One Desire

by Rice, Rachel E.

  Jordan placed his arms around my waist and led me to the left of the hotel where the discreet restaurant sat for only its special customers. It was a small elegant restaurant, but the hotel had several restaurants situated inside the large specialty hotel. I had never worked in that restaurant because only male waiters handled that area. Probably because the tips were high and the executives who came there drank excessively and they thought men were more discrete.

  Spencer had worked there before. When I asked him what went on in there, he only said, “You don’t want to know.” Now I will get a chance to find out. We took an elevator to the twenty-first floor.

  We walked in the dining area with its silk white table cloths, chandeliers hovering over each table set with fine English china and an expensive view of New York City. Sitting at a table in the corner was Brandon and a young woman. He stood startled. His eyes traveled to mine and I surveyed the dark haired young woman sitting next to him. Jordan kept his arms around my waist leading my body to Brandon and the young woman, set against a view to die for. The lights in the city provided background for the drama of the night.

  It was the surprise in Brandon’s eyes which made me know that he didn’t expect to see me, and to see me under these circumstances.

  Brandon stood and they shook hands and then Brandon introduced the woman as his assistant in training, Haley.

  “Well if that doesn’t beat all,” Jordan said as if surprised. “Tyler is my assistant. And she’s in training as well.”

  The room grew quiet and a cool breeze passed between us. Brandon asked that he and Jordan be excused and they stepped out into the lobby. Both appeared to be calm. Haley and I traded glances. We sat watching each other wondering what to say. Then we turned to see Brandon’s arms flaying and pointing his finger in Jordan’s face. I tried to read his lips.

  Brandon said, ‘why did you bring her?’ I turned to an embarrassed Haley and said, “I like your shoes.” That sent her on a jag about how much they cost and that she owned a dozen pairs of Manolo Blahnik and her bags were all designer. I tried to ask her another question about Brandon, but before I could get out the words, Brandon and Jordan were standing in front of us with smiles, trying to put on a good face.

  The waiter stood near Brandon patiently waiting for our order. “I put Maine Lobster on the menu for a friend,” Brandon said to Jordan. And his eyes found mine. “I hope everyone can eat Lobster.” I smiled and Haley looked at me, “No problem with me. I’m not allergic to Lobster,” Haley said.

  We sat in silence with an occasional smile. I looked around the table. Maybe if I tried small conversation. I wasn’t good at that either but I tried my hand at it. “Do you know that in Maine at the beginning of the century, lobsters were so cheap and plentiful that they were fed to prisoners?” Haley looked in my direction.

  “No, I didn’t know that,” she said with interest and then she leaned forward waiting for my next gem. “And what happened next,” Haley said.

  “Haley, it’s not a novel. It’s not fiction,” Brandon said annoyed.

  “Oh.” And she slumped and sat back in her chair. “I thought you were telling us about a new television show. Like orange is the new black,” Haley said looking around the table for like minds.

  “They were feeding the prisoners lobster every day that the state declared that this was cruel and unusual punishment,” I said glancing at Brandon and Jordan. Both had smiles on their faces. Obviously it was the first time they had heard this.

  “Brandon has a habit of feeding his girlfriends lobster,” Jordan said in jest.

  I glanced at Brandon and his light smile turned downward. He took it in stride and began laughing, “And what do you feed your girlfriends, Jordan? I hear you’re so cheap that you bring them to meetings and let your customers pay for their food.”

  Jordan’s eyes cut to Brandon and Brandon smiled. Two deadly handsome men sparing with each other. What a sight to see.

  There was another uncomfortable silence and then the waiters wheeled out the carts with the food. We sat in silence, ate our Lobsters in silence, and sipped our wine in silence. At the end of the meal, Brandon and Jordan stated that they had business to transact. They left and Jordan followed Brandon into an office.

  I looked at Haley. Now was a great time to ask some questions. “Haley, how long have you know Brandon?”

  “Mr. Charles? Well maybe a year. I’ve never dated Mr. Charles. I go with him to meetings and people think that he’s a ladies man. But he’s devoted to his wife. I introduce him to my girlfriends and he’s a perfect gentlemen, he never compromises them. He buys my girlfriends clothes and shoes and whatever they want, but he never touches them. I’m not saying that he’s gay because he’s married,” she whispered, “but you have to wonder,” she said to me raising one eyebrow. “What straight young man does all that for a girl and doesn’t want something in return?”

  “I don’t know any,” I said shaking my head and agreeing with her.

  “Jordan on the other hand is all man. Why I could tell you stories,” Haley said with a happy grin extending from ear to ear.

  “That will not be necessary,” I assured her. I didn’t want to know the mating habits of Jordan. I had to keep some respectable thoughts if I was to work for him.

  When they returned, Haley became quiet. Both Brandon and Jordan glanced at her hoping that she didn’t revealed any deep dark secrets. They should have known that she was a talker. And if they didn’t want private information spilled, she shouldn’t be left alone and she shouldn’t be trusted with important information.

  Brandon and Jordan stood looking down at us. Jordan spoke and held out his hand. “Tyler, you have an early day tomorrow and you have had a long night. I’ll take you home.”

  “I can provide a room for you if you’re too tired Ms. Burns,” Brandon said acting as if Jordan didn’t know the relationship between us. Maybe he didn’t know our private moments but he saw me getting into Brandon’s limo and even a child can add two and two.

  “I will…” Jordan said and I didn’t give him the chance to say any more. He had no right to speak for me and I didn’t want any misunderstanding.

  “Brandon…can I call you Brandon?” He nodded his head and his eyes narrowed. “Jordan will see that I’m home safe,” I said. “I came with him and I’ll leave with him.”

  “Are you still staying with Christina?” Brandon asked ruining the moment, and letting everyone know he knew where I lived. I’m sure it wasn’t a surprise to Jordan, and Brandon didn’t get the effect he wanted from Jordan or Haley.

  I took Jordan’s hand and stood near him. I said my goodbyes to Brandon and Haley.

  ***

  Jordan dropped me at the door to the loft. He stepped outside of the limo as I stood fumbling for my key. I refused a kiss when he leaned in with his eyes closed, and I opened the door. I waved and closed the door. He was still sitting in his limo parked in front of the building when I turned the lights on in the loft, and walked to the terrace, looking down below at the street and counting the cars zooming by.

  Chapter 17

  Before I could kick off my shoes, and relax, the phone rang. Chris had a land line telephone. I wondered why but then my father had one too. Some things you just can’t give up. Few calls came in on it. I guess she never had the time to disconnect it and she wasn’t hurting for money.

  I was ready to give my father an excuse as to why I haven’t been home and to tell him when he should expect me. “Hello,” I said.

  “Hello to you.”

  “Brandon?”

  “Yes, princess.”

  “Christina isn’t here,” I said trying to drive home the message that he was the last person I wanted to talk to.

  “I know my princess. I want to talk to you,” he said in a sexy low voice reminiscent of our week in Maine.

  “I’m getting ready for bed. I have to be in to work early.”

  “I need to talk to you. Can’t you make time for me? N
ot for what we’re to each other but for what we used to mean to each other.” I didn’t want to think about what we used to be to each other. I wanted it to be more today than yesterday but I couldn’t say it. I had no right to say anything and neither did he have the right.

  “Give me one reason why...” He didn’t allow me to finish my statement because he knew where I was going. Instead he cut me off.

  “Because I love you and you know you love me,” he said to me. So he was right but that didn’t give him the license to think that just because he was the hottest man alive, and the only man I have slept with or considered sleeping with, that he could come to those conclusions.

  “You will need something better than that because you’re a married man remember.” Then I heard the sound of the door opening. I felt relieved that Chris returned early, but it couldn’t be her. I looked up in panic, and saw a man standing inside the apartment, casting a tall shadow. All the lights were off. The lights from the marquees and buildings outside provided all the light I needed. Besides, I never liked having all the lights on. It was a green thing. I tried to save on electricity. I heard my mother’s voice saying turn out the lights.

  The shadow cast a silhouette of a tall slender built man dressed in an expensive blue suit and white shirt. I panicked. My breathing became shallow, then he spoke. “The best thing I can give you is to tell you I love you and I will do anything to get you back.” He took a step forward.

  “How did you get in here?”

  “I own this building. Chris isn’t supposed to have a tenant if you’re not listed,” he said inching closer to me smiling. And then he placed his phone on the counter, tilted his head to the side and gave me a closed smile.

  I took him in and he took in me half naked. Earlier, I stripped down to my bra and low cut underwear. All I could think about was, I should have shaved my legs, and my… because his eyes trickled down to my bikini. I quickly placed my hands in front of me.

  “It’s awfully late for that,” he said with a wide grin. “I just had to see you and tell you that I’m going to find some way to get out of my marriage.”

  “Not because of me. Please don’t do this because of me. I don’t want that on my conscience,” I said making my way from behind the bar to my futon and retrieving my robe and easing into it as his eyes raked my body.

  “Your conscience should be clear. You had nothing to do with this problem between me and Angela. I need to be rid of Angela because...” he looked into my eyes, and he knew that although my eyes protested, my body desired him in the worst way. I stood still like a bird who had been charmed by the neighborhood stray cat.

  A predator of the worse kind—Brandon. A desirable, handsome, and soft spoken man who made me feel safe in his arms. Arms that held me close. Arms that cloaked my fears making me optimistic about my future with a man like him.

  When he reached for me I languished in his arms looking into his eyes. “Who will ever make you feel like this?” He kissed my lips gentle and soft. “No one will make me feel as I do now. No woman but you. I want you now, I want you forever,” Brandon said to me. I couldn’t answer him. I opened my mouth waiting for the mind numbing, body crippling kiss, I knew would follow. Where I would lay down without being commanded to and spread my legs and allow him to lose himself in my body.

  He leaned into me and our lips met and I made no effort to prevent the heat that followed his tongue into my receptive mouth. I invited his tongue to seduce me and it responded by swirling around my tongue, and my body disappeared into his. The movement of our bodies were begging for each other.

  We were no longer in charge. Our young bodies had built to a boiling point of want and need and nothing would keep us apart except… the ringing of the door buzzer.

  And just like that the sound destroyed what may have been the defining moment in my life or the mistake of a life time. I knew if I slept with Brandon, I would agree to anything, just as I had agreed to stay with him even though I knew he was marrying the next day.

  When he didn’t return for me, my head cleared, and I fought through the mistake I made and would have made. I unfastened Brandon’s embrace from mine and trudged to the intercom. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Spencer. I need to speak to Mr. Charles,” he said to me, his voice laced with panic.

  Breathless, Brandon said, “What is it Spencer? This had better be good.”

  “It’s not good Mr. Charles. It’s far from good,” I heard Spencer say to Brandon.

  “I’m coming down now,” Brandon said. Without saying a word to me, he opened the door and walked into the elevator and was gone.

  I stood wondering what now. Before I had a moment to think about what could be so important as to warrant Spencer interrupting Brandon, Brandon walked through the door with eyes wandering around the room. He couldn’t see me for his thoughts. His face had taken on a new look.

  It was the look of a man who couldn’t solve a problem. His brow furrowed with one eyebrow arched. I had seen that before when his mother showed up at the estate in Maine without announcing herself.

  “I’m having problems with Angela and I don’t want you involved.”

  “What’s going on Brandon? Can’t you see that when Angela smeared my name and doctored a picture of me with you, that I became involved,” I said to him.

  “You don’t understand,” he said.

  “Then make me understand,” I said waiting for an answer.

  “I can’t explain now and I don’t want you to be more involved than necessary. I have to go princess.” Before I could pulled back he leaned over and kissed my lips. My eyes closed and I didn’t see him leave the room but I heard the sound of his shoes on the hardwood floor and I heard the door close and I heard the tumble of the locks.

  ***

  I lay awake most of the night wondering what was wrong. I tried calling Spencer on his cell but not a word. Finally from an exhausting day, I would sleep and sleep well. So much so that I didn’t hear my clock. Another day of scrambling to get dress and to get to work on time. I finally gave up and gave in to the inevitable. I would be late again, at a bank that for a hundred years pride itself in opening on time, with punctual employees. Time is money was etched on the picture of Jordan’s grandfather hanging over his desk. Now I was making a mockery of all his family held dear.

  Arriving at the bank out of breath, I jumped out of the cab that appeared to slow down but not stop. I threw the money at the cab driver on exiting. Running up the stairs, I glanced at everyone and they had that look of what now on their faces. Before I could sit, my mentor Vivian came to my desk. “Mr. Longworth would like to see you.”

  “What’s wrong now?”

  “Well, you are late and have you read the headlines in the Post?” She said.

  “No,” I said. “It’s not about me is it,” I queried.

  “No,” she said. I breathe a sigh letting out energy I didn’t know I had left. “It’s not really about you.” I panicked. I began thinking about what Brandon had said. I threw my purse in the drawer.

  “Do you have the article?”

  “It’s on the front page.” Vivian glanced over to Jordan’s door and I followed her glance. He stood with the door open and his arms behind his back with his hands clasped.

  “I’m waiting Ms. Burns,” he said.

  I rushed to his office and he closed the door behind me. He stood for a few minutes. I took the seat in front of his desk. He placed his hand across his mouth and one under his arm and let his hands drop down to his side, then tucking them into his pants pockets.

  “How can I say this…?”

  “I’ll say it for you,” I interrupted.

  He sat down with a curious look, placing his hand over his mouth with his elbow resting on his desk. I was determined to make this easy on both of us.

  “I’m going to quit Jordan. I’ve been late every day since I’ve been here and your employees are whispering. I can’t seem to connect with anyone except Vivian.
They think that I’m being treated special.”

  “You’re right on several fronts. You’ve been late more times than is allowed anyone and you are being treated special. I think you’re special and Vivian thinks the same. She says you have an uncanny knack for banking and you are smart. You prevented a teller from being fired yesterday and saved the bank a shit load of money. The teller sent out fifty thousand dollars and had no trace of who she gave it to. You tracked it down and called the company and they sent it back. Now that’s special.”

  “But that’s not why I called you into my office.” Jordan pushed the morning paper in front of me. The headlines read: Angela Charles the socialite and wife of financier Brandon Charles is missing and presumed dead. Mr. Charles is a person of interest. There was more to the headlines on page six. However, I couldn’t concentrate and my rampant thoughts swirled through my mind. Crazy thoughts. Did Brandon kill her? No. How could he? He’s not that kind of person, I rationalized. Could I have caused that kind of reaction? There are plenty of young women dead because their husbands wanted to be with another woman.

  Did Spencer help him dispose of the body? Well the verdict was out on him.

  My eyes closed and I couldn’t find air. I felt my head go around as if I had been turning in a circle. When I opened my eyes I was lying on the brown leather couch in Jordan’s office. He was seated beside me. “Here drink this. It will make you feel better.” I took a sip of the liquor and it did make me feel better.

  “It’s brandy,” Jordan said.

  “What happened?” I questioned him as I stole back my hand.

  “You saw the headlines and you fainted,” he said.

  “I‘ve never reacted like that to anything. When my mother died, I went about taking care of my father and going to class.”

  “Maybe you need something to eat. Get yourself together and I’ll take you to breakfast.”