by Bella Grant
“Yeah. We move at light speed. I hope you like where we’re staying.”
“Where?” I asked.
“My own luxury resort.”
“I have my own private room, I hope,” I replied, a cold edge to my voice.
“Yes.” He chuckled. “Of course, Doc.”
Our knees brushed during the flight. I was wet. The champagne had hit me, and the mojito I sipped didn’t help. I imagined myself straddling him on the plane, my mouth all over his neck. He was a bit closer to me than usual, and I wondered what he was thinking.
Our flight landed early. It was hard for me to believe that we had left in the morning and arrived in the morning. The weather here was so nice and hot. We stepped out of the plane, and I had to pause for a moment to adjust my eyes. A rush of hot air and nausea washed over me. I tried to steady myself as I walked to the exit. Billy guided me down the steps gently. I allowed myself to lean on him. All of these new sensations and the hot air overwhelmed me, but I felt safe leaning against his body.
“I should have warned you. Flying on this thing takes getting used to. I used to always get sick, but I adjusted after the first couple of months. You okay?”
I couldn’t help but notice the concern in his voice. “Yeah. I’m okay,” I mumbled. Luckily, the nausea was ebbing. I allowed myself to linger under his guidance, savoring every minute of it.
***
The resort was huge, ten times the size of the large building that our office was. The décor matched the airport’s, only the floors were hardwood. I could hear an indoor waterpark somewhere and happy children chattering. A huge grand staircase separated the two sides of the resort, the leisure side and what I assumed were the guest rooms. There was an escalator in the middle for those who didn’t want to take the stairs, and elevators glided up and down. People in bathing suits milled around, and elegant hostesses handed out crisp, clean white towels.
“Everyone on your team has such perfect teeth,” I said, my mental filter almost gone after the excitement of the day. And the two alcoholic beverages.
He roared with laughter. “We have an excellent dental package.” He smiled widely.
“That’s why, then.”
“Welcome, Mr. Carson,” one of the men said. “We have your rooms ready.”
Everyone knew who he was. Who didn’t? I hadn’t, at first. I knew of him, but that was about all. I felt foolish. No time to worry about that, though. I was so curious to see my room.
Billy guided us to the elevator. “We have the penthouse suites.”
I nearly fainted again. “Okay,” I said. I had given up attempting neutrality in my voice. He looked delighted that I was in such awe of him. I honestly was. His lifestyle was like nothing I’d ever seen.
The bellman had to use a key to unlock the top floor. I understood why when the door opened and we walked directly in the suite. There was a great view of the city, and all the walls on one side were made of glass. The floors were white hardwood, and the couches were all red and silver. My mouth dropped open.
The bellman left us. I looked around and rubbed my eyes. “Is this real?” I murmured.
“Yes. These are my private quarters. Sometimes, I have my executive friends and family stay here,” he added casually. “Your room is in here.”
He opened the door to reveal what wasn’t a room at all, but a studio suite. It had its own little kitchen, huge bathroom, and living room. The door to my bedroom led off the main area. Decorated in lavender, the walls, the rugs, and the drapes picked up the color in a subtle and pleasing way.
“This is my mom’s favorite room,” he informed me.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, looking around. “Thank you!”
“Your reaction alone was worth it.” He chuckled. “Looks like I’ve managed to impress you. Just what I wanted.”
I put on my professional demeanor again. “What are the plans now?’
“My meeting is in a little over an hour. We will freshen up and go. Then dinner after.”
He left me to myself. I unpacked my suitcase into the lavender wooden drawers. I was still a bit nauseated. Luckily, the mini fridge—also purple but in a much darker shade—had fresh cans of ginger ale, among various fizzy drinks, energy drinks, and water.
I sipped one as I changed into my classiest business attire. Everything I brought looked so dowdy in this environment. I had to hide my suitcase, too, because it looked so dumb and out of place. I looked at myself in the mirror—a fancy one that allowed me to see myself from every single angle. I was, coincidentally, wearing a dark purple business dress suit. Pearls and earrings. Not one inch of my skin was showing expect my arms. I looked perfectly appropriate.
I waited for Bill in his suite living room. He walked out of his bedroom wearing a black suit and a red shirt with a bow tie. He looked great. His eyes fell on me and lit up with admiration. “You could win the deal all by yourself, looking that good, Doc,” he said.
“Thank you, Mr. Carson. Shall we go?” I was nervous being alone in a room with him for too long.
He nodded, and we descended in the elevator again. One of his drivers picked us up. The limo was freezing. I allowed myself to inch my body closer to him for warmth. We rode until we were smack dab in front of a giant building, one I guessed belonged to him.
“Okay. You’re going to come in with me, but I’m not going to tell them you’re my therapist,” he said.
“What will they think, then?” I asked.
“They think you’re one of my assistants. A sexy one, at that. So don’t be afraid to flirt. Oh, and you’ll get commission if I get the deal.”
I nearly fell getting out of the limo. “Commission?”
“Yes. Five percent. Not a lot, but it’ll be a lot more than you make in a month at your job now.”
“Billy, I can’t accept that.”
“Aren’t we a bit beyond that? Besides, just use it for tuition. I think this might pay for at least half the year. Think of it as in an investment.”
I was beyond arguing with him; he was a great negotiator. I could see why he was so successful.
We rode the elevator up to the eleventh floor. Billy looked around before inviting me into his office. He closed the door. “Okay. Work your magic,” he told me.
I took a deep breath. “It’s not that simple. But I can help you relax.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “I’m game.”
“If it helps you, to begin with, you don’t look the least bit stressed, at least to an outsider. I can tell a bit from your shoulders, but I am trained to notice.”
“Sexy.” He grinned.
“Behave, Billy,” I replied firmly. He smirked and I continued. “I want you to talk out loud to yourself, in the bathroom. Tell yourself that no one here will hurt you and that you have nothing to worry about. Challenge your irrational thoughts.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Talk to myself? Don’t crazy people do that?”
“Quite the contrary. It’s a sign of sanity. It’ll also help train your brain to fight panic with logic. It’ll be weird at first, but it has instant results. Eventually, it’ll be like second nature.”
“Okay, Doc, or should I call you quack?” he joked. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Okay, okay. I’ll do it.”
“Good. Then I’m going to do a guided deep breathing session with you. After that, you should be ready.”
I waited for him while he did his mental exercise in the bathroom, trying not to giggle when I heard his booming voice pepping himself up. He came out of the bathroom looking calmer.
“Okay, that was weird. But I will admit I feel a bit better,” he said when he came back into the room.
“Now, sit back in your chair and close your eyes.” He looked at me skeptically. “Just trust me. Do you trust me?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Then sit back.”
He did as he was told, looking gorgeous in his chair. I cleared my throat. “Okay. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a
clearing. A warm clearing with a stream bubbling in the background.”
People always said my voice had a sedative effect. It certainly did with him. By the time we finished the session, he was so relaxed he looked as if he could sleep. He looked at his watch.
“Okay. It’s go time,” he said.
I followed him into the boardroom. The entire city view provided a backdrop to the men chatting in their chairs. A few women were in the mix, looking tough and bold in their black pantsuits.
“Hello, ladies and gentleman!” He greeted them in a calm, confident tone. His anxiety had disappeared. “I trust you had a good trip?”
“Billy Carson!” A man greeted him jovially in a friendly German accent. “Cannot complain. First class, good service. A bit long, though.”
“This is my assistant, Kathleen. She will be taking notes.” I blushed, enjoying being introduced by Billy in such a personal way. I wanted him to say my name over and over again.
“To begin, we have to talk about the logistics,” he said, glancing down at the folder in front of him on the table. He was so damn powerful. He took command of the entire conversation. I knew of people who had an almost hypnotizing effect on people, but I had never met one before. Billy certainly had this effect. Everyone was entranced while he spoke, including me.
The meeting went off without a hitch. Everyone laughed, the sense of camaraderie clear among them. I didn’t exactly know what he was selling, but I thought it was a resort in Germany. As I looked at him, I felt honored to be on his right. He was such an amazing man, and the work we were doing was obviously paying off. I pretended to take notes on his meeting, really taking therapy notes to review later.
He sealed the deal, and I couldn’t have been more proud of him. Moments like these were why I became a therapist. They were priceless—to see someone overcome their fears, triumph over them, really. It was a process, but every victory counted. The executives filed out of the boardroom, leaving a trail of clicking heels and laughter in their wake.
“That was amazing,” I told him. “Congratulations!”
He pulled me into a big bear hug. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
We shared a genuine moment. I looked up at him, my cheeks red. His face was so close to mine. I wanted so badly to kiss him, but I pulled away gently.
“This is a time for celebration,” he said, clasping his hands together. “Do you like seafood?”
“Yes!” I said, showing my excitement.
“There’s a great sushi place. I’ve made us a reservation.”
“Let’s go.”
I wanted to pretend I was his girlfriend, but I had too much to lose and so much to gain. My guilt plagued me more, and I hoped the sushi place had champagne to make my inner noise go away. I was still in turmoil, trying to take it moment by moment. A part of me wondered if now was the right time to tell him about Fiona, if I was harming him by not saying anything. But the self-aware side of me knew I secretly just wanted him to myself. Until I could figure out if it was a personal desire or a professional need to protect him from harm, I would have to keep my mouth shut.
One of his limos pulled up. God, I could get used to limo rides. They were so comfortable. I fooled around with the controls, checking out all the options.
“Your curiosity is delightful to watch,” Billy said.
I smiled. “Is it that obvious?”
“It’s not a bad thing. It’s charming. I can’t wait to show you this sushi place. It’s sushi heaven.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” I said. I was starving, and we’d had a great victory that day. I could let myself celebrate. There was nothing wrong with celebrating.
The driver dropped us off at a dark, posh building lined with bamboo plants and little trees. It was, indeed, sushi heaven. In the center was a giant fountain. The whole place was covered in mirrors, and the lighting was dim and seductive. Soft classical music eased out of speakers that must have cost a ton of money. Waiters and waitresses wearing black hurried between tables, and the sushi chefs bustled to prepare the food. My eyes were drawn to the vast array of beautiful women, some in the nude and some walking around in black silk robes. I guessed they were models, because I saw some of the girls laid out on tables, food covering their bodies for the patrons.
“Are we using a model?” I asked. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“I knew you were an odd duck, Doc. I wasn’t planning on it. We can if you want.”
“Sure!” I said. I was excited. I’d never eaten food off of a human being, and I was curious.
“We have our own private room. I already have it set up for us,” he said
I was excited that white wine was poured and waiting for us. I took a gulp, enjoying the dry, tart taste. The room was lit up with what looked like a thousand candles. They bounced elegantly off the mirrored walls. Just when I thought I couldn’t be more impressed with his life, he proved me wrong. This was a unique experience.
“It took me a really long time to get used to bitter drinks,” I confessed to him.
“Were you a Malibu Bay Breeze type?” he guessed.
“Exactly.”
Our model’s name was Ramona. She was a pretty girl with tanned skin. Her full lips and doe eyes were delightful. She settled herself on the table in front of us, perfectly still and elegant.
“You like girls?” he asked.
Damn him. I kept my composure and said, “That is my business.”
The first time I had fooled around with a girl was in college. She’d invited me to do a math assignment with her. I’d accepted, knowing there was something hidden in her request. We’d ended up fooling around. I didn’t hate the experience, though I still preferred men.
The servers brought the sushi out. We ordered tuna rolls, avocado rolls, and others I’d never heard of. Ramona’s body was as still as ever and so clean. I felt safe eating sushi off of her. Eating off of another person wasn’t as weird as I’d thought. She looked so natural and pleasant. She turned over, exposing her pretty tan ass. We ate more sushi off of it. I couldn’t help but blush.
“Yeah. You’re definitely bi. You’re getting more excited about this than I am,” he said.
“Well. It’s easy. She’s beautiful,” I said, paying her a sincere compliment.
Ramona turned her head and smiled a pretty smile. I was stuffed by the time they brought out more champagne. A warm, relaxed haze surrounded me. I took Billy’s arm and thanked him. “This has really been an amazing time.”
“But it’s not over yet. I was thinking we could take a walk along the coast. Maybe have a session?”
“I hope I’ll be sober enough to do that. But sure,” I agreed.
We thanked Ramona, and he tipped her handsomely. I did get a bit jealous when he gave her a flirty smile, but she really deserved gratitude. She was great. To my surprise, she slipped me her number. I was shocked, but I accepted it, smiling brightly at her.
“She liked you,” he said. “I’m impressed.”
“Maybe she liked us both,” I joked, trying not to imagine having a hot threesome with them.
“Touché.”
I put my glasses on again, mentally prepping myself for a session.
“I love you with those glasses.”
“Thanks. I like them a lot.”
“That girl was lovely, but she ain’t got nothing on you.” Considering she was some sort of a model, I seriously doubted the truth of that. He was teasing, I was sure of it. Though I could admit that if I were a bit taller, I could be a model, too.
“You’re too kind.”
“Just honest.”
“I’ve never conducted a session at the beach. But it’s okay. It’s certainly a relaxed enough setting.”
“It’s one of my favorite places to go. Another thing that inspired me to be rich. I want to retire by the sea,” he said. He glanced at his phone and sighed. “Fiona has been bothering me all day. I have my phone on silent.”
“How are thing
s with her? Have the sessions been helping?” I asked.
“Yeah, a bit. Only for me, though. I have more clarity.”
The sun was fading in the sky, staining the horizon with pink and purple hues. The salty seaweed smell of the ocean filled the limo as we drew closer and closer. We stopped. I squinted my eyes into the sun.
“Pick us up here in an hour,” he said to the driver.
“As you wish, Mr. Carson.”
This beach was no place for a therapy session—it was clearly meant for romance. Couples loitered on the beach, some carrying coolers of wine and picnic hampers. I was glad I had put on my glasses. They offered protection, a screen, so I didn’t try to enjoy this moment with him as though it were a sensuous one.
He looked ahead dreamily, watching the waves lap at the shore.
“The first time I came here, I was young. My parents wouldn’t stop fighting. The first time my dad walked out, I thought it would be the last. But he kept coming back. Somewhere down the line, he ended up with my mother again. They were always in love, but he was stubborn. They brought me here a lot. California has some bittersweet memories for me.”
We began walking side-by-side in the sand. “Did he have an issue letting someone take care of him, too?”
“Yes,” he said. “How did you know?”
“Certain behaviors are learned. Many of yours are,” I replied.
“I didn’t think you were psychic, Doc, but do share.”
I shook my head. “You’re much too open to let anything stop you from being vulnerable forever.”
He was quiet a moment. “You know, Doc, you have a way with words. Do you write?”
“I used to. Now I’m so wrapped up in this dissertation that I can’t stomach it. But back to you,” I said firmly.
“I hate when you do that,” he teased. “You don’t let me avoid anything, do you?”
“No. Now tell me more about your father.”
He shrugged. “What’s there to say? He has a hard work ethic, and he’s pretty stubborn.”
“How often would he leave?”
“Every couple of months or so. He never actually cheated on my mom, but he would have these weird friendships with other women. He couldn’t get enough of being the hero. Maybe that’s why I can’t stop.” He stopped in his tracks and turned to me, cupping my chin gently with his hand. I couldn’t move, paralyzed by desire. His eyes were more exquisite than the stars in the sky beginning to peek over the rainbow horizon.
