by Mia Ford
“I want to go on the record to say this is a very bad idea. Stepping into those shoes is going to put a target on my back. It won’t take people long to uncover this sordid business.” My life was an open book with many of the pages left unwritten.
“We’re going to reinvent the wheel together. I will backstop your identity leaving little doubt to your heritage. We’re going to strip you of your old life in exchange for another.” I didn’t want to be some kind of trophy, but Coughlin was a man that wasn’t used to anybody refusing him.
“It doesn’t give us a lot of time. The window of opportunity is closing fast. I don’t know how you plan to pull the wool over their eyes. How in the world are you going to pull this off? A man with money is a dangerous man.” The one painful truth was that I owed my father more than I could ever pay back.
“I am a businessman looking for profitable opportunities. This building is one of the last holdouts in a development deal. Everybody has a price. I haven’t found the owners, but I will.” The heritage of the building went back to when it was a factory.
There was history in every piece of peeled paint coming off the walls. I could hear the sound of the sewing machines late at night. It was sacrilege to even think about bulldozing a footnote in history.
“I thought the name of the development company was familiar. It’s one of your subsidiaries hidden under a cloak of legitimacy. I don’t have to like you to work with you. I have someplace to be.” Once he was gone, I was a fuming mad and looking for the first person to lash out at.
My dinner with the pompous Sebastian Cole was going to take an ugly turn.
Chapter Four
Sebastian
I didn’t have to do it. It was a labor of love to get behind the stove. Developing those flavors put me in the right frame of mind. I was looking forward to some pleasant conversation. I didn’t expect anything more than that. It was a pleasure meeting Jessica. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
“You know the chef was a little angry when he left here this evening. I think he’s worried that his job is in jeopardy. I understand this is your way of offering up an olive branch. The only thing he sees is the food coming out of his family’s mouth.” It was not my intention to give the chef a complex about his abilities.
“I don’t normally do this, but I feel like going the extra mile for her. I can tell she’s a survivor. Life knocks her down and she keeps getting up to dust herself off. I admire the strength it takes to rise above the expectations of others. I see a free spirit wild and untamed. She’s nothing like some of the other girls I have dated recently.” It was nice to have Steadman to talk to about these things without feeling weighed down.
“I’ve taken the liberty of choosing your attire for the evening. I hope I wasn’t being too presumptuous. You only have one chance at a good impression. It’s not like she doesn’t know you have money. She only has to look around to know how wealthy you are.” I was stirring the pot and using my hand to inhale the aroma of the spices I had mixed into my Gumbo.
It was a family recipe found withered in a recipe book weathered by age. The yellowed pages brought back my childhood in a wave of culinary delights. My mother knew her way around the kitchen. I think I disappointed my father by following her around tugging at her apron.
“I sometimes wonder what I would do without you. I still have my independence, but you have made things infinitely easier. I could muddle through without you, but I don’t want to.” It was simmering and marrying the flavors into every morsel.
“What are your intentions toward her? I can tell she’s had her fair share of heartbreak in her life. It’s not fair to dangle happiness in front of her eyes and snatch it away. This one isn’t going to be a skid mark in the revolving door of lovers coming out of your bedroom.” He saw those women in the morning and obviously made his assessment by getting to know them better.
The kitchen was pristine with Stainless Steel Appliances. The stove I was working at had six burners. I was only using two of them to make a meal to satisfy any appetite. I hardly ever broke out those recipes my mother had left me.
There were times I was feeling nostalgic and gave the staff the night off. It left me the solitude to revel in those creations by my mother’s hand.
“You don’t have to tell me that she’s different. There’s something broken inside of her. She tries to hide it, but it’s not easy when her eyes are the windows to the soul. She puts on a brave face, but I see the anger and resentment.” I had done my own research and found her father to be the cause for all of her worries.
Gambling was his weakness. Cards held a strong appeal. I pitied her, but I saw the strength it took to keep her father from falling through the cracks of society. She could have washed her hands and walked away. The family bond had her wrapped around his little finger. He probably didn’t mean it, but he knew who to call when the chips were down.
“It appears she is going to be fashionably late. Use this time to make yourself presentable. I’m going to make myself scarce for the rest of the evening. You don’t need me to seal the deal. Be careful and you already know that her heart is fragile. Take things one step at a time.” His wise words made me realize that my life of imitation was predicated on what I wanted the public to see about me.
“I want to kick start this date on the right note. It’s the reason why I decided to be proactive by going after her sweet tooth. The tiramisu is going to melt in her mouth. I’ve never gone to these lengths to impress. Money can only go so far.” Thawing her heart wasn’t going to be easy with the metaphorical ice hard to chip away.
“I see something more about this one. She has captured your interest and made you a prisoner of her bewitching smile. I saw your eyes light up when she walked in the room. I was a little stunned by your reaction. I thought you were immune to a woman’s sexual charms. I should’ve known from personal experience it only takes one.” I saw the faraway look in his eyes and sensed there was more to his statement.
“You know you can talk to me about anything. You are more than an employee. You’ve been my friend and confidant for too many years.” Steadman tried to keep his personal life to himself, but there were always chinks in his armor during late night conversations.
“I don’t like to talk about the one that got away. It hurts me deeply to think of her in somebody else’s arms. Don’t make the mistake I made by letting her go out of pigheaded pride. Fight for what you want.” I was about to make my rebuttal, but I turned and found that he was gone.
I had no idea how he was able to do that. If I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn there was an array of secret passages for him to come and go at will. He held onto the proud tradition of being a butler through several generations of his family. His service to me went well and beyond his duties.
I placed the cover over the pot and opened the oven to make sure the dessert would be ready on time. The custard was my secret weapon. I abandoned my post and made my way upstairs to find my black tuxedo on the bed.
I took a quick cold shower with the freezing droplets awakening all of my senses. I had to mute the feelings I had for her. The craving to touch her was stronger with every second that passed. Living like a refugee sequestered in my home made me appear to be an eccentric.
I didn’t venture too far away from the premises. I had everything I wanted within the walls of my estate. I did attend functions in my honor. It would have seemed rude not to make an appearance. They didn’t need to know I was more comfortable around inanimate objects.
People had a tendency to say what I wanted to hear. There was always an underlying meaning laced in their statements. I’d become a master of reading between the lines.
I put on my clothing one item at a time finishing with the cufflinks and bow tie. It was my fervent hope that Jessica would see more than the packaging. I had sophistication and refinement. I worked diligently to perfect the man born from catastrophe. It was interesting to talk about myself in the third p
erson.
I heard the medley from the doorbell echoing through the estate. It was my favorite song called “The wayward son. There was a television show I watched in silence without any interruption. The hunters of the supernatural had become a guilty pleasure. The two brothers had me wondering what it would have been like to have a sibling.
I casually made my way down the stairs running my fingers along the mahogany staircase. It had recently been polished and it was tempting to slide down the banister taking on the guise of my childhood. I smiled guiltily.
I opened the door and found a scowl of contempt on her face. She brushed past me with her perfume delicately tickling my nostrils. I inhaled and found my eyes fluttering in appreciation for what she was wearing. The red dress was an extension of her body. There was obviously something on her mind.
“Don’t ask and I won’t tell. It’s galling to have you summon me here. It was a mistake to come here. I’m going to give you a little bit of my time. I’m doing this is for my father. The only reason why I do anything is for my father. It’s an endless cycle without an end.” I took her silk black wrap from her shoulders and put it in the closet.
“I won’t pretend to know what you’re going through. I never had my family around for those milestones. I inherited a small sum and parlayed it into what you see here today. I think we both know your father loves you dearly. I don’t know him, but I suspect gambling was something he didn’t see coming.” The candles were lit, but her attitude made me extinguish them with a quick puff of air from my lungs.
“I came over here to give you a piece of my mind. It’s not fair that you are being kind and courteous. You weren’t born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Knowing where you come from is half the battle. I don’t think I’m going to make good company tonight. We could postpone this until I have my head on straight.” She wanted to bow out gracefully, but I wasn’t going to give her that satisfaction.
“I want you to relax and forget about everything. I went to a lot of work and I don’t want it to go to waste. It’s not often that I have a female visitor for dinner. I would be offended if you walk out. There’s nothing here that will hurt you. Make yourself comfortable and I will be right back with refreshments.” She had a choice to make and I was hoping she was going to make the right one.
“I don’t see how any of this is going to help me. I’ve had some tough times in my life. The only constant was my father being there for me. He gave me the advice that my mother should have given me. Her death brought us closer together than ever before. Losing her changed him and he became bitter with aspirations of getting rich. He has been looking to grab the Brass ring for as long as I can remember.” She had a hard life but managed to emerge relatively unscathed. It was a testament to her strength and character.
“I have the perfect bottle of wine for the occasion. It’s from my own personal collection. I don’t feel bad for enjoying the finer things in life. I never had money growing up. My father had this house of cards which I had to deal with. I lost over half of my inheritance cleaning up his mess. It’s not nice when they leave us to become the gatekeeper of all of their secrets.” The only thing we had in common was our dysfunctional family dynamics.
I opened up the small fridge underneath the counter. The bottle I was looking for was soon in my hand. I popped the cork using a knife putting on a display like a magician for his audience. It appeared she was mildly impressed. She didn’t make a sound when the cork popped, but her body did jump a little from where she was sitting.
The leatherback chair with the accompanying ottoman was something special I had picked up in Brazil. It paled in comparison to the beauty and splendor of her long legs stretched out upon it.
She took the glass from my hand and polished off the contents by easily tipping her head back. She was a star burned out but there was still light ready to shine again. Somehow I was going to awaken the vibrant and vivacious woman underneath the caustic attitude.
“This does have a good body. I do have to warn you liquor goes right to my head. If your intention is to seduce me then you are on the right track. I’m going to take your advice. Nothing can be settled tonight concerning my father. The die has already been cast.” It was an ominous thing for her to say.
“Would you like to expand on that? I don’t want you to feel there is no way out. The heirloom you showed me has been verified to be the real thing. We can talk about the price over dinner. I prepared some of my childhood favorites. The recipes are my way of staying close to my heritage.” We adjourned to the dining room and I went into the kitchen to finish up some last minute details.
Chapter Five
Jessica
My stomach was in knots. I could feel the consequences of my actions bubbling up to the surface. I doused those flames with a glass of wine. I was drowning and looking for somebody to throw me a life preserver. I had no idea what to make of Sebastian. I came here ready to wipe the grin off his face. Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying being in close proximity to him.
I was feeling the effects of the liquor running through my veins. My head was swimming with this lightheaded intoxication. My worries washed away in the sea of wine numbing my senses. Seeing him through rose-colored glasses gave me a better understanding of what I faced.
“Dinner is ready. I hope you are hungry. I want your honest opinion.” I got up slowly using whatever surface I could find to keep myself on my feet.
“I haven’t eaten anything all day. I hope you have more than enough for seconds. My appetite can be overwhelming at times. I’m looking forward to you altering my expectations.” I was tired of waiting and the scent of the food drew me to it like a moth to a flame.
I still knew what I was doing, but my inhibitions had lowered significantly. I was licking my lips and giving thought to how I was going to get him out of his clothes. His tuxedo was hiding his body from my eager eyes. The clothes really did make the man.” The food was presented with the steam from the concoction swirling in the air around me.
“This is my special Gumbo. I spent hours perfecting it all afternoon. It turned out better than I could ever hope for. I don’t mean to brag, but I can back up my claim.” He sat down within reaching distance. It was tempting to grab the back of his head and force my tongue down his throat.
“I don’t think that I’ve ever had Gumbo. Color me curious to try it. It does smell fantastic and I hope it does your description justice.” One spoonful and the flavors were dancing on my taste buds.
“Don’t leave me in suspense. The look on your face tells me more than anything you can possibly say.” I was force feeding the mixture of meat and spices into my belly.
The China was a nice touch, but I was afraid of its delicate age. I was terrified of breaking something that probably cost more than my mortgage
I made sure to savor every bite. I got up and made my way into the kitchen with my empty bowl. I filled it and joined him with his arms crossed smugly.
“I can’t seem to get enough. You should seriously consider entering this into some kind of cook-off. You would win hands down every time. One taste and they would award you the blue ribbon without even bothering to try the others.” The Gumbo was soaking up the abundance of alcohol and had this sobering effect.
“I don’t often get the chance to entertain. I’m not saying I haven’t had my fair share of dalliances. There was nothing between us other than a mutual exchange of pleasure. I didn’t feel the need to show off my culinary talents in the kitchen.” I looked at him and was ready to do something bold and brazen.
“I don’t know what made me so special. Nobody has ever treated me with this kind of kindness. I would’ve been happy with takeout, but you took it to another level. I’m guessing there is a dessert to go along with this. This has been one surprise after another.” I wasn’t disappointed and my plan of using him as a scapegoat for my anger was no longer an option.
“I do have something decadent to touch your lips. This is a recipe
which I only use for special occasions. I want you to experience it. I don’t know why. Excuse me for a moment. Don’t go anywhere.” Wild horses weren’t going to be able to pull me away.
This was an exercise in how to seduce a woman by starting with the little things like a home-cooked meal. There were finesse and expertise in how he had crafted the perfect aphrodisiac.
He came back beaming with pride.
The delicate dessert was a perfect contrast to the hard muscled man delivering it. It didn’t seem possible for something like this to be made with masculine hands. This euphoria surrounded me one bite after another. I went from 0 to 60 in 5 seconds. I was dreaming in color with this rainbow of emotions grabbing me insistently.
“I love seeing how you react. Watching you take the first bite is my way of living vicariously through you.” The dress I was wearing was feeling too tight and I was desperate to relieve myself of its cumbersome burden.
“I don’t want this evening to end.” I pushed the plates out of the way after I had finished it down to the last crumb.
“I didn’t do this expecting anything.” I slid across the table with my legs spread in front of him.
“Spontaneous acts are good for the soul. You opened my eyes to a world I have never seen before. The universe has been sending signals all night. The way you dressed and how you cooked with such grace was inspiring. You are going to get laid.” I took a hold of my dress and hiked it up to my waist.