In Time to Love

by Gloria Martin

  Mel was just glad it was over. It all seemed a little surreal while at the same time exhilarating. She had learned a lot from the ordeal and gained a few friends. She also felt she had gained some courage. She had always spent her life with her head down, doing her job. She did not want to live her life like that anymore. Janey was feeling the same way. What the crime had been about was still confusing.

  “So the whole thing was built on revenge against the government?” she asked Max. She was sitting with Max, Dave and Janey in Darrel’s Deli, finishing a wonderful lunch.

  “Yep, the government wanted the buildings for government offices and the owners felt they were not getting a good enough offer. Due to the laws around government usage they had to take what was offered. So when they were given a year to get ready for the buyout, the three companies got together and decided on a plan,” Max told them, popping the last bit of his corned beef sandwich into his mouth.

  “The plan was to strip their companies of all the assets and then burn the buildings down, so the government would not get to use them as planned. Amongst the many problems with the plan, they hired some low level thugs to do the dirty work. I have heard the mob wouldn’t even hire these guys. Which explains the stupidity of their actions,” Max told them.

  “The owners are on the defensive now and claim they had no idea that the thugs would kill anyone. The problem with that is the leader that shot you Mel, has a message from one of the owners to do just that. Like you said Janey, idiots,” Dave said.

  Mel looked over at her friend. Janey was sitting sideways to the table due to the brace around her injured leg. She had been shot in the leg while Mel had been hit in the shoulder.

  “Do you want to know the funny thing?” Max asked with a grin.

  “Sure go ahead,” Mel said.

  “They had cashed everything out, not trusting wire transfers due to traceability, and all that cash was in the getaway van, with the driver. Once everything went down at the motel the driver panicked and took off. He has over five hundred million in the back of the van and no one can find him,” he said. Everyone laughed.

  “I guess the smartest guy got the money. Part of me hopes he doesn’t get caught,” Janey said. They laughed again. They had been laughing a lot at this meal. Partially, she was sure, in relief. Mel had been trading little glances with her two boyfriends and knew that soon they would be getting together. Janey was a little jealous of her relationship and asked if Max or Dave could set her up. Her boyfriend Mike had decided Janey was dangerous to hang around with and left her. She wasn’t too upset by that.

  “So one more thing, just to be sure,” Janey asked suddenly.

  “Go ahead,” Dave said.

  “I was shot by the bad guy, but Mel was shot by one of the cops?” she asked.

  Mel sighed. Janey had been teasing her about that.

  “The big guy shot you and one of the cops returned fire and missed. Hitting Mel, yes,” Max answered. He wasn’t quite as amused by it as Janey was. The compassionate look he gave her warmed her. She couldn’t help smiling though.

  “Fortunately the three companies had enough left in their assets that reparations are going to be made,” Mel said. She was glad about that, for the sake of the janitor’s family at Super Shoes and the deaths at the other companies. They deserved something for their suffering. They all agreed on that and then they went up to her apartment. Janey was going to be staying with her for a few days. The previous day she had been informed her apartment needed fumigation. She had no place else to stay.

  Dave grinned at her. “We were wondering if you ladies would want to go out to dinner. You just got out of the hospital and deserve something. A bunch of our co-workers will be getting together for a weekly beer and burger fest and we would be glad if you joined us,” Dave said. Janey’s eyes lit up and Mel felt herself pep up even more. She had a feeling Janey surrounded by handsome firemen would be fun to watch. They both agreed with gusto. Mel had no idea what direction her life was going in, but she knew it would be interesting to find out. Fun too.

  THE END

  Bonus Story 28 of 40

  The Choice

  Marceline

  I sighed deeply, trying to prepare myself for the night that lay ahead. This wasn’t going to be one of my typical waitressing shifts, this was going to be working with extremely rich men and women – people that had more money than sense – and I had to be top notch if I wanted the party to go well.

  After all, it was the tips that kept me going, and this party held endless possibilities for that. I’d made sure in advance that I was looking my best for that exact reason. I’d pulled back my long dark hair into a French braid, I’d scrubbed and exfoliated my body to give me added confidence, and I’d even bothered to apply a cute red lipstick, which contrasted well white my pale, milky skin.

  It wasn’t that I particularly got off on using my looks to get me places, but in waitressing, looking smart and presentable always equaled more respect and bigger tips. Every single time.

  “You okay?” Nikki, one of my closest friends asked me. “You seem a little nervous.”

  I couldn’t help but notice that she seemed completely at ease with all of this – as if hosting this sort of event was something that she did all the time. Why did I seem to be the only one that was finding this difficult?

  “Yeah.” I huffed once more. “Just a little tired.”

  Juggling my studies with this job – which I needed to do to fund my dream to become a lawyer – was difficult, but I didn’t have any choice. My family was too poor to be able to help me, and I was unselfish enough never to ask them. I’d been independent from a very young age, and was proud of that quality about myself.

  “Come on,” she tugged on my arm, smiling. “Dominic needs to prep us.”

  As our manager Dominic droned on about proper behavior, the billionaires filtered onto the yacht. This party was to celebrate some business merger or another and I was certain that it was going to get nuts. I’d never seen rich people party, but I was sure that they went wild when they really got into it. Seeing all of that was one thing that I was really excited about!

  Finally, we were set lose among them, holding platters of various pretentious food items. Some people were rude, and others dismissed us entirely as if we were dirt to be trampled on. That really annoyed me.

  Well, it would have done under normal circumstances, but tonight I was focused on something else. There was one businessman that kept distracting me by sending me secret smiles. At first I decided that I was imagining it, but then it kept on happening, and finally I got a wink – proving to me that there was something going on here.

  I didn’t know what to think about that, what I was supposed to do, but I couldn’t stop myself from grinning back on more than one occasion. He was absolutely stunning – talk, dark and very handsome – so of course I was incredibly flattered.

  But it was more than that. He was sending butterflies flying all over my body. I liked him, a lot. I found him incredibly sexy.

  But out of my league… obviously.

  “What are you doing?” Nikki hissed at me when she caught me sending him another smile. I tried to shrug it off, but she was having none of it. “Just don’t let Brad catch you. You’ll get fired.” She wasn’t judging me, she was warning me. We’d seen more than one staff member lose their jobs for stepping over professional boundaries.

  Much as I knew that she was right, I didn’t seem to be able to help myself.

  Finally, as the night started to darken, the yacht turned around to go back home, and the party started to wind up, he approached me.

  “You’re a pretty young thing, aren’t you?” he smirked, sending a bolt of desire racing right through me. If anyone else had said this, I would have found it sexiest and offensive, but somehow coming from him, it felt like a compliment.

  “Th… thank you.” I stuttered, glancing around hoping that I wasn’t about to get caught. Talking to the clients was f
ine, but if anyone heard what was being said… that would be another story!

  “So, are you going to tell me your name?” He moved closer to me, giving me the chance to inhale his musky scent. The way he smelt was so sexy that it actually made it hard for me to think.

  “M… Marceline,” I stammered, feeling a blush fill my cheeks. “Yours?” As soon as I said this, I realized that it was probably rude. Asking the name of a billionaire was probably not the done thing. I’m sure it had been mentioned in the proper behavior speech.

  “Guy.” He completely brushed over my blunder. “Now, what’s a stunning girl like you doing waitressing? Shouldn’t you be a model or something?”

  “Oh, I… I don’t think so.” I grew in embarrassment, not sure how to react to such blatant flirting. I knew how I wanted to react, especially with him so close to me, but I also knew that wouldn’t be appropriate. I could not afford to lose my job over this bit of fun!

  “Anyway,” I smiled weakly, already feeling sad that I had to leave. “I’d better get back to work.”

  “Oh of course.” He touched my shoulder, causing me to suck in a shocked breath. “But here’s my phone number, in case you want to reconvene after the boat has docked. I’d like to see you again.”

  And then he left in a breeze of expensive cologne, leaving me confused and incredibly turned on, with a business card between my fingers.

  I stuffed it into my pocket, racing off to find Nikki. I needed to tell her what had just happened!

  “So text him,” she hissed, as soon as I’d finished my story. “Men like him don’t come around every day.”

  “I know, but… what if he’s a dick?”

  She sighed deeply, knowing that I was referring to my past. My ex-boyfriend, Dylan, had been a real shit – cheating, lying, and manipulative. It had taken me a long time to walk away from him, and even longer to recover from it all.

  “Not every guy is like that,” she murmured quietly. “You can’t allow your past to define you. You’ve spent too long avoiding men because of Dylan. And anyway,” she smiled at me, landing her final argument, “no one is asking you to marry him. Just have a bit of fun for crying out loud!”

  As she left the bathroom, she’d given me a ton to think about. My body was gagging for that hunk, but my brain was trying to be smart.

  I wondered which one was going to win…

  *****

  Hugh

  I spotted the gorgeous, dark-haired waitress from the very first second that the party started. I immediately knew that I wanted to take her home, and I knew that I would end up doing so because I always got what I wanted.

  But then I had to do the rounds chatting to the other guests, and she had to work, and I completely lost track of her.

  It was only when I went looking for her once more, to ask her out, that I’d spotted her talking to and laughing with Guy, my friend and business rival. I knew in that moment that all was lost. He was handsome in the muscular rugged type of way, and extremely charismatic. The opposite of me. I was good looking too, but in a more understated, preppy way, and I was quieter than him too. Sure, I was just as determined and successful, and I did always get my way, but I didn’t go about it in the over-the-top fashion that Guy did.

  I wouldn’t be able to compete now that he’d stuck his claws in.

  As soon as I saw my mystery woman talking to him, I knew that she’d never be mine – not that night anyway. I would have to come up with another method if I wanted her too. It wouldn’t be tonight, but I was sure that I could have her at another time.

  And as I watched her blush at something he said, a steely determination took over me that I absolutely would have her. I would do everything within my power to make her desire me, to make her crave me.

  I stalked away and quickly found my personal assistant to send him on a mission. I adored my PA; he was great at this sort of unexpected task. He never asked questions, or judged me; he would always just do as I asked. I knew he’d get this job done, and I trusted him implicitly.

  Tonight however, I would have to settle for growing increasingly jealous and pissed off at the thought of Guy and her together. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to think about anything else, and I decided that the only way I could deal with that was by getting stinking drunk.

  “Whiskey,” I growled at the barman, just as I saw Guy walk away from her, having just handed her his card. “Double. On the rocks.”

  *****

  Guy

  As soon as I received a text from little Miss Marceline, I knew that it was game on. I’d known that she would meet me from the boat, that she would agree to a drink, and that we would end up back at my townhouse. I could just tell by the way her eyes had lit up at the sight of me, and by the way she’d shone as I spoke to her. She liked me, a lot, and for that I was glad.

  We met up again as planned. But I had no idea how much I would like her! She was so much more than all of the usual airhead women that I slept with. We were usually just using one another – me for their bodies, them for the life that I might turn around and offer them – but Marceline was different. She wasn’t just sexy and sweet, she was incredibly intelligent too. She captivated me for her mind and spirit, as well as her rocking body.

  We’d just had a long conversation about opera, and now we were discussing classic literature. She challenged me in a way that I hadn’t been challenged for a very long time, and I liked her all the more because of it. I found myself wanting to know everything that there was to know about her – which was weird, because normally I stopped as soon as I knew their names.

  I could tell that she was growing to like me more and more too, because she becoming increasingly comfortable and happy with me.

  After our third tumbler of champagne, I finally leant in and pressed my lips against hers. I’d wanted to do it for an extremely long time, but this moment just felt right. It felt perfect.

  She responded shyly at first, as if she wasn’t quite sure what she should be doing, but she soon lost herself – kissing me hungrily and passionately, sparking emotions inside of me that I hadn’t felt for a long time.

  I pulled back for a second, just to look at her. She looked raw, exposed, and all I wanted to do was devour her completely.

  My brain was telling me that if I really liked this girl, then I should take it slowly, but then she groaned in pleasure and my resolve went out the window.

  Our clothes shed in a blur, and soon we were both completely naked and entwined on the sofa. I did wonder if Marceline always moved this quickly – she certainly didn’t seem the type – but quickly pushed that thought aside. It didn’t matter, if something was ever going to become of this then it would anyway – regardless if we slept together now or not.

  I trailed my fingers up her thighs, feeling her gasp and wiggle beneath me. As I finally found her hot, wet opening, and pushed my fingers in to explore that, her body buckled beneath me, making me feel like the sexiest, most powerful man alive. Her gasping and panting heated up my belly, and I claimed her once more with my mouth while I explored all that she had for me.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I whispered. I started to experiment, to see what worked for her. I ran kisses down her body, finding her nipples with my teeth. Clearly, she was becoming overwhelmed with all of the sensations, because she couldn’t grasp her breath for long enough to reply. Her nails digging deeply into my back told me all that I needed to know.

  Then, as I flicked my tongue over her breasts, she totally surprised me by reaching out and grabbing onto my thick length, running her fingers up and down it. I lost myself in her touch for a few moments, just closing my eyes and letting her play with me, but it quickly became too much.

  “Stop.” I panted, pulling her off me. I wanted to feel all of her before the night was out. “Not yet. Too close.”

  I watched her face intently as I teased her entrance. She wanted me, badly, but she didn’t want to ask for it. She was trying to stay composed, but her facial
expression occasionally broke, giving her away. She wanted me, desperately.

  I gave her a funny little smile, hoping that she was feeling all the raw but pleasant emotions that I was.

  Then, just as I was about to thrust, just as I thought I had her all worked out, and that I had her totally under my control, she shocked me once more by flipping me onto my back, and sliding down onto me in one smooth movement.

  As she grinded on top of me, her head tossed back in pleasure, I realized just how truly gorgeous she was. As her dark hair cascaded down her silky white body, it took all that I had not to lose it right away.

  It wouldn’t be long, but I wanted to make the most of this woman while she was here…

  *****

  Marceline

  As soon as I woke up the next morning, I wondered what the hell I’d been playing at. I never slept with guys like that on the very first date, ever. But there had just been something so attractive about Guy, and I’d found myself unable to resist.

  I’d wanted him so damn badly, but now, in the cold sober light of day, I was more than a little embarrassed. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d made a mistake, so before he even woke up, I grabbed my things, got dressed and called a taxi to pick me up. I probably could have walked, but I didn’t feel like doing the walk of shame. I just wanted to be back at my home, where I could shower and sort my head out in peace.

  As the taxi pulled in to my street, I couldn’t help but marvel at the difference – it was like Guy and I lived on different planets. He had more luxuries than I’d ever seen, and I had a basic, tiny one bedroom apartment. I wasn’t jealous exactly – after all I’d worked hard for all that I had – but I couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take me to be able to afford even a quarter of what Guy had.

  As I stepped into my home, I let out a breath that I hadn’t even realized that I was holding. And that was the moment I checked my phone to spot a message from Dominic, which I listened to immediately.

  “Marceline,” he snapped right away, sounding stressed. “We’ve already been offered another job, and I really need you to work it. Please call me back so I can give you the address.”