Chapter 9: Changing our name but not our game
A golf cart had arrived to take us on a tour around the building before stopping at the entry way.
"You're going to like this place. In some ways it's like a really nice resort that you can stay in forever and make it your own...
We have daily laundry service and housekeeping and unless you're hungry at some crazy hour we have breakfast, lunch and dinner in the cafeterias around the building. There's one for each wing.. Sometimes this place gets the better of me.
Let's go up and see your new room."
He had put his arm around my waist to establish our relationship openly for anyone who might have been watching.
We had taken the elevator to the ninth floor gallery that was open for the next ten stories. The huge space had a magnificent view of the ocean to the west.
"When we have parties or a Corporate dinner, it is in here. Your room will be up there... can you see the balcony? Mine's next to yours.
On this side all the way over there to the south, that's where your office will be. I wanted to keep the work away from the private quarters so you'd have a feeling of actually going home."
We then took the elevator up another nine floors and entered the hallway.
As soon as I saw it, I thought that his isn't like a hotel at all; it's more like a large hallway in someone's house. I had felt comfortable already.
Ahead had been two women wearing light blue uniforms waiting near a doorway.
"Mrs. Sue Anne Turner, facilities supervisor... Mrs. Peggy Hillman, she's the housekeeping manager for this wing's residential floors. Here's your room. Let's see."
Sue Anne slid a key card and the door unlocked.
Jimmy pushed it open and stood back. I entered the one bedroom apartment and looked around.
I soon saw that my idea of a couple of rooms and Jimmy's were quite different. I was going to have to realize that he did everything in a big way.
I was already thinking of him as the 'colonel' here... that as good, I thought at the time.
On the left side of the entryway there was a small, fully equipped kitchen.
"Most, if not all of your meals will be in one of the cafeterias but sometimes you may want to eat quietly here or with a friend."
I saw the smile on Sue Anne's face. She seemed to know who that friend would be and what we would be doing.
Jimmy continued talking although I admit that I wasn't paying much attention to what he said. I had been too busy looking at his crotch and wondered just when I could pull his dick out and swallow it.
I honestly didn't know why whenever I was with him all I thought of was sex, any kind of sex... well, that's not quite true; at the time there was still one cherry that he had not plucked yet.
Today, I look back on it and think he was hesitant to ask and I, despite my quest to fuck my brains out, was still a sexual novice. That day had been our third together and although we had made love four times and fucked at least six, I had not considered doing back there before.
In truth, though, the more I looked at his crotch the more the idea of it intrigued me.
Jimmy had continued talking oblivious that my mind had been so far, far away I could have been in Star Wars.
"We will eat in a different one each meal so that we can talk with the people and we can learn who you are. It sometimes works better than having a meeting."
Next to the kitchen there was a small laundry room. Further ahead on the left were the dining area and the living room. The wall at the far end of the room had French doors at the time leading outside to a covered terrace offering a view of the sea.
To the right at the time, the bedroom had a large wall to wall closet and more doors opening to the terrace. From the bedroom there had been a bathroom which a shower and a Jacuzzi.
The terrace itself still has a spacious area for plants and patio furniture.
"There's no rug, yet. We didn't know if anyone would ever stay here and so we didn't want to put down a color that would not be pleasing to whoever was lucky enough to move in. We'll take care of that today. It'll be done by this evening."
He turned to me, holding both my hands in his.
"Do you like it?"
I had looked into his eyes, hugging him with all my heart.
All the while I had been half-listening to what was being said, I thought to myself that I would do whatever Jimmy wanted.
For the first time since my parents died, I had felt safe and wanted and gave thanks to God. Thank you, God, oh, thank you I had prayed at the time.
God hadn't been listening to me then and he doesn't seem to be listening to me now.
"I know we haven't eaten so let's have something to eat downstairs and then we'll go furnish your place. Is that all right?"
"Yes, Colonel, sir!"
I had smartly saluted and walked to the door.
We took the stairs down to the second floor and entered the cafeteria. Inside the rich smells of a bar-be-que greeted us.
"Cool," he happily had said, "today's bar-be-que day. Every day is different. Let's get something to eat, shall we?"
He led me over to the serving tables. On one there were grilled sirloins, beef and pork ribs, chili with and without beans. On another there were different types of bread and a huge bowl of salad.
Over in the corner there was a refrigerator with ten different types of drinks and nearby a woman who would make ice cream desserts.
Those had been good days, back in the beginning before it had all come apart so quickly and cruelly.
Picking up two trays, he handed me one and put a couple of plates, silverware and some large napkins on it. I followed him around, sampling a little of this and a little of that.
Even though the room had been crowded with his employees, we had no problem finding a table in the corner.
I looked at my plate and wondered how I was going to eat all that food.
On the flight down I had known that eating as I had done the day before would put on the weight faster than I would realize. I had a good idea that I was probably going to be sitting down most of the day.
I had foolishly thought that if possible, I was going to do as much work standing up as I could... and there was that morning exercise he had spoken about. With all the military types that had been there I soon knew it's going to be hard to keep up with them.
I hadn't see anyone anywhere in the building overweight or smoking or drinking beer, for that matter. The healthy lifestyle was ingrained in the heart of the corporation.
I soon found myself exercising each night until I could do the morning one without falling apart.
The conversation had drifted from one topic to another and ended with a discussion about an upcoming trip to Hawaii for the holidays.
"This food is really good."
"There doesn't seem much point in eating anything other kind. Hang on a minute."
He had waved one of the cafeteria women over and then stood up to make introductions.
Kaylyn Alessa Jennifer Lane Trent... that was one long name and it had made sense that I had been using only my first and last name when Jimmy met me... but there was a nagging bother in the back of my head...
On the flight south to Point Magu, before we had gone to the back of the plane and I joined the 'mile-high' club, I had been thinking long and hard about my time in San Francisco and had decided that it was filled with too many uncomfortable memories.
The truth of the matter it still is to this very day.
It was on that flight to what has become my home that I decided to make as clean a break as possible from my old life.
I had eventually called Kevin the next morning and asked him if just changing the usage of my name would be enough to stand up legally in any contracts I would have to sign. From all the work I had done for him I had a feeling that it shouldn't create too much of a problem for me.
He said that since I was actually using part of my legal name what I wanted to do was fine and would cause no problems as long as there was no fraud involved.
Given all the money that was flowing in and out of the corporation I completely understood why that would be a concern.
I still remember that afternoon as if it were yesterday. I had met with Jimmy and told him what I had done and why and wished to be known as 'Alessa Jennifer Lane' from then on... or, I laughed, until we were married and then I could be Mrs. James Crowell.
His response was the same as it had been the last two days... whenever I was within arm's reach and we were alone, he pulled me into a tight embrace and kissed me. He caressed my dark-honey skin as I squirmed with his touch.
If we had been anywhere near something flat, whether a bed, a floor or even the wall I knew we would have moving together so fast that my clothes probably would had needed cleaning.
I know now that sometimes wishing for something is worse than never dreaming of it in the first place. I was such a naïve, simple woman back then and my heart paid the price for my simple desire of a husband who loved me more than life itself.
I still find it hard to believe how our romance was destroyed so easily and I was left to raise a child almost by myself. If it had not been for the unbelievable support of my friends I would have been at such a complete loss I would have committed suicide, taking my unborn child with me.
Between kisses, Jimmy said my new name several times and that he liked the way it felt in his mouth just, as he joked my "pussy did rubbed against his face".
I do remember that he said my name was now as exotically romantic as he saw me to be. Given the number of times we had fallen into bed in that short time I had to agree with him. Since he said he was only going to call me names like 'Darling and Sweetheart' he was happy with whatever I wanted to call myself.
He had been a fantastic lover and even today I realize what I had lost.
Those days are still the best time of my life and although other wonderful things have happened in my life since, none of them compare to the excitement of that first love in my life.
And so, that day I finally closed away my previous wretched life and started the journey to whatever I have become today.
"Holly, good morning. How are you today?"
