check. The place was open all night, their original sour-faced waitress giving him a little wave as she finished her shift. He didn’t want to leave, and yet, he did, but if they went back to hotel he’d lose her again. Now, that he’d relaxed enough to feel it, tiredness seeped through his muscles and it became an effort to move, or to focus. He needed sleep, but the need to be with her was stronger and kept him going. As she slid across from him again, hands curling back around the cup, whatever concentration he had left zeroed into her.
“Where’s your ring?” he asked, a little startled he hadn’t noticed the bareness of her fingers earlier.
“I’m having it cleaned.”
“Bull-shit. I’m sorry,” he spoke in the same breath. “None of my business. Are things more serious than you said?”
In answer, she sighed, her eyes tearing up. He was immediately sorry again.
“Come on, let’s go.” He held out a hand to her, and she tucked in under the curve of his arm as they left the diner. They were as silent as the quiet streets on the way back; late on a Tuesday night. Neither was willing to pull away as they walked through the lobby and into the elevator.
The doors closed. Ross watched her as she leaned against him. Her eyes were closed and he was near enough to see a tiny clump of mascara on an eyelash. Her sable eye-shadow had collected into a thin line along the crease of her eyelids.
“What are you thinking?” he asked. The softness of her skin soaked in the words like water, her eyes opened and he recognized his own turmoil. Her pupils grew large for half a second and then she kissed him, open mouthed and all in. He reacted, turning toward her and taking control, hand clasping her head for a better angle. They bumped against the back of the elevator as he pressed into her. Her hands rifled his hair, pulling, tugging, each touch wrapping around him, bringing him closer to her. He felt her come apart underneath his mouth. She moaned softly, and he wanted all of her, now. He moved a thigh between her legs, the hard length of him delighted in the contact, even through three layers of clothing. Her sweet cream voice broke into pieces when she whispered his name. The soft ding signaled the elevator doors opening onto their floor. Azure’s room was the second one down, a mere thirty feet away.
-9-
Ross scanned the business section of the Chicago Sun Times on his tablet, making a few mental notes of companies looking for HR consultants. Instinctively, he looked up to see his brother, Ben striding toward him, his long legs eating up the hotel lobby space. Ben’s scarf was triple wrapped under a simple corduroy blazer, and his longer hair was windswept and shaggy.
“Sorry I missed the big speech,” Ben said as he gave Ross a brief one armed hug.
“No worries, I know it’s tough getting across town at rush hour. Glad you could make it at all. You wanna do dinner here? Or we could go to Finnegan’s.” Ross named one of their favorite restaurants. His brother slanted a half grimace at him, brushed his hair back and straightened his jacket.
“It’s too far to walk and half hour on the L. Let’s stay here. Besides, I want to meet this as-your- worth person.”
Ross nodded and steered him toward the bar. Azure had barely spoken to him since she arrived at the hotel this morning. People were always at her side, waiting for instructions, or problems to solve, and he had gone about his business, teaching a small class in a breakout conference room and then speaking at the afternoon panel. He’d texted her about Ben, asking if she wanted to meet them for a drink.
They entered a dimly lit bar with two TV screens sporting silent basketball. Sportscaster lingo scrolled across the bottom of the screens. Ross spotted Azure immediately, and said a silent thank you that she was alone.
They approached and her face shed its weary look and lit up when she saw him. He fairly buzzed with the feeling.
“Where’s your ring?” he asked, a little startled he hadn’t noticed the bareness of her fingers earlier.
“I’m having it cleaned.”
“Bull-shit. I’m sorry,” he spoke in the same breath. “None of my business. Are things more serious than you said?”
In answer, she sighed, her eyes tearing up. He was immediately sorry again.
“Come on, let’s go.” He held out a hand to her, and she tucked in under the curve of his arm as they left the diner. They were as silent as the quiet streets on the way back; late on a Tuesday night. Neither was willing to pull away as they walked through the lobby and into the elevator.
The doors closed. Ross watched her as she leaned against him. Her eyes were closed and he was near enough to see a tiny clump of mascara on an eyelash. Her sable eye-shadow had collected into a thin line along the crease of her eyelids.
“What are you thinking?” he asked. The softness of her skin soaked in the words like water, her eyes opened and he recognized his own turmoil. Her pupils grew large for half a second and then she kissed him, open mouthed and all in. He reacted, turning toward her and taking control, hand clasping her head for a better angle. They bumped against the back of the elevator as he pressed into her. Her hands rifled his hair, pulling, tugging, each touch wrapping around him, bringing him closer to her. He felt her come apart underneath his mouth. She moaned softly, and he wanted all of her, now. He moved a thigh between her legs, the hard length of him delighted in the contact, even through three layers of clothing. Her sweet cream voice broke into pieces when she whispered his name. The soft ding signaled the elevator doors opening onto their floor. Azure’s room was the second one down, a mere thirty feet away.
-9-
Ross scanned the business section of the Chicago Sun Times on his tablet, making a few mental notes of companies looking for HR consultants. Instinctively, he looked up to see his brother, Ben striding toward him, his long legs eating up the hotel lobby space. Ben’s scarf was triple wrapped under a simple corduroy blazer, and his longer hair was windswept and shaggy.
“Sorry I missed the big speech,” Ben said as he gave Ross a brief one armed hug.
“No worries, I know it’s tough getting across town at rush hour. Glad you could make it at all. You wanna do dinner here? Or we could go to Finnegan’s.” Ross named one of their favorite restaurants. His brother slanted a half grimace at him, brushed his hair back and straightened his jacket.
“It’s too far to walk and half hour on the L. Let’s stay here. Besides, I want to meet this as-your- worth person.”
Ross nodded and steered him toward the bar. Azure had barely spoken to him since she arrived at the hotel this morning. People were always at her side, waiting for instructions, or problems to solve, and he had gone about his business, teaching a small class in a breakout conference room and then speaking at the afternoon panel. He’d texted her about Ben, asking if she wanted to meet them for a drink.
They entered a dimly lit bar with two TV screens sporting silent basketball. Sportscaster lingo scrolled across the bottom of the screens. Ross spotted Azure immediately, and said a silent thank you that she was alone.
They approached and her face shed its weary look and lit up when she saw him. He fairly buzzed with the feeling.
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