Everything's Better With Kimberly

by Lucy Eden

  “I hate you,” I said grinning.

  He laughed. “That’s not what I heard. I heard that you love me and I make you happy and…” I glared at him and shook my head.

  He closed his mouth over mine. As he kissed me, he reached down, untied my robe and pushed it over my shoulders letting it fall to the bathroom floor. His big arms scooped me up and carried me into the shower.

  “And now, my lovely assistant, Kimberly, will turn on the water,” he whispered.

  I laughed as I turned the handle and jets of hot water sprayed us. I pulled out my bun and shook my hair free. Adam was licking and kissing the skin on my neck and shoulders making my entire body tingle.

  “Adam, did you grab a condom?”

  He rolled his eyes and said, “Oh shit, I forgot. Wait.” He gasped. “What’s this behind your ear?” He made a snapping noise and a condom appeared in his hand. He looked down at me with a goofy grin and I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.

  “For our next trick, let’s try making your dick disappear.” I grinned at him and raised an eyebrow. He gave me an incredulous look and kissed me roughly. He ripped open the condom and rolled it on.

  “Who are you?” He whispered before sliding into me and finishing his magic act by fucking me so good that he made me see stars.

  “You didn’t.”

  We arrived at Grantley Adams Airport at five thirty-four. To keep me from killing him, Adam told me that he booked us on a later flight so he wouldn’t ruin his last surprise. He’d chartered a private jet to take us home. Francis drove us on to the tarmac where a medium sized jet was waiting to take us to JFK.

  “I did.” He grinned as he held my hand and helped me out of the car.

  “Why?”

  “I couldn’t risk you having a panic attack and falling in love with whoever was sitting next to you.”

  I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.

  He wrapped his arms around my waist and grinned down at me. “I just wanted us to have as much time together as possible before we had to leave.”

  Adam made sure we made good use of that time. We said goodbye to every corner of that apartment. It was also possible he was trying make sure I would sleep on the plane because I was ready to drop.

  “I’m gonna miss you, Francis.” I turned to face him when Adam finally released me. “Thank you for everything.”

  “Thank you, pretty lady.” He waved an envelope at me. Adam and I made an open reservation for Francis and his wife at Il Tempio, in addition to a generous gratuity. “I hope to see you, both of you, again soon.”

  I bit my lip to keep from grinning. I nodded as he shook hands with Adam and they said their own goodbyes.

  “You ready to go home, gorgeous?” He took my hand and laced our fingers together.

  I sighed and looked around Barbados one last time. “No.”

  He smiled at me and brought my fingers to his lips, before leading me up the stairs.

  It was nearly eleven when we landed at JFK. When we climbed into a waiting SUV, Adam reached for my hand and I was flooded with an intense feeling of déjà vu. I slid my hand on top of his, interlocking our fingers again.

  “Where are we headed?” he asked. I grinned at him. “We need to give the driver your address, Kimberly.”

  I leaned forward and called out “123rd Street, between seventh and eighth avenues.” Adam’s head whipped around and his eyes met mine. I rolled my eyes realizing what I’d just said.

  “I’m sorry, but a hundred and twenty-third between who and what else?” he asked, with a smug grin.

  “Adam, I’m tired. Is there even the slightest chance you’re going to let this go?” He shook his head, still grinning, and slowly mouthed the word no. I chuckled, rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

  “Which floor is yours?” Adam asked when we finally made it inside my brownstone. Because it was cold, he insisted on carrying all of our bags inside and making one trip. He looked like a bellhop from an old screwball comedy.

  “You can put them anywhere. They’re all mine.” I was taking off my shoes and lining them up by the door. He set the bags down and looked at me in disbelief.

  “All of them? The whole building?” I turned to face him. He looked pale. I rushed over to him and gently raked my fingers over the stubble on his cheek.

  “Yeah.” I laughed. “What’s going on with you? I told you I lived in a historic brownstone.” I expected at least a smile at my joke, but he placed his hands on my hips and was still looking around the house, not meeting my eye.

  “Do you live here with your parents or —”

  What was going on with him?

  “No, my parents live in the big brownstone on the corner.”

  “Your parent’s house is bigger? And you live here by yourself and it’s your house? You own it?”

  “Adam, are you having a stroke?” I laughed.

  He blinked and looked down at me. “No, this is just a really nice brownstone.” A nervous smile tugged at his lips before he leaned in and kissed me.

  “Thank you, weirdo. Do you want a tour?” I grabbed his hand and led him through the first floor, after he took off his shoes, of course. “I do have one tenant on the ground floor. She’s very nice, always pays on time and her rent covers the mortgage and most of the property taxes.” Adam looked like a deer caught in headlights. I expected him to comment on the fixtures and the woodwork which were all original, but he didn’t. He was uncharacteristically quiet. I led him upstairs to my bedroom, pushed him onto the bed and crawled on top of him. “What’s with you?”

  “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just tired.” He wrapped an arm around me and rubbed my back. I pushed off of him.

  “No, that’s not it. You were fine until we got here. What’s wrong? Is it the house?”

  “No, it’s not the house,” he sighed.

  “Then what is it?”

  He averted his eyes, clearly reluctant to have this conversation.

  “I’m not letting you up until you tell me.” I leaned forward.

  His eyes met mine and he gave me a weak smile. “That’s not a very good incentive, Princess.”

  At least he was joking again.

  He sighed and stroked my cheek. “Could you really see yourself ending up with a guy like me?”

  “What do you mean?” I sat up.

  “I mean, my entire apartment can fit in this room.”

  I stared at him and I was unable to speak. I just kept blinking. “And?” I asked finally. “Is this about money?”

  “What? No. Not really. ”

  “Adam. You are a Price. Your name literally means money.” He opened his mouth to speak and I placed my fingers over his lips. “I know you gave all that up, but I don’t get why you’re acting so strange right now. Yes, my family has money, but we don’t have hold a spot at Harvard University for someone who doesn’t even want it money.” His jaw set and I’d wondered if I’d gone too far, but I was getting too angry to stop myself.

  “What if I couldn’t give you all this, all the stuff you’re used to?”

  “Do you mean the stuff I already have or the stuff I could easily get for myself if I wanted?” I climbed off of him and stood next to the bed, crossing my arms. He sat up quickly.

  “Hey, Kimberly, I didn’t mean—”

  “Mean what, Adam? That I was with you for your money? That this whole week was some elaborate scheme to hit the Price jackpot.”

  He looked like I’d slapped him, and I instantly regretted throwing his personal confessions in his face for the second time in five minutes.

  “Harsh, but you know that’s not what I meant.” He reached out and clasped my wrists. “I don’t know what the hell I’m saying. I just know that I always want to make you happy. I did give up everything when I walked away from my family’s money and I never had any regrets about it until I met you. I never want to deny you anything. I always want you to have exactly what you want.”

&n
bsp; I softened and relaxed my shoulders. Adam pulled me into him.

  “I’m sorry. But Adam, you’ve given me everything I wanted and a lot of things that I didn’t know I needed. You make me happy. You make me happy, not the giant apartment or the private jet. You. The person who holds my hand when I’m scared, makes me laugh because he likes to see me smile, and does that thing with his tongue that makes me want to pass out.” His eyes narrowed at me and his lips curled into a smile.

  “I’m not sure which thing you’re referring to.” He slid his hands under my shirt and up my back.

  “Maybe you should do all the things and I’ll let you know which one it is when I recognize it.” I straddled him, ran my fingers through his golden hair and pressed my forehead to his. “But not now because I’m tired and we both have to wake up early tomorrow.”

  He smiled and kissed me.

  We took an uncharacteristically PG-rated shower together, put on our pajamas and climbed into bed. Adam snaked an arm around my waist pulling my back into his chest and we laid in silence for a while. Something shifted between us and I didn’t know what it was.

  What if Adam and I only had a magical connection in Barbados, where all we had to do was make love all day and order room service?

  His shallow breathing told me he hadn’t fallen asleep either, and I wondered if he was as deep in thought as I was. The question was on my lips when his voice broke the silence.

  “What’s with this fancy pillow?” He was talking about my satin pillowcase and possibly trying to lighten the mood.

  “It’s for my hair,” I said turning to face him.

  He smiled, stretched out one of my curls and released it.

  “Maybe I should get one.” He ran his fingers through his hair and I burst out laughing.

  “Oh, my god.” I rolled my eyes still laughing. “Good. Night.”

  “Good night, Princess.”

  When I woke up in the morning, Adam was gone and I experienced a split second of panic until I saw the note on my nightstand.

  Good Morning, Princess.

  I wanted to get in an early run before I went into the office and you were sleeping too beautifully to wake. Have an amazing first day back. Call or text if you need me (or if you just miss me). I’ll see you tonight or we can grab lunch if our schedules allow it.

  All Yours,

  Adam

  PS. You didn’t wake up in the middle of the night, but to be fair, neither did I. Two nights in a row! That’s gotta mean something good, right?

  PPS. I love you. Did I mention that earlier?

  twenty three

  Adam

  I stepped off of the elevator and was greeted by a sea of smiling faces. I immediately knew that the word had gotten around about the pitch in Barbados and Wolfe had decided to go with my design. I should have been happier, but my mind immediately went to Kimberly, knowing what this would mean for us. I was hoping the decision would take a few days or weeks but apparently that wasn’t how Wolfe Industries did business. After meeting the CEO, I wasn’t surprised.

  My assistant was waiting for me with my coffee and a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

  “Welcome back, sir.”

  “Call me Adam, Eric. Come on.”

  “Sorry, sir, um, Adam.” My assistant probably shouldn’t call me by my first name, but being called Sir made me sound like an old man and twenty-eight is hardly old. Being called Mr. Price made me think of my father. Kimberly was the only one who could say it and make me smile.

  I wondered if she’d gotten to work and heard the news. Would she be excited or would she feel the way I did? I flashed back to her asleep this morning with the light hitting her face and that one stubborn curl that always finds its way across her cheek. Why the hell didn’t I stay? We could have called out sick and stayed in bed in all day.

  I looked at my phone again. Just as it was when I checked after getting off the train ten minutes ago, she hadn’t called or texted. Eric followed me into my office and took my bag and my coat.

  “You have meetings scheduled all day, but the partners want to see you upstairs in twenty minutes.”

  The last time I’d had a meeting with the partners they were trying to decide if they should fire me after everything with Renee blew up. My office extracurricular activities remained idle office gossip until I started costing the firm money. I had a sense this gathering would have a different tone.

  I fired up my desktop and answered some emails. Since I’d spent the last week actively avoiding work, there were a lot. There were already a few congratulations, some follow up emails about other projects my team was working on and my heart skipped a beat when I saw an email from Kimberly. It was dated the Friday before we met.

  Subject: Wolfe Caribbean Expansion Pitch

  Kimberly N. Simmons

  To Me

  Dear Mr. Price,

  I hope this email finds you well. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Kimberly Simmons, I’m a junior assistant project manager under Cynthia Wu-Barton and I will be working with you on your pitch next Thursday in Barbados.

  I’ve been assigned to assist you in presenting your design to our CEO. I’ve reviewed your design and site plans and have been corresponding with your team to put together a proposal. attached, you’ll find a copy for your perusal, if you’d like to review it and have any questions. I’m looking forward to meeting you in person.

  Best Wishes,

  Kimberly N. Simmons

  Junior Assistant Project Manager

  Real Estate & Hospitality Division

  Wolfe Industries, Inc.

 

  Shit.

  I really needed to get better at checking my emails. I read her message three more times before downloading the attachment. I slowly clicked through the pages and it didn’t take me long to realize I was looking at the most comprehensive and well organized proposal I’d ever seen, without any bias because I was in love with the person that wrote it. I remembered Vittoria’s face as she flipped through its pages during the meeting and how impressed Matthew was with not only the fact that she had copies of her CV on hand, but its contents. I may have thrown the pass to Kimberly, but she caught it and scored the touchdown. She deserved to spike the ball and dance in the end zone. I wasn’t going to be the selfish asshole to ruin this for her. She worked too hard.

  “Protect who she is and who she wants to be,” my brother’s words echoed.

  I wondered what the N stood for.

  The partners meeting, while a lot more cheerful than my last one, didn’t improve my mood or make me feel any better about the project, but I played along. I kept my hand over my pocket hoping to feel my phone vibrate. At eleven I had a break and sent her a quick text before my meeting with engineering.

  Me: Hey beautiful. How’s your morning going? Thinking about you.

  No response. I figured she must have been swamped. My next two meetings ran over. I looked at my watch. It was twelve forty-five. Lunch was definitely out. There was no way she didn’t know about the decision by now. I decided to send her a gift to congratulate her.

  “Hey, Eric. Push my meetings by fifteen minutes and meet me in my office.” I spent the next ten minutes dictating very specific instructions for my surprise.

  “And make sure the note on the box says open when you’re alone and call me when it’s been delivered. Interrupt me in any meeting. Got it?”

  He nodded and left my office. I opened Kimberly’s proposal again and continued to read it until it was time to leave.

  Later, Eric signaled me outside of the door of the conference room. He could have just given me a quick thumbs up, but he gestured for me to leave the meeting. I shook my head. He pulled out his phone and I could see his thumbs flying over the screen. My phone buzzed in my pocket.

  Eric: The messenger service attempted to deliver your package to Wolfe, but
apparently Miss Simmons left for the day and you gave specific instructions for it to be put directly in her hands. Would you like it sent to her home address instead?

  What the fuck? Why wasn’t she at the office and why didn’t she call me or answer my text?

  Something must be wrong. I sent Eric a reply telling him to send the package to her house and let me know what happened. I tried to focus on the meeting, but so many scenarios explaining Kimberly’s absence were racing through my mind. Some were perfectly logical and others were absolutely fucking insane. I wondered if this was how Kimberly felt all the time.

  Just as I was convincing myself that Kimberly had been kidnapped by the eastern European gangsters from Taken, Eric reappeared after what felt like hours, but was probably forty-five minutes. I raised my eyebrows at him expectantly. He gave me a thumbs up and I slowly leaned back in my chair. She was home. She went to work but then she went home after a couple of hours?

  I excused myself from the meeting, called Kimberly once and texted her twice before I got back to my office. I sat at my desk trying figure out what to do next. Today was too important to fuck around at work, but I would just feel better if I knew she was okay. I tried calling her again, no answer. I grabbed my coat and told Eric to reschedule my afternoon meetings as I ran past his desk.

  My thighs ached and the cold air burned my lungs as I ran from the 125th street station to Kimberly’s door. I pressed the button on her video doorbell and waited. Then I pressed it again. Then I knocked. Kimberly’s shaky voice crackled over the intercom.