I became aware again when the sun shone brightly through the window, which was still open enough to allow a breeze to come through should it be a windy day. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around the bedroom. Bastian’s side of the bed was made, as he always did. I thought it was odd that I hadn’t heard his alarm go off. Usually it would wake me up and we’d have coffee and breakfast together before he went to work. I looked over at his clock and gasped in shock at the time. It was almost noon. If I wanted to be on time to meet Bastian for lunch I had to get ready now. After a quick shower and throwing my hair up into a pony tail I rummaged through my clothes and threw on a comfortable pair of jeans and a silk blouse. Grabbing my keys out of the bowl on the dresser, my purse and slipping into a pair of high heeled sandals I was out the door and in the car.
I arrived and, surprisingly, found a parking spot pretty quickly. I figure I got here after other employees had already left for the 12:30 lunch or those who left at noon weren’t back yet. I had just enough time to get up to his office and then we’d be eating in his office or going somewhere cozy for lunch. I never knew and I loved our weekly lunches together. Usually he was having lunch meetings or showing clients and potential clients a good time but each week he made time for me and it made me realize just how much he cared about my needs.
I wasn’t very involved with Bastian’s office. I attended work parties and even threw a few of my own. I volunteered to run errands for him or cover the phones when he had his assistant running them or she was off on vacation. I still couldn’t figure out what that woman had against me though. I talked to Bas about it and he simply shrugged saying he didn’t understand either. I stepped into the main lobby and looked around as the feeling of air conditioning settled around me. Stifling a shiver from the change in temperature I waved at the receptionist as I went to the elevator and hit the button. After entering I hit the button for the third, and top, floor. Everyone who worked here knew me, unless they were new, and I rarely had any issues getting to his office without someone wanting to call Bastian ahead of me going up. Accept with his assistant, she seemed to enjoy trying to force me waiting out in the seating area or trying to tell me he was on the phone with a very important client to keep me out. There was something seriously wrong with the woman.
When I got to the top floor I took a left and quickly made my way down the hall. When I got to his assistant’s desk I was surprised she wasn’t there. Polly could have been at lunch, but if that had been the case someone else would have taken her place at the desk. She always enjoyed being here to try and keep me out of his office and kept strict track of our lunch dates in order to fulfill her insane ambition. I looked at the doors to Bas’s office and realized that it was cracked open slightly. She must be in there. Wondering if there was going to be some sort of scene, since I was simply going to walk in as I always did when Polly was on vacation, I did just that. Pushing open the door revealed her leaning close to Bastian and looking at something on his computer screen. Polly had control of the mouse so she must have been helping him with a program, otherwise he wouldn’t let her near it. Bastian’s eyes were completely on the screen even though she was trying to get him to look at her. The way she was leaning over allowed quite a nice view of her breasts. Suddenly it clicked in my head why she didn’t like me.
I had a flash of memory to a party I had hosted about 6 months ago and overhearing someone saying how Polly had been trying to get in Bastian’s pants for several months now. I also recalled that the only reason he hadn’t fired her is because he feared she’d find some way to turn things around and accuse him of sexual harassment and he didn’t want that to happen. Polly was very good at her job so there weren’t any ethical reasons he could use to fire her. For whatever reason, complete and utter disdain for her advances didn’t keep her from trying, she just tried more often.
Walking further into the office I smiled as Bastian looked up, his beautiful grey eyes meeting mine. I knew he was bothered because they were so cloudy looking, as if it were going to storm. He was getting annoyed at Polly’s antics. He stood up and moved away from his desk towards me and pulled me into his embrace. First he just held me and then he kissed me, softly, but he lingered longer than he would in front of a client. I knew it was to show Polly he was completely in love with me and that she didn’t have a chance in hell.
“Well hello there, love. Ready for lunch?” Bastian’s eyes had lit up and it was as if the clouds were blowing away. I loved watching his eyes change from dark grey to silvery-grey. I nodded as he let me go to get his desk straightened up, his computer shut off and his assistant out. Polly smiled at me and greeted me as if we had been friends for a very long time, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. No, they were ice cold, like a snow storm.
I hadn’t planned on getting in her face about the way she constantly threw herself at my husband, but it was way past time for me to put her in her place. I stepped close, too close; invading her personal space was easy, me being invincible, not so much. Bastian didn’t realize what I was doing until I was already in her face.
“Good afternoon, Polly,” I started as I reached over and buttoned the undone buttons on her blouse. “I would appreciate it if you’d stop throwing yourself at my husband. If you don’t, I will take the security feed from the cameras in this office and have it used against you for sexual harassment.” There weren’t any security cameras installed in any of the executive offices but she didn’t need to know that. I straightened the collar of her blouse and smoothed down the sleeves, then walked over to Bas, took his hand in mine and we left the office for lunch.
When we got into the car, Bastian looked at me. I could feel his eyes on me and I didn’t want to look at him. I was a little afraid of what I’d see in his eyes. I had never, ever been mean to anyone at his place of work before. I was hoping to the tips of my toes that what I did today didn’t get him in trouble with the CEO of his work.
“Adriana, look at me.” He went to take my chin in his hand and turn my face and I let him do just that. I could still look down and away, it was the only way I could seem to apologize. For some reason I just wasn’t able to get the words out. I was still so angry about Polly leaning over him like that, tempting him with her breasts like he was just some guy waiting to fall into her blouse.
“I wish you would look at me, love. I’m not upset with you. I’m quite impressed and I’m thrilled that I didn’t have to be the one to tell her to back off. I wish I had thought of it when Polly first started her advances towards me to have you put her in her place. Thank you. Now, can I kiss you?” Bastian smiled as he leaned over and pulled me towards him, still holding my chin with his fingers. His lips pressed against mine, softly at first, and then he gently nipped my lower lip with his teeth, causing me to gasp. As soon as I gasped his tongue slipped between my lips, tentatively exploring the contours of my mouth. I regained my senses and pulled his tongue into me, sucking gently at first, and then slowly increasing the pressure and strength. Bas pulled away from me, flushed in the face and smiling, his eyes almost glowing brightly in the dark car.
Bastian cleared his throat and started up the car. I had no idea what to say, I couldn’t even think. Even though he was my husband he still took my breath away with the things he did, the way he said he loved me and the way his eyes heated when he gazed upon me. I had never thought to meet someone like Bastian and to this day I hadn’t met anyone who would even come close to comparing to the way he loves me and the life I’ve had with him.
The sun was shining brightly through the scattered clouds but I was too busy reading a novel, sitting on beautiful white sand under a huge umbrella listening to the surf fade in and out. The muscles in my back were loosening slowly as the tension of home drained away. Things hadn’t been so well and after six months of loneliness, frustration and anger a vacation somewhere tropical was exactly what I deserved.
Thoughts flittered in that it was my fault he had cheated on me, my fault that he had gone elsewhere for his sexual needs, my fault that I couldn’t satisfy him the way that he needed. And then I’d see them again as I walked into his office, his pants around his ankles pounding away at her as she was bent over his desk. For a few moments I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see and I clench my hands into fists, the nails digging into my palms to get myself under control. I had to stop thinking back; thinking about him altogether but sometimes I just couldn’t help it. He had asked me to pick him up and since he hadn’t been waiting outside I’d gone in to wait so that I wouldn’t be outside alone, in the dark, in a bad neighborhood. The office had been closed for at least an hour but he was always working late due to some deadline or a client meeting. I had begun to suspect that there was something more going on, but I was always included in the off-hours parties and get-togethers with his coworkers. Nothing seemed amiss and he never tried sneaking off with someone so I thought it was all part of my imagination.
I immediately forced myself to stop thinking about him. I had even done what I could to erase his name from my mind and slowly his face and voice were fading. The pain seemed to flare up and my heart felt as if it were going to explode, or I couldn’t get enough air in my lungs. The only thing I could do was to hope that it would fade with time as well.
Putting down my book, since reading a romance novel wasn’t the best way to get over a bad relationship, I started gathering my towel, my bag and then a shadow engulfed me and someone was yelling at me to duck. The next thing I knew I was on the sand, and then rolled over on top of someone. There were arms around me and from what I could see of them they were muscular with dark hair and a deep natural tan.
“I’m so sorry! Are you alright? Did I get sand in your eyes or mouth?” I was suddenly lifted up and getting brushed off. It was almost too much, tears welled in my eyes and I refused to let them slip out. I blinked a few times, making it look as if I maybe had a grain of sand or two in my eyes.
“I’m alright,” I tried brushing myself off, even though he’d gotten most of the sand off from his actions, I didn’t want him to think I was totally helpless, “thank you.”
“I’m Jesse,” he held out his hand as he introduced himself to me, “and my friend that has terrible skills with volleyball is Bastian.” I shook off the cobwebs from my brain and shook his hand.
“Adriana.” I looked over to see his friend and felt the heat go straight to my head. I almost felt faint, my heart pounded and I couldn’t get air. This was nothing like when I thought about that cheating bastard, though. Odd how the same things can make you feel completely different emotions and lust was never one I felt often, or ever this hard, but looking at Bastian was like looking into the pearly gates and seeing every dream you ever wanted to come true do so. Breathtakingly beautiful were the only words I could think. He had black hair in a ponytail; it must have gone to his waist. His skin was a healthy tan and he was broad-shouldered, tall and muscular.
“I um, need to get back inside. I have an appointment to keep.” I started to grab my things while Jesse blathered on about wanting to buy me a drink later to make up for the mishap. I started walking away and stammered an apology regarding the drink, which I wasn’t interested in and quickly went back to the hotel.
The only appointment I had to keep had to do with getting a massage, a facial and being otherwise pampered by the spa at the resort for a few hours. Then again, being pampered isn’t something that I get to do all that often, at least that’s the way it used to be. I plan on keeping that going from now on, at least once a month, take a day and simply pamper myself silly. The massage therapist was a tall guy, very slim like a swimmer with pale blond hair and dreamy sky blue eyes, his tan was deep and natural. His hands slowly worked every single point of tension out of my back and then he slowly started to rub me down with oil scented like lilacs.
After he was finished rubbing me down I laid there on the massage table for a little longer, simply letting my thoughts wander away, listening to the soft gentle music he had put on before starting the massage. The room was dark, lit only with candles to help relax me even more. It was worth every penny to feel as clear-minded as I did right this minute. It was as if nothing bad had ever happened at all. I heard someone coming into the room; I figured it was the massage therapist coming back to tell me my time was up but when I sat up and pulled my robe back on it wasn’t him. It was Jesse from the beach. I sighed thinking he was going to be one of those guys, the kind that simply don’t take no for an answer and drove you nuts asking you out repeatedly until you gave in because you were sick of hearing them whine.
