I quickly nudge his shoulder, "Hey, Jacks, did I say something wrong? I thought we were joking just now?"
He snaps out of whatever just happened and he shakes his head, "Uh, yeah. Sorry." He laughs it off and starts plating the food.
I grab some cutlery and set them on the bar so we can eat. We're quiet for a moment as we start to dig in and I have to admit, it tastes pretty good.
I nudge him gently with my elbow, "This is pretty good. Thank you."
He smiles, "Thanks for letting me eat too." He takes another bite and for a second I see my friend all those years ago, that I loved and trusted. My heart pains and I drop my gaze. I busy myself with eating my food until I know my emotions are under control. Once we're finished and the dishes are done, we head to the living room to sit on the more comfortable seating.
He's reading over the contract and he asks me questions or we discuss certain aspects, which I write down everything that he feels should be clarified in writing and not just implied. While we're close in proximity as he quietly reads, I feel myself start to doze off. It's only half past eight and I feel wiped. I catch myself twice before I wake up and realize I'm on his chest.
He has a delicious manly scent, it's clean and has a smoky spice to it. It's invigorating. It makes me feel like I should be running through the woods naked or skinny dipping in a mountain lake. His chest is soft, his heartbeat steady and he has one arm around me as he sleeps, cradling me against him in a familiar position. The contract lays forgotten next to him.
Oh my god, I can't believe I fell asleep. ON HIM! What time is it?!
My head darts to the clock and blow out a shaky breath, it's only ten. I slowly shift myself up from his chest and he wakes up.
"Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you." My face is flushed with heat as I sit up straighter and he stretches.
"It's fine. I was a little tired myself." He looks over to my clock and stands up. "I should get going, let you get your beauty rest. Sorry for taking up so much of your evening. We're still good for tomorrow at six right?"
I stand up and follow him to the front door, "Of course, I look forward to it."
He pauses, his smile reflecting the warmth of the sun at me as a canine flashes from it. My lady bits just had a dam failure. If I was to walk, you would be able to hear the swish of liquids probably. I feel the heat rising to my cheeks again, so I clear my throat and open the door.
"Then I will see you tomorrow Jackson. At sex, six!" I am dying of humiliation now. That's the second time I've done that today!
"I'll see you at six, Lita." He nods his head, hands in his pockets as he heads to his car and takes off.
I shut the door, lock it and run up to my room and change into my pajamas again. What the hell just happened tonight? He just shows up to go over the contract? He cooks me dinner in my own home? He lets me fall asleep on him and takes a damn nap with me?
AND WHY DID I SAY I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW?!
A little voice inside my head whispers, 'because you are looking forward to it.'
I shake my head, reminding myself, I have to get him to sign the contract. PERIOD. I can look forward to tomorrow because if I play my cards right, he just might sign it tomorrow... I'll make the necessary changes that we've gone over so far, that'll please him. None of it was that big of a deal anyways...
What is a big deal is how he showed up unexpectedly and automatically started hanging out with me like we were at the clubhouse again. Like nothing ever happened, like he has not just forgotten I existed for the past eighteen years. What the hell has he been doing all these years anyways?
I pull my laptop out and start researching everything I could find on him. Court records, changes of addresses and articles that have been written about him. There's even a few videos of interviews with him too.
I start up on reading the recent articles about him, finding that they're mostly those business type articles. So I switch to the videos and realize they're those ridiculous Q&A's with skinny blonde bimbos that flirt way too much, that ask, what's your favorite color? It's teal. I think in my head.
"Teal." He answers. Check.
What food can you never say no to? Pizza.
"Pizza, I mean who can say no to pizza?" Check again.
What's your favorite movie genre? Action/comedy.
"Well, Action, comedies, even romantic comedies." Oh romantic comedies too? I never would have thought that... still check.
"Tell me something unique about the place where you spent your childhood?" You mean other than his fucked up parents and the sad little girl that was abused that relied on you and you never spoke to again?
"Something unique?" You can see the gears turning in his head as he contemplates what to say before he finally says, "From my childhood..." He murmurs, "Me and a friend spent all spring building us a clubhouse out in the woods, using pallets, you know just what ever we could get our hands on to do it. We spent a lot of time in that thing after that." He says with a soft smile, seeming to be lost in the memories.
THAT'S ME! He was talking about building that with me? So he didn't just remember when I jogged his memory. This interview was done only a year ago!
Maybe it was the way I look now? My hair was more orange than red when I was younger but over the years has become an auburn. When I have it up it looks brown. That must be it.
I put my laptop away looking at the clock and groaning. It's one in the morning. I'm going to be absolutely dead tomorrow. This is not looking good so far. I force myself to sleep and groan when my alarm goes off. I take a shower and get ready for the day, eat my breakfast and drink my coffee before taking the contract folder with me to make the necessary changes.
I hand off the folder to Annie, one of my team leaders who's always there thirty minutes before she needs to be.
"Annie, you know you are not required to be here until nine?" I remind her.
"I know." She says in her sweet bubbly voice, "But I'm a morning person and do better first thing in the morning. So I try to get ahead of whatever I need to so I'm not struggling later. It works out."
I give her a analytical stare but hum, "Alright. Just don't work yourself too hard. You're worth more than you realize. I'm happy to have you on my team. You can come to me if there is ever a problem." I reassure her.
She looks taken aback but slightly humbled, "Thank you, Ms. Xenos. That means a lot to hear that from you."
I nod, "Okay, well the contract needs some revisions from what's already been done..." I start explaining my notes that I made for each section and she assures me that it will be done before the day is over.
I head to my office and start working on going over other contracts that needed my approval before being offered to the board. My day zooms by and the new contract for the Morgan Corporation deal is printed and placed into the folder for me.
"Thank you, Annie. You continue to make me proud." I thank her, making a note in papers to put her down for a raise when the next review comes up in a month. I look at the clock and know I need to hurry home and get ready. It's four thirty, which doesn't give me a lot of time. I take the contract and let my secretary know I'm leaving a few minutes early. To let anyone know I'm going to be working on the Morgan contract.
I then call an uher and head down to catch it home. I rush to get ready, showering and then gently drying my hair and curling the ends since that's all I have time for. My makeup I keep simple, natural except for a little smoky eye, and then my ruby red lip stain. I slip into my dress knowing I need to put on some jewelry. I decide to go with a teardrop, solitaire sapphire necklace and grab my shoes and clutch for the night, adding what I would need for the night into it. I'm slipping into my shoes when the door bell rings.
I steady my breathing and open the door.
"Evening Jackson." I say as he's turned around facing away from me, his hands in his pockets.
He turns a smile on his face. "Hey, Lita..." His smile falters, his eyes grow wide before his jaw starts to fall as he slowly looks me from my toes up. The way his eyes roam slowly over me, makes my heart beat faster, likes he's savoring every inch of what he sees. I can't help the flush that envelopes me, starting to feel a little light headed from his roaming gaze.
"I just need to grab my coat and the contract." I say to him, breaking the spell that he was under as his jaw snaps close.
I grab my cloak and button the top two buttons, before grabbing the clutch and contract. I step out and lock my home up as he waits by his car, the rear passenger door open. This time he's in a different car though. It's a Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Well then.
I make my way into the car and notice he has a driver tonight. He enters the car and we're off. A divider rises up between the driver and us, making me raise a brow in question at Jackson.
He turns the overhead light and sticks his hand out, "The light will bother him, I would like to read the contract." He says motioning towards the folder.
"Of course, we made the changes you've requested so far, so you can see that." I say offering it to him.
He nods, opening it up and becomes engrossed in reading as we make our way through town. I feel like I'm the only one in the car after a little bit.
Was the dress too much? Does he not like it? I fiddle with my fingers as these thoughts run through my head. Maybe I was reading too much into everything. Maybe he just was being a normal friend being affectionate and teasing with out any other intentions?
"You look amazing by the way." Jackson murmurs after a little while.
My cheeks flush at the compliment, "Thank you." I reply softly. My toes curl in my shoes and it takes everything in me to stay still.
We're quiet again after that, as he continues reading the contract. He seems to be skimming it at this point as he turns the pages more quickly than before. He pauses on a few parts, dog earing the pages that he does this on until we arrive at the restaurant. It's a very popular and upscale place, that has a live band and dance floor for anyone who so wishes to use it. I've been to it once before and know how wonderful everything here is.
The second we step through the door, my coat is taken and we're led to a table. It's another rounded booth, near the dance floor but offers some privacy from the rest of the seating the way it is positioned.
The moment we sit, we're asked what we would like to drink. I forgot what the non alcoholic drink was called.
"I will have..." I pause trying to think, ginger... cranberry... what was it? Mule! " a ginger mule with cranberry please."
"Excellent choice, ma'am." The waiter says before leaving after getting Jacksons order.
Jackson chuckles, "I thought you don't drink when you're working? We still have some of the contract to go over."
I try to suppress my amusement, "I don't have to drink it until we're done."