The City Girl (A “Her Choice” Story)

by Megan McCoy

Taking a deep breath, she made the decision to postpone the decision and walked into the kitchen. Matt sat there in his favorite bar stool, and looked up, grinning knowingly at her. “Have fun?” he asked, pointing at the pie he was slicing, apparently offering her some. She shook her head at the pie.

  “Had a great time, till I came in the door,” she said honestly. “Did you let him in? What’s he doing here?”

  “He showed up a few hours ago, and said he came with a job offer or some such thing. Said you knew him, and would want him to wait for you.” Matt went back to his apple pie. “Sure you don’t want some? Really good. Apples from our trees. Mariah makes the best pie.”

  Cassandra shook her head again, as much denying pie as she was trying to clear the stress from her brain. “I do know him, I doubt he has a job offer, and anyway, I already have a job and I don’t want him here.” She looked at Matt as pathetically as she knew how, hoping he could make magic happen and transport Tyler back to Chicago before Jeb showed up. Beam him back, Mattie! Now that would be wonderful. But not probable. Especially since she heard the back door open and close again. Jeb. Done with the horse, ready for her. Now what? Why was her heart pounding as if she’d done something wrong? She didn’t plan or want this.

  Matt called out, “In here, Dad,” and winked at her, whispering. “He can handle it, don’t worry.”

  Handle what? She wondered what Matt knew that he wasn’t saying. But then took a deep breath. This was Jeb. Yes, no matter what it was, he could and would handle it. She’d never seen him lose his temper, never saw him act irrationally. Even paddling her butt, he was calm and methodical. He could handle a stallion easily, and a crew of hot, hungry workers with barely an eyebrow lift. She’d told him she was concerned she could be pregnant and all he did was suck in his breath, then reassured her. Things would be fine. Jeb would be okay with it.

  She hoped.

  Fact was, she didn’t even know why Tyler was here. Or what he wanted. Or what Jeb thought about her, other than a summer plaything. What if he didn’t care if she went back to Chicago? Tonight, even? What if he would be happy to see her go so he could get back to his real life? But then she thought of the last couple of hours and decided she wasn’t going to be stupid. Acting as if he wanted her to leave would be as dumb as all the movie heroines who ran to the attic or basement to check out the noises when there was a bad guy on the loose.

  Almost giggling, she wondered who would be cast as the bad guy in this movie scenario. Tyler who perhaps wanted to take her away and offer her a job, or Jeb who’d blistered her butt and made it hard to sit and had offered her nothing yet? Conundrum. She threw Matt another pleading look as Jeb walked into the kitchen, from the hall where her room was located. She wished desperately they were both there right now. She wasn’t even sure what she was pleading to Matt for, but it seemed the right thing to do. Someone needed to do something.

  “Pie?” Jeb asked, looking at both of them.

  “Mariah’s apple pie. And a visitor,” Matt answered.

  “Client?” Jeb asked, using the term they used for customer or someone who stayed a while. At the hotels, they called them guests, but Matt had told her while they treated everyone as guests, the staff needed to remember they were paying clients and needed treated even better than you would a guest in your home. She agreed with that rational.

  “Proselytizer,” Matt said simply, scraping the last of the pie from his plate, then rinsing it and putting it in the dishwasher. Jeb and Rose raised that boy right, Cassandra thought. Or it was just Rose’s influence because Jeb often just left his plate like there was a magic fairy who would clean up after him. The magic fairy usually did, and Cassandra suddenly wanted nothing more than to be that magic fairy. She wanted to clean up his dishes and pick his underwear up off the floor, and be his. But right now she needed Tyler to go away so she could figure out these feelings.

  Jeb looked at her, calmly but sternly. She felt a wave of resentment. How did he know it wasn’t Matt his right hand man, or Mariah of the delectable pie baking skills Tyler wanted to steal away from him? Duh. Again, don’t be stupid, she reminded herself.

  “Apparently he wants to offer me a job,” she said, weakly.

  “In the middle of the night? No phone call?” Jeb ate a big forkful of pie from the pan. Apparently his mom hadn't raised him as well as Matt’s.

  “I don’t know, that’s just what Matt said. I haven’t talked to him. He was asleep when I came in.” Why she didn’t say he was her ex fiancé she didn’t know. It didn’t seem like a good time. Maybe there was nothing about that aspect of their lives Tyler wanted to talk to her about, maybe it was a real offer. Yeah. Right. Though he was in the hotel business, so maybe he did want to talk to her about a job. Who knew? Not her. All she wanted to be was in Jeb’s arms and in bed with Jeb. That just wasn’t that challenging a desire, was it? Many people did it every single night with their partner of choice.

  “Might as well go wake him up and see what he wants,” Jeb told her, taking an entire piece of pie this time and dropping it onto a plate she knew someone would be picking up and she hoped it was her. In the morning from his room. “I’m going to my room, eat my pie, have a shower, give you some privacy. If you want to join me later, come ahead. Otherwise, I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Tears pricked her eyes as she watched him leave, wishing he’d at least hugged her, and suddenly feeling very alone. What was wrong with Tyler? Why did he have to show up here tonight of all nights? It was almost as if he’d done it on purpose. He couldn’t know, but what did he want?

  She threw a longing look at Jeb’s back and followed him into the living room/office, wishing he’d sweep her up, and carry her off to his room and make all this go away. Choking back a sob, she noticed, Jeb didn’t glance Tyler’s way, but just strode down the other hall to his bedroom. She stood and watched him a second, hoping he didn’t think that she had anything to do with this, then turned to Tyler, still stretched out in the recliner and sound asleep.

  “Hey. Wake up,” she said, not stepping closer to him. That was original. He didn’t move. Cassandra looked him over. It had been months since she’d seen him. She’d always thought he was handsome and he was, but not in the way Jeb and Matt, and even Blaze were. They had a weather worn toughness, and a humor in their eyes that just lit up their faces. Tyler looked serious, even in his sleep. And, she hated to admit it, gym fit. Which she had come to learn out here, was not real world fit. He could lift weights, but could he build fence or scoop horse manure or love a woman till she screamed? Well, she didn’t know about the fence or the manure, but she sure knew about the love making part. Once you go country boy – or Lyon male - you never go back, she realized. Dang it, now she was messed up for life. Stupid men.

  “Tyler,” she called again, summoning up her fortitude for what was going to more than likely be an unpleasant encounter, and walked over to shake his arm. “Tyler, why are you here?”

  “Hello, Cassandra,” he opened his eyes and then yawned and stretched. “Where were you?”

  “Out,” she said shortly. It was none of his business where she was. None at all. “Why are you here?”

  “May I have a drink, please? Some water would be fine, unless you have something better,” he looked around, as if a bellhop was going to appear for his room service order.

  “Come in the kitchen,” she said, grudgingly. She did not want to do this tonight. Did not want to give him water or feed him. Third time might be the charm, so she asked again, a little more forcibly, “Why are you here? Where’s the redhead?”

  “Steph is in Chicago. She and I aren’t together anymore,” he said, without too much sadness. Probably just like he’s told everyone about her after he dumped her. We aren’t together anymore, pass the salt. Well, that was one part of the question. Was he ever going to answer the first part? He popped the recliner down and stood up, stretching again, full length. He probably wasn’t used to sleeping in a chair and apparently thought
she should admire his body or something, because he grinned at her, watching him. His smile seemed almost insincere, unlike Jeb who could smile with a lift of his eyebrow and you just knew he meant it.

  “I’m sorry,” Cassandra lied. Not caring what happened with the redhead, just wanting him to go so she could be with Jeb.

  “I thought I’d take a little vacation and come see what was so interesting down here,” he looked around and gave her a ‘we have a secret, don’t we’ look. They’d shared those in meetings when they knew secret information that they either were about to drop on the group or keep to themselves. They never worked for the same company, but often shared informational meetings and pillow talked a lot.

  Cassandra suddenly realized she gave more talk on those pillows than he did. Huh. Amazing what perspective did for you.

  Snorting, she wondered if he really thought she’d fall for that look, now. She was so over his secret smile. Checking her emotions, nope. Her only emotions were irritation at him and longing for Jeb.

  They walked into the kitchen. Matt had left, too. Probably by the back door. She wished she could walk out the back door.

  “Did you make a reservation?” she asked, coolly. “We’re pretty booked up right now.”

  “I thought I had an in with the boss lady,” he said. “Or at least she’d give me a bed for the night. Or let me share one she had.”

  Cassandra felt her ire rise and her aggravation begin to bubble over. “No,” she said flatly and with great determination. “You don’t. You gave away any ‘in’ you had when you cheated on me with the redhead. No way would I let you back in my bed.” She did not want to lose her temper. She would not. She channeled her inner calm Jeb Zen. She poured him a glass of cold water from the fridge and handed it to him. Despite the hot night, he didn’t deserve ice.

  “I don’t know why you are here,” she repeated again. “Just lonely and wanted laid and thought you’d take a six hour drive to get you some from the lonely desperate woman you dumped?”

  He shrugged in what he obviously thought was a charming way. “Cassandra, you know it wasn’t like that.”

  She snorted, loudly, indelicately and in a way she hoped made him realize she was pissed off. “Yeah. That’s how I remember it, all right.”

  He gave another very annoying shrug as if to say, ‘believe me or not’ and took a step closer to her, “Actually I came with a job offer.”

  “In the middle of the night. For me? When did you get hiring power?” Though they had worked together occasionally, Tyler worked for a different management company than she did, but as far as she knew, he was a paper pusher and had nothing to do with HR.

  “Long story,” he did that shrug thing again and it took all her self-control not to shake him. That stupid self-deprecating shrug began to irritate her almost as much as he did. What had she ever seen in him? He needed to go back to the red head that obviously had more intelligence than she did and dumped him. Maybe he could shrug his way back into her life.

  “Anyway, yes, I’ve been given a promotion. We’re opening up four new hotels in the next couple of years, and your name came up to oversee all the openings. First one in Chicago, next one in Miami, then San Francisco and finally New York. You know you’ve always wanted to spend some time in New York,” he started opening cabinets.

  “What are you looking for?” she asked, head spinning. What an opportunity for her. She loved Chicago, but this was something she really needed to consider. Four new hotels. Putting her own stamp on them all. Cassandra got up and handed him a fork for the pie he’d been eyeing, then sat back down, head spinning. She liked her company, and they’d been good to her. She was getting double pay this summer, from Jeb, and from them, while they waited for her next assignment to begin. But she wasn’t in contract with them. She could quit at any time, and if this was a better career opportunity, she should consider it. No one would take care of her, but her and she knew that. People switched jobs all the time. And this was not an opportunity to shrug off lightly.

  “I had a few days off, thought I’d pop down and see where you were slumming for the summer and let you know of this offer. You don’t even have to apply, Cassandra, it’s just yours if you want it. We’d be working closely, and you know we were always good together,” He put some of Mariah’s pie on a paper towel.

  She nodded, numbly. Even though he was an ass and a lying cheater, they always had a very good working relationship, which was ruined with sex. She already knew that wouldn’t happen again, but her mind whirled with thoughts of the possibilities he’d brought her. Why had he brought them to her? Suddenly suspicious, she looked at him and started to speak, but he waved his hand to stop her.

  “If I could get a decision, so you can let your people know you won’t be there on your November start date, that would be great. I know it’s a rush, but we’d really like you to start first of next month. That would give you time to give two weeks’ notice here.” He opened the refrigerator door, searching for something, she didn’t care what, or if he found it or not. Whipped cream? Ice cream for his pie? Who cared? He was a big boy who could search through the fridge himself.

  “I’ve got all the paperwork out in the car. Hope we can come to an agreement tomorrow,” he smiled at her rather sheepishly. “I sort of told them I could talk you into it, and just so you know, I’m allowed to negotiate money. You’re the person we want. In the meantime, seriously, do you have a place I can sleep? I’m beat. We can discuss details and sign papers in the morning.”

  Almost silently, Cassandra showed him to her room, then grabbed a few of her things and went to Jeb. What the hell had just happened to her life? Half an hour ago, her only issue was if they would sleep in her room or Jeb’s for their first overnight together. Now, she had three jobs to contemplate, and… Jeb.

  Weirdly, she got to his door and couldn’t decide what to do. Knock? Just walk in? Summoning up her courage she did both at the Same time, knocked then tuned the door knob as she heard him say, “Come on, Candy.”

  Candy wanted to come on. Or cum on or something. With Jeb.

  “So what’s going on?” he asked, holding out his arms to her. All stretched out on the bed, wearing nothing but a welcoming attitude, all she wanted to do was hold this picture in her mind forever. She felt like she was coming home.

  Tumbling next to him in the bed, kicking off her shoes, she rolled onto the bed and into his arms. Yes. This was where she wanted to be.

  “Tyler works for a different management company than I do,” she said. “They sent him down here to offer me a job.” Was it her imagination or did Jeb tense up?

  “I assume it’s a good one,” he asked, calmly and began stroking her back. Of course he was calm. Jeb was always calm.

  “I don’t know the details yet, but yeah, it’s good. Opening four hotels in four years,” Cassandra sighed. A month or so ago, she would have jumped at this opportunity. Now, all she wanted was this. Being here in his arms. But, that wouldn’t pay her bills, or further her career, and who knew that was what he wanted for more than a summer? Not her. He’d not said.

  “You must be really good if they send someone down here in the middle of the night,” he continued stroking her back, then began nuzzling at her clothes, making her giggle nervously.

  I am really good,” she told him, pretending to be offended. “Haven’t you noticed?”

  “Oh, Candy, you’re so good at so many things, I don’t know where to start.”

  Well, that was enough to fix, now wasn’t it? Pulling her shirt off over her head, she put his hand on her breast and said, simply, “Start here.”

  Chapter Eight

  Walking into through the office, heading to the kitchen, Jeb saw his general manager, who he’d left smiling in her sleep, in his bed, huddled in a corner with the Chicago guy. Matt had called him and told him she’d asked for the morning off to talk, and they both agreed it was a good idea to give her that time.

  Funny how fond, more than f
ond of her he was. He hadn’t had a full out affair in years. After Rose had passed, he’d been celibate a long time, then found sex comforted marvelously, and there had been a short string of women running through his bed and life for a while.

  He’d gotten tired of it, though, and also figured Blaze didn’t need that kind of role model. Blaze had enough ideas on his own, without giving him any. That had been a few years ago, and honestly, he hadn’t been attracted to many since, and no one like he was to Candy. He felt ready for one woman to be his, and he was starting to think, starting to know that it could be Candy. She was everything he wanted in a partner. Smart, adaptable, gorgeous, capable, sassy, and not too big to be turned over his knee now and then. There was something very delicious about watching the woman you cared about kicking and squirming over your lap while her bottom slowly turned red.

  He’d just assumed most women needed it now and then, and so far, he’d been proven right. Why it made them all cuddly and sweet after, he didn’t know and he didn’t care to think a whole lot about. He just knew it did. Plus, it reinforced his rules, in a way that calmed them both down. He didn’t like yelling, and a good spanking now and then mostly eliminated the need for it. Whenever Rose felt the need to raise her voice, he’d put her over his knee and let her yell to her heart’s content. It always got it out of her system for a good while.

  Speaking of raised voices, he was hearing some out in the office. What was going on? He didn’t want to hear any of that, especially around clients. Picking up his sandwich, he wandered back in to where the shouting was getting louder, hoping it was nothing serious.

  “Tyler, no. I’m done with this conversation and I’d like you to leave,” his Candy stood up and seemed very upset.

  “Cassandra, just consider what we talked about. This is a great career move for you, we’d get to be together again, and you can get out of here, and back to the city where you belong. I mean, come on, you can’t be happy working here.” Tyler had stood up too, and Jeb leaned against the doorjamb and chewed his lunch while debating getting involved or not. Candy seemed able to handle things so far. He’d just hang out and see what happened though. He had his clients to think about.