Элла Франк - Exquisite

For a moment Lena stared at him in shock then she felt her face morph to disbelief that he didn't know her last name and that she’d never told him! Here she was sitting in a tiny room, make that a tiny locked room! On a date, with a man who hadn't even asked her last name. The sooner I arrive the sooner I can leave, she repeated to herself.

“Is that really a requirement for you? Obviously it wasn't that important since you still don't know it.”

Expecting some kind of apology Lena was shocked when he shrugged, “No. I don't care either way.” Before she could come back with an equally degrading reply he went on. “So what did you learn from Google, Lena?” Sitting back in the chair again he watched her with laughter in his eyes.

“I figured out that there are at least thirty-three very unintelligent women roaming the streets of Chicago.” she finally grinned at him and he stopped rocking the chair abruptly. He sat up straight and rested his long forearms on the desk. She couldn't help but glance at them, then she looked back up to meet his steady gaze. He smiled slowly and his dimples appeared.

“I don't know what you mean by that but from the unholy grin on your face, it had to be a great insult. I'm just sorry I don't understand.”

Standing up he came around the desk and stepped in front of it then leaned back resting against it.

“Maybe you should Google it?”

Suddenly he leaned down and grabbed the sides of the chair she was sitting in bringing them almost nose to nose. “Maybe you should tell me your last name.”

Losing the grin Lena stared right back at him. “Why?”

“Don't you think I deserve to know who insults me?”

Lena held his stare and narrowed her eyes, “I've been insulting you since we met, and my last name was on the flowers you delivered and yet you still don't know. Maybe I was right all along and you really can't read?”

She felt his hands grip the chair tighter and watched his jaw clench then he stood and spun away from her running a hand through his hair.

“You’re so infuriating!” he turned back to face her and drew his hands up palms facing forward, “I surrender, you win. You're much better at this than I am.”

“Better at what?” she asked feeling her chest tighten. She’d been trying to get away from him all night and now that she knew that mission was accomplished she didn't feel as victorious as she thought she would.

“This ice you have.” pausing he shook his head, “This mean you spit out without even blinking. This isn’t me. It’d probably be best if you leave.”

Standing up Lena took her purse and walked to him. Stopping in front of him she felt her heart squeeze, then grimaced slightly.

“That's not a bad thing, Langley.” With that she turned and walked out the door thinking, the bitch had arrived and now she could leave.

Throwing her purse onto the couch Lena made her way to her wine cabinet. She pulled out a bottle of Merlot and sat down pouring herself a glass. Kicking her heels off she closed her eyes for a moment. Maybe you should tell me your last name. His voice kept repeating itself over and over the whole way home. She couldn't begin to understand why she cared he’d kicked her out, but she did. She took a sip of the wine and sighed. She was beyond tired, her head was throbbing and all she wanted was a hot shower. Standing she walked down the hall, wine in hand and flicked on the bathroom light. Placing the half empty glass on the counter she started to get undressed. Pulling the clip from her hair she watched as it tumbled down in waves to the curve of her back. Looking in the mirror she grimaced at her reflection. She really did look like she was wearing a suit of armor. Her blouse was a high neck collar that buttoned all the way up. It just makes me want to know what’s under there and how I can get to it. Sighing Lena reached out and grabbed the glass and downed the rest of the wine. The man was so annoying! Even when he wasn't here he was in her head being totally offensive. Oh but he was so totally appealing in every other way. She placed the glass back down and undressed. Turning the water on in the shower, she stepped in and let the spray slide over her flesh. Taking the sponge she lathered it up and started to run it up her arms and found herself thinking about Mason's long arms when he’d placed them on his desk, she imagined how good they’d feel wrapped around her from behind and she knew they would be long enough to let that big hand slide down her tummy to between her. No! She refused to allow Langley to be her fantasy. Oh he'd just love that smug bastard, she thought and finished washing herself with quick efficiency.

Mason got home at around 2am and walked straight to his room flopping down onto his bed. He watched his fan spin above him and tried to work out what the hell had happened tonight. He’d known from the start that the date was not going to be the usual. He’d not however, expected it to turn into a colossal fuck up. It’d gone from them launching insults at one another, to her unexpected show of humor, to him losing his temper and kicking her out. He raised his arm up and rested it across his forehead and thought back to their conversation. She was such a prickly woman he didn’t even really understand how he’d managed to piss her off so badly. Oh well, he thought and closed his eyes, it wasn’t like he went into the evening thinking it would go well. What was bothering him though, was that moment right before she left, when her guard came down and she softened for just a moment and he saw the woman he knew was somewhere inside her. It was a pity it’d taken him telling her to go away for her to finally show up.

The next day Lena made it a point to be early and instead of going to the cafeteria she went straight up to her office. She sat down and looked at the post it’s on her desk with messages and numbers on them for call backs. She hadn’t slept well at all. Once she’d finally managed to doze off she’d woken up in the midst of the same gut wrenching nightmare she always had. She knew she needed to talk to someone about it, or at the very least get a shrink, but the whole idea of sitting down and confessing to someone that she was an emotional wreck made her want to jab her eyes out with a hot poker. Just as she was about to get up and grab a coffee her phone rang. She glanced over, saw Shelly’s extension and picked up the phone.

“So? Are we feeling nice and relaxed today?”

Leaning back in her chair Lena shut her eyes and thought back to last night. “No. I didn’t sleep well at all.”

“Oh?”

“No, there is no oh, like I did anything exciting. Just the same old, same old.”

“What do you mean the same old? I picked him out, gift wrapped him and gave him to you. All you had to do was unwrap.”

Lena sighed then sat forward playing with the cord on her phone, “You did not pick him out Shelly. He barged into my life, tricked me into a date and then kicked me out after ten minutes.”

She could almost here Shelly’s jaw hit the desk. “Stay right there. Do not move. I’m coming to you.”

Before Lena could say a word she’d been hung up on.

Mason’s morning was not much different. He woke up to the sound of his phone continuously ringing. Opening one eye, he looked at the clock and noticed it was 7am. Yawning he sat up and snatched up the phone. “Hello.”

“Good morning sunshine.”

“Rachel it’s way too early to be as happy as you are right now.”

He heard her laughing on the other end and rubbed his eyes, “Why are you bothering me?”

“You know for someone who had a hot date last night you’re awfully grumpy this morning.”

He grunted at that and without acknowledging her comment asked again, “Why are you bothering me?”

“You’re really not going to tell me anything?”

He could almost see her pout at the end of that sentence. He paused then leaned back against the headboard. “Okay two questions.”

She fired her first one off so quickly he knew she’d been thinking about it. “What time did she leave or did she?”

He heard her laughing on the other end thinking she’d asked a good one. Well get ready to be shocked, he thought. “Around 15 minutes after she arrived.”

There was dead silence at the other end of the phone.

“Are you serious? What did you do to her?” she paused, “No, no wait! That is not my second question.”

Mason had to smile. They’d been playing this game since they were kids.

“Hmm. Okay let me think of a good one.” she paused then asked, “What’s her name?”

Mason answered quickly, “Lena.”

“Her whole name?” Rachel emphasized. Geez, what was it with women? Had she been standing with her ear pressed to the door last night?

“Is that your second question?” he asked avoiding her.

“You do know her whole name right?”

“No.” and with that he hung up.

Lena looked up as Shelly walked into her office and shut the door. After she was seated she waited silently and Lena was reminded of her horrible night all over again.

“What’d you do?” she demanded when it became obvious Lena wasn’t going to volunteer any information.

“What makes you think I did something?” then she mumbled, “It could’ve been him.”

“Do you forget that I was there the night he asked you out? I know he isn’t the problem here.” she paused then asked again, “So what’d you do?”

Lena frowned at her. “Nothing! I may have got a little annoyed that he didn’t know my last name.”

Shelly sat staring at her friend for a moment. Then asked, “Did you ever tell him? Or introduce yourself in between all your bitchy remarks?”

Rolling her eyes Lena shook her head, “No, but,”

“No buts Lena!” Shelly sighed loudly and sat forward, “What’s the real problem here? Because that man was hot and nice. Do you know how rare that is? And for some crazy ass reason he asked you on a date.”

“Gee thanks Shelly.”

“Oh come on you know I’m right. Even you were shocked he asked after your horrible behavior.”

“Did you know he’s dated thirty three women this year?” Lena paused, “This year! It isn’t even June yet! He’s a womanizer. That’s who you want me to open my heart to? Really?”

“How do you know he’s dated thirty three women? Did he tell you that before he kicked you out or as he slammed the door in your face?”

“He didn’t tell me.” Lena sat forward and started to flick through her post it’s. “I Googled him and that’s what came up.” She looked up at Shelly daring her to laugh and saw her friend biting her lip tight as if trying to hold back, “Oh just say it!”

“Okay. You’re an idiot. For someone who is so smart, you my friend, are an idiot.” Standing Shelly smoothed her palms down her skirt, “Now. I’m going to get to work and you and I will continue you this enlightening discussion later.”

“No we won't.”

Shelly turned when she got to the door, “Yes we will Dr. O’Donnell. See? You cant get mad at me. I know your last name.” she said sticking her tongue out like a ten year old instead of a respected doctor as she ran out the door.

Lena sat in her seat fuming at her friend’s back and cursing the fact she was exactly right. Then when those thoughts started to annoy her she yelled, “Brandy!”

Mason walked into the restaurant a bagel in his mouth and a tray of coffee’s in his hand. He made his way through the dinning room, smiled at the cleaning crew, then pushed his way past the double doors into the kitchen. He put the coffee’s down and waved at Wendy who once again had her cell glued to her ear. Making his way down to the back fridge he found Rachel taking inventory of the stock. Before he even said hi she spoke.

“So come on, confess. How’d you run off the pants suit in under 30 minutes?”

She put the pencil behind her ear and turned to face him. Mason grinned and raised an eyebrow.

“Pants suit?”

She nodded, “That’s what I’m calling her until I know otherwise.”

“Ah ha.” he took a seat on a crate inside the large walk in fridge and leaned against the wall. “She got mad because I didn’t know her last name.”

“Ha! I knew it. Come on Mase, you should know better.”

“I know. But in my own defense she never stopped lobbing insults at me long enough to ask.”