When the phone call was over, Adrian came back to the table. “I really have to take care of some business right now. Let’s eat quickly and then I can have Jorge drive you back to your apartment. Does that sound okay?”
I put my arms around him and kissed him.
“Kai, when am I going to see you again? What are you up to this weekend?”
“I’m free, just call me or text.”
“Great, I will call you. I hope I can wait until Saturday to have you in my arms again.”
“See you later sweetie,” I said as I grabbed my bag.
“Bye-bye, give me kiss,” Adrian leaned my back and gave me a kiss as I giggled.
When I stepped outside it Jorge was waiting for me. He held the door open and led me into the car. While he drove, I kept thinking I just couldn't believe that this just happened. I fell deeply, madly in love with someone over the course of just a few days. I hope it wasn't dream. It was so wonderful to feel something that I've never felt before in my entire life. I couldn’t stop smiling.
Jorge pulled up to my apartment and he rolled down the window between us in the limousine. “Hon, I just want to let you know you're one of many. He was just in China. I was with him there and I can tell you that he likes the Asian ladies, he especially likes Chinese women. Sorry to say, he screwed a lot of prostitutes while he was there. So enjoy it while it lasts girl. Dime a dozen.”
Then he dropped me off unceremoniously. I was dumbfounded as I walked into my apartment. Oh my God, I just couldn't believe what he said to me and I felt like a piece of trash. I should have trusted my gut. There was something wrong with him. There was something wrong with me. I threw myself on my bed and cried.
Chapter Nineteen
The next morning I got ready for work. It was Friday and I would have taken the day off because I was sick to my stomach. But I force myself to go to work. I’d just spent two full days screwing my client, thinking I had fallen for “the one.” Only to have my whole world turned upside down by the fucking driver.
How credible was Jorge anyway? Did he really see Adrian fucking a ton of Asian girls? Or did he lie to protect his boss from you women gold diggers? Whatever Jorge was doing, I just wanted to slap him across the face. Too bad I was gobsmacked when he said all that.
I was just looking up when I saw that I had a text from Adrian.
“Miss you. Can we meet for dinner on Saturday night? 7:00 at Le Circ? Jorge can pick you up at 6:30. Plan on staying the night. I don’t want to let you out of my sight again.”
I had to think about what to reply.
“Yes, I would love that. I can get myself to the date though. Please don’t send Jorge.”
A few minutes later he replied.
“Okay, I’m looking forward to it. I hope Jorge didn’t drive too fast and scare you. I will be counting the hours until I can see you again.”
Me too, I thought. I was going to have to get some answers from Adrian about Jorge and about Chinese prostitutes, but I just couldn’t believe what Jorge told me. It seemed too crazy.
I started working on Adrian’s design plans. Thankfully, no one had batted an eye about me spending two days out on the project. They knew it was a high profile project for the agency and they didn’t want it to get screwed up. The client wants the designer for an additional day? No big deal. I certainly didn’t let on that we just screwed each other.
Whenever I thought about Adrian, I felt those incredible butterflies all over again. Little details of Adrian would pop into my mind. His smile when he looked at my body. His deep stare into my eyes. The feeling when he ran his hands down my body.
Then the gross, ugly feelings would bubble up and I felt nauseous. I’d made love to this man. Was I being fooled like when I was in college and I found out Aaron cheated on me? Was I just a “throwaway” to Adrian? Was it just a matter of time until he cast me aside?
I couldn’t focus on the project. I couldn’t make any progress. I ended up stopping work on Fox Hunt, and moving to other work that I’d missed while I was out with Adrian. I was able to get a lot done and get through a bunch of email. A couple clients came and went, but I didn’t feel up to really giving my best. When I was finished for the day, I went home, ate some vanilla fudge ice cream and flopped into bed.
Chapter Twenty
The next morning I decided that instead of spending Saturday morning moping around my apartment by myself, I would go for a run in Central Park. I like exercising but I didn't do it as much once I started working my full-time job. I jogged around Central Park, passing all my favorite places including Umpire rock.
I ended up stopping and taking a moment to sit and reflect about what was going on my life. I was caught in a whirlwind romance with this person. I had what I’d always wanted, but I was a little worried about how fast everything was going. In some ways maybe it was a good thing that Jorge said what he said. Whether he's right or wrong, it certainly gave me a moment to really think about the direction of this relationship and what I wanted to get out of out of it.
If this was the end of the road for Adrian and me, at the very least I had incredible sex. Finally I broke free from the spell I was under after that terrible college relationship with Aaron. Now I felt free to decide whatever I wanted to with my life and move on in my career. No matter how bad it was to sleep with your client, I realized that I could always find different work in the design field. I could even try to start my own studio at some point.
I felt grateful to Jorge for saying what he did, because it made me stop in my tracks and think about my life. I realized that I certainly would like a relationship with Adrian. But it had to be in a healthy way. It could not be with somebody who wants to screw prostitutes. It felt good to clear my head.
I noticed that Adrian had texted me. Actually, throughout the day I got little pings saying that he was excited about seeing me. I was excited about seeing him, to be honest, but I didn't text back until after my run. I just simply said, “See you at dinner.” I had to guard my heart.
That night I got dressed in my favorite dress. It was yellow with some lace detail and paired it with my black a peep toe heels. I threw on little cashmere sweater over it. I felt really great and really confident, because I knew that no matter what happened that night I would be okay. The possibilities felt endless for the night. Everything would be resolved tonight. I could end up spending the night at Adrian’s apartment for the first time or the relationship could be over. I was waiting to see what was going to happen.
I didn't take a cab to the restaurant, but instead I decided to take the subway. I just enjoyed the people watching. When I arrived at the restaurant, Adrian was already there. He was sitting at a table by the window with his hand clasped in front of his mouth and he was looking out the window. I took the moment to watch his face. He hadn’t seen me. He looked so handsome in his gray suit. He also looked a little worried. I walked up and he got up, looking relieved to see me. We embraced.
“Hi,” he said, kissing me on the cheek, “You look wonderful.”
“Hi yourself,” I said back. He motioned to me to sit down.
“I’m happy to see you again.”
“I'm happy to see you too,” I said, but I was a little standoffish.
“Kai, please tell me what’s wrong,” Adrian said, stroking my hand.
“Well, we have a lot to talk about tonight,” I responded, taking a sip of my water.
“Can we talk about it here or would you prefer to talk about it at my place later? Why don’t we start out with a drink?” he said, I could tell he was nervous.
The waiter came over and I ordered a Cosmo and he ordered himself a Manhattan.
Adrian reached out to grab my hands, “Did I tell you are beautiful you look tonight? You are a stunning woman. You’re just like a china doll.”
I instantly recoiled from that comment because it made me think about everything Jorge told me.
“What did you say?”
“You’re p
erfect, just like a china doll. It’s really true.”
“I know you mean well, but I’m not a doll and I’m not perfect. I might be Chinese, but I’m not some kind of china doll.”
The color drained from Adrian’s face.
“I’m really sorry, Kai. I don’t know why I said that.”
“I need you to know that Jorge told me something in the limo on Thursday,” I lowered my voice because we were in public, but I figured that there was enough background noise that I could continue.
“He said that when you went to China, you slept with a lot of women. He said you paid women for sex because you have a fetish for Chinese women. Is that true?”
Adrian was completely caught off guard.
“Oh my god, what the hell is wrong with him? Of course not! I don’t screw prostitutes for god’s sake. I can’t believe you even believed him when he said that. That’s got to be some kind of joke.”
“That’s why I’m asking you. I know you trust him and that he’s with you all the time. In fact, he said that he witnessed it himself. What am I to think?”
“God, I don't even know what to say that.”
“I just need to know if that is something that you like to do. I'm Chinese –“
“Stop! Don't even, don't even say it. No, I guess you really don't know me that well if you think that I would be doing that. Let's be honest, I don't need to pay anybody for sex.”
“So you didn't sleep with a bunch of women in Asia because you’ve got some kind of Asian fetish?”
“No, I did not sleep with a bunch of people in China. I don’t know what got in to Jorge. After this conversation Jorge is going to be let go.”
“I mean when Jorge told me that, I just…I know he works for you.”
“He no longer works for me anymore.”
There was silence while we both processed what had just happened. I didn't even know what to say. I could tell that he was completely taken aback by our exchange because he had his head in his hands and then he rubbed his forehead.
“Are you that insecure that you would doubt that everything we experienced together over the past week? I realize it's pretty quick, but I want you to know that I like you and my intentions are good.”
“I like you too, Adrian. I just know with what he said and then you just called me a china doll. I thought maybe there was something big I was missing. You know this is been really wonderful, but I just almost can't believe it's real.”
Then I couldn’t stop myself. I burst into tears because the stress and the emotions just overwhelmed me. I tried to cover my face with my hands.
“This was not how I expected this night to go,” he said reaching over to stroke my arm.
“Look Adrian, I need some time to really think about what I want. I need to go.”
“Kai, don’t go. Let’s eat something. We’ll both feel better.”
Adrian reached for my hand and squeezed my fingers, “Please just stay and let's try to get through this meal.”
I pulled my hand away from his, quickly dabbing my eyes with a napkin. I stood up and pushed my chair back. I put my napkin on my table and moved as fast as I could away from the table. I could hear him pushing back from the table, the click of the silverware on the table as he brushed by the table, trying to catch me. I was outside by the time he got my arm.
“Please not this way.”
“I want to go,” I said, removing my arm from his grasp.
“I don't want it to end like this,” Adrian said.
“Let's talk next week.”
“Okay you take care of yourself,” I kind of half jogged off and flagged down the first taxi I saw. I immediately told him my address and I didn’t look behind me. I couldn’t because I knew he was standing there. I crumpled up and cried all the way back.
I couldn't even really make sense of what it happened. I mean Jorge was his trusted advisor. How was I supposed to know that he was trying to protect his boss? I felt unbelievably exposed during that encounter with Adrian. When I first started flirting with Adrian, I felt so tough but when I left I knew I was insecure. I felt beyond embarrassed. I just was trying to protect my heart. I'm sure he saw that and I could tell he cares deeply about me. But taking the plunge with this person had never been scarier.
Especially since I just couldn't believe how I felt about this person. Everything was happening so fast – and maybe I had just screwed up the best thing that ever happened to me. Truth be told, it was my most embarrassing moment ever. The worst date in my life and it was with the person I care the most about.
When I got home, I chucked my stupid shoes into my closet as hard. Then I frantically rubbed off all the makeup. I stripped off my dress and put myself in the shower. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I never wanted to be near that person again. The mortification was too much for me to handle. I dried myself off and I hopped into bed. I didn't even want to think about anything.
Chapter Twenty-One
The next day I woke up with a raging headache. I knew I needed to get off of Adrian’s design project. In fact, I needed a way out of the job. I needed a fresh start. So I concocted a story that would explain why I needed to take a leave of absence from my job. I couldn't face designing a house for this man when I just broke up with him. I called my boss and it went to voicemail and so on Sunday I left a message.
“Hi, I this is Kai Jian and I'm calling because I really need to take a leave of absence for at least two weeks to help my family with an emergency that they are experiencing. Sorry for the short notice. Call me back, I can discuss it in detail. I hope that this is okay, but if it's not okay I still need the time. So if it is too much of a problem, I'm going to have to resign my position. I will be sending an email with more information. Thanks for understanding. Bye.”
Then I called my parents to say that I needed their help. My dad picked up, “Hello?”
“Hey Dad, how are you?”
“Doing great sweetie. What’s going on?”
“I need you to know that I am taking a little time off of work right now. I know it’s unlike me. I’m just feeling a lot of stress of the job and I need to reflect on it. I'm just hoping that it would be okay if I came and worked at the shop for a little while I get my mind off of the design world. It's a little too high intensity for me, Dad.”
“Okay sweetie, sure come on over. You can be a hostess – or fold some silverware into some napkins. We would love it. You’d be awesome, just like the old days, right sweetie?”
“Thank you Dad. You're so nice.”
“You want to come home tonight?”
“How about tomorrow? I'm just going to take in a movie tonight.”
“Okay, you come over tomorrow and I will make you your favorite dishes, wonton soup and Ma Po tofu.” I laughed, he was such a kind man.
“Okay Dad, I'll be there tomorrow what time you want me there?”
“Whenever you want to show up…okay maybe like nine or 10 okay?”
It felt good to think about going back home tomorrow. I knew they would be there for me. It also felt good to be needed. There was no question I’d get my mind off of everything at work.
Chapter Twenty-Two
For the rest of the day, I cleaned my apartment and organized my closet. I was being productive in a way that I hadn't been in a long time. I remembered to send that email to my boss and other coworkers about my leave of absence.
That night I only wanted comfort food. So I made my vegetarian chili with honey cornbread with coconut. I put on The Philadelphia Story, a movie with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant Jimmy Stewart. Black-and-white movies with love stories? Yes, please.
I popped some popcorn on the stove and then sprinkled it with pepper and parmesan. Watching Katharine Hepburn on the screen getting the attention of Cary Grant, I thought about Adrian. Being adored by man is a wonderful thing. I couldn’t get Adrian out of my mind. I ended up falling asleep on the couch.
I started dreaming about Adrian. He was carrying me t
hrough the garden behind Fox Hunt. I was kicking my legs and laughing in his arms. I was wearing a long, flowing white dress. When he got to the cottage, he tossed me on the bed. Then he jumped in after me. Laying together next to each other, he stroked my face and looked in my eyes.
“I love you, Kai.”
Adrian pulled my gown off by pulling it down my shoulders and exposing my breasts. He undid the burgundy sash around my waist. I sat up and straddled him with just my thong on. I started pulling off his shirt and running my hands over his pecs and his hard abs. He leaned back and I leaned down on him, grinding on his hard body.
Adrian put his hands on me, pushing me down on the bed. Then he softly but quickly flipped me over onto my stomach. He pulled off my thong, spread apart my legs and pushed two fingers inside me. Adrian moved them expertly rubbing hard in search of my g-spot. I moaned with every stroke.
“I'm going to make you moan louder,” he said as he reached down to grab his cock. Taking his fingers he massaged my labia and I felt his fully erect dick enter me. Adrian pushed hard to achieve full penetration and I whimpered. "I'm going to make you beg for more."
He took my butt cheeks in his hand and spread them apart so he get even deeper inside me. Bam, bam, bam, he went back and forth and I felt his girth. Adrian reached around and grabbed my breasts the other hand. He pushed my head down into the pillow and lifted my ass up. “Oh,” I moaned. It was all I could muster. I couldn't even tell him how incredible I felt, because I was overwhelmed with waves of pleasure.
“Kai, Kai,” he said my name over and over.
Adrian kept exploring how far his cock could go deep inside me. He would thrust while clutching my waist, pushing over and over. Then he would grind himself against me. Every time he did that I couldn’t help myself from moaning. Each movement hit my g-spot.
Work Before You Fuck (Before You Fuck Series Book 2) Page 6