Special Relationship

by Fox, Alessandra

  But after listening to all the tracks several times over he could still only presume the obvious, that she was once desperately in love with someone who cheated on her, from which point, feeling so betrayed, she had been unable to enter a new relationship.

  He couldn't sleep, listening to the music while resisting the temptation to spy into her past and present by checking what else the tablet might offer, such as her email.

  He plugged the iPad into the mains and continued listening to the words of 'Runaway'. This was what he was she was playing on the way to England, he was sure.

  He saw her sitting in the Crow's Nest of the ship, looking at the sea and listening to this music. Seven days of watching the rhythmic, hypnotic movement of the Atlantic would, she thought, help heal her pain. That's why she came here by ship and not by plane. Eventually, exhausted by the effort of thought, he drifted into a deep sleep.

  It must have been four in the morning when he was awoken by several mentions of his name. At first he thought he was dreaming but on the fourth or fifth time he heard "Nick" he looked around.

  The room was illuminated only by the iPad that was still on the bedside table next to him and he could see Alex standing beside his bed, naked.

  "Can I come in?" she asked.

  He pulled back the duvet hoping it wasn't a dream and she got in beside him. They huddled together and kissed excitedly before, rolling over and over, bound together and kissing passionately.

  He fondled and squeezed her buttocks and lightly explored them. Eventually, with Alex on top, she took him inside of her and they thrust together in harmony looking accusingly into each other's eyes as they did so.

  "You are a woman of...many...contradictions," were Nick's words before he let go inside her. She orgasmed second later, letting out a squeal of delight as she did and then giggling as she flopped on to him with her head on his chest and her arms wrapped around him.

  After a short rest, and with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs still playing, Alex swung herself around and, after advising him to move down the bed, she took him in her mouth.

  He groaned as her head bobbed up and down below him. Her hair triangle rubbed into his face with her slender legs spread apart either side. He thought he'd never been with a woman who tasted so good.

  After they had both orgasmed again, and they huddled together for rest, Alex joked. "It's been a while for me, Nick, you could be in for a long night."

  "It's been a while for me too," he lied, justifying himself in that the term "a while" had no defining period.

  In the morning, when she woke, her arms draped over his back, she mumbled to him, asking whether he was awake. "I will be soon," he murmured.

  "I'll make us some coffee." She went to her room to put on a robe and then downstairs to the kitchen. She could smell the sex on her body.

  Not wanting to struggle with the workings of the machine, she was relieved to find a cafetiere in the cupboard. She thought as she waited for the kettle to boil that she had engaged in an act of treachery that she had long pledged never to commit. She had, she considered, made love and not just had sex.

  She took the coffee upstairs and sat on the edge of the bed. She looked at him, thinking, as he lay there with his eyes closed, how innocent he looked, almost boyish. But she wondered whether anyone could become so successful without being ruthless and, if not breaking, then at least bending the law.

  "Coffee, Nick."

  He turned over and rested against the headboard of the bed, his upper body looking impressively toned. "Life-saving, thanks," he said, taking a sip.

  "Sorry to wake you up so early," she said.

  He looked at her with a grin. "Beats an alarm clock," he replied, taking her hand.

  They looked at each other without saying anything. He was fearful that Alex might give him the "it was nice but didn't mean anything" speech and Alex wondered whether this was a man she could trust.

  "So what's on the agenda today,?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

  "Riding?" he asked.

  Alex laughed. "Riding what?" she replied.

  "Horses, you mischievous woman. Now go and get showered." As she left his room, he called behind her, "Just want to see a beautiful American bum in jodhpurs."

  She came back in. "Nicholas, in America, 'bum' is more used to define a tramp or a vagrant, not what I think you are referring to in your old world language called English, specifically my butt or backside."

  "I stand corrected," he laughed, throwing a pillow at her. She grabbed it and hit it with him several times before running out of the room with a shrill as, completely naked, he chased after her.

  As she showered she realised she was falling for a man she barely knew. Those feelings fought for space in her mind with guilt she was experiencing for duplicity against the person she most loved, the person who defined her life, the one who had made her who she was and with whom she would always have an unbreakable bond. Her tears were washed away from several directions by the Swedish shower.

  At the stables, she climbed on board a big, headstrong grey gelding, with an aplomb that surprised Nick.

  "Are you sure?" he remarked.

  "We have horses in New York state, dummy," she smiled.

  He rode a bay, who was about the same size but apparently a lot more placid.

  When they had arrived in an open-top Aston Martin, Nick had left a large cash deposit and had promised he would take good care of the horses, and the riding stables didn't take much encouragement to waive their two-our limit.

  They cantered on rugged cliff tops and trotted on sandy wide beaches and, after stopping for drinks at a country inn, where the owner gave them buckets of water for the horses, they walked their mounts through a forest, providing both themselves and their equine partners with respite from the sun which still shone through the trees.

  "I didn't realise you could ride," he said after she had expertly cajoled the grey across a ditch that he had at first shied away from.

  "Well, not as good as the jockey who rode your horse at the races, but not too bad I like to think."

  After a while they stopped at a small lake where they dismounted and allowed the horses to drink again. They lay on the bank and kissed intensely. Nick undid the buttons on her jeans and fondled her for just a little time before her body gyrated excitedly and she released herself into another wonderful orgasm.

  "Let me repay the kindness," she said, pushing him to the ground.

  When they got back to the stables and were handing the horses to the groom, a boy in his teens, Alex whispered, "With all the walking, riding and fucking, my legs are aching like hell."

  "But think how toned they will be," he commented.

  "Yep, I might do a video. Get Your Legs Toned With The Fuck Nick Hensen Method."

  "Sounds good to me," he joked. "When might I expect my next client?"

  Alex slapped his arm.

  "You sure I'm insured?" she asked getting into the driver's seat.

  "Yep, any driver," he assured her.

  She gingerly steered the Aston out of the gravelled car park, scared of damaging a car that must have cost a quarter of a million dollars.

  "Don't dare prang it," he said, teasing her.

  "At least it's auto," she said. "Now what does this button do?" she asked to get her own back.

  He looked at his phone. "Flight at eight?"

  "Do we have to? I might stay down here for some time."

  "Be nice, wouldn't it? And you are welcome to. But sadly, the corporate world is calling me back for some dull, early-morning meeting."

  By the time they had got back to the house, Alex was depressed to find out how little time they had left. She kissed him on the lips and went for a quick shower and to pack. She was sad to be leaving. She could barely believe that it was only two days since she had left London.

  "You OK?" he said, giving her a hug after she had dragged one of her bags from her room to the hall. "No, I don't want to go home," she replied pu
tting on the look of a sad, vulnerable child.

  "We can come again."

  "We came a few times already, didn't we?"

  "You have such a filthy mind."

  In the helicopter, she rested her head against his shoulder, suddenly aware that she was returning to the real world and the fairytale life she had lived for the weekend was disappearing like the outgoing tide of the sea.

  Chapter nineteen: Two flatties for Penelope Cruz.

  Christos met them at the heliport with what, even by his standards, were very wide smiles. It was as if knew what had gone on already, but he said little during the trip back to Alex's flat, though occasionally looking in his mirror for reasons that she guessed were not for traffic purposes.

  "Nick, it was a great weekend. Thank you so much," squeezing the top of his leg and kissing him quickly on the lips as they arrived outside her flat. She didn't know how far to go with Christos clearly so inquisitive.

  "Enjoyed it too. I'll call you in the week, if that's alright with you." He mischievously pinched her bottom as she left the car, knowing that after their long horse ride it might cause her some discomfort.

  "Ouch," she said swatting away his hand with a giggle.

  Christos carried her bags to the door. "Good night, Alex, hope to see you soon."

  "Thanks Christos, for looking after me and everything."

  Once in her in flat, she sat down at the kitchen table to take in what had happened. She rested her head on her her hands and began to consider what she had got herself into.

  After several minutes of thought, she switched on her phone to see a reply from Kerry to the only message she had sent while she was away. "Glad you are enjoying it, let me know more as it happens x." Alex couldn't wait and hit her number.

  "You home, honey?" Kerry asked.

  "Yes and...and...well...before you ask, if I were a Catholic..."

  "You'd be in confession! I knew it! I knew it!" Kerry screamed. "Hold on I'll just shut the door so Luke can't hear."

  She told her in detail, leaving nothing out, about her weekend away with Nick Hensen. She explained how often she had cried and at times just wanted to come home, totally fearful of building a relationship with anyone, let alone a high-profile multi-millionaire.

  "I'm so pleased for you, overcoming your fears, honey. And...if you don't mind me asking...how was he?"

  "In bed?"

  "Yes, of course, in bed, not his ironing ability, love."

  "Fantastic," Alex answered.

  "Oh my God, Alex, I sort of knew it would happen. When he came to the office, you couldn't keep your eyes off each other, but so soon - and with you behaving like a complete hussy..."

  "I know, Kerry, he probably thinks I am really loose."

  "Don't be so silly. My guess is that he has fallen hook, line and sinker for the gorgeous American girl who is now starting to live again. Sorry I need a tissue...hold on."

  "And guess what?" Alex said when she returned.

  "We were listening to my band – you know, the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs – and he worked me out from the lyrics. It was uncanny.

  "The funny thing that I thought of just when I got back is that they do a song called Honeybear and it the lyrics sort of say I'm going to take the honeybear's honey.

  "Well, I guess you did take his honey, honey," Kerry laughed.

  "Kerry! And he said I have a filthy mind. He was just so good at the lyrics of the other songs I wonder whether he read anything into that one."

  "No. He'll know you aren't a money-grabber. You're more of a chips and mushy peas type of girl."

  "Thanks for the compliment," Alex smiled.

  "Listen, I've got to go, Luke is whinging because I stopped the film. Tomorrow, I want a minute-by-minute account."

  "Love you Kels," she said, pressing the red button.

  Her legs still aching, she chose a bath over a shower and lounged in the water for an hour with candles burning beside her as she thought of her weekend away.

  As the water cooled and she had tired of letting some out to replace with hot, she blew out the candles and got out to dry herself.

  She walked hesitantly towards the bedroom and laid down naked on top of the quilt to read more of The Magus. But she became disturbed by story of someone's mind being messed with so much that he could no longer tell the difference between fantasy and reality. She wrapped herself in the quilt and waited for sleep, but it took a long time coming.

  Nick was still awake too, in his study with a report in front of him but Alex dominated his thoughts, as it had done since he had first seen her photo, the same photo that lay on the desk beside him.

  He decided that he would cancel as many meetings as he could the next day. He groaned after looking at his watch and realised the first of them was now less than five hours away.

  Then he remembered he'd also most likely have to give Katherine an explanation of what he'd done over the weekend. Hopefully she wouldn't ask.

  He went to bed and turned on CNBC to see what the Asian markets were doing. He was pleased to see trading in stocks, the major currencies and interest rates were calm enough. Perhaps Monday wouldn't be as onerous he feared.

  Katherine was there when, after just three hours sleep, he got into the office. "You don't look so great, heavy weekend?" she asked.

  "Bit of trouble sleeping last night," he replied, avoiding a direct answer. "Who's in at eight?"

  "Canadians, want to discuss whether they should move more into equities, in Europe particularly."

  "Europe is fucked, don't they read the news?" Nick said, pouring himself a coffee.

  "My, we did get out of the wrong side of the bed this morning. Or was it someone else's bed?" she asked before walking out of his office.

  He took the opportunity to send a text to Alex, hoping that she'd already be up. "Meetings this morning but will call later x."

  There were three representatives of the Ontario-based syndicate sat in the boardroom when he went in, along with two of his top advisors who he hoped, over coffee and croissants, were in a better state to give investment advice than he was.

  "Good morning everyone," he said as he entered the meeting room with a purposeful, confident walk that he often used when unsure what he was about to talk about.

  They stood up and shook his hand one by one. "We've met before, haven't we?" he asked a lady who looked to be in her fifties and who perhaps, he thought, had overdid the power dressing for one of her age.

  "Yes, Toronto a couple of years ago. You persuaded us to invest in your fund, and I think I speak for all of the board and our members to say that we are very pleased with the results."

  "I'm so glad," Nick replied before introducing Adam Reeve and Arnaud Betram as two of his best advisers. More importantly, Nick knew that Bertram, being French, was bound to let them know what they wanted to hear, that the grand European project was about to flourish again after what had been a difficult period. He also knew that he would be overruling him at some later date and sending the Canadian money to the far east or India.

  The meeting dragged on and Nick was wondering whether Alex had seen his text. When it had finished, he thanked everyone in a big show of gratitude for their business and told them not to hesitate to call him if they had any questions in the future.

  At a lower level, Alex and Kerry were trying to persuade lowly BBC executives to carry breaking updates of significant financial dealings on their business website, realising not long into the meeting that the two Corporation representatives would struggle with the authority to order morning coffee, let alone sanction their ambitious plans.

  "Thanks for seeing us," Alex said as she shook their hands and left the office.

  "That was hard work," she said to Kerry as they walked towards the station.

  "Did Nick call yet?" she asked, watching Alex scroll through her phone messages.

  "Well, he has sent a text, says he'll call later."

  "OK, since the chance of us working for the BBC in
the near future looks slim, let's go and discuss past events and your future game plan. We need a strategy."

  "It's not a game of chess," Alex protested.

  "He's a man, isn't he? Best not leave your defence in a vulnerable position." Although she was being light-hearted Kerry felt some responsibility towards her friend, having egged her on since she first met him. Now, she was determined that she wouldn't get hurt.

  They sat in the coffee shop waiting for their drinks. "Two flatties for Penelope Cruz," shouted the young barista. Kerry loved London humour and especially when it came off, as it did spectacularly today. Alex held her face in embarrassment but heard the other customers laughing loudly as Kerry went, totally unabashed, to collect them.

  "You really have no shame."

  "Funny, though, wasn't it? Now tell me whether Mr Hensen thought yours ample enough."

  "I think he is more of a butt man," Alex replied. "In fact I think he'd like my backside made into a pillow so he can rest his head on it each night."

  "You certainly do have a nice arse," Kerry said. And, erm, were his attributes up to what you might expect?"

  "Kerry, please!"

  "Just askin'," she said, putting on a look of innocence.

  "Well, yes, his body was very nice," Alex said, lowering her voice barely above a whisper level. "And though I wouldn't claim that he is up to his horse, Manarola's standards, I can't complain about the satisfaction that was given and gratefully received."

  They laughed so uncontrollably that Kerry spilt coffee down her top. "Bugger" she exclaimed.

  "Kerry, we did not do that!" Alex blurted out, seeing an open goal.

  Tears ran down their cheeks as they burst into another fit of uncontrolled giggling.

  Eventually their mood became more sober and Kerry asked how the emotional side of the relationship had progressed over the course of the weekend.

  "He told me he was falling for me but he doesn't even know me, although I have to say I suppose I felt I was falling for him as well. We get on really well together. He's lovely, witty, confident, clever...what can I say? The only cloud on the horizon is that he seems far too fucking good to be true. Outside the text messages, that is."