Personal Possessions (22 page)

This mark was purple and
blue; I wasn’t sure what it was that I saw. Maybe it was a tattoo?
She hurried and sat back up, continuing on as though nothing was
the matter, so I let it go.

As she set the phone down
beside her on the table she apologized, “Kids.”

There was no need to
apologize. In fact, there was no reason to talk on that subject at
all. I hated the thought of Elle and him having children together.
Every time I thought about it, I got sick to my stomach.

I stretched my eyebrows up
as though nothing was wrong and I faked a smile while I took a sip
of water praying maybe a miracle would happen and it would turn to
wine. It didn’t, so I continued on.

“
I leave tomorrow evening,
so you will fly back on my company jet, I will set you up in a
hotel. Five star of course, which also happens to be in walking
distance of downtown Burlington. A car will be sent for you every
morning to drive you to Mac-Gentry. You will have nothing to worry
about financially. Mac-Gentry will give you an allowance for 3
meals a day and if you’d like you can have a company car at your
disposal for the evenings. Plus I’m willing to pay an ungodly
amount of money that will be deposited in your personal account on
completion of the project.”

Elle looked at me like I
was explaining the details of a dream vacation to her. I could see
how badly she wanted to accept it. It was written all over her
face, but yet, there was something holding her back.

“Leave tomorrow evening?”
Elle stated like she didn’t believe what I was saying.

“Yes.”

The naive school girl look
went away before she asked the next question. That was how I knew
she was attempting to talk business with me. It was so sweet that
she was trying to act so big and bad, she had no clue that her soft
spoken attitude and money did not mix well.

“How much are we talking
about here?”

Any amount of money you
want! Take it all, have it all if you want it. I will give you
whatever you wish for, as long as you come back with me.

This was the answer that I
gave her in my mind, but of course, I didn’t speak those words
whatsoever.

“
I will triple your yearly
salary.”

She looked as if she was
choking on her water. When I said that, her face lit up like a
Christmas tree. I knew she wasn’t hurting for money…was she? I
began looking around the room, it felt as though the table was
vibrating, I began to look under the table when the shaking
ceased.

“
Mr. McHale-” She began to
speak as I raised my eyebrows at her calling me that name, “Trevor,
do you know how much I make a year? You couldn’t afford to triple
my salary. Besides, you know money is not something that is a
necessity for me.”

Ok, so now I knew that she
was not in some type of financial trouble, I could breathe again.
So, why was she working if money wasn’t important? She could be
working part time. I wasn’t going to get into this right now. This
really wasn’t the place nor the time to discuss such personal
information.

I didn’t want to lie to
her, but I wanted her to know how vital it was for her to join me,
without her knowing how vital it was for her to join me.

“I know it’s not, but I
think that this is an opportunity that if you turn it down, will be
the second biggest mistake of your life.”

Yes, I said that.
Obviously, by the way her jaw dropped, Elle was shocked to hear
those words come out of my mouth. Did she really think that our
past was not going to arise in any of the conversation we had
today? I really had a feeling that she did, well then I just made
sure she knew that it was definitely a priority on my list of
things to speak about today.

I made her flustered
again, she didn’t know what to do or where to turn when I made her
like this, and it entertained me to see her in this condition. Not
in a bad way, but in an innocent kind of way. She looked just like
the young school girl I knew back when we were kids.

“Look, go home, talk with
Bear about it. I will be at Richland Manufacturing at 6pm. If you
want to take advantage of what I am offering you, meet me there. If
you don’t, well, I don’t know what else to offer you to make you
say yes.”

It was quiet for several
minutes. My eyes never leaving hers, hoping I could convince her to
leave right now with me.

I had said everything I
planned on saying, the ball was in her court now. She was such a
hard ass, it would’ve killed her just to tell me yes right now. I
would’ve called up my pilot and we would have been on our way in no
time, she didn’t even need to pack, I would’ve bought her a whole
new wardrobe.

She eventually broke the
silence.

“Can we order, not only am
I starving but I need a drink. Preferably something
strong.”

I laughed a bit. Elle’s
thoughts were definitely not where mine were. Hers seemed to be in
her stomach. I smiled as I pulled the menus over my way from the
edge of the table and handed it to her.

I felt as though I was a
stalker, watching every move she made. She moved so gracefully. The
way she put the fork to her lips, I could just imagine that being
my cock. Her lips wrapped tight around me, waiting for me, savoring
the taste of me. I reached down as if I was repositioning my
napkin, shifting my now throbbing length. The more I thought about
her, the harder I got. Then I would talk myself down, and the cycle
would begin all over again.

It wouldn’t take but just
the afternoon to reestablish the physical connection between her
body and mine. It would be my pleasure to give her one hundred
percent of my undivided attention.

There would be no better
feeling than having every inch of Elle, draped on top of me. I
craved nothing more than to be her only desire, as I selfishly
indulged on what I had longed to have back in my arms for seventeen
excruciating years. Tasting the sweetness of her sugared essence,
as I became intoxicated on the fragrance of her skin. Touching what
was once mine, and know that it belonged to me. Hearing her voice
breathlessly cry my name, as she finally comes all over me. I would
sleep in peace with the knowledge that her taste would never be
known to another man, ever again.

“…
fourteen year old
Harlee,” she finished.

That’s all I heard of her
telling me about her children, I guess I should’ve paid more
attention, but it was just so difficult. Her eyes would connect
with mine, and I was gone. Lost deep inside my head, the head that
was located in my pants.

“That’s wonderful, Elle,
I’m so happy for you and Bear. Speaking of Bear how is
he?”

I figured this was the
only way to attempt to leap back into the conversation. Besides, I
wanted to know how old Bear was feeling, since our little reunion
the other night. I had a feeling he wasn’t going to open his mouth
about seeing me, but with Bear, you just never knew.

“Enough talk about me,
tell me about you.”

I told her about my house
and how work was going, it was all crap; nothing that really meant
anything. I wasn’t here to talk about me. I was more interested in
hearing about her, and what had been going on for the past
seventeen years.

We finished off our lunch
with coffees, and continued talking over things that really meant
nothing to the both of us. Still ignoring the main reason the both
of us were here, I knew it and deep down inside, she knew it as
well.

Suddenly, Elle set her cup
down and smiled at me.

“Trevor, it’s been a
pleasure. Thank you for lunch, I will make sure I think about the
proposition that you have offered to me. Now, if you wouldn’t mind
I need those contracts.”

She wasn’t getting out of
spending the afternoon with me that was for damn sure. Looking in
her eyes, I smirked. When was she going to learn that we play by my
rules, this was over when I said it was over.

“Wait, let’s have another
coffee, I could call Ros-”

“I couldn’t, but thank
you. I have another appointment to attend to so I really must
go.”

“Cancel it,” I
reasoned.

“
I’m sorry, but that’s not
an option for me.”

I sat up from the table,
grabbing my cell out of my jacket pocket. If Loren had issues with
this, I would take care of that immediately. Fuck Loren, he could
file his own shit. This was my time.

“Fine, I will call Loren
and have him cancel it.”

Elle sat back, eyes wide,
like I had said something offensive.

“Are you fucking serious?
Do you really think that you can just show up here, and start
ordering people around? Because if so, I’ve got news for you, it’s
not happening.”

I was laughing inside.
Seeing Elle attempt to tell me how it was going to be was amusing,
but truth be known it was also sort of a turn on. I didn’t say a
word looking at her I picked up my phone and pressed a number. I
was calling Greg, but Elle didn’t need to know that.

“Hang up the phone,
Trevor.”

I had to make this look
good. I was, of course, the client and the first rule of dealing
with clients that everyone should know is “the client is always
right”. So, in this case it was time for her to get down on her
knees and beg, preferably for my cock, but I would take her
forgiveness.

“No, this meeting is not
finished. You’re going to sit here until it’s done and since I’m
paying, by the hour I might add, what I say goes.”

“
Fuck. Fine, whatever,
just hang up the phone.”

She was learning. That was
one thing that I loved about my sweet Ellie-bean. She was a fast
learner

I was getting under her
skin, and that was exactly where I wanted to be.

“
Tsk, tsk Ellie-bean, no
need for language.”

Elle put her armor back up
not knowing what to expect. I watched her grab both sides of her
head as though she had a headache.

“What do you want to talk
with me about?”

“Let’s talk about your
husband.”

It didn’t take her long to
respond to that question, “Ah, let’s not.”

I grabbed my glass and
took a drink, I needed to stay calm. She was avoiding my question.
The only one she wouldn’t answer, was the one that I wanted her to
answer.

“
Why, I’m curious to know
how he’s doing.”

“Well, you can stay
curious. I thought we had discussed this already. I don’t talk
about my personal life. Telling you that I had children was as far
as that was going.”

Fair enough. I had Kip, if
I needed to I would make him find out what was going on between
Bear and Bubba. For all I knew, Elle didn’t even have any contact
with Bubba. In the past, Bubba was never really around
us.

“Ok then, how’s your
daddy?”

“Dead, next
question.”

I jerked back. Fuck, I
wasn’t expecting that answer. Why didn’t Rachel tell me? Questions
ran through my mind, but I didn’t want to talk about this with her
right now, it still seemed like it bothered her. I felt like shit,
as I should’ve, I was being a dick. This wasn’t about holding the
power with Elle, this was about trying to get her to love me again.
I needed to remember that.

“Christ, Elleny I’m
sorry.”

“Me too, next
question.”

I leaned forward and took
my mask off. TJ was here, she needed him right now.

“What happened to
you?”

“Life happened to me
Trevor, just like it happened to you. Except it seemed to like you
a whole hell of a lot better than it liked me. Now, if you’ll
excuse me I’m going to go use the powder room. Do you need to call
my boss and make sure it’s ok if I go to the powder
room?”

Well done, Elle. I didn’t
answer her, just smiled in return. She got up and sauntered to the
bathroom. Oh she was such a tease, shaking her ass in my face. I
made a mental note to make her pay for that. She thought she’d be a
smart ass by turning around and being sarcastic, another action I
wasn’t going to allow. She turned around and continued on to the
rest room while I sat there. Waiting. Thinking.

I couldn’t remember the
last time I was somewhere or with someone, where I had wanted time
to stop and to just stay in that moment. Everything was perfect
right now, at this very moment. I was in the presence of Elle and I
had never been happier. I looked over and saw that her phone was
sitting there. Reaching over, I grabbed it.

Going to her contacts, I
entered my phone numbers. I’m sure she would love the title of the
entry once she saw it, well when she saw it. If she ever needed to
get a hold of me for anything, she would have every number and
there wouldn’t be anything to stop me from being there for
her.

Remembering everything
about our past, I could hear Heart singing “Alone” as though it was
playing on a radio that sat right beside me. I went to her apps and
downloaded it, adding it as my ringtone. I immediately called my
phone from her phone, and added her number to my
contacts.