Jameson
Leaning back in my chair, I glanced out at the Capitol in the distance. If everything went my way during this current conversation, Cecilia would have a new position in one of the coveted offices on Constitution Ave. If this one didn’t work out, I’d make it my new mission to get her in the best place possible. My lists of contacts were endless and there were many people in this town who’d love having a favor from me to cash in.
“Thank you, Justin. I appreciate your time and you know I’ll be around to reciprocate.”
“I appreciate that,” Justin Pale, the senator from Connecticut said. “I’m sure you wouldn’t recommend Ms. Keller if you weren’t sure she wouldn't be a good fit for my office.”
“Of course not.” CC needed a job and if she didn’t want my apology because she didn’t think it was necessary, the least I could do was call in a favor to insure she got a position in such a competitive town. “She’ll be a wonderful asset.”
“She probably won’t be able to start until the fall. Is that okay?”
“No problem at all.” I planned to occupy most of her time.
“I’ll have my assistant call your office and set up a golf outing. It’s been too long since you beat me on the course.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Miles came into my office just as I was finishing up. “I look forward to hearing from you.”
As I ended the call, Miles took a seat. “What’s up?”
“Just taking care of some business.” I scrolled through my phone looking for that florist I had used a few months ago for my mother’s birthday.
“With Pale?” Miles asked. “I heard you when I came in. He’s pretty set in his career. Is he thinking of making a move?”
“No, I was calling in a favor for a friend.”
“With him?”
“This woman I know needs a job. She interviewed with his office today and I was giving her a reference.” Or something like that. “No big deal.”
“What woman?”
“You don’t know her.”
“How do you know her?”
“Did you have something work related you wanted to discuss?”
“How come I tell you about all of my conquests and you don’t share anything about your social life with me?”
“You choose to tell me about your conquests, in great detail, I might add.” I shot my brother a smirk. “And yours are all so entertaining. I can’t possibly compare with the stories you have. My social life is boring.” Except now I wanted to date a woman I had obsessed over for a year. The same woman I paid to distract me with sex. Maybe my social life wasn’t as boring as I thought it was, but my brother didn’t need the details.
“Somehow I doubt anything you do is boring.” Miles put his feet on my desk. “If I threaten to tell mom you have a girl will you tell me all about her?”
“Don’t go there.” I knocked his feet off. “If you do I’ll tell mom about the stripper.”
“Exotic dancer and you wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
“Okay, fine.” He backed off. “You’ll tell me about her when you’re ready.”
Maybe.
“Conrad’s numbers moved a little after the weekend. He impressed some people at the benefit.” He scrolled through his tablet. “But his new girlfriend is the real news.”
“New girlfriend?” I looked up from my computer screen to find Cecilia’s picture staring back at me on the tablet. “She was his date for one night.”
“Well, he’s quoted right here saying that they’re in a relationship.”
“What the hell?” I grabbed the tablet and read.
“Isn’t this a good thing? She’s freakin’ hot. Maybe you should have Meg do a background check on her to make sure she doesn’t have any skeletons. I can set it up if you want.”
“No!” I cleared my throat as my brother stared suspiciously at me. “It won’t be necessary. They’re not dating.”
“How do you know?”
Because she’s mine. “He asked her to escort him that one night.” At my request. Of all the women in D.C. he had to find the one that I wanted. “They’re just friends.”
“Maybe I should get her number.” Miles stared at the tablet. “She’s definitely worth looking into.”
“Maybe you should focus on how we’re going to get Conrad’s numbers higher. At this rate he’ll finish in the bottom.”
I knew he was a long shot but my father asked me to do this. I didn’t want to say no but I had some serious doubts about Conrad’s political future. If he failed, I failed. And I never failed at this job.
“You know what your problem is?” Miles headed for the door.
“What?”
“You work too much and you don’t get fucked enough.”
“I’m sure you get enough for both of us.”
“Seriously, man, just go get laid. You’ll feel so much better and you won’t be such a tyrant around here.”
“I’m not a tyrant.” I picked up my phone and continued to look for the florist. “I’m keeping everyone around here well paid including you. I didn’t hear you complaining last month when you bought that Porsche.”
“True story.”
“Yeah.” I pointed to the door. “Get out.”
“I’m going.”
Laughing to myself as he left, I realized he was probably right. I was tense, overworked and a tyrant. Maybe I did need to unwind. I knew exactly who I wanted to do that with too.
Cecilia
I ended the call and danced around the living room. “I got the job!” I screamed with excitement. I never expected to hear so quickly. I’d just gotten home from the interview an hour ago. I thought I did well, but it was hard to tell. When I left they told me they had other applicants to interview and then they’d set up second round meetings to those candidates they were interested in. I was worried I wouldn’t get a call back but instead I got the job. “I got the job!” I shouted again. Things were finally looking up.
My phone dinged with a text. I glanced at the screen. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Jameson’s name sprawled in front of my eyes. Last night. That kiss.
Congrats on your new job.
What the hell? How could he know when I just found out? I answered him back.
How did you know?
The bubbles popped up on the screen immediately and then his reply.
It’s my job to know, remember?
As I tried to formulate a response the doorbell rang. This was the busiest three minutes of my life. I answered the door to find a man standing there with the biggest bouquet of lavender roses.
“Um... you must have the wrong address,” I said.
“Cecilia Keller?”
“Yeah.”
“These are for you.” He handed them to me. “Enjoy.”
“Wait, let me get something,”
“It’s already taken care of.” He hurried down the porch. “Thanks.”
“Thank you.” I pressed my nose to the large bouquet of roses, inhaling the refreshing scent as I went back into the house and placed them on the coffee table. Picking out the card, I opened the small envelope.
Last night was just the beginning.
Jameson
The thought of seeing him again made me giddy. Part of me was frightened beyond anything I’d ever experienced, but a bigger part of me wanted to see him again. I wanted to see where we could end up this time. It had to be better than the last time.
“Hey, sweetie.” Carla walked through the door. “Whoa, those are beautiful.”
“Aren’t they.” I beamed. “They just came.”
“From your new boyfriend?”
“What? Well, I wouldn’t exactly call him that.” Although it did sound rather pleasing.
“He’s referring to you as his girlfriend.” She bent down and sniffed the flowers. “It’s been years since Al sent me flowers. I might have to complain.”
“Who is referring to me as their girlfriend?”
“Conrad,” she said. “I read the article of him in the paper this morning. He was interviewed after the benefit and the reporter seemed very interested in you. He said a lot of nice things about you.”
“He said I was his girlfriend?” I thought I made it clear that we were friends. “We’re not dating.”
“Here.” Carla handed me her phone. “It’s right here.”
I quickly read the short article and there it was in black and white. He told the reporter we were an item. “I don’t know why he said that. I told him we were just friends.”
“Judging by those roses you are. There has to be thirty of them there.”
“Conrad didn’t send them.”
“What? Who did?” She grabbed the card off the table. “Who’s Jameson?”
“I met him last year when my mom was sick. It wasn’t the right time for us. We parted ways but ran into one another the other night. He asked me to have dinner last night. I agreed.”
“And?”
“He sent me these flowers today.” I plopped down on the couch. “I think he got me a job with Senator Pale too.” How did I feel about that? Did I want him intervening?
“What? You got the job?”
I nodded.
“That’s fantastic.” She hugged me. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks.” I sighed.
“What is it?”
“I’m a little overwhelmed.” I didn’t expect Jameson to reenter my life. “Good things are happening.”
“You deserve good things and if this guy makes you happy I say go for it.” She smiled. “Maybe it wasn’t the right time before but this is a different stage in your life.”
“We’ll see. He’s complicated and intense. I’m not sure how compatible we are.”
“Complicated and intense can be sexy.”
“Hmm...”
Visions of him bending me over the foyer table cluttered my mind. Those memories had dominated my thoughts for months. When it came to sex we were compatible but that wouldn’t be enough this time. I wanted all of him.
***
Two hours later, I’d taken a hot bath, slipped into my favorite jammies and cuddled on the couch with a pint of ice cream. I hadn’t had anything to celebrate in a long time. My new job certainly seemed like a good enough reason to eat right from the container.
I put my feet up on the table and stared at the roses. They were over-the-top but everything about Jameson was over-the-top. His clothes, his watch, his shoes, his penthouse, his yacht. His yacht? How many people had a yacht? It did suit him.
The doorbell rang just as I popped the lid off the ice cream. Carla went to dinner with her husband, and Kirsten was out of town. Maybe if I ignored my unexpected guest they would go away. What if it was a neighbor who needed help? I slid off the couch, put the ice cream on the coffee table, and peeked out the front window. Oh! I glanced down at my faded tank top and old pajama bottoms. My hair was in a messy ponytail and my feet were bare. My toes needed a fresh pedicure. Should I let my over-the-top, complicated, intimidating caller in?
The doorbell chimed again. My stomach flipped when the reality of him being on my front step hit me. Why was he here? How did he even know where to find me? Swiping the loose hair from my neck, I answered the door.
“Hey, gorgeous.” He leaned against the railing, looking incredibly handsome in his slim dress pants, crisp white shirt and no tie. He’d left the first few buttons undone, allowing my eyes to focus on his throat. My mouth went dry when I thought about kissing my way down his neck and chest. “I wanted to stop by earlier but the evening got away from me.”
“How come?”
“Work.”
“No, I mean, how come you wanted to stop by?”
“I wanted to see you and when I want something...” He stepped inside before I could invite him in. “Didn’t we have this conversation already?”
“Well, I guess.” I closed the door behind him. “Thank you for the flowers.” I pointed to the vase. “I’ve never seen such a beautiful bouquet.”
“I’m happy you like them.”
“No one has ever sent me flowers before.” I rocked from side to side, wishing I’d chosen a sexier pair of pajamas. Not that I had anything sexy but the pants with the Chihuahuas on them I had since freshman year of college probably didn’t do it for him.
“That’s unfortunate.” He took my hand and brought me close to him. “But I’m thrilled I could be the first.” Dropping his gaze to my lips, he ran his thumb along my bottom lip. “I’ve wanted to do this all day.” He brushed his mouth along mine before softly kissing me. “Congratulations.”
“Hmm...” I closed my eyes as he deepened the kiss, running his hand down my spine and resting it on my backside. “How did you know where I lived?” I pushed my palm against his chest. “How did you know I got the job? Don’t say it’s your job to know.”
“I love how feisty you are.” He pulled me back to him, holding me in his tight embrace. “I’m not done kissing you.” He captured my lips in his and skillfully moved us to the couch, lowering himself onto the cushions he settled me into his lap. Judging from the bulge in his pants, maybe my Chihuahua pants did do it for him.
When he finally broke our connection, I gasped for air.
“It wasn’t difficult for me to find your address.” He tugged on my pants. “These are cute.”
“I always wanted a dog.” My mother raised me on her own and worked all day. She had said it was because no one was home during the day that we couldn’t have one, but when I got older I realized there wasn’t much money left over at the end of the month for us to have one. “I wasn’t expecting company.”
“I apologize for showing up unannounced. It was rude.”
“I don’t think so.” I motioned toward my ice cream. “You’re stopping me from the extra calories before bed.”
“Don’t not eat it on my account.” He picked up the container. “Chocolate peanut butter.”
“I’m celebrating.”
“The job.” He opened the ice cream and dipped the spoon in. “I may have made a phone call to the senator.”
“Why did you do that?”
“You wanted the job.” He scooped out some ice cream and brought the spoon to my lips. “I made sure you got it.”
I opened my mouth and let him feed me the ice cream. He watched as I licked the spoon clean. He shook his head and smirked.
“You didn’t have to call in any favors for me.”
“This is Washington. That’s how this town works. You should know that by now.”
“Why would you do that for me?”
“I have my reasons.” He filled the spoon with more ice cream. “There were twenty-five other applicants applying for the position. I’m not saying you couldn’t have secured the job on your own. Senator Pale’s staff was very impressed with you at the interview. I just made sure you were the one they chose.”
“I appreciate you helping but I don’t want to be known as the one who got the job because you called in a favor.”
“Anyone who got that job would have had a favor called in for them by someone else. Trust me, that’s how it goes. Why shouldn’t it be you?” He pushed the spoon between my lips. “You did the work. All I did was give you a great recommendation. If you don’t want this job I’ll find you something else.”
“I want this job.”
“I want you.” He set the container on the table. “You’ve been on my mind all day.”
“I think I like being on your mind.”
“Good because I have a feeling you’ll be there quite often.”
“Does that bother you?” He wasn’t an easy man to read. “The last time we were together you didn’t seem to want any complications.”
“I’m complicated enough. Last year I wasn’t in a good place.”
“Neither was I.” Looking down at my hands, I tried not to get emotional. “I’m not the type of person who takes money for...” I wanted to be around him but I was afraid I’d let the shame ruin anything that came between us. “Not usually, anyway.”
“I’ve never done that before either.”
He tilted my chin and stared into my eyes. When he held my gaze I swear he could see right into my soul. I wanted to believe I could see into his too. I saw a strong, confident man, but he was flawed. Who wasn’t?
“I’ve struggled with the way things played out between us. I never expected redemption but when I ran into you the other night I saw it as a second chance. A way to make it right. You said I don’t have to apologize so I won’t anymore. But you don’t have to feel embarrassed or ashamed about what we did. We both had our reasons but do you think you could move past it and see where we can take this now?”
“A beginning?”
“As many as it takes.” When he smiled, my stomach fluttered. “Let’s start over.”
“I could use a do over.”
“Couldn’t we all?” He gently pressed his lips to mine, kissing me softly. More stomach flutters. “What’s that?” He pointed to the bulletin board in the corner of the room. “It looks like a school project.”
“It is a project of sorts,” I said. “One I’ve been working on for a while.”
“Can I see it?”
“You might think it’s silly.”
“I won’t.” He scooted me off his lap. “What is it?”
I walked to the corner of the room and picked up my big board of places I wanted to go and things I wanted to do. “My mother passed away last year.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you.” I propped the board against the sofa and sat in front of it on the floor. Jameson joined me. “I’m sure you can see I don’t come from much.”
“Why would you say that?”
“You’re the politest person I know.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ve seen my car. I’ve been in your penthouse and on your boat. You’re sitting in my tiny house.”
“I may be rich but I don’t judge others for what they don’t have.” He studied the board. “It looks like a scrapbook.”
“My mom and I started this when she was sick. I would bring it into her room when she wasn’t well enough to get up. I bought stickers, markers and fancy tape.”
“New York City?” He pointed to the picture of the Statue of Liberty.
“I want to go there and see all the touristy stuff.” I ran my hand over the Broadway Marquee. “Maybe see a show too. Oh and the stores with all the designer clothes in the windows. I would be satisfied with just looking.”
“Where’s this?” He gestured to the picture of the tropical beach with the white sand and blue water.
“No place in particular. I just want to go someplace hot. Swim in a fancy pool and have a frozen drink.”
“I love your innocence.” He ran his knuckles down my arm and took my hand in his. “This one.” He touched the sticker of the boat. “You checked it off.”
“Ah, yes, taking a cruise on a yacht.”
“That was on your list before last night?”
“No.” I giggled when I saw the curiosity in his eyes. “I added it when I got home. I never knew I wanted to take a ride on a boat until last night. It was worth putting it on my board because I don’t get to check many items off.”
“New York City, a tropical island.” He perused the large board. “The ballet, snow tubing, concerts. These are all things I can give you in a week. They’re easy. Where’s the Eiffel Tower, fashion shows in Milan, London?”
“Are you kidding me? I’ve never even been on a plane. Do you know how many states in America I haven’t seen? Getting to do this stuff is a big deal for me.”
“Which one do you want to check off first?”
“I don’t know.”
“Think about it and let me know.” He traced his finger along my lips. “I’ll take you any place you want to go. Make sure you expedite your passport.”
“Why?” I couldn’t help but gaze into his eyes. It was happening again. I was falling for him. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“You like chocolate peanut butter ice cream. That’s good enough for me.”
“I’m being serious.”
“So am I.” He trailed his lips along my jaw. “I screwed up last time. I blew a chance and that’s not like me. I don’t intend to make the same mistake twice.”
“I can’t make another mistake when it comes to you.” This was too much too fast. “The last twenty-four hours have been overwhelming. The dinner, the flowers, my new job, and you. I don’t know how to respond.”
“Kiss me.” He cupped the side of my face in his hand. “Just feel.”
When his lips connected with mine all I could do was feel. Just like before, everything faded into the background and I was consumed by him. Nothing else mattered when he was close.
“Wait.” I rested my palm on his chest, breaking the kiss. “I’m not a fast-paced person. I’m not used to getting what I want, when I want. I don’t know how to live in your world.”
“So then I’ll live in yours. We’ll do this at your speed. Last time we played by my rules. This time we’ll do it on your terms.” He gently kissed me. “Trust me.”
I ran my hand along his stubble covered jaw, wanting more than anything to believe in him. All I needed to do was take a chance. “My terms?”
“Anything you want.”
I couldn’t let him hurt me like before. It wasn’t entirely his fault. I had agreed to let him use me. He said we could put it behind us. If I could do that and let him show me the man he really was maybe we could see where this was headed. I needed to show him who I was too.
“Do you know why I picked lavender for the roses?” he asked.
“No but they’re beautiful.”
“The first day I met you in the cafe you were wearing a lavender shirt. I thought you were the most eloquent woman. I wondered what you were doing behind the counter. A woman like you shouldn’t be serving others.”
“You remembered what I was wearing?” He wore a blue suit with a light gray tie. When he walked through the door, I nearly lost my breath. He was by far the most attractive man I’d ever seen. It wasn’t a stretch for me to remember our first meeting in vivid detail but I never expected him to remember me.
“You had a bandage on your left forearm.”
“I did?” Maybe I’d burned myself on the coffee pot. I did that often when I worked there. “I probably did something clumsy.”
“Whenever I see the color lavender it reminds me of you. I can’t take back the way we started out but I can make sure this time we do better.”
“I want to try.” I had to take a chance. “I want to get to know you this time.”
“Most people want to be around me because of who I am or what I can do for them.” The muscles in his chiseled jawline tensed. “I don’t open up easily.”
“We can go slow.”
“Slow isn’t a bad idea at all.” He took my face between his hands, focusing on my mouth. “I can do slow.”
Something tells me you can do anything you set your mind to.