Lovestruck

by KT Grant

  "Hello, Kyle. It's a pleasure to see you again." Barbara held out her hand and Kyle stood, grasping hers in both of his.

  "It's always a pleasure when we can talk business." Kyle lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. He kept his mouth there for a few seconds and winked.

  "You know your flirtation won't work on me." Barbara swatted him on the arm.

  He released her and put his hands in his pants pockets and rocked back on his feet.

  "You can't blame me for trying. You must know you're a very beautiful woman."

  "Compliments will get you everywhere. Why don't you follow me? I have luncheon set up where we can talk while we eat."

  "Sounds great." Kyle smiled and grabbed his briefcase.

  They walked down the hall side by side. Barbara took a moment to appreciate the package that was Kyle James. She may prefer women, but there was something about this man that would stop any woman—lesbian or otherwise—in her tracks. Kyle stood quite tall, at six-five. He had bright green eyes and a full head of brown hair with natural blond highlights. In his teenage years he had been a very successful model for Abercrombie and Finch and graced more billboards for the clothing store than any other model in the history of the corporation. At the age of twenty-two, after he graduated with honors in economics from Berkley, he turned his back on a very lucrative modeling career and went on to invest in real estate, which netted him millions. At forty, he was on track to become one of the richest men in the United States.

  To top it off, he was a nice guy. Generous, business savvy and very much single. Any woman would be over the moon to have him show an interest in her. There was no doubt in her mind he must be a tiger in bed . . . .

  Barbara covered a small laugh with a cough. Why was a man like Kyle still single? Perhaps he just hadn't yet found the right woman. Though based on tabloid reports, it wasn't for lack of trying. They had him with a different woman on his arm at every event he attended.

  Kyle turned his head to look over at Barbara. "I know something is churning in your head, and I don't think it's work-related."

  "You think you know me so well." Barbara opened the door to one of the conference rooms.

  "I've known you for over ten years. Perhaps not as intimately as I would like, but well enough to know that when you have a certain look on your face you're thinking naughty thoughts."

  Barbara walked into the room, turned and crossed her arms. "Oh do I? Is this skill you've acquired just for me or can you do it at parties?"

  "I'm very in tune with people and their expressions and body language. My skill has helped me a great deal in business, as you well know," Kyle said without sounding too arrogant. He crossed over to the side bar where sandwiches, salad and drinks had been set out. He grabbed a plate and looked over at Barbara, who still stood with her arms crossed.

  "Don't be angry. I'm just teasing. Let's eat and talk." Kyle winked. "And yes, I know I look pretty amazing in this suit."

  Barbara let out a laugh and joined him. "I can always count on you being a smug SOB."

  Kyle chuckled as he popped an olive in his mouth. "Only when the opportunity arises."

  Barbara cut back another retort and finished loading her plate. They sat next to each other at the long conference table and talked of nothing in particular. She normally didn't go through such lengths with a business associate, but since she and Kyle had been friends for years, she had decided a more relaxed environment was needed, since she wanted to change the terms of what they preliminarily agreed upon regarding the hotel.

  Barbara finished her lunch and placed her fork and napkin on her plate. "Would you like some coffee or dessert?"

  Kyle sat back in his chair and placed his folded hands on his stomach. "I'm fine for now, perhaps later. I appreciate lunch, but I thought we were going to finalize things for the St. Jennings? I expected a few of our lawyers to sit in also. I must say I was surprised when you asked me to come see you without representation."

  Barbara wiped her damp hands on her slacks. "I needed to see you alone, Kyle."

  "Why Miss Jennings, are you trying to seduce me?" Kyle asked with a twinkle in his eye.

  "You may have a point there. Would you mind humoring me for a minute?"

  Kyle almost choked on his soda. He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Now this is an interesting turn of events." He shrugged. "Sure, why not."

  Barbara stood. "I need to show you something. Come with me."

  This time Kyle followed Barbara as she walked toward the elevator. A few people who walked down the hall called out greetings to her. Barbara half-heartedly respond, her thoughts on the importance of what lay ahead. She pushed the elevator button and the doors opened as if the car had been waiting just for them. She took out a key from her pants pocket and pushed it into a button with a key hole that had the letter 'R' inscribed on it. With one turn and a press of the button, the doors closed and up they went. When the elevator came to a halt, the doors opened to the roof where the whole New York City skyline could be seen for miles.

  "Only I and the manager of the building have keys to the roof. What a perfect day to view this wonderful city, wouldn't you say?" Barbara walked out toward the middle. The wind whipped her hair and she gathered it up to hold it out of her eyes.

  Kyle walked toward her, a look of confusion on his boyishly handsome face.

  "Are you going to tell me why we're up here?"

  Barbara pointed out toward her left. "Do you see the tall building made of brick and not metal like all the other buildings surrounding it?"

  "Of course. It's the St. Jennings."

  "Very good. See how it stands out among all the modern buildings? It's smack in the middle of everything and is so well known. Can you imagine what it would be like seeing the St. Jennings vanish or become something it isn't?"

  "What are you getting at, Barbara?"

  "I don't want to sell my hotel. It's been in my family for generations and it kills me to think it will be converted into another office building."

  Kyle stepped closer. "I can sympathize, but in this current climate, with the economy the way it is, many long-lasting companies and businesses, just like yours, are suffering. If you sold the St. Jennings to me I would respect your wishes not to undergo too many changes to the façade."

  "It's not just that. The people who work there also matter. Can you promise me you won't fire them and hire a whole new staff?"

  "Barbara, you know I can't do that. I have plans to convert the building into a high-rise office. My new headquarters will be located there. We've been over all of this before."

  "I know." Barbara wrapped her arms around herself. "It's just a piece of my family history I can't let go. It's killing me. There are so many people counting on me."

  Kyle pushed his hair from his eyes. "I've never seen you like this. We can always hold off—"

  Barbara turned back toward Kyle, trying to hold off the tears that threatened to fall. "It's been a few rough days. I've come to the conclusion I don't like the person I've become. I lied to someone I care about and they don't appreciate my reasons for what I have to do."

  "He must be one lucky man."

  "He is a she, Kyle. I'm gay." Barbara shrugged. She expected Kyle to be shocked, but he gave her a small grin and put one of his hands in his pockets.

  "Now it makes perfect sense why we haven't slept together."

  Barbara snorted. "Is it always sex with you?"

  "Sex and making money. What else is there?"

  "Love?" Barbara whispered.

  Kyle raised a brow. "I'm not qualified to comment on that topic, I'm afraid, having no experience with the emotion." He turned to look out at the skyline and smiled. "However, I must admit it would be shame not to see the St. Jennings stay as it is."

  "Perhaps there's something we can do about it. What if I make it worth your while?"

  "Would I make money?" He raised an eyebrow.

  "Possibly. Instead of you giving me a chunk of your
net worth for ownership of the St. Jennings, what if I offered you something that would possibly give you a bigger return and also make you feel better in the process?"

  Kyle gave her an uneasy look. "Why do I think it has to do with saving the hotel?"

  "It does. I'm sorry to say I won't be giving it away without a fight. Perhaps after you hear my proposal you'll feel the same way I do."

  Kyle looked down at his feet and then up at the sky. "Life is a game of chance and I do like to roll the dice every now again. Let's hear this proposal of yours over coffee, shall we?" He held out his hand toward the elevator and Barbara walked over.

  "I think that's a fabulous idea." She smiled, hoping in the next hour or so she would be able to convince Kyle to invest in the St. Jennings. If so, she and Jenny could still have a chance together.

  This would be one time where she was willing to take a chance on betting against the house and coming away the winner.

  "Jesus Jenny, you look like total crap," Mike said.

  Jenny sat bundled up in a blanket on the couch. When she had returned home from work yesterday she pulled on her pajamas and wrapped herself in the blanket. She sat there sniffing, holding back tears, finally falling asleep covered in used tissues.

  "Leave me 'lone," she muttered and pulled the blanket over her head.

  "Sorry, not going to let you hide in that cave you have made for yourself."

  "What time is it?" She whispered, still half asleep.

  "Almost eight. You have plenty of time to wake up, get yourself together and go into work."

  "I don't wanna go." She peeked out from under her blanket through drooping eyes. "Why are you up so early?"

  "I went for a run." Mike shrugged as he sat down next to Jenny in his sweat-drenched t-shirt and shorts and pulled her legs on his lap.

  "You're a freak. No one gets up early on a Saturday. Not unless they have to."

  Jenny pulled the blanket back over her head, but Mike stopped her. He leaned down and moved behind to spoon against her on the couch. Jenny almost pushed him away but when he wrapped his arms around her, she decided she needed someone to hold her and made room for him.

  "Last weekend you were on cloud nine. You called in sick last Saturday to play hooky. This is a total one-eighty. You're acting as if your dog died or something."

  Jenny stared at the wall as tears filled her eyes. "I'm just depressed. Everyone goes through it."

  Mike rubbed his mouth against the back of her head. "Does this have anything to do with your secret lover?"

  Jenny sighed and closed her eyes. A few tears fell down her cheeks. She turned over on her side to see Mike. "It could be." She started to sob. Mike held her against his chest.

  "It's okay. Shh . . . it'll be okay." He crooned into her ear as she cried into his neck, tears falling on his skin to mingle with his drying sweat.

  "I hate being a cry baby." Jenny complained as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

  "We've all been there. You were due for a good cry. I don't know how you do it with school, work and putting up with my lame ass bullshit."

  "Please. Your lame ass bullshit, as you call it, is admirable. You're close to getting an agent for your book and able to freelance and get paid for it as a writer. You've met so many of your goals already. I can barely make ends meet and it's taking me forever to get my degree in a major I'm not sure I can do anything with. You love to exercise, and I hate it. Ugh. I'm surprised I'm not a fat cow." Jenny wiped her nose again and looked over her shoulder for a clean tissue.

  "Hon, you always sell yourself short. You need to stop doing that. You have so much to give the world, including the fuck head who brought you to tears. So who is she? Do I have to give her a good ass kicking?"

  Jenny found an unused tissue and blew her nose. It gave her time to gain the courage to tell him what had become her dirty little secret.

  "You won't believe it when I tell you who."

  "Come on. Who could it be that I would find so shocking? It's not like you're screwing The Barracuda."

  Jenny coughed into her hand and blushed. Mike's mouth dropped open and then shut. "Oh, no way. How . . . ? I mean—"

  "You know that night I called you to say I was studying, and you figured out I spent the night with someone? I was with Barbara."

  Mike sat up and covered his mouth. He let out a part scream, part squeal into his hands.

  Jenny grabbed onto the arm of the sofa to keep from tumbling to the floor.

  Straightening, she sat next to Mike and placed her hand over his.

  "You can't tell anyone this. It has to remain a secret." Jenny warned him.

  Mike grabbed Jenny's hand and shook his head as if in total disbelief.

  "You know nothing leaves this room, even though this tidbit of information is so Perez Hilton worthy. How did it happen?"

  Jenny looked down at her lap and played with her tissue. "It's a one-night stand type of thing. We had a moment at the hotel and took it from there."

  "What type of moment?" Mike asked as he crossed his legs and folded his hands on his knee.

  "Um . . . in one of the rooms." Jenny whispered, hiding her face in the blanket.

  "Hey now, none of that." Mike put his arm around her shoulder and she laid her head back against him. "How was it?"

  "More than amazing. I never thought . . . the things we did . . . it was mind-blowing."

  "Then what happened? Did The Barracuda get what she wanted from you and kick you to the curb?"

  "Not exactly. I kind of broke things off. I found out she lied. Remember when I told you about the hotel? It's true. Barbara knew going in she may have to fire me even if we did start an affair."

  "Did she say she was going to fire you?"

  Jenny snorted. "She offered me a job as her assistant. But that's not the point. She doesn't care about all the people who need their jobs at the St. Jennings. She almost laughed in my face when I explained what she'd be doing to so many people who depended on working at the hotel to make ends meet."

  "Jenny, dear, it's admirable for you to care so much about others, but you need to start thinking about yourself more. It would suck if the hotel did fold but shit happens."

  Jenny blew her nose again and glanced up at Mike who smiled at her. "I'm surprised you're not more upset."

  "You take too many things to heart." He tugged on her hair. "It's not surprising Jennings kept things as quiet as she did for so long. And even so, it's her business and her money she's losing. Those are the facts of life."

  "Glad to see one of us is fine with losing our job." Jenny grumbled.

  Mike shrugged. "You know my life has been one big crap shoot. Unlucky in love, in life and in profession, it seems. I roll with the punches. You should to."

  Jenny started to speak but Mike placed a finger on her lips. "Now if Barbara purposely searched you out because she needed to get laid and planned to throw you away after she tapped your ass, then I can understand why you'd be upset. But something tells me that's not the case."

  "I wish I knew what the case was." Jenny sighed and snuggled back under her blanket. "I'm just so confused."

  "You're confused because you're scared about the job and your feelings for this woman."

  "Mike, I think I do care for Barbara. It's only been a week, but we connected in some way more than just physical attraction and lust. We seem to balance each other out. But I'm not sure if I should go see her and listen to what she has to say. She may not want to even see me. I didn't react very well, and I'm afraid I might have been a little mean and immature."

  "I would give it another day or two. Give both of you a chance to calm down."

  Mike stretched and let out a loud yawn.

  "She has more concerns on her plate than little old me. She wanted to keep our fling under wraps anyway."

  "There's a lot going against you two. You're total opposites. Look at it from her perspective. She's older and has a reputation to uphold in the business world. Not onl
y is she romancing someone a decade younger, but a woman. And her employee, to boot.

  What would those good old boys think if Barbara came out all of a sudden? She has so much to lose, even more than you do. Until you told me, I was iffy about Barbara being a lesbian."

  Jenny fell silent as she mulled over Mike's words. He had his moments where he put his goofing and teasing aside and made perfect sense. He always gave great advice when it was needed.

  "I guess I don't have anything to lose. I just feel hurt and betrayed. It's going to take some time for me to be back to normal. Ya know?"

  Mike leaned over and kissed Jenny on the forehead. "I know. Being in love sucks, especially when you don't know where you stand with the other person. I'm finally beginning to understand that. Why don't you go get ready for work and I'll make us breakfast."

  Jenny nodded and Mike walked into the kitchen. Standing, she flinched from the ache in her back from sleeping on the couch and reached down to pick up the tissues she'd carelessly thrown to the floor. She walked toward the bathroom, refusing to hide away and mope as she'd been doing for the past few days. The only thing left to do would be to suck it up and show her face. After all, she had a job to do even though it could be gone in a few months.

  Jenny went into work and kept her mind off Barbara by busying herself at both the front desk and at the concierge. Jeffery seemed to be on the warpath, but she made sure to stay out of his way until the last hour of her shift when he came over to her as she gave a pair of guests advice on where to go out for dinner.

  "Jennifer." He barked at her after the guests had left.

  She held back a wince and kept her smile in place as she looked at him. "Yes Jeffery?" She tried not to grit her teeth.