Midnight Oil

Chapter 1

Kade strode down the dimly lit light green hallway. He looked at the lights and wondered why they were always broke. He'd have to get maintenance down there again. The labs were kept in a segregated part of the plant which was guarded to prohibit theft. He approached the lab and took out his badge. Kade swiped it in the reader and was granted entry to the outer hallway. His mission was to retrieve one Lizzy Whitehall, head of Research and Development, and bring her to the weekly meeting held in the owner's office to face her overspending again. He picked up the phone on the wall outside the laboratory.

While Kade waited for someone to answer he watched Lizzy.

She was in her element. She was grace and confidence personified. The Lab was her life. Finally, she answered the phone, and she was annoyed. "What? I'm in the middle of formulating a parfum."

"You've got twenty minutes." He said with resigned hope.

"Wait." She hung up the phone, pulled the blue cap off her head and let her auburn hair fall across her shoulders. She walked over to the door and opened it. "Give me ten and I'll be there."

Kade noticed that her emerald eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. That was not a good sign. "I'm going to get a coffee; I'll meet you up there." He started to walk away but turned back around. "Maybe, we could get a coffee together?"

Lizzy shook her head. "Kade, I've told you before I think of you and as a brother and nothing else." She was lying to him and herself. "I'll meet you up there."

"Come on, don't you have coffee with your brother?"

"Not if I can help it." She answered sarcastically.

"Fine. Twenty minutes. You can't miss this. You're over budget again and Abigail is going to be furious." Kade turned away and walked back down the hall feeling a little deflated. Still, he wasn't ready to give up.

"I'll be there. Give it a break. Ever since we were kids you've tried to save me. I don't need to be saved. I'll be there, ok?" She was totally upset with him. Lizzy went back inside the lab feeling a little mad at herself for being so harsh with him but, she couldn't let her feelings for him get in the way of work and family.

Kade walked to the cafeteria wishing she'd give him a break. He always loved her and admired her spirit.

He sat down at a white table covered with coffee rings and just stared of into space thinking of nothing. He was an attractive and well built. His blues eyes spoke volumes. Every woman in the cafeteria noticed him, but they knew he was off limits. He was management and Lizzy's whether he knew it or not.

He was sitting there sipping his coffee deep in thought when Barb, Lizzy's secretary came up to him.

"Mr. Evans." She was nervous. She'd only talked to him a handful of times.

"Have a seat, Barb. I won't be long. Budget meeting this morning. Could you make sure Ms. Whitehall makes that meeting?" He could tell she had something on her mind.

"Sure, Mr. Evans." She sighed and then hesitantly began to speak. "You, um .. know Ms. Whitehall likes you and admires you. Take it easy on her." Barb knew she was talking out of turn but, she thought it needed to be said.

Kade looked at her and said nothing. He knew the rumor mill had spread word about their little chat at the lab. He shook his head and said Thanks. That was all he could say. It took a lot of guts for Barb to say that. Her loyalty to Lizzy was epic.

Barb said nothing more. She got up and walked away.

Kade followed her lead. It was time for the meeting. He needed to be there when Abigail arrived.

Chapter 2