Chapter 1: Avery and the Stranger

Avery

Avery swore it was her alarm this time. She'd woken up a bit later than the expected time.

"Taxi! Taxi!" She shouted, waving her hand furiously above her head. Instead, they zoomed past her like she was a ghost. "Why today of all days?!"

Her interview at King's Fashion House was at stake. It was bad enough that she overslept. Her alarm broke, and she'd forgotten to fix it before going to bed the previous night. The urge to break down in tears seized her, but she had to be strong.

With her old black purse slung across her shoulder, she clutched a big brown manila folder to her stomach. An aggregate of ill-tempered commuters lined the same sidewalk she stood, trimming her chances of meeting up with the interview.

Time was ticking fast, and in Empire City, it ticked faster. Glancing over her wristwatch, Avery knew she could kiss the hope of finding a job goodbye.

Her mother had been in a vegetative state for three years in Lighthouse Hospital after suffering brain damage from a car crash. She couldn't let her mother die.

After losing her father to a stray bullet from a gang war at the tender age of eight, it was only fair she defied the ends of the world to save her only family alive.

Unfortunately, the biggest barrier between her and saving her mother was a whooping two million US dollars.

How would she get that kind of money? She had never touched a grand, in fact!

One way or another, she'd find the money, even if it meant scrubbing the toilet with her toothbrush.

The honk of an incoming cab reared Avery's wandered thoughts to the present. Like leavened dough, her hope rose again.

She waved her hands wildly above her head to flag it down. Across the street, a tall, handsome chad in a royal blue three-piece suit seemed to be in the same predicament. He was waving down the same taxi.

'He's not getting my ride,' Avery swore.

The taxi came to a smoking halt between them. "Yo, come on in!" The driver called after her in a gleeful tone.

After exchanging nervous glances, Avery and the man made a beeline for the passenger doors from either end of the road. Even with the much farther distance, the man hopped into the cab right about the same time as she.

The first impression from the stranger her brain registered was his rich cologne. It saturated the enclosed space in the taxi, filling her empty lungs with a blend of musk and citrus. With a sharp jawline that could cut a rock in half, he commandeered lust, power, and authority.

'Damn, babe. You've found him,' her subconscious teased. 'No doubt, he's the hottie.'

'Come off it, Avery.' She closed her eyes, reeling her slutty thoughts to the back of her mind, 'you have a boyfriend that'd kill for you. Forget him this minute!'

"Look here, lady. I'm having a bad day already, and I'm not in the mood to entertain extra baggage today. So, I'll ask politely that you get off my ride," he ordered in a guttural voice that had her spinning for control.

wait...what?

Avery was beyond stunned. Did he just call her extra baggage? He even had the guts to send her out of a cab. Who does he think he is, anyway? So much for politeness.

"I beg your pardon!" Avery retorted, turning to face face him "I waved him down first. If anyone should get off this ride, it's you."

Against her will, Avery found herself gravitating toward the stranger, charmed by his overall classy outlook. Her eyes caught the glimmer of his footwear, and damn the lump that suffocated her.

The brogues alone would buy every piece she was putting on and remain a generous tip.

He scoffed. "Do you know who I am?"

"I don't care about who or what you think you are, Mr President," she recovered in record time. "All I want is that you get off my ride and await your turn as expected of a normal right-thinking human."

Despite herself, Avery couldn't help the butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach. Her bold exterior was nothing compared to the sickening mess on her inside. How can a man make her feel this...this fragile?

"I'm not stepping out of a taxi because of an overused piece of rag. It's obvious your mother didn't train you enough to know your place in the presence of big shots. Out this minute, before I do something crazy!"

His acidity cut through Avery's shield. Her jaw dropped to her lap, as she studied his icy ocean eyes. She blinked away the passing lust, focusing her attention on the shitty words he said to her.

A cute guy with a saucy attitude was a bad combo for dessert.

Summoning what was left of her waning courage, she raved. "Excuse me! You have no right to call me names. How dare you make weird conclusions about my personality. Take them back, you jerk!"

He laughed softly, charming Avery with his perfect dentition, worthy of a toothpaste commercial. "Seriously?"

"I demand every bit of it," Avery grounded. "Now."

"If you'll get off my ride," he turned to the window with a smirk on his lips. He leaned into the seat and crossed his legs. "I might apologize."

If he thought Avery would succomb to his threats and charm, she'd show him what a big fat no looks like. Blowing her hair out of her face, she sat back and crossed her legs. Her skirt rose to the middle of her thigh, making her a bit uncomfortable, but she was hell bent on putting the cute bully in his place.

"Not in seven hells. You either get off my taxi or eat your own shit!"

His eyes widened in morbid irritation. Avery knew she had scored a point. Way to go, girl. He did not know what he's in for. She might be poor, but she's rich in sass.

"You-"

"Yo, guys. Keep it down. You're gonna ruin my fucking day with your bickering!" The brown-skinned taxi driver mediated. His English was subpar, proof that he lacked adequate education. They almost forgot there was a third person in the vehicle. "Reason like adults for once. We ain't kids no more. Where are you both headed?"

"King's Fashion House." Avery and the stranger chorused in perfect unison.

Out of sheer realization that they were headed in the same direction, their eyes jammed, as they sized each other up. She didn't miss the look of disgust on his face, the lump in her throat growing.

The driver grinned, reeving into the asphalt to join the traffic. "See! The two of you are going the same way. Save your energy for your bosses. It's Monday in Empire City. Shit gets crazy by the minute." He laughed at his own joke, oblivious to the angry duo seethed in his backseat.

"What business do you have with KFH?" The stranger asked, more out of judgement than inquisition. "It's not for a low-class bitch like you!"

"It's none of your fucking business, punk!" she replied curtly. "And don't you ever call me a bitch. You know nothing about me."

"Who cares?" He shrugged. "I don't give a damn."

"Then shut the fuck up and get off my ride!"

He growled under his breath, fuming. "I'll do better to hang myself by my tie next time than share a ride with a low-class uncouth dunce from downtown Empire City!"

"Did you just call me a low-class, uncouth dunce?"

"Do you need hearing aids, or do I need to repeat myself word for word to sink it into your shallow empty brain?"

All right, there's a limit to her patience. This stranger has stepped right on the tigress' tail. He must face the music.

She snapped at the taxi driver, who'd given up hope of reconciling the hot-headed adults. "How much longer do I need to tolerate this proud ogre? I swear to God, I will not be responsible for the death of a spoilt rich kid splurging his father's wealth." She gritted the words between clenched teeth.

"Ten more minutes!" The taxi driver assured.

"Me?! A proud ogre?!" He angled toward her. Avery fisted her hands, ready to haul punches into his pointed nose. "How dare you?! Who the hell do you think you are,?!"

"Your worst nightmare, ugly ogre. And if you're yet to have one, hallelujah! I'm about to take you on a mega ride through one. " She leaned closer, "I'm going to haunt your night and scratch your ugly face with my fingernails!"

To Avery's surprise, the handsome stranger laughed off her threat. "Nice try. You deserve an Oscar for pulling off a big scare," he made an airy quotation, stressing the last words. "But let me give you a fair warning, do not cross paths with me next time, because if you do, you'll be sorry you did."

"We're here."

The taxi jerked to a stop in front of the fifteen-story building. The abrupt stop sent her diving face deep into the middle of the stranger's bulky chest, numbing her senses with his masculine scent.

Warm pools settled in the core. For a virgin at twenty-three with a boyfriend she was yet to be intimate with, the profound images about this man clouding her mind broke all the laws of celibacy.

"Get. Your. Fucking. Body. Off. My. Suit!" came his thunderous growl, as he punctuated each word, breathing hard.