Chapter 1 The beginning

As she stared up at the blazing hot sky, she wondered what her life was going to look like. The clouds floated around happily in humor to her predicament. Being fired from the only place she had worked so hard to get into after graduation was quite a comic story indeed.

As she crossed the pathway leading up to her rundown apartment close by, a few blocks away from the building that had held all her dashed hopes and dreams, her heel got stuck in the broken cemented sidewalk. Thrusting out with all her might, the heel of her favorite suede stiletto broke. She stumbled backwards and landed on her butt, grazing her hands onto the ground. It hurt. She knew that right at this moment, the universe was mocking her.

Working endlessly and tirelessly for years, only to come out with the best degree and getting admitted into the workplace she had applied for, seemed so far away now. She looked down at her stubbed heel and wept for her bleak life.

"What's a beautiful girl like you doing on her ass on the sidewalk?"

Her head whipped around so fast she was afraid her neck would snap. She raised her head up to look at the stranger who had his hand outstretched with a huge smile on his face.

"Am sorry, who are you?" she spoke before her body could register what she had said.

The said man was gorgeous, with chestnut brown hair and blue eyes; he looked so handsome it took her breath away.

"Why don't I help you up?" he offered, gesturing to his outstretched hand.

She nodded because words had seemed to fail her. "Yes, thank you," she stammered.

He pulled her up; stumbling due to her wobbly legs, she collided with his chest. "Sorry," she said abruptly, straightening up.

"Can I buy you a cup of coffee?" he asked politely.

Nodding, her lips widened in a shy smile as she felt her cheeks redden.

"There's a great coffee shop just two blocks away if we can just make it," he took the lead.

Being careful not to lose him, she walked as fast as her legs could carry her to match his long strides. She noticed that he slowed down a few times to give her time to catch up, which was very thoughtful of him.

"Come on in," he said, ushering her in through the double glass doors that held the coffee sign.

The place had an aesthetically pleasing mahogany feel to it. There wasn't much of a crowd for the lunch hour, but it wasn't completely empty. There were customers scattered around the shop, chatting away and sipping away at their coffees, worry-free.

She let out a defeated sigh.

"What's wrong? Don't you like coffee?" he asked.

She shook her head vehemently. "No, no, I do. I was just... thinking about something else," she reassured him.

He nodded and walked over to the counter to place their orders. Busing herself, she picked a table at the far end of the coffee place and slid into the curved seats overlooking the floor-to-ceiling windows.

She watched as the people breezed by, some tired, some happy, but most of all she noticed the satisfied looks they all had as they passed by, probably on their way back to work.

Clearing his throat, she jerked back away from her internal musings.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Concern etched on the creases at the base of his forehead.

She gave him a wan smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. Just work," she summarized.

She didn't need to bore a total stranger she had just met with her life problems when she was a total mess. She just had to relax and savor this moment.

"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Michael. Michael Wheeler," he said, giving her his outstretched hand once again, this time for a handshake, and she obliged.

"My name is Alina. Alina Sanders," she replied.

He nodded, taking the information in, a wistful smile etched onto his lips.

"That's a really nice name," he added.

She felt her cheek go pink. "Thank you. But thank my parents. They're the ones who gave me the name."

He chuckled at her awkward attempt to lighten the mood, feeling his laughter was contagious, she followed suit.

They were so wrapped up in the invisible bubble that they didn't fully notice when the waiter placed their drinks in front of them.

She stared at the leaf design of the sweetened coffee. She wasn't a fan of sweetened coffee.

"Am sorry I went ahead to order your coffee. I figured you would prefer to drink yours sweetened," he explained, as he watched her stare at her coffee, her expression unreadable.

Her eyebrow arched upwards.

"And what gave you that idea?" she asked, a little annoyed now.

"That's the impression you gave off. I might be wrong though," he interjected, raising his hands up in surrender.

"That's much better," satisfied with his answer, she returned to the cup of coffee staring back at her, she stirred before finally taking a big gulp.

"So, about your parents, what should I know about them?" he asked.

She raised her head up from her cup of coffee to collide with his amused gaze smiling back at her. She looked at him over the rim of her coffee and wondered why he was interested in knowing about her parents. What kind of stranger gets into such details? she wondered, and suddenly felt unsafe. Secluded in the corner with him, in a room full of people, was supposed to reassure her, but she felt goosebumps crawl up her skin.

Who was this stranger? And what the heck was she doing with him? The questions kept bugging her. She eyed him skeptically as he sipped his coffee, waiting for her response.

"Am sorry, but as nice as you are, I don't feel comfortable telling you about such details of my life," she responded, almost apologetically.

He chuckled. Settling back in his seat, he leaned back and looked at her for a while.

"Look, like I said, I'm Michael Wheeler. Doesn't that seem to ring a bell for you?" he spoke.

Shaking her head vehemently in confusion, she tried to grasp where this conversation was going until...

"Wheeler of Wheeler Enterprises?" she asked hesitantly.

He blinked in confirmation.

She gasped as she suddenly realized who and where he was. He was her boss.