by Mj Fields
“Nikolette, are you alright?”
I nodded, “Yes just, this is all a little much.”
“You’re telling me,” the blonde laughed, “You’ll get used to it though, and love each of them the same.”
Oh God, “I’m not into that sort of thing.”
Carly looked at me as if she was confused, yeah right, she just didn’t want it getting out that this family, Abe O’Donnell included, may as well be polygamists.
“I signed a contract. I can’t write about anything unless Mr. O’Donnell okays it and I’m sure he wouldn’t want this story to get out.”
“What story is that?” Carly still looked like she was being nice, but I am sure it was fake.
“Well, from what I see you and Abe have something,” Oh dear god how do I say this without sounding like I am judging, because I’m not, or at least I’m trying not to. “Special? And if your husband is okay with it—”
Carly started to giggle and so did the others. I was mortified.
“I’m sorry, Nikolette. Abe and I do have something special. We shared a grandmother. He’s my cousin.”
My jaw must have dropped.
“Stick around girl, I can promise you these boys don’t share. All of them are like ‘Me Tarzan you Jane’ and stuff. I know it sounds kind of nineteen fifties, but it’s not. Zandor, my husband, and I will never get sick of one another.”
“And Cyrus, my husband, saved me, in every way possible. No man on this planet could ever compare to him.”
Carly laughed and pointed to her belly, “You sure about that?”
“Ninety-nine point nine percent, yes,” she smiled as she rubbed her belly again.
“And my Jase would, okay has, flipped out when I was given sex toys as a bridal shower gift. They don’t share and they would never stray. Abe, when he finds the right one, will be the same.”
I huffed and didn’t even realize it until they all looked at me.
“It was wonderful to meet you all,” I washed my hands and then walked towards the door.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Carly yelled.
I like her.
When I walked out of the bathroom, four men were leaning against the wall, all in suits and all unbelievably attractive. Men of Steel.
“Did you need something, Miss Bassett?” Abe asked.
“Oh for god’s sake, Abe, her name is Nikolette,” Carly walked out and hip checked me, “Jase Steel, I’m hungry.”
He gave her a naughty little grin as he took her hand and they walked away. The other women walked out of the bathroom and left with their husbands, leaving Abe and I standing silently looking at each other.
“Will you be turning in the report I wrote up?”
I shook my head.
“Cat got your tongue?”
“No, I just need to warn you about something and it’s very embarrassing.”
“You’re not pregnant are you?” He whispered.
“What? Oh my goodness, no. What?”
“Shh, Jesus, come into my office.” Abe was a little less in control at that moment and it made me laugh, silently of course.
He held the door open for me and when I walked in he closed it, but didn’t shut it completely.
“While we are on that subject…” I began.
“No, I apologize; we really don’t have to go there.” He sat in his chair.
“Fine. You may hear it through the grapevine that I may have just—”
“Just what?” He asked as he shuffled some papers in a pile.
“I thought maybe you all shared.”
“Shared what, Miss Bassett?” He looked up waiting for an answer.
“You tried to get me to think you and Carly had something going in the parking lot,” I stopped when his lip started to curl up. “It’s not funny.”
“No, it’s quite funny, Miss Bassett. She’s my cousin and my best friend’s wife.”
He leaned back and did that steeple thing with his hands on his lap again.
“You did try to get me to think that.”
“You were jealous. I was annoyed, but never did I imply—”
“Yes you did,” I laughed.
He bit his lower lip and then smiled and shook his head back and forth.
“What?”
“Nothing, Miss Bassett, you just have me all wrong, that’s all.”
“I don’t think I have you all wrong, maybe that, but clearly the reality would lead me to believe—” I stopped when he got up and shut his door.
“Off the record, Miss Bassett?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No, if you want something off the record you can call me Nikolette or Nikki.”
“Fine, Nikki,” he looked up when he said my name. “I am probably a better man for paying for certain favors.”
I laughed, “And why’s that?”
“Feelings are never entered into that equation.”
“So you don’t think you could fall in love with one of them?”
“Hell no.” He sat back. “It’s an even exchange.”
“I don’t believe that for one minute,” I giggled. I instantly regretted it, the way he looked at me softened and intensified.
“Off the record, Nikki, what went on between you and I was not what normally goes on in my bed.”
I felt my checks flush and I tried to swallow down the lump rising in my throat, but I couldn’t because my mouth had suddenly become dry.
He handed me a glass of water, “Take a drink, it’ll help.”
After taking a drink, I had to ask, “Help what?”
“The dryness in your throat caused by a desire deep inside of you that had you so damn afraid that you ran.”
“Right into hell,” I whispered before taking another drink.
He laughed and I looked up and rolled my eyes.
“Tell me why.”
“Why I ran?”
“Yes Nikki, and why you couldn’t face me the next day.”
“Off the record?” I asked. He smiled and nodded. “I had just gotten over a heart break and thought maybe I could just have a fling and bounce right back to the way I was before.”
“It didn’t happen.”
“Not yet.” I took another drink and he stared at me, just stared at me, through me, dear God, he was beautiful.
“It wasn’t a question, more a comment. It didn’t happen because of the pleasure I gave you, you’d never felt like that before.”
I looked down.
“I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable, just trying to make you understand.”
“Can we talk about something else?” Please, please, please.
“Like what?”
“Hookers?”
“Companions?”
“Uh huh.”
“I don’t want you to think that I’m ashamed of it.”
“Do your friends know?”
“They may assume, but honestly my sex life is very detached from my personal relationships and business life. It’s more of a stress release.”
“Oh.”
His phone rang and he held up a finger. “Dom…yes I sent the financials over this morning to the bank in Italy… Perfect… I will send you a copy as well… Alright… Talk to you then.”
He hung up the phone and looked at me. “Where were we?”
“Umm, why don’t we do the basics? Name?”
He smiled, “Abe O’Donnell.”
“Middle name?”
“Really?”
“For God’s sake yes, could you let me have some information?”
“Patrick,” he smiled.
“Age?”
“Twenty-six.” His answer shocked me. “Did you think I was older?”
“Not the you from Florida, but the you behind the desk I would have pegged at thirty.”
“Ouch,” he held his hand to his heart.
“How did you get to this position at such a young age?”
“I traded Carly for it.�
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I didn’t look up, I just kept writing.
“Miss Bassett?”
“Um, yes?” I looked up.
“That was a joke.”
I scratched out what I had just written and he laughed. “Jase and I met freshman year at NYU, his grandmother who was worth a mint passed away. He asked me to come on board and it was minutes after I received my Master’s so I said hell yes.”
“Hell yes?” I teased.
“Hell yes,” he smiled.
“Can I quote that?”
“Absolutely, Miss Bassett.”
It took only an hour to get to know the personal side of Abe O’Donnell, but between the amount of calls he took and the people in and out of his office, I was there for three hours. When we finished, I stood.
“I think I have enough for the day,” I stuck out my hand to shake his and he chuckled as he stuck his out. “Tomorrow, Mr. O’Donnell?”
“Can we do it at my place?” His wry smile seemed to imply a different meaning, or maybe it was just me and my desire hoping it did.
“Sure,” I pulled my hand back.
“Good, because I have back-to-back meetings tomorrow.”
He walked me out to the elevator and shoved his hands in his sexy suit pockets, “Goodnight, Nikki.”
“Goodnight, Abe.”
***
When I got home, a large truck sat in my spot, the side read Falcon Contracting. I parked on the road and walked in the side door as a man was coming up the stairs on his cell phone.
He nodded and continued his conversation, “I don’t know what to tell you Abe. Everything looks fine.”
When I stopped and looked back, I could swear I’d heard him say “Abe.” Maybe I was simply losing my mind, or maybe it was wishful thinking?
I laid in bed that night unable to stop thinking about Abe Patrick O’Donnell and knowing how wrong it was. He didn’t think hiring hookers, or “companions,” as he prefers to call them, was immoral. He manhandled me in Florida, and he was still handling me in a way. After overthinking every last detail, I finally fell asleep.
I woke to a muggy room and of course, no electricity. I grabbed my phone and looked at the time, it was three in the morning. I rolled my very tired self off the bed, grabbed a pair of shorts, and pulled them on.
I grabbed my phone off the charger, turned on the flashlight app, and made my way through the dark to head down the stairs to see if my newly learned skill set could be put to good use.
I was in the basement jiggling breaker thingies when I found a loose one. I flipped it off, turned it back on, and crossed my fingers that it would work. I walked up the basement stairs and flipped the switch and would have celebrated if I weren’t freaked out by Thomas’s sudden appearance.
“You fixed it?” he smiled.
“I did. Pretty impressive, huh?”
“It certainly is.”
I walked past him and took the stairs two at a time to get back into my apartment. I didn’t like being in my pajamas in front of strangers, especially braless.
***
When I woke it was very late morning and I stared at the ceiling. I had no idea when I was supposed to meet the very sexy Mr. O’Donnell who had, in fact, interrupted my dreams again last night. I grabbed my phone when it chimed alerting me of an email.
Subject: I need to reschedule tonight’s meeting
Body: I apologize but some things have come up. Would tomorrow evening say seven o’clock work for you?
Abe O’Donnell, CFO
Steel Incorporated
Subject: Reschedule
Body: I am a very busy woman Mr. O’Donnell. I will have to check and see. May I get back to you at a later time?
Warm Regards,
Miss Bassett
Subject: Reschedule
Body: May I ask what is on your schedule aside from stalking, I mean interviewing the Jersey Shore’s most eligible bachelor?
Abe O’Donnell, CFO
Steel Incorporated
Subject: Reschedule
Body: Well if you must know, the story seems to be heading in a different direction than I had anticipated when I accepted the assignment. Apparently the subject matter desires his story to read much like a boring old interview when his reality is much more interesting.
But the real answer to your question is that I have taken on the task as resident electrician here on Park Street and the hours are grueling.
Warm Regards,
Miss Bassett
Subject: Reschedule
Body: You don’t give yourself enough credit, Miss Bassett. I am quite sure you could make even the simplest task of conducting an interview into a scorching story, and still allow for the subjects personal life to remain as such.
How many times has your electricity gone out since you have lived there?
Abe O’Donnell, CFO
Steel Incorporated
Subject: Reschedule
Body: I am glad you have faith in me. I hope to do the story justice.
The electricity has gone out four times. But I know how to fix it now. If this journalist career doesn’t pan out I am sure I can fall back on electrician.
Warm Regards,
Miss Bassett
Subject: Reschedule
Body: Four?
Abe O’Donnell, CFO
Steel Incorporated
I gasped when I read his response and then I smiled. A big goofy smile, too. I lay back in my comfy bed and looked at it again. I was trying my best not to read into this, but I was, I so was.
I was typing in my response when he sent another email.
Subject: Reschedule
Body: Did we lose our connection?
Abe O’Donnell, CFO
Steel Incorporated
Subject: Reschedule
Body: No of course not. Yes four times in two weeks.
Warm Regards,
Miss Bassett
Subject: Reschedule
Body: Change of plans. I will come to you tonight. Is nine pm too late?
Abe O’Donnell, CFO
Steel Incorporated
Subject: Reschedule
Body: Sounds good.
Warm Regards,
Miss Bassett
Fuck-to-Fucked
Abe
I grabbed my phone and called Falcon, the electrician I had sent to her apartment house. He’d done a shit load of work for us here at the office; he was good and I trusted him.
“Doesn’t make sense, Abe. It’s a newer installation by a company called Jolt, they’re good. Sounds like some kid prank to me.”
I thought about what he had said for exactly two point two seconds, “Yeah, now that you mention it, that’s exactly what I think it is.”
I sat through meeting after meeting and then spent a few hours in my office jotting down notes that I obviously felt were more important than my secretary did. I looked up at the clock and it was seven thirty.
“Fuck,” I wasn’t ready to stop working, but I needed to go home and beat the shit out of the bag and run before showering, picking up dinner, and going over to Miss Bassett’s.
***
I walked up the stairs to her apartment and looked down the hall. That Thomas character peeked out his door. Creepy fucker.
I knocked on the door at 8:58pm and heard the television shut off. When she opened the door, she smiled a gorgeous bright smile that made me want to pick her up and kiss those full, sexy lips.
Instead, I held out the take out bag, “Hope you like pasta and salad.”
She took it and smiled, “You didn’t have to.”
I stood looking at her waiting for her to invite me in and she just stood smiling at me. “Miss Bassett?”
“Oh, right, right I’m sorry, come on in,” she stepped back and opened the door wider.
“Thank you,” I walked in and looked around.
I had only seen her place in the dark with a flashlight and it was even nicer than I thought it was then.
“This is much nicer than the place I lived in when I was a senior in college.”
“Right, at NYU,” she grabbed her pen and notepad.
Right down to business. I would have liked to enjoy dinner first, but it was getting late and it wasn’t a date, not yet anyways. We needed to clear some things up first.
“Yes, four years and then my Master’s, which led me to this job,” I sat at the table opposite her.
“And the most eligible bachelor on the Jersey Shore.”
“Not really all that eligible.” I pulled the containers out of the bag and sat one in front of her and the other in front of me.
She sat looking at me, her sandy eyes looked beautiful, and the wonder in them was abundant.
“Do you have any forks, Miss—”
“Nikolette, and yes.”
“Nikolette could you get us some forks, please?”
She stood and walked around the small island, grabbed some silverware from a drawer, returned and sat.
She grabbed her notebook.
“Okay, but you don’t want to discuss that part of your life. You’ve made that perfectly clear.”
“Off the record?”
She smiled and shook her head, “I suppose, but if we don’t get a few things on record, I may miss a deadline.”
“Off the record,” I took a bite of my salad and sat back. “I need to be sure that the people I am sexual with don’t have cruel intentions, Nikolette. I don’t want an attraction to be based on status or money. I don’t want someone to get pregnant in hopes of collecting child support or landing a man who has money so that whatever attraction I had to them to begin with, fades. So dating is a nightmare because work keeps me very busy. I also don’t want my dick on the internet or my sexual desires and ways to be sold to the highest bidder. So I hire companions.”
She was busy writing when she looked up, “These companions, what do you enjoy doing together? Dinner, watch movies, go to charity events? Give me something to work with, please.”
She seemed annoyed and I knew her aggravation would get even worse the further we went along, but it was something that needed to happen. “No, Nikolette. No movies. No dinner. This is not a romance novel. A few times I have had women accompany me to an event, but not often. These women come to my house, strip down, shower, then they go into my room and wait until I am ready.”