Sweetness

by S Gonzalez

  “Emma you are awesome and any guy would be lucky to have you, but long distance relationships aren’t easy. It is going to take a lot of trust for you two to work out. And this early on in a relationship…I am not saying it won’t work. I am just saying it’s going to be tough to start a serious relationship, if that’s what you want.”

  “I know. He tells me the same thing. I just can’t help get jealous. I mean, he is…well…he’s him. What can I offer him that he can’t get from the random sluts that would be more than happy to fulfill his every fantasy. He is motivated and good-looking and all those

  woman…gggrrrr.” I run my hands through my hair and fall back onto the blanket in frustration. Sloshing perfectly good rum punch from the sides of my cup.

  “Emma, you don’t think he may feel the same way.” I turn my head toward Wanda who is sitting on the lounge chair next to me. “You are smart, beautiful, and like it or not wealthy. I am sure you are just as intimidating to him as he is to you. That is where you two are going to have to trust one another. You’re both going to be jealous, its only natural. The only thing you can do is what’s right on your end. You have no control what he does, but you can control what you do. If in the end it doesn’t work because of something he did, then you will know that you gave it your all and have no regrets.” Wanda glanced toward the ocean to watch the boys talking to some girls.

  “You may also want to stop being so flirty with Max,” Wanda states matter of factly in her protective big sister voice.

  “Max. Why? We are just friends.” I defend

  “Emma, you’re really dense sometimes. Max is your friend yes, but he sees you as more. Always has. Now that you have a boyfriend or whatever, I don’t think you should play around with him the same way. It gives him false hope. Would you like it if Dominic was as friendly with his female friends as you are with Max?” I didn’t really think of it that way. I wouldn’t want any woman to be straddling Dominic, rubbing lotion on him the way Max was doing to me before. And I don’t want to give Max false hope.

  “I see your point.”

  I sit up and sip my drink. Wanda as always, is wise beyond her years. What she is saying makes sense. Dominic has told me that he is not interested in anyone else and all I can do is take him at his word. I will just have to control my actions so I don’t hurt him. The rest is out of my control.

  After a few more hours of summer fun, and traffic, we are back at Hill tower, feeling exhausted. I let Mark keep the car because I rarely need it during the week. He drops Wanda and I off at the curb. Wanda eyes up Luke who is waiting at the front of the building with my fathers car. She winks at me and double times it over to him, popping her hips a little more as she approaches him. The do make a cute couple. I roll my eyes and pop inside out of the heat. I am so relaxed I just want to take a shower, get some dinner and veg out in front of the TV.

  Just as I hit the front desk I spot Mia and my father exiting the elevator. Mia as always is

  breathtakingly beautiful, to say the least. My father mentioned once that her family was straight from the Mediterranean; small town in Greece if I recall. She is in her mid 30’s, tanned skin, light brown hair, big brown eyes and a body yoga instructors strive for. Her blue fitted cocktail dress hugs every curve she has like a second skin, and silver Christian Louboutin peep toe pumps throw her six inches higher into the air. Her signature strut and slight accent adds to her exoticness; she is just stunning to look at.

  When Mia walks into any room woman as well as men take notice. When my father and Mia started dating I tried to dislike her, I truly did, but she was so nice to me. My father seemed happy with her so I stopped trying to find fault in her and just accepted it. We get along very well now. Even though I know she would have never given my father a second look if he were a poorer man, she treats him like he is the only man in the world. That’s all that matters. My father was lonely for a long time after my parents got divorced so it is just nice he found someone to spend his life with who makes him happy. She is everything the polar opposite of what my mother is. I am sure that’s no coincidence.

  “Emma, darling, so nice to see you. You look great,” Mia fusses, kissing me on both of my cheeks. My father stands by and smiles as he watches us interact. Once I pull away he pulls me closer to him, giving me a big hug.

  “I could say the same about you. Wow.” She steps back and waives off my statement is if it is the most ridiculous thing I have ever said. My father places his hand on Mia’s lower back and looks down at her lovingly.

  “Where are you two off to tonight?” I ask my father who looks devastatingly handsome in his typical black tuxedo.

  “Opera. We are going to see the “The Tempest” at the Met,” my father murmured as he looks down at his phone with interest. “Excuse me ladies I have to take this,” he continues as he answered the call.

  “So Mia, how was your vacation?”

  “Oh Emma, it was magnificent. Having your father all to myself without him worrying about work for three whole weeks is something I could get used to. I thank God all the time that Gabe is able to run HMA so we can have more time together,” Mia gushes, giving me a crooked smile.

  I nod slightly.

  “Sooooo, how are you and Gabe getting along? He is a stunning man Emma, you should really snatch him up before someone else does.”

  “I have a…a friend, thank you.” I roll my eyes. I know I sound a little more irritated by her comment then I aimed to but her intrusion to my personal life irritates me.

  “Hummm, yes your father said. A drummer or something, right,” she scrunches up her nose and shakes her head. “You are a young girl Emma, so I get it. Chasing hot boys and having fun is great and all, but dear girl you will need to think about the big picture. More sooner then later.” She is giving me dating advice? No. She is giving me ‘how to marry a wealthy man’ advice.

  “Mia, Dominic is the lead singer of the band, not a drummer. And, yes I am young and I think that love is love no matter what his social status is. Besides, Gabe is my boss. I don’t think my father would approve of me dating my boss.”

  Mia chuckles. “Approve? Honey, I think he would insist.” I see my father turn toward us and tap on his watch to hurry her along while still on the phone by the front door.

  “What?”

  “Why else do you think you are the intern of the assistant CEO of HMA. Got to run darling. Call me and we will do lunch soon,” she declares while strolling out the front door.

  I narrow my eyes at her as she walks toward my father. I wave at him, to which he blows me an air kiss in return, while exiting the building. When I enter the elevator a few people climb in with me.

  Surely what Mia said is wrong. My father didn’t put us together to, get-us-together. Did he? I sigh heavily and tilt my head back until it hits the wall behind me. Of course he did. He is always calculating his next move. What better way to get his protégé to stick around as CEO then to marry off his only daughter to him?

  Oh, Daddy.

  Chapter 10 “That’s us,” Gabe says as they announce all first class passengers to board the plane. I look up from my phone just as I was finishing up a response to Dominic’s latest message. I cannot believe after a month of being apart we will finally see each other again, very soon. Even though we speak every day or text or email, nothing beats the real thing.

  “Can I carry your bag for you?” Gabe tells more then asks. I give him a shy smile and pick up my purse and laptop case. Before I can respond he grabs my carry on off the floor.

  “Thank you. I can manage.” Gabe thins his lips and shakes his head. I give him a curt nod and make my way to the gate and down the jet way onto the plane. I find our seats and stow my laptop and purse next to my feet.

  Gabe puts our carry on bags in the overhead compartment and takes the isle seat next to me. We give each other an awkward smile as he settles in. I don’t know what we are going to talk about for almost four hours but I am grateful that we went on a c
ommercial flight and not the company jet. Being alone in a jet with the man who makes me want to crawl under a rock from just one glance, only adds to the awkwardness. I have been thinking long and hard about what Mia said about Gabe and I getting together.

  I know my father well enough to know he is going to do everything in his power to see to it that we wind up together. But that is not going to happen. He just wants to keep his company in the family. He knows it is my plan is to take over HMA but my father loves Gabe and having us together makes his life easier. He could care less that I am with Dominic, and that pisses me off. Every time the subject is broached he changes the topic of conversations as if it is not important. That my choices in life and the man I am going to date is not important. This is my life and I will date and marry whomever I want to. It is no ones choice but mine.

  They close the doors and the flight crew goes through the inflight procedures before we take off. Although flying doesn’t bother me, take off and landings make me uneasy. I close my eyes and tilt my head back against the headrest to ride out the feeling of dread that builds in the pit of my stomach. The plane starts to ascend upward and my vice like grip on the armrest causes my knuckles to go white under the prepressure. I can feel Gabe’s eyes on me and I tilt my head and look over at him, embarrassed.

  “You okay?” He says to me pleasantly. He seems genuinely concerned and places his hand on top of mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. His touch causes the hair on my arms to stand on end.

  That’s a weird feeling, I think to myself. Must be my nerves, or the cabin pressure or something.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Take of and landings make me uneasy that’s all. Once we are in the air I will breathe again,” I manage to get the words out before holding my breath again. He snorts at my response and looks ahead. Once we are leveled off in the air, and the seatbelt light turns off, I take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

  “Better,” Gabe asks, grinning. I hate showing any signs of weakness to him but this is one anxiety I can’t control. I look down at the hand he is still holding and he immediately releases it.

  Not knowing what to do with my hand, I respond, “Yes, Mr. Hernandez. Thank you.”

  Out of my peripheral vision I notice him still watching me, trying to get my attention. He lowers his head slightly trying desperately to make eye contact. When I finally oblige he appears to be concerned, or confused. Hell even I don’t know what to make of me.

  Why am I so jittery? I mean, I see him every day. This should be a piece of cake. True, I try desperately to never be alone with him. Stephanie is usually our go between. He only speaks to me when she is not available and even then he is all business.

  “Emma, are you sure you’re ok.”

  “Yes, sir. I’m okay.”

  I grab my IPod from my purse and scroll through my playlists. My ear buds are tangled so I fumble with them trying to unknot the mess. It doesn’t help matters that the man next to me is making me frazzled. When he is sitting next to me being nice like he is, I never know how to take him. I don’t think he likes me around one minute, but then he does a 180 and shows me a completely different side to him. The head games are really getting to me.

  “Emma.” I jump when he speaks making me drop the jumbled mess in my hands into my lap. He grins again. He looks like he is enjoying the fact that I am so on edge. “Emma…you have to relax. Can I get you a drink or something?”

  “No, sir. I’m fine. Thank you.” I am trying to be on my best behavior here but I am not known for my poker face.

  These damn wires won’t untangle quick enough. I let out a sigh and place my hands in my lap and look at the back of the seat in front of me frustrated. Gabe puts his right ankle on his left knee and leans in to me slightly.

  “Emma, do I intimidate you?” He asks in a stern tone. I look at him then back to the wires in my hand. Gabe reaches over and takes them from my hands in an attempt to do what I obviously couldn’t.

  Does he intimidate me? That is a loaded question. Of course he intimidates me. He is sexy, powerful, and his commanding voice could make me wet enough to replenish the Sahara Dessert if the need ever arose.

  “Yes, Mr. Hernandez.”

  I look down at my lap again and fidget with my IPod twirling in between my fingers. I don’t want to admit my uneasiness around him and give him that power over me, but I don’t want to lie either. He should know that he makes me uncomfortable.

  “I see. Well, intimidating you is not something I strive for.” He hands me back the disentangled wire and looks me square in the face. “We are going to be working together for a long time. You have proven that you are up for the challenge that this job brings and I appreciate that. You have done everything asked of you and your work ethic hasn’t gone unnoticed. Although intimidation isn’t something I aim for, it usually comes with the territory when maintaining a proper business

  relationship with my employees. We will be spending quite a bit of time traveling together and well…we do live in the same building, so I think that it would be alright if you called me Gabe outside of HMA. Would that ease your mind a bit?”

  “Mr. Hernandez, that’s really not necessary. You made very clear of what you expect of me, from the beginning. I think so far things have gone so well because we both know our place. Mine is your intern. I am thankful that you think I am doing a good job. I appreciate you telling me so, but I think I should still refer to you as, Mr. Hernandez.”

  My confidence is short lived when I see his expression turn cold before he faces forward. He shifts his weight away from me uncrossing and readjusting his leg. He looks down the narrow isle of the plane as rubs his bottom lip with his thumb and forefinger. I can’t blur our relationship now. Dominic is my boyfriend, at least I think he is, and the fact that I have erotic dreams about Gabe is guilt enough. Our relationship has to stay professional. Getting too familiar will make it all the more difficult to not make an ass out of myself. The fantasy I have of taking his shirt off with my teeth is not a good thought to have when you are trying to conduct business.

  “Fine.” He appears to be chewing something over in his head and I can’t help but stare at him, waiting for him to say something else. “What?” He snaps and turns his head slightly to me after a few moments of me just gawking at him.

  I can’t help it. I don’t know what it is about him but I find myself often just staring at him. He is certainly a very handsome man. Tan skin, dark unruly hair, clean shaven, dimples on both sides of his cheeks when he smiles. As seldom as that is. His profile is just as stunning. He looks like he just walked out of a GQ Magazine.

  Great! Now I am picturing him wearing nothing but a pair of Calvin Kline’s and Aviators.

  “Nothing, sir. Is there anything you would like to discuss before we land? Anything I can do for you?”

  Gabe puts his thumb and forefinger now on his forehead and rubs it to relieve tension it seems. I don’t know why he is mad at me. I thought my response to him was very professional and professional is exactly what he asked me to be. After the scene in front of the building a few weeks ago, and some very interesting dreams about him running toward me hot and sweaty, I don’t think getting to comfortable with my boss is a good idea.

  “No. The bus should be arriving first thing in the morning and we have a few press interviews scheduled in our suite on Wednesday. That should give them a whole day to rest up. After that they will have rehearsal on Thursday and the first show on Friday. We can talk about the rest of the itinerary back at the hotel.” Oh yippy! I have a whole day before work sets in to…wait…did he just say our suite.

  “Our suite, sir? As in yours and mine?” Gabe looks at me entertained when my eyes widen in panic. I can’t share a room with him.

  “Relax, Miss Hill. Yes we will be sharing a suite but there are 2 bedrooms. I would never expect you to share a single room with me.” I swallow hard.

  “Y..yes..of course, sir.”

  His fingers are back on his lip and I see
him trying to stifle a smile. I turn my attention to the window and watch the white fluffy clouds below us. I put my ear buds in to enjoy some music until I am almost lulled to sleep. I feel Gabe shifting next to me. I open my eyes to see his bright brown eyes staring back.

  “Hi.” He gives me a huge grin as he leans in closer. “Are you aware you talk in your sleep.”

  Bloody hell. What did I say?

  I sit up straighter and my eyes widen. “No sir, no one has every told me that before. What was I saying?”

  “I couldn’t quite make it out, but something about running and being hot.” I think he put the scenario together in his head. Jeez, this is embarrassing.

  Think on your feet Hill.

  “Humm, not sure what I was dreaming about, but I do like to run.” The tips of my ears heat up. From the look on his face he is not buying it. He knows what I was dreaming about and luckily he is enough of a gentleman not to call me out on it.

  As I stand up and excuse myself to go to the bathroom the plane shifts a bit causing me to fall backwards into Gabe’s lap. Why universe? Why do you hate me so much?

  “Whoa,” I screech, catching the attention of the people around me.

  His hands fall to my hips and I feel a jolt of adrenalin course through me. My heart begins to race. My breathing shallows. I turn my head slightly. I feel his warm breath on my neck and the sweet smell of masculine man fills my nose.

  Oh God he feels so good holding on to me.

  Get off his lap Emma, my subconscious once again rears her ugly head. I stand abruptly and straighten my clothes. I look back down at him, not knowing what I could possibly say to make this better.

  “I…I...um, sorry,” I stutter like an idiot before walking away towards the bathroom. When I open the door I steal a glance to gage his reaction. I see him adjust himself in his seat and when looks up to catch me watching, he looks away embarrassed. He was clearly affected by the moment.