No Strings Attached

Stereotypes and clichés weren't Kimberley Rae Scott's thing. But it was safe to say Kimberley Rae Scott didn't lead a life jam packed with them. But as she stepped into the lift on the 23rd floor of The Ivy Hotel, New York City, Kimberley began to fear the worst for her cliché-less life.

It had been a difficult day to say the least, working for one of the top law firms in the country... not that she didn't enjoy her job beyond belief, the thrills of arguments, digging deep into cases, learning something new every day, plus the many perks that came with the job, but honestly, it was stressful.. and the people. God, the people worked her nerves to the edge! She wanted a change. She'd been qualified for over five years now, and whilst the industry was tough, she was well ahead of her game and knew she could be one of the best. 

It was time for a new start. But how was she meant to jump ship?

All of these thoughts ran through her mind as she made her way towards the elevator.

As the lift was full to bursting, Kimberley squeezed herself into a small space between the floor buttons and the door, underneath a particularly large gentleman's arm. She stifled a cough and placed her long fingers over her nostrils to block out the body odour which was now wafting into her nose.

Her eyes flicked over to a smartly dressed gentleman in the corner of the elevator and her jaw dropped. Around 27 years of age, this man was tanned and tall with what looked like the silkiest brown hair she would ever see, all she wanted to do was run her hands through it. Kimberley noticed the way he fiddled with his tie impatiently waiting for the lift to arrive at his destination.

From the side of his face, she could tell that he was absolutely gorgeous, a man who could make any woman's panties drop with just a click of his fingers. He just gave off the vibe of being a man with intense power and intense good-looks on top of that.

Taking her focus off the man for a second, she remembered the abhorrent smell, which she could now taste. Trying not to gag, she glanced over to the smartly dressed man standing on the other side of the elevator. Sensing her disgust, he gave her a warm smile, showing those pearly white teeth that he was most famous for, unknown to Kimberley herself.

The lift stopped and made a sound similar to that of a distressed cat, which caused everyone in the lift to wince in pain, the sound easily able to burst someone's eardrums if it had lasted for a longer period of time, which thankfully, it did not, but still left all occupants of the lift with a ringing in their ears.

The doors of the lift opened revealing the 30th floor, which housed the crèche, the spa and various other places of leisure.

Kimberley was pushed against the mahogany lift wall as there was a large push to get out first. Opening her eyes once more, she noticed that the only people left inside the contraption were herself, the smartly dressed man, the man who smelt, who had thankfully removed himself from her head, a nurse and a woman holding a sleeping baby.

The man smelling of body odour tapped his foot in the most annoying fashion, which made the nurse sigh so heavily, her shoulders rose to her ears causing her stethoscope to fall to the floor. She subsequently bent over to retrieve it.

Kimberley observed the details of everything going on in the lift. It was something she prided herself on, attention to detail. It was vital for her job, the particulars, the details, everything that made her the organised, intelligent woman that she was.

What Kimberley hadn't noticed, shockingly enough due to her line of work, was that the smartly dressed gentleman standing on the opposite side of the elevator, happened to be one of the  most notorious, and indeed richest lawyers in the United States of America.

Riccardo Carlosito Alonso wasn't a stereotypical person either.  After leading 27 years of misery trapped under the thumb of strict Puerto Rican parents, Riccardo decided that he had to make his own way in life, without relying on his parents or their ability to pay for the best tutors this side of the Atlantic.

Riccardo's parents were first-generation immigrants but they had a difference from most stereotypical Puerto Rican men and women. They were rich. Rich immigrants to New York City were few and far between, but the Alonso family happened to be one of them. Their money didn't do much for them in Puerto Rico, they were the top of the chain. So, they packed up and moved to New York in search of a better life.

Riccardo's mother, Alejandra Rosa Longoria was born in the south of Puerto Rico, to parents who were treated almost as if they were the monarchy. Alejandra's father was one of the most respected members of Parliament and Alejandra's mother, a stock broker, who often travelled to America to take advantage of the high trade that took place there.

However, Riccardo's father, Carlosito Jose Alonso, a man Riccardo sought to have little contact with now, came from most modest and humble beginnings. Carlosito's mother was a maid, coincidentally to the Longoria family, and his father, a farmer who happened to buy a Lotto ticket one Wednesday afternoon and win the jackpot worth a very, very pretty penny. So when Alejandra's mother suggested that Carlosito and Alejandra get together, the only path that it could lead to was marriage.

Alejandra fell pregnant almost immediately after the wedding and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in the spring. They named her Rosalina, as the first time Carlosito and Alejandra met; he gave her a red rose to match the red dress that she was wearing.

Later, Carlosito got a job in America, as a city banker, a profession he had always wanted to go into. So, Carlosito, Rosalina and a now heavily pregnant Alejandra, made their way to the States for a new life.

Alejandra later gave birth to Juan and then Riccardo and they lived a typical suburban life just outside of New York City. As typical as it could be after his parents later divorced...

But of course, Kimberley knew nothing about Riccardo's life. Why, she didn't even know his name.

But as we already know, from Kimberley's experience with the man with a lack of deodorant, fate always has a way of working itself out and Fate... well, fate was going to bring this pair together. 

Even if they didn't know it yet.