CHAPTER NINE
Drew
I finished packing in silence. I sat on the bed in my hotel room. My mind was reeling.
Allie, I thought, feeling dazed. I can't believe it. I found you.
After all these years, having her back in my life again...it felt almost as if I'd never been apart from her. And yet it raised a whole lot of its own questions, too. What was I going to do now? Should I keep in touch? I knew what I wanted, but would she want that?
I sighed. My whole body throbbed as I thought of the previous night. I couldn't keep my heart from thumping faster as I remembered her smooth skin on my body, the scent of her hair, the way she felt as she lay under me, or as I penetrated her.
“Come on, Drew,” I said harshly to myself. “No point in dwelling on things like that.”
I reached for my suitcase and started packing slowly. Outside, the sun was still shining, though clouds were starting to rise on the horizon. I looked out over the rooftops and felt my heart already aching.
I'll leave all this behind soon.
I was surprised by how much that hurt me. I had only spent a single night with her, after all. One night.
I sighed. My things were all packed and I looked at the full suitcase, feeling strangely hollow. Everything I got off the checklist – packing, paying, calling the taxi to take me to the airport – all those things were one more thing on the chain that led away from her. Back to my boring present.
“Oh, well. That's how it is.”
I pushed the case off the bed and left it by the door. Took a look round the room, checking to see if there was anything I'd forgotten about. Didn't seem to be.
I noticed that the bed was conspicuously not-slept-in since the previous day. I felt my lips lift in a tender smile. I wonder what the cleaning team will think of that?
Well, that was something I'd never find out about. I unlocked the door and put the case beyond the threshold. Everything I did felt oddly empty. I walked out into the hallway, locked the door and headed down to the lobby.
“Hi,” I said to the girl at the desk. “I'd like to settle the bill?”
“Sure,” she said, smiling warmly as she looked through the list. “Mr. Liston, right?”
“Right,” I said.
We sorted out the costs and I paid, then settled down in the leather armchair in the lobby to call the taxi. And my uncle. He'd be wanting to hear how things had gone. I was surprised he wasn't calling me, quite frankly. It was unusually obliging of him not to bother me now.
I called him.
“Hi. Uncle?”
“Yes, Drew?” he drawled. “You're at the airport already? It's only eleven A.M.”
I snorted. “No, Uncle. I'm still at the hotel. Just thought I'd call to let you know the campaign launch was successful.”
“Good,” he said, giving a grunt of satisfaction. “Just what I thought. So. We'll get you back at ten this evening, yes?”
“Yes, Uncle,” I said.
“Good. Safe travels.”
“Thanks. I'll try.”
He chuckled dryly and we hung up.
When he'd put down the phone, I was surprised by how resentful I actually felt, just hearing his voice. All my resentments about his interference in my life, culminating in his managing my involvement with Carrie, welled up in me.
Damn that guy.
I put my phone back in my pocket and tried to compose myself. It was the aloof, easy confidence of him, the way he manipulated people as if it was his right. I wished I could shout at him, or at least question why he thought he could use people without considering them as humans, even. But I knew I wouldn't.
When I got back to see him I would be plunged instantly into work and then I'd be too stressed and too busy focusing on other things. He would be his normal arrogant self and I would be too busy and too scattered to confront him. Like everyone else did, I would just do what he said.
“I had this time,” I sighed to myself. I had at least seen Allie again.
I thought about that, making sense of it. My uncle had told me, categorically, that Allie and I were a bad match.
“She's no good for you,” he'd said softly. “And you can be sure you'd be no good for her.” He had married my mom's sister, and they came from a similar background – both moneyed. At least, he was by then.
When I had questioned him about that, he'd shrugged. “Different worlds, Drew. Different worlds.”
He'd said she would be out of her depth in my world, a simple tradesman's daughter. And that I would find it difficult to relate to her, and she to me.
“Pick someone who knows your lifestyle better,” he advised. “Maybe Carrie. She'll suit you.”
And I had gone along with his suggestion. To my detriment.
Why didn't I trust my better judgment? I knew Allie and I were perfect together. I knew that then and, Heaven help me, I knew that now. I would never blindly believe Uncle knew best, again.
I called the taxi and arranged a pick-up at noon. It was better to figure in any possible delays in the traffic. I rolled my shoulders and headed out for a walk, leaving my luggage at the desk.
The streets smelled of rain, fresh and crisp. The sun shone on the puddles and my heart lifted as I walked. I found I was grinning, my thoughts all of the previous night and Allie. Dammit! I was smiling so much my cheeks hurt. As I passed a cafe I smelled the enticing scent of baking and suddenly I was missing her even more badly.
This was it. I knew I had to do something. I had to see her again.
The rest of the day passed in the blur of travel, and by the time I reached the airport in San Diego I felt exhausted.
I collected my baggage from the carousel and felt gratitude for the extra legroom as I hobbled out into the hall. I was tall and my legs still got cramped, even in first-class seating.
I was met by a driver and closed my eyes as we moved smoothly through the streets. My mind was still in a small bed in Asheville, nestling with the beautiful woman who had captured my heart. I wondered, absently, what she was doing now.
She's probably not asleep yet, I thought. The consideration of her in bed made my cock hard and I coughed, acutely aware of the driver's proximity beside me. It was dark in the car, the only illumination coming from street-lamps flashing overhead and I was fairly sure he wasn't going to witness.
All the same, the thought made me deliciously embarrassed and I grinned, chuckling.
“Everything okay, Mr. Liston?”
“Yeah,” I said softly. “Everything's quite okay.”
I subsided back into my seat. It wasn't okay. My heart was somewhere else, my body going through the motions of paying the driver, shaking his hand, taking out my luggage and unlocking the door to the glossy black apartment building.
I went up in the lift, my mind dazed. It wasn't the late night and the traveling. It was confusion.
I sat down on my bed and the first thing I did was realize something. I didn't have a number to contact Allie. I would have liked to message, to at least find out how she was. No number. No mail. Nothing.
“Drew, you're an asshole.”
I hadn't even thought to ask. Everything was so overwhelming. I hadn't even thought of it.
Feeling desperately stupid, I scrolled through to my web-browser and keyed in the name of her business. Dammit – why did her business even need to be called something so erotic? I shook my head.
“For booking a table or for catering requirements, contact me...” I closed my eyes. What could I do? Phone the shop and ask to speak to Allie?
Well, if you have to, it's better than nothing.
I couldn't call at eleven-twenty-five at night. I couldn't do anything about it right now. I'd just have to wait until morning.
They open at eight-thirty. That time was inscribed on my brain since this morning. Since waking up beside her and finding she had an hour to get to work on time for that.
I'd call then. At least, I thought, as I shrugged off my jacket and sat down wearily on my bed, I was home and it was Sunday tomorrow.
I could sink easily into work.
Boy, was I wrong about that. The first thing that happened to me the next morning as I sat at my kitchen table, a cup of coffee steaming before my bleary eyes, my hands resting absently somewhere before it, was a call.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Drew,” my uncle's voice said smoothly. “Just wanted to call to arrange a meeting later today. Shall we do lunch?”
I blinked. “On Sunday?”
“Yes, Drew,” he said with that suave, slick, disinterested tone of his. “Why not? I have important matters to discuss. I need to find out about this campaign. And you missed some important updates from our shareholders. I think you'll be pleased to return up-to-date tomorrow.”
I sighed. “Yes, uncle.” What else could I say? I was going to have this meeting whether I wanted it or not, after all. The least I could do was appreciate the effort to fill me in.
“Good,” he said, his voice rich and satisfied. “At Drover's, one pm.”
“Okay,” I said weakly. What else could I say?
“Good. See you then. Don't be late.”
“Bye.”
I hung up and put my phone in my pocket. I blinked.
“What's up with me?”
I swore, my fist clenching with mute frustration. A minute on the phone with that guy and there I was, acting as if he was the king and I was his loyal vassal. I never could understand it!
Uncle was like that. He'd built up his company by dint of charisma and he had it – enough for three people. Combined with an iron will and an unshakeable belief in his absolute dominion over his company and those closest to him, he was someone who it was hard to resist. I couldn't be mad at myself for that. I had been trying to do so for the last ten years. Without success.
“This time it's different,” I told myself as I stood and went to fix breakfast. This time, I had spent time with Allie and I knew that not everything he said was true. I knew he had been wrong in saying we were unsuited. He was wrong in thinking Carrie and I were better matched. And he was catastrophically wrong in assuming he knew best what would be good for me, in my life!
“I'm not doing that.” Not again.
I fried an egg and made toast, all the while remembering my breakfast yesterday – the toast, the coffee. The croissant with its crumbling, melting pastry and the sweet berry-flavored filling.
“Woman, you'll drive me nuts.”
I wished I could say it to her, but of course she wasn't here. I sighed. I had to do something to see her soon. I really would go nuts if I didn't.
I headed off to the imposing hotel restaurant just after midday. I wasn't about to keep uncle waiting for dinner. If I was planning to confront him about what he did to me six years ago, I wasn't planning to start by putting him in a bad mood.
“Drew,” my uncle said, looking up from Time magazine as I came in. He was at the usual table. Even though it was ten minutes early.
“Uncle,” I said. “Hello.”
“You look well. Asheville was good for you?”
“Yeah,” I said. I couldn't help the blush that crept into my cheeks. “It was.”
He raised a brow. “Good. And productive?”
“It was,” I nodded. “After the event, we received fifty subscriptions.”
He pursed his lips. “After an event with, what? Seventy people?”
I nodded. “About seventy. I have the figures somewhere.”
“Oh.” He nodded slowly. “Very good. So the strategy is working?”
“It seems to be.” I shrugged.
“Well, then. We need to implement it more widely. Of course, you're too much in demand at HQ for us to spare you for all the events. But the New York launch, And LA....definitely.”
He was sitting with his finger tapping his lips and he looked thoughtful. I frowned.
“Uncle?”
“You should also go to...um, what?” He looked up as if he barely heard me ask him a question.
“Would it be possible for me to have a say in how I spend my time?”
He looked up as if I'd actually hit him. His eyes widened and narrowed. His face went red. Then he sighed.
“Within certain considerations, yes. You know your loyalty to the company. But if it doesn't compromise that, then yes.”
I stifled a bitter laugh. “Thank you,” I said sarcastically. His eyes narrowed again. I didn't want to actually have a fight with him. But somehow, having met Allie again and discovering what he told me about her was false, gave me strength.
“You can moderate your tone with me, Drew,” he said, looking down. “I can still fire you.”
I closed my eyes. I wanted to say something stupid. Like, go ahead. I'd like to live my life for a change...make my day. But I didn't. I didn't want to compromise my future right now.
“Sorry if I caused offense,” I said carefully.
“Mm,” he nodded. He looked at his nails then perused the menu. “I'm taking the braised salmon. Yourself?”
I frowned. How the man could change subjects so quickly, I had no idea. I guessed that partitioning out my life wasn't any more consequential to him than choosing dinner.
“I'll have the blue cheese Wellington.”
He raised a brow at me. “You've got an appetite today.”
“I do,” I said. I blushed. I was hungry more often...it tended to go with having good sex. At least it did for me. I almost felt as if he was trying to guess what had changed in my life. I looked down, avoiding that cold gray gaze.
“Well, no harm in a good appetite,” he said, as if he thought there might be. “Now. Where's that waiter when you need him. You'll drink water too?”
“Yes, please,” I nodded. For all his suspicion of people who were teetotal – like Allie – he rarely drank anything stronger than water himself.
“Right. Ah. Here you are. Water for the table and, uh, braised salmon.” he looked at me mildly.
I placed my order and, when the waiter had gone again, leaned back in my seat, thinking hard.
I don't want to make an enemy of this man. But I want to let him know he can't push me around anymore.
“Uncle?”
“Mm?”
“You started your company when you were my age. Yes?”
“When I was thirty-two. Yes.”
“Oh. Well, when you were my age, you took risks, right?”
He snorted. “I lived for risks.”
“Oh,” I said again. “Well, in that case, you surely know how it feels to, well...resent boundaries sometimes?” I was trying to lead him into this. He didn't seem to like the direction I was going. He frowned at me.
“I took plenty of risks. I know better than anyone how dumb that can be. Don't do it, nephew.”
I sighed. “You turned out okay,” I muttered.
I thought he hadn't heard me, but his eyes met mine. “I did,” he said. “But you'll never know how narrowly I didn't. I don't want to see anyone in my family have to fight the way I did. It was hard.”
This was a side of Uncle I had never seen. This was the first time I was considering how hard he must have fought. It was understandable, almost, why he was so dictatorial. But still – he had made his own mistakes, so why the hell shouldn't I?
“I understand,” I said. “But...sometimes there are things a person has to work out for themselves, right?”
“Depends,” he said with a harsh chuckle. “Sometimes that person might cause untold problems. So then that person had best listen to his elders and not make all his own mistakes. Yes?”
It was my turn to stare at him. “Uncle...” I couldn't have been more surprised if he'd slapped me. How dare he! He had basically just told me he would rather dictate to me all my life than risk me harming his company. Again, I swallowed the urge to tell him to fire me.
“Yes?” he asked. He grinned dryly and leaned back in the chair, giving me a level stare.
“Nothing,” I said. What could I really say in the face of that? I shook my head bitterly.
“Fine,” he said cheerfully. “Now here comes our lunch. At last. I'm hungry too. And I expect the report to be on my desk at four o' clock tomorrow.”
“It will be,” I ground out furiously.
“Fine,” Uncle said again. “Oh, look. That does look nice. Could you pass me the salt? Thanks.”
I closed my eyes for a moment or two, feeling sick with rage. I had no real appetite left, and I wished I was elsewhere.
In fact, I wished I was in Asheville, with a certain someone who I had just met again. Thinking of her brought a smile to my face again. I tried to hide it, but I thought Uncle might have noticed it.
“Not so bad, is it?” he commented. “The fish is excellent. Never liked blue cheese, myself.”
I sighed. “I like it, uncle,” I said under my breath.
“Fine,” he commented, dabbing his lips with a napkin.
That more or less ended our conversation for the day. I wished I could find the words to tell him I was going to follow my own heart – no matter what he thought – but somehow they all remained stuck in my throat as we exchanged inconsequential remarks about the weather.
All I knew was that, in my heart, I had already decided I would be seeing Allie again... and soon.