by Dylan Allen
“This pussy. Being inside you... It’s like a fucking pathway to heaven. I could stay here, all day.”
I feel my orgasm building and my thighs trembling. I forget Agent Walker, Matthew, and my father. The only thing that exists is Simon and me. I want this to last forever.
I start to come, and I feel him start to come too. His hand leaves my clit and lands on the glass in front of us, on top of mine already braced there.
Our voices mingle as we come together, calling each other’s names.
When we’re done, Simon pulls out of me, pulls my skirt down, and gets rid of the condom.
As he straightens his clothes, he kisses me softly on my mouth, the side of my nose, and the base of my throat.
We rest of our foreheads together and gaze at each other for a moment. So many unspoken words pass between us.
“I trust you.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m so happy I found you.”
He drops another kiss on my nose before he turns to walk out of my office. I am sitting in my chair, dazed from my orgasm and the fact that I just had sex in my office.
“Baby,” he calls softly, one had on the door handle. “We’re a team. When you are ready, you’re going to tell me what shook you so badly.”
And then, with a wink over his shoulder, he’s gone.
November 27, 2014
The Royal Albert Hall’s renovation is going to be spectacular. Addie’s work is just about done and even though she hasn’t made her final, formal report to the board yet, our guys in finance have been given the all clear to start getting the finance syndicate together.
Between getting this news, Henry hitting all of his developmental milestones at the pediatrician, and waking up to a picture Addie sent me of her juicy tits this morning, today is off to a great start.
I walk to the cafeteria to top off my coffee, whistling as I walk. I’m just about to leave when Matthew walks in. Addie told me he came on to her, and even though she says there isn’t anything more to tell, I have a feeling she is holding back from telling me the full story.
“Simon, great news about the financing, mate.” He stops me as we meet in the middle of the eating area. Even though his tone is friendly, there is nothing friendly about his expression or his posture.
“Yeah. It is.” I say and start to walk around him. He steps in my path.
“Of course, we have to wait for our outside counsel’s formal opinion. And I’ll need to sign off on it.”
“Okay.” Now I look at him annoyed and wondering where the hell he is going with this.
“I hope LaSalle and Willis does a thorough background check on their employees before they hire them. Wouldn’t do for us to go after financing with an opinion from someone whose integrity was in question.”
My eyes narrow and my ire rises. “Matt, what the fuck are you talking about? Spit it out, whatever you’re trying to say.”
He laughs, a nasty, gleeful laugh. “I’m not trying to say anything, Phillips.”
He steps out of my way and walks to one of the coffee machines. “Have a good day,” he singsongs over his shoulder as he walks off.
I have no idea what is going on. He is implying something about Addie. But what? What the hell happened between them? Last time I saw them together, they seemed fine. I’m determined to get to the bottom of this.
I walk down to Addie’s office and find her door partially ajar.
She is completely focused on whatever document she is working on and doesn’t notice me at first. I stand there, happy to have the chance to watch her work.
Her hair is a mess. It had been down when she came in this morning, but now it’s held up in a haphazard bun with pieces escaping everywhere. She is wearing her glasses, and I realize I’ve never seen her with them on. They are blue—so not what I expected from her—and look great.
I take her in, she is wearing a form fitting white button down with her gold chain and pendant as her only jewelry. She is seated, but because I saw her earlier I know she is wearing a red pencil skirt, black tights, and black heels that make her legs look like they go on forever.
I cough and she looks up, startled. When she sees me, her expression softens, and she smiles at me. She doesn’t stop typing, though, and I hate to break her concentration. But I need to hear the truth from her.
“Hey, Ad.” I walk over to her desk and have to stop myself from kissing her. We haven’t fucked in the office again since that first time, and we have been discreet about our involvement.
This is her last week and it’s important to both of us we don’t do anything to call attention to ourselves.
“I just bumped into Matthew. Are you going to tell me what the fuck happened between you two?”
Her fingers falter and her wary eyes look back up at me. I see the guards go up, and I hate it.
“Can this wait? I really need to get my draft done so that I can send this off to Jack before we leave for Paris.”
Cara left for Paris almost two weeks ago and what a sad scene that had been. She and Addie stood at St. Pancras station, hugging and bawling like babies. Louis rode the Eurostar with Cara and has been over every weekend since.
We’re planning on going over for Thanksgiving. It’s not a holiday here, but Cara and Addie have decided they want to celebrate it together—in Paris. It’s the first time we’ve traveled together and I’m really looking forward to it.
Addie’s been spending a lot of time with Henry. She loves him, and he’s crazy about her.
Last weekend, we took him to the London Zoo. The weather was crap, but that meant the crowds were sparse. Also, there are a ton of fun indoor places for a kid to play and crawl, and Henry had a blast.
I feel like I am experiencing what it means to be a family in a way I didn’t even know existed before she came into my life. Being with her is like standing in a wonderful beam of sunlight. She doesn’t even know how much joy she is bringing to my life.
I know I am falling in love with her. Fuck that noise, I am in love with her. These feelings are new to me. Yet, they are as true as my name. She has become my family. I want to protect her. I want her to protect me. I want there to be an ‘us’.
She is keeping something from me, though, and it’s starting to eat at me.
“The faster you tell me, the faster you can get back to work.”
She sighs and pulls her glasses off. “Fine. But, I don’t want this to become an issue. This is my last week here. When we get back and I give my report, I’m going back to my offices. I need to leave here with my reputation intact. My boyfriend beating up the General Counsel on my behalf won’t really further that effort.”
“Your boyfriend, huh? I like that, baby. And am I going to have to kick his ass after hearing what you have to say?” That shit. What the fuck am I about to hear?
“No. Listen, it was six weeks ago. His ego was bruised. He’s jealous of you and the attention the firm has given you…and the attention he thought I was giving you.”
She stands up then and walks over to me. She takes my hands, linking our fingers as she continues. “He said some things about your heritage, not realizing it’s one we share.”
Understanding dawns and anger spikes—hot and fierce. I have battled this my entire life. People think I’ve gotten to where I am as a result of some quota, or something other than my talent.
I’ve worked hard to prove myself. But fuck if I will let some prick try to diminish the level of my achievement on the project.
As angry as his douchebag antics make me, something doesn’t add up. I look down at Addie.
“So, what happened? How did that turn in to you guys being enemies?”
“Really?” She slaps my chest in indignation. “You think I let him talk about you like that? I told him off. Told him to get the fuck out of my office and not to come back. He’s hated me ever since.”
I pull her into my arms. My anger disappearing at her words. “This happened six weeks ago? Six
weeks ago you hated my guts.”
“No, Simon, I never hated your guts,” she corrects. “I just wanted you to keep your confused ass away from me.”
I laugh. “But you still had my back.”
“Of course I did. You think I would stand here and let him spew racist shit about you, or anyone else, and just smile?” She pulls away from me, looking at me like I just slapped her.
“No, I’m sorry. Of course not. I just know how much your career means to you and that you weren’t trying to ruffle feathers when you got here.”
“Well, yeah, even I have my principals.” She says with an eye roll as she sits back down at her computer.
“So, what did Matthew say that had you charging down here?” She asks as she starts typing again.
“I don’t know what he was going on about Ad, but he was talking about your report and how he hoped we would be able to ensure it was coming from someone whose integrity we could be sure of.” I chuckle to myself, expecting Addie to join in.
When I look at her, not only is she is not smiling, she is completely expressionless.
“Hey, he was just being an asshole. He’s just trying to intimidate you. I mean, you work for one of the top firms in the world. You’re smart and successful; he’s probably just jealous of you, too.”
She doesn’t say anything, and I want nothing more than to take her into my arms and kiss her worries away.
“Fuck him. Finish your work. Let’s go to Paris and forget this shit.”
She looks up at me and tries to smile. “You’re right. I don’t know why I am even giving him a thought. This is going to take me the rest of the day. Then I’m going to run by my office. I’ll be home late and need to pack. So, let’s meet tomorrow, bright and early, at St. Pancras for our train, okay?”
There is a wooden quality to her voice and her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. I am tempted to press her, but I know she has work to do.
I walk round and kiss her, feeling her body relax. This makes me smile as I leave her office.
If I’d known I was leaving my woman in turmoil, and that the next forty-eight hours would be the last happy ones I would know for a long time, I would have pressed the conversation. I would have forced her to talk to me.
Later, I would wish I had these moments back more than I had wished for almost anything in my entire life.
November 28, 2014
Paris, France
The Eurostar over to Paris was uneventful. I slept most of the way and Simon worked on his laptop. We met at St. Pancras at the crack of dawn, grabbed coffees, got our tickets, went through check in, and waited in the Business Lounge.
When we got on board, I didn’t have to feign my exhaustion. I hadn’t slept the night before.
I had forced myself to focus on the rest of my work day. I couldn’t afford to get a single thing wrong in the report. Even if this was just an internal draft for Jack to review, I knew they had given me an assignment most new associates wouldn’t even dream of.
My conversation with Simon had left me uneasy. What the hell was Matthew playing at? Between that and the way he’d said my name, almost mockingly, the last time I’d seen him, I was nervous.
I know I am being paranoid, but I’ve never considered someone would find out who I really am.
I know I should tell Simon who my father is. I just can’t. I have been Adelaide Dennis for so long. Adelaide Hassan is a ghost.
I don’t want people to know about my ties to the man who was credited with the ruination of so many lives. The press would feast on us if they knew where we were.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Simon. I trusted him more than almost anyone else in my life. I just didn’t feel like that part of my life was relevant. He knew my dad was a criminal who had left my family. So why did my omission leave a terrible sinking feeling in my stomach?
Simon knew how important this report was to me. So when he sensed my stress, he bought my excuse of being worried about Jack’s feedback on my report.
We arrived at Gare du Nord and caught a taxi to our hotel in the artistic 9th Arrondissement, very close to Cara’s place. Her apartment, a tiny one bedroom on the very fashionable Rue de Provence, was too small to accommodate us.
In the early morning light, the street was full of people walking to work. The 9th Arrondissement, while known for being the home to the city’s art institutions, was also home to Google’s Paris headquarters and quite a few international banks. It was made for very interesting people watching as our cab zoomed down the busy, traffic congested avenue.
The streets of this neighborhood were lined with sidewalk cafes that promised cups of coffee and freshly baked pastries. The aromas wafted through the cracked window of our cab and my stomach grumbled.
We pull up to our hotel, The Maison Souquet, and the first thing I notice is it’s directly across the street from the famed Moulin Rouge. As I look up at the rather unassuming facade, I notice two red lanterns hanging on either side of the door.
We are greeted by a bevy of bellhops who help us out of the car and unload all of our luggage. Before I can even blink, we are checked in and then, I am on the tiniest elevator up to our suite. I can feel the knot of tension I’d been carrying since yesterday start to unravel.
This is going to be a fantastic weekend. I am in Paris with the man of my dreams. I am going to see my best friend and celebrate Thanksgiving with her. It is the first one I would spend away from my family, but find that I don’t mind.
This year, between my rift with my mother, the FBI breathing down our necks, and the divide over how to proceed with the press conference, I am glad to be away from it all.
“Mademoiselle, bienvenue à Paris,” the concierge says as he opens the door to the room Simon booked for us. He is still downstairs making some arrangements, so for the time being, I am alone.
I gasp as I step into the sumptuously decorated room. It steals my breath.
The sun spills in from a window dressed with linens which by themselves would have been the masterpiece in the room. But they are just a part of the decadent, light green palate that is our room’s theme.
There is beautiful green, velvet daybed against one wall that serves as the anchor for a painting of a girl who looks like she was all dressed up with nowhere to go.
Our bed, too, is a masterpiece. A tufted, light green headboard in the most unusual shape rests on a dark green wall. I can’t believe my eyes.
I let myself fall backwards on to the bed and just lay there with my eyes closed, thinking about the man who has made all of this possible.
If I had dared to dream what falling in love would be like, I wouldn’t have dreamed anything as wonderful as what it has been with Simon.
I’ve spent most of my life planning to be alone, and if not alone then without a true partner. Simon has walked into my life unexpectedly, and even though he didn’t make it easy, he showed me beauty beyond anything my heart could have imagined.
The last couple of months have been a blur, we’ve been through so many ups and downs, but our path now seems so clear. I love this man. I can’t wait to tell him. I know, even though he hasn’t said the words, that he loves me, too.
I hug my pillow and sigh. Just then, I hear the door’s security panel beep and sit up just as Simon steps inside.
“Simon! This room, this hotel. It’s incredible.” I walk over and place a kiss on his lips. “Thank you, baby.”
I look him in the eye. He smiles, a slow, sexy smile that makes my toes curl before he says, “Oh, you just wait. I have a surprise for you.”
I forget any semblance of sophistication and I squeal. Squeal. As I jump up and down, clapping my hands. “Really? Oh, my God! Really? Tell me! Where are we going? What are we doing?” I can’t contain my excitement.
He roars with laughter.
“Saturday is a surprise. Let’s head to Cara’s. You said she took today off to cook Thanksgiving dinner, right?”
Shit!
I’d
been so caught up in my room and my thoughts of love I hadn’t even called Cara.
“Let me text her and tell her we’re on our way.” I grab my phone, but Simon stops me. “I already texted Louis. The concierge ordered our car. Which is actually already here. Are you ready to head downstairs?”
I’d hoped to freshen up, but I know I’ve already killed too much time. “You go down, I just want to change my shirt and wash my face, I’ll be down in five minutes.” I give Simon my most pleading look.
“Okay, but, babe, really. Five regular minutes. Not five Addie minutes,” Simon quips as he heads out
I am digging through my suitcase when my phone rings. It’s Milly. I feel guilty as I hit decline, but I don’t have time. And if I’m completely honest, I don’t want to talk to her.
I decide to leave my phone off for the rest of the weekend. I drop it in my suitcase and pull out a clean white t-shirt and my toiletry bag.
Three minutes later, I am on my way downstairs, and on my way to celebrate Thanksgiving in Paris!
November 28, 2014
Paris
My first American Thanksgiving was interesting. Besides being a day late, Cara cooked a chicken instead of the traditional turkey because it was just four of us and apparently turkey is a very large bird.
It’s so strange to see Louis in this domestic set up. He has been a living caricature of the young, rich aristocratic playboy until now. That he has fallen so hard for the best friend of the woman I’ve fallen for is bizarre.
“These women, they just need a voice. It’s been incredible to be that for them. I never thought I’d actually feel like a lawyer, but I do.”
Addie’s talking about the time she’s been spending volunteering as a lawyer for a domestic violence charity in East London. Her eyes are alight with joy as she talks about it.
“Could you work for them full time?” Louis poses this question.
