Could This Be Love - S04 E13

Story 3 years ago

Could This Be Love - S04 E13

Read Story: SEASON 4 EPISODE 13

Continues….

Kyle chuckled. “Good one.”
“No, seriously.” Caroline nodded, her face earnest.
Kyle took a swig of his beer and casually glanced over to the
booth where two girls were watching him. They jerked their
eyes away quickly and began to giggle.

“Want me to get them in the back of the limo for you?”
Kyle burst out laughing. “You sound like my pimp.”
“You’ve got a pimp?” She teased. “Seriously though, it’s
pretty easy. You’re a decent enough looking guy, and the
clothes make you look good. Plus you’re sitting with a limo
driver, talking shit, while it’s parked right outside the door.
You look good to them right now, so I bet if you picked up
their check and got a bottle of champagne to go, I could
walk over there and invite them to join you in the limo.”
“That shit actually works?” Kyle snorted. “Sounds like
something from a bad TV show.”
“Oh, it works. I’ve got tons of clients laid doing stuff like
that.” She grinned. “All part of the service, my lord.”
“Why you so keen to get me to hooked up?” Kyle asked,
looking at her. “If it’s not these girls, it’s hire some hookers
and have a threesome. What’s that all about?” He took a
swig of beer.

Caroline shrugged. “I like watching people f-----g. I’m a
perv, I don’t care.”
Kyle nearly choked and definitely lost a number of dude
points during the coughing fit that followed while Caroline
sat there and laughed at his reaction.

“You should totally look up a friend of mine,” Kyle said a few
minutes later when he’d recovered. “His name’s Ed, he’s
nuts and lots of fun, and you two would hit it off.”
“I dunno. I’m kinda fussy.” Caroline shrugged again, and
Kyle smiled. It seemed to be her favourite movement.

“Fussy how?”
“Well, actually I’m not that fussy,” She grinned and got her
phone out. “What’s his number?”

Kyle chuckled and got it out his phone for her. Once Caroline
punched it into the address book she grinned, a smile with a
deliberate hint of evil to it. “I’m totally gonna mess with him
for a week or so.”
“You really should. He’s a comic book artist. That’s what he
does for a living. Better warn you though, he’s a bit of an
a-----e, and he’s got a ridiculous vocabulary for parts of
the female anatomy, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, I’m sure I can give him a run for his money. My room-
mate is a professional sex worker, remember.”

They left the restaurant ten minutes later, with Kyle
managing to avoid Caroline’s repeated suggestions that she
drag the two girls with them. Ordinarily the idea would have
held a ridiculous amount of appeal to Kyle, but after todays
revelations, not least of which was that he had inadvertantly
made love to one sister, had a lapdance from another, then
jerked off to the memories several hundred times, he wasn’t
in the mood for anything sexual.

To kill some of the remaining hours, Kyle went home and
Caroline helped him pack the luggage he’d bought with the
new clothes. A ridiculous amount of tags, bags and
packaging accumulated beside Kyle’s sofa, but with an hour
to spare they had everything packed that he’d need and into
the limo. It wouldn’t all fit in the trunk, but Kyle wasn’t
bothered about a few bags in the back with him. He knew
he wasn’t that guy, yet.
It came as a bit of a surprise at one point when Caroline
took off her jacket to reveal a pistol in a shoulder-holster.
Seeing Kyle’s astonished look, she explained that she split
her time between limo driving and close protection security,
and that today she was doing both. Kyle thought it both
surreal and funny that his first bodyguard was a woman
who kept trying to get him laid and could kill him if he made
the wrong move.

He had another cigarette, called his folks to ask them to
keep quiet about the days events and let them know he was
heading out to Danny Tripps private Island for a few days to
meet his sisters. His folks seemed relieved that he seemed
to be taking it in his stride, but Kyle explained that he
thought it either hadn’t sunk in yet, or it didn’t matter to him
that he was adopted because they were the only parents
he’d ever known, and given both his birth parents were
dead, it wasn’t like they were going to steal him away.
His folks promised to call him in a couple of days, but
reminded him he just had to call and they’d come to
wherever he was. He rang off, nodded to Caroline and they
left for the airport.
Kyle waved farewell to Caroline once the flight crew had
loaded the bags onto the small private Jet, and he turned
towards the small lounge in the Executive Privilege Airlines
building. He looked up at the sign. “EPA? Someone’s got a
sense of humour.”
He opened the door into a brightly llit reception area.
“Mister Watson?” An old black man with wrinkles on his
wrinkles asked from behind the receptionist desk.
“Yes.”
“Can I see your passport please?”

“Oh, yeah. Sure.” Kyle handed it over to the man who gave it
a cursory glance and handed it back.

“If you’d like to go into the lounge, sir, your aircraft will be
ready in ten minutes.”
Kyle nodded and entered the lounge, seeing a woman rising
to her feet. Shoulder-length blonde hair framed a pretty face
with a pointy chin and eyes that missed nothing. A charcoal
gray business suit covered a body that Kyle could see was
in great shape. For someone who had the potential to look
like Pamela Anderson in a red swimsuit, she didn’t come
across that way at all. The minimal makeup, the lines of her
suit, all created a professional ensemble that looked
businesslike above all else.
“Mister Watson?” She asked, taking a step towards him. Her
voice was sure, confident and clear.
“Kyle,” He replied, offering a little wave. He rolled his eyes at
his own lameness.
“I’m Patricia Miller. I understand Mister Crowler told you I’d
be meeting you here?”
Kyle nodded, and moved forward, shaking hands with her.
“Yeah, he said that you’re going to be helping me out. Is that
right?”
“Yes, sir,” she nodded, motioning him to a seat, taking the
adjacent one for herself. “I was Executive Assistant to
Mister Tripps for nine years, and my role with you is to
primarily look after you, act as your liaison and schedule
manager, set up whatever you need and answer any
questions you might have.”
“So we’re going to be working together quite a lot then?”
Kyle asked cautiously.

“Yes, sir.”
“Well, if we’re going to be working together all the time, then
you should call me Kyle.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kyle noticed the hint of a smile twitching at her mouth.
“Funny.”
“Kyle it is then. I may ‘Sir’ you in public from time to time
though.” Her eyes really lit up when she smiled, he noted.
“Cool. Whatever works for you,” Kyle said. “So how did you
get landed with me then? Lose the lottery?”
Patricia took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “Can I be
honest, Kyle?”
“Please.” Kyle meant it too. If he was going to have to rely
on Patricia, as Mister Crowler suggested, then he much
preferred the thought of her giving it to him straight.
“Out of the three of you, you and your sisters, I asked to be
assigned to you. You have experience in business, and not
just at a ground level. That makes my job a little easier
because you’ll be quicker on the uptake. Likewise, I
sometimes find other women can be difficult to… establish
good working relationships with from time to time.”

“You mean because sometimes women are bitches?” Kyle
said, opting for excessive honesty himself. He was no
stranger to office politics either.
Patricia chuckled. “Yes, pretty much. I’ve encountered
resentment because of how I look on plenty of occasions,
and it’s usually overcome by sheer professional competence
within a month or two, but I think that the next few days and
weeks are going to define a lot about how Mister Tripps
businesses end up being run in the future, and I want to
contribute to that.”
“So by working with me, you think we’ll get on better and
quicker than you would if you were working with a woman?”
Kyle asked, admiring her honesty, but a little confused.
“That’s part of it,” She nodded. “Mister Tripps and I worked
together for nearly nine years, and I invested a lot of time
and effort into his businesses. I think you’re the most
business-oriented of the three of you, based on nothing
more than your files, but if you are, then that’s the area I’d
prefer to be working in.”
“And that’s all of it?” Kyle asked.
“Pretty much.”
Kyle nodded. “Mister Crowler told me I could trust you. He
said you were great at your job and you’d be a real asset to
me if I could learn to rely on you. Any idea what he meant
by that?”
“It could be something as simple as trying to encourage you
to open up and trust me. That way I can learn how to
support you more effectively, do my job more efficiently and
help you out as much as possible.” She frowned. “Did he
really say that?”
Kyle nodded, looking around as his craving kicked back in.
“Yeah. Do I just go outside if I want a cigarette?”
“I didn’t know you smoked,” Patricia said, tilting her head,
her expression curious.
“Recently took up the habit again. It’s been quite a day.”
“I bet it has. How are you feeling?”
“Tense, nauseous, bemused, and kinda like I’m watching
someone else in a movie, except the movie’s my life going
in strange and wacky directions,” Kyle replied. He moved to
stand, but Patricia placed a hand on his leg and got up
herself.

“I’ll get you an ashtray. Just smoke here if you want one.”
“F-----g weird” Kyle muttered, lighting up indoors. She
returned shortly with an ashtray.
“Want something to drink? Beer? Cocktail? Coffee? Soda?”
Kyle shook his head. “No, thanks, but don’t let me stop
you.”
Patricia shook her head and sat back down. “So how did the
shopping go?”
“Kinda bizarre,” Kyle said, grinning. “Pulling up in a limo and
wearing designer clothes when you walk in a store is a
different level of service than I’m used to.”
“It’ll get more bizarre than that in the next few days,” She
warned. “Wait until you start getting fitted for tailored suits
by Margaret.”
“She’s the person who wrote this list for me, right?”
Patricia nodded, a slight frown on her face. “That’s
Margaret. She’s got a really great eye for dressing people.”
“But…” Kyle added, guessing there was more.
Patricia smiled. “But she’s arrogant and a nuisance, and
believes that fashion is the ultimate reason for the human
race being on the planet.”
Kyle laughed. “Sounds like a joy to work with.”

“Fortunately it doesn’t happen very often, or my schedule
would be shot to hell by brunch on a daily basis.”
“So, I’m meant to lean on you for advice and all that. What
mistakes should I try and avoid?” Kyle asked, figuring he
might as well find out.
“Time management is going to be a factor for you. There’s
only so many hours in a day, and everyone will want a piece
of them, so don’t accept any appointments. Refer them all
to me.”
“Okay, that makes sense, I guess. I’ve never had an
assistant before so I’m kinda groping in the dark here,” He
admitted.
“You’ll get used to it,” She said, smiling disarmingly. “What
else can I suggest? Ask me anything. Don’t be afraid to ask
it if you think it will upset me, or if you think it’s stupid.
Don’t worry about asking twice either. You’re going to be
taking so much information in over the course of a day that
you’ll forget some things, so rely on me. It’s what I’m there
for.”
“Great. My very own wiki?”
She chuckled. “Wiki? I like that. Okay, what else? Let’s
see…. be honest with me, if something annoys you let me
know and I’ll either agree or we’ll fight about it and I’ll win.”
“As simple as that?” Kyle grinned.
“Probably not, but we’ll figure that stuff out as we go. One
last thing for now,” She said, pausing. “Please don’t lie to
me. If you start doing that, then I can’t do my job, and you’ll
be the person who feels the impact of that.”
“Because you’ll punish me?” Kyle asked, still grinning.
Patricia snorted. “No, but if that’s what you’re into, I think
we have people for that. No, what I mean is if you’re having
an affair then tell me. It’s no-one elses business, but if it
can have a future consequence then I need to know so I can
prepare, or take action to make sure it doesn’t become an
issue.”

“Wow, okay. Well, I’m not having an affair, so that’s one
thing off the list.”
She shook her head. “Just one of a million different things
you could use as an example.”
There was a knock at the door and the receptionist entered.
“That’s your aircraft ready for boarding. Hope you both have
a good flight.”
“Thanks, LeBron,” Patricia said, rising and heading for the
door.
“Yeah, thanks, man,” Kyle added.
“Shall we?” Patricia asked, waving towards the small Jet
parked on the tarmac fifty metres away.
If you’re going to fly, then private luxury jet is the way to do
it, Kyle thought. Big leather reclining seats, big TV, DVD’s,
games, great food, drinks, even a kick-ass internet
connection. Bathroom with a multi-head shower, a kitchen
with a proper coffee machine. Luxury in a steel tube at thirty
seven thousand feet.
“Very nice,” Kyle noted as he finally took his seat.
“Your first time in a luxury jet?” Patricia asked, settling
herself across the small aisle from him.
He nodded. “Only ever flown with United and the seats
aren’t exactly spacious.”
Patricia smiled. “Well, if you’re flying then most of the time
it will be in jets like this. You should buckle up. We’ll be
taking off in the next few minutes.”

“Cool.” Kyle did as asked and got comfortable in his leather
seat, facing forward on the right side of the aircraft, while
Patricia did the same to his left. As he looked around he had
another of those surreal moments, wondering how the hell
his day had started writing a paper on ‘Project Budget
Control and Financial Reporting Issues’ to suddenly being
on a private jet with his ‘assistant’ about to travel to a
Caribbean island to meet sisters he never knew he had.
The thought of Katie and Kara brought the subject to the
fore in his mind again and he frowned.
“Everything okay, Kyle?” Patricia asked. “Are you nervous
about flying?”
“What? No, never been a nervous flyer.” He considered
telling her about Myrtle Beach, but figured he’d better get to
know her better and then decide. Kyle knew if it was just him
and his two sisters who knew what happened then he
wouldn’t ever need to tell anyone, but he was genuinely
worried that there were five other people who already knew.
Patricia turned her head forward and settled back in her
seat. “I used to be terrified whenever I got on an aircraft, but
in the last nine years I’ve been on so many flights it doesn’t
bother me at all anymore.”
Just at that, the Pilot of the jet appeared, introducing himself
as Captain Oates. He ran through the usual safety
announcement, where the lifejackets were, and that the
forecast was good for the weather and the flight should be
arriving on time.
He disappeared into the cockpit and locked the door and
seconds later the jet was rolling onto the runway. It
accelerated rapidly, pressing Kyle into his seat and then they
were off the ground. He watched out the small window,
looking down at streetlights and cars moving on the
Interstate, seeing the glow from the city in the night sky.
As soon as the aircraft levelled off Patricia unbuckled her
seat belt. “Fancy a drink?”
Kyle shrugged. “Sure.”
“Well, get comfortable. We’re going to be here for a while.
How does a Mojito sound?”
Kyle gave her a thumbs up and unbuckled his seatbelt, then
reached down and unlaced his new boots, bought earlier
that day, then slid them under the seat. He pulled out his
phone and checked his emails while Patricia was in the
galley.
Nothing from Casey, but an email from Ed, so he opened it
up.
Hey f----r,
Casey says you’ve f----d off on a business jaunt for a week.
WTF, dude? We’re meant to be poon hunting this weekend!
Anyway, where the f--k are you? And how much d--k are these
director fuckers gonna make you suck?

Ed, Esq.
Kyle shook his head. Ed had the subtlety of a wrecking ball
sometimes, but he was a good friend. He typed back a
reply.

Nutsack, Busy working, preparing briefings on all kinds of stuff.
Could really do without this, but if I do a good job then instant
promotion. That’s worth another 27K a year. Think how many
beers that would buy!!! I’ll be in touch in a couple of days. Stay
OUT my apartment!!! You still owe me new sheets from the last
time! K ps gave your number to a limo driver chick. Kinda hot,
you two should have babies. :D
Patricia appeared with a large jug on a tray as well as two
glasses of Mojito. Kyle could smell the lime before she even
put it on the table in front of his seat.
“Emails?”
“Yeah, my buddy, Ed.”
“You didn’t tell him what’s going on, did you?” She gave him
a stern look as she sat down opposite him.
Kyle chuckled. “No, just told him it was a business trip for a
week and that I might get a promotion out of it.”
She nodded and sipped at her drink. “I’ve always loved
these.”

Kyle tasted his own and nodded in agreement. “Nice.”
“The pastry chef on the Island does a Mojito Sorbet. It’s
incredible.”
“Sounds it,” Kyle replied. “So tell me about the Island then.
What’s it like?”
“It’s basically paradise. It’s hot, there’s a gorgeous cool
breeze in the evenings and the air always smells really
clean. It’s got white sandy beaches, clear blue water, palm
trees. The accommodation is… luxury, to say the least. It’s
very chilled, open and bright. The main house is a mixture of
ancient Japanese architecture with a beach hut twist.”
Kyle laughed. “That sounds like a sales pitch.”

She smiled. “It’s how one of the guests described it and it’s
kinda stuck. Let’s see. What else? Well, it’s got all sorts of
facilities. A gym, swimming pools, a club, recording studios,
helipad and a pier for the boat. There’s a couple of
speedboats too if you want to go for a run. It’s got state of
the art facilities to run the businesses from, as well as all the
usual tennis courts, medical clinic and a whole load of guest
houses.”

“It sounds enormous,” Kyle observed. “And amazing.”
“It is amazing. It’s not huge though. As Islands go it’s
pretty small. It’s built around two peaks with the main
house on the western side and the guest accommodation on
the eastern side. The southern side is a wide bay and the
northern side is mostly cliffs, but it’s gorgeous, and the view
of the sunsets from the main house are incredible.”