She stepped out of the shower twenty minutes later feeling energized at the prospect of meeting new people. She dried off quickly, wrapping the towel around her wet hair while she slipped on her soft, black terry cloth robe. Plugging in her hair dryer, she aimed the nozzle at the steam covered mirror, until she had cleared an area big enough for her to see. She brushed her teeth while running around the apartment looking for her make up. After apply a smudge of smoky gray on each lid, she let her hair down. The soft, wet curls clung to her face while she pulled a comb through them. Elizabeth decided down was best, just using the hair dryer long enough to slightly dry her mane.
She ran across the hall to her bedroom, knowing exactly what she would wear, something casual, yet something that would get people to notice her. She yanked a red V-neck tee shirt from the drawer, pulling it over the red lace bra she'd slipped on. Crossing the room, she flung open her closet, in search for her favorite pair of hip hugger jeans. They slid easily over her smooth legs, their deep blue color a dark contrast to her fair skin. Checking herself in the mirror, she slicked on a thin layer of lips gloss and headed out for the night.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Elizabeth handed the cabbie her fare, leaving him a dollar tip, as she stepped out of the cab. She heard him grumble 'cheapskate', but didn't bother to say anything. She studied the old building, a neon sign claiming it's name hanging over the entrance. Elizabeth was about to turn around and head back home, unsure if this was really her kind of place, when she felt the loud bass of rock music thumping through the ground at her feet. Before she could change her mind, Elizabeth was in and ordering a beer.
She stood at the end of the bar, resting an elbow on the corner while she took a look around to familiarize herself with the place. A jukebox stood to one side, belting out an old Aerosmith tune, and there was a couple dancing in front of it. To the right of that stood four pool tables, each one busy with a game. She watched as some hopeless sap let himself get hustled by a tall, chocolate haired man. Elizabeth couldn't help but notice how good looking the hustler was, and would have been interested in him had he not been a con man.
Elizabeth's legs grew tired from standing, so she picked a table towards the back, near the pool tables so she could watch. After a few minutes, a man from the bar came up to her with two bottles of beer in his hand and offered one to her. She accepted and invited him to sit down. They started talking, telling jokes, and before she knew it, she was surrounded by six or seven guys, including the hustler. She didn't mind, things like this would happen all the time. People were just drawn to her.
She sat for a few minutes more when all of a sudden a chill ran up her spine. Elizabeth couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Her left hand went to her right arm to quell the goose bumps that appeared. Unable to bear the pressure, she turned her head slightly, to glance out of the corner of her eye at the pool tables to the side of her. She saw him in her peripheral vision, leaning against a pool table, ankles crossed, with a beer in his hand. His shape looked familiar, but she couldn't distinguish the details unless she turned more. So she did.
A gasp caught in her throat when she realized the intense gaze belonged to her boss' partner. She flushed, and flashed him a smile, wondering if he recognized her. Glancing back to the men that surrounded her, Elizabeth realized that their attention was no longer focused on her, so she easily slipped away to go greet Mr. Morgan.
His eyes never left her as she approached him, and it brought back her goose bumps. "Hi," she said nervously, her teeth catching on her bottom lip.
"Hi." His reply was warm, his face showing no sign of recognition.
She flashed him a smile and pointed towards the pool table he was leaning against. "Do you play pool?"
He nodded, taking a drink from his bottle. "You?"
She shook her head, wondering when he would ask her what his partner's secretary was doing in a place like Jake's.
"Would you like to learn?" he asked, cocking his head to the right.
Elizabeth laughed at the ancient pick-up line but accepted the offer anyway.
They made polite small talk in the beginning while Jason showed her the basics of holding a cue stick and aiming for the pockets. Elizabeth was consciously aware of his hard, angular body weighing heavily on hers. When she tucked a piece of hair behind her right ear, she caught a faint whiff of his scent, leather and beer, and it excited her. Every time he looked at her, she expected him to say something about her working for Sonny. But it wasn't until he finally asked about her name that she realized he had no clue who she was.
She leaned on the cue stick, her dark blue eyes traveling down his body. "Beth," she answered. If he didn't recognize her it was his problem, she rationalized. "And your name is?" she asked, with a gleam in her eye.
"Jason," he answered before checking the clock above the bar. "Wow, two o'clock already. I need to be getting home." He took her cue stick from her as he passed by, and returned it to the cabinet on the wall. "I'll see you around, ok?" he asked, slipping his leather jacket on.
Elizabeth's eyes watched his biceps flex slightly and missed his question. A tap on her shoulder broke her out of her trance. "What?"
His chuckle was low, sounding almost like a growl. "You'll be around, for more lessons?" He motioned towards the pool table.
She nodded, walking with him towards the door. "I'll be around." She stopped when they reached the pay phone and dug into her pocket for change.
"Who are you calling?" Jason asked, shocking the both of them.
She studied him for a minute, "I'm going to call a cab so I can get home." She furrowed her eyebrows before reaching up to slip the change in the slot.
"Where do you live?" Jason couldn't believe he was asking her these things, but he knew he didn't want to say good night to her just yet.
She scoffed, not sure why he was being so inquisitive. "Harborview Towers." She proceeded to punch in the numbers of the taxi service when he grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"I'll give you a ride." It wasn't a question as much as it was a statement.
She shook her head at the thought of her boss giving her a ride home. "It's ok, I can manage." She reached up to push the numbers, and once again he stopped her.
"It's no trouble. I live in the building." His blue eyes blazed, and his mouth parted slightly, waiting for her to agree.
Elizabeth sighed, glanced at the telephone, then glanced back at him. "If you say so." She hung up the phone and retrieved her change before following him out into the cool night. When she saw him head towards a motorcycle, she stopped walking and tipped her head to the side. "You want me to get on that?"
He smiled at her and held out the helmet he kept for occasions such as this. "Too chicken?"
She shivered and crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing her hands up and down her upper arms to keep warm. "No, but it's a little cool. I think I'll take the taxi." She turned to go back in and call, but he called to her. When she turned back around, he was holding his leather jacket out for her to put on. Shaking her head, she slipped her arms into it, laughing at the way her fingers barely peeked out of the sleeves. She looked up at him, holding her arms out to the sides and doubled over with laughter when her fingers disappeared.
Shaking his head, Jason climbed onto the bike, waiting until Elizabeth got on behind him before starting the engine. He felt her place her hands just above the waist line of his jeans, and turned to yell at her over the roar of the bike. "Hang on tight!"
She nodded, not hearing his words through the helmet. She waited with baited breath for him to take off, and when he did, she let out a squeal, leaning forward to wrap her arms around his abdomen. The lights were a blur as the flew down the road, barely stopping for red lights. Elizabeth felt like she was flying. When they arrived at the parking garage, she was glad to have the helmet on to tone down the echoing of the bike's engine. As soon as Jason shut it off, she jumped off, yanking the helmet off of her head, a huge smile on her face. "That was amazing!" she commented, shaking her hair loose.
He sat and watched her, already missing the warmth her arms had created on his midsection. "I'm glad you liked it."
"Liked it?" she repeated, "I loved it!" She handed him back the helmet, and their fingers brushed, causing a jolt of electricity humming through her body. Suddenly she realized who the man sitting before her was, and toned down her smile a few notches. "Thank you for the pool lesson, and the ride home," she said quietly.
"It was no problem," he replied, swinging his leg from off of the bike. They walked in silence to the bank of elevators. "What floor?" he asked, pushing the button for the penthouse floor.
"Fourth," she directed, her eyes focusing on the numbers as the lit up.
He watched her in curiosity, realizing he'd never met anyone like her before. When the doors slid open to the fourth floor, he found he still didn't want to say good night to her. "Can I walk you to your room?"
She looked up at him, startled, prepared to say good night. "Uh, sure." She heard him behind her, his boots dragging along the carpet. When they reached her apartment at the end of the hall, she turned to him. "Thanks again. I'm new in town, so I don't know a lot of people." She swallowed hard under the intensity of his clear blue eyes.
Jason found himself reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her left ear, and let his fingers lightly trail down her jaw line. "Well now you know me," he replied, his voice low. His eyes focused on her parted lips, how pink they were. How utterly kissable.
Elizabeth felt the goose bumps return when he touched her, and more than anything she wanted to kiss him. She watched as his tongue darted out to lick his lips, and it wasn't until his other hand reached up to her other cheek that she snapped back into reality. "Yes, I do," she answered rather curtly. Tugging her keys out of the pocket of her jeans, she turned away from him, leaving his hands in mid air, to shove the key in the lock. After missing three times in a row, she watched his hand cover hers and slowly guide the key home. She chuckled nervously and scuttled into her apartment. "Goodnight Jason," she said, sticking her head out the door so he wouldn't follow her in.
"Good night, Beth." He waited until she closed the door before letting out the breath he'd been holding in.
Elizabeth leaned back against the door, her eyes closed, silently chastising herself for almost kissing her employer. Her hand still tingled from his contact with her, and she suddenly remembered she still had his jacket on.
"Jason!" She whipped around and threw the door open, hoping to catch him before he returned to the elevator. To her surprise, he was still standing in front of her door. She slid the coat off and handed it to him. "I forgot your coat."
When he reached for it, their fingers touched again, the electric pulse stronger than before, and it was all Elizabeth could do to keep from kissing him.
Closing the door, she slid down the hard surface to land on the floor, her knees tucked under her chin.
"Lord help me."