by Anthology
Kip had continued calling her cell phone and left pleading, then threatening messages. She finally shut her phone off shortly after midnight, realizing she needed her sleep and couldn’t be distracted by her cheating husband. She knew that she couldn’t keep her phone off forever, aware that if there was a change in the schedule today, her cell phone was Grayson’s managers contact number.
“I just need a shower and a cup of coffee.” she mumbled to herself as she shoved her covers back. Because she had cried herself to sleep, her body felt achy and tired, her mind foggy. She couldn’t let her emotions cloud her focus today. This was about Othello and the future of her stables. If she and Othello could perform an emotional dance routine to a popular musician’s work, clients would flood to her stables to book Othello as the stud to breed to their mares, or pay top dollar for his foals. In addition to selling Othello’s foals, she could book lessons on freestyle dressage and board her client’s horses. All of that added up to a very comfortable income doing something she loved.
She turned the small coffee pot on before entering the shower. She let the hot water flow over her head to help clear her mind. She had gone over every possible argument the managers could possibly come up with on her flight to L.A. She was surprised and pleased that she had been able to focus on her task. Every time the image of Kip and the brunette popped into her mind, she remembered her stable and all of the years of blood, sweat and money she had put into it. That image allowed her to find the strength to concentrate on the task at hand.
She went back over her responses to each possible argument Grayson’s managers could come up with as she shampooed her hair. She would not allow herself to be caught off guard. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in the luxurious robe she had brought from home, relishing in its softness. The shower and smell of fresh brewed coffee heightened her senses and she realized she actually felt good. She lingered over her first cup of coffee, taking in her room’s décor, realizing she had been too tired and distracted to notice it the night before.
The rust-colored carpet had a visible path worn from the door to the bed. The curtains appeared to have been cut from the same cloth as the bed’s comforter, a heavy, polyester that may have once been a chocolate brown when it was new but had faded to a color that now resembled that of dried dog poop. The wall paintings were cheap prints that reminded her of what she found at garage sales in her town and the one window that was in her room faced a decrepit, brick building with laundry hanging out of a couple of the windows. It was definitely not a place that she would prefer to stay at but her budget for this trip told her it was her only option.
Once her make-up and hair were done, she dressed in a soft, black, mid-length skirt and fitted, royal blue, silk blouse. She had spent a fortune on the outfit, with the help of Megan, but knew it would be worth it if she was able to seal the deal. Her hope was that Grayson’s people would see that she was hip, stylish and meant business. She put in the diamond stud earrings that her father had given her as a present when she graduated college with a double degree in business management and horse husbandry. She looked in the mirror and smiled at herself. Not bad for a woman who less than twenty-four hours ago, found her husband cheating on her.
Stop it! she chided herself. Kip has nothing to do with this. Not anymore. Because she didn’t want the distraction of a grumbling stomach during the lunch meeting, she decided to grab a light breakfast. Making sure she had her cell phone and briefcase, she wandered downstairs to grab a quick fruit salad and glass of iced tea at a little café she had noticed across the street of her motel. While she was eating, her phone began to ring, causing her to jump. Picking it up, thinking it was Grayson’s manager, Patrick; she felt her heart drop to her stomach when she heard Kip’s voice.
“Rebecca, please don’t hang up. I have been trying to get a hold of you all night. I haven’t slept, I haven’t eaten, I just need to talk to you, to explain. I made a mistake but for so long, we haven’t been close and I was weak. I’m sorry. I don’t want to lose you.”
Rebecca felt the tears fill her eyes and she closed them as the tears dropped onto her plate. “Kip, I can’t do this now. I have my future to think of. You should have thought of all that before you decided to cheat on me.” She hit the end button on her phone and sat there shaking. She should have known that Kip wouldn’t give up so easily, it was a matter of pride for him. He always wanted to win an argument. Even when he was wrong about something, if he was embarrassed about it, he would argue and push his point until the other person eventually gave in, exhausted and just wanting the subject to end. Next time, she’ll make sure to check the caller ID.
She nibbled at her fruit but found her appetite had evaporated so she paid her check and went out in search of a cab. She wasn’t familiar with L.A. and hoped that the traffic would be heavy enough to get her to the restaurant about the right time. It would look like she was too eager or needy if she arrived too early.
Ten minutes into the cab ride, she realized she should have actually left fifteen minutes earlier. She had never seen so many cars during the day, or been in a city so large. Maybe during rush hour she had seen that many vehicles in her town but never mid-morning. And the sidewalks! They were filled with people walking, riding bikes, socializing over fences, young, old and in between. She appreciated the fact that she was from a small town but she didn’t think she was naive. Now she knew that she had been completely unexposed to the diversity of a larger city. There were people of all sorts of ethnic backgrounds, dressed in various styles of clothing. She even saw an elderly woman with big pink hair styled in a popular eighties fashion, wearing multi-jewel colored spandex tights, a frilly black mini skirt and hot pink top that closely resembled a bustier.
She was enthralled with the different people but her eyes kept coming back to her watch. Damn, she should be at the restaurant by now. She was already five minutes late and the driver said it would be another five. Always being prepared, she not only had the name and address of the restaurant but she had the phone number. She called and when the pleasant male host answered the phone, she quickly gave her name, whom she was meeting and that she was running late. She cringed when the host acknowledged that her party was already there, that he would pass her message on to them. She thanked him and disconnected.
Great. She thought to herself. There were never do-over’s for first impressions. If you got a sour taste in your mouth the first time you met someone, it was an uphill battle to change it.
When the cab finally pulled up in front of the restaurant, she paid the driver, took a deep breath and stepped out of the cab. Showtime was now. The entire front of the restaurant was ground to ceiling windows. Grayson’s managers could be watching her right now. If she tripped or seemed intimidated, they would eat her alive. She knew she was possibly being paranoid but she never left anything to chance.
As she stepped through the doors, she stifled a gasp. The rich mahogany walls were adorned with beautiful oil paintings and a sparkling crystal chandelier hung from an exquisite porcelain tiled ceiling. The matching mahogany tables were covered with crisp white linens and the patrons were dressed more formally than she had anticipated, considering the lunch hour. A young dark-haired man who stood behind a little wooden podium looked up at her and smiled warmly. She moved towards him and was slightly caught off guard when he stepped around the podium with a menu and called her by name.
“Ms. Gordon, welcome! You’re party is waiting, please let me show you to your table.”
“Thank you.” she nodded and followed him into the expansive room. She was surprised to see how many customers were there and reminded herself that this was Los Angeles. An eighth of the population here was equal to her entire hometown. She was a little confused when the host led her through the room to a closed door opposite the dining area. He opened the door and stepped aside to allow her to pass through. Seeing a hallway with several doors, she paused, waiting for her host to close the door and contin
ue on down the hall. He turned into the third doorway on her left, opened it and announced, “Ms. Gordon is here.”
She walked into the room, thanking the host before turning to the table. The room was dark, heavy curtains blocking the outside sunshine. The wallpaper was a deep, maroon silk that was only broken by the cream-colored chair rail midway from the floor. There was a large, round table in the center of the room that appeared to seat ten but there was only one person sitting at the table, a man. As her eyes tried to adjust, she strode over to greet him but she stopped in mid-stride and gasped. “Mr. Grayson!”
“Ms. Gordon.” he stood to shake her hand, then glanced at the host. “Or should I say, Mrs. Howe?” He nodded to the young man who quietly slipped back through the door and closed it behind him...
Rebecca quickly composed herself and walked forward to shake his hand. “Either, I mean, both.” she stumbled. As their hands touched, she felt a tingle followed by an instant heat flow through her body and into the core of her being. She pulled back a little quickly.
He lifted an eye quizzically and held out his hand, asking her to sit.
“My business is kept under my maiden name, which is Gordon. Howe is my married name.” she explained.
“Yes, I know. In my business, I need to be careful with who I do business with. My managers did a background check on you before you came. So which name would you prefer?”
Visions of Kip and the brunette flooded her memory and she quickly blurted out, “Gordon, but please feel free to call me Rebecca.”
“Rebecca it is. Please call me Luke. May I pour you a glass of wine? I’ve taken the liberty of ordering. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Wine would be wonderful. No, I don’t mind at all, thank you so much. I apologize for being late, I didn’t realize how large L.A. is.” she said then catching his eye, felt the heat again. She cleared her voice and looked down at her napkin, straightening it. “Are your managers going to join us?”
“No. I asked them to let me talk to you personally. I hope that isn’t a problem.”
His deep voice was soothing and with the hint of an apology tingeing it, she found it very disarming. “Of course not. I just figured a man with your talent and responsibility would be too busy. I just assumed that you had people to take care of these kinds of things.”
He chuckled as he finished pouring her glass, then sat back to sip from his own glass.
She blushed, finding his laugh sultry and seductive and quickly grabbed her glass to take a sip. The wine was crisp with a fruity taste and she closed her eyes, savoring the flavor.
“Is the wine to your satisfaction?”
Her eyes flew open and settled on his face. His eyes were a striking green that seemed to change with the light, sparkling as they picked up the illumination from the glowing tapers. His face was slightly long and angular, with deep dimples in his cheeks and laugh lines around his eyes. He had a dark shadow along his cheeks, chin and lips, the five o’clock shadow visible. She had seen the same shadow on his CD that she had bought and guessed it was part of his image. His black hair was cut in layers, spiked and twirling in a mussed up, just got out of bed, sexy look. He was wearing a black, button down shirt that fit loosely. When he had stood up to pour her wine, she saw that his shirt was tucked into a pair of form fitting jeans, a black leather belt accentuating his waist. He was definitely a sexual being just as his CD cover portrayed and she found herself regretting not checking out more of the pictures in the magazine that Megan had offered.
“Rebecca, is the wine okay? You seem distracted.” His alluring voice caught her attention and she blushed.
“Yes, it’s wonderful. Thank you. So why did you decide to meet with me?”
“To be honest, you intrigue me. I saw your DVD riding your horse to my music and I found it beautiful. I’d like to hear more about your riding style and how I can be of help.” He smiled again and she fought to keep her prepared speech in mind.
“It’s actually freestyle dressage and it is very beautiful. It takes years of work and practice to get the moves down. The object is to work with your horse, become a part of it, not just a rider.”
“So, have you always ridden horses?” His tone seemed sincere and she felt herself relaxing. Talking about her passion was easy and natural.
“I have been showing since I was five but I was practically born on a horse.” she giggled, recalling the story her father told her of how her mother’s water actually broke while she was riding.
“So you’ve always known you wanted to ride?”
“Yes. It is as natural to me as breathing. I’m happiest when I’m around my horses, I feel complete with them.” she sighed.
“I’m surprised to hear you say that. Would your husband be offended to hear you say that?”
She knew he had been teasing but she felt herself bristle. “Kip has no concern for my feelings or what I do.”
“I’m sorry, Rebecca. I didn’t mean anything by that.”
She sighed and took another sip of wine. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t let my personal life interfere with my business.”
“Yet we always do. I believe everything we experience reflects in all of our choices and actions. I couldn’t have written most of my songs if I hadn’t gone through them in my personal life. It’s what makes us who we are.” he said softly.
Rebecca thought she heard a little remorse in his voice and wondered what he had experienced to put it there. Luckily, their lunch came and they were both distracted by the vast array of food that was placed before them.
“I didn’t know what you ate so I ordered one of everything. So many people now are vegetarians so I tried to cover my bases.” he laughed
She found herself caught up in his laughter and felt completely at ease with him. “I’m not a vegetarian but admit I had a fruit salad just a couple hours ago. The chicken looks divine if you don’t want it.” She smiled
“Please, be my guest but you have to try the prime rib, too. It’s not only visually appeasing, it’s absolutely succulent.”
Rebecca choked on her first bite of chicken. She wasn’t positive but she thought he wasn’t talking about just the meat.
CHAPTER FOUR
They made small talk while eating their meals and Rebecca enjoyed sampling every plate. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine that she would be dining in a five-star restaurant, trying every course on the menu, sipping exquisite wine with a famous singer. It was thrilling and surreal, all at the same time. When they finished, Luke ordered a second bottle of wine and they sat back, enjoying the company and the conversation. Luke went back to asking her questions about her ranch and her desire, honestly appearing interested.
She wasn’t sure if it was the wine or him, but she felt oddly at ease and told her story openly, finding herself often lost in those gorgeous green eyes. She felt sparks of desire flash through her body when his dimpled smile appeared throughout her story. She flushed with embarrassment when she lost her train of thought as he laughed at one of her descriptions and he had to remind her where she had left off.
Her ringing phone startled her and she fumbled to turn it off, briefly seeing Kip’s name appear on the screen.
“Please don’t ignore your call because of me. I understand you have a business to run and I’ve already monopolized the last three hours of your time.” His smooth voice warmed her body like a well-aged whiskey.
“Thank you, Mr. Grayson but this trip is about you. Everyone else can wait until I’ve convinced you that we could both benefit from my proposition.”
Very fluidly, he leaned forward on the table, linking his fingers, his eyes focused on hers. “Well then, Rebecca, I’m interested in hearing your pitch. However, I have a studio meeting I need to get to in thirty minutes. Would you care to accompany me? It shouldn’t take more than an hour, and then we have the rest of the evening to go over your pitch, no rush.”
Rebecca felt her heart pounding, unable to take her eyes off
of his. The little voice in her head told her it wasn’t a good idea, this man made her head swim, but the rest of her body ignored the voice. Her eyes were lost in his, her heart beat faster and the warmth in her body continued to grow in her lower extremities. Her head was nodding before she heard her voice agree.
“Great!” he stood up, smiling and holding out his hand for her. “My car is around back. I can have it take you back to your hotel when we’re all done. I assume you took a taxi to get here?”
“I did. This is the first time I’ve been to L.A. and I didn’t trust myself to rent a car.”
“Perfect. Shall we go then?”
She slipped her hand into his, trying to ignore the spark that shot through her when they touched. He brought her back into the long hallway but instead of turning and going through the restaurant the way she came in, he turned the opposite way and strode down the hall. Opening the exit door to the bright sunshine outside, she saw a black Lincoln with tinted windows sitting at the curb, waiting for them. Luke opened the back door and ushered her inside. The soft cool leather enveloped her and she felt herself sink down into the cushions. He quickly slid in beside her, his long legs resting against hers as he told the driver where to head to.
She started to explain why she wanted his song when he very tenderly put a finger to her lips to silence her. “No disrespect, Rebecca but I want to hear everything that you have to say, without interruption, but unfortunately we are almost at my studio. After this meeting, I promise you will have my complete and utter attention.”
She flushed at the feeling of his skin against her lips and felt an overwhelming urge to nibble on his fingers. Her body felt overheated and her limbs felt heavy, as if she were drunk and she tried to focus on the subject at hand. “Of course, how forward of me, I apologize.” she stammered.
