Tempo (11 page)

The rest of the weekend was uneventful. Every time I opened my door I saw Tony or his replacement. Occasionally I saw Lloyd. My thoughts never strayed far from Michael and the feel of his lips on mine.

“Anna Sloan Design how can I help you?”

“Hi Brenda, it’s Karlie, is Anna there?”

“She just walked in, let me get her.” Waiting for Anna to come to the phone I give myself a once over in the mirror. I am wearing the Versace dress and the Jimmy Choo stilettos. There is no room for undergarments. I have chosen to wear my silver jacket over the dress because it’s long enough to cover the revealing back. I don’t plan to unveil myself until the perfect moment. I have decided to wear my hair down because I know how much Michael likes it that way. I look presentable, almost conservative with the jacket on, but the shoes give it a bit of an edge.

“Hi Karlie, are you ready?” Anna sounds nearly as nervous as I do.

“Yes, I am ready, but I am so nervous.”

“You’re prepared. I know you Karlie, you left no stone unturned. You are the most efficient, in control person I have ever met. I bet you didn’t even sleep over the weekend.”

“Then why do I feel so out of control?”

“Its just nerves, get to your meeting and knock him dead. Call me when you know something.”

“Thanks Anna, I needed a little pep talk. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

Peeking out of my door, I see Tony waiting as he always does.

“Ready to go?” he asks.

“Yes. Can you help me with this box?”

Tony grabs the box with my presentation boards and I grab my laptop and purse. He leads me to the basement floor where I am placed in the back of a black sedan. I am secreted out of the Four Seasons and into Tempo.

I can tell Michael is in the building, I can feel his presence and I can smell his cologne. My insides are in a twist. I don’t know if I am nervous about the presentation or what I hope to accomplish during the presentation.

“Where would you like this Ms. McKenna?”

“I think we are meeting in the conference room.”

Tony helps me carry my materials to the conference room where I will set up. I hope that Michael isn’t waiting there. I need some time to organize and find courage. I am putting everything on the line today both professionally and personally. I have never felt so tightly strung in my life.

Taking a final look around, I decide that everything is in order. I have his seat centered in front of the screen. My computer is hooked up and my mock-ups of the rooms are ready to go. Static copies are here for Michael to keep. They contain the detailed plan and the costs involved.  The lighting is subdued. My sample boards are in order. The podium where I will speak is set off to the right. Beverages have been supplied on a table to the left. Looking around I can see that everything is ready except for me. My heart is pounding so loud I can hear it in my head. The creak of the door grabs my attention and Michael enters alone.
It’s game time!

“Karlie you look beautiful, I love when your hair is down.”

Giving him my best coquettish smile I reply, “Do you? I had no idea.”
Yes!
 
Well-played Karlie!
The smart girl is vocal today.

“Have a seat Mr. Scarpetti. Can I offer you anything?” Looking at him I see a question in his expression. “To drink that is.”

“No thank you Karlie, shall we get started? I would love to see what you have to offer.”

The double entendre are flying back and forth. Everything containing more meaning than the casual observer would pick up on.

“Are we waiting on anyone else or is it just you and I Mr. Scarpetti?”

“You have me all to yourself Karlie, whatever will you do?”

My thoughts run rampant on what I would like to do to him. He is so sexy. He is wearing a charcoal gray pinstripe suit that enhances the smokiness of his eyes. The crisp white shirt sets off his perfectly bronzed skin. I would love to grab him by his red tie and throw him to the ground, so I can straddle him. Caught in my sexual fantasy, I barely hear his question.

“Penny for your thoughts, Ms. McKenna?”

“You would have to pay way more than a penny for those thoughts Mr. Scarpetti. Lets get started.” Gathering my thoughts, I begin my presentation.

“The images on the screen are mock-ups of the actual rooms when they are finished. You can see that attention has been paid to the details. The rooms feel warm and inviting and yet there is an energy that emanates from the strategically placed patterns throughout the space. The materials are all high-end meaning that they will cost more
, but you will recoup your costs by high occupancy rates and through the life expectancy of the materials. You asked for sexy and sultry and I plan to show you how that feels.”

“I can’t wait.”

Walking to the side table, I grab a hard copy of the slides I will be showing him. Gliding over to him in my new Jimmy Choo’s, I place the papers in his lap. Bending at the waist, my hair falls forward into his lap. I hear a sharp intake of breath and realize that from his perspective this would be the vision he would have if I were wrapping my lips intimately around his manhood. Reaching up to pull my hair to one side. I look up at him and smile.

“Let’s begin in the bathrooms, we’ll get to the bedrooms a little later.”

“I can’t wait to follow you to the bedrooms later. Carry on Karlie.”

I don’t know who is going to be better at this bantering
, but I am going to need to step up my game. He frazzles me every time he opens his mouth.

“All of the bathrooms are designed with a neutral palette in mind. Anything else would be financially irresponsible. I try to stay away from trends that will be gone in a year or so. If you look here at the picture you can see that all vanities are mahogany. The counters are bisque colored quartz. All of the shower and tub surrounds are a combination of porcelain tiles and tumbled marble. All of the floors are travertine. Radiant heat will be an underlayment for all flooring. Your more adventurous guests will be interested in heated floors. I would hate for them to get chilly cheeks.” Looking up from my notes I can see that Michael has a twinkle in his eye. “All shower heads are rain-showers with an additional hand held shower wand that attaches to the wall. The hand held wand comes with several different settings, from mist to a heavy pulsing action. We had two options, one with six showerhead settings, and one with twelve. I opted for the twelve; it had the most comprehensive massage settings.” I look at Michael and give him a wink. He begins to squirm in his seat. I am hoping that I am painting a good visual for him.

“Can you see what I am trying to get across?” I ask

“Yes Karlie my imagination is working just fine.”

“Good, I will get to the textiles later, but first I want to ask you about the bathtubs in the two story suites. The jacuzzi tubs are great, but they are so typical. I want to give your guests the unexpected.  I would like you to consider something else in their place. The current tubs have not been installed so that’s not a problem. I know it will come at an increased cost to your bottom line but…Let me just show you and explain my vision.” Advancing to the next slide, I show a picture of a stand-alone oval shaped, stone tub. “This is your bathroom centerpiece. It would be enjoyed by both sexes equally. They are large and can be shared with one or more people depending on your guest’s particular desires. The hard lines of the stone stand rigid against the warm tones of the flooring. The soft curves are like that of a woman’s body. Who doesn’t want to lose themselves in the curves of a woman’s body? The egg shape is like a womb calling you to enter it’s warm wet center.”

“Very descriptive, makes me want to climb into it right now. Tell me though, what’s the turn around on something like this. Could we get them in time?”

“I have called the manufacturer and since we only need sixteen of them, they can be delivered in as little as two weeks. There would be an additional cost for plumbing. The lines will have to be moved to accommodate the new location of the tubs.  This can be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time.”

Michael takes out a pen and begins to take notes. Looking at my watch, I can’t believe that an hour has passed already.

“Next up are the bedrooms.” Looking toward Michael to see if I could read his thoughts, he looks a bit uncomfortable. Am I getting to him? Serves him right, I have spent every night this week in a sexually charged state with no relief but to hope for a wet dream. After discussing mattresses, furniture and carpeting, I move on to the linens. “Let’s talk about linens. Textiles are quite expensive, but they are the most important element besides the mattress. Sheets and towels have about a two to three year lifespan. Yours may last slightly longer since you are going to be laundering them in-house. The cost of linens is going to range from $900.00 to $1800.00 per room depending on the type of room. The suites will be the most expensive. I would recommend using a threesome of sheets.” Michael looks up quickly at the word threesome. “A bottom sheet, a top sheet and a sheet to cover the duvet. Sheets should be 100% cotton with a thread count of at least 220. The duvet will be covered in a mixture of forty-three percent linen and fifty-seven percent cotton, making it soft and supple like the sweet caress of your lovers lips.” Thinking about Michael’s lips, makes my body burn. I pick up my papers and begin to fan myself.

“Are you warm Karlie?” Oh he is enjoying this. I had planned my big reveal a bit later
, but if he wants to play then let’s play.

“I am a bit warm Michael.” Walking to him, I turn and present my back to him.

“Can you help me with my jacket?”

“Certainly.” Michael reaches around and grabs the lapel of my silver jacket. Pulling it back he slowly peels the material down my back. “Holy shit Karlie. What the hell are you doing to me?”

Jacket free, I pull my long hair over my right shoulder and walk slowly back to the podium. I exaggerate the sway of my hips as I walk. Though he can’t see my face I am smiling. I can feel the heat of his gaze on my flesh.

“Well Mr. Scarpetti I am giving you what you asked for. You told me to show you the possibilities, and I am baring them all for you.”

“I can’t concentrate with you standing half naked in front of me.”

“You don’t have to concentrate Michael, all you have to do is feel. Isn’t that what you said you wanted, to feel the design?” looking down at his lap he groans. I follow his eyes and I can see that he is definitely feeling something. His erection is straining against his pants. The thick long outline of him leaves nothing to the imagination. I walk to the beverage table and pick up two bottles of water and then saunter back towards him.

“Something cold?” I hold the water out to him, but instead of taking the water, he grabs my hand and pulls me into his lap.

“No I want something hot!”  I can feel the hardness of his erection pushing against my bottom. I squirm at the sensation. “Sit still or you’ll make me cum in my pants.” Giggling I feel elated at the power I have over him.

“Let me go. I have a presentation to complete.”

“You started this Karlie.”

“No sir, I did not. You started it by leaving me each night needing more.”

His left hand is on the skin where my dress is open. His fingers slowly trail up and down my spine from the top of my neck to my tailbone. My insides are twisting. He is creating an inferno inside of me. I can hear myself hum a sound of pleasure as his hand explores the bare skin of my back.

“Such beautiful skin. I want to caress every inch of you.” His right hand grabs a length of my hair and brings it to his nose as he inhales deeply. “You smell of mint and lemon, I can’t get your scent out of my head. I am drawn to the smell of you.”

“You smell like fresh air and citrus to me. I can smell you on my pillow. I hid the pillow that you laid on in the closet so that housekeeping couldn’t change the pillowcase. I’ve snuggled with it since the night we ate in my room.”

There it is again, the big boyish smile. Reaching up I trace his lips with my index finger. Before I can complete a full circle his strong arms are around me, holding me as close as possible while he bends down and gently kisses me. The soft tender kiss gradually turns into a deep passionate kiss and it’s full of possibilities. His lips push firmly against mine. His tongue slips through my lips as he thoroughly explores my mouth. He tastes sweet, like honey. His tongue is soft and sensual. I can feel my libido rising, the moisture is building between my thighs. I squeeze them together trying to capture the sensation. A moan escapes my mouth. All of a sudden he stops and pulls away. Alarmed I looked up “What’s wrong?”

“I told you
not to wriggle in my lap. Now get up, we can’t do this. Not here, not now.”

I am shocked at his abrupt dismissal. My body is on fire and once again he is pushing me away.

“Why did you stop kissing me Michael, did I do something wrong?” Tears are building in my eyes. He gently guides me off of his lap and into a standing position. I am petrified that I went too far. Did I misread the signs? Oh hell, what now?

“Karlie, I‘m attracted to you. I could take you into a corner and fuck you twenty different ways, but you deserve better. You have a presentation to do and I need to act like the businessman I should be. I want you to complete your presentation and if you get the job, you will know it’s not because you fucked me but because you earned it. This is not over, this thing between you and me. It’s just over right now. I believe we were going to discuss the fabrics that you have chosen. Are you ready to resume?”