by S. Ann Cole
“That’s it,” said the third bidder. “One hundred and fifty thousand.”
The other bidders backed down in defeat, while the third smiled in triumph. He fixed his eyes on me. “Miss Francé, I’ll be delighted to carry this design in my stores. The collaboration of colors, the style, it’s apt for that touch we’ve been seeking for Spring. And this piece will be blowing off the racks, I can tell you that much.”
I smiled, even though I didn’t feel like it, thanked them all and shuffled away for the show to continue. That was my last piece. I’d managed only to complete half of what I’d planned on. Reason? Because I’d lost a part of me. The only man I’d ever loved had moved on and no longer wanted me. I bit my lip as I felt the telltale burning behind my eyes and tried to focus on the models on the runway.
Tesko’s pieces were being modeled to fast-paced electronic music. He was a tall, handsome, African-American with locks and he’d managed to clock in nigh one million dollars. His pieces were phenomenal, non-seasonal. Not that I’d wear such mundanity, but the average consumers would, which explains why the dealers kept bidding. Virtually all his pieces were coveted.
“For someone who is half a million dollars richer, you don’t look cheery at all.” I swiveled around to see Geo Lee beaming down at me, dressed in myriads of colors as usual. The front of his hair now had streaks of red along with the purple, and was raked upwards in a wild mess.
I swung my arms around his neck and hugged him tight—uncharacteristically so. Was hugging one’s boss prohibited? “Thank you so much for this opportunity, Mr. Lee.”
Geo Lee shook his head and sighed in frustration. “Oh, for the detestation of clits and tits and everything that shits, Francé! Geo. How many times do I have to tell you? ‘Mr. Lee’ sounds like a shriveling Chinese chef or some flat-faced Kung Fu kid, and I’m neither.”
Trust Geo Lee to make me laugh. “Okay. Geo.”
“Good. You did well. I’d by your pieces myself. I’m aware I might be losing an exemplary assistant soon, once your name gets out there. But I’ll manage.” He mock pouted. “Maybe.”
“I’m not going anywhere. For now.”
“Oh, we’ll see about that,” he said with a knowing glare. “Anyway, I have to leave and make a haste pack for my Tokyo trip in three hours. I want you to—”
“I thought you weren’t leaving until tomorrow?”
Geo Lee waved his hand impatiently. “Yes, yes. But that was before I had the opportunity to save myself a wad of cash and hitch a ride on your ex-vampire’s jet. He’s to leave in three hours and I’m not missing this free ride, sweetie. So keep up! Although I promised you and Kiwan the week off, I just want you to head back to GLFH and sort out a few things for me. It’s not much…”
As I got out my pad and jotted down all that was expected of me, I tried not to think about the annoying fact that Geo Lee had the opportunity to see Natalio, and I didn’t…
…But I could. I paused my scribbling and tilted my head to gaze in thought up at Geo Lee who was firing out his demands. Geo Lee stopped mid sentence and quirked up his brow, wondering why I was regarding him the way I was. He then sighed and theatrically brought the back of his hand to his forehead, saying, “Oh dear. You want a favor, don’t you?”
Stifling a laugh, I bit my lip and lifted my shoulders to my ears. “Pretty please.”
Two hours later, Geo Lee’s driver was creeping alongside a runway towards a sexy black jet with fire-red tail and wings. The side had the ENEN brand in bold gold. The jet’s door was down but there was no sign of Natalio, and I rolled my eyes for maybe the hundredth time as Geo Lee went on about ‘messing up his link’.
“Okay, Francé,” Geo Lee blabbered in that voice only he owned, while flickering his lashes. “One can never tell what Nelson’s mood is going to be like, so I won’t have you coming out with me. I don’t care that you used to share that coochie with him. When he arrives, I’ll go out first and test the waters. If his mood is in the bitters, then you leaving this car is a no, no. Got it?”
Can you say drama queen? “But how will I know?”
Geo Lee made a clucking sound with his tongue as he thought for a moment, then pulled his tie-dye scarf from around his neck. “I’ll keep this scarf in my hand if his mood is okay, you can come out then. But if his mood is shitty, I’ll wrap it around my neck and you’ll just have my driver bring you back to the office. I can’t take the risk of getting on Nelson’s shit list. He’s that hand to pull me out of an ass when I shove my share-with-all cock too far up one and get my damned balls sucked in—there are some pretty huge butt-holes out there. Nelson, that’s a man of favors and I can’t ruin that. “
I nodded my head slowly and precisely to convey my understanding. “Okay, Geo, I get it.”
Taking out his compact, he puckered his plump lips to smooth chapsticks over them. “You’re a genius in fashion, but a complete cretin in the relationship area, if you don’t mind me saying. What sane woman lets go of a fine piece of ass like Nelson? I mean, are you on crack or something? Just look at that tall, dark, scrumptiousness of a male….”
To tune out Geo Lee’s prattling, I turned my head and looked out my window that showed nothing but acres of paved land, marked and lined this way and that with white and yellow paint. The sun was cooling as evening approached and the wind was getting heavy. If I didn’t tune out Geo Lee from time to time, he’d drive me insane talking my ears off about everything and nothing. The ride to this runway was brutal.
I flipped over the jewel cases in my hand, wondering if the CDs were a gift that Natalio would appreciate. On our way here, Geo Lee had stopped at a CD store to grab a Lady Gaga album for his ‘friend’. And while I waited, I’d wandered around the store and stumbled upon a Buju Banton album. It had brought me memories of Nelly being a big fan of his, so I purchased the album along with another that was a mixture of various reggae artistes. But then he might never get them if Geo Lee signals for me to leave.
The distant yapping of Geo Lee ceased, which had me turning my head knowing it had to be because of Natalio’s arrival. A white Bentley pulled up next to the jet. Our car was a few feet away, leaving that perfect spot for the owner of the jet, I supposed.
“And the vampire has arrived,” Geo Lee sang, packing his paraphernalia back into his duffel bag and opening his door. “Please remember, scarf off, good. Scarf on, bad.” And then he was gone, wiggling his colorful ass down the pavement.
A back door of the Bentley swung open, and out stepped the dark-haired, blue-eyed, amazingly gorgeous Natalio, dressed in his customary black of a close-fitting jeans and a long-sleeved button down shirt. The wind made a mess of his hair that had grown a good length down his nape in loose waves since I’d last seen him. Something about being between his Bentley and his jet made him look Alpha-and-Omega sexy. A sexiness that couldn’t be competed with. A sexiness that he owned.
Or maybe I just missed him.
His intimidating impeccability had me instinctively smoothing my hand over my dress and raking my fingers through my hair, feeling like I was lacking for such perfection. Before the bidding that morning, I’d made one of my rare trips to the hair salon and had gotten my wild curls straightened for a first. It felt lighter and easier to manage, except for the fact that it had stretched a couple more inches down the entire length of my back, dangling right above the arch of my bum. To prevent sitting down on it, I had to sweep it to one side over my shoulders. My flared and flirty turquoise dress might have been too short, but the majority of my legs were covered in a pair of black thigh-high boots. I’d had to dress the part for that bidding this morning. If you wanted to be taken seriously as a designer, you had to look like one.
To get a better view of the events outside, I scooted to the middle of the car seat. Geo Lee stepped towards Natalio with wide arms, as a steward hurried down the steps to collect his luggage. Natalio held his hand up to halt Geo Lee’s approaching embrace, his face impassive, and Geo Lee laughed, unoffe
nded, smacking him on the arm. Just then, a tall, tidily groomed blonde exited the jet and towards Natalio. Strikingly beautiful, she was dressed in a sharp, black pants suit, and her sheen hair was wrapped up in a neat coiffure.
When she smiled at Natalio with one of ‘those’ looks and ran her hand down his arm in a personal manner, my heart fainted. Who was she?
Natalio said something to her and she removed her hand from his arm and clasped them behind her back, frowning at him. He said something again and her eyes widened, her mouth see-sawing as if not knowing how to reply. Again he addressed her with hand gestures, this time as if giving an order, then turned his attention back to Geo Lee while the woman stared, unmoving, at him. Geo Lee spoke some more to Natalio with his elaborate hand and neck movements, while the woman still stood there with a blank expression.
The ever-composed Natalio slowly turned his gaze back to the woman, nailing her with a grim glare, then lifted his hand and pointed to the jet and then to the Bentley. Without another blink, the woman scampered back into the jet, and seconds later she was scurrying off with her handbag and a steward behind her carrying a suitcase. Into the Bentley she disappeared as the steward stuffed her suitcase in the trunk. The car immediately rolled off.
That’s when Geo Lee wrapped his scarf around his neck, and I sunk within myself at the disappointment. Blondie had screwed everything, whoever she was. Now my chance was blown. I had no idea how long Natalio would be in Japan for and he never answers when I call. My mind was urging me to just hop out of the car and run to him, but Geo Lee would never forgive me if I did that. Was it over, really? Should I just accept it?
Like the exaggerator that he was, Geo Lee wrapped his scarf around his neck a second time, pulling at the ends in a way that suggested being choked to death as he started up the steps to the jet. The poised, self-contained, confident Natalio started in his long, firm strides towards the steps also, but abruptly halted at the foot of the steps, withdrew his cell from his pocket and answered it.
Taking a step back from the steps, he listened to whoever was on the other end of the call, stuffing his free hand inside his pants pocket. Just once did he speak back into his cell phone before he pressed it off and slipped it back inside his pocket. For a while, he just stood there, staring down at the ground as if in deep contemplation, the wind billowing around him. And I wondered if he’d gotten some bad news that would render him staying. The bad news would still be bad news, but his staying would be good, for me.
Natalio suddenly turned in the direction of the car I was in, and my heart ricocheted in my chest. Staring straight at the car with an implacable expression, he crooked his finger in a ‘come here’ motion.
Shit. Did he know I was in here? Would I have to hide?
“Ya might wanna keep yur’ head down if ya don’t wanna lose yur’ job, Mistress Francé,” said Geo Lee’s tiny, white-headed driver as he shifted the gear in Drive and cruised towards Natalio. “Just…keep low.”
As the driver pulled up at Natalio’s feet and began powering down his window, I tried to sink low. But Natalio walked right pass the driver’s door and straight to mine, wrenching it open. “Out of the car, Sadie.”
The sonuvabitch was still having me followed! That’s the only way he could’ve known I was in this car. He promised me he would stop. “You’re still having me followed?” I asked with incredulity.
“For my safety, my men follow whoever follows me. You were followed because you were following me. They’re worried you might try to shoot me or strap a bomb to my jet,” he said in an apathetic tone. “Now, out of the car.”
“You would’ve deserved it if I did,” I muttered to myself.
“What was that?” Natalio asked, cocking his ear to me.
“Nothing,” I hurriedly answered.
The driver silently powered back up his window, and I picked up my purse from the car seat and swung my legs out of the car, tossing my hair back over my shoulders as I got up to my feet. I could’ve sworn I heard a hitch in Natalio’s breath and felt a swift sweep of his fingers through my hair as I tried to the keep the flared hem of my dress from blowing up by the wind, but when I looked up at him, his face was stolid and his hands were nowhere near my hair. Guess it was just my imagination.
Taking me by the elbow, he pulled me alongside the wing of the jet so the wind wouldn’t affect my dress as much. Stuffing his hands in his pockets and staring at me through hard, impassive eyes, he showed no kindness. “Why are you here, Sadie?”
“I-I wanted to see you.”
“Why?”
Why? Because I love you, asshat! Because I want you back. Because you came into my life, brought back forgotten memories and just left me with them to suffocate myself! That’s why. But I said none of that. Instead, I held out the jewel cases to him. “I picked these up for you. I remember you being a fan of reggae and Buju. Though I can’t, for the life of me, understand why. I don’t comprehend a word that man sings.”
The laugh I expected from him didn’t come. He merely glanced at the cases in my hand then back at me. “Don’t you think I’d already have all his songs on my iPod? Your drive here was a waste of time—if that’s what you came here for. Thoughtful, but I don’t need them. Have a nice day, Sadie.”
It’s like he’d grabbed my head and shoved it into a load of cow shit. Why was he being such a dick? “It’s just a goddamn album! You could’ve shown some appreciation and accept the damn thing as a memento instead of being such an asshole.”
Natalio raised his brow in that delicious way at me, and I had to swallow. Hard. “Just like you showed appreciation and accepted what I gave you?”
Slap to the face. Oh yeah, he was set on being Mr. Supreme Ass Face today.
Opening my purse, I slipped the cases inside, because I deserved that slap. How could I expect him to accept gifts from me when I wasn’t accepting his?
“Look, Sadie,” Natalio said, glancing at his Rolex. “It was nice seeing you, but I got to go.” He stepped around me and started for the steps, but I wasn’t about to let him leave me. Not again.
In my six inches of heels, I hurried after him and grabbed the hem of his shirt.
“What, Sadie?” he snapped on a spin.
“Don’t you dare take that tone with me!” I snapped back. “You’re not going on that plane. You’re going to stay here and tell me why the hell you left me that night!”
Natalio coolly clasped his hands behind his back and look down at me with wry amusement. Even in these heels, he was still a tower over me. “I am now, am I?”
“I deserve to know, Natalio!”
It was taking every bit of strength in me not to cry; because I’d just made the mistake of being demanding, and I knew he might leave just to prove to me that I was in no position to demand anything of him. Maybe I should’ve asked kindly?
“You didn’t care to know before. I’m done with all that, Sadie.” He resumed his climb up the steps. “I’ve got important things to attend to.”
“What’s so important, huh?” I asked, trailing him. “Another one of those blond sluts waiting inside for you to pump your cock inside her? Have you squirting your come all over her face, while another feeds you grapes? Is easy cunt so much more important than me? Than mending the pain you’ve caused me, asshole?!”
Natalio stopped and slowly turned to glower at me. “Sadie, stop it.”
“Why? You don’t like hearing that you’re an asshole? Don’t like that word?” I stepped up to him, finding the guts to meet his glower with equal intensity. “You’re an asshole, asshole. Asshole!”
Natalio grabbed my arm in a firm grip, and leaned into me, hissing through clenched teeth. “I said, stop.”
That’s all it took to get me to snap my mouth shut.
Mollified, he turned and continued up the steps, taking me with him into the sumptuous, white and mahogany-brown furnished jet. Geo Lee sat lounging in a white leather seat, munching from a large oval tray of fruits on the table b
efore him and yapping at the ears of the steward and pilots who sat around, seemingly rapt in whatever tale he was giving.
I couldn’t stop my eyes from sweeping around the spacious jet, searching for hints of any more unknown blondes. But there was just my boss and the staff—in sight.
Natalio didn’t go any farther than where we stood at the entrance; his overpowering presence had everyone directing their attention to him. “All yours again, Geo. Keep it clean.”
Geo Lee rolled his eyes as he popped a slice of cantaloupe in his mouth. “Oh please, Nelson. I’m not some bouncy teenager that’ll—”
“Not because I didn’t say anything to you about the orgy you engaged my staff in the last time I left you in charge, doesn’t mean I never heard about it,” Natalio said, pinning Geo Lee with a hard stare.
Geo Lee’s face flushed blood red, a bunch of grapes paused mid-air. “I-I wasn’t the one who initiated—”
“Don’t care, Geo. Just keep it clean this time.”
Natalio exchanged a look and an odd hand gesture with the pilot, and the pilot nodded. Turning, he exited the jet, tugging me down the steps with him. So he was going to stay? Wow, things didn’t seem so bleak after all.
Retrieving his cell, he dialed and ordered one of his people to come get him. Then made a few business calls as we waited, to avoid speaking to me, maybe—even though he held my arm in a firm grip the entire time. I cared not, as long as he was staying. Who would’ve thought calling him an asshole would get him to stay? For me. My heart was jumping with glee.
A few minutes later a pitch-black Range Rover pulled up next to us, and Natalio ushered me inside, ordering me to buckle up. After that the ride was painfully silent, as Natalio gave me none of his attention; he kept his gaze out his window. Just when I was about speak to him to break the deafening silence, he leaned over and snatched my purse from my lap, shuffled inside and took out the albums. When I raised my brows at him, he expressionlessly said, “You bought them for me, right? Which means they’re mine.”