by Alexis Gold
“Honestly? Whichever one is the best fit for this company.” He gave her a smile and she knew that he meant it.
The phone tech came in, followed by the computer tech, along with the printer who delivered her business cards, and it seemed like everything was happening all at once. While the flurry was going on in her office, he took her to his office and sat her at his desk, opening up his laptop for her again.
“Okay, Callie. Please work your magic and take a look at this.” He gave her an encouraging smile as he rested his hand on her back and leaned over her shoulder to watch her.
She heard him breathe her in and she turned slightly to look at him. He closed his eyes and turned his face toward her cheek for a moment, nuzzling his lips to her skin, and then he stood abruptly and walked to the corner of the desk.
“Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… it’s that perfume you’re wearing. Yes? It’s… it smells so good. It just took me back and I wasn’t expecting that. Please, go ahead.” He waved his hand at the laptop and she saw his cheeks turn a light shade of pink. She tried to settle the wild butterflies in her belly and focus solely on her work.
She went through the entire program twice just to be sure and then she turned and looked at him with a grin. “It’s ready! We can go live at any time. In fact, all you’ll need to do is hit the enter key, and you’re on!” Rising from his chair, she indicated the open seat for him.
Alexander shook his head in wide-eyed at her. “I am never going to understand your genius, but I sure do love it! This is incredible!” He laughed excitedly and went to stand beside her, reaching his right hand down to the keyboard as he closed his free hand around hers.
She glanced at him for a moment, but said nothing, instead curling her fingers into his. She watched with absolute joy as he reached his finger out and tapped the ‘enter’ key. The program spun into action, and began updating his app all over the world.
His eyes went wide and he laughed, turning to face her excitedly. “You did it!”
Callie shook her head. “We did it!”
He reached his hand up to her cheek, grinning from ear to ear as he gazed into her eyes. “You did it, you amazing, wonderful, beautiful woman.” He drew in a sharp breath then and leaned close to her, kissing her softly, hesitating a moment, his lips barely on hers, and she hesitated as well, but their desire for one another was too overwhelming, and he parted her lips with his, teasing the tip of her tongue and then tasting her slowly as he wrapped her firmly in his arms.
She moaned softly and kissed him back, everything in her catching fire as their kisses deepened, and their breath grew short. Their kisses were driving them to ache for more, his lips left hers and moved across her cheek to the tender skin just below her ear. He nuzzled her there and kissed tenderly at her neck, his tongue tracing a line to the front of her throat as her head fell back slowly.
“Alexander…” she whispered, and his mouth found hers again. Passion was building in them as his hand left her back and traveled up to her breast. He cupped it, squeezing it as he moaned in need of her, and suddenly there was a sharp knock at the door.
They broke apart, gasping for breath, and she tried to straighten her jacket just as the door opened and he reached his hand to his mouth to wipe away any tell tale lipstick.
Rosa poked her head in the door. “Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to let you both know that Callie’s office is ready for her!” She glanced from one to the other of them and she slowly raised a single eyebrow.
“Oh, good. That’s good.” Alexander replied breathily. “Callie just finished our new app update and I pushed the button. It’s live! Isn’t that wonderful!”
Rosa grinned at them. “It’s very exciting! Congratulations, you two!” she chuckled softly and left them, closing the door behind her.
They both heaved sighs of relief and Alexander turned to Callie. “I’m so sorry. I know we agreed to business only. I’ll be mindful of that.” She nodded subtly with a sad smile. “Me too.”
Chapter5
Oliver stood before the tee, golf club in his hand, gazing out over the green with his eyes narrowed into slits and his mouth pressed into a thin line. “You know, you’d think that along with inheriting an obscene amount of money, decently acceptable golf skills would be inherent in my blood, but somehow those seem to have skipped my generation.”
“Maybe it’s your swing.” Alexander smiled at his best friend.
“Maybe it’s my over abundant gayness.” Oliver mused thoughtfully.
“Not at all. Being gay has nothing to do with how well you play golf, but I’d certainly attribute it to your fabulous fashion sense. You’re the best dressed man out here, by a long shot.” He paused as Oliver stared at him.
“Is that supposed to be a golf joke? A long shot?” Oliver narrowed his eyes at Alexander then.
“Where the hell is the drink cart when you need it desperately? Can I buy you a drink? Cosmopolitan? Whiskey? Shirley Temple?”
“Kiss my gay ass.” Oliver state dryly.
“I suspect strongly that your husband would object to that.” Alexander laughed softly.
Oliver brought his arm back and then let his driver fly, smacking the ball and sending it flying down the green, hooking it sharply to the right. “Well hell. Maybe we should have gone furniture shopping today. You know, I found this great place on Capital Hill. You’d love it. Vintage perfection in every corner. So worth an hour or two.”
“Do you want to whack that one out of the rough or call it a drop?” Alexander asked, walking up to the tee and placing his ball delicately on it. He too gazed down the green and then brought his club back behind his shoulder. As he began his swing, Oliver answered him.
“Drop, of course. I’m not taking these designer pants into the bush.” It was drier than his last comment, and Alexander snorted and choked at the same time as he began laughing so hard that he dropped his club and fell to his knees, burying his face in his arm as he lost it.
“You bitch,” he cried as he laughed and wiped the tears from his eyes.
Oliver shrugged with a straight face. “Well, now both of our balls have dropped. Let’s move on, shall we?”
Alexander was laying on the ground weeping tears as he roared laughing, struggling to breathe.
When he finally calmed down, Oliver, who was leaning nonchalantly on his golf club, reached a hand out to him to help him up. “This is really the only reason that I come golfing with you. You know that, don’t you?”
Alexander nodded. “Ditto, my friend. Ditto.”
They started the hole again and Oliver looked at Alexander as he set his ball on the tee. “So how are things going with your new lover and co-worker? I’m so proud of you, by the way, for hiring her as fast as you did. Listening to me is always the smartest thing that you could do.”
Alexander laughed and nodded. “I know that, that’s why I listen to you. You’re not always right, but you are never, ever wrong.”
“Damn straight.” Oliver nodded once. He focused on his ball as Alexander caught him up on the latest in his life.
“Well, as you know I hired her, which has suddenly become the only thing that everyone in the industry can talk about besides her revision of the app. I put her in the office across from mine. We’ve decided to keep everything strictly business, so no romance, which has been really tough for both of us. No one knows about her dancing background; they just think she’s a whiz kid college student and so far, everyone loves her; especially Rosa, which is a good thing.”
Oliver flung his club at the ball and it went sailing down the hill and landed about thirty feet away in the middle of the green. “That is the best thing. Rosa is the glue that holds that whole place together.” He planted his hands on his hips and lifted his chin as he considered the placement of his ball. “Would you look at that? My father would be so proud. It’s straight down the middle.”
“He’d have been prouder of that straight shot you sent down the pool tab
le last time we played. That ball went farther.” Alexander gave him a sympathetic eye.
“Right you are,” Oliver said indifferently as he turned to face Alexander. “I want you to know that I fully support you having a romantic relationship with Callie. I don’t think that you two should deny yourselves that. You both want each other, and the hell with protocol and social norm nonsense. The hell with what everyone else thinks. Do you think if I cared what anyone else thought that I would be as happy as I am right now with Josh? No. Definitely not. I’d still be weeping in therapy. Instead, I am gloriously devoted to the love of my life and we are both much happier. Nothing about anyone else makes their opinion matter in your life. No one else is living it but you, so do whatever makes you happy as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
“Thank you, Oliver. I appreciate that.” Alexander said thoughtfully, considering his friend’s perspective carefully.
“You’re welcome. What other purpose could I possibly be here for in your life if not to leave little pearls of wisdom along your life’s path, like so many coins in a fountain.” He looked directly at Alexander and his tone grew more serious. “I also think you should have Callie in the meetings with your prospective partners. She’ll offer you a different perspective. She has no allegiance to anyone but you, Alexander, and she’ll be the most honest.”
“I think you’re right, my wise friend. Thank you.” Alexander gave him a genuine smile.
***
Callie was going through the mail as she sat at the kitchen table one morning and her hand froze as she saw the envelope she was holding. It was from the Washington Department of Corrections.
With trembling fingers, she opened it and slid the letter out of it. It was printed on thick stationery, and it felt as official as it looked. Her eyes moved slowly over the words. She didn’t want to miss any of them or misunderstand anything that she was reading.
Johnathon Vicks was to be released from his prison sentence as a result of good behavior, and his sentence would be satisfied, pending six months of probation after his release.
Callie read the letter, and then read it again, and again. Tears formed in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, and emotion caught in her throat. “Mama! Mama!” She called out loudly. Her mother came into the kitchen with concern written all over her face.
“What baby? What is it?” she asked worriedly as she sat down in the chair beside Callie.
Callie swallowed hard and looked up at her mother. With a trembling hand, she passed the letter to her. “Vick is getting out of prison.”
Noel’s mouth opened fully and her eyes went wide. “No! No… that can’t be!” She took the letter and pushed her reading glasses on, looking over the page in her hand twice before she set it down on the table and shook her head.
“I can’t believe this. It just isn’t possible.” She pulled off her glasses and rubbed her hands over her eyes. With a heavy sigh she laid her hand on the table and looked at her daughter. “I didn’t think they were ever going to let him out. He shouldn’t be out.”
“Well, he’s getting out,” Callie said in a low whisper.
“Let’s wait and see what happens. He’s not out yet. Maybe it will work out.” Noel said with quiet, half hearted optimism.
Callie shook her head defiantly. “No! We can’t wait to see what will happen. We can’t just sit here and hope that this goes away! He is a very real danger to all of us, no matter what the state thinks!”
“They think he’s reformed by the look of it.” Noel sadly gazed at the letter.
“Oh Mama! You know that’s not possible! What are we going to do if he comes her after Jenny?” Callie felt as if her heart was going to break right in two.
Noel sighed and rubbed her eyes again. “We’re going to wait and see what happens.”
“I’m not going to wait. I have to do something.” Callie jumped up from her seat at the table and began to pace back and forth through the kitchen, thinking on it as hard as she could. She finally came to a stop and picked up the phone, dialing it swiftly, punching her fingers against the keys.
“Oh please answer… please…” she murmured as she closed her eyes and hoped with everything in her.
“Callie! What’s up sis?” Jack asked with a bright voice.
Her eyes flew open and she gasped with relief. “Oh thank god. I’m so glad you’re home.”
His tone changed immediately. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I just got a letter from the state department of corrections. Vick is being released.” She’d said it with a level tone, though she felt anything but level headed at that moment.
Jack gasped. “No.”
“Yes. I couldn’t believe it myself. I’m just a basket case over here. What on earth are we going to do? What if he comes here looking for Jenny? Mama said just wait and see what happens, but you know that we can’t do that! What are we going to do?” She felt her throat tighten and her eyes sting with tears again.
“I’m on my way home. I’ll send you my flight times as soon as I have them.” Jack said in an ice cold tone. It gave Callie a shiver.
“Jack! Really? You’re coming home? Just like that? Oh thank you! We need you so much right now! Are you sure?” She asked, still in amazement that her brother would come back that fast.
“I’ll be on the next available flight out.” Jack said, his voice still as cold as steel.
“Okay. I’ll be ready to get you from the airport. Thank you, Jack. Love you. See you soon.” She breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what was happening with Johnathon Vick, she wasn’t going to have to face it alone or with only her mother there at her side. Her twin brother was coming home and there was no one she would rather have at her side when she was facing Johnathon Vick.
Jenny came twirling out of the hallway, her hair in a bun and her ballet bag on her shoulder. She was wearing all her new ballet clothes, and carrying her new pointe shoes in the bag. “Okay! I’m ready! Let’s go do this thing!” She sang out excitedly.
Noel and Callie looked at her in surprise, both of them struggling to come back to the present.
“The audition!” Callie gasped, lifting her hand to her mouth. “Yes… yes! Yes. The audition. Mama. Let’s go take Jenny to The Sleeping Beauty audition.” She turned and looked out of the window. “It’s raining. Everyone grab a hat.”
They headed out to the academy and Callie forced herself to be present in the moment and share in all the excitement and fun with her little one. Looking in the rearview mirror, she gave Jenny a smile. “Are you nervous? How are you feeling?”
Jenny looked upward, giving it some consideration. “I’m half nervous and half excited. Or maybe like three parts excited and one part nervous.” She was quiet a moment thinking about it. “Nah, I think I’m half and half. This is my first big audition, and I’m ready for it, but I really want it to go well.”
“Awe honey, you’re going to do so well! I know you will. Don’t you worry about it, just go out there and have a good time. Do what you love to do and don’t think about anyone watching you, just put that beautiful smile on your face and go. Okay? That’s all you need to do.” Callie told her with a widening grin. It was working. Just watching Jenny beaming in the backseat was making her happy, and at least for that afternoon, she could her worry about Vick’s release from her mind.
Callie and Noel sat in the audience with the other parents who were present.. They watched as each child came out, spoke their name and the role for which they were auditioning, and then danced for it. They held each other’s hands and their own breath as Jenny twirled around, spinning and leaping, performing her arabesque and her grand jeté en tournant. She grinned brightly, her eyes on everything but the people in the audience. It looked to all of them as if she was dancing alone, all to herself and was completely unaware of anyone else in the room.
When she was finished, she bowed low and thanked the audience, and then walked gracefully off of the stage. She went to sit wi
th Callie and Noel and cheered on all of the other children who auditioned, no matter which roles they auditioned for, including her other friends who also auditioned for the role of Aurora.
When the auditions were over, they thanked the instructors and Miss Maria, and left. Jenny walked out with one hand holding tight to Callie, and one hand holding onto Noel.
“We thought you were the very best, but we love you, so we always think that,” Callie told her with a smile. “How do you feel that you did?”
Jenny breathed a happy sigh. “I did my best. I guess we see what happens. They have to choose the best dancer for the role. It might not be me, but I did my best. I know I’ll be in the production, so I just have to wait and see what role I’ll be dancing.”
Callie smiled in surprise at her. “You’re quite a grown up young lady, do you know that? I’m so proud of you, and your mommy would be, too.” Jenny raised her eyes to Callie and glowed from the compliment.
