West Bound For Jordon

Unexpected Encounter

     Jordan shifted in her leather, desk chair, and tapped a cigarette from the pack on her desk. She was restless this afternoon. She normally enjoyed her work but today she couldn't seem to concentrate. She lit the cigarette and strode across the room to look at the D.C. skyline. Her thoughts began to drift. Long, black lashes, dusty-looking and spiked with dried tears, resting against high, cheekbones, a chiseled jaw with a few days-worth of dark stubble, large, deep-set brown eyes, thick, jet-black hair, soft to the touch, wavy, slightly long, rich, caramel-colored skin stretched over taut, well-defined muscles… She imagined him on his knees, his wrists clasped behind his back, his head tilted up, and eyes down. She could almost feel that silky skin beneath her fingertips.

     "Damn it!" she cursed, turning and stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray on her desk. It would do no good to indulge in thoughts about Mr. West. Orion had paid for his indiscretion. She would never play with him again. It was highly likely that he would never wish to lay eyes on her as long as he lived.

     "He wasn't that impressive anyway," she murmured to herself as she sat back down and began to skim through the stack of files on her desk.

     "Who wasn't that impressive, Ms. Jordan?"

     She looked up in surprise to find Lowell haunting her doorway, leaning casually against it in one of his revoltingly adolescent ensembles. "Christ on a stick, Lowell! What the hell are you wearing?" she quipped in annoyance.

     Lowell opened his mouth in shock and looked down over his hot-pink, skin-tight t-shirt and sky-blue, skinny jeans paired with yellow Chuck Taylor's. "What's wrong with it?" he asked.

     "Never mind," she sighed. "Mr. West."

     "What about Orion?" Lowell wondered.

     "He wasn't that impressive, damn it! Why are you bothering me?" Jordon shouted, her composure threatening to slip.

     "You said you wanted to go for lunch at the café and its noon so… Besides, why are you thinking about him anyway?"

     Jordon flashed narrowed eyes at Lowell and noticed his slight grin. He leaned over her desk and his grin morphed into a million-watt smile. "Perhaps Mr. West got under your skin?"

     "f**k you, Lowell! I couldn't give two shits about that spoiled brat now go tell Eloise that we're leaving and have her hold my calls!"

     "Sure thing, Ms. Harley. You know, lesser men wouldn't put up with your attitude!"

     Jordon tossed an ink pen at Lowell's receding form as he slipped out of her office and pulled the door closed behind him. Truth was, he was right. Most men who had to work in a subordinate position to her at Harley investments couldn't deal with her sarcastic and domineering personality. Not that she gave a damn. Men were beneath her. Now Lowell, he was neither male nor female so he flew below the radar. Mr. West, however, was all male and he personified all the things about men that Jordon hated. So why the hell was he on her mind so much lately?

     She slipped her sweater on over the red, sleeveless dress she wore and pushed her feet into the towering, black heels. Jordon switched off the lights and locked her office, then made her way down the hallway toward the reception area where she found Lowell, leaning over the desk and flirting openly with the blonde boy from the mailroom.

     "Lowell!" Jordon hissed and he spun around quickly, blushing as he joined her on the way to the elevators. He remained blessedly silent on the trip down but Jordon could tell he was busting with pent up excitement. In her mind, she imagined him on the end of a leash running around in the park, his tongue hanging out as he chased a ball around. The visual made her smile and she tipped her head back to rest it against the metal wall, finding the vibrations of the elevator soothing.

     "The corner café ok?" Lowell asked.

     "Yes, damn it! That's where we always eat isn't it?" she asked.

     "Uh-huh but…"

     "But what, Lowell!" she demanded.

     "Well, it's just that, well… you see…"

     "Lowell!" Jordan had had enough of him and was about to consider going to lunch on her own when he stammered out the rest of his reservations.

     "Orion goes there to eat."

     "Oh," Jordon couldn't think of anything to say. For a moment, she was completely silent, and then it occurred to her to be curious about why.

     "Since when does that rich boy eat in a café and our café no less?" she asked as the elevator doors opened and they began to cross the lobby.

     Lowell hurried to catch up, nearly running into a delivery man pushing a dolly full of boxes. "He lives in my building and well, we sort of ran into each other a few days ago. I told him you live just down the block and…"

     "You told him that? What the hell were you thinking? Why would you tell him where I live and since when does he live in your building? I've sure as hell never seen him there!"

     "Well, he lives in the penthouse and it has its own elevator. He admitted he doesn't usually eat at the café but I've sort of noticed him there a few times since then and he usually comes over and sits at my table so…"

     "Do you mean to tell me that you and Mr. West are acquaintances now? You eat together? What the f**k do you talk about?"

     "Well, ma'am, in all honesty… mostly we talk about you. I mean that is, he asks questions and I answer."

     "What does he ask?" Jordon demanded trying not to seem like an eager teenager who just found out the boy she has a crush on was inquiring about her. Jordon reminded herself that she didn't care about him. Orion was just a ship that passed in the night of her life and nothing more.

     "He asked me what you were like. He wanted to know if you have a boyfriend and what type of men you're interested in. Of course, I didn't tell him about your clients but I did tell him that you like older, successful men so he needn't bother…"

     "Bother with what, exactly, Lowell?" she nearly shouted.

     "Asking you out, of course. You would never want to go out with a man like him. I told him he wasn't your type and not to bother."

     "Was he insinuating that he wanted to ask me out?"

     "No, not in so many words but I got the feeling he was fishing for information and why else would a guy ask about a woman like you? You're clearly out of his league!" Lowell quipped, picking at a hangnail on his thumb and seeming bored with the conversation but Jordan caught the slightest gleam in his eyes, the presumptuous little s**t! He was obviously trying to bait her. For all, she knew the deviant bastards were in it together. Lowell had always teased her about her 'old men' and he would probably love nothing more than for her to fall hard for a man like Orion.

     "Lowell, I don't know what you're trying to prove but it's not going to work. I'm absolutely and in no way interested in Mr. West beyond a working relationship."

     "But you played with him! I watched the video…"

     "Lowell, you promised to never speak of that in public and we are about as much in public as we can be! And as you well know, that was punishment and nothing more. It's done. I have no logical reason to ever see him again in that kind of setting."

     Jordon pushed open the door of the café and stepped inside, holding it for Lowell. They headed for the bar area and sat down. Jordan waved over the barista and ordered two café latte's and began to peruse the menu. Lowell glanced around nervously and shuffled on his bar-stool.

     "What the hell is the matter with you?" Jordan demanded.

     "Well, I'm sure you don't want to know this but…"

     "Hello, Ms. Harley."

     Jordan spun around on her stool and nearly knocked the cup of latte out of the barista's hand as she set it down in front of her. Orion was standing right beside her. She felt the color drain out of her face and struggled to keep her composure as images of him hanging by his wrists from the ceiling of the playroom while she decorated his back with her flogger, flooded her thoughts.

     "Mr. West, Lowell just informed me that you've become a patron of this establishment," she stated, attempting to make her voice display the control she wasn't feeling.

     "Yeah, just kind of wandered in here one day and found him at the bar. It's nice to have someone I know living in my building. We've met here for dinner a few times since then, haven't we, Lowell?"

     Lowell nodded and turned back to his cup of latte, pretending not to be paying attention to their conversation. Jordan shot daggers at his back then swiveled on her bench to face Orion again. "Won't you sit down, Mr. West?" she gestured to the stool next to her, despising the fact that he would do exactly that but not knowing what else to do.

     "I'd be honored to eat with you, that is if you aren't expecting anyone else?"

      Jordon knew it was a loaded question but she shook her head no, sharply, and gave the barista her order. When the girl turned a blushing face to Orion, he smiled up at her and nodded. "The usual, Penny," he said.

     The barista shuffled away, still blushing and grinning like a teenager. Jordon found herself struggling not to feel possessive of Orion. She had no right to and she knew it but the cold, jealous sensation began to run up and down her spine like a poisonous snake. She took a sip of her latte and nearly burned her tongue.

     "Not working today, Mr. West?" she asked.

     "No, I'm off today," he answered, shuffling thorough he pockets of his leather jacket as if he was looking for something of great importance.

     "Did you lose something?" she asked.

     "Well, I can't seem to find my… f**k! I think I left my wallet in my apartment!"

     "I've got it Lowell piped up from behind Jordon. I'll get yours too, Ms. Harley. You paid for me last time."

     "No, I'll just run back and get it…" Orion began.

     "Nonsense let the boy pay for your lunch. You can get his ticket next time!" Jordon was surprised at the harshness of her voice and she softened it with a hand on Orion's broad shoulder as he appeared somewhat crestfallen.

     "Everyone forgets things sometimes. Even me," she said, allowing herself to enjoy the feeling of heat seeping through his shirt and into the palm of her hand. When he moved a bit to face her, the tips of her fingers slid down onto his bicep and she felt the strength and power in him as it flexed when he scooted his stool closer to her. She let her hand fall away and picked up her cup again, startled that she'd touched him in the first place.

     Orion cleared his throat and tugged at his shirt collar. "It's hot in here, isn't it?" he asked a slight croak to his voice.

     "I think it feels fine," Lowell mumbled, attempting to lose himself in the pages of his paperback.

     Jordan watched Orion take a sip of his coffee. Her eyes followed the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. She saw the quick movement of his tongue when he licked the foam from his lips. Yes, it was hot in there. It was definitely hot. Jordon's mind began to wander again as her gaze traveled down the front of his button-up shirt to the point where it disappeared beneath the wide, leather belt. She remembered how seductive it had been to watch him undress for her and how she'd had to struggle not to openly ogle him as he'd been doing it. When he shifted again, he raised his hips a bit and she could almost make out the outline of his c**k against the zipper of his black pants.

     "Umm, Jordon…"

     "What, Lowell?" she asked, turning to face him with a venomous expression.

     "Food's here!" he replied, grinning.

     She shook her head with annoyance and reached for her sandwich. Orion had ordered the exact same thing and it made her wonder if he was only doing that because Lowell had told him the pulled pork was her favorite. She silently berated herself for being so anxious and out of control. Surely Lowell had picked up on it but as long as Orion remained oblivious… What the hell did she care if he knew or not?

     "Will you excuse me?" she asked and quickly slipped off the stool, heading for the ladies' room in the back. Once behind the safety of the door, she leaned against the wall and took a few steadying breaths. 

     "What the hell is wrong with me? I'm acting like a love-struck teenager! He means nothing to me!" 

     She splashed water on her face and steadied herself for a few moments before she went back outside to face them. When she took her seat between the two men, she felt marginally better. They were both eating with gusto and as long as they had food to keep them occupied, she had nothing to worry about.

     "Oh my God!" Lowell gushed, suddenly, talking around a mouthful of food. "Orion, you should see the inside of Jordon's apartment! You love that modern-looking art s**t. She has a lot of it! Her whole place it like that, minimalism and clean lines. She did it herself!"

     Jordon wondered how many years she would get for smashing Lowell's head with a sledgehammer. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and turned to face her. "Why you could just take the rest of the day off, Jordon. You don't have any important commitments. You should show Mr. West your place. He'd love it!"

     "Lowell, I'm sure he has better things to do with his time…" Jordan began.

     "I'd love to see it!" Orion spoke up.

     "f**k you, Lowell," Jordon mouthed at her best friend before turning around to face Orion.

     "I suppose I could show it to you but I'm sure your place is much more impressive," Jordon said, attempting to appear bored with the conversation.

     "I'd still love to see it. That is if you're comfortable showing it to me."

     Jordon didn't even pretend there was no unspoken innuendo in that statement. He wanted to be alone with her and that was obvious. His body language betrayed it as much as his words and enthusiasm. He leaned toward her unconsciously and hung on her every word. His eyes strayed to her mouth, her cleavage, back to her eyes. He was a pent up ball of energy, much like Lowell. But that was good, Jordon could work with that. Pent up frustration was a wonderful starting point for an exercise in submission. All kinds of scenarios began to form in her mind. None of them even remotely resembled the way she'd imagined her afternoon to be going when she'd arrived at work that morning.

     "s**t, look at the time!" Lowell laughed, shoving the last of his sandwich into his mouth and chasing it down with the latte. "I've got to get back to the office. Ms. Harley, I'll let them know you're with a client," Lowell called as he grabbed his jacket and breezed out the door.

     "Orion is not a client!" Jordon shouted after him, attracting the attention of several of the café's patrons who turned to stare at her. She gave them all a smoldering glance as she turned back to Orion. "Sometimes I don't know why I keep that boy around," she mumbled, yanking up her cup and taking a sip of coffee.

     "Lowell is a barrel of fun. I've only known him for a few weeks and I consider him a good buddy, the attempted castration episode aside of course," Orion laughed.

     Jordon turned to study him again. He sat in profile to her and she could see, from this angle, that his face still held the boyish looks that it must have had when he was younger but the sharp angles of his jaw and the stubble made him look older. Still, he was nothing like the seasoned men she preferred to dominate. But then again… wasn't that something else entirely? Did she want to break him again? Hadn't she already done that? Was this something else?

     She finished her lunch as quickly as she could without appearing overly eager. Orion was already done and waited patiently on her while she disposed of her trash and tossed a few bills on the counter for the tip. Lowell had already paid for everything before he left. She led the way out of the café with Orion following after her. As they walked side by side down the street toward her brownstone, passing by his and Lowell's building, Jordon felt the anticipation begin to rise.

     What might happen once they were alone in her apartment? What did he think would happen? Did he expect s*x? Did she? Would he want to play again? Surely he understood that she wasn't the type of woman to engage in casual encounters? Jordon began to wonder what it would be like to do just that; to fall into bed with this exotic, powerful, beautiful young man and lie beneath him, feel the crush of his weight pushing her down against the mattress, the force of his thrusts as he filled her…

     The color rose to her cheeks and her body began to respond. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of his cologne. He was walking so close to her that she had only to reach out her hand and touch him. God, what the hell was happening to her? What was this? She didn't want this, these feelings. She struggled to keep her steps quick and light. She made every effort to seem at ease when they crossed the lobby of her building and she pressed the button for the pent-house.

     Orion was looking aside at the art hanging on the wall of the lobby. He seemed a bit nervous and bit at his nails every few moments. Good, she was glad he was feeling it too. She could work with that as well. Her legs began to shake when the doors closed, trapping then together in that little space. She could smell him; feel the heat coming off of him. She was sure she was wet. Her whole body wanted him. It made no sense. It wasn't logical. Her entire adult life had been spent keeping men at a distance, proving that she didn't need it…them…this…

     The doors opened onto the private hall that led to her apartment. The door was directly in front of her. She reached, with a trembling hand, into her purse and retrieved the key. He stood silently by while she unlocked the door and followed her inside. When she turned to lock the door behind them, he shocked her with a completely unexpected gesture. Orion West dropped to his knees on the floor, his hands behind his back, his head up, eyes down, and leaned forward, pressing his face against her thigh.

     "Mistress…" he sighed. The word seeming more like a benediction than a statement.

     "Oh Christ," she screamed inside her head. "Oh, f*****g hell!"