by Yvette Hines
“Yassi, you’re crazy. You and I are the only two going. Ernest found out yesterday his daughter won some award or something.” Leigh waved her hand in the air in a dismissive gesture. “So, he gave me the information and he and I will get together another time. So, you’re going with me.” She declared.
“Leigh...I don’t know if I want to go away for a weekend.” Yasmine said guarded.
“Yassi, you more than anyone I know needs a break. A chance to relax and take stock of your life and a fancy hotel is just the place to do it.”
“I just—”
Leigh must have sensed that she was still unsure. “Okay, Yassi, you’re going and I will not take no for an answer. You have a month to come to terms with it.”
Yasmine didn’t know what to say to Leigh’s emphatic declaration, so she conceded. “Fine, I’ll go, but the next hospital briefing is yours and it’s on Monday.” Then turned and left the room as she muttered, “Some people can be so pushy.”
Yasmine could hear her friend’s laughter following her as she returned to her office.
~ML~
“...we’ll also have attendants carrying trays of your different products; like the suntan lotions and massage creams and oils, and so on. We’d like some of your company’s models to mingle with the guests in various styles of Scorpio’s new apparel—swimsuits and intimates. In addition, during the evening, the hotel has agreed to supply hors d’oeuvres offered by their staff around the room. The event would last from late afternoon to early evening, to include all types of contests and prizes.”
Jason finished pitching the promotional idea to the president of Scorpio; then sat down at his desk, giving Mr. Jordan the opportunity to absorb the information.
Jason observed Terrance Jordan as he sat quietly, the way he had been since he had begun his presentation on how Coleman and Weary were going to promote his business and get a jump on all of Scorpio’s competitors.
“I keep telling you, Jason, call me Terrance.”
“I’ll do that when the promotion is a success.” Jason sat at his desk watching the older man as he reviewed the information packet and boards in the room.
“A promotion party given in the most deluxe hotel by the sea, during the Neptune festival—which in it’s self will draw thousands of people. How could it be anything less than sensational?”
“I thought the same thing, sir. So is that a yes for my team to go forward in completing preparations?” Jason stood up and extended his hand to the other man.
Terrance Jordan rose along with Jason. “I have two conditions...”
“Which are?”
“One, my marketing team gets to sit in and participate in the meetings involving the setup.”
“The other one?” Jason never agreed to anything, until all of the information was out on the table.
Mr. Jordan beamed a smile at him. “You start calling me Terrance, because the entire idea you and your staff came up with is a success.”
“Deal.” Jason smiled and shook hands with a pleased Terrance. “By the end of the day, I will have a messenger deliver two copies of the contract including the change you requested. If you would please send one signed copy back, it will be official.”
“You got it.”
“I appreciate your confidence in Coleman and Weary, Terrance.”
“With a slogan like, ‘Scorpio: so bare it stings’, I couldn’t resist,” Terrance Jordan headed toward the door.
“Well we’re glad you approve. Thanks again.” Jason followed the older man out to the reception area.
Jason watched Terrance get on the elevator, when the door closed he turned to his secretary. “Call Kyle and tell him I’m e-mailing him the changes to the contract and I need it at least an hour before the end of day. Then order some food for tomorrow from one of the local restaurants for lunch and let my staff know we will be meeting at eleven thirty and tell them to bring plenty of pencils and paper, we’ve got a lot of work to do. Also, later on today, call Scorpio and have their marketing department send over the people who will be working on the promo this summer.” After he made sure his secretary had all of the information written down, Jason headed back into his office.
Jason paused before closing the door. “Make that lunch order from the deli, Jeannie.”
“Good choice, Mr. Richardson,” Jeannie assured him.
I guess it wouldn’t hurt to begin implementing some changes, Jason thought to himself as he returned to his desk, picked up the phone and called his house to catch his part-time housekeeper before she went to the store.
~ML~
“Ei, Yasmine como são você fazer?”
Yasmine smiled at the sound of her sister Laura’s voice on the phone, even though she hated it when her sister chose to speak to her in Portuguese. Laura knew Yasmine had trouble carrying on a full conversation with it. They both spoke perfect English, because their father was black and understood very little Portuguese and no one on his side spoke it at all. Yasmine bit her tongue and struggled through it.
She had just gotten back from visiting the twins at the orphanage. The phone rang while she was in the kitchen getting ready to prepare dinner.
“I’m doing good.” Yasmine added a light touch to her voice.
“Oh, yeah, then why does your voice sound phony?” Laura sounded unconvinced.
Yasmine wondered, if it is so apparent to my sister, who lives at the bottom of the eastern coastline in Florida, then how visible is my misery to the people around me everyday?
She knew how obvious it was, that’s why Leigh had pressured her into going away for the weekend, soon.
Yasmine avoided the obvious. “Everything is going well at the office, Leigh and I have really grown our clientele by working some programs with the local hospitals.”
“That’s great, I always knew you guys would make a success of it. But, how’s the personal life since you so craftily left that out?”
“I have some potentials on the horizon.” Yasmine didn’t tell her sister that it had to do with trying to become a single parent of twins.
The sound of expectancy entered her sister’s voice, “Want to talk about him?”
Yikes! Yasmine knew she should correct her sister assumption, but she chose not to because she didn’t want to worry her. “No, I don’t want to talk about that—but, I have great news.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m going away this weekend for a mini vacation, including a trip to a spa.”
“Wow, someone must really care about you.”
“Yeah, they really do.”
Yasmine had reluctantly agreed to go on the trip, but more and more she was glad Leigh had pressured her to go. She needed a chance to get away, clear her mind, and come up with the realization she probably wouldn’t end up with the twins.
“I’m glad to hear you’ve found someone who cares about you. I’ve been worried about you since your divorce from Blake.”
“Can we not bring his name up, Laura?”
“I know you don’t like to talk about him, but all I was trying to say was that I was worried he may have ruined any chance of happiness you could have with someone else. I was afraid you would close yourself off from a relationship because of him.”
Boy, her sister didn’t know how on the mark she was about her personal life. Yasmine would keep it to herself as she always did. She and her family weren’t extremely close; they all preferred to live their own lives. She and her parents had been estranged since her divorce. Her parents never believed things were bad enough to warrant breaking wedding vows. Even when she tried to explain to them that Blake was trying to hurry along the ‘til death do us part’ vow. Her mother told her that he just had anger issues that counseling could have fixed. Her father never said anything, one way or the other.
“How are you doing, Laura?”
“Great, I’m dating this guy that works at the school and it looks like marriage may happen for us.”
“How long
have the two of you been dating?”
“Three months, but the relationship is going so well. We’re always with each other, or on the phone talking.”
That was always her sister’s story. She was the oldest by five years, a kindergarten schoolteacher that had never been married. Every guy she dated for more than three months looked like marriage was going to happen. She didn’t know why her sister had never been asked, she was sweet and would probably make an excellent wife and good mother.
But maybe the guys she dated were wrong for her, or they could sense her eagerness to get to the altar and it scared them away.
Her sister was also different from her in that she completely submerged herself in the Portuguese culture and traditions. When she, found a small little community in Florida, she had been delighted. All of the guys that she dated were of Portuguese descent—her music choices, the food she ate and she attended a Catholic Church, which was their mother’s original practice. Until she fell in love with their father and started to attend his Baptist church, the denomination Yasmine attended still. Her mother had always told them that it didn’t matter what church you worshipped in as long as God’s presence was there. As children, but they still went to Christmas mass and celebrated the season of Lent and if she or her sister did something wrong, they still had to go to confession.
Yasmine still practiced many of the traditions her mother had instilled in them; nothing but fish on Fridays was a big one.
“Laura, I hope it happens for you. I know how much you want it and I think you’d make a wonderful wife and mother.”
“You would have too.” Her sister’s voice held a sincere note.
Yasmine knew she didn’t realize her blunder. Sometimes her sister talked and didn’t think about the impact of her words. Having just left the orphanage, not to mention thoughts of the child she’d lost, she felt too raw to continue this conversation.
“Laura, I need to get going.”
“Okay, I just wanted to say “Hi” and let you know you were on my mind.”
“Thanks for calling.”
“No problem...”
Then there was the uneasy moment. Her family had never been ones to say I love you to each other, and it always left a void.
“Take care of yourself, Laura.”
“Yeah, you do the same, Yasmine. Tão longo, adeus.”
They hung up.
Yasmine returned into the kitchen in more of a funk than she had been. She couldn’t wait until this weekend. She really needed to relax and get her life in order.
Six
“Okay, everything is all set. You all have the morning to yourself and I’ll see you in the ballroom an hour before the party starts. Any last minute questions?” Jason asked his staff.
Five heads shook from left to right.
“Then have fun. I saw some great booths for shopping and some wonderful marine life exhibits set up on the beach for the festival. If anyone needs to get a hold of me, I’ll have my cell phone even though I’ll be right in the hotel.”
His staff dispersed, eagerly taking advantage of the personal time to enjoy the Neptune Festival and the elegant hotel in which they had rooms. Jason had to admit to himself, things were going smooth as icing, which gave him some personal time.
The pool had been calling his name since he’d toured the hotel upon arrival and that was where he was headed. He went up to his hotel room and changed into his swim trunks, a T-shirt and water shoes. After a few strokes through the cool water, he would then be ready to get a little rest before the evening’s festivities.
Opening the side door to the hotel’s outside pool, he stepped out into the humid air and froze in his tracks. Through the semester of Greek mythology in college, if he had ever had a vision of what Aphrodite would look like emerging from the water towards her lover, it would be the sight before him.
Immediately he recognized the woman. Yasmine Sousa. Her complexion reminded him of a select bottle of champagne. The sight of the full body bathing suit clinging to her skin intoxicated him. No curve was hidden from his sight. His reaction to her was instantaneous as he noted the distended points of her nipples as they responded to the air around her. Is that a sign of how sensitive her body would be all over?
His lower abdomen muscle clenched as his arousal built and his manhood began to rise, tight and throbbing.
It had been a long time since he had been with a woman and his desire for Yasmine was overwhelming.
“Whoa, there big fella,” Jason whispered. He began to take deep breaths, attempting to calm himself. “This is no time for you to rear your head.” Struggling to bring his body back under control, he stepped back into the chilly air-conditioned hotel.
He stood there a moment longer to get himself together then exited into the humidity again. By the time he had reached her side, she had dried herself off with a towel and relaxed on her stomach on a poolside lounge chair.
“Should I offer to rub suntan lotion on you?” He laced his voice with humor, but the urge to slide his hand up her body made his palms itch.
Yasmine turned her head toward him.
Jason watched as recognition lit in the sexiest, coffee brown, gold-flecked almond shaped eyes he’d ever seen.
At that moment, he was positive she hadn’t been aware of his observation.
Shading her eyes from the sunshine, she looked up at him. “Mr. Richardson, I never expected to see you here.”
“It’s part of the hotel’s gift package. They’re throwing in sexy heart patients for free with every overnight stay.” Jason graced his statement with a smile.
“What do I get if I stay two nights?” Yasmine turned over so she was sitting up in the chair.
Jason could admit to himself that he had been enjoying the view of her backside, but would never complain about the sight revealed to him now.
“You don’t want to know.” Taking a deep breath, he used all his willpower to keep his eyes focused on her face. He knew if he allowed himself even a small glimpse at how the bathing suit hugged her breasts and waist, or saw the evidence of the wet spandex cupping her sex the image would burn itself in his mind. Or worse, he’d cum in his pants like a teen and embarrass them both.
Jason sat down on the lounge chair next to her to keep either event from happening. “I’d tell you but it’s top secret. I’d have to ask to see your clearance pass.”
Yasmine laughed. The tone sounded like music to his ears. For some reason he got the impression it was something she didn’t do often. Every time he saw her, there seemed to be a hint of sadness in her eyes.
“Would you believe me if I said I was writing an article on women who chose to swim alone?” Jason smiled.
“No, I wouldn’t.” She performed a brief once-over glance down the length of his body. “Maybe a male model for a swimming over-thirty magazine.”
“Funny. I guess I’m starting to show my age. But, actually I’m here because my company is putting on a promo for a client.”
“I never did ask you what you do for a living?”
“You didn’t have to, remember? I’m the business exec who had my heart attack at my desk...or was it during a meeting?” Jason joked.
“Ouch! You make it sound as if I insulted you.” Yasmine tilted her head to the side.
Jason liked that look; it made him think about nibbling at the spot below her ear.
Get a hold of yourself. Jason mentally shook himself. He didn’t know what it was about Yasmine that made his mind wander around like an early pubescent schoolboy.
“No insult. You were pretty much right on the money. To answer your question, I’m in advertising.”
“How in...?”
“I’m the head of my own division.”
“Wow, nice spot.”
“I didn’t do too bad for myself.” Jason couldn’t help the proud smile that crossed his face.
“You sure didn’t.”
“So, what brings you here to the festival?”
/> “I had forgotten about it actually. I’m here on a girls’ weekend, you remember Leigh?”
“The spicy redhead you work with?”
“Very good description.” She laughed again. “I’ll have to pass that on to her.”
“So where is she now?” Jason looked around, not remembering seeing anyone else by the pool. Then again, he had been so focused on Yasmine, there could have been an entire synchronized swim team performing in the pool and he would have missed it.
“She ran out to a boutique we passed earlier while shopping. Speaking of that, I need to get going.” Jason heard her say, before she stood up and grabbed the towel off the chair and wrapped it around her waist.
“Hey, before you go, I’d like to invite you to the party this afternoon.”
“Umm...I don’t think so.” She took a few retreating steps backwards toward the door.
“You can bring Leigh if it makes you feel more comfortable.” That seemed to make her feet pause.
“You’d be willing to subject yourself to her scrutiny?”
“If it gets me a chance to see you again, outside of you being my health counselor, then I’d do just about anything.”
Yasmine’s full lips pulled up into a grin. “That’s sweet, but I’m still going to pass. See you around.”
Jason watched her spin around, hurry into the hotel and out of his sight.
Snatching his T-shirt over his head, Jason removed his rubber shoes and dove head first into the icy water. Pushing himself, he didn’t stop until the little voice inside of his head telling him he had been a fool to listen to his brother’s advice faded.
~ML~
Yasmine took a brief moment once she got into the hotel to turn and look through the tinted glass window to the view of the pool. As she watched Jason remove his shirt over his head, she couldn’t help noticing the firm, lean chest. It was smooth, with the exception of a sparse amount of hair in the center. She remembered him saying that swimming was something that he did often. She could definitely tell that by the muscle play in his broad shoulders as he brought his arms down and tossed his T-shirt on the chair. Her nipples tightened and pressed against her swimsuit, sensitive. She didn’t waste time fooling herself that it was the hotel’s A.C. that caused the reaction. It was Jason.