Fifteen Weekends (6 page)

Still clutching her cocktail from the bar in her hand she replied, “I’d love some champagne, but may I finish this first please?”

  Smiling back at her Liam popped the cork and began pouring two glasses.

  “You can, but you must take a sip of this champagne,” Liam directed while handing her the crystal flute.

  Ashleigh took the glass in her hand, which contained the pale golden colored liquid. Taking a sip of the drink the bubbles tingled in her throat. She immediately noticed the fresh crisp mix of citrus and ginger. It was lovely.

  “So? What do you think of the champagne?” 

  “It’s delicious. I don’t usually care for sweet drinks, but this has a crispness that is very pleasing,” she replied.

  Liam chuckled politely and said, “Very good description. I’m going to guess that you’re a food and wine writer?”

  “Close, I write mostly about hotels and the amenities they offer—the details of the rooms, the spas, the restaurants and bars in the hotels. I also include places to shop and points of interests when visiting cities and locations. My specialty is writing reviews directed at working women and women who travel with their husbands on business, features that have suggestions giving the wives something to do while their husbands are in meetings.”

  Liam took a drink of champagne and smiled at Ashleigh replying, “That sounds quite interesting.”

  “Why are you here Liam, besides the fact that your best mate made sure he put you up here in the penthouse?” she asked. Her hazel eyes watched intently as he took his jacket off. Removing the jacket gave her a better view of his toned arms and slender build. He was even more delicious in just a dress shirt and tie.

  “I’m the Managing Editor for
Wanderlust Magazine
here in London. Our focus is food and travel. Not such an international man of mystery anymore, now am I?” 

  Ashleigh replied with a soft laugh, “I guess not.”

  “Shall we adjourn to the terrace?” Liam inquired while loosening his tie.

  He grabbed the ice bucket with the bottle of champagne off the marble top bar, and Ashleigh nodded as if actually uttering the word, yes. Liam and Ashleigh walked onto the terrace. It was a cool night. There was a breeze in the night air, and from Liam’s penthouse view she could see Lord Nelson’s column. Liam lit a fire and refreshed Ashleigh’s champagne. He crossed the terrace back to the bedroom where he picked up a cashmere throw and brought it out to Ashleigh. She kicked off her strappy sandals, stretched out her legs and covered them with the blanket.

  Liam and Ashleigh talked until nearly three in the morning, getting to know each other and sharing stories from their childhood, including a sweet story about how Liam inherited his Grandfather’s Scottish Deerhounds after he passed away. She told Liam about growing up in Troy, Michigan, her college days spent at Central Michigan University and why she chose News Editorial Journalism as a major. 

  After one and a half bottles of champagne and a bottle of sparkling mineral water, the sky unleashed a downpour of cold water over the city. They quickly sprinted inside the penthouse. Noticing that Ashleigh had forgotten her heels, Liam raced back out to retrieve them. He nearly fell on the glossy marble tile before turning back, prize in hand. Liam darted inside and was completely drenched. Ashleigh giggled the entire time. 

  “Oh you find this to be funny do you? Americans you’re all the same, laughing when someone nearly gets injured,” Liam said while smiling from ear to ear.

  Doubled over and laughing Ashleigh tried to catch her breath saying, “I’m sorry, Liam, but you have to know I would have helped you up if you fell on your ass.”

  Ashleigh walked into the master bath and pulled a fluffy white towel off the rack.

  Liam called after her, “Yes that might be true but, only after you had a good laugh at my expense.” 

  Handing him the towel, she replied, “You should take those clothes off Liam before you catch a cold.” 

  “I think you’re right, and it’s very late. I have a 10:30 A.M. meeting with the Executive Chef at Plum + Spilt Milk.”

  “Oh…oh right…absolutely,” Ashleigh muttered watching Liam carefully as he slipped off his soaked shirt revealing his chiseled abs. Her cheeks flushed and she swallowed hard at the sight of his perfectly sculpted body. 

  It seemed that time along with Ashleigh’s breathing stopped for a moment. She was visually stunned at the sight of Liam’s nearly naked body. Feeling all her muscles convulse at once she began to rake her eyes over every inch of him. From his precisely cut biceps, her gaze trailed to the defined muscles on Liam’s chest, and finally to his trim waist that showcased those “pure sex lines” women always talk about. Standing in front of her wearing only a pair of trousers, Ashleigh noticed just how long Liam’s legs were. Ashleigh’s eyes darted to the bed that was inches from where she stood, visualizing the two of them rolling across the satin sheets together in a tangle of limbs.

  Catching her stare, Liam shot Ashleigh a wolfish grin. She managed to snap out of her lustful thoughts and say, “I’m sorry. I definitely wouldn’t want you to be tired for your meeting tomorrow.”

  “Ashleigh, darling I had such a lovely evening in your company. May I see you again tomorrow?” Liam approached Ashleigh slowly. He slipped his hand around her waist kissing her gently on each cheek. Ashleigh could feel the heat radiating from his bare skin. Her knees weakened and her heart raced. He released her from his grip and she managed not to lose her balance.

  “I would like nothing more Liam,” she said while looking up at him through her long lashes. “Thank you for a wonderful evening. I am so glad I met you.”

  They exchanged business cards and made plans to meet for lunch before attending the rest of their scheduled events for that day.

  Bang!

  A loud thunderclap awoke Ashleigh from her slumber. Lighting flashed, illuminating the entire room. Climbing out of bed she padded to the window and drew back the sheer curtains to view the spectacular light show. Thunder and lightning volleyed like Rodger Federer and Andy Murray during a match of the Wimbledon finals.

  Ashleigh stood in silence clutching her arms entranced by the beauty of the dark cloud formations. Adrenaline began pumping through her system as she counted the time between each intense rumble of thunder waiting to see where the next bolt of lightning would strike in the ominous blackness. The anticipation was almost too much for her to handle as her eyes darted around the skyline. Ashleigh’s throat went dry, her breathing increased and a sharp pain slashed across her arm. The sound struck with the force of a giant bass drum raging through her entire body.

  Stumbling slightly, her back hit the wall; Ashleigh released the tight grip she had on her arm feeling the warmth of blood flowing over heated skin. A sharp exhale escaped her lips as she slid down the wall. Reaching for the desk Ashleigh tore away a piece of paper from the notepad and covered the mark she dug into her flesh. Hot tears pricked her eyes as the white paper turned dark crimson. Burying her face in her hands Ashleigh allowed herself a good cry.

  Choking back the sobs as the bleeding stopped, calmness spread over her when the rain began to fall, loosening the tension knotted in her stomach. Forgetting the pain of that dark afternoon, she jerked her phone from its charger flipping to a photo of him. A ghost of smile crossed her lips.

  Some people like rumbling sound of thunderstorms. Ashleigh used to enjoy them, but they had become a continuous painful reminder of what she’d once loved and eventually lost.

Chapter Eight:

Emily

  Emily sat with her legs curled under her on Ethan’s black couch, the warm buttery leather felt heavenly to touch. His office was warm yet masculine and smelled like cedarwood mixed with vanilla. A sleek dark espresso desk occupied the space in front of the back wall with a black leather high-back chair, both from Cooper Bentley’s Classic Collection. Tucked into the corner was a minibar, gorgeous etched crystal drink ware delicately lined the countertop. A separate conference table, with seating for six, sat a few feet to the left of his desk. Black and white photographs, mostly of landscapes and nature, lined the walls in dark espresso colored frames. A large flat screen television sat on the wall across from his desk streaming various sales and marketing videos, world news - especially the BBC, or sometimes one of the music channels. Ethan’s choice of music ranged from seventies rock, frequently playing tunes by Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and The Who, to anything by 311. Tonight, Ethan had decided to watch the local news to monitor the storm.

  Ethan suggested to Emily that they would be safer in his office, rather than on the second floor completely surrounded by glass. She couldn’t argue with his logic. Emily brought the three-wick candle from her office, in case the power went out at least they would have some light.

  Ethan had come to her office and actually apologized for his brash tone with her over the infographics, admitting he was quite stressed with the upcoming proposal for LA Business Design. Landing this account was going to be huge for Cooper Bentley. LA Business Design was one of the world’s leading retailers in home and office furniture. In October they will open their first flagship store in Hong Kong followed by a location in London. If Ethan and his team manage to score the account, Cooper Bentley will finally be sold internationally, positioning their small company to gain exposure from a vast new customer base. 

  “Emily, I’ve sent you the revised numbers for the shopping habits of men and women when shopping for furniture, and our national retail numbers report for all stores. You should have everything you need to complete your project.”

  “Great, my team and I will have it done by the end of the weekend,” Emily replied cheerfully as she closed her laptop.

  “The storm is still pretty strong,” he said pushing to his feet. “I don’t think it’s safe enough for you… either one of us to drive right now.” He stood with his back to her as he peered out the window.  Ethan stood tall and powerful, allowing Emily to view his deliciously sculpted shoulders and back. Emily was fixated on his silky brown hair that fell just above the collar on his shirt. She wondered what it would be like to run her fingers through the dark waves. Ethan turned to face her placing his palms flat on the conference table asking, “Would you care for a drink while we wait for it to blow over?”

  Emily blinked and felt her chest tighten, “Sure, Ethan, that sounds nice.”

  Ethan handed Emily what appeared to be whiskey, she could tell by the dark color and the smoky aroma. When she took a sip, it instantly warmed her belly. Ethan moved to the black leather club chair that sat in front of the couch. Placing his glass on a leather coaster, he took his right arm and unbuttoned the cuff on his left sleeve. Emily watched him intently as he repeated the same action with his opposite hand and rolled his sleeves up on each arm. 

  The silence between them was unnerving. All Emily could hear was the sound of rain shrilly tapping the windows and her heart thundering in her ribcage. Emily shifted her body, blurting out, “So, Ethan I heard you and Libby broke up?”

 
Fuck!
Panic swept through Emily. It was just office gossip. It wasn’t like Emily and Ethan were buddies, although, she had gone with him to lunch on occasion, and she met Libby a few times. But discussing the intimate details of each other’s lives was not something to which the pair was accustomed.

   Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he picked up his glass. He took a sip and replied, “Truthfully, she and I just didn’t see eye to eye on some things, and after a while we were just going through the motions of being a couple. I honestly fell out of love with her months before we actually broke up. I shouldn’t have stayed with her, but I felt bad.”

  Emily couldn’t believe that Ethan was opening up to her so casually about something deeply personal.

  Why did you feel bad?” she said quickly.
Fuck, now that does make me sound nosey.

  Ethan cleared his throat, “Libby had some emotional issues and was seeking treatment at the time. I guess I stayed with her out of guilt because I was losing interest, not because of her issues, but because we both wanted different things. Big picture stuff, you know?”

  “Yes, I can certainly understand that being an issue. Sorry to hear that, Ethan.”

  Emily could definitely relate. She often wondered if that was the reason why Craig disappeared from her life one night never to be heard from again. Was it big picture stuff, or was it because of life in general? Craig’s job at CME Group was highly stressful. Dealing with the day-to-day pressure made Craig high strung at times, some people just don’t manage their stress well. Emotions take over, and you become lost inside your own mind.

  Ethan asked if he could freshen up her beverage, and she said yes. The shadows from trees swaying outside danced across the walls of Ethan’s office. Sweeping her hair up into a quick ponytail, coldness brushed over Emily’s neck sending a chill down her spine. Shivering, she pulled the soft blanket that rested over the back of the couch across her legs. A smile slid across Ethan’s lips. Curious, Emily wondered what could have melted Ethan’s seemingly hardened exterior.