“Do you have meetings here a lot? It’s really nice, I would if I had a membership”
“Yes, I have had a few client meetings here. It’s convenient and like I said the amenities are good. The last meeting I had here was with you. I recall it was an excellent meeting.” He grins at me and takes my hand as he watches me blush. “I still make you blush Violet. I like that I still have that effect on you.”
“I don’t, I feel like a skittish school girl when I do.”
His grin widens. “Oh, Violet, but you are a very sweet school girl.” He is making me blush again - will this ever stop? Probably not, I resolve.
“Stop it please, Adam.”
“Okay, let’s change the subject. Go ahead.” He is chuckling and really quite pleased with himself and his effect on me.
“Have you brought dates here too?” I can’t resist, I am curious. Surely, it must be normal to want to know these things?
“Yes I have, a few times. Does that bother you?”
“No, I was just curious how you spent time with your other girlfriends.” I suppress the green monster that seems to rear its ugly head every now and then where he is concerned.
He says, “Why don’t you get it all out then? You keep touching on my ex list, so ask away.”
He is presenting me with a wide open door and I intend to walk through it boldly. I ask. “How long do your relationships normally last?”
“The longest was almost six months.”
“Why only six months?”
“I travel a lot, for one. Secondly, getting married is not on my list of priorities.”
My stomach flops when he says that. The wine is settling in and my confidence rises like the phoenix from the ashes. “So what exactly do I mean to you then?” I am not trying to challenge him, I just want to know.
“Why, do you want to get married?” He thinks he is funny.
“Yes.” I don’t hesitate and I think he is speechless for once. I then help him relax when I say, “I’m kidding! Am I on the six month only list or less?”
“Please don’t be so intense, that’s my role isn’t it?” His smile makes me smile, how can it not? He continues. “I can’t answer that and neither can you. It’s not a fair question. Ask something else.”
He’s quick, but so am I. “How do you feel about me?”
“You are very special to me, isn’t that obvious? Please tell me you aren’t insecure about that, are you?”
“At first I was, but the more time we spend together it becomes less. When we first got together, I couldn’t even believe you wanted to go out with me. I did tell you that, remember?”
“And I told you that I didn’t care what the world thought, or what the expectations were of who I should be dating. I make my own decisions and I chose you. You did have a say in the matter.” Even I have to laugh. “Plus, I felt if I didn’t, I would always wonder about that girl who locked me in the revolving door.” He gives me his winning smile.
I reply, smiling back at him, “I was terrified at first. I’m glad we are together despite your hang ups.”
“Hang ups? What hang ups?” He is joking and we both laugh. Even he knows he has a list of them. It would take me a while to run through them all. A few immediately come to mind: he is a workaholic for sure and his need to overachieve is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. His need to control is obvious. And, despite his denial, his actions reflect a possessive nature, at least when it comes to me. I wonder; was he like that with the other women he dated?
“You know, Adam, I’m giving you all of me. You can take as much as you want. You mean something to me, quite a lot actually. That’s why I ask you so many questions.” He leans back in his seat and appears to be thinking.
His facial expression softens when he says, “What you just said to me is very meaningful Violet. Thank you. I really like you’re so honest with me. Some of the things you say actually make me flinch, but also make me think. You even argue with me, which is not something I am used to. You’re curious about who I am and ask for nothing other than spending time with me. You don’t give a damn about my status or wealth and it’s refreshing! You’re kind and sweet; I’ve told you that before. I can’t offer you any more than what I am offering right now, but I do hope you know you mean something to me too.” I settle back in my chair and smile at him so he knows I understand what he’s said. I guess I can live with “meaning something to him.” My feelings for him are deep and he has no clue just how deep. The waiter comes over with our meals, interrupting our conversation. I resume my questioning, not wanting to miss the carte blanche opportunity he has given me to question him.
“I know the answer to this, but I have to ask because you never know. Have you ever been in love?”
“No,” he says without hesitation. I find that sad given his number of girlfriends. How can you be attracted to someone and not fall in love? Am I so naïve when it comes to this? Don’t most people fall in love at least once in their lives? He tells me he hasn’t and likely won’t. He must have a dark demon sitting over his heart. It was so easy for me to fall in love with him.
My response is, “Why?”
“We shouldn’t talk about love, Violet. I enjoyed my time with all my former female companions, but that’s my limit. I treated them well. What else do you want to know?”
Wow, I think, and he can’t even say girlfriend. “So who ended the last one?”
“I did. I always seem to end them.”
“So were your companions trying to get you to marry them? Was that the problem?” I say companion like he did to make him feel comfortable.
“Not quite that cut and dry, but some hinted about moving in or asking for a commitment leading to marriage and other things I have no interest in. I like my privacy and have lived alone for a long time. I’m pretty sure most of them liked the fact that I’m wealthy, I guess that shouldn’t be surprising.” He is matter of fact again.
“I see. Well like you said, I really don’t care about your money and when we met I didn’t have clue who or what you were. Like you, I felt the same way when we bumped into each other. I was attracted to you from the minute I saw you. I guess I do believe…” I stop because I don’t want to scare him. But he is holding my hand and seems quite fine.
“Violet, I told you, there was something about you. That’s why I felt compelled to look back at you. You were looking back at me too. I guess that falls into romantic doesn’t it?” He remembers that? I feel a bit better now.
“Yes, it was romantic. Book worthy even.” I smile at him and he leans into kiss me lightly on my lips. The waiter interrupts us again and clears our plates. More wine is poured and we can see they are setting up for the band on stage. I had better ask my last few questions before the music starts and we can’t hear each other.
“So how long were you single before me?”
“Let’s see, we met in March and didn’t really get together until May, so almost two months. I had just ended the last one about a week before you trapped me.” He grins.
I am serious when I ask, “Are you on the rebound?”
“I don’t do rebound. I liked you, I went after you, and I got you. It’s straightforward.” I wonder if I should have made him work harder to get me. Who am I fooling? Only myself. I wanted him from day one just as much and maybe more than he wanted me.
“Yes, you reminded me of that earlier today,” I smile again sweetly. I ask another question as it pops in my mind, “Was I an easy catch like the rest?”
“I haven’t really thought about that. Circumstances kept bringing us together. I don’t let opportunities slip through my fingers, Violet. You should know that by now. If anyone was indecisive it was you.” How did he just turn the question back to me?
“I was only hesitant because of your position at the law firm. You were initially the ‘other’ law firm during
the merger negotiations. And of course, my own thoughts on why you would be interested in someone like me. I am sure you have been with much more successful women than me. You said you dated a model, that’s pretty impressive.”
“You are different, yes, but in a good way. Your innocence is intriguing to me and yet you’re very passionate in the bedroom. It really is an interesting combination. You’re untainted by past mistakes. I really like that I am your first lover. You even waited for the one person you wanted and I’m glad it was me.” I feel very warm inside again and take his hand.
The band is introduced and after a few songs are played we get up to dance. Both of us find the beat and make eye contact like we’re the only people on the dance floor. Adam looks gorgeous. He carries himself so well and moves confidently to the beat of the music using just the right amount of hip movement. I sway my hips and turn so he can see my bum as I wiggle it around for him. Occasionally his hand touches it. It’s no accident, he’s doing it on purpose and I like it a lot. I turn back and we keep the beat. After dancing to a few songs we go back to our table. Standing to the side of our table is a tall brunette looking right at Adam. She doesn’t even glance in my direction. The light, fun feeling I had leaving the dance floor is slightly dampened as I see Adam walking towards her dropping my hand as he does so. I realize he dropped my hand so he could shake her hand. “Hi Emilia, it’s been a long time.” Adam turns to me and steps back so he can put his arm around my waist. “Violet, this is Emilia,” he pauses, “a friend of mine from a while back.” Emilia looks to my waist where Adam’s arm now sits and then extends her hand to shake mine. I make eye contact and take her hand while I lean into Adam. He is mine and I want her to know it.
“It’s nice to meet you, Violet. Is this your first time here with Adam?” I don’t know why but I feel adversarial toward her.
“No, it’s my second. Adam knows I like it here, which is why we are here again tonight.” I stand tall and feel confident that I’m with him. He watches, appearing oblivious to what is going on.
“That’s nice. Adam brought me here once too. We did a lot of things together.” She’s just confirmed she’s an ex and she wants me to know it. I find a suitable reply.
I say, “This must be a popular spot, then, both for exes and new ones like me.” I couldn’t resist.
“Yes, I guess so,” she replies, lowering her eyes for a moment. I think I’ve hit a nerve. She’s about to say something else when Adam intervenes.
“Emilia, it’s nice seeing you. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” He turns from her and pulls out my chair. I watch Emilia nod and walk away from us. He has politely put her in her place and I feel protected. He sits next to me and looks at me for a minute before he says, “Please don’t let this ruin our evening. I didn’t realize she would be so obvious. It was a long time ago and I have not seen her here since we broke up.”
My reply is simply, “I don’t intend to.” I kiss him and rub my hand down the inside of his thigh. He places his hand on top of my hand as I continue to rub. We’re back on track again. I drink some more wine and enjoy the music. I excuse myself to go to the restroom. The music becomes softer as the door closes behind me. There is a lady touching up her hair and makeup as I walk in. The space exudes luxury as to be expected in a place like this. There is a separate area for touch ups, including four ottoman plush seats in front of a large lighted mirror with a table with Kleenex, hand cream, and hair spray on it. As I begin to touch up my lip gloss in the mirror, I see in the reflection behind me: Emilia. It is now I realize we are alone. I stand erect surprised at seeing her again so soon.
As she stands behind me she says, “Hello.”
I turn around and reply in a cool manner, “Hi.”
She says, “I think we got off on the wrong foot. I’m sorry. Adam was right to send me away. We were together for almost six months, you know.” She’s just confirmed Adam’s run time. The thought of her being one of the longer-term exes makes me angry, but I manage to maintain control remembering where I am and whom I’m with.
“That’s nice.” I don’t want to have this conversation, but she presses on.
“Did he tell you that?”
“To be honest, we didn’t discuss you and him, not even after our recent introduction. I really don’t care to hear the details of one of his exes, as I know there have been many. It would take too much of my time and energy to take in that much detail.” There is a part of me that really does want to know, but I am hoping this will end the conversation. It doesn’t, she persists.
“I understand. If it makes you feel better, he ended it, and it came out of the blue. There were no warning signs. I thought you would want to know that.”
“Thanks for the info. I really should get back to Adam now.” I open the door and walk quickly back to the table.
My face is flushed which is why Adam asks me, “What’s wrong?”
“I ran into Emilia in the restroom. She wanted to give me the dirt on you and her. I told her I wasn’t interested, but she insisted.” Before I can say another word, Adam stands up and heads in the direction of the women’s restroom. Oh fuck, I shouldn’t have said anything. I don’t know whether to follow him or just remain seated. My gut tells me to follow, so I do. As I get to the door, I can hear Adam’s voice so I wait outside and just listen.
“Emilia, stay away from her. She isn’t like you, she’s not tainted. Why do you feel the need to interfere? We’ve been over for a long time now.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I still have feelings for you. I never got over you. The things you did to me I’ll never forget. No one can compare. Adam, please.”
He cuts her off abruptly, “We’re the past, Emilia, and she is my present. Please stay away, and don’t drive me to act more direct than I am now. Do you understand? If you see us here again, stay away from us. I won’t be so accommodating a second time. You should know that by now.”
I hear her trying to plead, “Adam I am sorry. Can we talk? Maybe meet for a coffee sometime?”
“Absolutely not, any chance of spending a minute with me was lost when you accosted Violet in here just now. Remember my words. I need to hear you say it so I know you understand.”
“I’m sorry. I will stay away.” Emilia still sounds like she’s pleading with him. Hearing them makes me cringe. I could imagine Adam being direct, but it’s different actually hearing it. I return to my seat as I hear Adam’s footsteps coming towards the door.
He sits down and his jaw is still tense. “Did you hear it all?” How does he know? “I saw you just sit down at the table, so unless you were dancing without me, you were eavesdropping, correct?” he says.
“Yes, sorry.” Now I’m the one pleading. “I was coming as back up, but when I heard you, it was clear you were leading the show so I just waited outside.”
“You waited outside to hear what I was going to say. No need to lie to me Violet. I know my exes are of interest to you at the moment. For the record, I wouldn’t concern myself even if you did have an ex-boyfriend. I’m not made that way. We are what we are as of today and the past is the past.” I don’t know what to say. He asks, “Do you want to stay or leave?”
“I want to stay a while longer. I don’t want to give Emilia the satisfaction of us leaving on her account.”
“Good decision. Let’s dance and have another drink and then leave. I need to feel myself inside you sooner than later anyway.”
“I like that. Another good decision made,” I say as Adam takes my hand and escorts me to the dance floor. A slow song comes on and he pulls me close and tight to him. His arms are wrapped around my waist touching my bum as we dance. I have my arms wrapped around his neck, very tightly, because this man belongs to me. After a few dances and another drink we head back to his house. Adam pays the taxi driver as I wait at his front door. Just coming back from the downtown core with all the big buildings and
lights and the aftermath of the loud band makes it seem so quiet here. Adam opens the door and allows me to walk in first. While Adam stops to turn off the alarm, I head for the stairs. I do my best model walk, swaying my hips from side to side, and I hear him whistle at me. I remove my top and throw it over my shoulder. I don’t even look back to see if he caught it as I start up the stairs. Halfway up the stairs I reach around and undo my bra, take it off, and also throw it over my shoulder. I continue to sashay down the hall towards the bedroom. I think to myself, I must look pretty good from behind, topless with satin pants and high heel shoes. Just as that thought leaves my mind, Adam scoops me up and I scream as I had no idea he was so close behind me.
“Bet you thought you were pretty smart teasing me like that?” he says as he carries me to the bedroom and puts me down on the sofa. I watch him take the remote and turn on some music adding ambiance to the room.
“Actually, yes. Did you like my half naked model walk?”
“Absolutely, I’m going to show you how much right now.”
Chapter 17
It’s another Sunday morning. As I stretch in the bed, I think back to yesterday, when we went horseback riding again. It was a glorious day. I actually took Storm for a run this time. He really is a majestic creature and after riding him, I now have a better understanding why Adam enjoys him so much. I learned that Storm is actually Adam’s horse along with two others. I am learning more about him each day.
It’s sunny outside and Adam is not beside me in the bed. He must be working out downstairs in his home gym. For a second I think I should join him, but realize I have no gym clothes here. I must remember to pack some leggings and a T-shirt. For now, I have a good excuse. I stay in bed and look around the designer-inspired bedroom that reflects nothing personal about Adam, the master of this house. I still question why there are no personal photos or trinkets indicating his interests. I hear him coming up the stairs. He walks in, sweaty and breathing heavy, with a towel in his hand.
Solid Stone: Revolving Door Page 23