Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds,
can change the outer aspects of their lives.
—William James
Chapter 6
Her eyes didn’t open until she heard the door and her breakfast arrive. It usually came after she awoke. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was 10:30, the latest she’d slept since her initial arrival. The young lady with the food apologized. “I am sorry, Ms. Claire. I know you were still asleep, but Mr. Rawlings would like you dressed and in his office by noon. Catherine said you need to eat.” She handed Claire her robe as she got out of the bed.
“Is Mr. Rawlings working from home again today?” Claire’s head pounded and body ached. This was way too late for coffee, and perhaps the activities of yesterday were affecting her.
“Miss, today is Sunday. Mr. Rawlings is usually home on Sundays.” The young lady left the suite. Claire made a mental note: Watch out for Sundays.
Timidly, Claire approached the mirrors in the bathroom. Lowering the soft robe, she saw long red stripes on her back and new bruises. She didn’t cry. She steamed with anger. Of course, it was directed toward him but also at herself. She wanted this nightmare to end, but she couldn’t figure out the solution. Helplessness was not an emotion Claire was accustomed to feeling, and she didn’t like it. Her only solution was to remain resolute until an opportunity arose.
At eleven fifty-seven, Claire knocked on Anthony’s office door. The door opened, and he looked up from his desk. “Good afternoon, Claire.”
Smiling respectfully, she said, “Good morning, Anthony, I believe it is still morning.” She looked at his eyes and wondered who he would be today.
Claire walked into his office and stood before his desk, the same place that twenty-four hours earlier had been the terrifying scene of his rage and domination. She stood with her back straight, chin high, and smile plastered on her lips. The blouse she chose and her makeup covered the visible signs of the prior day’s happenings. Anthony sat quietly and studied her. The silence made her uncomfortable. She prayed he couldn’t hear her heart beating too fast or notice her wet palms. Long ago, she learned that awkward silences were an interview technique. She wouldn’t be the one to break the silence.
Finally, “I believe you are correct, for another two minutes.” Anthony’s eyes seemed lighter. Claire breathed easier and smiled. She was on time.
“Lunch will arrive here in a few minutes. I thought we would discuss some of the glitches that our business deal has encountered.” He stood and moved toward Claire. She kept her ground, neck straight, and watched as he circled the grand desk. He stopped only inches away. She could smell his fragrant cologne and needed to tilt her neck upward to see his face. He didn’t speak but indicated with a gesture that they move to the conference table, where he pulled out a chair for her to sit; she did. He sat at the head of the table with Claire to his right. The room was silent as Claire thought to herself how his gentlemanly behaviors were such a farce.
“Glitches? I am not sure what you are referring to.”
Before responding, he sat back and contemplated Claire Nichols. Her eyes contained an intense fire, and she possessed more daring than half of the presidents of his many companies. After what he put her through, he couldn’t help but be astounded. “I wasn’t sure you would come here today.”
“I wasn’t aware I had a choice. I believe my job duties include doing as I am told.”
“That is correct. Perhaps you can be trained.” He chose his words carefully.
Claire’s mouth twitched, but she stayed steady. Getting upset would only accomplish losing control and giving it to him. He may take it, but by god, she wasn’t giving it. “I am trying my best. Now glitches?”
A knock came as the door opened and their lunch arrived. They sat in silence as the young lady placed their food in front of them and asked Mr. Rawlings if they needed anything else. He informed her they were currently fine. She retreated from the office and closed the door behind her.
“Glitches, yes. I spent $215,000 for a business deal. I make deals that will be lucrative to me. I expected a better return for my money than I have experienced in the last three weeks.”
If this was supposed to shock Claire, it didn’t. She casually picked up her fork, ate a piece of broccoli, and responded, “I would believe that yesterday you successfully increased your return.” And stabbing another piece of broccoli, she added, “Besides, wasn’t it you that decided your business holding would be locked away for almost two weeks?” She ate more broccoli. Part of her feared retaliation, but the other part believed he appreciated the bravado.
“That is true. I am considering the possibility that it was worth it, after what I am currently witnessing.” He watched her expression as he spoke. “And we have no deadline for completion of our contractual agreement.”
Claire didn’t know if she should be happy that he seemed impressed, and she did think an estimated timeline would be nice, but she didn’t mention that either. Instead, she said, “Then apparently, the glitches have been resolved.”
Claire felt she appeared respectful enough to avoid confrontation but impertinent enough to demonstrate resilience. She saw the light brown gleam around his irises, somehow knowing he wouldn’t explode. She would learn to read him. They continued to eat.
Claire let Anthony do most of the talking. He discussed more of the house rules. She could roam the house. However, in anticipation of more glitches, she was not permitted to go outside or consider leaving the property. His office and the corridor of his suite were off-limits. Her schedule would be hers for most of the day, unless told otherwise by him or Catherine. He didn’t work from home that often, but when he did she would be required to be nearby and available at all times. On days he went to the office his only requirement would be that Claire be back in her suite by 5:00 p.m. to receive evening instructions. He was a very busy man and wouldn’t be home every evening to dine with her. However, on the nights he intended to be home she would receive instructions for time of dinner, apparel, and other plans he may have. If he were in town, she would receive instructions as to his intentions regarding visiting her suite and the estimated time of his arrival. She verbally responded to all of his rules.
The young lady with the food came back to clear the dishes and brought a carafe of coffee with two cups. Claire’s headache was improving with food but the coffee would be helpful. Anthony told her that he and Ms. Claire would be having coffee on the sunporch. She thanked him and left with the coffee. Claire didn’t remember a sunporch from the tour.
She walked beside Anthony as they left the office. Located in the rear of the main section, through the archways behind the grand stairs, and past the sitting room, they stepped down into a room made completely of glass. Claire felt faint as her eyes adjusted to the sunshine and she inhaled the fresh spring air. The room was decorated with brightly cushioned rattan furniture as well as tropical plants. Anthony sat on a loveseat and Claire on a chair. The sides of the room opened to allow a cool fresh breeze. Her bogus composure disappeared as the sensation of the fresh spring air blew her hair and she listened to the faint sounds of nature.
When she was a child, her dad, a policeman in Indianapolis, knew how much Claire loved the outdoors. Each spring he would take her to one of the many state parks. They would spend the weekend together hiking, fishing, talking, and wandering. Her grandfather, his father, had been FBI. It was ingrained in them to be cautious. On those weekends he let Claire believe she had control over their plans and the direction of their adventures. Remembering their activities she smiled, knowing he did most of the steering and all of the protecting. The aroma of the fresh spring air brought the memories of those adventures soaring back to Claire’s consciousness.
Just off to the side of the sunporch she saw a large pool. The water was covered with a large tarp, furniture was absent from the deck, and fountains were nonoperational. Though not in season, it definitely had potential
for a wonderful place to spend her Claire time once the weather warmed.
As they sat and sipped warm coffee with a cool breeze, Anthony informed Claire that he would be leaving for three days on a business trip. His businesses were all over and traveling was an important part of his work. He would leave later in the afternoon as his meetings were scheduled to begin very early in the morning. He planned to be home Wednesday evening. She would be informed if his plans changed. “Anthony, what do you do?”
“Do you truly not know who I am?”
It frightened her to bruise his ego but erring on honesty was always best. “I’m sorry if I should, but I don’t. I thought at first that your name sounded familiar, Anthony Rawlings, but I have tried for over two weeks, and I admit I don’t know.”
He leaned back on the loveseat and offered a brief synopsis of himself. He called himself a businessman who had built his fortune from nothing. The beginning of and bulk of his success came with the Internet, he and a friend created one of the first Internet search engines. He later bought out his friend’s part of the company, had diversified his holdings, and has done pretty well.
Claire chuckled. “You made your fortune, because this,” looking around the expanse of his mansion, “is more than doing pretty well, with the Internet? And the only technology in your home is in your office?”
“Perhaps I want my home to be an oasis from my business life.”
Claire pondered that for a moment. “I understand. My grandfather and my father were both in law enforcement. They saw things that people should never have to see. Sometimes my grandfather would be gone for months at a time doing undercover work. Actually, I remember a story from when I was young where he was gone for around two years. My father was home each night. But anyways, my dad didn’t want home to be anything like work. I couldn’t even watch COPS on TV. I think it was like you were saying, an oasis.”
Anthony went on to ask about Claire’s family. She said her grandparents passed away before she graduated high school. Her parents were tragically killed in a car accident during her junior year of college. She did have a sister and brother-in-law in New York State. Fleetingly she wondered when she would talk to Emily again. With the breeze and the sound of birds, Claire casually went on talking. She asked Anthony about his family. As soon as her question left her lips she saw his eyes darken. She calmly added, “But if you don’t want to say anything, I don’t need to know.”
Perhaps it was her quick observation or the realization that she could read him, but his eyes lightened. “My parents are also gone. It was an accident when I was twenty-four. I have no siblings, and my grandparents are also gone.” The serenity returned as they both offered each other sincere sympathies at their loss. Claire’s coffee was gone and she didn’t know what else to say or discuss. She could see Anthony watching her as she stared out to the pool area. Beyond the pool was the backyard. The corner of it could be seen from her room but not the pool or porch. Past the yard were trees. From the second story she knew they went on forever, but from this vantage they created a gray veil around the yard. Soon little starts of green would transform the bleak veil into a colorful curtain. Claire really enjoyed spring.
Anthony excused himself and said he needed to prepare for his trip. She was welcome to stay on the porch or go elsewhere in the house. He would look for her before he left. He smiled what appeared to be a real smile. “I am pleased that the glitches have been resolved. I have plans for our agreement.”
The smile seemed right, the unspoken portion of his statement made Claire shiver. After he left, she looked down at her arm and saw the goose bumps that rubbed her sleeves. She told herself the cause was the breeze.
Claire returned to her suite recognizing that with the ability to roam she didn’t feel the need. Besides, she was tired. Sleeping late can do that to a person. However, her gut told her that yesterday’s glitches were more likely the cause of her fatigue. Her body felt stiff, and she thought about a nice long bath in the beautiful garden tub as she entered her room.
On the bed, laid out so she could see each one, were multiple bathing suits: one-piece suits like she wore in high school swim class and bikinis that would be perfect for the sun. She liked the styles but wondered if they would fit. Of course, they would, hadn’t everything else? She had to wonder how a promise made Saturday morning could be so quickly fulfilled on a Sunday, seemingly far away from anywhere. He told her that she would have bathing suits tomorrow. Apparently, he is a man of his word. That earned him one on the positive column. The negative column had more tallies than Claire could count.
Peeking out from under the white cover up was a wrapped gift. It was a small box wrapped in white paper with a gold foil ribbon. Claire always liked gifts but she didn’t feel good about this one. What did it mean? Was it because of how he had been or because of how he would be? She picked it up and decided she didn’t want to know. She sat the gift on the corner of the bed and wearily entered the bathroom to soak in the tub.
After the bath she chose the same soft robe she wore before. It felt warm. With some slippers, she would be comfortable until she retired. She combed out her wet hair and didn’t put on makeup. It was only five thirty but she was exhausted.
He said he would look for her before he left. She expected to find him in her suite. If she opened the door and he wasn’t there, would she be disappointed? Only because she wanted him to leave, so seeing him one more time would be a means to that end. Upon opening the door, she wasn’t disappointed and his presence didn’t startle her. He was seated at the table with the gift in his hand. “You haven’t opened your present.”
“I knew it was from you and thought you might want to see me open it,” she lied.
He set the gift on the table and walked toward her. Although his height dominated her small frame she held her ground and looked up at him as their bodies touched. He pulled her close and held her there with his strong solid arms. Her emerald eyes appeared weary as he examined her face. His eyes softly flickered milk-chocolate brown while his musky fragrance overwhelmed her senses. She wasn’t afraid, only tired. She silently prayed, “Dear God, if he wants me to do something, I hope it is over soon.”
In one swift yet gentle motion he lifted her and carried her to the bed. Although he had a trip to take, he didn’t seem rushed. Instead, he lay her on the bed and leisurely untied her robe. Claire didn’t move as he stood and looked at her body, completely nude, pink from the warm bath, and smelling of bath beads. She didn’t speak, nor did he. There were no instructions, no insults, and no rules. He began to touch her lightly, ran his hand over her breasts, down her stomach, and over her hip bones. She could sense a carnal desire that he was unable to control.
He gently stroked her soft skin with the tips of his fingers. Then he tenderly caressed her body with his lips. Using his mouth he started at her neck, her collar bone, the flesh of her breasts, where he softly enticed her nipples with his tongue. She didn’t want to respond. She wanted to be unfazed by his touch. She kept telling herself, “This is the man that hurt me.” Her mind heard but her body stirred down deep, and uncontrollably her nipples hardened as her back arched, pushing her breasts toward his lips. His mouth tantalized her skin. The open drapes made the room light. She sat forward as he gently removed the robe.
Anthony gasped.
Claire froze, unsure why he made such a sound, and turned to see his face. His features were softer and more concerned than she’d witnessed. He didn’t say a word but tenderly caressed her neck and back with his mouth. His actions were sensual, careful, and tender.
Slowly, he joined her on the bed, and only after ensuring that she was moist and ready did he enter her body. He’d been there before, but this was different. The only sounds from his mouth were incomprehensible noises that made their meaning clear. Soon she responded with the same language. This time it wasn’t just him that experienced fulfillment, Claire did too.
After they were both satisfied, she rested on
the satin sheets and watched as he walked to the table completely nude and moist with perspiration. His muscles defined from exertion, he picked up the gift. She lifted her head from the pillow, her long damp brown hair cascaded in waves around her face. Her lips smiled weakly as he handed it to her. He watched as she removed the wrapping from the black velvet box that held a Swarovski wristwatch. She smiled.
“It is meant as a way to avoid glitches in the future,” he said softly.
“Thank you. I would really like to avoid those.”
She handed him the box and lowered her head to the pillow. Completely drained of energy, she closed her eyes and felt the soft warmth as Anthony lifted the covers over her body. She could still smell his musky scent as she drifted into unconsciousness. She didn’t wake until Monday morning.
In that time between sleep and wakefulness, Claire wondered if yesterday evening had been real. How could it be real if Saturday was too? Could Anthony Rawlings really be two such different men? As the fog began to clear she realized that whoever he was he was gone for the next two and a half days. This comprehension gave her a renewed vitality. She didn’t know what she would do with her sixty-five hours of freedom but she knew she would find something.
Her breakfast sat on the table when she exited the bathroom and the drapes were opened. The sky radiated a very light shade of blue and there seemed to be clouds forming in the distance. It was spring in Iowa. The weather could be unpredictable.
After breakfast she decided to try the indoor pool. She swam laps for forty minutes and rested in the hot tub. It felt wonderful to push her muscles beyond their limit. Other than her duties, she’d done nothing to exercise in almost three weeks. Surprisingly the lack of physical activity didn’t seem to cause weight gain. She didn’t have a scale, but she could tell in the mirror and with her new clothes. If anything she lost weight. She lay back and closed her eyes amid the hum and bubbling of the tub and realized it was her diet. In three weeks she hadn’t had any alcohol, not even a glass of wine. She also hadn’t consumed one ounce of dessert, not a cookie, brownie, or even a piece of dark chocolate. Now that the realization hit her, she craved chocolate.