“I’m really sorry, Nora,” Alex replied. “Must have been lonely.”
“No need to apologize. Being an only child wasn’t so bad. It certainly nurtured my creativity and independence, which in turn opened so many doors.”
Lulled by the refined tone of Nora’s voice, Alex found himself enchanted by her poise, her slightest movement fluid and graceful. She was clearly highly intelligent and articulate, and was as different from the other women he had initially been attracted to as salt was to honey.
“I heard you have twin siblings,” she said. “That must have been quite a challenge when you were growing up.”
There was that word again...
“Challenge or pain in the ass, depending up which way you looked at it.”
Nora smiled. “You all seem to have survived childhood intact and given your parents cause to be very proud.”
Though Alex smiled in response, he wondered if that was indeed the case.
*
Leaning against the railing of the sweeping balcony overlooking an ocean basking in the last mauve ribbons of dusk, Alex stared at the flickering lights of a distantly passing ship. Foamy breakers thundering against the shore contrasted sharply against the inky water, the hiss and boom an endless cadence rising above the conversation at the table behind him. Crowned by an opalescent moon rising to the East, emerging stars glittered like a diamante swathe across the darkening sky.
Alex deeply inhaled the briny breeze caressing his face. More than anyplace else he loved the ocean and always felt a peace at his beachfront family home. Though he loved his hi-tech, Art Deco style loft, there were times he wanted to feel the land beneath his feet and the wind at his face.
Laughter rose from the patio, his father’s robust voice echoing loudly. Alex smiled, the decibel count enough to rival the local foghorn.
“Come and have some coffee, darling,” Delilah called out. “Roger’s bringing out some scrumptious pastries.”
Alex turned to see his parents sitting at one end of the circular glass table sipping an aromatic brew from delicate china cups. Nora sat next to Delilah, her complexion beautifully flushed from multiple glasses of the excellent white Bordeaux served with a seafood dinner to rival the best Michelin-rated restaurants. Roger may have been a wannabe Frenchman, but he could spin a meal with the best of them.
“I didn’t think anyone had room for dessert,” Alex quipped as he returned to the table and sat beside Nora.
“I’m afraid I’d find room for dessert even after attending a Viking feast,” Nora said, eliciting a bellow of approval from Brad.
“I think you and I are going to get along just fine,” he said with a chuckle. “Speaking of Vikings, Ben promised to come over and show us footage of his honeymoon.”
“Well, that certainly sounds…interesting.” Delilah said with a smile.
Alex grinned. “Yeah, well, be warned, Nora. Once Uncle Ben takes a liking to you, you might as well have taken the blood oath.”
Nora’s laughter rose like gently pattering spring rain. “I didn’t realize your family had Scandinavian connections.”
“We don’t,” Alex replied, “but ever since my uncle went on a Scandinavian tour some twenty years ago, he’s been obsessed with Vikings. He swears he’s a reincarnation of Radnar Lodbrok, an infamous Norse ruler.”
“Well, I’ll have to make sure I stay clear of his battle ax then,” Nora said.
Brad slapped the tabled and roared with laughter. “We’ll have to set something up when Ben returns,” he said.
Delilah playfully rolled her eyes. “You have to excuse my husband, Nora. Where he and his brother are concerned, it’s like dealing with children.”
“I love it,” Nora replied with a laugh. “Certainly better than being dull and stuffy.”
“You have a point,” Delilah replied smiling. “So do you happen to have a sweet tooth, Nora? I’ve always been partial to chocolate myself.”
“Please, Lilah, don’t even go there!” Nora laughed. “If chocolate were a drug, I’d be a registered addict.”
Alex had a sudden flash of slowly feeding Nora a chocolate dipped strawberry. Her face upturned, eyes closed, he imagined her full, luscious lips engulfing the ripe tip of the berry, her teeth sinking into the sweet pink flesh while droplets of juice trickled down her chin. Her tongue would flick out to catch…
“Oh, goodness,” Delilah said. “I’d be right there with you. Isn’t that right, Alex? …Alex?”
Alex started and looked quizzically at Nora and his parents.
“Darling, are you working too hard?” Delilah asked. “Lately you seem to be in another world.”
Nora grinned but said nothing as Alex glanced from one curious face to another.
“Oh, sorry Mom,” he stammered, struggling to shake the naughty thoughts from his mind. “Still feeling a little jet lagged from the trip and the wedding. You were saying?”
“I was going to suggest to Nora that we should have a chocolate fondue next time she comes by for dinner. That way we girls can satisfy our cravings.”
“Sounds delicious,” Nora said, looking Alex squarely in the eye. “I’m particularly fond of dipped strawberries. What about you?”
What the hell?
Alex’s smile froze on his lips. If Nora was psychic then he was in serious trouble.
“I’m fond of any dipped fruit,” he replied a little too quickly. “As long as it’s ripe.”
Though Roger’s timely appearance diverted attention from him, Alex still felt like an elephant trampling through a rose garden. No matter how cool he tried to be with Nora, his efforts took a kamikaze dive into the ocean every time.
A series of oohs and aahs brought a cocky grin to Roger’s face as he emerged with a silver tray beautifully arranged with assorted tarts, crepes, cakes and cream puffs. Admittedly, the man had talent even though he looked more like burly Hell’s Angels gone bad rather than a Cordon Bleu trained chef.
Delilah clapped enthusiastically. “My goodness, Roger, you’ve outdone yourself this time!”
Setting the tray on the table, he proceeded to refill everyone’s coffee cups and then served individual plates filled with goodies.
“Thank you, Roger,” Brad said, “well done as always.”
Roger bowed and discreetly vanished. For a few moments, everyone focused on savoring the delectable treats.
“You really enjoy your food, don’t you,” Alex said, watching Nora eat with undisguised relish.
“Food is another form of creativity,” she replied. “It’s an art form. You honor great food by eating just as you’d honor great art by admiring it.”
“Beautifully said!” Brad said enthusiastically. “I tell you, this woman’s going to kick some ass.”
Hopefully not mine... Alex thought.
“Roger would be your cook for life if you told him that,” Delilah said. “Cooking is indeed an art form.”
“I think his head is big enough, Mom,” Alex said. “Please don’t encourage him.”
Delilah merely cast her son a disparaging glance. Realizing that he was striking out more than a Little Leaguer, Alex focused on finishing his dessert.
“Have you considered using him for catered events, Mr. Stone?” Nora asked.
“Nora, please, call me Brad. We’re all on a first name basis here!”
“Okay, Brad,” Nora replied smoothly with a grin. “But wouldn’t it make sense to have Roger oversee key functions? Not only would it be less expensive than hiring an outside contractor, but the quality would be far superior. I assume he’s Cordon Bleu trained?”
“Nora, you’re truly amazing,” Delilah said with an impressed smile. “However did you know?”
“Just a guess really,” Nora said. “Roger’s technique with French cooking is similar to what I encountered in France so I assumed he might have trained there.”
“You spent time in Europe, then?” Delilah asked.
“Oh, yes. My parents are seasoned travel
ers. We were always on the go during the summer months, but we were never what you would call traditional tourists. We were more explorers in search of unusual destinations such as the Galapagos Islands, archeological vacations at Olduvai Gorge, the Takstang Monastery in Bhutan, that kind of thing.”
Olduvai Gorge? Alex thought. He’d have to look that one up for sure.
“That sounds so interesting, Nora,” Delilah said. “A far cry from the summers we’ve spent here. You must have some amazing stories to tell.”
Nora smiled warmly. “For sure. I was really lucky to have the opportunity to explore so much. Unlike the kids of today, my entertainment was in everything around me. I was never one for staying at home and watching television. Mind you, I don’t mind watching a show every now and then, but there’s really not a lot that interests me these days. Everything is reality T.V.”
“I agree,” Brad replied. “I find myself always returning to the Discovery Network simply because there’s little informative content elsewhere. Everything is about voting people out of a house or off an island.”
Nora laughed. “You’re so right. I mean how many cat fights, or tearful bachelorettes can you possibly watch?”
Alex instantly thought of Tisa. If catfight was a requisite, she was one reality show waiting to happen.
“I must say Nora… I can’t believe that no one’s snapped you up,” Delilah said, glancing pointedly at Alex. “It’s rare to find such a cultured, intelligent and classy young woman these days. Don’t you agree, darling?”
“All the better reason to be thankful Nora’s joined our team,” Brad replied, nodding in agreement. “Company really needed you, Nora. Besides, some days there’s just a little too much testosterone in the air.”
Nora laughed, though Alex didn’t find his father’s comment quite so amusing.
“Well, perhaps we can compensate by infusing some estrogen in the air then,” she said, “along with a little discreet perfume.”
“That could be quite a potent mix, Nora,” Brad said with a wink, “but if it gives us an edge over the competition...”
“Dad, really,” Alex interjected, “you’re making Nora uncomfortable.”
Actually, Dad, he thought. You’re making me uncomfortable.
“Really, Alex, it’s fine,” Nora said, “consider me one of the boys. A little locker room talk isn’t going to scare me away. In fact, I’ve often used it to my advantage. People tend to judge me as a woman first, person second.” She grinned. “I want no concessions simply because I’m a woman. I want to earn my place just like everyone else.”
Alex stared at his beaming parents. It seemed the Lady Nora was far from a damsel in distress; she was the enchantress, Morgana la Fey.
“Bravo!” said Delilah, casting an amused glance at Alex. “I always thought the company has been a bit too boy’s club for my taste. A woman sees things differently, which is why your campaigns tend to be a little too hard-edged.”
Well, this was news.
“What do you mean by that, Mom?” Alex asked, somewhat irritated. “My campaigns have been nothing but successful.”
“I think what your mother means is that a woman can offer a broader scope of creativity from a more… emotional level, perhaps?” Nora replied, trying to keep the peace. “Most women are the principal shoppers in a household, as we know, so gearing a campaign to meet female expectations and highlighting the things that are most important to women will be our best plan of attack.”
Alex smiled thinly. If Nora went on to start quoting from ‘The Art of War’, he would seriously need a drink.
“Please,” Delilah said. “Let’s not discuss business at the table. Sometimes it just gets...”
Alex barely heard his mother’s continuing words from the cyclone of thoughts swirling in his head. It was more than clear that Nora was not just a new hire, she was a formidable opponent who was more than capable of going mano a mano with him. Here was a woman with brains, beauty ... and balls. Big balls. The status quo was suddenly on the verge of changing very quickly. Suddenly he was afraid, very afraid.
“Well,” he said, desperately searching for a generic response, “with Nora on board I’m sure we can expect Stone Advertising to move into a new era of success.”
Delilah yawned discreetly. “I do beg your pardon,” she said. “Brad, would you like to retire inside for a while? I’m sure Alex and Nora would like an opportunity to get to know each other better.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Brad said, rising to take Delilah’s arm. “I do have a couple of calls to make. Alex, perhaps you’d like to take Nora for a walk on the beach? Show her there are just as many beautiful sights locally as there are in Bhutan?”
“I’d love that,” Nora said, glancing at Alex expectantly. “It’s the perfect night for a moonlit walk.”
Alex rose and motioned toward the gate. “Shall we go?”
Chapter Five
Shimmering beneath a veil of quicksilver moonlight, the ocean’s nocturnal beauty had supplanted the need for conversation. Walking silently along the surf line, shoes in hand, Alex and Nora simply listened to the rhythmic serenade of the water.
Nora finally paused to watch the lights of a distantly passing ship, a soft smile on her lips. Illuminated by the moonlight, her face was even more ethereally beautiful. Watching her from a short distance away, Alex found himself smiling as if physically touched by the emotion in her heart.
“Happy memory?” he asked.
Nora nodded. “When I graduated from college my gift was a Norwegian fjord cruise. I’ll never forget the sight of the midnight sun. I stood on the deck gazing at it as though I had sailed onto the ocean of an alien world. It was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.”
“Sounds amazing,” Alex said. “That’s something I’d like to see.”
Nora turned to look at him. “There’s an amazing world out there, Alex, if you take the time to look for it. For someone who travels so much I’m surprised you don’t know this.”
Alex thought about his many trips ... Cannes, Prague, Cabo, and so many others, his experiences more akin to spring break than any actual appreciation of the location or culture itself.
“You could be right,” he finally said, “but business trips don’t always allow time for much beyond a blur of hotel rooms and office buildings.”
Nora considered him with such astuteness that he wondered if she had seen some of the less than flattering tabloid exposes.
“Advertising is just like any other creative art, Alex,” she said, her gaze suddenly serious. “You simply paint your canvas a different way. Kind of like life, really. It starts out as a blank canvas, but it’s up to you to decide what to paint on it.”
Their gazes locked, and for a fleeting moment, something passed between them. Nora glanced at the moon that revealed its cratered face, its light reflecting in the gleam of her steely eyes.
“It’s been a wonderful evening, but it’s getting late. Perhaps you can drop me off at home?”
“You’re always welcome to stay here for the night,” Alex replied, wanting very much for the evening to go on. “Trust me, Mom’s been waiting for a chance to smother you with Southern hospitality, I’m sure of it.”
“That’s very gracious of you, but I really shouldn’t.” With a deep sigh, Nora turned and started walking back to the house. “I have a lot to do before my first day on the job. And I must say, I’m rather looking forward to working so closely with you.”
Gazing at her profile as he walked beside her, Alex felt another surge of emotion flexing deep within him. Though he tried to fight it, it snaked and coiled its tentacles around him like a mythical sea creature, but for once, he wasn’t frightened by what he was feeling, even though he knew if he let it, it might suffocate who he once was, changing him into a very different man.
This was different…he was different, and he wondered if anything would ever be the same again.
*
Sitti
ng at his desk with his feet propped up, Alex gazed distractedly out the fortieth floor corner office window at the bustling city view beyond. Images of buzzing helicopters and clear, sunny skies reflected from the mirrored windows of adjacent towers, the normally alluring pulse of the steel canyons lost to Alex’s quiet musings.
The trill of his phone distracted him and he shifted, his feet suddenly dropping to the ground. Glancing at the caller I.D, he noticed yet another message from Tisa. He sighed and shook his head. Tisa ... yet again ... hounding him like one of those tiny yapping dogs over-botoxed women always seemed to carry around in their purses. Reluctantly, Alex browsed through the backlog of her countless messages, many he had yet to open, and cringed at a display of nude and semi-nude photos leaping at him from a barrage of suggestive comments and dirty emails. A sexy Jamaican-Latina hybrid with the heat factor of a five-bell alarm, Tisa was every man’s wet dream.
Feeling masochistic, Alex played one of Tisa’s more recent voicemails.
“Hey, baby, it’s Teaze,” she whispered in a breathy, lightly accented phone-sex voice. “Look ... I’m really sorry about the way I behaved at the wedding. I know you were with a colleague. It’s just that I was hoping we could have spent more time together.” She giggled lasciviously. “I was remembering our shower. That was pretty hot, eh querida? As always. You are such an incredible lover, mi amante. You always leave me so breathless…”
Alex had a sudden flash of Tisa at a pool party he had attended with her a couple of months back. The event had been a birthday celebration for a mutual college friend. Ryan had always been part of Alex’s posse, and was renowned for his many wild parties. The evening had started off in the usual manner with a barbecue, drinks, and more than the usual assortment of busty babes, but as the evening had progressed, more than the grill started heating up.
Tisa of course had stood out in a black sequined string bikini leaving little to the imagination. Even as Alex recalled how she swayed her shapely hips to the beat of some smutty Latin rap, the raunchy dance conjured more than a few memories of a tipsy Tisa performing a striptease in front of him beside one of the poolside cabanas.
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