Relentless [Now on Radish Fiction}

Chapter 4

Bethany didn't have to worry about running into Gabriel Blake.

Within the twenty-something-story chrome and glass B&B office building, he was up on the very top floor with the other executives. She was in the cubicle farm with the other junior desk jockeys as Christine liked to call them. The distance between them might as well be the distance between planets. And that distance was never more clear than when she caught the occasional glimpses of him.

The first time she caught a glimpse of him, two men in black windbreakers wanted to check her computer. In fact, the same group in black windbreakers were trawling through all their cubicles, checking for something. Bethany found a spot by the window to stay out of their way. She happened to look down and saw a hulking black sport utility vehicle pulled into the vehicle bay. A moment later a tall, handsome in a tailored dark suit, emerged from the back. All she could see was his thick head of hair and brow line. It took her a moment to realize it was Gabriel. He seemed so different from the way he carried himself. She watched as he paused to wait for the tall, dark-haired woman named Payton to climb down from the vehicle after him. They shared a laugh, before heading towards the entrance.

The second time she saw him she was waiting in line at the free coffee cart in the atrium lobby. She remembered she had just gotten a new wallet, but still haven't received her replacement ID and cards. Rather than spend the cash Gabriel had given her, she was going to take advantage of whatever free items she could. Then, she happened to look up and saw a crowd emerging from the shining steel and glass executive elevator featured prominently in the center of the atrium. She saw him instantly. Just as Bethany was about to raise her hand and wave 'hello,' he lowered his head to a portly, bearded man walking with him. From their expressions and tense body language, it was a serious discussion. Again she was struck by how different he seemed. Christine and the others often described him as the epitome of masculine sensuality. To Bethany, it was as if a stranger had taken over Gabriel's body. She let her hand drop and watched him walk away.

It would be weeks before she saw him again.

Christine had spent the morning arguing with a man and a woman in black windbreakers. They were denying her access to her computer. Finally, she simply called on Bethany to deliver a tall stack of thick black binders to the executive offices.

It took all of Bethany's strength to keep that stack balanced in her arms. Luckily that stack grew smaller and lighter as she handed them off to the other executive's assistants. The last face she encountered was that of the perpetually irritated Brooke.

"I asked Christine for these yesterday," the stern-faced young woman snapped at Bethany.

"There are people all over our floor. We had to let them look through everything first," Bethany replied.

That comment earned her a look of disgust from the other woman. "Are you stupid? Don't you know what's going on right now?"

"Sorry," Bethany replied, rocking back on her heels. "Can I help in any way?"

Brooke gestured at the stack. "Scan these pages. Or is that too hard for you? You can use Tim's desk since he's out this morning. Save everything to the local 'c' drive but don't touch anything else! Understand? Nothing else!"

Bethany set to work immediately. As she worked, she snuck glances at Brooke between scanning each page. Brooke was all in all a good-looking woman and always appeared polished in her uniform of sharp sheath dresses. But she wore a perpetual scowl as if she found the whole world grating. And for some reason, she found Bethany, particularly distasteful. She decided it was better to stay out of Brooke's way rather than try to win the other woman's friendship.