Close To You: Part 1

by Toni Lee

  "How're you?" he asked her. "You look rough."

  "You're not meant to say that to a lady," Scarlet said with mock disgust.

  The waitress brought the coffee over and asked them if they wanted anything else.

  "Not for me," Scarlet told her.

  James flapped a hand at her. "We'll both have a croissant, please."

  "James –"

  The waitress nodded and left.

  "Shush."

  "No, James, I can't afford it," Scarlet said.

  "I said shush. This is my shout," he said. "You can owe me."

  "Thanks," Scarlet said quietly though she was quietly grateful. The big zeroes in her bank account had left her unnerved. It'd been a big mistake going out the night before. She should have kept hold of that money. Sure, the guy – Liam – had run out on her that morning, just like all the other men she took home, but still it had been good. Lots of drink, raunchy sex . . . what more could a girl ask?

  The dress had done its job.

  "You really should've put a complaint in against that arsehole," James said. "I don't think it's right you had to walk like that."

  Scarlet sipped her coffee. "Well, I did more or less tell him to go screw himself. In front of everyone."

  "Yeah I know, but that's not the point. He could do it again," James said.

  "Hmm."

  He smiled. "Why d'you say it like that?"

  "Huh?"

  "You know what I mean. That's your trouble, Scarlet, you're too eager to just walk away from a situation rather than deal with it," James told her.

  "All right, Jesus, it's like I'm having coffee with my Mother for chrissakes," she said.

  James wagged a finger at her. "No, no, no, if I were your mother I'd be chastising you for pulling a guy last night."

  She felt the blood rush to her cheeks. "I didn't."

  James laughed. He was attractive anyway, but when he smiled it brought him up another notch. James was a really handsome guy, and for the life of her Scarlet could never figure out why he stayed single. She'd asked him before if he was gay, something he'd flatly denied. But still. It didn't make sense.

  Perhaps if he weren't her friend . . .

  "If you didn't pull a guy last night, then how come you have a love bite on the side of your neck? Is it from a bug? Must be some big mosquito to do that," James said, still laughing.

  "No, silly," Scarlet said, suddenly embarrassed about the red mark on her neck she'd hoped he wouldn't notice. "You know how it is."

  He shook his head. The waitress set a plate with two croissants on their table.

  "Do you disapprove?" she asked him.

  "You know what I think. You should be careful is all," James said, but before she could say anything in reproach, he lifted a hand to stop her. "Now now now. I'm not saying it like that. God."

  Scarlet started to eat her pastry.

  "So, uh, what are you doing about a job? Any luck?"

  She shook her head. "That's the problem. In this climate, it doesn't matter how many you apply for, you're going up against hundreds of people for the same job."

  "And I suppose nobody wants to employ someone who blew the lid on their boss," James said.

  Scarlet giggled. "Well, I didn't really blow the lid. I told my boss to go fuck himself. It's a bit different."

  "I call that going out in style!" James said.

  A woman two tables down was staring at them. Her ears had obviously pricked up at the F word being thrown about. Scarlet looked over.

  "Watch out. The PC brigade's out," she muttered behind her coffee cup.

  James looked about till he locked eyes on the woman. "Is there a fucking problem?" he asked her in the politest possible way.

  She averted her eyes.

  James turned back around to face Scarlet. She couldn't help but looked shocked.

  "What?" he asked her, beaming. They both started laughing, trying to suppress it behind mouthfuls of croissant and coffee. Moments later, Mrs. Politically Correct took the hint and left. That made them laugh all the more.

  "Thank you," Scarlet said when the woman had gone and their laughter subsided.

  "What for?"

  "For making me laugh. For always making me laugh. I do love you, my little Jamesy," she said as they got up to leave.

  If she'd paused for to watch his expression, she'd have seen that he was dead serious when he said quietly. "Well . . . I love you too."

  6.

  Scarlet had had her Internet cut off weeks before, leaving her with no choice but to either go to the library for an hour's free access or pay for it at a cyber cafe. The place nearby was more than reasonable, and she could get online and do what she needed to do for the change in her purse.

  Gonna have to hit the plastic, she thought. Fucksake.

  The guy in the café said, "Number three," and showed her to her booth. She sat down, opened up Google Chrome and went to her Dropbox for the resume she'd been emailing all over the place. It took about half an hour to send her resume to what seemed like the arse end of Middle Earth, then she sat at the computer with her chin resting in her hand, and logged into her Facebook.

  She went to her news feed and scrolled down. A load of stuff from people she'd not seen in years, people she didn't even like and had no idea why she'd added them in the first place, and family members who'd ignore her, as if she were some kind of alien life form, if they passed her in the street.

  An update from James appeared halfway down.

  James Updated His Status: "A lovely chat over a coffee with my bestie Scarlet! X"

  She smiled, despite herself. Why didn't some nice girl snatch him up? He'd make the perfect boyfriend for someone. And it wasn't just his winning personality, he was cute too.

  She looked to the right. A flashing blue Ad promised to fix her up with the man of her dreams.

  No thanks, she thought. The men of my dreams always run out on me in the morning.

  FIND THE MAN OF YOUR DREAMS!

  ADVENTURE

  EXCITEMENT

  ROMANCE

  Bored of the ordinary life?

  Attractive, Wealthy, Desirable men await you!

  MYSUGAR.COM

  Connect with your dream man TODAY!

  Scarlet thought, What the fuck, and clicked the Ad. Normally she wouldn't have, but what was the risk on a public computer? It wasn't her computer about to be infected by a Russian Trojan.

  I hope the man of my dreams is built like one though, she joked to herself. In her mind there were rounds of applause and at least ten minutes of sustained laughter.

  The site loaded up in a new tab. It told her how successful people are also attractive people. How she was doing the right thing, connecting with powerful men who could provide everything she'd ever wanted.

  She thought about her empty purse. About the guy the night before. The way he'd left that morning without so much as leaving his number. These men didn't want a return visit. It was like sticking a flag on a mountain, then going back to the same peak the following year. Once was a conquest; twice was revisiting the same old scenery.

  These weren't the kind of men she craved. Though the sex had been incredible. It always was. But that had more to do with her than them.

  I'm good at it, she told herself. I'm really good at it. I enjoy it. Why waste it on these fucking losers all the time?

  Then another thought hit her. I'm still young.

  What if I find my Prince Charming? And what if he's loaded? Isn't it just an added bonus?

  She signed up, a part of her screaming not to do it. But she hit SUBMIT anyway. Then she signed out of the computer and left, thinking nothing more of it.

  7.

  Scarlet went back there two days later to send more resumes off and to check her GMail. She signed in and found several from MYSUGAR.COM.

  Two of them were things like "Welcome to MySugar!" and "Your registration with MySugar . . ."

  She didn't even open these. Who does? One near the t
op read "You have one new message!" Scarlet opened the email, hit the link in the middle of it and found herself teleported back to MYSUGAR.COM. She logged in, went to the tab that said MAIL and saw above a standard, automated welcome message that she had one from an actual member of the site.

  From: Julian Hunter

  To: Scarlet Clarke

  Msg: Hi! I saw you've just joined. I was looking at your profile and saw we're the same age. Do you have a photo? I have a couple on my page. Maybe we could meet up. JH.

  Huh, she thought. Let's have a look. She clicked his name and his member profile popped up. Julian Hunter was extremely handsome, dark hair and tanned skin. His green eyes were like brilliant jewels against his smooth, chiselled features. Scarlet felt an instant attraction to him. In his picture – and the subsequent shots she cycled through – he was smiling. It wasn't a big beamer of a smile, nor was it a cheesy grin. Just a confident smile.

  She read his details.

  Name: Julian Hunter

  Age: 28

  Nationality: American

  Employment Status: CEO of Hunter Enterprises.

  Scarlet went to her own profile and added a photo from her Dropbox folder, mostly stuff she had on Facebook. She picked the most flattering of the snaps, a full body shot with her facing the camera. It was taken during a trip to Mexico a year earlier.

  Close enough, she thought.

  She clicked back onto her messages and hit REPLY.

  From: Scarlet Clarke

  To: Julian Hunter

  Msg: Hi Julian. I've just added a photo. Let me know what you think! Scarlet.

  Silly arse, she thought to herself. The CEO of a big company? He was probably a fifteen-year-old, three-hundred-pound virgin from Cleveland. Either that or a sixty-year-old whacko looking for his next victim.

  She logged off and left, again wondering if she was making a fool of herself.

  * * *

  She couldn’t help but go back there the next day.

  "You're becoming a regular," the guy at the counter said.

  "I should get free coffee," she said.

  He laughed, as if to say, Yeah right, and told her she was at cubicle five.

  The first thing she did was go to MYSUGAR.COM, and sure enough, there was a reply from Julian Hunter.

  You're beautiful, it read. I've been on here a while and it's the first time I've seen someone I'm truly attracted to. We should meet for a coffee. Or some lunch. JH

  She bit her bottom lip and hit REPLY.

  Thank you Julian, that's really sweet. Sure, I can meet you somewhere. Scarlet

  She hesitated, then added an X at the end of her message, deleted it, then added it again. She hit SEND before she could change her mind again.

  * * *

  She went back there that evening, anxious to see if he'd replied again, her job search forgotten. Sure enough he'd answered her back with a place, a date, and a time.

  Is this convenient? he asked her. If not we can rearrange? JH

  She smiled. It felt good to have something positive happening for a change. She wondered what James would make of it all and decided it best not to tell him for the moment. He'd only worry. And besides, it was none of his business, really. She could do without his fretting for once.

  Scarlet thought to herself. What have I got to lose?

  She hit REPLY. Great, she typed, a smile on her face. I look forward to it. See you then. Scarlet X

  8.

  Scarlet wore a tight fitting, black dress with red high heels and a small red bag over her shoulder. With the red grip in her hair, she looked a knock out, and knew it too. She was nervous, but as always, managed not to let it show.

  She'd never have ordinarily set foot inside THE GOLD CRAB, an exclusive restaurant for the rich and famous. She left the brilliant sunshine of the afternoon behind and stepped inside. A waiter showed her in, leading her through a busy dining area to an awaiting table.

  And Julian Hunter.

  "Hello," he said and came around the table, pecked her on the cheek. He took her in with his brilliant green eyes. "You look lovely."

  "Thanks," she said but didn't add, You look pretty damn hot yourself.

  He wore a business suit, no tie, and white shirt open at the collar showing just a little chest hair. Hunter looked exactly like his profile picture. Tanned skin, brilliant white teeth. She could make out his muscular frame beneath the suit, and he was taller than she imagined. A big, strong man.

  The waiter pulled her chair out for her and she sat.

  "What would you like to drink? Wine okay?" Hunter asked her.

  "Yeah, that'll be great," Scarlet said.

  Hunter turned to the waiter. "We'll have the house red, please."

  The waiter nodded and left.

  "So," Hunter said. "You're more beautiful than I imagined. Your pictures don't do you justice."

  Scarlet laughed. She couldn't help it. What came out was a semi-embarrassed giggle. A girlish noise she'd not made for years.

  "What's so funny?" he asked, a big smile on his face. She noticed what a deep, masculine voice he had.

  "It's just I don't usually get complimented like that," she said.

  "Well, I always compliment those who deserve it," Julian Hunter said. "And you most definitely do. Ah, here's our wine."

  The waiter arrived with a bottle of red and poured them each a glass.

  "Leave the bottle," Hunter told him.

  He chinked his glass against hers. "A toast."

  She cocked an eyebrow. "What to?"

  She saw inspiration light in his eyes. "To lunch, of course."

  Ah, that's better, she thought as she drank. It was good wine, too. Better red than she'd ever have afforded, that was for sure. It relaxed her.

  "This is a nice place," Scarlet said, looking about at the Victorian-style décor.

  Hunter shrugged. "I've never been here before, to be honest. It looked nice from outside."

  "I'd have thought you'd eat in places like this all the time," Scarlet said.

  He laughed. "You'd be surprised. I like a hot dog as much as the next man."

  Scarlet sipped more wine. "I can't imagine you with a big wiener in your mouth . . ."

  That caught him off guard; she could tell by the way his laughter escaped in a burst. He shook his head.

  "Are you always this forward?" he asked her, still chuckling to himself.

  "Forward? We're just talking about hot dogs, aren't we?"

  The waiter returned to take their lunch order. They both ordered salads. Hunter asked Scarlet to pick their desserts, and she chose two Key Lime pies.

  "Good choice," Hunter said as he watched the waiter walk away. "I've not had a Key Lime pie in years."

  "I've never had. It sounded naughty enough to order, though," she said.

  "You've never had a Key Lime pie? Ever been to the States?"

  She shook her head.

  "I lived there for a time when I was a kid. I had it once. It's really good for you," he said. "Contains one of your five a day . . ."

  "I do believe yer lying to me, pardner," Scarlet said in her best mock cowboy accent.

  Hunter pulled a face that was somewhere between John Wayne and Dean Martin. "I wouldn't be lyin' to a lady, Ma'am."

  "They don't really talk like that, surely," Scarlet said.

  "Some do. Believe it or not, there's some of the old boys over there still talk like they're out on the range when they live in the city. Drive their trucks wearing mock cowboy hats and smoking Marlboro red," Hunter told her. "Anyway, I think we got sidetracked. I was asking you about yourself."

  "I don't know if there's much to say," Scarlet said. "I used to be a receptionist, but I'm currently between jobs. It's a tough market out there."

  "Sure is," Hunter said. "In this economic climate."

  "And what is it you do?" she asked him.

  "I run a company. I took it over from my Father, a couple of years back."

  "Oh. What, did he retire?
"

  Hunter's smile faded momentarily. "No, he died."

  "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to –"

  He held up a hand. "Honestly, it's nothing. So are you with anyone?"

  She shook her head. "No. I've not been in a relationship for a while. Yourself?"

  "Me neither. This is all new to me, to be honest," he said.

  "I find that hard to believe," Scarlet said.

  "No, really, I just don't find the time. Or I haven't up till now," he explained. "There was a lot to do after Dad died. I guess I just forgot a lot of other stuff."

  "But now you have the time?"

  Hunter sipped more wine. "I've rearranged things within the company so I have more time for myself. I do a lot of travelling. It helps that we're a worldwide business. Gives me an excuse to vacation wherever I want."

  "It must be a good life," Scarlet said.

  "Yeah it can be," he said, almost wistfully. He looked away for a second, then turned back to her and smiled. But for that brief moment, Scarlet got the impression there was something else there that could possibly be a downside to being rich and handsome. Jetting all over the place. She was about to ask him what had made him sign up to a site like MYSUGAR.COM. Then their salads arrived.

  * * *

  They talked about the kind of movies they liked, music. Scarlet told him a few stories from her other jobs. She'd had some good times, she realised as she related them to him. Hunter was a keen listener, and when he spoke about himself and some of the places he'd been, she found herself entirely captivated by his smooth, silky baritone. The flash of his teeth as he spoke. She could smell his aftershave from across the table. Something rich and masculine, a leather, spice, and tobacco smell. She watched his hand when he lifted his fork. He had lovely hands, the skin darkly tanned with a sprinkle of hair, complemented by well-kept, tidy fingernails.

  The key lime pie was to die for, a heavenly mixture of sweet, tart, and meringue she kicked herself for never trying before. After, Hunter picked up the tab, adding a generous tip for their waiter.

  He handed the man a twenty. "There you are, pal. That one's off the books, okay?"