by Claire Adams
“Hey, Slate…you got a minute?”
Chapter Five
Lilly
Before leaving the apartment I paused in front of my full-length mirror and gave myself one last appraisal. For the fundraiser, I had purchased a gorgeous dress — it was emerald with a plunging neckline and soft, fluttering short sleeves. I looked great in this color; it really made my eyes stand out. Kate had not seen it yet but I knew she would love it. For some added sparkle, I wore my emerald pendant with a silver chain and dangling emerald earrings. I heard the horn honk and scampered down the stairs to the waiting car.
I was less excited about going on a double date but this fundraiser was the event of the season. If I ever wanted to score a spot in the Metro Symphony I was obviously going to have to get better at socializing. I knew I had the skills but I needed the connections. Having talent and money wasn’t enough obviously. Still, I was determined to join the group. An acquaintance of mine, Julie Summers, a flute player told me that another position in my section was coming open at the end of the year. That gave me a couple of months to make a good impression. Julie also told me that some of the bigwigs from the Metro Symphony would be at this hospital fundraiser. As it was a musical event, it did not take much to persuade Riley and Kate to attend too.
I had not been keen on the idea of a blind date but I needed a date, right? Put on a happy face, Lilly. I smiled as I approached the car. A tall blonde man, my date I presumed, got out and opened the door for me. He looked a little uncomfortable in his tux but I gave him a winning smile. “Hi, I’m Stephen. You must be Lilly.” He extended his hand to me and held out the door.
“Yes, so nice to meet you Stephen. You look great.” Stephen was young, probably a year or two younger than me I guessed. He had long blonde hair that he kept pulled back neatly in a ponytail. I didn’t even need to ask — I knew he was a musician. Slightly amused I silently guessed which instrument he played. Probably the drums — yes, definitely the drums. I climbed into the back seat and greeted Riley and Kate who sat in the front.
“Wow! You look great. I love that color on you. Are you ready to have some fun?” I leaned forward and kissed Kate on the cheek and patted Riley on the shoulder.
“I hope that it’s fun. The last fundraiser I went to was kind of boring but I hear they have a great band playing and LaChere’s is doing all the catering so at least the food will be delicious.” I leaned back in the seat and slid on my seatbelt. I hated riding in the back seat — I guess Kate forgot about my phobia. Could you really call it a phobia? I mean I had been in a tragic accident. Phobias are more like fearing unreal situations — mine had been totally real. Okay, change of subject.
“So Stephen, how do you know Riley?”
“I’m his brother-in-law.” He grinned, tapping his fingers on his knees to a song that played in his head. Yep, definitely a drummer.
I gave him a stunned look. “I’m pretty sure I know all of Kate’s family so you must be talking about Riley’s first wife. Are you her brother?”
He stopped drumming long enough to point at me. “Bingo! But we were friends long before those two got together. You know, I am a musician too.”
I laughed out loud and said, “Let me guess. You are drummer.” The expression on his face was priceless. Stephen must think I am some kind of psychic.
“Yes! How did you know?” He did look utterly amazed.
“After a while you just know. I love music. How long have you played the drums?”
“As long as I can remember. I have always loved drums, percussion — any kind of percussion.” I noticed that he had a very light beard and light gray eyes.
“I bet your parents were happy about that.”
“They were super supportive about my music but they did set my drum kit up in the garage. I didn’t mind. Kate says you’re some kind of big time orchestra person. What do you play?”
“Actually I am not in an orchestra yet. I tried out for Metro recently but I didn’t get it. I play the violin and a few other things but mainly the violin. I’m a woodwinds girl.”
Stephen seemed impressed and nodded his head. “Cool! I would love to hear you play some time.” I nodded along with him and then turned to look out the window. There was no way I would be romantically interested in this kid but at least he was slightly handsome and friendly. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad night after all?
From the line of limousines that was waiting outside the entrance, I regretted that I had not rented one for us. I had offered but Kate had refused, saying that it would be easier to get in and out if we drove her car. She was wrong— it was crowded and the line leading into the self-park area was long. I refrained from saying, “I told you so.” I watched the limos pull-up and unload. A white stretch limousine pulled into the line. A fast footed valet ran to the door and opened it. A dark-haired man stepped out, straightening his jacket. My heart fell in my chest. It was Bullet! This was going to be an interesting evening. I waited to see who stepped out behind him but no one did. He came alone. Great—he’s going to get the wrong idea for sure.
Once we parked, I stepped out of the car quickly so Stephen wouldn’t help me. I wanted to send a message to him quickly that I wasn’t interested. As our group walked to the entry way, Kate held my hand. “I saw him too but remember, play hard to get. I know you aren’t skilled at game playing but try it. And don’t be mean to Stephen, he seems like a nice guy.”
“He’s a kid, Katie. I would never be interested in him anyway, even if Bullet wasn’t here.”
Kate appeared quietly aggravated with me. “So what’s your plan? Run to Bullet and ask him to forgive you for not calling him? That’s not going to work, Lil. You need to act a little distant, even if you can’t totally ignore him.”
“Let’s just see how things go, okay?” I released her hand and gave our invitations to one of the hostesses. She showed us to our table and I put on a forced smile as Stephen pulled out the plush chair for me. He was polite, that was for sure. We sat at the elegantly decorated table; it was a table for four and we waited for a server to take our drink orders. The place was packed, the band was warming up now and soon the hosts of the event would make their plea for funds. Of course, I planned on giving but I also wanted to meet some of the Metro folks. I surveyed the room as discreetly as I could, noting a few of those faces. I also saw Bullet, seated three tables over to my left. I tried not to stare in his direction; surely he would not notice me.
The four of us chit chatted for a few minutes about the band; the Seltzers were a popular jazz group in the area. Tired of waiting on service, Stephen offered to get me a drink from the bar. “Sure, I’d love some champagne.” He smiled back and promised to return quickly. The music began to play and Kate pulled an unhappy Riley to the dance floor. Such an unlikely couple, I thought to myself but they seemed to be making it work. I still believed that was due to Kate’s commitment more than Riley’s. I twisted around to look for Stephen who seemed to have disappeared. Nope, there he was talking to a young, pretty barmaid. I couldn’t blame him really, we had nothing in common except a love for music. I doubted that we even liked the same kind of music. Stephen seemed more like a rocker than I was.
I smelled his cologne before I saw him. Bullet sat in Stephen’s chair and he wasn’t smiling. His sparkling blue eyes were angry. “Why haven’t you called me? Is this why you blew me off because of this guy?” Stephen finally returned holding my drink. I accepted it from him with a modest smile and said, “Thank you but I think I need some air.” Stephen stood over me, unsure what to do. Bullet ignored him and stared at me, acting as if the younger man wasn’t even there. I put the champagne down on the table and got out of my chair and walked towards the door. This was embarrassing, too embarrassing to happen in front of the Metro Symphony big wigs.
“Wait, Lilly.” I heard Bullet’s voice behind me but I kept walking. I went outside away from the crowded room of partiers. Thankfully, Stephen didn’t follow me—but Bullet did. He
looked amazing in his tuxedo, with his mass of dark hair perfect and his tanned skin. I walked down the sidewalk away from the front doors. “How far are you planning to walk? Is that your plan, just run away?”
He was really ticking me off. “I’m not running away from anything. I just don’t want to make a scene in front of a room full of strangers. I realize that you don’t have any inhibitions but I do.”
“The inference being that I don’t care about my reputation and that I will do anything in front of anyone?”
I sighed, feeling exasperated. “I am not inferring anything. Look, you made it clear how you felt about me when I came to visit you so why would I care what you think? You don’t care anything about me.”
“You don’t know what I care about, Lilly. I tried to call you after that to apologize and you never returned my calls. I could point to the fact that you were willing to believe the worst about me when you wanted to run away from me at Blue Lake. I could point to the fact that you showed up here with some random guy. You are always running from me—always pushing me away. I guess I should get the hint and quit trying.” It was his turn to storm off and he did.
I watched his big shoulders swaying under his black suit coat. I guess this was it. Would I really let him walk away? Forever? Did I want this to end? It was now or never. “Bullet,” I took a few steps toward him, “Wait!” He stopped and slowly turned towards me, his jaw clenched, his tan skin showing patches of pink color. “Please wait.” We walked towards one another. My heart raced and my hands were sweaty. I didn’t want to argue—I wanted him. I stepped closer and stood on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear. “I want you.” We didn’t touch but I hung there, close to him. He grabbed my hand and we walked to the valet station. He handed the valet his tag and we waited, holding hands but not looking at each other while the car pulled up.
The driver opened the door for us. I didn’t think. I didn’t reason. I climbed into the car. “Where to, sir?”
“My hotel, please.” The privacy divider went up and the radio came on. I sat across the seat from Bullet and watched him as he slid off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. Soon, he was next to me, kissing me, his hands everywhere—mine were too. I threw my purse to the side and as elegantly as I could slid out of my sheer lace panties. I frantically fumbled with his buckle and finally succeeded in lowering his pants. Bullet pushed me down on the leather seat of the limousine and slid himself into me. He lifted my dress up above my waist and ran his free hand across my flat stomach. Since my body was excited and moist, he didn’t have to struggle to accommodate himself, despite his size. He slid into me and I pushed myself against him, my arms around his neck. I wanted this, I didn’t care where we were. I wanted him.
His mouth was on mine, and I melted under the softness of his lips. He breathed heavily, one hand in my hair, the other under my bottom. He began kissing my neck and I arched my back in pleasure. In his deep voice, he whispered my name in my ear, making our lovemaking even hotter. I bucked against him, excited and almost frantic. The car stopped and so did we. Bullet smiled and slid away. He pulled me forward and handed me my panties. I didn’t bother putting them back on, just stuffed them in my purse. Bullet dressed as fast as he could, leaving his jacket off and we exited the vehicle as sophisticated as we could. I laughed and he grinned at me. We tumbled out of the car and into the lobby of the hotel. In the elevator, he pressed me against the wall and we kissed some more. I could hardly wait until we got to his room. We walked down the hall and he slid his key in the slot. The door opened and we walked into the darkened room. He towered over me, his brilliant white smile practically gleaming in the dark. “Do you need to call someone? Your friend maybe? Tell her where you are.”
I chuckled and unbuttoned his shirt. “No, she knows where I am.”
Chapter Six
Bullet
Lilly straddled me, her nude body as toned and perfect as I remembered it. She clasped my hands, pinning me down on the bed. Obviously, she wanted to be in control and I let her think she was, at least for the next few minutes. Her parted lips and glistening eyes told me she enjoyed herself; enjoyed my body in and under hers. From half-closed eyes, I watched her hair and breasts bouncing. Surely this had to be heaven!
Suddenly, she slowed her movements and I felt her muscles clench and her hands went into her hair. She shuddered, experiencing her orgasm quickly. I leaned forward, held her to me and flipped her so that she lay under me. She moaned, her arms hanging around my neck lazily. It didn’t take long for me to peak too and soon we lay in the crumpled bed, panting. She slid next to me, taking my hand in hers, putting it to her lips. Lilly kissed my hand and cuddled up next to me. I don’t know when but I dozed off sometime after. I woke up with the sheet on top of us, her back now to me, her blonde curls all over the pillow. It was still dark out. I reached for my phone—it was past midnight. I saw a few text messages—all from Page. I scrolled through a few, but none seemed important. I put the phone back on the night stand.
I could not believe how the day had ended, with Lilly beside me here in my bed. Of course, this meant I was breaking one of my self-imposed, cardinal rules. I never slept overnight with any woman yet I couldn’t bring myself to tap her on the shoulder and call a cab. I wanted her beside me. I touched her hair—it felt soft, like her. I scooted next to her, putting my around her, enjoying her scent. I smiled in the dark, thinking about waking her for another romp but she slept deeply and I felt tired too. Soon I dozed off again.
My phone rang, snatching me out of a blissful, peaceful sleep. Lilly groaned beside me and pulled my arm close and pushed her bottom against my newly awakened and fully alert member. I kissed her neck and said, “I have to answer this. It could be an emergency. Hold that thought.” She nodded and slid out of the bed to use the restroom.
I looked at the screen. It was Page. “Hey Dr. Steinmann, sorry to wake you up but you have an emergency call this morning. Mrs. Buckland says her stitches are bleeding and thinks you need to look at them. Should I send her to the emergency room?”
“No, of course not. I’ll be there in…thirty minutes.” Damn, it was too early for this. Okay, it was nearly eight so I guess it wasn’t that early. Lilly slid under the sheets and rubbed my thigh playfully. “I’m sorry to do this but I have to leave. One of my patients needs to see me, something about her stitches.” Lilly kissed me passionately, the softness of her skin arousing me again.
“I understand. Go take care of her, you can call me later.”
“Why don’t you take your time—order some breakfast. I’m sure this won’t take long and we can pick up where we left off. You’ll find some of my t-shirts in that drawer and of course, my shower is your shower.”
Lilly pushed her wild hair back from her face and nodded. “That sounds great and I am starved. I can wait for a little while.” As I took the fastest shower in history and got dressed, she ordered breakfast and made a few phone calls. It was nice having her around. I gave her one last kiss before I left.
“Be back soon. If something happens, I will call you so you aren’t waiting around.”
“Okay!” She smiled and headed to the shower carrying one of my clean white t-shirts. Lilly was hands down the sexiest woman I had ever seen. I left the hotel and walked to the parking garage. I called Page again to get more information about the Buckland case but she didn’t answer. I could use a cup of coffee but I couldn’t make this lady wait. She’d had a mastectomy and had come to me for reconstructive surgery. Mrs. Buckland was a nice lady who didn’t make nonsense phone calls just to get my attention. I pulled in the parking lot of the clinic, surprised to see Page’s car there. What the hell was she doing here? I thought she was back in Des Moines handling things there. Was this some kind of joke? No other cars were in the parking lot. My anxiety rose and warning bells went off. Something wasn’t right.
I walked into the office. No lights were on except the light from my office. “Page? You in here?” I pushed the door to my office
open and there was Page, sitting in my leather chair wearing nothing but some purple lingerie. She uncrossed her legs, flashing a patch of brown hair that shone from her crotchless panties and said, “Hello, Dr. Steinmann.” I was so shocked I froze in the doorway like a deer caught in the headlights of oncoming traffic. What was the protocol for this type of situation? What should I say to her?
“Where is Mrs. Buckland and why are you in my office?” Page smiled and walked around the desk, her revealing lingerie on full display. Her hand rubbed against her neck. She sat on the edge of the desk and reached towards me. I didn’t move. I wanted answers—quickly!
“There is no emergency, Dr. Steinmann. I just wanted you for myself, all to myself. You can’t tell me you don’t want me too.” She purred, convinced that I did. She could not have been more wrong.
“So you are telling me that there is no emergency — that you called me here for this?” Page’s narrow eyes narrowed even more. I could tell my response disappointed her but I did not give a damn.
“What do you mean, for this? This is who you are, isn’t it? The playboy. The player. You see, I know who you are and I am okay with it. I don’t want to change you, I just want a part of the action.” She walked towards me swinging her hips slightly—I’m sure in an effort to be seductive but she just looked awkward. I couldn’t help but laugh, at her — at this whole situation. What irony! Here I was trying to straighten out my life and now my assistant is hitting on me in a big embarrassing way.
“Are you laughing at me, Dr. Steinmann? How dare you laugh at me? I’m not one of your idiot patients or what’s her name, Lilly Brightwood. I have a brain in my head. I know what I want and I go after it.” I bristled at the mention of Lilly. “No, listen to me. I will not be laughed at. I have been waiting for years for you to make a move. I’m taking matters into my own hands.” She grabbed at my crotch and I stepped back stunned.