Sweet Temptation

Chapter 9

Adrianna

I shuffled through my back, which had been neatly waiting on a trolley and walked out of the elevator when it opened a moment later. I couldn't believe my purse was there; someone could have taken it. Then again, there were cameras everywhere in this damn place. I sighed as I grabbed it, thinking I'd call Jen and tell her to meet me for lunch.

No phone.

Shit, of course!

It was the company phone. I had gotten rid of my personal line trying to cut back on bills. It felt silly having a private phone when I could use work's. Now, not only had I lost a cell, but all my numbers. Jen told me to back up my numbers from the time I cut my line, but I didn't listen and the only number I knew by heart was hers.

My pass wasn't working as I got to the security gate to leave the building in my car, I considered embarrassing myself and telling security I'd been fired. I needed to get out of the building. Mr. Precious Gold had thought of everything else; why didn't he let my pass work so I could leave? He'd f*****g done it on purpose, which just made me even madder. I had to press the intercom and explain it to security and get the f**k out of here.

"Hey."

"Adrianna is that you?"

Fred Martin was on the other line, a security guard, who'd had a crush on me from the first time I met him in the lobby. I felt sorry for him; he was sweet, kind, and cute in his own little way. A little too skinny for me, but he had sparkling blue eyes, which hid behind his framed-glasses, and he was a good guy. The type of guy would treat me right on a date, open the car door, come to pick me up, and agree with everything I said on the date.

He was too good for me.

He was the kind I could take home to meet my mom if she was still around and she would be instantly happy I'd found someone decent. Yeah, he deserved someone who would appreciate him for his good heart, and I knew I wasn't that type of girl, I would be bored in an instant. He deserved better. It wouldn't be right to lead him on, so I rejected every date he offered even as tempted as I was to go on a couple of them. Jen said I was too hard on him, and even harder on myself. She felt the reason I rejected him more than a few times wasn't because he was a good guy, but simply because I believed I didn't deserve someone so great subconsciously. Maybe she had a point. Mr. Gold had pointed out I didn't deserve anyone decent, it'd been in my head before the words came out of his mouth.

"Adrianna?" he asked again.

I shook my head, thinking about the nightmare I'd put myself into. I was standing by the intercom, as I did every morning to get into the building, and every night to get out. I couldn't use my pass from my car because the windows weren't working. I had to physically get out of the car from the passenger side. The driver side was okay to open, but a b***h to close. Yep, my car was beaten up, but it took me from home to work, so the little extras such as a door that worked, heating during winter, and A/C during the summer just felt like luxuries. Ones I couldn't afford to pay. I could use public transport, but with the hours I worked, I didn't feel safe getting on the metro at that time of night.

"Yes. It's me. I've..."

He sighed, "I know. I'll let you out. I suppose I'll have no one else to ask on a date anymore."

Even now, he was sweet. Over one year of trying and he still had it in his mind that I would cave one day. I laughed, "And you'll have no one telling you a raincheck. But hey, you know the next time you ask, I may not say raincheck."

The bar went up, and I ran to the passenger side of the car, closed the door, then I slid over to the driver's side. I'd been doing it for so long, it came naturally.

He called out my name as I drove my car through, I smiled about telling Jen tonight about my new number and letting her pass it on. There was some positive in all this, I couldn't let go of my pride. I couldn't let the tears falling uncontrollably, get to me. I had to put them aside, this was a new adventure.

Who was I kidding?

I was broke, penniless, overweight, and borderline ready to prostitute myself. I had to get out of this building as fast as possible, and far away from here.