Page 3 of Judas

“Certainly. Shall we?” she motioned quickly for him to follow her. Once in the hallway, her pace slowed as she paused to check her phone.

Judas, certain there was no way he was taking this job just a short minute ago, followed along beside her without question, “So, Betsy–”

Her sapphire eyes looked up sharply, ”Please, no. Theonlyperson that calls me by that awful name is my dad.”

“Oh.” Judas thumbed over his shoulder as they continued walking, “Mr. Arthur is yourfather. Good to know.”

She turned back to him, smiling, “I’m Eliza. You’re Judas?”

The sound of his name off her lips was the most enticing sound he had ever heard. He hated to correct her because he wanted her to say it again… or maybe he didn’t. He couldn’t get involved because it always ended in abandonment and pain. He made mistakes in his past and he promised himself a very long time ago that they wouldn't be repeated.

“Actually, I go by Jude…for obvious reasons,” he shrugged as if he needed no further explanation. If Paul Arthur was right about anything, it was that his name seemed to be poison to a lot of lips. To his surprise though, she insisted on one.

“Why is that? Judas is a perfectly fine name,” Eliza held her notebook close to her chest.

“Why do you hate Betsy?” the corner of his mouth pulled into a grin. His attraction to this woman overrode the little voice that insisted on emotional distance.

Eliza pursed her lips as she studied him, “Betsy is a horrible nickname…one that is juvenile, completely outdated, and is like fingernails on a chalkboard.”

Judas nodded, “Yes ma’am. Eliza, it is.”

He wanted another one of her glorious smiles and she did not disappoint. This time though, he received the full version; bright, natural, and alluring. His entire body felt warm and he hoped she wouldn’t notice.

“We’re here,” she rapped twice on the door. “Alice will get you sorted. It was nice to meet you,Judas.”

Eliza turned on her heel, walking away. Judas stared at her glorious form as she disappeared down the hallway. The emphasis she placed on saying his full name had warmed him in the coldest corners of his soul. He knew he would hate every second of being near Paul, but he was also certain it would be worth it to be near Eliza. At least for a while. There was just something… a feeling deep in his gut… that he felt he needed from her before he walked away. And, so, into the office he went, head spinning the whole time.

Eliza was feeling that same kind of questioning. When she made it around the corner and was certain she was out of sight, she paused for a moment, swallowing hard and taking a few steadying breaths. No man had made her feel quite as hot and bothered as Judas in a very long time. That was going to be a problem for sure, she just knew it.

Chapter two

Walking back into the monstrous building the next morning felt different to Judas. He’d never really been excited to start a new job. Not that anyone could blame him, he'd worked so many over the millennia that it'd become hard to get first-day butterflies. He’d woke this morning thinking it was just another day, but when he remembered that he could possibly be spending his day with the beautiful daughter of the would-be congressman changed how he felt. Judas walked into the boardroom with a bounce in his step instead of his usual boredom.

When he looked around the room, he was disappointed to see just Paul and a few other faces he didn’t know yet. No smile full of sunshine to greet him. As he took a moment to stare dejectedly around the room, a small hand slid along his shoulder startling him. Looking to his side, Eliza beamed up at him.

“Good morning, Judas,” she said pleasantly.

He smiled back the weight of his disappointment fading instantly, “Good morning, Eliza.”

“Are you ready for this?” she asked under her breath.

“I’m sure I can handle it,” he murmured back knowing that he’d already had the opportunity to deal with just about any situation that could arise at one point or another in his life.

Eliza stared ahead at her father, sighing, “I’m glad one of us can.”

Judas watched as she walked away from him. She seemed less than enthusiastic about her job here. He was sure there must be a story behind that sigh and Judas made a mental note to ask her someday. He walked further into the room and greeted his new boss, “Good morning, sir.”

Paul ignored Jude’s outstretched hand and barked out his first, of many, orders for the day, “Christian, stand over there and take in the meeting. We can talk about security needs and the rally later. The gala is priority number one.”

Eliza glared in her father’s direction, “Dad, we need to plan security for the gala and the event. He needs to be a part of the meeting, not just a fixture in the room.”

Paul waved his daughter off, “You can talk about those details later, I want to get to the good stuff first. Where’s Georgia?”

Eliza was clearly displeased, but carried on, “She’s bringing up the handouts for the event. She should be here anytime.”

Right on cue, a young girl entered the room lugging a large box nearly as big as she was, dropping it on the table in front of Paul. She looked as though she wanted to talk but her words were hindered by the gasping breaths of exertion she was taking.

“These… are the… uhh… the campaign b-buttons, sir,” she managed to force out between exhausted breaths.

---