First Class Stamp Read online

  First Class Stamp

  by AJ Harmon

  http://www.firstclassnovels.com

  First eBook Edition, September 2013

  Copyright 2013 by ABCs Legacy, LLC

  All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without written permission from the author.

  Ben, the last of the Lathem brothers to remain single, has a mantra; he is happy and content. He tells himself over and over again hoping that one day he may actually believe it. Running his brother’s company and living the life of a well-to-do bachelor, Ben isn’t looking for love.

  Sophia is a single mom and a devoted daughter. Helping out her dad in the family business, the corner market across from Ben’s apartment, her son meets Ben and forms a friendship, throwing Ben and Sophia into one another’s path. Romance and love are the last things on her mind, but Ben is what every woman dreams of marrying.

  Maria works for Ben in Rio de Janeiro and her ten year old son has been Ben’s pen pal for years. When she is transferred to New York, will the smoldering lust that has lain dormant for years be ignited?

  One man and two women. He has a choice to make. Where will his heart lead him?

  First Class Stamp is the 8th novel in the contemporary romance First Class series.

  More Top Rated Romance Novels by novelist AJ Harmon:

  First Class to New York (Book 1) Meet Matt and Janie…the book that started it all.

  First Class to Portland (Book 2)

  First Class Justice (Book 3)

  First Class Voyage (Book 4)

  First Class Hero (Book 5)

  First Class Menu (Book 6)

  First Class Rescue (Book 7)

  First Class Farewell (Book 9) Coming in Winter 2013

  What readers are saying about the ‘First Class’ novels:

  “I think the First Class Novels would make fantastic films.” Victoria, Facebook Fan Page

  “A series worth reading over and over again...” Kerry, Amazon

  “I love FIRST CLASS SERIES!” Margaret, Amazon

  “A.J.'s stories just keep getting richer and richer.” Deb, Amazon

  “…go download the whole series, because they're all great!” Cindy, Amazon

  “First class all the way… This series is one of the best I've read.” I love books, Amazon

  “I have loved every book in this series. It is so great to read about a 30-40 something women who is dealing with so many real issues but finds her fairy tale.” Ashley, Amazon

  Dedication

  When I started to think about writing this book and telling Ben’s story, I sat at the computer and the words didn’t come. So, as I have done for every book, I sat with my husband and bounced ideas off him and he offered some thoughts of his own. I am grateful for him and his patience and creative ideas as I have gone to him numerous times with questions and problems. With his willingness to humor me and listen to me ramble on and on about the Lathems, he has been my foundation and my rock.

  Thank you Brad, for always being my biggest fan and the love of my life.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  1.

  2.

  3.

  4.

  5.

  6.

  7.

  8.

  9.

  10.

  11.

  12.

  13.

  14.

  15.

  16.

  17.

  18.

  19.

  20.

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Five years ago

  It was a stark contrast. Just a few streets away were hundreds, maybe thousands, of families living in poverty and filth, yet in the Crystal Tower where Ben Lathem now stood, luxury was abundant. From the marble floors to the magnificent chandelier overhead, the building screamed wealth and accomplishment. In order to lease office space here, you had to have achieved both.

  MEL Holdings had recently acquired the building in the heart of the city and was in the process of issuing new leases to the current tenants that had decided to stay, and hiring the necessary staff to take care of their investment. The manager/leasing agent, Len, had been transferred in from one of their locations that had been recently sold off. Len would be in charge of making sure the security company, janitorial and maintenance team were under new contracts, but Ben had been assigned by his brother, Matt, owner and CEO, to hire the receptionists that would staff the front desk in the lobby from every morning at eight o’clock to five o’clock in the afternoon. He would hire two full time women and one part time.

  Ben was not a chauvinist or a sexist, but he knew that women were the right gender for the job. In his experience working at MEL Holdings since he graduated from college, he’d found that women paid more attention to detail, were much better at multi-tasking, and were friendlier and more polite to the people seeking help and information.

  Hundreds of applications had been sifted and sorted and there were fifteen interviews set up for him. It would take all day. He was ready with one exception: he didn’t speak Portuguese, and he assumed, being in Rio de Janeiro, that it might be a problem. Len was supposed to have secured a translator but as the minute hand on his watch was approaching nine o’clock, Ben was wondering if he would be left to muddle through an interview not being able to understand the applicants.

  The management offices were located on the Crystal Tower’s ground floor and Ben quickly made his way to the conference room. It had a large oval table in the center with ten chairs. At the far end of the room was a large flat screen television and on the opposite wall, next to the glass door, were shelves full of local art. The wall of windows looked out to a small garden at the rear of the building. It was typically used as the smoking area for the employees.

  Ben sat down at the end of the table in front of the television and waited for Len to appear, the stack of applications and resumes in front of him. They were sorted by appointment time so Ben flicked open the first file. Maria, he smiled. Out of the fifteen applicants, four of them were named Maria. His perusal of her resume was interrupted by Len.

  “I’m sorry, Ben,” he said, “but I don’t know what has happened to the translator and our first interview is here and waiting.”

  “Let’s hope she speaks English, ‘cuz your Portuguese sucks.”

  “I get by.” Len was offended.

  “Can you translate then?” Ben asked, eyebrows raised.

  Len shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked at his hands, mumbling something inaudible.

  “Yeah,” Ben smirked. “Please show Maria in.”

  She was an attractive woman, average height and slim. Her hair was dark and straight and fell down to the middle of her back. Her eyes were dark and her smile was engaging. She walked confidently to Ben and extended her hand. Ben stood and accepted her hand. Her handshake was firm and then she sat in the chair he offered. She wore a short-sleeved dress in royal blue that accentuated her curves and as she sat and as she crossed her legs, the skirt rode up her thighs. Ben had to consciously avert his eyes and focus on her face.

  “I’m very happy to be here,” she smiled enthusiastically.

  Ben nodded and opened her file. She had a thick accent, but her English was spoken clearly and relief flooded him. He quickly looked over her job history, noting that she had worked for a couple of American companies in a secretarial capacity.

  “My translator didn’t show up today,” he said looking up. “I’m very grateful you speak English.” He continued looking at her resume. “University of Florida?”

  Maria nodded. “Track scholarship,” she smiled. “I ran hurdles.”<
br />
  “Cool!” Ben smiled.

  “Yes, it was,” she agreed.

  The interview went well and Ben really liked her. She was articulate and personable and was familiar with the software she would need to use in the position. He was half tempted to offer her the job on the spot.

  “I have fourteen more interviews today,” he said.

  “Of course,” she nodded.

  “But, would you be interested in translating for me for the rest of the day?”

  Her eyes all but popped from her head.

  “I’d pay you of course,” he added.

  “Well,” she began, “I…I,”

  “One thousand dollars if you’ll stay and help me out.”

  “A thousand?” she stammered.

  “Please?”

  “Give me five minutes to make a phone call?”

  “Sure,” Ben agreed.

  And sure enough, five minutes later Maria returned to the conference room and accepted the offer of a day’s work.

  Ben had her sit to his right at the table and one by one he interviewed fourteen more women, all hoping to get a job at the impressive Crystal Tower. He knew Matt would not have approved at having an applicant sit in on all the other interviews, but what was he supposed to do? Although a few of the women spoke English, he kept Maria at his side throughout the day. He had lunch delivered and they ate together as she asked a million questions about the building and its occupants.

  By five o’clock, it was obvious that Maria was head and shoulders above the others and he offered her a job to begin as soon as she could. Needless to say, she was thrilled and accepted Ben’s offer. He called Len into the conference room and handed him the three files of the women he was hiring.

  “Let’s have dinner to celebrate, shall we?” Ben asked Len and Maria.

  “Can’t,” Len frowned. “Liz and I are going away for the weekend.”

  Maria instantly looked nervous at his declining Ben’s invitation.

  “Have a great weekend then,” Ben smiled. “I leave on Sunday, so email me on Monday after you’ve taken care of all of this,” he nodded at the files in Len’s hands.

  “Will do.” Len shook Ben’s hand and then left the room.

  “I…I need to get home to my son,” Maria said.

  “Oh!” Ben replied. “Of course.”

  Maria tilted her head a little and studied Ben. “Why don’t you come and have dinner with me and my family?”

  “Really?”

  “Yes,” she smiled. “Do you have a car?”

  Ben chuckled. “Yes.”

  “Good! You can drive me home and then I won’t have to take the bus,” she smiled.

  “Deal.”

  *****

  Ben had no intention on acting on the fact that he found Maria to be attractive. She was now an employee and he would never cross that line. But the announcement that she had a son had all but knocked the wind from him.

  “So,” he said as he followed her directions south of the city to her home, “Tell me about your son.”

  “Luca is my angel,” Maria smiled. “He is five…just had a birthday.”

  “So, you’re married?”

  Maria shifted in the leather seat and shook her head. “No. I am not married.”

  “His father?”

  Maria squirmed a little.

  “I’m sorry,” Ben said. “It’s none of my business.”

  “It’s okay. Luca’s father is not here. He is in Florida. Well, he was when I left. He wasn’t interested in being a father.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said again.

  “As hard as it is, I think it is better for us to be without him than him being with us and not wanting to be.”

  Ben couldn’t argue with that. Maria navigated him to her home. It was small and humble, but clean and tidy and sunlight filled the rooms. She told him to make himself comfortable and then ran next door to get Luca. Within minutes, they returned.

  There was no doubt that Luca was Maria’s child. He had the same dark eyes and hair and looked just like his mother. He was shy at first, but was intrigued by Ben’s tie and slowly made his way across the room, after Maria assured him it was fine.

  “Hello,” he said shyly.

  “Hello,” smiled Ben. “It’s very nice to meet you Luca. My name is Ben. Is that your car over there?” Ben pointed to the small die-cast car on the chair. Luca nodded. “My car is red too.”

  “You have a car?” Luca asked.

  “I do,” Ben smiled.

  “I’ve never been in a car,” Luca frowned.

  “Really? Never?”

  Luca shook his head. Ben looked up at Maria who was watching the exchange.

  “We like to ride the bus,” she said and attempted a smile.

  “May I take you and your son to dinner?” Ben asked. “We could go in the car,” he winked.

  Luca’s head whipped up and he looked at his mom, anticipation and hope filling his expression. Maria grinned at her son. She nodded.

  “Woohoo!!” Luca screamed. “A car!”

  Ben chuckled and patted him on the head.

  *****

  As they sat in the restaurant Ben was reminded why he liked coming to South America. Feijoada and rice was in front of him and he was all but inhaling it. Luca was more interested in his toy car.

  “His English is perfect,” Ben said to Maria.

  She smiled and nodded. “I want him to go to university in the United States and escape the poverty that possibly, or probably, awaits him here. I didn’t speak English when I arrived in Gainesville and so it took that much longer to acclimate. I don’t want that for my son.”

  Ben agreed that it would certainly make it easier for the young boy. As they finished up their meal Luca asked Ben for a pen and began practicing his letters on the paper placemats.

  “You’re writing is very good,” Ben smiled.

  “Thank you,” Luca replied, beaming with pride.

  “Perhaps you could write me a letter sometime?”

  “Yes,” Luca exclaimed. “I could write letters to you. I write to my dad but he never writes back.”

  Ben looked at Maria and she shook her head and frowned.

  “Well, I will definitely write back.” Ben took a business card from the breast pocket of his suit and handed it to the boy. “This is my address.”

  “Mama? Can we go home now so I can start my letter to Ben?”

  The adults chuckled and Ben paid their bill and escorted his new friends out to the car. After the short drive back to the house, Ben said his goodbyes and left the mother and son waving to him as he drove back to his hotel.

  *****

  “I apologize for interrupting your weekend but I needed to give you one more task to be completed on Monday.”

  “No problem,” Len said into his cell phone. “What do you need, Ben?”

  “I’m leaving the rental car in the parking garage at Crystal Towers. I have actually purchased the car and left the keys on your desk with all of the paperwork that needs to be completed so that ownership can be transferred to Maria.”

  “Maria?” Len asked.

  “Yes. Make sure she is given the car tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” Len replied, completely surprised at the request. “Anything else?”

  “Nope. Just that. And let me know when you’ve taken care of renewing all the contracts.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Ben hung up the phone and walked toward the gate to board his flight home.

  1.

  The Lathem family was gathered at Tim and Beth’s new apartment for a housewarming party of sorts. The newlyweds had been married for a couple of months and the family had helped them move into their new apartment just a couple of weeks before. Because MEL Holdings owned many properties in Manhattan, apartment buildings included, Matt had given his brothers an apartment as his wedding present as they’d each settled down into marital bliss, Tim being the latest of the Lathem men to relinquish th
eir bachelor status.

  Tim and Beth had chosen to stay in the same neighborhood, so they’d found a fantastic three thousand square foot apartment just a few blocks from the fire station where Tim was assigned. Their favorite part of their new home was the nine hundred square foot terrace, which is where the family now gathered, Beth’s German Shepherd Cleo, included. Tim and Paul were grilling steaks and chicken and all the women were inside with the children preparing the rest of the feast.

  Ben sat in the chaise lounge with a cold beer relaxing after a particularly busy couple of weeks. Matt had scaled back his hours in the office to two days a week and Mark, Ben’s second oldest brother and Matt’s business partner, was also starting to gradually scale back his hours. Both men had stepsons they were mentoring and grooming, but Ben, having been with the company for fifteen years now, had been handed much of the responsibility of running the company. He was ready and able to take it on and felt confident in his abilities. He wasn’t sure though that his brothers had as much confidence in him. It irritated him when they continually asked the same questions over and over again. He’d proven himself to be a valuable and loyal employee and Ben felt it was time his brothers respected that and cut the apron strings. When he wasn’t tired and irritable, he was able to step back and realize that it was their business and one mistake could literally cost them millions of dollars, but Ben still wanted their respect. Hell, he’d been working for it for years. The time had come.

  He closed his eyes and sighed, causing Rory, Ben’s brother Andrew’s husband, to come and sit beside him.

  “Everything okay?” Rory asked.

  “Yep. Just been a long week.”

  “I hear ya,” Rory sighed. “We’ve been trying to potty train Isabelle. We took the week off work ‘cuz all the books we read said we could do it in just a few days with focus and patience. The books were wrong,” he frowned.

  Isabelle was two and half and the two fathers couldn’t have been prouder or loved their daughter more, but Rory was obviously frustrated.

  “I can help you with construction licenses and permits, or mortgage calculations, or the fine art of negotiation,” Ben grinned, “but for potty training, you’re on your own.”