by Sloan Storm
I raised my hand at her as she plead her case. “Okay, Holly. I understand. Message received. Zero distortion.”
Her half-open mouth snapped shut. As it did, I nodded and pointed past her in the direction of my office door.
“Get Fiona. Tell her to come to my office. Bring her yourself if you have to. Got me?”
“Yes, Gabe,” she said, as the first hint of a smile came to her face. “Gabe, can I just say that I…”
“No, Holly. You don’t need to say anything. I’m responsible for this. Now, please do as I ask, and bring Fiona.”
“Okay,” she said with snap of her head in the affirmative. “I will.”
After Holly left my office, I sat in my chair and reflected on what she’d said. In a way, I’d been guilty of the very same thing I told Fiona not to do. In other words, I was taking out my frustrations on other people at a time when I could least afford it.
In that instant, it became clear to me that the only way to fix this problem was to give it one more try with Fiona. I’d allowed her the leeway to decide whether or not she wanted to continue our arrangement. But as I reflected on my motivations, it seemed to me they were misplaced.
I wasn’t about to let Fiona just end what was happening between us.
At the same time, I had to convince her to get past whatever was holding her back. If there was ever a time to be in salesman mode, this was it. Just then, in my peripheral vision, I noticed a figure appear in the threshold of my office. I looked up to see Fiona standing there, and for once, her hands weren’t concealed in the sleeves of her shirt.
We looked at one another in silence for a moment and then I nodded at her.
“Come have a seat, Fiona.”
I never got used to watching Fiona walk. For someone so uncomfortable with herself, she did move with feminine grace. I admired it as she approached, wanting nothing more than to have my way with her again. Of course, if that was to happen, I had a lot of negotiating to do.
I leaned back a fraction as she took a seat. “How are you?”
“Fine.”
I’ve been around enough women to know that when they tell you everything is ‘fine’, it really means things couldn’t possibly be any shittier and they are likely to get much, much worse.
“Good to hear,” I said.
As I finished speaking, I turned my seat in her direction, facing her completely.
“Fiona, I’ll keep this brief. The reason I’ve summoned you here is because the time is nearly upon us to leave for St. Barth’s. I trust you will be able to make sufficient arrangements with your home situation.”
Fiona nodded. “Yes, I’ll use the same service I used when we went to the resort. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Very good. There is going to be one slight change to the schedule, however.”
“Okay?”
“Yes. You and I will be leaving about a week ahead of time.”
Fiona leaned away, pressing her back into the chair. With a tone of suspicion in her voice, she asked, “All right. Do you mind if I ask why?”
I nodded and leaned forward, interlocking my hands and placing them on the desk in front of me. “Because I said so. The simple fact, Fiona, is that I want to work with you on the presentation away from the distractions here at the office.”
In obvious discomfort, Fiona shuffled in her seat. “Well, there’s still a good deal of work to do as it relates to the clinical trials.”
“That’s true,” I said, as I nodded. “But, all of those things can be easily delegated to Amanda and Melissa. Your role is much bigger than that, Fiona, and the time has come for you to step up and assume it. Of course, I’m not going to let you go through that alone. That’s the reason you and I are going to be going to St. Barth’s ahead of schedule.”
Fiona swallowed hard. For several moments she sat in silence as I looked at her.
“You want to talk about it?”
“I just… I’m just not sure that the presentation is ready, that I’m ready.”
Resting my elbows on the desk, I brought my hands together and started to rub them back and forth with an easy slide.
“That’s understandable, Fiona. In fact, if you’d said anything else, I would’ve been concerned. But the simple fact is that we’ve got terrific science behind us, the research is solid, and we have more than enough to show the investors. You‘ll just have to trust me.“
Fiona lowered her head and brought her hands together, looking at her fingernails.
“I do, Gabe.”
FIONA
Prior to my meeting with Gabe, I’d been honing the presentation in the past week or so. My confidence ebbed and flowed, and it so happened when Gabe summoned me for the most recent discussion, I suffered from a good bit of doubt.
As far as Gabe’s demand I go to St. Barth’s ahead of time with him, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was relieved Gabe was willing to help me polish the presentation. I was more than certain I’d see dramatic improvement with his help.
On the other, well, it meant I’d be alone with Gabe.
He’d been pleasant during our discussion. He didn’t appear to be upset in the least with what I’d said to him at the restaurant. Knowing him though, I’d have to keep my guard up, since there was as good a chance as any he’d try something. But I really had no choice in the matter, so I resolved to be on guard and make the best of it.
With respect to the presentation, my hard work began to pay off. I’d grown much more at home speaking in front of crowds, thanks to my Toastmasters speeches. In addition, my position at Hawkins Biotech required regular meetings with the staff, during which I had to lead from the front of the conference room.
And, as if that weren’t enough, I rehearsed in front of my grandmother on a regular basis. By now, she knew the speech as well as I did, and I wouldn’t have put it past her to be able to deliver it in a pinch.
It so happened tonight was one of those nights, and as I wrapped up another dry run in her bedroom after dinner, we discussed where I could improve and shore up my weaknesses. The good news was that, little by little, my confidence grew.
And although my grandmother knew all about the presentation, she had no idea it was in St. Barths. I’d have to break the news to her sooner or later, and as we wrapped up my rehearsals for the night, the time had arrived.
I took a sip of a nearby glass of water with a bit of honey and lemon. It was supposed to work wonders on the throat when you’re doing a lot of speaking. It must have worked to some degree, because since trying it, I hadn’t had any issues. After two large gulps, I set the glass down on my grandmother’s nightstand. The tart and sweet of the liquid swirled down my throat like a liquid candy cane. After I finished, I plopped down on the mattress next to my grandmother. The springs in the bedding squeaked as I settled at her side.
“Grandmother,” I began. “We have to talk about a couple of things, all right?”
My grandmother reclined her head into her pillow. Rolling it towards me, she glanced up at me over the tops of her bifocals. Weary lines swept out from beneath her spectacles and deepened as she offered me a tired smile in response.
“Okay, dear. Is it about your presentation?”
“Yes. Well, yes and no.”
“What do you mean?”
I cleared my throat, and after sliding a chunky strand of hair behind my ear, I began.
“Well, so you know I’m doing the presentation, but what you don’t know is that I’m not doing it here… in town I mean.”
“Oh,” she said, as she paused and eased further back into the pillows. “Well, where will you be going?”
I spent the next few minutes explaining where St. Barths was and why Gabe felt it necessary to gather key employees and especially investors there. By setting up a casual meeting environment, he intended to have the whole process run a lot smoother.
My grandmother nodded as I spoke.
“Very good, dear. I’m so thrilled things ar
e going well.”
I reached down and wrapped my fingers around her forearm. With a curl of my digits, I squeezed the paper thin, near-translucent skin and frail muscles.
“Well, so I’ll be gone for a while, Grandmother. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Well, of course, Fiona.”
“And you’re okay with it?”
“What choice do I have Fiona? Even if I didn’t want it, we need the money and your job is the only thing bringing it in for us.”
“Okay,” I said, as I smiled and released her arm from my grasp. “You know I worry.”
“Don’t, dear.”
I explained to her I’d arranged for the same in-home nursing care I’d hired for my short-lived spa retreat with Gabe. She seemed more agreeable than I suspected. In the end, I assumed she probably realized there was no alternative. She was in no condition to travel, and even if she could, the meeting in St. Barths was far from a family outing.
“Honestly, Fiona,” she said, as her eyes drifted closed. “You don’t have a thing to worry about.”
I chuckled. “You know that’s not possible, don’t you? I worry about everything.”
“Yes, I do my dear. Try not to worry about this, though. I can assure you I’ll be fine. I’ve got a bit of time yet before this cancer takes me.”
I pursed my lips at her. “You know I hate it when you say things like that.”
“I know, Fiona,” she muttered.
I sensed sleep descend on her as she closed her eyes. If I didn’t hurry, I wouldn’t be able to tell her the other half of my story. Still relieved she’d reacted well to being left here with a nurse, I continued on to the more exciting part of the news, for her anyway.
“Listen, Grandmother. There’s something else I need to tell you.”
“I’m sorry my dear, but can it wait? I’m very tired.”
I shook my head and reached towards her thigh, squeezing it a bit.
“No. It can’t.”
After another moment or so, my grandmother opened her eyes and nodded. “All right.”
I’d debated telling her about the possible cancer treatment coming out of the clinical trials. The truth was that even if she could be accepted on an experimental basis, it was still a long way off. However, I reasoned that if I at least told her about it, perhaps it would give her the motivation she needed to seek chemotherapy. If she could hold on for a little longer, there was a chance she might live long enough to become a candidate.
And so, after a deep breath, that’s exactly what I did. I told her everything I knew and what it would all mean to her. She listened intently for several minutes until after a final nod, she looked at me and spoke.
“Well, so what’s the difference between this treatment and everything else out there?”
“Good question, Grandmother,” I replied. “It’s a long explanation, but basically the treatment starves the cancer cells of the nutrients they need to survive and thrive. The best news of all is that it should pose no toxicity risk.”
“So, it’s not harmful to me, like the chemo?”
“It shouldn’t be. No.”
“I see.”
Reminding her, I continued, “But the thing is, we’re still a long way off from experimental trials, Grandmother. Even though you’d have an excellent chance to be a candidate, you still have to do chemotherapy to have any hope of living long enough.”
No sooner had I finished than she shook her head and dismissed my suggestion with a wave of her hand.
“That’s not living, Fiona. It’s a living death.”
I scooted closer to her. Taking her fingers in mine, I rubbed the back of her bony hand. “Grandmother, please. Just promise you’ll think about it.”
She looked at me without a word for a few seconds, until at last, she nodded.
“Okay dear, I’ll think about it. I promise.”
GABE
I loved being in St. Barths. Of course, I loved being in the office as well, but every so often it’s nice to get away for a bit. While this wasn’t just any ordinary getaway, a change of scenery was never a bad thing. The stakes were high for Fiona and frankly, even higher for me. To achieve the goals I’d set for her presentation and for our arrangement, I’d need to have her as relaxed as possible.
And so it was after breakfast on our first full day on the island, I stood out on a large veranda connected to the dining room overlooking a nearby bay. I’d gotten up before Fiona and already had my breakfast. I stood at the edge, leaning my hip against the hardness of the wood railing. I looked out over the blue water, already dotted with a handful of sailboats and a few local fisherman returning from their early morning catch.
Drawing my gaze upward, I noticed a handful of seagulls high above the shore. They circled, dove and climbed, harnessing the power of the updrafts from the ocean to levitate themselves like tiny kites. Distracted by the serenity of it all, I hadn’t heard her approach.
“Good morning,” Fiona said, as she came to a stop a few feet behind me.
The sun wasn’t yet up over the island’s eastern-most cliffs, so I had no need to shield my eyes from it. Instead, as I turned to look at Fiona, it was as if in some ways I saw her again for the first time. Warm orange streaks and soft pink hues draped across her milky-white complexion like watercolors over a blank canvas.
To my pleasure and surprise, she looked at ease and rested. Not only that, but she was clad in a fine white hotel bathrobe that hugged her curves in all the right spots. I began to admire other assets besides her baby blue eyes and kissable mouth. My cock twitched. The silent, lust-filled stares didn’t go unnoticed for long.
“Why are you looking at me like that, Gabe?”
I set my coffee cup on the railing.
“Just admiring the scenery.”
Fiona rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Perfect. Nothing like getting under her skin a bit to start the day out right.
I winked at her and gestured for her to come stand next to me.
“How’d you sleep?”
“Fine,” she replied. “There’s something about being away from home… I didn’t wake up once all night.”
I smiled. “Good. Glad to hear it. Did you have anything to eat yet?”
“No, not yet.” Fiona looked out towards the bay as she answered me. A steady breeze rustled her hair.
“Well, you better grab something. We’ve got to leave in an hour.”
“Oh?” she said, as she turned to face me. “I thought we had a bit of down time for a couple of days.”
“We do. This isn’t work-related.”
Before she could reply, I pointed in the direction of the bay towards the sailboats.
“See that?”
Fiona swiveled her head and followed the line of my finger. “See what?”
“The sailboats.”
“Yes. What about them?”
“That’s what we’re doing today. Just you and me. We’re going sailing.”
All of sudden, Fiona showed me the back of her head as she broke her gaze on the bay. She began to walk away from me and I studied her as she moved. The boards of the veranda creaked a bit as she stepped until at last, she stopped, about ten feet away. Grabbing my coffee cup, I made my way over to her.
After taking a sip of the smoky blackness, I closed to within a few feet of her.
“Something the matter?”
“I-I can’t go on a sailboat, Gabe.”
“Why? Are you afraid you’re going to fall overboard and drown?”
“Something like that.”
I wrinkled my brow and made my away around in front of Fiona. As she came into view, I noticed she’d started to spin the gems on her bracelet back and forth. I watched for a couple of moments, and after another gulp of the bitter dark liquid, I spoke once again.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“No,” she said with a whisper.
As Fiona finished her thought, she attempted to walk past me.
I stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
“Gabe please…”
“What? What’s going on with you Fiona? Why are you afraid of the water… going sailing?”
She tilted her head upwards, and as her eyes came into view, I noticed they held a thick gloss in them. A fraction of a second later, tears began to flow. Fiona’s lips curled upward, and before I realized it, she crushed herself into me. As she sobbed, uncontrollable jerks of her shoulders and pulses of her torso shook her. I slid my arms around her upper body, holding her with a tender, but firm embrace.
We stood there in silence for the better part of a minute as she wept. I did my best to comfort her, but she seemed to be inconsolable. Her body shuddered as wave after wave of emotion ripped through her. The nearby canopy echoed with the sounds of her wails and moans until at last, I moved my hands to her shoulders and leaned away from her.
“Fiona. What is wrong? Was it something I said?”
Red-eyed and puffy cheeked, Fiona looked up at me through a sheen of grief. She shook her head. “N-No. I-It’s n-not you, Gabe. I-I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, Fiona. Whatever it is you can tell me.”
She shook her head again. “N-No, I-I can’t. I can’t. I can’t…”
I glanced down at her bracelet once more. “I noticed you touched that just before you started to cry. What’s with the charm bracelet, Fiona?”
Fiona made two quick swipes across her face, erasing the tears as she did. After a sniffle, she stood tall and grew stone-faced.
“Gabe, please. I asked you politely. I don’t want to talk about it, okay? I’m sorry for behaving like that.”
I shook my head at her sudden obstinacy. “Okay, Fiona. I won’t press you on it. I’m going to get ready.”
With that, I turned and began to walk away. As I did, Fiona cleared her throat. “Where are you going?”
I stopped and did half-turn, looking at her over my shoulder. “Sailing. Remember?”
“Oh,” she said with a nod. “Right.”
I looked at her for a moment before turning away again and heading inside. But, I hadn’t gotten more than a foot or two before she spoke up once more.
