Chapter Seven

Jessie unlocked the door to her hotel room and tossed her purse on the bed. It was a nice room, very nice actually. Bauer’s spared no expense when it came to her accommodations. No sleazy motel rooms for their employees. Unfortunately, all the grandeur of the room just made her feel worse. She placed her fast food bag on a table. Usually she loved the crispy chicken Southwest salad, but today it held no appeal. After giving her two weeks’ notice, she still had to finish all her contracted stops while also working for BJ. Jessie sighed as she ripped the top off the salad dressing packet.

She had so many things to be excited about. The challenges of starting a business were a dream come true. Nevertheless, she'd never felt so lonely. The long list of tasks sat before her. All the employee applications were being sent to her. She had to narrow them down and start lining up interviews for when she returned to Charleston. The inventory supply list was almost completed and ready to email for BJ’s approval. She chose a local computer specialist to work on the inventory, computers, and website. Her notebook held estimates for television, radio, and newspaper advertising. An apparel catalog earmarked her choices for the staff uniforms.

Jessie rested her jaw on a fist as she tasted the first forkful of crispy chicken. She lacked the ambition to even chew. Why hadn’t he called? Sure, they had emailed several times a day but it was all business. No “how are you?” or “what’s new?” or “I miss you so much I could die.” Had their weekend together meant nothing to him? Was she expecting too much? Policy or no policy, she missed him.

Jessie pushed the salad away, her appetite gone. Maybe a hot bath would help. She kicked off her shoes and hit the remote. Applause from a game show echoed through the room as she walked to the bathroom. Adding some vanilla-scented bubble bath to the warm water made the huge tub look inviting. Her business clothes tossed to the floor, she dipped a pedicured toe and tested the water.

It was perfect. Her weary body relaxed as she sank in up to her neck. The moist air cleared the headache threatening to throb in her brain. The whirlpool of water invigorated her spirit and stirred her imagination. She visualized BJ in the tub with her. Her hand moved along her body. Would he touch her here? Her nipples peaked as her fingers caressed her clit, now yearning for attention. Her half closed eyes glazed over, the rubbing intensifying. Her lungs gasped for air as her hips arched forward, her pussy begging for orgasm.

The cell phone sang in the other room. Her eyes flashed open. Was it him? She couldn’t move her heart pounding. The ring tone ended too quickly. Her heart sank. It was probably a wrong number. Jessie slid lower in the tub as her pussy begged for more attention. Her skin flushed and she could feel heat rising to her ears. Her digits intensified their quest, massaging her clit to a frenzy. Her hips raised out of the water as her head slid lower. The goal almost reached. The mountain almost climbed.

The chimes from the other room rang out again.

“Dammit!” A frustrated Venus rose from the tub and water flowed down her glistening body. Her pussy ached as she ran for the phone. “This has better be important,” she spat at the ringing phone. Her hands shook as she saw BJ’s number displayed on the screen.

“Ah, hello?” She managed to say before the phone slid from her wet hand and a curse word left her mouth.

“Jessie. Jessie. Are you all right?” BJ’s voice sounded from the phone on the floor.

She dried her hand and picked it up. “I’m here. Sorry, I was in the bath and I dropped the phone.” Silence echoed between them. “Are you there?”

“Oh, Yes. Sorry. I…” His voice deepened and continued. “I called to check on you. I mean, check on the progress you have been making with all the details. I know you must be swamped, so I wanted to see if there was anything I could help with.”

“I’ve made great progress. Could you hold while I grab a towel? I’m dripping water all over the floor.” She reached for a fluffy white hotel towel.

“Ah, sure.” He cleared his throat.

Jessie swore he sounded…what? Turned on. A smile curved her lips. Maybe he missed her after all. Too bad they weren’t on webcam. Oops, no more towel. Down girl, Jessie scolded, but couldn’t help but feel inspired.

“There, all dried off and covered up.” And dying for your touch. “What details were you interested in discussing?” She returned to the table, her laptop and notebook waiting there.

“Well, I… Oh, yeah. How are we coming with the applicants?”

She didn’t care about the applicants. She was coming just hearing his voice. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and focused on business. “There are several good ones that I definitely want to interview and a few maybes. I will email you the names and resumes of the ones I think might work. If they are agreeable to you, I will contact them and set up times to meet the week I get back.”

“When will you be back?” His voice, a soft low whisper, sent chills running down her arm.

She crossed her legs and touched a pencil to her lips. The image of him running a pencil across his fingers came to mind.

“In about a week. Why? Have you missed me?” She bit her lip. If she could suck those words back in her mouth, she would. Why did she ask? He was her boss now, not the hottie from the garage. She overstepped her boundaries and now had to wait from the penalty call from bench.

There was no response.

She eyed the screen. The battery was fully charged. Had they been disconnected? A beep on the other line said they hadn’t.

“I’m sorry, Jessie. I have to take this call. It’s the electricians. I’ll talk to you again soon.”

The line clicked before she had a chance to respond.

“Damn, damn, and double damn.” She whipped the pencil across the room. “Why did I have to say something so stupid? Ugh!” The wet towel dropped to floor and she started to dress. To heck with the salad, this was an emergency. Grabbing her keys she fled the room to look for the nearest ice cream or chocolate shop, whichever one she saw first.

****

BJ counted his blessings. Thank goodness for bad timing, although the electrician probably thought he was a blubbering idiot. The last things he wanted to talk about were exit signs and computer outlets. “Do what you think” was his response to every question. He’d be paying a big bill for that lack of attention to detail.

How could he think of specifics when he couldn’t get the image of a wet and naked Jessie out of his mind? He had a hard-on the second she answered the phone. Did he miss her? She was all he could think about. Where was she, what was she doing, what was she wearing or not wearing and how soon could he see her again?

Even Buddy had been moping around since she left. He would sit on the deck, not wanting to come in at night. He didn’t want to come in at night either. The place seemed empty. Why didn’t he have the balls to tell her he missed her?

He sat back in the desk chair and crossed an ankle over his knee. BJ gazed out the office window. Every night since she left, he entered her number on the phone. A finger poised above the call button that he never hit, until tonight. How was this ever going to work out? If he had been able to control the animal lust he felt for her that stormy day in the garage, none of this would be an issue now. A smile crossed his lips. It was a memory he could never regret.

****

Jessie punched her pillow and rolled onto her back. She tossed and turned all night. The back of her hand rested on her forehead and the other flung to the side of the bed. Why were things such a mess? She rolled to her side. The blank wall of the hotel room was holding no answers. It was time to go to work. She had a job to do and it would be done to the best of her abilities. Even if BJ didn’t want her, she would make sure she didn’t fail him. Rising from the bed, Jessie opened her laptop. In no time at all the ideas were clicking. Her business suggestions outlined and sent to BJ’s email. She finished dressing and gave the room one last look before heading out the door. It would be all business from now on.