Animalistic (Tiger in Her Bed)

stores. And since Trent is moving into his new place at the end of the week, you don’t need to look for your own apartment. His apartment in Greenwich Village has more than enough room for both of you. Maybe you two could be roommates?”

“The Village? The rent must be astronomical.”

“No rent. I bought it outright with the money in my trust fund. What don’t you go with mom to shop and later, I’ll show you my new place?” asked Trent.

She didn’t really know what to say. She’d just met Trent and yet, the Alexander’s were treating her like a longtime family friend. “I really shouldn’t...”

“But I must insist, dear. You need a new wardrobe and I’m a shopping addict. The two of us are going to have fun,” said Savannah. “Sorry to hijack your friend, Trent, but today is the girls’ day out.”

Chapter Five

Trent was a firm believer in fate and fate had a funny way of bringing two people together. If he hadn’t followed Arielle when he first saw her, she could have been seriously hurt by those two muggers. If he hadn’t gone with John to that terrible party, he wouldn’t have been able to rescue her from the chimney. And if she hadn’t forgotten her cell phone in his car, he wouldn’t have been granted an opportunity to help her in her time of need. From being robbed to losing her boyfriend and then her apartment, all within twenty-four hours? That was one hell of a string of bad luck.

Despite all of it, he thought Arielle had handled it pretty well. She was a strong woman and she endured all of it without complaint. Sure, she cried. Who wouldn’t? She was still human. But she didn’t seem to let misfortune drag her down. She already looked like she was feeling much better in the morning.

When Trent saw her later in the evening, Arielle was in a good mood. He guessed that retail therapy with his mother had been a smart way to lift her spirits. Considering she had just lost her own mother, having someone closer to her mom’s age probably brought her some comfort. Savannah and Arielle came home with bags upon bags of purchases. His mom was a fierce shopper and she was generous as she had both too much time and money on her hands. His mom had always wanted a daughter, so to make up for it, she splurged on her sons’ girlfriends. She often shopped with Quinn’s fiancée, Vanessa.

Unfortunately, his mom didn’t believe him when he told her Arielle was only a friend. Trent had never brought a girl home before, so Savannah knew something was up. Of course, Trent wasn’t planning on keeping things between him and Arielle friendly for long. Now that her boyfriend was out of the picture, he could try to convince her to go out with him.

He was a patient man and he would wait as long as he had to.

After Arielle was finished unpacking her purchases, Trent offered to take her out for dinner. They were both in the mood for Chinese food, so Trent took her to a hole-in-the wall restaurant down on Broadway that served really great Mandarin cuisine. The place was small, it only seated about ten people, but they made dishes so authentic it felt like you were in Beijing. Trent ordered Peking duck while Arielle picked beggar’s chicken. They dug in, eating with gusto and sharing their food. The duck was crisp but moist at the same time. The dipping sauce was incredible, complementing the salty, savory flavor of the duck. The chicken was flavorful, cooked in a sweet tangy sauce. Trent enjoyed watching Arielle eat, as she relished every scrumptious morsel of her food. He liked women with healthy appetites and appreciation for life.

“I’m sorry, but I have to ask… you seem to have a strange relationship with your boss, Sabrina. Have you two known each other for a long time?”

She nodded weakly. “Since kindergarten, actually. My dad and Sabrina’s dad, Mr. Hoffman, were Army buddies. After they got discharged from the service, they remained on good terms. And when my dad fell on hard times, Mr. Hoffman offered him a job at his firm. Hoffman even paid my tuition at an expensive private school so his daughter, Sabrina, had a friend. In a way, I was more like her caretaker.”

“Oh? How so?”

“Well, she liked ordering me around, making me her gopher. Sabrina’s mom died when she was three-years-old and Mr. Hoffman had spoiled her rotten. We used to call her Queenie because she always got what she wanted. I guess that never changed.”

Trent raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t Mr. Hoffman the founder of the firm?”

She nodded. “He retired about six months ago and Sabrina took over control. The other founder, Edward James, was a partner in name only. He didn’t make any decisions. He just expected his cut of the profits. Mr. Hoffman was the backbone of the company.”

“You know, the other day when I read your card, it said that you have a JD. Why do you only work as a paralegal?”

“Oh, I was an attorney before my demotion.”

“Demotion?”

Arielle put her fork down. “You see, when Sabrina took over the firm, she wanted to give me the boot but her father wouldn’t let her. So she concocted a scheme to get rid of all of the third year associates. We were all given a choice: leave or take a lesser position as a paralegal. She thought her tactic would drive me away, but I was stubborn. The pay is still the same, courtesy of Mr. Hoffman, so why should I leave? All of the other third years quit, except for me.”

“Have you ever thought about quitting and going back to practicing law?”

“Oh God, many times. But the timing just isn’t right yet. The job market is tough out there. With the economy like it is now, many newly-minted attorneys are often forced to take jobs that don’t even require a law degree. Most have a mountain of student debt. Besides, my firm offers great medical benefits that I desperately needed for my mom back then. When she was ill, she needed an allogeneic bone marrow transplant that would have cost around eight hundred grand. The insurance company and the firm picked up most of the tab. And she needed other expensive surgeries and palliative care that I wouldn’t have been able to afford had I not stayed on.”

Trent whistled. “It seems like Mr. Hoffman is very generous.”

“Yes, he’s a great person. He even paid my college tuition. He actually promised my dad he’d see me through my education and has kept his word all these years.”

“Did you go to the same law school as Sabrina?”

Arielle picked up her fork and took a bite of her chicken. “Yes. We both went to Columbia at first. Sabrina dropped after the second semester and transferred to Touro Law. As soon as I graduated, Mr. Hoffman gave me a job at the firm. Sabrina joined a year and a half later when she passed the bar.”

“She transferred? Why?”

Arielle let out a weak laugh. “She couldn’t survive on her own. I’d been taking care of her since… forever. Campus life was different. So many temptations and insane amounts of work. She couldn’t handle the pressure. I think she hated me for abandoning her.”