1.3 - Tall, Dark and Handsome

“Thanks for not bailing on me tonight.” Shelby said as she wrapped her long graceful arms around Amiee for a friendly hug.

“You wouldn’t let me if I tried…” Amiee reminded her.

“You want me to walk home with you?” Shelby asked as Amiee turned to walk home.

“NO!” She shouted defensively.

“Wow…no need to go postal, just wanted to make sure you got home alright.” Shelby said with her hands now on her hips, giving Amiee a discerning look.

“I am a big girl Shelbs…” Was all Amiee said before continuing her walk.

“Remember the promise you made me!” Shelby shouted as she watched Amiee heading to cross the street.

“Yeah…yeah.” Amiee replied waving her hand back at Shelby, not once looking back.

Amiee arrived home and quickly checked her mail before calling for the elevator. She stood in front of it watching the buttons slowly countdown to her floor while thinking of the stunt that Shelby had pulled at the bar.

“Just who does she think she is telling me who I can and can’t talk to?” Amiee said aloud. She looked around to make sure there wasn’t anyone standing around in the lobby before continuing to verbally argue with herself.

“I am a big girl and I can decide for myself!” She said aloud again.  She was quite taken with the tall, dark and handsome man that had sat next to her at the bar. She had only made that promise to Shelby just to get her to shut up…she didn’t have to abide by it…right? After all what Shelby don’t know won’t hurt her. Amiee thought as she heard the elevator approach.

She patted down her dress making sure it was clung to her tightly and smoothed down her hair as the elevator began to open.

When the elevator doors parted, there he stood, where she wasn’t expecting him too.

“What on earth are you doing…” She whispered as she looked around. He just continued to stand propped up on the railing at the back of the elevator with a grin on his face. He studied her momentarily before stepping out of the elevator.

“What no ‘I see you found the place alright.’” He said in a deep and sultry voice.

“You want me to get caught with you?” Amiee said as he began to circle around her in the lobby. One hand in his pocket the other fixed on his chin as if he were checking out merchandise in a department store.

“Isn’t that half the fun?” He replied coyly.

“That any moment Shelby could come walking through that door and see me standing here with you.” He said as he drew himself closer to her. Their faces only inches from the other. She could feel his hot breath warming the skin just above her lips. 

The mere thought of the words he spoke had Amiee’s blood boiling with excitement, racing through her veins with more power than jet engine fuel. She pushed him away from her as her heart had begun to slow back down.

“No, I don’t want to get caught; if I do Shelby will go ballistic I made a promise to her.” Amiee said looking into his stunning green eyes that had reminded her of peridots.

With their light olive green color, so vibrant and translucent, shimmering below the brightly light room of the lobby. She could get lost in those eyes…and for a brief moment she did.

“What promise was that?” He said inquisitively.

“That I would stay away from you, and trust me if she gets wind of this…she will not be a happy camper…trust me you don’t know her…” Amiee said sternly.

“I know more than you think…” He replied. “But that is for another time.” He added.

"Besides...living dangerously is what I do best." He said as he pulled Amiee closer to him.

He leaned his face in closer to hers letting their lips touch…but not completely. He let them suspend in the air before hers, bringing them closer and then pulling them away again…teasing her…silently wishing Shelby would walk through the door at any moment and catch them in the act. That would be satisfying enough for him.

Amiee didn’t pull away…she had to admit she found it thrilling, exciting, liberating.

She pulled away from him as her heart begun to beat faster as she looked at the faces that passed by the apartment building, scanning them, hoping that one of them didn’t belong to her friend. She adjusted her focus back to him as she continued to pull away.

“That was nice…but hardly what I would call dangerous.” She said half truthfully.

“Well then what is your idea of dangerous?”  He said looking down to her, the corner of his lips slightly curled up into a devious smile. 

Amiee said nothing, instead walked over and pressed the button to the elevator and climbed inside when it opened.

“Are you going to join me or just stand there like an idiot?” She said cocking her head and flashing him a smile of her own. She didn’t need to ask twice as he rushed into the elevator, almost being enclosed by the doors.

When he was finally in the elevator, limbs still intact, she fingered the button to her floor and glanced over at him. He stood there with a smirk on his face and she could smell the air of confidence and cockiness that surrounded him. 

She wasn't the type of girl to have quick flings or one night stands, but it had been a while since she was with a man, one that came with no strings attached. He wasn’t her usual choice of men either, but for tonight he would do. After all she wasn't looking for a life partner, she just wanted to let loose and have a little fun. 

Of course she wouldn't see him after tonight, hiding the fact that she was seeing him for one night, would be much easier than an ongoing affair with him.

She pulled herself closer to him as the elevator doors began to shut. He just stood there with his eyes locked on to hers, their glare so intense it could have burned holes in their retinas.

The elevator doors finally shut as Amiee rested her chin on his shoulders.

“What’s so dangerous about an elevator ride?” He said with a chuckle. She stayed silent as she walked over and pressed the stop button on the elevator.

The elevator came to a halting stop, suspending itself mid-shaft. She drew herself closer to him pinning him against the back wall. 

She wrapped one leg around his body as her lips desperately searched for his. This had initiated a full on make out session in the elevator, their bodies moving all around it, banging and slamming into the walls, neither of them realized that they had brushed into the controls operating the elevator again.

He reached up and began pulling the straps of her dress down when it had finally reached her floor and the doors split open.

They stopped abruptly as they heard the sound of coughing before them. Their jaws dropped as Amiee looked into the eyes of the neighboring tenant.

“You didn’t see a thing!” She said as she jolted out of the elevator pulling him with her. The tenant shook his head and entered the elevator. The doors shut soon after. The two of them joined in a small giggle before resuming their lips to one another.

With one hand wrapped around him, lips still joined she kicked open the door to her apartment and they slid behind it.

She stared off into the darkness of her apartment fumbling for a light switch but was easily distracted by him. His lips were cool and refreshing on the fiery skin of her neck.

Her heart had begun to race so quickly it could have thrust out of her chest right then and there; she brought a hand up to it trying to calm the rapid and loud thumping before nudging the door closed with her foot.

1.2 - Toilets and Tantrums

Amiee stood in the women’s bathroom mop in hand and a bucket at her side. Not exactly the picture perfect first day of work for her –or anyone.

There wasn’t anything glamorous about a woman with her hair pulled back into a pony tail sporting a rubber apron with rubber gloves, clenching a bacteria infested mop in her hand, and Amiee wasn’t playing the part either. What was the point of trying to look good while cleaning shit off of a toilet? There wasn’t one.

After her shift at the gallery, Amiee cleaned up and removed her work clothes and headed up to the grocery store to spend what money she had on groceries for the week.

She returned home –which was still a mess and filled with boxes. She unloaded her groceries as she heard the door to her apartment slam.

“You should really lock your doors in the city, I could have been some criminal here to rob you blind and take your sense of security.” Shelby said as she came barreling through the kitchen.

“And you should really learn how to knock.” Amiee replied with a half-hearted smile.

“Oh no honey, please tell me that you aren’t going out looking like that!” Shelby shrieked as she took a good look at Amiee.

“What’s wrong with the way I look?” Amiee said putting her hands on her hips.

“Nothing…if you are going to the library…” Shelby said in disapproval.

“Well sorry Shelby that I am not some brooding model who can afford the latest fashions from the Bridgeport Strip.” Amiee hissed.

“Lucky for you I brought some spares…” Shelby replied as she lied some clothes across Amiee’s bed.

“Now go get dressed and I will do your make-up and hair!” Shelby ordered Amiee. Amiee was too exhausted to argue with her.

“Um…Shelby?” Amiee called from the bedroom as she stood in front of the mirror.

“What, is something wrong?” Shelby replied.

“Yeeeaaah…uhhh kind of…um where are the rest of these dresses…” Amiee said as she did a double take in the mirror.

“Amiee, Bridgeport isn’t the city of modesty; don’t be afraid to show a little skin…” Shelby replied. Amiee could almost see Shelby’s eyes rolling from where she stood.

“A little I don’t have a problem with…but this…this is just ridiculous!” Amiee said as she squeezed out of the first dressed and tried on the next.

“Come on Amiee, I ain’t getting any younger here!” Shelby shouted from the other room as Amiee tried on dress after dress. She let out a long sigh.

“I guess this will have to do…” Amiee said as she scrunched her nose at her reflection in the mirror.

“Oh…let me see what you picked!” Shelby said excitedly as she entered the bedroom.

Shelby examined Amiee having her twist and turn and twirl around as if she were some mannequin.

“I could totally slap you right now…you look better in that dress than I ever have…what’s your secret?” Shelby said.

“It’s called getting sleep and not partying till the wee hours of the morning…you should try it sometime.” Amiee replied bitterly.

“Now let’s do something with that hair and face…we are going to be late as it is…” Shelby said as she yanked the ponytail holder out of Amiee’s head and began to work her magic.

“B-e-a-utiful!” Shelby said as she turned Amiee around to face the mirror. And for the first time all night, for once, she agreed with her friend.

“I almost look as good as you.” Amiee said as she gave herself a ‘once-over’ in the mirror.

“Key word ‘almost’” Shelby said with a smile.

“Now let’s go!” She said dragging Amiee off by her arm.

“I decided that maybe you weren’t exactly ready for all the bells and whistles, so we will start you off at a smaller less populated bar, the place is a total dive but they got great drinks  and I know bartender…well.” Shelby said as they walked into Eugi’s.

Amiee didn’t respond. She walked slowly behind Shelby, wondering what she let herself get into.

They entered the bar and Amiee immediately took a seat at the bar. She had noticed they hadn’t even been in there for a minute and Shelby was already drooling over the men at the bar.

“Aren’t you just a cute one…” Shelby said as she fished for the name of a rather young guy who was sitting at the bar up and down.

“Caleb…but please call me Cal…can I buy you a drink?” He replied.

“Are you sure you’re old enough to be in here?” Shelby replied with a giggle. Amiee sat at the other end of the bar completely embarrassed by her friends such crass behavior.

“Where is Sheldon, he was supposed to be working here tonight.” Shelby said with a frown.

“Sorry chicko Sheldon had an urgent matter to take care of... how ever urgent a brunette can be, better wait in line…” The bartender snickered from behind the bar.

“Awesome…I would like to buy a round of drinks, one for my friend at the end of the bar there and two for these handsome gentlemen.” Shelby said as she slung her hair behind her and pulled out her iPhone.

“Put it on my tab…” Shelby added with a weak smile.

“So…you’re new here aren’t you?” The handsome gentlemen beside Amiee spoke up.

“Do you use that line on all the ladies?” Amiee replied with a smile.

“Not all the ladies…just the new ones.” The gentlemen replied with a smile of his own.

“Please, back off Everett…” Shelby said as she locked arms with Amiee and pulled her off the stool.

“You couldn’t even fathom getting such a classy lady as Amiee beneath you…” She added as she rolled her eyes and began to drag Amiee off.

“You wouldn’t know about class now would you Shelby…” He spat back at her. Shelby rolled her eyes.

“Who was that?” Amiee asked Shelby as she peered at him over Shelby’s shoulder.

“Why does it matter?” Shelby said bitterly.

“So I can properly thank him for not taking your crap! You have to chill a little Shelby, get off that high horse sometimes, you know?” Amiee said to Shelby.

“Look who’s calling the kettle black, miss goodey-two-shoes…besides Everett is bad news…I would stay away…far away…” Shelby replied with a scowl.

“I heard my name and thought I would see what all the hub was about.” Everett said as he crossed his arms.

“Beat it Everett…” Shelby hissed. Everett didn’t move he stood there with a cocky smile on his face; just knowing he was getting under Shelby’s skin was satisfaction enough.

“May I buy you ladies the next round?” Caleb then cut in with his charming and innocent voice.

“Get me a beer while you’re at it champ, my treat.” Everett said. Caleb stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. Everett then waved to the bartender and circled his fingers around the group. The bartender nodded and began mixing the drinks.

“Excuse us…I need to talk to my friend here.” Shelby stomped and the men had a seat at the table behind them.

“What is your problem Amiee, are you just trying to get walked all over!” She hissed.

“What are you talking about, the guy offered to buy me a drink, I am a broke janitor working in an art gallery with no money, I’m not stupid I won’t refuse a free drink…” Amiee said.

“Well when you find trouble…I don’t want to be the one waiting to say I told you so!” Shelby screeched.

“What is your problem Shelby, relax, you are too uptight!” Amiee shouted back.

“Sorry Amiee, I just don’t want to see you get treated like trash, most women in the big city do.” Shelby replied.

“Shelbs I am a grown woman, I can take care of myself, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I can handle it, if I need your help I will ask you…ok?” Amiee pleaded with Shelby.

“Fine, just steer clear of Everett after we leave tonight okay…please?” Shelby said with wide eyes.

“Okay…okay!” Amiee shouted.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Thank you to Horsesrox76 for making Caleb for the story! Thanks Horsey luv ya!

1.1 A New Beginning

The taxi pulled slowly away through the foggy misted tree lined back roads of Twinbrook. She was scared, leaving it all behind. The life she had grown so comfortably into within the safety of her parent’s small home in the bogs. But Amiee had bigger dreams, dreams that couldn’t be fulfilled in such a small and dreary town. She had one small suitcase in the trunk, a little money in her pocket and big chip on her shoulder.

She sat in the back seat with a big smile on her face and bigger dreams in her heart. This was her beginning, her life. She would step out of the shadows of her parents for the first time and into her own. She imagined pulling up to a lavish apartment in the city, bright and cheery with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city below. A doorman to greet her each day as she came and went a pool to dip her toes into when the mid-day sun was hot and radiant. Oh yes she was a dreamer.

She took one last look back as the taxi crossed over the border of Twinbrook and the neighboring town. She breathed a sigh of relief as she let go of who she was, and moved forward onto who she wanted to become.

The taxi stopped in front of drab outdated building. Amiee blinked her eyes as if when she reopened them it would have been replaced with something much more appealing. It was still there, screaming out for attention, desperately needing work.

“Are you sure this is it?” She asked the taxi driver.

“1550 Bayshore Highway.” The taxi cab reassured her. She wasn't reassured, she was mortified. She could already see her dreams slipping away slowly, starting with the great condo in the sky.

“Alright.” She sighed as she handed the money to the driver. She got out and opened the truck, pulling out her small suitcase. She walked into he building and up to the 18^th floor. 

She slowly opened the door to her apartment, she wasn’t sure what to expect, but as she looked around, her expectations were nothing like this.

The walls were off-white and looked as if they hadn’t been painted in twenty years. They were dingy and speckled with holes from previous tenants.

The kitchen was almost nonexistent, with outdated appliances, minimal counter space and only a sink, no dishwasher. There was a small room for a couch –if that, and a tv.

The bedroom was open to the kitchen no door for privacy.

The bathroom was quite small with only a standing shower, toilet and sink, and barely enough room to navigate around them.

The place smelled just as musty and old as it had looked. There was no character, no light and no homey feeling. Amiee stood in the doorway with her hand cupped to her chin.

“It needs some work Amiee, but it has potential!” She said to herself, trying desperately to stay positive. 

Amiee pulled out the tattered old phonebook from the kitchen drawer. One good thing about living in the middle of a big city, in a dingy apartment or not, food delivery was at your disposal, anything and everything you can possibly imagine at your fingertips with just a simple phone call and a wait.

She dialed the number to a local taco joint and the food was delivered within ten minutes. That’s a luxury you just can’t get in the swamps.

She propped herself up on the counter and bit into the taco. The grease gently sliding down her throat, the warm melted cheese sticking to her teeth, the crunch of the shell with each bite, Amiee was almost in heaven. 

When she looked down at her dwindling stack of cash she knew she had to get a job and fast. She picked up her keys and headed out.

“One hour until the moving vans arrive, I should have time to fill out some applications.” She said as she closed the door behind her.

“I could get used to being a city girl.” Amiee said to herself as she strolled about the streets. The tall buildings, the bright lights, the sounds of car horns near and distant, it was a nice change from her quiet life.

“Well what do we have here…” Amiee said as she approached one of the oddest and most modern building she had ever seen.

“The True Modern Art Gallery.” Amiee said reading the sign out front. The smile on her face grew from ear to ear as she mouthed the words. She stood there for a moment soaking it all in before entering.

The moment Amiee entered a lanky woman with a bad hairdo was standing behind the counter eager to greet her.

“Good morning, welcome to The True Modern Art Gallery, how may I help you today.” The woman said in an overly upbeat and cheery tone.

“Hi, my name is Amiee Sullivan, I was wondering maybe if you had any openings for a position?” Amiee said politely.

“Positions for what?” The woman asked.

“A job?” Amiee said with a hint of sarcasm. The woman took one look at her and let out a small chuckle.

“I am sorry but we do not take walk ins for job opportunities, there is a process one must go through in order to be employed by the gallery, maybe you should try bar up the road.” The woman said.

“Excuse me Mrs…” Amiee said rudely.

“Mrs. Littler…please.” The woman cut in. Amiee let out a chuckle of her own. Littler? What kind of a name is that! She thought.

“Well Mrs. Littler, surely you didn’t intend on insulting my intelligence with a remark like that. I am an artist and have studied in school and though I may not have experience working in a gallery, I am confident I am just the type of help you need to bring this gallery back to life.” Amiee said with a strong confidence.

“Help, surely you can’t be serious?” Mrs. Littler replied with a condescending tone.

“I am serious and don’t call me Shirley.” Amiee replied with the same condescending tone.

“Look around, this place is a ghost town, I mean I have heard of the starving artists, but I have seen galleries in smaller towns with more people and character in it!” Amiee added. Mrs. Littler gasped, outraged at the insults Amiee had descended upon her and the gallery.

Mrs. Littler composed herself quickly turning her tone back to the overly upbeat and cheery one she had just moments ago.

“I am sorry Miss Sullivan; we are not accepting applicants at this time. I am sure you are a wonderful artist, everyone thinks they are after all, we do not need your help at this time, but I can take your number down and call you if anything becomes available.” Mrs. Littler said. Amiee could still detect the slightest amount of condensation in her tone.

“Do you really take me for some sort of a fool Mrs. Littler? I have heard that line before, it’s a nice way of saying ‘no way in hell will we ever give you a job and we have no intentions of calling you back’ only you forgot to say it nicely, don’t patronize me, just because I am young, doesn’t mean I don’t have the know-how or the experience to work here…I think I would call that discrimination, don’t you Mrs. Littler?” Amiee replied.

Mrs. Littler stood there with a dumbfound look on her face. Everything about her changed in an instant right before Amiee’s eyes.  

Mrs. Littler bent down and pulled a three ring binder out from one of the drawers behind the counter, she pretended to skim through it, though clearly it was blank. Amiee figured she didn’t want to admit that she had discriminated against her. She threw her hands in the air when she finished thumbing through it.

“Well my apologies Miss Sullivan it seems we do have an opening here.” Mrs. Littler said to Amiee.

“May I have an application please?” Amiee said self-satisfied.

“No need.” Mrs. Littler replied.

“I thought there was some kind of process for getting a job here?” Amiee asked.

“Don’t push it, look kid do you want the job or not.” Mrs. Littler said as leaned on the counter with her palms. She had grown increasingly agitated by the moment.

“Yes I will take it.” Amiee said with a smile.

“Tomorrow, nine a.m. sharp.” Mrs. Littler said as she returned the binder to the drawer.

“What exactly is it that I am doing?” Amiee asked.

“Janitorial work.” Mrs. Littler replied with a coy smile.

“That would have been good information to disperse beforehand.” Amiee grumbled as she walked out of the door. Okay, so it wasn’t her dream job, but it was a step in the right direction.

When Amiee returned home the first thing she noticed was all her boxes and furniture stacked throughout the house, a pizza and boxes of Chinese food laid out on her dining table and a thin framed strawberry blonde standing in her kitchen hovered over a counter full of unpacked dishes.  

“Shelby!” Amiee exclaimed. 

“What on god’s green earth are you doing here!” Amiee asked as she ran over and gave Shelby a hug. She hadn’t seen Shelby in nearly five years –since they graduated high school and went their separate ways. They kept in contact through emails and text since Shelby’s life had become completely scheduled when her modeling career started to take off.

“I came by to welcome you with dinner and found the moving guys standing outside. So I let them in and decided to wait for you…where did you go anyway?” Shelby asked.

“Out looking for a job.” Amiee replied.

“Really, you just got here!?” Shelby asked.

“And guess who is the newest employee at The True Modern Art Gallery?” Amiee said as she made a motion with her body.

“Shut the front door!” Shelby screeched.

“How on earth did you pull that off?” She added.

“It wasn’t easy, and it isn’t exactly a dream job, let’s leave it at that.” Amiee replied bitterly as she remembered the conversation with Mrs. Littler.

“Well I am happy for you! When do you start?” Shelby said to Amiee.

“Tomorrow morning…” Amiee replied.

“And see you did it without needing any connections from me, you are going to make it in the big city just fine Amiee.” Shelby replied.

“So anyways…we are going to go out tonight and celebrate your arrival in the big city! I got the perfect little place you will just love it!” Shelby said excitedly.

“I can’t Shelby, not tonight; I have to be up early tomorrow…can we schedule it for tomorrow night?” Amiee said.

“You party pooper! Tomorrow night it shall be. I have to get ready for a photo shoot, enjoy your dinner, see you tomorrow night!” Shelby said as she hugged Amiee goodbye. 

Nightfall had begun to approach much more quickly than Amiee had hoped for. She was truly dreading getting up in the morning to go to the art gallery. Something she had never thought she would ever say in a million years. Amiee was in love with the arts, but the idea of hanging around an art gallery with a mop in hand wasn’t exactly all that appealing to her. 

If she had just been a little nicer to Mrs. Littler perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad. Amiee contemplated the idea for a moment.

“Nope, I did what I had to, there is nowhere to go but up from here” She said aloud to herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth.

She didn’t even bother to rearrange any of the furniture in her room; Amiee just slipped under the covers and closed her eyes, ready for what tomorrow would bring her.