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Marcie was lucky enough to meet Ben Johnson, who ran the shelter, on her first night here. He had been out with his group dishing out food to the homeless, and she had asked him for help. He directed her to the shelter and helped her from then on by getting her somewhere to stay and encouraging her to go to college.
She volunteered at the shelter while she was at college, but also worked for the student association. That was where she met Claire, and they struck up an immediate friendship. She still volunteered at the shelter on occasion whenever she had time, and since setting up ‘Exquisite Events’, she made sure that if there were leftovers from the catering, then they would be boxed up and given to the homeless to enjoy the next day. I admired how Marcie had gotten her life together after a horrible start and really wished I could do the same.
So, boxing everything up was fine, but the actual cleaning up afterwards was not as much fun.
I couldn’t figure out how to use the stupid dishwashers in the club’s kitchen, so I ended up cleaning all the dirty silver platters and glasses myself. It took a while, and my fingers looked like prunes by the end. My feet were killing me again, too, and I was feeling quite hot and sweaty, longing for home by the time the event was over, and the guests had left.
Unfortunately, I was getting a lift home from Derrick, so I needed to wait until the bitter end.
I waved goodbye to the last of the catering staff before I took the trash bags out to the bins. I had to stack the bags beside them near the kitchen exit. They weren’t in the way, so I didn’t think that would be a problem.
With that done, Istarted loading the van with the food boxes for the shelter. Derrick planned on dropping them off with Ben on our way home. I was just collecting another box when Derrick popped his head into the kitchen.
“Hey, girl, almost time to go. Can you load up the van with the food boxes while I do a last check of things? Then we can get out of here,” Derrick said.
“Already started,” I said, picking up another of the large boxes and giving him a wink and grin.
“Good girl,” he said, grinning before he ducked out of sight again.
Derrick was a handsome guy, especially when he grinned, and I couldn’t help thinking that it was such a shame he wasn’t into girls. It seemed like such a tragedy for the females of the species. However, his being gay made it easier for me to be flirty with him, and I enjoyed being able to practise that side of myself on him. If only I was able to be that way with all the hot guys. I sighed.
I was heading through the door to the side alley with another box when I heard a commotion. A fox was tearing open the bin bags, and there was food waste all over the ground outside. Shit!
“Get away from there!” I shouted and chased it away.
I grimaced at the mess.
I turned quickly to go back inside to look for something to clean it up with when something ran smack into me. The force of the impact knocked me sideways, and I slipped on the mess.
“Aargh!” I squealed as I fell forward and landed face-first in the now-open box full of cream cakes.
I was winded for a second before I managed to pull my face out of the box. Lifting my head, I froze when I saw a pair of legs clad in dark grey trousers and highly polished black shoes, now both splattered with cream.
“Are you alright?” an amused voice asked.
Oh no, I cringed, that voice, it was him. There was only a slight trace this time, but the Russian accent was still there, and even if it weren’t, I would know it was him by the way the hair on the back of my neck was standing up, making me shiver delightfully.
He leaned down and offered me his hand. I took it but avoided looking directly at him as I knew I would end up getting red with embarrassment again.
“I’m so…” I started to apologise automatically but then thought of my vow from earlier today and cut myself off.
Nope, I was not apologising for something that was not my fault! In fact, it was his, the jerk who kept bumping into me and not apologising!
I felt myself getting angry and let the anger take over. It was better than the constant embarrassment I was becoming accustomed to around this man.
In annoyance, I tried to pull my hand from his grasp, but my hand was slippery and covered with cream, and so were my feet…I ended up slipping again. Backwards this time… and in my frustration, I pulled him with me. He landed on top of me, making my breath come out in a whoosh!
Oh, dear god.
Our faces were very close, and I couldn’t help but look into those eyes. They were beautiful. Oh, I could definitely drown in those. They narrowed as he looked at me before I saw recognition dawn.
“Oh, it’s you! You do seem to have a penchant for bumping into me, don’t you?” He smiled.
Wow, sexy! Eh,what?I bumped into him? I shook my head to clear it. No. Nope, the man wasn’t sexy at all. He was a jerk!
“Excuse me, I think you will find that you are the one who keeps bumping into me. Twice now, in fact, and you have yet to apologise,” I said haughtily, feeling proud of myself.
‘You go, girl. Way to stick up for yourself,’my inner devil cried, and I could sense her mentally high-fiving me.
