by Grant, Bella
“No, this food is very real,” she said as her eyes twinkled. He was not only light on the eyes, but on her mental state as well. “Follow me, good Sir,” she said as she used her index finger to summon him.
“As you wish,” he said, and bowed and followed her to the elevator. “Oh, we are going to the roof. I should have told you I am afraid of heights.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t worry; the roof isn’t made of glass; you won’t need to look down.”
“Whew!” He mocked and she began giggling again.
“Are you always this silly?” She asked him.
“Only when I’m awake,” he grinned and she started laughing again. Before she knew it, he was kissing her, and this time her breath did get caught in her throat as his warm lips enveloped hers. She stood there with her eyes wide open as his tongue began to trace the lines of her mouth and she finally managed to respond when her wits caught up with her body. He didn’t hold her, and just him standing there in that position caused the heat to surge within her, and suddenly she lost her appetite for food. Now she wanted him, but as she reached out to pull him closer, there was a ding and the elevator opened.
This time it was his turn to be amazed at the rooftop ambience. He stepped out onto what was possibly one of the most romantic places he had seen, and even though Melody had seen it earlier, it now held new meaning for her. She held his hand and led him to the table in the center of the space, and she was almost certain she felt him tremble ever so slightly.
“You did all of this for me?” He asked.
“No, the rooftop is always like this. It didn’t require much effort on my part.” She saw the way he was looking at her and laughed. “Of course I did. I wanted it to look special as a show of appreciation for all you did for me today.”
“It is lovely, Melody, and thank you for going all the way,” he smiled, and if he never ate a bite of the food, she felt completely satisfied and appreciated.
“It was the least I could do. Now let’s eat before the food turns to stone,” she suggested, and he eagerly agreed.
He raced over to her side of the table so that he could pull out her chair for her, and she grinned, not remembering if anyone had ever been that chivalrous with her. “Thank you, and stop spoiling me, Phillip. Pretty soon I won’t even want to brush my own teeth.”
“Are you asking me to move in? My, how forward,” he said with a smile.
“You know what I mean,” she defended.
“My father told me that...”
“Your father told you a lot, didn’t he?” She interrupted him. “Tell your father many thanks.”
“So, what do we have here?” He asked as he removed the covers, and was delighted at what he saw. She watched him as he cut his portions of steak and lifted some of the salad onto another. She did the same, but she was anxious for his appraisal, and when it came she was flattered. He complimented her taste as exquisite, and the fact that he cleaned the plate spoke volumes.
“Didn’t your father tell you not to over-eat?” she asked him slyly.
“Um, I don’t remember,” he said with his mouth full of food.
She laughed and continued her meal. A light jazz was pouring through the speakers now, and he got up, letting his napkin fall to the table as he walked around to her. “Care for a dance?”
She smiled at him. “It is a lovely night for it,” she said as she rose. He led her a few feet from the table before letting his hand fall to the small of her back as he pulled her closer. Melody could feel the need rising in her again, and she held her breath to contain it. Her face rested just above his chest and she laid her head there as they intertwined hands and swayed to the slow rhythm of the music. Melody didn’t want this night to end, and she felt light headed as she stood there with him, dancing underneath the stars.
She looked up at him as the song came to a close, and felt the urge to taste his lips now coated with wine on hers. She didn’t have to wait for long, for soon enough his lips found hers again, and this time they moved only to the rhythm of their own hearts.
CHAPTER 4 - MELODY
When they separated, Melody felt like her soul was being extracted from her. She could feel a strong and undeniable connection to him, and she shook her head as if to rid herself of the feelings. He sensed her tension just then and backed away.
“Are you alright?” He asked.
“This is all just surreal to me,” she admitted. “This entire day was, and it wasn’t just you.”
“Oh,” he replied with a quizzical look on his face. “What happened?”
“What didn’t happen?” She replied as she walked over to the railing and held on, allowing the light wind that was brewing to rustle her hair. “For weeks I’ve been searching for a job. Sure I had some temporary ones during college, but nothing stable or professional, and it seemed that I would never land anything, and then it’s like I bumped into you and my fortunes changed. I’m no gypsy, but today they made a believer out of me.”
“What changed for you?” He pressed, wanting to hear what she had to say.
She looked him squarely in the eyes. “I was crying when I left that office today, and then I ran into you; you bought me coffee as compensation, took me shopping, and not so long ago, I received a call from the very same company I’d gone to this morning. They offered me a job as a non-office personal assistant to the Director, and usually I would have declined such an offer.”
“On what grounds?” he asked.
“On the grounds that I am over-qualified to be the errand girl for a wealthy man, but I accepted it; I’ll work from his home and wherever he needs me to be, but don’t worry: it will be strictly business,” she said as she smiled at him.
“You weren’t kidding; that was quite a day.” Then he walked over to her rather seductively. “And the night is still young.”
She clamped her hands on his chest and gently shoved him out of the way. “So, I have been pouring my heart out to you ever since we met, but I hardly know anything about you.”
“What do you want to know?”
“What do you do for a living, or are you just living off your father’s money?” She asked him.
“Does that sound like my father to you? I am not going to lie to you; I might be something like the rich men you described earlier, but I can assure you, I have a job, and even though my father had all of this money, I have had to work for every dime I have. I have learnt to work the business from the ground up, and I was afforded no special privileges. I wore a uniform to work like all the other staff members, and I ate lunch in the general lunch area. I was given no special treatment, but I can honestly say, in hindsight, I’m glad he did what he did. But don’t tell him I said so,” he smiled.
Hearing him talk like that did nothing to quell what was already bubbling up in Melody; his show of humility was turning her on even more than she cared to admit, and though her mother always told her not to sleep with a man on the first date, she was fast forgetting that promise. “I think we need to clear these,” she said, pointing to the dishes. She hoped that would act as a reasonable distraction for now.
“We do,” he said. “Dinner was lovely.”
Melody blushed at his words, pleased with her accomplishment. She began to remove the dishes and he hastened to assist her. They somehow managed to take all of the used utensils to the apartment without incident, and barely managed to slip them into the sink with a loud crash. “I think I broke something,” he said.
Melody laughed. “You don’t need to buy me a kitchen unit as replacement if that is the case,” she mocked.
“She makes fun of me,” he said, and walked over to her and started tickling her. She tried to run away, but he caught her as she got to the sofa. “No, you don’t”
Melody kicked and screamed as she laughed, but she was no match for Phillip. Soon he had her all wrapped up, and as he lay atop her, his eyes piercing hers, she reached up, unable now
to control herself, and this time not wanting to, and planted a lingering kiss on his lips. She kept her eyes open, and as soon as he responded she closed them, and got swept away in the moment. She could feel him pressing down on her and she held onto him, pulling him even closer. Soon his lips found the soft spot at the base of her throat, and with the blouse hanging loose from her shoulder, he was easily able to slip his hand inside. She felt the warmth of his hand as it gripped one of her twins, and she moaned as she thought that this felt better than everything she had imagined.
He raised himself up and planted himself next to the sofa so that his knees now rested on the carpet, and he lowered his head to take her small round breasts into his mouth one by one. Melody felt unable to open her eyes as desire ravaged her from the inside out. She didn’t want to be made love to at this point, and she wished that he would just rip her leggings off and insert himself into her waiting depository, but she remained silent as he nibbled her, kneaded her sides with his fingers, and then dug into her sides as she became awash with emotions and he grew more desperate.
He seemed impatient now to get rid of her clothes and she lifted her legs to make the task simpler. No sooner had he tossed the leggings aside than he was parting her thong and lapping at her, drinking in everything that left her, and she trembled, even while she held his head in place. He was threatening insanity now as she felt his warm tongue dart in and out of her and he gripped her thighs, holding her in place while he ruled her with his tongue.
Now at her wits’ end, Melody begged him to take her, and as if he was waiting for an invitation, he stood up sharply and slipped from his jeans. He didn’t bother removing his sweater as he spread her legs and held them apart, slipping into her one inch at a time. Melody could hardly contain herself as he stroked her repeatedly. Her legs trembled as she climaxed numerous times. She didn’t want him to stop, and as he plunged into her, she held onto him, forcing him even deeper. Tingling nerves now blinding them, Phillip seemed unable to hold on any longer, and as his face twisted in various directions, he dug into her thighs and she could feel him tremble against her as he finally climaxed to match her own.
He released her legs now, and they fell like the limbs of a rag doll to the floor. Melody lay there panting as Phillip sank to his knees before her, resting his head on her stomach. It had been the perfect ending to a day that had not begun half so brightly, and Melody could hardly wait for the others that would ensue.
PHILLIP’S STORY
CHAPTER 5 - PHILLIP
Phillip raised himself reluctantly from the floor and undressed himself as slowly as he could, trying to delay the inevitable. She felt like home to him, and a pang of guilt struck him then as he thought that he was deceiving her. He dressed quietly, and she did the same. He thought about stopping to shower, but his thoughts were now awash with guilt, and he felt he needed to leave soon or he would spill his all to this woman. The way she looked at him could force any truth from his lips, and he wasn’t sure how to finish playing this game of cards that he’d begun. He hadn’t expected to fall for her, but the more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted to spend, and he wondered how she would feel the following day when she learnt he was the Director.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” she asked him.
“Yes, you will,” and she had no idea how right he was. She reached up to kiss him before scurrying off to the bathroom to freshen up. He waited until she returned before saying goodbye. She accompanied him to the door, and he brushed his lips lightly against her cheek, turning away instantly lest she was a pixie after all and could read the lies on his face. He wanted her terribly, that was true, and he walked even more slowly to his car, as if that would make the morning slower in dawning.
Once in the car, he flung his head against the cushioned head rest of his driver’s seat, and pounded his fists into the steering wheel. He gripped the edges until his knuckles turned white and then made one last look at the apartment before driving off. He wouldn’t be going back to the estate tonight, so he drove the twenty minutes to his penthouse. Once he switched off the engine after he had navigated the spiral route to the rooftop garage, he stepped from the vehicle and walked to the balcony, looking on into the night as if it would furnish relief for his tormented mind. Why had he involved her in that manner? He knew she needed the job, but maybe he should have chosen something that would place her in a remote location, and she would never have had to know that he was her boss. But that would mean deliberately weaving a web of lies that was bound to catch up with him. No, he should have used connections to find her another job, outside of his company entirely, but it was far too late for that now.
He rubbed his hand over his face and walked to the elevator, feeling for his phone as he felt it vibrating. “Dan?” he asked, and then looked at his wrist watch. “Why are you calling me at this hour?”
“What hour is that?” His robust friend asked. “I have two ladies here with me and one of them could really use your company.”
“Not tonight, pal,” he sighed, and instantly his friend knew something was odd.
“Okay, spill it,” he goaded. “You’re never one to pass up alcohol and women.”
“There is nothing to say,” he began, not wanting to get into anything right then. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“Bullshit! How long have I known you, Phil? Why do you think that excuse would work?”
“Why it would work? A man is entitled to being tired, is he not?”
“Okay, keep playing hardball. I am coming over there, with company,” Dan threatened.
Phillip thought about it and decided he would let him in on a few of the details. Maybe a fresh perspective was what he needed, and he couldn’t stand to see Dan in his face for the length of the night. “Alright, something is bugging me and I have to make a decision, but I don’t know what it will be.” He paused now for dramatic effect, but he only served to irritate Dan in the process.
“Well, go on,” he finally said when Phillip paused for what seemed like too long.
“I ran into this girl earlier today...”
“I knew it had to do with a woman,” Dan said, and Phillip could easily guess at the grin on his face.
“Are you going to let me finish?” Phillip asked.
“Sorry. Please continue. You met this girl today. I find it interesting that you said ‘girl’ and not woman, though.”
“Because she is a girl; she’s only just completed her undergraduate studies, and was trying to get a job, but with no luck. Apparently someone from PC called her for an interview to a position that was already filled. She was exiting the office, crying and not looking where she was going, and neither was I, so we bumped into each other. The coffee that I was carrying spilled on her white suit. She was already distraught, so I took her to the restaurant as a means of making it up to her, as well as to Smither’s Boutique after to buy her a new suit. The thing is, I was drawn to her from the minute I held onto her on the pavement, and we spent most of the day together. I only just returned from her apartment where she made me dinner.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t see the complication as yet. By the way, you held on to her on the pavement? And said nothing to me earlier?” Dan interrupted.
“I know, I know. I’m getting there. Now, I felt bad about the whole thing so I asked Michelle to create a job for her as my at home personal assistant, and call her up. Now she’s supposed to come in tomorrow and I don’t know how to face her.”
“I see. Aren’t you ever going to learn? Don’t ever mix business with pleasure. There are so many ways you could have handled that better! You could have told her you owned the company and just asked if she wanted a job, or you could have just left it at the coffee and clothes and dinner...”
“I know, Dan, but somehow I made all of those decisions without thinking. What do I do now?”
“I am afraid I can’t even answer that, but you sure can’t back out now because, if yo
u do call and tell her not to come in again, you’d be deciding to leave her alone as well because she’d find out sooner or later that you own the company. Plus, you would be breaking her heart twice in two days,” Dan added needlessly.
“I know,” Phillip said with disgust. “The thing is, I do like her, and I just wanted to give her a chance, but now it’s my move and I don’t know how to serve this ball.”
“I suggest you come clean before the meeting so she can decide, and then you go from there,” Dan finally suggested.
“Maybe I should. Anyway, I’m on the roof and I need to get inside, so I’ll talk to you later.”
“Alright. We can have that drink another time. I think you’re going to need it.”
They hung up and Phillip was left with his demons once more. He thought to call Melody then, but what good would that do now? It would only make it seem as if he was using her. Distraught and confused, he dragged himself to the elevator and was thankful that he was alone there; he was in no mood for conversation with anyone. When he got to the safety of his suite, he made a beeline for the bar and poured himself some whiskey. The burning sensation he felt as the alcohol coursed down his throat was a much needed distraction from the turmoil he felt inside, and he flopped down on the off- white sofa, drunk with confusion. It was going to be a long night, for he didn’t anticipate the coming dawn with much enthusiasm.
CHAPTER 6- PHILLIP
Phillip opened his eyes and felt them burning; he hadn’t gotten much sleep, and had it not been for the alcohol in his system that forced sleep, he would have had none at all. His first thoughts were about Melody, and the day they had spent before. He remembered the electricity that shot up his arm when they first touched, and their close encounter in the park. Even more resounding was the night they had shared, and how her body had clung to him like wallpaper, making a perfect fit. She’d felt like she belonged there, and he didn’t even want to think of not having her there again. But how was he to make that happen?