Love Note Pt. 01

No...

Leo Boreas' clothes -- a light suit and blue shirt open at the neck fit the setting perfectly.

Ana's last relationship or two had been irritating enough to put her off men for some time -- but this one had her attention... There was something about the column of his throat in contrast to his shirt, rich material against his lightly tanned skin; something about his longish (brown, it's dark brown) hair, that made her want to...

When he broke eye contact she finally felt able to pull herself towards herself. He looked down at Thandi, nodding at something she was saying then tossed a few irritated words at his blond companion when the man appeared to make a joke.

They finally arrived at the table. Where Ana grappled for even an ounce of the brilliance she'd demonstrated upstairs. Or an ounce of intelligible English.

"We coped just fine," Thandi smiled as she put the coffees down. "We managed to get caught up inside with John and Jade -- everything's set as you and I had discussed -- so I don't think Ana will have any problems getting started."

"We?" When he turned to face her again, the sun picked up the shifting gold in his eyes.

Why had she thought they were dark?

Ana stood up and held her hand out. "Yes, 'we'. Hi, I'm --"

He drew back slightly. "You're Anaïs??"

"Well, hello," the blond man reached over and took her hand. "I'm Kyle Fourie -- the Grinch's main producer."

She brushed stray strands from her face, flustered; unsure about the possessiveness of Kyle's grip. "Ana Kem. We'll be seeing a lot of each other over the next few weeks then."

"Perfect," Kyle smiled.

"No."

They all turned in surprise.

Leo's gaze had darkened to a glare she almost couldn't meet. Sheer willpower kept her shoulders back and her chin up. In the next instant he turned on his heel and strode off.

"'No'? No what?" Thandi turned on her. "What was that??"

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" Ana folded her arms defensively; there was something so personal in Leo Boreas' determination to walk away from her. "He's just another celebrity with the cocky quirks of a --"

"Just wait here. Don't move." Thandi rushed off after him.

Kyle stepped beside her. "Well. That's new."

Ana glared after Leo for a heartbeat; then out at the rest of the patio when the sight of him leaving made it difficult to inhale. A few people were giving her curious glances, but most of the women had their eyes on Leo's retreating back. And on Kyle.

Ana rubbed her palms along her arms, telling herself the goosebumps were no more than the product of the sudden northern winds.

***

"I'm not sure what the hell is going on and Leo isn't talking." Thandi was weaving through lunch hour traffic, her sunglasses hiding her agitation... sort of. "I'll call him from the apartment. You should take the car and go do some shopping -- you need grownup clothes."

Ana scowled out the window. "I don't see the point -- the man obviously does not want me working for him."

"Well, you don't -- you work for me."

"You know what I meant."

"And that's nonsense. Yes, something has upset him -- but I'll find out what it is and fix it. It couldn't have been about you."

Ana faced her. "He wouldn't even shake my hand, Thands."

"Don't worry about this -- Kyle also said he'd talk to him. You focus on getting a couple serious outfits. Not too many just a few things for fancy meetings or media appearances."

"I won't be making media appearances. Sourpuss will."

Thandi ignored that. "And I'll try to arrange a car for you for the month. In the meantime, this one will have to do. Hyde Park shopping centre's right over there -- it's small, but you might find a few items you like there. Do you need an advance or anything?"

"No, I'm fine."

At least Leo had the courtesy to talk to Thandi when she called. Though the conversation didn't seem to be going too well from what Ana could hear. She paced the kitchen as she listened to her friend defend Ana's capabilities to that arse of a man.

After ten minutes, she decided she'd had enough. There was no way she could stand another minute of listening to Thandi reason with the egocentrically insane. She needed to get away from hearing her friend say that name... and how his name conjured up distinct images of his face.

Thandi's car keys were on the entrance table.

You should take the car...

Yes, going out seemed a fantastic idea.

*** II ***

Leo had watched her for at least ten minutes before she saw him.

It was his first time back in Jo'burg in six months and his first professional gig in five years. The hustle and rush of his previous week before flying in that morning had been an exasperating reminder of all the reasons he was happy with his time away.

From both the city and the industry.

After an early morning of talking to promotors at the wish-fulfilment foundation; a dismal breakfast mostly consumed in his car, and a lying weatherman singing sunshine all across the country, it was startling to be brought to a standstill by an edgy girl in an off-the-shoulder t-shirt that proclaimed: Music Is My Master.

He was sure it had been her smile that had captured him.

She was sitting out in the sunlight, her full mane of thin twists dancing and irritating her, when she suddenly turned and he caught a glimpse of a smile at a private thought. She stood out, a burst of vibrant colour amidst a sea of dark suits. Leo took in the cinnamon glow of her neck as her hair war revealed more skin with each handful she lifted. Skin like that could only taste hot and sweet. Surely?

And then Kyle stepped up beside him. "She's sexy. I bet she'd be a wild ride..."

"Shut up."

Kyle laughed. "You sound like your next line's going to be 'I saw her first'."

Leo's jaw clenched.

Her arms were still up as she set about the impossible task of trying to make her hair defy the breeze and obey her coiling. The position made her look like a seated ballerina; in fact, all her moves seemed dance-inspired, as if she flowed through her days to a song only she could hear. It fascinated him that she could have a body that decadently curvaceous yet still make it move as gracefully as she did.

Her legs, crossed before her, were long, her thighs firm and her entire frame strong. Nothing about her was trying to come across as dainty or fragile -- she was a beautiful testimony to feminine depth. And it was her very strength that he couldn't turn away from.

"Regardless of who saw her first, I say I know exactly how to unleash her wildness. You may have retired from the fame -- and life -- but I definitely haven't."

Leo didn't respond.

There couldn't be anything else keeping him rooted there. It had to be this strange girl's fierce individuality -- if it was real and not just some shallow trend. She wore bright sneakers and dark makeup. And she was Black. He tilted his head speculatively at that thought.

The side of music that had annoyed and exhausted him, the fame, had come with scores of women. All types. He'd been involved with someone -- Gods, involved -- when he'd gotten his big break, so none had interested him. But after Melissa...

Sometimes burying yourself in sweat and sex hid you from certain memories for a night -- or two. Making someone scream was a good way to drown out your own incessant voices.

But not for long enough.

Kyle rocked on his heels. "Or are you back in every way now, old friend? Ready to live again? The Leo who whipped music is the same man who tamed women, isn't he? Eh?"

All those women who'd tried to slip him their panties with their numbers scribbled on them; who'd tried to get on his videos; who'd fought for a permanent place in his bed... those he had turned down consciously. But Black women? That had somehow just never happened.

And now you find yourself staring at one gorgeous lady like witless boy.

His life, business and travels were such that he had met pretty much every race there is. So, there must have been women with skin exactly this alluring and poise this noticeable in the past. Right?

Right...?

So, why can't you recall even one?

She looked up and her eyes suddenly found his.

And the rush in his mind instantly silenced. He needed nothing more than to look at her, to watch her cross her legs, tie her hair and smile at things that made her happy. An absurd thought he attributed to the poet in him, the dreamer that sang about things that weren't real.

Something inside him was already moving towards her even as he stood still, his hands in his pockets. That pull disconcerted him. He watched as she tried to place him, tried to work out why he was watching her... maybe tried to work out why she was drawn to him?

Ha. Wishful thinking, fool. She's not drawn to you -- you're the only one caught in this web.

"Oy. Are you even listening to me?" Kyle snapped his fingers.

Leo exhaled and turned to him. "What?"

"Do you still have what it takes, bud?" Kyle grinned. "Let's go up and say hello -- see who gets her first. Not just her number -- see who fucks her first."

"Are you serious?"

"What?"

"I'm not here to make a game out of fucking a girl I don't know."

"What you're saying is fun," Kyle drew back, "but why are you saying it all wrong? Let's try that again -- but with this word order: 'Hells yeah, Kyle, I'd love to make a game out of fucking a gorgeous girl I don't know!'"

Leo grunted in exasperation. "We're here to work. Let's do that."

"We can work and play, though, huh?" Kyle gave him a playful nudge. "We used to before you donated your balls to old age and sentimentality."

She didn't blink or pretend to be glancing at someone near him. She just watched him for every heartbeat that he watched her.

He was almost relieved when Thandi unexpectedly interrupted them. He hoped she hadn't heard Kyle idiocy; not many people understood it. Few were patient enough to understand Kyle. Not arguing with Kyle for the sake of sanity was one thing -- but he didn't want his new acquaintance thinking he was into such crass wagers.

It was best that their childish conversation had been disrupted and they were going to move on with their day -- and lives. This is what he told himself.

Until Thandi led them right up to her. And then she had said her name. Anaïs Kem.

Leo Boreas had been able to create the life he had for himself through one main ability: knowing when his art was calling and hearing it clearly enough to sing it. Now, for the first time in his experience, a woman he'd never seen before was calling to him in a similar way.

In a way he'd rather be damned than answer. A fantasy was one thing -- falling for it was bullshit. There was nothing Anaïs Kem had that he wanted. So, he turned his back on that voice and sped all the way to Sunninghill.

Accompanied by the winds. And her.

***

Annoyance had been his first reaction to the knock at the door. The security and staff were usually good about keeping visitors away whenever he made it clear that he did not want to be disturbed. This better not be some wild joker or paparazzi person who'd managed to get past them.

He did a quick scan of his lounge, but spotted no shirts nearby.

"Not now." A bellow ruder than his usual self as he yanked the door open.

No pranksters or journalists. Just Anaïs Kem in her Rebel Circus tee and flawless skin.

A hesitant guard stood near a patrol car at the bottom of the steps.

Anaïs was trying to catch up to his testy greeting. "Oh. When then? Because I don't know if you've noticed, but I kinda need to start working for you if we're going ahead with that little plan to make your fans fall in love with you all over again at the Dream Reality gala..."

He wanted to close the door in her face and call around for a different management team. But how many times could a thirty-five-year-old man avoid... whatever the fuck this was... before being called on his childish tantrums? He didn't care. He was not in the mood for... ugh.

"I made it clear to Thandi that I would prefer not work with you." He folded his arms in a pose that had often asserted control over others.

She seemed unaffected. "Yeah, I know. Can I come in now?"

She walked past him before he could respond. Leo scowled down at the guard then nodded that he could leave.

After a look around the foyer, Ana turned back to him and held her hand out. "Now how about we try that first meeting again? Hi, I'm Ana and I will be managing your work needs over the next four or five weeks."

His eyes narrowed at her. "Listen here, this may all be a game to you -- but I will not be managed by some girl who looks like she still working through her teenage phase and clearly has no clue about this hectic industry."

His voice was deep, his tone a little harsh. He liked how resolute he sounded.

She watched him speak, even taking a moment to run her eyes across his chest. Leo felt his cock lengthen a little, nudging at his boxers. Her t-shirt had dipped further when she'd extended her right hand, exposing more of her left shoulder, the soft material outlining her full breasts. His gazed traced the line of her thin black bra-strap, his excitement rising a little more at remembering how it excites him to unsnap a bra and watch firm breasts come into view.

Anaïs' looked bigger than those he was accustomed to -- finally a succulent handful for him.

His hunger for her was not what he expected, but the reaction didn't surprise him completely. There was a reason he hadn't been able to take his eyes off her earlier -- and why Kyle's words and wager had incensed him.

Anaïs still had her hand out.

Her eyes were dark pools as she watched him, rich and direct; and he couldn't tell if she had felt the slight spike in his sexual interest in her or if she was simply emanating defiance. A deviant gust whooshed past him and collided with her, lifting her loose, high bun briefly, but she seemed unconcerned with looking perfect.

Maybe that is what drew him to her? One of the things at least? He'd spent so many years around plucked, sucked, tweaked and bleached women that it was almost exotic encountering a real one. A woman of flesh and curves and flames.

He continued. "I'm not in the mood for any games, Anaïs --"

"Ana."

"-- either Thandi handles this gig herself or I'll go with a different company."

Was she drawn to him?

How many women did he know who couldn't care less about their hair turning temptingly wild or could meet his glare like that? Melissa had been strong and sure of herself -- then again, she'd also met him before the fame and money. Melissa after his rise had been an entirely different woman... Insecure, whining, suspicious.

Most women melted at just hearing his name these days. Still. Even after retiring and rebuilding his privacy over the last five years.

Anaïs wasn't most women, though. "No. Something is going on here and we're going to sort it out."

The way she stood, one hand on her pronounced hip, her lifted chin unimpressed... it was all a challenge in physical form. And no matter how much he disliked whatever it was he felt around her, he had to admit that he had missed being challenged. He most especially missed the hunt...

Someone to hunt...?

Indeed.

"Hello, Anaïs, I'm Leo Boreas." He took her hand. "Looking forward to seeing how well you manage my needs, though I must say I'm sure you can't."

"Why?" She skipped his overt insinuation.

"I don't owe you any explanations."

Her laugh was incredulous and clipped. "Actually, you do."

When she laughed her teeth shone bright and her lipstick look more luscious. She looked as if she'd been gorging herself on ripe berries, as if her kisses would taste so sweet, addictive...

Leo shook his head, releasing her hand.

"Let's get a few things straight before you gallop off on that high horse of yours, Boreas." Her eyes were somewhat angry, but there were hints of a tremor in her voice. "I will not be judged on how I look -- ever."

"You think I don't want to work with you because you're Black? How the hell did you make that leap?"

She pulled up short at that. "No, I meant that I know I'm not as polished as those women gliding all over Sandown."

"Oh." It was his turn to take pause. "Well, that's true. But your look has nothing to do with anything."

She walked through his lounge, stopping at the sliding doors that led onto the balcony.

"Then if there is anything that affects my professional capacity that you are wondering about, ask me," she ordered. "We're not here to be best buds or take a last desperate swing at our mess of a marriage or whatever. We're here to do business, to deliver the best we can on a gig I assume means a lot to both of us. So, let's sort out whatever this shit is between us and get on with it."

His chest burned... but he admired her spark, respected her courage. And was curious about that brief tremor.

"How old are you?" he frowned.

A crease formed in her brow to match his. "Twenty-seven."

"And you work in music? For Thandi?"

"I used to work in the industry," she shifted her stance. "Thandi and I worked together for a few years while also studying. She stuck with it; I didn't. Now she needs someone to help her out with an important account -- so here I am, back in Jo'burg."

With the sunlight behind her, her face looked darker, mystical. The heat he'd been aware of since Sandown was threatening to form tangible waves as he took in the now mahogany tones of her shadowed skin.

"You're not in music anymore?" The impromptu interview was a good distraction. "Wouldn't you think that's reason enough for me to request someone else?"

"If Thandi didn't feel that way, then no." Her answer wasn't defiant, just frank. "Besides, if you can be asked back after five years, why not me?"

He grinned.

Anaïs seemed taken aback by his change of expression. He found that interesting. The woman had done a brilliant job of ignoring the fact that he'd been half-naked and half-furious since she'd barged in -- so, it was surprising to see her reaction to his first smile.

He stepped closer. "What have you been doing these last five years?"

She circled around him, suddenly wary. "Finding myself, I guess... I don't know. Lots of travelling; some, uh... people. You know, the usual. So. Do you have a track-list for me, so I can wrap my head around your set at Karma?"

"People, huh?" He turned and watched her put the full length of the lounge between them -- as with her statements, this was done a little too casually. "You know, when anyone says 'uh... people' the way you just did, it usually means someone in particular."

"Rubbish."

"No. Fact. I made a living from recognising the signs of falling in love, lady."

Anaïs scrunched her nose at him. He'd touched on something real completely unexpectedly.

"There's someone you left behind to take this job?"

"What do you care?" she demanded. "I was gone; now I'm back and really want to do a good job for my friend."

Before going back to this man you're in love with?

Leo didn't verbalise the question. What was the point? Anaïs was... in love. And that was that.

Which should have been more of a relief. He couldn't think about any of that now.

"Jade had suggested," he hooked sarcastic air quotes before him, "twenty songs for my forty-five-minute set."

Anaïs blinked -- once. "Interesting 'suggestion'. And what will actually be happening? Realistically."