Hat Trick

by Morris Fenris

  “Why did you leave Kansas?”

  For a moment, she thought she saw an expression akin to pain but it vanished just as quickly.

  “It was time to move on,” he said tightly and then changed the subject. “So did you always want to be a photographer?”

  Sensing the mood she quipped, “No, there was a time I wanted to be Dora the Explorer, but that didn’t work out well. You see, I wasn’t the appropriate height and I didn’t repeat sentences as much as she did.”

  He let out a laugh that had her grinning. Soon, between camera clicks, jokes and exchange of personal bits, they both started to feel comfortable around each other. As the sun began to ascend to the highest point in the sky, they turned around.

  “It was a great hike, wasn’t it?” Seraphina asked as they reached their cars.

  Cole nodded. It had been a while since he had thrown on outdoor clothes and done something like hiking. He was used to doing more daredevil things like cliff-diving, paragliding, or whitewater rafting, but doing something as normal as hiking a beautiful trail, with a woman who was turning out to be good company, felt liberating.

  “I have a basket in my car. We could picnic by that spot, if you’d like?” He pointed to a large tree that provided a good amount of shade.

  “Really?” she said eagerly and then immediately toned it down. “You’re great. It’s like you read my mind. …I love picnics. My parents and I used to have them all the time when we…” She suddenly laughed. “Listen to me carry on.”

  “No, please continue. I like listening to your voice,” Cole said, smiling at her.

  Seraphina pulled her cap down to shield her face from the sun and returned the smile. “You don’t have to get back to work, right? I mean if you do, it’s okay… I’m a patient woman. We could always do it in your free time.” She fervently hoped he did not have to work because unlike what she had said, she did not think she could be patient. For once, she wanted to be selfish in pursuing her own path.

  Cole was bemused for a moment and then his lips quirked up. She was giving him a way out. Never had a woman ever done that. Even when they knew he had to work, they clung on harder and then complained that he never spent enough time with them. This woman was contradictory. She first took him hiking instead of demanding to be taken to some fancy place and then instead of clinging on, gave him a way out.

  “I don’t work 24/7, you know,” he said, pretending to be offended although he was more amused than anything. “Plus, Glenda would see to it that I starved for a week if she knew I left my date hungry even after she prepared a great meal for you.”

  Seraphina blushed when he called her his date. She was not sure if he would see it as a date or not. The man came from a sophisticated world where dates took place in high-class places and not on hiking trails but it made her happy that he considered their day out as a date. Her plan to change his mind was already working. Those were some of the most perfect hours she had spent with a man in a long time.

  He unloaded the basket from the car and Seraphina helped him lay out the sheet before arranging the items of the picnic basket on it. Glenda, his cook had prepared an amazing array of food. There was fresh fruit, a variety of sandwiches – tuna, chicken and tomato – and chilled orange juice, potato salad and a scrumptious-looking apple pie, all arranged and put together beautifully.

  Cole retrieved two bottles of beer from the ice box and sat down across from her. “What do you think?”

  Swallowing her bite of the delicious tuna sandwich, Seraphina replied, “Mmmm. This is so good. Feels so homey. My mind is trying to come up with ways to subtly kidnap your cook.”

  He laughed and bit down on Glenda’s famous chicken sandwich with its rich creamy layers.

  “I’m guarding her like Fort Knox. There is no way you’d get through to her.”

  “We’ll see about that,” she said in a mysterious voice.

  “I’m serious. She cooks all my comfort dishes. I would never let anyone through to her.” To add an effect, he growled threateningly.

  Seraphina looked taken aback and then starting laughing. “You did not just growl.”

  He showed her his pointy whites. “I’m a dangerous man, Seraphina. You should rethink your plan.”

  For a panicky moment, Seraphina wondered how he figured out her plan so quickly and then realized that he was talking about something else. She quickly covered her look of relief by taking a sip of the juice and plastering a smile on her face. They continued their banter throughout and before long almost all the food was gone. The hike had left them not only thirsty but had also created a ravenous hunger in them.

  “You have to thank Glenda from me.”

  “I think Glenda will be the one thanking you,” Cole said, sighing as he leaned against the tree feeling too full.

  “Why?”

  “She appreciates a woman who can eat.”

  “Oh.”

  “That was a compliment. I appreciate a woman who can eat too. I don’t see the point in starving yourself when you could be enjoying yourself.”

  She grinned. “We seem to have similar views on that then.” She muffled a groan as she eased herself flat on the ground. “I don’t think I can move though.”

  “I can’t see my toes,” Cole added, pretending to strain to see over his stomach and in the process making her laugh.

  “Stop!” she suppressed another groan. “Don’t make me laugh. Too full.”

  Cole did not do it intentionally but a bubble of laughter made its way to his throat and before he knew it, he was laughing hard, unable to control himself. His laughter was so contagious that Seraphina joined him till tears streamed down her face.

  He stared at the rosy-cheeked woman lying across from him and something pinged inside him. She was not wearing an ounce of makeup except for the lip gloss yet her face shone with simple beauty. In the few hours he had known her, he felt freer than he ever had. There was something about her that made him feel so comfortable. He liked that she was so unafraid and open.

  She sensed his slate-grey eyes staring at her and suddenly felt self-conscious. She tried sitting up and stifled a moan as the muscles in her stomach protested. Subtly, she swiped a hand across her face just to make sure he was not staring at some food particle stuck there.

  “Thank you,” he said simply, smiling at her.

  Her heart started to beat erratically. This smile was different. It awakened awareness in her and her skin started to tingle pleasantly.

  “Why are you thanking me?”

  “I enjoyed today,” he replied. “It’s been a while since I was able to do that.”

  An understanding filled her. A man like Cole St. John who was thrown into a world of work and more work never got to experience the simple pleasures of life as often as she did. Already she saw him differently than how the magazines depicted him. She saw someone longing for happiness, just like she was. She saw the hunger for new excitement. For a moment she thought she could see right through his soul.

  “Seraphina…” The way her name rolled off his tongue made her shiver and she found herself leaning towards the owner of the deep, husky voice.

  “I have a business event this weekend. It’s at the beach resort. I was wondering if you would like to join me.”

  The words started to process slowly in her hazy mind and then she jerked out of it. “The beach? I wouldn’t say no to that.”

  “Great!” he grinned at her.

  Disappointment filled her as he sat up and started to clear away their leftovers. Most men would have gone for a kiss by now, but Cole had not made a move yet. She mentally scolded herself. Maybe he was taking it slow. Slow was good. It built up the anticipation and made things even better. Excitement coursed through her at the prospect of spending time with him at a beach. Things usually had a tendency of heating up at the beach.

  Cole found himself doubting his judgement when the beach date evening arrived. What had he been thinking inviting Seraphina, a woman he ba
rely knew, to a business event? She seemed fine but so did a few of the other women he had been with until the crazy side came out. There was a little crazy in her, for she seemed to believe the psychic’s words. But he was at fault too for not discouraging her.

  Caught behind the turmoil of calling and cancelling at the last minute, and ignoring the cautious part of him and just going with it, he did not hear the front door bell ringing. He hurried down the stairs to open the door, muttering about crazy photographers and beaches, and gaped at the sight in front of him.

  His breath caught when he took in the deep purple gown that clung to Seraphina’s curves and brought out her creamy skin tone. There was a golden interlinked belt around her hips that highlighted her shapely hips. Instant lust hit Cole as his eyes lifted upwards detecting the modest cleavage and the delicate neck adorned with a simple necklace.

  “Wow,” he finally managed to choke out.

  Seraphina felt proud she managed to elicit such a reaction from a man who had linked arms with dozens of gorgeous women. She rarely wore heels but tonight she had selected a pair that was suitable for the event. Not only did they bring her almost to Cole’s height, but somehow they made her feel more confident.

  Cole had offered to pick her up again but she had denied, knowing that Carli would be home then. She did not want her friend to meet him just yet nor did she want her interrogating him like a mother hen. Carli sometimes tended to scare her dates away and even though she knew Cole was nothing like her previous dates and would not scare easy, she did not want him and Carli to have a bad start-off.

  She did a slow twirl for him and laughed softly at his open-mouthed expression. “I picked this dress with you in mind. Do you like it?”

  “Like it? Seraphina, you look like a goddess in it.”

  She could not help the wide grin from spreading on her face. She was rarely complimented and a compliment coming from Cole meant a lot. “Thank you.”

  Taking in his dark blue suit, she could not help but shiver as the pleasant tingles returned. The suit and pant was tailored for him and emphasized the strong, broad width of his shoulders and the contours of his fit body. The open collar of his white shirt offered her a sneak peak at the powerful muscles beneath. She had never dated someone who was the epitome of fitness before and she could not take her eyes off him.

  “No, thank you! However, I may have to fight off other men tonight. I hope you realize that there is a chance some blood will be spilled because of my fair lady,” Cole said, grinning back at her, aware of her eyes panning over him.

  “Now you’re just being cheesy.” Seraphina shook her head in amusement and then returned the compliment. “You look really handsome, by the way.”

  “Why, thank you!” Cole took a dramatic bow and said with a straight face, “but what is my handsomeness before your bright allure, oh dear shining star?”

  Seraphina burst out laughing. The man had so many layers to him and it was fun getting to know him. It was so different from the side the media portrayed – that of a ruthless businessman.

  Suddenly Cole realized she was still standing outside his door and mentally cursed. “Sorry, I’m being so rude. Please come in.”

  “I’m a little surprised that you answered your own door,” she said, stepping inside and looking in awe at the interior of the condo.

  “Oh yeah, my butler doesn’t work here. He opens doors at my mansion.”

  Taking in her wide eyes, he laughed and she realized he was just teasing her. She hit him softly with her clutch and then gestured towards his open collar.

  “Do you want help with that?”

  Cole had been about to fix his necktie when the thoughts and the doorbell had distracted him. Fishing out the necktie from his front pocket, he nodded and handed it to her. It was not as though he could not tie it himself but there was something nice about a woman doing it for him instead.

  Her long, slender fingers slid around his neck as she moved closer and propped up his collar. He tried not to move as he felt her hot breath on his neck and the warmth of her hands on his sensitive skin. As she straightened his tie and patted it down to smooth some wrinkle, her hand brushed against his Adam’s apple that bobbed immediately, causing her to withdraw and step back quickly.

  They stood there staring into each other’s lust-filled eyes for what seemed an eternity. The whole necktie thing had been like a sensual dance that had heightened all their senses so when the intercom buzzed, they both sprang away as if they had heard a rifle shot.

  Cole cleared his throat, still not taking his eyes off Seraphina as he walked towards the intercom.

  “We’ll be right down, Ethan,” he said in a calm voice and then asked, “ready?”

  Seraphina could not trust herself to speak just then so she just nodded. Once inside the elevator, the closed-off space caused their ignited spark to sizzle some more and with an effort they stood as far as they could from each other. The cool evening air was a welcome relief to their flushed skins.

  The bald man in uniform, who she assumed was Ethan, opened the door for them when they were a few paces away from the car. Cole held her hand like a gentleman while she slid in as gracefully as she could across the leather seat. She murmured her thanks to the driver and smiled at Cole. It was the first time in a long while that anyone had held a door open for her.

  The evening was starting to take exciting turns already. There was no doubt now that Cole was attracted to her and this immensely pleased her. The words ‘soul mate’, ‘love’, and ‘happy ending’ danced in front of her dreamy eyes as she stared at the gorgeous man beside her. Her descent into the happiness pit was starting to begin finally.

  Cole breathed in the leather of the seats and the sweet smell that was Seraphina and almost hummed – it was extremely arousing. He had no idea how he was going to get through the night without letting the world know exactly in which direction his thoughts were headed.

  ♥●●♥

  * * *

  Chapter 5

  Seraphina cringed as the basement door clanged open. She hurriedly scattered the newspapers over her books to hide them and slid off the chair as quietly as she could. But the harsh voice stopped her cold in her tracks.

  “Where are you going, girl?”

  Seraphina willed herself not to look up as a heavy hand landed on her shoulder. The bruise that had appeared there last week was almost gone but the dreadful pit that formed in her stomach at the sound of the hated voice knew it was going to reappear, right over the fading one.

  “To the kitchen, sir,” she said, trying to control the quivering in her voice. He hated when their voices quivered or when they cried.

  “Who gave you permission to go there?” he barked.

  When she did not respond, he gave her a backhanded slap that sent her stumbling backwards into the cupboard.

  “Have I not told you to answer when I ask a question?” He strode over to her now trembling body and yanked her up by her skinny arm.

  “Yes sir,” she replied, pushing the pain away, not wanting to show any tears.

  “Look at me!” he roared.

  This was a trick, something Seraphina had caught on to quick when the hellish rounds began. Those who looked at him when he did not give them permission to, were punished. But those who looked at him when he gave them permission, were punished as well.

  “Look… At… Me…”

  He did this every time. Compelled them to look even when they knew what was going to happen. But Seraphina refused to be compelled this time. She stared down steadily, her eyes clear of any tears as her mind worked furiously on a math problem.

  The heavy foot came down on her ribs and she gasped for air. The blood rushed furiously through her system as the pain gathered in intensity. Her concentration broke and tears flooded her eyes, they fell onto her sunken cheeks.

  “I’m sorry,” she gasped out, not sure what she was apologizing for. She only knew that if she repeated it enough times, the assault
would stop eventually. “I’m sorry!”

  “No you are not, you ungrateful wimp.” Another kick across the ribs.

  She repeated the plea, until she could no more.

  Next thing she knew she was waking up to a buzz of voices. Sharp pain lanced her sides but she managed to get on one elbow and look at her surroundings. She did not recognize the place. The walls were colorful and the ceiling was white as milk. The air smelled clean, nothing like the rotting scent that used to fill the house.

  Was she dead? Was she in Heaven? She wondered and gasped when her elbow could not take her weight anymore and she sank back into the soft bedding. This had to be Heaven unless it was not real. She probably was hallucinating. He would never let her go that easily. He had taken a vow to make her suffer and he would not let her leave just yet. It had to be all in her head. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath though it hurt too much. She should enjoy the peace while she could. She would have to wake up soon.

  “Child?” A soft voice spoke, rousing her. Her brown eyes opened to stare at the sharp blue ones. They did not belong to him. He had cold, bottomless black eyes. And he would never have addressed her so kindly. Was she still dreaming?

  “I’m sorry I had to wake you up,” the owner of the blue eyes spoke, smiling down at her. “With your injuries, I had to make sure …” The voice trailed off and then picked up again. “How are you feeling?”

  Seraphina felt confused. Why was the voice mentioning her injuries? How did they know? No one ever got to know. She tried to speak but her throat hurt. There was a shuffle and a curse and then…

  “Sorry. Your throat must hurt… Here.” Something cold was pressed into her hand. “Ice chips.”

  When she made no move to lift what seemed to be a glass, the person asked, “do you need help with that?”

  She simply nodded, finding that even that hurt her head. Cold ice chips were pressed against her heated lips and she sucked on them greedily, not realizing the extent to which she thirsted. The coldness trickled to her throat, stinging at first and then soothing.