by M T Stone
As I sat there realizing what had just come out of my mouth, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t choked on my words. Yes, I knew Kate was too young for me. Yes, I brought Brandon into the business because I wanted to see if he and Kate were compatible. Yes, eventually I hoped that she would realize that Brandon was the right one for her. But I had no plan for doing it today.
“I’m sorry for you loss, Dad,” Brandon said, obviously reading the anguish on my face.
“Thank you, Brandon. I’m just glad I still have you guys. I’ll be alright.”
~~~
Ironically, four and a half hours later, I found myself having an almost identical conversation with Jayne when she asked, “Brandon and Kate aren’t going to start dating for real are they?”
“No, I told Brandon they should simply work together for now. As they get to know each other, it will become obvious whether or not to take the next step. Kate just needed a date for her sister’s recital tonight.”
“That’s what I thought, but they looked pretty comfortable with each other today. I was a little concerned since they just started working together.”
“When you talk to Brandon, make sure you tell him to take things slow. However, if his feelings grow over the coming months, I told him to follow his heart.”
“I never once thought of you as a hopeless romantic, Dad,” she said with a sad smile.
At the end of our dinner, Jayne gave me the keys to her co-op as well as her mail key. She had moved the rest of her things out, had it cleaned and it was all ready for Kate.
“You know you’re setting these two up for either a huge success or a complete and utter disaster right?”
“Like anything honey, it’s a calculated roll of the dice,” I replied, as I gave her a kiss goodbye.
Walking out to the car, I briefly thought about the odds. Brandon was a lot like me and Kate totally reminds me of Eva when she was young. So really the two of them are almost like a second incarnation of the two of us. For that reason alone, I believed I was setting them both up for an extraordinarily successful future.
Kate
Today was unbelievable on so many levels. The manner in which Jack introduced me to my team was quite unconventional, but it definitely had the desired impact. It left no doubts that I was surrounded by competent professionals who would push my line hard once it was ready. I had a great afternoon with Jayne, Brenda and Jennifer, who all shared my passion for improving options for working women. The only downside of the entire day was the fact that I never got a chance to freshen up before Brandon and I had to go to my sister’s recital. I’m glad I remembered deodorant this morning!
~~~
Mom couldn’t have been more pleased when I arrived with Brandon. She made a big fuss introducing him to her friends. It was good to see her happy, though. She’s had a few rough years, too. Brandon did a good job of posing as my boyfriend, putting his arm around me at all the right moments and whispering in my ear. I wanted to send Jack a text or give him a quick call, but Brandon was right by my side the whole time. As for my little sister, her performance was amazing. It was obvious from her performance that she had become passionate about her singing. I felt a chill go down my spine as she sang songs that I never thought I’d hear coming from her.
Once the recital ended, we all congratulated her and everyone questioned her as to where her talent had come from. Mom took no credit, but assured everyone that it wasn’t from her father either. I could tell it bothered my sister that Dad wasn’t there, but at least mom and I were there for her.
At the end of the night, things could’ve gotten a little complicated, but as always Jack had everything planned out. Tim was to pick us up, then drop me off at my old apartment. In addition to keeping Brandon in the dark, this would give me a chance to pick out anything I wanted to bring to my new place. Then after dropping off Brandon, Tim would come back for me and my belongings. Jack must be constantly formulating plans in his head! I sent him a quick text, letting him know I was at my apartment.
Jack
When I arrived to an empty room at the St. Regis that night, I was feeling the strain of an emotional day. For quite some time, I had been contemplating the most difficult part of my plan. Now that everything was falling into place on the business side, it was time for me to get out of the way. Sadly, there was no easy way to do it. The last thing I wanted was to break Kate’s heart, but she needed to spread her wings and fly without me. The old phrase from Richard Bach never rang as true as it did that night:
If you love someone, set them free.
If they come back they’re yours;
if they don’t they never were.
In these situations, conversations can often stray off course or be misconstrued. Being a bit old fashioned in this regard, I sat down with a pen and paper to write Kate a letter. It didn’t take long to realize that my handwriting had deteriorated dramatically (due to the lack of use), so I grabbed my laptop. After writing the first few lines, I knew I was doing the right thing even though it felt horrible. By the time my letter was complete, I knew my next step would be writing one to Brandon as well. But that could wait. As I read over my letter, tears began rolling down my cheeks. After drowning my sorrows with another cocktail, I crawled into bed alone.
Regardless of what happens, I’m not going back to being alone.
Kate
It was well after midnight by the time I finally got back to the hotel. Jack hadn’t replied to my text, and he was sound asleep when I came in. I slipped into bed and snuggled up behind him to warm my feet. He must’ve been worn out from the day, because he didn’t even flinch when I placed my little icebergs on the back of his calves. I hate wearing dress shoes in the winter time. My feet always freeze!
Wow, what an incredible day. I wish Jack was awake so we could talk about it. He kinda smells like booze. He must’ve gotten into the scotch tonight. I don’t know how he can drink that stuff. It was kind of weird going out with Brandon tonight. I could tell he was struggling with what to do when we said goodnight. It was funny how he finally just gave me an awkward hug. He’s so cute. I’m just glad he understood my mother and played along with me tonight. Either Jack has taught him to be a true gentleman, or he’s a really good actor. It almost felt like being with Jack as he held the doors and took my coat. He smelled just like Jack, too. Yum!
~~~
Chapter 27 – A Very Special Day
Kate
“Would you like a Black Truffle Omelet for breakfast?” was the first thing I heard several hours later. I cracked one eyelid open, to find Jack propped on one elbow staring at me.
“Sure, what time is it?”
“Almost 10:00, so I figured it was time to wake you up.”
“Wow, I must’ve been overtired.”
“Yeah, I was too. I’m gonna call Gerard quick, I’m hungry.”
“Sounds good, I need a latte too. I’m feeling pretty sluggish this morning.”
“Me too, I’m glad we don’t have anything on the agenda today except a little pampering.”
“We’re getting pampered?”
“Yes, we have a manicure / pedicure at 1:00 and a nice long massage scheduled for 3:00.”
“Wow, I better wake up. That sounds like the perfect day.”
The Black Truffle Omelet reminded me of our first morning, so I got out of bed and filled the Jacuzzi tub. Jack seemed to have a deja vu moment when he came back with our eggs and lattes. He simply smiled, dropped his robe and joined me. This time however, he seemed more interested in discussing the previous day’s meetings instead of doing anything naughty. It was nice though, sitting there talking business with him while eating a fabulous breakfast. It was still hard to believe that it had only been a few weeks since our first date. What a complete whirlwind it had been for both of us. Thinking back on our previous encounters in the tub, made me feel a little playful. Finishing my omelet, I set the plate on the ledge and slid in front of Jack giving him my sexiest smile.
>
“I love that look in your eyes Kate. You’re a little tiger inside aren’t you?”
“Raaahr,” I replied, as I pounced on him.
After a nice passionate kiss he said, “I want to save myself for later this evening if you don’t mind.”
“Alright, old man,” I teased.
After drying off, we both crawled back into bed and talked about a little of everything until it was time for our manicure and pedicures. Two young women came to our door at 1:00 sharp with all their supplies and pampered our nails for over an hour. Jack was done before me, so he got to have a facial as well.
“I laughed the first time Eva wanted me to get a pedicure,” Jack admitted after they left.
“But you like them now?”
“I normally don’t get them, but I thought it would be fun to do with you.”
“Thanks Jack! It was fun.”
Jack took my hand and led me back to the bed. Once again we dropped the robes and I snuggled back into the nook. I would’ve been perfectly content spending the day just lounging in bed, but at 3:00 there was another knock on the door.
“Damn, we have to get out of bed again,” Jack said with a laugh.
“Yeah, this is pure torture Jack.”
Two more young women were there to give us our massages. After the tables were set up with clean sheets for us, they excused themselves so we could get comfortable. We both dropped our robes once again and crawled under the sheets, lying on our backs.
“Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if you got a hard-on?” I whispered to him.
“Shhh! Don’t even say that.”
“Just don’t think about the massage I gave you last week,” I teased.
Jack
It was so cute how Kate was teasing me about getting hard during my massage. That would be quite embarrassing. As the massage began, I did find my thoughts wandering back to that night with Kate. Then it wandered to other nights with Kate and soon I felt trouble on the horizon. Oh shit, I need to think about something different. Ironically, trying to think about something different only made things worse. The massage therapist was very professional and pretended not to notice my distress. Kate, you little shit. This never would’ve happened if you wouldn’t have said anything.
It wasn’t until the therapist asked me to roll over onto my stomach, that I could fully enjoy the massage. As she worked my back and hamstrings, I thought about how long it had been since I had one. Massages were something Eva and I used to really enjoy, but it had been years. Why have I neglected myself? There really wasn’t a good answer.
After our massages, we had some additional time to kill before our dinner arrived, so once again we snuggled in bed. This was definitely a routine that wouldn’t get old. In fact, of all the days we spent together, this one stands out as one of my favorites. It was a horribly cold day outside, but we lit the fireplace, spent the day in bed while being thoroughly pampered. It was pure bliss.
At 5:15 Gerard called the room asking what time we wanted the first course.
“Let’s say 6:00 Gerard.”
“What’s for dinner?” Kate asked.
“It’s a surprise. Let’s get dressed though; I think Gerard is getting tired of seeing us in our robes.”
Kate
Jack apparently made a mental note of my culinary favorites during our weeks of eating together. He had planned the perfect meal with the assistance of the chefs from Adour and King Coles. As if our day hadn’t perfect enough already, now we enjoyed the ultimate meal.
At 6:00, Gerard came to the door with our appetizers. I had to smile when he unveiled a Caesar Salad from King Coles for Jack. For me, he had ordered the De Legumes D'Ete Comme Un Bayaldi from Adour which I absolutely loved our first night. It’s basically a small pot filled with delicious vegetables, herbs and spices. It was so simple, but also colorful and bursting with flavor.
When our main courses arrived, I thought Jack would have the New York Strip from Coles but instead chose a Filet au Poivre which smelled divine. For me, he had flown in fresh sea bass which was prepared exactly how Chef Jameson had done it on the yacht. He also had Canard Aux Figues, which is roasted duck breast with mission figs as he couldn’t decide which had been my absolute favorite. Honestly, I loved them both equally.
By the time we reached desert, I was hoping he had gone with something light. I was delighted when Gerard unveiled a Dark Chocolate "Bag" from Isabella’s! It’s literally a bag made out of Valrhona chocolate and filled with fresh raspberry mouse, whipped cream and tons of fresh berries. I couldn’t believe Jack remembered me talking about how much my sister and I loved it.
As we sat there enjoying the last delicious bites, I simply felt adored. Never in my life had someone gone too much trouble to make me feel special. In contrast, Jack had put quite a bit of thought and time into creating the perfect meal for me. Some people would say “It’s only food,” but to me it was much more. It was clear that he wanted this entire day to be very special. Unfortunately, that’s when I started thinking. Why was he making today so special? I know it’s our last day at the St. Regis but is it actually our last day together?
Those thoughts must have caused a sudden change in my expression, because Jack stood up and took my hand. As I stood up, he simply took me in his arms and squeezed me tight. There was so much passion in the way he held me and yet there seemed to be an uneasy tension as well. It appeared as if Jack was waging a battle with his emotions, similar to what had plagued me the preceding week.
“Is everything alright Jack?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about the tremendous impact you’ve had on my life. You’ve single handedly brought me out of a long depression Kate. You’ve showed me it’s possible to move on and stop focusing on the void that could never be refilled…. I just wish I was 25 again.”
“I know Jack,” I replied squeezing him back.
We just sat there in each other’s arms, clinging to the moment. I knew exactly what he was thinking, because I had been thinking it too. I had fallen in love with Jack, hell I’d loved him since I was 10, but it wouldn’t work. We both knew it, but neither of us wanted to be the first to say it. I was absolutely certain that he felt the same way about me, as I did about him. I could just feel the desperation and pain that he was experiencing. Suddenly I felt the full brunt of my realization… This would indeed be the last night that Jack and I spent as a couple. Even though he hadn’t said anything, my intuition was so strong, that I simply knew it.
“Make love to me Jack,” I said, running my fingers through his hair. “Make love to me in a way that neither of us will ever be able to forget.”
With that Jack pulled back and looked into my eyes; a single tear making its way down his cheek.
“No matter what happens, I always want you to be part of my life Kate. I don’t care if you fall in love with someone half my age and move to Paris, I still want you to be part of my life. Will you promise me that?”
“I promise. I want you to be part of mine too, even if we can’t be together.”
Despite the tears, Jack and I began to kiss with a passion more powerful than any of our previous encounters. I could feel the warm, wet tears between us but for tonight they were not the focus. The incredible feelings we shared for one another, were much more powerful than the fears of an uncertain future. As our lips and tongues clashed together, it was as if we were two insatiable beings who were devouring their last meal.
Jack stopped, took my face in his hands and gave me a subtle kiss on the lips. He then gave me that sexy smile as he turned me away from him. As he kissed the side of my neck, his fingers performed their magic and within a matter of seconds my blue shantung dress was the latest casualty to hit the floor. My thoughts turned from sorrow to lust as his warm hands traveled along my body while his lips continued their assault on my neck and shoulders.
“I want to worship your body,” he whispered, as he released my bra.
My skin tingled as hi
s fingers came around and cupped my breasts. I tried to turn towards him, but he held me firm continuing to shower me with kisses from behind. As one hand continued to caress my breasts, the other slowly made its way down my abdomen. Pausing at my panty line, he kissed his way across my shoulders and began working his magic on the other side of my neck. I’m sure he could feel the heat radiating right through my panties as he ran his fingers across my bottom. The feeling was nothing short of electric as he softly stroked my most tender area, while continuing to ravage my earlobe and neck. He softly kissed his way down the center of my back as I felt his fingers slip inside my waistband. I closed my eyes and focused on his lips as he slid my panties down my legs and left a trail of soft kisses in their wake. God, I love how he does this!
Jack
Over the past few weeks our love making sessions had become somewhat of a competition, seeing who could out-do the other. Tonight however, my mindset was completely different. Tonight my deepest, strongest feelings were being translated through my touch as well as my actions. My intent was to gather all the emotions brewing inside me and translate them into the physical realm. It wasn’t enough to simply tell her how much I loved her. We both wanted a night that would linger in our minds for years to come. Not some over-the-top sexual technique, but just the opposite. My intent was to make love to every square inch of her body, even if it took all night.
As her panties reached the carpet, I continued to kiss my way down to her knees. Running my hands back up along her legs, I kissed my way along her spine and back to her left ear lobe. Kate moaned softly as she remained still, allowing me to set the pace of my advance. Walking her forward to the bed, I told her to slip under the covers as I shed my clothes and killed the lights. I consciously brought myself into the moment as I slipped into bed beside her, mentally recording how it felt as I took her naked body into my arms. After a series of deep passionate kisses, I rolled her onto her stomach and positioned myself between her legs. She once again expressed her appreciation as I began to run my hands along the backs of her legs, her butt and the small of her back. Impressing the feel of each curve into my mind, I slowly traced one side of her body before switching to the other side. After a day of being pampered, I wanted our love making session to be the grand finale marking the end of a perfect day.