by Ember Flint
“Oh, I definitely did more than kiss her, Chuck.”
“How the fuck does a thing like that happen?” I ask.
“Well, it’s easy enough, Charles. You might have forgotten being that you are shackled to that batshit crazy Miss Frigidity-socialite, but it can happen and it totally happened to me, although I can hardly tell you what occurred.”
“Okay, settle down, man. I get it, I mean I don’t get it get it, but I see what you mean. And just for your information, I’m no longer shackled.”
Sterling glances up at me finally smiling and looking more like the friend I know.
“That’s bloody fantastic, chap. I swear after all Lulu has pulled if you were going to mention giving her another bloody possibility I was really going to advise you seriously had your head shrunk.”
I laugh. “Funny you should mention, my sister Cora said something very similar to me yesterday.”
Sterling nods. “Well it’s good to know someone in your family has some sense left, even if it’s that little brat.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Again, Ster. Not a brat. You can’t base your opinion of her on a meeting that occurred what? Basically when we first met, a little over five years ago. She was seventeen back then and I know that she liked to snipe at you a little, but she has done a lot of growing up since then.”
Sterling waves away my words, dismissively. “And where is she? Wasn’t she supposed to be here? Got tied up playing with her Barbie doll?”
I laugh. “You don’t want to know where Cora would shove that Barbie doll if she heard you, Ster. Anyway, you are the one who’s over two hours late. She waited until she could, but then she went out for a run about half an hour ago.”
Ster scoffs with a hand on his chest. “I’m heartbroken to have missed her I’m sure especially if we— wait where the fuck is Aston?” he suddenly asks looking around the room.
I burst out laughing. “He is with the woman of his dreams apparently. I don’t think we’ll be seeing much of him until Monday at least, but don’t tell me you just noticed that he is not here?”
My friend shakes his head, raking one hand between his short, sandy brown hair.
“Fuck, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Chuck. This girl has me upside down, I can’t explain. I’ve never felt like that, never felt such a connection. One second we were staring at each other and there was something akin to a fucking roar in my ears and the next we were all over each other and then she was gone.”
I sigh. Apparently there’s something in the air in New York city these days. Though not for me it seems.
“I need to find her.”
I pat Sterling on the arm. “I know, dude, don’t worry. I’ll help you. The head of security in the building is away right now, but he will be back Monday afternoon. I’ll ask him to show us the surveillance tapes for today and we’ll see if your girl is someone who lives here, maybe I know her.”
“Thanks, man. No matter how, I really really need to see her and hold her again,” he says and looks at me with a desperation I’ve never seen on his face; he couldn’t be more removed from his usual devil-my-care, suave self.
So it seems I won’t have to curb his jokes at Aston’s expenses after all. There will be no mocking his infatuation for Lara from our mutual friend, not if he is himself quite occupied with thoughts of this mystery elevator sexy bombshell.
I don’t really know what to say.
I’ve never seen him pining for a woman.
I serial date, looking for something elusive that I’m sure is out there somewhere waiting for me, Aston is —was— the stoic one never even looking for love and very much resigned to be alone, and then there’s Sterling, the player, the funny one, the only one of our trio that seemed to actually have an unbreakable equilibrium and was quite happy with his life, the one who didn’t even believe in love and was content to sample around and look at him now: half-mad, haunted light in his eyes, a huge pile of food in front of him that for the first time since I’ve known him he is completely ignoring.
While I can readily admit I’m very happy for how Aston found Lara, I shouldn’t feel a longing in taking in Sterling’s present situation, yet I can’t help but almost envy his sweet pain.
He wasn’t looking for love and he is feeling out of himself right now, but at least he found it, whereas I’ve failed until now.
He found the spark I’ve being searching for in every pair of eyes I meet.
Chapter 4
JESSICA
“Jess, I have found the love of my life, his name is Aston and you are meeting him tonight at dinner,” says my sister over the phone, her voice all dreamy and full of smiles.
I stare in front of me partially shocked into motionless and I drop the earrings I was about to wear on top of the coffee table. I must have heard her wrong. “What did you just say, Lara?”
My sister giggles. “You understood perfectly well, sis, and no: I’m not kidding, I really did meet him.”
I smile. “Alright, so you met this Aston guy — what kind of name is that anyway?— and you really like him,” I state.
Lara laughs merrily and I feel a weight lift from my chest. I haven’t heard her this happy in a long time.
“Jess, I don’t simply like him. I love him and Aston is a British name.”
I frown. This is weird she never mentioned she was seeing someone and we usually share this kind of stuff —down to the last detail.
“You never said a thing. When did you guys meet?
Lara sighs and I hear the sloshing of rippling water. She must be taking a bath or something.
“We met this Friday and we have been inseparable ever since.”
I feel my eyebrows jump up.
This at least explains why she has not picked up her phone once every time I tried to call over the weekend —again, very unusual for her—, barely managing to send me a couple of briefs texts to let me know she was busy, but okay.
She was busy all right!
I can’t help being a little bit incredulous: this is very out of character for my over-cautious, rational sister.
“You met him this Friday. This Friday, like three days ago and you are in love with him?”
I can’t help being skeptical, I want to be supportive, but this is pretty weird. How can you fall in love with someone so fast?
“Jess, I know it’s not easy to understand and honestly I wouldn’t even know how to explain what I’m feeling, but I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life than I am right now about him. I just met The One and… and I need you to be on board with this, sis. Can you do it?”
I clear my throat. “Oh, Lara, of course I can and I will… I am… I just…” I trail off.
I don’t want to put a damper on my sister’s excitement, but at the same time I can’t help but—
“Worry, you worry. I know, Jess,” says my sister, finishing my thoughts for me.
I stand up from my little couch and start to walk around my living-room. “I do, sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, Jessica. I really appreciate you trying to look out for me, being all big-sisterly and protective. I’ll do the same if things were reversed, but there’s nothing to worry over: Aston is wonderful.”
I sigh, untying my blonde hair and freeing them from the high ponytail I put it in last night. “What do you need me to do, Lara?”
“Nothing. Continue being my wonderful sister, only try to keep an open mind about Aston and my relationship with him.”
As she speaks I can hear again the smile in her voice and I shake away my weariness and grin a little, encouraged by her optimism. “That I can certainly do, especially if you promise me you’ll be careful and at least try to be rational about this.”
“I promise I’ll try, but really, Jess… I feel on cloud nine. I’ve never felt like this with anyone else, we just… click on a deeper level, I don’t know. Everything is so lovely, Jess. I really think Aston
is it for me.”
I smile. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Oh, you are going to love him. He is so…” she stops talking and remains silent for a little while probably dreaming of her new boyfriend.
I laugh, shaking my head. “Oh yes, I see what you mean there. If he is that much so then I want to definitely take a look at him.”
My sister giggles. “I wasn’t referring to his looks at all, Jess, but you are right: he is also staggeringly hot.”
I laugh. “Staggeringly hot?”
“Totally… Jess are you almost ready? You should get going if you want to be punctual. I know that you don’t live to far from the financial district and the meeting is still over two hours away, but you should always account for traffic jams and other possible last minute hitches.”
I smile, now this sister I recognize a bit more.
“I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes, my makeup is done, I just have to dress, slip some heels on and put on my lucky earrings…”
“You don’t need them, Jess. They should be lucky to have you and I’m sure this meeting is going to be everything you would want it to be, maybe even more.”
Just at the end of her very comforting speech there was a little note of mischievousness in her voice that I can’t really place, but I don’t have time to ask, before my sister starts to talk again.
“What are you going to wear?”
“A black pencil skirt with a coordinate jacket and a blush-pink blouse with a squared neckline underneath.”
“Casual yet professional and a little demure, perfect, sis. Just make sure you pair it with the right lingerie.”
I laugh. My sister is a lingerie-maniac —not surprising, considering her dream is to design it.
“I hardly think I’m going to need sexy lingerie for a job interview, Lara.”
“Well, of course you do: it will make you feel confident, strong and secure in your own skin, especially if you pick something bold, but comfortable. Trust me, I know.”
I giggle, I have plain white underwear under my clothes, something comfy and utilitarian. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“I know! You could wear the pink set you got from Intimate Delights a couple of months ago,” she advises, mentioning the upscale lingerie boutique she currently works in as manager.
“Oh, I don’t know, Lara…”
I had forgotten completely about that particular purchase, my sister is the lingerie-aficionado, I’m more of a plain-cotton kind of girl.
My sister groans. “Oh, come on! Live a little! You’ll feel like a goddess wearing silk and lace and the bra will offer excellent support, you don’t want to worry about your girls misbehaving during your interview.”
I laugh. “Alright, alright, I’ll wear it. Happy?”
Lara giggles a little. “Very and who knows, soon you could be too,” she mumbles.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing. Chop-chop, sister, get a move on things or you’ll be late. I’d wish you good luck, but you don’t need it. I know you’ll knock ‘em dead.”
“Thanks, sis.”
“Call me when you’re done.”
“I will.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, bye.”
I end the call smiling to myself and I walk back into my bedroom to change my underwear and get dressed.
I eye the lacy pink set doubtfully, I’m not so sure about feeling like a goddess in it, more like a loser who has no one to show her fancy lingerie to.
I shake my head, mentally scolding myself and hearing my sister voice preaching: lingerie is not only to entice men, it’s also to feel good about oneself. Girl power and all of that, right?
As I get dressed, I can’t help but go back to my sister and this Aston. I mean, they just met and she seems to be completely smitten already.
How does one even do that based on nothing but impressions and sensations?
How does one let go so much, trusts so much a person they have just met?
Yet, I can’t doubt my own sister. She is not some airhead who falls for every guy she sees, I can’t help but be a little worried —especially since I don’t know what this guy is thinking and feeling—, but I also know that if she says she is in love then it really means she is, even if I don’t understand how could it happen so damn fast.
In the end, I know there’s no point in worrying when I can do nothing about it anyway. I can only hope she is entrusting her heart to someone who deserves it and get ready to kick some British ass if he isn’t everything she dreams of and breaks her heart.
I sigh as I button my skirt and slide on my blouse, hating the part of me that is so hell-bent on being negative, just as much as I want to punch in the face the part of me that is dreamily fantasizing about this.
I guess I’m all over the place right now, I’m stressed, I’m lonely, I’m worried —both for my job situation and now for Lara— and I’m so romantically beyond hope that it really is a stretch for me to believe in love at first sight right now, even though a part of me wishes I would get to experience the joy I could plainly hear in my sister’s voice and really understand what she meant when she said they just clicked on a deeper level.
I can’t help but long for something like that, I’ve never felt it in my life and I’m starting to fear I never will.
Chapter 5
CHARLES
I frown trying to puzzle the meaning behind my sister’s distant gaze as she stands in front of the open door of my office.
She sighs and turns to look at me. “What did you say, Charlie?”
I shake my head. “Um… I was simply answering a question you asked.”
Cora’s big blue eyes widen for a moment. “Oh right, sorry I… I got distracted.”
I chuckle. “Clearly… anyway, like I said, no: I haven’t heard nothing from Louise.”
And thank God for that.
Hearing her screeching voice is the last thing I need right now.
My sister nods absentmindedly, but says nothing.
“Cora? Weren’t you about to leave? Go study and all of that?”
She looks away and flushes a bit. “Oh yes… yes… right I was going. Been losing a lot of sleep studying: I guess it’s really starting to show,” she says laughing nervously.
I have no idea what’s up with her, but something is definitely going on here.
Some probing might be in order. I open my mouth to try and pry some information out of her when Aston appears in the doorway beside her.
“Hey, Ast… wasn’t sure I’ll see you today,” I give him a little grin making him glare at me briefly.
“Morning Charles, Cora…” he smiles at her, giving her a short hug. “Ready for your finals?”
She takes a step back. “As ready as I can be I think.”
When I don’t spot Sterling, I look around for him.
“Where’s Ster? Didn’t he say he will meet us now for a bit before heading to his other meeting?”
Aston nods. “We shared the lift. I left him in the hall dealing with a call from The Pest,” he explains rolling his eyes and so do I.
It’s an automatic reaction whenever Sterling’s annoying younger brother —aka The Pest— comes up in conversation.
My sister begins to cough so I walk to her and start patting her back. “Munchkin are you okay?”
She is bright red. “Y-yes… y-yes I am, just… air went the wrong way.”
Aston walks around me and straight to my mini fridge.
When he comes back, he has a little bottle of Perrier in his hand. “Here’s some water, Cora.”
She takes it from him hesitantly. “Thank you. Well… guys I… I better go, lots to study still, you know. I’ll see you around.”
Before we can do more than acknowledge her words, she is gone in a flurry of skidding sneakers and bouncy, strawberry curls.
I stare after her wandering.
&
nbsp; “What on earth is going on with her? She looked like she was about to jump from her own skin?” asks Aston giving voice to my own thoughts.
I shrug. “No idea… I’ll try and find out as soon as we are both home, maybe she is studying too much and drinking too much caffeine again you know it doesn’t agree with her.”
Aston nods. “She could also simply be jittery because of the exams.”
I shake my head. “Yeah, it could be that, still… she has never been no distracted and nervous before.”
I’m starting to be worried for her, she is very bright and ambitious and sometimes perhaps she does push herself too much.
She might be only twenty-one, but she knows what she wants and is not afraid of responsibilities.
At the moment she is halfway through a MBA and a degree in environmental studies at the same time. Her dream is to one day direct our family foundation and I know she wishes it could be sooner rather than later, but still there’s no need to make herself sick about this.
It’s important that she studies and I’m very proud of her —just as our parents are— but she should also find time to have some fun, see her friends, act her age a bit.
I sigh. I really have to sit down and have a talk with her.
“Charles are you okay?”
Aston’s voice brings me back to the present; his dark eyes studying me intently.
I nod. “Sure… just thinking that I really need to have words with my baby sister that’s all. Let’s get down to business, the half past nine interview is about to start.”
Aston smirks to himself. “Oh, I know…”
I gesture at his expression. “What are you smiling at?”
He shrugs.
I laugh. “Thinking of Lovely Lara, are you?”
He looks away still smiling. “Mostly yes… Charlie, listen, about the interviews: I don’t think I can be there I have pressing matters to attend to, but then again you don’t really need me. Based on the résumés we already know Jessica Mason is the strongest candidate, Clare said all her interviews were smashing, she positively loved her. I will try and be at the other interview later, but we both know this is just a formality. We kept the other candidate only in case things fell through with her, you know. So, unless you really don’t think upon meeting her that Miss Mason is a good fit for the office, you should simply go ahead and hire her.”