by R. R. Banks
Trisha glanced across the table with a look of bewilderment. “Alexis, you are a gorgeous young professional who could have her pick of men, and you’re over here hung up on guy around the world. You need to shake this off and move on.”
Alexis looked down at the table as her phone buzzed again with the screen illuminating to show a new text message. “You don’t have to answer this,” said Trish as she looked across at Alexis.
“But I do,” she replied. “It might be work.”
“What would work want at this hour?”
“It’s morning in Asia,” said Alexis with a smile. “I have to be available to answer text messages.”
Trish looked skeptical as Alexis picked up the phone and unlocked it. “I’m in New York. I really want to talk to you about everything. I don’t like how everything ended.” Alexis smirked as she read the message from Nathanial.
“Fine, why don’t we meet up later tonight? I’ll text you where to meet me,” she replied as she placed the phone down.
“You’re going to talk to him, aren’t you?” asked Trisha.
“He came to New York,” replied Alexis. “He came out here to talk to me about everything.”
Trisha nodded. “He flew out here just to meet with you?”
“Yeah, is that weird?”
“Is he a billionaire?” asked Trisha in a curious manner.
“Yeah, he’s incredibly wealthy.”
“Then this is not unusual behavior,” replied Trisha. “I’ve never met a billionaire, but from what I’ve gathered from television and other people’s stories, flying around the world is nothing new.”
Alexis chuckled as she leaned forward and took a sip of her water. “Yeah, he does have a private jet too,” she explained.
“Oh, so he can get around as he pleases,” quipped Trisha. “I swear, why can’t I find a billionaire?”
“You said you were talking to that real estate broker still. That’s a great business. Maybe he’s got some money?”
Trisha thought about it for a moment before shaking her head with a smile. “He does well,” she replied. “In fact, he may come out to join us tonight if we decide to go see the town.”
Alexis looked across the table and thought about that before reaching for her phone and texting Hannah. “I’m going to tell Hannah we’re going out and that she can bring her man to meet us. I think it’d be fun for all of us to get together.”
“Are you going to invite your ex?”
“I think I am,” replied Alexis. “As much as I love you, I’m going to need Hannah and a stiff drink before I talk to Nathanial Jenkins again.”
Trisha laughed heartily as she took a bite from an egg roll. “I understand,” she said as she chewed the fried roll of cabbage. “You may need several drinks before seeing him.”
“I think you’re spot on, Trish,” she said as she continued to sip on her water.
Chapter 5
Hannah opened the door to her apartment, revealing the same quarters from the evening before to Russell. “I hope you weren’t expecting something different,” she announced sarcastically, looking out into the living room to see the trash from the previous night still sitting on the coffee table. “I’ve never been one to clean.”
“I’m not interested in you for your cleaning prowess,” said Russell with a sarcastic smirk. “Though I’m sure it’s a skill that we may want to consider working on at some point.”
“I’m clean, organized, and explicitly neat in my professional life,” she explained. “In my personal life, I like to live it a bit more free and loose.”
“I get that,” he said as he walked up into the kitchen as Hannah walked over to her refrigerator and pulled out an unopened bottle of chardonnay. She turned around and opened up her dishwasher, pulling the top rack out and removing two clean stemless wine glasses. “But hey, at least I know how to operate one of these,” she said as she referenced the machine. She set the glasses on the counter and poured two glasses of wine.
Russell stepped up and grabbed his glass once Hannah filled it. “Thank you,” he said with a hint of charm in his voice, bringing the stemless glass up to his lips to sip from it. “So why do you prefer chardonnay? There are so many better products out there.”
Hannah chuckled as she sipped from her glass. “Look, I don’t question why you like Italian food. Don’t question why I like chardonnay.” She joked and set the glass back down on the counter. “Honestly, it was the first wine I ever had and, even after trying a bunch of others, I always come back to this. It’s my comfort zone.”
“It’s incredibly dry.”
“But it’s incredibly tasty,” she continued with a smile. “I love this wine.”
Russell smiled. “It’s important to know what you like,” he said as he leaned against the counter. “And this is a good brand, but I’m just saying, there are other things you should try.”
Hannah shook her head as she smirked. “One of the men that I work with, you met him when we were in Sydney, Robert Acostis, makes wine at his home in Monaco and his family owns one of the largest vineyards and wineries in Greece. He brought many bottles of his own personal stock for me to sample and while they were very tasty, I still prefer this.
“I got to speak to him for a few brief moments. He seemed rather pompous but very driven,” said Russell.
“He’s very good at what he does,” explained Hannah. “He is someone that you want to have on your team because you don’t want to see him on the other side of the table.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because he’s smart and ruthless,” continued Hannah. “He can ruin your career, but he can also boost it. He is incredibly gifted and values his relationships, but he isn’t someone to cross. Getting him into the consortium was one of the best things we could’ve done. He will help take us to the next level.”
Russell grinned as he sat up. “I get that he’s good at business, but does that mean he will be good for you? Will associating with him help or hinder you?” asked as he paused and looked at her with a concerned gaze. “Really think about that, Hannah. If you are only associating with him because he will be good for you, at what point, will he suddenly become bad for you?”
She stood still and looked over at him, pondering what he said before continuing. “What do you mean?” she asked, wanting him to clarify before she answered it and possibly incriminated herself in his eyes.
He looked down at the floor and composed himself as he tried his best to figure out the words to convey his message without offending Hannah, who he had already learned was very steadfast and stubborn in her thoughts. “Look, I think it really boils down to what’s good for you. There are people who come into your life for a reason, and those people should always provide you with something that is beneficial to you, just like you should provide something that is beneficial to them. With Alexis, your best friend, the two of you provide a level of compassion, comfort, and friendship that is unmatched, right?”
Hannah looked over and nodded, trying to understand what he meant and where he was going with this. “Yeah, she’s my favorite person on this planet,” she answered softly. “I consider the two of us more like sisters than best friends.”
“And that’s a good thing, but the two of you provide something to one another,” he clarified and continued to explain. “You see, whether it is in your personal or professional life, you have to understand how relationships are beneficial to you and also understand what you are getting from them. If a relationship is poisonous or cancerous, you have to know when to pull the plug on it. With Robert Acostis, being someone who you have admitted will be great for your career, at what point will he become toxic? At some point, there will be a moment of diminishing returns and you’ll need to cut the cord.”
“Sulagna Patel believes that he will actually leave at some point in the next few years after he makes his fortunes grow exponentially,” she explained. “Dillon Flan
nigan is really the man I’m trying to attach myself to. While he and Robert are both very close to one another, I think Dillon is the kind of man who will help me throughout my career and I feel that I will always be able to help him. He’s very level headed and always wants to do the right thing. From what Alexis told me, he stressed over the decision about purchasing the bulk of Nathanial’s company from him. I’m attaching myself to Robert for a temporary boost, but I’m attaching myself to Dillon for a much more longer solution.”
Russell nodded as he suppressed a smirk. “That’s very wise,” he said. “I spent several minutes talking to Dillon Flannigan and came away with a great respect for him, as well as an admiration for his girlfriend, Marisol. Both of them were incredible people and I wish them nothing but the best.”
“He will do wonderful, but, I have to remember, Alexis and I are tied to the consortium,” she explained. “While we want those companies in the south Pacific to do well, we also have to worry about the rest of the world.”
“That is very true,” continued Russell. “However, if you feel that you can get something out of this, then go ahead. I would just be very careful about associating with Robert Acostis for the long term.”
Hannah smiled. “Thanks for the advice,” she said coyly. “I appreciate it.”
“I know you do,” he continued. “I think you’re wise about how you handle things and I also think, between you and Alexis, you’ll make a great and well-informed decision.”
She continued to smile while she looked at him, wondering about where and how the night would go. In the silence between the two that lasted a few moments, Hannah thought about everything that was going on between the two of them. She thought about how Russell was proving to be great for her while also thinking about how she could be good for him. “What’s the worst thing that could happen,” she thought to herself as she sat there in the awkward silence. “He could leave you and you could get hurt, which would be your ultimate fear in this, or it could work out,” she continued to think to herself, allowing her mind to dwell as she pondered her next move. “I really hope he makes the first move,” she continued to think. “It would make this so much easier.”
Russell leaned in and kissed Hannah softly on the lips, holding his hand behind her head and rubbing his fingers across her hair. “That’s what I was after,” thought Hannah as Russell locked his lips to hers. Their lips connected for several seconds as their mouths opened slightly. She placed her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to him, placing her breasts on his chest and rubbing his back. He placed his other hand on the small of her back, holding her close while they continued to kiss. As their lips remained locked, they began to move their hands a bit more enthusiastically.
They continued to kiss passionately, enjoying their first kiss as a couple. Hannah pulled back and looked at Russell in his blue eyes. “Are you my boyfriend?” she asked awkwardly, intentionally ruining the moment but making Russell laugh. She bit her lip as she pulled forward and kissed him again.
Russell pulled away from her lips after he finished kissing her and rubbed his fingers through her blonde hair. “If you’ll have me as it,” he replied with a coy grin. “I don’t know if I can live up to being your first boyfriend in years.”
“You’d be my first boyfriend since high school,” she said with a laugh. “You’d be the first man that I’d willingly given my heart to, ever.”
He turned his head and laughed. “Well, that’s a lot of pressure to live up to. I don’t know if I can handle it.”
“Just give it your best shot,” said Hannah as she kept her hands on his side. “I have no idea what I’m doing either.”
Russell smiled as he leaned in and kissed her again for a few seconds before pulling back and looking her in her beautiful eyes. “Then I suppose we’ll have to figure it out together,” he said softly as he kissed her again.
She pulled away once they were finished and stepped away from him, leaving him standing in the kitchen as she walked over and grabbed her phone. “Do you want to go meet up with Alexis and our friend Trish?” she asked as she looked down at her phone. “They’re currently eating in Chinatown, but they’re open to heading out to one of the local pubs.”
“It’d be nice to meet your best friend and spend some time with her,” he said as he sipped on the wine. “I’d really like to get to know everything about you and everyone of whom you are close with.”
“You’re not worried that they won’t like you?”
“I met Alexis in Sydney and she is a sweet girl, I’m sure she and I will get along great,” he explained. “I don’t know a thing about the other girl though.”
Hannah chuckled. “She’s a bit of a free spirit and very friendly,” she said calmly. “I think you’ll get along with her fine as well.” She stepped away into the hallway before turning around quickly. “I’m going to go lose this dress and come out in something a bit more comfortable, ok?”
“That’s fine,” said Russell. “Do you need me to come pick something out for you?
“Absolutely not,” she said confidently. “I have this under control.”
Russell smirked as Hannah stepped away, leaving him in the kitchen to look around the apartment. He walked out of the kitchen, still holding his wine glass, drinking from it at a steady rate. The living room, located right next to the kitchen, was still filthy but he refused to let it bother him. His apartment was not pristine or perfect so he knew he couldn’t hold this against Hannah; she was rarely home and there weren’t any pests or vermin roaming about. He walked over to the couch and had a seat at the end, positioning his body near the window so he could look out at the skyline and allow his mind to roam. Hannah was, to him, perfect. She was smart, ambitious, sarcastic, and honest, all qualities he wanted in someone. She was also incredibly attractive and carried it with a great deal of confidence, a trait that brought Russell to his knees. He could feel himself starting to fall for her and, so far, he knew she was the woman that checked most of the boxes.
He sat there for another few minutes until he heard the door to her bedroom open and Hannah emerging from the hallway. “Much better,” she said as she stepped into the living room wearing khaki pants, a black, button up blouse, and tall, knee high boots. Her hair was untouched, still above her ears and pinned up.
“What did you do with the dress?” asked Russell.
“I threw it on the floor in my closet,” she replied with a coy grin. “I hope I never see that thing again.”
Russell laughed as she walked through the room and into the kitchen to grab her glass. “What are you going to do when you get married one day?” he asked. “Are you going to wear a tux?”
“I might,” she replied quickly. “I look great in pants.”
“You do,” he continued. “You look great in pants, as well as a lot more comfortable.”
“I am a lot more comfortable,” she stated plainly, showing a sense of relief in her face. “Come on, I just text Alexis and we’re going to meet her at a pub a few blocks over.”
Russell stood up and grabbed his wine glass, turning it up and setting the glass on the coffee table. “Is it ok if I leave my glass here?”
“Of course not, savage,” she joked as she turned her glass up and placed it on the counter in the kitchen. “I’ll get it later, or I’ll call the cleaning service.”
“Call a cleaning service?”
“Yeah, when it gets too bad, I just call someone to clean it up,” she explained. “It makes my life a lot more pleasant.”
“That makes sense,” he said. “I have someone clean my apartment every week. It’s money well spent.”
Hannah nodded. “It is,” she said. “I have her come out every few weeks because of how often I’m here.” She turned and walked toward the door with Russell following her. “Come on, this is going to be a fun night.”
“I hope so,” he replied with a smile as he reached in front of her and grabbed t
he door knob and pulled it open. “I really hope so.”
Chapter 6
Trish and Alexis walked into The Ivory Ring, a classy bar with a 1920s-theme resonating throughout the establishment. The walls were covered in fancy black and white wall paper with ornate designs. Sumptuous chandeliers were suspended from the ceiling that illuminated the room with a majestic ambience. The floors were an old hardwood, the same floors from the warehouse that was here back in the twenties. “I forgot this place existed,” said Trish as she walked in front of Alexis, looking forward into the large, open, common area that doubled as a dance floor. “I wasn’t expecting for us to come somewhere so classy.”
“It’s not that classy,” said Alexis as she muscled up to the bar, sliding beside a couple large men who were taking a great deal of space with their elbows resting on the wooden structure. “In an hour, that dance floor will be buzzing and we’re going to be getting down.”
“Really?” asked Trish as she stood beside Alexis. “Are you about to have a few drinks to get the night going?”
Alexis smiled. “I told my ex where to meet me and he’s going to come find me here at some point,” she said as the bartender placed a glass of wine in front of her. “I’m going to need a few of these before I can see his smug face again.”
“Alexis, why are you putting yourself through this?” asked Trish with a concerned tone. “Why are you making yourself talk to him?”
“Because we had something decent and I really feel like I need closure,” she explained. “So, I’m going to get a few drinks in me and then we’re going to see where the night takes me.”
Trish smirked as she motioned for the bartender to bring her what Alexis was drinking. “Then I suppose I cannot let you drink alone,” she said with a coy grin. “Maybe with our powers combined, we can be one sensible human being.”