The Desire to Touch (20 page)

I look at
Aubrey, “I’m meeting some friends for lunch, do you want to come?”

“Yeah that sounds great.”

We leave the office and meet Lucas in reception, Meagan rings and arranges to meet us at the deli. I can tell by her tone she’s eager to find out what went on, once she dropped me off.

We sit in the deli, all having a laugh at my expense, when Aubrey turns to me and pats me on the back.

“Oh you’re too cute, I cannot believe you didn’t know who he was.”

I frown, “I know I’m naïve, what can I say?”

“That’s not what I’d call you,” Aubrey giggles.

“Easy!” I laugh.

Lucas tries to give Aubrey his best ‘come on’ lines but she doesn’t bat one single, extremely long eyelash, at him.

“Give it up Lucas, she’s engaged and happy with it by all accounts,” Meagan snaps.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” he shrugs.

Aubrey tells us all about her fiancé who is a plastic surgeon to the stars and, on the news, Meagan’s face lights up.

“Oh go on, do a little name dropping.” She leans across the table, her eyes pleading with Aubrey.

“No way,” Aubrey laughs, “My life would not be worth living if I did.”

Lucas turns to me while the girls chat, he leans in and looks concerned,

“So he just disappeared, no note, no nothing?”

I shake my head at him and take the last bite of my tuna baguette.

“And you haven’t called him?”

“I don’t have his number,” I suddenly realise I have no way of contacting him whatsoever.

Lucas pulls the ‘oh dear’ face.

“What? I have some vague recollection of him saying he’d be in touch with me.”

“Oh Doll, just tread carefully, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“No Lucas, if you have something to say then out with it, don’t try to wrap me up!”

“Look, you slept with the guy ok and he fucked you around and hurt you once already, then he disappears in the night - not what I’d call trust worthy is he?”

The duo appear for the first time in nearly a whole day ‘
Don’t listen to him
’ Devil girl hisses, Angel girl says softly
‘Some of what he says is true’
.

I succumb to the fact that Lucas is right, it really was just a one night thing.

“I know,” I force a smile, “I guess old Ellie needs to stay locked away.”

“Er, excuse me! I have enjoyed seeing her back, anyway it’s his loss,” Meagan throws her arms around me.

“Too right.” Aubrey chimes in.

We finish up and leave the deli, Lucas and Meagan head one way and Aubrey and I go back to work.

We sit at our desks brainstorming the last few details for the hotels 100
th
birthday party.

“You do know that Valentine senior is attending the do?”

“I didn’t see his name on the list,” I start to worry I have missed people off the lists, “Have I forgotten to send them out?”

“No, no once Anthony, sorry Mr
. Valentine, had approved your list to send them out, he put the names under aliases.”

“Why? Is he checking that I’m doing the work correctly?”

“No,” she laughs, “Stop being so dramatic. It’s purely that - on the quiet, mind you,” she looks at me to agree that the information will not be shared at any cost.

I nod at her, “Of course.”

“Well, a lot of his connected friends are coming and some of them are on the radars of the likes of the FBI and stuff, but my point is that he’s really excited about everything you have suggested.”

“Well yeah, he said that when he came in earlier.”

“No,” she wheels her chair closer to me, “Mr. Valentine senior, although Anthony signs everything, it all has to be run past Valentine senior. So the party and everything had to be approved via him. He’s a hard man to please but you seem to have won him over.”

“No pressure then?” My ego is on cloud nine but now I’m worrying that, if it all goes tits up, I’m going to get whacked or something.

“So FBI?”

“Best left unsaid but just be aware they will be coming.” She winks.

“Ok, so we’ve sorted the waiting staff and their outfits, food, and the press. Selina in HQ will deal with the press. So, the band you’ve sorted right?”

“Yes,
but we need to finalise the play list and the food needs to be checked over by Mr. Valentine.”

“Yeah, I have all that ready to hand over to you tomorrow.”

“Great, then it’s just props, table wear, gifts, our outfits and rooms for confirmed guests to finish off,” I frown, “Not much.”

My face is going to be like a leather handbag when the party comes.

“Only four weeks until the big day,” she laughs, picking up the phone.

It’s ten to five and I’m on the phone speaking to the room dressers when my phone pings.

“Yes red and black draping on the walls…no, red for the tables with black settings…no, it would be easier to discuss this when you come.”

I pick up my phone and see one new message

T

19 Sep 2012 07:37am

I’ll be waiting outside

My heart skips a beat and all the butterflies start their tribal dance causing me to start feeling nauseous with excitement. How the hell have I got his number on my phone?

I hit reply and realise that Miss Bishop is still chatting away on the other end of the line and I have missed everything she has said.

“Sorry, Helena say that again, it’s a bad line,” I’m getting good at thinking on my feet. “Yep that’s fine, 10am then and we can discuss it all. I look forward to it.” I hang up.

“Right you, home time,” Aubrey closes my screen down.

“Oh I’m going to love having you around here!”

“Me too but I will sleep happy if I know you’ve got your keycard replaced,” she frowns.

“Bloody hell I completely forgot about that, yeah I’ll see Earl in a second and get it sorted.”

“Bloody hell,” Aubrey attempts her best British accent to mimic me.

“You sound Australian,” I laugh, “no actually, you sound so over cockney it offends the true cockneys.”

“Go home,” she laughs.

“I am home.”

We walk out of the office and enter the lobby, she pats me on the back, “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye.” I smile and walk towards the lift and bump into Earl.

“Good night was it?” he asks playfully.

“Of sorts.”

“Well we’re glad to see you getting out a bit more.” He smiles.

“We?”

“Well Marianne said something earlier…” he goes quiet and starts to blush.

“Yeah well, can you tell the bags under my eyes that,” I laugh and turn to walk away then remember the card, “Earl?”

“Yes?” he eyes me suspiciously.

“I need a new keycard,” I cringe knowing what his reaction will be.

“Ellie this is your fourth in as many months, what are you doing, eating them?”

“No I’m sorry, it’s somewhere in my apartment I think but I can’t for the life of me find it.”

“Last one Ellie then you have to pay for replacements like the rest of the staff.”

“I bet you don’t pay,” I smile

“No I don’t because in the fifteen years we’ve had the card system I’ve never lost my original one!”

“I need an extending chain like you, I think.” I smile at him all coy.

He sighs, “I’ll get your new card to your room later, now go before I charge you for it.”

“Thank you,” I walk away and head for the lift when I hear a whistle, I turn around and see Trey sitting in a chair in the waiting area with Michael by his side. I smile at him, pull my sleeves down and hug my cardigan tightly around me. He stands and strides over to me, I hear some of the people in the room turning and whispering as he moves. He puts one arm out to hug me and places a warm soft kiss on my cheek, a warm heat rises through my body. ‘Oh God, I bet I look an absolute state!’

“Hi,” I mutter.

“Hey,” he mutters back.

Trey looks so casual and hot, wearing beige cargo pants, Timberlands and a white low cut t-shirt that shows every mouthwatering inch of his toned chest.

“What are you doing here?”

“Did you get my text?”

I suddenly remember, “Yes I did, how did I get your number and you get mine?”

“Didn’t you look at your phone this morning?”

“Yes well I was late and couldn’t find it.”

“How can someone so beautiful be so blind?”
he takes my phone from my hand. He called me beautiful, I flush and the butterflies start up once more.

“Look.” He holds out my phone so on the screen I can see his cell and email had been added to my contacts, he then opens my reminders and shows that he’d set an alarm at 8:45am to email him once I was at work.

That is the cutest thing I think anyone has ever done for me.

“I must have cancelled the reminder when I grabbed my phone from under the bed,” I bite my lip through self-anger.

“Well, it’s not like I waited all day to hear from you.”

“Much,” I add still blushing from the earlier compliment.

“Come, there’s somewhere I want to take you, why are you looking at me like that?”

I’m still smiling.

“What?” his beautifully well-chiseled face now mimicking my heartfelt smile.

“Nothing, just that’s really…well cute.” I smile and play with my sleeves.

“What the phone thing?” he rolls his eyes, “We’ll have less of that. Come on it’s getting late.”

I follow him out to the main doors and notice he hasn’t taken my hand, we walk out the door and Michael is behind us shadowing our movements. I glance behind and smile at Michael, either he doesn’t see me or he’s too busy scanning the street because he doesn’t acknowledge me. He walks away from the hotel and towards a white convertible Audi with its roof down, parked curbside.

“Is Michael ok?”

“Yeah why wouldn’t he be?”

“I don’t know he just seems distracted.”

“No, he’s like this when we’re out.” Trey replies all matter of fact, “Just ignore him I do, I thought we could go out for a drive in my new toy?”

I look at the car and think ‘Oh shit my hair is not going to withstand this, one gust of wind and I’m going to look like I’ve taken to licking plug sockets.’

“My hair,” I look at him worried.

“You look lovely, your hair’s fine.”

“Now yes, but later it won’t be. Can I run up and grab a hair tie and a bag as I have nothing with me.”

“Really?” He looks at his watch.

‘Oh shit, I need a hair tie if nothing else.’ I turn to look at the main doors pondering whether to run back to my apartment but Marianne walks out of the doors – my little silver lining.

“Marianne?” I call over to her.

She turns and spots me and walks in my direction, “Hey Ellie, are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m ok thanks, you? Have you got a hair tie I can pinch?”

She catches sight of Trey behind me and instantly she turns into a rabbit caught in headlights, fishing around in her bag she pulls out a tie and hands it to me, the whole time her attention is on Trey.

“Thanks”

“Ellie is that…?” She whispers.

“Trey Thomas yes he’s my…erm my…”

“Friend, nice to meet you.”

Trey holds out his hand to shake Marianne’s and after about three minutes of staring at him, mouth open, she finally responds.

“Oh my, oh wow,” she coughs, “H…Hi.” She stumbles out.

Friend…Friend? I stand with the best false smile I can muster but behind the gritted teeth I am confused as hell. He’s introducing himself as my friend so that’s it we must just be friends…this I can deal with but I will not let myself get swept up in the lust and sex again, that’s not me.

“It’s so lovely, no amazing…oh my god.” Marianne has turned into the bumbling idiot that is watering at the mouth.

“Oh, just you wait until I tell the girls who I have just touched,” she laughs, “Sorry met.” Her nervous laugh starts to take over and I think I can hear her knees knocking.

“We should be going,” Trey grasps me tightly around my waist.

“Yes sure.”

“It was lovely to have met you.” Trey smiles and with an authoritative grip on me he starts to lead me away, I guess I know where I stand.

I smile and hold a hand up to wave at Marianne, and she waves back,

“Bye, bye Ellie.”

We turn and walk toward the car, I can’t help but feel downtrodden like that errant child again.

“Right, are you ready? I want to test this baby’s speed,” he strokes the car admiring it.