Take Me

by Gracia Ford

  Was it Japanese? Mandarin?

  Seeing as I spoke neither of them, I decided I’d ask when he got off the phone. The problem was that he never did – even when we arrived at my front door an hour later. He seemed to retreat further into his shell every time I glanced at him. He would ignore my gaze and carry on with his meeting or work in general.

  Without meaning to, I had touched a nerve.

  As the door opened for me to get out, I tried to get his attention. He signaled for me to get out and waved.

  I needed to learn to keep my big mouth shut

  Chapter Eight

  Mom and Kara are so excited to hear about my day. I explain about the penthouse, the views, and the lavish furnishings. Mum´s only interest is in the kitchen. I question why sis has never told her about the penthouse. She simply replied, “You know your sister’s view on work. Once she´s out of there, the last thing she wants to do is talk about the same place. One thing I do know is Simon Walker is hot.”

  “What?” I asked. I straightened my back on the kitchen stool where I’d been sitting slumped. Had she said what I thought she’d said? I looked at her round face to try and figure it out.

  “Simon Walker. I remember when Sylvia first started working there. She said she thought all billionaires were supposed to be fat and ugly, so why did hers have to be the best-looking man in the world, no, the universe?” Mom chuckled as she recalled my sister’s exact words.

  Kara finally managed to get on to the stool next to me. “What´s up Mommy?” she asked while sweeping her bangs from her eyes. I must take her to the stylist. Her hair grows too fast, always needing a cut. She’d inherited her thick locks from her father. At least he’d passed on one good quality to her.

  “Nothing,” I reply as I gently remove the strands of hair from her eyes. She really is a beautiful little girl, with large brown eyes and matching hair. I’m predicting that giving me problems when she gets older, especially if her legs keep getting longer. She definitely takes after me in that department, but she could end up being even taller than my five-nine frame. Maybe as big as her grandma, who was nearly five eleven without heels.

  “Meatloaf or lasagna?” Mom asks as she potters in the kitchen. I had thought she was looking for a dish to cook in, not debating what to cook. That´s strange, I thought. Mom usually never thought about what she was cooking, she just did it.

  ***

  I set the table, like I usually did when we were all home for a meal together. Sometimes, a cousin or one of Mom´s sisters passed by on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. So I laid the extra space then, but never on a Monday night. Mom and guests on a Monday night? Now, that was weird, but she had specifically asked me to lay an extra seat. When I asked why, she’d just said, “You´ll see. “ What did it have to do with me? It wasn’t like I had any friends left after Paul killed one of my students’ father. Damn, thinking it does my head in. How can one person cause you so much pain—even when they are dead?! Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

  Mom must have found herself a boyfriend. That was when I took notice of the house, which was normally dotted with the regular wear-and-tear damage you can find in any house—a tear here and there, a chipped plate, an old glass. Mum had replaced the old, tired cushions with the gold, embroidered ones, which only come out when guests visit. Even the accent rugs had been replaced.

  Yes, the house had been transformed without my noticing. After talking with Mom about Simon Walker, I’d day-dreamed about him for an hour before starting to explain to Kara, our life was about to change. I don´t think she understood, as the only part she focused on was, “Can I still visit Grandma?”

  Suddenly Mom rushed out of her bedroom. She was wearing full make-up, and her hair was arranged in nice, long curls, like she had just stepped out of the stylist’s chair. Her dress tightly fitted over her curves, which were pretty nice for someone her age. Oh my mom looked good for her age, all right. She ate healthily, but she loved to enjoy cake once in a while, which is why her hips were child-bearing hips and nothing less.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as she screened me from head to toe. “You can´t eat looking like that. You have fifteen minutes. Go shower, change, and do something with her hair apart from putting it in a bun with the loose strand at the front. You have beautiful, long, flowing hair. Flaunt it for a change.” She shoved me into my room before I even got a chance to reply. Then she took Kara´s hand and led her back into her own bedroom.

  By the time I had showered and dressed in my braided cream dress, the doorbell rang. I let out my beautiful, straight auburn hair and give it a quick brush before answering the door. I nearly tripped over my heels, cussing again as I thought, What does it matter what I wear, she´s the one who has a man coming over? But when I opened the door, I realized I was wrong on both counts.

  Chapter Nine

  “What are you doing here?” I screeched, maybe a bit too loudly. Simon was standing before me. Did he take spare clothes with him everywhere he went, or had he drove at record speed to go home and change before coming back? He was wearing a new outfit of fitted black jeans and a black polo shirt, and my mouth started watering just from looking at him. I shut the door and talked to him outside. He seemed taken aback by what I was doing and the way I was shoving him back toward his limo.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  I had never noticed his driver before, so I suppose I was taken aback by what he had going on. Wow, I would definitely sit in the car all day long if I knew he was driving me around. He had spiky blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. I waved when he looked in my direction.

  Simon put my hand down by my side. “Are you going to leave me outside so you can ogle at my driver all day?” he questioned, agitated. Damn, is he jealous? We just met. I mean, it’s better if I have a thing for his driver than for him. Surely.

  I stared at him briefly, wondering what he was doing back here. He needed to leave quickly, before my mom´s new boyfriend showed up. She was clearly looking forward to tonight, and I didn’t want to do anything to spoil that for her.

  “My mom has a man coming over. She made a nice dinner for him, and I don’t want to ruin her special occasion. Why did you come back, and how did you get here so fast?” I blurted it out quickly, before Mom could come outside and spot him. I knew she would probably make me add a new place to the dinner table, and one thing was for sure: I didn´t want him to stay. Or did I? No, I needed to get my emotions in check. I was supposed to be working and living with him, so I had to stop thinking of him in a romantic light. For crying out loud, I had only met him today! Focus, Chloe. . .

  “I assure you, your mom has no date,” Simon said with a small smile. “I told your sister I was taking you home, and she called to tell your mother. Your mom suggested that I have dinner with you and your family since I was driving all this way. I decided to take her up on the invitation.”

  “Where have you been for the last. . .” I tried to think of what time he had dropped me off. Then I remembered I’d spent most of the time since then day-dreaming about him. Why oh why were Mom and Sylvia trying to tempt me? They should have told him to stay away.

  “We have some family friends nearby, so I stopped there to do make some business calls and send some e-mails. Then I changed, showered, and came over,” he replied awkwardly. I started to wonder if it was because he had to explain himself, or if he felt uneasy about being outside my mom´s house. It was certainly a lot smaller than any of his houses, including his penthouse.

  Friends who let you go to their house just to shower? They probably had quarters specifically for that purpose. Oh, the lives of the rich and famous. So totally different from my world.

  “What are you two doing out here?” Mom questioned as she came to the door. Her polite grin was plastered on her face, but I could tell she really wanted to say, “What is wrong with you Chloe? Did I teach you nothing?”

  “Sometimes my daughter is so rude. Please do come in, Mr. Walker.”<
br />
  “Simon, call me Simon”

  “Okay then, Simon.” She giggled as she played with her locks with her one finger. At least it was clear he didn’t only have an effect on me; he had it on Mom, too.

  It was then I noticed his right hand was behind his back. He must have been hiding the flowers the whole time we spoke . . . even when I was shoving him out of the door. I must remember to apologize.

  He gave my mom the most beautiful tulips I had ever seen. With that, the stumbling, speechless fool replaced me again. I was barely able to talk, think, or co-ordinate my body enough to walk.

  Chapter Ten

  Dinner is a huge success, partly because I said as little as possible. I would never have thought Simon would be such an entertainer, but he naturally bonded with Kara, and they played with her Nancy doll for a little while.

  I have a hot billionaire in my house, and even though I know he’s about a hundred social tiers above me, I can’t stop staring at his dark features and, most of all, his shiny green eyes. He looks delicious, and when it came time for dessert and Mom asked what we wanted, I was tempted to shout out, “Simon.”

  Instead, I control myself . . . or at least I try to control myself. While any normal woman would have given him a tour of the house and then a night to remember after everyone else had gone to bed, I found myself asking him if he should head home since he had work in the morning.

  He makes a gesture indicating I shouldn’t remind him again, and I don’t. He’s a control freak—I can tell from the way he walks, talks, and especially from the way he could silence me with no more than a look. I’m sure he hated to be reminded of his responsibilities, since he no doubt spent half his time reminding himself of them.

  Mom loves having him around. I can tell by the way she laughs and admires everything he says and does. The problem is that she lacks all subtlety. At the end of the night, she ran off to sleep, claiming she needed to put Kara to bed. She gestured for my brother to head to bed too, and he never needed to be asked twice when it came to being reunited with his PS4.

  Soon I find myself alone with Simon. I walk him to the door and feel awkward about what to do next. Should I give him a handshake and say a breezy goodnight, and tell him I’ll see him next week? Should I give him a hug or a kiss on the cheek? As we stand in the doorway and I contemplate all the possibilities, he does the last thing I’d expected. He grabs me in his arms and presses his lips to mine with urgency, then traces his tongue inside my mouth as if he were marking his territory.

  I respond to his kiss, the thing I’d wanted most from the first moment I’d laid eyes on him. I felt myself melt inside, and my core went wet, something I hadn’t experienced since Paul and I were last happy together—a long, long time ago. Without realizing what I’m doing, I reach for his hair. I want to feel his body pressed tight against mine as our mouths meld into one.

  He pushes away from me and says, “I´ve been wanting to do this all day.”

  I stand there like a jilted bride at the altar as I watch his succulent butt walk down the driveway and into the limo. I want him to look back and wave or something, but he didn’t. I feel disappointed and humiliated all at once, and I start to wonder if working with him is a good idea.

  I’ve experienced a taste of my little fantasy and I want more, so much more.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Wake up, Mommy, get up!” Kara screams on top of me.

  “What is it?” I scream, waking abruptly. The light streaming in through the window tells me it’s morning.

  “Mommy, you were screaming and making noises, so I got worried and ran in here to wake you up.”

  “Yes, your mommy is fine, sweetie. I think she was feeling unwell from dinner. Go brush your teeth,” my mom says as she walks into the room.

  “Wow, was I really screaming?” I ask as Kara leaves my bedroom.

  Mom draws closer and then whispers, “You weren’t exactly screaming. You were climaxing. Or at least that’s what it sounded like you were doing.”

  I laugh as I stand up, realizing Mom must have had too much to drink. Me, climaxing? I’m not even really sure what that means. I mean, Paul spent most of our marriage drunk. As far as I’m concerned, sex is just about making sure the man is satisfied. The woman is just there to give him pleasure—isn’t she? I never experienced an orgasm with Paul.

  Mum takes my arm and says, “Look, I saw the way the two of you were looking at each other last night. It wasn’t just you. But don’t forget you’re going to be working for him.”

  I want to say something, but as usual I wait until she was finished.

  “You can´t work for the man and have these feelings for him. I mean, if you feel this way after one day, what are you going to be like after a week?” I start to walk away from her because now she’s getting on my nerves.

  “Don´t be silly. What feelings?” I say. “I think you´re exaggerating.”

  She walks in front of me and says, “The reason I know you were climaxing is because you were shouting Simon’s name at the top of your lungs. I know you don´t have a boyfriend, and I know you don´t know anyone else named Simon. . .”

  With that statement on my mind, I start wondering again whether I should really go to work for the Walkers.

  To be continued…..

  ***Sneak Preview of Book 2 – Take Me***

  Chapter One

  “This is it.” I said as I took a deep breath and faced mom.

  “This is it.” I hugged mom tight as the last of our things were taken from the house. I was going to live with the Walkers as their housekeeper, and I was nervous as hell. The idea of being near Simon Walker made me shudder. I had only met him a couple of times and every time he made my heart miss a beat. The way he held my hand and most of all the way he kissed me. That kiss could last me a thousand lifetimes. The problem was I wanted so much more. I would have surrendered myself to him then and there on my mum´s front porch. I laughed to myself at the thought of it.

  There was no good reason not to take up the job. I had finally paid off every single thing that my husband, Paul, owed anyone. Mum had helped out and she never complained, but it was obvious that I had cleared her out of her life savings when she passed on her annual cruise around the Caribbean.

  I couldn’t expect her to support me any longer. It was time to move on. I had a child to support, and my brother was still under her wing, even though he had gone to college. I’d left home ten years ago, with the idea of never coming back. I didn’t expect to get married, have a baby, and then have my husband kill himself and leave me with a shit load of debt. How blind I had been in the past—I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

  My daughter, Kara, would get the best education money could buy. The Walkers were going to give her an education that I could never afford in a million years, and with my love life, it wasn’t as if I was going to find a knight in shining armor to take care of us, or even to contribute towards her upkeep.

  I was scared to think about being with a man who I could trust. I felt like I was so bad at judging characters, because I got it so wrong with Paul. It haunted me. It haunted me so much that for the past year I had done nothing. I have achieved nothing in my life as a result of it. I used to be a teacher. I used to be a respected part of the community. Now, I was just the widow of the drunken gambler.

  There were no young children in the family, so Kara was normally by herself. My younger sister, Silvia was far from being the settling type. One bonus was that at least Kara would have company. I met Simon’s son, Edward on my last day of training. The way Ms. Walker, his aunt, spoke about Edward, stating that he was emotionless. Yet when he first met me as I bent down to greet him, he hugged me. He hugged me like I was the one person in the world he could relate to. I could see envy in Ms. Walker’s eyes as he did it, and she told him to stop being so emotional. What does a five year old know about being emotional?

  My first thought was if Edward spent most of his life with his aunt
, Amanda then I was not surprised he hugged me that way. I would hug the first person I saw after five minutes of being alone with her. She gave the meaning of ice queen a whole new meaning. She never showed emotion. I had visions of her sitting on the toilet with the same mannerisms. No, I doubted she shit – she just felt too posh to push.

  I always laughed to myself when I talked to her, because I spent most of the time analyzing her. What she said compared to what she was really thinking, Who knows? The other day I went to the penthouse and I asked her for the schedule so I could study it prior to arriving at the house the following week, and she asked, as emotionless as usual, “Did you come here hoping to bump into Simon or did you come here for the schedule?”

  If she wasn’t comfortable with me doing the job, then why was I hired? Luckily, the job did not entail spending time with her, only with Edward and Simon.

  I spoke to their old housekeeper, and she said. “Nothing wrong with the boy that a little love and care won´t sort out. His dad’s too busy feeling guilty about the death of his wife and the boy not having a mother, and the sister is too busy being a bitch.” We laughed, and she said she would come and visit Edward regularly, but only if it was okay with me.

  ***

  I had a fallen into a world of depression. I could hardly walk, talk, or think straight. I hated myself, for what I had let Paul destroy—not only my world, but my beautiful daughter´s world. A mother should protect her child. I’d left mine vulnerable, and as a result we were homeless and penniless.

  Luckily, with the love and support of my family I turned my world around. Even Paul´s parents helped with the move, the financial situation, and caring for Kara. They felt partly responsible. Not sure why—they said when Kara grew up I would understand.

  The problem is we need to let go as parents; we can only do so much. This was the explanation that I gave them. They responded with, “Your role as a parent is constantly tested. From the time you give birth, their education and their role in life. Is a reflection of how you brought them up. If you gave them morals that they abide by, if they live by them then you have done a good job. Our son ran up debts beyond our wildest dreams. Drank like there was no tomorrow and apart from once or twice having a word with him and being told it was none of our business. We should have intervened more than that. We knew what you were going through and all we did was sigh. Sighing didn´t help you in the end. So, yes, we are partly responsible, if you look at the bigger picture, we are responsible. We failed as parents, we’re sorry….”