The morning of Tracy’s meeting with Gordon Baxter was a frenzied rush of activity, as she had tons of things to do. She was a nervous wreck. Everything that she did was done with half her mind elsewhere, leading to more than one disaster. The coffee machine overflowed after she dumped way too much coffee grounds into the basket. Her solitary piece of toast, the only thing that she thought could stomach, burned into a stinky, square puck.Even her lowly hair brush wasn't immune. Some time earlier, Tracy had accidentally turned on a flat iron that she’d left out. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she hadn’t left her brush sitting on top of it. When she stepped out of the shower, she was met only by a molten puddle of plastic and rubber.If this is how today is going to be, she thought to herself, maybe I should just go back to bed.Mr. Hayes, who had gone out briefly that morning, walked back into their bedroom and spotted Tracy sitting on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a plush cotton to
"So," Tracy turned to Mr. Hayes, who had his eyes fixed on the road in front of them as it whipped by their luxury car. "Are you excited?"He quickly turned to her and flashed a smile. "Yes, but probably not as much as you."Tracy wrapped her fingers around the seat belt near her shoulder and sank down into the seat with a giddy giggle."Probably not,” she agreed. The look of desire Gordon had given her flashed into her mind.As time went on, the nervousness started to relent and gave way to a hesitant air of child-like excitement. Tracy knew that nothing was guaranteed: her restaurant, her relationship, the life that she was living. All of it could be so easily yanked out from under her by a few different people. If Gordon or Mr. Hayes had a change of heart, she knew that her dreams would go up in smoke. Still, that knowledge had been progressively pushed back into the recesses of Tracy’s mind.Pulling up to the empty parking lot, it felt like Christmas morning.Tracy shifted and sat
When he was gone, she turned back to the kitchen."What are you working on now?" she asked, watching him with wide eyes. He grinned at her, and the heat of his gaze made her core heat."Ah," Gordon reached into a metal bin and scooped up a small ball of rice. "I made some risotto yesterday and stuck it in the cooler overnight."The way that he moved around the kitchen so effortlessly was amazing to Tracy. Seeing anyone perform a skill that they’ve mastered was a treat, but seeing a chef on her payroll do his thing was even more rewarding. There was an easy dexterity in the way that he handled his tools that was fascinating to her, almost entrancing.Gordon pressed his thumb into the ball of creamy rice, forming a little divot."So I take it and form the risotto around a piece of this amazing buffalo mozzarella that I found just a block from here. Then it gets breaded and fried up really quick."He quickly made five more before dropping them all into a bowl of bread crumbs and tossing
“I want both of you to fuck me,” she told him.“Anything,” he said immediately. She figured that he had been prepared for this for some time, ever since she had given him the night of his life with Jenna Tice.Tracy reached over to the throbbing erection in his slacks and stroked it only twice. Her touch made him whimper like a puppy."Good," she said and pushed his hand off of her. "I think we'll both enjoy it."Not a moment later, Gordon came back around the corner with a tart pan in his hand."Ready for dessert?" he asked, oblivious to what had just happened seconds before.Tracy glanced over to Mr. Hayes. He nodded. "I’m ready."If Gordon knew anything about what was going on, he showed no signs of it. Instead, he went right back to work slicing the fruit-studded pastry with a long, sharp knife."Finally, I made a Tahitian vanilla custard tart with seasonal fruits and almond whipped cream. I've been told it's better than sex.” He paused, watching her reaction.Tracy licked her lip
"That was nice, Tracy. I've actually dreamed of us doing this ever since that night with you and Jenna," Mr. Hayes said.She struggled to keep her eyes open the entire ride home, though the rhythmic whooshing of passing cars tempted her to the realm of sleep. She struggled out of the car when they arrived and climbed up the stairs, holding onto the banister like a rock-climber dangling from a cliff. Her feet felt like cement and her head felt like it was about to float away.Suddenly, what Mr. Hayes had said in the car came back to her. Mr. Hayes had dreamed about a two man threesome.How did I not know that was going to happen? Why didn’t I see it?As tired as she was, the nagging doubt in her blossoming abilities weighed even heavier on her mind. She wondered whether or not the skill was fading or, even worse, if she was just outright losing her marbles. There were times when she certainly felt like it could be the latter.By the time that Tracy reached the massive, plush bed, her e
The weeks leading up to the grand opening of Tracy’s restaurant were a flurry of activity. There was a constant stream of vendors and new employees running in and out of the place from morning to night. At the center of it all was the waitress-turned-head honcho who, at the end of the day, felt about as lost as the day she chose to make it happen. The constant tornado of events made it almost impossible to concentrate on anything for more than a minute or two.The first few days, she avoided Gordon. After their sexual night together followed by the disturbing dream, she wasn't sure what to expect from him. But, he behaved as if nothing had ever happened between them. He was the complete professional, which was good because Tracy felt like everything was falling apart at the seams.Fortunately, Gordon stepped in to help, after finding her almost in tears because she got the wrong size onions. From that point on, the two worked seamlessly in tandem in a way that Tracy hadn’t expected. B
Inside Gordon’s room at the top of the luxury tower, the fireplace had been lit well before their arrival, warming the room to a toasty temperature in stark contrast to the cold that had settled over the area. A storm had moved in swiftly, smothering everything for miles in a icy blanket.Tracy shivered as she looked around the room, trying to relax. A track of dim, hidden accent lights circled the vaulted ceiling, giving the room an inviting glow. Tracy walked in, her heels clacking on the Italian marble flooring, and tried to take it all in."This place is amazing,” she said softly. It was a beautiful room.Gordon closed the door softly. When the handle popped shut, Tracy tried not to flinch. All that she could think about was the gun from her dream."Have a seat," he said and walked to the bar. "I’ll get you something to drink."Tracy sat down on the edge of the plush couch near the fireplace. Right away, she started to sink in to it. The softness of it put her sore feet and tired
She hurried through the main lobby. There wasn’t another soul in sight, save for the two front desk clerks who waved her goodbye.Outside, posted against one of the tall, Romanesque columns holding up the reception area, Mr. Hayes waited for her silently. When she finally saw him, after almost walking past without a second look, her heart sank. She didn’t want him to find out like this. There wasn’t even enough time for her to process what Gordon told her, let alone enough for her to find the right words to say to him.She could only imagine what he thought, seeing his girlfriend come out of another man's hotel room late at night. There was really only one thing he could think and it broke her heart."What is going on, Tracy?" His voice was soft. There was a pain there that made her throat tighten.She stopped a few feet away from him and lowered her head."We need to talk," she said. “There's some things you need to know.”He swallowed hard and nodded, eyes dark and sad. The two walk