by Cece Baker
“Hey! I thought we were going to talk some more. We were just getting to know each other.” No response came and Drake heard the door to her bedroom click shut. Whispering and dropping the drunk act he said, “Goodnight for now, sunshine. Someday soon I’ll be tossing you in that bed and having my way with you. Mark my words. Remember, I always get what I want.” He took another slug of the dark brew, ran a hand through his wet hair and stared aimlessly into the dark room.
CHAPTER 3
Early the next morning Jill arose and sleepily padded into the bathroom and shrieked. “Oh my god!” She had forgotten about her overnight guest. “Wait. Don’t. Don’t turn around. I don’t want to see your…. Well, you know what,” she finished lamely.
“Dick?” Drake asked turning his head to face her, a grin spreading across his stubbled face.
“Grrrr…. No. Well, yes. Yes, your penis. Let’s keep our private parts private.” Jill stomped out of the bathroom and waited impatiently for Drake to exit. She bounced from foot to foot since the urge to go was making her increasingly uncomfortable.
“Aren’t you done yet? It doesn’t take guys that long. And, don’t forget to put the seat down. And, wash your hands. You can spread a lot of germs if you don’t wash.”
Drake interrupted her diatribe.
“It’s all yours, gorgeous,” his voice smooth and smoky. It should be illegal for a man to sound that sexy at any hour of the day.
“Great. Thanks. And, dude! Geez!” Jill turned her head to keep from staring at his sculpted body. “Put on some clothes, please.”
“Are you always this uptight, Jill? You should consider letting go once in awhile and having a little fun. Being strung so tightly can’t be good for your life expectancy.”
The bathroom door slammed in response. Grinning, Drake walked to his pants that were hanging over the back of a chair, picked them up and sniffed. “Fuck. These things really do stink.”
Drake found his cell phone and dialed. “Yes, Mr. Drake, what can I do for you?” the voice on the other end asked.
“Benny, my man. I need your help. I need some clothes sent to me. I’m at an apartment on…Jill where the hell do you live?” Drake shouted.
Yawning, Jill walked into the living room and answered, “What? Oh, address, right. Washington Avenue Apartments, number 317. But you have to get buzzed up.”
Drake repeated the address and instructed Benny to send over jeans, a shirt, boxers, socks and his Asics. “Need ’em ASAP. Thanks man, you’re the best.” Drake ended the call and looked at Jill.
Embarrassed, she turned toward the kitchen and said, “Can’t you at least put a towel around your waist or something? Who was on the phone?”
“My man, Benny,” Drake said, wrapping the towel he’d used last night around his lean hips. “He’s sending over some clothes for me.”
“You have a man?” she asked incredulously.
“Sure. It makes life easier and keeps me looking my best at all times.”
“So, you can’t wear the clothes you had on last night like every other normal person?”
“Ah, no. Why would I do that?”
“They are your clothes!”
“I can’t wear the same thing two days in a row. Besides did you smell them? They fucking stink.”
“Yes. I know.”
“Someone should take them to the garbage.”
“Or, here’s a novel idea. You could wash them.”
“I don’t do laundry.”
“Now there’s a surprise,” Jill said sarcastically.
“I need food. Can I take you out to breakfast?”
Jill’s stomach growled in reply.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Drake smiled broadly and picked up his phone again to call a car to pick them up in an hour.
~
“So, have you lived in Minneapolis all your life?” Drake asked Jill over pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and freshly brewed coffee.
“No. Actually, I grew up in Ohio, near Cleveland and officially moved to Minnesota after I graduated from the university here.”
“The U of M, huh? Is that where you met Thea?”
“Yeah, we lived in the same dorm freshman year and then decided to room together after that. What about you? Are you a Minnesota native?”
“I am. Born and bred.”
“Where did you attend college?”
Smiling, Drake replied, “I went to the University of Wisconsin. It has a reputation as a party school and I took full advantage of all it had to offer.”
“I’ll bet.”
The waitress sauntered over to their table and grinned widely at Drake. “How is everything here? Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“We’re doing great… Melissa,” Drake responded, looking at the young woman’s name tag. She blushed appreciatively.
Jill held up her coffee mug and asked, “Can I get a refill?”
“What?” Melissa said tearing her eyes off of Drake.
“I said, can I get a refill on my coffee?” Jill held her mug aloft.
“Oh, right. Just a sec.” Within moments Melissa returned to the table and first refilled Drake’s mug. She turned to pour some into Jill’s cup and ran out before it was filled halfway. “Oops. Hold on a sec. I’ll go get some more.”
Sighing, Jill glanced at Drake, saw that he was laughing at her and raising his mug in a mock salute.
“So, how did you find out where I live?”
“I told you last night, a reporter never divulges his sources.”
Exasperated, she nodded. “Fine. Moving on. We have about two more hours until we have to be at the Grand Hotel to get dressed. Picture taking starts promptly at 3 p.m. I need to get your cell number in case you get lost again and no one can find you. We wouldn’t want a repeat of last night.” Jill raised her eyebrows to punctuate her last statement.
“Why don’t you give me your phone number and I’ll call you if I’m going to be late?”
“You’re hilarious. Give me your number.”
“Since I have my phone right here, why don’t you tell me your number and I’ll call you, so you have mine. I promise I’ll call you before we leave this table.”
Begrudgingly, Jill recited her number as Drake tapped the numbers on his screen. Moments later Jill’s phone began to ring. She pulled it from her bag to ensure it was Drake calling her and not Thea. It was Drake. She added him to her contacts and looked up to see he’d been staring at her the whole time.
“What? Do I have egg on my face or something?”
“No egg. I was just admiring your beautiful face.”
Jill looked at Drake, her eyes squinting. “Give me a break. You’re probably just coming down with a fever or something.” She reached up and touched his forehead. Their eyes locked. As Jill’s hand fell from his head, Drake took it gently into his and kissed her knuckles.
Jill pulled her gaze from his and slowly brought her hand to rest on the table by her plate.
The waitress brought their check to the table and looking directly at Drake, wished them well and invited them to return very soon. Drake took out some bills from his wallet and left them on the table. He left a generous tip.
Jill pressed her lips together in a sardonic frown. “Since it appears I’m not going to get anymore coffee we may as well head out. If you can give me a ride back to my place I can gather my things. Then you can get to your place and get your tux and whatever else you need. We can meet at the Grand in the lobby. And before you say anything, yes I want to make sure that you are there, in the hotel, on time and, well, sober.”
“Aye-aye, Sergeant.” Drake gave her a mock salute. “Let’s synchronize our watches. Rendezvous is promptly at 14 hundred hours. Permission to leave the restaurant, sir.”
“Granted,” Jill said with a sigh. She rose from her chair, gathered her coat and bag and walked out of the building.
Drake followed her out the door.
“Would you mind giving me a ride b
ack to my place before you head to yours?”
“Your wish is my command.”
As if on cue, Drake’s driver pulled up in a black SUV. Drake opened the back door for Jill and got in the car after her.
As the vehicle approached her building she looked at Drake and repeated, “You go and get your tux and whatever else you need and meet me in the lobby.”
“Jill. We’ve been over this already. Just go and get your things. We’ll wait here for you and drive you to the hotel. That way, we’ll enter the lobby together and you can be assured of my presence.”
“But your stuff? Your tux?”
“My man, Benny here has taken care of everything for me. Haven’t you Benny?” Drake inquired slapping the man on this shoulder.
Benny turned, smiled at them both and said, “You know it, boss. Mr. Ellsworth.”
“Okay. If you’re sure?”
“Yes. We’re sure. Now, go. You’ll make us late.”
Getting out of the car Jill made a rude gesture with her hand.
“I saw that,” Drake shouted.
Jill stuck out her tongue at the man in the car.
“I saw that, too.”
Disgruntled, Jill entered her apartment building to gather her things.
~
When they arrived at the Grand Hotel, a man in a red coat with tails and a top hat, wearing white gloves, greeted their vehicle. “Welcome to the Grand Hotel, Miss. May I help you with your things?”
“That would be great,” Jill said with relief.
He took her bags, and Benny held out her garment bag that held the gown she’d be wearing soon.
“Where can I have this sent?”
“We’re with the wedding party; the Ellsworth/Jeffries wedding.”
“Very good, Miss. I’ll take care of everything. The bride has already arrived and is in the presidential suite.”
Jill thanked the man for his help and walked up the steps that led into the lobby. Inside the building Jill stopped and took in her surroundings.
A sleek, white, life-sized statue of a lion lounged lazily on a marble platform in the entryway. The floor was a mosaic of dark brown and white tiles forming rectangles. Crystals hung from chandeliers shaded in purple and mauve. Off to the right was a bar offering only the best spirits money could buy. Cozy, luxurious seating areas dotted the perimeter of the room.
Moving toward the center of the room, Jill’s eyes were drawn instantly to the grand staircase carpeted in an animal print reminiscent of tiger stripes.
Jill turned to see Drake enter the hotel and greet other red-coated men stationed in the room.
He walked up to her and stood a little closer than necessary. Jill had to look up in order to see his eyes.
“So, you see me. I’m here. We’re on time, and I’m sober.” He drew his arms out to the side. “Am I free to go, Sarge?”
“Yes. You are. Thank you for humoring me. You have to understand. This is my best friend’s wedding and I want everything to be perfect. Thea asked me to help her to make sure that happens, and I take my responsibility very seriously.”
“I understand,” Drake said humbly. “Now go. You’re friend is probably a nervous wreck without you.”
Smiling, Jill began ascending the stairs, but she stopped and turned. “Thanks for breakfast, and the ride, and understanding how important this is to Thea and to me. You know,” she paused, “maybe you’re not such a bad boy after all.”
Drake stood in the lobby admiring Jill’s ass as she walked up the stairs. Little did she know just how bad he was. As she went out of sight he turned and made his way to the bar.
CHAPTER 4
Jill knocked on the door of the presidential suite. She heard her friend call, “Come in.”
Thea sat in the middle of the room, a flurry of activity taking place around her.
“Are you nervous?”
Thea waited until the makeup artist finished putting eye shadow on her left lid.
“Nervous? No. Not at all. I’m not going to be standing up in front of a ballroom full of people I barely know, walking in heels in the most expensive dress I’ll ever wear. What if I spill wine down the front of the dress, Jills?” The look on Thea’s face made Jill soften.
“Thea,” Jill said taking her friends hands into her own. “You are going to be perfect. Do you know why? Because the minute you start walking down the center of that ballroom all you have to concentrate on is Landen. Once you see him, everything else will fade away. Trust me on this one, okay?”
Sniffling, Thea nodded. “You’re right. You are so right. Landen is all that matters. I know he’d marry me if I showed up in T-shirt and jeans.”
“Who is wearing T-shirt and jeans?”
Thea and Jill turned to see Caroline Ellsworth enter from one of the suite’s three bedrooms, the hum of her power wheelchair barely audible.
“Caroline,” Thea said excitedly. “You look beautiful! I was just telling Jill that Landen would marry me no matter what I wearing.”
“Yes,” Caroline nodded in agreement. “Except he’d probably be a little upset that you were wearing jeans and he’d be all dressed up in a penguin suit.”
They all laughed at the thought.
“She’s right, Thea.” Jill walked over to greet Caroline.
“How are you doing, mother of the groom?” Jill asked.
“Me? I’m perfect. My baby boy is marrying an incredibly kind, smart and beautiful woman and I couldn’t be happier.” Caroline beamed as she looked at her soon-to-be daughter in-law.
“Okay, Caroline. That’s enough. You’re not allowed to make me cry even before my makeup is done. Speaking of which this very patient woman is eager to finish her job.”
The makeup artist turned Thea’s head just a little and directed Thea to look at the ceiling, so she could apply waterproof mascara.
“Put your stuff anywhere, Jill. My mom and Sasha are putting on their dresses in their suite and will come here as soon as they’re ready. They should be here at any moment now.”
As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door and Liane, Thea’s mother, peeked her head in the room.
“Yoo hoo,” Liane said in a sing-song voice. “Can we come in?”
“Mom! Come on in. We were just talking about you. Hi Sasha,” Thea greeted her sister. “You look gorgeous; your hair, the dress, it’s perfect.”
“Thanks, Sis. You look like you’re not quite ready.”
“I know. I keep talking to everyone and get distracted.”
Jill interrupted, “Okay. As maid-of-honor I am taking control of the situation. No one is allowed to speak to the bride until after her makeup and hair are done.”
Laughter filled the room and everyone began chatting quietly to each other, leaving the bride to get ready for her big day.
~
The bridesmaids were all in purple, but Jill was wearing an iridescent grey dress. The garment was obviously tailored to fit her every curve since it highlighted all of her assets exquisitely. The yards of satin clung to her luscious body. Drake couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Rather than paying attention to the couple to his left he was focused on Jill. If he leaned back just a little bit more he had a great view of her profile. If he leaned back too far, though, he’d draw unwanted attention.
Moments later he heard his brother Landen pledging to have sex with only one woman. For. The. Rest. Of His. Life.
Who does that? he thought snidely. Well, I guess a large proportion of the population does, but I’m pretty damn certain that they’re all cheating.
It was beyond Drake’s comprehension. There were so many woman he had yet to meet, and in his humble opinion, rock their world. In truth, Drake Ellsworth was not in the least bit humble. He was arrogant, self-absorbed, and a player.
Unfortunately for the women he encountered, he was also ruggedly handsome with piercing blue eyes and a body sculpted to resemble a Greek god. Adonis had nothing on the second son of billionaire construct
ion magnate William Ellsworth and his wife, Caroline.
Drake grinned to himself as he was shaken out of his daydreams by the applause coming from the intimate gathering of 500 of the couple’s closest friends. As his brother Landen turned to walk back down the aisle with his bride, Thea, on his arm, Drake patted his shoulder and whispered into his ear, “Better you than me, bro.” Then he pasted on a fake smile as he offered his congratulations to the smiling bride.
Drake had to admit, however, that Thea was a bombshell. He’d tried tapping that ass once upon a time without success. Probably for the best, he thought, a snicker playing on his lips.
Drake presented his right arm to Jill, the smoking hot maid of honor. He’d decided the moment they’d been introduced that she was to be his next conquest. He looked straight into her eyes and grinned knowingly. The weight of Jill’s hand rested on his forearm, and the two began their walk to the back of the ballroom.
The next hour was tedious, greeting ancient relatives and cousins three times removed. “Hangers on,” he thought nastily. “They all want a piece of the Ellsworth pie.”
This event was practically like a free vacation for most since the venue, the Grand Hotel, had been reserved in its entirety for this event and its guests. At least the booze was top of the line.
At that thought Drake became thirsty and turned to try and escape but was thwarted by a woman with an ear bud and clipboard. Who the fuck did she think she was? he thought.
“Sir, can I help you with something? You’ll need to stay in place until the receiving line is complete. You’re only halfway through.”
“Bourbon, neat. Now,” he ordered, and turned to kiss the cheek of the oldest woman on the planet. She had to be at least a hundred and thirty. Her skin was so wrinkly and translucent she actually made Drake nervous.
That was hard to do since he was a professional ladies man. He’d never been tongue-tied around a woman since he was five years old.