Another rejection letter sat in my hands, and I sighed with resignation. The top five accounting firms in Chicago had already sent me the generic thanks but no thanks letter, each one draining my resolve. Here I am, twenty-four and about to finish my accounting course, with no job prospects in sight. If it weren't for my night cleaning job, I would have no income at all. Speaking of my cleaning job, I had to get my new assignment from the office today. Generally, we each have one company we clean for, and since my last company brought in-house cleaners, I was without an office to clean, which meant no money. I sulked in my chair, resting my head on my arms. I was counting the days when I could give up cleaning. All I needed was one job, just one. I finished my coffee and then walked slowly into my room, closing the door behind me. I took my bathrobe off and stood in front of the long mirror fastened to the back of my door.
The girl reflected in the mirror looked like a doll, with her long limbs and pale skin, her hair was thick and shiny, her eyes big and inquisitive, and her mouth had a small cupid's bow. I always felt out of proportion, my hips were wide as were my shoulders, looking over my right shoulder I could just see the curve of my buttock peeking out from under my hair.
Five-foot-four inches of curvy, athletic body. My skin was as light as snow, due to the lack of hot weather here in Chicago, but was as soft as silk, and without a blemish, I had been fortunate to have avoided acne growing up. My teeth, however, didn't get the memo, I needed braces from the age of eleven to nineteen. I stepped closer, opening my eyes a little more. I had hazel eyes like a willow tree, that pale green color that appears when a storm is on the horizon. Downy brown hair, wavy locks that hung to the curve of my shoulders. It fell just to the base of my spine, Dad said I had Italian hair, full and luscious. Just like Moms.
Once I was washed and dressed, I headed to the cleaning contractor's office, Maggie sat by the front desk and greeted me with a warm, welcoming smile.
"Morning Elena, Joseline is just printing off your assignment. Take a seat and she'll be right with you."
Nodding politely, I sat near the window, picked up a copy of Grand Designs magazine and began to flick through, taking small glances at the people walking by outside.
It was a cold March in Chicago, barely above freezing. Most native residents like me knew how to prepare for the harsh winters, wrapping up tightly in hats and thick woolen coats. You could always spot the visitors and holiday makers, thin coats, and trainers.
Breaking my thoughts of the outside world, Joseline came through the door to the left of the desk with some paper in her hand.
"Thank you for coming in person to collect your next assignment Elena, this one is a major deal for us and can open more doors for the company if we play our cards right.
"Not a problem, thanks for finding me another job so quickly," after saying our goodbyes, paper in hand I stepped out into the brisk frozen air.
Home wasn't far away, which was lucky as when I crossed over the road small flakes of snow began to drift down from the sky.
Glancing up, the clouds had covered the sky in all directions and looked heavy with perhaps the last of the winter snow. Being in a suburb of Chicago had its advantages, the transport network was vast and reliable.
I didn't have a car, so relied on public transport to be able to get to the cleaning jobs. Dad also worked locally at the 9th District Chicago Police Department, if he were in the area, he would often drop me off or pick me up.
Once home and slightly warmer, I opened the envelope and read the details of my new job. As I started to read, my eyes darted across the page, they grew larger and wider. I start tomorrow night at Crawford Industries, cleaning the executive offices on the 30th floor. This was a huge job! From what I had read in the press, Crawford Industries had its fingers in a lot of corporate pies. Everything from real estate to healthcare.
Getting my phone out of my pocket, I opened my internet app and typed in Crawford Industries. News popped up of breaking ground on a new community project estimated to create thousands of jobs, new schools, houses, and shops were going to be built and revamp a much needed and deprived area of Chicago.
But because I'm a glutton for punishment, I decided I should see who the executives are that I will be cleaning up after. My jaw hit the floor and I sat staring at the half-angel, half-devil that was Chase Crawford himself. His thick black hair styled with perfection, strong defined cheekbones, and jaw gave him a commanding glare, but it was his eyes that cut through it all.
Emerald, green eyes penetrated the camera, searching and searing their way into any on-looker. Blushing to my toes, my eyes fell to his full lips, for just a fleeting moment I thought of how they would feel on my lips, or elsewhere on my body. Would they feel soft and intimate, or raw and demanding? These thoughts only increased my blush and my hand travelled to the top of my thighs. It was the middle of the day for goodness' sake, and here I was acting like a horny teen. Squeezing my thighs tightly together to prevent the ache from continuing, I resumed my task and clicked on the next executive's profile.
***
My cleaning jobs usually start at 6pm and end around 11pm, this one finishes at 11:30pm six days a week. Who wants to be cooped up in an office 6 days a week? I'm sure with all the mega buck's people are earning there, they will want time to actually spend it. Unless, of course, they have expensive lives or expensive wives. I chuckle to myself, wondering how my life would be different once I got a job in accounting that I so craved. Numbers had always been my life. Numbers never lie; they are only what they are. One plus one will always make two, that was a certainty. I was always good with numbers, even in high school. I would help tutor the jocks if they needed help and didn't have time to study alone. In fact, I tutored 45% of my year, charging $2 an hour for my services. I had saved enough to put myself through college with a part time job to help pay for housing costs and other bills. That changed when a boy broke my heart. I now do my dad's taxes for him and knew all the expenses he could have allowances on, saving him a small fortune on an accountant's fee. Thinking about my accountancy career had me opening up the final executive profile and noted he was the chief financial officer for Crawford Industries. Perhaps if I make a good impression and speak to HR, I may be able to apply directly. I was still waiting for two replies to my resume, but I had only sent it to accountancy firms and hadn't thought to send it to larger companies with in-house accountants. This could be a good move for me after all.
I was already nervous long before I stood at the main doors to the impressive building before me. My journey had been smooth and ended too quickly and before I knew it, I was on the threshold of Crawford Industries. Checking the time on my watch I entered the revolving door and turned to the right, where a portly man sat behind a granite reception desk.
"Good evening miss, welcome to Crawford Industries, how may I help you?"
"Hello sir, I'm Elena Maclaren from Oakland's Commercial Cleaners, I believe I'm due to start cleaning the executive offices this evening." Sliding my hand into my purse I pull out my ID and hand it over to the gentleman now looking at me expectantly.
"Ah yes Miss Maclaren, I'm Malcolm Court head of the reception team here, I have your security pass here ready for you, take the bank of elevators on our left up to the 30th floor, the cleaning cupboard is round to the left of the elevator doors, beside the gent's washroom. Hope you have a pleasant evening."
Waving at Malcolm, I walked slowly towards the elevators and pushed the call button. Within moments the last elevator opened, and I turned towards the doors just as Mr. Crawford himself strode out.
OH MY! he's even better in person!
I watched as Chase Crawford strode into the lobby, his presence commanding attention with every step. Standing at an impressive six feet tall, he possessed an air of effortless confidence that was impossible to ignore. His dark, tousled hair framed a chiseled face, adorned with a five o'clock shadow that added an intriguing ruggedness to his otherwise polished appearance.
Chase's piercing green eyes seemed to hold a world of secrets, each glance a tantalizing invitation to delve deeper into his enigmatic soul. His smile was warm and disarming, capable of melting even the iciest of hearts. His lips, slightly crooked when he grinned, revealed a hint of mischief that made you wonder just what he might be thinking.
His fashion sense was impeccable, effortlessly blending classic elegance with a hint of modern edge. Dressed in a tailored suit that emphasized his lean physique, he moved with a grace and ease that hinted at an underlying strength. Every gesture, every word, was delivered with a charisma that left an indelible mark on anyone fortunate enough to cross his path.
Yet, beneath the surface charm and charisma, there was a depth to Chase Crawford that was both captivating and mysterious. It was as if he carried the weight of a thousand stories in his eyes, each waiting to be told to the right person at the right time. In his presence, I couldn't help but be drawn to the allure of the unknown, eager to uncover the layers of complexity that lay hidden beneath his charismatic façade.
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I quickly looked to the floor, hoping he would not notice the color staining my face. I kept my face down and he walked by, but before he was two steps away, he stopped and turned around, I felt a pull towards him, and I shifted my gaze to meet his penetrating eyes.
The fleeting moments as we exchanged glances felt like an eternity, the lighting in the foyer made his eyes darken with a foreboding sense of something carnal, but that was soon replaced with steel walls erected around him, I thought I had heard him mutter something as I turned away from him and entered the elevator, pressing the button for the 30th floor.
Once the doors had closed, I could feel myself breathe again. Chase Crawford had the ability to pull all the attention in the room towards him, his enigmatic presence had you following him, enticing you to talk to him, to be near him, to want him. Men like that were trouble with a capital T. No doubt during my break I'll go back to researching him and find out he has a different woman on his arm each week. Models and actresses, token arm candy to only show off how masculine he is. He would not find that type of woman in me, I loved numbers, not fancy dinners. I'm a size eight, not the usual size two he would rather be seen with. Sighing to myself, the elevator dings the arrival to the 30th floor. I locate the cleaning cupboard with relative ease and begin cleaning, if only to push Chase Crawford out of my mind.