“Mr Jackson, I have no where else to go, and my savings are basically depleted. I have to stay here till at least next Wednesday, I’m all paid up.”

Nick looked down at me, and then around my room one last time. I could tell he wasn’t planning on giving up. He crossed his arms across his chest, then looked down at me again, there was a glint in his eyes, and a smile crossed his face.

“It’s Nick, and It’s fine. You’ll stay at my place until you find something.” he said finally, as if it were a perfectly acceptable arrangement.

I screwed my face up and shook my head. Was he crazy? After all that had happened today, I couldn’t think of a worse idea.

“You’re kidding right?”

“I know it isn’t ideal Sarah, but I’m not leaving you here,” Nick replied, his voice had returned to the serious ‘I’m not messing around’ tone and He eyeballed me “So pack up your things.”

It was a battle of wills, we looked at each other, saying nothing. Sooner or later one of us would have to concede. But I wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

“You’d do this for all of your employees Mr Jackson? Or just the ones you act inappropriately with.” I said sweetly, accompanying it with an innocent smile. He didn’t react the way I’d expected however, instead he smiled back and then laughed softly.

“It’s Nick, and I don’t have anything else to compare it too, but yes I would do this for any of my employees should they find themselves in a position of needing help.”

I frowned, annoyed that my attempt at warning him off and making him feel guilty for the suggestion was a failure. Now my plan of abandoning the job really was thrown out the window. It was clear he wasn’t leaving until I’d agreed to leave this horrid place, leaving me little choice but to accept his offer. I sighed overly loud, like a immature and stroppy school girl then stood up.

I felt stupid pulling my suitcase from the closet, it literally held everything I owned, apart from the clothes I was wearing. I’d always been afraid to leave my toiletries in the small, disgusting excuse for a bathroom in case the room was broken in to, or everything turned moldy, So I had packed everything away every morning.

“Fine. Lets go.” I groaned as I hauled my suitcase toward the door.

Nick took my suitcase from me and carried it as we headed to the reception to hand the key in. As we passed through the courtyard, there was a beat up and broken fountain filled with slimy green water, the smell coming off of it was ghastly. I hadn't noticed it before, probably because I didn't want to see this place for what it really was. A cesspit.

We walked into the reception and the decor in the building wasn’t any better than it had been in my bedroom. It was in great need of a dust and the light fittings were all chipped and cracked. Behind the counter stood a middle aged man, George, who was around my fathers age. He’d freaked me out when I’d first checked in, talking about all the 'hot young teenagers' that frequent his motel over summer because it’s cheap and they can afford more fun that way. He wore a dirty plaid shirt that was unbuttoned, with a sweaty white t-shirt underneath.

“Uh, Sarah, how can I help.” He spluttered, opening up his log book.

“I’d like to hand my key in please.” I replied.

His eyes narrowed and his lips curled slightly, he looked to the left of me where Nick stood and gazed at him up and down.

“You’re that bozo that was on the news last night. The one that was named top young business person or some shit.” George said, his voice slightly shocked. Nick just nodded, and smiled.

“I see.. found yourself a sugar daddy huh?” George said, laughing haughtily. “But aren’t you engaged to that beautiful model… why have this thing, when you have her?”

Nick placed my suitcase down and placed both of his hands calmly on the dusty counter.

“Can you please process Sarah's paperwork so I can get her the fuck out of this establishment.” Nick warned, his voice low. He said 'establishment' dryly, alluding to the fact he regarded the place as something not habitable for even the rats I'd hear scuttle around at night. I smiled at his calm but forceful words, my body filled with a weird kind of admiration. He turned and looked at me, then let his face melt from anger to a smile that mirrored mine.

George shrugged, and took the key from my hands. He handed me a receipt and explained he didn’t have to give me a refund. Instead of fighting it, we left.

Nick put my suitcase in his boot and then we got back inside the skyline.

“Thank whatever deity is out there, that you’re out of that hell hole.” Nick murmured, starting up his car.

“it really wasn’t that bad Nick.” I lied, I had fooled myself in to believing it was okay out of necessity.

“It was. Look, I have a spare room, crash for as long as you need. It’s right by work, and I’m not a bad housemate, I cook and clean and I put the toilet seat down.” Nick joked.

“How about your fiancee Nick? How is she going to take the news that you’ve brought some girl into your home.” I asked, ruefully wondering why I’d not used it earlier to put him off this ridiculous idea.

Nick sighed and rested his head on the back of his seat

“She’s away for another two weeks. Besides she has her own place. She wants to save living together for marriage,” Nick replied finally “She won’t have a problem with this arrangement.”

His voice was higher in the second half of his sentence, and I knew he was lying. I knew she’d have a big problem with it. I felt guilty that I was potentially going to get Nick in to trouble, but there was no turning back now, not until I was paid in a weeks time.

We arrived back in the city 30 minutes later, When Nick had said his place was close to work, I’d imagined just outside the city, but when nick pulled into an underground car park for an apartment complex in the block just before ‘booked up’ I was ever so slightly shocked

“You weren’t kidding about being close to work.” I remarked.

“Most days I walk, but since I wasn’t planning to be there all day I took the car.”

Nick parked the car and we headed up toward a foyer like entrance, Nick swiped his wallet against a pass-card reader and the door into the foyer opened. In front of us were three silver elevators and a stair case.

“Let me guess. Another lift?” I groaned. The last thing I wanted to do was get into another elevator with is man. We'd kissed twice and somehow, I was now going to be staying in his apartment. This had all happened in less than 24 hours. One more elevator ride was just asking for trouble.

Nick just laughed and nodded.

“What floor are you on?” I asked, completely serious about running up the stairs.

“The top floor Sarah, the 20th.” He replied as he pressed the button, he placed my suitcase on the ground while he waited.

Of course he had the penthouse suite. Why wouldn’t he.

I walked to the stair case and glanced behind me, Nick looked confused, shocked even

“Right, well see you soon.” I exclaimed as I kicked my pumps off my feet.

Around 8 minutes later I stood in front of the penthouse suite on the 20th floor. Before I could catch my breath and knock, the door opened.

“wow, you’re pretty fast.”

“yeah” I replied, breathlessly. I didn’t bother to explain why. But the harsh reality ate away at me anyway.

From a young age my father had given me an hour to get home from school, He’d time me and if I was even a minute late the barrage of abuse I would face was never ending. School was an hours walk away, so to give myself more pockets of time I began running. Fast.

I followed Nick inside and gasped. I’d never seen anything so exquisite before. It was perfectly furnished and the place smelt amazing too, like vanilla and coconut.

“I feel like I’ve walked into a home and living magazine.” I muttered, looking around.

Then my eyes caught the view, I walked across the hard wood floor, surprised that There was more warmth under my feet than I had expected. I stood in front of the floor to ceiling window, and sighed softly, it was truly amazing.

“This view is insane.” I whispered.

“I have to eventually put this place on the market, I’m surely going to miss the view.” Nick replied, he sounded sad, annoyed even. His footsteps stopped beside me and he looked down at the cars below. “Amelia has a house in Santa Monica and isn’t really willing to move.” he explained, even though it wasn’t needed. After everything that had happened today, I was the last person that deserved explanations about his relationship.

“Come, I’ll give you the tour,” He said with a chuckle.

I followed behind him as he walked to the top deck door. We went outside and the view seemed ever more spectacular from outside. He walked around a corner and I followed.

“This is the pool area, a great deal of summer has been spent in here.”

“Being in your house is giving me delusions of grandeur Nick.”

“Why delusions? 8 years ago I was broke and homeless. This was all a pipe dream.”

“I have no idea what I want to do with my life Nick. That is why it is a delusion.”

Nick frowned and shook his head.

It was deluded to think I could make something of my life. Or make Nick’s kind of something with my life. I was probably destined to a humble life in the suburbs, in a 1 bedroom house with 10 cats.

Suddenly I was ripped from my daydream as I found myself being hoisted over nicks shoulder. I screamed, an odd high pitched scream that I wasn’t even aware I was capable of making.

“Don’t you dare!” I screeched at Nick as he took steps in the direction of the pool.

“You look awfully hot after that exhausting run up the stairs. You need to cool off.” Nick replied playfully as he teetered on the edge of the pool.

My heart thudded against my chest like a freight train, half from excitement, and half from complete and unbridled fear.

“You ready to make a splash Sarah?” Nick shouted hoisting my body around until I was cradled in his arms. Our faces were far to close and we both knew it, but neither of us bothered to put any of the distance that was necessary between us. I took a deep breath and nodded. I really was, more than Nick knew. I was ready to break free from the shackles my life had been. Ready to make a splash in life and start a new series of ripples.

I wrapped my arms around Nick’s neck and his eyes widened.

“What are you playing at Sarah?” Nick whispered.

“If I’m going in, so are you.” I teased.

Nick didn’t say anything else, only shrugged and then jumped with me in his arms into the water. As my body hit the water I enjoyed the touch of the crisp cool water against the steaming hot day. But my clothes became heavy, much to heavy to swim in. Once I came up for air I swam as best I could to the edge. I pulled myself up out of the water and stood dripping wet by the edge. I looked back at the water, and nick lay on his back, relaxing, In everything but his shoes.

“You’re insane.” I replied folding my arms across my white top.

“Maybe I am,” he replied, as he unbuttoned his own shirt. He pulled it off and threw it to the side of the pool. I blushed as he stood there, topless. His bare chest clearly had an effect on me, and effect I’d never experienced until now. Nick looked up at me and smirked, he’d caught me checking him out.

My eyes darted around, finally I looked down at the ground and fought the blush creeping up my neck.

He chuckled as he walked to the edge of the pool and climbed out.

I stood there, literally unable to move. My pants were on the verge of falling down because they were so sodden, and my top. Well my top was doing a very spectacular job of being see through.

“I’ll go get us a towel each.” Nick laughed walking past me. He’d taken his jeans off now, and was wearing only a pair of navy blue cotton boxer shorts. I felt the same effect from before, a stomach flipping feeling and I closed my eyes hard to avoid looking.

A few minutes later Nick returned, a towel wrapped around his waist. He handed one to me and stood there, watching me.

“Uh…” I whispered, motioning for him to turn around. He made an ‘O’ with his mouth and turned around.

I unbuttoned the wet shirt and let it drop to the ground as I wriggled out of the black pants. I wrapped the large white towel around my body.

“Alright,” I said as I picked up my completely saturated clothing “I hope you have a dryer.” I said with the realization that I didn’t have anything else work appropriate.

“Yeah, I do. Are these your only work clothes Sarah?” Nick asked turning back around to face me.

I nodded and shrugged at the same time. Surely it wasn’t that much of a surprise to him, he’d just made me leave my shit hole of a motel after all.

He didn’t say anything else, just walked and picked his own clothes up.

We walked back inside the house and he took me to the laundry. We chucked our clothes in the machine and then he continued the tour, in towels. He showed me around the house, to the bathroom and games room.

“Finally this is the guest room.” Nick said opening the door we stood in front of. I looked around and took it all in. There was a king sized four post bed in front of me with an bright eclectic styled bedspread on it, I smiled to myself, glad that his style was showing through in his home. Beside the bed sat my ratty completely out of place suitcase. The room had lots of sunlight and its own small balcony. I walked across and opened the doors.

“This is amazing,” I whispered leaning up against the edge of the balcony. “Thank you for taking me in until I find something else Nick, this is just beautiful.”

“No problem Sarah. Uh look why don’t you get cleaned up or dressed or something and I’ll go Skype Amelia.” Nick replied, shuffling backwards out the door. “En-suite there.” He said quickly, pointing toward another door.

Once he was gone I walked back in to the room from the balcony and over to the en-suite door. I opened it and almost died from shock. The room had a 1920’s black and white theme, the bath sat in the middle of the floor, it was huge and claw-footed. I walked in and put the plug in and ran the taps. I noticed an iPod dock with an iPod in it and walked over and pressed play. Radiohead filled my ears and I smiled with appreciation. Around 15 minutes later the bath was finally full. I climbed in and relaxed in to the hot water. It had been ages since I’d felt relaxed, and the feeling although foreign was completely welcome.

The song Creep started and as I lay in the water, deep in relaxation I began singing, forgetting where I was. When the song ended I felt myself blush, suddenly aware of my surroundings. A few stray tears rolled down my cheeks, I’d really let myself float away with the song. I prayed Nick hadn’t heard. It was embarrassing enough without having to have him, a prominent talent agency CEO have to tell me to shut it because my voice was shit.

I got out of the water and pulled the plug out. I realized a little too late that I’d forgotten to grab clothing from my suitcase so I dried myself, wrapped the towel back around me and walked out of the bathroom with my eyes closed, although why my eyes were closed is a mystery to me. Before I could walk very far though I crashed in to Nicks still very bare chest. I jumped back and looked up. Why was he in here?

My stomach dropped, the proximity of our half naked bodies causing me to feel a little uneasy. I pulled the towel tighter around me and bit my lip.

Nicks eyes were wide and a look of utter confusion and bewilderment struck his face.

“That was you right?” Nick asked.

My face blushed, Crap he’d heard me.

“Uh...” I stuttered, as I stepped around Nick.

I walked as quickly as I could to my suitcase and lifted it on to the bed. I grabbed some jeans, underwear and a superman t-shirt then hurried back in to the en-suite and closed the door behind me. Once I was back in there I leaned against the door and sighed deeply.

“Sarah,” Nick called out. “You didn’t answer me.”