T h r e e

"So he let you into his private office?"

"And gave me a computer to use." Her eyes expanded; they looked like mine for a small moment. I envied how exotic she looked, nothing like my pale complexion and regular straight frame. She was voluptuous where I was similar to a wall.

"Was he as hot as he looks on here?" She had been staring at his pictures as we walked side by side.

"Worse. I could hardly breathe," I fanned myself, exaggerating the impact. No, I felt short, even expressing how I first felt as my eyes fell on him. She made me tell her a second time, each word we exchanged, even the ones inside my head.

"You're so damn lucky. I hate you." I was shoved to the side as her she puffed her cheeks. I knew she was playing, but I would be a little jealous of my best friend had the opportunity I was having. Living rent-less in a beautiful two-story mansion, a hell of a paycheck, and the hot boss. A very hot boss.

"I just used it once. I bought mine the next day." I patted my backpack. I carried it in the front to avoid bumping into anyone while we moved around the crowded sidewalks. It was rush time, and people were that nice when you accidentally bumped into someone, or they bumped into you. I tended to avoid this time of day, but the offer of free food at Lin's family restaurant was too good to pass out. Their Korean BBQ place was well known around our area. She even worked there half days. Her parents still helped her pay for her education, but Lin liked to save as much as I did with rent and everything else.

It was crowded with people in business suits. We walked all the way to the back and grabbed plastic containers, and filled them with bulgogi, mandu, kimchi, and all the side dishes her sister Sunny had kept aside for us. We climbed the stairs stopping to say hi to her grandmother, who sat glued to the TV while watching a drama, and then locked ourselves in her room.

"I can't believe your mom let Sunny dye her hair like that."

"As long she has good grades they will let her do anything until college."

"So is like a reward."

She nodded with her mouth full of food. I still had trouble handling the chopsticks, so I used a plastic spoon to swerve the food onto my mouth. No matter how many times she explained how to use the metal sticks, I always seemed to drop food down my lap.

"Maybe someday he'll let me visit you."

"Nah, I don't think so." I didn't count myself that lucky. Jameson had expressed surprise once I called him to tell him about Mr. Westbrook finding me home. I had called him first thing in the morning as I rushed back to campus. With my project done and mailed to my professor, I ran out of the house. I waited until very late to return, even when Jameson had told me he had been on a flight in the middle of the day.

With regret, I left the Jung's place and was back to the streets. My last class of the day was at six. Which left me enough time to do absolutely nothing. I didn't want to go back to the house. Sitting for half an hour in a bus full of people was not one of my favorite things to do. So I sat in the middle of the library, searching the internet.

Weeks passed, and I got more comfortable. The returns to Mr. Westbrook to his house were announced even days in advance, giving me a chance to pack and move for the days he stayed in. I didn't hear back from the small thank you note I had left stuck on top of the shiny laptop once I put it back. Just like his mysterious assistant, whose voice I only knew by phone, he seemed to disappear. I wanted to peek inside his study to check if he had seen it or not, but the fear of being found out kept me away.

So I tiptoed one night. The whole house was dark, and the light that came through the window gave me enough visibility to avoid furniture thanks to the full moon. I walked in stealth mode, obviously aware of being the only sole inside the room. The door creaked, and when I used my phone as a flashlight instead of the two letter word from my note, there was a barely readable line; You're welcome.

My whole heart burst with joy. He had read it! He read my note.

It had been sitting there, waiting for me, like he knew I'd come in to check it. He barely knew me, but it was easy to deduct that I wouldn't wait long.

Not only did I take the note back to my room, but I pressed it between the pages of my diary. The same one that I hadn't written on for years but still kept, just in case something unique happened like this, like my hot unreachable boss letting me a tiny note.

He was so lovely.

"Liam H. Westbrook." I said out loud before falling asleep.

* * *

"You should be back around midnight, take a cab. Mr. Westbrook insist you should be back the house."

"What?" I thought I hadn't heard correctly. He didn't want me out of the house. "But isn't he going to be there?"

"Yes."

"Then why?"

"I have no idea Dolores. Go back the house as early as possible." Jameson's deep voice disappeared when he hung up. I was in between classes, moving from one room to another. He wanted me back home when I had packed for a whole week. I carried a big bag of clothes to my tiny space, and now I had to take a test, take the bus back to the apartment, and then another one uptown. By the time I got back to the mansion, it would be so late. Also, the fact that he would be there made me nervous. Our last conversation had been short, but I remembered every word, and every tiny detail of him had been engraved in my memory. I feared the moment I had to face him again.

I ran out of the big brick building and took the bus with the rest of the tired students. All the way debated whether I should stay at the apartment or not. It was late, almost ten, and I still had a few more stops to go. It seemed that everyone else moved at a slower pace. I had to push myself out and run up the stairs, two at a time.

I found myself in the middle of a party. Half-naked guys stood by the hall hollering and holding plastic cubs, obviously filled with beer and any other kind of cheap alcohol. My building was filled with people around my age, so it wasn't weird for a party to be happening. I was lucky enough that the one tonight was at my small place. I said hey to the few faces I recognized and unlocked my door, and closed it. The sound of music and laughter still crawled in. There was no way I was catching any sleep tonight. Still, it was late; I wasn't going to venture myself out so late.

I used a wipe to clean my face and placed a towel under the door to stop the smell of pot coming under the door. I changed to leggings and a shirt and prepared everything to leave first thing in the morning. At least the music wasn't that bad. I was even able to fall asleep until my phone started vibrating beside me.

I woke up groggy and winced when the bright light hit my face, three in the morning. Who the hell was calling me this early?

"He-."

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

UH?

"Is three in the morning," I answered to the strange voice on the other side while yawing, so what came out of my mouth was weird sounds.

"You were supposed to be here hours ago." Wait. Hold it right there.

"Who is this?"

"This is Liam Westbrook. You have three seconds to tell me where the hell you are and what is that noise?"

Okay. Tell me, please, this isn't who I just heard say it was. I couldn't even believe this was Mr. Westbrook talking to me like he was my goddamn boss. Well, yeah, he was. I sat up slowly and cleared my throat. "I'm in my room in West Street."

Silence. Then shuffling. Then silence again.

"And the noise?" the sharpness of his voice made me want to hang up.

"My roommates are throwing a party." I said after burrowing further into my blanket.

"On a Monday?" I chuckled at his astonished tone. Apparently, he didn't know anything about college-age kids and the freedom of nowadays. I didn't dare to ask.

"It was too late when I got here and I didn't want to risk stepping out so late." I yawned onto the phone and laid back down. I heard him sigh, and for some reason, it made me shiver all the way to the tip of my toes. I was so tired I let my eyes close as I waited for his response. The music was as loud as it had been before, the smell of pot still lingered inside, but it was less than when I had been awake. Maybe I had been inhaling it for so long that my nose had gotten used to it. I had thought about moving before, but the rent had been cheaper here than any other place that it had given me no choice. I mean, my budget had been low for months.

"Dolores?" The raspiness of his voice was doing things to my brain, even being half asleep, he ignited a spark deep within me.

"Its Dolly." I corrected, followed by a yawn.

"Dolly?" I like how he said my name. I almost asked him to repeat it.

"Yeah?" I nodded onto the phone, sure that he was able to see me.

Why I was so damn tired? His voice was so good in my ears. I wish he was closer, that I could hear him right here, that I could feel the breath out of his mouth and over my skin.

I swear I heard him chuckle. "Go to sleep baby."