Rick
“Are you ready?”
Claire was looking gorgeous and I don’t know what it was that had made her change so drastically, but everything she had worn on the trip was tempting me like no other. Why was she dressed in such a way when she claimed that she didn’t want to be with me?
As she grabbed her bag and started out the door, I grabbed it from her and our hands touched for a minute. She pulled hers back like I had burned her and it was a reminder that this wasn’t how I wanted it to be. I didn’t get why she was so different than any other woman I had ever known.
“Are you still nervous about the flight?” Since Claire wasn’t saying much, I had to keep going with the conversation. We hadn’t talked too much the last day we were here and I was anxious to get back home and figure out where to go from here. I knew that with everything between us, there was no way that I was going to be able to let it go. I didn’t want to and I was just going to have to work her down. She wanted me, the kisses and chemistry was enough of an answer, but I just wanted more.
“No, I think it will be okay. I didn’t sleep much last night, so I am hoping that I will be able to sleep through the flight.”
I liked to think that she was up thinking about me as much as I was thinking about her, but I really couldn’t be sure. I would never admit what she did to me in the wee hours of the morning, but I liked to think that I wasn’t alone. It just didn’t seem right that she didn’t have some kind of issue with it like I did. Why the hell was I the only one that felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin? Didn’t she feel the same way?
I was frustrated to no end and I didn’t even really listen to her answer about sleeping. My mind was too far gone and all I could think about was all of the questions that ran through my mind. Why?
“You haven’t said much today Rick. Are you okay?”
We had just gotten on the plane and I had to say that I was acting a bit strange. I didn’t know how to act and with all I could think about was ravishing her, I had decided that it just seemed easier to not say a word. Everything I said was destined to get switched around, especially because all I was thinking about was the woman sitting next to me that didn’t want to give me the time of day, even though I knew she wanted me. I could tell she needed me and it was a shame that something was holding her back.
“Guess I am just ready to get home. I like to travel and see new places, but at a certain point it is just time to go home.” And the fact that she was there to drive me crazy was a good reason as well. Didn’t she know what she was doing to me, how she was driving me crazy?
“Yes, I feel the same way. As much as I have loved the country and the food, I am ready to get back home as well. I think this is the longest that I have gone without talking to my sister and I know it sounds silly, but I actually miss her terribly. I haven’t even been able to call her from here on my phone.”
I didn’t know she had a sister. If I really thought about it, there wasn’t much that I knew about her beyond the fact that she was beautiful and before things changed, a dirty minded woman. Now she was quiet and I felt like I was missing out. I wanted to know more.
“Do you just have the one sister?”
“No, I have several, but I am closest to one in particular. We have always talked to each other every night as long as I can remember.”
“Sounds like you two are really close.”
“We are. They used to say that if you saw me, you would see Amber. We never went anywhere away from each other.”
“Did she move here with you?”
She shook her head and I could tell that there was something that she didn’t really want to tell me.
“No, she and my parents never really got along, so as soon as she was old enough to leave, she did. She came here, while I went to University.”
“Well I am glad you went to college. You certainly learned your stuff while you were there. I have never seen someone take to everything like you have. You really have a gift Claire.”
“Thanks Rick. Coming from you, that means a lot to me.”
I liked that she was smiling again and she seemed to be a little calmer around me. I didn’t know what the difference was, but I liked to see her like this, as opposed to upset and avoiding me. We had a few good times before everything got complicated. I knew I was to blame for it, but I still didn’t want to apologize for anything. I couldn’t help that I wanted her and even though she had the will to say no, that didn’t mean that I did as well. I wanted her and that wasn’t going to change anytime soon.
“So what about you?”
“What about me?”
She giggled that I was so gone from the conversation. I knew that I wasn’t paying much attention, but it was almost impossible to do so when I could smell the lilac of her perfume. It was different and much like everything else that she wore the last couple of days, it was pulling my attention away from anything that wasn’t her.
“You know, do you have any brothers or sisters?”
I shook my head that I didn’t. “No, I am an only child.”
“Well that explains a lot.”
“What do you mean?”
“You seem like a guy that is really used to getting what he wants. It would make sense that you didn’t have any siblings to share with. Most only children are that way.”
I don’t know if I liked her observation or the fact that she was right. I had been lonely when I was a child, but at the same time, I had gotten anything that I wanted because there was no competition with anyone else. I had gotten used to getting my way, but with her I wasn’t getting my way at all. Was that why I was becoming so obsessed with Claire? Was it simply because I was so used to always getting my way and now that wasn’t the case?
I wasn’t sure, but it was an idea to really think about. How could this woman know so much about me and I knew so little about her? She was very observant, something that shouldn’t come as a surprise by the way she works.
“Well I don’t like to look at it like that, but you could be right. I don’t like it when I don’t get my way.”
I was thinking of her when I said that and I wondered if she knew that she was the one thing that was denied me. If I was real with myself, I would see how hard it had been to deal with that fact. The one person I wanted, I can’t have and that drove me crazy. It wasn’t right and I was still thinking of ways to rectify the situation.
“You can’t have everything that you want Rick. What would be the fun in that?”
I begged to differ, but I wasn’t going to argue with her. I was just happy that we were talking again and she wasn’t ignoring everything that was said between us. At least we were talking again. I was convinced that this was a good sign and I wasn’t going to see it any other way but like that. I just couldn’t. I was still trying to be optimistic and I still didn’t believe that she would be able to deny me very much longer.
“It doesn’t mean that I can’t try. I usually get what I want Claire. I usually get who I want as well, so I don’t know how to take no for an answer because in the end I always get what it is that I wanted.”
Now she realized that I was talking about her and I could see her face getting red. I really liked to see her like that and I loved the way she smiled at me and then looked away when my eyes were too tense.
“Well I stand by what I said. No one gets everything that they want, no matter how much money they have or how much charm they have. Some people are just meant to be together and some just aren’t.”
It was not hard to read through the lines with that. She was telling me to get over it because it just wasn’t going to happen. I should have learned then that I couldn’t have her, but it just made me want her more. I also thought it was adorable how nice she was trying to be about it all. She was turning me down for the umpteenth time, but at least she was doing it the sweetest way possible.
“Never say never Claire. I think with enough time, I will get everything that I want and desire.”
The woman had no idea how stubborn and persistent I could be.
***
When we got back to work, it was easy for us to lose each other in all of the other people running around. I would have liked for us to have become closer while we were in Europe and in a way we had, but in some ways, we were further apart than ever before.
I saw her only briefly in the hallways and a couple of times for meetings. The rest of the time, Claire stayed away from me like the plague and it was driving me rather crazy. Why was she denying me what I needed so much? It was becoming ridiculous and worse than that, there was nothing else that would do.
First when I got back into town, I called up one of the many women I was seeing from time to time to see if she wanted to meet up. It should have been good since I hadn’t had any physical contact for days, but it turned out to be a disappointment. It wasn’t Ashlea that made it a disappointment, it was me and what I really wanted being someone else. It appeared as if no one else was going to do, no matter how hard I tried. It came down to I was meant to be with Claire or at least to get a taste of her so I wouldn’t think about her all of the time.
So I did what any man would do, I manipulated the situation to get her next to me. I knew that she was going to see right through me if I didn’t have a good enough reason and I didn’t ask her in the right way.
In the meeting we had at the end of the week, I was giving out assignments and I made sure that she had the best one. It was a huge client and a big job. It wasn’t enough for one person and I made it like she was going to be helping me, instead of me using it as a way to get some time alone with her.
At the end of the meeting, Claire came to me with her concerns. She had several open clients at the time, something that I had forgotten about and I asked her if I could help her with what she already had on her plate. As I had suspected, she was quick to say that she was fine.
“Good then Claire. I am glad that you are available to help. I know that it has been kind of tense between us. I think working together this weekend will help us out to getting back to a better working relationship.”
“Weekend?”
She didn’t look happy about that at all, but I wasn’t going to give. This was literally the only way that I was going to get her alone and get her where I wanted her, so I was going to have to use methods that I wouldn’t normally use. Now it was a matter of getting Claire alone. I knew that all I had to do was get my hands on her again and she would be mine. I was sure of it now.
“Okay Rick. I will see you tomorrow.”
“I will call you in the morning before I pick you up. Around eight?”
She agreed, but it was obvious that she didn’t want to do anything with me on the weekend. I tried to ignore it, but that was hard to do. I still didn’t understand what it was about her that made her so different, but I was going to have my way.