After the Interview

by Laurent, Coco

  Zoe had no chance to say yes or no to his announcement of their plans, and this irked her a bit. Not that she wasn’t interested in going to this crayfish boil with him, but C J was very presumptive of her acceptance of the terms. Zoe was curious to see if C J’s sister, Logan, would accept Jack Dupre’s invitation. Drama in the oil world and not the kind she was supposed to be focused on Zoe thought. As she walked down a side aisle, Zoe took note of Hughes Crosby, the CEO of BP Oil, being introduced to a representative of China Sea. Now that is an interesting development to keep tabs on with the newswires, Zoe considered. No doubt, C J would know about this meeting and the why of it before the day was over. Zoe pictured him smiling at her. He was smart, resourceful and damned good looking: quite a nice combination.

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  C J spotted his sister alone at a table for four and headed her way. “Where is Uncle Burt?” C J asked.

  “He had to take a phone call but will be back shortly, I hope,” Logan answered. C J wanted to ask his sister if she was ok after the encounter with Jack Dupre but thought better of it and kept quiet.

  As if to preempt any chance the subject might come up, Logan asked C J, “So who is that hot reporter you’ve made friends with?”

  “I haven’t made friends with her, as you call it, but I am pulling out all of the stops to make sure she’s fair in her write up about the company. We get enough grief from the liberal media. It would be nice to have a kind word for a change.” C J answered.

  “Uh huh, well Caroline told me that you two looked pretty cozy last night at Matt’s,” Logan said.

  C J smiled and said, “Zoe is smart and gorgeous, so what’s not to like? She’s back to New York tomorrow, so I don’t have much time to make a lasting impression.”

  “Be careful there,” Logan said. “The word lasting can be very dangerous.”

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  Zoe spent the balance of her afternoon at the petroleum symposium talking to a cross section of the companies present, from rig suppliers to refiners. She even managed an introduction to a representative from China Sea, which she knew was going to be a great addition to her interview of C J. Ah, and yes she admitted C J Fairchild had entered her thoughts more than once during the afternoon even though she had not even had a glimpse of him. Zoe did see Jack Dupre once and he smiled while nodding his head in greeting. There was certainly nothing wrong with that package, Zoe thought.

  Speeding along the highway to reach her hotel, Zoe felt tension building in her, not the kind born of fear but of delicious anticipation. She knew that if fate and C J presented her with another opportunity to make this a night to remember Houston by, she had plans to grab it. By the time Zoe reached the hotel she was jazzed with anticipation and felt like she needed to hit the gym and run about 10 miles. No time for that, as traffic had been slow through the maze of connecting highways on the way back to the hotel. As she walked into her room, Zoe noticed the clock said 4:30, giving her an hour to write her impressions of the symposium and get ready by 5:30. No problem, she thought, how hard was it to throw on a pair of jeans and a shirt? Zoe knew she was kidding herself. She would do her best to be alluring in this shirt and jeans. Shower or write first? That was the question. Zoe opted to write first in case she indulged in some vivid daydreaming in the shower. No point in having work shortchange her fun.

  Chapter Four

  C J had left the symposium before Zoe and had spent almost an hour swimming laps in his pool. He was stunned that his attraction to Zoe grew each time he saw her, and today he had been amazed at how much he disliked the interaction he saw between her and Jack Dupre. Jack wasn’t a bad guy but hell no he wasn’t going to make any inroads with Zoe, C J thought to himself. Besides, C J still felt the pull between Jack and his sister, Logan. Who knew if those two would ever get beyond their blowup, but that was not his business. C J had been a hair’s breadth from spinning Zoe around and exiting the symposium with her today as his hand made contact with her back. Just imagining an afternoon of lovemaking with her had him starting to harden again; shit, this was reaching a point of absurdity. What C J wanted was to show up at Zoe’s hotel early, giving them time for passionate sex before they headed out tonight, which would make him feel a hell of a lot better. He knew she was just as ready for it as he was. Nothing was getting in the way of the inevitable tonight, C J thought.

  ℓ

  Zoe decided she was lucky tonight. Not having come to Houston prepared for a crayfish boil, she did not have to think too hard about what to wear. As she tucked the white cotton shirt into the jeans, she winced a bit at the fit. Maybe one size up on the jeans would have been better but what the heck they would loosen up with a bit of walking around. She slipped on black flats as she pulled a gold metal belt through the last loop on the front of her jeans. She looked for the red scarf she used to stay warm on airplanes and slung it around her neck and over her shoulder. Tonight, C J would probably not have a jacket with him, let alone a suit jacket. The idea of C J in a pair of tight jeans brought a devilish smile to Zoe’s lips. She was already imagining what his firm thighs and butt would look like, let alone feel like. Ok, she thought, keep your focus. As Zoe toyed with the idea of pulling her hair back she heard the phone ring. “Well I guess down it is,” she said, reaching for the phone.

  “Hello,” Zoe said.

  “I’m downstairs and waiting to see you in jeans,” C J said.

  “Be down in a minute. Do you think I’ll know you without a suit jacket?” Zoe asked. She was anticipating getting the night rolling.

  “I guess we’ll see as soon as you step out of that elevator,” C J answered.

  The moment the elevator door opened C J stepped in view, and Zoe was not disappointed. If ever a man looked good in jeans and a pale denim cowboy shirt, it was C J. The jeans were fitted enough to allow Zoe’s imagination to run wild as he walked up to her. His lazy grin showed that he was not the least bit disappointed in what he was seeing either. How could simple be so elegant, C J thought?

  “The jeans suit you,” he said, leaning over to kiss her lightly on the mouth.

  Zoe, a bit stunned, just stood rooted in place. Did he really just kiss me and send every nerve in my body into high gear? Yes, the hell he did, she admitted. C J looked at Zoe, and she read the question on his face. Do we walk across the lobby and out the door or just walk back into the elevator and head upstairs? It was a simple question, but Zoe was conflicted about her desires.

  “Let’s do this,” she said.

  “What?” he said with a strained look.

  “Let’s get to this party and get the unforgettable night you promised me started,” Zoe answered.

  Not exactly what C J was picturing, but he put his hand at Zoe’s waist and said, “I can’t wait.” Zoe bit her lip and realized C J had a knack for saying things that could have double meanings.

  Stepping outside, Zoe looked at C J when she did not see the Cadillac parked and ready to go.

  Guessing her reaction, C J said, “I told you the Cadillac wasn’t my usual ride.”

  He took her arm and guided her to the passenger door of a Jeep Wrangler. “I took the liberty of leaving the top off since it looks like another nice night to stargaze,” he said, smiling at her.

  Zoe buckled her seatbelt and looked at C J as he got in the jeep. Before getting on the freeway, C J apologized for the noise but told Zoe the drive was a short one. Zoe didn’t mind at all because it gave her time to watch C J and not have to say a word. The wind rustled the curls behind his ears and gave him a tousled rakish look, which had Zoe wishing she had chosen the elevator to her room option. Sooner than she had expected, they exited the freeway and began to wind their way through an industrial warehouse district.

  C J noticed that Zoe was looking at him intently and asked, “What’s up?”

  “Just wondering how a flight to Houston to do a routine interview ended up with me attending a crayfish boil,” Zoe said. What she was also thinking was, how long does a crayfish boil las
t?

  “So, what exactly happens at one of these events?” Zoe asked.

  “Well we eat, drink beer, laugh a lot and dance. It’s a dinner party outdoors, with newspaper on the tables instead of tablecloths,” he answered her.

  Before they turned the corner of the building on their left, the distinct aroma of spices mingled with seafood reached her nose, and then she heard the unmistakable pulse of Zydeco music. While C J was sliding the jeep to a stop, three men all yelled his name and walked over to shake his hand with one of the men shoving a beer into his other hand.

  “Oswald Dupre, cher,” the man closest to her said and hugged her.

  Catching her breath, Zoe introduced herself, and before she knew it a cold beer was also in her hand. As the men spoke to C J and laughed, Zoe surveyed the party. There had to be over 200 people at this crayfish boil. Picnic tables covered in layers of newspaper surrounded a dance floor on three sides and she was just able to catch glimpses of the band through the crowd. Zoe spotted Burt Marshall and C J’s sister, Logan, at a crowded table covered with piles of crayfish, corn on the cob and buckets of iced beer. Logan yelled at C J to get his attention and he grabbed Zoe’s hand without thinking to help guide her through the crowd to the table. Logan smiled as they walked up, and she told her side of the table to scoot down the bench to make room for them.

  C J placed a paper plate filled with crayfish and corn on the cob in front of Zoe. “Start right in and throw the empty shells in a pile on the newspaper.”

  This wasn’t that unlike eating crab at an east coast beach party, so Zoe started to feel at ease. What Zoe wasn’t prepared for was the zing of the red pepper that hit her palate after she ate a few of the crayfish.

  When he saw her reaction, C J half grimaced half grinned and said, “Sorry I didn’t warn you about that but now you know why the beer comes in handy.”

  Then he pulled one out of the bucket, twisted the cap off and placed it in front of her. As Zoe started to drink, the cold beer cooling her mouth, she saw Jack Dupre walk by with a bucket of beer in hand, headed to another table. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Logan watching Jack without any effort to hide her interest.

  C J was right; this event had a lot of food, beer and people laughing while having a great time. Zoe noticed no hierarchy at this party. She saw CEOs talking to forklift drivers, and people mingled freely from table to table. However, C J was not leaving her alone like he had done at the cocktail party, and Zoe liked the fact that he positioned his body so that she was leaning into his side the whole time. More people had started to dance, and Zoe realized she was swaying to the music without thinking about it. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and then she saw Jack Dupre extend his hand and pull her up. Oh crap, Zoe thought, I haven’t danced in so long it’s not funny. Maybe the buzz from a few beers will make up for it.

  Jack smiled, as if reading her mind, and said, “Don’t worry. If you can waltz you can manage this, and besides, the dance floor is so crowded we will hardly be able to move.”

  Zoe, not sure if this last part was that comforting, stepped onto the dance floor with him. Jack was a phenomenal dancer, and Zoe felt like she was being guided effortlessly through the steps.

  “Having fun?” he asked after spinning her expertly through two couples.

  “I’m having a wonderful time and I’ll be sure to mention the Williams Company in my story. Thanks for inviting me,” Zoe said, smiling genuinely.

  “As I recall, it was C J who invited you tonight and I am thrilled you could come,” Jack answered.

  The song ended and Jack took his time walking Zoe back to the table, introducing her to people along the way. By the time they reached the table, C J was on his feet and extending his hand to Zoe.

  “After seeing what a great dancer you are, it’s my turn now,” he said, glancing at Jack. When they reached the dance floor, Zoe was relieved to hear this song was slow.

  C J grinned and said, “I paid handsomely to get them to play a slow song.”

  Zoe gave him an “oh really” look but melted into his body as he pulled her close to him. She could feel his heart beat against her chest, and she leaned her head against his shoulder and relaxed. C J paused mid-step, and Zoe looked up to see Logan and Jack on the dance floor together. The two of them did not look like lovers, but they did not look like enemies either. When C J and Zoe headed to the table to sit down, she had to swerve to miss sitting on a beer bottle someone had left on the bench. In doing so, her hand landed on C J’s thigh but this time she didn’t move it. C J waited to see if Zoe would move her hand, and when she didn’t his thigh muscles relaxed a bit but his penis started to grow hard and stiff.

  Knowing what she was feeling, C J looked at her and said, “Zoe I think you need to move your hand or I won’t be able to get up and walk out of this party.”

  Zoe’s hand moved to the bench, but she could hardly breathe. She had not felt this much pent up desire in years, and it was all she could do to sit at the table for one minute more. Jack and Logan walked back to the table, talking quietly. As C J looked at his sister she mouthed the words “just talking” and sat down. Before Zoe could say anything, C J stood up and started saying goodbye to the people at their table, using her flight out tomorrow as an excuse to leave the party early. Zoe nodded to Logan and said her goodbyes to the group as well. It seemed to take forever to wind their way through the party and head back to the parking area. When they encountered Jack Dupre on the way out, Zoe hugged him and thanked him for a great evening.

  C J looked at Jack who said, “It’s fine, C J, nothing to get worked up about.”

  Apparently C J was satisfied with this because he turned, put his arm around Zoe’s waist and headed for the Jeep. Instead of opening the Jeep door for her, C J turned her body, bent his head down and kissed her so hard that she knew exactly what his intentions were. She was ready.

  As Zoe pulled him closer to her, she parted her lips and his tongue slid into her mouth. She felt his penis hardening as his body pressed against her, and she moved her hand down his back, molding her body into his to feel the length of him.

  C J pulled back and groaned. “Unless we plan to finish this in the back of the Wrangler I say we stop now and get out of here.”

  Zoe, about to opt for the Wrangler, looked at C J and said, “Whose place is closer?”

  Opening the door for her, C J said “Mine.” Zoe leaned back in the seat, looked up at the stars and thought this is going to be one of the longest rides of my life.

  C J hesitated long enough to fix the shortest route to his place in his mind and then hit the gas. He felt an intense desire to satiate his body’s longing by connecting with Zoe and this shocked him. The need for sex was not new but such an intense desire for a particular woman surprised him. C J had no doubts this night with Zoe was going to be memorable and nothing else mattered at the moment. His desire to hold Zoe’s naked body and feel himself inside her was all he could focus on. Too damned bad they hadn’t just stayed in the hotel. Pulling into the driveway of his home, C J nixed the idea of waiting for the garage door to open and stopped near the front door. He looked over at Zoe and saw she was just as eager as he was because she was already reaching for the door handle to exit the Jeep.

  No reason to be shy or pretend she was having second thoughts at this point, Zoe thought to herself. Visions of C J naked and linked with her body were about to become a fact. Zoe relaxed a bit and sighed, only now realizing how much pent up desire she had for this man. She had no fears she would be disappointed in his body or his sexual appetite. Zoe’s thoughts were interrupted by C J unlocking the front door and waiting for her to enter his home. As she stepped into the foyer, she heard the door shut and immediately felt C J’s hands pull her body into his. She felt his hands deftly unbuttoning her shirt as she dropped her purse and scarf, freeing her hands to pull his face down to hers. When C J’s lips touched hers, it was like flooring the gas pedal in a sports car. Zoe’s body ached for him
and her desire was evidenced by the moistness she felt between her legs. C J raised his head and looked at Zoe briefly before she felt her shirt slip off of her shoulders and slide down her back. His hands caressed her neck and back. Then his lips started trailing kisses down the side of her throat to the hollow at the base of her neck. The moment Zoe felt her bra loosen, her body tensed for what she knew was to follow. Feeling C J’s lips tease the nipple of her left breast as his hand caressed her right almost brought her to her knees. Then his tongue ignited an ache between her legs as it started to circle her nipple and his right hand started to move to the top of her pants.

  “No,” Zoe said in a throaty whisper, “you don’t get all of the fun,” as she brought her hands to his belt.

  C J was silent as she undid the button on his jeans and slid the zipper down. Her hand moved over his hard belly, felt the heat of his body and the throbbing of his penis as her other hand tried to concentrate on getting his shirt unbuttoned. Zoe quickly abandoned working on the shirt and used both hands to slide his jeans down enough to give her the access she wanted to caress his penis. As her hands encircled his erect penis, C J arched his back and leaned into her touch.