The Proposal Series

Chapter 4: New Identity

Sara saw the door gently open and Jennifer poked her head inside to speak to someone behind the door, who Sara suspected was Mr. Walberg. Jennifer turned back around to face Sara with the door slightly ajar, and Sara walked forward, giving Jennifer a curt nod.

As she entered the room, Sara saw a man sitting at a mahogany desk in the far back corner of the room. She suspected this man was Derek, although she wasn't able to make out his features, seeing as how his desk was at least forty feet from where she was standing. Sara walked step-by step towards his desk. Her eyes darted across the room in every which direction. She saw glass framed degrees hanging on the walls, and customer awards. The man sitting at the desk was staring at his computer screen and did not acknowledge her presence. Sara finally reached the plush brown leather armchair off to the left of the desk and sat down. The man tilted his head up and leveled his eyes with hers. He wore a name tag, with his name written on it in lovely penmanship – his penmanship. Sara knew she was face-to-face with Derek. She didn't expect him to look so dashing. She was unable to find any trace of any pictures of him on the net, regardless of how hard she tried. A man this famous yet, he was capable of hiding himself quite well. Sara liked the thought of that.

As she examined his face, she found he had the most unique eyes. They resembled the color of the sky on a cloudy day when the sun shines enough behind the clouds that you can see light. She sat there in awe, staring… not knowing what to do, or what to say.

Derek gave her a wry smile and removed his eyes from hers. Her surroundings crumpled away, and all that was left was him.

“Sara. I prefer to use a pen and paper with new clients. Give me a moment to locate my notepad," Derek said.

His eyes mixed with his unruly black hair, taut muscles, and large hands, were enough to keep her distracted. She was aroused. He was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on.

“Sara, are you still with me?" Derek called out to her.

She had been in a daze, but she pulled herself out of it. He knew she was staring at him, and it was as if he chuckled under his breath. He was hot as hell, intelligent as hell, and he knew it.

“You did not provide any details regarding the purpose of this appointment. I do have your signed non-disclosure, so, please feel free to speak openly," he said.

Sara sat twiddling her thumbs, a nervous habit to keep herself from running out the door. What was she running from? Tom? Or Derek? Sara breathed in deeply and urged herself to remember her purpose.

“I have heard you can do things for people. Things other people can't do. Is that right?" Sara said tensely.

Derek cleared his throat loudly. “That depends, Ms. Hopewell. Perhaps it would help in providing you with advice if I knew what I was providing advice about," Derek said slyly.

Sara felt the heat rising on her skin. She couldn't focus, she felt completely off her game. He was distracting. The way his tongue skimmed his bottom lip. When he looked at her, all she could think about was what it would be like to touch his skin. She had to get back on track. She had a mission, and she wasn't leaving until it was complete.

“I was in a bad situation over a year ago. I made a major move to get away. I guess part of me thought I could simply move on, but I have been receiving threatening calls and messages. I am scared the person I ran from is close to finding me, and that… would be bad. I want… I need a new identity. I need to be a different person; I need to not exist," Sara ended matter-of-factly.

She sensed Derek's hesitation. This would mean breaking the law and committing a felony, not just for her, but for him. She knew the rumours about him, but she had never hoped they were true as much as she did at that moment. Please God! She thought. This was her chance!

He let out a long, slow sigh.

“I suggest we begin with a restraining order. The people that do this sort of thing, the sort of thing you are describing, they normally lose their interest after months of prolonged absences."

Sara rolled her eyes. He had no idea what she had been through. He wouldn't be able to understand.

“I already have a restraining order. It clearly isn't working," she said frustratedly.

Sara had visited a lawyer the day before she left Thunder Bay, her original hometown. The restraining order had been processed shortly after. Tom had not shown up in Toronto only because he hadn't yet found her; he didn't know where she was. But that didn't mean his search was over. It had only truly begun. The threats he was sending her were his way of keeping her scared. He had plans of bringing her back home, and she knew he had no intention of giving up.

“Where has he shown up? Tell me the dates and the locations, and we can file a report right now," Derek said.

His eyes displayed sincerity. Maybe he felt sorry for her. But she couldn't handle pity. Pity was not what she wanted.

“He has not shown up anywhere," she admitted.

“Then how can you say the restraining order is not working? The purpose of this order is to keep people away. It seems to be doing a good job," he replied, frankly.

He genuinely had not understood. Sara realized to get what she wanted – what she needed – she had to give him something he could work with, something he could understand.

“He has narrowed down my location to the greater Toronto area – he is going to find me and when he does, he is not going to let me go. He is dangerous," Sara implored.

“Has he hurt you? Is that why you ran?" Derek asked with concern.

“He… I thought he was a good person. Perhaps he was for the first while. But then… then... He made me do things for him, things he said he wanted and needed. But it wasn't right. It was wrong. He made me feel wrong. Then I found out things… things I wish I hadn't and by that time it was too late." Sara stopped talking. She had said enough already.

Sara saw Derek's face change. She could tell she said something that penetrated. She also knew he wasn't going to ask her any further questions. This was good because she hadn't planned on telling him anything else. He reached his hand out towards her. She let him brush his fingers down her knuckles. The feel of his hands caressing hers sent goosebumps down her body. She felt his touch in the most private of places. This simple act of sympathy he showed her sent her reeling.

She wanted his hands… she wanted his lips in ways she wasn't ready to admit.

Sara's cautionary alarms were blaring in her head. She hadn't expected anything more than a meeting, and now he had touched her. But she liked that he had touched her. She moved her hand away rather swiftly, and by the look on Derek's face, he had been none too happy about that.

“You don't understand what you're asking. New identity documents? This is a long, drawnout process. A commitment. I've only done something like this once before, for one other person. This isn't something I can offer lightly. Are you truly ready for a commitment? It seems as if you have just walked away from one," Derek said.

So, he had understood her. He had understood what she wanted. He simply didn't want to give it to her. Sara scoffed. Tom hadn't been a commitment. Tom was a death sentence.

She let the awkward silence between them sit. She needed it to fester like a sore. She hoped that would change his mind. She knew he could do this for her if only she could make him want to.