by Stewart, Ann
“I need all of the blues to stand up.” Alex adjusts his tie and stands, placing his napkin on the bare plate in front of him. “Now, blues head to the table number that is one above yours. Sit and get to know your neighbors. I will blow a horn which will alert the blues to switch tables again. Continue this until you’ve had a chance to talk with at least one person from each of your neighboring tables.”
Taking his cue to leave, Alex shrugs off his jacket baring his vest and white button down shirt. Salivating, I thoroughly inspect every inch of him. I’m completely mesmerized and can’t take my eyes off him. Shaking my head, I’m brought back to earth as Alex leans down to whisper in my ear. “I’ll see you in a little bit.” As he’s about to walk away, he leans down again, forgetting to tell me something, “Oh and can you do me a favor?” I nod. “Will you please put on your jacket? I’ve already been in one fight because of you; I don’t need to get into another.” He grins, heading with three other gentlemen to table number four.
As soon as they are all up, the wait staff comes in and removes all of the remnants from breakfast. Just as I’m about to put my jacket back on, I’m interrupted with yet another tap on my shoulder. This time, Oliver decides to occupy the chair Alex just vacated.
“Hi! Elyssa, right?” He glances down at my low cut shirt, staring at my cleavage. I can already tell he’s that kind of guy, but I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt, assuming he was searching for my name tag. It’s true that attractive men get away with murder, because normally I would have felt insulted by the complete physical Oliver just gave me with his eyes. But, there’s something about him, something I can’t quite put my finger on. He intrigues me. Grabbing my jacket, I slip my arms through before adjusting my lapel to show my name tag. You know, just in case that’s what he was looking for.
“Oliver, right?” His eyes shoot up, and once again he’s giving me that ‘you can trust me, but you really shouldn’t’ smile. Although he’s very forward, I immediately like him. His charisma, mixed with his toothy smile and rugged demeanor, is undeniably appealing. Watch this; I can be forward, too. “So, Oliver, how does this work? This is my first,” I tease.
“Oh a virgin! What a treat it is for you that I get to pop your cherry.” He claps his hands together, rubbing them before continuing. “You know I usually don’t get serious when I first meet someone, but I gotta tell you…there’s something about you,” he admits, mirroring my thoughts. I have an odd attraction to him. Nothing like what I feel for Alex, but there’s definitely a feeling of comfort around him.
I burst out laughing at his inappropriate innuendo. “God, you love hearing the sound of your voice don’t you? Have you ever been told that you’re rather presumptuous?”
“I have a great voice, if you don’t mind me saying. And yes, I have been told that I’m cocky, but that’s usually by someone who hasn’t said yes to me yet.”
I can’t help but giggle. I don’t think I’ve wanted to laugh this much in months. He’s overconfident, but at least he’s fun. As the horn blows I reach out my hand to greet Oliver goodbye. “Well Oliver, it was nice meeting you.”
“Not so fast!” Oliver grabs my hand but doesn’t let go, sending a jolt of energy up my arm. What is he doing? “Hey Barney, stay at table 2 for me, would ya?” The older gentleman smirks. I remember him from moments ago, devouring his breakfast.
“What are you doing?” I try to tug my hand back, but Oliver has a tight grip.
“I’m still getting to know you. Isn’t that what this little exercise is about?” I shrug, not knowing what else to say. He has no intentions of giving my hand back, so instead I sit and listen to him talk about himself, as he gauges my reaction.
Living in San Diego for a while now, he tells me he’s been looking at relocating to Las Vegas. And now might be as good of a time as any. Wait, why is he talking about Las Vegas? He must have noticed the panic look in my eyes, because he pats my knee with his other hand before explaining. “Don’t worry. I’m not a crazy person. Isn’t boring ole’ Mr. James over there your Sales V.P. at SHI?” he jeers, sticking his thumb out towards Alex.
“Boring no, V.P. yes. It doesn’t appear that you and Mr. James are too keen on each other. What’s that about?” Hopefully Oliver isn’t so tight lipped, because I doubt Alex would tell me, even if I asked.
“Alex is too political, takes things too seriously. I, on the other hand, enjoy myself and make the most of my time, which would include spending time with beautiful women, such as yourself.”
I blush again. Man he’s cheesy, isn’t he? But, I’m a girl, and girls definitely like cheese. The horn sounds again and I realize Oliver is still holding my hand. “Hey, Barney!”
“Yah yah, I’ll go to table four for you, Ollie.”
“Thanks man!” Because I know he isn’t meaning any harm, this time I don’t try and pry my hand away when he squeezes it, reassuring me he isn’t going anywhere. But, as I glance over at Alex, I see him eyeing me suspiciously. A knot builds in my throat. This is going to get awkward, real fast. I’m enjoying Oliver’s company, but he’s going to cause Alex to have a coronary by the look on his face. And, here I was getting jealous over Ms. Pancakes, when I’m allowing Oliver to flirt with me. Not cool, Ely, not cool.
“Still not moving?” I question.
“Nah, no need! I know pretty much everyone here already. Besides, you’re brand spanking new. So shiny, you need breaking in.”
“Well, I think you’re going to make the facilitator angry by not following the rules. Plus there’s a shiny red head at table five who appears to be dying for you to pay her some attention.” Oliver slyly looks over, just as the red head quickly looks away, trying to hide her interests, and failing.
“I’m not really into red heads. I prefer brunettes,” he states, matter-of-factly.
“Well, I wouldn’t want you to disappoint your fans. Besides, I’m here to actually do business, unlike some of us who seem to not have a care in the world.”
“How about you make an honest man out of me then? Teach me a lesson. Here, you can tie me up.” Oliver releases my hand and crosses his wrists, showing a gesture of binding. He’s a little too cocky!
“Something tells me you are untamable. I’m sure many women have tried and I’m sure they failed miserably. Something tells me that you require a lot of attention, probably more than one woman could ever give you.”
Appearing wounded, Oliver brings his hands up to his chest. “Ouch, do I appear that self-absorbed?” I nod. “Well, would you like me to share my observations?”
Crossing my arms, I sit back waiting for him to dazzle me with his wit. “Well, you’re smart and beautiful, confident but not cocky. You take pride in your work and your sweet, but you don’t take shit from anybody. It’s actually a breath of fresh air.”
“What is?” I blush at his long list of compliments.
“That you aren’t like most women. You must be my kryptonite.” Of course he would reference a super hero.
“The point of this exercise is to meet and greet everyone, not to get fixated.” I jump as Alex’s voice comes from behind me. Crap! He needs to stop doing that. Shit! How long has he been standing there?!
“How can you not get fixated on such a lovely creature, James?” Oliver continues to sit, staring Alex down. Thank God he let my hand go before Alex came over. I cringe at the thought of another confrontation.
“Luckily, there are rules to this little exercise. Move along, Prescott! I’m sure there are plenty of your women here. Go and find one of them to harass,” Alex says sternly.
“One of my women, eh? Well from what I’ve learned about our little Elyssa here, she’s turning out to be a pleasant surprise and might be just what I was looking for. Plus, you know I’ve never been one to follow the rules, Alex. But, I wouldn’t want to get Ms. Elyssa here in trouble.”
Suddenly, Oliver reaches over grabbing my right hand. Bringing it up to his lips, he places a brief kiss on my knuckles. I h
eat knowing that Alex is standing behind me.
“Before I go, Elyssa, I wanted to ask you if you’d join me for a drink tonight,” Oliver inquires, sweetly.
Crap! Crap! Crap! I have to play it cool. I need to let Oliver down gently, not that his ego would be affected by my mere relationship status. But this is my chance to show Alex that I’m still taken as far as I’m concerned. “Sorry, but my boyfriend wouldn’t approve of me having a drink with a random guy.” I hope that suffices, Alex. I look up at him, but he gives nothing away.
“I’m not some random guy. Remember, I was your first,” he chuckles. Alex, of course, doesn’t find humor in his little quip, clearing his throat loudly. A little too loud.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m taken in every way imaginable,” I push politely, hoping he gets the hint. Maybe in another life, I would have gone for Oliver. But, having Alex is the most important thing and I’m not about to ruin it over him.
“Alright, alright, I get it. Your boyfriend’s a lucky guy and he must really trust you. Letting you come hundreds of miles to San Diego where there are so many sharks around,” he stands, elaborating each syllable, as he eyes Alex.
“Elyssa….James.” Oliver nods in our direction as he stands and ventures towards table four.
Not wasting another moment and presumably not ever leaving my side, Alex quickly sits in the vacated seat. When the horn is blown again, signaling for the blues to move, he eyes my facial expression closely, but doesn’t budge or say a word. Without any further interferences the rest of the meet and greet goes smoothly. Well, as smoothly as one can imagine when both of us are sitting in awkward silence.
After another twenty minutes or so, Ms. Plum’s eager voice announces our morning break and without hesitation, everyone vacates the room. I stand, needing to use the restroom. Alex, on the other hand, had another idea. Gently grabbing my elbow, he leads me out and down the hall.
Once out of ears length, he explodes, “What in the hell was that all about?” He’s been marinating in his anger for the past twenty minutes and it shows, not only in his tone, but in his distorted face.
I know he’s talking about Oliver, but that wasn’t my fault. Is he really going to get mad at me for something I couldn’t control? I thought I handled Oliver quite well. I guess Alex thought otherwise. “What are you talking about, Alex?”
“That shit with Oliver!” he explains through gritted teeth.
“What about it? He was flirtatious but I had it under control. I do know how to handle myself around other men.”
“Seems he had you handled. You were flirting with him and he was holding your fucking hand.” It was just for a second…wasn’t it?
“Are you serious? What was I supposed to do, pull my hand back? He didn’t know I was taken, but now he does. Besides, I could say the same about you and Ms. Pancakes!”
“Ms. Pancakes?” he questions, and for a second I realize he has no clue what I’m talking about. Was that all in my head? No…no, it wasn’t!
“You and the brunette who made your pancakes this morning seemed awfully chummy. You were talking to her for the longest, all smiles and giggling.” My mocking tone doesn’t help the situation any, but I refuse to take the brunt of his anger when this door swings both ways.
He laughs. “Well if you must know, I asked Ms. Pancakes where I could take my girlfriend for a nice dinner with a view of the ocean. She gave me a great idea and the thought of surprising you made me happy.”
My icy stare defrosts as warmth builds inside me. He said girlfriend. It takes everything that I have not to lunge myself at him and wrap my arms around his neck. Instead, I fidget with my ring, keeping my fingers busy. “So, I’m still your girlfriend?” I look up at Alex through my long lashes, biting my lip in uncertainty.
“You are still taken in every way imaginable, right?” he reaches up, but stops before touching me, bringing his hand back to his side.
“Yes,” I nod. “Does this mean you forgive me?” A large smile spreads across my lips. The realization that we are working towards an amiable reunion puts me at ease.
“This means I’m finally ready to talk. But, we have to get through the rest of the day. Please do me a favor and try to fend off any unwanted attention. I really don’t want to get into any more fights.” He pauses. “Then again, I would love to lay Oliver flat on his ass.”
“No more fighting please,” I pout.
I beam at him as we walk down the hallway. Leaving me at the restrooms, Alex waits for me before we walk back into the conference. With a renewed sense of happiness, the rest of the day seems like nothing can bring us down.
CHAPTER 15
With his jacket draped over his shoulder, Alex smirks as he leans against the wall waiting for the elevator to arrive. I’m ecstatic over our new beginning this morning. But, even though he still wants to be with me, he also said he wants to talk. Talks aren’t usually a good sign. Trying to keep my good mood, I begin to rock from my toes to the balls of my feet as I stare at the numbers above the elevator.
Peering over at me, he asks, “What floor are you on?”
“Fifteenth,” I smile back at him, hoping that we’re on the same floor. But, that would be too easy.
Disappointment touches Alex’s face, explaining that he’s on the seventeenth floor. Pursing his lips, a slow grin spreads across his lips as our eyes meet, “I guess it doesn’t matter. I don’t expect you to spend much time in your room anyways.” Biting my bottom lip, it’s getting harder and harder to suppress the urge to reach out...and touch him. It might be dangerous to be so close to him right now, alone, in such a closed confined space. Especially when he says things like that; words that speak directly to every part of my flushed body.
The car arrives and we both step in. Pushing the button for the fifteenth floor several times, I grow impatient waiting for the doors to close. Close damn it! Looking over at Alex, he’s always so calm and in control of his desires. I, of course, look like the sex crazed freak who’s ten seconds away from pushing him against the elevator wall and wrapping my legs around his waist.
“Impatient?” he muses, as I blush. I nod, biting my lip playfully. If only he knew what I’d like to do to him right now. I’ve never craved anyone before, but my hands are eager to run my fingers along the curvature of his chest and biceps, to trace his sex lines and explore him thoroughly.
But, just like clockwork, my impure thoughts are interrupted by shouting from the distance. Why do we always have bad timing?! “Hold the elevator,” a familiar voice yells from the lobby. Alex places his hand in the way of the door. Instantly, he regrets the favor as Oliver comes bounding in. Really, not even one moment alone with him?
“Hey, thanks James,” he taunts, sardonically. Immediately, his attention turns to me, a seductive smile creeping across his lips. “Hello again, Elyssa.” Oliver nods in my direction as he takes me in. I’m sure Alex wishes that I’d put my jacket back on. Hell, I wish I would put it on. The plunging neckline and lacy material of my shirt gives Oliver the perfect view of my goodies and he’s not shy about his appreciation. “I guess it was fate that we ended up in the same elevator. I think the Gods are telling us something.” A small giggle escapes my lips as I shake my head at him. I’ve never met anyone so unrelenting before, especially since he knows I’m taken.
“What floor are you on?” I sigh, placing my finger near the numbers. I need to get him on his way. My fingers feel antsy as I wait for his answer. Anymore inappropriate comments from him and I’m almost positive Alex would reach over and snap his neck. Something tells me that Oliver would give Alex a run for his money; nothing like the ass whooping Alex gave Cole.
“Fifteenth floor.” Oliver’s eyes search the already lit up buttons, and with a wolfish grin spreading across his lips, he continues. “Now, If I had to guess, I’d go with the V.P. on the seventeenth, which leaves you on my floor,” he winks at me as he leans against the elevator wall. Does he get any cheesier?
I bite my lip as I avoid looking in his direction. I have so much on my plate with Alex already; Oliver is only making it worse. Just as I’m about to admit which floor I’m on, Alex chimes in.
“Guess it’s not your day Prescott, cause it looks like you and I are sharing a floor.” I suppress a smile as I bite the inside of my cheek. Alex doesn’t handle jealously well, but he’s doing a remarkable job of keeping Oliver at a distance, without using his fists to make his point. Disappointed, Oliver pouts as he turns to face the elevator door, leaving me to sneak my room key to Alex. Palming the card in my hand, I reach out as his fingers brush against my wrist. We exchange cards, my eyes closing at his heated touch.
Coming to a halt, the doors open and both Alex and Oliver begin to walk out. Being the persistent flirt that he is, Oliver turns, holding the door open with his hands. Standing with his arms extended out, his flexing biceps peek out of his short sleeved dress shirt. “Have dinner with me.” Oliver’s tone is different; his words laced with a sense of desperation.
“Oliver, I….”
“Fine drinks.” His eyes search for any sign of wavering. I’m sure my unrelenting rejection is unfamiliar to him. Just like Alex, women probably throw themselves at him.
Lurking behind Oliver, Alex is tense as he runs his hands over the back of his neck. “There’s no point, Oliver. I’m taken. You’re wasting your time.” The elevator doors attempt to close, but again, Oliver pushes them back.
“I don’t know what it is about you, but something tells me that if I let you go…I’ll regret it.”
Stepping closer to Oliver, Alex’s eyes fill with anger. His hands are fisted at his side as he watches my every move. Leaning in, I place my hands over his forearms, “Oliver…regret requires a missed opportunity. Trust me…you never had a chance.” I push against his arms allowing the elevator doors to finally close on their shocked and approving faces.
With the door closed I text Alex.
