by Amy Cross
"I'm close," he whispers after a moment.
"Not yet," I reply, staring down at him, determined to hold him like this until I'm ready.
"Please," he continues. "Harder".
"Not yet," I say again. "I want you to -"
Before I can finish, he reaches up and grabs my shoulders, twisting me around and somehow dropping me down against the bed, while he repositions himself on top. As he slides back inside me, I'm tempted to protest, but within seconds he's thrusting rhythmically into me and I can tell it's too late to stop him. I reach up and put my arms around him, holding him close and feeling the muscles of his shoulders. I guess this is how it's always going to be. He has to be in control at all times.
Laura
Today
"On the rocks?"
"Huh?" I reply, having been lost in my own thoughts. The hotel's barman, standing nearby with a glass in one hand and a bottle of bourbon in the other, seems amused. "Oh," I continue. "Yeah, on the rocks".
"You like cocktails?" he asks as he scoops some ice into the glass. He smiles at me with the kind of playful, manly smile that used to drive me crazy, but which now strikes fear into my heart. "You look like the sort of woman who likes cocktails".
"Sure," I reply, as the glass is placed in front of her. "Who doesn't like cocktails?" Damn it, I tell myself, stop flirting! It's hard, though, when this kind of behavior seemed to have been hardwired into my soul from birth. I swear to God, I fall way too fast and way too hard whenever I meet some random hot guy. It's almost a disability.
"Tell me what you think about this," the barman says, grabbing a couple of bottles and a long-necked cocktail glass, and starting work on some kind of pinkish concoction. His hands move so fast, it's clear that he has a hell of a lot of experience. "I make the best Cosmopolitans in the world. Seriously, I'm not kidding. The very best. Each one's like a work of art, slightly different to the rest". His hands continue to work in a flash, and soon he's sliding the glass toward me. "I know my shit," he adds with a confident smile.
"That's great," I say cautiously, stirring the glass. "I'd hate it if my first act on the job was to fire the barman".
"Give it a try," he continues, unable to contain his enthusiasm. So far, he seems like a confident, friendly guy, and I can't help but find his company strangely comforting. "One sip," he continues, "and I guarantee you'll be hooked for life. Seriously, do you think people come back to this hotel year after year 'cause of the scenery? 'Cause of the food? 'Cause of the two-for-one offers on weekday breaks, and the fancy towels? Hell, no. They come back because they recognize the work of a great artist and they want to worship at my altar".
"You mix your metaphors as freely as you mix your drinks," I point out.
"Just try the damn drink".
Shrugging, I lift the glass to my lips and allow myself a sip. "Huh," I say after a moment. "You know what? This is good! What's your secret?"
"Can't tell you," the barman replies, miming a zipping motion across his lips before heading over to the sink. "Wouldn't be a secret otherwise, would it? Anyway, it's not like you can copy this kind of secret. It's kind of a gift. It's all in the hands, see, and you've either got the skill or you haven't. There's no school that can teach you how to make cocktails this good". He turns on the tap, and seconds later there's a deep grinding sound from somewhere deep within the plumbing. "Damn!" he mutters, shutting the tap off again. "I swear to God, this fucking place's getting worse and worse".
"Problem?" I ask.
"Plumbing comes and goes," he says. "Some days it's okay, others it's like the damn system's got backed up all the way to Devon. I keep mentioning it to housekeeping, but they reckon there's nothing they can do. They say the system's fine and there shouldn't be a problem unless someone's flushing dodgy stuff down the drains".
"Sounds like something I should add to my list," I say, smiling as I take another sip from the Cosmopolitan. I'd only intended to try the drink briefly, and only because the barman was so insistent as soon as he'd learned that I'm his new boss. He's certainly keen to impress, which is kind of cute. Now, though, I'm finding the drink to be strangely alluring, and maybe I'm enjoying the barman's company a little too much. Back off, I tell myself. Don't make the same mistakes this time.
"So what's your name again?" she asks.
"Cole," he replies.
"Just Cole?" Before I can press him for an answer, I turn as I hear a commotion out in the reception area. It seems like a small crowd is gathering.
"Luke Bannister's shipping out to Afghanistan this afternoon," Cole explains. "The kid's got a chip on his shoulder, thinks he needs to prove something to the rest of his family, especially after what happened with his wife".
"What happened with his wife?" I ask, turning back to him.
"Exactly," Cole replies. "No-one knows. Elizabeth Bannister just upped and vanished five years ago, right in the middle of the night. Here one minute, gone the next. Damn near tore the family apart. As you can imagine, there's no shortage of theories floating around".
"Such as?"
"You name it. Accident, murder, kidnapping... everything except alien abduction". He glances around, as if to double-check that we're alone. "The Bannisters are a wealthy family," he continues, keeping his voice a little lower, "but they've got a whole heap of other problems. Seriously, there's nothing you could rule out with that lot. The police were crawling all over the damn place for a couple of months, but eventually they gave up and said they thought she'd just left home and gone into hiding. Then again, apparently she never tried to use her credit cards, so what's she living off? This is the twenty-first century. There's no way someone can make themselves disappear like that anymore. It's just not possible".
"Why would she want to run from her family?" I ask.
"There were problems," he replies.
"Such as?"
"It's complicated".
I pause for a moment. "What kind of complicated?" I ask eventually.
"The Bannisters are pretty fucked up," Cole continues. "Luke's probably the most normal, but even then... I mean, the kid's loaded, and he still wants to go halfway around the world and stick a target on his face and play dare with a bunch of fucking..." He pauses, as if the insanity of the whole situation is just too much to put into words. "It's nuts, that's all I'm saying. Sometimes I reckon he wants to get blown up, just so he can get the hell out of this family". He pauses for a moment. "But you heard none of this from me, right? I just thought you ought to be filled in on a few details".
I stare at him. "You and Elizabeth -"
"We were friends," he says quickly, as if he was anticipating the question. "Nothing more. Right from the first moment we met, when she came into the bar looking for some ice..." He pauses. "Never mind. Just forget it".
"Sure," I reply, watching as Cole gets on with the job of pulling some pipes out from behind one of the ale barrels. For a moment, letting my mind wonder again, I find myself daydreaming about dragging Cole back to my room and letting him give me his best shot in bed. It's not hard to picture the scene in my mind: Cole, with his bare chest firm and toned as he slowly strips me naked and kisses my bare breasts, gently using his tongue to caress my...
No! I remind myself firmly. You're not doing this! Not again!
"You okay?" Cole asks, frowning as he stares at me.
"I'm fabulous," I reply, affecting a cheerful smile that I know, in my heart, is probably not very convincing. The truth is, I've worked hard to leave the old Laura Kingston behind, and I'm determined to become a completely new woman. Taking a deep breath, I try not to feel too nostalgic for the good old days when I'd have made a move on a guy like Cole. Those days - those embarrassing, humiliating, fun days - are in the past, as is all the damage that always ensued. I'm a different person. A totally different person.
"I'm going to go and take a look at the departing warrior," I say, getting up from the bar stool. The last thing I need is to sit and fester all evening.
"Not gonna finish your drink?" Cole asks, looking a little hurt.
"Not on a school night," I reply, wincing at such a hackneyed phrase but figuring it's probably for the best. As I walk across the bar and through into the crowded reception area, I realize that I've just passed my first big test. I'm sure that Cole was flirting with me, even if it wasn't anything too serious, but I managed to resist. Every time I've ever started flirting with a man in my entire life, it has always ended with bad things happening. I know I'm not a stunning beauty, but something about my personality just seems to make men think they have a chance. Finally, for the first time, I've shown some self-restraint, and it makes me feel good. It wasn't a total victory, but it was a step in the right direction.
Elizabeth
Five years ago
"Are you still open?" I ask, knocking gently on the door.
Glancing over, the guy behind the bar seems surprised to see me.
"Sorry," I continue. "I just wanted to get some ice".
"Sure," the barman says. "Totally. Ice is something we have in vast quantities. You want enough to sink a cruise liner, or just enough for a glass of water?"
"Just to fill this, if it's okay," I tell him, walking over and placing a glass on the bar. "Sorry, I wasn't sure if you'd still be open".
"Oh, we're definitely open," he replies, grabbing the glass and filling it with ice. "You might not guess it, judging by the complete lack of customers, but we're open. I'm on the clock and ready to serve until one in the morning". He passes the glass back to me. "So what brings you down to this neck of the woods? Beauty contest? Modeling gig?"
"I came to meet my boyfriend's family," I say, deliberately ignoring his lame attempts at humor. "I came with Luke".
"You're Elizabeth?" he asks. "Sorry, I had no idea. I heard you were coming, but I'm rarely allowed out of the bar, so..." His voice trails off, and he seems a little uncomfortable.
"You heard I was coming?" I reply. "I didn't realize I'd been trailed in advance".
"There was a certain amount of excitement," he says. "It's not every day that one of the Bannister boys brings a woman home. You might say it's a once in a lifetime event. I just..." He pauses. "I don't know. You're not how I thought you'd be. I guess I figured Luke's type was more..."
I wait for him to answer. "More... what?"
He shrugs. "I don't know. It's just that you seem kinda normal to be hanging out with one of the Bannister boys, that's all".
"Is that a compliment?" I ask.
"For you," he says with a smile. "Maybe not for..." He pauses again. "You know what? I'm just the barman. I stand here in an empty room for most of the day, and occasionally some poor soul comes in and orders a drink. It's easy work, but the downside is that I tend to be a bit too chatty on those rare occasions when someone comes in who I actually..."
I can't help but smile. "Do you ever finish a sentence?" I ask eventually. "Or do you just leave them all hanging?"
"I never thought of it like that," he replies. "I guess..."
"Good night," I say, heading back over to the door. It's late and I'm tired, and tomorrow morning I'm apparently supposed to spent time with Juliet. Luke thinks it'll do her good to have a female face around the place, and I guess I can't argue with that. I just hope things are a little less tense. While today started out pretty well, the evening has revealed a few cracks here and there, and I'm starting to think that the Bannisters aren't quite as 'perfect' as they'd like the world to think. As I head out into the reception area, I glance back and see that the barman is watching me, although he turns away as soon as he realizes I've spotted him. Unable to stifle a brief smile, I make my way back to Luke's room. On the way, I pass a tall, good-looking man who nods briefly at me. Glancing over my shoulder, I can't help but wonder if that might have been Edward. Then again, I guess it can't have been. After all, why wouldn't he have introduced himself?
Laura
Today
"Seriously," Edward Bannister says, standing by the reception desk as he addresses the gathered staff and a few bewildered guests, "it's a humbling and proud day for me today, as I prepare to wave my little brother off to war. It seems like only yesterday that we used to play soldiers in the grounds of the hotel when we were children, and now he's going away to be the real thing. He's taking on a huge responsibility and he's putting his life on the line for his country. I can only say, Luke, that you have our full support, and that we hope to see you back here very soon".
A smattering of applause breaks out, and I watch as a chisel-jawed twenty-something in a military uniform walks across the room and rather formally shakes Edward's hand. To be honest, this Luke guy has the kind of stoic good looks that seem to belong in some old-fashioned war drama about handsome heroes, but at the same time there's a hint of great sadness in his eyes. I can feel my chest clinching tight as I watch the reluctant hero face the crowd. Damn it. Not again.
"You need to say a few words," Edward says with a smile, patting his brother on the back. Above him, one of the pipes makes a groaning sound, and Edward glances up with a frown of disapproval.
"I'm not really into speeches," Luke replies, looking deeply uncomfortable.
"Come on," Edward continues, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning him so that he's facing the crowd. "All these people have come to wish you a good trip, Luke. They care about you and they want to know that you'll be home safely. Let's be honest, you're going to put a lot of people through a lot of worry while you're away. I'm sure you've got a few words to say to them, even if it's just to reassure them that you'll be back home for the holidays!"
"I guess," Luke replies, adjusting his beret. "Uh, thanks for coming, everyone. It means a lot to me, and I hope you'll all be just as happy to see me when I get back in a year's time". He pauses for a moment. "I've never been away from this place for so long. It's going to feel weird, but everyone's got their own calling, and this is mine. I'm gonna go out there and do my bit for peace and hopefully help things move along a little faster, so that a few less people have to die. At least I know that the Heights will be in good hands, though". He turns to Edward. "Or are you gonna be running things, bro?"
There are a few muttered laughs among the crowd.
"Actually," Edward says, taking the joke in his stride, "this might be a perfect opportunity to introduce everyone to our new general manager. I see that she's here with us right now, so why don't I get her to step forward?"
Filled with panic, I mouth the word "No" several times.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Edward continues, with a smile that suggests he's actually enjoying my discomfort, "please give a warm welcome to Ms. Laura Kingston".
I open my mouth to demur, but suddenly everyone starts clapping and I feel obliged to step forward and introduce myself. As I try to work out what to say, I glance over at Luke Bannister and see a curious look in his eye. He seems very interested in her, almost as if he feels some kind of connection, and the intensity of his gaze makes me immediately feel a little uncomfortable. It's an awful thing to think, but in a small and selfish way I'm glad he isn't going to be around too much. Something about him just seems to send a shiver through my body.
"Perhaps I've caught you off-guard a little," Edward says, clearly surprised by my failure to launch into a stirring and impassioned speech. "Everyone, I'm sure that tomorrow morning, when she's had time to get used to the Heights, Ms. Kingston will be ready to give us all a welcoming address in which she'll lay down some of her plans for pushing the hotel forward into a bright and successful new future". He pauses. "Isn't that right, Ms. Kingston?"
"Absolutely," I say, trying not to let my voice tremble too much. "I've got some big plans!"
"I should get going," Luke says, grabbing his army-issue kit bag. He seems rather irritated by the whole situation, and he pointedly pushes past his brother as he heads over to the door. Kneeling next to his father, whose wheelchair is parked right next to the entrance, Luke seems lost for words for a moment, but f
inally he leans closer to the old man and whispers something in his ear. Whatever he's saying, it's clearly something that he wants no-one else to hear.
After a few seconds, the old man nods, before glancing over at me.
"Look after the old guy," Luke says to the buxom young nurse who's standing behind the wheelchair. "Make sure he doesn't just sit around moping while I'm gone".
The woman smiles, but she says nothing. Gorgeous and curvy, she has the face and body of some old-fashioned femme fatale, and I can't help feeling a little intimidated. Hell, it looks like she stepped straight out of some old b-movie.
"I'll walk you out," Edward says tersely as he joins his brother at the door. "Everyone else, I'd be grateful if you could get back to work. Ms. Kingston and I will be instituting some changes in the next few days, and we're going to require you all to be on your toes. This hotel has been in the doldrums for long enough. It's time to reach for the future". With that, he accompanies Luke as they head out the door and into the parking lot, where a taxi is waiting. As he climbs into the taxi, Luke glances back through the door and briefly makes eye contact with me once again, before Edward conspicuously moved to stand in the way.
"You must be very proud," I say as Victor Bannister is wheeled past. The only reply I receive, however, is a quick glance from his yellow eyes, and then a glaring stare from the woman who appears to be his nurse. I turn and watch as they head along one of the corridors. I feel as if my first day isn't going quite as well as it might, but at the same time I figure that tomorrow will be a fresh start.
"I hope you're satisfied with your room," says Edward Bannister, returning from the parking lot as the taxi drives away. "I know it's a little small, but I doubt that a resourceful and ambitious young woman such as yourself has much time for sleep. This is a tough job, Ms. Kingston, and I'm afraid it's going to take up a great deal of your time. I'm expecting you to eat, sleep and breathe this hotel with every fiber in your body".
