ONE

"I have feelings for Sabrina"

"What?"

"I have feelings for Sabrina Ellis"

Craig Williams gave a hearty laugh; however Piero Morrone didn't find anything amusing about what he said in fact he was pretty fucking serious.

Craig had been his best friend since elementary school and even now at thirty-three they were still thick as thieves. However Craig always had a tendency to be a jokester and not take him seriously.

"Piero are you hearing yourself man?"

"I'm pretty fucking serious"

"Okay, okay, I hear you" Craig said "it's just you've never been the type of white guy to be into black women"

Craig did have a point; Piero's dating history consisted of stick figured white women. Ranging from platinum blonde to regular brunette. His late wife Valentina had been a little curvy and was a red head; but that was about as diverse he got.

"Brina is different"

"Oh so she's Brina now?"

Shit he only called her that when he was masturbating or having one of his many fantasies about her.

"The point is she's different" Piero said, "her race does not mean she's not a gorgeous woman"

"She is fine" Craig agreed, "if I wasn't already married I'd want to tap that ass too---"

"But you are" Piero cut him off "I don't think Angela would appreciate you lusting after another woman"

"This is about Valentina isn't it?" he asked raising his eyebrow at his friend getting to the root of the issue.

Craig patted his shoulder gently and reassured "Piero that wasn't your fault; you can't keep beating yourself up about that"

"If I had been the one to pick up Noelle she'd still be here," Piero said, "my daughter needs her mother"

"Life is unpredictable man" Craig insisted, "who knows what could have happened"

"The important thing is that you're here for Noelle" he went on to say "and she's a cute little girl looks just like Valentina too"

Piero chuckled "Ellie can be a handful sometimes"

"What three-year-old isn't?"

It was true Piero had a hard time telling Noelle no sometimes. It was like the word no was not in her vocabulary because of how much he spoiled her. The teen years will certainly be interesting..

"Then again if it weren't for Sabrina I could be dead right now too" Piero said "she's the one who stopped me from jumping out that window"

"Wait a minute" Craig spoke up "you never told me that man"

"It's true" Piero said "I already had one leg out the window when she came in the office"

"Why did she come in the office?"

"The preschool called to remind me to pick up Ellie but I wasn't picking up so they called the office instead" Piero explained, "Sabrina was coming to let me know"

"So what did she do?"

"She immediately came over and dragged me out of the window"

"Just like that?"

"Well no" Piero said, "I'm 6'2 and I weigh 220. She's maybe 5'5 and weighs probably 160"

"So it was a struggle then?"

"It sure was" Piero said "in fact I ended up falling on top of her and broke her arm"

"Ouch"

Ouch was right. Sabrina had to wear a cast for six weeks due to his shear weight crushing it. Luckily the benefits package through the company covered the costs. While her arm was healed now there were times Piero could see her rubbing it and flexing her fingers. More than likely she probably needed physical therapy.

"Yeah she says that it's no big deal but I'm not buying that shit for a minute"

"Sabrina never likes to show any weakness or vulnerability"

"Why not?"

"Just because"

"It doesn't anything to do with that strong black woman bullshit narrative does it?"

"Look at you" Craig said impressed "what you know about strong black woman narrative? I guess you really are sprung"

"Yeah well I'm going to invite her and her daughter up to the my cabin in the Poconos to spend the holidays with me and Noelle"

"Are you certain she'll accept?"

"Yes" Piero said confidently "besides Christmas Eve is the girls' birthday"

It was true both Piero's daughter and Sabrina's daughter shared the same birthday. Demetria was born December 24th 2014 while Noelle was an exact year younger born on December 24th 2015. So Demi would be turning five while Ellie would be turning four.

"Oh so now you're going to use those little girls as a ploy to get Sabrina up to that remote cabin all alone?"

"The girls will be there" Piero insisted, "there's only so much you can do with two little girls hanging around"

"Little girls don't stay up past midnight" Craig said, "two sexually charged adults do though"

"I just want to spend time with Sabrina and show her how much I appreciate her" Piero insisted "besides I already made the reservations"

"Whatever you say man" Craig replied "you better hope she agrees to it Rico Suave"

Sabrina Ellis was nervous.

Everyone knew that Piero only called people to his office to either fire them or to tell them that they were fired. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long she had to pick up Demetria and make dinner.

Approaching her boss's door Sabrina straightened out her sweater dress and took a deep breath. She had to calm down it probably wasn't anything serious. Once she felt relaxed Sabrina slowly opened the door.

"Mr. Morrone?"

Piero looked up from his paperwork to see Sabrina enter his office

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes" he replied, "close the door behind you"

Sabrina wasn't sure why he would make a request like that since they were pretty much the only ones left here right now. She swore she heard the door lock behind her too.

"Have a seat Sabrina" Piero greeted her with a smile

"Is this important Mr. Morrone? I have to pick up Demi from her afterschool program"

"Call me Piero" Piero said "trust me I have to pick up my Ellie so this won't be long"

"I wanted to check up on you to see how you're doing"

"I'm fine"

"You could have fooled me" Piero said, "how's your arm holding up?"

"It's fine"

"You sure? I notice you rubbing it a lot and flexing your fingers. Are you seeing a physical therapist?"

"No"

"Why not?"

Sabrina frowned a little. She didn't think it was appropriate or any of her boss's damn business. She was a single mother she couldn't afford to see a physical therapist.

"Because I'm not"

"I think you should see one Sabrina" Piero said sincerely "at least one that accepts our insurance package"

"I appreciate the concern Mr. Morrone----"

"Piero" he insisted "Sabrina you saved my life you've earned the right to address me by my first name"

Sabrina bit her lower lip and Piero was curious to know if she bit her lip like that when a man was buried deep inside of her. Hell would she bite her lip like that when he would be buried deep inside of her because it definitely was going to happen.

"It was nothing"

"It was Sabrina" he said "I could dead right now if it weren't for you"

"What is it that you wanted to see me about?" Sabrina changed the subject

"Right" Piero said, "do you and Demi have any Christmas plans?"

"Not really" Sabrina "aside from her birthday on Christmas Eve; I don't plan on doing much. I'll be lucky to even give her a Christmas this year"

"It will be Ellie's birthday too"

"I know"

"We could celebrate the girls together"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm taking Ellie to my cabin in the Poconos for Christmas and New Years" Piero said "I'd love for you and Demi to join us"

"Why?"

"Because I'd like to show how much I appreciate you saving me"

"Mr. Morrone---"

"Piero"

"I don't think that would be appropriate" Sabrina said, "I don't want anyone here to get the wrong idea...I'm your assistant...you're my boss"

Piero should have known Sabrina would be thinking of that. He wasn't blind to the office politics and while it was unspoken he knew that many of the other women hated Sabrina because of how closely she worked with him. It also didn't help that Sabrina was black too.

The other women came at Piero's dick like snakes in the grass when Valentina died and her body wasn't even cold in the ground yet. It was a huge turnoff meanwhile Sabrina had given Piero his space and continued her work.

The women who were so thirsty to get in his pants weren't there to stop him from taking his life....Sabrina was though.

"Nobody has to know"

Piero bit his tongue immediately at those words because the certainly sounded suggestive and Sabrina shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The last thing he needed was to scare Sabrina off or feel threatened.

"What I mean is we don't have to make a big deal about it"

"I don't know....can I think about it?"

"Of course" he said "but I do hope you'll consider"

Piero could already picture the four of them enjoying the holidays. Demetria and Noelle being spoiled with both birthday and Christmas presents. Playing in the snow. Baking cookies to leave for Santa. Decorating the tree. Sitting in front of a roaring fire.

Piero was really imaging them as...well as a family.

"Mr. Morrone I have to go now"

"Right" he said, "if you do decide to come you don't have be so formal"

"I'll keep that in mind"

As painful as it was Piero watched Sabrina leave and was praying that she would say yes. After all Christmas was three weeks away now and he wanted her. He wanted Sabrina in every way possible. The memory of her saving his life played over and over and over in his head.

Piero unfastened the latch on the window and pulled it up. The window went up as far as it could possibly go he would have to just bend his tall frame down in order to fit through.

He couldn't do it anymore.

He couldn't go on anymore.

He should have been the one in the car.

His daughter should still have her mother.

Valentina wasn't here anymore.

It was a breezy October day as the strong wind came blasting through the window. The papers on Piero's desk were now flying around in the room like crazy but he didn't give a damn. It wasn't going to matter soon.

Piero swung one of his legs out the window. He could barely feel the window's ledge with his foot, which was good because it would make his fall swift and fast. He would be dead in just a few seconds.

"Mr. Morrone?"

"Mr. Morrone Sunny Tots is calling to remind you to pick up Ellie----MR.MORRONE!"

"Sabrina?!?"

Sabrina immediately dropped her clipboard and rushed over to him

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?"

"Sabrina please just leave---"

"AND LET YOU LITERALLY COMMIT SUCIDE?"

"I'VE MADE UP MY MIND!"

Piero didn't mean to yell at Sabrina but he really needed to get his point across that he was committed to this. Before Piero could get his second leg out the window Sabrina quickly wrapped her arms around his torso. It was tug of war at this point.

"SABRINA LET GO OF ME!"

Sabrina refused and she gathered all the strength inside of her to pull Piero back into the office. He lost his footing from outside of the window as Sabrina practically dragged him back in the office.

Sabrina tripped backwards on a roll in the office rug and fell to the floor. Due to gravity Piero fell right on top of Sabrina and both of them could hear a very loud pop.

"Ahhh!"

"Sabrina! Are you okay?"

Piero immediately got off of Sabrina and she also tried to get up but fell back again

"My arm!" she cried

"Shh" Piero comforted "don't try to move it okay"

"Do you think it's broken?" she asked scared her eyes were wide with fear now

A little bit of blood tinted Sabrina's sleeve so it was safe to say her arm was broken.

"I'm going to call 911"

"But---"

"No buts Sabrina"

"Mr. Morrone they're going to question what happened"

Sabrina did have a point. It certainly wasn't a good look to have an assistant with a major injury like a broken arm on the floor of her boss's office.

It was then Piero realized Sabrina was thinking of their jobs more than her injury.

This woman literally just saved his life stopping him from making a permanent decision to end it and broke her arm and she was worried about their jobs.

It was because she was a single parent too. Their daughters were only a year apart.

"Nevermind that for now Sabrina" Piero said picking up the phone "let's focus on getting you medical attention"

The ambulance arrived to get Sabrina to the hospital and Piero went to go pick up Noelle. He also picked up Demetria from her preschool as well and the little girl must have asked him a thousand times if her mother was okay.

Piero had to reassure Demetria that Sabrina was just fine. He also let her know that her mother was very brave and they would be able to see her real soon as they sat in the waiting room. Noelle tried to get Demetria to play with her but she wasn't really that engaged.

Once Sabrina had gotten some scans of her arm and it was put in a cast; Demetria was permitted to see her.

"Mommy!"

Piero swore the minute Demetria saw Sabrina she toddled over to her bed; and her mother embraced her with the one arm that wasn't in a cast. Piero scooped Noelle up in his own arms and planted a kiss on her chubby cheek. Guilt washed over him.

Sabrina was the real hero in the room.

All of their lives could have drastically changed if Piero went through with his selfish decision. Sabrina would have been out of a job to support her and her daughter. Noelle would have became an orphan and a ward of the state.

As much as Piero missed Valentina he now realized that he was meant to be here for Noelle. Hell Noelle was meant to be here herself as she had survived the car crash that took her mother's life.

Perhaps Piero was meant to be here for Sabrina and Demetria as well.

It was then Piero realized that he was growing feelings for Sabrina Ellis.

Maybe even loved her.