoughtlessness. She never knew there was an overtime quota and had serious doubts that there was one. There didn’t seem to be one last month when Vicky had logged more overtime hours than she currently had for the month. Vicky couldn’t figure out why Sandra had it out for her. As she made her way back to her cubicle Vicky had no idea what she was going to do. She didn’t have any family or friends that could help her. As Vicky gathered her things for home her co-worker Janice put her phone on mute, “What did Sandy want and why are you leaving? I thought you were working overtime tonight”? With a sigh, Vicky signed off her phone. “Yeah, so did I. Apparently, I met my overtime quota for this month so I’m off for home”. “That’s odd I didn’t know we had a quota. Or, is Sandra being a dragon lady? Wait…I have a call coming through, I’ll call you later on tonight” Janice whispered. Vicky turned around, picked up her bag and walked over to the elevators. By the time Vicky arrived at the elevators she had gotten so worked up that she was beginning to feel overwhelmed. On top of that she had all these past-due notices. Vicky had been counting on this overtime to help her with her bills. She was also planning to get a car so she wouldn’t have to take the bus this winter. She hoped this “policy” wasn’t going to become the norm. Right now, it took more than two and a half hours to get from work to the daycare and back home. When Vicky stepped onto the elevator she didn’t realize that there were tears in her eyes. After she’d gotten on and the doors closed behind her all she heard was a strong and soothing voice asking her “what floor”? When she looked up she saw the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. He had sandy blonde hair and amazing green eyes. You could tell he worked out because his jacket was thrown casually over his shoulder and you could see his muscles through his shirt. He looked strong and very well built. He was probably a little taller than Joshua Jones. Joshua was a beautiful man with a cocky demeanor. This man was even more beautiful but exuded confidence. Those eyes were looking at her like they could see clear down to her soul. He’d looked at her with concern after realizing she’d been crying. “Is everything ok Ms”? Vicky tried to get herself together. She wasn’t sure if it was pride or always having to take care of herself but she quickly wiped away her tears as if she hadn’t been crying, squared her shoulders, and smiled “Everything is fine”. When Vicky started to tell him lower level their eyes met and held. She felt more than a spark between them. It was more like a lightning bolt. Her breath was caught in her throat. For a couple of moments the tension crackled in the air. He looked like he wanted to say more but just nodded and pushed the lower level button. Jason wanted to ask her name. He was sure it was out of concern. By the time Jason made up his mind to ask her they’d reached the lower level. Once the doors opened Vicky bolted towards the exit doors. Jason didn’t know why but he felt like he’d just missed an opportunity.

  Vicky moved as fast as her legs could carry her. Men were trouble and she didn’t have time for trouble. The man on the elevator made her mouth dry and her knees weak. He’d looked like he was going to say something to her. She wasn’t even going to allow herself the opportunity to act on her crazy feelings. Vicky headed for the exit doors but was forced to stop dead in her tracks. It was raining. Not just raining but it was coming down so hard it might as well have been a Tsunami. Vicky just stared out the window and shook her head thinking that this was just her luck. She’d have to walk to the bus stop in the rain and without an umbrella. Could this day get any worse?

  Chapter 3

  While Jason walked to his car in the parking garage he couldn’t help thinking about what made the woman on the elevator look so distraught. He hoped CkR International wasn’t responsible for it. Who was he kidding it wasn’t like he hadn’t also noticed that she was drop dead gorgeous. She had silky smooth skin that looked like warm caramel. She wasn’t rail thin like most of the women he knew. They typically exercised too much and ate too little. She had an incredible figure. Her jeans hugged her body just right. He loved a woman with a nice ass. Her full lips looked very kissable entirely too kissable. However, it wasn’t her beauty that stopped his breath. It was her eyes. She had the most beautiful doe-shaped eyes he’d ever seen. They were the deepest color of brown. Maybe they were black. He couldn’t be exactly sure what color her eyes were but he did know those long lashes were sparkling with recently shed tears. He had an irrational desire to want to fix whatever was wrong. The moment that their eyes met it seemed like time stood still. He’d felt a sizzle he’d never felt before. Was that the thing he’d been looking for? Jason shook his head. He had been thinking so hard about his life that he must have created all of this in his mind. No woman could possibly have such an immediate effect on a man. He shook his head again trying to clear his mind of the woman and those crazy feelings he’d just had on the elevator. It really didn’t matter anyway he was sure he’d never see her again. Man, he was losing it. It’d been a stressful day already reviewing budgets and gearing the teams up for the coming year. Even thinking about another woman with things so up in the air with Bridget was asking for punishment. He needed a vacation.

  When Jason pulled out of the parking garage he saw the woman who had just been occupying his thoughts. She was walking, no almost running in the rain with just her bag hovering above her head. Against his better judgment something compelled him to pull over. He couldn’t just drive past her. Jason wasn’t sure why he was so concerned about her but he pulled the car up to the curb, honked his horn, rolled down his window “You need a ride?”. Vicky stopped mid-stride as she recognized that the driver was the guy from the elevator. Her head told her to run and keep running. Her inner voice told her not be stupid because its raining cats and dogs out here. She was being crazy to turn down his offer when the alternative was to walk in this godforsaken weather. After a moment of hesitation she walked over to the car and opened the door then got inside, “I’m soaking wet I hope I don’t mess up your car”. “It’s a rental” Jason smiled at her. She was shivering so much that Jason turned the heat up full blast “where to?”. Vicky was so thankful for the ride and for the heat of the car. She was a bit nervous getting into the car with him. He was a virtual stranger. Yet, something about him was vaguely familiar. Vicky couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Jason must have noticed her sudden shift in mood and her apprehension. He tried to reassure her by introducing h
imself, “I’m sorry my name is Ja…Jay Kincaid. My friends all call me JK. ”. Jason wasn’t sure why he had given her his childhood nickname. Vicky, still feeling a bit apprehensive asked “Do you work for CkR International?”. “Yes. So, there is no need for you to be worried that I’m a serial killer or anything. I saw you walking in this weather and thought nobody should have to brave this rain. I decided to see if you needed a ride before I leave to catch my plane”. What unnerved Vicky the most was not her physical safety. No, she didn’t think he’d harm her. However, everything since she had met him on the elevator felt like an outer body experience. Like, she wasn’t in control.

  Vicky had the feeling again that she knew Jason. He was on the CkR International elevator so she must have seen him before at work. Maybe that is why she felt so safe. Vicky laughed to herself. She was being silly “Thanks, it’s raining pretty hard out here and my bus doesn’t come for another twenty minutes or so. I’m glad your car is a rental because I’m making little puddles everywhere”. When Jason heard her laugh time literally seemed to stand still. Maybe that first time wasn’t a fluke after all. She stole his breath away. Vicky must have felt it too because for just an instant they both held each other’s stares. Of course, she was the first to turn away looking outside her window as the car started to pull away into traffic. “I usually take the bus to my daughter’s day care”. Mentioning her daughter usually put men off real quick. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath waiting for his reaction. ‘Shit’, Jason thought. He couldn’t believe he was doing this when although technically available things were up in the air with Bridget and this woman was married with a child. Vicky could see his entire expression change and felt unreasonably hurt. “You know what…that’s ok. You can let me off at the next corner". Jason felt somewhere in this conversation he’d said or done something wrong. It was a subtle change but she was blocking him out like he’d disappointed her in some way. Jason checked his rearview mirror stalling for time “Is the daycare around the corner? Must be nice for your husband to know you are so close to your daughter”. Did he think she had a husband? Was that it? Was that why he seemed disappointed? Vicky hoped so. “Actually, no. The daycare is not around the corner and my husband would be shocked since I don’t have one”. Jason was relieved to hear that and sheepishly asked “So you’re not married?”. It seemed like his disappointment was more about thinking she was married than the fact that she had a child. This might be new territory for Vicky. Most men found the quickest way out of a conversation with her once they found out she had a child. Jay didn’t seem to be doing that. Vicky chewed her bottom lip. She used to do that when she was really nervous. It was such a bad habit and she thought she’d broken it years ago. She was attracted to this man. She hadn’t felt this way in a really long time. She responded “No, I’m not married but I do have a three year old daughter, Angel.” Jason’s eyes went straight to her lips. Damn, he wished it was he who was nibbling on them. Where the hell did that come from? He went from being attracted to her to wanting to nibble on her lips. Why should he be surprised? Wouldn’t any warm blooded man feel the same way? She was beautiful. Whatever wall that had gone up between them seemed to disappear again. Jason turned on the charm, “I’d feel so guilty if when you got there to pick up your daughter you were sick from being in this rain. Please give me the address and I’ll put it into my GPS”. Vicky couldn’t help but give Jason the address. She couldn’t resist his smile.