“I was out of town.” He told her without elaborating.
“Oh. No matter. You’re here now, and you can take me to the ambassador’s party tonight, da?”
“Katia, you know I don’t do your kind of parties.” Ryle said lightly.
“There will be no photographers there. No newspaper, no paparazzi.” She promised him. “Darling, say you’ll come with me.” She gave him a sexy look that promised an amazing fuck.
Ryle shook his head. “Take one of your boy toys.” He told her carelessly.
“It’s you I want, darling.” Katia pouted again, but it was obvious she would not be getting a yes from him. She turned to Logan, who was still watching them with a wide grin. “Logan, you tell him the publicity will be good for your company.”
“We don’t need the publicity.” Ryle drawled.
“He’s camera shy.” Logan grinned at Katia. “He knows he’ll look butt ugly standing next to you.”
Katia giggled. “Logan, you’re so charming.”
“So you should dump his ass and hook up with me.” Logan said bluntly.
Katia giggled again. “I might just do that.” She said, giving Ryle a challenging look.
Ryle laughed. “You’re a free agent, babe,” He pointed out.
His relationship with Katia was hardly exclusive. He liked Katia, but he didn’t care how many other men she slept with when she was away on modeling assignments. They hooked up frequently for sex, but she was also away a lot on location and he was free to see other people. He didn’t want to be tied down by any steady relationship and this worked well for him.
“You are impossible.” She sighed. “I dump you if you weren’t so good in bed.” She said frankly, showing some of her temper.
Logan laughed, amused.
Ryle tossed his friend an impatient look. “Don’t you have work do to?”
“And miss this?”
“Tomorrow? We have dinner at my place, da?” She asked, looking sensuous again. She knew him well; he doesn’t take his women back to his place.
“Why not,” Ryle murmured in agreement. “I don’t think I’ll be getting any for awhile where I’m going.”
Logan chuckled at that.
“You are going somewhere?” She asked, puzzled.
“I’m going away for a few months.”
“Months? Where? What are you doing?”
Ryle shrugged. “Some personal business I have to take care of.”
Prescott Aerodynamics was a multi-billion dollar aircraft development and manufacturing company with its headquarter in Chicago, and manufacturing plant in Linwood. The Linwood Plant, affectionately referred to as PAL by employees, was located just an hour and a half outside of Chicago. It housed the main development of new aircraft, the testing programs and the manufacturing facilities. It employed several thousand people. Its operations encompassed a large section of northern Linwood, and included its own airfield.
Three large hangars formed a semi circle around one end of the airfield. Hangar 1 and Hangar 2 were the older and smaller concrete buildings where many of the offices were located, as well as the warehouse and building utilities area.
Hangar 3, the size of the other two hangars combined and added five years ago, was the newest and largest building. The modern steel and glass structure was mostly constructed with sustainable materials and had many eco-friendly features, including energy saving features and compliances, and was connected to the other two buildings by a covered walkway. The modern building included lounge areas, as well as showers and locker facilities.
Hangar 3 was where the prototype aircraft were built and tested, the assembly of new airplanes, and the certification programs were housed. The ground floor level was divided into bays. Each bay, filled with various large composite test structures and computer-controlled machinery and tools of the most advanced technology, was dedicated to different sections of the aircraft being tested and refined.
High above the ground floor, projecting from either side of the hangar walls were two levels of atrium offices; making the best use of space. Several sets of wide metal stairways led up to the offices. Most of the offices were open concept with partially partitioned glass cubicles.
This was where Charlie and her team had their offices; high above Bay 25. They worked in a branch of aircraft performance and quality. For the last several years, they were working on the testing program for Prescott's new high performance business aircraft, the AIR230.
It was eight in the evening and Charlie suddenly remembered she was hungry. Most of her team had already left for the evening. Charlie packed her laptop computer into her backpack and left, waving bye to the remaining members of her team still working.
“See you guys tomorrow.”
“Goodnight Charlie.”
“Later, Charlie,”
The employees’ parking lot was fairly empty when Charlie made her way to her parking spot where she parked her motorcycle.
It was late February, but the ground remained fairly dry. So far, there was not a lot of snow this year. But the weather reports were forecasting a major snowstorm heading their way, arriving sometime in the next twenty-four hours.
“Can I give you a ride?”
Charlie heard the suggestive question through the steady throb of the motorcycle engine. Although it was dark outside, the parking lights overhead were bright enough for her to make out the navy blue BMW that had pulled up beside her.
She smiled as she met Jeff’s warm blue eyes. “Thanks, Jeff. But as you can see, I already have one.”
Jeff glanced from her confident perch on the motorcycle to the ominously overcast sky. “It looks like snow.”
“I don’t mind.”
“But I do. I wouldn’t want you to catch cold.”
Her smile widened. “Unlike you, I’m quite used to this cold weather.”
“You know what I meant.”
“Yes, but not tonight, Jeff.”
“Will you ever say yes?”
“Maybe.” she said lightly.
Jeff Hathaway moved into town just over a year ago. He was a brilliant aeronautical engineer with extensive knowledge and experience which he infused into his team here. Moving from the head engineer position of a major commercial airline into the position of a Senior Structures Engineer at the Linwood plant was an ambiguous step in his career. He was willing to take the chance, but was uncertain if he would like it. That all changed as soon as he saw Charlie.
From the moment he first saw her, he wanted her. He still remembered vividly the first time he saw her across the room in the employees’ cafeteria. It was a large cafeteria that was capable of holding hundreds, and during the lunch hour, it seemed to be much busier than that. But all he noticed was Charlie Brison.
She radiated a warmth that drew people in, men and women. Unlike many of the women he knew, hers was not a vacant beauty; there was definite character on her prefect oval face. From where he stood, he could see the character and strength on her striking features. Her smile was radiant, and her silvery grey eyes sparkled with shrewdness and intelligence that he soon came to know. Her shoulder-length chestnut brown hair was casually tied back into a ponytail. That day, she was dressed in the same navy overalls that many of the plant workers wore, and yet she still stood out. The uniform didn’t hide her tall slender body that looked fit and curved at all the right places; her every movement sure and confident.
He didn’t know who she was at that time, only that he wanted to get to know her. It was his fifth week there, and the guys from his team were only too willing to tell him and teased him about her whenever they caught him staring after her like some lovesick puppy. But the guys didn’t stop at just telling Jeff her name. They also went on to warn him not to approach her, at least not for a date. She was usually friendly and approachable until a guy tried to pick her up. She had a very strict policy of not dating anyone at PAL. He would be setting himself up for disappointment if he thought she would even considere
d going out with him.
But that didn’t faze Jeff. He wanted her, and he was willing to do everything he could to win her over. It wasn’t an easy task since his co-workers had assured him that better men had tried and failed, including some of the hot shots from Headquarters. Jeff soon found out that his good looks and charms, which so many women were susceptible to, didn’t seemed to have any effect on Charlie. He wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that he could usually have almost any woman he wanted. It was soon obvious to him that charm and romantic gestures will get him nowhere, where Charlie Brison was concerned.
For many months he tried in vain. He was lucky when their teams came together to solve problems for a couple of technical issues which required them working together for many weeks. During that time they became good friends. He knew what made her laugh, and all her little quirks. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her. But although she allowed him close as a friend, she remained resistant to his charm.
It wasn’t until a couple of months ago when he was finally able to penetrate her protective shell. They were finishing up a project, and were working late at the office. It was a week before Christmas, and most people were busy with preparations for the holiday. By six o’clock, the rest of their project team had gone home, leaving only the two of them. Charlie didn’t want to stop, she was as much a workaholic as he was, and they were having such a good time that they had forgotten the time. When they finally took a break, they realized they were about the only people left in Hangar 3. Everyone else seemed to have left. All the other offices were empty, and the floor below was completely quiet.
He suggested going somewhere to grab a bite and she agreed. They had done that before, usually with a group of people from PAL. But this time it was just the two of them. They went to Joe’s Café, which was quiet. Joe’s Café only served breakfast and sandwiches, and the best coffee in town. But in the evenings, it was usually quiet except for some elderly diners, as Jeff had found whenever he went there for a quick bite after work. But at eight o’clock in the evening, it was completely quiet. That suited him just fine, and Charlie seemed to prefer it that way too.
They began the meal talking about work as usual, but soon they were discussing the upcoming holiday and that changed to discussions about family. He knew Charlie lived with her parents, with whom she was very close. When she found out he didn’t have a family to go home to during the Christmas holiday, she invited him to join her and her parents. It was a breakthrough he didn’t expect. So he canceled his plans with his friends for their annual ski trip to Aspen, and stayed in town to be with her.
Christmas was a big thing for Charlie and her parents. During the next several days, her mom cooked delicious meals, and friends and family from all over visited and invited to dinner. It was several days of celebration for them, and they was non-stop partying, good food, and general good cheer. Jeff met Charlie’s good friends and a lot of her relatives and family friends.
She introduced him as a friend, but many of the people, including her two best friends were obviously hoping he would become more. With the encouragement and approval from her family and friends, it gave him new hope that he might have a chance with her.
When they finally kissed at her best friend’s New Year’s Eve party, Jeff had felt such happiness that mere words couldn’t describe. He felt sure he was in love with her. But with their new relationship barely beginning, he knew he couldn’t tell her right now. He didn’t want to scare her away.
Since then, they have been dating casually and secretly; most times were for dinner with her best friends or dinner with her parents. It had been many weeks now and Charlie was still reticent about their new relationship. For now, only her best friends and her parents knew about them. Her parents had been very welcoming when they found out she was finally dating him. But making it public at PAL was something she was not prepared to do, at any time soon.
Jeff was patient. But this was truly trying his self-control. He knew she could be a passionate woman, but she still held back. It was as if she was afraid to give in completely and that she needed more time to adjust to their new relationship.
“How about dinner at my place this Saturday? I’ll make roast lamb.” He said.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.” She prevaricated. She knew the ultimate outcome he was hoping for if they had dinner at his place, but she was not quite ready to take that step.
Jeff Hathaway wasn’t so different from the dozens of guys that had tried to pick her up over the years. A good eighty percent of the workforce at PAL was male, but Charlie had managed to stick firmly to her own strict rule of not getting involved with a co-worker. Over the years, she had met some very good looking and charming guys and managed to withstand their amorous advances. Having been burnt once, she didn’t want to make the same mistake again.
Charm, good looks, and intelligence were nothing she hadn’t come across before. But the difference was that Jeff was also warm, caring and honest. At thirty-four years old, Jeff was also sophisticated and grounded. With that combination, it was harder for Charlie to resist. He was tenacious and after months of sharing a warm friendship and working relationship, she was ready to explore more. Their common interests and shared passion in their work made everything seem ideal. But there was still a part of her that hesitated. She was still afraid of taking that final step to making him her boyfriend. Yes, he was a wonderful man and she wanted to have him in her life. But dare she take the risk again?
Jeff seemed to realize why she was hesitating, and changed the plans. “How about we drive into Chicago for dinner and catch a show?” He suggested instead. “I heard the review for the play, Freedom, was excellent.”
She smiled. “I would like that.”
“Good. I’ll make the reservation and see if I can get hold of some tickets for Freedom.”
“Why don’t you let me find the tickets?” She offered.
It was a quality of hers that he found endearing. She was the only female he had dated that offered to pay. And she had treated him to as many dinners as he treated her. But this time, he was firm. “Don’t worry about it.” He grinned. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
She twisted the handlebar of the motorcycle and the engine roared to life. With a wave at him, she drove out of the parking lot in front of him.
Charlie grew up in Linwood. Except while she was away at college, she had always lived at home. When she moved back to Linwood after graduation and secured a position at PAL four years ago, her parents surprised her by renovating their stand-alone car garage into an apartment for her. It was perfect for her as she liked the privacy and was still close to her parents. Having lived alone and being independent while she was at school, she enjoyed the freedom. Living in her own little apartment, she didn’t have to worry when she came home late and possibly waking her parents.
The motorcycle slowed to a crawl as it neared the quiet residential neighborhood surrounded by a forest to the back, and large green space to either side. Her parents’ house was at the end of the street, backing onto the forest, giving them plenty of privacy.
Charlie rode quietly through the back lane toward the stand-alone garage. The garage felt more like a cozy little cottage, hidden behind the house and surrounded by trees. She parked her motorcycle inside the shed. The pathway between the main house and garage was well lit.
Inside the garage, it was warm and cozy. The apartment was divided into two main rooms: the living area in the front, and the bedroom in the back. Although there was a kitchenette area where she kept a mini fridge and a coffee maker, she rarely used it. She often had breakfast with her parents before she went to work. On most evenings, she worked late and was either grabbing a sandwich from the cafeteria or from a restaurant along her way home. On the evenings when she was not working late, she went out with friends.
It was similar on weekends. She was either at w
ork or out with friends. Her parents are very social and often go to friends’ for dinner or have friends over. Sunday evenings were usually reserved for family dinners. These family dinners often included friends, both her parents’ friends and her own friends. Her mom’s motto was: the more the merrier; there’s always enough food. And for these last few Sundays, it included Jeff, which her parents were extremely happy to see.
It was nine-thirty when she got in, and she knew her parents went to bed long ago. On weekdays, her parents liked going to bed early. Her dad was an early riser, and he kept the same schedule even though he no longer worked.
She sat down at the small folding table where she set up her laptop. While working, she ate from the cartons of Chinese takeout she picked up on her way home. Tonight’s dinner was mostly vegetables: stir-fried, steamed, and with garlic, all with fried rice. She didn’t realize she had ordered only vegetables. It was something she subconsciously did whenever she was nervous.
But the question was, what did she have to be nervous about? Work was going well. Could it be because Jeff was getting impatient to have sex with her? In her mind, dating a couple of months was too soon to be having sex. She was far from ready.
She relaxed in the shower, closing her eyes as she let the warm water washed over her. Stepping out from the shower, she dressed in a cotton T-shirt and pants pajamas set. While jazz music played in the background, she snuggled in her bed and went back to work on her laptop.
She was finishing up a file when her phone rang.
“What are you doing at home?” A vivacious female voice demanded as soon as Charlie answered the phone.
“Where would you expect me to be?” Charlie asked, instantly recognizing the voice of her childhood best friend, Mandy.
“How about in Jeff’s bed?” Mandy giggled,
“Tempting as that sounds, uh not yet. You know we’ve just started dating, and not even seriously.”
Her friend scoffed. “The guy’s been crazy about you for a long time. He has met all your family and friends. You two have been going on dates at least a few times a week for two months, and that’s not serious?”
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