by Lulu Pratt
“Well, give me a chance. If I don’t live up to your expectations, you can always cut me loose,” he matches the subtlety so well I can’t be sure he’s picked up on my undertone at all.
Pausing, I try to think of the possible scenarios for getting out of this, but at this point, I don’t think there is a way to back out. Petra has been requesting updates since I told her about Logan, and I know she won’t be satisfied unless I at least give this a real chance.
“Please, Ava. I need you.” His voice is desperate and vulnerable, a tone I’ve never heard from him. My thighs squeeze together as I acknowledge his less-than-subtle undertones.
“We can give this a try, Logan, but I can’t make any guarantees. You have to be serious about this, or it won’t work.”
“I will. Trust me. What time can you come over?”
“Come over? What?”
“Come on, Ava. I can’t be seen going into your office. I’ll pay the premium, but I need you here. Bill me whatever,” he proposes, and I think of Petra’s description of him.
“I’ll check for availabilities for this week,” I respond after a brief pause.
“I need you today,” his tone is now authoritative and demanding. He’s in his professional mode, closing the deal.
“Today?” I say more to myself than him.
“Yes. If you have to come after your business hours, I can do that. You can bill me extra for that as well.”
“I have a cancellation at three. Does that–”
“Three o’clock is great. See you then.”
Just then the light on my desk begins to blink, alerting me to my first client’s arrival.
“Three o’clock it is,” I confirm.
For the next seven hours, my focus is on my clock and nothing else. There’s no way I can help my clients with Logan dominating my thoughts, but I try my best, taking notes as regularly as possible as I listen to their updates and plans for improvement.
Before long, it’s finally time to go to Logan’s office, which is much nicer than I expected. From my quick research, I knew he was from a wealthy family, and had gone on to dabble in real estate investments, creating an impressive portfolio almost by accident.
Situated on the eleventh floor of a gold building on Wilshire Boulevard, Draper Holdings, Inc. is quite impressive. Jennifer, Logan’s nervous assistant, runs off a long list of drinks so fast I can barely make out any of the options.
“I’ll have a water,” I smile, assuming that was one of the choices.
Before I’ve even noticed her absence, she walks into the waiting room holding a bottle of Fiji water.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Ms. Batcher. Mr. Draper will see you now,” she says, waiting for me to follow.
“Please call me Ava,” I smile and thank her as she holds Logan’s office door open.
From the waiting area, you can’t see inside his office. In fact, it looks like an opaque glass so dark you can even make out your reflection, but from the inside he can see everything.
Meeting us at the door, he nods to Jennifer, who blushes before rushing out of the office, seemingly grateful to escape her boss. Maybe Petra was right.
“Ava,” he smiles, hugging me briefly, allowing his lips to slide over my cheek as he has done in the past.
“Hello, Logan,” I fight to remain in control as his scent encompasses me.
“Did Jenn offer you a drink?”
“Premium water,” I hold the clear bottle up, and he flashes that smile that releases butterflies in my stomach.
“Have a seat,” he motions to a brown leather loveseat, settling in the matching chair across from me.
“You have a very nice office.”
“How have you been?” he asks, leaning forward in his seat, catching me off guard with his line of questioning.
“I’m fine, and yourself?” I try to keep our conversation casual.
“Why have you been ignoring me?”
“I haven’t, Logan. I’m busy and I told you I’d get back to you,” I lie, avoiding eye contact by looking out the wall of windows that surround his office.
“Ava,” he calls my name demanding my attention, so I turn as if I wasn’t avoiding him.
“Logan,” I tease him and he grins.
“I’m happy to see you,” he says softly, looking directly into my eyes.
“I’m happy to get started on this session. So, the way I typically begin my coaching is to get to know each other. The first session is about boundaries and trust, and the goal is to have both established by the time I leave today,” I go into my serious mode, as my professionalism kicks in, putting me in my comfort zone of work.
“That sounds simple enough.”
“Logan, why am I here?” I ask, and he blanches a bit, so I quickly rephrase the question, knowing this can be intimidating for clients. “What do you hope to gain or improve through our sessions?” I reiterate, and he looks more comfortable with that version.
“I want balance – between my work and social life, which at the time is a bit nonexistent, but I’m hoping you can help me remedy that.”
I jot down some notes before responding. “Sure. I’ve experienced plenty of circumstances like this before. I’m sure we can work together to create a plan for you to find a bit of ‘work-life balance’,” I assure him, jotting down another note.
Chapter 8
Logan
Watching her scribble in her little notebook, as she pulls out paperwork from a folder, I find it extremely difficult not to chuckle. She’s so serious, treating this like a real session, which I guess makes sense.
Maybe she really does believe I want her as a life coach, but the vibe between us is too strong for her to possibly ignore it. That’s what I want, that intense feeling I get whenever she’s around, and if paying her is the only way to have it, then she can bill me whatever she wants.
I figured by the time she got here, she would have put together that this was all just a ploy to get her to make time for me.
I was no stranger to career women, and how their dedication often left no time for catering to my schedule, but I’d always been willing to compensate them for their flexibility. Usually, they would just overbill me as their way of getting paid, which I was fine with, knowing it was a temporary thing.
Ava, on the other hand, was making this difficult, forcing me to go through a session with her, whereas the other women immediately saw through my plan and bent over my desk.
“So, Logan, have you always been very goal-oriented, or is this something that came to you in adulthood?”
“Well… I guess when I was younger I really wanted to do what my parents wanted from me. They were both rarely around, so I wanted to be sure to have good news when I did see them. In a way, that was like chasing goals, but I never really looked at it that way. All my adult life, I’ve been extremely focused on whatever I set out to achieve.”
“Where were your parents?”
“My dad worked a lot, and my mom was just… I don’t know really.” I chuckle, trying to make light of the situation, but I can see she doesn’t fall for my cover-up.
“Who was there for you?”
“My grandmother. My father’s mom. Her name was Ida, and she pretty much raised me. Well, my parents took great care of me financially, but Ida was always there, like physically there, for me.” I can’t believe the words that are coming out of my mouth. I’ve never explained anything like this to anyone, but with Ava, I don’t have the defenses or desire to skate around her questions. If she asks, I’ll answer.
“And your grandma… is she…”
“She passed away about seven years ago.” I finish her question.
“I’m glad she was so special, Logan,” she says with a small smile. It’s the first time anyone has said anything other than a typical, ‘I’m sorry to hear that’, and for some strange reason, it makes me even more attracted to her.
“So, Ava, do you still have grandparents?�
�� I decide to turn the tables on her.
“I’ve never really had grandparents. My parents had me pretty late in life. My mom was told she couldn’t have children, so I was their miracle baby. Both sets of my grandparents were gone before my fifth birthday, so I can’t remember anything about them. I hope I didn’t ask too much about your grandmother, or make you uncomfortable. It’s just a very endearing relationship I’ve always admired and desired, ya know? So, I’m always interested in other people’s experiences.”
“That makes sense. And, no, you didn’t bother me at all. You can ask me anything,” I say, and strangely, I mean it.
Ava is the most genuine and sincere person I’ve been around in a really long time. She’s so sweet and innocent, I almost feel guilty for wasting her time on this fake session.
“So, what’s your business life like?” She says, flipping to a new page in her notebook.
“There’s no typical day for me. Everything is changing and constantly moving. One week I’m here, the next week I’m there. A lot of travel, long hours, high-stress decisions and big payoffs. I do take time off to celebrate finishing a project, but generally I like to get back sooner than later.”
“So, you like what you do then?” she asks, not writing anything down.
“I guess you can say I do. To me, it’s a bit mundane and routine, but now that I think of how much I miss it when I’m away, yeah, I like what I do,” I realize for the first time.
“That’s great. Most people can’t say that, so congratulations for creating a career you love,” she smiles like she’s proud of me, and I have to bite my lip to stop a grin from spreading across my face.
“Thank you,” I shrug instead.
“And your personal life? I’m assuming that’s where you’re struggling?” She places her pencil in the notebook, focusing on me with those beautiful hazel eyes of hers.
“Your assumption would be right. Sometimes, I think I don’t even want a social life. I mean, I must not from the way I behave. Even when there’s a possibility to create an environment of people, I shy away, preferring to stay to myself,” I shrug again, a little uncomfortable admitting something that I have never even really admitted to myself.
“Well, if you don’t want to change that, it’s fine. We can work together to create a balance of work and personal alone time. The balance doesn’t have to include other people, and neither does a social life. The most important relationship you’ll ever have is with you.”
“Ava, do you have a boyfriend?” The question falls off my tongue. It was a random thought, because it seemed like the only explanation for her behavior. That would make everything make sense. Ava was apprehensive and slow to accept anything I offered, because she was in a relationship.
“Well, I don’t think that’s the most appropriate question, Logan, but no, I do not have a boyfriend. What brought that on?” she asks, baffled.
“Just trying to understand you,” I admit.
“How do you see this balance working itself out? What does it look like in your mind?” She moves right along.
It’s in that random moment that a brilliant idea springs to my mind. It’s a collaboration of several recent conversations and desires, and I could kick myself for not thinking of it sooner.
“Honestly, Ava, I have no idea. In fact, I think it will take several of these sessions before I can even begin to visualize it.”
“Believe me, some of these goals can take years to actualize and successfully implement into your routine,” she responds soothingly.
“Yeah, but I don’t want my lifestyle to be the reason I have to delay my progress or slow down this planning,” I add, looking directly into her eyes again.
“Well, I’m committed to helping you achieve your balance, Logan. Really. And I thought this was going to be a bust, if I’m honest, but now that I’m here, I see we have a potential for a great partnership,” she says with the flash of a smile.
“Good. Because I want you to come with me so that we can continue my sessions regularly without interruption,” I state bluntly.
“Come with you? With you where?”
“Wherever. Next week I go to Europe, and I want you to travel with me,” I explain.
“Logan, I have other clients,” she begins, but I cut her off.
“I know. And I can understand how what I’m asking is a lot. Believe me, it is not lost on me. I’m happy to pay double their normal rates for you to clear your schedule so that you’ll be able to travel with me.”
“She was right,” she whispers so low I’m almost certain I wasn’t supposed to hear it, so I remain silent, awaiting Ava’s response as she looks on in shock.
“Logan, you’re asking a lot,” she sighs, looking down into her lap.
“I know, but I think it’s what I need. I don’t leave for a week, so you could use that time to work out your schedule, and speak with your clients. Maybe you can do online sessions or something?” I raise my hand while suggesting it, knowing I won’t make it easy for her to spend any time away from me.
“Logan, I don’t know about this. I wasn’t expecting you to need such in-depth coaching, and I’ve never taken on such a large project.” She seems to be working through the idea herself.
“Ava, you know I’m not a typical client, and this won’t be a typical arrangement. I’m sure in the future that will mean a lot to high-profile clients. You know, your ability to customize your structure. Besides, if I continue on this path, I’m only going to complicate my process further, adding to my pattern of focusing on business and neglecting personal.”
I can see the wheels turning in her head as she contemplates my offer, her front teeth scraping across her bottom lip.
My mind wanders to the taste of her, and the feel of those lips on me. My length stiffens, just subtly, as I take a breath to stay in control. There’s something about this girl that just drives me over the edge, willing to go to any length to have her.
I’ve just asked her to travel with me, something I recently chastised Jenn for suggesting. Yet, the idea seems like the best I’ve had in months. Being able to spend unlimited and uninterrupted time with her, in beautiful cities across the world, is ideal. Ava doesn’t know it, but I’ll make sure to wow her with the sites and style of our travels. Everything will be top of the line, and after the first trip, she’ll be begging for more.
“Okay, I’ll see what I can do,” Ava finally answers, though the look on her face tells me it wasn’t an easy decision to make.
“Great!” I rush to my feet, excitement flooding through me.
Following my lead, Ava quickly throws her supplies in her bag before standing beside me.
“I don’t want to take up any more of your time, until we can really get started, without any distractions,” I explain, though the truth is, my body was simply too excited by her answer, in more places than one.
“Yes, well, I guess I’ve got a lot to get in order to prepare for your trip.”
“Okay, well,” I lean in, hoping to give her one last hug, and it seems a bit uncomfortable for her. When I bend to kiss her cheek, as I always do, she ducks away, before turning to face me with her back to my office door.
“I’ll, um… I’ll be in touch,” she stutters a little as she walks backwards until turning to leave.
It’s the most awkward ending to a meeting I’ve ever had, but I don’t care. I got what I wanted, now it’s only a matter of time before she’s mine. I’m not concerned with my ability to wear her down at all, as long as I have the space and opportunity.
Pressing the button on my desk, I call Jenn in my office to begin the planning for the trip. There are some things I need to change, and others I need to update.
This trip needs to knock Ava off her feet, and I know exactly how to do it. No expense will be spared in my plan to give her more than she can ever imagine.
Chapter 9
Ava
My feet can’t carry me out of his office fast enough. The emotions
are coursing through me in a way I’ve never experienced before, and I can’t risk anyone seeing my reaction.
The second I’m safe in my car, my head drops back and I inhale deeply, taking what feels like the first breath since I first saw him. Without thinking, my hand drops between my legs as my two middle fingers press against my clit, trying to ease the desire.
The slickness is apparent even through my lace panties, and I decide to rush home to give myself the release I need. Never in my life have I felt so attracted to someone, and the fact that he’s now a client only complicates things further.
As I drive I can’t even begin to process how I can successfully coach him, when all I can imagine is how good he’ll feel inside of me. My eyes always follow his lips when he speaks, they’re so full and pink. God, I want to kiss him so bad.
“Where have you been?” Petra asks when I close the front door.
“I went through with the meeting with Logan,” I sigh, trying my best to sound dejected and annoyed.
“Really? How was it?”
“He’s just how you described – needy and demanding. He wants me to clear my schedule to focus on his needs. Oh, and he wants me to go to Europe with him next week,” I roll my eyes before heading up the stairs.
“Did you discuss the rate?” She asks with excitement in her voice.
“He said to bill him whatever,” I shrug, continuing up the stairs.
“He’s such a douche. Was he an asshole?” She yells up, and I pause, turning to face her.
“No, not really. He’s actually pretty nice from what I saw.” I contort my face, realizing that was the one characteristic she was so adamant about, but he didn’t embody it at all.
“Oh, he’s still playing nice,” she scoffs, turning to walk away as I head up to my room.
After a long bath, I settle into bed, calling it an early night after such an exhausting day. I’ve barely pulled the covers over my body, when my hand drops between my legs again, but this time there’s nothing stopping me.
My eyes shut as I replay my meeting with Logan, pausing my memory whenever he smiles or bites his bottom lip. Tracing my lips with the soft touch of my fingertip, my body comes alive as I imagine Logan touching me instead.
