Tam - Objects

Objects in the Mirror

Tamara Kearney

©2004 – 2010

What in the hell was she to do now?

Alex remained on the couch for the remainder of the night. Or so he thought. He woke up around two in the morning to something warm on his cock. It felt like moist velvet and it was incredible. He didn’t want to open his eyes and ruin the dream he was having. He didn’t move. He let it go and enjoyed it. He hadn’t felt this good in a long time. He thought he heard moaning but he figured it was himself. It wasn’t until he felt the vibrations of that mouth that he realized he wasn’t dreaming. He awoke to find Claire climbing on top of him.

Claire looked down at Alex and smiled. She bent down to kiss him passionately while inserting his cock inside her. She’d missed the feeling of him inside her. She’d wanted it for so long. She realized that Nik was just a lust, an infatuation. Alex was love. She still loved him. She was able to push him out of her head for awhile, but when she saw him that afternoon, she had to have him back, if only for a moment.

Claire rose and fell with Alex’s thrusts. She allowed him to touch her breasts underneath his pajama shirt. He played with her nipples, making them hard and the skin taut. His fingers trailed from her breasts down to her stomach, where he grabbed her hips. He started moving her hips faster against him until he could feel her sweat. His right hand moved further down to her dark curls beneath and found her hub. He began massaging it like he did her feet, only with more purpose. His thumb was moving in motion with the rest of his body. He could feel her tensing on the inside and it felt glorious. She was close; he could feel it. He sped up her motions for her orgasm to come. When she reached her climax, he sat up and clutched her. He sped up his thrusts for his own climax. When he came, they both fell back in exhaustion.

Dedication and Author’s Note: This story was originally set in Maine. I changed it because I don’t know anything about Maine. It was changed to Colorado about a year after I started, only to change it one more time, several years later, to a small town in northeast Texas. The story began as regular fiction: a girl and boy engaged, boy cheats, girl runs away to find a new life. Thing is, I was just starting to read a new series about vampires, werewolves, were-anything, demons and they were romance novels. Originally, this story was not romance. I suppose an author writes stories they enjoy reading.

I want to thank my husband, family and friends, who read it for me while I wrote it. Without them, it wouldn’t be where it is now. If not for them asking me, “What happens next?!” it probably would have just stayed in a notebook, lost on a shelf or in a box. I want to say “thank-you” to Patrick, “Abbye,” Cindy, Brigitte, Andrea, Derek and Jessica, all of my “Ninjas,” and everyone else who had a part in this book. This is for you.

-Tamara Kearney

Prologue

A man and a woman, so deeply in love, hold each other tight, not wanting to let go. They gaze into each other’s eyes, heave a big sigh and whisper, “I love you.” They kiss so passionately, but only for a few moments. She is taken away by God knows what and the two begin to cry and start screaming their never-ending love for another.

“Oh, please!” exclaims someone from the audience. “That shit doesn’t happen in real life! I can’t believe I paid six bucks for an action-packed movie and all I get is some damn romance. That’s bullshit!”

A woman, in her late twenties, gets out of her seat and storms toward the box office.

“I want a refund. This movie promised to be “action-packed” and all I’ve seen is tonsil hockey. Not exactly my idea of a good, action-packed movie. I’d like my money back and a free pass for my next visit.”

The attendant cleared his throat. “Aside from the fact that the movie was not to your liking, was the rest of your visit pleasant?”

Her brow creases. Is this guy for real?! “If you keep asking me stupid questions – like the one you just used – it will not be pleasant.”

Fearful for his life, he gave the woman her refund and a handful of free passes.

“Thanks chump. Have a good night.” Lighting a cigarette, she walks away, followed by a maniacal laugh.

Chapter 1

She used to be happy. She used to have everything she ever wanted. She had a good life going for her, found the perfect guy and was getting settled n a good job. She was working as a journalist at a major magazine. Her columns varied from big stories to an advice column. Her readers were loyal and bought a subscription just for her articles.

She met her fiancé, Alex Kurtzen, at a vaudeville show. They bumped into each other at the concession stand before the show started. While talking with each other, they realized their tickets had them sitting next to each other. At first, she thought he was gay because she didn’t see many straight men who’d show up to these things unless their women dragged them. After the show, they went out to coffee, thus beginning their relationship. They moved in together in Tyler, TX after six months. A year after that, they were engaged and wedding plans were in the making. It was in the middle of this planning when her life took a wrong turn.

The magazine wanted her to relocate. Relocation, according to the magazine, meant she would be senior editor of her own chapter. If she relocated, she would be leaving everything behind, including Alex. If she were to stay, she could continue on with her life writing her articles and self-help columns, making the same money, but she would be with Alex. The magazine gave her two weeks to make a decision.

She’d gone home that night and talk with Alex about it. First, it started out calm, but as more issues were brought up, the volume went up. Soon, they were screaming at each other. They went to bed angry. By the morning, they’d made up and he told her that he would support her in any decision that she made. It kept her awake every night until she had to talk to her boss. It kept her distracted at work. Sure, she wrote her articles as if they were cake, but she kept dreaming. By that final day, she’d made up her mind and told Alex.

“I’m taking the new job,” Claire said to Alex. “I’ll still be able to make plans for the wedding and since I’m senior editor, I can basically make my own hours. I’ll be out here on weekends and holidays.”

“Where are you being relocated to, anyway?” asked Alex.

“Mount Pleasant, here in Texas. It’s only about an hour-and-a-half from here. I’m taking this weekend, packing up my ’68 Charger and driving out there. Please come with me. Help me find a place to live and get things set up,” Claire said.

“You’re talking about this weekend? I can’t do it. We’re finally able to finish up the Ambleigh account; we’ve been trying to do this for months! They’ve even gone so far as to request me.”

“But, I’m requesting you! Don’t I take some kind of precedence over work? Can you reschedule?”

“Claire,” he said, “no one reschedules with Ambleigh; you might as well throw your job out the window and the rest of your company with it.”

“Alex, can’t you let your partner, Kyle, handle it?”

“No, he can’t. They trust me and won’t do anything unless I am personally there to take care of it.”

Claire couldn’t believe it. It was their second fight in two weeks. However, this one didn’t seem like it was going to work out the same way as the first one did.

“Fine, stay here then. I’m keeping my cell phone the same, if you need to call me. I’ll call you when I get there.”

Claire walked to their bedroom and started packing. An hour and three suitcases later, she was on the road with her map and cigarettes in hand. Fuck, she thought. I left my ‘Rent’ Zippo at home. By this point, there was no turning back. She’d left in such a rush that she’d forgotten to eat breakfast. No matter; there would be many breakfasts in Mt. Pleasant. She used a pack of back-up matches from Motel 6 and was on her way.

“Wait,” she said out loud. “I’ve never stayed at a Motel 6... ALEX!”

It was too late. She’d already left and, it seemed, for good. She never stuck around with guys who cheated on her, so she’d call him as soon as she got to Mt. Pleasant and far enough from Tyler. She was going to bring it to his attention. If he had no explanation, it was over and she’d remain in Mt. Pleasant. It will just be all the more reason for her to establish herself as a journalist and editor. She might even have a chance to make the big time.

Her thoughts went from a cheating fiancé to a life filled with the prospects of her own magazine. Advice columns, exclusives, self-help; she was smiles every mile closer to Mt. Pleasant. “I wonder where I’m going to find staff I need. I mean, they never told me if any would be provided or not. Maybe they want me to pick who I want to work for me. I suppose if I’m going to be the senior editor, I should be able to pick my own employees.”

Claire was one of those types who was raised to be an independent woman and not to expect too much from others for fear of being let down. She grew up with three older brothers and learned to be tough by watching them interact at school and with their friends. It was from them that she learned of her inner strength. It was also from them that she learned not to take any kind of shit from anybody and if someone gave her a hard enough time, she’d clock them in the jaw.

Claire wondered why Alex would have done what he did. She gave him everything she could. She gave him her heart, which meant the most to her. She’s a very strong-willed person and not one who is easily swayed. She always had a mental guard up. Alex was able to break that barrier. He broke that barrier only to break her heart.

“It’s not like I’m ugly or anything,” she said to herself. Claire stood at five foot seven and weighed in about 155. Her hair was long and thick, with a mousy brown color with natural red highlights and green eyes to match. She was a definite contrast to Alex. He had medium blond hair, light blue eyes and stood five foot nine. “I’m not conceited or full of myself, but I do know I’m an attractive woman. There were always guys asking me out to coffee, but I could see right through them. They just wanted to get in my pants and not find out anything about the real me. They were assholes.”

It seemed that Alex had turned into one. He wasn’t always like that. They’d go out on many casual dates to movies, dinner, and the occasional show. They’d gotten to know each other. They moved in together not long after they started dating. They even bought a pet together, even though it was a hamster from Wal-mart and died a week later. But it was theirs. They started sharing bills and all their possessions.

She thought things were good. She was actually happy with him. She’d dated plenty of other guys, but none of them were able to reach her at her level. They just wanted the romp in the sheets, not a relationship. She’d wanted more than one-night-stands in her life. She wanted the mate for life, who would be there for her through everything life had to throw at her.

When she met Alex, she was 25, having graduated college with a degree in Journalism and Media at the top of her class. The jobs came looking for her, not the other way around. She had picked the one she wanted and it wasn’t long before she went from copy editor to having her own column. After being there eighteen months, she was offered the job of being in charge of her own chapter of the magazine. If she didn’t take it, she would have regretted it

Returning to reality, she nearly missed the exit for Mt. Pleasant. She made a move that would have sent Alex into a conniption and turned her steering wheel enough to make the tires squeal just a bit. She barely missed hitting the mile marker post. Instead of panicking at her near accident, she smiled to herself. She was envisioning the look on Alex’s face, if she’d done that at home. She burst out laughing.

She’d just taken a breath in time to hit the brakes. Her tires squealed to a stop. She noticed in front of her a black 1968 Chevy truck, detailed with purple, blue, red, and orange flames on the side and a deep red leather interior. It was gorgeous. The driver didn’t look too bad, either.

Standing at six foot four, the driver had a healthy light golden tan, light green eyes and auburn hair. The jeans he wore were loose fit, as well as the button-up blue checkered shirt he had on over a plain white t-shirt. He had an old Avalanche ball cap on and worn, tan hiking boots. He wasn’t a “god,” as some women would say; he was just a really good-looking guy and was all about the hard work.

Claire raced out of her car, panicked.

“Oh, my god, I’m so sorry! I almost hit you!”

“Don’t worry about it; shit happens.” He looked at her. “Are you okay? You look more tore up than I do and there wasn’t even an accident.”

She blushed. “I know, but I didn’t want to rear-end somebody my first day in town.” She regained her composure and introduced herself. “Hi, my name’s Cl…”

“How about we get out of the road first? I don’t have much to do right now, so you can join me for a cup of coffee and some breakfast.”

My, she thought, he’s quite bold, isn’t he? “Okay, I’ll just follow you.”

He nodded and they returned to their vehicles. She followed him down the rest of the exit ramp and drove straight into town. Hotels and gas stations lined the street as they drove into Old Town. Older buildings were placed perfectly along the street. There were furniture stores, thrift and consignment stores, grocery stores and food marts. There was a part of town for the Hispanic community, as well.

They turned left onto the first main street and made a left turn at a small gas station. She followed him through a beautiful canopy of trees and farmland. More turns followed and she came up to an old, one story farmhouse. It was on a quiet street in a small neighborhood. The house still had the old, wood siding from the original home. There was a wooden porch in front, complete with a swing, seating and a small table. To the left of the front door stood a large plant pot made of old iron. The drive was dirt, adding to the quiet farmhouse atmosphere.

When they got out of their vehicles, she gave him a very confused look.

“I thought you said we were going for coffee.”

“We are,” he replied. “It just so happens I make a damn good pot of coffee.” He ushered her to the porch and opened the screen and front doors.

The scent of history hit her in the face, with a hint of sandalwood. It was incredible for her nostrils to take in. To her right, she saw a small living room with a red brick fireplace. At the other end of the living room, was a closed door. To her left, she saw what looked like a guest bedroom with a door at the end of the room, closed. There’s a hallway between the living room and guest bedroom, leading to the eat-in kitchen. This is where he takes her.

“Wow, how old is this place?” she asked.

“It’s old enough. It used to belong to my parents, but they decided it got too hot here during the summers, and moved up to Colorado a few years back. It looks ancient outside, but inside is a combination between old, new and everything in between. Just think ‘transitional’ decorating and things should make more sense.”

Claire gives him an odd look, cocking her head to the right.

“What? I like to watch HGTV when I get the chance. You wouldn’t believe the ideas you get from that channel. I like to throw in some DIY Network for stuff to do with my own hands. I’ll give you a tour later, if you like.”

“That would be wonderful.” She just stood there like an idiot gaping at the house – or was it him?

The living room was set up to center around the fireplace, located in the front corner of the room. A warm tan covered the walls, with some matching deco art. There was a wrap-around, plump, leather couch on the longer wall, diagonal from the fireplace. Above the fireplace, was a flat screen television. On a shelf between the two, was a shelf containing the DVD/Blu ray player, cable box and three large CD books filled with movies. In the corner opposite of the fireplace on the same wall, was an easy chair, with the same look of the couch. In the center, there stood a worn, wooden coffee table.

The guest bedroom on the opposite side of the house was very neutral, so that someone of either sex could comfortably sleep there. The walls were painted in a warm cream and a faint green trim. There was a wooden four-poster bed against the window. The carpet was plush and soft and in the same color as the trim. There was a dresser, an armoire, and two bedside tables with decorative reading lamps. On the ceiling was a chandelier light fixture, with sconces on the remaining walls.

“In case you’re wondering,” he said, “there’s an office behind that door. It leads to the kitchen, as with the hallway we’re in now.”

“Oh, right, kitchen. I’m in such awe of your home I got a bit distracted. You mentioned coffee?”

“Yeah, just follow me and we’ll get the pot started,” he said.

Claire once again became distracted with the simplicity of the entryway and hall toward the kitchen. It was a light, worn-looking wood (she’s noticing a trend), with a coat rack and umbrella bin near the door, as well as a place for your shoes. There was a small bench in the hall across from a door.

Once in the kitchen, she seemed to lose her words. It was massive and bright. The cabinetry was a warm walnut color with cream colored marble countertops, with an island to match. Above the island, was a pot rack that would make famous chefs jealous. All of the appliances were stainless steel and there were two stools at one end of the island. The floor was a warm light brown tile. Throughout the kitchen, pot lights completed the look.

“Holy cow, this kitchen is incredible,” Claire said in a soft whisper. “Looking outside, you’d never know it looked this fantastic.”

Not hearing what she said, he cleared his throat.

“So,” he said, “what did you say your name was?”

“Claire. Claire Soren,” she said.

“Niklaus Viktor. Nice to meet you. Please, call me Nik; using my full name makes me feel like my momma’s yelling at me.” He shifted around on his feet.

Hearing the indicator for the coffee maker, Nik went to grab two cups of coffee, cream and sugar. He invited her to sit down on one of the bar stools and he poured her a cup of freshly brewed coffee. After they both fixed their coffees to their liking, they finally introduced each other.

“So, it’s obvious I’m new to the area,” she started, “do you know of a place where I can rent a one bedroom apartment and not pay too much?”

“Sure thing,” he said with confidence. “Rent’s $250 a month, everything included, as well as furniture.”

“Really?!” She tried to contain her excitement. “Where?”

“You’re in it.”

“She couldn’t believe it. A total stranger was offering up a room for her. Where she came from, strangers didn’t do things like that unless they wanted something out of it. She realized that something she was going to learn here was just how friendly small town people were. It was something she really appreciated.

“What’s the catch?” she asked.

“No catch, unless you count keeping me comp’ny.”

“I think I can deal with that.” She took a large drink of her coffee. “Should I go get my stuff now?”

“Nah; after the morning you’ve had, I think it’s a better idea you just sit there, drinking your coffee. I’ll head out to your ’68 Charger and bring in your bags.” He paused. “That’s a beautiful piece of work you’re driving, by the way. It looks the way it’s supposed to be, with the hard lines and sleek body. The new Chargers these days have nothin’ on the good ol’ boy.” With that, he walked out of the kitchen.

Taking another sip of her coffee, Claire stood up and walked to the back of the kitchen, where she saw a door leading out to a closed off outdoor patio. The wooden floors reminded her of driftwood. There were several benches and chairs for seating with a few tables. In the back yard, she could see a fire pit and two large trees near the back. Flower gardens surrounded the base of the trees. It was like seeing something out of a fairytale story. Everything was beautiful, simple, and colorful.

She was so enamored with the backyard that she didn’t hear Nik walk up behind her.

“Like what you see?” he asked.

She jumped and turned around, blushing. “I’m sorry, I’m being rude. I just wanted to see what was back here. You have a beautiful home.”

“Thanks,” he said. “It seems the only rooms you haven’t seen are my office, bedroom and the one bathroom.”

“Do you mind?” she asked him.

“No, not at all; I promised a tour of the house,” he said with a smile. “If you turn to your left, you’ll see a small hallway with a storage closet and then the bathroom. In here, you have a stand-alone white sink, a dark wood cabinet with a mirror, a full-size shower surrounded in glass tile. The floor is an awesome black tile I found at Lowe’s during a clearance sale.”

“No tub?” she asked.

“What would I need a tub for? I’m a guy. I just need to wash the grit and grime off just for it to come back.” He got a wicked smile on his face. “I ain’t got no need for a bath.” They both laughed.

“The door to the right is my bedroom. It’s pretty basic in there. There’s a four poster oak bed with browns and blues; a typical male bedroom. My office, next to the guest room, your room, is also fairly basic with grays and blues. Nothing too special there,” he said.

“Do you think you could show me around town later? That is, if you’re not too busy?” she asked him.

“I can, but it will have to be tomorrow. I picked up some psycho thriller movies that I want to watch tonight. Care to join me later?” he said.

“Sure. It’s not like I’m doing anything,” she replied. “So, what time tomorrow?”

“How does eight o’clock sound?”

“Just fine,” she said. As attractive as he was, she wouldn’t be snuggling up to him at the jumpy parts or letting him tuck her into bed and making sure the monsters don’t come out. She and Alex used to do that and she didn’t want to think of him at all as she started her new life in Mt. Pleasant.

“All right, then,” he said. “You should go rest up a little while to unpack and get settled in your room. Please help yourself to the kitchen. While you’re here, you can help yourself to whatever you need. I’ll stop by your room later when it’s movie time.”

Nik led Claire to her room to collect her thoughts. She couldn’t believe it. In a matter of hours, her entire life had been turned upside down. She thought about the events leading up to today, trying to sort through them while sorting through her clothes and putting them away in the wardrobe and dresser. As she hung up her shirts, she remembered the memories attached to them. There was one shirt that grabbed her attention. She took it and went to her bed.

She brought the baby blue Brooks Brothers button-down shirt to her chest and inhaled deeply. Alex’s Brut cologne and aftershave were still embedded into the fabric. Claire would wear this shirt after a night of love, intimacy, and romance. It was a night she wouldn’t easily forget.

The tenses don’t match.

The evening had entailed a romantic dinner in town of roast lamb with a cherry sauce, collard greens, and steamed red potatoes, with a bottle of Merlot. After returning to their apartment, they’d had their dessert of strawberries sprinkled with sugar and a bottle of champagne. They talked about their future life together while lying in bed. She started rubbing her foot against his and he began to caress the side of her arm, sending goose pimples all over her body.

Their touching and caressing led to passionate kissing. This, in turn, led to a night of beautiful love-making. Each moment, reaffirming their love for each other, and remembering why they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. They stayed up late enough to watch the sunrise and brew a pot of coffee. Once they felt refreshed, it was back to the sheets.

A noise disturbed Claire from her thoughts.

“Claire?” Nik called, from the behind the door. “Ready? Go ahead and make yourself comfy in the living room. I’ll be in there shortly with the popcorn and sodas.”

Claire felt a bit groggy as she stirred in her room. She didn’t realize that she’d fallen asleep. Gathering her bearings, she made her way to the living room and plopped on the large couch. She made a mental note to ask Nik where he’d purchased it so she could get one just as comfy once she found a place to live. Nik came out into the living room, plopping down next to her and placing the sodas and popcorn on the coffee table. He kicked off his shoes and propped them up.

“Sorry about the smell,” he said, indicating his feet. “You’ll have to excuse my behavior. I’ve been living here as a bachelor the last few years. Some habits are a little hard to break.”

“Don’t worry about it at all,” she said, and followed suit.

Three movies, two bowls of popcorn and nine sodas later, it was time for bed. They said their good-nights and retired to their rooms, ready for the tour of the town in the morning. Claire couldn’t wait.

NIK lay in his bed that night, dreaming of her. He couldn’t help it at this point. To deny those thoughts, those dreams would be murderous on his emotions. He was asking himself why he had kept his secret from her for so long. What was it about her that scared him so much? He couldn’t figure it out. I need to tell her, he thought, but when? No one knew at this point, especially him. He could talk to his friends about it but they wouldn’t understand. I bet she doesn’t even realize her beauty. Am I the only one? There was no way to tell for sure. He would have to tell her soon. His heart may not be able to take secrecy for too much longer. He devised a way to talk to her and not make himself out to be a fool.

As he drifted off to sleep, the smile on his face got bigger and bigger.

MT. PLEASANT was a quiet town in northeast Texas and roughly an hour away from Tyler. This was just enough seclusion for a journalist from the city. With a population of roughly 16,000, it’s not too big, but it’s not so small, either. It turned out to be the perfect size for Claire. At any time or place in this town, one could run into cousins, aunts, old friends, acquaintances one hasn’t seen in a long time. This is one of those towns where nearly everyone knows everyone else in some way.

There’s a doughnut shop in town called Daylight Donuts that has really good doughnuts and amazing coffee. Locals come and go into the shop all the time, buying their sweet pastries. Some go in for the peace and quiet to read, write, or hang out with friends. It’s a unique hub in the main part of town.

I was thinking something like ‘It was at this shop that …’

This is the same shop that Claire and Nik started their day. At eight o’clock sharp, they were out the door, taking Nik’s truck. He turned the key and the truck roared to life. Claire loved the sound, the feeling of that old truck and its engine. It reminded her of when she was growing up, listening to her dad tinker on old trucks and cars. It’s where her appreciation for good American cars came from and why she has a 1968 black Dodge Charger; it belonged to her father.

“So, how was your night?” Nik asked her.

“It was pretty incredible. I mean, the room is amazingly calm and serene and the bed was like sleeping on a cloud. I didn’t want to get up when my alarm went off this morning,” she said.

“Good,” he replied. “This means that I’ve done my job well in decorating and furnishing my old farmhouse.”

“This area is so beautiful; so many trees! I love how they canopy over the road. It makes you feel like you’re in a story far, far away from here.”

“Yeah, I like it that way. It’s far enough away from town that I can see the stars at night. I can hang out in my back yard around the fire pit, have a beer and enjoy a good evening under the stars.”

“That sounds lovely,” said Claire.

“It’s pretty nice,” he replied. “While we’re out, we’re going to stop by and see a friend of mine. She owns a store in Old Town and I’d like you to meet her. She runs a metaphysical store; the only one in town.”

“There’s a metaphysical store in this small town? Wow, that’s pretty amazing. Is hers the only one?” she asked.

You just stated that it was the only on in town.

“Yep, so business is pretty good,” he said. “So, what is it you do?”

“I’m a journalist from Tyler. I work for a magazine that compiles stories, articles, and photos for a large magazine based out of Dallas. When the product is finished and ready for printing, we send it out to them. My boss sent me out here to create another chapter for that magazine; to get more of a ‘small town’ insight to different things,” she said.

“No kiddin’? Sounds interesting,” he said, and put his eyes back on the road. He couldn’t start daydreaming now.

Nik drove back into town from his place, turning right at the gas station and then left, onto the main road and into a newer part of town. Fast food, shops, and grocery stores lined either side of the street, with a few churches to add some character. It seemed like the hub of any town. Nik turned around to go toward Old Town Mt. Pleasant when they’d past the Wal-mart and Home Depot.

Once they passed over a small bridge, everything changed. It was the part of town she followed him through yesterday. She really liked the charm it had, a feeling of history; she was sure this town had a lot of it. Claire made a mental note to do a historical piece in the first edition. She’ll call it ‘Small Town Spotlight.” She was already looking forward to writing it. First, she needed to find the space. She figured 5,000 square ft was a large enough space for what she needed. Office supplies, computers, furniture could be taken care of at the Staples in town. She couldn’t wait.

KAIRA Sinclair owned a boutique called The Darkened Crystal in an older building located on a side street from Madison Avenue. The area was quiet with limited parking, but her customers always knew the perfect time to come in. Some drove, others walked or biked, so parking was never an issue. Kaira’s shop sold things like trinket boxes, unique handmade jewelry, ‘love potions,’ tarot cards, and a potpourri of other items, like clothes, books, and shoes, as well as a variety of teas and coffees.

Most people saw her shop as an occult distraction, but she did pretty good business, especially with the teenagers and wandering tourists. Some of the older folks in town would cross themselves when they drove or walked by it. Little did they know that the beautiful jewelry box the old woman received from her grandson came from her store. Some folks would come in, asking for folk magic help, pretending to buy a shirt or necklace.

It was when people would come in for the ‘love potions.’ She’d often wondered why she hadn’t been married yet. She stood at five feet eight and had long blonde hair with dolphin gray eyes. She didn’t let her body go to waste, as she was diligent in eating right and exercising. She’s a pretty girl with a good head on her shoulders and her own boss.

Maybe that scares them away, she thought. She continued through her store, straightening the racks and bookshelves, turning over her OPEN sign, and heading over to her latest pile of inventory. She tried to pick up her thoughts when she heard a familiar rumble outside. Outside, she saw an older Chevy S10 with outlandish detail to it. There was only one person in this town that drove that piece of work: Nik Viktor.

Kaira had been crushing on Nik since they were kids, but never had the nerve to have an in-depth conversation that was about more than just cars and beer. Kaira grew up as a tomboy and very naturally became great friends with Nik. In the middle of her daydreams, she heard the familiar jingle of her door open. Stepping through was Nik accompanied by a woman she didn’t know.

“Hey there, Kai’, how’s business?” Nik asked her. She attempted to regain composure before speaking.

“It’s going pretty good, Nik. Business is still doing well. If you care to hang out for a little while, our friend, Mrs. Weathers, will be in for her weekly charm to help her vegetable garden grow faster. If not for people like her and the kids coming in here all the time, I’d be looking for a new job.” She looked at the woman.

“Claire Soren,” she said, extending her hand as introduction. “I just got into town from Tyler yesterday afternoon.”

“Kaira Sinclair,” she replied, finishing the handshake. “What brings you to Mt. Pleasant?”

She explained the magazine to Kaira in the same way she explained it to Nik. “All I need now is staff and a place for them to work.”

“Well,” said Kaira, “there’s a building across the way that’s empty. I think it’s 2-3 short stories high. Would that be enough room for you?”

“That’s more than enough!” Claire squealed.

“I’ll give the realtor a call this afternoon,” said Nik, “and we’ll see if we can take a look for you tomorrow morning. After that, we’ll take a look at some houses here for you.”

“That sounds great,” said Claire.

“So, what kind of magazine is it?” Kaira asked her.

“Well, it’s something like a combination of Cosmo and Parents magazines. There never seems to be a good mesh of both, and the folks who run the magazine thought it would be a neat idea.”

“Okay,” said Kaira. “What kind of topics does the magazine cover? What kind of articles?”

“It has your normal article pieces and topics. Music, love, relationships, books, spirituality, home remedies, kids, family, and, of course, sex, are just a few of the topics the magazine covers.”

“Sounds great, Claire,” said Kaira. “What’s the magazine called?”

“It’s called Modern Country Mom,” she replied.

“I can’t say I’ve seen many ‘mom’ magazines around at the grocery store,” said Kaira. “Do you know what you’re going to do for your staff?”

“Not a clue,” replied Claire.

“Well, I’m not a mom, but I do know some stuff your magazine covers,” said Kaira.

“Would you mind being a staff writer for me?” she asked. “I’d really appreciate it. I’m sure with the help of you and Nik we can find some more people.”

“No problem. I have employees who can run this place like the back of their hand. I can help you put your office space together, too, once you figure out where you want to be,” she offered.

“That would be fantastic!” exclaimed Claire. “I’ll stop by here after the appointment with the realtor tomorrow.”

“That sounds good. I’ll start working on a few things tonight for you,” she said, as she tried to hide her excitement. She, Nick, and Claire said their good-byes, and the two walked out of the store, leaving Kaira to her thoughts.

As they pulled away from Kaira’s store, Nik’s stomach started growling. “Are you hungry?” he asked Claire.

“Yeah, I could definitely eat,” she replied.

“Okay. It’s on the other side of town, near the Wal-mart, but I was thinking of going to Chili’s. Does that sound good with you?”

“Oh, yes,” she said. “I love the steak and fajita platters there,” she said.

Ten minutes later, they were pulling into the parking lot for Chili’s.

“I’m starved,” said Claire, as they entered the restaurant.

“Good, ‘cause I’m buyin’,” said Nik.

They were seated in the bar area and ordered a beer each. The waitress returned, took their orders and left for the order station. She returned with sauces and silverware.

“So, how long have you known Kaira?” asked Claire.

“We’ve known each other since we were kids. We hung out a lot during the summers, did homework at each other’s houses. It was great. I always thought she was such a fun friend; she was really a tomboy. I went away for a summer and when I came back, well, she wasn’t such a tomboy anymore,” he replied, squirming awkwardly in his seat, the slightest hint of rose emanating from his cheeks.

Claire pretended not to notice. “Sounds like a lot of history,” she said.

Their food arrived not long after and their conversation drifted around the table, without any destination in mind. They finished up with a decadent dessert and made their way back to Nik’s house.

They were full from lunch, and lounged around the house. Claire started thinking about the building space and a possible new home for her, so she brought out her laptop and went online to check out possible homes. She was certain about living in Mt. Pleasant permanently, so she decided to take the leap and buy a house.

She didn’t require a lot of room, so she looked at homes with three bedrooms, using one as an office and the other as a guest bedroom, a large kitchen, as well as living space. She wasn’t much of a formal dinner person, so she thought that an area for an eat-in kitchen should work. She really liked how Nik had his kitchen set up, with a bar and bar stools and decided to keep that idea. She became so engrossed in the houses online that she didn’t hear Nik walk up behind her.

“What are you looking up?” he asked.

Claire jumped, startled and let out a gasp. “Holy cow, Nik, you scared the hell out of me.”

“Sorry,” he said. “You just looked so intense looking at your laptop that I thought I’d come over and see what was up.”

“Oh,” she said. “I’m looking at houses. I know I can’t stay here forever, so I figured I might as well get a look and see what’s out there.”

“Good idea. I’m not sure how long you want to stay here. I trust your accommodations are okay for now?”

“Yes, of course they are,” she replied. He was so close to her that she could smell the sandalwood scent coming from his skin. She felt her own skin tingle with goose pimples and she felt her cheeks flush. She realized in seconds what was happening; she was becoming more attracted to him than she anticipated.

“Well, I could help you out, if you don’t mind too much.”

No, I definitely don’t mind. I enjoy being so close to you.

“Not at all,” Claire replied.

Nik and Claire spent the next couple of hours looking at houses. At first, it was a serious search. Then they spent longer than they should have entering in search criteria that was impossible and ridiculous. When they were done playing, they returned to the original search criteria and found three houses that could work for Claire. Nik made the call to the realtor to check out those houses after looking at the potential building for Claire’s chapter of the magazine.

They didn’t realize how much time had passed until they had to turn on the house lights.

“Wow,” she said. “Time really does fly when you’re having fun.”

“Yeah, it does,” he agreed. He had a look of embarrassment when he heard his stomach growl. “Sorry about that,” he said.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’m a little hungry, too,” she said. “How about I make you dinner?”

“Uh, okay, sure. What did you have in mind?” he asked.

“It’s a surprise.”

Claire shooed him to the living room and banned him from the kitchen until dinner was ready. She brainstormed for dinner ideas and came up with a classic: breakfast for dinner. Nik may be a bachelor, but he knows how to stock up his kitchen. She grabbed a skillet, a griddle, and the waffle maker. She found a blender in the corner and went to work.

She found a large package of bacon, eggs, milk, sausage links, yogurt, and Bisquick. She checked out the freezer and found some strawberry swirl ice cream. She rechecked the fridge and found some fresh fruit in the crisper drawers.

Her stage was set. It took her about an hour to get it all prepared, but it was a masterpiece when she was done. Belgian waffles decorated a large plate, accompanied by sizzling bacon, juicy sausage and some fruit with whipped cream topping for the waffles. One can’t have a meal like this without something wonderful to drink. She found some daiquiri glasses and filled them with a fruit filled smoothie, using the ice cream and yogurt. She topped it off with a thin slice of orange for garnish.

Claire walked out to his living room announcing, “Dinner is served!”

Nik couldn’t believe the sight in his kitchen. It looked as though a high end master chef had gone through his kitchen, leaving only a large plate of food for him. It looked amazing.

“Wow, Claire. You really pulled out all the stops on this one,” he told her.

“You’re welcome,” she said. She motioned for him to sit at the bar, taking her seat next to him. They raised their glasses and toasted to the fun things in life, like breakfast for dinner.

The two of them chatted well into the night, finally cleaning up the kitchen and going to bed around one in the morning.

Claire went to bed that night thinking of her day with Nik. It had been incredibly fun. It was nice of him to tote her around in his truck (she could still feel the vibrations and the power of the engine, giving her a late night rush) and showing her around town. Meeting Kaira had been serendipitous. She’d had no idea what she was going to do for employees and one just happened to drop into her lap. It was hard for her to believe that a stranger would help her with something so big.

Her lunch and dinner with Nik had been fun, too. She didn’t realize how much she enjoyed cooking until tonight. She fell in love with Nik’s kitchen, making a mental note to find one similar to it or renovating her future kitchen to resemble his layout.

She closed her eyes with thoughts of Nik on the brain. It was difficult not to. She could still smell his sandalwood scent; it seemed to permeate through his skin and transfer onto her. It was the scent that helped her to sleep; she looked forward to waking in the morning.

CLAIRE and Nik met with the realtor the following morning, after a quick breakfast. Claire took one look at the place and instantly fell in love. It was just the right amount of space she needed. She looked around in all the nooks and crannies, having Nik check the wiring. When she was completely satisfied with what she saw, she nodded toward Nik.

“I’ll take it,” she said.

“Wonderful!” replied the realtor. “I’ll go get the paperwork from the car and we can fill it all out right here. That way, you can get started as soon as possible. We’ve never had a magazine quite like yours in town. It should prove to do well here; I look forward to the first issue.” She left swiftly and returned with the paperwork in hand. Claire’s hand was nearly shaking from excitement. Once the paperwork was signed, Claire, Nik, and the realtor drove to see the three houses Claire had been looking at online.

The first one was small, but in a nice part of town. It had nearly everything she was looking for, but the kitchen was a bit lacking. There was enough space for everything she needed, and there was the possibility of remodeling the kitchen later.

The second house was the perfect size and had it all. The kitchen was a bit larger than Nik’s kitchen and had a better dining area. It also had a living room, den, library/office space, two bedrooms and one-and-a-half bathrooms. She would have preferred having two full bathrooms, but the kitchen made up for that.

The third house was larger than the first two and had a kitchen the same size as the first. It also had a living room, library/office, two bedrooms, with the master bedroom having an on-suite master bathroom. Close to the guest bedroom was a bathroom that needed some updating. It seemed that a lot of the remodeling was done in the kitchen and master suite.

In the end, she chose the third house. The realtor told her that she would make the necessary calls and get back to her later in the week. They all left the third house, the realtor returning to her office and Nik and Claire returning to his house. On the way, they stopped at The Darkened Crystal to tell Kaira the good news.

“That’s incredible!” said Kaira. “Not only did you find the perfect space for your magazine, but you found yourself a house, too, and all in one day.”

“Yeah,” replied Claire. “I’m pretty excited about it.” She beamed. She couldn’t believe how well things were falling into place for her.

Nik invited Kaira over to his place for dinner with him and Claire that evening so they could go over the things that needed to be done for both the office space and her new house. Dinner wasn’t going to be anything fancy, he’d mentioned. “I’m just going to order pizza and crack open a six-pack of beer. Head on over around six o’clock.”

“Okay, handsome, I’ll be there at six,” replied Kaira. Nik only blushed.

After leaving Kaira’s store, they stopped off at Wal-mart for the beer, a couple of notebooks and a package of pens. At the last minute, Claire grabbed some ice cream and a hardening chocolate shell topping. After a short trip through the express check-out lane, they were on their way to Nik’s place. Claire could already taste the pizza and beer.

Kaira showed up, as promised, a couple of hours later with some Reddi Whip and an apple pie in hand. Nik brought her back to the kitchen where the pizza and beer were already waiting. Nik and Kaira had enough beers for the three of them to have two each and a couple slices of pizza, they meandered into the living room, where they saw Claire, for a session of brainstorming.

Claire had her laptop out, cruising a variety of websites, looking for office supplies and furniture for her newly (hopefully acquired) home. They were able to find the electronics, paper and pen supplies, and more for the magazine from Staples. For the office furniture, as well as furniture for her new home, they made the decision to check out Hazelwood Furniture in town, just down the street from Staples.

After much discussion, they all agreed on a smooth walnut finish on all of the office furniture and a monochromatic break room. It wouldn’t be the best looking break room, but it wasn’t supposed to distract her writers too much. The carpeting would be a cool ash color to balance out the warm tones of the walnut. The colors on the wall, she decided, were to be bright and bold, as if to serve an inspiration. Posters of previous magazine covers would serve as art on the walls.

There was one thing Claire was wondering about. She’d only been in town for a short while and, while she’d already made a couple of good friends, wondered why she valued their opinions so much about her place, both her home and her office. She knew that both were good, honest people and had a feeling they’d both be a part of her life for a long time. Nik and Kaira are her friends now, and she knew how much value one should place in their friends.

Her house would be entirely different. She didn’t want to get her hopes up about the house she wanted so she decided to hold back on the decorating and furnishing ideas. At this point, she just wanted to get her office situated.

The next few days were spent furnishing the office space. Everyone would have their own cubicle or desk space, she would have her office, a conference room, and a few additional separate offices for when they were needed, if at all. Nik was a great help by bringing in the heavy pieces of equipment and furniture. Kaira and her friends from the store were an amazing help, bringing in other smaller items. Once all the furniture was in the building, everyone pitched in to arrange everything. Claire had created a floor plan for all of the furniture, equipment, and the posters of previous covers. One week before she opened her doors, she decided to take a trip to Tyler.

Claire wanted to return to Tyler to close out her accounts and use it to open an account in her new home. She felt great during the drive out. She could already feel herself becoming a new, more confident person.

In a few short weeks, she’d been able to find her office space, find her own home, and hire all the people she would ever need for her chapter of Modern Country Mom. She’d been desperate to find staff so she hired everybody who applied during the first week. She’d put an ad in the Daily Tribune for writers of all kinds, and that’s what she got.

While in Tyler, Claire decided to call Alex and check out his story. She needed to know exactly what happened and why to satisfy a curiosity that was building up inside of her. It had been gnawing at her subconscious since she first moved to Mt. Pleasant.

She sat in her car outside of their apartment building counting to ten over and over again. She had her cell phone in her hand with his number entered; all she had to do was press “Send.” She reminded herself of her mantra from the drive out; she’s a confident woman. So, why was she so nervous? She held her breath and pressed the button.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Alex?” she said.

“Yeah, this is him. Can I help you?” was the response on the other end.

“It’s Claire,” she said.

“Well, hello! She decides to take time from her busy schedule to call. To what to I owe this pleasure? Are you going to tell me that you called everyone invited to the wedding to say that it’s been called off?”

“Why should I have to do it? Is it because I was planning the whole damned thing from the beginning without any help from you?” This is not how she wanted it to go.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because when something goes wrong with a wedding, it’s traditionally the bride’s job? Oh, wait, since when were you ever traditional?” He paused for her to respond and when he didn’t get one, he continued. “What do you want, anyway?”

“I wanted to know why I found a matchbook from Motel 6 in my car, that’s what,” she said haughtily.

“How the hell am I supposed to know? I never drove your damn car. You know I prefer my BMW over your classic car.” He paused again. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t be dumb enough to have left a stupid matchbook in it.”

“I know I didn’t leave it in there. I’ve never been there. It looked brand new, barely used at all. It even had a phone number in it,” she said.

“Oh, yeah? Well who belonged to that phone number? You did call it, right?” he asked.

“Well, no,” she replied, sheepishly.

“Uh-huh.” She could hear the snide oozing from his tone. “Did you even plan on trying to call the number?”

“Not really,” she said. Had she wrongly accused him? She really didn’t like how this conversation was going to end.

“You know, Claire, when mature adults have a problem with one another, they talk it out and resolve the issue. I was ready when you were to talk things out, but when you didn’t call, well, I just figured it was already over. I can’t be wasting my time on a little girl who can’t talk out her problems.” He paused. “I wash my hands of you, Claire Soren.” With that, he hung up the phone.

Well, that definitely didn’t go as planned, she thought. She decided to set herself into busy mode, getting her first issue of Modern Country Mom printed and on the stands.

Chapter 2

The first edition came out one months later. Modern Country Mom hit the stands and was gone in a day. A week after it had been printed, she was getting good reviews and letters from those who’d read it. They wrote about the columns, the stories, and articles; some even had their own ideas. She also found a letter from a guy. She quickly opened it.

Dear Editor-in-Chief/Owner of ‘Modern Country Mom’ magazine,

I find your magazine very enlightening. There are things about women, specifically mothers, I never knew to be possible. Who knew that giving a woman chocolate could be her worse nightmare? I’ve thought of giving new mothers a nice gift of a changing table, but now I know that I had better check out their baby registry to make sure it matches the rest of the furniture in the new baby’s room. This magazine has provided me with invaluable knowledge.

I do have an idea for you. I know it’s a mother’s magazine, but what about getting a father’s opinion? I’m not a father, but I know plenty of them, ranging from all ages and walks of life. I think it might be beneficial for everyone to get a good idea of what the other sex is up to, and how they can help each other form a more cohesive home and work life together. I would love to of help here.

In closing, I want to congratulate you on your first issue here in Mt. Pleasant and a job well done. I hope to see more.

Sincerely yours,

Niklaus Viktor

“Wow,” she breathed. “I never would have thought that he’d pick it up. I guess he likes what he sees, so why disappoint him?”

She wrote him back.

Dear Mr. Viktor,

Thank you so much for your kind letter. I wasn’t expecting one from a man. True, this magazine is geared more toward women and mothers, but it’s nice to know that there are men out there are men out there who are willing to suck up the pride and manhood to pick it up and read it. You have proven to me that men like that still exist in this world.

As for your suggestion, I don’t see a problem How would you like to come down here for a test run? We can run a special Father’s Edition to see how well it would work. We should meet for dinner to work out ideas.

Meet me at Luigi’s Italian Café at eight o’clock on Wednesday. You have until eight-thirty before I pack up. I hope to see you there.

Sincerely yours,

Claire Soren

She read and re-read the letter several times before putting it in and sealing the envelope and addressing it. She took it over to the mailroom. The clerk looked at her suspiciously, noticing that it was handwritten, and not printed from the computer. She glanced at the name, and then looked at Claire.

“Nothing to worry about, Sheila, I promise. There may be a new writer or two working here soon with a brand new column. I’d keep my chin up, if I were you,” Claire said.

Sheila’s eyes immediately lit up. Apparently, she liked him just as much as the other women in town. Boy, this was going to be tough. She’ll have to give him is own office to keep the female population away from him. She’d planned on hiring a few more people to take the separate offices, so it shouldn’t be a problem for Nik or any other men who care to write from the father’s perspective.

Based on the reaction from Sheila, it looks as though, if he’s brought on, she’ll have to keep a locking mechanism on his, and other, doors putting the spares in her office safe. Claire would be the only one with those spare keys because she was the boss, the owner of this chapter of the magazine. She could do who.. whatever she wanted to.

She had to take a step back. What was she thinking? More importantly, what was she thinking with? She thought about changing her mind about sending the letter, but she realized what an asset having a father’s opinion would be. However, did she really want to have such a babe magnet working in the office with her? She wasn’t sure but she knew that if she didn’t send the letter, she could lose some potential readers. As a business woman, that would be committing suicide. She dropped it in the outgoing mail box and walked off smiling.

As the days went by, she felt more confident about mailing off the letter. The closing on her house had taken about a month to close on and she took that week to move into her new home. She was able to get her house for about $75,000, which was $15,000 less than the asking price. She’d managed to get it lower due to the necessity for a new roof and re-wiring all the electrical and plumbing. Nik, Kaira and a few of her staff helped her move her things. Nik and his friends brought in all of her furniture and large appliances. Everything was brand new because she was starting from scratch.

It took a couple of days to get moved in. During that time, she and Nik didn’t speak about the letters written to each other. Without telling the other, they’d decided to keep it professional. This was something Claire preferred. No need to let everyone in on her plans yet. She’d already planned out ahead of time what would go where, so moving and placing everything was all the more easy. Nik had no problem moving the larger items for her; he worked with a smile on his face. She hoped that he’d have that same smile at dinner.

KAIRA had gone to her store after leaving Claire’s new place that afternoon. If what she heard was correct, then Nik Viktor himself would be working there, too. Crossing the street, she heard a nagging voice in her head.

Why don’t you ask him out, for pete’s sake? You’ve liked him for years now and all you can do is smile slyly at him? The worst thing he could tell you is no.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Kaira said to herself, walking into The Darkened Crystal.

“Afraid of what, Kaira?” asked Belle, her night manager.

“Huh? Oh nothing. I was just talking to myself. I guess that both of these jobs will take me over,” she replied.

“Oh yeah? Well one already has. This store has taken you over. It did a long time ago. This magazine thing is just a side dish for you. This store is your life.”

There was a lot of truth in what Belle said. Belle had been there since the beginning. She was Kaira’s first employee. No one knew the store better. Belle was there when Kaira originally had the idea to open the first metaphysical store in Mt. Pleasant.

They both found the space up for rent. They both had asked their fathers to help them in purchasing the space. Kaira’s father and Belle’s father had spots on the city’s committee, making more money than they both needed. As any father would, they wanted their baby girl to be happy. So, they both came in and bought the space for them. They also started up a business account at the bank for them, so there was some money for her fall back on.

I added her

The store itself wasn’t too large. It was about 1500 square feet, with two separated rooms in back, one of them being for storage and the other for the office and bathroom. With the money they received from each of their dads, they were off to the paint store to look up designs and colors. They settled on a dark blue for the entire wall color, with gold and silver accents like the moon, sun and the stars. Kaira and Belle went in search of off-the-wall places for their wares; the internet proved to be most useful during this stage of planning.

After two months of planning and working, their store was nearly alive. All it needed was a grand opening. They carried everything from clothes to tarot cards, incense to swords, and potions to lip balm and lotions. They were ready to open and it had been a glorious day. With the help of their families and friends, advertisements had been run a week in advance and the word of mouth was incredibly helpful. The turnout was more than they could have asked for.

That was four years ago. She had been a business woman and store owner by the age of twenty-four. It had been the biggest accomplishment of her life. She had her best friend and wonderful business partner with her, too. Belle was definitely a godsend. The only thing on Kaira’s mind now was talking to Nik about her affections. Only time will tell.

CLAIRE had been giddy about Luigi’s all day that Wednesday and that meeting time didn’t seem to get to her soon enough. She had already made the finishing touches to her house, making it welcoming and warm. She made a trip to the Home Depot for paint and supplies. She had chosen soft, warm, almost buttery colors for her living room, blues for her bathrooms, a grey scheme for her kitchen, and varying shades of green and yellow for the bedrooms. All the rooms were set up for painting; she just needed to get it done. She’ll have to arrange a painting BBQ to get it all done.

Claire took a shower that morning and put many large velcro rollers in her hair. She dressed for the evening around five o’clock. She settled on a little black dress she picked up from Kaira’s store, The Darkened Crystal. It was slim fitting with a v-neck, and decorative beadwork along every seam. There was minimal ruffle along the neckline and hem. She decided that her make-up would be minimal.

Rummaging through her make-up bag, she found her Physician’s Formula eye make-up for green eyes and went to work. There were two cases to choose from: natural and smoky. Since she decided to go minimal with the make-up, she chose the natural. She applied the silver shadow just below her brow bone, a light purple on her lid, and then a darker purple in the crease. She polished it off with black liquid eye liner and black mascara.

She wanted to do something light, but romantic, with her thick, long hair, but didn’t want to spend forever doing it. She’d managed to find a hair dryer bag with an attached hose at the local beauty supply store earlier in the week. While she was getting dressed and applying her make-up, she’d attached a blow dryer to the hose, with a drying accelerator. By six-thirty, her hair was dry enough to work with. She was afraid the Velcro rollers were going to put tangles in her hair, but she didn’t expect them to actually help with the style. As the rollers were removed, they caught on other hair. This ended up giving her more volume to work with. When all the rollers were removed, she took her boar hair brush and it seemed to glide over her hair, helping the soft curls fall into place.

By the time she was done, it was already seven o’clock. She took it down a notch and spent a few minutes going over her notes and what she was going to cover over dinner. She didn’t want it to sound like a casual date to Nik. She wanted him to see her business side; that she was, in fact, a professional. People like that have notes with them. She wanted to look at this meeting as an interview and she’d hoped that Nik did, too.

Claire had kept the letter in her bag since the day she received it and would bring it to dinner and go over the points made with him, in hopes that he would take her up on her offer to work at the magazine. Most would think that having their own office and doing what they wanted, essentially, to be an appealing offer. She could just hope for him to take it. She was hoping that he’d take a chance and work with her, to see her for who she really is and not what others may have thought of her.

She looked up from her notes. It was only a quarter after seven. Was she really writing that fast? She thought of making a small snack to hold her over until dinner, but she didn’t want to spoil her dinner. She thought of having a quick cup of coffee, but she didn’t want to be jittery. He would probably think that she was nervous and she didn’t want him thinking that.

Exasperated, she picked up an old favorite book of hers and began reading it slowly. Though she already knew what happened and where, she forced herself to read every single word and visualize the book in her head. She took deep breaths, envisioning every character and what they were doing. Considering the particular genre of book she was reading, that probably wasn’t her best idea. She put the book down and glanced at the clock.

Okay, it’s seven-thirty. I can get out of here now and stop going stir crazy.

With that, she strapped on her black heels, grabbed her things and headed to Luigi’s Italian Café. She made it there at a quarter to eight. She wanted to be on time, which meant early, to prepare her evening with Nik; not as a casual date, but as a future employee of hers. She looked over her notes once more and was content with what she read.

Eight o’clock rolled around and no Nik. She figured he was caught up in traffic, so she decided to wait a few more minutes. Ten minutes went by and nothing, not even a phone call. She checked her phone to see if he’d sent a text message or left a voicemail, but her phone’s inbox was empty. She kept coming up with excuses as to why he’d be running late, but she couldn’t kid herself. He wasn’t coming. At eight-thirty, she started packing up her things.

Just as she was about to stand up, she noticed a shadow above her and a very compelling scent. It smelled of sandalwood and summertime. She looked up and found Nik standing above her in a nice pair of khaki Dockers, a dark blue polo shirt, and brown leather hiking boots. He was all man from top to bottom. He’d shaved and slicked his hair back, looking like a Calvin Klein model. It was all she could do to not drool and fall out of her chair.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Nik said, sitting down. “I was trying to figure out which tie to wear and decided not to wear one.” He smiled at her.

She melted. “Oh, it’s all right.” She lied. “I was just making sure I had everything and that my watch wasn’t wrong.” She figured that he knew she was lying; however, he didn’t seem to worry about it.

“May I sit down?”

“Of course,” she said.

A waiter stopped by their table to take their drink orders and returned in moments with red wine for Claire and a glass of water and lemon for Nik. He asked if they were ready to order.

“I’ll have the manicotti with bread sticks and marinara sauce. Could I please get extra cheese sauce with my manicotti?” she asked.

“Of course,” he said, jotting down her order. He looked at Nik, saying, “For you, sir?”

“I’d like the grilled chicken fettuccine alfredo, please, with the cheese sprinkled on top. I’ll also have the breadsticks, but with the alfredo sauce.”

The waiter wrote down Nik’s order, repeated their orders to them and was on his way to the kitchen to submit the order to the cooks.

“So,” said Claire, sipping her wine, “what did you think of my proposal?”

“To join your staff?” he asked.

“Yes. I could always use another perspective on things. The magazine doesn’t have to stay in the same format that it has been. We could do a trial run. I still have to run it by the Dallas office, since they’re the folks who print it, but I think they might like the idea. They usually let their contributors run with new ideas for an issue or two, and see if the public likes it. If they do,” she continued, “then it’ll stick around.”

“Well,” he said, taking a sip of his water, “it’s definitely something to think about. I really don’t work, so it would give me something to do with my time and to help husbands and fathers understand what’s going on with the female side of things. As you know, most of them don’t have a single clue what their wife is thinking, let alone what she’d like him to help out with. Many don’t even know how to change a diaper correctly,” said Nik. “Then again, neither do I.”

“So, what exactly are you thinking about this?” she asked him, hoping the question wasn’t too bold. Somewhere in her mind, she wanted the conversation to go in a different direction than originally planned. She sipped her drink to keep her mind off of those things.

“I’m thinking that I will take a couple of days to think about it and get back to you. I don’t’ want to jump the gun on anything and, though I really don’t have much else to do, I want to make sure I’m agreeing to a good choice here.”

“I don’t blame you in the least bit, Nik. I was hoping for an answer this evening, but I can understand why you’d rather wait and think on it.”

“Thank you. I was afraid you were going to try and choke me if I didn’t say ‘Yes’ immediately. I’m glad you didn’t, considering I’m quite fond of my neck.” He grinned.

So am I, she thought to herself. She was going into her own world when the waiter returned.

“Your order will be ready shortly,” he said. “Would you like any refills for your beverages?”

“Yes, please,” said Claire. “Could I have some water on the side, as well?”

“Yes, ma’am. For you sir?”

“Nah, I’m good, but thank you,” replied Nik.

The waiter acknowledged, filling Claire’s wine, and returned to his duties.

“So, what kind of salary are you talking about with this job?” he asked her.

“Legitimate question,” she said. “You’d be getting the same as my main staff writers.” She paused before spilling the next bit of information. “You know that Kaira’s working with me, right?”

His eyes perked up. It was small and barely noticeable. He cleared his throat before speaking.

“Is she? How does she like it over there?” he asked.

“She likes it fine. She’s writing an occult/metaphysical column for me about stuff like herbal remedies for colic, little things you can do to calm down a child ripe with tantrums, et cetera,” Claire replied. “I figure it’s like free advertising for her and she’s able to talk about things that she may not have been able to talk to before. She has fresh ideas and I welcome them. She’s been a great asset.”

She sipped her wine.

“So, she’s enjoying it, then?” he asked.

“Oh yeah. I think she’s found her niche. At some point, she could easily start up her own metaphysical magazine or catalog. She has the drive and determination to accomplish so much and I think working with me can help her achieve even more. I’ll even offer to help out, if she needs it,” said Claire.

“Including a space to work, access to printers, copiers, fax machines?” he asked.

“Yep, everything she needs.”

Before either could say another word, their food arrived, looking hot, steamy and delicious. Her manicotti with extra sauce was cooked and served to perfection, as was Nik’s fettuccini. They ate their dinner in silence for a few moments, allowing each of them to savor the flavors of their dinner.

“So,” said Claire, pausing between bites, “What was it like growing up here? What are your parents like? Do you ever think of moving to a bigger city?” She hoped she didn’t sound too curious or that she was desperate for some small talk.

“It seems like a normal place to me, really,” said Nik, after swallowing a huge bite of chicken and alfredo. “My parents moved here after they got married and had me shortly after renting and moving into the house I’m living in now. Poppa worked in the meat market way back when and my mother worked as a nurse at the hospital where I was born. They were both very hard working people and saved every penny they ever made. They saved up enough to buy the house and had it paid off within a year.

“My mother was a wiz with the sewing machine and gardening. A lot of the food we ate and the clothes we wore, my mother created. She was quite the green thumb in her spare time. Since Poppa worked in the meat market, he brought home the meat he didn’t sell in market that day. We were never want for food or clothes. My parents made sure we were provided for.

“As for moving to a bigger city, well, things here just seem to be more quiet and not so much hustle and bustle. The quiet helps me think better and I feel more centered here. The animal and plant life around here are amazing, I think. I mean, who’d want to leave such a beautiful place behind? “ He paused. “The city is too much for me, I’m afraid.”

“I can understand that,” she said. “Any siblings?”

Nik’s eyes went sullen. He said nothing for a few minutes. He sipped his drink, cleared his throat, and answered her question.

“A few years after I was born, we found out my mother was pregnant. She and my father had been trying for another baby about a year after I was born. She wanted another one so much.” His voice went soft and he stared at his lap.

“It was three months before my sister’s due date. My mother had gone in for a regular check-up and things seemed to be fine. The doctor told her that my sister was still perfectly healthy in the womb. He’d asked her for her secret and my mother told him it was the undying love she had for her children. She came home that day without having any idea what was to happen.

“We were about to sit down to dinner when she started complaining of abdominal pain. Poppa started to look worried, asking her how she was feeling, or if she needed anything. She replied saying that she just needed to eat some dinner. She took a prescribed pain killer and didn’t think about it for the rest of the night. We continued with our normal night routine and went to bed.”

Nik paused to sip his water.

“It was in the middle of the night when I heard the screaming. ‘Blood! Blood! It’s everywhere!’ coming from my parent’s bedroom. I jumped out of bed and ran into their room. The bed, where my mother lay, was covered in blood, and my mother was clutching her belly. It was the worst imaginable thing for a five-year-old kid to see. It was terrible and I was frozen. There was nothing I could do but watch. I just stood there, gaping at their bed.

“Poppa had rushed to me, telling me to grab towels and damp wash cloths while he ran to get her emergency bag. I brought in the towels, applying them to my mother, with her screaming, wondering what just happened. I tried to soak up the blood and noticed something.

“I’m not going to mention exactly what I saw, since dinner is still sitting right in front of us. We took her to the hospital and barged into the emergency triage. Everyone freaked out, especially since they all knew my mother. Seeing the pain and look of worry on her face, they already knew what was happening, but didn’t say anything to her at the time. Her doctor came in and took her to an examination room immediately.

“Poppa and I waited in that waiting room for what seemed to be an eternity. By the time the doctor came out, I had fallen asleep in my father’s lap. He had the worst news any parent could hear.

“‘I hate to be the one to tell you this, Jan, but she’s miscarried. It was bad enough to the point where she is no longer able to carry children. Niklaus is to be an only child.’ The doctor gave him a moment and for the first time in my entire life, I saw my father cry. Seeing him cry made me cry, too; I had no idea what the doctor meant. I asked to see my mother and the doctor said that she was sleeping, but she would know we were there. He took us to her room.”

Claire could see the tears forming in his eyes. Nik brushed them away before anymore fell.

“Oh, Nik, I’m so sorry. I never should have brought it up,” she apologized. Damnit, what had she done?

He looked up and met Claire’s eyes.

“It’s okay,” he said. “Really, it is. I just haven’t talked about it to anyone in a long time. The only people who really know what happened are the staff from the hospital that night, my family, and my closest friends.” He paused. “And now you. I trust you will keep it to yourself?”

She nodded. There’s no way she could repeat that story to anyone. She had gained his trust and that was something she didn’t want to lose. She cleared her throat and changed the subject.

“Where would you like to travel? I mean, if money wasn’t an option, where would you go?” she asked.

“My homeland,” he replied. “Prague, Czech Republic. It’s where my parents are from. They were a little late on the immigration bandwagon.” He chuckled. “What about you?”

“Oh, lots of places. Like Rome, Madrid, St. Petersburg. I would love to get more culture in this head of mine. It’s far too ignorant for its own good. My great-grandparents are from Norway, so I’d like to go there, too. It’s where the last name comes from. I’ll admit, though, that I don’t know too much about my family history.”

You had It’s

Claire also mentioned going to Ireland and kissing the Blarney Stone. This made Nik nearly shoot the water he was drinking out of his nose.

“You know what they do to that thing, right?” attempting to contain his laughter.

“No – they do something to it?”

“Yeah, the local kids go in there at night and piss all over it!” and he was just a barrel of laughs after that. It took a few moments for him to calm down from his laughing and to wipe away the tears from his eyes.

“Sorry,” he said. “I thought you knew.”

“Apparently not,” Claire said. She pretended to be offended but failed miserably. She laughed a little bit, too.

“In any case,” Claire picked up where she left off when the food arrived to their table, “I see no problem in Kaira working her way up from staff writer to my assistant editor, if that’s something she’d want to do.”

“Wow,” Nik said. “You must see a lot in her.”

“I do,” she said. “I really do. She has a lot of potential and I’d hate to see it waste away working at a small magazine.”

“I’d like to see her become more,” said Nik.

They finished their dinner in silence. Claire paid the bill and went to leave a tip only to be beaten by Nik.

“So, what now?” asked Claire, as they exited the restaurant. The streets weren’t too crowded, but it was such a nice night, it begged to be walked. The air was cool and there was a slight breeze. She could see the starts and moon out, a luxury she doesn’t remember having before. Since moving to Mt. Pleasant, she’d learned to appreciate the beautiful nature of things around her.

“I don’t know,” said Nik. “On most dates, this is where we got to the other person’s home, make out on the couch and then go to the bedroom to do unmentionable things to each other.” He grinned. Her eyes nearly lit up with his statement. She didn’t want to give herself away, so she kept to herself. She would think on it later.

“But, seeing how this isn’t a date, our evening will not be ending that way,” he said. “I’m getting tired, especially after eating that delicious dinner. So, if you will kindly excuse me, I must retire for the evening. You will have your response by Friday afternoon, just in time for the weekend.” With that, he gave her a peck on the cheek, hopped in his truck and drove home, leaving her alone on the sidewalk to ponder her thoughts.

“What in the hell was that?” she asked herself. “That was a perfectly good opportunity to take a walk with him and enjoy his company beside you, and you blew it. You had to ask, ‘What now.’ Damn, you’re a ditz!”

The entire drive home, she was asking herself how she could have been so stupid. He did look a bit tired and that much food, especially with it being as heavy as it was, would do that to anyone. She was feeling a bit sleepy, too, come to think of it.

“Why do I get myself into these situations? I don’t understand. I go from nearly married to single in a very short period of time and then I start thinking romantically about somebody else almost immediately after meeting them. That’s not like me.”

Claire parked her car and walked into her house. Opening the door, she threw her keys on an end table and her purse on the love seat. She could hear Ben & Jerry’s Dublin Mudslide calling her name from the kitchen and couldn’t resist its sweet, sweet song. She grabbed it from the freezer, took a spoon and plopped down on the couch. Before getting too comfortable, she decided to change into a comfy pair of cotton pajamas. She returned to her ice cream and sofa to collect her thoughts.

Okay, so the meeting with Nik tonight went rather well. There were hints that he may say yes to the position and a couple that suggested he would say no. She was prepared for either decision. Nonetheless, she would get that other office ready anyway. She had already started planning on it the day she mailed the letter. The office was nearly finished now and by Friday, it will be complete.

With that figured out, she was able to sort through the emotions; figuring out the “why” behind her feelings. What was it about him that drew her to him? He had a very nice truck and a wonderful house. He’s absolutely gorgeous and single, which was a hard concept for her to grasp. He’d been living alone in that house for the last few years and no relationship that she was aware of. In the short time she’d lived there, he didn’t hose parties, went to bed at a normal time, unless it was their movie night. It was decided after she‘d stayed with him that they’d have a movie night every week, passing out on his comfy couch.

All in all, he led a very normal, extremely quiet life. He went to visit Kaira often, though he never bought anything in her store. She just figured they have been friends since high school and thought it rude to ask questions about it. She didn’t want to seem nosy. It would have also made her true thoughts known and she didn’t want to do that; at least, not now. There were plenty of other guys she’d met in Mt. Pleasant. Why was this one different? Guys were hitting on her nearly every day; almost as often as she used to before she and Alex got together.

“Whoa,” she said, sitting up. “I haven’t really thought about him since I left. Yeah, I called him, but it was more like an afterthought. I’ve really tried to push him out of my head since that day.”

They’d met in New York. They were both visiting on holiday and found out they both lived in the same town in Texas. They happened to be sitting next to each other at a cabaret show. She loved burlesque shows. She remembers wanting to go to a real burlesque show, but never seemed to have the time or money to go to a good one. About a year and a half into their relationship, Alex picked her up from work and put a blindfold around her eyes.

“Alex, what are you doing?” she’d asked him.

“Don’t worry about it; I’ll take the blindfold off when it’s time.” He didn’t say a word after that. During the long car ride, she remembered hearing planes flying overhead and traffic to either side of her. Alex was playing a show tunes CD; West Side Story, one of her favorites.

Alex parked the car and brought her out. She had no idea what was going on. She could hear whispers and Alex speaking with people. She remembers being whisked away from one place to another. Then, she heard the loudspeaker overhead.

“…call for Bora Bora. Again, for the information of Dallas/Fort Worth Airport’s patrons. This is the final boarding call for those going to Bora Bora.”

Okay, so they were at the airport; but where was he taking her? He brought them up to what she supposed was the check-in counter for one of the gates. He’d been whispering to the attendant to go ahead and let them board the plane so his girlfriend couldn’t hear where they were going. The attendant obliged and let them board. Alex found their seats and sat them down.

“Alex, can I take this thing off, now? I know where we are, obviously. I just don’t know where we’re going,” said Claire.

“All right, I suppose so,” he’d replied, and removed the blindfold. It took her eyes a moment to adjust.

“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she’d asked him.

“Nope; it’s part of the surprise,” he’d told her.

“Well, what about the announcement the captain usually makes before takeoff?”

“There won’t be many passengers on this flight. Besides, they’re going through it on the terminal.” He paused to look at her. “What can I say? I wanted to do something special for you and wanted to keep it a surprise. You’ve been needing a break these last few months and I wanted to give it to you.”

She had opened her mouth in protest, but he knew what she was going to say.

“Don’t worry about it. I already cleared it with your boss, Celeste. She knows what’s going on,” he’d said and winked.

She was wondering just how much of that was true. Celeste being tight-lipped? Yeah, right. That was like telling a hooker to keep her legs closed and still try to make her money for the night. It just didn’t happen. But, it seemed that it did.

“Now, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. I’ll let you know when we’ve landed.” With that, she dozed off into a deep sleep. She’d woken up only a few times to use the bathroom and for the in-flight meal. Alex shared some champagne with her during dinner.

It had been nightfall when they landed. The air was heavy and humid, but there was something soothing to her about it. She breathed it in and held it as long as possible. Alex never returned the blindfold to her face. For that, she’d been grateful. She hated being led around by someone who couldn’t even see without his glasses on.

They were definitely in another country, though she couldn’t tell which one. The spoken language was very rough and reminded her of a very old Hellenic language. As they went up to claim their baggage and get a rental car, it turned out Alex knew the language perfectly. Claire never knew he could speak anything other than American and “geekoid.”

They procured a car in no time and, after getting lost and stopping to ask for directions, they found the hotel where they were staying. It was magnificent. It stood roughly 25 stories high, with old columns running up all corners of the building. The architecture was very gothic, the building itself, was very old. Lights had been installed at strategic places to make it look spooky. From the outside, the windows looked like they were the same as those used when it was built. The once bright and vibrant building was now nothing more than tarnished brick and mortar.

They walked through the fronts doors to a view that did not match the exterior. The foyer and lobby area had been decorated to rich reds and golds. The chairs were a gold-colored metal with deep red plush cushions. There were several rugs, spanning the large marble floor. They were a deep red with gold trim and golden tassels on the corner. The drapes for the tall windows were a perfect match with the décor. The tapestries on the walls were art, depicting stories from old times, when knights and wizards still roamed the countryside.

The hotel was amazing. Alex walked up to the front desk where he signed them in. They were very nice to each and, from the inflection in both their voices; it seemed they knew each other. She noticed the man behind the counter glancing over at her, nudging his head in her direction. They were talking about her, but she couldn’t figure out why. There was nothing special about her; she was just an average woman.

Alex returned with the bellhop, dressed to match the rest of the establishment. He led them to the elevator and took them to the seventh floor. Stepping out from the elevator, she tried to run the events from the last few days through her head. How did Alex know the language? Why was the staff so nice to him? And how in the hell was Celeste able to keep her mouth shut for so long about something like this? It didn’t make any sense to her.

They arrived to their room: 704. The bellhop took them inside and set down their luggage. He and Alex exchanged words, and left quietly after Alex tipped him.

“Okay, so what’s this all about?” Claire had asked him.

“My dear,” he’d said, “we are in Berlin, Germany. I wanted to take you to a real burlesque show and I know of a fabulous place here. The atmosphere is amazing; I know you’ll enjoy it. Tonight we rest, tomorrow we shop and eat, and then tomorrow night, we go see a show.”

She beamed. No, she squealed. She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. She didn’t know Alex could be so giving. This was definitely the best thing he’d ever done for her. She would end up spending the rest of their time in Berlin figuring out how to return the favor, but what in the world would be equal to this? She wasn’t really sure.

They set their things down next to the bed and vegged for the rest of the night. They didn’t bother turning on the television, since it was all in German. They’d spent the rest of the night talking and cuddling up on the king-sized bed and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Claire had awoken the next morning very disoriented. It took her a moment to remember where she was. She remembered being at work and leaving, but Alex was there. Then, everything came flooding back. The blindfolded car ride to the airport, landing at night without a blindfold, checking into a magnificent hotel and sleeping in a beautiful room with her boyfriend, Alex.

You had a space between the t and he in the. Once I took the space out Word said it was fragmented. You can figure that one out.

He was still sleeping, so she got up, donned a thick, flowing bathrobe and went into the bathroom for a shower. The bathroom looked just as regal as the rest of the hotel. Plush carpet, smooth ceramic tiles, large marble sink and counter. There was a beautiful oval-shaped mirror, frosted with etchings of swirls and roses. It was exquisite. In the shower were the comforts of home, even the shampoo, conditioner, body wash and razor she used at home. The bathtub was larger than her bathroom back home; it even had clawed feet. It looked like it’d been a custom bath made just for the hotel. The shower head didn’t look like much, but it didn’t matter. She was on vacation.

Claire removed her robe, stepped into the shower, and turned on the water. The water pressure was perfect. She got the temperature to where she liked it and started lathering up. As the suds in her hair were multiplying, she heard the door to the bathroom open. She took a peek from behind the shower curtain to see Alex standing there in a robe matching hers. He looked so cute when he first woke up. He’d noticed her peeking and grinned. Removing his own robe, he joined her in the shower.

“Let me get that,” he’d told her, and started working the lather of the shampoo into her hair. He rinsed, applied the conditioner, and washed the rest of her body, savoring every curve and crevice. She must’ve turned three shades of red. That shower became the most memorable and most sensuous shower she’d ever have. She realized then and later on that day, just how much she loved this man.

Alex had lathered up the loofa and brushed it all over her body. His fingers had sent chills over Claire; over her back and down to her ass. He’d made special care to wash her ass for her. He’d cupped her cheeks and gave them a good, gentle squeeze. Making sure to get everything, he’d run his fingers through the crack of her ass and toward her special area, just before her clit. She’d let out a moaned response. He’d then knelt down to wash her legs and feet.

When he’d stood back up, she was turned around, facing him. She’d felt so beautiful standing before him, in her full, naked glory. Alex had taken special care of her breasts, making sure that when the loofa went across her nipples, she would shudder and moan again. He took a breast in each hand and massaged them as he washed her. He’d given the nipples a light pinch before moving further down. He’d caressed her stomach down to her small patch of curls. Alex had skipped right over her softest spot to get to her legs again. He’d wanted her to wait.

By this time, he was already hard for her. Before his taking of her, he’d wanted to give her pleasure first. He’d wanted her first day in Germany to start out right. He could feel the blood rushing to his hardness and the throbbing was nearly unbearable. For her, he’d endure it. For her pleasure, he’d take on any discomfort. He’d wanted to make her happy.

Alex had returned to her soft spot by now and made eye contact. After making sure she was comfortable, his hands had found their way to her nether lips and parted them. She was already wet for him. He took his fingers and rubbed her already sore clit, which caused her to moan again. This time, it was a deeper, more guttural moan. He’d massaged her clit for her, feeling her wetness increase. When she’d tried to move away, his other hand brought her back over to him. He didn’t want her going anywhere. There had still been some fun and enjoyment to be had.

He’d never lost eye contact with her as he pushed her to the point of orgasm and stopped before she could reach it. Claire had attempted to speak to him at this point, but was unable to find her voice. He’d gently parted her legs so that he could lower himself to her. Her lips still parted, he’d replaced his fingers with his tongue. She’d tasted so sweet to him. His tongue was darting in and out of her tender opening. He was able to feel her tighten from the inside and around his tongue. It’d felt divine. Not wanting her to think he’d forgotten about her swollen nub, he began sucking and with that, driving her mad with pleasure. Before she reached orgasm, he shot up and drove himself into her.

Claire had let her head fall back and grabbed onto the bars in the shower to steady her. One hand on the bar and the other on Alex, she’d felt wave after wave of pleasure. He had thrust himself into her without warning, making her more wet and ready for him. She had been able to feel his hardness thicken as he moved and the sounds he made were primal; they were for her. She had felt him climax and spill his seed into her body. She’d shivered with her own climax, her muffled screams sending chills down Alex’s spine. It was only when they’d both nearly lost their balance when they decided to retire from the shower.

“Thank you,” was all she’d been able to say.

“Of course, my love,” he’d replied.

They had carefully climbed out and helped each other towel-dry, the whole while giggling and laughing like they were still in high school. They lounged around in the room for a bit longer in their robes and ordered breakfast via room service. Stacks of hot, fluffy pancakes and waffles, dishes of fresh fruit and syrup, powdered sugar, coffee, tea and a copy of the morning paper, in English were delivered to their room in twenty minutes. Halfway through the meal, Alex had called room service again, this time speaking German. She found out shortly what he’d asked for. Within minutes, a dish of chocolate arrived.

“So, why order the sweets so early?” Claire had asked him.

“For this,” and he took a strawberry from the dish of fruit, dipped it into the chocolate and fed it to her, slowly, wanting her to enjoy every bite.

The sweet taste of the chocolate and the even sweeter, almost tart, taste of the strawberry filled her mouth with sensuous pleasure. The warmth of the chocolate and the coolness of the strawberry intermingled in her mouth like a ballet of flavors. Before she knew it, he’d had another strawberry ready. They fed each other like this for an hour before getting ready to go out.

Claire had found that Alex had already packed her bags for her the day before. He didn’t have a lick of fashion sense, so she’d hoped he packed something she could comfortably wear out in public. She loved her boyfriend dearly, but he could barely dress himself, let alone throw together clothes that she’d wear. She threw open her suitcase and found nothing that matched. She made a note to go shopping the moment they stepped out of the hotel.

“You don’t honestly think I’m going out in public like this, do you?” she’d asked him, right after finding something that nearly matched.

“Uh-huh, sure do,” he’d replied. He was completely serious.

Claire checked her purse and wallet, hoping her credit cards were in there. If she was heading out in public looking the way she was, she needed a clothing store fast. Alex must have been out of his mind when he’d packed her bags. She had silently commended him for his efforts, though. It showed he cared enough for her to not walk around town in the same thing she’d worn the day before. They finished dressing and headed out into town.

Claire had marveled at all of the old shops still standing. She’d figured they must have been hundreds of years old. The road was something else to behold, as well. It was made of cobble stones, leaving the only modern touches of the road at the airport. Once they’d gotten into town the night before, it had all been cobble stone. She’d found an antique shop and decided to take a look. Inside had been furniture centuries old, lamps and dishes, with flatware. If something had caught her eye, Alex had been right on top of things by pointing it out to the sales clerk and ringing it up. Claire didn’t even want to think about how much they’d spent. It didn’t matter; it would all be in the States by the time they got home.

Claire still needed to resolve the clothes issue. She’d found another small shop and put together a few outfits to last for a few days. She’d picked up a few long, flowing skirts and loose shirts, with boots to match. She’d also grabbed a pair of tight, skinny jeans and flowing shirts. After purchasing her clothes, she’d put them on and immediately found a jewelry shop. Inside she’d seen some earrings to match some of her shirts, and necklaces to complete the outfit. Alex had disappeared for a few moments but met her outside of the shop.

“I needed some air,” he’d explained.

“Oh, okay. I was wondering where you’d gone off to,” she’d replied.

They returned to the hotel but only to drop off their shopping bags. Ten minutes later, they were back on the street. They’d been walking hand-in-hand toward the burlesque club he’d promised her.

“So, when were you going to tell me you knew how to speak German?” she’d asked him.

“I thought it had been obvious by now,” had been his reply.

“How so?”

“Well, my dear, if you look at my name, it’s German. My grandparents had gone to the States and spoke the language to my parents. M parents raised me with English, but made sure that I knew the language of my grandparents. On top of all that, I took it in high school and college, as well.”

“It seems I still have things to learn about you, Mr. Alex Kurtzen,” she’d replied.

“Yes, Ms. Claire Soren, it seems you do.” With that, he smiled and was silent for the rest of the walk.

They had found the club and went inside, finding a nice, secluded booth for the both of them. The colors, lights, and music were everything they would be. There would be three acts that night, with a finale by an acclaimed burlesque actress, Sophia LeBaron. Claire had followed her career for several years now and was really looking forward to her performance.

Act one would include the club’s ensemble entertaining the audience with songs and gags, dressed in formal evening clothes. Some think they did this to poke fun at some of their patrons. Act two would include a plethora of acts, varying from singers, comics, skits and so on. Act three would be a complete musical show. These acts ranged from performances ranging from Shakespearean take-offs like Much Ado About a Merchant in Venice to a Gilbert and Sullivan spoof called The Mick Hair-Do.

When these three acts were completed, Sophia LeBaron came out onto the stage, in full vintage costume that was reminiscent of Betty Page, only more glamorous. Sophia’s act was something to behold. Even a writer like Claire wasn’t able to put her act into words.

When it was near the end of the show, the entire room had gone black. She felt movement at her side and realized that Alex was gone. She had thought that he was afraid of the dark or something and had run off. But, she didn’t hear the doors open and close. The next thing she knew, there was a single spotlight on the stage, but no dancers; in their place stood Alex. He looked a little out of his element on the stage and a bit nervous. She had no idea why, but she was sure she was going to find out soon. Alex spoke then, but English came from the microphone.

“There comes a time in one’s life,” he’d began, “when you feel your life is crumbling down into little itty bitty pieces and there doesn’t seem to be any hope of picking them up and putting them back together. You realized that you can’t do it by yourself. You find that you need someone very special to help you put your life back together and keep it there for the rest of time. That person must be able to tolerate you in your worst mood and enjoy you in your best. They must be able to hold your hand and tell you that it’s going to be all right. They need to be able to wipe away your tears when you’re sad and boo the monsters away when you’re scared at night. They should know you, inside and out, and have the ability to love you no matter what job you have and no matter how fat or ugly you get. They love you for you and nothing will change that. No matter what you do, stupid or otherwise, that person will stick by you for the rest of your life.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have an introduction for you. Claire, would you be so kind as to step up here on the stage, please?”

Claire had a look of shock on her face as soon as he said her name. She wasn’t sure what to think. There in a different country, far away from home, enjoying a wonderful time in Germany and spending time in a real burlesque club. What more could she have asked for? She looked Alex in the eyes and slowly made her way to the stage. Alex reached out his hand to put hers in it, and brought her to center stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen; this lovely, beautiful woman is the fiercest, most fiery woman I have ever met. She has spunk that I have never seen and is always keeping me on my toes. She keeps me in line and rewards me with kisses every single day. All I need is her smile and the rest of my day is wonderful. The look she gets in her eyes when she’s possibly mad at me, kind of like now, is stunning. She is the kindest, softest, most understanding and tolerating woman I have ever come into contact with. This is Claire Soren and I have a very important question for her that I wanted all of you to hear. Let us hope that I do not make a horse’s ass out of myself.”

Alex retrieved a small black box from his pocket and got down on one knee, one of the two spotlights followed him down. With Claire’s hand still in his, he spoke.

“Claire Soren, I have never been so happy in all my life. You are the heart of my world, the very air that I breathe. I am in love with you and am asking you to become my wife, so that my lives, and yours, are complete and full of happiness forever.” He paused to let the words sink it. Without breaking his gaze, he proceeded. “Will you marry me?”

Claire had been speechless; she didn’t see it coming. They’d never really talked about it before but it never got further than ‘what if…’ questions. They’d been together for nearly a year-and-a-half and here he was, proposing to her. He had looked a little scared. Two minutes had gone by without an answer. The crowd was beginning to wonder. For his sake, they were hoping that she’d say yes. She had been too analytical for her own good. Thoughts were going through her head, like, what was he thinking? She heaved a big sigh, brought him up to his feet so their eyes were level. She’d brought him close to her, so that her lips just barely brushed against his ear, sending chills down his spine and hers, so that he would be the only person in the room to hear the answer.

“Yes,” she’d whispered, and Alex gave the thumbs up to the crowd, which immediately stood up applauding. They didn’t have to buy a drink for the rest of the night. Management was also kind enough to pay for their taxi ride back to the hotel. Before they left, management had also asked them to someday return there for their honeymoon. Alex and Claire would have been more than happy to oblige.

Clare shook her head back into the present. No use thinking on those memories now. If he had really loved her like he said he did, Alex would never have cheated on her in the first place. Alex had proposed to her that night in the burlesque club. She remembers that after they had taken their seats, he’d gone up to use the bathroom. It took him longer than it should have, but she figured that he’d just eaten a bratwurst that didn’t agree with him. In reality, he’d gone and spoken with the managers and dancers to help him out with something special he had planned for his girlfriend. He’d told him that he was planning to ask her to marry him. They had all silently cheered for him, congratulated him on wanting to take the next big step in life. A lot of dancers were both jealous and happy for her, that she had found a great guy.

“Get a hold of yourself, Claire,” she said out loud. She found herself still sitting on her couch with a melted pint of ice cream in her lap. Had she really been sitting there that long? She checked the clock. Holy cow, it was after midnight! She had sat there on her couch for two hours thinking about some cheating asshole. She shouldn’t have wasted her time. She got up, put her ice cream away, then climbed into her bed, snuggling up to her pillows and stuffed panda. This was a gift from Nik as a house warming gift; it still had his scent on it, so she breathed it in to help her get to sleep. With her breathing falling into a regular pattern, Claire fell asleep, breathing in Nik’s scent.

NIK lay in his bed, his mind going over Claire’s proposal. It wasn’t a bad idea. He would have income, for one, and for two, it would be a great place for him to help fathers voice their opinions. Since he wasn’t a father, he would have to test out his journalist skills to get information for his articles. However, Claire’s proposal wasn’t the only thing keeping him awake that night. He had thoughts of her tonight. Then again, most nights he thought of her. It had more to do with her soft skin, her beautiful eyes, and hair that an ancient goddess would be envious of. If only he’d been able to bring her home with him tonight.

There were so many things he wanted to do to her. He wanted her to know what pleasure really meant. He wanted her to know what it was like to be happy and loved. He wanted her to know what it was like to be adored and worshipped as the amazing goddess that she was. The only thing on his mind was her – her body, her mind, her personality. Oh gods, that body. Beautiful curves, luscious lips were key factors of this woman. She had the type of eyes someone could get forever lost in. Her voice reminded him of the legendary Sirens Odysseus encountered in his journeys. She captivated his dreams and his every waking thought. He didn’t even realize it when he began stroking himself along with his thoughts. He would do anything she asked him to do.

He was immediately hard thinking of her and what he’d like to do to her. He could already feel the wetness at the tip, which he used to stroke the head even more. His head was filled with thoughts of her, every gasp and sound she made. He could see her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she reached the true point of ecstasy. He came in his dream as he came in his hand. How he wished he could do all of that to her. Someday soon, he will.

Before he knew it, the sounds of the approaching morning rang through the trees. The songbirds began singing their early morning song. He knew he only had just a couple of hours to sleep. He knew he was going to be tired that day, but for the thoughts of her, it was well worth the sleepiness.

CLAIRE woke up the next morning wondering what just hit her. She sat up and felt like a freight train smacked in her the head. She had a killer headache. She rolled out of bed to feel the cold, hardwood floor beneath her feet. It seemed to help her wake up more and go about her usual morning routine. She went over in her head the events from the night before. She remembers the dinner and business date with Nik. She thought it had gone well, until she missed out on a perfect opportunity. She could have spent more of the evening with him, but gave him the choice. She remembers him saying that he’d felt tired and wanted to go home. There was something else. Oh, yeah; Alex.

She had gone over the memory of when he’d proposed to her. Looking back, it didn’t seem like the right decision anymore. But, what did feel right was her being here, in Mt. Pleasant. She was beginning to get used to it; it was a place that had grown on her and grown dear to her heart.

She finished her routine and gotten dressed for work. She made sure everything was locked and turned off and left without another thought of Alex. She didn’t need thoughts of that asshole running through her head today. Today, she would hold her head high and proud, like she used to, and help put together a magazine.

Claire walked into her office to find a visitor already sitting in her office. It wasn’t until she had opened her door and smelled sandalwood that she realized who it was; Nik. Claire made sure she had composed herself properly before closing the door. She didn’t want to seem too excited about him being there. She wasn’t like all of the other ninnies that she’d hired. She wasn’t like them in that she gawked and ogled at him every time he walked by. She liked him for who he was, not what he looked like, not for his amazing truck, or for his house. She knew Nik as everyone should know him. He’s a kind hearted, handyman extraordinaire. She enjoyed his presence and company.

“Good morning, Claire,” he said, standing to shake her hand. “I was beginning to wonder if you were going to come into work at all today.”

“’Morning, yourself. I wasn’t expecting to see you yet.” She looked at the clock on her wall. “For the record, I don’t normally come in until nine, and it’s only a quarter ‘til. If anything, I’m early.” She gave him a cute smirk.

“You would think that after living with me for a few weeks you’d be used to getting up with the sun every morning. It looks like I haven’t rubbed off on you enough.”

No, she thought, you haven’t, though I’ve wanted you to. Her eyes glazed over for a moment. She caught herself before Nik took notice.

“Well, Nik, it’s just that old habits are a little too hard to break. I rarely wake up with the sun; normally, I wake up with the morning radio show. They normally start their show around seven and then I’d roll out of bed at the traffic report, which would be about fifteen minutes after that. So, I’m still doing well over here.” She sat down at her desk and looked straight at him. “So, what can I do for you this morning, Mr. Viktor?”

“Well, Ms. Soren, I was thinking about that job offer. After I’d gotten home last night, it was all I could think about. I didn’t get to sleep until maybe four this morning; the sun was due only a couple of hours after that,” he said. “So, I’m lucky to even be here and coherent. I normally need four hours to function; today is going to be hell for me.” He smiled. “Is that offer still on the table?” If Claire looked close enough, she could see the hope in his eyes.

“Maybe,” she said, quietly. “I may have just rethought about the whole thing and changed my mind.” Her jaw nearly hit the floor. What was she doing?! She was playing with him, toying with him – even flirting with him. Oh god, no please. She didn’t want to be the same type of woman as the rest in her office.

“Maybe?” he asked.

“Uh-huh. How badly do you want it?” She was tempted to make him grovel at her feet and beg. He would look so nice there, down on his knees in front of her.

Stop it, Claire. He’s a future employee that you want. If you keep this up, you might just lose him. Who cares how badly you want take him into his office and show him the ropes; it’s not worth it.

“Bad,” he replied.

“Bad enough to beg for it?” she asked.

“Uh-huh,” was his reply.

“Show me.” Seriously, Claire, what are you thinking?!

“You can’t be serious,” he said. “No, you can’t be. You’ve got to be joking.”

She looked at him straight in the face, trying to keep a straight face, and said, “Try me. Does it look like I’m kidding?”

Nik shook his head and prepared to grovel. He was down on all fours moving toward her chair when she yelled for him to stop.

“Get up! Please, get up. I can’t make you do that when I can’t hold a straight face,” she exclaimed.

“So you were kidding?” he replied.

“Well, yes, for the most part. I didn’t think you were actually going to get down on your knees and do it. Damn, no, get up and let me take you to your office,” she said, and ushered him from the room.

“My office?” he asked.

“Yep, your office,” she replied, and didn’t say a word until she reached his door.

“Try not to make eye contact with them,” she warned. “The women here are vultures. When word got out that you might be working here, this entire place lit up like a Bath & Body Works. I had to ban their lotions and sprays because they were driving my nose crazy,” she explained.

“Gotcha, I’ll keep my eye out for them,” he replied.

“Good,” she said, “Because their eyes are going to be all on you.” They stepped into his office and shut the door.

“Okay,” she said, “your desk, file drawer, television, mini-fridge, and anything else you made need. Be sure to lock your door when you leave.” She handed him the key. “I have the spare, in case you forget or lose yours.

“Underneath your desk is a panic button of sorts. If the girls are constantly coming in here for no valid reason, and you need them out, just push that button and I’ll run in with something ‘important’ that I need you to work on yesterday. That will get them out; when they leave, lock your door. Draw your shades if you need to.”

“Wow,” he said, sounding impressed. “You seem to have thought of everything.”

“Well, I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable in your new working environment. I want to make sure my newest writer is at ease while working on a brand new column,” she explained.

“Oh, okay. Well, then I guess I should get to work, huh?” he said.

“If you’re going to start something today, Thursday, I’m going to need something by Monday morning,” she replied.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. Claire turned the knob on the door to hear him say, “By the way, how did you know I was going to actually take this job?”

Without missing a beat, she replied, “I just knew,” and walked out, closing the door behind her.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on. Nik didn’t use the panic button at all that day, which was a surprise for her. Maybe the girls were behaving themselves or maybe Nik was just being too nice, as he tends to be. He managed to get a lot of work done; when he wasn’t in his office, he was out working, gathering information and getting ideas from the guys he knew. He was being a journalist, and she really liked that. She loved that he enjoyed the job she’d given him; that he’d asked for. She dropped by his office around lunch and found it still empty.

He must still be out working on a story, she thought. I’ll just go by myself. It’s probably better I go alone, anyway.

When she returned, Nik was busy behind his desk. She thought about going in and chatting with him, but he looked busy and enveloped in his work. He seemed to be adjusting to this job a lot faster than she’d thought he would. He shooed away the girls with a promise of a coffee break later.

She walked back to her office silently. She knew she had to tell him how she felt, but she had no idea how to go about doing it. Her magazine had done plenty of articles in the past on how to tell your crush how you feel about him; however, a lot of that she’d pulled out of her ass to meet a deadline. Claire opened the door to her own office and shut it quickly, closing the blinds on her windows. She sat behind her desk thinking about how she was going to bring it up; she knew that if she sat there long enough, she would think of something.

She thought of just buzzing him into her office and telling him straight out, but she didn’t want him to think that the only reason why she’d want him to work with her was because he has a pretty face and a great body. She wanted him to know that she genuinely wanted him there. She wanted him to be sure that he really was there to make a difference with the magazine, to make it better and appeal to more people. There were plenty of all women magazines out there. It was rare to find one that catered to men and women, fathers and mothers. She hoped that Nik would be able to make that difference. She was excited to see what he had planned for his first article.

Instead of calling him in, she decided that her time was better spent working. That way, her mind was clear and she had an achievable goal set. There were different article ideas for her to sort through as well as copy editing; her girl, Nina, had called in sick that morning. She also needed to go through images turned in to her and make sure the caption was right.

Claire had done every single job in that office when she was in Tyler; she started there right after graduating college. She was the rookie and most people didn’t think she would ever have what it took to be a good journalist and writer. Her boss, Celeste Richards, had seen the potential, drive, and motivation in her from the very beginning. Celeste had mentioned to her over lunch one day that she expected more out of Claire than any of the other employees. When Claire had asked why, Celeste said to her that she had the most will to accomplish anything put in front of her and she didn’t lack the inspiration to do what she needed to do. That was Celeste’s reason for this new branch; for Claire to show Celeste what she could really do on her own. Claire hoped that she could show Celeste that she had made the right choice.

As soon as Claire had made the decision to get busy, it was already time to end the work day. She’d been futzing around the office and doing a lot of thinking since she left Nik his in office. She had also spent a lot of time moping, wondering how to talk to him now that she could see him every day. Either way, it was time to go home, so she packed up her things, turned off her lights, and walked out her door, locking it behind her. She wasn’t paying attention to anything and wound up running into the object of her affection. Nik was standing right in front of her, like he had been waiting for her.

“I was wondering if you wanted to catch a late lunch?” he asked. “I didn’t really eat at lunch time and would like to have some company.”

“Um, no, but thank you,” she replied. “I had a big lunch earlier. Why not ask Kaira?”

“She’s gone already. She had the next shift at the store.”

“Oh, all right.”

Nik looked a bit sullen with her last statement. Claire wished he didn’t have an effect on her.

“I haven’t had dinner yet though,” she said, with some hope in her voice.

“That would be nice. How about Luigi’s again?” he said.

“I was thinking something a little less formal. Maybe Whataburger?”

“That sounds great. Shall we?”

Their evening was uneventful. Nik had a far off look in his eyes the entire time. He responded to their conversation as if nothing was wrong. Claire knew better. She took this perfect opportunity to tell him her feelings about him. If anything, it would bring his attention back to the real world. She rose from the table and walked outside.

“Nik, I like you,” she blurted.

“Huh? Oh, I like you, too, Claire,” he replied, smiling.

“No, I mean, really like you, as in, I would like to pursue a relationship with you.” She couldn’t believe she said it.

“Oh,” he said, the words finally sinking in. “Oh boy; Claire, I don’t know how to tell you this except for honestly. I don’t like you in that way; I can’t reciprocate your feelings. You’re fun and a great person to hang out with, but that’s as far as it goes.” He noticed the dejected look on her face. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s nothing. I’ve already forgotten what I said. How’s your story coming?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.

It had caught him off-guard. “Oh, fine, thanks. You’ll have the rough copy on your desk Monday.” He paused. “It took a lot of guts to do what you did. Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

“Talk about what? There’s nothing to talk about. I made an ass of myself in front of someone I find attractive. I got shot down. It’s nothing to worry about.” She got into her purse and lit a cigarette.

“I didn’t know you smoked,” he said.

“I do, normally. When I got here, I just up and quit, with the air being as fresh as it is here. I have a habit of always keeping them in my purse. Old habits die hard, you know. “ Claire took a long drag, inhaling the smoke. She exhaled before resuming. “This doesn’t change anything, right?”

“Not unless you want it to. I still value your friendship.”

Their conversation slowed before they climbed into their cars and drove away.

Chapter 3

Claire decided to drive to Tyler to talk to Celeste, her boss. She also needed a break from her perfect town. She found out through the grapevine that Alex never did land the Ambleigh account. Turns out his girlfriend kept him busy and threatened to “cut him off” if he chose work over her. Apparently, she made him reevaluate his priorities, making sure that keeping her satisfied in bed was at the top of the list and his job below that. He was fired from his firm and she broke up with him soon after because it was “taking too long” to find another firm to work for. The only thing Claire didn’t know was the name of the girlfriend in question.

Claire drove to the magazine, looking for Celeste and finding her in her office, swamped as usual.

“Knock, knock,” said Claire, knocking twice on the door.

A startled woman with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes looked up toward the door over wire-rimmed half glasses. Behind the desk, her physique was hidden, but she got up to hug her old friend. Claire noticed that she’d lost some weight since they last saw each other. Celeste used to be 175 pounds, but has since lost 25. Her new weight fit her five foot six inch frame.

“Claire! Hi! How are you?” said Celeste, rushing to her friend. “It’s such a surprise to see you here. What have you been up to? How’s your branch doing in that little town? Tell me everything!”

“Hi there! It’s doing really well, actually. I have a great staff; I even hired a guy to work for me on an experimental section of the magazine. He wrote in after reading the first issue published and distributed in Mt. Pleasant and came up with an idea to have a ‘Father’s Corner’ so the other parent could really see what goes on in their wife’s mind. I also have a girl writing about herbal remedies for colic, cough, etc., in children. She runs a metaphysical store in town.”

“Wow, it sounds like it was a good idea sending you out there. It looks like you’ve been doing really well.”

“I was about to go get some lunch here in a few minutes; care to join me?” asked Celeste.

“I’d love to. Where are you going?”

“I was thinking of Shogun of Japan Steak House over on Broadway.”

“That sounds amazing,” said Claire. “I haven’t found a good Japanese cuisine restaurant there yet. I’ve been having a craving or two for the teriyaki steak platter.”

Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting in a corner of the restaurant, eating amazing Japanese cuisine.

“How are you and Alex doing? What about the wedding plans?” asked Celeste.

“Funny you should mention that. The day I left for Mt. Pleasant, I found a Motel 6 match book on the seat. Since I’ve never been there, I deducted that Alex had been cheating on me. I didn’t talk to him for weeks. I was in town for a few hours the other day and called him up to confront him. I was such a coward; I just sat in my car in front of our apartment building. I asked him what was going on, asking him about the match book. He wound up making me feel like an ass, like I was the immature one of the relationship. He told me he was done and hung up,” said Claire.

“Wow. So the wedding is completely off then? You’re okay with that?”

“Yeah, this is fine. I’m happy being single again. I really don’t want to spend the rest of my life with a cheater, questioning his fidelity all the time. This course of events is actually turning out for the best. I’m enjoying my life now more than ever,” Claire replied.

“Alex was cheating on you? Do you know who with?”

“I haven’t the foggiest. I’ve been thinking about going back over there and actually going up to the door to get some answers from him, face-to-face,” she said.

Celeste was silent staring at her platter. Claire took her cue and ate her meal. The rest of lunch was small talk. They finished their food and left for the magazine. As they approached the building, Claire bid farewell to her friend, and drove over to Alex’s apartment. He’d made her out to look like a fool and she wanted to change that. She drove the familiar streets, memories and her and Alex flooding back. Out of nowhere, she began crying; the memories were too much. She was remembering again all the good times they had together. She passed by a park in a beautiful part of town; they’d had their most sensual dates there.

They’d gone to a show one evening and Claire had planned a night under the stars after the show. They’d talked about star gazing but hadn’t had the chance to do it. She’d seen that night as the perfect opportunity. Alex and Claire had been folded up in each other’s arms watching the stars and enjoying each other’s company. It was only when they’d seen the security vehicle drive by that they decided to call it a night at the park and end it appropriately at home. It had been a wonderful night for them. It would seem, later, that there wouldn’t be any more of those nights; not with Alex and sure as hell not with Nik.

She pulled up to the apartment building and parked, turning off her car. She was as nervous as she was when she’d called him the last time she was in town. She couldn’t understand why; it was still a mystery to her. She sat in her car for several minutes, debating calling him and having this conversation over the phone. She mulled it over for several minutes before opening the door and striding up to the apartment building door.

Clair was hoping for no answer when she rang the buzzer to get in. When she heard none, she became relieved. As she turned to go back to her car, she heard a familiar hello coming from the speaker. Oh shit Claire thought, as she froze in her tracks. What do I do now? She decided to do what she came here to do.

“Hi, Alex, it’s Claire. Can I come up?”

There was a pause. Again, she turned to go back to her car when she heard the door buzz. She pushed the door open and found her way up to their old apartment. She was hoping this would be an amicable meeting; she didn’t want to leave for Mt. Pleasant in a sour mood. Sour mood meant erratic driving. She wanted to clear things up.

Nervous, she knocked on the door. She quickly straightened out her clothes in an attempt to look presentable. She’d just brushed her hands through her hair when the door opened. From behind it, she saw a beautiful man. Alex had been to the gym recently and looked very good. He reminded her of Marky Mark from back in the day. Her mouth was watering. His light blue eyes seemed to jump out at her; she’d missed those eyes. His medium blonde hair had grown out some and curled at the ends. In the few months that she’d been gone, he’d turned into something wonderful. He looked sad, lost, and lonely. She didn’t want to admit it, but she wanted him back. She almost hoped that Alex felt the same way.

“What are you doing here, Claire?” Alex asked her coldly.

“Well, I, uh…,” Claire stuttered. She cleared her throat and began again. “I just wanted to come by and talk face-to-face with you to make up for the phone conversation we had awhile ago. I’d like to try and get a couple of things cleared up and hopefully save a friendship.”

“Well, I never thought I would hear those words escape your lips, but it’s nice to hear them. Come on in, make yourself comfortable,” said Alex. “Would you like anything to drink?”

“Just some water, please. I going back to Mt. Pleasant today and …”

“It’s Friday and the weekend might as well already be here. Why not stay in town until Sunday evening and then go back?” Claire saw the glimmer of hope in his eyes. Maybe he was thinking the same thing she’d been.

“I don’t know. Think we can we talk first?””

“Sure, what about?” he asked.

“I want the whole story. Please? That’s all I ask, is the whole story.”

“Are you sure you want to hear this?” he asked her. “It’s not all pretty or smells like roses.”

“I’m sure.” Claire sat down on the couch and got comfortable. Alex joined her with a cup of coffee, her water, as well as an additional cup of coffee. They may not have lived together lately, but he still remembered her habits and her love for coffee. She took both graciously.

“Okay, well, since I really don’t have anything to lose at this point, here it goes. I was cheating on you because I wasn’t sure if we were truly meant to be together. I had doubts and got scared,” he said.

“Everyone gets scared, I understand that,” she replied.

“Yeah, but I was also scared of commitment to only one person. I started seeing someone on the side, to make sure that you were the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. It’d had only been going on for about a month or so. I was going to stop seeing her when you decided to go to Mt. Pleasant,” he said.

“But, you didn’t, did you?”

“You have to understand, I wasn’t happy with her at all. It was you the whole time. When you went away, I was miserable. If it makes you feel better about your choice, or knowing what my choice was then, is that I got fired from my job.”

“I’d heard you did and that it was your girlfriends fault. Or, your fault for giving in and cowering to her,” said Claire.

“You heard right. She convinced me that my priorities were wrong. She kept me so busy that weekend, that I nearly forgot about the appointment with Ambleigh. By the time I remembered, I had only minutes to get ready and get over to the office. I was twenty minutes late; as I walked in, they walked out and took their business to our competitor firm. My boss was far from happy and fired me on the spot.”

“So, what are you doing now?” she asked.

“I’m working for a smaller firm now that doesn’t pay nearly as much as my old job. I suppose that’s what I get for fucking up a great relationship, friendship with the one I really love. If it weren’t for the fact that I had savings, I wouldn’t be able to afford this apartment. I know there was no real way to convince you otherwise of my obligations to work. I know that eventually you would have realized that I couldn’t have gone with you. I would love lost my job. I’m sorry I did this to you. I was scared and didn’t know what to do. I’m so sorry.” Alex sipped his coffee and didn’t take his eyes of Claire.

Claire had a look of shock all over her face. She didn’t know what to say. Her thoughts returned to the matchbook.

“So, what about the matchbook in my car?” she asked.

“The matchbook was hers. We’d both been drinking that night; I was really plastered. I didn’t want to get caught at home, so we went to a Motel 6 instead. I drove her room the next morning; she must have left it behind. The number inside was her personal number; she must have gotten rid of the number after everything happened.”

“Why my car?”

“Mine was in the shop at the time and she didn’t want to use hers, because she knew you’d recognize it.”

“Okay,” she gulped. “So, who was the other woman?”

“You’re not going to like it,” he said.

“I don’t care,” she replied. “I have a right to know who helped destroy such a good thing.”

Alex cleared his throat and was barely able to squeak out the name.

“What?” Claire asked. “I didn’t hear you.”

He cleared his throat again. “Celeste.”

Claire’s jaw hit the floor. She couldn’t believe it; her own boss.

“I can’t believe it. Celeste? Why her of all people?” she asked.

“She’s one of the people I always saw with you. I found her attractive at the time. The whole thing started out innocently. We were just meeting up for coffee as friends when you were busy. That turned into drinks when you were working late. Before we knew it, things got a little heavy and out of control. It was shortly after I lost my job that we stopped seeing each other.” He sighed. “Have you talked to her since you’ve been back?”

“Yeah, I actually drove over here right after having lunch with her at Shogun of Japan. She was calm and cool about everything. She asked me how the wedding plans were going and was very non-chalant about the whole thing.”

There was an uncomfortable silence between them lasting several minutes.

“So,” Alex started, “what are you going to do now?”

“I’m not even sure. I was thinking of going and yelling at the bitch. She should have told me what was going on. Hell, you should have come clean, too.” She took in a deep breath. “Tell you what, I’ll go over there and talk to her. When I’m done, I’ll come back over here and take you up on your offer.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan. Like I said, I have nothing to lose anymore. I haven’t spoken to her since I lost my job, nor do I care to.” He gave her a quick, yet uncomfortable, hug when they stood up. He saw her to the door and before she walked out, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Inwardly, she beamed. She’d hoped he didn’t see her eyes light up.

“Okay, I’ll be back in an hour or so. ‘Bye,” she said.

“All right, ‘bye.”

Twenty minutes later, Claire is back at the magazine. She is calm, cool, and serene; this was odd because her temper was red hot. She walked right past Celeste’s assistant and into her office. Celeste jumped from her desk, surprised to see Claire standing in front of her.

“You’re back? Did you forget something?” asked Celeste.

Claire closed the door to Celeste’s office. With the door closed, Celeste couldn’t go anywhere and was now a captive audience.

“No. You forgot something,” came her reply. “Did you know Alex was cheating on me?”

“Yes. You told me about it this morning, remember?”

“I meant before this morning,” said Claire.

“No, I didn’t. I thought things between you and Alex were going great. I had no idea that he was cheating on you,” said Celeste.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“How interesting, because I heard differently. A little bird told me that you not only knew about it, but you were the woman he was cheating with. Care to know what else this little bird said?” said Claire. She didn’t wait for a response. “It told me you were also the person who cost Alex his job.”

When Celeste didn’t respond, Claire decided to bring up every single detail Alex had told her not an hour ago. Her face was like a stone, not showing any kind of emotion. Celeste was just taking it. There wasn’t anything she could do but listen. She’d been found out and the only thing she could do was sit there.

“As for the magazine, I’m done. I’ve earned enough with my Mt. Pleasant branch that I don’t need you anymore. Hell, just to break more ties, you’ll get back every cent, plus interest. You can take this magazine and shove it up your ass.”

Without another word, Claire stormed out of Celeste’s office, very proud of herself. She returned to Alex’s apartment to cool off and relax. He had a warm cup of tea waiting for her. He broke the silence once she was settled on the couch.

“So, how’d it go?” he asked.

“How do you think it went, Alex?” she scowled at him.

“Whoa, no need for the growl. It was just a question,” he said.

“Sorry,” Claire apologized. “I confronted her about it and told her where she could stick the magazine. I’m separating myself entirely from it and starting my very own magazine. I don’t want to be associated with her anymore. I’m done with her.”

“Makes sense,” was his reply. “I just have one question.”

Claire raised her left eye brow. “What’s that?”

“Can you ever forgive me for what I did? I know my reasoning behind it was stupid and I know that I never should have done it in the first place. What do you want me to do to make it up to you?”

Claire had some ideas, but wasn’t sure if he’d be up to them or willing. She told him she’d think about it and picked up the remote control. She hung out in front of the television for the rest of the day. Alex paced around his apartment like a caged animal. The rest of the evening went by without any event. Alex kept waiting for Claire to give him an answer, but to no avail. She kept smiling like a Cheshire cat. When it came time for bed, he asked her again.

“Claire?”

“Yes?” she replied.

“Do you forgive me for what I did? I feel terrible about what I did and I would do anything to make it up to you. Please tell me.”

“Anything?” she asked.

“Yes, anything,” was his reply.

“You can start by massaging my feet with lotion,” she said. Alex was quick, almost eager, to comply. “Do you still have the chick flicks we picked up last year?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Good. Put in my favorite one.”

Alex went to his DVD rack and thumbed through the movies. He stopped when he reached Say Anything. He carefully removed the disc and inserted it into the player. He then promptly returned to the couch the massage Claire’s feet. When she would ask for Kleenex, it was there in seconds. Alex obeyed her every wish. When she fell asleep from the massage, Alex didn’t wake her. When the movie was over, he picked her up and took her to his bedroom; their old bedroom. Being careful not to wake her, he removed her clothes and put her in his pajamas. He tucked her into his bed and then he changed into pajama bottoms, took a pillow and some blankets and crashed out on the cash.

Alex remained on the couch for the remainder of the night. Or so he thought. He woke up around two in the morning to something warm on his cock. It felt like moist velvet and it was incredible. He didn’t want to open his eyes and ruin the dream he was having. He didn’t move. He let it go and enjoyed it. He hadn’t felt this good in a long time. He thought he heard moaning but he figured it was himself. It wasn’t until he felt the vibrations of that mouth that he realized he wasn’t dreaming. He awoke to find Claire climbing on top of him.

Claire looked down at Alex and smiled. She bent down to kiss him passionately while inserting his cock inside her. She’d missed the feeling of him inside her. She’d wanted it for so long. She realized that Nik was just a lust, an infatuation. Alex was love. She still loved him. She was able to push him out of her head for awhile, but when she saw him that afternoon, she had to have him back, if only for a moment.

Claire rose and fell with Alex’s thrusts. She allowed him to touch her breasts underneath his pajama shirt. He played with her nipples, making them hard and the skin taut. His fingers trailed from her breasts down to her stomach, where he grabbed her hips.

He started moving her hips faster against him until he could feel her sweat. His right hand moved further down to her dark curls beneath and found her hub. He began massaging it like he did her feet, only with more purpose. His thumb was moving in motion with the rest of his body.

He could feel her tensing on the inside and it felt glorious. She was close; he could feel it. He sped up her motions for her orgasm to come. When she reached her climax, he sat up and clutched her. He sped up his thrusts for his own climax. When he came, they both fell back in exhaustion.

Alex removed himself from Claire, cleaned her up and then him. Then, there was the silence. It was that uncomfortable silence that happens when a deed has been done that shouldn’t have been done; something that was possibly regrettable. They didn’t even look at each other.

What have I done? Claire asked herself. What the hell was I thinking? I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m just so damned confused. Or am I just stupid?

“Are you okay?”

She heard Alex’s voice. It startled her. She’d nearly forgotten he was in the room. How could he not have been in the room; they just had sex.

“Umm, yeah, I’m fine. I think.” Claire readjusted how she was sitting, moving to the far end of the couch. “I just don’t know what came over me. I mean, I know what came, but I don’t know why. I thought I was over this relationship. I’m just so confused right now.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “I’m not upset about it. I was actually kind of hoping for it, to be honest. I’ve missed you so much, Claire. I can’t deny that fact. I wish I could have you back. I wish what I did wasn’t in the picture at all. I’m sorry I did what I did. I need you back in my life, Claire. I can’t do this, any of this, without you.” Alex paused, watching the expression on Claire’s face before continuing. “I still love you, Claire. I’m still in love with you.”

Claire lost it then. The tears didn’t stop. She didn’t know what to do or what to think. She’d wanted it, too. She’d wanted it so much. She had missed him just as much as he missed her. In the back of her mind, she heard a small voice say ‘I love you, too.’ She couldn’t admit to that. She couldn’t bring herself to say those three small words. She was afraid of being hurt again. She had just started a new life an hour away from Alex. How was she supposed to drop everything and come back?

Another thought occurred to her. Would he be willing to move with her, for her? Everything has changed now; maybe he’s changed enough, too.

“I have to go,” Claire said, gathering her things.

“Wh… What are you talking about?” asked Alex.

“I have to go,” she repeated. “I can’t stay here. I’m going to check into a hotel for the rest of the night and then head back home in the morning. I can’t do this. You may have changed, or think you’ve changed, but who’s to say you’re not going to do it again? I’m of the mind that if someone cheats once, they’ll do it again. I mean, what’s stopping them from repeating the offense?” She took a breath. “I’m can’t do this, Alex. I’m sorry.”

Before he could get another word in, Claire was dressed and out the door with her things. All the while, he kept thinking about how much she’d screwed up, hating the fact that hindsight is 20/20. He returned to his bed, which now smelled of her, and fell asleep, weeping softly. That night, he dreamed of the things he could have done to fix everything. Sadly, nothing came to mind and realized there was nothing he could do.

Claire awoke the next morning, a bit groggy from the night before. She couldn’t remember checking into a hotel, but soon realized during her morning shower and had transpired the night before.

“What the hell have I done? What the hell am I going to do now?” she kept asking herself. She couldn’t go back now. Any chance Alex had has been gone since he first cheated on her. It was over and it was over for good.

There was nothing left for Claire in Tyler, so she made the drive back to Mt. Pleasant for the last time. At least there, things were less complicated. Especially now, since her love interest didn’t reciprocate her feelings.

She returned on a Saturday, so there wasn’t much work to do. She wanted to push out of her head what transpired with Alex. She still couldn’t wrap her head around what she did. She thought she was over him; apparently not.

When Claire got home, she threw her stuff on her couch and went into the kitchen to make some lunch. She still had some leftovers in the fridge, so she took out a random container. She didn’t care what it was, so long as it was food and was filling. She opened the container to find some left over chunky stroganoff with extra sour cream. She put the rest of it on a plate, zapped it in the microwave, and took it out the living room.