by CJ Hawk
"Time to line-up dude!" Zach slapped his hand hard on the end of Trey's bed making it sound like a hard 'thwack'.
Trey rolled back over to his back, carrying the sheet with him to cover his man parts and kept the pillow over his eyes. His voice sounded hung over to his own ears. He had told Zach all about Jennifer and his feelings yesterday while surfing and as usual, his buddy was not much help in the love department. Hell, he was usually the one bailing Zach out of a mess that he put himself in with his own girlfriend, Hailey. The only reason he did that and muddle around in their business was that Hailey was a godsend when his daughter Bethany came to visit every summer. Hailey wanted kids, girls in particular, and Bethany and his relationship had moments of strain as they were apart the other nine months out of the year. Now that Bethany turned thirteen, he really needed Hailey to help this summer. However, that was not the real issue at hand. The issue Zach was trying to get him to deal with right now is the fact that he was hung over and the sun was up, and they were due at the beach, pronto.
Then Trey heard what Zach said next and let it sink into the core of his being.
"Pop-up dude! Jennifer's escorts in the hospital and didn't catch the flight. We've got to scramble and find a replacement, which, if you ask me, it's you."
Trey let that settle in deep into his brain. There wasn't anyone they could set her up with that was tall, dark, handsome and not blonde. Business had picked up and after this deal, they were considering selling and opening a surf shack. Stress of the business was not their forte. They had made enough money to live decent, and if they sold, they would be sitting sweet.
"Time to snap dude! One eighty. Get your ass up, shower and brush that gnarly breath. We've got less than four hours to get you ready for your girlfriend and get you on a flight to Japan. Now where they hell is your passport." Zach left the room on a mission to find Trey's passport, as Trey stood up naked and started to stretch out his aching muscles from surfing yesterday. He was not as young as he used to be and the next day he felt stiff as a long board. Two words pinged around in his brain that Zach had spoken, words that lifted his heart and made him smile, 'your girlfriend'. But was she? Could he go and play the part, or would he want that two-word phrase to stick for both of them?
Trey could have thought of a dozen things to shout out at his friend. Instead, he knew what he had to do. Shower, shave, get a haircut and get his tux and a couple of suits rushed at a one-hour dry cleaner and get his ass to Japan for Jennifer. She might not be happy that he is the replacement, but he already had a plan in mind to keep her mouth shut. Sex would have been his first idea but this time, this time, he was going to charm her and her clients with his social repertoire, and show her he can speak Japanese as well as any other-worldly guy.
As soon as the plane landed in Japan, I told myself that I had to stop thinking about Trey and start thinking about landing the client. Putting all those miles behind me did not put Trey any farther from my mind then what I would have liked. He was front and center in my every thought and now that the Bill plan collapsed, well I actually felt alone on this trip. Even though I had three other associates there to collaborate with. Prez liked to make a presence with new potential clients, and I usually liked the backup. However, this time, I would have liked for Trey to be here to calm my nerves.
The hotel we were staying at was lavish. The weather was calm, and the atmosphere with everyone was that of 'let's do this thing'. We were a winning team, and everyone here knew what they had to do to make this transaction a success. However, I was feeling so anxious that I decided to grab a drink from the mini bar in my hotel and get my baring's. We had to acclimate to the time change, meetings first thing in the morning Japan time to strategize with each other, and I had no time to waste going over last-minute details.
The team wanted to meet for bite to eat and do a recap on the next few days. I was the team leader in this whole transaction but what I wouldn't give to have nothing to do with all of this right now and be wrapped up in Trey's arms, snuggled close on the beach with his strong arms around me and his sexy voice telling me how beautiful I am.
One of the team members snapped his fingers in front of my face as I had obviously gone off into my own mental deep end of thinking about Trey. It was hard not to think about him. His body was killer, his eyes seductive, but it was the way the connection between us was starting to grow and that scared me. I quickly barked at Mark, the employee who snapped his fingers at me, with a loud 'what', and then I told him to go find me some Red Bulls. He looked at me funny, but did what I said, because he was underneath me, and I could make or break his career.
Just then, I realized what a bitch I had just come off as in front of my employees. As if I had no control over my emotions, which was not normal for me. I had a choice; I could run down the hall after Mark apologizing, sounding like an emotionally unstable female, or I could bite my tongue, apologize in private later, and try not to do it again. I went with the latter.
I turned to the rest of the team with a smile that I hoped they perceived as that I had no more emotional baggage or sharp demanding snaps coming out of me. I asked the other two if they settled in all right, and if they wanted to go ahead and freshen up, and meet at the restaurant in an hour. I offered to stay in the reserved meeting room we had set aside in the hotel until Mark got back with our regulatory case of Red Bull, and then I would lock up the room and call it a night until our first set of meetings tomorrow. They readily agreed just as the hotel manager showed up to go over the food and drink requirements for our meetings for the next few days.
As soon as the hotel manager left with the changed list in hand, I remembered we need a remote for the projection screen. It was not in the room. I sent Lorna a text to handle it knowing that my mind was on Trey still and not the small tasks I needed to handle on my own. However, Lorna was always ready to handle things back at corporate and here, even if she was not here. She was a great assistant, and when this client deal closed, I was going to take her out and let her in on my little 'escort charade'. It was time she knew that I was up to something. It was time I saw my associates for the great employees and help that they provide, instead of trying to be deceiving and in control.
I smacked my hand against my head and thought 'where the hell is this all coming from'? I had to ask myself if that was what I really wanted. Did I want to expose my secret ways of portraying myself? No. What I wanted was to find a man like Trey that would settle down but allow me the freedom to be the corporate executive woman that I am. For him not to expect kids or cooking and cleaning out of me, yet know that I will make sure his sexual sated needs were met, as well as my own. That thought brought a smile to my face.
The team was famished, and we were quiet the first ten minutes of our meal together, which went well as I was no longer on edge about Trey, Bill, and if we land the client. I was in go mode now. It was evident the entire team was ready for an adjustment to the time change as Japan is seventeen hours ahead of our normal schedule back in Cali. We all needed to get some rest and prepare any last-minute preparations for the next few days of meetings. Topics of tuxes and cocktail dress were discussed, as everyone wanted to give their own opinion about what they would be wearing to Friday night's event. It was where we would have a social environment with the client, and it could be make or break time if we did not come off as professional, groomed or intelligent.
For some reason, my nerves were on edge. I had not checked my phone in a while, and my fingers itched to go back up to my room where I left it so see if Trey had texted me back. I had realized that my short simple text held no light to the fact that I owed him a huge apology. I just felt so torn between what I should do, wanted to do, or even, what the right thing to do was. If I had a magic ball, I could look into it to see what the right decision in this would be, now would be the time I really wanted one.
By the time we finished eating and conversation was dwindling, at least from my participation, I realized I nee
ded to get back to my room and check my cell phone which I had left earlier on the bathroom sink when I went to freshen up. The only thing on my mind was Trey, and I knew I had to call and apologize in person. Texting was an immature way of handling my emotions, and I needed to rise above it and realize I had been harsh the day I practically threw him out of my house when what I really wanted to do was finish what he started in the shower.
I slid my room key card through the magnetic strip, and the light flashed green. I turned the handle and opened the door, immediately noticing that the light by the bed was on along with the TV. Neither of which I left on. There in a corner chair, with his feet propped up on the side of the bed, his head laying back, his eyes closed and his hands folded nicely across his lap was a sleeping Trey. He got his hair cut short into a professional cut, a few darker low lights put in, and a nice business suit on. He looked ever the part of a handsome businessman and all I wanted to do was wake him up.
I quietly closed the door behind me and crept over to the second queen bed. I sat down facing him and stared at him while he slept. I watched his chest rise and lower, and then his head turned a bit. Slowly, a smile crept over his face, and one eye began to open. I think he just realized I was staring at him, now if only he accepted my apology and allowed me to make it up to him.
Chapter Ten
Trey knew the look on Jennifer's face was not that of a woman upset that he was her replacement, but of a woman who was happy to see him. It helped a bit that she left her phone on the bathroom counter. He had decided to run through the missed texts Zachery sent her along with a note on her phone to make it up to him. Zach was right. It was time for him to put his heart on the line and see where this attraction went. The entire flight here, he felt it in his gut. The excitement of seeing her, making up with her and more so, showing her that he can be every bit the man, she needs him to be on this job.
On the long flight out to Japan, he brushed up on his Japanese that he had learned a few years back from another surfer buddy that was from Tokyo. He studied the I.N.Zime corporation notes that Zach sent him and the notes pertaining to the client that Jennifer was trying to win their business over. He was prepared for everything on the end of the job that Jennifer would have required out of Bill. He was not prepared for the way she was looking at him right now with a sensual softness to her eyes and a smile that told him; she liked him - a lot!
"This is a surprise. A really - nice surprise - Bill." I laughed at the last part; I stood up and offered Trey a hand. As he stood, I toyed with him. "Not that you have to go by Bill. Nobody but Lorna was aware of Bill attending this with me, so you will not come as surprise to anyone when I introduce you. So who shall I say you are?" I teased as he stood within a foot of my personal space, smelling fresh and looking so damn sexy in his business suit and new haircut. Not that every part of me was totally enchanted by the way he looked before, that being that bad-boy look, I always like to keep on the side for pleasure. Right now, he looked like pleasure and sex and business all rolled up into one, and I was trying to catch my breath as I stared into his green eyes that had roamed up and down my body and were now looking directly into my eyes.
"Well, that depends." He teased back. "On how you want me to be known. I think it would be hard to pass me off as anyone else since the client of yours is a major surf buff. In fact, I think I met him once on the coast of Australia before he married his wife of three years now. It is possible that I will be recognized."
I raised my eyebrows in question. He shocked me. He had done a little studying. "You have met him?" I questioned as I watched him take a step closer to me, and his hand was now on the side of my hip, as if it was contemplating pulling me in for a kiss. Then his other hand gently swept the side of my neck; it trailed down and then up to put a small strand of hair behind my ear. What came out of his mouth next was a complete surprise.
In the words as a well-spoken man, he spoke in Japanese by telling me something I longed to hear. "It is so good to see you, my love." Then his lips dropped to mine, as his hand pulled my head in closer, and our lips claimed each other's passion in a kiss that caused us to fall backwards onto the bed, allowing Trey to land gently on top of me.
The strength of his body on top of me felt safe and secure. This is a feeling I had never gotten from another man before. As we broke our kiss slowly with soft nips and kisses to each other's lips and face, I felt an elation build in me. A pivotal moment, that told me that nothing else mattered than us, now, being here together.
I felt my heart squeeze with the love I felt for this man that I did not know I missed so much. I heard my voice moan softly as his hand gently stroked the skin on my face, and his eyes went searching in mine to read me, to see if I felt the same way he was feeling. I could tell we had been lying to each other with our coy game of, I don't need it. It was evident in the way we ferociously desired each other at this moment. I finally found the voice to speak in a whisper.
"You're here. Trey you're actually here, for me. I can't believe you came."
"You ok? That I came? I didn't see any other choice." His voice held resistance as if maybe the passion was a temporary thing, and he was worried that I might actually be mad.
"No. I mean yes. It's ok that you're here. But better..." I took a deep breath while looking up into his beautiful green eyes, admiring his new cut with some added dark color to make him seem every bit the perfect looking businessman that I need, but more so, desired. "I wanted to tell you sorry in person. You don't know how much this means to me that you are here."
"I'm glad to hear that." Then I watched his mouth lower back down to mine as his slow progressive kiss teased me with his tongue. The weight of his body felt divine as if I had a security net that was keeping me from falling. I wanted so badly to do what I had always done, take control. Flip him over to his backside so that I can look down into his face, his beautiful green eyes, his sexy smile, his attractive new haircut and watch the expression come over his face as I bring him to the brink. I wanted so badly to do that, but something deep inside me, told me to let him lead the moment. We had plenty of time before I had to be at our first meeting, and I was not going to be sated at once.
Just as quickly as he had me wound up thinking about our upcoming moments of sexual satisfaction, with my body humming like a string quartet, and the warmth between my legs was my own excitement of moisture just waiting, wanting, in plain dire need of him being inside me, he stopped and stood up.
He stood there looking just as sexually frazzled as I felt. We had worked ourselves up, and he stopped. For what?
"Jen? I didn't come here to seduce you. I understand you have rules and guidelines with your escorts. However, this week, I want to be more. I want to be your real boyfriend. I can play the escort, but I can tell we both plan on crossing those professional lines you like to draw. I came prepared. I guess what I'm saying is, you hold the key that starts the engine and stops it."
I sat up on my elbows, while still laying back in bed, examining at how incredibly sexy he looked at that moment. His suit was a bit disheveled; nothing a good steamer could take care of. His eyes roamed my body with need, and I could tell the strain in his pants did not want to end this. And neither did I.
"Take off your clothes Trey." It came out as a sexual demand. I had to rein in the part of me that just wanted to take control.
I lowered my voice and whispered. "Show me that incredibly sexy body of yours and that friend you have between your legs that is praying I won't say no. Then undress me with your hands slowly. Kiss me everywhere. Make me crumple into a wet heated mess into your arms tonight."
I guess he took my controlling suggestion quite well, because his clothes were off and tossed randomly to the corner chair in the room, not far from the bed. Then he put a hand out and pulled me up to him. He kissed me slowly, while his hands caressed areas of my body as he took my zipper in the back of my dress and lowered it. He pulled away from the kiss, turned me around so my back
was to him, lowered my dress to the ground and helped me to step to the side of it. I heard the sound of fabric land somewhere behind us; I could only imagine it was my silk dress being tossed over to the chair with his clothes. That image brought a huge smile to my face.
I felt his hand brush my hair aside and hold it as he began kissing the side of my neck. I heard a whisper into my ear. Something about 'so gorgeous' then a 'so sexy'. It lifted my heart to know I was his heated attraction tonight. That his desire for me was coming out in ways only an accomplished man knew how. His kisses moved toward the back of my neck then I felt the release of my hair as his kisses began to trail down my back. I felt the release of my dark-blue bra as it loosened around my breasts. Breasts that were firm with excitement. Just the release of material that was holding them brought a shutter of a moan from my lips. If I did not know better, he was going to make me come without even going down there yet.
I wanted to turn around and take control. However, I knew that could ruin the moment of him being the one to control of what was to happen next. I knew he liked control as much as I did, and I knew letting him be the one in charged only contributed to me showing my desire for him. A strong desire to make this all work out. Right now, either I was fooling myself with passion or letting my true feelings show through, neither mattered. What mattered was the moment and losing myself to it.
I felt the soft sensual way his hands were exploring my body from behind. The soft gentle glide of his hand as it caressed down the side of my waist. The way his fingers slid under the band of my dark-blue lace underwear and rubbed gently back and forth under the band then dived in, to slide my underwear all the way down until they were on the floor. Then his lips started at the back of my calves as sweet gently wet brushes of imagination. I thought it and said it at the same time. "Have mercy on me."