Nate watches from the door of Jessica’s office, initially stopping because she is on the phone, but once he recognizes whom Jessica is speaking to, he can’t help but eavesdrop on the conversation.
When she hangs up the phone, she gives an audible cheer of ‘Yes!’ accompanied by a fist pump. As she turns in her chair, still doing a mini happy dance, she sees Nate standing in the doorway. She tugs down her suit jacket, clears her throat, and asks in her most dignified voice, “How long have you been standing there?”
Nate puts his hands on his hips, grinning, and replies, “Long enough to know your panties are wet with anticipation over your date with Mr. Green, the pompous ass. Girl, you are in so deep. Didn’t I tell you he was exactly the type of guy you swoon over?”
Jessica closes her eyes and says a mini prayer for her salvation. “Oh, must you be so crude? I’m not swooning over Mr. Green.”
Nate laughs. “Oh please, this is me you’re talking to, and I haven’t seen you this excited about any man as long as I’ve known you. You are simply smitten with him, but good for you. You go, girl!”
Jessica smiles sheepishly. “Yeah, well, maybe a little.”
Nate asks, “So when are you going out and where?”
“Tonight and sushi. Sean said he knows a place near here that’s good.”
Nate nods. “I bet he does, and just think of all the possibilities with a guy who likes sushi.” He gives her a slight smile and a wink.
Jessica rolls her eyes. “Ugh! Must you be so crude?” Then she smiles back at him and says, “Yes, it makes a woman’s head spin with possible scenarios.”
Nate giggles as he starts to walk out of Jessica’s office, then stops in midstride and turns back toward her, saying, “Oh, I came in here to tell you my preliminary thoughts on who should go to Brazil to train the new workers. Do you want me to just brief you on these selections and their schedules, or do you want to review them first?”
She motions for Nate to sit down and says, “Let’s just discuss it now, so you can move forward on the strategy. I don’t want to hold you up.”
Nate nods, sits, and explains why he selected each supervisor and the strength each brings to the table. Jessica is pleased with the mix of skills Nate has put together and tells him she agrees with both his reasoning and selections. She makes a few alterations to his rotation schedule, explaining the strengths and weaknesses with the current factory setup, along with how the timing of the scheduled improvements will impact the training flow.
Nate asks about hotels in the area, but Jessica interrupts him, saying, “Oh, I’m so sorry, I forgot to tell you. Bonnie has graciously confirmed with her staff for each of our supervisors to stay at her villa and be spoiled while they are there.”
“Ha!” Nate says, shaking his head and smiling, “Well then, I’ll have to schedule some time for me to be necessary there, and perhaps Phillip will be able to join me.”
Jess replies, indignant, “Absolutely not! I need you on the ground here, running things while I’m out of the country.” She watches Nate’s face fall and then bursts into laughter. “Don’t worry. I already booked a two-week vacation stint just for you and Phillip at the villa when the transition is completed. All expenses are on me, and you’ll also have one thousand dollars of spending money to enjoy Brazil.”
Nate’s mouth falls open and he says, “Girl, this is why I absolutely adore you and will never work for anyone but you.”
“You’re welcome,” she replies with a wink. “Now get back to work!”
He looks at his watch and then gives her a once-over. “Are you wearing that out to dinner tonight?”
Jessica looks down at herself and says, “Yes. What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
Nate replies, “Well nothing, darling, if you were going to a business dinner. But you aren’t. You’re going on a date. So come with me right now. I have an idea.”
She glances up at him, almost pouting, then sighs and gets up from her desk to follow Nate into the showroom. He pulls a green silk dress off the rack, then asks her, “What type of underwear are you wearing?”
She takes the dress and, without thinking, replies, “A thong.” Then realization dawns on her, and she glares at him, “Not that it’s any of your business.”
Nate just keeps going with the conversation. “Oh, thank God, you didn’t do granny panties. Go try that on.”
She sticks her tongue out at him as she disappears into the dressing room. When she steps out, Nate gives her his evaluation by saying, “That is absolutely gorgeous on you, and Sean’s going to have a bitch of a time hiding the boner he pops when he sees you in it.”
Jess steps around Nate to look in the full-length mirror. “Really this is a bit much for sushi, don’t you think?”
“Nope, I don’t,” Nate responds bluntly.
She looks at the dress, sizing it up. It’s slit up the middle to mid-thigh level. Remembering what Sean told her about his preferences about women’s clothing in Brazil, she simply smiles to herself. The dress also has a V-cut front that exposes just the right amount of cleavage to be suggestive, but not slutty, and again she smiles.
Nate, watching her expression, says quietly, “That’s just perfect for tonight. You’re going to knock his socks off. You look fabulous.” She beams at him in the mirror, and he smiles and says, “There, I’ve done my job. The rest of the evening is totally up to you.”
“You always think of everything for me,” she says, smoothing the front of the dress. “Thank you.”
Nate smiles and replies, “Enjoy your date, and I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” He turns and starts to exit the showroom, but then turns and adds, “And try to enjoy tonight as a date, not a business meeting. Flirt, tease, and above all make sure you kiss him goodnight. You need to know from the get-go if there is a spark between you two.” With that bit of advice, Nate leaves for the day.
Jessica is in her office working when Sean is escorted to her by one of her production supervisors. She immediately rises from her desk and watches as Sean’s eyes survey her body. She walks around her desk toward him, and he manages to get out, “Wow, you look terrific. Is that one of your new designs?”
Jessica thinks, Damn, Nate was right again! Thank God for that man. Then she smiles and replies, “Yes, it is. I’m glad you like it.”
Sean looks incredulous. “Like it? I think it is phenomenal.”
She smiles again, a little more shyly this time. “Thank you, Sean. Shall we?”
As he holds the car door open for her, she slides into the car and allows the slit of her dress to fall off the side of her crossed legs, revealing her athletic frame to mid-thigh. Sean tries to be discreet as he closes her door, but after he is seated in the driver’s seat, Jessica catches him sneaking a peek at her leg while putting the key into the ignition. During his brief lapse in concentration, Sean misses the ignition and drops the keys onto the floor board. Jessica quickly looks out her window to hide her grin at the idea that what she is wearing is unnerving this particular man.
Sean regains his composure by starting the car and saying, “We will be there in ten minutes or so.”
“Great! I’m starving. What about you?”
Sean says, in a husky voice, “You have no idea.”
When they arrive, the valet takes Sean’s keys and says, “Good evening, Mr. Green. Table for two?”
, “Yes, thank you. And can we make it a special table tonight?”
The valet nods with a grin, and as Sean walks over to help Jessica out of the car, the valet relays the message to the hostess. Jess swivels in the seat and takes Sean’s hand as she gets out of the car. Once again, Sean is extremely pleased with the dress, admiring the V-cut that leaves just enough up to his imagination.
The hostess takes them to a secluded table overlooking the San Francisco Bay, then asks, “Is this sufficient, Mr. Green?”
Sean looks at Jessica for approval, and she says a little breathlessly, “This is wonderful.”
Sean nods to the hostess, who then asks Jessica, “What would you like to drink, ma’am?”
“Hot sake, please.” Sean orders his usual scotch on the rocks.
Jessica can’t help herself and asks, “How much do you pay by the drink for your scotch, if you don’t mind me asking? I’m not trying to be rude, I’m just curious.”
Sean shrugs. “Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s one hundred dollars a drink.”
Jessica’s mouth drops open, and she exclaims, “Holy crap! I would never pay that.”
Sean chuckles at her reaction and replies, “Then you obviously don’t appreciate fine scotch.”
“Not at a hundred bucks a drink I don’t,” she says with a grin.
When their drinks arrive, Sean hands Jessica his scotch. “Here, you must experience what truly fine scotch tastes like, before you ruin your palate with the sake.”
She looks doubtful, but takes a tentative sip of the scotch. She swallows, looks at Sean, and after a moment says, “Okay, that is amazing, but I still wouldn’t drink it on a regular basis.”
Sean laughs, saying, “Well, it’s one of the few luxuries I allow myself.”
Jessica snorts, “Now that’s bullshit. I’ve flown in your jet, and you said the same thing about that.”
Sean raises an eyebrow and challenges, “Well then, let’s compare. How much do your dress, jewelry, shoes, and purse cost?”
Jessica does a quick calculation, wincing at the comparison. This particular dress is eight hundred dollars, her matching gold and emerald necklace and earring set ran about two thousand dollars, and her shoes came to three hundred.
She smiles apologetically at Sean and says, “Right around three thousand dollars.”
Sean smiles and replies, “Well, there you have it. I would have to have thirty-one drinks to match what you are wearing.”
Jessica smirks and attempts to turn the tables. “But that’s not really a fair comparison. I have to wear clothes. You don’t have to drink eight-hundred-dollar scotch.”
Sean retorts, “Point well made, but you don’t have to wear three thousand dollars’ worth of clothing either.”
Jessica nods and laughs. “Okay, point taken.”
Their conversation is light over dinner and dessert. Each of them asks the other why they aren’t involved with someone. Jessica explains about the last guy she dated again, while Sean replies that he experienced a possessive and jealous woman once. Both of them relate similar difficulties with the time they give to their work as an issue in their previous relationships.
After dinner, Sean drives Jessica back to her office and walks her to the door.
She clears her throat. “I had a delightful evening,” she says, and Sean agrees.
He extends his hand to shake hers, but she ignores it and steps in to hug him. Sean leans in to kiss her, and when he does, he unconsciously laces his fingers through her hair. Jessica gives a pleasure filled moan as they kiss. Sean releases her hair and pulls back. Both are surprised by their reactions, and Jessica regains her voice first.
“I just want you to know, you can definitely kiss me like that again, sometime soon.”
Sean smiles, his hands still on her waist, “You should count on it.” He gives her another hug, says goodnight, and watches her walk back into her office.
On the drive home, Sean can’t stop thinking about kissing Jessica, and how the feel of her in his arms really turned him on. He decides it was a great evening and he truly enjoyed her company and conversation. He arrives home without a clue in the world how he navigated the streets of San Francisco.
Jessica walks into her office and sits down at her desk, unable to remain on her feet. Without thinking about it, she calls Bonnie. Bonnie answers, sounds like her normal chipper self, and asks how Jessica is doing. Jessica tells Bonnie she isn’t really sure.
Bonnie’s voice fills with concern. “Oh no, honey, what’s wrong?”
Jessica replies, a little confused, “Nothing bad. I just had an absolutely wonderful first date with Sean, and I’m not sure how I feel now.”
, “Oh, girlfriend, you must give me all the details, now!”
Jessica relays the evening in chronological order, including the kiss. After she finishes describing everything and how she felt, Bonnie says, “So when are you two going out again?”
, “I don’t know. The next date will be up to Sean, I guess, since I forced this one, on Wendy’s insistence.”
Bonnie laughs. “Isn’t she terrific? I know she can seem a bit annoying at first, but she really grows on you. I just wish she and Mark could have worked out their differences while he was alive.”
Jessica smacks a hand to her forehead and says, “Oh man, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to be indelicate talking about Sean…”
Bonnie scoffs. “Don’t be worried about every little thing. I miss Mark terribly, and I have good days and bad days, but he’s gone and I have to go on living. That’s what Mark told me he always wanted for me, should something ever happen to him. I don’t think I’ll ever marry again, and I’m certainly not interested in dating anyone right now, but I’m so happy for you. I’ve always thought you and Sean would be a good fit for each other.”
Jessica says admiringly, “You are an amazing woman.”
Bonnie chides, “Yes, I know, and don’t you ever forget it, because I know I’ll need your strength sooner or later.”
“Well, you know I’m always here for you.”
“I’m so thankful for that.”
When Jessica walks into work the next morning, Nate wants all the details of her date. Jess admits that Nate helped her out quite a bit with the choice of clothing, describes the delightful conversations they had, and then explains about their kiss. She also explains she was stunned by her reaction to Sean grabbing her hair during their kiss and how much it turned her on.
She says, “No one has ever done that to me before, but I really enjoyed it.”
Nate listens very patiently to Jessica with a growing grin on his face, and when she finishes he asks, “So when are you two getting back together again, because it sounds to me like you both are very passionate individuals. When, or if, you have sex, I bet it will be mind-blowing for both of you.”
“How can you possibly know that?” Jessica asks.
Nate just laughs, “Based upon what you told me about your and Sean’s reactions, that’s how. Both of you have been free of any relationship entanglements, and both of you sound like the pent-up sexual emotion inside you guys is going to erupt like an old, dormant volcano. When it happens it’s going to be hot, hot, hot! Just mark my words, Jess.” He winks and leaves her considering sex as hot as lava.
CHAPTER 18
PLAYED
Later in the day, Jessica receives a desperate phone call from Ricardo wanting to know why Beauty Boutique Clothing has suddenly changed its mind on executing the lease agreement, especially since he agreed to all the conditions she laid out during their conversation in Brazil.
Jessica tells him, “You didn’t sound too enthusiastic about our offer, so I browsed elsewhere.”
Ricardo protests, “That may be true, but you also understood everything I told Lidia, Juan, and Hugo when we thought you couldn’t understand us, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did, but any type of lease arrangement of this proportion needs to begin as a win-win agreement. If the Beauty Boutique begins its relationship with you on a bad note, for example if you feel like you were forced into the deal, then when issues do arise, you’ll be less likely to work with us. I’m simply looking at other options that have a better chance of a mutually supportive relationship.”
Ricardo asks, “Is there any possibility of changing your mind?”
Jessica replies with an emphatic, “No. I am sorry.”
Ricardo says in a cold voice, “I’m sorry to hear this decision is final. Maybe when this new location doesn’t work out for you, we will renegotiate terms more favorable to me.”
&
nbsp; The line goes dead, and Jessica pulls the phone away from her ear to stare at it. How rude, placing the phone back in the cradle.
Ricardo calls Sean next. “What the hell happened, Green? I thought we had a deal!”
Sean grimaces. “Slow down, Ricardo. What happened?”
“Ms. Silva,” Ricardo replies, disdain dripping from his voice, “has just refused to sign our lease agreement after I met every term she asked me to meet. This is unacceptable. Now I must scramble to see if I can come up with another alternative to alleviate some of the stress that comes with owning a building without any tenants lined up—”
Sean interrupts to ask Ricardo if he had ever considered selling the building.
Ricardo snorts. “Not without a tenant in the place. To do so with an empty building would reduce the price of the property substantially.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you can hold the empty building for the long term then.”
Ricardo admits, “I thought I could, but after Mr. Stevens death, Hugo is very concerned Global Metal Refining will cancel his contract and not look favorably on any future bids. It puts extra pressure on me to find a tenant, because I may need to seek additional funding soon.”
, “I understand. Global Metal Refining was my largest client, and I, too, fear the same response from the interim CEO. You know, I will be at the Stevens’ villa with Mrs. Stevens and Ms. Silva in a week. Perhaps we can meet, put our heads together, and come up with a new solution that would work to take some pressure off you?”
Ricardo agrees and asks Sean if he thinks Ms. Silva might change her position.
, “I seriously doubt it. I’ll level with you… the three of us are coming to Brazil to view land close to the new Nike factory for Mrs. Stevens to buy and, eventually, build another factory to perfectly suit Beauty Boutique Clothing. Ms. Silva would be able to lease long term on very favorable conditions, since Mrs. Stevens has substantial cash to invest. I must remind you, Ricardo, that Mrs. Stevens and Ms. Silva have been lifelong friends, so Jessica pretty much has backing to do whatever she wishes. Including not hiring SGM for the marketing or anything else drastic.”
Uncontrolled Spin: The Power and Danger of Spin ( Un missable Series Book 1) Page 21
