The Only One He Wants

“Okay,” she made herself reply. And then they parted ways.

As she was entering her car she stole one last glance at this mysterious Mr. Good. Apparently, he was doing the same because their eyes locked again. There was something there in that look. Something she couldn’t explain or put into words.

Warmth rushed to Gabrielle’s cheeks and she let out a nervous giggle.

 ***

“A strange woman, sir, isn’t she?” Michael’s chauffeur said.

“An exceptional woman, Alan. A truly rare woman,” Michael replied. It was all the conversation they’d exchanged all night.

Michael looked out the window, not seeing anything. He was deeply involved in his thoughts as different pictures and scenes played out before his eyes.

There was something about that woman. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was, but he had spotted it in her. An x factor or charisma or whatever you wanted to call it, she had it. And he felt unimaginably drawn to it. Like metal to a magnet. What was worse, he couldn’t explain it or put it into words. If he didn’t know better, he would think that it was some kind of magic.

He tried to shift his mind onto business and the events that waited for him the following day. A board meeting at nine. A marketing briefing at ten thirty. Lunch with the new potential partners at one… But somehow he saw Gabrielle Bassett sitting in a chair at the board meeting as well as at the marketing briefing. And she was there next to him at the lunch.

“Oh my God,” he whispered under his breath.

“Did you say something, sir?” Alan asked from the front.

“No, no. Only… Can you please speed up a little? I want to get home as fast as I can. I don’t feel very well,” Michael said, rubbing his temples.

“Okay, sir.”

He immediately felt the car go faster beneath him.

Yes. There was something happening to him. He obviously wasn’t feeling well. As a matter of fact, he’d never felt anything like this, ever. Not in high school, not in college, not now. Not ever.

Not having anything else to do, he closed his eyes and shut everything out. It was just him and the darkness. He found it quite calming these days. Oh well, he was almost fifty. And forty-eight was an age when one should look after oneself in the best way possible. That was a technique his personal doctor told him.

“When a lot is going on in your life, shut down everything around you,” he had said and Michael remembered those words clearly.

A couple of minutes later, Alan parked before his mansion. It was one of the most beautiful houses in all of New York. Michael tiredly walked up the path and entered.

Yes, it was a masterpiece and a real work of art. Something not every architect could do. And Michael had hired the best for it. It was a three-story house with a large hall on the first floor. The other ones held all kinds of rooms – from bathrooms and bedrooms to multiple studies, entertainment rooms, and even a Jacuzzi room.

However, it was cold. So, so cold. And lonely. All the heaters in the house couldn’t warm it enough. That was his curse. The other, darker side of being rich and famous.

He sighed and took off his suit jacket. He then loosened his tie and went up the stairs without the lights on. There was a window right next to them, so the natural light of the moon was his guide. He was halfway up the stairs when the lights were suddenly turned on.

Automatically, his eyes darted to the hall. A young woman was standing in the heart of the hall. She had nothing on but lingerie and was holding a glass of red wine.

“Where are you going, Mikey Mike? Where are you going without me?” She said slowly and what she apparently thought as seductively. Her voice was squeaky and made him cringe.

“Who are you?” Bewildered, Michael stood on the spot, looking her up and down.

“Don’t you remember me? I work at the investor’s office. We met yesterday…” She looked like a sad emoji as she started approaching him.

“And what? You’re in my home for what? And who the hell let you in?” A deep crease appeared between his eyebrows. His whole face contorted into a mask of anger and frustration.

But why?

He, himself, was surprised by his own actions. He would never do that. Never. Never in his life had he turned down a woman who wanted to be with him. If this had happened yesterday, he would have immediately gone to her, taken off all of her clothes and had his way with her right there in the hall, on the floor. And now… something had changed. He thought that she was repulsive and cheap all of a sudden. The only thing he now wanted was to chase her away and never see her eyes ever again. Actually, he didn’t even remember meeting her.

The woman was ascending the stairs and Michael could do nothing but call for his security.

“No, Michael! Please!” She screamed as they took her out by the armpits.

Then there was silence. An eerie silence. Like the silence before a storm.

“I want every employee lined up here before me!” Michael bellowed loudly. It was like a lion’s roar, deep and punishing.

In a matter of seconds, the servants, butlers, maids, gardeners, cooks and all other employees stood before him silent and afraid.

“Who let that crazy woman in? WHO?” He was beyond control now. As he shouted that last word a sharp pain shot through his head. He wasn’t twenty-something to deal with all the madness his job and position brought with them.

Silence again.

“The one who did it should step forward this instant. If they do it now, I promise that no punishment will follow. Nothing.” His voice was calmer. He breathed in and out and suddenly felt slightly better. But hey, even slightly better was more acceptable than nothing at all.

No one stepped forward for a couple of minutes and Michael inhaled to ready himself for some more yelling. Luckily, he didn’t have to. One of the butlers stood out of the crowd with a step.

“I’m sorry, sir. She… She said that she had an appointment with you… that you were expecting her. I told her no. I told her that she couldn’t enter. But she showed me an email. Fake, I suppose now. And I—I—I…” He was an old man and had worked for Michael for quite some time.

Michael landed his palms on the butler’s shoulders. He was shaking underneath his employer’s touch. “It’s okay. I understand,” he said. Then he went back and raised his voice so that they could all hear. “From now on, no one will let anyone in without my approval. If I’m here, just come to my study or call me or text me or whatever you want.