Don't Forget Me (21 page)

“Spend the night with me, Donn,” she begged, embarrassed. She lowered her eyes, but her body longed for the erotic pleasure his promised.

“Not without touching you.” Donn placed a kiss on her forehead, frowned and lifted her chin.

“Go to bed, Stella,” he said gently. He raised his arm to point the way to the door, while she raised a hand to touch his chest.

“To bed,” Donn ordered in a commanding tone, taking a firm hold of her and kissing her lips passionately. Stella, swayed, let her hand fall.

“Go to sleep, angel, and remember: you’re mine.” He kissed her ear, pronouncing each word distinctly.

He pushed her delicately towards the door and gave her a pat on the behind. Stella jumped with surprise and he embraced her, kissing her hair from behind before detaching his body from hers. The girl didn’t want to obey him, but didn’t dare say no. She was too weak and tired to rebel. She entered the house and watched him disappear into the darkness.

She collapsed onto the bed still dressed, pulling off her black boots and her dark grey dress as best she could, sniggering drunkenly to herself. She slid under the blankets wearing only her red lace knickers, still excited. But her head spun and she could not get to sleep, the urge to send Donn a text got the better of her:

Did you make it home?

It’s good to know that I mean something to you.

I’m sorry I made you worry.

Why are you still up?
Am I wrong or did I tell you to go to sleep?

No, you told me to go to bed and I’m in bed with my phone!

What a lucky phone!

My phone didn’t say no to me…

I did it because you were barely conscious! And, for the record, your phone can’t do what I would have done to you tonight. Now sleep, Miss Whitely.

Goodnight, Mr. Brooks

Jeff’s Semi-Acoustic Guitar

T
he next morning
Stella awoke with a start and sat up suddenly, disoriented at first, holding the sheet over her breasts. Still sleepy, she ran her fingers through her hair before rubbing her tired eyes. She had been woken by a sublime, moving sound, the sound of her song, and she smiled as she recognized Vuk’s unmistakable pluck on the guitar-strings.

She saw the open window and the boy sitting on a branch of the tree, playing the gentle tune he was composing for her. His head was leaning forward and his unbrushed hair cascaded onto his face. His jaws were clenched and his expression melancholy, in perfect harmony with the chords of his song. When he saw that Stella had opened her eyes, his lips twisted into a slow smile as he looked up from the guitar-strings, gazing at her with his intense green eyes.

“The song isn’t finished yet, babe. I’m reckoning on finishing it when you’re completely lost to me, although I don’t want it to become my sad song…” he whispered with a voice husky from the previous evening’s overindulgence of cigarettes and booze. Stella bent her head with a slight smile, then blushed confusedly and sat watching in silence as he gently caressed the strings of Jeff’s semi-acoustic guitar.

He had taken it by sneaking through Stella’s room to the study. On the way, he’d leaned over her to kiss her. Then he took up his place in the tree, watching her toss and turn over under the sheets before she finally awoke, bothered by the light creeping in through the window but moved to her very core by the dulcet melody of the guitar.

Stella looked at the alarm clock resting on the nightstand beside her bed and saw that it was ten o’clock. She was disheveled from the night before, with her black makeup smeared under her eyes. Then, she rolled over listlessly between the sheets, her bare back exposed to Vuk, but ignoring him completely.

A trace of irritation flashed across Vuk’s face. The situation with Stella was wearing him out. He would have preferred her to yell at him, to fly into a rage, anything rather than ignore him. If she had yelled, he thought, he would have just smiled at her. He would have leaped into her room to listen to her yelling, just to be near her.

“Is this your way of punishing me, Stella? Ignoring me?”

No reply in either words or movements.

“Damn it, Stella, speak to me! I can’t stand it when you ignore me,” he exclaimed. He broke into a hacking cough, and he closed his eyes, exasperated. He opened them again and stared insistently at Stella, willing her to reply, but in vain.

“You’re killing me, babe, you know that, don’t you?” he murmured softly. The agony in his eyes perfectly matched Stella’s state of mind. She felt her resistance ebbing, she knew it wouldn’t be long before she caved.

Suddenly Vuk walked along the branch up to the window-sill; he paused and shook his head. Then with an almighty leap, he landed with a light thump on the floor of her bedroom. He reached her at the foot of the bed, then turned around her with a casual movement. He hadn’t touched her, but Stella already felt herself trembling inside. She sat up again on the bed with a guardedly and Vuk sat beside her, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. He looked at her longingly and she drew her shoulders together, tightening the sheet around her breasts.

“You see, babe, I’m touching you, but nothing bad is happening…” His warm thumb brushed her hair from her forehead and followed her cheekbone down to her lips and chin. Then he knelt down at the foot of the bed with the guitar.

“You’ve got to get over this fear, Stella… It’s just me, Vuk, the harebrained boy you know pretty well and who loves you, right?” Stella sighed, confused. Vuk ran his fingers through her hair and wrapped his hand lovingly around her nape. He had an earthy smell of tobacco about him, but his breath still reeked of alcohol.

“Vuk…” was all she managed to say, caressing his name with her lips. The boy smiled, moved. He detached himself from her slowly, wanting to win back her confidence little by little. He sat on the bed and plucked a string of the guitar to attract her attention. He started to sing
Come Back to What You Know
by Embrace.

“Come back to what you know, come back to me, Stella,” was what he wanted to say. A few rebellious locks fell back onto his face and over his eyes. He was unshaved and still had black rings around his eyes. He was absorbed in the words of the song and its melancholy, tormented rhythm. He looked up from the strings and gazed at Stella intensely. The girl’s sobs told him that his voice was caressing every part of her body under the sheet. He was wearing a gray Guns ‘n’ Roses t-shirt and a pair of brown hipster jeans. The black elastic of his underpants could be seen clinging seductively to his waist. Stella remembered
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
, the song that had provided the background for their fierce argument the day before. Vuk’s voice reached the end of his song, and the words “lose you” almost made his voice crack with emotion. As the final, deep note of the song died away, Stella’s eyes glistened. She tried to escape Vuk’s penetrating stare. The boy lowered his head and smiled tenderly. He took hold of her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes once more.

“Are you going to keep ignoring me, babe?” he asked softly.

Stella sighed confusedly and bit her lip.

“I need time, Vuk. Give me time,” she begged him, still uncertain whether to forgive him or not. Vuk gave her an understanding look. He was content to have achieved this much, after that awful night under the full moon. He got up from the bed and placed his hand on her face, running his thumb over her lower lip. He left the guitar on the window sill and turned towards Stella, gave her a last smile and climbed down the tree. He lit a cigarette and went away, feeling renergized. He wanted to put on a show for her, that night at Jamie’s party.

Stella picked up the guitar and went into her father’s study. Instead of putting it away, however, she sat down on the desk chair and began to strum a few chords, thinking of Vuk. Her mind was muddled: what did she actually feel for him?

She looked at a photograph on the bookshelf. It was of herself with her father at The Pats, dressed in a short dress and boots, with heavy eyeliner. Her father had just finished playing for the crowd at the bar,he was still holding his guitar in one hand, the other around her waist as she sat on the bar like a trophy. He had just moved to Medford from Italy and it had been her first year at Boston University. Jason had taken the photo. Remembering that moment was painful. It had been a much simpler time. She wondered again if she had really seen him the other day when she had been under the effects of chloroform. At that moment, a message arrived on her iPhone. It was from Donn. Stella smiled unwillingly; she was still pissed with him about how he had behaved the previous night. So she decided that she would keep the tone polite but not too friendly.

Did you sleep well?

I feel better, thanks.

Take another painkiller with a glass of water

Yessir. I would have already done it if you hadn’t DISTRACTED me with you messages!
Don’t you have to work for living?

I am working. I’m in a meeting with some financial fatcats, if you must know.
I I work to earn my keep, you know…
But I just can’t concentrate…
I’m still worrying about you!

Go back to saving the world of finance,
Mr. Brooks, I’m perfectly fine.

Take a cold shower, Miss Whitely. Perhaps your sarcasm will be washed off your body with the rest of the hangover.
Tell me, is this what happens every time you drink?

No.

Can I see you again tonight?

No.

Are you a broken record or do you want to make me pay for the talking-to I gave you yesterday?
If that’s what you’re trying to do, you’re succeeding!

I’m going to a party at Jamie’s tonight.

You keep doing it… GOOD.
I have to go now.

Are you trying to intimidate me with those capital letters?

You know me well, angel.
And I would like to get to know you better… Talk to you later.

Stella went on gently plucking the strings of the guitar, reflecting on her evening with Donn. She wanted him, she realized, and she wanted to talk to him, but she was tired of him taking her by surprise. This time she would be the one doing the surprising.

She got up from the chair and put the guitar on the stand beside her father’s desk. She took a refreshing shower, did her make-up and dressed up for the party, pulling on high heels and a short purple dress, in case she had no time to stop come back home before Jamie’s party. Then she went downstairs and gulped down a cup of coffee before flying out the house. She got into her Corvette. There was a lot of traffic on the road, drivers swerving left and right; confusion seemed to reign on the streets, just as it did in her life at that moment. As she slowed down at a red light, she trawled the internet for the address of the headquarters of Council Capital Holding. She called the switchboard and asked to speak to Mr. Brooks, but was told he was out of the office; so she tried the number of his other company, the Brooks Financial Enterprise Inc., one of the biggest American financial companies, according to Google. The secretary told her that Mr. Brooks was in a meeting. She went on driving, along the I-93 nodding her head to the beat of
Going Under
by Evanescence. She put the address of the company headquarters into her navigator. When she arrived in Boston, she parked the Corvette in the financial district and walked up to the main entrance of the imposing building. Covered in glass, it made for an awesome sight.

Brooks Financial Enterprise Inc.

S
he gazed up
at the top of the building, and a sense of oppression seemed to crush her to the sidewalk. Her head began to spin. She looked at the glass doors in front of her and saw the initials D.B. carved into them.

She hoped she would be able to spot Donn somewhere nearby; it was lunch time, so she imagined he might be grabbing a bite to eat at one of the sidewalk cafés at the foot of the almighty tower. At the entrance she noticed a man in his thirties looking intently at her. He was standing next to the receptionist in the lobby.

She took a deep breath and reached out to push the door, but it suddenly opened automatically and Stella, off-balance from leaning on the door, tumbled forward onto the marble floor of the lobby. It was dark, shiny and cold as ice.

“Oh, shit! I just got here and I’ve already made a fool of myself. I hope Donn isn’t here,” she thought to herself, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment, her palms open on the floor where they had broken her fall.

She forced herself to look up and the first thing she saw was an elegant pair of man’s shoes in front of her. Then she felt two cold hands lift her to her feet. It was the same man she had seen at the desk. The receptionist was staring at her aloofly.

“Are you ok?” the man asked, still holding her arm. Stella turned awkwardly, looking from side to side. She could feel everyone’s eyes in the hall fixed on her, and she began to fiddle with her dress in embarrassment.

“What a klutz!” she said to herself under her breath as she rearranged her hair. She looked at the man. There was a hint of a smile on his face. She could tell he was trying not to laugh and this only increased the humiliation she felt.

“I hope I can take your silence as a ‘yes’… Can I help you in any way?” She tried to think of what to reply.

“Oh, yes, excuse me… thanks for your help,” she finally answered, smiling shyly at him. She thought that his offer to help her was mere courtesy, but she asked him, “Do you work at the front desk?”

His jaws clenched in annoyance, and his reply was curt: “No, I work on the upper floors. I was just giving some instructions to the receptionist.”

“Oh, well, I’m here to see Mr. Brooks. Maybe you can help me with that.” She smiled shyly at him again, her embarrassment yet to wane.

The man raised his eyebrows and looked at her in surprise. He could not believe the girl was asking in such a casual manner to see the CEO of a major corporation.

“Is Mr. Brooks expecting you?” he asked, inquisitive.

“No, I don’t have an appointment.” The man looked at her in wide-eyed astonishment. Mr. Brooks never had free time…

Stella blushed and continued, “Maybe I shouldn’t have come…” She lowered her eyes. She was vexed that he found the whole situation so amusing.

“Well, let’s ask him. Please, follow me.” He led her through the lobby.

Stella’s high heels played out an excruciatingly loud “tap tap” on the marble floor, and she tried to pull her dress further down her legs as she walked, suddenly conscious of how short it was.

“Ugh, why did Jamie’s party have to be tonight?” she thought to herself. She could still feel all eyes on her. Though the man kept his eyes on the front desk, his smile gave away how agonizingly aware he was of her discomfort. The lobby seemed to go on forever. Everything was cold, sterile and too modern. Stella suddenly looked at the man again, puzzled: the front desk seemed to be miles from the entrance.

“How did you make it to the door so quickly when I fell?” The man’s face remained impassive.

“Believe me, it’s closer than it looks,” he said. They finally made it across the lobby. The man placed his hands on the massive black marble counter and turned to the receptionist sitting behind the front desk. She was beautiful, blonde, wearing a pristine white suit, her face flawless and every lock of hair perfectly in place.

“Kate, see if Mr. Brooks has time to see this young lady, without an appointment. Just tell him that…” He looked at Stella and paused for her to say her name.

“Stella,” she said.

“… is waiting downstairs,” finished the man.

“One moment, please.” She smirked, picked up the phone and tapped in the extension number of Mr. Brooks’ assistant. She held the receiver to her ear a few moments, then hung up.

“Sorry, no response,” she told them.

“Try again,” ordered the man authoritatively.

“One moment, please,” she repeated, and dialed the number again, her nails gently tapping the top of the counter. She smiled politely at no one in particular. While the girl made the call, Stella looked at an invitation sitting by the phone. The man watched her and narrowed his eyes.

“I see you’re looking at Kate’s invitation… It’s for a reception that Brooks Financial Enterprise organizes every year for the staff and a select few friends of the company. The invitation is good for two people. Perhaps we’ll see you on that occasion,” he said to her. The smile of the girl behind the desk became openly amused as she looked her up and down judgmentally. Stella certainly did not seem like Mr. Brooks’ usual type. Underneath that black eye makeup and the short dress, anyone could see she was just a simple girl who wasted no time worrying about her appearance. Meanwhile, Mr. Brooks’ assistant answered the phone.

“Nancy, is Mr. Brooks available now?”

“I have a young lady here, her name is Stella.”

“No, she doesn’t have an appointment,” the girl said after a pause. “She’s not in Mr. Brooks’ calendar? Ok, I’ll hold.”

A moments later, the receptionist raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow and glowered.

“Alright, I’ll send her up.” She hung up the phone and looked at Stella in surprise.

“Mr. Brooks is in a meeting, but it’s about to end. He’s very busy, but he should have a few minutes for you,” the girl reported, her face clearly not hiding her bewilderment.

“Thank you,” Stella replied, somewhat smugly.

“He was in that meeting until now
,” cried Stella to himself. She realized how valuable Donn’s time was, that his work barely gave him a moment’s pause, yet he had spent so much time with her in the last few days.

“The elevators are on the right, sixteenth floor,” the girl concluded with a phony smile. Stella pulled away from the front desk, nodded politely to the man and headed for the elevators, walking past the security guards. The man caught up with her.

“If you want, I can accompany you,” he offered affably. Stella looked at him and blinked, not knowing what to answer, but she shrugged and agreed. A shadow of a smile crossed the man’s lips.

“Follow me, please.” He accompanied her to the elevators and pressed the call button. In a few moments, the doors opened and a group of men in suits got out.

“
They must have been his ‘fat cats’
in the meeting…” Stella thought. The man greeted them and one of them stopped for a brief chat.

“I’ll just go up, thank you,” Stella said, entering the elevator and jabbing the button for the sixteenth floor.

“It was a pleasure,” he replied politely, and then watched as a new intern working for Mr. Brooks slipped into the elevator behind her. Unlike Kate and Nancy, he was a vampire just like the CEO. The man who had helped her to her feet stopped the elevator doors from closing at the last moment.

“This young lady is going up to see Mr. Brooks.” He looked at the intern, his face sneering, his voice harsh and threatening. It sounded like a warning. He gave a last courteous look at Stella and the doors closed.

The elevator was extravagant, but cold and avant-garde. It rose quickly, but for Stella it seemed to inch upward. The intern’s eyes were fixed on her. Stella stole a glance at him, noting the predatory look in his eyes. She shivered slightly. He inched toward her and Stella tried to keep her eyes pasted to the floor, panic creeping through her body. The doors opened and Stella ran out, losing her balance in her hurry to escape those eyes. Two strong, reassuring arms prevented her from falling and clasped her to a hard, sculpted chest. The jacket she felt was cold, but she could smell the delicious aroma of Donn. She hugged him, scared, and buried her face in his chest, while Donn turned to deal with the young intern, his eyes reduced to a slit, his expression harsh and threatening.

“Clear your desk, now. You’re fired,” Donn yelled. Every single person passing in the hallway stopped to watch the scene, agog.

“Yes, sir.”

The hall was crowded. All eyes were on the girl, their look registering surprise at how Mr. Brooks held her close to him. He looked at them grimly, and they instantly averted their gaze and returned to their duties. Stella did not dare look into his eyes. He looked down at her and gently put his hands on her shoulders. Stella winced, intimidated. Donn noticed, but pretended not to. He held out his hand and she took it, feeling a jolt of desire race through her body. She let herself be guided down the hall and into an empty meeting room. Donn stopped in the middle of the room and pulled her to him. The glass floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the financial district, with the ocean, as blue as his eyes, stretching out in the distance.

“Everything ok?” His eyes softened as she clutched his chest.

“Yeah,” Stella gasped.

“You look beautiful, that dress looks great on you.” He bent down to kiss her cheek and looked at her with an air of approval.

“What are you doing here?” he asked her. His breath was cold on her face, he held her tightly around the hips.

“I wanted to talk to you,” she whispered, seeing Donn’s eyes dilate and glint with amusement.

“Last night you didn’t feel that way…” he said, raising an eyebrow, mischief in his eyes.

“That’s because I wanted you.” She delicately touched his cheek, looking into his eyes.

“That’s my girl, I missed you.” He bent to kiss her, but stopped before his lips met hers. He looked into her eyes, he wanted to be certain it was what she wanted. Stella puckered her lips and kissed him. She opened her mouth and moved her tongue around his, while her hand ran through his hair and drew him toward her. Donn grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her harder, pushing his tongue further inside. Stella gasped. Donn’s other hand slid down her back and he pulled her body tightly against his. Then he rested his nose on hers to let her catch her breath.

“Come with me to my office,” he managed to utter between kisses.

Stella shook her head and nibbled her lip.

A spark of desire flashed across his face and his hand wandered down to the hem of her dress, before working its way upward underneath it.

“Don’t.” Stella looked away, but then quickly changed her mind.

“I thought you wanted to talk to me.” His eyes were alert, and the shadow of a smile touched his lips. That ironic look made him seem like a kid instead of the powerful businessman he was.

“Yes, but I think we should stay on more neutral ground…”

“Is that why you chose my company’s headquarters?” Donn asked, a wicked smile on his face. He caressed her chin, holding it up to meet her eyes. “Do not challenge me.” He grabbed her hips and leaned his forehead against hers, making her quiver to her very core. It was impossible to resist him, she thought.

“There’s only one thing you can say to convince me to come with you.”

“What’s that?” Donn asked imquisitively, leaning his head to one side. Stella felt so helpless, totally under his spell.

“That you’ll do anything that
I want
.” For a moment he seemed relieved, but then turned serious.

“You’re learning, little girl.” His eyes were so intense and Stella felt that she could not resist. She felt that pulsating feeling between her legs as Donn tenderly caressed her breasts. She gasped and saw the inner conflict in his eyes.

“The fact is that I cannot promise you that. It depends what you ask of me. I want to take care of your needs, Stella, as long as they’re in your best interests.” He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. Stella tilted her head toward his fingers and felt his mouth coming toward hers again. She surrendered and allowed him to kiss her, running her hands through his hair as their lips became one.

“I can’t resist you,” she breathed.

“You don’t want to resist me,” Donn gasped on her lips, and then bit her cheek lightly. He caressed her ear and gently sucked her earlobe.

“Come with me.” Stella looked at him straight in the eyes, she couldn’t wait for him to possess her. He led her out into the hallway, and back towards the elevator. She felt all the employees’ eyes on her. They were surprised to see that Donn was holding her hand. Once in the elevator, he punched in a security code on the keypad and the doors closed. The elevator began to rise quickly and, moments later, the doors opened again. Donn led her by the hand through a white atrium with glass walls. On the left, there was a massive black counter like the one in the lobby and, as soon as she saw him, Donn’s assistant, who had been sitting behind the counter, jumped to her feet.

“Hello, Mr. Brooks,” she said, nodding her head in greeting. “And you must be Stella.” She smiled at the girl.

“And you must be Nancy, pleased to meet you,” Stella replied. Nancy was flawlessly beautiful and dressed just as impeccably as the receptionist downstairs.