Seduce Me (The Heart Series)

by Angela Estienne

  “So come on then, how has Zale been with you?” She was perched on the edge of her seat, her eyes fixed on me, waiting for any droplets of information relating to Zale. I could have a bit of fun here.

  “Very entertaining,” I replied. She frowned at me, she really did look disappointed, but then the corner of her mouth turned upwards.

  “Ha, ha, ha, aren’t you the funny one. Now you know what I mean so come on, give it to me, and I mean all of the juicy details,” I did know what she meant but it felt good to have a bit of fun again. But then I felt like a traitor to Greg. He had only been dead for six weeks and I was carrying on like he never existed. So I told her he had a great sense of humour, and an ‘I liked to be noticed, personality,’ but definitely not my type, she grinned like a Cheshire cat.

  “Have you asked him out? He obviously pushes the right buttons for you. This life does not last long enough. If you like him you need to act on it.”

  “He already has a girlfriend, her name is Lisa I think. I’m sure he said she was a model or something, I really wasn’t paying much attention at the time.”

  “That a shame.” I looked at my watch, no! I needed to go or I would be late.

  “Look I will have to run, I have my other job to go to, but I have had a lovely time, thank you.”

  “Good luck with your second job, see you in the morning,” she said. I waved goodbye and headed off.

  When I arrived at the coffee shop, Lana was there to greet me.

  “Good afternoon Jasmine.”

  “Afternoon Lana.”

  “Are you ready?”

  “I think so,” I replied.

  “Come with me and let’s get you your uniform.” she handed it over to me.

  “You can get changed in the changing rooms through that door.”

  “Thank you.” I walked off to go and get changed. You have to be kidding me, this must be a joke, I didn’t think people still wore this kind of stuff anymore. My uniform consisted of a black pencil skirt which sat about six inches above my knee with a small split in the back. I had been given a white frilly apron, which went from waist to the bottom of my very short skirt, it had a pocket attached. I wished I had brought some shorts with me, if I bent over you would be able to see my pants. Then the blouse wow, it looked nasty, it had vertical blue and white stripes, and it had long sleeves. Then I noticed a black and white frilly head band, but if all that wasn’t bad enough, the uniform had one more horror to give me, a pair of black stockings and a suspender belt. I was glad they had provided me with flat shoes to go with it, high heels would have been a step too far. I already felt as though I was in a blokes fantasy somewhere, I think the only thing worse than this would have been a short nurses outfit, to play some sort of dress up, role playing game. Nevertheless, I suppose a job was a job, I was thankful for the opportunity.

  When I walked out, Lana straightened my uniform up.

  “There, now you look the part, it suits you.” You have to be kidding me!

  “Right I have to shoot off but I will leave you in the very capable hands of Yukari. I have a bit of bad news for you. I have had to hire someone else for the weekend shift, I am sorry about that, but you still have the weekday afternoons to yourself. Now Yukari will stay with you this afternoon but then you will be on your own. Good luck and see you later.”

  “Bye,” wow she was like a whirlwind. I am glad she isn’t teaching me the ropes. I turned to Yukari.

  “Hi, I am Jazz, nice to meet you.”

  “Hi Jazz, it’s very nice meeting you, shall we get on with it then? Have you ever worked in a café before?”

  “No never, I have no idea what to do, I am clueless.”

  “Cool, I am already prepared to teach a complete novice, this is going to be fun.” She was very friendly, a short oriental looking lady, cropped short mousy brown hair, and glasses, now let’s see what I have to do today?

  She took me through to the kitchens. She was very efficient. She showed me how to make all the different salads and sandwiches. She had also made up a set of laminated instructions for everything I was expected to make. We walked back out to the front of shop and started on the drinks. She made a wonderful banana milkshake, and her smoothies were to die for. She let me sample everything, it was fabulous. The hardest thing was going to be filling the coffee machine up. I wasn’t very tall and I could have really done with a pair of ladders to help me. And talk about complex, the milk machine, wow, I had no idea the milk came in a box, but I had to remember to clip the tube before I put a new box in, I didn’t want to get covered in milk. I was so grateful to Yakari’s patients, she showed me how to work the till, this was all new to me, I had never worked a till in my life, but at least I wouldn’t need to cash up at the end of the day, Lana always came back to do that job apparently.

  My tummy was doing somersaults when my first customer walked in. They only wanted a Latte, so first one down. The more I served the more confident I became. I had my first big order come in, it was for an insurance company across the road. Four lattés, one Americano, six cappuccino’s, one hot chocolate, two strawberry smoothies, one chocolate milk shake and one banana milkshake, all to take away. I handled it but it was tough. I was definitely going to need to get faster at this, Yukari sat back and watched me work, she only got up if she thought I was struggling with something, it really was the best way to learn.

  Then I got my first sandwich order, as I looked up I was confronted by the biggest blue eyes I had ever seen.

  “Can I help you?” I was mesmerised by his eyes, I had to force myself to look away and not stare at him.

  “Yes, can I have a BLT on white and a decaffeinated latté?” his voice was low and commanding.

  “Coming right up, if you would like to take a seat, I will bring it over when it is ready.” A BLT was my absolute favourite sandwich. This was getting to be fun. Yukari came running into the back.

  “Did you see him?”

  “See who?” I replied.

  “Mr Luke Heart, you are making his sandwich now.”

  “Oh you mean Mr blue eyes?”

  “Yes, I have never seen him in here before. You are so lucky, I am totally jealous, you’re going to get all the best jobs. This isn’t fair.” She had a grin on her face and she was jumping up and down on the spot. She reminded me of Rachel, all bouncy and cheerful.

  “Ok slow down, slow down, what is so special about Mr Luke Heart then?” I asked. She rolled her eyes me.

  “Not only is he one of the richest men in England, but he is also one of the most eligible bachelors out there. He is lush. You must have seen him in the tabloids, every week they run a new story on him.”

  “I never follow the tabloids, complete waste of my time.”

  “Well how about magazines then? You must have seen him in some of them?”

  “Nope, I don’t read magazines, like I said I don’t see the point in them. I don’t want to know who is having whose baby or who a celebrity is going out with and who is cheating on who. I don’t know how they get hold of some of their stories, it’s all tosh.”

  “You are so in the dark ages, you are impossible.” She crossed her arms and started tapping her foot, “he is rich, like so rich, you got to be interested in that surely?”

  “Nope, money doesn’t impress me and it certainly doesn’t bother me.” These sorts of thing never bothered me. So he had money, he had looks, but that wasn’t everything in life. She rolled her eyes at me again and shot back out to the front.

  I took a closer look at him when I took his sandwich out. He dropped his pen on the floor, so I bent down to pick it up, he growled at me. Shit I forgot how short this skirt was, I was sure he had a good view of my panties. I could feel my cheeks going red. He was hot, very, very hot, he really was a hunk of a guy. Wow, big blue eyes, dark Mediterranean skin, shoulder length dark brown silky hair that slightly curled at the bottom. He looked like a bad boy in a posh suit with his gold sleeper peeking out from behind his hair. M
y sex clenched at the thought of him, I wouldn’t mind getting some of that I thought. Then I felt a sudden rush of guilt for thinking such a thought. My emotions were all over the place, I was missing Greg, I had to hold back on my tears, it wouldn’t look very good me having a meltdown at work. Yukari never took her eyes off him the whole time he was sat down, but back to reality, as I walked away I could feel his gaze scanning my body. I went into the kitchen to ‘cool’ off a bit.

  As he stood up, he put his suit jacket back on. He placed one of his hands inside his black trouser pocket, God he really was hot, he walked up to me at the counter. As he handed me the money I could see a gold cufflink and a black watch that almost blended into his very dark manly hairs on his arm, I licked my dry lips.

  “Thank you for the sandwich it was one of the best I have ever tasted.” His husky voice was talking to my inner body. The tall handsome stranger was effecting my body in ways that shouldn’t be allowed, I felt my nipples going peaky and I felt slightly flushed as my heart rate increased. I was lost for words like an awkward teenager. I could have just ripped his clothes off there and then.

  “Thank you,” I replied.

  “And I really appreciated the unexpected view, your bum looked good enough to eat through your silky red panties. I could have ripped them off you with my teeth.” I could feel my cheeks going bright red. “I will see you at the same time tomorrow. I expect my lunch to be waiting for me upon my arrival, if it is not ready I will have to spank your bum.” I had trouble swallowing the lump which had formed in my throat, he walked out of the coffee shop. As he turned to shut the door he had a faint trace of a smile on his face. Well at least he had some manners, but a very strange sense of humour.

  Yukari started giggling to herself when he had left. I took a sip of my water.

  “Come on spit it out, what are you giggling for?” I asked her.

  “He is hot for you girl, you should of seen his face light up when you bent down to pick his pen up.”

  “I am not surprised his face lit up, he had a bird’s eye view, this skirt doesn’t cover a lot does it?”

  “Yeah I know, I wanted to put some shorts on under it, but Lana flipped out, she said it would spoil the uniform, so I am now careful when I bend down, but you are not getting away from this subject, I think he really likes you, you could see it in his eyes.”

  “Don’t be silly he is probably like it with everyone,” I replied.

  “No way, he was totally giving you the eye, his gaze was fixed firmly on you girl. I am so not going to talk to you again. I can’t believe it and you don’t even know who he is.” She started laughing. I was actually worried, I felt wet at the thought of a spanking, and then my mind jumped to him ripping my panties off with his teeth. Then I felt disloyal to Greg. How could I have thought that? You are not a child Jasmine, get a grip. Be quiet brain.

  I’d enjoyed my first afternoon at the coffee shop. Yukari was so helpful. I was left feeling confused. How could someone saying something so simple turn me on? His husky voice kept replaying in my head, over and over again. I just couldn’t get the image of him spanking me out of my mind.

  I made a coffee and went to sit out by the stream, I put my arms around my bent legs and held myself tight. I could hear the birds tweeting in the overhanging trees, and the gentle sound of running water provided by the stream. I had the last rays of the sun hitting my back, now this really was a perfect way to live. I decided to catch up with Caitlin, she didn’t know about my afternoon job yet so it gave me a good excuse to phone her.

  “Hi Cat.”

  “Hi hun, is everything all right?”

  “Yes, I have some good news for you.”

  “Cool, tell me all then.” She loved hearing any news at all. She was always interested in my life, which made me feel good inside, having someone close to you, being so supportive was a blessing.

  “I have got another job, working 2:00 till 6:00 Monday–Thursday, I was supposed to be doing every other weekend as well, but because I am down there this Saturday they found someone else for that shift, but it is probably for the best, I need some down time now and then.”

  “God you really are having it all falling into place for you, I am so proud of you Jazz, I want to smother you in cuddles. I have a great idea let’s go out and celebrate on Saturday night, we can grab a meal and then go out for a drink afterwards, what do you think?”

  “I don’t know Cat, I don’t feel comfortable going out and enjoying myself it just seems wrong celebrating without Greg.”

  “Oh babe, I am sorry, but it will do you good going out, you deserve it, now come on.”

  “No, I can’t, it’s not right.” Her tone abruptly changed.

  “Listen to me Jasmine Williams, Greg loved you, he would be angry at you putting your life on hold, Greg would have celebrated such a big event as you having two jobs, don’t do this to yourself, we are going out and that’s final.” I really needed to get off this subject.

  “I will see you Friday night then?”

  “But we are going out Jazz, I will invite Dylan along.” How does she always mange to get the last word in? I love her but it should be up to me if I want to go out or not?

  “See you Friday Cat.”

  “I can’t wait to see you again, see you Friday night, bye hun.”

  “Bye babe,” when I put the phone down, I was still feeling guilty. I knew in my heart Cat was right, but it didn’t make it any easier.

  When I got back inside my phone beeped, a text message, it was Dylan.

  “Hi J, Cat told me that we r going out for a meal & a drink on Saturday evening, I can’t wait, D.”

  No, this was so unfair, Cat was ganging up on me, closing in the ranks. She was going to make it very difficult for me to get out of Saturday evening. I couldn’t let her bulldozer me into this.

  “Hi D, I am not sure if I am coming out, I think I will just have an early night, but I can’t wait to see you, J xxx.”

  Now he knew what I was planning, Cat couldn’t lead him down the garden path, I actually felt quite happy I had sorted it out. Good job Jazz.

  Then my phone bleeped again, now what?

  “Hi Babe, we are going out on Saturday, you are not weedling your way out of this, end of story, Cat xxx.”

  How annoying, she was so stubborn, once her mind was made up there was no shifting her, I typed Dylan a quick text back.

  “Hi D, apparently I am coming out on Saturday evening, thanks 2 to your sister and her stubbornness, J xxx.”

  I sat in the kitchen and put my lap top on, I was now curious as to this Luke Heart. Yukari made him sound like a god but I had to admit his blue eyes were hypnotic, so I thought I had better do my research. I typed his name into the search engine. There was a load of results, so I clicked on the first one.

  “Mr Heart looked ravishing this evening. He was accompanied by yet another blonde bombshell on his arm, will she turn out to be the next Mrs Heart? Mr Heart was a special guest at the premier of Dolls without Shoes, it was a star studded event . . .” As I read on, there was a picture of him with a tall, blonde lady on his arm. I flicked through a few more results then I went to look at images, all the photos were with leggy blonde ladies, obviously blonde was his thing. I was right, Yukari was mistaken, I felt so relieved inside. I turned the computer off and headed for a shower, but I really couldn’t get Mr blue eyes out of my mind, I found myself daydreaming about him. What if I was blonde? Would he be interested in me? Stop being silly Jasmine. I lie on the bed and put my MP3 player on, my music was soothing, I felt so relaxed, I went to sleep with a smile on my face thinking about Mr blue eyes.

  I woke up sweating. I wish I could get rid of these nightmares. I ran into the bathroom and ditched my clothes on the floor, I needed a shower, my mind was determined to replay the nightmare, I still couldn’t remember the accident. I was upside down in the car. My seatbelt was still fastened. My head hurt. I reached up with my hand to hold it, but it felt wet, I glanced at
my hand and it was covered in blood. As I was in the shower I again looked at my hands, I couldn’t help it, I was compelled to look. I slumped down onto the shower floor and cried, I could see flashing blue lights out of the corner of my eye, I could hear sirens in the distance, “No stop! Stop replaying, I can’t take it, please anyone make it stop.” but it carried on, I could hear loud screaming, but I wasn’t sure from whom, then it goes silent, I then hear voices talking quietly.

  “This wasn’t my fault, I was trying to lose the paparazzi, they are hounding me, because of you. This is your mess, not mine.” I cannot see any faces, I turn to my right and see Greg, his head, No! No! It cannot be right. His head is almost out of the windscreen, No! . . . And then it all goes dark, I grabbed hold of my legs and started rocking back and forth, trying to get rid of the images which plagued my mind. I got out of the shower still trembling, I dried myself off and went back to bed. I fell into a restless sleep.

  Chapter 6

  I woke up feeling tired. I needed a run to clear my head, so I got my running gear on. I loved to run, it always made me feel better about myself, plus I didn’t have to watch what I ate, I never put on weight if I was running, it was a great system me and my body had, eat what you like, but you must burn off the excess or pay the penalty of no clothes fitting. I put my towel and spare clothes in my rucksack, popped in my MP3 player now to find a good running track, Iron Maiden–Phantom of the Opera. Now this was a perfect song to run too, so I set off for work. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all, my ribs were definitely getting better, but not quite there yet. I slowed my pace and enjoyed a slow jog instead. When I arrived at work Rachel was stood outside waiting for me, I was looking forward to sitting down with her, and relaying some of yesterday’s information. I would leave the bit out about Mr Heart. I mean what could I say? This hunk of a sex god came in for lunch, I served him a BLT, he said it was the best he had ever tasted, then I had better have one ready for his return today or he would spank me. It sounded so silly and especially getting all hot and bothered about it.