Going Up

PROLOGUE

I always thought I needed to have my life figured out before I graduated high school. In reality my plans seemed to be idle dreams, with little opportunity to come true. I wanted to escape, to start anew, and every night I dreamed that when I woke, it would be the day my dream would come true.

Every morning I woke up disappointed I was still here.

My childhood was a broken mess, Starting first with the death of my mother. When I was barely 7 years old she died from a drug overdose. My father told me over and over again that she was a paranoid schizophrenic and that he knew sooner or later that this was going to happen.

My only memories of my mother were happy ones. Playing with dolls and baking cookies together. However as an innocent child, I had no choice but to listen to the brainwashing words of the only adult I knew.

By the time I was 11 my father had began to tell me I was “Just like her”. For three years I listened to how crazy I was, how one day I would become a drug addled hooker, because that’s all women like me were good for. The venom my so called father spat out at me every day made me feel so worthless that I just began to believe every single word he said.

At the age 14 his loneliness and lack of companionship pushed him in to using me as a stand in whenever he got drunk. He decided it was pointless wasting money on the 'drug addled hookers' he claimed I would grow up to be like, when he could just have me.

For two long and horrifying years I feared and dreaded nightfall, I wondered if I would hear the creak of my bedroom door and the sickening smell of his beer filled breath. I lived a hell on earth in the one place I was supposed to be able to grow and flourish. Instead I felt only depression, a dark shadow over my entire soul. This was a place I was supposed to call home, Instead my dreams of escaping only became stronger. Then one day out of the blue, shortly after my 16 birthday it did not happen again. Not even once.

After that though, his touches became closed fists. They would fall again and again with force against my soft skin, sending me black and blue where no one could see. The smallest thing would send him in to a frenzied rage, and there wasn't a time that I wasn't injured somewhere because of him.

My only reprieve from his torturous grapple was when he would drop me off at the school gate, I was only allowed to go because he was fearful of being caught by truancy officers or child services. To ensure my silence he would warn however; that if I ever breathed a word of his despicable crimes, he would kill me. I had no reason not to believe him, he had a psychological hold over me. His evil dark brown eyes would haunt me throughout the day and I would feel them on me constantly, watching my every move even though he was nowhere near me.

Death wasn't an option, I wanted to live, I wanted to be free.

I did what I could to survive. I forced myself not to feel the anguish anymore. I closed the pain off and shoved it inside a little box. Because I couldn't let him win.

I turned 18 a week before graduation and I ran away. I had fear in my veins, threatening to hold me back, but no longer being a minor meant chasing me down would be more difficult. I could finally be free. I didn't need any more encouragement than that. I wanted to live a normal life and forget about everything he'd put me through.

He wouldn't control my life anymore, and he couldn't ruin me just because he'd tried to strip me of everything it means to be a person. I wouldn't let him. So with the determination to have a new start I’d caught the bus from my small home town Genoa Springs and headed to Los Angeles.

I’d like to say that breaking free instantly opened up a new world for me, That I found somewhere safe to live, to call my home. Unfortunately I lived out of my suitcase in a cheap dodgy motel with sirens blaring in the background every single hour of the day. It almost seemed that I'd escaped one hell for another.

The decor was a mess of ripped wallpaper, dusty light fittings and a bed that looked as though it and the blankets on it probably should have been in a dumpster years ago. Still it was a vast improvement on being back there. This was a hell I could deal with, As long as I was away from him I was free.

My limited funds began running out a month after running away. I’d had a bank account since I was 5; my mom had opened it for me and put $500 in it. She’d always told me never to tell dad, and that my bank account was for my future.

She'd hid the documents in a drawer and every year from my 10th birthday I would deposit any money I could find in to it. Over 8 years I’d managed to accumulate $1500 through various small jobs that I’d managed to do without the knowledge of my father, in the small pockets of time I’d had throughout the years.

Luckily just as I began to fret about how the next weeks rent would be paid I found a temp job as a filer at a talent agency called ‘Booked Out’. I’d heard about the agency at high school through the grapevine. All the really gorgeous girls had been sending their “modeling” shots in to them, in the hopes they’d get booked.

When I'd applied for the job I found out that it was responsible for booking talent from many levels of entertainment however, such as acting and music as well as modeling. As a relatively “new” company, they’d made unprecedented moves in the industry helping them to rise become the “it” talent agency in less than 3 years. Just being on 'Booked Out’s' books meant your chances of stardom were greatly increased.

'Booked Out' had started from humble beginnings. When founded, the owner was a 21 year old man who’d once lived on the streets decided to make something of himself and within 1 year of beginning his enterprise, he’d moved here, into this monstrosity of a building and employed hundreds of staff to keep up with the demand. 2 years later it was named as the number 1 talent agency, a title it has kept for 2 years straight.

As you can see, Wikipedia had been my savior, at least I knew about the company enough to not come across like a complete dumb ass.

Before I got the job I’d researched mercilessly at a nearby internet cafe. I wanted to be prepared for dicey questions, the ones that had come with all of my failed job interviews so far. When I arrived to the interview however, I was all but offered the job on the spot with very little discussion at all.

It was almost like an act of fate, like It was meant to be. My new beginning was becoming clearer. I just had to get in there and start.

CHAPTER ONE

The nerves swirled around in the pit of my stomach and made me feel as though at any moment the strawberry pop tart and coffee I’d forced myself to consume before leaving the motel might make a reappearance at any moment.

I forced a knot of nervousness the size of Texas down my throat and pressed the stop button on the bus. As it slowed to a stop I stood up and straightened my clothing. I gulped at my appearance, and hoped that it would pass as ‘business casual’ like the contract I’d signed had required. I’d put on a pair of black trousers, black pumps and a white button up top. Incidentally they’d been items I’d purchased from the op shop for the interview and they were literally all I owned in the way of work appropriate attire. Jeans and t-shirts were my second skin.

My shoulder length dark brown wavy hair was passable, I’d managed to wrangle it into a bun and flattened the fly away parts with a bobby pin or two. I’d also applied a small amount of makeup, eyeliner and mascara to frame my somewhat dull green eyes and a nude lipstick on my almost over-sized lips, just enough to make it look like I actually knew what I was doing. Unfortunately I didn’t, luckily though having the porcelain like complexion I’d inherited from my mom, I rarely felt the need to wear the stuff.

The bus came to a complete stop and I walked to the door and thanked the driver. As I stepped out on to the sidewalk I felt the nerves in my stomach grow into giant butterflies as I took in the enormous concrete building before me.

My heels padded the pavement as I walked toward the large glass doors.

The doormen opened the doors for me with welcoming smiles and nervously I smiled back, thanking them as I walked inside. I took a deep breath and for the second time allowed myself to take in the lobby. It really was truly magnificent, the dark granite floors and pillars made for a sleek and sophisticated look, whilst the ceiling had a bright eclectic mural splashed across it. Whomever had designed the decor must have had an interesting and feisty view on life.

I darted across to the elevator as I glanced at my watch. I was going to be late if I kept dawdling through the building taking in my surroundings and I needed to make a good impression. As I attempted to press the circular lift button my hand bumped into someone else's hand that was attempting to do the same thing.

“Oh sorry.” I said flustered, pulling my hand back and into my chest, my cheeks felt hot and my eyes darted to the floor, I was far too embarrassed to make eye contact.

My shyness was an incredible hindrance at times. Of course I was going to meet new people at a new job. Slight social gaffes really weren’t a bad thing. I took a deep breath and tried to lift my gaze toward the elevator door.

“It’s fine really,” the owner of the hand replied, a male, as he pressed the button again. “You must be new here, I’ve not seen you before.” He noted.

I nodded and with a meek mouse like squeak I managed to say “yes,” as I contemplated running for the stairs.

The elevator doors opened and the man whom I still couldn’t bring myself to look at, gently pressed his hand against the small of my back

“After you.” he said smoothly, his voice was deep and silky, almost like liquid chocolate ran through his veins.

I walked into the elevator and pressed myself up against the side. I held off the urge to close my eyes as I normally would and instead let my eyes fall back down to the floor. I’d only conceded to take the elevator to avoid being late, because truth be told my biggest fear aside from being caught by my father, was being trapped in an elevator.

“Are you alright?” The man asked, his voice was full of concern and I wondered if he thought that maybe I was a psychopath who was about to run rampant throughout the building.

The doors closed and the elevator began to move. I let out an audible groan that escaped my lips before I could stop it. The apples of my cheeks flushed once again and I forced myself to look up at the man I was sharing the compact cell like space with.

He seemed familiar for some reason, although I couldn't yet put my finger on it. He was tall though, 6’2 at the very least, and his hair was short and molded into a lightly gelled fake mohawk. He had sparkling crystal blue eyes that pierced right through mine, rendering me useless and unable to converse. A small smirk sat upon his well-defined face, his cheeks awash with a thin layer of stubble. He wore blue faded jeans…. jeans! That were teamed with a black dress shirt and Chuck Taylor's. Clearly he wasn’t anyone of importance, When I’d come for the interview all the corporate staff had been wearing suits and ties. The filers and customer reps had the most leeway, and were allowed at best, business casual.

“Are you alright?” He asked again, his voice as concerned as it was the last time he asked.

I blinked hard in an attempt to shove the thoughts from my head and nodded.

“I’m fine, sorry I just have an aversion to elevators.” I replied, looking back down at the floor, praying for the lift to get to its destination.

“Don’t worry, I don’t fancy them much myself ei…” before the man could finish his sentence the lift jolted and then stopped. The elevator light dimmed and my stomach sank to the floor. Great.

“Well that is a nasty coincidence. I think you hurt the elevators feelings Miss... Uh,”

“Sarah Jenkins.” I offered, my voice wavering. This was not happening right now, was it? The mans eyes widened and he nodded, slowly before turning toward the elevator door.

“Well Sarah, I think I better call the maintenance staff. You’re going to be alright I promise. I’m Nick by the way,” he said in a calm and authoritative tone. He picked up the emergency receiver.

“Hey its nick, elevator number 2 is down. We're between the fifteenth and sixteenth floors… Alright. Half an hour fine…. Can you let Julie know I will be late for the meeting and that her new worker is late as she is stuck also…? Thank you Juan.” He hung up the receiver and looked over at me.

“I’m sorry.” I murmured, suddenly feeling guilty about the elevator breaking even though I’d had nothing to do with it. Years of being blamed for everything had clearly had a profound effect on me.

Nick’s eyes narrowed and intensified their gaze on me. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't.

“You didn’t do anything, Sarah.” He replied, shoving his hands in to his pockets.

“Maybe, but bad luck seems to follow me.” I muttered so quietly that I was surprised he’d even heard me.

“You don’t seem like the kind of girl who lets bad luck ruin her, you seem like the kind of girl who is pretty strong,” He said with a smile, I imagine he was trying to bolster my confidence in the face of being stuck in a fearful situation. If only he knew.

“You don’t know me, how can you even begin to assume the kind of girl I am?” I replied my voice a little stronger, sarcastic even. I forced my eyes away from his, annoyed by his assumption of my personality.

Nick let out a small laugh. I frowned, was he mocking me? He shifted against the wall of the prison cell the elevator was slowly becoming and shrugged.

“I can’t begin to assume, and I could very well be wrong. I just look at you and see someone a little shy, and possibly guarded, but also very very strong.” he exclaimed softly. His words shook me, it was like he had peered into my life and my brain and knew me, knew what I felt. All in the five minutes he'd known me.

My eyes shot up and met his once more, the smile was gone from his face and I knew that he realized he’d touched upon a very real part of me.

“You know why I see that?” he said as he moved slightly closer to me, my breathing quickened and although I felt a little afraid of the proximity this man I barely knew was creating, I also welcomed it. The box I had shoved my anguish in, threatened to break. How would I react to the touch of a man?

“Why.” My voice was barely a whisper, speaking seemed to be a problem at that moment. I flattened the palms of my hands against the walls of the elevator. I felt my heart pulsate through every inch of my body and I wondered what Nick was going to do or say next. Part of me wished the elevator would start moving or the doors would open. Another part of me, one that I'd never felt before wanted him to move closer.

“Because you remind me of myself, once upon a time. Although, you look better than I ever did.” He murmured as one of his hands reached for mine, without thinking I took one hand away from the wall of the elevator and placed it in his. His skin was warm, and surprisingly soft. he let his fingers brush against mine for a moment.

I had to scoff at the suggestion of looking better than he did. He was gorgeous and trendy and seemed to be extremely charismatic from what I could tell in the short time I’d known him, next to nerdy bookish me, there really was no comparison. I was plain and boring, mostly because I wanted to be. I thought being plain meant guys like Nick would not see me. I thought that was what I wanted.

We stood there, our hands intertwined and the entire moment seemed surreal. I’d never experienced anything like this before. Dating had been off the cards for me, and I thought father had made sure I was completely ruined for anyone. I didn't want to be touched by anyone, and I didn't think that would change. Yet right now I only felt an undeniable growth of warmth in the pit of my belly, and it was beginning to radiate throughout my body. It felt good and I wanted more.

“Let go of the pain your holding inside Sarah and just live. Everything else will fall in to place.”

I closed my eyes and took a step away from the wall of the elevator and smiled before slowly opening my eyes again. Nick’s other hand moved up my arm, his fingers trailed along my neckline, and gently tipped my head up toward his. Maybe it was the speed at which this was all happening, maybe the speed had overridden my natural instincts to be scared. None the less, I felt safe here with him.

His eyes twinkled softly as his head moved to meet mine, gently he pressed his lips against mine and my eyes closed. My heart thumped hard against my rib cage, and the nerves I’d had earlier, returned, mixing with the warmth in the pit of my belly which resulted in a fierce electrical storm that exploded through me.

I forgot where I was, who I was, where I had come from and just lived in the moment, in the arms of this beautiful stranger. His mouth gently sucked on my bottom lip, and I whimpered. Why the heck was I doing this with a man I didn’t know in the elevator on my first day of work.

“Relax.” Nick urged, as he gently pushed me back against the wall of the elevator, he pressed his body against mine slowly he brought his lips down to mine again. Something deep inside of me was surfacing, something I wanted to explore and discover. The locked box of anguish deep inside my soul was forgotten. My body craved more than the anticipation of what could be so I kissed Nick back, this time with more urgency. Nick murmured something inaudible and ran his fingers through my hair.

Suddenly, the elevator began moving and the light brightened. The change of velocity shunted me back into reality with a violent force. It seemed Nick felt the same way because he jumped back, and turned away from me. We stood in silence as the elevator slowly crept up to the 24th floor.

Finally as the doors opened and we were greeted straight away by the immaculately primped tall blonde woman who'd interviewed me. Her hair was curled and clipped to the side, unlike me, she was a woman who knew how to play up her natural assets with clothing and make up. She looked at Nick and smiled adoringly, not that I blamed her, he was rather handsome.

“Mr Jackson, I managed to push the meeting back an hour, Janie has the Skype center all set up though.” The woman explained dutifully as we walked out of the elevator.

Mr Jackson? I questioned silently in my head, slightly confused.

“No problem Julie. I’ll go in and find some paperwork to attend to in the meantime. I believe I have your new staff member here; Sarah Jenkins,” Nick remarked, his tone a little thin. “I’ll leave you in Julie’s capable hands now Sarah. Sorry about the elevator.”

I nodded and tried to speak, but nothing came out. Great, now the awkward, Sarah had returned. Wonderful.

Nick just half smiled, then turned and walked away from Julie and me, down a long hall, until finally he stopped and opened one of the office doors and stepped inside.

I looked at Julie and smiled, finally I was going to be able to begin my first day of work. She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow back at me, let out a little chuckle as a wide grin came across her face.

“There aren't many staff members that can say that they met the owner and CEO of Booked Out on their first day of work, let alone get trapped in a broken elevator with him.” She exclaimed.

Whoa…

Hold the freaking phone.

Nick was Nikolai Jackson. Owner and CEO of Booked Out. Nausea rose up in my stomach as the realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

I’d just made out with my new boss in an elevator.