by Twyla Turner
Noelle laughed deeply.
“True, true.”
“I think he just wanted to make my mom happy. Besides, his family has been here for generations. My mom’s first generation American. So, a lot of the traditions are still fresh. My dad didn’t care as long as he could take care of us and my mom was happy.”
“They sound so sweet. I can’t wait to meet them.”
“Well, you won’t have to wait too long because we’re here.” Jake said as he pulled into a parking space.
The house was an old two-story red brick home with ivy growing up half of the front.
Jake helped her out of the car and opened the black rod-iron gate for her. They walked up the steps and stopped in front of the door.
“They’re here!” Someone shouted before they could even knock on the door.
“See, nosy. You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Just follow my lead when they start asking a ton of questions.”
“Got it.”
The door opened almost before Noelle could finish her last two words.
“Hey, Ma!” Jake said.
“Jacopo! What took you so long?” She asked him as they hugged.
“Ma, there was traffic. And it’s literally three minutes past 5.”
“You could’ve gotten here earlier to spend more time with your poor old mother.”
“Ma, I want to introduce you to my lady, Noelle.” Jake said, changing the subject.
Noelle had no idea the two words ‘my lady’ could or would melt her like butter on a hot summer day. But there she was a puddle on the front stoop.
“Hello, Mrs. Keller.”
“Oh stop! Call me Elena.” She said as she practically shoved Jake out of the way and clasped Noelle’s arm to pull her inside. “Any woman of Jake’s that he’s actually willing to bring home, is family.”
“Hmm…so that doesn’t happen very often?” Noelle asked curiously and looked back at Jake with a sneaky grin.
“Let me think. NO!”
“Stefania, when was the last time your brother brought home a girl?”
“Uh…high school.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“Do you remember, Ariana?”
“I’m almost positive it was prom his senior year. That was decades ago.”
“You see. That basically makes you family.”
Noelle smiled brightly.
“Women.” Jake shook his head. “Where’s Pop?”
“Andrew!” Elena shouted down the hall. “Jake and his new lady friend are here!”
“Noelle, these are my sisters. Ariana, Stefania, and Bianca.” He gestured to the three pretty women sitting in the front room. “Sisters, this is Noelle. Be nice to her or I’ll kick your ass.”
Jake didn’t know his mother was still behind him, so he didn’t see the smack coming. Elena cracked him on the back of the head.
Noelle swallowed a guffaw of laughter.
“Watch your mouth.”
“Yes, Ma.”
“Jacopo?” Noelle asked under her breath.
“I hate it. My dad also let her name us. But everyone calls me Jake…except her.” Jake rolled his eyes but not before checking to make sure Elena wasn’t looking.
“Ma, Noelle brought you something,” Jake said, holding up the pie and bottle of wine.
“Oh, that’s so sweet, my dear.”
“It’s just a sweet potato pie and some wine. I didn’t want to come empty-handed.”
“Well, I appreciate it.” Elena patted her arm. “Jake take them into the kitchen and put the pie with the other desserts.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Noelle settled in and the camaraderie of a big family was always the same. They were talkative and friendly. They teased her like they’d known her for years. And regaled her with stories of Jake as a young boy and teenager.
Jake’s father was just as he’d described. Strong and silent. But he was kind and handsome. Noelle could see where Jake got a lot of his good looks and silver eyes from. He’d only gotten his coloring from his mother’s side.
No matter if she was watching them exchange gifts, chatting, or helping with his sisters’ kids or dinner; Noelle often caught Jake watching her with a small smile on his face.
Their whole arrangement was beginning to feel surreal. Noelle didn’t know whether they were still pretending or if they had actually become something more.
She hoped she’d get the courage to ask him when the night was over. Because as of the end of the night, their little scheme would come to an end.
Did he want to keep seeing her after it was over? Was the arrangement just the beginning? Or were they going to go their separate ways?
Noelle honestly couldn’t picture him not in her life, now that he was in it.
Well, she wasn’t one to hold back her feelings or play games. On the way home from her company party she intended to ask him if they would continue seeing each other or go their separate ways.
The car rolled past mounds of snow that had been plowed against the curbs and sidewalks. Houses decorated with Christmas lights that eventually gave way to streets lined with trees covered in white lights, reflected on the car window as they made their way into downtown. Jake glanced over at Noelle. She had been quiet. Like she was deep in thought.
He hoped that her thoughts were similar to his own. And his were somewhere along the lines of wanting to make this thing, this arrangement they’d come up with, real.
Jake couldn’t remember the last time he was so happy. The way she blended in so comfortably with his family had him ready to ask her to spend the rest of her life with him. His family could be intimidating and overwhelming, which was why he rarely brought a girl home. But the way Noelle mixed right in with them, without any help from him, was what he didn’t even know he’d been waiting for. His family meant the world to him, so whoever he was with had to get along with them.
At the end of the night, Jake planned to ask Noelle if she wanted to make their little bargain real. He couldn’t let tonight end and just walk away. She felt like a part of his life now.
Maybe I can send out a feeler first, to see if she’s down with the idea of continuing dating.
“So…what are your plans for New Year’s?”
Noelle looked over at him, surprise lighting her eyes.
“I’m doing the New Year’s Eve cruise on the lake with some friends.”
“Nice. You know, I’ve never done that cruise before.”
“Me neither. Y-You want to come?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
Jake smiled at her and Noelle’s eyes danced with happiness.
“Oh, if you want to drink for free, we should park your car at my place and take the L or a cab to the party. Because trust me, the dranks be flowin’,” Noelle joked.
“Sounds like a good idea.”
Jake made a turn to take them back to her building. He parked the car and pulled out his phone to request a rideshare. It only took a few minutes for the Uber to pull up. They swapped cars and headed for the party.
The car stopped in front of the old historical building The Rookery. Valet that had been hired for the evening, opened their car doors for them. They stepped out and Jake came around the car to help Noelle up onto the sidewalk as their Uber drove off.
“You work here?!” Jake said looking up at the 12-story reddish-brown brick building.
“I do.” Noelle smiled proudly. “It’s considered the oldest standing high-rise building in Chicago. It was finished in 1888 and in 1905 Frank Lloyd Wright remodeled the lobby. Well, it’s more like an atrium. They call it the Light Court. You’ll see why once we’re inside.”
Jake guided Noelle inside, and they dropped their coats off at coat check. As they walked into the center of the building, Jake’s mouth gaped open. He’d lived his whole life in Chicago and never stepped foot inside the building. The atrium at the center of the building was breathtaking. It was two-stories.
The main floor was made of white marble. The walls and pillars were white with gold details. A grand staircase led to the second level. Its railings that ascended and wrapped around the second level balcony, were made of iron in a starburst design. On the opposite side of the grand staircase on the second-floor balcony, twin stairs curved up into what must have led to the offices above. The lower level also had businesses. Many were high-end stores. And the ceiling was made of glass, and an intricate pattern made from white painted steel protected it.
Jake assumed the glass ceiling brought in tons of light during the day. The name Light Court was apropos.
“My company moved to this building a few years before I started working for the ad firm. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“It really is. I can’t believe I’ve never seen it before.”
“I don’t think a lot of people have. I bet more tourists have seen this building than locals.”
“Now, I feel like I need to take a historical Chicago architecture tour.”
“Maybe we should.” Noelle said slyly as she placed her hand in his and guided him the rest of the way.
The atrium was decorated with a big Christmas tree and several tables were set up around the room. A long banquet table was loaded with food. A temporary bar was setup with a bartender behind it, ready to serve drinks. And a DJ was cranking out a variety of music perfect for mingling until the party and drinking really got underway. Then the dance music would begin.
“I didn’t even know companies still had holiday parties like this anymore.” Jake observed.
“Right?! I’m lucky. Our CEO wants her employees happy, so we get a lot of the benefits companies used to give before everything went to shit over a decade ago.”
Noelle smiled happily at him, but Jake’s stomach had begun to churn the moment they stepped into the gorgeous building. Seeing the environment where she worked and how high-end everything seemed, Jake couldn’t fathom why she was slumming it with him.
Everything about Noelle was refined. She was classy. She lived in a high-rise, actually in downtown, which was not cheap. He was a mechanic. He came home every night covered in grease, oil, and grime. He liked to kick back with a beer and maybe go to a Cubs game. And as she guided him over to some of her colleagues, he could see why she opted for suit and tie guys before she’d met him. They would fit in this world. Her world. Even in his dress clothes, he felt out of place. As if they could see right through his new fancy clothes to the mechanic coveralls he wears.
“Hey, guys!” Noelle said as she walked up to a mixed group of women and men. “This is Jake. Jake this is…” she went on to introduce him to everyone.
The names and faces all blurred together. A lot of Karens and Susans, Kevins and Chads. But Jake smiled politely and shook each of their hands.
“Oh, he is handsome.” One of the ladies fake whispered to Noelle.
“That he is,” Noelle grinned.
Jake smiled back and tried to take a deep breath. Get it together, ass! At no point has she treated you like you don’t belong.
“What do you do?” A guy with pre-maturely thinning hair and a paunch to his stomach asked in a snarky tone.
“I own an auto shop and I’m one of the mechanics there.” Jake answered, looking the man square in the eye, daring him to say something off the cuff.
“An entrepreneur who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. I like it.” Another woman stated as she eyed him like a pork chop.
“I think it’s time to get a drink. Excuse us,” Noelle said before pulling Jake away from the gathering.
When they reached the line for the bar, Noelle turned to look at him.
“I’m so sorry, Jake. That douche is just pissed that I got the position we were both up for. But the rest of my coworkers can be…” Noelle left the sentence hanging, unsure of what to say.
“I understand. You don’t have to apologize for them.”
“But you now see why I wanted a date for this thing, right?”
“Yeah.”
“If it’s not my family, it’s my colleagues.” Noelle rolled her eyes.
“When people get bored with their own lives, they like to start meddling in the lives of those around them.”
“Exactly. And they love meddling in the lives of single folks.”
“Our mothers are a prime example,” Jake smirked.
“YES! When we eventually get our drinks, we have to toast to that.”
~~~
They finally reached the bar and ordered their drinks. Rosé for Noelle and a beer for Jake. They clinked their glasses together to kick off the evening. They mingled a bit here and there, but mainly stayed to themselves.
Jake wasn’t his usual talkative and gregarious self, which had Noelle on edge. She didn’t know exactly what had changed. What had made him crawl inside himself.
Luckily, the DJ intervened.
“Who’s ready to get this party started?!” He shouted into the mic.
Several whoops and shouts filled the room.
“That’s what I thought. Now that you’ve got a little bit of that drank in you. So, fellas, loosen those ties. Ladies, let your hair down. And get out on that dancefloor and shake what ya mama gave ya.”
He cranked up the volume and the music pulsed through the speakers like a beacon leading everyone onto the dancefloor. The bass vibrated through Noelle’s chest. They’d put back a few drinks already and Noelle felt the effects of the alcohol taking over.
“Come on. Let’s dance. I wanna see what kind of rhythm you got.” Noelle smiled seductively and grasped Jake’s hand. “You have all this swagger. Does it translate to moves on the dancefloor?”
Jake raised a dark-winged brow. “Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea.”
“Ooh…cocky much?” She asked as she backed onto the dancefloor.
“Not cocky. Confident.” He replied as he stalked after her.
“Bring it.”
The pulsing beats of ‘Stand Up’ by Ludacris brought everyone out onto the floor. Noelle circled Jake as her feet stepped to the rhythm. He nodded his head to the beat and when she reached his front again, he grabbed her waist and pulled her against him. They swayed their shoulders from side to side, following the lyrics suggestion for her to move when he moved. Noelle slowly turned until her ass was nestled into the front of his jeans. She rolled her hips against him. Jake followed her with no problems. She felt his bulge thicken and harden within the confines of his pants as her ass rubbed against him.
“Don’t play with me,” Jake warned against her ear.
Noelle smiled and swayed even more against him. She reached back and wrapped her hand behind his neck, pulling him down further. She turned and whispered in his ear.
“What are you gonna do about it if I do?”
She felt him harden further.
“Don’t forget who you’re talking to. I’m a roughneck. Don’t let these new clothes fool you. I’ll take you on a table in front of this whole room if you push me,” He growled.
“Promise.”
Noelle felt reckless. He brought it out of her. She’d never been fingered in a car on a public street before last week. She’d only ever made love on a bed or a couch. Jake pulled her out of her strait-laced shell.
“Take me to a private area or risk the consequences.”
Without a word, Noelle took his hand and walked off the dancefloor. She led him to the elevator bay. Once inside, she stepped away from him and leaned against the opposite wall. Jake watched her like a hawk. A small smile danced along the edges of her lips as she bent over, lifted her dress just enough to expose the tops of her stockings and the garters holding them in place, and then adjusted them purposely. When she was finished, she dropped her dress back in place and stood up.
Noelle’s eyes slowly rose up her date’s body. The bulge in the front of his jeans stood out prominently. When she finally reached his eyes, she nearly gasped. They were on fire. No one had ever looked at her the way he was looking
at her now.
Her panties were already wet after the seductive dance. Now, she felt a gush of fluid dribble down onto the lace between her thighs. Merely because of a look from the man she was with.
The elevator pinged their arrival. The doors slid open and Noelle reached for Jake’s hand. Their offices were the exact opposite of the historical exterior and Light Court downstairs. Their offices were remodeled in a sleek and modern style.
Noelle led him down the hall to her private office. She opened the frosted door that read:
Noelle Nichols
Creative Director
She turned to Jake to pull him in, and saw his observant silver eyes on her name etched on the door. Jake closed the door, twisted the lock, and leaned back against it. He stared her down as she stood in the middle of her office.
“So…according to the writing on your door, I’m about to fuck a very important woman. On her desk. In her office. Where she makes equally important decisions. And every day after this, she’ll remember how hard I made her cum, when she’s supposed to be working.” Jake said matter-of-factly.
Noelle had no idea how she remained standing. His words hit her so hard she felt off kilter. Her knees were wobbly and ready to buckle under the weight of her arousal.
Jake pushed off the door and strode quickly up to her. He smoothly wrapped one hand around the back of her neck, and the other around her back, before pulling her into an urgent kiss.
Noelle’s hands found their way into his jacket. They slid up his chest and up to his shoulders. She pushed down and he dropped his arms to his sides so the jacket could fall to the floor. The moment his hands were free they were back on her face, clutching her desperately.
Jake walked her back until her ass hit her sleek ultra-modern granite and wood desk. His mouth consumed hers. His tongue stroked against hers in a primal dance. He released her lips on a gasp and trailed kisses down her jaw to her neck. Noelle panted with need.
“Jake…” she sighed.
He drew away, leaving her bereft.
“Come,” he said as he pulled her off the desk.
Jake walked around to her chair on the other side. He positioned her in front of him before sitting in her chair.
