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I was exhausted, and I’d only been through a few short meetings. My mind was racing over ideas for my novel, and the only thing I had on my mind was writing.
“Okay, we can go to lunch, but then after that, I want to talk to Martie about what I need to do here tomorrow. I can do that before or after lunch. Later tonight, I need to get to work on my novel, so I am going to have to bow out of any other plans.”
I figured the sooner I mentioned my personal plans, the better. James needed to understand from the get-go that I had a life beyond everything else we were doing — work, business, and living at his house. If he couldn’t understand that things would not work.
“Understood.” He tossed his phone in his pocket and stood up. “Come on, Gwen. I have this great Thai restaurant where we can grab some lunch. Your ideas have really been making me think. Next year's line of accessories is going to be radically different from this year’s. We need to talk, and I need your creative thoughts to inspire me.”
“Me?” I followed him out of the office, determined to ignore the looks on the faces of the employees I’d just met.
His driver was waiting, and he whisked us away to a lovely hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant that served some of the best food I’d ever tasted. James had really taken my thoughts and opinions seriously, as he wanted to change the styles and colors to better align with his vision.
He surprised me; he'd already discussed these things with his brother and Terry over the phone, and they were interested enough to stop by the office in a few days to have a look.
“I did not know how much work went into planning for next year's line of accessories. I don’t know what I was thinking, but it’s so soon and you’re already behind. How soon do you need to make the first one?”
“Well, considering we started next year's accessory line a month ago, before I got to New York City, we are behind, so the sooner the better. If Terry and my brother agree to these changes, we will have to hustle. Everyone at the factories is going to work overtime and I’ll have to compensate them accordingly, but it will be well worth it if this is going to be as successful as you imagine. I have to say, I’m really excited.”
By the time we got back to the office, everyone was packing it in for the day except a few people. James stopped in the main area to catch as many people as possible.
“Terry will stop in tomorrow or the next day, and everyone be prepared. You know how he loves to make changes. Just entertain him, and he will be gone again before we blink. I need him to approve some changes, since we are partners, but after that, he’ll go back to Tahiti or wherever he is hiding his newest mistress.”
“So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow? You know if the boss is too annoying, you could come and stay with my boyfriend and me. It’ll be fun. We can stay up late, get drunk, and eat all the brownies we want.”
I was tempted. I wanted nothing more than to get away from James, as much as he was helping me. I knew later he’d be standing somewhere close by, trying his best to get me in his bed again.
I wouldn’t get anything done, my writing would suffer, and nothing I intended while I was here in California would be accomplished.
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea, I think I could—”
“Forget it, Martie. I need to talk to her about something very important. You’ll find out tomorrow. Gwen, you're going to stay with me. We can discuss her moving in with you at a later time. Right now, we have much to talk about Gwen. I’m going to grab my things and maybe we can get going after that because I have to pick up Walter.”
Martie looked at me. I wanted to go with her, and the fact so many people from the office were still standing around worried me. How much of our conversation they’d heard, and what they would talk about tomorrow disturbed me. It was one reason I worked for myself. I didn't like office politics and drama, but here I was, involved in what was probably going to be the worst case of it, at its heart.
Once we were home at James’ house, Margaret prepared another lovely dinner. Andrew was his usual dry-humored self, not revealing too much information when I questioned him about James. After a lovely dinner when James and I discussed everything but work, we went for a walk at his insistence.
James wanted to show me everything else: the outdoor pool, tennis courts, and English-style gardens.
“I love to garden, although I never find the time. I like to get my hands dirty and feel the earth.”
He knelt down and dug his hands in the dirt, pulling up a set of root vegetables in his hands with a smile. This side of him surprised me.
“So, you don’t mind hunting, but you also get your hands dirty by planting marigolds. You're a very complex man.”
“So, I’ve been told. I have a great number of hobbies. It's nice to have someone to share them with for a change. Andrew thinks I’m crazy, and Margaret just loves burying herself in the kitchen.”
“Well, I like that about you. It’s probably one of your most redeeming qualities — your adaptability and diverse nature. You are one of those men who could go from the boardroom to the dining room, the art studio to the biker rally.”
He laughed and tossed them into a basket that sat nearby. “You forgot the dungeon.”
“Dungeon?”
He stood up and took my hands in his. “Yes, I’ve dabbled in the past. Call me kinky if you will. I like to explore pleasure and pain at the same time — whips, chains, blindfolds, as well as feathers, leather, and anything else you could think of in that department. A dungeon is a place where—”
“I know, James. I know exactly what they are. I can’t say I’ve been in one, but I know what they are for.”
He kissed each hand and then tugged me along to sit on a bench in the dimly lit gardens beneath a rosebush. “I know you don’t want to have sex, but I really want to love you. Let me love you, Gwen, just a little.”
He knelt between my legs. His hands pressed against my thighs. The outfit I wore made it easy for him to love me, but he made no moves to do it. He could have easily taken it, but he was asking my permission.
