Caught Inside (11 page)

"Dude!" Zach shouted as he pulled the
curtains open wide to the sun peeking out from the passing
storm.

"Fuck!" Trey rolled over onto his
side, facing away from the window, with his pillow over his head
and nothing else covering his drunk naked ass that was lying in his
bed thinking of Jennifer.

"Time to
line-up
dude!" Zach
slapped his hand hard on the end of Trey's bed making it sound like
a hard 'thwack'.

Trey rolled back over to his back,
carrying the sheet with him to cover his man parts and kept the
pillow over his eyes. His voice sounded hung over to his own ears.
He had told Zach all about Jennifer and his feelings yesterday
while surfing and as usual, his buddy was not much help in the love
department. Hell, he was usually the one bailing Zach out of a mess
that he put himself in with his own girlfriend, Hailey. The only
reason he did that and muddle around in their business was that
Hailey was a godsend when his daughter Bethany came to visit every
summer. Hailey wanted kids, girls in particular, and Bethany and
his relationship had moments of strain as they were apart the other
nine months out of the year. Now that Bethany turned thirteen, he
really needed Hailey to help this summer. However, that was not the
real issue at hand. The issue Zach was trying to get him to deal
with right now is the fact that he was hung over and the sun was
up, and they were due at the beach, pronto.

Then Trey heard what Zach said next
and let it sink into the core of his being.

"
Pop-up
dude! Jennifer's escorts in
the hospital and didn't catch the flight. We've got to scramble and
find a replacement, which, if you ask me, it's you."

Trey let that settle in deep into his
brain. There wasn't anyone they could set her up with that was
tall, dark, handsome and not blonde. Business had picked up and
after this deal, they were considering selling and opening a surf
shack. Stress of the business was not their forte. They had made
enough money to live decent, and if they sold, they would be
sitting sweet.

"Time to
snap
dude! One eighty.
Get your ass up, shower and brush that
gnarly
breath. We've got less than
four hours to get you ready for your girlfriend and get you on a
flight to Japan. Now where they hell is your passport." Zach left
the room on a mission to find Trey's passport, as Trey stood up
naked and started to stretch out his aching muscles from surfing
yesterday. He was not as young as he used to be and the next day he
felt stiff as a long board. Two words pinged around in his brain
that Zach had spoken, words that lifted his heart and made him
smile, 'your girlfriend'. But was she? Could he go and play the
part, or would he want that two-word phrase to stick for both of
them?

Trey could have thought of a dozen
things to shout out at his friend. Instead, he knew what he had to
do. Shower, shave, get a haircut and get his tux and a couple of
suits rushed at a one-hour dry cleaner and get his ass to Japan for
Jennifer. She might not be happy that he is the replacement, but he
already had a plan in mind to keep her mouth shut. Sex would have
been his first idea but this time, this time, he was going to charm
her and her clients with his social repertoire, and show her he can
speak Japanese as well as any other-worldly guy.

As soon as the plane landed in Japan,
I told myself that I had to stop thinking about Trey and start
thinking about landing the client. Putting all those miles behind
me did not put Trey any farther from my mind then what I would have
liked. He was front and center in my every thought and now that the
Bill plan collapsed, well I actually felt alone on this trip. Even
though I had three other associates there to collaborate with. Prez
liked to make a presence with new potential clients, and I usually
liked the backup. However, this time, I would have liked for Trey
to be here to calm my nerves.

The hotel we were staying at was
lavish. The weather was calm, and the atmosphere with everyone was
that of 'let's do this thing'. We were a winning team, and everyone
here knew what they had to do to make this transaction a success.
However, I was feeling so anxious that I decided to grab a drink
from the mini bar in my hotel and get my baring's. We had to
acclimate to the time change, meetings first thing in the morning
Japan time to strategize with each other, and I had no time to
waste going over last-minute details.

The team wanted to meet for bite to
eat and do a recap on the next few days. I was the team leader in
this whole transaction but what I wouldn't give to have nothing to
do with all of this right now and be wrapped up in Trey's arms,
snuggled close on the beach with his strong arms around me and his
sexy voice telling me how beautiful I am.

One of the team members snapped his
fingers in front of my face as I had obviously gone off into my own
mental deep end of thinking about Trey. It was hard not to think
about him. His body was killer, his eyes seductive, but it was the
way the connection between us was starting to grow and that scared
me. I quickly barked at Mark, the employee who snapped his fingers
at me, with a loud 'what', and then I told him to go find me some
Red Bulls. He looked at me funny, but did what I said, because he
was underneath me, and I could make or break his career.

Just then, I realized what a bitch I
had just come off as in front of my employees. As if I had no
control over my emotions, which was not normal for me. I had a
choice; I could run down the hall after Mark apologizing, sounding
like an emotionally unstable female, or I could bite my tongue,
apologize in private later, and try not to do it again. I went with
the latter.

I turned to the rest of the team with
a smile that I hoped they perceived as that I had no more emotional
baggage or sharp demanding snaps coming out of me. I asked the
other two if they settled in all right, and if they wanted to go
ahead and freshen up, and meet at the restaurant in an hour. I
offered to stay in the reserved meeting room we had set aside in
the hotel until Mark got back with our regulatory case of Red Bull,
and then I would lock up the room and call it a night until our
first set of meetings tomorrow. They readily agreed just as the
hotel manager showed up to go over the food and drink requirements
for our meetings for the next few days.

As soon as the hotel manager left with
the changed list in hand, I remembered we need a remote for the
projection screen. It was not in the room. I sent Lorna a text to
handle it knowing that my mind was on Trey still and not the small
tasks I needed to handle on my own. However, Lorna was always ready
to handle things back at corporate and here, even if she was not
here. She was a great assistant, and when this client deal closed,
I was going to take her out and let her in on my little 'escort
charade'. It was time she knew that I was up to something. It was
time I saw my associates for the great employees and help that they
provide, instead of trying to be deceiving and in
control.

I smacked my hand against my head and
thought 'where the hell is this all coming from'? I had to ask
myself if that was what I really wanted. Did I want to expose my
secret ways of portraying myself? No. What I wanted was to find a
man like Trey that would settle down but allow me the freedom to be
the corporate executive woman that I am. For him not to expect kids
or cooking and cleaning out of me, yet know that I will make sure
his sexual sated needs were met, as well as my own. That thought
brought a smile to my face.

The team was famished, and we were
quiet the first ten minutes of our meal together, which went well
as I was no longer on edge about Trey, Bill, and if we land the
client. I was in go mode now. It was evident the entire team was
ready for an adjustment to the time change as Japan is seventeen
hours ahead of our normal schedule back in Cali. We all needed to
get some rest and prepare any last-minute preparations for the next
few days of meetings. Topics of tuxes and cocktail dress were
discussed, as everyone wanted to give their own opinion about what
they would be wearing to Friday night's event. It was where we
would have a social environment with the client, and it could be
make or break time if we did not come off as professional, groomed
or intelligent.

For some reason, my nerves were on
edge. I had not checked my phone in a while, and my fingers itched
to go back up to my room where I left it so see if Trey had texted
me back. I had realized that my short simple text held no light to
the fact that I owed him a huge apology. I just felt so torn
between what I should do, wanted to do, or even, what the right
thing to do was. If I had a magic ball, I could look into it to see
what the right decision in this would be, now would be the time I
really wanted one.

By the time we finished eating and
conversation was dwindling, at least from my participation, I
realized I needed to get back to my room and check my cell phone
which I had left earlier on the bathroom sink when I went to
freshen up. The only thing on my mind was Trey, and I knew I had to
call and apologize in person. Texting was an immature way of
handling my emotions, and I needed to rise above it and realize I
had been harsh the day I practically threw him out of my house when
what I really wanted to do was finish what he started in the
shower.

I slid my room key card through the
magnetic strip, and the light flashed green. I turned the handle
and opened the door, immediately noticing that the light by the bed
was on along with the TV. Neither of which I left on. There in a
corner chair, with his feet propped up on the side of the bed, his
head laying back, his eyes closed and his hands folded nicely
across his lap was a sleeping Trey. He got his hair cut short into
a professional cut, a few darker low lights put in, and a nice
business suit on. He looked ever the part of a handsome businessman
and all I wanted to do was wake him up.

I quietly closed the door behind me
and crept over to the second queen bed. I sat down facing him and
stared at him while he slept. I watched his chest rise and lower,
and then his head turned a bit. Slowly, a smile crept over his
face, and one eye began to open. I think he just realized I was
staring at him, now if only he accepted my apology and allowed me
to make it up to him.

Chapter Ten

Trey knew the look on Jennifer's face
was not that of a woman upset that he was her replacement, but of a
woman who was happy to see him. It helped a bit that she left her
phone on the bathroom counter. He had decided to run through the
missed texts Zachery sent her along with a note on her phone to
make it up to him. Zach was right. It was time for him to put his
heart on the line and see where this attraction went. The entire
flight here, he felt it in his gut. The excitement of seeing her,
making up with her and more so, showing her that he can be every
bit the man, she needs him to be on this job.

On the long flight out to Japan, he
brushed up on his Japanese that he had learned a few years back
from another surfer buddy that was from Tokyo. He studied the
I.N.Zime corporation notes that Zach sent him and the notes
pertaining to the client that Jennifer was trying to win their
business over. He was prepared for everything on the end of the job
that Jennifer would have required out of Bill. He was not prepared
for the way she was looking at him right now with a sensual
softness to her eyes and a smile that told him; she liked him - a
lot!

"This is a surprise. A really - nice
surprise - Bill." I laughed at the last part; I stood up and
offered Trey a hand. As he stood, I toyed with him. "Not that you
have to go by Bill. Nobody but Lorna was aware of Bill attending
this with me, so you will not come as surprise to anyone when I
introduce you. So who shall I say you are?" I teased as he stood
within a foot of my personal space, smelling fresh and looking so
damn sexy in his business suit and new haircut. Not that every part
of me was totally enchanted by the way he looked before, that being
that bad-boy look, I always like to keep on the side for pleasure.
Right now, he looked like pleasure and sex and business all rolled
up into one, and I was trying to catch my breath as I stared into
his green eyes that had roamed up and down my body and were now
looking directly into my eyes.

"Well, that depends." He teased back.
"On how you want me to be known. I think it would be hard to pass
me off as anyone else since the client of yours is a major surf
buff. In fact, I think I met him once on the coast of Australia
before he married his wife of three years now. It is possible that
I will be recognized."

I raised my eyebrows in question. He
shocked me. He had done a little studying. "You have met him?" I
questioned as I watched him take a step closer to me, and his hand
was now on the side of my hip, as if it was contemplating pulling
me in for a kiss. Then his other hand gently swept the side of my
neck; it trailed down and then up to put a small strand of hair
behind my ear. What came out of his mouth next was a complete
surprise.

In the words as a well-spoken man, he
spoke in Japanese by telling me something I longed to hear. "It is
so good to see you, my love." Then his lips dropped to mine, as his
hand pulled my head in closer, and our lips claimed each other's
passion in a kiss that caused us to fall backwards onto the bed,
allowing Trey to land gently on top of me.