Black Rules

by Charlotte Byrd

  With my arms still wrapped tightly around his neck and my head on his shoulder, we remain for a few moments, enjoying the silence. I listen to the steadiness of his heartbeat and the evenness of his breaths. I no longer feel helpless. I know that just being here for him is enough for now. And I will stay here for as long as he needs me.

  The rain outside intensifies and the raindrops become smaller and more powerful. They sound like little pellets hitting my window.

  “I know we never really talked about it before,” Aiden says after a while. “But I was wondering…”

  His voice drops off. I wait for him to continue without letting him go.

  “This is so dumb,” he says, pulling away from me. I try to look into his eyes, but he keeps them focused on the kitchen table. It’s clear that whatever he's about to ask me, he’s really embarrassed about.

  “What?” I nudge him. “You can ask me anything.”

  “I was just wondering if you would want to be…my girlfriend.” Aiden looks straight into my eyes when he says that word ‘girlfriend’ and it hangs there in the air between us, as if it’s suspended on a string.

  “I know that we never talked about being exclusive. And I’m not even sure if you’re interested in doing that. But I thought that I would ask…because I love you, Ellie. And I want you to be mine.”

  Even before any words come out of my mouth, a big smile forms on my face. I nod and wrap my arms around him as I slide into his lap. He welcomes me with both arms. He buries his fingers in my hair and gives me a big kiss.

  “Is that a yes?” he asks, laughing, pulling away for a moment.

  “Yes, of course, yes,” I mumble through the kisses. “I thought that you would never ask.”

  After a few minutes of making out, I pull away. “Why were you afraid to ask me that?”

  “I don’t know.” He shrugs. “I guess because I feel very vulnerable when I’m with you. Unlike any other woman that I’ve known, you actually have the ability to break my heart.”

  That statement sends shivers down my back.

  “I haven’t been exclusive with anyone since my ex-wife,” he adds. “I never wanted to. Honestly, I thought that part of my life was over. I never wanted to be in a long-term exclusive relationship again. I was never really good at those things anyway. But then…you came along. And, swept me off my feet.”

  I shake my head.

  “What? Why are you shaking your head?”

  “I’m just surprised, that’s all. I love you, Aiden,” I whisper. “It would be an honor to call you my boyfriend.”

  * * *

  Aiden doesn’t stay long after that. He has a lot of work to get back to, trying to figure out how to salvage something that’s pretty much unsalvageable; those were his words not mine.

  “Oh, hey, before you go, I wanted to ask you something, too,” I say. “My friend, Tom, who’s engaged to my old editor at BuzzPost, Caroline Warrenhouse, has invited us to a party that her parents are having at their house in Maine. Do you want to come? My roommate, Caroline, will also probably come.”

  “He’s marrying into the Warrenhouse family?” Aiden asks.

  “Yes, you know them?”

  “I’ve heard of them. They’re quite influential. Old money. Never actually met them.”

  “Well, you will if you come. We can make a weekend of it,” I say.

  “I’ve never been to Maine.”

  “Me either. But it’s supposed to be beautiful. Plus, they have this big estate on the water.”

  Aiden thinks about it for a moment. I’m half expecting him to decline, given everything that he’s going through. But much to my own surprise, he shrugs.

  “Yeah, I guess. Why not?”

  “Really?”

  “I’ve been wanting to go away with you for the weekend. And Maine sounds as good a place as any, I guess.”

  “Okay, great. I’ll text you the details,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck and giving him a big wet kiss.

  “You realize, of course, that Maine will be colder than here, right?” he asks.

  “Yes, I know. But I think we can brave it for a few days.”

  “Only if you promise to go to the Caribbean with me in return, sometime.”

  “To the Caribbean?” I ask, surprised.

  “Yes.”

  “Of course!” I squeal. “You can take me to the Caribbean anytime you want!”

  Chapter 21 - Ellie

  When I do something significant…

  Over the next week and a half, Aiden and I don’t see much of each other as he gets swamped with work and I busy myself with my self-publishing release. After participating in a few giveaways on Instafreebie and Bookfunnel, my mailing list grows to over two thousand people. I’m pleasantly surprised and terrified at the response. It’s actually kind of scary to have so many people download your book. Some of the readers even wrote me really exuberant emails saying how much they have loved the story and they can’t wait for the next installment.

  A few days before the Maine trip, I decide that I’m ready to release the book on Amazon. I’ve watched some videos and have gone through some of the process of posting the book on KDP, the Kindle Direct Publishing platform. My blurb, cover, and the interior formatting is all ready since the book has already been available for free through giveaways. The thing that takes the longest is figuring out what keywords to choose. You wouldn’t even believe how many podcast episodes and YouTube videos are devoted to the subject of how to choose the correct keywords.

  After uploading the cover and the interior formatting, I reach the pricing stage. Since this is my first book, I decide to become exclusive with Amazon and place it into the Kindle Unlimited program. I also choose the lowest price available - ninety nine cents. After publishing, I find myself on an incredible high. No matter what happens after this, at least I have done what I’ve set out to do. I’ve published a book. And no one can take that away from me.

  The book won’t be available in the Amazon store for a day or two, but I decide not to waste any time and start outlining the next installment of the story. Within an hour, I have it all planned out. It’s not that hard to think of what will happen next since it pretty much all happened to me before. The thing that’s a bit more challenging is trying to figure out how truthful I should remain to reality. Every creative person wants to embellish and add a few details for effect. There’s that expression of course, ‘never let the truth get in the way of a good story.’ I’m a firm believer of that. Real life is messy. People in real life don't necessarily undergo thorough transformations and have fully developed character arcs, which make for less than effective storylines. Nor are there punctuated story beats or good buildup in tension that leads to a strong climax. All essential parts of a good story. And while it’s easy to just write down exactly what happened, and how it all happened, I’m not writing a memoir. I want to give a glimpse into the main character’s love interest as well, and for that I need to go into his head. So, what do I do in the end? I decide to split the difference. The book is definitely inspired by my experiences on the yacht with Aiden, but it’s told like a romance. Fiction. And hopefully, it will serve as a good escape for the readers.

  After finishing the outline for the second book, I decide to take a break and grab a bite to eat. Unfortunately, our refrigerator is completely empty of everything edible except for condiments. Neither Caroline nor I are very big fans of grocery shopping. I stand in front of it with the door open, staring into the plastic abyss, hoping against hope to manifest some food into existence without actually going outside.

  “Want to order Thai food?” Caroline asks. Well, that’s one way of doing it, I decide and nod.

  After placing the order on her phone, Caroline plops down on the couch.

  “This is going to be Taylor’s and my first trip away,” she announces.

  Her eyes are lit up at the prospect of going to Maine. She was down for it as soon as I brought it up, despite the fact
that she is not the biggest fan of Tom. I knew that there would be very little chance of her passing on the opportunity to meet one of the most influential families on the East Coast, but I wasn’t sure if Taylor would end up coming along. I guess she has her way of convincing men to do things that they may not want to do.

  “So, are you sure Taylor wants to go?” I ask.

  “I’m pretty sure that he doesn’t. But I promised him something nice in return.”

  “I don’t want to know,” I say immediately. I’m almost certain that it’s something sexual and I already know way too much about her sex life.

  “What about Aiden?”

  “Actually, I think he’s kind of into it,” I say. “With everything that has been going on, I think he’s looking forward to getting away for a bit.”

  Caroline knows everything that I know about Aiden’s situation, which is to say not much. We watched financial news together and Aiden mentioned a few possibilities that are on the horizon. But everything is up in the air since the board of directors are planning to meet sometime soon.

  “I’m honestly surprised,” Caroline says. “I mean I know that he’s dealing with a lot of shit right now, but I never thought of him as a particularly social person in a dinner party sort of way.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask, cracking a smile.

  “Well, you know.” She shrugs. “Going away to a party in Maine for the weekend, that your friend and his fiancée and her parents are hosting, well that’s just such a boyfriend move.”

  I think about that for a moment. “Yeah, I guess it is a boyfriend move. But he is my boyfriend now. Officially.”

  Looking back now, I’m a little embarrassed about how much I gushed over the whole thing to Caroline when Aiden first asked me. But then again, despite everything, I’m kind of a romantic, and it was very sweet, kind, and loving. I love being his girlfriend.

  “Of course, it couldn’t hurt to go up there, right? I mean, the Warrenhouses are quite influential people. And if he were to hit it off with Mr. Warrenhouse, who knows what could happen for him in terms of bringing more investors into Owl.”

  “Oh, I never thought of it that way,” I say, taken a little aback.

  “Trust me, Aiden has,” Caroline says, flipping her hair. Out of the two of us, she has always been more of a cynic, or realist, as she likes to put it.

  “Perhaps, there is something that Mr. Warrenhouse could do,” I say after a moment. “But I wouldn’t get my hopes up. His daughter, Carrie, isn’t my biggest fan. And the whole thing with Tom is rather complicated. I mean, I’m surprised that he even asked me, or even wanted me to come in the first place.”

  * * *

  It’s Friday, the day of our travels to Maine. Aiden is picking me up in his car from my apartment and then we’re taking a plane north. Even though I had more than enough time to pack for this trip, I, of course, have put it off to the very last moment. This morning, I grab my tattered and rather shabby carry-on bag with one broken wheel and toss in a pair of jeans, a few sweaters, and a pair of tights. I pack my makeup into a plastic bag and then pack a small amount of shampoo and conditioner and dry shampoo into a bigger plastic bag. I’m dressed in tights, boots, and a warm sweater. Maine is much colder than New York, and that’s the only thing that I’m not looking forward to.

  Okay, now that I’m basically packed, I also need to put together the outfit for the party. That’s another thing I hate about parties on the East Coast. All the women end up dressed in mini-skirts, short strapless dresses, and open-toe shoes as if they are completely impervious to the cold and we’re going clubbing in Miami. I sigh deeply, but I don’t really have any other choice. I take a short strapless red dress from my closet and a matching pair of four-inch heels. My toenails aren’t in the best shape, but luckily the heels are closed-toe, providing a minimal amount of warmth.

  Caroline and Taylor took an earlier flight to Bangor, Maine, so when I get the text from Aiden that he’s downstairs, I make sure that I lock the apartment, otherwise it will remain open for the whole weekend. That has happened before on my watch, unfortunately. On my way out, I grab my coat as well as a hat and scarf, which I have yet to debut in New York. I always wait until it’s absolutely necessary to put it on because I know that I will likely wear it for the next four months without taking a break, and that gets tedious. Even though I’m braving winter this weekend, that doesn’t mean that New York will turn freezing cold quite yet, I tell myself. I might still have a week or two left of decent weather.

  “You look beautiful,” Aiden says when I get into his car and toss my carry-on into his backseat. Somehow, he managed to find a parking spot right in front of my building. It’s so rare, and unlikely, that I almost find it sad that we have someplace to go.

  “Thank you.” I smile, giving him a brief peck on the lips. “You don’t look too shabby either.”

  “Are you ready for Maine?” he asks, pulling away from the curb.

  “I guess as much as I’ll ever be,” I joke. “No, seriously, it should be beautiful up there. I’m looking forward to that.”

  “And the party?”

  “Um, I don’t know. Parties always make me a little nervous. And I’m a little scared to see my old boss, Carrie, I won’t lie.”

  “Well, I’ll be there to soften the blow,” he says.

  “I appreciate that.”

  Chapter 22 - Ellie

  When Aiden takes me on his plane…

  Aiden gives the car over to the valet in front of a glass skyscraper I’ve never been to before. He waves to the security guard and leads me to the group of elevators in the center of the building.

  We ride in the elevator, going all the way to the top of the building. I’m pretty sure we’re taking a helicopter. When we reach the roof, the helicopter’s propeller is already on and I can’t make out anything that Aiden is saying anymore.

  Aiden hands our bags over to the pilot and takes my hand. He’s dressed in an impeccable blue suit without a single wrinkle in it, despite the fact that he was sitting in the car for quite some time.

  His cufflinks catch the bright lights, illuminating the roof top, blinding me for a moment with their brightness. They have an elegant square design with one large sparkle at each corner. I doubt that the sparkles are anything but diamonds.

  A few moments after Aiden helps me into the helicopter, it takes off. I look out the window as the city around us becomes nothing but a blur of model buildings.

  As we get higher and higher, I can no longer make out the people or the cars and all the problems that exist below seem to vanish completely.

  “Where are we going?” I ask.

  “To my plane,” Aiden says.

  “We’re taking a helicopter to the airport?”

  He shrugs. The corners of his mouth form a mischievous smile. “Why not?”

  I don’t have a good answer. I mean, why wait in traffic if you don’t have to, right?

  A few moments later, the helicopter lands on an airstrip. It belongs to an airport that I’ve never been to before. There are runways, but no large buildings for people to gather in like they have in normal, commercial airports.

  Not far away, I see a plane just sitting there, waiting for us.

  Aiden helps me out of the helicopter. I’m about to grab my bag, but he tells me that someone will get those for us. Holding my hand, Aiden leads me across the runway as we walk toward the plane.

  The closer we get, the bigger the plane gets. It’s relatively small in comparison to those large jets with three rows across on each side that I’m used to flying in.

  But it’s also not one of those little Cessna planes for only four or six passengers.

  “Is this your plane?” I ask.

  Aiden nods, leading me up the stairs of the pristine white plane with elegant lines. Inside, the plane is unlike any other one I’ve ever been in.

  It’s elegant, with luxurious leather seats. There are only a handful of them and they’re big,
the size of recliners. Some of the seats are facing toward the cockpit, but others are facing each other.

  In the middle of the plane, the seats are even bigger, more like love seats and couches centered around a table.

  “Wow,” I whisper.

  “You like?”

  “Is this really a plane?” I ask. “It doesn’t feel like a plane at all.”

  “A little different than flying coach, isn’t it?” Aiden asks with a smile.

  “I’d say.”

  The plane has the unique aroma of a new car smell mixed with lavender. Suddenly, a tall, gorgeous man in his mid-fifties walks up to us from the back of the plane.

  He is extremely well put-together and dressed in an elegant and expensive looking suit.

  “Welcome, Mr. Black. Ms. Rhodes,” he says. “My name is Gordon. I will be serving you throughout the duration of the flight. Please let me know if there’s anything you need.”

  Aiden smiles at him and asks him to bring us some water. I sit down in a large recliner seat, the size of a La-Z-Boy chair, only designed with a lot more attention to detail.

  After getting us the waters, Gordon closes the door and we start taxiing down the runway.

  “No announcements?” I ask.

  Aiden smiles and shakes his head.

  “What about all the spiel about seat belts and putting on your oxygen mask before helping the person next to you?”

  “Now, why do we have to listen to that again if you’re so familiar with it?” Aiden asks. I shrug and shake my head. I have no idea.

  “Flying privately is a bit different,” Aiden adds. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

  “Hey, I’m already used to it.”

  A few moments later, Gordon comes around with the menus. Aiden orders an Old Fashioned and I opt for a mojito.

  I know that mojitos are more of a summer drink or something you order when you’re on vacation in the tropics, but I’ve always loved their lime flavor mixed with mint.