15. Chapter 13
FRANKIE
A week had passed since Frankie had started her job, and everything was going relatively well. She hadn’t broken anything or caused a ruckus, but her sleep had gotten worse. Things around her apartment building weren’t getting any better.
Noah still hadn’t gotten out to her apartment to put in the new lock or the cameras. She was thankful, but at the same time, she wanted him to put those things in so she felt a little more safe. Not that they would do much. If someone wanted to get into her apartment, they would.
“Come on, Little bit,” Noah called out.
Jealousy coursed through her body. Whoever he was talking to was a lucky girl. She wanted to be called Little bit by him. She wanted to be in a relationship with him, but he was her boss, so nothing could happen.
Frankie continued to put her clothes into her bag, not daring to look up to see who Noah was talking to. She didn’t want to do anything she’d regret if she saw who he was talking to. Was it another worker, or was it someone she didn’t know? Probably someone she didn’t know.
“Little bit?” he called out again.
Frankie closed her eyes and took several deep breaths in, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her. She needed to remain calm and then get out of here as fast as she could. Noah had been nothing but kind to her, which made it hard for her not to grow some type of feelings toward him.
But it was for the best. He didn’t know about her having Essential Tremors, and she didn’t want him to find out and act differently around her. Would he fire her when he found out? She wasn’t going to take that chance.
“Why aren’t you answering me, Little bit?” Noah asked. “Do you not like the name?”
Tears pooled in her eyes, and she blinked several times, stuffing the last shirt in her bag before she closed it. She needed to get out of there now or she was going to break down in front of everyone. What would they think of her then?
“Frankie?” Noah seemed to be closer than before.
Taking a deep breath, she wiped under her eyes before turning around, plastering a smile on her face. “Yes?”
“Why weren’t you answering me?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. “I called out to you several times.”
Frankie’s mouth fell open. He had been talking to her? He had been calling her Little bit the entire time?
“Were you crying?” Noah took a step closer to her. “What’s wrong, peaches? Tell me, and I’ll make it all better.”
“Peaches?” she whispered.
He smiled. “Since you didn’t answer to Little bit, I figured I’d come up with a nickname you liked. I’ll try several, you let me know your favorite.”
He was coming up with a nickname for her. Where did this come from? Why was he doing that? Had she missed something?
“Now, tell me why you were crying,” he demanded. “I can’t make it better unless I know.”
Frankie opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to come up with the words. She was not expecting him to be talking to her. She thought it was someone who she hadn’t met before.
“Frankie,” Noah gently coaxed. “Come back to me.”
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“You don’t have to be sorry. Can you tell me why you were crying?” he asked.
She shrugged. She didn’t want to tell him it was because she thought he was talking to another woman, and she didn’t want to lie.
He sighed. “That’s okay, shmookams. Do you want a hug?”
Her nose wrinkled at the icky nickname. “No shmookams, but yes to the hug.”
Noah chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and tight to him.
Frankie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her body relax into his.
First hug by Noah, and it was everything she had dreamed about.
The warm feeling, safety, and comfort. She could fall asleep in his arms…
or maybe that was just because she was exhausted.
“Now, I’m going to take you home today and install in the cameras and new lock.” Noah pulled away.
Frankie bit her lip, stopping herself from whimpering and begging him to wrap his arms around her again. No. She didn’t need to get used to this.
“Do you have everything you need?” Noah asked.
“Yes,” she replied, grabbing her bag, but before she could put it over her shoulder, Noah had it in his hands. “I can carry that.”
“I know you can , but I’m going to carry it for you. Now, hold my hand while we go through the club and out into the parking lot.” He held his hand out.
Frankie grabbed it without thinking and started to walk next to him. Everything she was trying not to do, she was doing. Holding his hand and hugging him. Who was she, and why had she started doing things she said she wasn’t going to do?
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Frankie.” Dominic waved at her.
“Bye!” She waved back.
They walked to the car, Noah put her bag in the trunk before opening her door and helping her in.
“Is Dominic always here?” she asked. “He seems to work long hours. Does he need help with stuff?”
Noah helped her into his car, buckling her up. “He takes the middle of the day off to go do things with his mother. She can’t drive, and he helps her go to doctors’ appointments and other things.”
“That’s so sweet of him,” she gushed.
Noah grunted and closed her side of the door. Her eyebrows pulled together as she watched him round to his side of the car. Did he not think it was sweet of Dominic to do that for his mother? Did he not like that Dominic took off that time in between shifts?
“Did I say something wrong?” Frankie asked when Noah got into the car.
“I want to be the only one you call sweet,” Noah declared.
“Um,” she whispered, not knowing what to say.
“Shit.” He sighed. “I shouldn’t have said that. What Dominic does is very nice of him. His mother is the sweetest person.”
Frankie giggled and shook her head. Did he really tell her he wanted to be the only person she called sweet? Does that mean there was something going on between them?
No, she had to be imagining things. There was no way Noah liked her or had any interest in her.
“When we get to your place, I want you to change into comfortable clothes and relax while I do everything,” Noah explained. “I’m going to be installing several small cameras in the hallway and one inside the entrance just in case someone gets in and avoids the ones outside.”
“Will they be able to see the cameras? Who will have access to the feed? Does one really have to go to my apartment? I don’t know if I’m comfortable with that,” she mumbled at the end.
There was no way she would be able to get any sleep if she had one in her apartment. Then whoever was monitoring the feed would see just how little she slept and say something. No, this was something she was going to put her foot down on.
“I think it would be best if we also put one in your apartment just in case, but we don’t have to if you really aren’t comfortable with it.
And as for who will have the feed, I will, you will, and Marco will, since he is our security manager,” Noah said.
“No one else will have access or will see any of it. And we won’t be looking at it twenty-four-seven.
We will only look every once in a while or if anything happens. ”
She relaxed into the seat and let out a breath. This was going to go amazingly.
“I don’t want one in my apartment. It’s only one room, and I just want privacy,” she explained.
“It won’t be in your bedroom if you are worried about that. Just the entrance of the apartment.” Noah pulled up into a parking spot and turned toward her.
“No, one room, as in my bedroom is in the main room.” She looked away.
It was embarrassing having to explain to him just how dire her situation was. She had a bathroom, but her room was in the living room and the kitchen. Anyone could see anything when they walked in.
“That’s okay. We won’t put one inside,” Noah said, like it didn’t bother him at all. “But I am changing the lock, so I will need to get into your apartment for a couple of minutes.”
“That’s fine.” She unbuckled herself.
It really wasn’t since she didn’t want him to see what her place looked like, but it was going to have to do.
He’d paid for everything and was installing it for free.
She had tried to argue with him earlier this week, and he told her no and to stop offering to pay.
It just seemed like a waste of money if she was planning on moving as soon as she could.
“Come on.” Noah held his hand out.
“Oh, I didn’t see you get out.” She looked at him in shock. “Sorry, I was in my head again.”
It had been getting worse with how exhausted she was. She found herself four times dozing off or getting lost in her thoughts while working. Thankfully, no one had seen her, but it could have been bad when she’d told Noah she didn’t usually do that. Would he fire her?
Frankie grabbed his hand, and they started walking to her building, up the stairs to her apartment.
“I’m going to start setting these up, no one will be able to see them, while you get changed into something comfortable, and then I’ll change the lock. Sound good?”
She nodded and unlocked her apartment, leaving the door cracked a little while she got changed.
Frankie picked up her comfy clothes and walked to the bathroom, quickly changing before walking out and standing in the middle of the room.
What was she supposed to do while Noah was putting up the cameras and adding another lock?
Was she supposed to sit and do nothing or offer to help?
Was she supposed to offer a drink and a snack?
Frankie didn’t have anything besides some water and a couple of crackers, but she could offer them.
“Do you want some water or a couple of crackers?” She poked her head out of her apartment.
“No, thank you.” He continued to screw the cameras into the walls. “I ate a late lunch.”
Nodding, she stood there, not knowing what to do.
Should she go back inside and wait for him to finish, or should she stay out here?
Frankie didn’t know what to do, so she waited in the hallway, watching him put the little cameras up.
If people weren’t looking, they would easily miss them with how small they are.
“Darling, you can go inside and relax,” Noah gently said, turning to her. “You don’t have to be out here if you don’t want to. You can sit and relax on your bed.”
“Oh.” Frankie looked at him with hesitation.
“You’re okay. I have one more to place, and then I’ll need to set it up on my computer, and then I’ll work on the lock. Why don’t you go lie on your bed?” he suggested.
Frankie nodded and walked back inside her apartment.
It felt wrong leaving him out there, but he looked really sure she should go lie down.
Grabbing Lita, she curled up in bed and watched the front door, but with every passing minute, her eyes started to get heavier, and before she knew it, she was asleep.