Utopia

Chapter-12

Three days had passed since the lunch in the restaurant. Nancy was almost in tears when I told her what had happened with Ethan.

“I’m so sorry, Hannah,” She said, holding my hands in hers. “I had been only for a month here and I don’t know him well. I thought he was a good fellow. I would have never left you with him if I knew about this.”

“Oh, don’t be sorry,” I said. “Danger was averted. There is no need to be sad about it now.”

I didn’t see Ethan after that day. Maybe he was too ashamed to show his shitty face anywhere near me. That was fine with me. I didn’t want to see that face too. I was working on arranging a video conference for a client and Adrian when my intercom buzzed.

“Hannah, come into my office, please,” Adrian said, curtly. I got up, smoothed my skirt. I opened the connecting door and walked briskly into his office. He was leaned back in his chair and was cracking his knuckles. His suit coat was draped on an edge of his desk. The first button of his shirt was undone and I could see a tiny amount of skin. His tie was loosened. That was enough for me to blush. What was it about a relaxed man that was so erotic?

That thought brought my nocturnal activities back into my mind. In the days following the factory incident, there was not a single day I didn’t use my vibrator, imagining it was Adrian who was doing me. If only Adrian could read that in my face. Suddenly, it was too much for me to stand in front of him and have his eyes on me. It would sure bring all the nightly memories back. But there was no way around it. I made myself move forward towards his desk. His eyes were closed. He looked so peaceful as his chest rose and fell rhythmically.

“Mr. Scott,” I called as I approached his desk. His eyes flew open and then they were on me, intense as ever. My muscles tightened. Why did I have to desire my boss so much? This was torture although sweet.

“Hannah Wells,” He smiled, his lips pulling apart to reveal his teeth. That smile meant he had something to tell that would catch me off guard. Oh boy! I had a feeling this day was going to be interesting. I felt unsteady on my feet. I wished he would ask me to sit.

“Take a seat,” He said like he had read my mind. ‘I have something important to tell you.”

Gladly, I took the seat and waited for him to continue. What would it be this time? A trip to the mafia? A feud with a dangerous politician?

“We are flying tomorrow for the vacation I have talked about earlier,” He said gauging my reaction.

“Tomorrow?” I said. He told me he would inform me only one day prior. But it still came as a shock to me. Here I was, a girl who had never left Chicago for her whole life. And just like that, tomorrow I would be on a flight leaving for a vacation destination. My life had sure did a 180 degrees turn. And more than everything there would be Adrian with me. On the flight, at the hotel. Where were we going exactly and for how long? I put the latter questions to Adrian.

“For how long, the answer is indefinite. For where…” He paused knowing the suspense was killing me. Then he let on: “Utopia.”

I felt like the earth under my feet had crumbled. Surely, I should have heard wrong. Why would we go there? To that fanatic, James Conan’s lair. He was Adrian’s mortal enemy. I searched Adrian’s face to see if he was joking. I would not put it past him. He seemed to enjoy making me squirm. But now his face was serious. He was telling the truth. 

“Why in the world would we go there?” I asked, leaning forward. “James Conan is there. It is dangerous.”

“Precisely, James Conan is there. That’s why we are going.” Adrian said. His voice didn’t betray any emotion. “And for danger, that’s what you signed up for when you took this job.”

Suddenly, I understood all the tests at the interview. I understood the warnings that danger was lurking in this job. Adrian was planning to go to Utopia all along. And he intended to take his secretary with him. That meant I had a role to play. I would be lying if I wasn’t scared of this aspect. But I was also excited. What was Adrian planning exactly?

“You have to make a decision, Hannah,” Adrian said while I was still thinking quietly. “You can refuse to come and resign the job or you can agree to come and keep it. There is no force. It’s entirely in your hands.”

I didn’t have to think much. What did I have here that would be hard to leave if I never came back? Millie. Only Millie. There were nothing and no one else that would be bothered by my absence. And what it would be without this job. Some mindnumbing job I would hate but do for the rest of my life and returning back to my depressing apartment. Adrian had totally ruined me for mundane things in life. Now, I craved excitement. I craved him. Just seeing him every day would be enough. When it came to danger, I didn’t think there would be much danger when I had Adrian by my side. The decision was simple enough to make.

“What time are we leaving tomorrow, Mr. Scott?” I asked. When he smiled next, Adrian had a proud smile on his face. It pleased me that I was the reason for that pride. He knew he made the right decision by selecting me. And that was what I wanted to prove when I took this job.

“I knew you would say that,” He said. Then his eyes darkened. “But this is indeed a dangerous situation, Hannah. I can’t guarantee your safety but God knows I will try as much as I can. Are you willing to take any risk including dying? There is a chance for that. Even if you have an inch of doubt, don’t do this. I want your one hundred percent consent and submission.”

But it had already happened even if Adrian knew it or not. I was already submitted to him. I would do as he said if I would just have that smile of approval. I didn’t admit it to myself until then. But at that moment I knew I would gladly take any risk so I could see that pride in him. Was this what people called daddy issues? Was I giving Adrian a role of authority in my life which I had missed in my childhood? These were questions for a good psychiatrist. Maybe, after all, this had ended and if I was still alive then, then maybe I had to go to a therapist to resolve my issues. But I knew what I would say.

“You have my hundred percent consent, Mr. Scott. You can count on me. I won’t let you down.”

There it was. That pride in his eyes. That sign as valuable as a holy grail to me. I had an irrational urge to reach over the desk and graze my thumb on the roughness of his beard. I wanted to feel that roughness on my cheek, my breasts, on every inch of my body. These wayward thoughts heated my body and made me hyperventilate. Adrian’s gaze never faltered. He was looking directly into my eyes giving the impression that he was reading my soul, including its dirty thoughts. I had never felt so vulnerable and exposed even when I was naked under Jason.

It was Adrian’s mere presence that was very different and larger than life. I had never experienced it before and knew I never would in the future. He was the only one of his kind and I had him totally to myself at that moment.

“Can I have a glass of water?” I asked, reaching for the glass on my side of the desk. I broke the moment deliberately. If it went like this, I knew I would do something that I would regret. I couldn’t and shouldn’t act on my desires. I just couldn’t risk losing this bond we had without knowing what was inside Adrian’s mind. What if he was disgusted when he knew my thoughts?

“Say goodbye to your friend, Millie. You shouldn’t tell her anything about the real reason though. Just tell her you are going to Paris or something for business purposes and staying there indefinitely.”

I looked at him, startled.

“How do you know about Millie?”

“C’mon Hannah. I know everything about you. You think I didn’t verify you after I appointed you. I can’t afford to have spies infiltrate my office, can I?”

I didn’t know why but the prospect that he knew everything about me made me uneasy. It increased that feeling of exposition. There was nothing I had to hide from him. But it was unsettling that he had everything on me while I knew squat about him. Even Google couldn’t give much information on this enigmatic man. Yet I was here, ready to go to a remote island with him. 

“And one more thing,” He said. “Pack all your bags and come to my apartment. I’ll send a  car to your place tonight. We will leave tomorrow afternoon, and I don’t want any delays on your part.”

“Your place?” I stuttered. “I don’t think it will be necessary Mr. Scott. I swear I’ll be on time for the flight.”

Adrian narrowed his eyes.

“I won’t suggest it if it’s not absolutely necessary. Say your goodbyes. Pack your bags and be at my place. You are staying with me until we leave for the flight”

That was it. He effectively shut my mouth by wielding his power as my boss. I nodded. I wondered how both of us would have been if there was not such a big power difference between us.

“You can leave now. Go and start packing.”

“Thank you, Mr. Scott,” I said and walked out of the room without looking back. I didn’t allow myself to think about spending the night at Adrian’s place. I knew it would be anything but normal. It would be better to not think about it and cross that bridge when it came. I retired for the day and drove my beat-up car to my home to finish packing.