TICEES (2 page)

She rolled to her side and hugged a pillow to her chest. How long had they been dating for, a year now? Sure, he had his own company, and he was obscenely wealthy, but his lifestyle was the polar opposite of everything she valued: peace, tranquility … anonymity.

Chelan grabbed the pillow in frustration and threw it at the wall. At some point, she was going to have to grow a spine and stand up to him. She did not care for his lavish lifestyle or his flamboyant displays. She wanted her own little piece of utopia where she could regroup and take the time to sort out her own destiny. Instead, she was constantly being drawn into his world, and she seemed powerless to say no.

God, here she was with her doctorate in aeronautics from MIT, but as usual she was scared stiff of what was next to come. She was so used to being up to her neck in the demands of academia that the thought of stepping into the real world and getting on with her life had her paralyzed.

And all that dread was what kept her bound to Jim. Well, in addition to her parents telling her constantly that he was the finest thing that any young woman could ever hope for. He just happened to be the one constant in her final year of university, the one person who was there for her through all her anxieties and fears, the one person who could usually put a smile on her face.

At first she had been intimidated by his overbearing personality and his aggressive mannerisms, as he was a man used to getting what he wanted at any expense, both from the business world and from women. And to her knowledge, he had simply never failed in obtaining what he desired in both categories.

Well, almost never. After all, most women threw themselves at his feet and into his bed, laying before him a perpetual smorgasbord upon which to feast. But Chelan was different, and though she was just as attracted to him as all the other women were, she had no intention of being one of his tasty meals. When she had first met him during one of her summer jobs, Jim had pulled out every charm he possessed in hopes of bedding her, but he had come up frustratingly short. Chelan had stymied him at every turn.

Eventually, she had forced him to back off and bide his time. As a result, it wasn’t long into their relationship that he became acquainted with the concept of patience, not that he embraced the idea. But from the first moment he had tested her boundaries, she had erected powerful emotional barriers against him that were so fortified that most men could never hope to break through. But deep down she knew that he refused to be thwarted. As with everything in his life, she was a challenge, and she knew he was more than up to the task.

During this cooling-off period, however, Jim had become bewitched not only by her voluptuous body and stunning good looks, but by her vast knowledge base and mind-blowing intellect. He genuinely enjoyed his time with her, acquiescing to the fact that he had to settle for her mind and soul for the time being. The physical would come. He would not be denied. But he dared not push too hard. Right now, to have her with him when time allowed and to have her on his arm at functions like the one this evening had to be enough. He would not lose her. He had a powerful hunger for her, one that could only be satisfied one way, and he would ultimately win.

Her doorbell rang, and Chelan sat up sharply. “What now?” she muttered as she rose and shuffled out of her room toward the front entrance of her little apartment. She squinted through the peephole and stared at the elderly gentleman on the other side of her door. “Can I help you?” she called.

“Oh, yes! Miss Chelan MacKay? I have been asked to deliver a parcel for you from Mr. Jim Ruthers.”

“You can set whatever it is down there. I will pick it up later.”

The man squirmed and cleared his throat. “Ah, Mr. Ruthers stipulated that I must hand the merchandise directly to you, if you don’t mind, Miss. He made the selections from my store himself, and they are quite expensive.”

Chelan grimaced. After unlocking the deadbolt and peeking out suspiciously, she regarded the dapper old man for a moment before opening her door completely. “How did you get up here?” she asked quietly.

“Oh,” he chuckled. “Mr. Ruthers said he would call ahead and deal with building security for me.”

Chelan sighed. What was the point of having security when your boyfriend could just sweet-talk them into doing what he wanted, or, more likely, buy them off?

“My name is Fernand, Miss MacKay, and I own a new fashion boutique on Fifth Avenue, in New York City. Mr. Ruthers chose these items for you a few days ago and asked that I deliver them in person to you today. I must say, he has wonderful taste, and you are a very lucky young woman.”

Chelan felt her skin redden, and she wasn’t sure if it was with anger at Jim’s presumptuousness or embarrassment over the man’s compliment. Either way, she finally looked down at the very large box he was holding.

As she reached for it, he spoke hurriedly. “I could bring it in for you if you’d like?”

Chelan hesitated, and then took it very carefully. “It’s okay. I can manage.”

He almost bowed to her. “As you wish. I am sure that you will be very pleased with the merchandise. If for some reason you are not, please feel free to call me directly at any time.” He pulled out a business card from his suit pocket and laid it on top of the box.

Chelan backed up a few steps. “If you wait just a moment I’ll—”

“Oh, no, I could never accept a tip. The pleasure of coming here to deliver this in person was all mine. And I hope you have a lovely time tonight. Mr. Ruthers is a very wonderful man.”

So I have been told
trailed through her mind as she smiled meekly. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He tipped his head in her direction, reached for the door handle, and shut the apartment door quietly.

Chelan stood there staring blankly at the closed door. Surprises were the last thing she needed right now, but Jim seemed to be full of them, and unless she gave him his walking papers, which she had thought about doing numerous times, the surprises were going to simply keep on coming.

She placed the box down on the chair by the door and pondered her next move. She wanted a shower, but she could not seem to step away from the gift. Finally, she dared to open it. “Oh man …” she groaned.

Inside was a long, red Oscar de la Renta evening gown, complete with matching shoes, and a Louis Vuitton handbag. She cringed as she took the items out, one by one, handling them all delicately while at the same time wishing they had never entered her apartment. This was way over the top, but Jim was not finished with his shopping spree just yet. At the bottom of the box, she noticed another small gift in signature red. “Cartier,” she mumbled. “Oh, god, Jim, really?”

Inside the little box was a small handwritten note. “All for my special woman. I will be by at 8 to pick you up. Enjoy your new
duds
.”

Chelan finally smiled. Jim knew how much she loved her sweats and her T-shirts, her
comfort duds
as she called them. Dressing up to her was putting on a pair of relatively new jeans and a nice shirt, something she had splurged on in the twenty-dollar range. No doubt he was trying once again to raise the bar on her wardrobe, an uphill struggle for sure.

She finally looked past the note, and her eyes widened. Picking up the delicate, rose-gold necklace, she raised it to the light and sighed in wonder at all the rubies and diamonds. “Wow …” she breathed. But then a feeling of sadness washed over her. Why did he constantly do this? He knew this was not her, yet he persisted. She also knew he genuinely cared, but no matter how often they talked, he simply could not grasp how uncomfortable all this was for her. She valued simplicity, gifts from the heart that carried with them no monetary value, tender warmth given in the privacy of their homes, and above all, unconditional love. Everything else was trappings—frivolous, meaningless trappings. But it was his way, his expression of his love for her, and since it seemed he could not or would not come to understand her, she would have to tolerate them.

Her shoulders sagged. It was time to get dressed.

*****

Eight o’clock on the dot brought with it a firm rap on her door. Chelan opened it, and there stood Jim, looking absolutely magnificent in his tux. At just over six feet, with dark hair and green eyes, he was a sight to behold. He was no stranger to the gym, and he embraced racquet sports with a passion. To say that he had it all was indeed an understatement, and despite the forthcoming stress of the evening, Chelan felt her heart flutter in response to the visage before her.

But Jim was just as enraptured. Though Chelan had gained weight over the last year while working on her doctorate, her full curves were in all the right places. And in her beautiful, sleeveless red gown with a plunging neckline, with her long, golden-brown hair drawn back and flowing down to her waist, she was gorgeous beyond words.

Jim stepped in and took her by the hand, turning her full circle. “Well, you are a sight for sore eyes.”

Chelan blushed and bit her lip nervously. She hated being on display like this, even in front of him in private. And the look that overtook him whenever she was dressed like this put her on edge. She was shy and unassuming, and her idea of the perfect night was sitting with a bowl of popcorn in front of the TV. Though few people would have any sympathy for her, she was not at all comfortable with her new lot. She felt obligated to go with Jim to his functions even though the cost to her was monumental.

“You didn’t need to send all this stuff.”

He chuckled. “
Stuff
, hey? Yes, I did. Who knows what you would have come up with if left to your own devices.”

Chelan felt her skin heating. “You know I would have dressed appropriately for the occasion.”

“I know you would have, but I just wanted to add a little extra pizzazz tonight. I am trying to impress a lot of very influential and well-heeled people. I need them to pay attention.”

Chelan tried to smile, but she felt like collapsing. Her stomach was in a knot, and her head spun. Jim’s voice snapped her out of her downward spiral.

“Now, it would seem that you are missing a certain trinket around your pretty neck.”

Chelan turned and reached for the Cartier box. “I’m sorry, I tried to put it on but I couldn’t get the clasp done up.”

“Never fear. That’s why I’m here.” And he took the box from her.

Chelan turned from him so that he could place the necklace around her neck. She closed her eyes as the cool jewels kissed her white skin. Her next thought caused her world to tilt. What if she lost the necklace? On top of everything else, now she had this to worry about. She was not into jewelry, but she knew Jim, and she knew these stones. If he had put the money he had just spent on her toward his cause, he wouldn’t have had to host this benefit in the first place. But he was all about the show, and his shows were spectacular.

Jim’s hands lingered on her neck, his fingers finally tracing over her bare shoulders and down her slender arms. He held her wrists as his lips kissed a trail along her collarbone, up her neck, and to her ear. “You know,” he rumbled. “I could be fashionably late to my own function if you desire.”

Chelan felt his hands slide up her arms, then flow over her silken gown and graze her full breasts. She shuddered as a recurring panic seized her. She turned in his arms and looked into his emerald eyes. “I think we should get there on time,” she blurted quickly. She stooped to pick up her handbag. “If these people are as influential as you say, keeping them waiting would be the wrong approach.”

Jim looked at her slyly. “So, you jump out of the frying pan and into the fire once again.”

Chelan straightened and looked at him coolly. “Excuse me?”

He smirked. “Never mind. Shall we go?” And he offered her his arm.

*****

The evening dragged on, and Chelan’s face began to hurt from smiling at all the guests. Small talk was not her strong suit, and her only goal for now was to find a quiet spot in a corner and disappear. Jim was in his element and seemed to be suitably occupied, and so she made her escape. Finding a tranquil niche at the far end of the palatial ballroom, she pushed a chair as far into the shadows as she could and sat down. Her feet ached almost as much as her head, and she wondered how much longer this was going to last. All she wanted to do was go home, curl up in her little room, and sleep.

She looked down at her hands folded neatly in her lap and took a deep and calming breath. Then she smiled. Her vacation was coming up soon, and it was going to be her time to escape from it all. She needed to get away from the city, from her parents, from the pressure, and most of all, from Jim. She needed to sort out her life, find a job and a new place to live, and most important, she needed to work on herself.

She had always suffered from crippling low self-esteem, and depression dogged her at every turn. Yes, she was young, brilliant, versed in several languages, and as at home with any discussion involving math and the sciences as any of her contemporaries, but she was completely unable to convince herself that she was as capable as anyone else to do anything she pleased. This vacation, taken alone, was meant to be a rejuvenation of sorts, a time to reassess, to make plans, and to step out into the world on her own. It was an absolute necessity, and it was the one thing that no one could take away from her. Not even Jim.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

Chelan was startled out of her dreamy little world. She looked up into the face of a man she recognized from one of Jim’s company parties. She smiled, yet again. “Neil, I believe?”

“Great memory.” He pulled a chair up close to her and sat down. “So, why is such a beautiful woman tucked away in this dreary little corner?”

Chelan had to restrain herself from recoiling at the nauseating smell of alcohol on the man’s breath. “Well, I just needed a little break. I have met so many people tonight that, I must confess, I’m a little worn out.”

Neil grinned and edged closer. His eyes raked over her, and Chelan automatically reached up, laying her palm defensively across her exposed cleavage. Then her mouth dried as his eyes settled on her chest.