The Call Girl and the Businessman Ch. 10

In the months which followed, I started to work as a legal advisor for the newly formed South East Asian legal division of Matthias's company while freelancing at my old law firm; Everett & Myers. I continued my legal aid work as well because I was inspired by Henry's story. In the past, it had been mostly a distraction from company law, but now my motives were different. I wanted to help others; the same way that Henry had shown me how deeds; however small can make a big impact in the lives of others. He remained my wise man.

Today I was working late. Most of the employees of the company had gone home. Since its inception, the legal division had been tasked with cross-border contracts. I found it quite a challenge to navigate the conflict of laws between the two continents. It gave my creative mind an outlet though, and I did feel the utility of my purpose here. Furthermore finding the exact term which accurately described the circumstances was a challenge which I enjoyed.

I heard a knock at the door. Three hard knocks on the heavy, wooden door. No one in the whole company could knock that hard with their knuckles except for one man who always got what he wanted when it came to business.

"Do come in." I said, with a smile.

It was late and I was actually thinking of leaving the office now but for the tall, lean man with striking features who appeared at the door. The first two buttons of his white linen shirt were left undone. His hair was tousled. I knew he had been raking through his hair when he was deep in thought, going through tediously-worded contracts.

"Ms. Yuennan, I see that you're working late hours again."

He spoke as a matter of passing but there was a wink in his eyes.

"I have deadlines to meet. I have to submit these contracts to my boss." I said in reply.

I spoke professionally. I was a stickler for deadlines.

"What if your boss insisted that you get some rest right now?"

There was a commanding tone in that deep voice and a tinge of amusement in his eyes.

"Well, only if he would practice what he preaches and get some rest too." I said.

Matthias laughed heartedly. He bridged the gap between us, and took me in his arms.

"You are duty bound to placate and flatter your boss, Ms. Yuennan. Do be reminded that I had hired you for your services." He said.

His eyes pierced into mine seductively causing my heart to flutter towards him.

"Mr. Boardmann, you had hired me to give my honest opinion on legal matters." I said.

I dared myself to pierce back into his deep-set eyes; challenging him.

"There are though office rumours, Ms. Yuennan, that you are seducing the boss. That's very unprofessional of you." He said.

He trailed his finger along my lips. I shuddered in anticipation of his touch; of more than just that. I gazed at his shirt, and towards where his taut chest was visible through the gaps.

"I would say that it was the other way round, Mr. Boardmann." I said.

His hands now moved downwards, lightly brushing my cleavage. Without thinking, I pushed myself closer to him.

"You have to get your facts straight, Ms. Yuennan." He replied.

His arms went all around me now as I sighed in contentment, my body moulded against his.

"Perhaps we should consider the possibility of both parties having equally contributed to the situation at hand." I said.

I nuzzled my face on his neck, scenting him. I could never get enough of his scent.

"What are the consequences, Ms. Yuennan?" He asked.

His lips were on my cheeks now; his hands raking through my wavy hair.

"Well, it seems that..." I said, but I could not possibly continue in this state.

Too impatient for an answer, his lips had already crushed mine with a sudden velocity and raw desire. I writhed around him, letting him possess me. The day had been long and although we worked together, we barely spoke due to a clash of schedules. We only met at meetings which were very formal ones with other heads of division.

"It seems that they are both engaged and about to be married soon." He said, murmuring into my cheeks.

His breath was so warm.

"When exactly? I was not aware of it." I said, in a soft voice.

There was really no need to speak louder. It was just us in the office.

He distanced his head from mine so that his piercing eyes could see straight into mine. I welcomed his pierce; made no resistance to challenge his darkened gaze.

"That's what I want to discuss with you, Ms. Yuennan. It should be a mutual agreement." He said.

He looked serious and greatly in earnest. The spirit in me, now free, reached out to him, prompting me to kiss him lightly on his cheeks; symmetrically as was his golden rule.

"As your legal advisor, I think it proper that we discuss another issue first before setting a date for your wedding, Mr. Boardmann." I said.

I spoke seriously too, but his eyebrows had risen substantially.

"How difficult can it be to set a wedding date with you, Ms. Yuennan?" He asked.

He sounded rather annoyed but was patient enough to hear me out. There was a hint of awe in his voice.

"It goes without saying that you are a wealthy man. It is advisable that you get your fiancée to sign a prenuptial agreement so that you can preserve your property in the event the marriage ends." I said.

I had said it. It did not sound nice to me, but I was his legal advisor anyway so I had a duty of care to inform him. To be honest though, even if I were not, I would have wanted to protect him in any way I could.

"You're going overboard, Ms. Yuennan." He said.

His voice was rough and curt but tenderness was etched all over his face and I saw the spark of love for me in his eyes.

"I don't think I am, Mr. Boardmann. It is standard practice among the wealthy." I said, in as composed a voice I could.

He tried to read me like a book, which was something he could not do, but he observed me thoroughly. He could sense my feelings for him.

"Whatever I own is yours, Lila. I wouldn't want it any other way. And I do not want a piece of paper to remind me what's left of me if you decide to leave me." He said.

His voice sounded strained and there was hurt in his eyes.

"That I could never do. I cannot tear myself away from you now, Matthias." I said.

He was taking my good intentions all the wrong way. I took his hands in mine, and I grasped his lean fingers tight. I felt for him, so very much that I was at a loss of words because I did not know how to console him. I felt his love for me; it was always generous. He was my one and only love. He knew that, of course.

"Because, Lila, everything else is worthless." He continued.

"Matthias..." I whispered.

It was impossible to go on.

"If you should decide to leave me, you can take whatever property you want with you, because it wouldn't matter to me anymore." He said.

He looked at me, and I knew he meant every word he said. I was afraid of what he could do when he was upset; what he did do when Clara left him made me shudder in fear.

"Please don't say that, Matthias." I said.

I felt terrible.

"Do you know my greatest fear, Lila?" He asked.

"It is me leaving you, isn't it?" I answered.

I need not hear the answer. I could feel him. We both could not comprehend the logic of the other's mind, but we could both feel each other's emotions very well. And sometimes we interpreted the emotion to correspond with an erroneous logic.

"You have left me twice before and they say the third time's a charm. If that happens, you'll never come back." He said.

His voice was controlled, but he did not mince his words. His eyes were hurting. The grey wolf inside was insecure.

"That's not fair, Matthias. Circumstances were different then. I was your call girl and I was afraid of love. But now I am no longer afraid to love and be loved by you. And I know that you love me a lot, and sometimes I wonder if our love is equal. I wouldn't want to love you any less than you love me." I said.

He looked at me in astonishment as I poured out my deepest fear. I wanted to be honest with him. I wanted to leave no stone unturned.

I felt fire and ice in me; fear of not loving enough; fear of losing love.

"What I fear the most now, Matthias, is that I do not love you as much as you love me, and I cannot bear to live with that. And because of this, I fear I am not worthy of you. I also fear that if something were to happen to me, you would attempt suicide again, just like you did when Clara left you. I don't want you to fall the abyss of no return. Not again, not ever. Do you hear me?" I said.

He looked into my eyes. I let him see me, in all my turbulent emotions.

Tears streamed down my face. I let them fall on my lilac blouse. My hands were still grasping his; I would not let go.

"Listen, my little minx. You are worthy of me. Don't overthink love. Love just is. Sometimes we love more, sometimes we love less, but we still love. And you want to be with me; that's all that matters." He said.

He looked at me tenderly. His eyes were glowing with a strange light and the lilt in his voice held nothing but affection.

"Really; just that, Matthias?" I asked.

He nodded. A warm glow lighted up his face and I realised that the strange light in his eyes was none other than love.

"You are very honest with me, Lila. The fact that you tell me this proves to me that you love me to bits. You care right up to the smallest details. Why does it matter who loves who more, Lila, as long as we know we want to be together?" He said.

He wriggled his fingers which were trapped by my iron grasp. Belatedly I wondered if I held him too tightly. I let go of his fingers.

He wiped my tears away with his white linen handkerchief. Just as quickly, I hugged him tight.

"My dear love, Lila." He whispered, bending his head downwards.

"Promise me one thing, Matthias." I said.

"Just one? I could do with more." He said, with a slight smile.

"I'm serious. If anything were to happen to me, you must promise me that you will never attempt suicide again." I said.

I found the words attempt suicide too painful to say for the second time but I wanted to be clear. He loved a lot and much as I revelled in his love, I was afraid of what he might have done if circumstances tore us apart.

He looked at me in a deep and profound manner. He gazed at me through a film of tears.

"I promise, Lila. I promise." He said.

I heaved a sigh of relief. As tears streamed down his harsh features, I wiped them with my fingers; gently grazing his skin, caressing the love of my life.

"But I would do anything in my power for us to live a long and wonderful life together. I don't ever want to lose you." He said.

His voice filled my ears with the most passionate tremor I had ever heard. His eyes loved me to the core of my existence.

"You'll never lose me. I'll always be with you, for now, for always, forever more. I intend to be with you till death do us part." I said.

My voice equally trailed with a passionate rupture which tore through every fibre of my soul.

Our gazes locked. His eyes pierced mine with flames of eternal love.

We did set a wedding date to be held in six months' time. We could not wait any longer.

Epilogue - Happily Ever After and A New World Beckons Us

We had an intimate wedding by the sea where only our loved ones and their loved ones were present. Cherie, Penelope, Lucas, Henry, Gerald, Sara, Mrs. Potts and Mr. Collins and their families were there with us, sharing our joy and love.

We read our vows; seeking to love and cherish each other for the rest of our days.

Matthias had given me a new moonstone necklace as his wedding gift for me. This moonstone matches the periwinkle blue of our wedding rings. It glows mysteriously as if bringing me closer to the vortex of my soul.

"For the future; for new memories." He had said, while clasping the necklace around my neck.

Cherie has found love. She is now dating the mayor. Penelope and I still keep in touch although I have left the escort agency. I visit Lucas regularly every week now. Sometimes Penelope tags along, and I wonder if they share more than just friendship together. Henry is a single man; and I want to play matchmaker for my wise man. We go out for meals quite often with Gerald and Sara as we are roughly within the same age. Mrs. Potts is a very warm, elderly woman who treats Matthias like her son; although she does not say it in too many words; nor does Matthias acknowledge it in words. However he does respect and care for her a lot. Mr. Collins and his wife are an easy-going couple whom I look up to because although they argue a lot, they have eyes only for each other.

We have travelled to Bangkok a few times for business purposes. At first it was bittersweet to be back due to my scarred past, but we did make new memories and they have been happy ones. Matthias had been my rock and confidant whenever I felt emotional. Eventually I could think of my past with calmness and acknowledgement. I was not defined by it anymore.

With Matthias's wealth, I was able to start a foundation to help women in the sex industry. I know that I could not help all women, but I wanted to do something about it. Thailand was already notorious for its sex industry and the least I could do with money was to offer education and training to women so that they had choices. They were free to choose. They could determine their own future.

Sometimes in the comforts of our penthouse suite, I scribble on bits of paper recording the sequence of events of how Matthias and I met. He smiles at me now, asking me why I bother to do this. He jokingly asks if I am setting standard rules for myself. His piercing eyes engulf me with love.

"No more rules. No more standard answers." I say.

"Pray, why is it so, my love?" He asks, with a smile.

But he knows why anyhow. He just wants me to say it out loud.

The grey wolf looms over me, causing me to abandon my writing at the desk. His voice warms me; his eyes lull me into a deep serenity of knowing.

"Love transcends all rules. Love transcends all boundaries." I say.

He looks at me, mesmerized. He bends down at the desk and brushes my lips with his fingers.

"I don't know though what to call our story." I say, seeking my husband's expertise.

He does not bat an eyelid when his beautiful eyes pierce mine.

"The Call Girl and the Businessman." He says.

I do not nod nor do I speak, but he understands me just as well by looking at me.

And that shall it be.

Our future is bright; because of our love for each other. I had never expected love; but I have found it. Love is my guiding light now; my beacon of hope. It is my source of strength and my realm of desire.

If our story lingers a little longer in your mind than it should or just perhaps you have been inspired or annoyed by our idiosyncrasies, then I have fulfilled my goal with my jottings. No standard rules, no standard notebooks; just a strange and mysterious creature who is loved so well by an intense man with strange, wolfish eyes. I am happy that I have yet to know the depths of love. It grows each passing day; my feelings for him mount higher and higher each step of the way. I feel unstoppable; I feel me; I feel him.

He is my Matthias Boardmann. He is also my musky saturation; the scent before rain.

I see the moon's subtle light illuminating his warm face and body as he sleeps. The duvet is again tangled at his feet. But all I see is my angel; my miracle. And I know all is well.

THE END