by Kally Ash
Man, she had to get out of here.
Turning on the shower, she got in before it had a chance to warm up and she swore. But still, water and soap were a good thing. She grabbed his shampoo and was impressed that the guy didn’t just use the little bottle supplied by the hotel. Popping the cap, she inhaled... and approved. Squeezing a small amount into her palm, she lathered up her hair, then rinsed it out before following with the conditioner. Next was his body wash, which she took extra time rubbing into her skin.
A quick rinse off and she was done. By the time she emerged from the humid bathroom, she could smell the coffee that had been delivered. She floated into the room, already making grabby hands at the cup John was pouring. He paused when he saw her though, his gaze raking down her body.
Up.
Down.
He cleared his throat. “Coffee?”
“I wish they’d brought an IV bag and a pole,” she said, grabbing the cup and taking a draw off the top.
Hot.
Black.
Perfect.
She felt the legal drug zing through her bloodstream, making her brain come back online in a rush. John was just staring at her and she let her eyes drag down his body, finding he was sporting a monstrous erection.
“Like what you see?” she murmured.
He shook himself, then got with the program. Lifting a cloche, he revealed two plates of French toast with fresh strawberries on the side. There was a small jug of what she assumed was syrup. She sat down and grabbed her cutlery. When she started to eat, John was still standing there.
“Are you eating or pretending to be a statue?”
“Sorry. Yeah. Food. Let’s do food.”
For a few minutes, there was nothing but the sound of flatware scratching on porcelain and she wondered how quickly she could get the food into her stomach. It was awkward. It was...
“Why do you go to the orphanage?”
She swallowed her mouthful. “What?”
He took a minute to carefully cut a slice of toast, spearing a strawberry along with it. “Why do you go to the orphanage?"
She focused on her breakfast, running through all the things she could say to him. Nobody knew about her visits to the orphanage. Nobody. Not even Vee.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. You obviously have your reasons, and you don’t have to tell me.”
She pushed a halved strawberry through the pool of syrup, thinking. “They don’t judge me,” she said quietly.
John didn’t say anything, and when she looked up, she saw he was cutting up another mouthful. He was listening though. He was just giving her the time she needed.
And she needed it.
She kept her eyes on the plate, on the puddle of syrup, on the strawberry that still had a little bit of stalk on it.
“The kids...” She breathed in deeply through her nose and let it out. “The kids don’t judge me. They just take me as I am.”
“That’s because you’re great,” he replied softly.
She shook her head. “I’m not. I’m a bitch. I drink too much. I work long hours. I don’t have a life. I’m not a nice person.”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
She looked at him sharply. “Sorry, but you don’t know a goddamn thing about me,” she snarled.
“I know you’re strong. I know you’re driven. I know you have a fantastically large heart and a generous spirit.”
“You’ve only just met me,” she replied. “All we’ve done is fucked.”
“Ah, no. We’ve done a lot more than that.” Holding out his hand, he checked off his fingers as he said, “Dinner. Meeting. Drinks. Breakfast. Fucking fantastic sex.” He grinned. “Come on, Natasha. Why can’t you see what I can?”
Oh, because my father has told me my entire life that I’m not working hard enough, I’m not trying hard enough, I’m not enough, she thought.
“I know that your dad has been giving you a hard time.”
She placed some French toast in her mouth and chewed. “Can we talk about something else?” she asked, hating how exposed she felt. “I feel like you’re peeling away my thick skin and seeing things that most people aren’t allowed to.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“It is for someone like me,” she replied.
He sat back in his chair, a grin on his handsome face. “I’ll crack that exterior one day, Natasha.”
“Thank fuck you’re only here for a month, then.”
“Then there’s the wedding,” he retorted. “Speaking of the wedding, has Vee told you about the bachelorette party?”
“No, she hasn’t mentioned it, but I’ve not been able to return any of her calls.”
“Beau asked me to plan a joint bachelor and bachelorette party with you.”
“What the fuck? A joint one?” She threw down her fork, disgusted. “How are we supposed to get strippers now?”
John laughed. “I asked the same thing.”
“Of course, it wouldn’t just be strippers. I was planning on getting massages too.”
“I really don’t like your chances of the guys getting massages unless they’re the kind that have a happy ending.”
“You’re a dog,” she replied but smiled because that was exactly where her mind had been too.
He put his hands up defensively. “Alright, alright. What ideas do you have, then?”
She thought for a moment and smiled. “I think I have the perfect idea.”
They spent the rest of the time spitballing how they could pull off what they wanted to do, with Natasha wondering what favors she could call in and John wondering how he could make it all happen. When their plates were clean, she pushed hers away and sat back, rubbing her perpetually flat stomach.
“I ate too much.”
“Yeah, me too,” he replied, assuming the same position. Pulling her phone from her bag, she checked the time. It was nearly 9 AM. She had to get going; otherwise, she was going to be...
Oh, wait. Nope. She wouldn’t be late. She was on vacation. Plus, it was a Saturday. Not that that meant anything.
“So, what are you doing for the rest of the day?” he asked.
“Nothing, I don’t think.”
“We should head out and try to make this bachelor/bachelorette thing work.”
She nodded. “We need a better name than that though.”
“Agreed. What about a hucks night?”
“A hucks night?” he repeated slowly.
She shrugged. “Yeah. In some countries it’s called a hens and bucks night. Since bachelor and bachelorette are a mouthful, we need something more streamlined, something that rolls of the tongue better. So, bucks and hen stuck together—hucks.”
“I think you’re not even trying right now,” he said with a chuckle.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t have a creative brain; it’s analytical. You tell me your idea if you have a better one.”
He tapped his chin thoughtfully and she called him on his bullshit.
“You don’t know, do you?” She barked a laugh.
“I’ll think of something.”
“Uh-huh. Sure, you will,” she retorted, folding her legs beneath her. She didn’t want to admit she was comfortable with him. She also didn’t want to admit he was easy to talk to.
She glanced over at the desk against the far wall and saw a rolled-up sheet of paper. Getting up, she felt John’s eyes on her as she moved across the room. “Are these the plans?”
He jumped up and intercepted her, snatching the papers out of her hands.
“Hey!”
He shook his head. “No, it’s a surprise. I don’t want you to see them until the end of the month.”
“Why?”
“Because I never let my clients see the plans until they’re absolutely ready. I like having the option to change my mind over and over again without repercussions, and if someone hasn’t seen the plans, they can’t ask ‘Hey, what about that thing you had there last
time?’”
“You are a strange man, John Baxter.”
“I’ve been called worse. But now that you’re here, you can answer some questions for me.” He nodded back at the chair she’d vacated. “Be a good girl and go sit down.”
She did but only because she was feeling a little off-balance in his presence. She glowered at him from under her lashes as he took his seat again.
“Tell me, if you could include anything in this extension, what would it be?”
“Anything?”
He nodded. “No holds barred, free rein, carte blanche. Tell me.”
Clearing her throat, she said, “Well, I’ve been thinking about this. The real reason this extension is being built is for the older kids. They don’t have any space of their own. They’re being forced to share it with the little kids, and teens need privacy, right?”
“Right.”
“But then something Mother Catherine Marie told me also got me thinking. She said that the kids have to leave when they turn eighteen and many leave without having secured a job or a place to stay. Ninety-eight percent of them end up living on the streets, on the same street that the orphanage is on. So, what if they had resources there?”
“Like what?”
Natasha could feel her passion ignite. This was her opportunity to really made a difference in these kids’ lives and she was going to take it with both hands.
“Computers where they could do online courses. Resources where they could learn new skills and give them every opportunity to not only survive but also to thrive. We need to treat the root of the problem, not the symptoms.”
Seventeen
John stared at Natasha in awe, marveling at the enthusiasm that was so clearly written on her face. He realized then that she was in her zone. She may have toed the family line with law, but this, right here, was her passion.
He wondered why she couldn’t see that.
“What do you think about running an apprenticeship program?” she asked, getting up and bringing back the small ubiquitous notepad that every hotel room had, along with the pen. She tapped the end of the pen on the notepad like it was a tangible representation of her brain ticking over. “But how could we do that?” she muttered.
“Maybe you could start talking to local businesses and see if they’re willing to help? Maybe work experience so they have a taste of what’s out there before they decide on one field?”
She beamed at him. “That’s actually a really great idea.” As she bent her head down to jot down some notes, her unbound, still slightly damp hair slid over her shoulder and he found himself wanting to reach out and touch it.
Instead, he asked, “Do all the kids finish school?”
She shook her head. “Some drop out because school just isn’t for them, but they shouldn’t be punished for that by not finding gainful employment.”
He leaned forward, gesturing at the pad of paper. She ripped off a piece for him and offered him the pen. “What if,” he began, writing dot points, “there’s an opportunity to get their GED? Could you develop or fund a program or maybe get it funded someway?”
She blinked. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”
John wasn’t stopping there. “And then maybe we can get in touch with some trade schools and have them select some kids to come and study.”
“There are about ten or so in LA we could approach.” She was grinning widely at him and he felt like he was ten feet tall. “Can you write that down? That’s something I can talk to the Mother Superior about.”
John stood up. “Let me get my laptop so we can make a proper list.” Walking over to the desk, he grabbed his Mac and then turned back around to find Natasha staring at him, her eyes heavy. His cock responded on a dime, lengthening, hardening, and begging for a little attention. Cursing under his breath, he held his computer in front of his hips, then came back to the sitting area.
Natasha was smiling as she picked over what was left of the strawberries on his plate.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“I shouldn’t be, considering we only ate about an hour ago, but I could definitely eat again.”
“I’ll order us room service again.”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that,” she started.
“Are you kidding me? If it means you’ll stay a little longer, I’ll order every meal through room service.”
Natasha actually blushed at that comment and John got busy dialing. He ordered a fruit platter they could both share along with some sparkling water and some more coffee.
While they waited, he typed out some notes that he didn’t want to forget, like all the features of the building Natasha had wanted to incorporate. Working on mostly commercial spaces, he didn’t think about domestic uses for buildings much, but at least working on the Hilton project in San Diego had given him a good base-level understanding of functionality and design.
“Have you thought about a study space, or would you like to include one inside the dormitories?”
“Do you know what I’d really like for these kids?” she asked, tucking her legs beneath her. “I’d love for the older ones to get something of their own. For some of them, they’ve lived their whole childhood in the orphanage and always had to share. They should have a space of their own. I know this would never work though because we have to maximize the space we have and this is a frivolous use of it.”
“I understand,” he said. “Leave it with me. It’s my job to create the spaces you need.”
She blew out a breath but nodded. Her head jerked to the side when there was a knock at the door.
“That’ll be the food,” he told her.
“Oh, I’ll get it.”
He watched her walk away, then typed out a few more notes. Everything they’d discussed was exactly what he’d hoped to find out at that initial meeting, but she’d been so aloof with him before leaving the meeting that all he had was question marks.
The room service attendant wheeled in a cart filled with food and drink and Natasha helped the guy unload everything onto the table before loading up the breakfast plates. She walked him out and then returned and sat down in the same position, her long lean legs tucked under her body.
Man, she looked great in his clothes, even with the orange shirt. She was a gorgeous woman and even more beautiful on the inside. Leaning forward, she reached for a slice of watermelon and took a bite. She licked her fingers as she went and John did his best not to look directly at her. Like she was the fucking sun.
In the bedroom, his phone began to ring. Placing his computer down, he got up to retrieve it.
“Hey, Beau,” he said, walking back into the living room. Natasha had gone stock-still on the couch, looking at him with wide eyes. He shook his head, telling her that he wasn’t going to say anything if she didn’t want him to. “What’s happening?”
“Hey, my brother. How are you?”
“Good, good. You?”
“We’re doing alright. Do you have time to talk?”
“Of course, I do,” he replied. “What’s up?”
“So, you know how we’re going to Max and Gigi’s wedding in Mexico next week?”
“Yeah, you mentioned it at dinner on Tuesday.”
“Well, we’ve got a bit of a problem. Vee has been chasing a venue to get a date for the wedding. They called about an hour ago and said that they had an availability come up. They’ve booked us in to check things out this coming weekend, but we’re going to be in Mexico at the wedding this weekend.”
“Right.”
“That’s not the best bit. Vee pretty much has her heart set on this place, so she wanted to put the deposit down as soon as she could, but she needs you and Natasha to go up there and check it out for us.”
He glanced at Natasha who was actively listening to the conversation. “Up where exactly?”
“Big Sur. A place called Ventana Resort.”
John whistled through his teeth. He’d heard of the place. “
What date has just become available?” John nearly choked on his tongue when Beau told him. “That’s—”
“Eight weeks, yup.”
“Fuck.”
Beau chuckled nervously. “Tell me about it. Anyway, what that means is we have to kick things into high gear.”
“Of course,” John replied. “So, are you free to go up this weekend?”
He locked eyes with Natasha. “What about Natasha? Has Vee…”
He paused when Natasha’s phone began to vibrate across the coffee table. She glanced at the thing and mouthed Vee at him and then answered it.
“Vee’s on the phone with her now.”
Suddenly aware of the echo that was about to give them away, he ducked into the bedroom and sat on the bed.
“What if she says no?”
His friend laughed. “She won’t. She’s like Vee’s sister and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her.”
“Alright, man, let me know what she says and send me the details? Thanks. Chat to you soon.”
Eighteen
“Absolutely. I’d be happy to head up there,” Natasha said, watching the doorway John had disappeared through as soon as she’d picked up the call from Vee. “Sorry, what was that?”
“I asked if you were going to be okay with John. I know you guys don’t know each other very well…”
“We’ll be fine,” she replied. They were more than fine, but Vee didn’t have to know that. Her friend was quiet though and she asked, “What?”
“You were really... hostile at the dinner.”
Damn, they’d noticed. “We had a minor disagreement, but it’s all water under the bridge now.” Jesus, if Vee knew about her and John, she’d never let her live it down.
“Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent.” Her eyes shifted over to the man in question as he walked through from the bedroom. “So, you’ll send me those details?”
“Absolutely. Doing it now.”
“Great. Thanks, Vee, and if I don’t speak to you before you guys leave, have a great vacation and enjoy the wedding.”
“We will. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
