Josephine
I wake up before my alarm rings. It's still dark when I open my eyes lids but I can see the man laying in my bed - on the right side of the bed. I have no idea how but I guess we agreed on him sleeping on the right side while I sleep on the left. I used to sleep all over my bed but mostly in the middle. However, since three days I sleep strictly on the left side - and I don't mind that at all. It's only day three of our arrangement but I can already feel the impact Oliver has on me.
I've never cried out of anger and frustration before. I never felt so angry that the only release my body could come up with was tears, since yelling apparently wasn't doing enough of a stress release. I've never shook from the anger and the frustration.
Until last night.
Until Oliver came into my life.
His reaction to my offer hurt me. Not because he declined it the first and second time I offered him my help, but because he faced me with a stubbornness I only knew from myself. It's like I found my match.
It drove me wild. It made me shake from anger and cry out of frustration. It made my body react in ways it has never reacted before. It literally drove me wild.
But then... Then he accept my help and everything was back in balance. My anger disappeared within a blink of an eye. My frustration vanished faster than the tears in my face could dry. I felt such a relief, so much gratitude... that I couldn't help but seduce him.
I couldn't help but thank him with a blowjob.
I've never given a blowjob before. I've never gotten down on my knees to suck someone's cock but Oliver... he makes me do things I've never done before - sexually and emotionally.
It's crazy! But I like it.
I enjoyed his monster cock in my mouth, ai enjoyed his taste and driving him wild with need and being the source for his orgasm. I enjoyed every second being on my knees in front of him.
It doesn't make sense. I don't bend for anything. I fuck. I fuck hard. But I don't do blowjobs. I don't exchange sentiments. I don't talk about my family. I never offer help to my sexual partners for the night.
But Oliver... he bloody turns my world upside down!
It's ridiculous how much I'm enjoying this! I shouldn't enjoy this arrangement so much. I shouldn't have given him 16 instead of 14 weeks. I should've just bought him the clothes without asking for his opinion on it first. I shouldn't have offered him a week more just so I can buy him something he needs anyway and I definitely shouldn't have increased it to another week when he reacted to the clothes as badly as he did.
But I did... I did.
It's like I'm not myself while being myself... It's like I'm a different version of myself.
And I think I like this version. I like the sex. I like the fire he meets me with. I like the dancing, oh I definitely like the dancing. I like the honesty we have between us. And I like... I like waking up next to him, whether he is awake or not.
I like the left side of my bed.
Suddenly, Oliver moves on the right side of the bed and I watch him rolling on his other shoulder. Oliver's a side sleeper while I am a stomach sleeper. London behind him is still dark as it's only four in the morning. My alarm goes off in thirty minutes. In an hour, I'll be in the gym with Wlad. Bloody hell, I have no idea how to face the living lying director that's my brother-in-law! He's going to see right through me. He probably already knows that Oliver has slept here the last two nights. It's his job and obligation to know this.
Oliver opens his eyelids and reveals his sea foam coloured eyes. "Hi..."
"Hi." I whisper back and feel how my face flushes. I feel like a teenager who got caught doing something nasty when I didn't do anything at all. I just looked at him.
Oliver reaches out his left hand and grabs mine. As he intertwined his fingers with mine, the awfully familiar tingly sensation starts spreading from our hands into my whole body. It feels like when I was younger and I ate too much fizzy powder. That tingly feeling on my tongue - with Oliver I have it in my whole body.
And the only short relief is a kiss... and if I want a longer pause from this feeling I fuck him. But the second he touches me, that tingling sensation starts again.
Until it's so strong that I am craving that orgasm or kiss.
"I thought there is no gulf between us in the next 16 weeks."
"There is none."
"Why are you sleeping on the other side of the bed then?"
"I don't know." I whisper before I feel him pulling me closer to him until our bodies touch. All the touching points start tingling, slowly increasing in intensity. We're naked because we couldn't help our hands off of each other although Oliver originally wasn't in the mood for sex. Turns out sex is not something we have to get into the mood for, it's something our bodies crave naturally.
"That's better." He says with a grin on his lips and a sparkle in his sea foam coloured orbs.
His body heat starts warming mine even more than the blanket we're under.
It is better. "You know, the song we danced to last night was by my Mum."
"You're Mum's a singer?"
I chuckle. Sometimes I forget that he didn't google me. Everything he finds out about me is through me not through a third source. It's nice and strange at the same time. "No, I mean she is but she... she doesn't sing for a living. She started working at a record company in New York City when she was sixteen while she was also a student at Julliard. That's a very famous company for dancing, acting and music. She wrote songs for that record company and made it really successful. After a year she was already the Co-CEO and eventually met my Dad there. He wanted to buy her company but she refused to give it to him. In the end, she found out that her Co-CEO laundered money and sold his part of the company behind her back, so she sold her part of the company as well. Then she moved to London and opened her own record company called Relentless. My Daddy followed her a few months later... and now she's the Co-CEO of Bolton's Enterprises, the company under which she runs Relentless and other companies. She still writes songs but only her family gets to hear them. Most of her songs are sung by famous singers and are played on the radio. Love song, the song we danced to yesterday, is one of those songs."
"Wow... So, your Mum fell in love with her enemy?"
That's all he got from what I just told him? "Yes, but now they're happily married."
"For 32 years."
It sounds kind of crazy to hear that so bluntly, but it's true. "Yes."
"I hope I'll have that someday. Be with someone for 35 years... it sounds amazing."
It does sound amazing. Not a lot of people will experience what they do but lots of people want that. They wants a life-long commitment. I don't.
I don't want 35 years with the same person and a horde of kids.
"It's what most people wish for." I say into his sea foam coloured eyes.
"But not you." His voice sounds cold and distant.
"No, not me. I can't imagine what it must feel like to be tight to another person like that. To always be around him... to never have a moment to breathe."
"You see a relationship as a restriction." He concludes.
"Yes."
"Does this feel like a restriction?"
No. "This is not a relationship. This is an arrangement that ends in 16 weeks. It's filled with rules and no obligations. Everything I do for you is to get something back in return. I am not selfless. I've never been."
"Yet you offered me money to help out my family without asking for anything in return."
"That's me doing you a favour."
"A favour is what you call sending money to Rio?"
I shrug, "Yes."
He stays silent and instead just stares at me with his sea foam coloured eyes. His gaze is so intense that a chill runs down my spine. For minutes we just stare at each other. We don't even blink.
Suddenly, my alarm goes off. The shrill sound fills the bedroom but neither of us moves. I can't seem to take my eyes off of him. "That's my alarm."
"It's a horrible sound."
"It's the only way to wake me up at 4:45 am on a Thursday morning." I explain as I climb back to the left side of the bed so I can reach my nightstand on which my iPhone is buzzing on. With a tap of my finger I shut this thing off.
It really is a horrible sound. I should change it to something more calm. Maybe tweeting birds or something.
"Why do you need to be awake so early anyway?" Oliver asks me as I get out of the bed.
I look over my shoulder and stare at the man in my bed. Oliver looks good in it. "Boxing session with Wlad."
He frowns, "Your brother-in-law?"
I nod, "Three times a week we meet in his gym and do a boxing session together. He likes to test my fitness and my state of mind."
"You box against your brother-in-law?"
I nod, "And sometimes he even gets to meet the ground. It's why he calls me Southpaw." I walk over to the closed door of my walk-in wardrobe. "You can go back to sleep." I tell him before opening the door. I switch on the lights and walk over to the island in the middle of the room. I pull out a drawer that's filled with workout bras and pick up a black one by my favourite brand lululemon. I get into it before pulling out another drawer that's filled with my briefs. I quickly get into a nude pair before turning around to pick out a pair of leggings. I have way too much workout clothes but Rory hooked me up with lululemon. I love everything they do - from their running leggings to their swimwear. It's why a whole wall is filled with workout clothes. I pick up a plum coloured leggings and get into them.
"Why do you have so many hats?" Oliver's voice fills the room.
I turn around and stare at his naked glory. He's standing in the open door of the walk-in wardrobe. His olive toned skin glows in the lightning and his eyes have turned into a pine colour again. His short golden hair reminds me of Zeus, the king of the gods of Mount Olympus in the Greek mythology. His pine green eyes are focused on the many headpieces, hats and fascinators that are neatly sitting on the top shelves of my wardrobe. I have over two hundred different hats and fascinators that I wear for polo events, garden parties, weddings and other formal events.
"For social events." I answer with a shrug. "It depends on the dress code when I have to wear what."
"Dress code?" He asks me back confused.
Of course he has no idea about etiquette. "Yes. Tenue de ville means a hat for the ladies is not a must, but it is allowed. Morning dress means ladies are expected to wear a hat. That's often to code for weddings. Black tie means a cocktail hat or fascinator with a cocktail dress that's knee length, no hat but possibly a fascinator with a evening gown, which is a full-length dress. And then there is the white tie dress code which calls for a fascinators with a ball-gown. My sisters usually go to these more often than me. But the hats and fascinators can also be worn to church services, polo matches and of course the Royal Ascot. That's when most ladies will wear a headpiece that's almost bigger than their body."
"Is that why some are so big and others so small?"
"Yes. A lady does not wear a wide-brimmed hat after 5 p.m. as the brim originally served as sun protection. So the wide-brimmed hats are reserved for early noon events such as Ascot or wedding ceremonies. Especially during the evening, a fascinator is more appropriate. When the event mainly consists of 'sitting and listening', it is considered impolite to wear a hat so big that people behind you cannot see."
"That sounds like a lot of rules that you have to follow."
He's started to see what it means to be a member of the Bolton Family. "Sometimes... But I'm lucky, unlike my sisters and my brother I am not married to Royalty. They have to wear headpieces more often than me."
"How many are here?"
I get into my pair of sneakers. "I don't know. I don't count them. About two hundred if I had to guess." I say with a shrug as I walk over to him. He looks even better up close. "Listen, you don't have to be up just because I am awake. Get back to bed and catch up on the sleep you missed out on thanks to me."
"When will you be back?"
"In about an hour and a half, so really you could use that time in the bed rather then walking behind me." I answer before walking past him. My bedroom smells of the hour long sex we've had here last night. It's a mixture of Oliver's and my smell. It never smelled like this before but I like it. I walk into my white marbled bathroom and quickly wash my face with water before starting to brush my teeth at the left sink of the double vanity. The right sink has an electric toothbrush on it and various male natural skin care in the drawer under earth the sink - Oliver just doesn't know about it yet. I really overdid it with the shopping.
He really earned those two weeks extra.
I frown as I realise 16 weeks are actually the original deal he offered me in the salsa club where we first kissed. Back then, I thought he was ridiculous but now, just three days into this arrangement, I offered him the same deal.
Something is definitely wrong with me.
I spit out the toothpaste and rinse my mouth with water before pulling one of the three drawers underneath my sink open and getting out a hair tie. I wrap my hair into a bun that I secure in the nape of my neck with the elastic. Despite the early hour, I notice in my reflection that I don't look tired at all. I don't even feel tired although I kept having one mind-blowing orgasm after another this night. But somehow, I feel well rested and even energetic.
It's weird, I haven't felt like this in years.
Suddenly, I notice Oliver's pine green eyes staring at me in the mirror. I turn around and can't believe how handsome he looks in my bathroom. This man doesn't deserve to live in a flat that's the size of a shoe box. His family doesn't deserve to live in Rocinha, the most dangerous place in Rio de Janeiro. He's so beautiful that he could work as a model. He could sell perfume, deodorants, swim wear, cars - anything. But instead he used to work his ass off with three jobs, just to provide his family three meals on the table.
At least now, he is down to one job. It's full-time so I feel like that's better for him rather than the constant change of the café, the souvenir shop and the pub.
"You're staring at me." He notices with a grin on his lips.
How could I not? "You started staring at me first." I say back as I walk over to him. The moment I reach him, he places his large hands in my hips and I feel tiny electric shocks going through my body.
"What would you like for breakfast?"
"I usually don't have breakfast in the morning. I come home, take a shower and get dressed for the day. I have a cup of black coffee on my way to work."
"You had a cappuccino yesterday."
"That was an exception." I lie although I think I might prefer cappuccinos, especially when they come with those amazing latte arts, over black coffee.
"I'm going to make you breakfast. So, what do you prefer?"
I like Oliver in my kitchen. "I don't know. Surprise me."
"Any food allergies?"
"No, but I don't like dill and coriander."
He nods, "Noted. Anything else I need to know?"
"The fridge is stocked but if you need something special for your surprise, you can just call the kitchen downstairs and they'll bring it to you."
He frowns, "Kitchen downstairs?"
Right, he doesn't know that. "There's a Michelin restaurant attached to the lobby with cooks and butlers on call 24/7. They can make meals for the residents living here and deliver them to their doorstep or you can have dinner downstairs with the other guests. The restaurant is available to the public, but because it's so high class, only a few people can afford reserving a table there. The cinema, swimming pools and gym however is for the residents only but I have my own facilities here. There's also a cleaning service that takes care of your clothes and your accommodation while you're working."
"So, you're basically telling me that you're living in a hotel."
I shrug, "Sort of but with less people and higher standards."
"But you're living in a hotel." He points out.
"I like living here. And I have a selection of two maids who keep the penthouse in tip top shape. I've never been to the gym here or spa, but I've heard it's pretty good. If you want to check it out while I'm gone, feel free to do so. You can also use the spa or gym here, I don't really care."
He shakes his head in disbelief, "This is a hotel."
"It's my home." I counter. "And I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. This is my sacred place. It's my most private space... it's home. Not a hotel. No one gets in here without my permission."
His eyes soften and I start seeing sea foam coloured flakes appearing in his pine green irises. "I feel very lucky then."
"You should. It's a very high privilege." I whisper to him. Suddenly my iPhone starts ringing in the bedroom again. "That's probably Wlad." Oliver lets go of me and I quickly walk back to my iPhone that I have left on my nightstand. To my surprise it's not Wlad who is calling me, but Ana.
"Hi!" I greet her. Why is she up at five in the morning?
"What the hell have you told Mum about me?!" She hisses at me.
Oh, shit Mum really did call her. "Nothing I swear!"
"No, Jo, I know you! You threw in my name to get Mummy's focus off of you! You'd do anything to stay in the background with your one-night-stands and clubbing - Oh my God this was a payback!"
"No it wasn't."
"Yes it was for me telling Char about Oliver-"
"Don't say his name!" I interrupt her. "And yes, maybe it was. I thought you could keep your mouth shut but turns out you're worse than Nate!"
"Jo-"
"No, you've got to deal with Mum on your own. She can't worry about us both and as you said I'd rather have her worry about you than me."
"She's baby obsessed, I hope you know that."
Rory might be the one who's pregnant but my mother gets emotional as well. "Then you better get yourself knocked up as well!"
"I can't."
I sit down on the edge of my bed, "What do you mean you can't? You aren't infertile, aren't you? Is it Sasha? Does he have-"
"No, our biology is still compatible."
"You sound like Della."
She chuckles, "Sometimes our big old sister is right."
"She's only a few days older than you." I point out.
My sister sighs into the phone, "What I meant was that I can't get pregnant right now because-"
"You already are!" I breathe out shocked.
"No, I'm not pregnant and I won't be for a while. My time, our time to start growing a family, hasn't come yet. I have to accomplish some things first."
"Like what? Revolutionise the British Education System?" I joke.
"Well, yes."
"What?"
"The Academy is just the start Jo. It was just the stone that got everything into rolling. This is about so much more than just helping people. It's about changing their mindsets and destroy social boundaries... and changing the norm."
"Ana..." Mummy's right. She raised superwomen.
"So, I can't get pregnant right now no matter how much Mum or Sasha want children from me. Not yet... Just a few years more-"
"Okay. Should I tell that Mum and Dad?"
"No, I already did that yesterday night when she called me."
"She called you during the night?"
"Yes, because she couldn't sleep without talking to me about it. You literally drove her insane, Jo!"
I shrug although she can't see me, "At least her focus is no longer on me."
Ana laughs into the phone, "You really know how to push Mummy's buttons don't you? Anyways, we're still on for this weekend right?"
"This weekend?" I ask confused.
"Couture Week in Paris. Our annual event."
I totally forgot about that! "Right, yeah... sure."
"Good. We're leaving tomorrow afternoon. See you on the tarmac." She says before hanging up.
I place my iPhone back on the nightstand and let out a sigh.
"Everything alright?"
I turn around at Oliver's question and notice he is wearing my light grey cotton dressing gown that has my initials embroidered over the left breast pocket. It's a bit too short on him and shows me his black boxer briefs. I giggle at the sight of him in my feminine dressing gown. "That's mine."
"I know. See a dressing gown is a necessity not six different suits." He narrows his line green eyes at me with a smirk on his lips. "But since you clearly have other priorities, I had to steal one of yours."
"Well you look... very funny." I admit with a smile on my lips. No one has ever worn my stuff aside from my sisters Rory, Ana and Della. I've never seen a man in a morning gown apart from my older brother Nate and my Daddy. It's strange... and gives me a funny feeling in my chest.
"Either I wear that it or walk around in jeans and my lumberjack shirts."
"Oliver, I bought you enough clothes so you have something other than jeans and lumberjack shirts to to wear." I point out.
"And I told you I'd give 99% back."
I shake my head in disbelief, "Oliver, not this again. These clothes are tailored to your body. They were made specifically for you."
"How do you know that? There are millions of men that look like me! Men that are as tall as me or have a figure similar to mine."
"Oliver, you don't understand. The clothes were not brought from a rack. They did not hang on hangers for days so millions of people can have a look at them. These clothes were tailored to your body measurements." I explain to him. "The sleeves of the Oxford shirts are just as long as your arms are in length. Your trousers are as long as your legs length. The shoes were made to fit on your feet and on no one else's. These are not clothes from the department store. You can't get them anywhere else. They have-"
"How do you know my measurements?" He interrupts me with his left hand on his hip.
The sight makes me smirk but I try to suppress it by licking my lips. "I fucked you. I know what your body looks like underneath my dressing gown and I'm very good with numbers and estimates."
"You know the length of my arms and legs just by looking at me?" He asks me surprised.
I nod, "Yes. I also know you weight 140 pounds without you standing on a scale. I know your muscle mass is higher than your fat rate. When I look at you, I see numbers. Lengths, widths... depths... I see dimensions. I don't need a measure tape to know your measurements."
"I hope you see more than just measurements when you look at me."
I see a man who looks breathtaking in my dressing gown. I see a man whose body weight feels perfect on my mattress. I see a man whose touch creates goosebumps on my skin. But most of all, I see a man who doesn't deserve poverty and working until exhaustion. I see a man who does everything for his family - and that's the sexiest thing ever. "I do." I whisper simply without elaborating. He doesn't need to know what I think of him.
It would only make him feel less manly.
"I'm going to couture week in Paris with my sister this weekend." I breathe out as his intense gaze creates this funny feeling in my belly again.
"Couture week?" He asks me back confused.
"It's a fashion week of couture designers. My sister Ana and I always go for a weekend and see the clothes before anyone else does. We have dinner in the Eiffel Tower and have massages at the Ritz, where we usually stay in. I'd usually ask you to come with me but-"
"I can't." He quickly interrupts me. "But I can stay at my place-"
"No. No, you can stay here of course. Use the iMac in my study to call your Mum. The day after tomorrow is the 16th right?"
He nods, "Right, yeah... I forgot about my Mum for a moment."
I pick up my iPhone and look at the time. "I have to go." I say and rush out of the bedroom. "Have a look around while I'm gone. Maybe try on some of the clothes." I tell as I rush down the hardwood hallway in which the pale blue walls are decorated with black and white photos of my family and my best friends. The photos were all taken by my father on big events of my life: graduation from Le Rosey, Oxford and Harvard, my 16th, 18th and 21st birthday that I share with my twin sister Rory.
"Wait," I hear Oliver yelling after me.
I stop in my tracks and turn around. Oliver rushes down the hallway. He looks very cute in my dressing gown. I don't think I can buy him his own. "What?"
He stops across me and I expect him to say something but to my surprise he kisses me. Passionately. His hands squeeze my waist as he intensifies the kiss. The inferno within me nearly burns me alive. The need for him is so strong that I seriously consider staying here with him instead of going to the gym.
When he lets go of me, I am totally breathless and have shaky legs. I am so unsteady that I hold on to his shoulders for balance.
"16 weeks of morning sex, goodbye kisses, dinners and evening sex." He tells me.
"Are the dinners a must?" I ask back as I let go of his shoulders and touch my swollen lips with my fingers. I definitely enjoyed that kiss.
"Yes and occasionally we'll get out in public for-"
"If you say candlelight dinners than I will kick you out."
"I wanted to say for walks along the Thames. I know money doesn't impress you because you have more than enough yourself."
He thinks he needs to impress me? "If you want to impress me, make me one hell of a breakfast when I come home. Food impressed me. And the way you use your cock to make me come a bazillion times a night, but you already know that."
He smiles at me and fondles my face, "Sex is not everything in life."
"It's why food impresses me as well. Food and sex - I don't need more than that to be happy." I grin at him. "But I really have to go now. I'll be back in about two hours, okay?"
He lets go of me, "Have fun."
Oliver
I watch how the elevator doors glide close - and suddenly I'm alone in her penthouse. For a moment, I just stay rooted to the spot. Every moment with Josephine is precious and I know I will never forget any of these moments. I hung on to every single word that leaves her lips and every gaze that meets mine. Getting to know her is exciting but also terrifying. She has so many layers, so many different faces she wears for different people... but with me, I feel like she relaxes. The way she laid in my arms yesterday evening when we watched the stars and the moon... the way she told me about her wish to see the Northern Lights in Finland... her excitement was addicting. It almost made me want to say let's hop into a plane and do it. Because I want to fulfil her wish so badly.
But I can't. For the same reason why I can't go with her to Paris.
Because I'm here illegally. If I leave the country I will never come back. If the Feds caught me I will be send back to Rio.
I brush through my beach blonde short hair. It feels weird to be here without her. Her space feels too big without her in it. Even her foyer is huge.
She definitely needs kittens.
With my naked feet touching the polished hardwood floors, I slowly walk into the living area that's big enough for a football game. The sensors that are everywhere in this smart home switch on and off the lights whenever I enter a new area of Josephine's penthouse. The floor to ceiling windows that are everywhere here offer a view of London that I couldn't even imagine. It's so stunning to see the many glittering buildings and bridges. It's still dark out but I already know the sunrise today will be epic. All these designer pieces that decorate and furnish this place looked new and untouched the first time I was here and now I know why. Josephine doesn't really live here. She just sleeps here until she has to get up for work - or a workout with her brother-in-law. My eyes wander through the huge living space that has a L-shaped couch in front of a white marbled fireplace and black piano in the left corner right in front of the window facade. She has never played piano as long as I've been here. A huge flatscreen TV is hanging above it but I doubt Josephine has ever used it. On the mantelpiece of the fireplace are framed photos in black and white. She must have added these yesterday because the day before that they weren't there yet. I walk over to the open fireplace and decide to have my proper first peak into Josephine's life.
The photos were all taken when she was younger, that's the first thing I notice. They also seem to have captured milestones in her life: her first horse, her graduation from the Swiss boarding school she went to, her graduation from two universities. In a few photos she's with her twin-siblings, I recognise the Duchess of Oxford and Nate, her brother that will marry Princess Charlotte of Wales in early June. They really do look alike when they're standing next to one another but I wouldn't have made the connection that they're triplets when I saw them individually. Because they are individuals and they should be seen as such.
Josephine was really cute as a kid. She looks adorable on that horse, which I assume is Spotty because of the spot on the fur. She's wearing a helmet and horse riding attire - and she's grinning underneath her helmet, showing off her tooth gap. Even when she was little she had long hair that was wavy. Another photo shows she in her early teenage years with her parents, Troy and Gabriella. They're standing in front of a horse and Josephine is holding a trophy. She's dressed in horse riding attire again, while her parents are dressed in luxury designer clothes. Her mother is wearing a fitted summer dress with a fascinators that's similar to the many Josephine has in walk-in wardrobe. It somehow makes her mother look elegant and timeless instead of looking like a clown. Her father is wearing a fitted suit that looks just like one of the suits that Josephine bought for me, except it's not dark but light.
Josephine is grinning from ear to ear and her parents are almost bursting with pride. She looks more like her father but I imagine she has a lot from her mother. Perhaps one day I'm going to find out.
The next photo shows Josephine with Princess Charlotte of Wales. It was taken during some kind of party, perhaps a birthday party because they posed in front of a wall made of peonies. Probably pink peonies, because they look exactly like the flowers Josephine has standing on her huge walnut dining table that's standing behind the couch. Both women are wearing dresses with floral prints. I don't think it was taken in Kensington Palace where Princess Charlotte lives. I think it was probably taken at Josephine's parents' house or some exclusive club.
Because by now I know Josephine definitely values privacy and exclusivity over everything - that and honesty.
The last photos show Josephine wearing a graduation gown from Harvard. She's holding her diploma and grinning into the camera. She looks very happy. The photo makes me smile. She really is ambitious.
I turn around and scan the rest of the living area. My eyes stop at the vase of pink peonies that's standing in the middle of the massive rectangular walnut dining table that's standing behind the couch. For a brief moment, I imagine what it's like for her to have her family here. It must be crazy busy with seven siblings, two parents and two nieces running around here. No wonder she has such a big penthouse. She needs the space for when her family comes over.
The open kitchen is behind the enormous square walnut dining table. It has white marbled countertops and the same walnut cupboards as the dining table. Another hallway starts behind the kitchen. I have no idea where it leads to. But I'm keen to find out. I decide to go there next. The hardwood floored hallway has the same pale blue walls as the hallway that leads to Josephine's bedroom. But unlike the other hallway, here are no framed black and white photos hanging between the many wooden doors. I open the first door and see a tastefully decorated study. Her white marbled desk with an iMac is standing in front of the floor to ceiling windows that make up the fourth wall in this room. The wall to her left features built in bookshelves and a white marbled fireplace. The bookshelves are full of old, antique books and I'm sure she has read them all. Above the fireplace hangs a stunning oil painting of the a sailing boat in ocean. The sailer is a woman with long chestnut hair. The painting is signed by Anastasia - Josephine's sister. I had no idea she was such a talented painter! It takes me a moment to realise the sailor is probably Josephine.
A glass coffee table is standing on a light grey rug, that's contrasting against the hardwood floors, across the fireplace and behind it is a royal blue velvet couch that's probably from the same designer who made the chairs that stand around the dining table and kitchen island. Everything, except for the books, looks brand new and untouched just like the rest of her home.
But I can imagine sitting her behind the desk more than in front of the TV in the living area. I close the door of her study and decide to open the door across the study. A stunning dark wooden library is here that's in stark contrast to the modern floor to ceiling windows that wrap around the breathtaking penthouse which Josephine calls her home. A chandelier is hanging in the middle of the room and an old Persian rug is on the floor. In the middle are two cognac leather couches that face each other. Next to them are two emerald coloured armchairs for the chessboard that's standing between them. I had no idea Josephine could play chess.
Knowing her, she would play strip-chess with me. The thought makes me smile.
Between the couches is a dark wooden coffee table that's made out of the same wood as the bookshelves. It's dark and polished, probably mahogany. The huge bookshelves are spread over two levels. A black iron staircase spirals up to the second floor. A gallery with black wrought railings secure the second floor. The bookshelves are filled with old books, new books, antique statues and other decorative pieces. There's even a bright red coral standing between a few books. The light coming from the floor to ceiling window front is stunning.
The whole room takes my breath away.
After a while I walk out of her library and decide to check out the other rooms. There's a games room with a massive bar, a drawing room, a formal dining room although she already has one, a home gym, a very large wine cellar that's stocked with her favourite bottles as well as bottles from the Bolton's Vineyards - so I guess her family also makes wine - a colourful room full of games, stuffed animals, dolls and a ball pit for kids, a spa with a sauna, a steam room and a waterfall for the perfect zen feeling, a huge pantry that's fully stocked, a laundry room and then I notice her dark room. It's the room she uses to develop her photographs. But to my surprise no photos are having on the ropes. In fact, I haven't seen any photo she took here.
Where is she hiding her work?
I walk out of her dark room that's at the end of the hallway. This place was build to never leave it but yet Josephine doesn't seem to spend enough time here to enjoy anything. She's working non-stop. I brush through my hair as I walk back into the open living area. I stop at the kitchen island. Her kitchen is the biggest kitchen I've ever seen. It's triple the size of Luigi's kitchen but it doesn't lack in the professional utilities that Luigi uses, if anything Josephine has even better utilities. Her Faema E61 coffee machine is made out of stainless steel and by Legend, the same firm Luigi uses in his café. That thing must be worth a couple of thousands pounds. Her blender, which is a Blendtec, stands next to it. The other machines are well hidden in the many cupboards and drawers she has. I love the white marbled countertops that contrasts against the walnut wood of the cupboards and drawers. The kitchen island is big enough for at least ten people to sit on just one side. I open one of the drawers and see her cooking pots and pans that she uses when she cooks. They're all white and from a firm called Le Creuset, a French firm which Luigi uses as well. She uses professional utilities and from what I've seen so far, Josephine cooks like a professional as well. Her fridge is probably fully stocked with food. I let my eyes wander through the massive kitchen, it's bigger than the house my family lives in.
Everything is bigger and better with Josephine. She has every status symbol there is, yet she dressed just like me whenever I saw her - well minus the time we met at the charity gala. I should have known back then that she was fucking rich. I mean, she wore diamonds. It was bloody obvious.
But even back then I wouldn't have dreamed about this much prosperity. She's on a whole different level than the normal rich people - because she's directly connected to Royalty, not only the British but also the Russian Royalty.
That's a combination no one can top and everyone secretly wishes to have.
Everyone but me.
Josephine
I bombard Wlad with a combination of a left and three right hands, causing Wlad to go backwards so fast that he nearly stumbles in the boxing ring.
"Yes!" He cries out with a grin on his lips before putting down his hands that are protected with gloves. "Great Session! You haven't been this focused in weeks! Whatever you do, keep on doing it, Southpaw."
Oh, I'll definitely keep on doing it. "So, that means no Ralph this weekend in Paris then?" I ask him with a smile on my lips. The sweat is running down my body. I haven't sweated this much in forever. It really was a good session.
Wladimir chuckles, "Nice try, Jo. But no, especially not in a place that's not your hometown."
I sigh, "Alright fine. But perhaps you could call Ralph back a little bit?"
"I wish I could but we both know I can't. Ralph is already doing the minimum because I trust you to handle most of what comes your way yourself but I can't pull him off completely. We both know what a dangerous world we live in. We both know how the paparazzi are stalking you. You plaster the streets and newsstands. There are millions of people trying to figure out if you will come with a date to Char's wedding. Millions of people are wondering why the sister of the Duchess of Oxford doesn't have a boyfriend. If you want to keep your secret a secret a little longer I suggest you suck it up and enjoy Ralph driving you around."
It was worth a try.
Oliver
I push the backing tray with Pão de Queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread, into the Miele oven and close it. After having a look at her stocked fridge, I decided to make Pão de Queijo if she likes a savoury breakfast and Açaí Na Tigela, Brazilian açai bowls, if she's more of the sweet type. I've already put all the ingredients into her Blendtec blender so I turn it on and watch how the frozen ingredients turn into a smoothie in a deep purple colour.
It only takes 60 seconds.
"You're not Jo."
I jump up at the sound of an unfamiliar female voice. My heart stops beating for a moment as I turn around. A woman with dark blonde hair and navy eyes is standing across me. She's dressed in a pair of jeans and a white and navy striped top. Her hair is long and wavy.
This is definitely not Josephine standing across me. Is this a sister of hers? It's not her younger twin sister and it's not Ana either since her hair is a few shades lighter and she has green eyes. Could that be Della?
The penny drops when I look at the woman's left ring finger. I've seen this ring before. I've sold replicates in the souvenir shop and photos of that ring and the person whom it belongs to. It's a huge oval diamond with pointed ends and half-moon shaped diamonds around the enormous centre stone. The band of the engagement ring is made of yellow gold. It's sparkling so much!
This is Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Wales.
Fuck!
"You must be Oliver. Now I know why Jo didn't want to talk about you. She wanted to keep you to herself but I had no idea you were living here." The Princess says with a smirk on her lips. "Jo really is full of surprises."
Shit, I'm still in Josephine's morning gown! I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out.
I'm standing across the fucking Princess of England!
"I see, you recognised me. Well, I'm Char around here. No need to curtsy or that Royal Highness stuff. No title. Just Char. Where's Jo?"
Just Char?! How the hell should I call the Princess who is third in line to the throne by a nickname?! I gulp and shake my head as my tongue is still a big knot in my mouth. British Royalty is standing across me. Royalty!
"No? No Jo?" She asks me before scanning the area around me. "She's not here? Wow, she must really trust you with her secrets then... where is she?"
"W-Wlad-"
"She's training with Wlad? Should have known. I forgot what day it was. Marriage planning is draining my energy..." she sighs before looking behind me. "Did you just make an açai bowl?"
I nod.
"Mind to give that to me? Knowing Jo, she won't be here soon anyway. So, that Açai bowl probably will melt before she's even close to the penthouse." The Princess gives me a kind of smile that makes every heart melt. "I didn't had any breakfast yet."
It's six o'clock in the morning! How long has she been awake for?!
"S-sure." I stutter.
"Great." She says before walking around the island and opening one of the many hanging cupboards. She gets out a bowl before opening the jar of the blender. Then she pours the açai mixture into it. "Do you know if she has granola and fresh fruit?"
"Yes. She has some granola underneath-"
She pulls out the drawer that I wanted her to, "Great. That's my favourite. She makes it herself every Sunday and it's to die for! I tried to get the recipe from her a zillion times but she won't tell me!" The Princess says before pouring some over the Açaí bowl. "You know what? I don't think I'm going to put fresh fruit on top. I'll stick with granola." She says as she looks at her açai bowl that's drowning in the homemade granola before looking up to face me. "Okay, you need to stop staring at me like this. I'm not a unicorn."
But pretty close to one. I gulp and nod before handing her a spoon to eat the açai bowl with.
"Thank you." She shows me the kind of smile that I used to sell in the souvenir shop. Then she sits down at the kitchen island and starts eating as if this was her home and not Josephine's. I had no idea they were so close! They're like best friends! "So, Oliver, I'm sure you have a billion questions for me while I'm here." She starts asking me while she eats. She talked with a full mouth! A full mouth! I thought Royals would never do that!
"I..." I can't believe Princess Charlotte is sitting at Josephine's kitchen island. "How long have you known Josephine?"
"Josephine, huh? You don't call her Jo like the rest of us?"
"No."
"Interesting... Well, Jo and I met on our first day at Le Rosey. We all met there. Ever since that first hello, we've stuck together like glue. Literally, Georgie is married to Rory and I will be married to Nate by early June... and Jo's my best friend. She'll be maid of honour but the world doesn't know this yet so if you could keep your mouth shut about that for about two weeks than it would be great!"
I nod because the information flood she just overcame me with is a bit too much.
"Great! My turn. How did you and Jo met?"
"She bought me a cappuccino in a café in Battersea."
"Because you've smitten her with your looks? Good job! Jo usually doesn't buy things for men she wants to fuck with."
Wants to fuck with! I can't believe Her Royal Highness just said that! "No, I forgot my wallet, so she jumped in."
"I see... Well, you've more than paid her back by now." She says with a chuckle. "Where do you live?"
Here. "In Notting Hill. I share a flat with my flat-mate."
"That flat-mate probably didn't see a lot of you since you met Jo, huh?" She asks before putting a spoonful of açai into her mouth. "Where are you from?"
She looks so relaxed that I almost forget her question. I expected Royals to only eat out of golden bowls with golden spoons but she... she seems almost normal. "Brazil."
"I know, that's why Ana said you looked like the male version of Gisele Bündchen."
I have no idea who that is. Is she a model? A celebrity? An actress?
"But which part of Brazil?"
"Rio." I say simply.
"Nice town. I hope to visit it someday. Maybe you could show me around then."
Definitely not Rocinha would kill her the very first second she stepped in there. But Princess Charlotte would probably come with 100 security men to keep her safe. "Sure."
Suddenly, she leans forward. "So, if there's anything you want to know about Jo, now's the chance. I'm her best friend so I know all of her secrets!"
Josephine
I get my iPhone out of my black Chanel purse as I make my way out of Wlad's gym. Charlotte called me two times while I was training with Wlad. And she also texted me.
'Are you home? I'm just out of a dress fitting and I haven't had breakfast yet. I'm coming over in five minutes.'
Then she called me. Once... twice.
Shit!
'Oliver's hot! He's like the male version of Giselle Bündchen. Does he work as a model? I can't believe you didn't introduce us yet!'
Shit, she met Oliver!
I tear the door of my Aston Martin open and climb in. I can't believe Char let herself in! Something she has been doing for the entire time we've known each other. We're family - literally. But just this one time I would have wanted her to give me a tiny bit of privacy - not that Oliver is tiny. He's actually really tall and does look like the male version of Gisele Bündchen. Only his eyes are not blue like Gisele's but pine green or sea green colour. He could be her son but I know they aren't related. Oliver's family wouldn't live in Rocinha otherwise.
I start the engine and drive off with squeaking tires.
Oliver
Now that the Princess is gone, I feel so much more relaxed! Being in the presence of a British Royal intimidated me a lot. She might have not worn a crown but the weight of the crown was evident even if she was wearing casual clothes.
I decide to call Finn, whom I haven't seen in three days. I should update him on our new living situation...
"Hello?"
"Finn, this is Oliver."
"Oliver, hi! Man, where have you been? I've been starting to worry about you but since you don't have a mobile, I couldn't ring you. Is this your phone from which you're calling?"
"Uhm.. yes."
"Cool, I'll save this to my contact list later on."
"Listen, I sort of called you for a reason..." I start and gulp, "I slept over at..." I can't really say Jo's name since that forbids the NDA which I signed. "At a friend's place and she kind of asked me to stay there for... for a while longer."
"I see... a friend, huh?"
I sigh, "Finn,"
"Not judging you and your friend there but... I mean do I have to start looking for a new flat-mate now?"
I hope so. "No... I will continue to pay my part of the rent. It's just we probably won't see each other as often as we used to."
"I see... speaking of rent, Fiona is not doing so well right now."
Fiona is the 75 year old lady that we pay our rent to. My alarm bells start shrilling at the word unwell. She didn't want any papers from Finn and me when we started renting the place but if she starts selling it or someone else is going to take over the flat, than we will end up on the street - if we're lucky. If we're not lucky, we might get caught by the FEDs. "She's not dying, is she?"
"No, I don't think so. But she did spent a few days at the hospital."
"That sounds alarming." I think out loud.
"Don't worry about it. That lady won't die in the next few years. She's like the Queen."
"The Queen died with 120."
"Exactly! So that means we have at least 45 years more of the tiny shoe box that we call flat!"
I chuckle, Finn is such a optimistic person. He always sees light no matter how dark the night is. "Alright. Then we're good?"
"Yes, we're good." He ensures me. "I have to head to work so if there's anything else you want to say..."
"No, I just wanted to inform you..."
"Okay. And if you want to introduce me to your friend, just call me. I'll be happy to meet her."
He already has. He just doesn't know it yet.
The line clicks. He hung up.
"Was that Luigi?"
I turn around at Josephine's voice and stare at her flawless face. She doesn't look like she just worked out. Her pheromones start filling my nostrils and awaken my cock in record time. "No, that was Finn. I decided to update him on my new living situation."
"I see...Is Char still somewhere around?" She's still in her workout clothes but she's not sweaty at all.
"No, she had to go... to some royal engagement with your brother." I cannot believe the words coming out of my own mouth!
She nods, "Whatever she told you about me, don't believe her."
"She said she's your best friend."
"Well, you can believe that. Or maybe not, I don't know. I have to settle a score with her."
"But she didn't tell me anything else about you. Because I didn't want to know anything about you from her. I'd rather you tell me something about yourself. But she did eat your açai bowl."
She shrugs, "She tends to do that. She's like Nate, but in a female body. That's why they're such a good match. One soul but in two bodies."
I wonder if that's the same for us. Are we one soul in two bodies as well?
"Anyways, I'm going to take a shower." She interrupts my thoughts.
I nod, "Do you like a savoury or sweet breakfast?" I ask her as she has already turned on her heel.
She shrugs without turning around. "I told you, I don't have breakfast. Black coffee in my Jaguar was my breakfast until today so really, I don't know what I want. Surprise me."
With that she disappears in the hallway.
Josephine
Freshly showered, I walk into my walk-in wardrobe that's held in walnut, marble and glass for the doors of some. I stop at the section in my closet that has my morning gowns. One light grey gown is missing because Oliver is wearing it. The thought still makes me smile. I grab a navy cotton morning gown and wrap it around my body.
I never had to share my wardrobe before but I like sharing it with Oliver. Just like I like sharing my penthouse with him. And I definitely like the sex.
It's a win-win.
With a grin on my face, I walk out of my walk-in wardrobe, through my bedroom and down my hallway with hardwood floors. The smell of freshly baked bread and cheese fills my nostrils as I reach the wide living area. London has woken up by the time I was done showering, so now there's a bright blue sky welcoming me through the floor to ceiling windows that wrap around my penthouse. I stop in my tracks as I watch Oliver getting a baking tray out of my Miele oven. He's still in the light grey morning gown and now we're almost matching since the morning gown I'm wearing is from the same French brand.
A weird feeling spreads in my chest. It makes my naked toes curl and my fingertips tingle. I gulp down the unease and straighten my shoulders before walking over to Oliver. He did make something that looks like bread or little pizza buns. 15 little bread buns. "This smells amazing! What's this?"
"Pão de Queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread." He explains. "I don't know if you eat meat so I left it out. Otherwise I would have filled them with ham. I also cooked eggs and made you a cappuccino."
This sounds better than any room service. "I eat meat." I answer before picking up a bun of the Brazilian cheese bread.
"Careful, it's still hot."
"I can deal with a little bit of heat." I answer and rip the bun apart before putting it into my mouth. It's filled with cheese - and it's so good!
"You like it?"
I nod as I still chew and then gulp down. "It's really good!"
The smile Oliver shows me is full of appreciation. It makes my heart jump a little in my rip cage. "I'm glad you like it. My Dad used to make these every morning when he was still alive."
And now his family lives in Rocinha, a part of Rio that means no warm water, no meal guaranteed and no way out.
Suddenly, the Pão de Queijo has a bitter taste.
"I need to know how much money you're sending your family every month."
His smile drops immediately, "Josephine, I know I've agreed to-"
"A number. Give me a bloody number!"
"Really, you don't have to-"
"Shut up!" I explode. "Yesterday you said you would allow me to help and now you're turning tables on me?!"
"I'm not turning tables on you, I just want you to know that you don't have to do this."
"Of course I don't. But I want to. And you agreed to accept my help. So, give me a number."
"I earned 1.566 pounds a month as a bartender and 1.444 pounds a month at the souvenir shop." He mumbles.
That's three thousand pounds a month. I nod. "I assume you don't want to share how much Luigi is paying you?"
He shakes his head, "Luigi is doing much more than just paying my salary. There are days when he gives me the leftovers."
I gulp as I realise what Luigi means to Oliver. He made sure Oliver had at least one meal a day that way. He made sure Oliver didn't have to starve without knowing it. Luigi is a saint in Italian clothing.
I feel a kind of gratitude I've never felt before.
"Okay." I whisper and grabs his hands. "I'm giving you three thousand pounds this month, okay?"
Oliver nods, "Thank you. I'll pay you back. You will never know how much you've helped."
This look in his sea green eyes is enough for me. I don't need numbers anymore. I don't even need a thank-you. All I need is this gaze.
It fulfils a desire I didn't know I had.
Before I know what I'm doing my lips have already sealed over his. My body's doing things without my brain's permission.
Maybe I'm not like myself again after all.
I watch Oliver finishing his breakfast as I take a sip of my cappuccino. Just like yesterday, he made a cappuccino with amazing latte art - a Persian cat. It was even more detailed than yesterday and almost too beautiful to destroy. We've eaten all the Pão de Queijo Oliver made and each two eggs that were perfectly boiled - not too hard and not too soft. I haven't had breakfast once since I moved into this penthouse but I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed watching him eat the most.
"You're a very good chef. Luigi is lucky to have you." I point out as Oliver eats the last bit of his second egg.
"No," Oliver disagrees with me. "I am lucky to have him." He takes a sip of his cappuccino.
"Thank you for making breakfast for us. It was delicious. I've never had breakfast here."
"Never?" He asks me surprised.
"Never. I told you, black coffee in my car while I go through my emails. But no food."
"Not even on the weekends?"
"I don't spend my weekends at home and if I do, I guarantee you it's for work."
"So you're in a different city every weekend? Paris is this weekend and the next?"
I lean back in my royal blue velvet chair, "How about Dover?"
"Dover?" He asks me confused.
Yes. That's in England and since he didn't want to go to Paris with me he might go to Dover next weekend. "For horseback riding."
"I've never been on a horse. So I don't think this is a brilliant idea."
"Even better. Usually we'd ride the Royal horses in Windsor with my brother Nate, George and Char but since you're inexperienced with horses, Windsor is not the right place. Dover is far away enough to give us privacy. The people there know me very well so they won't take photos of me and sell them to the tabloids."
"And Dover is where exactly?"
"It's a town right on the shores. My Mum went horseback riding there for the first time. My Dad taught her and fulfilled a years long wish that way." I smile at the words. "We've been going there several times a year to enjoy the greenery and the shores. It's really beautiful all year around."
"Okay."
"Okay?" I ask back surprised. I thought after turning Paris down - the ultimate city trip - he would definitely turn Dover down. But to my surprise he didn't.
"Yes. But I can't guarantee you I won't fall off that horse."
I chuckle, "You won't fall." I promise him.
"We'll see." He says with a smirk on his lips that gives me a funny feeling in my chest. "I was looking for a newspaper earlier but couldn't find one."
"Oh, I read the newspaper online."
"But paper is better. You can touch it and feel the ink beneath your fingertips... and sometimes you even smear the black ink."
He's really loving newspaper. "I'll have one tomorrow morning for you."
"Thank you."
"Any preference?"
"No. I'll read anything you'll read - just in print." He says with a smirk on his lips.
Oliver
Working full-time for Luigi was the best that could have happened to me. Wherever he needs me, I work. I've spent the morning behind the counter, making all sorts of drinks with coffee while Giovanni was at the checkout. It worked very well for us. Then after my lunch break, I started working in the kitchen with Luigi. I had no idea how truly busy it gets during the afternoon and early evening.
I really enjoyed working for Luigi today.
I finish wiping the tables and walk back to the checkout.
"Oliver,"
I turn around at the sound of my name and look at Giovanni who has already balanced the cash. "Yes?"
"My Dad told me he paid you cash after each month. Do you want to keep it that way or shall I transfer your salary to your bank account."
I don't have a bank account. How could I without papers? "I'd like to stay with cash."
"Okay. We're going to pay you 3500 pounds. Every tip you're going to get you can keep of course. You have one weekend off each month in addition to every other Tuesday. If you want to want to take a holiday, please inform us at least a week ahead."
3500 pounds - that's not more than I made with having three jobs at once but it's enough considering I am now living at Josephine's place so I don't have to worry about food and other expenses. Josephine helped me out with 3000 pounds this month and next month I'm going to be able to pay my part of the rent for our flat in Notting Hill, which costs me a ridiculous amount of 920 pounds. That means I am left with 2580 pounds. I can't send the usual 3000 pounds to my family so maybe I should start looking for a job at some pub... or do some cleaning somewhere.
"Great. Thank you."
Giovanni nods, "You're a very good employee. My Dad has packed up some leftovers for you. Caprese salad, various pizzas and some tiramisu."
"That's very nice of you."
The Italian man my age smiles at me. "My Dad thinks you're too thin, so he's going to give you the leftovers until you've at least gained two clothing sizes."
I don't think Josephine would find me attractive then.
But I decide to bring these over to Finn. He would appreciate this more than Josephine who is used to lobsters and a five course dinner.
Josephine
I finish editing the last photo for tonight and close my golden 15-inch MacBook Pro. I was on my feet the whole day and crazy busy, but even then my mind kept wandering back to Oliver all the time. I thought I was over this stage. I thought by sleeping with him, by getting my fix, I would go back to being me again.
Turns out, I don't know who I am anymore.
Because I had what I wanted - and I want more. I want so much more that I asked Oliver to move in with me without really asking him and definitely without any intention. It's like my body, my lips, are doing things before my brain has even had a chance to catch up with what's happening. This is definitely not like me.
Maybe Paris is good. Spending Couture Week with Ana there like every year might give me back what I should miss - my old self.
I pick up my glass of Chardonnay and take a sip of the white wine. This is my second glass as I drank the first one with my dinner, a delicious tartare de boeuf and a tomato salad. It's half past nine and Oliver is still not here. I was tempted to call him but that would turn me into a crazy woman.
A crazy girlfriend.
And I am not a girlfriend.
Tomorrow at this time I'll be in Paris with Ana and I was looking forward to a night full of sex but now it seems like that won't happen. I sigh before rising from my chair. I brush through my chestnut hair as I walk down the hallway. I could use a long hot bath to relax. Perhaps Oliver is going to sleep at his place tonight. The thought makes me feel unease.
I walk through my bedroom and into the master bathroom before stopping at my free standing tub. I put in the plug and let it fill with hot water that's coming from the rain shower head that's installed into the ceiling. Next I open a bottle that's filled with bubble bath and pour it in. Within seconds the calming scent of lavender, passion flower and camomile start filling my nostrils.
I don't need Oliver tonight.
Oliver
I finish my beer with a smile on my lips. After bringing the leftovers to Finn, my flat-mate convinced me to stay and watch a football game in the Premier league on tv with him. We ate Luigi's pizza slices of tuna pizza, salami pizza and cheese pizza as well as the salad. After that I was so full that I couldn't even think of eating the tiramisu that Luigi gifted us.
Sometimes, the simplest meals are the best. Plus, I really missed Finn. I didn't realise how much I missed him until I walked home and found him chilling on the couch.
That sight almost made me feel like I've come home. It's strange.
"So, your girl... what's her name? Finn tries to find out Josephine's name for the fifth time since I walked home. He thought the beer would loosen me up.
I will never forget what I signed up for. "Sorry, mate, no chance."
"Come on! I just want to find out something about her."
"She's... unique."
"Can't you give me more? Like her looks? Is she hot?"
"She's the definition of hot."
My blue eyed friend grins at me. "Is she a bomb in bed?"
"Finn," I sigh and suddenly notice the time. It's almost ten. I should get back to Josephine's place. "I have to go."
"Already? Come on, let's have another beer together!"
Josephine
I climb into my bath tub that's full of bubbles and inhale deeply. The bath tub is extra deep and long so I have enough space to stretch my legs without touching the other end of the tub. I've brought me the whole bottle of Chardonnay so I fill up my glass again. Being alone in my penthouse feels weird. I don't feel free.
I almost feel lonely.
That's crazy! Oliver has only been sleeping here for three days. Three days ago, I was still used to having this penthouse to myself. Three days ago, I still went to bed alone. Three days ago, I was still unconcentrated.
I take a sip of my Chardonnay and stare out out the window facade next to me. The sun is slowly starting to set. It's a stunning colour play of vibrant reds, yellows and oranges...
Suddenly, Oliver's smell starts filling my nostrils and I turn my head to the right. He's standing in the open door of my master bathroom. He's still dressed the same way he was when he left my place this morning: a dark washed jeans and a light grey t-shirt. He took off his shoes in my foyer because he knows by now how much I hate dirty footprints all over my place.
Oliver does really look like the male version of Gisele Bündchen with his beach blonde hair, his tall and toned body shape and his symmetrical face. He might not have Gisele's eye colour but I prefer green over blue anyway.
He walks over to me and stops at the bathtub.
Where was he? What did he do there? What took him so long to get here?! All these questions run through my mind as he stares at me. I feel chills going down my spine.
But I can't ask him that.
Because I am not his crazy girlfriend.
"Hi." He greets me after nearly a minute of staring at me.
Hi?! After all this time he just says hi?! Hi?! Really?! "Get yourself a glass for white wine from the kitchen and then get naked to join me." I say instead of what I really want to say.
Oliver
I stare at her as she looks out of the window facade in her bathroom. She didn't ask me where I was or what I did. She only demanded me to join her in the bathtub. The sun is coating the sky in vibrant reds, oranges and pinks as it gets ready to set. She's glowing in this lightning. She looks like she's from a different planet, like she doesn't belong here, caged into this penthouse.
The lightning is getting mirrored in her sky blue eyes that have sprinkles of navy. They sparkle like sapphires when the setting sun hits her like this.
She washed off her makeup that she wore to work today, so I get to see her true beauty. I don't why she puts on makeup every day, she doesn't need it. She only covers her beauty with it. Her chestnut waves are wrapped into a bun that's sitting on top of her head. The smell of lavender from the bubble bath is filling my nostrils as I am not close enough to smell her. I'm sitting at the other end of the bathtub that somehow is long and deep enough to fit the both of us.
"I love this view..." She whispers before taking a sip of her Chardonnay.
I love it this view, too. I could stare at her forever and not get bored. The longer I stare at her the more I find out about her. Like the little birthmark underneath her left eyelashes. It has the shape of a heart. There's another one on her right temple, nearly in her hairline that's in the shape of a star. It's just one thing that distinguishes her from her twin sister, Duchess Lorelai of Oxford.
"Stop starring at me." She breathes out after five minutes of silence. She moves her head away from the view to our right and looks at me with a smile on her lips.
"Does your sister have the same birthmarks on her face?" I ask her back.
Her sky blue eyes widen, "Y-you noticed them?"
"Yes." I say in a calm voice. "So does she?"
"She has the heart underneath her left eyelashes as well but not-"
"The little star on your right temple, almost in your hairline."
"Yes... she doesn't have that." She says before taking another sip of her Chardonnay. "Drink your wine."
"I'm not much of a drinker. I'd rather stick to coffee and water."
"You forgot smoothies and juices." She says with the most beautiful smirk on her lips.
"Do you always drink this much?"
"No, only when I'm sharing my tub with a handsome man."
Since she has once said she never had one of her one-night-stands here, I assume she means me. But with Josephine, there's nothing to be sure of. She always surprises me. "Did you mean me?"
"Of course I meant you. I told you, no man - aside form my family and very close friends - has ever been here. In fact, this is the first time I'm sharing my bathroom with anyone."
I frown at her words. She must've been close to another man before me. With her aura, her beauty it's impossible for her to not ever have a relationship - not that the is one. I have no idea what we are. Being with her so confusing that I actually get a headache.
She sighs, "You're using the right sink. You have a toothbrush, mouth wash and your own skin care-"
"You bought me skin care?" I interrupt her and look over my shoulder to confirm her words. There are in fact standing a few tubes and bottles on the right sink at her double vanity.
"I wasn't finished!" She says and lightly taps me on my shoulder with her right foot.
I turn around and look at her again.
"We're sharing the shower as much as we're sharing this very tub right now. I've never shared my space with anyone. I never wanted someone else in my bed but you..." She stops and shrugs.
"I what?"
Josephine
"You see my shadow, you see my steps. But only a glimpse and you wonder what I'll do next. You see my essence, you see my glow. My thoughts at night are things you'll never know. Don't believe what you read. Don't believe what you hear. Things are not what they seem. Only what they appear. You don't see what I see when I look in the mirror. You might think you know me. But you have no idea. You need a different kind of looking glass to see through me, to see into me. I've got my monsters, my skeletons chained to my mind. Pray they don't come undone. I've got my secrets, buried them deep. Some things are private, only meant for me." I tell him, running my forefinger over the rim of my wine glass. The alcohol is getting the best of me, I always start talking in lyrics when I'm drunk. Nate thinks it's hilarious and got me drunk on purpose when we're still living in Oxford together. I should really stop drinking.
"What do you see when you look in the mirror?" He asks me back.
I set the wine glass on the floor next to the bathtub and look up into his sea green eyes. "I don't know. It's different every day."
"Who do you want to see?"
I shrug, "I like this Josephine right here. I like the way I am when I'm around you."
"And why do you think this is?"
"I don't know. You... you have this effect on me. You make me show you a side not a lot of people have seen. You..." I gulp, "you tear down my walls without a word."
His sea green eyes show a kind of emotion that makes my throat tight. "Josephine..."
"I'm allergic to commitment. I've got some kind of this sickness because every time I'm around you I start feeling very anxious. There's nothing that could fix this. You start talking serious and that's when I freak out... I start showing symptoms I've never shown before. I don't push and pull you on purpose. I'm really trying to make this work. We've agreed to 16 weeks... I've agreed to let you in. But don't expect me to change overnight. It's hard. It's very hard for me."
He slides through the bathtub until his face is just an inch away from mine. "Do you hear me complaining?"
"No, but I can see it in your body language."
He sighs, "Sometimes I forget how good you are at reading me."
I shrug, "It's one side of me..."
"Josephine the Body Language Expert."
I smirk, "Oliver,"
"I don't need to hear all of your secrets. I don't care about the monsters and skeletons that are chained to your mind unless they bother you. I said I want to get to know you, not change you. Changing you is the last thing I want." He fondles my left cheek. I feel goosebumps forming on my skin despite being in a warm bathtub. "I like you just the way you are. I like the asshole, the bitch, the Mother Theresa, the daughter, the ambitious employee, the quick repartee, the southpaw, the coffee junkie, the cheese and wine lover, the chef... I could go on, but most of all I like this right here. Just you and me. No walls between us, no phone calls you have to take or emails you have to answer. I like you early in the morning when your face is makeup free and the navy sprinkles in your sky blue eyes are reflecting the sunrise. I like the smile that you show me before we go to bed... I like these open and honest conversations we have. It feels natural. It feels good... it feels right, doesn't it?"
I nod before I can think his words through. Because somehow it does feel natural... good... and right.
"Good. Then stop worrying about all the different sides and walls you have and just be... Just be." He whispers as his sea green eyes stare deeply into mine. "Be the woman you want to be."
Before I can think, my lips have sealed over his. He returns my passionate kiss immediately. Our tongues used to tango but now they're dancing a sensual rumba. My heartbeat increases as my hands travel down his back. My nails almost slice through his skin as his muscles vibrate from the pressure I apply. He meets my fire with more fire and together we create an inferno. His cock twitches against my pulsing clirotis. My hands grab his steel hard ass as he slides into me. A moan from the depth of our throats escape our lips. He's so big that it hurts but the pain is right at this beautiful edge of pleasure and pain, taking my breath away. My nails dig into his ass as I cherish this feeling between pleasure and pain... the feeling only he can give me.
"Oliver..." I breathe into his face. He hasn't moved yet but I swear I'm already at the edge of coming. Whatever he's doing to me, I don't want him to stop.
Suddenly, I don't want to leave him for Paris tomorrow.
"Josephine..." He whispers back before biting into my lower lip and pulling it towards him. He pushes buttons I didn't know I had. He shows me a side that I didn't know existed.
This man sees something in me no one has before him.
His sea green eyes start glowing in a way that makes my heart skip a beat. This sexual connection is insane... I've never felt like this before.
No wonder he wanted 16 weeks instead of one night.
He was right.
He is rocking my world.
Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!
Originally, I wanted this chapter to end with Jo coming back from Paris, but that would have made the chapter too long. What do you think will happen in Paris?
I'm having one idea after another for Jo's story, hence the break on A Million Times More as I can only concentrate on one story at a time. But I also haven't forgotten about My Shadow. I'm just more focused on this than my other two stories.
Please review, favourite and follow this story!
In gratitude,
Nicole
