The Boss

by Stephanie Hunt

  “Who’s ready to go dancing?” announced Stephan suddenly and enthusiastically.

  “I am!” cried Alicia. “I can’t wait! Mike, you’d better dance with me.”

  “I hate dancing, but I will,” said Mike.

  “Then what are we waiting for?” asked Patricia enthusiastically. “Should we meet on the dance floor in say, thirty minutes? That should give us enough time to get ready.”

  “Wonderful,” said Liam. “Let’s do it.”

  They all headed off to their respective rooms, and once in theirs, Liam and Caroline began making out. They couldn’t help it, but they figured they had enough time to get in a quickie. They took their clothes off, all the while making out, until they got to their enormous bed. He set her down gently. He took off his shirt and Caroline marveled, not for the first time, at exactly how ripped he was. She thought how lucky she was to have gotten such a catch. He was the total package. He took off her bathing suit with his strong hands and gripped her body and positioned her on her back on the bed. He made love to her for fifteen minutes and they both came at the same time. Then they showered and got into the evening clothes. Liam put on a beautifully-fitted tuxedo with the finest Italian loafers. His outfit was really expensive, Caroline knew. Caroline put on a black evening dress and leather sandals. Before leaving their room they stood in front of the full-length mirror and looked at themselves briefly.

  “You know,” said Caroline. “We really are a good-looking couple. I have never seen an interracial couple that looked as good as we do.”

  “Yes, Caroline. Well you know I have always been into black women. You are the sexiest and prettiest one I have ever seen. I truly am very lucky.”

  They kissed once more and then left the room, Caroline gripping onto his muscular arm, and they walked over to the dance floor which was below deck. There were a lot of people out tonight dancing. Most of them were rich and good looking, just like Caroline and her fiancé. It turned out they were the first of their gang to arrive, so they got the ball rolling by dancing with each other. Caroline didn’t recognize the song that was being played but it had a catchy beat to it and she had no trouble getting started. She loved to dance. Before her life with Liam, she had never really had the opportunity to do so that often. Liam, it turned out, was a great dancer. A few songs later and Alicia and Mike stormed the dance floor and walked right up to the two of them.

  “Hey guys!” exclaimed Alicia. “Isn’t this great? I love these songs. Hey, Liam, you are a good dancer! For a white boy…”

  Liam laughed.

  “Thanks, uh, I guess. Say, Alicia, mind if I dance with you?”

  Alicia blushed, and then nodded.

  “Sure, Liam. It would be an honor,” said Alicia. “Besides, did you think I would let my sister monopolize you the entire evening?”

  This left Mike for Caroline to dance with, which was no problem for her. Mike was really attractive for a young man his age, and it turned out he had some moves too. They danced for a couple songs together. Then they noticed that Emilio and Stephan had entered the dance floor. Each of them had a pretty little thing to dance with. Emilio was with a young Spanish woman with long, brown hair that cascaded down to the small of her back. Stephan was with a curvaceous black-haired woman who had a great rack and an even better ass. Stephan gave a wink to Liam as they danced around them. Caroline wondered to herself at what point Emilio and Stephan had the chance to pick up these beautiful young women.

  Then Patricia came onto the dance floor.

  “Hey everyone!” she said. “Do you like my dress? I haven’t worn it in so long. I’m amazed it can even fit.”

  “You look great, Mom!” said Caroline. “I’m so happy you could be here.”

  She truly was. This was truly one of the happiest moments in Caroline’s life. It was all thanks to Liam. Liam had made it all possible. He was such a gentleman to her sister and mother.

  The dancing continued for the next hour or two. Everyone but Caroline was getting drinks at the bar, and she could tell from their smiles that they were getting pretty tipsy. Emilio managed to still dance with his woman with a cigar and a cocktail in either hand. Stephan was grinding up against his woman and it looked like the two were getting pretty passionate. Finally, Liam suggested that they should get some air on the deck. So he took Caroline’s hand and led her out. Everyone followed and pretty soon the music died down behind them and they were out there looking up at the vast sky, full of stars.

  Emilio stepped up to Caroline and Liam, holding the pretty Spanish girl’s hand.

  “Let me introduce Consuela,” he said. “We met just after our session in the Jacuzzi earlier. She said she loved to dance and I told her we were just about to do so. So I invited her along. Isn’t she pretty?”

  Consuela blushed a pretty shade of off-pink. It made her look even cuter.

  “It is nice to meet you both,” she said with a thick Spanish accent. “There are so many nice people on this boat.”

  Then Stephan introduced his girl, whose name was Vivian. Caroline and Liam shook her hand, and told her it was a pleasure to meet her. Then Patricia walked up to them, carrying a mojito, and with a dreamy look in her eye.

  “You know, ever since your father died,” she began. “I never thought I would be able to go out and have this much fun again. It is so refreshing to be around you young people. Thank you so much, Liam, for making this all possible.”

  “You’re welcome, Patricia,” he responded. “Just remember that the good times don’t’ stop tonight. For as long as your beautiful daughter and myself are together – which is to say, forever – I will continue to show you and your family the finer things in life. Also, once in a while these rascals might be joining in too.”

  Liam motioned at Stephan and Emilio. Emilio gave Liam a playful punch in the arm in response.

  “They’re not so bad,” said Patricia, somewhat seriously.

  “Why thank you, ma’am,” said Stephan.

  “Don’t be calling me ‘ma’am’ now, son,” said Patricia. “I don’t like to think of myself as any older than you young people. Although I know I am. Let’s just pretend we forgot, okay?”

  “Sure thing, Patricia,” said Stephan.

  That evening as everyone went to bed, Caroline lay awake for some time. It wasn’t that she couldn’t fall asleep, she just wanted to absorb everything that had been happening. Ever since Liam had proposed to her and she had said “yes”, her life had been like a fairy tale. Was it going to be this way forever? What will happen when the baby comes? These were the sorts of questions that she was considering. She was a bit nervous about becoming a mother. The good news was, she didn’t have to work, so she would have tons of time to take care of the baby. She wondered, for the first time, how big of a family she would want. She made a point of asking Liam next time they had a moment. She thought that maybe three kids would be optimal. That way they could grow up together and always have each others’ backs. Any more than that and it could be a handful. Plus, she wasn’t sure she wanted to subject herself to more than three pregnancies.

  The rest of the cruise flew by, and before everyone knew it, it was back to business as usual in the city. Liam busied himself with social events, taking Caroline with him whenever at all possible. Caroline spent a lot of time with her mother and sister, and discussed preparations for the baby. There was also a wedding to plan, so Caroline was very busy indeed.

  The wedding came and went, and the children started arriving. The Telsons became one of the best-known families in the city. It turned out that Liam had a rather large philanthropic bend, and started to occupy himself more and more with giving away pieces of his fortune. It made Caroline happy to know that she was married to a responsible, charitable man. Eventually, Alicia and Mike got married, and for their wedding gift, Caroline and Liam bought them a large house on the outskirts of the city. They couldn’t have been happier with the gift. Alicia lived out her days as happily as ever. It gave her so m
uch pleasure to see how much her family was thriving. Of course, as for Caroline, she was always happy next to her “wealthy acquaintance.”

  ***The End***

  Craving a Cowboy

  By: Elaine Young

  Chapter 1

  Cowboys.

  Muscles, tans, cowboy hats. What’s not to love?

  Jasmine’s little Jetta speed down the dirt road, probably faster than it should have. But hey, it was a nice summer day. The sun was beating down on the road, the sky was clear except for a few well-placed clouds that seemed almost close enough to reach out and touch. Hey, guess that’s why Land of the Living Skies is on the license plates around here- right?

  Jasmine grinned widely as she passed a small town- the first she had seen in an hour or so. Her music loud and all four windows rolled down as she cruised along the road. Right now, she couldn't be happier.

  An hour later, as Jasmine made her way closer to her destination she could have been much happier. She could have been there. Only a little longer left. She told herself as she turned down the dirt road that promised to take her there- in 31 K.

  It didn’t take long to get there, or maybe she just wasn’t paying as much attention as she should have been but Jasmine slowed as she saw the sign advertising the guest ranch and turned down the long winding road.

  As she came to a stop in front of a row of buildings she looked around shutting the engine off and slipped out of the car, her Vera Wang purse in her hands. Jasmine heard the crunch of gravel behind her.

  “Hi, ma’am.”

  His voice sounded like silk as he spoke. Jasmine took a deep breath. Cowboys. The real reason she’d made the trip all the way out here. Her heart skipped a beat as she turned to see who stood behind her. From the ground up, Jasmine took everything in.

  Work boots, jeans, a T-shirt, tanned muscles, green eyes that sparkled; and thick brown hair. He gave her a smile.

  No, no, no. No cowboy boots. No cowboy hat- hell, the shirt wasn’t even plaid!

  All he had going for his cowboy vibe was the tanned muscles. Jasmine eyed them for a fraction of a second. Okay, those are nice. She admitted to herself.

  A flush touched her cheeks, realizing she hadn’t said anything yet. “Hi.” She smiled widely. “I um, I’m here to check in.”

  His eyes roamed over her body, and Jasmine was utterly aware of it. His left cheek curved up as he smiled.

  “My name’s Ben, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Come on in. We’ll get ya’ all settled.” Jasmine took a deep breath and followed the man into a building. Out here there was actually fresh air- something she wasn’t used to. “You’re lucky, you’ve got the ranch all to yourself.” He smiled as he circled around the counter. “Except me, of course.”

  “You run it?” She asked, trying to get a feel for the place- and the man in front of her.

  He nodded. “My daddy ran the place growing up, left it in my hands when he passed four years ago.” He looked around the small building he’d taken me into. It was old and run down. Sadness touched his eyes.

  There was a fraction of a second where neither of them spoke. Then, the man shook his head and smiled widely before looking down at a black binder.

  “I’m gonna’ guess your name is Jasmine, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’ve got ya booked to stay the weekend.”

  “Yup.” She nodded.

  “Alrighty,” He pulled out a set of keys. “Room number 8.”

  “Thank you.” She took the keys from him. His rough fingers brushed against her for a fraction of a second. Jasmine’s heart skipped a beat, blood rushing through her body as his green eyes locked on hers. A smile touched his lips.

  For a split second Jasmine got a better chance to give him a once over- his face at least. Scars. Small ones, but they were there. His green eyes never seemed to stop sparkling, and when he smiled he revealed a row of perfectly white teeth.

  Her heart skipped a couple of beats.

  Then it was all over.

  He pulled his hand back, stuffing it in his pocket and circled around the desk. “Let me help you with your bag.” He padded towards the door.

  “Oh no, it’s fine.” He grabbed the handle and pulled it open for her. “Thank you,” She said without realizing if she was talking about the door or the bags. “But really, I’ve got them. I don’t have much.”

  After all, it was just a weekend away. A small suitcase was more than enough.

  “Now ma’am,” Her heart skipped a beat again. Being called ma’am was something she could get used to. “It’s my job to make sure your stay here is as pleasant as it can be-”

  Before he could finish his sentence gravel crunched along the driveway. The man turned to see who it was. His eyes widened slightly. He cleared his throat and turned back to her. “If there is anything you need, anything at all, please let me know.”

  “Of course.” Jasmine tried not to sound surprised. What’s with the sudden shift? She wondered. Despite the urge to stay and see who stepped out of that black truck, Jasmine forced herself to turn her attention to her Jetta and grabbed her bags from the trunk.

  She could hear them talking. It was him, another man and a woman. Jasmine’s brow furrowed trying to make out what they were saying while still making it look like she wasn’t trying to.

  Don’t be nosey. She scolded herself as she unlocked the door to her room and stepped inside.

  It was the last room on the line of buildings, which meant it had more windows than the rest of them.

  Hardwood floors, with a large bed. It wasn’t anything fancy, but with a dresser and a mirror on the other side of the room, a door leading to a bathroom and an oversized quilt on the bed Jasmine thought it would be perfect for the weekend.

  This weekend wasn’t about getting away and pampering herself. If she’d wanted that she could have stayed back home. No, this weekend was about getting away from her normal life, and the people in it. It was about getting outside and getting some fresh air. It was about changing things up. And maybe finding me a cute cowboy.

  They must be around the ranch somewhere. The man who had checked her in, although very cute, looked nothing like a cowboy. I mean come on, what kind of cowboy doesn’t even wear a cowboy hat? There had to be some around here helping out- after all, she knew there were horses here.

  After freshening up and checking her email Jasmine headed back out of the room, tucking her key into her pocket and determined to explore. She’d come out here to get away from being in the city, and she was going to take advantage of it.

  A walk proved to be just what she needed. A chance to stretch her legs after having been in a car for the past two days. The summer heat was comforting, as opposed to an over air-conditioned office that she was used to.

  She didn’t walk along before she saw someone off in the distance with a horse. It wasn’t until she got a little closer that she realized it was Ben.

  She watched him work with the creature in front of him. His eyes never leaving it. They were in a small pen. I wonder if that actually keeps the horse in. There was something off about it. The horse looked frail.

  Jasmine’s head tilted to the left as she watched him work with the horse. She padded over to a hay bale and sat down, just taking everything in.

  His hands worked over the creature softly, but still it looked like the horse might break under his touch. The thing was frail. Jasmine could count every one of his ribs. Her heart ached as she stared at it.

  Ben stepped away. Turning towards her.

  His eyes locked on hers.

  Jasmine’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t been expecting him to catch her. She was going to keep walking after a quick break and he’d seemed so into what he was doing with the horse.

  He leaned towards the creature, whispered something and then headed towards her.

  Crap. She thought.

  It was too late to just get up and leave. She’d been caught. If she ran she would look like she was
guilty of something.

  “I didn’t see you come up.”

  Jasmine could feel the heat on her cheeks. “I went for a quick walk… I um, thought I’d take a break when I saw you working with that horse.”

  “Julia.” He nodded looking over his shoulder at the creature as she munched on some hay he’d left. “She’s been quite the challenge. I don’t blame her, though. She came to us looking ten times worse than that. Can you believe it?”

  Jasmine’s stomach turned. She couldn’t. How could the creator look worse?

  “What happened to her?”

  “I’m not sure.” He confessed sitting down beside her. Ben stared out at the horse. “I never know what happens to em’ before they come here.”

  Jasmine raised an eyebrow. He made it sound like there were a lot of them before Julia. Ben caught the way she was staring at him. A soft smile touched his lips.

  “A friend of mine’s got a place that rescues horses from bad situations. She gives me a call every now and then when she needs a place to keep em’. Normally she says someone else will come out and do the rehabilitation, but by now we both know that’s a load’a crap.” He stared off, his mind lost in thought. “I treat the horses when they get here. I normally end out having to feed them often because I’m the only one here. I… grow attached to them. I keep them all.” He almost sounded ashamed.

  “All of them?”

  “We’re supposed to be a ranch; I figure why part with them. My daddy thought it was a great idea, giving the poor creatures a new home where they could be loved, but the truth is- we just don’t get enough traffic for it to make sense. We’ve got 14 horses and no one to ride em’ except me.”

  “Well, you’ve got someone here now.”

  Ben turned to her, a grin spread over his face. “Have you ever ridden a horse?”

  “Nope,” Jasmine admitted. She couldn't say she’d ridden anything- except a couple ex-boyfriends. But she wasn’t going to say that.

  His grin widened. “Well, I guess I could teach ya.” His green eyes sparkled, despite the fact they still looked sad.