by Ava Alise
“Aw come on, it will be fun. Right, Ronald?” Drex says.
“Definitely,” Ronald says, peeking his head over Amber’s seat. Drex’s hand tightens briefly on my shoulder and my breath hitches. I’m fighting hard not to react, but it’s nearly impossible. My heart is racing as I look at Amber and Ronald, but, everything in me wants to close my eyes and lean into Drex. I swallow hard and clear my throat, forcing myself to join the conversation.
“How would we even know where to go?” I say.
“Don't worry. I know just the place,” Drex says.
“Oh?” Amber says. “Not your first time in Paris?”
“Not even close. I traveled a lot after college.”
Amber moves the conversation to the places she’s traveled and it keeps going on and on. This needs to stop. He needs to move. His hand travels to my breast, where he finds my nipple at full attention. I bite the inside of my jaw to stop myself from moaning as he rolls my nipple between his fingers. A small vibration rumbles through his body as he groans, but Amber’s voice muffles it even from me. His lower half is still making contact with my back, and if the hard bulge is any indication, he is just as turned on by this as I am. At this point, I could easily reach up and push his hand away without anyone knowing, but I don’t, and know I should.
Drex has been playing it cool, but I totally fail at participating any more in the conversation. Instead, I spend the rest of the time imitating a bobble head, nodding at everything that's said.
By the grace of God, Amber stops talking. As Drex moves away, I snap a look in his direction. He returns a brief glance with a hint of a smile lingering on his lips, then he disappears into his seat without saying a word.
“Well, all this talk about traveling and dancing, I'm kind of looking forward to a night out. It's been ages,” Amber says, settling back into her seat.
“Yeah,” I say, as I exhale a shaky breath. I'm lying. I'm not looking forward to it. Actually anything resembling an intimate time with Drexel is the exact opposite of what I need. Clearly he's playing dirty. My heart rate is finally slowing as I get myself under control.
DREX: I bet you’re dripping for me right now. Oh, the things I want to do to you.
KELSA: You know why we shouldn’t, Drex. We need to walk away before someone gets hurt.
DREX: Is that right?
KELSA: Yes.
DREX: You’ll be mine by the end of all this, gorgeous. You just let me know when you're ready to stop fighting it.
I groan and drop my phone back into my purse. He’s making this so hard, but I know it needs to happen, even if he doesn’t.
Amber mutters a bit more about her excitement before all goes quiet again. She returns her attention laptop and I spend the rest of the flight planning exactly how I will win this new game Drex is playing.
Drex
This suite is incredible. Everything from the furniture to the linen is complete perfection. I’ve always loved coming to Paris. Its rich culture and historical charms makes it one of the top five places to visit in my book.
A large yawn escapes me as my eyes travel over the marble floors to the large doorway that leads into the bathroom. Tomorrow is the big meeting and I really need a shower, but jet lag is kicking my ass right now. Instead of making my way to the bathroom, I fall backward onto the bed. Who would think eight hours of sitting could make you so tired? I've just about convinced myself to get up, when my phone starts ringing. I groan and roll over to dig the phone from my pocket. By the time I get my hands on it, one missed call is displayed on the screen. It's my mother… again.
She has been calling a lot more than usual, worried, rambling, and asking if I’m ok a million times. I ended up going back to the house on Christmas Day. My plan was to kiss the girls, drop off the gifts, and go back home. Instead, I walked into a shit storm. Apparently, with all the focus on Kelsa, no one but Kimberly had paid attention to what I said that made Tara so upset. As I was leaving, Kim pulled me aside and asked if Tara was pregnant, but Tara's mother, Amy, overheard the conversation and immediately asked about it. A tearful Tara admitted to hiding her pregnancy from everyone. The first thing everyone wanted to know was about the father, and she just stared at me. Both of my parents, Amy, and Kim, watched Tara, waiting for her to name the guy, but slowly they noticed the hard gaze she had attached to me, and that's when the shit storm started.
“Holy shit! Are you serious right now?”- Kim
“When did you start seeing each other?” - Mom
“What the hell, Drexel?”- Dad
“Holy shit!”- Kim
“Why didn’t you tell us you were dating?”- Amy
It was a low blow, revealing her pregnancy the way I did, I know. I don’t usually play the petty tit-for-tat game, but fuck it she was playing dirty. Even with all the shit she started, though, I didn’t have the heart to tell them that she didn’t know who the father was. Instead, I gave her a taste of her own medicine. I grabbed my things, turned to my stunned family, and said:
“She’ll tell you all about it. And when she does, please let me be here to see it.”
Water sprays from the shower head at full force as a cloud of steam begins rising from the marble room. I say “room” because the space is freaking huge. At least four people could fit comfortably inside, but I’d only like to share this it with one. I can already imagine the water running over her body, down her hair, over her perky breasts, between her legs. Fuck, it took everything I had earlier not to carry her into the bathroom stall and fuck her at thirty thousand feet. Stepping out of the rest of my clothes, I walk toward the shower door with Kelsa on the brain, fully intent on relieving the ache I’m having right now, when my phone rings again. It’s my mother, and I answer this time.
“Hello.”
“Hey sweetheart, you guys make it all right?” she asks.
“Yes. We landed a few hours ago. I’m just getting ready to jump in the shower and head to bed.”
“Ok. Good.” She pauses. “You sure you're ok… you know, with everything?”
“I am,” I say, trying to hide my annoyance.
“Ok,” she says. “Tara is still pretty upset. I can't believe she's almost halfway through her pregnancy and you guys didn't tell anyone.”
A dropping sensation rolls through my stomach when I hear my mother refer to Tara and I as a unit. “I only just found out. She hid it from me too.”
“Yeah.” She sighs. “What are you hoping will come of all this?”
I'm a little confused by the question at first. Does she think I want to be with Tara? “I'm going to support my kid if that's what it turns out to be,” I say.
“I know. But what are you hoping for? Do you want the baby to be yours?” she repeats.
I pause again. I don't want to say it out loud, but she's trying to make me. She should know I don't want to have a kid with Tara. She knows that if this kid turns out to be her grandkid, it would be because of a drunken night and a bad condom. But how in the fuck would that make me sound admitting out loud that I didn't want my kid? I'm sure I'll love it, and as much as I'll hate the details surrounding the conception, after it’s born I'd always regret saying that I wish it wasn't mine.
“It doesn't matter, Mom. The only thing that matters is the facts. The kid is coming, it may be mine. I'll have to deal with Tara until we know more.”
“Ok,” she says.
“I love you. I'm going to be all right, all of this will.” She doesn't respond, and I look down at my phone to see if the call dropped.
“Drexel,” she finally says.
“Yeah.”
“I'm sorry about the way everything went at dinner. I'm happy you finally found someone to love. The family will come around.”
“They'll have no choice.”
“I don't know why Tara told everyone the way she did, but I'm sure it's because she's in pain.”
“Yeah,” I huff.
I'm starting to think Tara's angle is to make the family h
ate Kelsa as much as she does. She wants to ruin this, ruin Kelsa, and she has no idea that Kelsa is already trying to do the same thing. Now I guess I’m the only one who thinks this will all work out.
Ha. I don't know when I became such an emotional guy, but this girl brings it out of me, and you know what? I'm ok with it.
After my shower, I consider going to Kelsa's room and surprising the fuck out of her. She's only a few doors down and I'd love to see the look on her face when she finds me there. I'm sure getting her key wouldn't be hard since they are all booked under the company name. Her moans would be music to my ears right now, with all the shit going on back home. Plus it would take the edge off the big meeting being tomorrow and all. But I guess I shouldn't risk it with both bosses’ rooms being so close. Standing at the crossroads of heading to her room and falling into to bed, I choose the latter.
“Patience,” I say as I pull back the duvet exposing the soft sheets and fluffy blankets. I sure as hell will be happy once this game is over. Once she’s mine and I can have her whenever I want. I climb into bed and turn out the lamp.
Six o'clock comes too soon. My phone alarm is blaring the annoying high-pitched jingle that came with the factory settings. I could have changed it, but because it annoys the hell out of me, it’s pretty effective at getting me up and out of bed. The cars will arrive in two hours to pick us up and I want to make sure I get a good run in before the meeting. Exercise helps control my anxiety, and no matter how cool I play it, this meeting is pretty fucking important. Crawling out of bed, I make my way to the dresser and pull out my workout clothes and running shoes.
An hour and forty minutes later, I stand with Ronald as I watch our car pull under the large hotel awning and roll to a stop.
“The ladies are already there,” Ron says as we slide into the back seat. “They went for breakfast and are waiting for us to arrive before they go inside.”
Driving through the streets in Paris is a lot like driving in New York. It's just as busy, between the cars and pedestrians moving along hurriedly to their destinations. The only difference is the unique beauty this place holds, breathtaking stonework and buildings dating back centuries.
Finally, we pull up to a large building with long display windows and a sign that reads “Delon's” placed proudly above the door.
Kelsa looks steady, focused on the task as she and Amber chat about the presentation. Her gaze falls on me briefly and I nod. I know she's pumped, but I recognize the tiniest bit of nervousness in her eyes.
She will be great.
This will go great.
I've done my research on Henry, and I know just how to play this. You see, he's one of the flashy types, expensive cars, big house, and even bigger parties. He's pretty wealthy and owns multiple businesses. His only issue is he can't seem to break into the global market, and for that reason alone Headly’s offer will be hard to refuse.
I take a deep breath as we walk through the door. Henry stands in front of us. He's a lot taller and even younger than I expected. He doesn't seem to be much older than forty. With him is a woman who looks to be around the same age. She's dressed in a suit and her long dark hair frames her face and falls down her shoulders.
“Bonjour,” Henry says with a large smile. “Hello. I am Henry Delon, and this is my assistant, Giselle.”
“Bonjour,” Giselle says. “Welcome to Delon’s Furnishing.” Her red lips curl into a smile as we follow her and Henry through the large lobby.
The building opens up to a large showroom with everything from benches to bed posts all custom designed with a flare that sets them apart from anything I've seen in the US. Some of the designs are somewhat recognizable. I mean, a couch is a couch no matter who designs it, but the high backing, deep seats, and luxury upholstery sets these apart. I can see why Headly's wants these guys. Instead of going to the showroom, we enter the elevator and head upstairs to Henry’s office area.
“As you see, the bottom floor is home to Delon’s Furnishings, but up here is where the magic happens,” he says as he punches a code into the elevator panel. “I run all of my businesses out of this office.” We engage in polite and expected conversation as we take the short ride up to the offices.
“Right this way,” he says. The elevator opens up to a large lobby decorated with a multitude of oil canvases, custom-made benches, tables and chairs made out of oak and carved with delicacy. The stone flooring that was so prominent downstairs continues up here as it cascades through the space in every direction.
It's quite nice and I can't help but admire it all as we enter a conference room not too far from the elevators. Inside is a large boardroom table that could easily seat ten people.
“I'm excited to hear more about Headly’s and what they can do for our furniture line. I've spoken with your office only a few times and it seems promising, but I will not lie, I'm sort of reluctant.”
“That's why we're here. I'm sure after you hear Headly’s terms you will be more at ease,” Ronald says.
“It's a wonderful deal, but they are also flexible,” chimes in Amber. We all take our seats and get right to it. Ronald starts with a brief highlight of Headly's company history and business model before Amber jumps in with their current client pool of successful partnerships. Henry listens intently while his assistant takes notes. We work like a well-oiled machine taking turns presenting the pitch, marketing strategies, and advertisements. I'm in awe of Kelsa as I watch her take the room with a smile as she does her portion. The anxiety that sparkled in her eyes earlier has completely vanished. She looks at home in front of the room.
“There is a lot of space in this industry for the unique quality of lines that you are offering. The luxury alone at the price point will have people flocking to buy your furniture. Headly's is the perfect place for it.”
She continues, and though Henry held a stern expression during everyone else's presentation, his eyes soften as he watches Kelsa. I find myself watching him more than I'm watching her.
Henry seems impressed with her and smiles warmly as she takes her seat. She seems pleased, and she should be. She did a fucking amazing job and it's clear that Henry's demeanor has changed a bit. But if he's smart, it better be because of the presentation, and the presentation only.
“Wow,” Henry says. “Incredible.” He smiles at Kelsa. The gleam in his eyes making his attraction to her undeniable. Tension creeps up my spine as I grit my teeth, forcing a smile.
“Yes. It's a win-win situation,” I say, bringing his attention back to me.
“Exactly. You'd be the only client in this space for Headly's, and with their reach and power in the business world, we are predicting some great numbers,” Ron pipes in.
Henry asks a few questions about the length of contract and exclusivity which we answer promptly.
“Ok.” He sighs. “I can't deny, the deal is good. I will meet with my team and go over the terms.” He stands from his seat. We all take turns shaking his hand as we begin to gather our things. Ronald winks at me across the table. It's his sign that usually means we've got this in the bag. I can't help but watch as Henry interacts with Kelsa. His eyes are full of curiosity as she smiles. I'm not sure what they are talking about, but I can tell there's some hesitation in her gaze.
“Haha. Thank you,” she says as she follows him into the hall, the three of us close behind. Before we make it to the elevators, he turns and addresses us.
“I was just telling Ms. Preston about our showroom downstairs. I know this isn't usually necessary, but you're welcome to a tour.”
“Oh thank you, but we have a video conference we need to attend to with Headly’s in about an hour,” Amber says. Henry nods and the elevator dings, announcing its arrival. “Unless one of you would like to?” Amber asks, looking from me to Kelsa. This guy is disgusting and I'm happy Kelsa recognizes his blatant come on.
“Oh. Thanks for the invite, but I'll have to pass,” I say. Kelsa’s eyes fall to mine for a beat as she holds a careful l
ook on her face.
“No problem. I totally understand,” he says. As we exit the elevator, Kelsa pulls her gaze away from mine and speaks up.
“Actually, I think I will stay. We can talk a little more about your business goals while you show me around.”
Henry smiles and that look in his eyes returns, the one that gives me the overwhelming urge to hit him. He shakes our hands once more, his staring lingering on Kelsa a little longer than is appropriate.
“You will be hearing from me tomorrow,” he says. “Ms. Preston. Right this way.” Ronald and Amber turn towards the exit as I stare at Kelsa, who's turning away and walking into the showroom.
Kelsa
I'm not trying to lead him on. Or be a bitch. But I thought that maybe if Drex saw me go with him, he'd realize just how serious I am about ending things.
God. Was that stupid? This guy is probably harmless. Right?
Fuck. Drex must really hate me right about now. I saw how he was watching Henry's every move. I don't know if Amber and Ronald felt the flirty vibes he was giving me but Drex sure did. It was flattering no doubt. Henry is very handsome, very powerful, and it's flattering that he’s attracted to me. All that being said, he's too full of himself and nowhere near my type. But Drexel is playing a game and this is my move. Giselle leaves us and Henry takes me on a personal tour of his showroom. Wooden dinette sets with detailed designs that look as if they took years to carve, couches that are too gorgeous to sit on, everything in here is a work of art.
“So, Ms. Preston, how long have you been in marketing?”
“About three years now,” I say.
“I can see why you chose this field. You are a natural.” His gaze lingers on mine and he's standing way too close.
Stepping away, I clear my throat. “So. Do you have any questions about the presentation? Any concerns?”
“No. As I said, the offer is great. I just need to go over a few things with my team.” He takes the hint and we continue walking through the space.
