by Cece Baker
“Shit!” Drake stood and grabbed his suit jacket and tried slapping at the flames with the coat. The effort was futile.
Meanwhile he heard Jill on the phone talking to the 911 operator. “Yes, there’s a fire in my apartment. Washington Avenue Apartments. Number 317.”
Drake wrapped his coat around Jill’s body and grabbed his pants as they exited the apartment now full of smoke. In the hallway Drake helped Jill put on his coat so her body was covered, and he got one leg into his pants as they ran to the stairwell. By now all the smoke alarms in the building were going off, and residents were opening their doors to see if the threat was real. Both Jill and Drake yelled, “Get out! Fire! Use the stairs!”
Soon the thudding of footsteps resounded in the stairwell, and there were panicked shrieks and cries from terrified tenants. Drake paused to get his other leg into his pants before he began taking the stairs downward. He could hear Jill one flight below, still talking to the emergency operator. In the distance sirens rang out and drew closer until they were deafening. Red lights turned and cut through the darkness of the night. With hoses in hands, firefighters in full yellow gear ascended the stairs. Some kept going to the top floor to ensure all residents had been evacuated.
Outside Jill heard her name being called frantically by Drake. She stood on her tiptoes straining to find him. Finally she saw him appear, and she waved her arms wildly. “Drake! Over here!” He pushed and jostled his way to her and pulled her tightly to his body as soon as he was close enough to reach her.
“Jill. Jill. Jill,” Drake murmured repeatedly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “I’m okay. Oh god, I was so scared.”
Drake squeezed her tightly and said into her hair, “I’ve got you. I’ve got you. Everything is going to be fine.”
Jill leaned into his hard, muscled body and let out a huge sigh. An EMT came up to them with two wool blankets and wrapped one around Drake’s naked torso and the other around Jill’s shoulders.
“Folks. I need to take a look at you both to make sure you are okay. Please step over to the back of the ambulance.”
Jill kept her hands clasped tightly around herself to keep Drake’s jacket from opening. The EMT snickered when he realized that Jill was completely naked.
After clearance from the medics and a dose of oxygen, the two were free to go. The fire had been contained to Jill’s apartment, so all other residents could return to their units. The streets cleared quickly and, after receiving instructions from the officials on the scene, Jill looked up at Drake. Their eyes met; after a moment, they both burst out laughing and looked around at the empty city street.
“Now what do we do? I’m in your suit coat, you’re only wearing pants and we have a couple of scratchy wool blankets, courtesy of the City of Minneapolis Fire Department.”
Twirling in the middle of the street with arms outstretched, Drake looked up to the sky and began whooping loudly. Then he began jogging toward a cab stopped at the curb. He knocked on the driver’s window and motioned to the cabby that he wanted a ride. Drake opened the back door and shouted to Jill, “My darling. Your chariot awaits.”
Holding the ends of her blanket close to her body, her bare feet slapping on the pavement, Jill ran toward Drake and the cab. Breathless, she came up to Drake, stood on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “My hero.”
She smiled and got in the cab, sliding over just enough so Drake had room to join her.
“To the Grand,” he announced to the cabby.
“Drake!” Jill shouted. “That’s too expensive.”
“No it’s not, babe. I live there.”
With that news Jill was rendered speechless and just shook her head in amazement.
CHAPTER 7
“You live here?” Jill whispered to Drake as they rode in the elevator to the top floor.
As the car drew to a halt the attendant announced their floor and wished Mr. Ellsworth a good evening.
Giggling, Jill followed Drake out of the elevator and to the door at the very end of the hallway. Thankfully when he’d grabbed his pants he’d had the foresight to also grab his wallet. He pulled out his key card and swiped it through the lock. A green light blinked on and the door clicked open. Cautiously, Jill entered and took in the lavish surroundings.
Drake threw the wool blanket he’d received from the EMTs onto a chair in the sitting room of the five-room suite. He walked to Jill and pulled hers off her shoulders as well. With a toss it joined the first one. Drake grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket that Jill was still wearing. He pulled her toward his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her torso. “Are you okay?” he murmured softly into Jill’s ear.
Jill pulled her head from his chest, looking up into his eyes. “I should be a basket case,” Jill said thoughtfully, “but I’m not. Actually, I’m oddly calm. Well, that and hungry. We never did get to eat that incredible meal! What a night.”
Gazing toward the ceiling Drake suggested they call room service and order everything on the menu, including desserts.
“Drake. I said I’m hungry, but I’m only one person. You make two. We don’t need food enough to feed a small city block. Just order whatever you want. I’m so hungry I’ll eat anything.”
“Anything?” Drake purred suggestively, one eyebrow raised.
With one hand she smacked his hard chest. Since he was shirtless her hand hitting his bare skin was more of a painful smack. The thwack was loud.
“Ouch. Geez, woman.”
“Drake! I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Oh crap, it left a red mark on your chest.”
“Good to know you like it a little rough,” he responded, this time both eyebrows rose up his forehead.
Jill gave him a withering glance. “What am I going to wear? I have no clothes. I am not going out in public wearing just your suit jacket again.”
“It looks a lot better on you than me, sweetheart.”
“Call room service,” Jill demanded, her index finger extended and pointing to the phone on the side table.
Grinning, Drake picked up the house phone and spoke to the kitchen staff. When the food order was completed he asked to be transferred to the concierge.
As he hung up the phone he noticed Jill coming out of his bedroom wearing one of his dress shirts.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to wear something other than your suit jacket.”
Strolling to Jill he paused to take in her beautiful body. The shirt came down to just above her knees. The sleeves covered her hands. He walked to her and began rolling up one sleeve while Jill did the other. Once the arm length was fixed Jill sighed and looked around the room.
There were heavy drapes covering the windows, and she was curious what the view would look like. She parted the damask fabric and sucked in a breath. The city lay before her all lit up.
She opened the French doors that led out onto a small terrace, and she took in the view. Leaning against the ornate metal railing she breathed deeply, taking in the cool night air. From inside the suite Drake watched her with interest. He’d never met a woman like Jill West. She was so confident and sassy and street smart and not afraid to wear his suit jacket out in public. It was at that moment that he knew he had to get to know her better, a feeling he’d never experienced before.
Jill turned around when she heard the knocking at the door. “Drake. I think the food’s here. Do you want me to get the door?”
Immediately Drake came to his senses and blurted, “Hell no. I don’t want the bell boys to see you looking unbelievably sexy wearing just my shirt. Go into one of the bedrooms and wait until they’re gone.”
Amused Jill shook her head and walked into the master bedroom and closed the double doors behind her.
She heard Drake talking to the delivery personnel, and there was a quick burst of laughter.
“No problem Mr. Ellsworth. We’ll get that taken care of.” Then she heard the click of the door closing.
&nbs
p; “Is it safe to come out?”
“Come on out, gorgeous,” Drake called.
Jill walked into the sitting room and gave a gasp as she saw the spread of food on the bar. “Holy, crap, Drake. Who do you think is going to eat all this food?”
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I ordered several dishes. Let’s see. We’ve got a meatball sandwich with the house marinara on bread that was baked this morning, ribs, some sort of Japanese teriyaki stir fry, cheeseburgers, assorted fruits, Caesar salad and my favorite, a pizza with all the fixin’s. Oh and for dessert, seven layer chocolate cake, mango sorbet, and chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. I think they’re still warm. And, last but not least, strawberry shortcake.”
“Drake, this is very sweet of you, but there was no need to go to all this trouble just for me.”
“Listen, gorgeous, you’ve had a crappy night, I practically burned down your apartment, you have no clothes to wear and currently you’re homeless. I figured food was the least I could do.”
“Well,” Jill said, “when you put it like that maybe I do deserve a little indulgence.” A smile broke across her face, and her eyes twinkled with mischief.
CHAPTER 8
The next day, Jill gingerly, picked up her soaked and charred pants. There was a hollow dripping sound that filled the room. The sizzling sound of burning embers had finally dissipated. “Ugh” was the only comment that came to mind.
“Hey, babe. How do things look?” asked Drake upon entering Jill’s charred apartment.
“Black and sooty.” She dropped the pants on the scorched carpet and fell into Drake’s arms. She titled her head up and rested her chin on his chest with a sigh. “I wish I had a magic wand and could make all of this disappear.”
Running his fingers through her hair he pulled her up to his mouth and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. Jill kissed him back and opened her mouth so their tongues touched. Quickly the heat between their bodies rose, and Jill’s arms were around his neck. He lifted her up, hands cradling her ass, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.
Ending the kiss, Drake said, “Babe. As much as I want you, and I want you, this isn’t a great place to get it on. There’s water and charred furniture everywhere.”
Jill leaned her head on his shoulder and blew out a frustrated breath. “You’re right, I know, but making out and having sex with you is so much more fun than cleaning.” Jill slid down Drake’s body and stood in front of him. “Like I said, I wish I had a magic wand.” She turned, groaned and put her hands over her face.
Drake put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her body back into his. Into her hair he said, “Your wish is my command.”
“Wha…?”
“Your wish is my command. Come with me sexy lady, and I will make all your troubles go away. Do you have any specific requests to make as far as what you want your place to look like or have?”
“Drake. You don’t have to do this.”
“Of course I do. You need help, and I can provide help. It’s easy. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen.”
“This is unreal, I mean, really, it’s too much. Every day I counsel my clients on how to compromise and separate their needs from their wants. This is crazy. You just snap your fingers, and you get whatever you want.”
“That’s the fun of having money. You get to spend it.”
“Ha. You, sir, spend too much on me.”
“Impossible. Anyway, this is a done deal. Let me make a couple calls, and within a few weeks your apartment will be better than you could ever imagine. Any special requests?”
She glanced into his eyes and stated firmly, “Nothing pink.”
“Got it,” he said, grinning. He punched his phone a few times before he put it to his ear. When the person on the other end of the call picked up, Drake wandered into the hallway to discuss the plans for rebuilding and renovating Jill’s apartment.
Jill went into her bedroom and opened her closet. There she found her wheelie suitcase untouched and ready to pack. She opened drawers and pulled out essentials like underwear, bras, T-shirts and socks. Next she went to her closet and pulled out several pairs of jeans, shoes and long-sleeved shirts. She found her favorite sweatshirt and threw that on top of the growing pile of clothes.”
“Babe, I can buy you new clothes,” Drake said upon entering the bedroom.
“That’s ridiculous. I don’t need new clothes.”
“Have you smelled them? Even though the fire was contained to the living room, it doesn’t mean everything else is okay. The smoky scent you’re smelling isn’t just from the other room. It’s on your clothes too. Leave the suitcase too. It’s going to have a smoky odor as well.”
Skeptically, Jill picked up a shirt from the pile and sniffed. He was right. It smelled like smoke. She grabbed her favorite pair of jeans and sure enough, it, too, smelled like charred living room.
Sighing, Jill looked at Drake and wailed, “Crap. What am I going to do? I have nothing to wear—literally.”
“Let me take care of you, babe.”
Jill looked into Drake’s blue eyes, as calming and warm as a Caribbean sea, and melted. “Okay. Yes, I could really use your help. Thank you, Drake, for your kindness, for thinking of me, for calling your friends to fix my place… for everything, really.”
“It’s truly my pleasure, Jill. Thank you for letting me do this for you.”
Jill leaned over the pile of smoky clothes and kissed Drake on the lips. It wasn’t a lustful kiss, but one that conveyed her appreciation and maybe, just maybe, that she thought he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.
Jill stood and walked into her bathroom. “Let me get my toothbrush, shampoo and stuff.”
“Babe. We have everything you need at the hotel, and if there’s something you don’t have we’ll just call down to the desk, and they’ll get it for you.”
Frowning, Jill shut the medicine cabinet door and exited the bathroom. “Okay, okay. I guess I’m done then. Let’s head out and get some food. I’m hungry.”
With that, they left the charred apartment, closed and locked the door and walked down the stairs to the street level where Drake’s black Porsche Cayenne waited, driver at the ready.
“Where to, Mr. Ellsworth?”
“Saks, please. And we’ll need you to wait until we’re done. I’ll text you as we’re about to finish, so you can meet us at the store entrance.”
Slapping Drake on the arm, Jill whispered, “He’s your driver; why do you make him call you Mr. Ellsworth?”
Drake didn’t respond. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.
~
Within minutes they arrived at the high-end store, exited the Cayenne and entered the glittering showroom.
As they neared the women’s section, a sales associate greeted them and inquired if her help was needed.
“Yes,” Drake responded promptly. “This beauty needs help creating a new wardrobe. Hers was lost in a fire. Get her everything she needs from jeans and shirts, to dresses and shoes and lingerie. Everything will be charged to my account.”
Aghast at the distressing news of the fire, the woman put her arm on Jill’s shoulder. She nodded at Drake showing him that she understood his instructions. Then the woman ushered Jill toward the clothing racks that held everything from sportswear, casual looks and work clothing.
Three and a half, long hours later, Jill found Drake sitting in a chair, legs crossed and talking on his cell phone. She was wearing new designer jeans with a comfy lightweight sweater and light brown, leather, knee-high boots. Her look was updated and chic without being too pretentious.
“What do you think?” Jill asked as she twirled in a circle.
“Smashing.” Drake stood and gave her a quick kiss on her lips. Glancing behind Jill, Drake saw a staff of four associates all carrying two and three large bags full of clothing.
“It looks like we’re ready to go. Oh, Miss, one more thing,” Drake s
aid addressing the sales woman. Please send over a set of luggage to the Grand so that Ms. West will be able to transport her wardrobe as needed.”
“With pleasure, Mr. Ellsworth,” the woman responded.
Speaking to Jill, Drake said, “I’ll text Benny to come and meet us at the store entrance so we can get back to the Grand.”
“Sounds good,” Jill answered airily. Then she turned and thanked the sales associates for their help.
~
When they arrived back at Drake’s suite, the bellhop placed Jill’s multitude of bags in the bedroom.
“Will there be anything else, Mr. Ellsworth?” inquired the 20-something man wearing white gloves and the standard bellhop’s uniform.
“That’s all, Daniel. Thanks for your assistance.” Drake reached into his pocket and pulled out a 50. “Here’s a little something for your effort.”
When the door closed behind the bellhop, Jill hissed, “You gave him a $50 tip?”
“Sure. I always do.”
“You always tip the bellhop 50 bucks?”
“Relax. It makes ’em happy, and I feel like I’ve done my part in supporting the economy.”
“Drake,” she said with a sigh but then stopped. “Never mind. I guess I’m not used to having so much money tossed around so casually. The whole shopping excursion just about made me pass out.”
“That’s to be expected, what with your job counseling people in debt.”
“I guess so, but still…” Jill paused but then thought better of herself and changed the subject.
CHAPTER 9
“Tell me everything,” Jill said to her friend who had just returned from three weeks of blissful time away with her new husband.
Thea’s smile lit up her face. “It was… wonderful, no, amazing. No, it was phenomenal. It was everything I could have hoped for. Landen planned the whole thing. You’ll never guess where we went first, so I’ll just tell you. We spent the first week in Iceland.”