Saved By The Glass Slipper Read online

  SAVED BY THE GLASS SLIPPER

  by

  Markee Anderson

  ~~~~~

  PUBLISHED BY

  Markee Anderson on Smashwords

  Saved By The Glass Slipper

  Copyright © 2010 by Markee Anderson

  http://www.markeeanderson.com

  Smashwords Edition License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  ~~~~~

  This story is a mystery, dedicated to my mother and siblings, and in loving memory of my sister, Diane, and my father, who all loved mysteries.

  ~~~~~

  SAVED BY THE GLASS SLIPPER

  ~~~~~

  Chapter 1

  I had to get away from the man in black, chasing me down the sidewalk in downtown Devon, Florida. Something like this always happened in the movies—but not in my life. The mild-mannered bank teller decides to take a break at the beach nearby and wham!—she’s attacked by a huge man who’s always dressed in black—usually at night. It would be cool to see it on the big screen, but this was different. This was reality, it was lunchtime, and I was the victim.

  Running into the middle of a busy street, I knew the man in black with the big dark eyes wouldn’t be stupid enough to follow. While I waited on the yellow lines, cars blasted their horns as they passed. This wasn’t exactly one of my brightest ideas, but being chased by a muscle-clad man isn’t an everyday occurrence either. As I glanced back at him still standing on the sidewalk from where I’d started, he glared at me, then watched the traffic pass by.

  When the traffic light changed, I finally got a break, so I dodged waiting cars and ran to the other side. Some Asian men on the sidewalk watched me approach, but I ignored them, checking for the big man in black running after me.

  Taking off down the sidewalk, I ran south, dodging pedestrians. The small town was crowded for a Friday morning in May, a small break in time between Spring Break and summer vacation. Located on Florida’s west coast, Devon was a small often-forgotten town between Fort Myers and Naples.

  At the next intersection, I turned west on another sidewalk, finally able to see the Gulf of Mexico in front of me. I could feel the man in black lessening the distance between us and glanced back to verify my thoughts. For some reason, the Asian men were behind him by about a hundred yards, making me wonder if they were going to the beach, too. But why would they run? The ocean wasn’t going anywhere. Maybe they were just tourists, excited to be here.

  Once I hit sand at the end of the brick building, I turned a corner and ran smack-dab into a beautiful specimen of a man with blue eyes and short brown hair.

  He stopped me with both hands on my shoulders before I bowled him over. “Slow down.”

  “Sorry,” I said, then gasped, moving to run past him.

  He grabbed my arm and held me back. “Are you out jogging?”

  “Not exactly.” I looked behind me. The man in black wasn’t there but I was sure he was hiding somewhere.

  “Why are you running, then?”

  “Someone’s chasing me.” I extracted myself from his grasp and took off down the beach. Running for all I was worth, I knew I could outrun the man in black. I’d practiced running distances for some time, in case something just like this would happen. I knew it was just a matter of time, but never thought my chaser would be so large and evil looking.

  The adorable man caught up then ran in front of me right just as I reached the water line. He was a fast runner, because I’d been in training for a while.

  “Stop!” he yelled, trying to breathe.

  I pushed past him. “I can’t. I’ll be killed.”

  He took hold of my hand and pulled me toward him, gasped for air, and searched my face with his eyes. “Why?”

  I wished I’d had my purse with me for defense, just in case. He was stronger than I was, because I couldn’t pull myself from his hand. I leaned down to catch my breath for a moment, then stood up. “Are you a serial killer?”

  Mr. Adorable began to laugh. “No. What’s going on?”

  I sucked in some air and faced him. “There’s a huge man in black chasing me. He looks like a murderer.”

  The man searched the area behind me, letting go of my hand. “There’s no one there.”

  I spun around. The beach was empty, except for a few families with kids, about a hundred yards away from us. “Where did he go?”

  He looked at me as if I were nuts as I faced him again. “I have no idea. I’m friends with the local cops if you need help.”

  “I don’t know what I’d tell them. How can I prove someone’s after me if they’ve disappeared?”

  “You’re right. If you said anything, it would look like you’re crazy. Have you eaten lunch yet?”

  The man in black was chasing me and this guy was thinking about lunch? How odd. I should’ve said ‘no’ and gone back to work, but for some reason, I felt safe with this man. I doubted the man in black would return when this guy was near me. “No, I wasn’t going to eat lunch. I was just out to walk on the beach, but someone else had other ideas.” Reaching down, I took off my flat shoes and poured out the sand. Running in a skirt wasn’t fun, but at least I wasn’t wearing heels.

  As soon as I replaced my shoes on my feet, the man grinned, grabbed my hand, and shook it. “The name’s Mark Dallas, and I’d like to take you to lunch.” He watched me for a minute. “That is, if you’d like to come with me.”

  “Oh, I can’t impose—”

  “No imposition whatsoever and I promise.” He checked my left hand. “No husband coming to hunt me down, so you’re free, right?”

  “No, no one…anymore. I’m free.”

  “Anymore?”

  “It’s a long story, but definite history.” The guy’s smile was endearing, and I couldn’t refuse those eyes anything they wanted. I had to remind myself to be wary. “I’m Amy Watson, by the way.”

  He rested my hand in the crook of his elbow and walked with me up the beach toward a small hotdog shop. “I guess I’m just lucky to be here over lunch today. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to save you from whoever was chasing you.”

  “I guess so.”

  He glanced my way. “Why were they chasing you?”

  I could only imagine, but this guy didn’t need my baggage or any of my secrets. If someone was willing to chase me for it, he certainly didn’t need to be involved. “I have no idea. I’m a nobody. It’s not as if I have money hanging off me or anything.” I turned toward him. “You’re not friends with the man who was chasing me, are you?”

  He pointed toward himself. “Me? Do I look like someone who’d be friends with a chaser?”

  “Not really. I just have to make sure you’re not a serial killer or something.”

  “That’s the second time you mentioned that. But, think about it. If I’m friends with the police, could I possibly be a se
rial killer? I highly doubt they’d consider the police their friends.”

  “How do I know you’re friends with the—”

  A cop walked out of a shop right near us, as if right on cue. “Mr. Dallas! How are you doing today?” He shook Mark’s hand and smiled.

  “Oh, I’m fine, Craig. Hope the kids are doing better.”

  “Yes, they’re fine now. It was just the flu. Take care.” The policeman walked back the way I’d come from around the corner.

  “I stand corrected,” I murmured. “How do you know him?”

  “Oh, the whole police station comes over to work to make sure we’re safe. We feed them donuts to guarantee they’ll come back.” He leaned closer to me. “They’re suckers for donuts, especially the filled ones.”

  “Where’s work?”

  He straightened back up to his full height, about four inches taller than me, at least. “Work is near here. I just came to the beach for something to eat so I could get outside.”

  “Near here where?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. I couldn’t think of any subversive businesses close by that might harbor serial killers. However, I should’ve brought my purse with me, because not only did I carry things that could be used as weapons, it made a great club if I hit someone just right.

  Without answering me, Mark opened the door to the restaurant with a grin and we stood at the back of the line to order.

  “I work at Madcap Software,” he finally said. “Ever heard of it?”

  I felt my mouth drop. I’d finally met someone from there. “It’s the best place to work in the area. If I just had the background in programming games, it would be my top choice for employment. What do you do there?”

  Mark leaned up to the clerk. “I’d like two hotdogs with the works and two colas.”

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Dallas.” I never got service with those kinds of comments and clerks didn’t know my name, either.

  Mark smiled, then looked at me. “I program games. What’s your background?”

  I glanced at the clerk then back at Mark. “They know you here?”

  “Sure. A lot of people know me. I guess I’m just a likeable guy.”

  I dug some emergency cash from my pocket. “Well, likeable guy or not, I’m paying my way.”

  “No, this is mine,” he said, putting his warm hand on mine. “I have to save the damsel in distress. It’s my job.”

  I laughed at him, but stood firm. “No, I have to pay the prince for saving me. That’s just the way it is.”

  “A prince?”

  “Yes, sir. I don’t know how you did it, but the man in black was gone after you appeared. You’re either a prince or a knight in shining armor…or you have a death wish from a chaser.” I kept digging in my skirt pocket, but had to keep looking toward the door for the man in black.

  My pocket was empty. Where was the rest of my money? I should have more than two dollars with me—or did I forget again?

  Mark wrapped his fingers around my hand, making my head pop up to meet his very blue eyes staring me down. “You’re not paying. I insist.” He pushed my hand away from my pocket, but kept my other hand in his grip.

  My mouth fell open, just from the power and masculinity of the man. On my scale of ten for a perfect male, I’d have to give him a twenty, at least. I used the scale to determine whether a man was worthy of me or not. Mark was good; there was no doubt about it. He was better than Connor, who’d only gotten a maximum score of five the entire two years we’d been dating. Since I’d found out he was also married, that score went down to a negative seventeen. However, I didn’t trust anyone for a reason, and if Mark was out to get me, I was a dead duck. I had to keep my distance.

  I must’ve looked like an idiot as I stared at Mark, because he chuckled when paying the bill. While he carried the tray of food to a small table, I just followed, feeling like a little puppy. Sitting across from each other, he handed me a hot dog and a soda.

  “You okay now?” he asked.

  I had to look behind me at the door, just to make sure it was okay. I didn’t see the bad guy, so I figured I was safe for the time being.

  I turned around and faced him again. “Sure. Thanks for lunch.”

  “No problem.” He leaned up closer to me. “I have my reputation to uphold, being a prince and all.”

  “And I feel like Cinderella with the stupid glass slipper, too. I bet she couldn’t run in her shoes either. That’s probably why she lost one on the stairs.”

  Mark laughed as he bit into the hot dog. He swallowed, then faced me just as I took a bite and got ketchup all over my face. He picked up a napkin before I could move, wiping the red goo off my lips. He was powerful and the type of man who could handle anything. If knights in shining armor existed, Mark would be the one leading the pack. But I imagined the devil would look good and appear to be a knight if he wanted someone to fall for him, too. So I had to appear neutral on what I thought of Mark.

  “What’s your background?” he asked.

  I swallowed, popped back to reality, and took a drink. Would he even understand me? Only one way to find out. “I’m working on my master’s degree in Mathematics and Business Computing so I can get a real job.”

  He didn’t seem to be fazed, which was interesting in itself. “How many more classes do you have to go?”

  He was smarter than I thought, because most men would’ve been running out the door by this time in the conversation. “Just the one I have right now. I have a test tonight, one project to turn in, and I’ll have my master’s degree. I can’t wait, either.”

  “What then?” he asked, definitely interested.

  I couldn’t believe it. Men like Mark didn’t have brains…or did they? “As soon as I write my résumé, I’m out of Florida. Time to move on.”

  His face looked sad and confused. “Before you leave, you should try Madcap.”

  “No, because my classes aren’t in games programming. It’s much different.”

  “What class are you taking right now?” He took a huge bite then stared at me with those adorable eyes.

  “Data administration.”

  Mark coughed, choking on his hot dog. Hopping to my feet, I ran to his side of the booth and patted him on the back. “Are you okay?”

  He coughed some more, put up his hand, then took a drink and nodded. “I’m fine. It just went down the wrong way. Did you say data administration, as in management and modeling?”

  How did someone like him even know what I was talking about? “That was the old title for the class. Why?” I returned to my seat.

  “That’s a very difficult class, from what I hear.”

  “How do you know that?”

  He studied my face for a moment then leaned closer. “Why are you so defensive? Are you in trouble? It would all fit if you’ve been chased. What are you hiding? Is it something you want to tell someone, just in case, or do you want protected?”

  I sat back. That was an odd statement from him, as if he knew more than he was saying. “No, I’m not in trouble. I just wondered how you knew about the class I have right now.”

  “Oh.” He waved me off as if it were no big deal. “I know some people who’ve taken the same class. It’s with Dr. Urban, right?”

  “Yes, it is. Do you know him?” Something didn’t seem right. How would he know people who’ve taken a class in data administration if he programmed games? Maybe there was more to games programming than I’d imagined?

  His gaze met my face. “I don’t really know him, but have heard rumors that he’s tough. How’s the class going?”

  I leaned closer, making sure no one would hear. “I have the highest grade in the class, but that’s a secret.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Dr. Urban and I have…history together. I’ve had him for many classes, and I usually give him notes on the side so he can actually teach the course.”

  “You tell your own professor how to teach?” Mark sat back and studied me. “What other courses did you ta
ke from him?”

  I shrugged, not wanting to tip my hand. “Oh, you know, different things. Why?”

  “Just wondering.”

  The bell over the door of the restaurant tinkled, making me turn around and stare to see who’d walked in. An Asian man entered the restaurant, watching me. I ignored the man and turned back toward Mark, because men gawked at me all the time from my blonde hair and blue eyes, or so they told me. I usually blew off any man who was that superficial.

  Mark thrust his hand into his pocket, pulled out his cell phone, and pressed a number. “Join me.” He ended the call, picked up my hand, and kissed the back of it.

  “What was that about?” I whispered.

  “Protection,” he whispered back, leaning up closer to me. “You’re very pretty. I have a request.” Hearing concern in his voice and watching him frequently glance toward the door made me worried. Was the man in black in the building? I was scared to even look.

  “Protection from what?” I probably sounded a bit hysterical, but considering Mark kept watching the door, I figured I was justified.

  “Forget about it. Now about my request—”

  I didn’t even remember what he’d asked me. “Forget the request.” Even though I tried to keep my voice down to a whisper, it was sounding more and more like a hiss. “What’s going on? You look like you’re staring at a ghost or something.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” He looked up at the door and nodded. I tried to turn around, but he pulled my chin toward him and gave me a kiss…a knock-you-out, make-your-knees-weak kiss. As soon as he moved away, I fell back to my seat and closed my eyes, wondering how to recover. I couldn’t fall for this guy, because he might be the enemy—a well-rehearsed enemy.

  “You okay?” I heard fingers snapping near my face.