Before midnight Read online

  “I know I said that…”

  Caleb shook his head and smiled.

  “Forget it, Harper. We both went our separate ways. Maybe it wasn’t the best way to end everything but we’re not always able to plan every detail in our life.”

  She looked at him with a guilty expression.

  “I wish I would’ve called you and…” she pursed her lips and then let out a loud sigh. “My friends have a table nearby,” she changed the subject, “but I’d like for us to catch up. What do you think?”

  With that, Caleb remembered where he was at that moment. He had unconsciously taken Harper’s hand in his, something that he used to do to comfort her… or himself, so he dropped it and gave her an apologetic smile. She shook her head as if she understood that there were still some barriers between them.

  Caleb glanced around the room looking for Marie but she was nowhere to be found.

  “I don’t think so, Harper,” he replied, “you should make the most of the time you have here and explore the city,” he smiled politely. “I’m heading to the dance floor now; my date must be having fun without me.”

  At least I hope she’s still here.

  “It was wonderful to see you. Say hi to Sylvinna for me” she whispered and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  He made his way through the crowd in order to find his date for that night… his lover for the next few days. Unless she thought he was the type of men who flirted with any woman he saw.

  CHAPTER 6

  She was dancing as if the music was the best she’d heard in her entire life. She smiled and tried to forget the fact that Caleb was talking -or maybe flirting- with another woman, thanks to a chance encounter (if that’s what it actually was). With so many schemes going on, it was hard to tell what was true or not. She was wondering if he had already planned that date to forget about her. Would he find her and tell her he had plans with that other girl for the night?

  It shouldn’t matter to her, so instead of thinking the worst thing, she decided to just shake her ass to the beat of the music. Sheine, Duncan, Emke and Lauren danced and danced until their feet hurt. Just when she was about to have a moment to take her brown boots off, her favorite Beyoncé song started playing and the beat was just too catchy to resist.

  With Single Ladies blaring through the speakers and Duncan joking around and making everybody laugh, Lauren started to shake her body to imitate the song’s original choreography. She stopped abruptly when she felt two hands that held her by the waist and turned her around.

  Lauren was pressed against Caleb’s figure; her breasts were pushed against his masculine chest while a new type of heat went through her body

  “Having fun without me, Marie?” he asked her. His hands moved boldly up her body and then down again until he rested them on her firm ass.

  She immediately furrowed her brow and stepped away from him, as she always did when he called her by that name. It was funny how whenever they were together, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. Or maybe it was her neurons beginning to take their toll.

  “As much fun as you were having without me,” she replied with a wink and then put a little more space between them.

  He let out a laugh and grabbed her again with a little more force and squeezed her against his body. He wanted her so bad.

  “I never thought you’d be the jealous type,” he whispered in Lauren’s ear.

  “Why would I be? I’m not yours and you’re not mine either.

  Caleb took her hand before she agreed to dance with a guy who was listening to them and wanted to take advantage of the whole thing. Caleb gave him a fierce look and the guy gave up and got lost among the crowd.

  “You’re wrong” he affirmed with a possessive tone in his voice that took him by surprise. “For the next few days, you’re all mine and I’m all yours.”

  “I think…”

  “We’re losing time here,” he interjected, then his fingers delved deep into Lauren’s hair and he pulled her in taking her lips in a fierce kiss. When they broke the kiss, both of them were sure that the wave of heat that was spreading through their bodies had everything to do with the fire that started every time they were together. “Don’t you agree, Marie?”

  Lauren was only capable of nodding. She had no other choice but to get used to being called by another name. Just a small price to pay for my reward but it’s worth it. She was glad she hadn’t called Sylvinna to cancel their plan because, apparently, the plan was proceeding as expected.

  “Give me a second,” Caleb said and looked around for Emke. In an intent to make himself heard over the sound of the music, he shouted to Lauren’s friend: “Don’t worry, I’ll take Marie home. Do you want us to come back for you?”

  “Even if I say yes, you’ll probably forget about me. Enjoy the night; I’ll take a ride home with these loonies,” she replied, pointing a finger to her two friends that were drinking like fishes. “It was nice meeting you. We should get together again someday.” She looked at her friend “See you later, Lau… Marie” she immediately corrected herself. Thanks to the music, Caleb didn’t even notice her slip.

  “See you later, Emke” Lauren replied.

  He smiled and nodded. In a spontaneous and intimate gesture, he took his lover’s hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. They made their way through the crowd and Lauren was very surprised when Caleb paid everyone’s bills and left an open tab for whatever Emke, Duncan and Sheine wanted during the rest of the night.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” Lauren said in his ear when they finally got to the exit.

  “I know but they’re your friends and they were very nice to me.”

  “You’re too generous…”

  “On the contrary,” he said, squeezing her finger tightly, “I’m too selfish and that’s why I’m taking you home with me; I don’t want to share you with anybody else.”

  Lauren didn’t reply because they were stuck in the crowd. They forced their way out until the security guard finally opened the door.

  Caleb had been flirting with another woman right in front of her and that was very clear for Lauren. Would it be possible that she had refused his attempts to seduce her? It was a pathetic question and still she couldn’t help but wonder about it. The answer was probably ‘yes’.

  As soon as they got out to the street, the night’s cold wind hit them. Her body was still warm from all the dancing so she adjusted her coat to not catch pneumonia.

  When they were only a few steps away from the car, Lauren stopped him with a hand on his firm arm. He looked at her.

  “Wait,” she said.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Lauren parted her lips to speak and her warm breath created some fog due to the city’s freezing temperature

  “You can’t do this, Caleb, go out with me after we slept together and then flirt with other girls right in front of me. Maybe I’m not that open-minded as you are but that’s just not my style. If you want to sleep with other women then do it but stop the double standards.”

  Just because her work permit in Holland was hanging by a threat, she wasn’t going to put aside her pride.

  He squinted down at her and took her by her shoulders.

  “If the situation was different, I think your comment would make me uncomfortable, but you’re right about the double standards and that’s not what I’m doing. Just to explain, I think you should know that girl is an old acquaintance,” he took his hands off her shoulders. “She’s more than that actually; she’s my ex-fiancée.” She opened her mouth to talk but closed it again when Caleb shook his head. “She’s married now and wanted to get together and catch up.”

  She nodded. It made her curious how a person could know another person’s body completely and still not know the secrets buried in his soul. Lauren thought that sexual pleasure was a fabulous thing but she believed that having multiple sexual partners all the time only left a void that no pleasure could fill. It had nothing to do with moral stan
dards because she’d never considered herself a prude or a norm-follower, it was just the fact that, whether she wanted it or not, sharing her body also meant sharing a piece of her soul.

  “Well, it’s your life, I…”

  “Maybe we hadn’t known each other for that long, Marie, but I’m an honest man and I wouldn’t be with you if I wanted someone else. You’re free to be with whoever you want, whenever you want and so am I. I gave you my word and you gave me yours, we belong to each other for the next few days and that’s how it’s going to be.” She nodded slowly. “The story with my ex was intense but it happened six years ago. Seeing her tonight was a surprise, that’s all.

  “Caleb, I don’t know what to say,” she mumbled with a blush. “I think this is all going too fast. You make me feel so many things, I…” she paused and looked at her hands. “I’ve been with other men before but I’ve never had an adventure quite like this, ever.”

  He slid a finger under her chin and raised her face to his.

  “There’s always a first time for everything. Now you believe me when I say I want and won’t have anything with another woman as long as I’m with you?”

  It was impossible not to believe him when he looked at her with those beautiful eyes and talked to her with so much resolve in his tone.

  “Yes, Caleb, I believe you.”

  A lovely smile spread across his face, as if the fact that Lauren believed him came as a great relief.

  “Let’s enjoy every minute we have, then.”

  “It sounds good to me.”

  “There’s a place I’d like to take you to,” Caleb said with a smile.

  “After midnight?”

  “It’s never too late or too early to live life to the fullest.”

  “I’m getting scared now.”

  He responded to her joke with a wink. They got in the car and he turned on the engine without saying exactly where they were headed.

  ***

  “Is it yours?” Lauren asked in amazement when he opened the door for her to see the marvelous interior of his floating house.

  They first arrived at one of the city’s water canals, very far from the downtown area, and then he guided her through a passageway until they reached a moss green infrastructure anchored closed to a narrow path that led to where he wanted to take her. It was the only floating house in the canal.

  “I thought you would like it,” Caleb turned on a small device and all of a sudden, the house came alive with holiday décor. “There’s a man who usually rents it for most of the year but this time he decided to spend the holidays with his family in Verona. He wanted it to be decorated to celebrate on January 6th.”

  “Is he Spanish?”

  “Yes, they usually celebrate The Epiphany.”

  “Right.”

  She’d never seen one of those houses from the inside. Besides, not everyone had the privilege (or maybe the necessity) of having one. In Caleb’s case, she knew it was a luxury.

  There were only a few buildings nearby because they were quite far from the city, so they were able to enjoy a sky full of stars. Lauren smiled when she saw small family photos on top of a coffee table that had the shape of a tree stump. The space was huge and the decoration was rustic and lovely at the same time. There were even a couple of stuffed animals, a clear sign that there were two little girls living there.

  Caleb put a hand on the small of her back.

  “Come on, I’ll show you the place.”

  She turned around and faced him.

  “Isn’t the family going to get mad because we’re invading their privacy?”

  “Of course not, they’re friends of mine and they know I’m in Amsterdam so I told them that I might stay here,” he took a set of keys out of his pocket and dangled it in front of her. “I have their permission.”

  “It’s a beautiful house, but I don’t think I could live here.”

  “It’s not luxurious enough for a customs agent?” he asked, putting the set of keys aside and standing in front of Lauren.

  “I’m a woman of simple tastes,” she said and then raised her hand to stroke Caleb’s cheek, “haven’t you noticed?”

  He laughed.

  “Then I hope you like champagne.”

  “Let’s get some glasses,” she said excitedly.

  Caleb shook his head, took her hand and walked with her to the fully equipped kitchen; not a single household appliance was missing.

  She thought it was fascinating how people could transform such simple places into habitable and even luxurious spots. Except for a slight back and forth movement, it was almost impossible to tell they were floating on the water canal.

  He went to the fridge and took out a bottle of champagne. There were ten bottles of different brands and they all cost more than four hundred dollars each.

  “This family has all the things necessary to have a great party.”

  “The Tricot’s trip was last minute. They received an unexpected call from a friend and decided to accept his invitation. I’ll replace the bottle before they get back,” he said and tried to lead her to a small and comfy living room.

  “Wait, we don’t have glasses,” Lauren insisted.

  Caleb looked at him intently; there was a fire in his eyes and she gulped when she saw it.

  “Of course not, Marie, the champagne will taste even better tonight because I plan to drink it off your skin.”

  Without a word or a protest, Lauren enjoyed one of the most sensual evenings in her life. Caleb’s way of making love made her feel overwhelmed; it was intense and sweet at the same time. She didn’t want to get her hopes up thinking that he cared about her but what she did know and fear was that she was starting to enjoy his company too much when the truth was that their time together was running short.

  When dawn came and the sighs of pleasure, caused by another trembling climax, gradually ended, Lauren felt Caleb’s hands holding her by her waist. The cozy heat of his naked body and the comfy sheets were making her more and more sleepy. She thought that, at least for this night, it was fairly unlikely that he’d leave her.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered, as if he’d read her thoughts. “We had better sleep now.”

  “You think?” she asked in a seductive tone before turning around in Caleb’s arms and looking at him with bright eyes.

  “I’m not so sure anymore,” he replied with a smile, and then he leaned towards her and kissed him.

  ***

  The next day, they visited each other’s favorite places in town. They skipped the more touristy spots because they thought it was absurd to just do what everyone always did in Amsterdam; they were looking for something authentic, something different.

  In the morning, they fooled around in bed for a while and then, with laughs and kisses, they decided to go out and explore the city. After walking through the park and enjoying an early Christmas concert by the city’s choir, they stopped at a French restaurant, EM Eiland. Caleb had been there multiple times because he liked the place; it was located at an old TV tower that closed almost as soon as it opened, and it was very close to Amsterdam-Noord.

  “Wow,” Lauren said once they were seated, “the IJ River and the city view are amazing.”

  “No doubt about it. Do you know that you blush whenever you really like something?” he asked, leaning his back against the seat with his hands splayed over the tablecloth. This position said everything about his current mood: he felt pleased and relaxed; he just loved being with this woman.

  “I…” she looked down, “it’s something that happens since I was little. I can’t help it.”

  “I think it’s adorable,” he said sweetly.

  “I don’t know what to say… thanks?”

  “I’ll surely make you blush for other reasons, so you can thank me later.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. Caleb flirted so shamelessly that it ended up being sexy and charming at the same time. She was really starting to worry because she was tr
ying to find a flaw in him and it was too damn hard! He even was a good dancer! And of course, she couldn’t criticize Caleb’s way of making love because it’d be like trying to explain the word ‘wonderful’ in more detail.

  After enjoying a delicious lunch, they left Haparandadam Street. Lauren gave Caleb an address and while he drove, he told her some stories about his childhood in Europe, his summers in Greece and a little bit about how he built his company’s foundation.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “Being the business man you are, I’m guessing you know one of the best distilleries in town; have you hear of In de Olofspoort?

  “I’ve heard about it but I’ve never been there. When I was a teenager, I threw up after having my first taste of Jenever. After that, my taste for alcohol has changed.”

  “Well, they have sixty different types of Jenever. It’s been a while since you were a teenager,” she joked, “I’m sure your stomach can handle it. Besides, you’ll be able to find out which one do you really like.”

  “With the work you do, how do you make time to know all these details about Amsterdam?”

  She shrugged her shoulders, “Emke’s from Amsterdam and she usually takes me to the spots she knows. My friends tell me about other places too and I listen.”

  Caleb nodded and continued to drive. They enjoyed the ride as only people with no worries at all can; as if they had all the time in the world to themselves.

  By nighttime, around 9 pm, they had already visited multiple places. She was trying not to complain about the ache in her feet, and he was trying not to fall asleep after saying ‘yes’ to Lauren’s latest and craziest idea: going to a ‘coffee shop’ and buying one of the so-called ‘happy brownies.’

  “I’m glad I only took one bite,” he said. He stared at Lauren as if she had two head because she was laughing for no reason. “I’m guessing you didn’t measure what you ate.”