“Who is this mysterious developer anyway?” The round man across the table from Hannah was utilizing his selective hearing skills, apparently.
Richard reentered the room, a sheer look of satisfaction was smeared across his face. “Well, looks like today is your lucky day. Mr. Vance is going to come here to settle this once and for all. He will be with us shortly. Would you like to wait?”
“Why of course I will wait!” What the two men weren’t aware of, was the fact that she’d tread through hell to solve the issue at hand.
And wait they did. For thirty-three minutes to be exact. They sat in a cloud of sheer cumbersomeness. The two men sat, rapidly tapping away at their electronics, not once looking up from them. Hannah was putting her words together in her mind, the words she would use as an Excalibur sword to fight for her sustenance. She just knew it would be some cranky, scrooge-looking, sexist old man who had too much money to know what to do with. She had seen the type a thousand times. They came through the borough every so often. All suited up to the nines in out-of-date suits, big nasty cigars, and they pointed and gawked at this and that. They always attempted to buy up any building or lot that they could. Stingy old m…
The conference door burst open without warning. The two suits nearly bounced out of their seats, iPhones went flying, and a stack of papers on the table was whooshed aside as the two men were surprised by the break in the silence. Hannah moved her head toward the door (this is the moment that everything went, suddenly, into slow motion) and through the door entered...
Drake Vance accidentally hit the door handle a little too hard as he sent a wink to the banging, redhead secretary. He bounded into the room with dramatics he couldn’t help if he tried. Oops, the sharp dressed Drake smiled to himself, grand entrance, I suppose.
When he made it through the doorway, his head nearly touching the top of the frame, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He didn’t even notice the two suited lummoxes as they shuffled around, awkwardly picking up whatever it was that they were shuffling in their awkwardness and desire to do nothing to ruffle the feathers of this man to which they were devoted in all things business.
No, he didn’t notice anything, not anything but the imaginary creature sitting in the rolly chair before him. He could feel sweat beading up on his neck, and just below his hairline. She was stunning. He had expected a wretched sea urchin, not the damn princess of the mermaid majesty. Wait, what was he thinking? He had had many, many finer women bow to his pinky ring. But there was something about her. As a tiny drip of sweat finally broke loose from a wrinkle and trekked down his forehead, Drake realized that he could not force his eyes out of hers.
What in the hell was happening here? Granted, she was beautiful, but she was no exotic model, she didn’t possess Victoria’s Secret charm. In fact, she wasn’t his usual type. Those beautiful brunette curls, he felt as though he could plunge into them from the highest high dive. Her lips looked more succulent than any pair he’d ever before seen.
Drake had to snap out of this trance. Those legs, smooth as a peaceful lake top, shimmering, he could almost see the full, yellow moon reflecting in her eyes.
And that’s about enough of that! Drake forced his stare to leave her soul; he turned to Richard. He really couldn’t stand him. Richard was the equivalent of the women who only wanted him for his money, only Richard didn’t have a vagina.
He flopped his briefcase up onto the stretched conference table with no regard for anything that may have been in his way. He fumbled around with the latches for a moment; he couldn’t get her gaze out of his mind. That feeling...it couldn’t be. Impossible.
Drake pulled out a stack of papers that were bound by a paperclip, and he dropped them in front of Richard.
“Erm....” The sound that protruded from Richard brought on the realization that the room had been silent since Drake had flash banged the door open.
“These are the papers that my attorney has filed; you’ll see that we are correct in our standing with the property. The facility, as it stands now, is out of code and regulation, therefore, the bank has no choice but to foreclose it, and I am prepared to pour fortunes into the development of the United States’ finest shopping mall - biggest attraction this city has ever seen,” Drake spoke the words without stopping for air. They exited his mouth with a good dose of authority, and a hint of compassion. Or maybe just passion. Either way, he saw it most fit that he steal the atmosphere before anyone got the chance to argue. He dominated the entire room.
“Ah, yes, that is what we have been attempting to explain to Miss…”
“Hannah Andrews. And have you even taken a moment to really think about this?”
“Ms. Andrews, has gotten signatures on...petition, and she has the entire community barking down our throats; there have been social media slurs aimed for us. Though I feel we will not hear a peep once they have a theme park mall to spend all their spare time in!” Richard laughed at the other suit’s little spiel.
Drake was in no way moved by the spiel. He already knew all of this. They were speaking into deaf ears. Her voice. Was it angelic? Was he hearing things? He had to have her. He wanted her. He desired her. Her attention. Her look. Her eyes.
“This looks like a closed deal to me,” Richard spoke up before Hannah could say another word.
Drake ignored every word that came out of Richard’s mouth. His attorney had already taken care of everything. He propped his right leg up on the seat of the office chair at the end of the table. He lowered his left elbow to his knee and leaned there. His sleeve slid up his wrist just far enough to show off the inlaid diamonds in his watchband.
“What do you say you go to dinner with me tonight, and we will work this out properly, Hannah?” Drake stared into Hannah’s deep, slate gray eyes. He was fully aware of the pure lust floating in his own.
Hannah stood up from the table, her sundress fell just to the appropriate length, down her long, creamy legs. She gathered her paperwork off the table, tucked it into her portfolio, and stared Drake square in the eye.
“No thanks.” And she walked out on that note. Drake was left propped by the table with the utmost stupefied look upon his face. He was stricken with surprise. “What time should I pick you up,” had almost slipped right out of his mouth. The two cheap suited goofs both had astonished features that now made up their faces.
“You said ‘no thanks’... to Drake Vance… my god, do you not know who he is? Do you not read any headlines? I knew you lived under a rock but...”
Hannah rolled her eyes as she held her cell phone to her ear. She was not aware of who he was, but she still could not believe what she had said either. He was a beautiful man. The best looking man she’d ever laid eyes on outside of magazines and the gracious internet. But there was something in this one’s eyes. And his jawline, and his broad chest…
“I don’t date. You know this about me, Lizzy. Especially not some self-centered, egotistic rich boy. Mommy and Daddy’s money can’t buy me. Besides, I am far too busy with the youth cent...OH YEAH, I am losing it to the very asshole that you are lifting high and praising!”
“Oh, I know, I know Hannah. Good grief...Hey, listen! I have a plus one invite to a hot dinner party tonight. You wanna go with me? I need you bad, I need you to pretend to be my lesbian girlfriend. The host is a one nighter from a couple weeks ago, but Brad Booles is going to be there, so I need you bad on this one. Please, please, please. And please wear something promiscuous!”
The line clicked over. Lizzy hung up. Great, Hannah thought to herself as she hit the crosswalk button. The entire walk back to her apartment, her feet were only carrying her along by memory, as she was lost completely to her thoughts of the morning’s happenings. She was really going to lose her only anchor. She was going to lose her entire life in one swift move. Checkmate just like that. The thought made her sick. But then, what about the feeling in her stomach, when that magnificent man walked through that door? He defin
itely carried himself like the typical douche bag with too much money. But there was something out of the ordinary. She had stared into the eyes of many people but never had she felt the feeling she experienced when his eyes caught hers. It was a trance feeling. It had to be something to do with his charming look and the high office heat, because he completely destroyed her dreams in less than four minutes, and then he had the audacity to ask her out. Though he was so smooth while doing all of this. It was one fluid motion.
Hannah twisted the key in the lock, unaware that she had already made the twelve block walk home. She was heartbroken and… in love? No, she told herself, that’s not what that eye lock was. She knew better.
Chapter 4
Drake moved into his building in a dazed and confused state which was not the norm in any fashion for this over-confident magnate. Did she really just say ‘no thank you’? Did the word ‘no’ really slip through her divine lips? Drake had never, in his adult life, heard a woman tell him ‘no’. No, this certainly had just happened. She had to have felt what he felt. She had to have felt that same drive. It was undeniable. He had gone completely clammy and nervous, the moment he saw her. He could not even put a name on the feeling that washed over him. Or maybe… maybe he could. He ignored Banks’ greeting, and drifted right by him, utterly lost in his disbelief.
Drake sat down in the meditation chair and closed his eyes. His memory flashed back, what seemed like an eternity, to the last time he ever saw his mother and father. They were laughing and holding one another, and he walked into the dining room where they were standing. They released one another and dad scooped Drake up into his arms, and they embraced once again. Their smiles were so real, so genuine. So unfamiliar.
A rap at the door reeled in Drake’s focus, back down out of the clouds.
“Don’t forget, sir, Conrad Slanter is hosting his dinner festivity this evening. You have it set on your date marker.”
“Oh, Christ, I totally forgot about that. I have to go. Brad invited me so that he could make an impression on Conrad. I owe Brad big time.”
“None of my matter, sir. I’ll prepare you a drink while you dress. Are you feeling well? You’ve slept in the same position since you arrived from your morning meeting. I assume it went well, aside from your ghostly manners.”
Drake had slept for hours, it was already three thirty in the afternoon. The entire time he had dreamed of his parents. It’d been ages since he had seen them in his dreams.
“Yes, yes it went fine. The attorney had all of it in order. But there was this wom... Nevermind. I’ll have that drink now.”
***
The cab ride to the dinner party was quiet. Well not quite. That was only Hannah; Lizzy had talked, nonstop the whole ride. Which was fine by Hannah, she was still convincing herself to not turn back. She hated the very thought of the party. These rich floozy flamboyants were exactly why she retracted from their green stained fingers and whispers and brutal back stabbings. On the other hand, she had been working extremely hard for a long while. She had absolutely no time to herself as she fought for the youth center. Fuck it, Hannah thought, it’ll be worth getting out. Not to mention it’s so fun to watch the dramatic antics of all the people.
“God, let’s go straight to the bar, I don’t even want Brad to see me here…”
Hannah hadn’t realized that they had already arrived at the Brazilian eatery. Damn, she was off her game, that was twice in one day that she allowed herself to think deeply within her own being.
“After you, my sexy lesbian lover!” Yes, she decided then and there, tonight she would let loose.
They entered the open-air restaurant and it was filled to the gills with the oh-so-cliche, stereotypical schmoozers everywhere. Fortunately, the circle bar, laid out in the center of the grand room, was nearly empty. There were too many brown noses in too many raunchy asses for any of them to sit down for a drink at the bar. That was the perfect vantage point from which to observe the events of the night unfold.
Hannah and Lizzy were both completely dolled up and dressed to kill. Hannah really knew how to show off what little she had. She thought she had little, but in reality, her perfect ass was just as plump as a fresh peach in July. And her breasts were ample and just as perky as they were in freshmen year of college. She was a stunning woman. A stunning-looking woman when she wanted to be. It was not her everyday way to be, however.
Instinctively, the girls sat at the portion of the bar where the burly Brazilian bartender, with the long, black braided hair, was standing. Both giggled to one another as they ordered two Mai Tais.
The evening actually began exceptionally well as the two old friends sat at the bar people watching. Lizzy had not spotted this new Brad guy yet, so they continued to slurp on their cocktails and gawk at all the social awkwardness. It was actually quite relaxing.
Out of nowhere, Hannah accidentally swallowed the cherry stem that she had been twirling around in her mouth. Low and behold, skipping his two steps right through the front of the bar was the damned Drake. Oh, God, he was so good looking. Down right sexy, to be honest. Hannah could not believe her eyes. He was shaking hands with the dandiest dressed gentlemen and he was wrapping his big arms around the most lavish ladies. She could nearly see into his soul through the genuinity of his bright smile. His smooth, shaved face seemed to glow, and the tone of his skin was a golden brown. What the hell was going on here?
“Oh, my God, oh my God…” Hannah almost choked on the words.
“What? Are you fucking choking?! Damn, look at the hottie at twelve o’clock!”
“Oh shit, he’s coming. Oh shit, he sees me. We are about to do that damned eye thing again. Quick, make out with me!” Hannah cupped Lizzy behind the back of her head and pulled her into a big fat smooch before she could get another word out.
As Lizzy closed her eyes in shock of the lip plant, Hannah’s eyes were cut toward Drake as he had initially waved and spoke her name, he now looked a tiny bit shocked but continued to smile that Knightley smile and headed right for her. Oh, God.
“Well damn! I mean, I guess I could have imagined that!” Drake genuinely couldn’t believe his eyes. And boy were they both smoking hot! “It’s a rare delicacy to see two sexy lesbians!”
Lizzy stared, wide-eyed, at Hannah, filled with butterflies of surprise. And she thought she was the wild one... Hannah remained calm, collected, and eyed Drake with the slightest of smirks. Maybe the tall skinny glasses of Mai Tai were getting to her a bit. She did her best not to crack a smile, though she had to admit, the looks that Lizzy was still giving her were beyond hilarious.
“You guess you could have imagined that, huh? What a promiscuous thing to say!” Hannah imitated that she was slightly let down by Drake’s comment.
“I meant no offense! Let me buy the both of you a round!” Drake threw himself onto the barstool to the right of Hannah and waved to the handsome bartender.
“Oh, I don’t know, I think I’ve had plenty,” Hannah started.
“Oh, yes! We will take two more tall Mai Tais! Thanks,” Lizzy jumped into the conversation as quick as she could find the words to say.
Lizzy was still rendered dumb by the cumulative effects of the sudden kiss. She had asked Hannah to come along, only to pretend to be her lesbian lover. And why in the world would Hannah do that just because Drake walked over...shouldn’t she be relishing in the fact that he even knew she existed? Hannah just gave her ‘the look’. The look representing the notion that they should go forth from this moment on, pretending to be gay!
“So how long have you two lovebirds been together?”
“Two weeks…”
“Two years…”
The girls answered at the same exact moment, both sounding fully confident in their answers.
Hannah’s sharp wit quickly jumped to action, “It has been so lovely and wonderful that the time has flown by! It has felt like only two weeks!”
“Wait, what? Oh!
Hey! Hold on a sec, that’s my buddy Brad over there! Hey! Brad! Come over here you hunk.”
“Oh, you know Brad!?” Lizzy couldn’t conceal her excitement for the entrance of Brad Booles. “That’s Brad…” she whispers to Hannah.
A charmingly good-looking blonde Brad waved and made his way through the crowd to the bar. He strolled up to Drake, who stood maybe only a few inches taller. Both men were soaring towers of sexiness. A sexiness that Hannah could not begin to understand. Today she had seen more hot men than she had ever seen before. And from the looks of Brad’s get up and watch, he was far from lacking in the funding department.
“Hey! My brotha from anothamotha! Glad you made it out here, you big deal making son!” Brad grabbed Drake by the hand and pulled him in for a brotherly hug.
“Hey, Brad! Sorry I missed golf this morning. Some...err..more pressing matters arose. I’m glad to be here, though! In fact, I’ve just run into a… friend.” Drake turned toward the two seated ladies at the bar.
Forever Together Page 43
