Falling Dawn (II)

Chapter 26

After a quick hello and update from Dave, I left for the bedroom. It had been a long day. Tom stayed behind with Dave talking about who knows what over a midnight beer. I was glad they got along so well. Maybe Tom was even stealing my best male friend? Hearing their mumbled voices in the background, I suddenly didn't feel tired anymore at all.

Getting pyjamas out of the drawer, my eyes fell on the suspenders Dave bought for me when we went shopping together the week before. Tom had been at soccer with Sam when I accompanied Dave to the shops. As I'd bought a lot of new clothes lately, I hadn't really been in need for anything but Dave had just grabbed those white, compared to the others quite conservative suspenders, and just bought them. With a whimsical smile he'd said that Tom would be thankful. Hmm! Should I try? It wasn't really me, but as I had told Tom earlier, I wasn't embarrassed in front of him. I decided to just briefly put them on. Astonished, I marvelled at myself in front of the mirror before lounging on the bed like those sexy women do in movies. I should take them off, I thought, when Tom suddenly entered the room. I felt the blood rise to my head, caught and silly.

Tom froze to the spot when seeing me spread out on the bed. A clearly audible "wow" escaped him before the door swung shut with a loud bang.

"Is that for me?" Tom asked while hastily striping his T-shirt off. Carelessly, he let it drop to the floor.

Oh, gosh. He was so hot! I couldn't possibly keep up with him. But since I'd started this game, I now had to finish it. "It is if you want it," I purred, unable to keep my eyes off his incredible body. Clothed in only blue jeans, he stepped closer. The finely defined muscles on his upper body flexed with every step he came closer.

"You look so damn hot, Lisa," Tom whispered, as the bed lowered from the weight of his knees on the mattress. "I mean, you always do," he quickly revised. "I mean, like," he stumbled. "Usually you're sweet sexy and I love that, but now you're just hot."

"And?"

"And it's hot."

Crawling on all fours, Tom was leaning over my legs, gently gliding his fingers over the lacy material up to my thigh. "Really hot."

"Not as hot as you are," I whispered, sliding my body under his. Kissing his naked chest from underneath, twirling my tongue around his nipples, I moved further down to his tummy, eventually reaching the rim of his jeans.

"You have no idea," Tom aspirated, pulling me up with him, so that I sat on his lap. His hands clinched around my waist, his face buried in my neck. Slowly, Tom worked his way up again, gently breathing into my ear, "I just want to get you out of this."

Aroused from his mouth and handy work, I leaned back, granting him clear access to my body.

Pulling on several ends of the lace and the clips, Tom eventually pushed his hands under my panties, squeezing my butt. "How?" he whispered with a chuckle. "Do they have a child lock?"

Taking hold of one of the clips which held the full body top part and my pants together, I also struggled getting them off. "It was much easier putting them on." I burst out in laughter when the first one finally snapped free in my hand. Tom joined in, and together we set on freeing my top from the bottom suspenders.

"You haven't worn these very often, I assume?" By the way he shrugged I could tell that Tom regretted his question the moment it was out. But I wasn't going to let this ruin the moment.

"Hey, I bought them just for you."

"Wow. I love it, but I love you in everything, and nothing."

"Well, Dave bought them."

Now he looked skeptical at me. His fingers on one of the back straps came to a halt. "Dave?"

"Well, he thought you would like them."

"Did he now?" Tom moved behind me to continue his handy work on my backside while kissing my neck.

"He probably thinks I have to keep up with all the hot women of your past." The last clip landed somewhere on the bed with a snatch.

"And why would he think that?" Tom asked skeptical while deepening the kisses on my neck.

"I don't know if he does," I defended Dave. "He might." He never said anything the like.

"Do you think that?" Tom moved around again, so we could see each other. I felt ashamed. Did I??

"Maybe. I don't know."

"Let me tell you, that I couldn't possibly remember what either of them wore, and with no woman, apart from you, have I been involved in any kind of foreplay. I haven't been involved in anything. So don't you feel like you have to keep up with anyone, because there is no one even close to keeping up with."

Tom nibbled my earlobes, while fondly striping the white top off me. "I love though that you put this on thinking of me." And as our tongues entwined, Tom's hands gently pulled down my panties, while my hands fumbled with his jeans button. "You're wonderful," Tom said, pulling our sweaty bodies closer together.

While he was brushing a wet hair streak out of my face, I declared, "It's someone's birthday next week. What would you like to do?"

He'd never actually told me his birthday, but I saw it on his passport when we met the lawyer about his visa application. What do you get a man who's got everything that money can buy? Not that money was a problem for me anymore, considering the still six digit number on my bank account statements, after I had paid out Peter's ex and gave Tanya the money I promised her. But Tom was happiest with simpler things. After a childhood of deprivations he's lived his adulthood in material affluence. A simple home baked cake would bring him more joy than the largest one from the bakery.

"I usually skip that day. There's not really much to celebrate."

"Oh, well, I'm going to celebrate it with you because I know at least a thousand good reasons why. You can tell me what you like to do, or I can just organise something, risking you're not going to like it."

The unsettled smile on his face grew wider, happier. "I'll take the surprise. I love your surprises."

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The interview with Carlos went flawless, from a professional perspective at least. I had prepared several questions beforehand, studying and trying to understand the resume he indeed had sent only minutes after he had delivered our pizzas, and I accepted the LinkedIn invitation he had also sent to me. Yes, he was on the ball. My prepared questions however, had been a complete waste. The direction the interview went after Tom's introductory speech was hard for me to follow. I'd always just been involved in the social side of businesses. My success was not measured in dollar amounts. On the contrary, I got to spend the money that people like Tom and Carlos made. Tom looked up at me a few times throughout the interview, but was content with my simple nod. I appreciated that he didn't ask me until the very end if I had any questions, which I negated. Once more I was deeply impressed by Tom's professionalism, knowledge and confidence. Just thinking about how he managed to achieve all that made my head spin.

"So, if I call Solano for a reference check, he'll know who I'm talking about?" Tom asked straight-faced.

"I hope so," Carlos responded nervously. "I worked for him for almost ten years, the past two years quite closely."

Without warning, Tom pulled out his phone and after a few clicks and scrolls, dialled a number.

"Hola, Juan," Tom greeted in, to me, perfect Spanish, and continued the like. "Sorry to disturb you so late. I'm just talking to Carlos Rodrigues who used to work as Commercial Manager for you at Mecodiada." Even though I wouldn't have been able to have a conversation in Spanish anymore after studying it at High School and a few semesters at uni, but the words did come back when listening to Tom. He made a few jokes and seemed to be thrilled about the answers he received. When the way Tom handled the reference check was intimidating to me, I could only imagine how Carlos must have felt. Maybe I should have told Tom that references are usually not checked in the presence of the job applicant but then, I was certain he knew that.
Tom hired Carlos on the spot, after a nodding approval from my side. Carlos was ecstatic and would start the next day.