by Suzie Nelson
***
The week flew by. Alicia spent hours on the phone talking with past clients to see how their matches were going. A few hadn’t made it, but the majority were still together. Three more couples had gotten married, and two others were having children. It made Alicia think more and more about Ian, about settling down herself and being someone’s special person. She mentioned to her assistant that she was thinking of calling Ian, but Eleanor was so adamantly against it, she backed off. Maybe she needed a vacation or something.
Alicia researched famous Mexican clothes designers and had a Kris Goyri brightly colored sleeveless dress sent to her from his studio. She tried it on and immediately loved it. She would wear black platforms and a variety of bangles on her arm. The dress was loose-fitting and right above her knees. “I can eat and not have to suck in my stomach all night!” she said to Eleanor as they were putting the dress back in the bag. The women laughed.
“I’ll bet Rossellini doesn’t recognize you,” commented Eleanor.
“He’s almost 80, El. I don’t know if he’d recognize me in an NYU sweatshirt! I love that I’m kind of creating a new me. It makes me feel like I’m changing. I haven’t felt like that since we’ve moved here to the U.N. building. Seems like all we do is work.”
“Well, take lots of pictures. I want to see how everyone looks. I confirmed with Daniela on Tuesday, by the way.”
“Thanks. Well, I’m outta here. Will you call for a car for me? Make it 6:30 so I hopefully will be early. I hate to have the others wait. I’d walk, but you know me and platforms.”
“Will do. Do you want anything special? Limo? Town car?”
“Not really. And just order it to get me there. I’ll hook up with one of the others to go home. Hopefully, someone will want to go out for a while.”
“You got it. Have fun.” Eleanor hugged Alicia and whispered, “You deserve it.”
“What’s that mean? What do I deserve?”
“Oh, maybe that’s the wrong word. Ya know. You work too much. Go have fun.” Eleanor knew she was blushing so she hurried out of Alicia’s office. She was so close to pulling this off, she didn’t want to mess anything up.
The doorman at her apartment called Alicia to say her car was here. She walked off the elevator, and Lenny, the doorman, whistled at her. “Who is that hot mama? I’ve never seen you and I know all my tenants. What are you doing here?” He was smiling.
Alicia smacked him on his arm and laughed. He held out his arm to walk her to the waiting Lincoln Town Car. The driver held the door for her, and they were off. The restaurant was only 12 blocks away, but with traffic on Friday night, one never knows. Luckily, the trip took ten minutes.
Alicia tipped the driver and walked into Cosme. She noticed others looking at her, and she smiled as she asked the maître de where the Rossellini party was.
“I’m sorry, Miss, but I do not see that name in the book. Could it be under someone else’s name?”
Alicia couldn’t remember Daniela’s last name and wasn’t sure who else would be there, so she told the maître de she would wait at the bar until she recognized one of the group.
“Enjoy, Senorita,” said Alonzo to Alicia. She smiled and handed him a $10 bill.
Chapter 9
Alicia sat at the far end of the bar so she could watch for her friends. She ordered a blackberry water. She didn’t want to drink alcohol on an empty stomach. As she watched the door, she saw Ian Forsythe walk in alone. He spoke to Alonzo, who pointed in her direction. There were several other women at the bar who looked alone, so Alicia assumed he was meeting one of them. When he sat down at the empty bar stool next to her, she looked at him, surprised.
“Hello, Ian,” she said.
He turned towards a voluptuous light-haired woman whose voice sounded familiar but he didn’t recognize the rest. “Have we met?” he asked.
“Alicia Stringer,” she held out her hand to shake his. “We talked in my office a couple of weeks ago.”
Ian was staring at Alicia and still holding her hand. She finally pulled it away.
“Wow! I love the new look. I recognized your voice but the rest is brand new.”
“Just the hair. I bought the dress for the Mexican look. I normally don’t wear loose-fitting clothes.”
Why did I say that?
“Well, I first want to apologize for my inappropriate behavior when I last saw you. I had intended to call and was both surprised and thrilled when Eleanor told me you had suggested we meet again.”
“Pardon?”
“Eleanor called me to see if I could meet you here at 7 this evening. She said you felt bad about our first meeting as well.”
“Oh, really? Eleanor called you. Was it last week? I was in Venice.”
“Yes, she mentioned that. She said that’s why she called for you. Is that true?”
“Ian, I’m here because my old boss at NYU is retiring, and several of us were getting together this evening for a small celebration. No, I never asked her to call and set this up. I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you.” Alicia took a sip of her water and shook her head. What the hell did Eleanor do?
“Please don’t apologize. It’s not an inconvenience at all. I’m not sure why Eleanor called me then, but I love the food here, really wanted the chance to talk to you again, and hoped you wanted to get to know each other.”
“I’m the matchmaker. Not the match. This is embarrassing.”
“Maybe Eleanor was playing matchmaker.” Ian looked at Alicia until she smiled and relaxed her shoulders. “It’s a great restaurant. We are both here. What do you say?” Ian stood up, held out his hand for Alicia. His eyes were irresistible. A tiny part of Alicia screamed she should get out but much bigger part of her craved to stay. She accepted Ian’s hand and the two walked to meet Alonzo, who sat them at a corner table that was fairly secluded.
“Your server will be with you shortly, Amigos. Enjoy your evening.”
“Thank you, Alonzo,” Alicia and Ian said in unison. They laughed and smiled at each other.
Dinner and the conversation were delicious. Ian asked Alicia about her life, her ambitions, her future. He seemed genuinely interested. Alicia asked Ian about his sailing experience and how much of it was planned or just happened as the days passed. When she asked him why he left Wall Street in the first place, he told her how tired he was of the partying, one night stands, and working 60 hours a week.
“You are the first person I have ever told that to, Alicia.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I think your personal assistant is learning well from you.” He smiled and leaned across the table, kissed her warmly on the mouth, then looked at her. His eyes were inches from hers, and she felt herself wanting to kiss him back. She did.
“My apartment is 12 blocks from here. Shall we walk or catch a taxi?” There was no need to ask if he wanted to be alone with her.
“Taxi…much faster.” Ian called the waiter over, asked him to get a taxi while he paid the bill, and Alicia and Ian were in the elevator of her building 15 minutes later.
Chapter 10
Ian pushed Alicia against the back of the elevator and put his hands under her loose dress. He kissed her neck while he rubbed her ass and then her back and finally held each breast in his hands.
“I have thought of your body every day since I’ve met you, Alicia. I don’t want to be shallow, but you are perfect to me.”
“Be shallow. I don’t care right now because all I want is to see you naked, on top of me, and inside of me. I saw what I saw in my office if you want shallow.”
She laughed and they stood side by side as the elevator opened in case anyone was there. A couple was waiting, but they were going down, so the doors closed again and Alicia rubbed Ian’s hard-on through his pants. It was huge, and she felt herself wet with desire. “Oh God,” she whispered as the door to the elevator opened again. Ian pulled Alicia in front of him in case there was anyone there, but they were alone
.
“I’m in 22A,” said Alicia as they walked off the elevator, down the hall, and she keyed in the code to her apartment. Ian was pressing himself against her as she was inputting the code, and she had to enter it again. They laughed, walked in her apartment, and passionately kissed each other as the door was still closing.
Alicia immediately unbuttoned Ian’s shirt and touched his soft, hairless chest. She used her tongue to work her way down to his belly button and found the happy trail of fine hair leading to his penis.
“Aah,” said Alicia as she unbuttoned his belt and unzipped his pants. When they fell to the ground as she saw that he wasn’t wearing underwear she let out a low, sexy sigh. “Oh, God. All the time?” she asked, looking into his beautiful eyes again.
“All the time,” he answered as he reached up her dress again and ripped off her panties, spreading her apart and feeling her wetness. She moaned again and pulled her dress over her head as Ian stepped out of his pants. He had managed to take off his shoes somehow but Alicia was still wearing her 5” platforms. She picked up her leg to take them off and Ian pushed her hand away. “Leave them on.”
He had put a condom on while she was trying to take off her shoes. Without a word, he spread her legs and was inside her. He grabbed her butt and lifted her up as she held on to him. Their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. As he sucked her breast, holding her up, Alicia rubbed her hands through his thick black hair and then put them on his shoulders. She leaned her head back as they began a rhythmic dance of ecstasy, moving up and down as if they were one.
When Ian came, Alicia stopped moving and pressed his cock inside her as deep as she could. She could feel his orgasm through the condom, coming in spurts, lasting longer than Ian had ever remembered.
Alicia’s orgasm became intense when she felt him coming, and he rubbed her clit until they were both satisfied. Both of them were standing, breathing heavily and laughing at the scene they had created.
“Would you care for a glass of wine or a brandy, Ian?” Alicia asked as she walked, naked but in shoes, towards the inside of her apartment, which they hadn’t managed to get to yet.
Chapter 11
Ian spent the weekend at Alicia’s. They made love, they cuddled, they showered together, but mostly, they talked. Both of them said over and over, ‘I have never said this to anyone’ and they laughed and cried as they shared each other, body and soul.
When Ian left on Sunday evening, he held Alicia’s chin, looked her in the eyes, and said, without hesitation: “You already know that I’m in love with you. I want to be clear and let you know right now that I intend to marry you, and I want you to have my children. At least two, maybe more.” Then he kissed her for a long time. When he pulled away, he put his finger on her lip, to make sure she didn’t respond. He walked out the door and left Alicia standing in her foyer with tears of joy running down her face.
Eleanor was on the phone when Alicia walked in to the reception Monday morning, and she couldn’t read her at all. She didn’t wait to be called into her office. She knocked and went in on her own. Alicia was standing in the middle of her office with her hands on her hips. Shit!thought Eleanor as Alicia walked over to her and was now shaking her finger at Eleanor, who knew what was coming.
“You are going to be better than me one day, El.” Alicia hugged her, and continued, “I cannot thank you enough for pulling off what you did. We are perfect for each other. Thank you sooo much!”
They both were crying and hugging and laughing.
“I thought you were going to fire me,” said Eleanor. “I knew you two were perfect for each other two minutes after he walked in the lobby. But I got the call from Daniela, and my mind just started spinning, and I set it up. I already called Daniela to tell her what I did, and she wants you to call her to let her know how things went. I thought you got me when you asked why you weren’t going to Carbone, where the actual retirement dinner was. God, Alicia, I am so happy for you both.”
The phone rang, and Eleanor knew no matter what the situation, the phone has to get answered.
“Sincere, this is Eleanor, how may I assist you?”
“It’s Phil, Eleanor. Is Alicia there? Is everything okay?”
“Let me put her through? Please hold.” She smiled as she put Alicia’s phone on hold, gave her a quick hug, and let her have her privacy with her father. This time, Alicia blew a kiss to Eleanor.
Chapter 12
“Hey, Pops. What’s up?” How’s it slicin’?”
“Thin and delicious as always,” answered Phil for the thousandth time. Alicia was the only person who asked him how it was slicin’ and he loved it. “How are things with you? I had a dream.”
“Things are incredible, Dad. I made a great match with a couple in Venice last week, and Eleanor made her first match this past weekend.”
“That’s nice. Can I tell you my dream?” Phil was clueless that his daughter was half of the match. “You were on a sailboat surrounded by water. You were pregnant, very pregnant, and then you started screaming. Next thing I know, you are in a huge backyard, pushing a baby in one of those bucket swings. I knew it was the baby you had on the boat. But I kept hearing other kids saying ‘Mommy’ push me and ‘Daddy’ catch me. Then I woke up and realized I was crying. Your mom even woke up. She said she felt it too. What’s goin’ on, baby?”
“Like I said, Pops, Eleanor made her first match this weekend with Ian Forsythe…and me.” There was silence. Alicia was smiling, imagining her father’s face and how in about 10 seconds, he was going to be screaming to the family.
“Mama, Zachary, Craig, Josh,” he yelled. “Alicia has a match.”
She heard the family running to the back room to gather around the phone. She was smiling, knowing Mama was going to ask ‘with whom?’ Men never remember to ask that.
“Who is he, baby? Do we know him? Wait. Let me put you on speaker...Okay, we can all hear you now,” Phil was screaming.
“It’s Ian Forsythe, remember he was in the deli? Well, Eleanor…”
“I knew it, baby!” cried her mother. “And Daddy and I both knew last night. He had a dream.”
“Good job, sis.” That was Zach.
“Two billionaires. I hope I’m in the will,” said Craig.
Oldest brother, Josh, more of a father than a brother to baby Alicia was crying. “You make us proud, Lisha.”
“May I finish now? He came in the office a couple of weeks ago and was a definite fraud. I even guessed that he lost a bet and that is why he was there. So, you know me, I cussed him out and made him leave.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about him, and Eleanor knew it. So she set us up on a date Friday night at Cosme, and one thing led to another, and I’m thinking that Eleanor might become my partner someday. I am officially in love!”
Alicia heard cheers. Forgetting that she was on speaker phone, the whole deli heard her story. Thank God she didn’t give any details. “So, family, do I have your approval?”
Again, silence on the phone. Then, the whole family, well at least Mom, Dad, and her brothers all screamed, “YES!”
A happy grin appeared on Alicia’s face.
“Can you come to dinner on Sunday?” asked Mama. “We want to get to know him. Oh, girl, you are gonna have beautiful children!”
“Ian is stopping by the office soon. I’ll ask him, but I’m sure it’s yes. I’ll call you if we can’t make it, and if we can, I’ll see you Sunday at 11. I mean, we’ll see you Sunday at 11.”
After five more minutes of “I love you” and “congratulations,” Alicia hung up.
She looked up to see Ian standing in front of her desk, with his beautiful smile, and a bouquet of flowers. The bouquet was a combination of daffodils, baby’s breath, and chervil. Alicia accepted it as Ian said: “Daffodils for new beginnings, Baby’s Breath for everlasting love, and chervil for sincerity. Hello, my love. Of course, we will have Sunday dinner with the family.”
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Chapter 13
Ian picked Alicia up at her apartment on Friday. He was driving a Range Rover Sport. “Did you just buy this?” she asked as they were putting her bags in the back. “I see you as the sports car type.”
“I am. But two-seaters won’t work for the family, so I went with the sporty SUV. Do you like it?”
“I like it very much. Did you buy car seats too?”
“No! I’m not in that much of a hurry. I have plenty of protection for the weekend,” he smiled and reached for Alicia’s hand. “I’ve been missing you ever since yesterday.”
“I know how you feel,” agreed Alicia. “Truthfully, I really want to be naked next to you. And I can’t wait to make love, but I have so many things I want to know about you. I hope we keep learning about each other for the rest of our lives.”
