Melanie woke to the sun on her skin and a soft sheet wrapped around her lower half. Stretching her arms over her head, she let out a soft yawn and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She felt blissfully sore, as a smile appeared on her lips. Memories from the night before flashed across her mind and she turned to the space next to her, but found the enormous California king bed completely empty. Melanie frowned, looking at the clock on his bedside table and found that it was only a quarter after seven. They had fallen asleep, finally, just hours ago. Looking down her body, she saw the evidence of the night before, in hickies that littered her neck and breasts.
Her entire body flushed when she recalled the feeling of his lips and tongue and teeth on her, and Melanie bit her lip, standing up from the bed on slightly shaky—and very sore—legs. She located a baby-blue button-down shirt that was long enough to reach mid-thigh on her and slipped it on, doing only a few buttons, before making her way out into the main room.
She found Aiden Carmichael sitting at his kitchen table, typing furiously at his computer, with a steaming cup of coffee next to him. He was dressed in a shirt and slacks. He didn’t even seem to register her entrance, so Melanie made her presence known with the clearing of her throat.
Finally, he turned toward her and gave her a once-over. “I hope you’re not planning to wear that to work,” he said, but there was a twinkle in his eyes.
“Actually,” Melanie replied, “I thought I might pair it with a belt and a pair of your boxers. I think I could start a trend at the office, don’t you?”
He didn’t laugh at her joke, but Melanie brushed it off and walked over to the table to meet him, slipping down into an adjacent seat.
“What’re you working on?” she asked.
“Our next investment,” Aiden informed her. “Something like Vet Robotics. I found a few more tech-based companies that have a substantial amount of startup money. Most have their own social networking teams up and running, so they’re getting plenty of attention. One of these might be a good choice for your next investment. What do you think?”
Melanie looked over his shoulder, her gaze scanning the Word document that he had open, where he had copied and pasted the various companies and their mission statements. Most of them seemed like sure-fire moneymakers. They didn’t carry too much risk, and were almost all guaranteed to make money.
But, that was boring. Without any risk in the investments, what was really the draw? Of course, they could make a lot of money with these kinds of companies, but that wasn’t the kind of thing that got her blood pumping.
“Why not something more…experimental?” Melanie suggested. “Something riskier, you know?”
“You’re not ready for that,” Aiden insisted. “Stick to the small investments for right now. They’re much safer.”
“But safe is boring,” Melanie sighed. “We can make more money if we take bigger risks. My father was all about the bigger payoff.”
“I understand that,” Aiden assured her, “but if you take too big a risk, you could put this firm and whatever firm you’re investing in under water. It’s better to start small and work your way up. I know that it sounds boring right now and not worth it at all, but you’ve got to trust me on this. I’ve been where you are. You’re just not ready.” He turned back to the computer. “Besides, rushing into investments that were too big for you is what got you into the mess you were in to begin with. I don’t think you want a repeat of that just yet, do you?”
“No,” Melanie agreed. “I don’t.” But, she still found herself frustrated. Part of why she’d gone into finance and investment was because, like her father, she craved the excitement and risk of the bigger investments. It was why she had spent so much of her time and energy on securing investors all throughout her senior year; for her own company. For the risk that came with it.
Granted, the risk she took, then, had not exactly been worth it and had almost bankrupted her, but for a brief moment in time, she felt the adrenaline.
“Melanie,” Aiden said, pulling her from her thoughts, “I know you’re eager to get out there, but there won’t always be somebody like me there to bail you out.”
“Yeah, I understand,” Melanie said, though it felt as if Aiden was now speaking about something else entirely. Silently, she made her way to the terrace doors and stepped outside, making her way to the bench where, the night before, they had made lo—had sex. It was just sex, Melanie reminded herself, and it seemed as though Aiden was content just to forget about it, altogether.
The early morning air felt good, as it billowed through her dark hair and made the material of Aiden’s shirt flap against her skin, sending goosebumps up her arms and legs. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, opening her eyes as she did to look down at the streets below. Cars and taxis and vans and limos and bike messengers were already racing back and forth like busy bees. The pedestrians on the street were like ants, walking in straight lines to work and school and wherever else people went this early in the morning. Joggers raced between them, zigzagging lines that paused only at stoplights, before racing across the street to continue their exercise.
Melanie sometimes envied those that she saw walking down the street. Their faces always looked so blank, as if they hadn’t a care in the world. She knew that, statistically, that couldn’t be true. At least a dozen of those she walked with or took the subway with every day worked in one stressful career or another, but it was always odd to think about people that lived lives completely separate from her own.
There was a word for it, but Melanie couldn’t quite remember what it was.
Her thoughts were broken by a sudden vibration at her heel and Melanie jumped, looking down to see her cellphone on the ground. The clothes, broken glass and food had been cleaned up, but somehow it had remained. The screen flashed with several notifications and Melanie reached down to take a glance at them, hoping that they would distract her from the complicated relationship developing between her and her boss.
She got her wish.
Ann: Where are you?
Ann: We need to talk!
Ann: I have an investment opportunity for you, if you’re interested.
Ann: Call me ASAP!
Melanie hesitated for a long moment. She and her sister got along about as well as she and her brother did. Ian and Ann had always been closer to each other than to her—and not just in age—and she’d always felt a little bit left out. But, if both of her siblings were finally reaching out to her…well, forgive her if she was still just the slightest bit suspicious.
Melanie stood and made her way back into the penthouse, clutching her phone in her right fist. Aiden was on the phone at his computer. She approached him and motioned to his shirt, as if to say, Where are my clothes? Aiden pointed in the direction of the bedroom and Melanie nodded, padding back inside, her feet sinking into the plush carpeting. She found her clothes folded neatly on one of the armchairs in the corner and she quickly undid the buttons of his shirt, letting it slip to the floor.
It suddenly felt strange to be naked in Aiden Carmichael’s room, despite the fact that she had spent her entire night that way. She hastened to rectify the situation and soon found herself dressed in her clothes from the night before. Walking out into the main room, she found her heels and slipped them on. She turned back to say goodbye to Aiden, but he was still talking on the phone, his back to her.
She had hoped, at least, to give him a kiss goodbye.
Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Melanie Brunswick made her way out of the apartment and into the elevator. As the doors closed in front of her, she found herself hoping that Aiden would rush out to stop her, to apologize for being so aloof.
But he didn’t.
By the time she reached the lobby, Melanie knew what she wanted to do. Or, at least, she thought she knew. Which is why she pulled out her phone and shot a quick text back to her sister.
Melanie: Meet for brunch?
By the time, Melanie had hailed, and slipped into the backseat of, a cab, Ann’s replies were causing an internal earthquake in her phone.
Ann: Sure!
Ann: Where?
Ann: Same café as before?
Ann: My treat!
Melanie didn’t even allow herself to be suspicious this time. She was just happy that Ann and Aiden were different people.
Melanie: Same café. One hour.
Ann: See you soon!