I like long slow build-ups -- this story is no exception. If you want to go straight to the action, head for Week 5. Comments and criticisms are always welcome. Please let me know what you think -- and thanks for reading.
*
I was rather surprised to receive the voice mail. I had not heard from Aaron in over two years.
"Marcus. Aaron here. It's been awhile. Listen, I've got a project for you. I don't know if you heard that Carol and I got divorced over a year ago. You may have seen something in the gossip columns. Hey, it just didn't work out. But I've moved on and remarried -- lovely girl named Anika -- stole her off the runway. Anyway, we've bought a top floor condo in a new high-rise in West Chelsea -- a vanilla box -- has great views, but needs tons of work. I'm traveling a lot right now and we need to get this thing going and get out of our loft in Tribeca. I figured it would be a good project for Anika. Can you take it on? I took the liberty of setting up an appointment for you to take a look with the realtor and Anika next Thursday. Hope you can make it. Call me and I'll give you a few more details. Thanks."
Aaron is the manager of a high flying international hedge fund and travels the world. I had, in fact, read about his well publicized divorce, but was certainly unaware that he'd found a new bride.
As an interior designer specializing in the high end residential market in New York, I'm pretty inured to the ups and downs of married life among the rich and famous. In fact my network and contacts are constantly expanding as marriages falter and the parties move on to new relationships.
I had designed a major renovation for Aaron and Carol, his second and last wife, several years back. He had been a great client and wasn't afraid to spend the money necessary to do the job right.
I gave him a call back and he filled me in on his last year. The divorce had been nasty, but he was able to give Carol a sizable settlement and still not affect his lifestyle in any significant way. His fund was doing great, but its international focus was taking him on the road constantly. His new bride had a fashion and modeling background and he knew a project like this would keep her mind off his absence and give her something to sink her teeth into.
"Let her enjoy the process," he told me. "And just send me the bills."
So I agreed to take on the project and to meet Anika on site the following Thursday. I had no idea this would be unlike any project I had ever gotten involved with.
WEEK 1
Thursday came and I arrived on schedule at an address in the West 20s to find a newly constructed condo building sitting very close to the Hudson River. It was in an up-and-coming section of Manhattan that was home to quite a few new buildings catering to the crowd looking for the next hot neighborhood. I was to meet Anika and the realtor in the lobby. I had worked with the realtor, Sally, before and knew she'd have all the details. As I entered the lobby I saw Sally standing with a tall, statuesque black woman. Aaron had left out that particular detail, but I could certainly see why he'd been taken with her. She was a stunning beauty and had a regal bearing. I sauntered up to the two, said hello to Sally and introduced myself to Anika.
"Anika, I presume. I'm Marcus. Very pleased to meet you."
She smiled demurely and held out her hand, gripping mine with a firm warm handshake. "Hi Marcus. Aaron has told me so much about you. I'm very pleased we'll be working together."
She was dressed in very expensive designer clothes. She had a long, lean athletic body, but I could see she had a very ample bust and an exquisite rear end. It was her beautiful face, however, that really drew my attention: big eyes, full lips, delectable chocolate skin, and perfect bone structure. She was gorgeous.
Sally filled me in on the apartment as we rode the elevator. I could feel Anika's eyes on me as we ascended to the top floor. The doors opened, I let the women off before me and watched Anika's beautiful ass sway as she stepped into her future home. I took a look around and knew this was going to be a fun project. The views to the south and west were exceptional. As I surveyed the loft type space I again felt Anika checking me out. I didn't mind.
I'm well into my forties, but I take care of myself and feel quite comfortable in my skin. I've been divorced for five years and when I'm not working, I'm working out, taking my stress out at the gym. At the moment I felt in control and I listened intently as Sally laid out the parameters for the building.
As we walked through the empty space I kept stealing glances at Anika. I didn't want her to see me watching her, as I'd noticed her watching me, but I couldn't keep my eyes off her. Her skin was a rich dark brown and looked like it would be smooth and silky to the touch. Her long black hair cascaded well over her shoulders in long rivulets of tight wavy curls. Her eyes were large and the whites of her eyes contrasted vividly with her dark chocolate skin. When she smiled her glossy white teeth glistened against her full wet lips. Aaron had certainly done quite well for himself. I found myself wondering what it would feel like to kiss her.
At one point I was looking at her as she stood in profile taking in the view across the Hudson. She turned her head suddenly and looked straight at me. She'd caught me looking, she knew it, and she smiled at me in a very subtle way and then looked back away so I could continue my admiring gaze.
As we surveyed the large open space I began to ask Anika questions about what she and Aaron were looking for in their new home. She spoke eloquently and with just a hint of an accent I couldn't quite place. She was quick, smart and knew what she wanted. She asked about how the process would work and I outlined the steps we'd take to a complete project.
"Once we've got good existing floor plans we'll need to establish a program and then we can begin to do some serious design work. I like to meet once a week to keep these kinds of projects on course."
Anika smiled and said she could certainly work out some sort of weekly meeting time and she'd like to get the process started as soon as possible. We set an appointment for the following Thursday at her loft in Tribeca so we could discuss program and look at some of the existing conditions in their present space.
I usually assign these kinds of projects to one of my associates once I get them going. But I felt like this was one project I might keep all to myself. There was something interesting brewing. We bade our goodbyes and I left the two women to talk as I headed back to the office. I was already looking forward to next Thursday.
WEEK 2
I didn't have much to do to prep for our next meeting, so the week slipped by -- early May does that -- and suddenly I found myself in a cab that next Thursday being whisked down toward lower Manhattan to survey the retreat where Aaron had taken refuge with his lovely new wife. We pulled up to a 6 story cast iron building in a very chic street in Tribeca. I tipped the cabbie generously, grabbed my briefcase, and headed up the steps to the front door of their loft building.
I pressed the button for 6B and Anika's sweet voice came over the intercom. She buzzed me in and I took the elevator up to the sixth floor. I approached, knocked gently on the door and it slowly opened. Anika's smiling face appeared from behind the door and I returned her smile and greeting as I entered her space. We shook hands politely, but I could feel the heat of her skin as she clasped my hand.
She looked even better than I remembered and had dressed much more casually than our last meeting. Her hair was pinned up on top of her head, exposing her long, gracious neck and delicate facial features. She wore skintight jeans, a thin light green cashmere sweater and heels. She looked to be around 5'-7", but the heels brought her within inches of my six foot frame. The cashmere lay smoothly on the swell of her very full breasts.
She welcomed me in and led me toward the kitchen area. The loft was a big wide open space with high ceilings and tall double hung windows that looked out onto the Tribeca cityscape. We circled the large granite island in the kitchen and she offered me some tea, which I accepted. I looked around the loft and made mental notes. My eyes kept drifting back to Anika as I took in her womanly shape.
The jeans flared from her tiny waist, caressed her round ass and hugged her cheeks tightly. They also puckered snugly into the crease between her legs, accentuating the round fleshy folds of her mound. They were very tight and left very little to the imagination. I tried very hard to ignore her and look elsewhere.
The purpose of our meeting today was to discuss the program and lay out their desires for the new space. Anika spoke intelligently and with a sweet tenor to her voice. She was certainly educated and very focused. We reviewed their needs and wants and then toured the existing loft to look at existing furniture and rugs they might want to incorporate into the renovation.
When we got to the master bathroom Anika pointed out the huge whirlpool tub. It was six feet long, at least four feet wide and had mirrors on three sides and lots of nooks and shelves with candles. A skylight above bathed the area with natural light.
"Looks like you've got every angle covered in this tub," I stated carefully.
"I love to soak in this tub -- the mirrors, the candles -- it's the best," Anika replied. I imagined her lounging in a bubble bath and had to catch myself from drifting off into fantasy land.
We spent the next hour talking about the project and I took copious notes. I was doing my best to maintain my professional demeanor, but Anika was slowly having an effect on me. I vowed to treat her like any other client and I played it straight for the remainder of our meeting. We confirmed plans to meet in a week when I would have some rough sketches for her to review. We parted ways and I looked forward to diving into the design.
WEEK 3
I spent the next few days sketching ideas for Aaron and Anika's apartment. While I followed the process I'd used countless times before, I couldn't help but fantasize about Anika and how she would use these spaces. I drew the large tub surround she had requested and daydreamed about her bathing her exquisite body in the hot swirling water -- watching herself in the mirrors. I was having a hard time maintaining perspective. But I was certainly looking forward to seeing her and sharing my ideas.
