A Dream to be Loved Kandi Jaynes Read online

  Then Drake ever so softly said, "It is so nice to meet you, Kate."

  Bill chuckled behind him and he released her hand.

  Kate noticed the knowing look the two men exchanged. "Am I missing something here?"

  Bill laughed again. "I suspect you'll figure it out soon enough." The two men left through the door they had entered, leaving Kate to stare after them with lines of worry creasing her brow.

  *****

  Drake hadn't wanted to leave the tool crib. Something about that woman had him completely captivated. He couldn't keep the word feisty out of his mind after what he had just witnessed.

  He was amazed at the sheer size of the man she had yelled at. The guy stood at least six foot six and was built like a pro wrestler. The black leather vest covering his white T-shirt stretched tight across his massive chest. As he returned to the window a tattoo of the grim reaper became visible on his right bicep, which was the diameter of an average man's thigh.

  She stood with her back to him undaunted by the hulk of a man staring her down. A braid of chestnut hair started at the base of her smooth slim neck, continued past the petite squared shoulders to the middle of her perfectly contoured back. His gaze had fallen from there to appreciate the nicely rounded hips just above those long slender legs. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her.

  When she finally turned around, she had taken his breath away. Kate had incredible brown eyes, sharp and intelligent.

  Drake was brought out of his musing when Bill spoke.

  "Well, I guess I was wrong when I said you were asking too much. She's a terrific girl. I've always had a very high opinion of her. I realize this coincidence doesn't mean the two of you will end up together, but when I think about it, the two of you might hit it off quite nicely."

  "Bill," came Drake's self-assured reply. "We're going to do more than simply hit it off. That," he nodded his head toward the cage, "is the girl I'm going to marry."

  Chapter Two

  An hour later, Kate saw the two men out on the shop floor, obviously continuing their tour. She tried to concentrate on her work, but found herself watching Drake instead. Disgusted with herself, she decided to check inventory in the back so she couldn't see him. After counting the same stack of polishing buffs three times, however, and still not being sure how many there were, she gave up. She slammed one of the buffs down, grating, "What is wrong with you?" out loud.

  "That buff giving you trouble, is it?" She spun to find Ray, her supervisor, standing behind her.

  She grimaced, "No. I'm just having a bad day."

  "I hope you're not worried about the new VP. I've talked to him he seems like a pretty good guy. I know everyone's been tense about someone new taking over, but I think the transition will go pretty smoothly."

  "I'm not worried about that, really." She wasn't worried about Drake doing his job. She was worried about her job if she couldn't find a way to concentrate with him in the building.

  "Have you had a chance to meet him yet?"

  "Yes. Mr. Denison brought him through here this morning."

  "What did you think of him?"

  "I, ah...well, guess he seemed... nice," she stammered. "I only really talked to him a minute or two before they were called away."

  "Are you okay? I don't think I've ever seen you this rattled before."

  She gave the most reassuring smile she could muster, "I'm fine really. It's just been a difficult day. You know how Monday's can be."

  "Yes, I do," he laughed, "Which is the reason I'm here." He held up a tool. One end of it resembled a melted candle made of black wax with an occasional hint of blue.

  "Looks like someone ran it backwards."

  "Yep. I took my eyes off one of the trainees for a few minutes. At least it happened after Denison and the new guy had moved on."

  She laughed in agreement. "That probably wouldn't have made a good first impression."

  Kate kept herself busy the rest of the day, but didn't feel like she had really accomplished anything. She was relieved when it was time to clock out.. That thought disturbed her. She had always loved her job and although there were times she was glad to leave because of being tired or having plans after work, she didn't remember ever just wanting to get out of the building.

  On the drive home her thoughts took her back to when she had started five years earlier.

  *****

  She had been thrilled when she had landed the job as janitor. Not that she liked cleaning, but it was a job that got her in the door of a company growing fast enough she knew there was potential to move into a full time position with better pay and benefits.

  She grimaced as she remembered her first day. The man who hired her had failed to tell her, working the evening shift, she would be the only woman in the building. Not that it would have kept her from taking the job, it just would have been nice to be warned. She was used to being around people of the male persuasion, having grown up around so many. It just gave her an uneasy feeling to work in the dark, quiet areas alone, in a building containing so many men she didn't know.

  That's how she met Mr. Denison. She had been deep in thought with the drone of the vacuum cleaner surrounding her when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped, and let out a scream she was sure echoed in every corner of the building. She turned to find a man grasping his chest and trying to catch his breath.

  Kate grabbed his arm. "I'm so sorry, are you all right?"

  "I will be. I didn't intend to startle you young lady." It suddenly dawned on Kate who the man was and she let go of his arm. She had seen his picture in the lobby. He was the president and CEO of the company. Her heart sank. She had just nearly killed the man who ran the entire business. So much for her new job.

  As it turned out, he had just wanted to let her know he was leaving for the day and apologized for any inconvenience his random hours cause her. Which impressed her greatly. She felt even better about her job knowing she worked in a place where the man in charge took the time to, not only know, but be polite to all his employees.

  She had met most of the men who worked her shift the second night while she cleaned the break room. They all came in, introduced themselves and chatted with her while she worked.

  Although she wasn't bad with most domestic activities, and was actually a good cook, she had always been very mechanically inclined. She loved working with her hands and understood tools and machinery better than most other things. She could fix most things around the house when needed. Not that there was much to fix in the small two room apartment she lived in.

  That would change though. She was on her way to owning a house of her own. It wouldn't be a huge house, or one with lots of fancy extras, but it would be hers. All hers. No more being tossed from family member to family member. Nobody would be able to ask her to leave, because they were either tired of her, or needed the room for someone more important. So far she had worked hard and kept on schedule with her plans. Step one: get a full time job after high school. Step two: move into an apartment by age nineteen. Step three: a place by herself by age twenty-two. Step four: Homeowner by age twenty-six.

  She was on step three now. Only one more to go, and three years to do it. Someday, she dreamed, a place of my own, just for me.

  Her friends, Missy, Kelsie, and Sue continuously asked her about all the men she worked with and what they were like and how many of them were single.

  "I can't believe you're the one who works in a building with all men," grumbled Sue. "Why can't it be one of us who would be more than willing to take advantage of the situation?"

  "Because none of you would be willing to clean toilets or mop floors for a living."

  "Okay, I'll give you that, but how can you resist all that testosterone? All those tight jeans and bulging biceps?"

  "So far it's not been a problem. I have my sights set higher than mere men. I want a..."

  "We know, we know, a house of your own, and no one to answer to." The three said in unison.
/>   Kate smiled innocently. "Oh, have I mentioned that before?"

  "Only for as long as we've known you," Kelsie answered. The four of them had become friends in the ninth grade and had been close ever since.

  They all glared at her, and she sighed. "Tell you what, after our traditional Saturday night pizza and gab session why don't we head down to Pete's for a game of pool? I might happen to know some of the guys hanging out there."

  "Now you're talking. You know, you just might turn out to be a useful member of this group after all," Sue quipped.

  "Thanks," Kate answered sarcastically.

  As they entered Pete's she noticed some of the men from work. "Hey, you finally decided to come." One of them yelled from across the room.

  "Finally?" Sue murmured.

  "Well, actually they have asked me to join them the last few weeks."

  Sue reached up and pinched the back of Kate's arm.

  "Ouch! What was that for?"

  "Jut because you don't like men doesn't mean the rest of us don't. You could have brought us here weeks ago and didn't."

  "I like men," Kate replied indignantly. "I just don't feel the need to throw myself at them." She didn't mention that since she had hired on full-time in the shop she had been asked out occasionally. After politely declining enough invitations with the excuse of not wanting to get involved with someone she worked with, word got around and she had stopped being asked.

  Sue waved her hand in the air. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now introduce us to them. Ooh, all of them," she said as they made their way across the room.

  Kate sat and watched as her friends flirted, smiled, and giggled. It really was a sight to behold. Sue, the most outgoing of them all, had no trouble keeping the conversation flowing.

  Men were always attracted to her. She had silky black hair that bounced and waved around her heart-shaped face. Combined with her large green eyes, long dark lashes, and supermodel figure, which was always wrapped in attire flashy enough to match her personality, it wasn't hard to see why Sue never lacked for company.

  Kate supposed that was good because Sue had a short attention span where men were concerned. She liked variety and never stayed with any one man too long.

  Sitting beside Sue was Kelsie. She always went along in whatever adventurous scheme was decided on for fun, but was usually more of an observer than a participant. With her dark hair and dark eyes that shone out of the smooth pale skin covering her delicate features, she was the quiet, shy one of the group.

  Missy was next. She was the dramatic one. Always pointing out the possible consequences of everyone's actions, good and bad. She could come up with more reasons why someone should or should not do something than anyone Kate had ever known. She never left the house unless her blond hair had been curled and styled perfectly. Always immaculately dressed in colors she felt best complimented her, she believed one should always be at their best when out in public because you never know who you might run into.

  Kate looked down at herself. She was known as the easygoing one, always willing to just go with the flow. Very little ever upset or rattled her. She wasn't as pretty as her friends. She usually wore jeans and tee shirts. She did own a dress, but couldn't remember the last time she had actually worn it. She considered herself to have an average figure. Except for the short cropping of bangs sweeping across her forehead, her plain brown hair was always kept in a braid down the middle of her back. It was just easier that way. It kept it out of her face and didn't have to be styled everyday.

  Her friends were obviously enjoying the attention they were receiving from her coworkers. She was somewhat surprised how much she was also enjoying the evening. Some of the men had occasionally flirted with her at work, but she knew better than to take it seriously. She had grown up with countless males; her dad, uncles, cousins, and any number of their friends. The house seemed to have a revolving door for anyone who had wanted to live there.

  With all those people around, there had not always been room for her. She was always the youngest and, other than her mother, the only girl. She learned early on that, although she could occasionally be considered an amusing diversion, she would never be the most important person in anyone’s life.

  She didn't relate well to people on a personal level. She talked to her friends and told them many things, but always held part of herself back. A part she couldn't let go. Therefore, she came to accept long ago, marriage was not an option for her. That's not to say she didn't notice when a man was good looking, or occasionally wonder what it would be like to be one of those girls men actually wanted to date, but she accepted that for what it was... idle daydreaming.

  Now and then one of her friends would set her up on a date. She would usually go to keep the peace, and most of the time enjoyed the evening, but never went out with anyone more than once. After all, what would be the point? They wouldn't want a long-term relationship, and she knew she wasn't capable of a casual affair.

  As the months passed and Kate got to know all the men at work better, she also became more interested in the work being done. She began to spend her breaks out in the shop asking questions about the machines and the tools they used. Over time she had learned about the parts being made as well as the different fixtures used to hold them in the machines, tooling, gauges, and many other aspects of production. Most of the men were more than willing to answer her questions, even seemed to enjoy teaching her about what they did.

  When six months had passed, she was called into her supervisor's office. She was offered a full time position dealing with raw materials and tooling that came with substantial pay increase.

  *****

  Present Day

  Kate pulled into her drive, stopped, and just looked at her house. Even after almost two years of being here she still couldn't believe it was hers. She had worked hard to save a large down payment, then just when she started house hunting she transferred to days and her current job. She had gotten another substantial raise.

  Kate leaned back in her seat. She had known this was the one the first time she saw the house and its one-acre lot. In the front yard two giant oak trees towered high above the roof providing complete shade from the afternoon sun. The back yard was home to a large silver maple and two decorative redbud trees.

  The house was a light blue ranch style with an attached garage, and a fireplace. It had three bedrooms, which was nice considering how often her friends stayed over. It sat on a hill just high enough to give her a fantastic view of woods and rolling wheat fields. The garage was behind. One could follow the drive around back and park, or follow a small U looping around an oak in the front. Depending on where you parked you could enter the house through the front door in the living room or the back into the kitchen.

  Her nearest neighbor was a half-mile down the road. This was the first place she felt truly at home in many years. She put the car in gear and pulled into the garage, wanting nothing more than to curl up in front of a fire with a cup of tea.

  She took a shower and put on her favorite shorts and one of her uncle's old shirts. She smiled as she looked at the frayed garment. It was getting quite tattered. Time for a trip to Max and Ruth's, she thought.

  As a kid she would sometimes stay at her aunt and uncle's farm. The first time or two she stayed she had forgotten a nightgown, so her aunt had let her wear one of Max's old button up shirts. Kate liked it so much she asked if she could have it when she left and took it home. From then on she would purposely forget to pack a nightgown. After awhile, when Ruth would clean out closets, she would give Kate all of Max's old shirts. It was a tradition that continued to this day.

  Over the next few days she managed to get some work done. She saw Drake occasionally pass through the shop, but luckily he hadn't returned to the cage. He did however smile that weird, knowing smile at her and wave whenever he saw her. It unnerved her, but she did her best to hide it.

  On Thursday afternoon she was filling a tool order when the phone rang. She answ
ered it and was surprised to discover Mr. Denison's assistant on the other end. When she hung up Terry was standing at the window watching her. "What's up? Bad news?"

  "I don't know. I've just been called on the carpet."

  Terry whistled low. "Do you have any idea what for?"

  "No, I don't. Viv said Mr. Denison wants to see me in an hour." Kate answered, checking her watch.

  "Holy cow! The big guy himself summoned you?"

  "Yes. I wish I had some idea why. Have you heard of any major tooling problems?"

  "No, I haven't. Hey Jeff." He yelled as he saw another coworker not far away.

  "Whatcha need?" Jeff strolled over to the cage.

  "Have you heard of any problems involving the tool crib lately?"

  "No, nothing why?"

  "Mr. Denison wants to see Kate in his office."

  "Wow. Well, don't be too worried. The top dog doesn't do the firing. He has other people to do that for him."

  "Gee thanks, I feel so much better now," she replied. "Here's your tooling, Terry."

  "Thanks, and good luck."

  Kate was a nervous wreck for the next hour. She liked Bill and had gotten the impression he liked her. He had always made a point of coming to talk to her whenever he was out in the shop, but had never called her to his office before. The hour finally passed and she wound her way through the maze of hallways to Mr. Denison's office. Viv announced her, then said she was to go right in. Bill stood as she entered and asked her to sit.

  "How are you, Kate?"

  "I'm fine, sir."

  "I'm sorry to disrupt your afternoon like this but I have a rather unusual request." He returned to his seat and leaned toward her. "I know this is short notice but I was wondering if you have any plans for tomorrow evening?"

  Kate stared at him for a moment confused. Then slowly said. "No, I don't."

  "Good, good. Now I know this is a terrible imposition, but would you be willing to go to a business dinner of sorts?"