“Why the frown?”
He startles me: I thought he was still asleep. “Just thinking.”
“About?”
Inhale, Ella, and just go for it, I tell myself. “The logistics of my new job.”
I can feel his whole body stiffen around me. “So you are taking it, then?”
“Yes.” The least said the better, I think. I dare a peek at his face.
He looks pissed: his jaw is clenched and his eyes narrowed—quite a marked difference from the sleeping angel of a few minutes ago. “I see. I need to go to Tokyo next weekend and I thought to ask you to accompany me. Is that at all possible if you accept the position?”
“I’m not sure, Ian. I’ll have to stay in New York to do that interview that Lucien has been waiting for. That might take me past the weekend…”
“Too bad. It would have been nice to have you along. This will be only the second time I’ve visited Japan—it would be wonderful to have you there to sightsee with me.”
“Oh, I would love that, actually.” I know I shouldn’t feel guilty one tiny bit… but I do. I really do. Stupid, I know.
He says nothing, just swings his long legs over the side of the bed to get up. I watch his lean, graceful body as he stretches. Lean but powerful. Ah. The glory of young men is in their strength. He turns to see me ogling him and gifts me with a small smile. “Shall we go out to breakfast or call for room service?”
“Go out, I think. I want to see more of the city.”
“Okay. I’m getting in the shower.”
I surprise him in the shower, tiptoeing in silently, and grab him from behind… but he’s waiting for me, the sneak. In one fluidly efficient motion, he spins me around, pins my arms over my head, pushes me against the wall, and rams into me as the water turns scorching, scalding us both.
“Too hot!” I yelp and he turns up the cold water with his knee.
“Are you mine, Ella?” His face leans heavily on my cheek, his lips on my ear; I can’t escape any part of him.
Panting, I try to avoid answering.
“Ella, answer the question.” He continues thrusting his hips forcefully, making any coherent thought impossible. With one hand he’s holding my wrists, the other is brutally gripping my right hip, holding me in place.
“Right now I am.” I move forward, rest my face on the cool tile: I want to concentrate on feeling rather than thinking.
He falls silent then, instinct swamping intellect, and I fall with him, switching off my mind to revel in the physical wonder of what boy plus girl can equal.
“Ella, fantastic news! I’m excited,” Lucien says as I reach him in Paris a few hours later. “In the paperwork I gave you yesterday, you’ll find the contact information for both my crew and the interview subject. Her name is Maya St. Sauveur and she promised me that she’ll be back in the city by Tuesday afternoon. If you can shoot the interview, I think you can probably head back out west afterward. Also, can you sign the contract and send a copy to my New York address, as well as to my attorney’s office that’s listed on the back of the contract?
“Absolutely. I noticed you provided a list of questions you’d like me to ask her. Do you want me to go beyond those or adhere strictly to the script?”
“At your discretion, Ella. As long as you cover my questions, feel free to ask your own—within the bounds of the subject matter, but I know I don’t have to tell you that. I included a DVD of some of the interviews I’ve already taped of others so you can get a feel for how to approach it.”
“Oh, that helps. Alright, I’ll spend tomorrow reviewing all the material and getting ready for Tuesday.”
“Great. I’ll be back in the States before the end of the month. Will you be able to return to New York at that time so we can work with the editor on the new footage and perhaps splice it with the others?”
“Not a problem, Lucien. I’m really looking forward to this project. Do you have a projected completion date?”
“We’re aiming for end of March so it can go into post-production and be ready for release May one.”
“That seems like plenty of time. Okay, I don’t want to keep you on the phone, Lucien, so I’m going to compile a list of questions and email them to you—that way you can answer at your leisure. Sound good?”
“Perfect, Ella. I’ll look forward to it. Enjoy your stay in New York—there’s no better city in the world… except maybe for Paris.”
“Thanks, I will. Bye, Lucien.” I disconnect and try to avoid looking across the table at Ian. I don’t need to look because I can feel his eyes on me, hostility radiating out like an atomic cloud threatening to engulf me.