Consume Me (A Burning Desire Novel) (2 page)

I jumped up to a buzzing noise. Jenna lay at the other end
of the sofa. I was so tired that I couldn't carry myself out of its comfort,
and apparently neither could my friend. Even so, I wasn't ready to get inside
my room, but the few hours of sleep fueled me enough.
Earlier, we’d made a shopping list; the boys had
taken care of cleaning the apartment for the summer, so we barely had anything
in the fridge other than water and some French groceries we got with us from
our trip.
I pushed to my feet and head to the intercom. It
was Jude and Ryan. I buzzed them in and returned to the living room to wake
Jenna up. I noticed she'd indulged herself in doing some work. She was a lot
like me in that area, and maybe a little more.

Jenna
had
made a career as a journalist at
"Le Figaro,”
which was the French
version of
"The
New York Times.”
Giving her knowledge of the political scene worldwide and
her love for writing, she'd managed to make a career for herself and decided to
pursue her master’s degree in media studies.

Despite her professional image as a serious journalist and
aspiring successful press-attaché at the white house, she was keen on fashion
and always in search of her next 'flavor of the week'.
Over the years, she'd collected lovers and
admirers to compete with her collection of shoes. I always admired her for
that, she never missed an opportunity to have fun, prove her
independent-free-minded spirit, party like a rock star and yet, make a decent
career at age twenty-two.
The boys came straight after work with wine,
Chinese takeout and caramel popcorn. We all settled in the living room. Ryan
and Jenna had an exciting catching up session, they'd hit it off during the
week we'd spent in Barcelona all together during the summer.
The only reason they'd never met before, was
Ryan's refusal to get on a plane. It scared the-hell-out-of-him. He would drive
for several days to another state rather than book a flight that would bring
him to his demise. But Jude challenged him, and he started slowly, until he
made the big leap and traveled all the way across the continent.
"So tell me boo."
Jude was only too eager to get me for himself
for a little bit to check on my mental and emotional state.
"How did the rest of eat-pray-love work for
you?"
I offered him a shrug "So far, so good.
Leaving the city definitely helped. Now we'll have to wait and see."
He nodded his understanding,
 "I'm sure everything will work out
just fine. You'll get caught up with work and grad school during the week. And
party with us during the weekend."
Jude flashed me his million-dollar-smile and
reminded me what a knockout he was.
Truth be told, it was hard to forget. He was one
of those genuinely gorgeous men, and his eyes only made him even more unique, along
with the one-sided dimple that accentuated his features in the most exquisite
way.
"I'll drink to that. Especially the
partying part!"
Ryan rose to his feet and sat next to us on the
couch wrapping his arms around me.
"I'm sure you'll be fine cookie."
Ryan pressed a kiss to my forehead and offered
me a mischievous wink.
"Especially when you'll be wearing the
dresses I made you, knocking every man in town out."

Ryan was a designer, a very talented one. He worked his way
through several internships at some of the most prestigious brands. He'd
ensured a place as a personal shopper since our first year in college. Two
years later, he had established a name for himself by launching his brand and
his atelier.
Three collections and several fashion event
features later, he was acknowledged as one of the brightest rising talents in
the fashion world.
One of the perks of being his best-girl, was a
closet full of beautiful fabrics, from night gowns to casual dresses. I had
everything I needed as a token of friendship.
"Well I'm looking forward to put one of
them at use, tomorrow?"
"Yes!" Jenna exclaimed, "That's
what I'm talking about."
Her cheerfulness was deeply contagious and we
all joined in laughter...
We drained all three bottles of wine talking
about our respective summers and catching up on some Grey's anatomy episodes. I
drifted off on the sofa again, after asking them to let me be if I slept in
there.

The next three days, I kept my promise to Jenna. It was a
pure blast to be home again; with the people I considered family. What was even
better was getting my life back and feeling safe. Every morning we all went
running in the park. Jude and I mostly kept to our music and ourselves while
the two newly found soul-mates bonded.
We went shopping for groceries and a new oven.
Jenna indulged herself in some it-girl shopping session with her new favorite
advisor. Ryan banished her from some outlet store for buying a dress, then came
to what they called a reasonable settlement when she refused to hear about it.

A
s promised to Jenna, we went clubbing all over the
west side.
By
Sunday, I'd caught up with
some unpaid bills, some work stuff, class scheduling and spent the day with Mia
and Faith telling me all about their crazy summer adventures.
By the end of the afternoon, I was relaxed and
ready for what the next week was going to present to me. I had an intensive
Skype session with my mother, and another one with my brother and two beautiful
nieces. I polished some details for my job interviews, had an overview of my e-mails.
Caden kept sending some lame apologies. I
ignored them and settled on my sofa unleashing a war with my plants over some
lawn zombies.

Chapter
II

I woke up the next morning to the sound of
‘Foster the people' '
Pumped up kicks’
.
I coaxed my eyes open and smiled. I’d gotten used to
Jenna's morning routine over the summer. We would drink through the night and
she would wake up in the same good mood with no hangover to talk about, ready
for the beach or the next party.
She stood next to the window carrying those
endlessly hopeful eyes admiring the view. She turned to me with a full grin and
gestured to the table in front of me.
"Good
morning roomy. Come on, le monde appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt."
Jenna' smile was
definitely something to look forward to in the morning.
"Good morning." I gave her my broadest
smile and stretched under my quilt.
"Medium latte, two espresso shots, no
cream, and white chocolate."
She announced pointing at my coffee order
standing on the table next to freshly baked croissants.
"Girl after my own heart."
"Err, tell me something I don't know."
Jenna extended her arm "Now let's go dance
and get ready."
She continued raising the volume.
We got dressed and got some make-up done before
it'd even hit seven fifteen. It was nice having a girl as a roommate for a
change. Not that the boys were any less pleasant.
It just felt different.
By five to eight, I was in front of Bradley
& Miller advertising with fifteen minutes to spare before my interview. I went
inside and introduced myself at the reception. I was greeted by a nice man who
presented himself as Adam. It wasn't common to be greeted in such a way in this
city. However, BMA had its own mantra. The owners and partners established it
to redeem themselves from the big firm's heavy luggage.
I was actually accosted by them first, never
dreamed about getting more than an interview. But I missed their interview
sessions, and managed to get a private one. If I had to choose between the
firms I'd applied to, it would’ve definitely been this one.
«Miss Dane?"

A thirty something well-groomed blond with the brightest
green eyes came through one of the closed office door. I stood up hurriedly and
gave her a warm smile. She returned a discreet nod and gestured for me to
follow her inside.
"I'm Eloise Jones. Welcome to BMA. Please,
take a seat."
I complied.
"Thank you for offering me this opportunity
Mrs. Jones."
"Pleasure. Please don't be tense Miss Dane.
This isn't a test. This interview is merely a way to know you; so breathe and
tell me; why advertisement?"
She seemed very sincere and I was instantly put
at ease.
She also seemed busy, or in some kind of hurry,
so I wasn't going to push my luck.
I managed a genuine smile thinking about my
answer,
"That's an easy question. I knew what I
wanted to make of my life when I was ten years old."
"Please, do tell."
"Well, my friend and I had this game we
liked to play over breakfast when we were ten. We'd get in front of the
television and time ourselves five seconds to guess what the next ad would be
about."
I paused.
She nodded for me to carry on.
"Not to sound pretentious, but I was
unbeatable at that game. It was my powerhouse. It didn't matter whether I knew
the ad or not, I could always figure it out. And ever since then, I was
compelled by the way an ad would influence our basic needs and create new ones.
I was fascinated and curious about the work behind it, from the creative to the
marketing team. So when I had to choose a major, I didn't think twice about it."
I finished with another smile. I truly loved my
field of study, and was grateful for the mere chance of getting to work in it.
"Well, that is a refreshing way to look at
our line of work." Mrs. Jones straightened herself further in her seat.
"And that game would be a great idea for a
team building exercise perhaps?"
I nodded my agreement feeling even more
comfortable in her presence.
"That should be fun. I always won my best
friend scoop of ice-cream."
"So you're competitive too?" She
arched a perfect eyebrow twitching her mouth. She was somehow teasing me,
suggesting I could get competitive over ice cream.
I only responded with a wide smile, that giving
her reaction, told her everything she needed to know about my ambition.
"Well that sounds promising. Almost as much
as your GPA Miss Dane."
She acquiesced, seemingly impressed.
"And you have some great recommendations,
especially the one from Pr. Caden Blye."
All the blood drained from my face and I froze
in my seat. I'd forgotten his letter was in all my job application folders. It
shouldn't be there. I should say something, but I could barely hold my breath,
let alone speak.
"Miss Dane, are you alright?"
Mrs. Jones insisting voice pulled me out of my
frozen state. I cleared my dry throat.
"I'm sorry, I felt a little dizzy." I
lied. "Still jet-lagged, I guess." I lied again.
"Jet-lagged?" She asked turning in her
seat and pushing towards the mini-fridge.

I looked around me to try and regain my spirits. It was a
nice office space. The view was definitely worth every penny they'd put into
getting the floor.
Warm carpeted floors, a beautiful rustic book
shelve filled the whole right wall. It contained an impressive collection. A
brown leather sofa placed in front of it made it seem like a private part of
the office.

On my left, a big conference table cornered under a wall
filled with vintage ads next to what looked like award certificates. I
definitely loved the ambience of the place, and I was positive it was
personalized with Mrs. Jones own touch.
She handed me a bottle of water and an Advil.
"Here, this will make you feel
better."
I took the pills and swallowed despite the fact
that I had no need for any cure. But I wasn't going to refuse her kindness.
"Why are you jet-lagged, Miss Dane?"
"I got back from Paris only four days ago.
So I guess I'm still synced with another continent."
"Lucky girl. The closest I got to Paris was
a week seminar in London. I thought I'd get the weekend and maybe escape to the
city of lights, but I couldn't." She said with a regretful tone.
I shrugged, "I'm sorry. But I hope you get
to visit, very soon."
"Thank you. I hope that too."
She pushed to her feet and gathered my folder
back together. I followed her lead and grabbed my purse.
"I'm sorry Miss Dane; I have to cut this
interview short. I have an urgent conference call scheduled with a client who's
momentarily in Japan."
She announced, leading me to the exit.
"I understand. Thank you for your
time."
Her smile widened,
"Not at all."
We walked to the elevator, and it was only once
we were standing in front of it that she turned to me again.
"So Miss Dane." She faced me with a
kind expression,
"When will you be able to start?"
I was suddenly stunned and out of words.
Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice,
"To tell you the truth, the sooner, the
better. We've established a new team of fresh blood over the past week, and I
think you'd fit in perfectly."
"You mean... I got the job?" I could
hear the disbelief in my voice.
"Well, I know this may seem unconventional.
But we have a new client, who needs a fresh vision for his product. Also, we've
seen your common application, so we'd rather hire you right away."
Mrs. Jones elaborated with her own arguments,
including how different this firm was compared to others, and how my résumé
made me seem like a perfect fit for the new team.
"Miss Dane?" She brought her hand to
my shoulder and I scolded myself for the bad impression I was giving.
I just didn't expect things to work the way they
did. I knew I would eventually find a job, but certainly not that easily.
"Yes... Yes of course. And please call me
Clea."
"So would you be able to start Wednesday?
We have the team first meeting scheduled at ten."
I washed out the lump in my throat with a deep
breath and nodded at her.
"Wednesday at ten. I'll be there."
"Well then, welcome to the team Clea."
Despite all her kindness, she seemed in a real hurry, so I didn't want to
pressure her further.
"Thank you Mrs. Jones. Goodbye." I
said offering my hand.
She took it," Call me Eloise. See you
Wednesday and again; welcome to the team."

She handed me a contract and asked me to go over it before
I sign it the next time. I pushed through the revolving doors with a satisfied
and somewhat proud feeling. I decided to call my two other scheduled interviews
and cancel. I knew it wasn't a big deal, but I thought that if someday I'd need
another job, being punctual or in this case decent, would appeal to them. Life
was usually unexpected, especially with such a crowded job market.
I texted Jenna and the guys with the big news.
Jude texted with some celebratory plans, to which I’d happily agreed to.

Jenna gave me an ecstatic phone call, promising homemade
chocolate liquor ice-cream, which was one of her specialties and my favorite
treat. Then, she went on about a cab driver who yelled at her and how she
freaked out. It made me laugh that her only problem with the situation was,
that she might have seemed like a fraudulent New Yorker.
I stopped by a vendor cart for a quick snack and
a diet coke. I decided that the occasion called for some shopping. I'd been on
a spree with my mother over the holidays; I was in the mood for some business
casual from my one and only
Kors
.
Up until three years ago, I hadn't been much of
a shopper. Clothing concept was all about practicality and comfort, especially
for work and college. I'd worn the occasional party dress and gowns. But as far
as fashion could go, I stuck to classic and easy.
Needless to say how meeting Ryan had changed me.
I'd felt a little offended the first time he'd criticized something I wore.
Several heated conversations and fashion history
lessons later, I understood the way he looked at clothing, and he encouraged me
to always put some money into some worthy pieces to add to my closet.
Two years later, I had to buy an extra closet
for my room. I still had some reservations about lingerie. Which continued to
make Ryan crazy, and he even made it his life mission to fill my drawer with
fabrics I could never wear.

I made my way through the park and chose a comfortable spot
to have my snack. I loved the fall scenery around there. It was my favorite
season, the rebirth season. I was also born in the fall. Ryan thought that was
the real reason I loved it. In addition, he could never understand how it
symbolized rebirth instead of spring.
For me, autumn was the season during which
people made a change in their lives. They made new decisions, get rid of past
regrets, and prepare themselves for winter to wash it off. In spring, they
blossom. I always enjoyed the perspective and stood by it.
I was born in this city. My father had met a
French tourist and fell in love immediately. Giving the difficult situations
his work used to put him in, he didn't think twice about asking her to marry
him. Soon after I was born, he became a US ambassador and we had to move around
and frequently.
I loved winters in France and summers in North
Africa. I had the chance to enjoy many cultures; it had been the only positive
aspect about being my father's daughter.

It was never easy for me to keep friends. That was the
reason I was thankful for my friends and why I considered them family. While
Jenna had chosen Paris for college, Jude and I moved back as soon as we were
seventeen. We were both escaping a life that had been imposed on us.
He quickly developed a keen reputation as one of
the moneymaking faces in the fashion industry. In reality, it'd already started
in France when we were sixteen. During one of our dance classes, he'd been
accosted by some agent who got him involved in some modeling gigs. Jude grew to
love the scene, it was the only place he wasn't judged on his sexuality, but
rather on the way he looked.
In two years’ time, he made enough money to
leave his family and pay for college. He'd always dreamed of becoming a pilot
and he was almost finished with school. He still made some photo-shoots for
advertisement and helped Ryan when he first launched his men's clothing
collection.
When I looked back at our lives, I was surprised
that things worked out for us despite what we’d been through, and all the
problems we'd faced. We had a close circle of friends with Mia, Faith, and
Ryan's younger brother Andy. We'd stand by each other no matter what.
It wasn't until last year, when things started
going wrong for me. I'd decided to get through my finals and leave the city

I'd started with a visit
to my brother in Michigan for a couple of weeks. I hadn't seen him and his
family for a long time. Therefore, it was a good start being around my little
nieces. After that, I went to visit my mother and my nana in the south of
France. I had a great time catching up with some high school friends. I'd
attended many schools in several countries, so it was hard to keep up with all
the people I'd met along the years. But I managed to reconnect with some of
them, thanks to social networking.
The rest of my summer had been a journey. It
began with Belgium followed by Spain, where Jude and Ryan had joined Jenna, her
summer crush and me.
When they'd left, Jenna and I were invited by a
college friend of hers to visit him in Morocco.
Overall, it'd been a great summer. I hadn't left
the country in so long. By the time I'd gotten back to Paris with Jenna, I was
completely broke. My mom had insisted on giving me some money to keep me going
until I found a job. I'd reluctantly accepted because I wanted to keep a clean
credit for my student loans.
Being hired as quickly as I did was a miracle
and a great save for my visa card.
I walked for a little bit longer across the
park. I wished I could come more often. I loved the fall breeze, leaves falling
around. Sometimes, you could come across a show or a concert, more often during
the spring.
I was plugged in with
"Norah Jones"
'Come away with me'
and thinking about the way the day had been perfect, when
I felt a hand grabbing me from behind. I instantly froze. I was completely
freaked out, up until a familiar chow-chow head peeked under me.
I breathed out and turned to find my first floor
neighbor Maria walking her dog around the park.
"Hola Chica." Maria said cheerily.
I greeted her warmly. I was happy she wasn't
some mugger or worse; Caden.
"Ola yourself, guappa!"
"Judas said you're back. I went up but found no one." I loved the way
she referred to Jude. He wasn't very fond of it though.
She scolded at an excited Teddy and I couldn't
stop laughing at her.
"I was shopping for a new job and thought
about walking around. I was going to stop by your house to ask if you're in the
mood for a night out to celebrate with us."
I loved Maria. She was Puerto Rican and had been
living in my building for over twenty years. She was almost forty, but didn't
look a day over thirty. It was probably due to her petite silhouette and all
the workout she did. She had the darkest eyes and curls that could give my own a
run for their worth. She was also a very talented photographer, and even had an
upcoming event in one of Chelsea's art galleries.
"I'm always up for a party." She
winked at me before retrieving her frustrated glare at the hairy puddle.
"Okay, I'll let you get back at this cute
angel." I bent down for teddy and gave him the rest of my hot dog.
"Just be ready by nine. I have a new
roommate, and she needs to see as much of the city as she can."
"Okay Chica. See you later."
After saying my goodbyes to Maria and her little
bundle of fury, I stopped by Magnolia's bakery and got about a week's worth of
treats. I hailed a cab, laughing at Jenna's difficulties with a taxi earlier. I
smiled nostalgically remembering my own screw-ups around the city. I used to
walk around wide-eyed and distracted. With time, I grew comfortable around it.
I still got a little freaked whenever the subway roared under me, but at least
I had developed my own system with the lines. It only took me two years or so.