Drawn to You

by Jillian Anselmi

  I open my eyes to see Chase standing in front of me, his hair all tousled and sexy. He is gazing down at me smiling. He has on a Ralph Lauren Pique polo shirt with a pair of Burberry Brit jeans, and a pair of brown Gucci brown leather flip-flops. He looks like he just stepped off a runway. He sits down next to me, his fingers stroking my cheek.

  “Tired?”

  “A little, it was an eventful evening.”

  “Yes, it was,” he concurs. “I would like it to be an eventful morning as well. Come.” He stands and offers me his hand. I take it, and he pulls me up into his arms kissing me. He catches me off guard, and once I realize I’m being kissed, it’s over.

  “Since Harry Cipriani isn’t open for breakfast, we’re going out to eat,” he says. “How is your headache?” he asks concerned.

  “Better, thank you.”

  “Good, because we’re going for a walk.” He leads me out the door and into the hallway. We walk over to the bank of elevators, and Chase presses the down button. Almost immediately, the elevator doors on the right hand side open, and a gentleman dressed in a beige jacket and black vest ushers us in.

  “What floor sir?” he asks.

  “Lobby.” The elevator attendant smiles and presses the button for the lobby.

  The elevator doors open, Chase grabs my hand, and leads me out through the lobby to the revolving doors. “Ladies first,” he waves toward the door. Once through, he grabs my hand again, and we proceed to walk west up 59th Street. He stops between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue to a little restaurant called Sarabeth’s, which is located directly across the park. There is a hostess stand outside since it is such a beautifully warm Sunday morning. “How many?” she asks.

  “I have reservations for two for an outside table under the name Remington.”

  “Yes, I see. Right this way,” she says pleasantly. We follow her to a table along an X shaped decorative fence separating us from the pedestrians walking along the sidewalk. The hostess hands us both menus. “Enjoy your brunch.”

  I open my menu to a plethora of choices. I realize now I’m starving, and there are way too many choices on this menu. Chase hasn’t even opened his.

  “Don’t tell me you know what you want already,” I tease.

  “But I do.”

  “There are too many delicious things for you to be that sure.”

  “Believe me, I know what I want.” His expression turns darker, more sexual. I don’t think we’re talking about breakfast anymore.

  “Well, I’m having the Eggs Benedict. It’s one of my favorites.”

  The waitress interrupts us asking for a drink order. Before I have a chance to answer, Chase orders two mimosas and two coffees. She scurries off. He reaches across the table and grabs my hands.

  “I had a fantastic evening from start to finish, thank you,” he begins, his eyes radiating sincerity. I flush remembering last night. It was the first time I’d slept with anyone since Evan, and not even with him did I capitulate so fast. I look up at Chase. He is watching my reaction, smiling at me.

  “I had a wonderful time too.”

  “Good. I plan to have many more fantastic evenings with you,” he whispers, his eyes impassioned.

  “I would love that,” I whisper back. His smile gets broader, like he’s just won the lottery. Once again interrupting us, the waitress is back with our drinks.

  “Have you decided?” she asks. Chase defers to me.

  “I’ll have the Eggs Benedict, please,” I say while stirring my coffee. She looks at Chase.

  “I will have the same.” Chase shrugs his shoulders. “They have one of the best Eggs Benedict in the city,” he explains at my look of astonishment.

  After preparing my coffee with one Splenda and some half-and-half, I take a sip of my strange pinkish looking mimosa. Mmm, it’s delicious albeit peculiar. “I thought you ordered mimosas?”

  “I did. These are the house specialty called the Four Flowers Mimosa. They’re made with orange, pineapple, banana and pomegranate juice.”

  “This is really good,” I admit. His mouth twitches into a sideways smile.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” he chuckles.

  I decide to only have one, since it was champagne that gave me this headache in the first place. I stick with coffee and lots of it.

  Our breakfast comes out quickly. The eggs are centered on the plate without a puddle of hollandaise sauce. I cut into one of the eggs. The yolks are done to perfection. I can’t stand overdone eggs. I take a bite, and it tastes as good as it looks. Chase is just watching me, enjoying some private joke I’m not privy to. After a beat, he starts to dig in to his breakfast as well.

  Chase pays the check, and ever the gentleman, stands up to pull out my chair. “Where would you like to go next?” he asks.

  “It’s such a beautiful day. We could just walk,” I suggest. My headache is gone, and the warm weather is conducive to a nice stroll. He takes my hand, and we head across the street to Central Park.

  We head west down 59th Street to Columbus Circle, one of the main entrances to the park. This is the south entrance, where the USS Maine Monument stands at Merchant’s Gate. The monument honors the two hundred and fifty eight American sailors who perished when the battleship Maine exploded in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. It’s a fantastic Dore bronze statue of a woman behind three horses, standing on a huge pedestal surrounded by statues of men and women. I stand and stare at the incredible amount of work that must have gone into creating such a masterpiece. We continue walking and enter the park.

  Casually, we stroll hand in hand down West Drive toward the lake. We head over to a section of the park called Cherry Hill. Every time I come to the park, I sit by the large fountain. Turning, I guide Chase in that direction. We take a seat on one of the many benches and relax for a minute.

  “Did you know that the fountain was originally used as a watering trough for the horses before the nineteen hundreds?” he asks. I shake my head absorbed in the beauty of my surroundings. “And this part of the park is named for the cherry blossom trees that bloom here during the springtime.” I shake my head again. “I am a fountain of useless information. You learn a lot from living in the city.”

  “I see,” I say, but I’m not really paying attention. I spy an old couple, maybe in their seventies or eighties sitting on a bench beside us holding hands. It’s heartwarming. Chase squeezes my hand bringing me back.

  “You okay?” he asks, concern etched in his voice.

  “I’m fine, why?”

  “You seem distant.”

  “I’m just thinking . . .” I trail off.

  “About what?” he prods.

  “Nothing in particular. Just life in general.” I’m actually thinking about him, about us. If there is an “us”. Everything is happening so fast. I thought for so long that Evan was the center of my world. I never pictured myself with anyone else. Spending time with Chase last night was wonderful. Everything was perfect down to the last detail. I think I’m falling for him and that frightens me. I’m freaked out about getting hurt again, and I’m afraid to let him get too close. I need to know where he wants to take this.

  “What are we?” I blurt out. He cocks his head to one side, regarding me.

  “What do you mean?” His tone is cautious.

  “I mean, what do you want from me?”

  He’s quiet for a minute, appearing to choose his words with care. “I told you that night in your cottage on the beach,” he says gazing at me. Closing his eyes, Chase takes a long breath in, then slowly releases it. He starts to repeat the lyrics from a familiar Coldplay song. The same song that was playing when we danced at my cottage the night Evan showed up. When he opens his eyes, they are full of compassion and reverence. “I can see you’re hurt. I want the chance to make you happy, to fix you.” He reaches over and tilts my head toward his. He places a soft and tender kiss on my lips, caressing my face with the back of his hand. He cups my face and gazes at me through his long lashes. �
��I can make you happy,” he breathes. “I just want the chance to try.”

  He wants to try to make me happy. This beautiful man wants me, but I don’t know how to make the fear go away. Staring into his killer blue eyes, I know I want to try too. I will take it day by day and see where it leads. I give him a shy smile, and his face lights up.

  “I want to be happy, too. If you’re willing to be patient with me.”

  Smiling, he wraps his arms around me, nuzzling my hair. “Patience is something I have plenty of,” he murmurs into my neck. We sit together, his arms holding me tight for some time. Finally, he lets me go and stands up. “Ready to continue our walk?” he asks. His radiant smile is infectious.

  “Okay.”

  We take a relaxing walk through the park, stopping at different attractions to take a breather. He persuades me to get on a rowboat, which he rents from Loeb Boathouse. I convince him to take a ride on the carousel. We both agree to walk through the Central Park Zoo, which brings us back around to Fifth Avenue near the Sherry Netherlands. It’s late afternoon as we exit the park.

  “What do you want to do now?” he asks.

  “I’m exhausted. I think it’s time I went home.”

  “Don’t go,” he pleads. “Stay with me tonight.”

  “I have no clothing here, and I don’t expect you to call Cheryl again.”

  “No, I suppose not. She would have a coronary if I did that two days in a row.” He chuckles. “We’ll go back to my place and get my car.”

  “Don’t we need to go back to the hotel and pick up our clothes?” I ask a bit concerned.

  “Don’t worry about that. I can call for a car, or we can take a cab.”

  “Cab is fine, if you could hail one.” Before I finish my sentence, he jumps halfway into Fifth Avenue and manages to somehow flag one down in under thirty seconds. A feat only a professional cab hailer could accomplish. I keep forgetting he lives here.

  We get in, Chase gives the cab driver an address, and off we go. When you don’t live in the city and your normal commute when you do visit is train or subway, you forget how insane cab drivers are. They don’t pay any attention to the rules of the road, because the rules don’t apply to them. I have to hold on to the bar over the door so I don’t go sliding across the back seat. Chase is laughing at me. I can’t help but to laugh back.

  After what seems like an eternity, we arrive at our destination, somewhere near Wall Street. We pull up in front of a very modern looking building numbered Forty Broad Street. He steps out of the cab, takes my hand helping me out, and then reaches back in to pay the maniac driver. Once safe on the sidewalk, I begin to relax.

  His building is massive. The entrance is three stories, framed by bronze columns and a six-story base. We walk toward the entrance, and two well dressed doormen hold each of the large glass doors open for us. “Good afternoon, Mr. Remington,” the older of the two says in greeting.

  Chase nods his head at both of the men, and we stroll into the lobby. The two-story lobby, with its reverent lighting and elegant lacquered red-and-black accents, make me feel as if I’m encased in the world’s most exotic lantern. He leads me over to the elevators and presses the up button. “One of the reasons I purchased an apartment here is for their enormous wine cellar,” he states.

  Wine cellar?

  The doors open and we get in. He presses a button for the Penthouse. Why am I not surprised?

  “I just need to grab my car keys. Have a look around and tell me what you think.” He takes out his keys and opens the door. “Ladies first,” he murmurs. Once inside, I take a good look at my surroundings. I head to the open space to my left. The living room / kitchen combination is very modern with ten foot ceilings and oversized floor to ceiling windows. The lavish and Zen like interior is very tranquil with Brazilian walnut floors and Basaltito black granite borders. The walls are a soothing cream color, which contrast well with the dark color of the floors. There are two large modern cream colored couches facing each other with a large dark wood square table between them.

  On the opposite side of the room is a contemporary open kitchen. Black granite countertops and backsplashes, with custom wood cabinetry the same color as the floors. He has my dream kitchen with premium appliances that include a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer with well integrated paneling plus a Miele oven, cook top and dishwasher. Either he hired an interior decorator or it was like this when he bought it.

  Solid wood pocket doors lead to the master bedroom. In keeping with the Zen theme, the floors are the same throughout, as well as the walls. The bedroom has a huge walk in closet, enough to fit all of my clothes times ten. I notice my dress from last night as well as my shoes and undergarments hanging from a rod. “I had your clothes cleaned and brought over from the Sherry,” he says. I shake my head and continue walking. That explains not having to worry about our clothes.

  Walking through the closet, I find the most tranquil bathroom I have ever seen. A Kohler five-piece bathroom including deep soak tub, ceiling-height mirrored medicine cabinets, and rain showerheads mounted to the ceiling. A mix of granite and marble gives the bathroom the sophisticated look. The shower has long rectangular pieces of grey granite tile encasing the entire shower. The floor is also granite tile in the form of squares. The giant spa tub is somewhat raised against the wall with a full size mirror behind it. Dark walnut wood frames the tub, as well as encasing the double sinks. I could sit in the bathtub with a few candles and a good book for hours. Turning around, I follow the same path I took in to get back out.

  Passing the front door is another full bathroom and another bedroom. “This is my office,” Chase says from behind me.

  It’s darker in this room. The wood floors are the same as in the other rooms, but the wall color is a burgundy. There is a giant desk in between the floor length windows against the wall. “I like to look out at the harbor while I work,” he explains. On the opposite wall in the closet is a large bookcase with a plethora of law books. There is also a small leather sofa on the adjacent wall. “So, what do you think?”

  “It’s beautiful,” I say, still processing all of the largesse. “Although, I think I’m never bringing you to my place if and when I ever get one.”

  “You’re looking for an apartment?” he asks, his interest piqued.

  “I can’t live with my mom forever,” I reply. “But I need to find gainful employment first.” I head back out toward the living room, and he follows behind.

  “Have you looked for something yet?”

  “I applied to a few places, just waiting to hear back. Once I know where I’ll be working, I’ll know where to look.”

  “Where did you apply?”

  “The NYSDEC, NOAA and Atlantis Marine World.” I take a seat on the couch. He sits down next to me. “I thought you were getting your keys?” I ask playfully.

  “I will. Are you in a rush?”

  “No.”

  “Okay then. So, these positions would most likely either be in Riverhead, or could be anywhere, right?”

  “Yeah. That’s why I haven’t started looking for an apartment, assuming any of them wants to hire me.”

  “Which job would you prefer?”

  “I don’t know. I want to do something with beach conservation. Especially after Sandy.” He nods and his lips twitch up into a half smile. If I didn’t know any better, I would say he is up to something. “Why do you ask?”

  “Just curious.” He smiles. “Would you excuse me for a minute?” He gets up and walks back into his office. I walk over to the huge oversized window in his bedroom and look out over the water. It is an amazing view. You can just see the Statue of Liberty from here.

  I hear him wander back in, twirling his keys around his fingers.

  “I would love to wake up to this view every morning,” I say, looking out over the water.

  “Me too.” I spin around and his eyes are on me. Wow. I flush and stare down at my feet. He pulls me into his arms and starts to nuzzle m
y ear, the sensation traveling all the way to my groin. “It’s still early,” he whispers into my ear, nipping it gently. I close my eyes reveling in his touch. “You don’t have to be home at any particular time, right?”

  “No,” I whisper.

  “Good.” He pulls my t-shirt over my head and throws it on the floor. Taking my face in between his hands, he kisses me hard and fast. I run my hand through his tousled sexy hair. He groans, spinning me around so the bed is behind me. He unhooks my bra, pushing the straps down my arms so it falls to the floor.

  Dropping to his knees, he grabs my hips with both hands and runs his tongue across my stomach from hipbone to hipbone kissing and sucking as he goes. Everything ignites inside me, burning from the inside out. He reaches up, unbuttons my jeans, and pulls down the zipper. His hands snake beneath the waistband, moving around to my backside. My jeans and panties are soon around my ankles. My breath is coming in short pants.

  He unbuckles both of my sandals, placing them at the foot of the bed. Standing now, he pushes me down onto the bed and pulls off both my jeans and panties. He tosses them over with my t-shirt. I am now lying naked on the bed.

  In minutes, he is gloriously naked as well. His erection is bigger than I remember it from last night, although it was dark and I couldn’t see much.

  Crawling up the bed, he trails kisses from my bellybutton up my torso to my breasts. He tugs on one nipple as his lips close around the other. His teeth nip and pull, elongating it. I groan, writhing with pleasure. My hands are wild in his hair, pulling him to me. He straddles me, switching his attention to my other nipple. The feeling is amazing, making me want him even more. He sucks hard, his tongue running circles around my nipple causing me to gasp.