by R. R. Banks
“Oh, I would too,” he replied with an awkward smile. “Not to sound to full of myself, but I’ve worked very hard to get where I’m at and thankfully, I’m in a position where I can enjoy the finer things in life.”
Alexis laughed. “I’m not denying that you are allowed to enjoy the finer things, Nathanial,” she said as she stepped away and continued to admire the room. “I’m just saying that you, perhaps, should experience life outside of the penthouse sometime. It might give you some perspective.”
Nathanial shook his head in disbelief. “What perspective would I want or need from that?”
“It might give you some insight into the humble offerings the rest of us have to work with,” she explained softly. “Not all of us are as blessed as you. Not all of us are as fortunate as you or have been given the opportunities to succeed as you have. Please don’t take this the wrong way, because I think you’re an amazing person who has made the most out of every opportunity placed in front of you, but I think that maybe it would be good for you to struggle some. It might make you really appreciate where I come from sometimes.”
“How so?” he asked with a perturbed look on his face.
“Nathanial, I think I am embarrassed to take you to my apartment because then you’ll see how I live,” she said defensively. “I’m afraid that if you see that I live like a normal person, it will turn you off and that you will immediately regret coming to the states to see me.”
Nathanial stood in shock. “Excuse me?” he asked. “You’re embarrassed to take me to your place?”
“I think so,” she said softly. “I really think that if you saw how I lived that you would become disenchanted with me.”
He shook his head. “Then why don’t we head there now?” he asked as he took a sip from his glass. “Why don’t we head to your apartment and let me see how you live. Hell, we can even stay the night there.”
“Now you’re just patronizing me.”
“No, I’m giving you the opportunity to see that I am truly devoted to you, Alexis, the brilliant woman who I stumbled upon in a coffee room in Dubai, not whatever insecure girl that I seem to have found.”
Alexis stood still, looking into his eyes as he held his drink. “You really want to go to my place, even after arriving here?”
“Would it help make you feel a bit more secure about what we have and what we are still trying to build?”
She looked down at the ground, still holding onto her drink but allowing her thoughts to become clearer. A small smile crept across her face, starting from the corner of her mouth as she looked up at him and stared into his blue eyes. “Ok,” she said softly. “I think that would make me feel better about everything.”
“And why is that?” asked Nathanial.
“Because I want you to fall in love with me,” she said confidently. “I don’t want you to fall in love with a façade that you think is me.”
He smirked, turning around and placing his glass on the wet bar before turning back to face her again. “Fine then,” he said. “Alexis, I would love to spend the night with you at your apartment.”
“Good,” she said with a smile as she turned up her glass and allowed the amber liquid to flow down the back of her throat. “I look forward to showing you everything.”
“And I look forward to seeing it.”
Chapter 9
Hannah walked into Russell’s apartment and looked around at the neatness that surrounded her. The floor plan was identical to her apartment, which was located a few floors below them, though she didn’t feel as comfortable in his apartment as she would have normally in hers. It was noticeably cleaner, and things definitely looked to be put in certain places, with a home for everything. His peninsula, which separated his kitchen and living room, was well decorated with several bottles of alcohol and glasses, making it appear like more of a wet bar and less like an extension of his countertops. The walls were all decorated with pictures from back home, Wales. On the far wall, he had images of the Welsh countryside, showing pictures of beautiful rivers and rolling hills, as well as one particular photograph of a small village nestled next to an even smaller stream. “What’s that?” asked Hannah as she looked at it closely.
“That is the village of Monmouth, in Wales,” he explained as he walked up to it. “My grandparents were originally from there and this picture was taken back in the fifties when they first got married and a few years before the birth of my mother. We would always travel to Monmouth whenever we had an opportunity, because to my mother, family was everything. Me moving to the United States because of my career choice was difficult for her to take at first, but once she saw how much money I was making and how I was able to renovate my grandparents old home, she accepted it.”
“You renovated it?” asked Hannah.
“Yes!” exclaimed Russell as he walked over to his laptop and opened it up. “My grandparents are fantastic and are still around, thankfully. I make it a point to talk to them at least once a week over the internet, which fortunately, they were able to figure out.”
Hannah laughed. “So, you’re telling me they’re not the stereotypical elderly couple who can barely work a computer?”
“No, far from it,” replied Russell with a genuine smile. “They are incredible and even in their old age, have embraced technology.”
“But you updated their home?”
“Yes, I sure did,” he continued. “A couple of years ago, for Christmas, I bought them a one month trip along the Mediterranean Sea on a fantastic cruise ship. My grandparents’ home was in terrible shape, but the foundation was still in good repair and the walls were still intact. Their furniture was old and dated and their entire home was in desperate need of a bit more than a face lift. So, once they left, I met my father there and a local contractor and we went to work on renovating it. We had already come up with a plan of what we thought they would have wanted and made sure to keep my mother involved with it. In one month, the entire inside of the house looked different. The outside, however, was also needing some work, but we chose to wait and have it done after they got back.”
Hannah nodded. “So, they wouldn’t see it coming?”
“Exactly,” he said. “Growing up, my grandparents took pride in surprising me with gifts and experiences. I think it is really what they lived for, so, once I had the opportunity to return the favor, I had to take it. I met my grandmother and grandfather at the airport in Cardiff and drove them home myself. We pulled up in the driveway and they didn’t expect a thing. They walked up the pathway to their home, talking to me about the Greek countryside and the ports of France. My grandfather would not stop talking about Monaco and Turin, but once my grandmother turned the doorknob and opened the door up to see what happened, he didn’t speak of his vacation anymore.”
He pulled up the pictures of the home that he had on his laptop and pointed at the screen. “They walked into their living room, just as they always did. However, this time was far different. Before, the walls were covered in a floral wall paper that my grandfather put up during the seventies. Now, it was a fawn colored sheetrock. The floors, which were covered in a drab, old, dirty carpet, were now hardwoods I had imported from the United States. Their furniture was gone; thankfully too. It was all old with a floral pattern that matched the walls. Now, it was a dark leather that went well with the walls and floors. My grandfather was speechless and my grandmother was reduced to tears, and we hadn’t even made it to the kitchen yet.”
He changed the image on his laptop and pointed at the kitchen, which looked as if it came out of a designer magazine. “This was what I really wanted to do for them,” he continued, still holding the same smile Hannah grew to love when she first met him. “Their kitchen, before this, was very old, dark, filled with appliances that were pieced together from when they bought the house. My grandfather was great at tinkering and fixing things, so he never bought new appliances. Instead, he would just continuously fix and repair them
so that they would always work. I felt that, along with my mother, it was time to modernize it a bit. I bought them all brand new appliances that were, at the time, top of the line. The counters, which were originally just a piece of wood that had been stained and bled on over the years, were now a hard piece of granite. I replaced the old, stainless steel sink with something a bit more modern. My grandmother loves to cook and this was, in my mind, a tribute to her.”
“That’s beautiful,” said Hannah as she peered in closer at the screen. “You did that all for your grandmother?”
“The kitchen?” he asked as he looked at Hannah, noticing her nod slightly. “Absolutely. My grandfather didn’t have much of a use for an updated kitchen and still doesn’t, though he loves to sit at the table and watch my grandmother cook. He has always loved working out in his shop in the backyard, which, I’m planning on doing some work to in the future.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I think I’d like to update some of his equipment, though I think I’ll just continue doing what my parents have done for him every year: birthdays and Christmas revolve around replacing one of his outdated tools. His building is actually in fairly good repair, but he really just needs to update the things that he is working with.”
Hannah smiled. “That’s really sweet of you.”
“You expect any different?” he asked sarcastically. “I love my family and it pains me to be as far away for them as I am, but I understand the need to be away. I understand what my role is here and hopefully, one day, I can return home.”
“How often do you return to Wales?” asked Hannah as she leaned back on the couch.
“About every other month if I’m lucky,” answered Russell. “Typically, I visit when I have to go to London or Paris for business. I’ll stop in and get my business done, then spend a day or two with my family. It’s worked out well so far but I do wish I could see them more often. Fortunately, the internet and other technological advances allow me to talk to them more frequently.”
Hannah nodded. “At least you have that working for you,” she said as she stood up and walked over toward the counter with Russell closely behind her. “I talk to Alexis frequently over video chat. Hell, I spoke to her earlier tonight about what I was wearing and how nervous I was.”
“You were very nervous and self-conscious about your appearance today,” he said. “I wasn’t prepared for that.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t either,” said Hannah. “I don’t know who that was or where she came from.”
“I like this version of you a lot,” said Russell as he turned around at the bar and poured the two of them a drink.
“Me too,” said Hannah as she reached forward and sipped on the drink. “I don’t like having to get my hair fixed up or even wearing a dress. I really just prefer pants, some kind of shirt, and putting my hair up.”
Russell smirked. “I’ve noticed,” he said with the same smile he always wore. “I think that’s’ another thing I love about you.”
“That I like to be comfortable in my own clothes?” she asked with a confused glance.
“That you… well, yes,” he replied. “That was better than what I was going to say.”
Hannah nodded. “I’m good like that,” she said as she continued to sip her drink. “I love your positive demeanor and how you don’t seem to get bogged down or stressed out,” she continued, making a point to talk about him instead of focusing the conversation on her. “I also really love the fact that you are a genuinely nice person who takes care of those you love, though I really didn’t know that until a few minutes ago.”
“Thank you,” he said as he turned away, hiding his face as he blushed slightly. “That means a lot.”
“You’re welcome,” she said as she rubbed her hand on his left hand, stroking it softly as he turned his head to look at Hannah. “So how are you feeling about this still?” she asked as she smiled at Russell. “You’ve spent some time tonight with my friends and you don’t seem like you’re ready to run off screaming. Are you still ok?”
Russell smiled from ear to ear as he leaned forward and placed his hands around her waist, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. “I haven’t ran because that would require incredibly too much effort,” he said with a smile.
“Really?”
“Of course not,” he retorted. “Getting to know Trisha and Alexis was wonderful as it allows me to get closer to you. It’s what I ultimately want and I know that it is the only key to getting me what I really want.” He relaxed as he stepped away from Hannah and walked toward the kitchen, reaching back and grabbing his drink to sip it. “I’m incredibly excited to get to know you more.”
Hannah smirked as she stepped forward and grabbed her drink off of the bar and sipped from it casually. “Me too,” she said. “I’m incredibly excited for you to get to know me too.”
Russell laughed as he placed the glass back on the counter while shaking his head. “You’re quite confident,” he said with a hearty grin. “I think that’s my favorite feature about you.”
“Oh, you already have a favorite thing?” she asked playfully. “What else do you like?”
“Your ass is nice to look at,” he joked as she reached up and slapped him on the shoulder. “Ouch!”
“Don’t be crass about my ass!” she rhymed, giggling to herself as she made the joke. “I know it’s fabulous but you don’t have to point it out.”
“I’ve always been told to point out things that I feel are works of art,” he continued while rubbing his shoulder from where she’d slapped him.
Hannah continued to chuckle. “Yes, and I do appreciate the kind words,” she said confidently. “But what do you really love about me?”
“So, are you fishing for compliments?” asked Russell rhetorically. “Fine, I’ll bite.” He paused briefly as he looked at Hannah closely, moving his head up and down to analyze her from top to bottom. He bit his lip while he thought to himself, trying his best to come up with the best answer to keep from being slapped again. “I love your passion and drive,” he said solemnly. “I really like how when you put your heart and soul into something, you don’t quit until it’s yours. You’re tenacious, you know what you want; you’re definitely not afraid to go after it, even if it hurts you.”
“That’s only partially true,” she retorted as she sipped from her glass. “Yes, if I want something, I’m going to go after it with every fiber of my being. I went after you because I wanted you, which still seems weird to me but I’m ok with it. However, I’m petrified of a lot of things. I’m incredibly afraid of failure but I’m even more afraid of not taking that chance and missing out on what could be the opportunity of a lifetime. I have to balance between the fear of failing at what I want and not going after what I want. It’s difficult, but in the end, I opt to go after it, because even if I fail, at least know that I gave it my best shot.”
“So going after me was something you were afraid of?” asked Russell, continuing the conversation.
Hannah smiled. “I think I was more afraid of getting into any relationship,” she answered quickly. “It wasn’t just you. I think it was the idea of a relationship that deterred me. I enjoyed the physical aspects of a relationship but I never allowed myself to get out there to let myself get hurt. Being emotionally hurt or damaged from someone else was always something that worried me, but in the end, I knew I had to get past it. Fortunately, I ran into this lawyer who handles business acquisitions while in Sydney and he was really great. I felt an immediate connection with him.”
Russell smiled. “And how did that end up?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a seductive grin and an innocent twinkle in her eye. “I’ll make sure to let you know how it turns out when I know.”
“You promise?” he asked.
“I promise,” she replied as she leaned in and kissed him, locking her lips with his and pulling her body in close. She ran her hands over his back, feeling the
muscles around his shoulder blades. Opening her mouth slightly, she invited his to tongue to slip in to play. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close as she started to moan. She moved her hands down his torso and grabbed the bottom of his shirt, pulling it out of his pants as she began to unbutton it. Starting at the bottom, she quickly worked her way up, separating the fabric from itself and revealing his bare chest. She rubbed her hands along his chiseled abs and muscular pecs, feeling his well-toned torso in her hands. With a soft moan on her lips, he started unbuttoning her pants, exposing the top of her panties. They continued their fevered embrace as she felt the throbbing bulge in his pants.
This was new and unchartered territory for Hannah. Never before had she actually cared for her partner. She felt, not only a serious connection to him, but a yearning for the future. She didn’t want sex to ruin or define her relationship, but she wanted to let her inhibitions go and take him. She thought about it longer while she felt his muscular body in her hands. He moved his hands to the back of her hips and wrapped his fingers around her butt, cupping his hands, gripping it tightly as he pulled her closer to him. As her mind wandered, she continued to feel the throbbing bulge and knew she wanted to see more. She wanted what he was hiding in his pants and knew that this would be the greatest experience she would ever have.
She pulled her mouth back and looked him in the eyes, looking into them closely as she continued to feel his concealed cock against the lower part of her stomach. “Don’t run away from me, but there is something I have to say,” she said with slight exasperation, panting a bit from their encounter but composing herself. “I want you to be the last man I have sex with,” she said as she lowered her chin slightly but looked up into his eyes.
“Do you mean that?” he asked as he moved his hands off of her butt and up to the front of her pants.
“I do,” she replied. “It’s taken me a while to come to that, but I’m ready.”
