Blayne

We were finally at the hotel. It was strange being in the same car but it was stranger when he held the door to his suite open for me and I felt the adrenaline bursting through me. I stepped in and he led me through the foyer to the den where we sat in front of a gigantic flat screen TV and he poured me a glass of wine.

I took it because I was still nervous. I was trying hard not to look at him but that was a hard feat to accomplish. “You can go take a bath,” he said. “Don’t you want to get out of these clothes?”

The clothes were still bothering him. Unbelievable. So, he could flirt in Chinese and put the moves on stunningly blonde shop attendants but I couldn’t wear some guy’s clothes apparently. Regardless, I did want out of these clothes for plenty of my own reasons and I wanted to burn them.

I held my wine glass in one hand, and picked up the shopping bags with the other and went to the bedroom. I set the bags down and headed to the bathroom. Then, I stripped out of Jason’s clothes and stuffed them into a laundry hamper. I let the warm water run and filled the tub, and finally ventured in with my wine glass and for a moment I was in heaven. Usually, that kind of peace of mind would always bring about anxious thoughts about Nick but not today. I was only thinking about the man in the next room, and everything that happened between us. It was strange but when he was around me everything felt different. Even now, just knowing that he was in the next room made me feel a strange pleasure rising inside my body. Maybe the wine was getting to my head. I had a few glasses back at the bistro and now this one, it had to be the reason I was feeling so… Hot? Excited? Erotic?

But remembering the way he looked when he was stepping out of the car that morning, and the confidence with which he just lifted me up when I was hurt, and the way he gently placed me in that car and took care of me…

No. I couldn’t let myself think that way. It didn’t matter how big of a sham my engagement with Nick was, it was still an engagement.

An engagement you didn’t want, with a guy you never loved, and that your parents forced you into?

Regardless, it was too soon.

I need some strength, God. Don’t let me fall for him. Please.

I finished the wine and stared at the empty glass for a long time. I was still lonely. The way Nick had betrayed me, it was impossible for me to trust anyone. It didn’t matter that I didn’t love him, I was loyal to him. I wanted to love him. That was my intent when I finally acquiesced to my parents’ pleading and groveling and constant guilt trips. I was fine with being in a not-so-perfect marriage. I just hadn’t known that Nick was nowhere near as loyal to me. I knew the reason he was looking for me. I was the key to his locked treasure and the map to his future. Without me, he couldn’t fool my parents into agreeing with him and his ridiculous schemes.

There was nothing I wanted more than to see him fail. Not just because he had hurt me, but because I knew what he was now. He couldn’t keep fooling me like he had been fooling my father. If they knew what he was up to they might not like him as much. But there was no way I could prove what I saw. So, I had to keep my silence for now. Until I found a way to expose him and tell the world what they were truly worshipping. They needed to see his true face.

A knock on the door snapped me out of my reverie, and I heard Chase calling out my name. “Everything okay in there?”

Why was this guy always so worried? Did he think I was that fragile?

“Everything is fine,” I responded.

“Blayne, there’s something that I need to take care of,” he said. “Will you be okay being on your own?”

“I’m sure I can find a way to function without you, Chase.”

I could hear his grin from the other side of the door. “I know it will be difficult, but I’ll try to be back before you get too horny for me.” If only he knew the truth. I felt smug, just thinking about the fact that he had no clue about the effect he had on me. That simply knowing that he was in the next room and I was covered only by the foam of the bubble bath, made my skin break into a thousand tiny goosebumps. That the sound of his voice alone brought such a feeling of immense pleasure that reached beyond my mind, and was out of my control.

I heard his feet walking out of the room and then I couldn’t hear a thing. I was finally on my own. I guess I needed time to think without that incredibly distracting voice saying things I didn’t want to hear or those eyes looking at me like the world was about to end and I was the only way for him to be alive. Don’t get me wrong, it was good having someone look at you like that and if I wasn’t constantly waiting for the flip side and for the other shoe to drop, I might have enjoyed it rather than staying in fear of it.

When I got out of the tub and came out of the bathroom wrapped in a robe, I had a surprise waiting for me. On the bed, there was a gift-wrapped box with my name on it and when I opened it there was a brand-new iPhone inside the box. A pink post-it was stuck to the screen of the phone with the words: “I did the courtesy of leaving my number in your Contacts List.”

I shook my head. I don’t know why this guy was doing all that for me. I was certain I couldn’t have been the only woman he had around. he was clearly rich and judging by the way he was talking to the people of the hotel, it was obvious he was used to living here. Or maybe he had all his other women come here and I wasn’t the only one. I mean, not that I was his woman or anything. I changed into the dress that I had bought and took my phone to the den, so I could drink some wine and watch some soap. I raided the minibar for all the Godiva and plopped down in front of the TV.

What could be better than wine and chocolates and daytime soaps to cure your miseries, right?

Something about watching other people fail in their fantasy lives made me feel like I wasn’t the only one, and watching them navigate life to reach happiness after all that suffering, made me feel like I could do the same.

I realized that I should have been homeless right now. I shouldn’t be in some suite watching some Spanish man be slapped by a younger woman who was angry at him for some reason. I shouldn’t be snacking on Godiva or sipping quality wine. I looked at my phone, even though it wasn’t ringing and no one had my number.

Chloe, I remembered and logged into Facebook to see if her number was on her profile but it wasn’t. So, I sent her a message giving her my new number and telling her to call me back. I was barely done doing it when there was a call on my phone and Chase’s name popped up on the screen. I answered the call but my hands were trembling. Why did the thought of him make me so emotional?

“Hello?”

“Speak up, Kitten. I can’t hear you.”

“Chase.”

“Who else is going to call you?”

“What do you want?”

“Some gratitude for starters. Why don’t we start by you calling me Master?”

“Why do you always sound like you’re shooting a bad porno?”

He laughed. “Don’t worry, Kitten. The only porno I’ll shoot with you will be a good one.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“What? Kitten?”

“Chase, please.”

“Anyway, I called to let you know that I’m going to be late. Don’t go anywhere, please.”

How could I promise him that? I should have been running as far away as possible.

“Try everything once, even the things you don’t think you will like.”

“Okay.”

He sounded relieved. “I’ll come and talk more. I have to go.”

“Goodbye.”

“I’ll see you soon, Kitten.”

I shook my head but I was laughing. I don’t think anything Nick ever said made me laugh like that. We never shared this kind of connection. I wondered if Nick had that connection with someone else. If he did, that was the person he should have been engaged to. Not that I’m thinking about being engaged to Chase… oh who was I kidding, I could picture Chase in pretty much every capacity.

I tried to watch the soap and then the reality show about some kind of housewives, that became funny rather than serious. The ridiculous situations the women were in because of some silly misunderstanding, it was silly.  And I kept watching because it was the kind of thing that allowed me to be silly and ridiculous. Kind of like the way it felt being with Chase. Like you were finally home.