Fling

Fling - CHAPTER 5

Inside our cheap hotel room James looked out the window with fear and hate. I had never seen a man who was kind to me, now such a polar opposite of bizarrely freaked out and angry.

I went to the window by the single bed and casually, calmly, remarked, "Don't worry James."

"Worry? Worry?! We're fucked out a lot of money and don't get to go to the damn thing." I sighed and turned him to me.

I looked in James' worried blue-purple eyes and said, "There is so much I wish I could comfort you with James, but we have to make the best of this. We could be stranded in such worse places."

James shook his head and I muttered, "We could make the best of this. Jesus. How?"

I got up off the bed and went to James.

James didn't know that I had a crush on him for a while now. As I beamed up at him I said, "I just want to know you. I haven't wanted to know any one in a long time. I've been lonely in New York around certain people I disliked. Here I have known people that I like and I really like you. I respect you. I admire you and you don't see me I feel."

"Una, you are the best thing to hit Darryl in the head ever. I see you."

"Yeah everyone sees me. I dress like a slut according to you." Not holding back. I was getting what I wanted.

"I saw your chicken restaurant designs. You're thirty, which is young, you dress fashionably which is dangerous, you aren't proud, your love for your sister is borderline blind to her affliction with Darryl... I've wanted to tell you for some time about yourself. I think you and I should-..."

"Make love?" I asked. He looked down in frustration.

"Hardly, have a talk Una. You are too good for D.L. Designs."

Facetiously I spoke, "I think we should make love and then have the talk. Look at all the romantic snow. You and I cozy in a room alone. It seems the only thing we can do to make the time pass. Come on."

I looked deep into his eyes as I took his hand. He picked up on that uttering, "I...."

"Listen James. You mean a great deal to me. You care how I dress so that I am unhurt by the staff. You so know I carry Max. I get it James."

"And any man would be lucky to have you but I am confused and I'll just sleep on the couch."

His eyebrow raised at me like I was a delicate situation. I looked at the ground while I sat on the bed with my purse. I pulled little bottles of alcohol out of my purse and drank two Crown Royals and threw a bottle of Skyy vodka at my miserable, couch colleague reading his phone's weather report. I laughed at him. He drank the vodka and came over to my purse rifling through it for another bottle.

James pulled out Irish Cream and Rum with a sour expression. "Nothing harder?"

I wanted to seduce James so bad. "I see some gin, without tonic. I don't know, you might have to dig in there..." James was looking stressed out. He dug into my purse and found some bottles.

It was cold in the room so I turned up the heat and pulled the blanket around myself. I lay down on the bed when James was looking down at me. "Want some blanket? Its cold in here."

"I just drank three bottles of bourbon." James stood wavering.

"I think you hate yourself James." James laughed. I covered him in the other blanket, pulling him to sit on the bed. We lay back looking out at the heavy flakes of snow and cold wind blowing while it was getting dark in the room.

"I begged my father to tell me about my half sister for ten years. He tells me on his deathbed she gets nothing wants nothing to do with her and I got her information, I was overjoyed. Its what I wanted all my life, a sister! So in order for her to accept me I made a story so she wouldn't feel bad about her estranged father. He gave his huge wealth away to charity and gave me a $40,000 necklace. I never wanted for anything in my life and she was dirt poor most of her life. I am a millionaire in my own right with the skills I have. I make paintings, portraits for rich ladies in New York and I have stuff in MoMA. I go by the name Serah Sand. If you follow art, you would know me. I lied so that my sister would come to me. She wouldn't want who Serah Sand is."

In a shocked/drunk face, James said, "You did what? I knew you were more skilled than anyone I've ever known. You must tell your unfortunate sister the truth- Una or Serah."

"Una from now on. I love my sister, When I get back-." I explained.

"You will find other means of employment and tell your sister what you do. You're clearly fired for lying to that poor girl. I mean I knew you were good but you are a millionaire? And you're famous?"

"Being famous is the least of my worries. I can't let her down about my father though. I'm paying for a grand wedding for her and I will be there when she is treated like a Sand. Royalty."

"You can only bend the truth on all that. Otherwise her wedding will be lopsided without you. Oh and that chicken sign you made is amazing and I know Max takes credit for your stuff. You are far too good for us."

"I liked working for you."

"I liked having a competent employee. I mean you make stuff like big league quality stuff for major brands, not a little place like Darryl's."

"You are a great boss James. Like no one I ever worked for. I've never been friends with anyone like you before either. I feel close to you and only you, James. I would use my connections to right this wrong if you need me to. Don't sweat it."

He turned to me relieved and said, "I get it now. Make love."

James nodded his head and rolled on top of me kissing me. I admitted, "You are why I stayed James."

"I wanted you to come on the trip but I never had the guts to do this. I respect my employees. You are now not employed." James looked happy down at me.

I opened my shirt up and took off my bra quick. His smile lit up the dark room and I began to make out with my old boss. His hand rest on my flat stomach as he tenderly kissed my lips. We were slowly making our way to making love when the door was knocked on as the storm had miraculously let up. I quickly, sadly, pulled my clothes back on and grabbed my coat and bag.

Like nothing happened, James was up and ready as well. We were going to make it to the GatherLight thing. I sprung for better seats and I didn't have to beg James, he was okay with first class. He was silent. Then took great breath to say something to me only to be handed a champagne flute. I took mine and listened in to James say,
"This never happened. I have to have you work still and be professional. What you learn there you have to teach everyone so I must further employ you Una. Let sleeping dogs lie."

"No more you and I?" I asked in disappointment.

"There is no you and I and as long as you know the program you will have to stick around. We never happened is our stance." James decided. I know it was a hard decision. But was it his position, or the companies?

"How can you shut off the emotions like that James?" I wondered aloud. We were great together. Very passionate for one another. I felt like I was his... Maybe not as much as I had thought though.

"I have a business to run Una. A business that almost cratered." I smiled at him shaking my head no.

We did the GatherLight convention and I sprung for my own hotel room. There was no touching each other or talk of 'us'. We never talked of the time again and never were close again.

I continued to work at D.L. Designs untouched for months. It depressed me and he found out who I was eventually by being snoopy. James would just look at me in disbelief of the lies I had told. I was ashamed of myself from then on in front of him. I distanced myself from James.