Chapter 5
He is a tall man, with broad shoulders, and at this moment, he is talking to the customers while taking off his leather jacket. His muscular and defined arms are on display as his right hand grabs the whiskey bottle, tipping it to his mouth. It's impossible not to admire him, and looking around, I notice that all the other women are also sighing at the sight of him.
I return my attention to the table and talk to my mom. However, every five minutes, my eyes search for him. The rest of the night is calm, our conversations are superficial, the food is magnificent, and Jack keeps his distance, only watching us. When it’s almost 2 a.m., he closes everything, and we wait in the car.
I lean my head against the glass, comfortably settled in the back seat, watching from a distance as everyone says their goodbyes. I was so focused on watching him that I didn’t even notice the other staff, and from here, I can’t clearly make out their faces. Liana talked the whole night about herself, the trips they’ve taken over the last six months, the wedding, and I didn’t even bother to ask her anything; I just listened.
When we enter the apartment, I go straight to my room without saying anything. After taking a hot shower and my daily medication, I finally fall asleep.
The sun rises, and I get up calmly. I put on a presentable outfit and stop at the door of my room, pressing my ear against the wood. The place is silent, and I conclude that there’s no one in the apartment.
"Now it will be like this, I will avoid Jack, that's it."
I leave the room and head to the kitchen. The place is huge, with white cabinets, marble countertops, and a marble table, while the glass windows occupy the entire wall. Almost every room has a sea view, and I’m fascinated; it’s definitely anyone's dream environment.
I approach the drink cabinet and see a box of apple cinnamon tea. I sigh in relief, it’s my favorite, and I imagine I must have inherited this taste from my mother. I heat the water in the electric kettle, grab a cup, place the tea bag, and add a sugar cube. When the tea is ready, I sip it carefully while admiring the magnificent view of the sea. The blue waters are choppy, the sky is filled with white clouds, and a few people walk along the sands.
Instantly, I think of the previous night, of Jack smiling and drinking with his customers. My body comes alive, deeply overwhelmed by euphoria, by the sensation of someone squeezing my air. Remembering Jack distorts my truths and awakens unknown desires within me.
I leave the kitchen and walk towards a door at the end of the hallway, with a "Do Not Enter" sign. I imagine it’s Jack’s private office. I want to know more about him, his tastes, and his past. I enter the room, and his magnificent scent is completely infused into the space.
I breathe in, completely surrendered, and approach his desk in the center. The walls are white, the windows large, the furniture is black, and the decor surprises me. There are several pictures of drinks, pictures of him with his staff, others making wine, and I feel like I’m in his personal world.
On his desk, there’s a family photo frame and another of him on a bad boy-style motorcycle. A smile escapes my lips, and I startle when his deep voice appears behind me.
"That day was crazy."
His heavy footsteps stop in front of me, and he sits on the corner of the desk, crossing his arms.
"I drove that motorcycle all over the city, the wind was fierce that day, and at night, I drank whiskey with my friends in the middle of the woods." He sighs nostalgically.
"I didn’t expect you to be a bad boy," I provoke.
"There are many things you don’t know about me, Clayre!"
My heart races when he stands up and approaches, too close.
"Will you tell me your secrets?" I whisper.
"Which ones do you want to hear? The good ones or the forbidden ones?" His face is millimeters from mine, and he needs to slightly lean forward to match my height.
I lose control of my own body. My eyes blink rapidly.
I wish I could look away from his eyes, but I remain locked in his green gaze. His warm breath touches my lips, and his scent leaves me ecstatic. I no longer have doubts that I need to stay away from him because, at this moment, all I want is to taste his lips.
I can’t make a sound and quickly leave the room, fleeing to my bedroom. I know he feels my hesitation, my nervousness, and especially my complete inability to think during the brief moments I spent by his side.
Jack Bourbon is different. His laid-back attitude, passion for drinks, the way he behaves, showing his thirst for adventure. Tasting him would cause a much worse damage than alcohol, something unique and irreversible.
The first two weeks were an adjustment period at my mother’s house. I took the time to check my registration, explore the sea, visit some city spots, and stay as far away from Jack as possible. Liana has been reserved, a woman of few words, and the wall that has always separated us remains intact in my mind. I admire the sea, feeling the texture of the fine sand on my bare feet. I sit and inhale the scent of the beach. I close my eyes, the wind touching my face and bringing along thousands of salty water particles. The seagulls fly across the sky, letting their calls turn into a beautiful soundtrack.
At this moment, the longing for my father tightens in my chest, and I wish he were by my side, admiring this incredible sunset view. When the first stars appear in the sky, I sigh, enchanted, but also feel sadness at the thought of returning to the apartment. I gather my purse, and within a few minutes, I’m entering the living room. I freeze upon finding Jack sitting on the couch, as I returned thinking I wouldn’t find him here anymore. He smiles, and his gaze lowers to my feet, which still have some grains of sand on them.
"I thought you’d be at the beach."
"Sorry, my feet are dirty, but I’ll clean the floor after my shower." Jack stands and approaches me, stopping in front of me.
My body tenses, and we stare at each other silently. I’ve been avoiding him so diligently these last fifteen days that seeing him now seems to worsen everything I was already feeling. A burning sensation bubbles in my stomach, and my heart races. His right hand rises, and gently touches my hair, sliding a blonde strand between his fingers.
"Your hair is golden like the sun, and your eyes seem to shine like the stars..." He touches my jaw, and my body freezes in tension. "Has anyone ever told you that you’re beautiful?" he asks, his eyes fixed on my lips. "Why have you been avoiding me? We live in the same apartment, and I’ve only seen you twice in the last fifteen days." I lower my head, embarrassed, but his hand lifts my face, keeping our eye contact.
"I don’t want to bother you, or make you feel like you no longer have privacy because I’m here!" I assert, while he shakes his head.
"You’re not bothering us, come on, I’ve been waiting for you. Get ready, your mom will have dinner at the bar tonight, and I want you to go too. What do you think?" I shyly agree, his piercing gaze urging me, and I quickly move away.
"Yes, that sounds great. I’ll be back in a minute!" I leave the room with quick steps, trying to stop my heart from racing out of exhaustion.
I hurriedly close the bedroom door, relieved to be away from his remarkable presence. I could dwell on my confused feelings, but I just focus on getting ready. After all, I know he’s running late, he was just waiting for me. After the shower, I choose a short, low-cut satin pink dress and apply a sweet fragrance.
When I finish, I head to the living room, and Jack stands up so we can leave. His vibrant green eyes never leave me, and even his presence beside me in the elevator shakes me. It’s strange how opposite sensations blend in my heart. I want to talk to him, smile, hear about his likes, how his life has been up until now, but I know all of this would come at a price—the price of the forbidden desire that has appeared at the most inconvenient times and stolen my peace.