“What do you expect me to do?”
“Whaddya think, dummy? Go over there and talk to him.”
Leah looked over at the man. Sure, he was handsome and he was there alone. But she had never walked up and started a conversation with a man in her life, much less hit on one.
“Crystal, it's impossible.”
“Oh God, there you go with your analytical self. What's the big deal? He's good looking, isn't he?”
“Yes, sure he is. But I mean.....what if he's married?”
“I don't see a ring.”
“So, maybe he's a cheater.”
“Oh for Christ's sake! Who gives a shit? You're not gonna date him, you're just gonna fuck him!”
“You know that's not the way I work.”
“Yeah, and that's why you've never had a decent lay. Listen, if you're not going up there to talk to him, I will!”
“No, don't go over there and tell him I'm interested, Crystal!”
“Who said anything about you? If you're not gonna bite, I'm gonna have him for myself!”
And with that, Crystal stepped up and began to walk toward the man. Leah had a few seconds of breathing room where she could collect her thoughts, which was good. In truth, she really was attracted to the man but there was no way in hell she was going to go up and talk to him. What would she say? 'Hi, I know virtually nothing about sex but I still might be a semi-decent time for half an hour?' Sometimes Leah wished that she could be as freewheeling as Crystal, but her prudent mind also thought about how often Crystal would call her crying, or scared, or walking on the side of the road after being kicked out of a car by a man who didn't take kindly to rejection. But then again, maybe Crystal had a point when she was talking about older men. As Leah looked at the man, she couldn't possibly imagine him being cruel, or selfish, or even overly aggressive. But what did it matter? Crystal was going to seduce him and screw him anyway. And any guy who could just fuck someone who was so overt about sex probably wasn't the type that you would want to start up an intimate friendship with. Leah loved Crystal, but she sometimes was taken aback at how many guys were disgusting enough to just fuck someone like that; someone who openly and loudly talked about blow jobs and anal and all those other things that made Leah's skin crawl.
Over at the other side of the bar, Crystal had struck up a conversation with the man. Leah couldn't hear, but she could somewhat infer what was going on. The man was speaking coolly and calmly and whatever he was saying was making Crystal laugh. He certainly seemed like a nice guy. Crystal laughed again and rested her hand on the man's shoulder. Then she started walking back toward her seat. Leah could see that she was smiling as she was approaching. When she sat down, she didn't say anything for a second, prompting Leah to begin.
“Well, how'd it go?”
“Oh, I'd say it went......unexpectedly.”
“Crystal, were you shut down? That's so out of the ordinary!”
Crystal laughed. “Well, I wouldn't say I was 'shut down' per se. He told me that I was very pretty and had a 'bubbly sensibility' whatever the hell that is – but when I asked him if he'd like to hang out, he told me something very interesting.”
Again, she was smiling and, again, she wasn't saying anything. Leah absolutely hated when Crystal was like this, fishing for intrigue.
“Okay, so what did he say then?”
“He said that, while he found me very interesting, he couldn't help but notice you sitting over there alone, so he asked me what your story was.”
Leah's stomach felt like it was going to climb out of her mouth. “My story? You didn't give it to him, did you?”
“I mean I didn't read him excerpts from your biography or anything. I was just like, 'yeah, my friend has just been getting over a bad breakup, you know what I mean?”
“Oh God....”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Go over and talk to him!”
“What do I say?”
“Just introduce yourself and go from there. Oh, by the way, his name is Brian and he's an investment banker. And get this: He actually owns that bank downtown! He's very wealthy but totally not full of himself, you know? I'm actually kind of pissed he prefers you to me, if you want to know the truth.”
“Don't worry, five minutes talking to me and he'll be all over you.”
“You'll never find out until you go do it.”
Chapter 3
Leah took a deep breath. Was she really going to do this? She was actually a little pissed at Crystal for putting her on the spot like this. As her best friend, Crystal knew Leah hated being in situations like this. Now she was practically forced to go talk to this admittedly handsome man.
She rose up with more than a little effort. As she walked toward him, her legs felt like jelly. Her heart was pounding so much she was reminded of the old Warner Brothers cartoon where a lovelorn anthropomorphic animal would have a heart-shaped impression bursting out of his chest. Yet her body moved in spite of itself, like a remote controlled vessel, until finally she sat down next to the man.
“Hi, I'm Leah,” she said.
The man turned to her. His face was even more handsome up close. The green eyes greener, the perfectly textured hair even more enticing. As he smiled, she saw a very fine spider web of laugh lines that made him look more endearing, like a mix between a sexy model and a caring father. It was quite a combination and Leah immediately felt her face flush.
“I'm Brian. It's very nice to meet you Leah.”
“Yes....well”
“So the reason I took notice of you was because, when I saw you sitting there by yourself, I couldn't believe how lonely and miserable you appeared.”
“Right....I know Crystal told you I had just gotten over a bad breakup.”
“If you ask me, someone as beautiful as you should never have to be sitting alone in some pub with a sad look on their face. Let me see you smile. I bet your smile would blow the doors off this place.”
Leah smiled without even trying thanks to Brian's honeyed, flattering words.
“Ah, that's it right there. Now tell me Leah, why is it that you can't get over this breakup? Why can't you move on and enjoy the life that someone as lovely as you deserves to enjoy to the fullest?”
“I mean I wouldn't say that I'm not over the breakup. It's just that I've been going through some things with myself lately.”
“Yourself? But you seem perfect! What on Earth could possibly be the matter with you that you would wear such a forlorn expression?”
“It's nothing. Forget about it. So, Crystal said you do investment banking?”
“Yes, I'm the enemy. If you're a 99 percent, you'll probably want to enact a ten mile radius around me so that I don't infect you with my greed.”
Leah laughed genuinely.
“Okay, see there we go. I knew I could brighten you up a little. That's why I asked you over, you know.”
The warmth and general atmosphere of the man greatly helped Leah to be at ease. She couldn't believe how calm she was now that she was in the midst of a conversation with him.
“Oh really? So are you in the habit of bringing cheer to girls in bars who look a little down?”
“Not in the slightest. But whenever I see someone as beautiful as you wallowing in misery...”
“Well I wouldn't say I was wallowing...”
“Whatever you were doing, it wasn't befitting a woman of your stature.”
“You're very kind to say that.”
“I only say what I mean. And that's why I'm going to say this. I took a great interest in you the moment I saw you. I don't know why, but I feel as if you have this potential that is just waiting to be unleashed. As if you're a diamond mine just waiting to be opened for gem merchants like myself.”
“Listen, I'm flattered but...”
“Leah, I may come across as forward to some, but that is simply because I know of no other way to be. I'm going to give you my card. It has my cell number on it. Now I want you to call it tomorrow,
the next day, whenever you please. But don't do it for me. Do it for yourself. I want to permanently remove your disagreeable disposition and I know that I am uniquely qualified to do so.”
He took Leah's hand and slipped his card in her palm, closing it. Then he signed his name on the bar bill and straightened his tie. Before he rose, he turned to Leah one last time. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Leah froze. She had no idea it was coming, but she was astounded at how good and right it felt. It was, in truth, the most passionate kiss of her life. He then rose and said, “Goodbye Leah. I'll talk to you soon.” With that, he was up and out of Hobbies.
Leah was still frozen. Synapses of pure emotion and raw craving coursed through her brain, lighting up parts of her mind that she never even knew existed. She gained back enough wherewithal to look back at Crystal on the other side of the bar. Crystal just raised her eyebrows, then her glass, and laughed. Leah looked back down at her clenched hand with the business card still in it. She eyed it for a while before getting up and walking back to Crystal.
Chapter 4
After Brian left the bar, Leah was in a strange state of near delirium. She had never been the recipient of such flagrant forwardness and she was surprised by how much it resonated in her. Once, a man at a party had groped her, but it was so shocking and disconcerting that she had cried later that night. But this was completely different. The command that Brian held and the confidence mixed with kindness. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before and she had never quite felt the way she did when he kissed her.
When she walked back to talk to Crystal, Leah was in a bit of a daze. They finished their drinks and parted ways, with Leah promising Crystal that she would be available to hang out more. She was a bit more reticent though when Crystal pressed her to give Brian a call.
In truth, how could she? Yes, Brian did seem to elicit something within her that she had never felt, but Leah's natural risk aversion made the idea of calling this stranger (for, though he kissed her, he was still a stranger) and meeting up with him. After all, what exactly did he want from her? He had said that he wanted to change her, but that could mean virtually anything.
At any rate, Leah let a couple days pass without calling him. She was close to dialing his number a couple times but still thought better of it. But on the third day, Leah happened to be using the computer and logged onto Facebook. While chatting with a couple friends and wishing a happy belated birthday to an acquaintance at work, she decided on a whim to check out Charles' Facebook page.
It wasn't a good idea. As soon as his image came up, she saw that his new profile picture was of him with a very beautiful, very slutty looking girl. She also saw on his Wall that he went from “Single” to “In a Relationship.” Whilst Leah and Charles dated, he refused to change his status from “Single” because, in his words, the whole idea of updating relationship statuses was childish and idiotic. And, to be fair, Leah was basically over Charles and all his selfish bullshit. But still, she couldn't help but feel a bit miffed about it all. Then she noticed something even more striking. On the profile picture, with Charles and the buxom slut, she could see that the girl was wearing Leah's old necklace that Charles had given to her on their anniversary. When they had broken up, Leah had given him back the necklace, expecting him to insist that it was a gift to her and that she should keep it. But he had said nothing and she had left. And now this girl was wearing Leah's jewelry?
Between that realization and a cold and lonely night, Leah was in a sad state. As she fell asleep alone, she woke up earlier than usual. It was her day off from work and she was not looking forward to a long, boring day of being by herself. It was 9 am, too early to call Crystal. Crystal was probably still passed out and, even when she woke, would likely be nursing a hangover for the better part of the day. It was then that Leah decided she would call Brian. She fished out his business card from her purse and nervously dialed the number. It rang once and nobody answered. A second ring came and Leah was about to hang up when she heard that familiar voice pick up on the other end of the line.
“This is Brian Hall.”
“.....Hi, Brian. It's Leah. We met a couple days ago.”
“Leah! I was afraid that you had lost my number, or worse, didn't want to call me.”
“Well, it's just that I've been busy lately....but how are you?”
“I'm quite well, I must say. Very busy for the next couple days but I really want to meet up with you and have dinner.”
“Yes, well...maybe when you're not as busy.”
“So what plans do you have for the day?”
“Oh, not much. I have the day off and I was probably just going to tidy up around here.”
“Leah, tell me, where are you working right now?”
“Umm....I do retail at Beall's clothing shop”
“Quit that dead-end job. From now on you're working at my bank.”
“But Brian, I don't have any experience”
“I'll have you trained. I'll pay you a salary. It's time you lived in the luxury that you deserve. And I can do it because I own the damn place!”
So this was why he dressed so well. He was rich. Very rich! Leah didn't know what to say. She had always made a point to be as independent as possible. It was just something inherent within her. Her parents made a decent living but she would still refuse money from them, even when it could have greatly helped her situation. And now having this man just set her up with a posh position in a bank that should really go to someone far more deserving. Maybe even somebody who didn't already have a job, like her. But then there was something about the way that he was dictating her life, almost ordering and controlling her moves. She had experienced a greedy, selfish kind of controlling while having sex with men, but nothing like this. This was as if a force bigger and stronger than her knew what was best for her and was commanding her. Giving her the 'luxury' (a word that instantly evoked 'him') of relaxing as he crafted her free will for her. What else could he do for her? To her? As she thought about this, she hadn't realized that she had said nothing for quite a few seconds.
“Hello? Leah? Listen, why don't you come in today and you can get set up with my assistant, Cheryl. She's excellent. I can't be there this week because I'm tied up in Tucson but in a few days I'll return and I'll be more hands-on with you.”
And with that, the call was ended.
Chapter 5
Leah went that day to meet Cheryl, Brian's assistant. She was a nice woman with a bit of a flustered demeanor but all in all a good human being. She smiled a wide, pearly grin when they met and when Leah said that Brian told her to come in here to train for a job, Cheryl's face became more serious. Perhaps she was jealous that Brian was interested in someone else – Leah had no way of knowing. But either way the first day, the orientation, was quite interesting. Leah was shown her small cubicle and was informed about all the tasks she would need to see to if she was to continue working there.
It was all pretty heady and it took a couple days for Leah to get situated. In truth, it was far more preferable to her clothing retail job. In that job, she would sit at a register, bored off her ass while the other catty bitches she worked with traded gossip like fishermen trade tall tales. But in this job, everybody had their own station and their own responsibilities that kept them busy. And during breaks, the workers seemed very jovial and friendly. Even Cheryl warmed up to Leah and she felt very welcome thanks to everybody's courteous demeanor. The vastly increased pay certainly didn't hurt matters either.
And so it went until Thursday when Brian finally came back into town. Leah was sitting at her desk when she overheard Cheryl talking with a friend. Cheryl then came up to Leah.
“I was just telling Tina that Brian will be coming back into the bank today.”
“Oh, that's great news.”
“Yeah, I'm sure he's going to be very happy to see you.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Cheryl gave a coquettish wink. “Well, when he
called me to tell me he'd be heading in today, he specifically asked about you and how you were faring here. I told him you fit in perfectly and he seemed thrilled.”
As Cheryl walked away, Leah couldn't help but smile a bit. But as she smiled, she thought about the fact that she had only seen Brian one time and that was over a week ago now. Would he still have the same allure that he had exuded at the bar? Would he still look as attractive? What if now that he was her boss he would be cold and demanding?
As it turned out, Leah's fears were all for naught. At around two in the afternoon, Brian entered from the front door. She could just barely see him from her position in the back, but he was just as striking as the first day she saw him. In fact, he might have been even more attractive here than in their first meeting place, for now he wore a very attractive (and no doubt very expensive) double breasted, checked Alexander McQueen coat that brought out his thin, imported silk tie. He removed his sunglasses as he entered and those same green eyes shot out across the entire building like a lighthouse promising a safe harbor. His hair was perfectly styled and the business trip he took made his already tan skin elicit a golden glow that screamed good health. He walked slowly through the bank, smiling and greeting all his employees. Leah noticed how everybody seemed to love him and how he didn't seem like a boss so much as a good friend. It was then that he saw her looking at him and immediately made a beeline toward her cubicle. Again, Leah felt that cartoon heart pounding feeling that had taken her over at the bar. But this time, the roles were reversed. This time, it was him walking toward her.
Forever After Page 2