His Dark Obsession

Chapter 20: A Moment to One's Self

Ian stared at the Manhattan skyline in silence. He hadn't anticipated this turn of events. Jake had become serious with Tara...this kind of thing hadn't happened before. Jake had never been serious about any girl in the past; his relationships fizzled out once the women got emotionally involved...and here he was living with Tara. To tell Jake about his feelings for Tara now seemed insanely inappropriate. He looked at the countless skyscrapers huddled together -- millions struggled to make it in New York...only a handful did. He had made it, he knew that and in loneliness he didn't want to ignore this fact to himself but...what was it then?...in life, that still felt missing and why did he feel as though that Tara might answer that question for him. He had never acted like this before either, he had had steady relationships in the past but a lasting attachment hadn't culminated from any of them. I ought to get back to my party, Ian mused and then decided against it. He wanted to be out here- in silence, in loneliness. He drank the last of the champagne from his glass as the lights from innumerable highrises reflected in his pristine blue, grey orbs.

"Ian!" Ian turned around to find Jake walking towards him. "I have been looking for you everywhere and you chose to come to the hotel terrace!"
"Wanted a minute to myself." Ian said.
"Ian...is everything ok? This is one of the greatest nights of our lives and you are out here, alone?"
Ian just looked at him - in silence.
"You wanted to talk to me about something...?" Jake asked, concerned.
Ian only hesitated a brief moment, Jake was his brother, they had been through thick and thin together. He couldn't let this change everything. There was too much on the line especially since Jake seemed serious about Tara now...but Ian still wanted to be sure..."You and Tara...what's going on there?"
"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"...No...that's something else. This I just wanna know."
Jake had a smile in his eyes, "Ian I never thought I could feel this deeply about someone. I have never felt like this about anyone before. She's special, Ian. I think...she might be the one!"
"Isn't it a little too soon to say that."
"I guess...can't help what I am feeling though."
"Yes! No one can."
Jake smiled. "So what else did you want to talk to me about."
Ian knew he was going to have to lie now, "Mabel West."
"What about her?"
"She will be visiting us sometime next week. I need the team to prepare a visual presentation for her. She wants to break into the Billionaire's club and needs the right image moving forward."
"You got it. I am gonna have the best people working on this Ian, don't you worry!"
And after a pause he inquired, "You couldn't talk about this in front of Tara?"
"I didn't know if you were serious with her. Doesn't seem appropriate to talk about clients in front of casual dates!"
"Well, rest assured, what Tara and I have isn't casual."
"I believe you. Where did you leave her by the way?"
"Oh! She was chatting up with Candice from accounting. I told her I needed to find you."
"You should head back, she'd be waiting."
"You comin' in?"
"Yes, I'll be right in."
Jake left Ian to his thoughts and the first that came to his mind were of the alluring beauty in red -- as hot and blazing as an erupting volcano. She was fire, and she had burnt him. When he had laid eyes on her in the crowd, he had glanced only at her eyes, but when she had joined him and Jake, he had seen her entirely. She had made his blood rush, gushing at insane force. He could not believe that Jake had brought her to the party looking like that. If it were him, he would have pounced on her the moment he saw her all dressed up, he would have made love to her all night and in the morning too. He would have fucked her and made her unable to move and too weak to leave his bed. And then he would have kissed her forehead and called to apologize for not showing up at the office party -- if only it were him.