Thank God for Bob, he thought to himself. Bob couldn't have chosen a better time to have the office retreat, now he'd have an entire weekend trying to get with Joan while they were out of the office. Bob made it a point of duty to have everyone leave on Friday evening, that way they'd enjoy the full weekend. He couldn't wait till they got there, he glanced to his right from his seat in first class on the plane, and there she was sleeping with her earplugs in listening to what? He didn't know. But he was looking at her pouty mouth and the smile that was etched on her face. She looked so sexy, he watched the rise and fall of her chest gazing down to her breasts and felt himself stirring, he quickly averted his eyes not wanting to embarrass himself. They'd be in Hawaii soon enough, so he concentrated on the remainder of the journey and kept thinking of ways to get her.
By Saturday evening, everyone having lunch together Jasen realized that she was a chameleon who blended in and laughed and spoke with everyone but still managed to make her life completely personal. Even when she had to tell stories, which everyone had to do on the trip, hers got everyone laughing close to tears, but James noticed how detached it was from the person telling the story even if it did happen to her or she lived through it. How did she manage being so warm and affectionate while keeping everyone at arm's length? He wondered if he was the only that she just wouldn't let in because he was her boss. When lunch ended he excused himself moments after she did.
"Why are you following me?" she asked while crossing the lobby heading to the elevator, she no longer needed to look behind her to know when he was present, she could feel it to her very fiber and that annoyed her.
"Just wanted to make sure you got back fine is all." He answered not really surprised that she knew he was there.
"So you're my guard for this trip?" she asked uninterestingly, "don't you have anything better to do than follow me around, I mean, this is Hawaii, there's a whole lot of beaches and sand and girls." She said pressing the button for the elevator.
He grabbed her shoulder turning her to face him, "I don't want a girl." He said staring straight in her eyes, he captured her lips for a searing kiss, "you're the woman I want." He said when he let her up for air. The ding of the elevator jarred her from her trance, and she was swamped with the feeling of déjà vous, she came out of his grasp and went to the elevator selected her floor and waited for the door to close, all this time watching him watch her; finally behind the closed door of the elevator she released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her first priority now would be to keep as far as humanly possible from her dream lover, or else she'd do something totally stupid like fall even more in love with him.
*******
Jasen looked at his clock, 9:00 PM, yet she hadn't left her room since he'd seen her in the early evening. He had the bellhop keeping an eye out for him while he was in his room and since he emerged to have a drink by the bar, he'd been watching the elevator closely. He was on his second drink, when he heard the elevator's chime; he glanced over to see if she might be in it like he had for the last 500 times that it chimed since he'd been there. He was not disappointed this time though, his jaws dropped as she wore a short black tight number, it hugged her curves, emphasized her breasts and tucked her tummy. She didn't give a glance in his direction and just walked right through the doors, leaving him and many others drooling. A few seconds later he pulled himself from his fantasy and realized that he really had to follow her because he couldn't be held accountable for what he'd do if any guy dared touching her. By the time he got out, there was no sign of her anywhere, he felt his anger at himself swell. He kicked the ground swearing.
She watched him from the back seat of the cab, he looked like he was going crazy, kicking the ground and all; he must have felt the power of her stare cause his eyes landed on the car that she was in and recognition flared across his face. She felt him as he stared at her earlier but refused to acknowledge him because she didn't want to have to deal with their attraction tonight. She turned around to the driver then and leaned back enjoying the journey.
She stepped out from the cab when it stopped and the driver pointed her to the club that she had requested. She stepped in surveying the club, it was full but not overly so, just what she wanted, she made her way to the bar, she decided that her poison of choice tonight would be vodka, so she ordered her mix sipped slowly, all the while taking in the atmosphere of the place.
His cab was passing the cab that she was in, he knew because he had quickly noted the license plate before the car was too far to see. He asked his driver to stop, then was on the strip with at least 5 different clubs and he had to go into each to find out where she was.
Some time later he made his way to the third club on the list, this being the most packed, the beat could be felt through the sole of his feet and he knew she was here. He was having the feeling he got every time they were in the same room, now he just had to find her. He went to the bar and despite his best efforts, his head was moving along to the dance/techno beat. He scanned the crowds and spotted her, he saw red as he realized that she was dancing and some muscle head punk who had his hands on her hips possibly grinding on her ass, and she was making out with a chick. This could not be happening. He made his way over to them and tapped lightly on the girl's shoulder, she turned her startled green gaze to him. He ushered his excuses and reached for Joan's hand pulling her away from the muscle head who was reluctant to let her go. One look from Jasen and the man backed off.
"What was that about?" she asked him slightly slurred.
"Nothing" he said, looking down at his watch, 10:10. "Gonna take you back to the hotel OK!" he shouted back above the music.
She slipped her hands out of his, "NO, I'm not OK with that. I'm not ready to go."
