‘The guitar. And vocals.’
‘I find it incredible how many things you’ve done in your life,’ she said. ‘You were a bartender and a manager, a musician, a rugby player, you travelled all around the world thanks to your pilot’s license and now you are an owner of a successful PR company. All I’ve ever done is PR.’
‘It doesn’t mean I was good at all of those things,’ he replied. ‘You, on the other hand, chose your field and stuck by it, becoming the best of the best in it.’
‘It’s very flattering what you say,’ she said, ‘but I feel like I forgot why I was doing it all. They say you should work to live and not the other way around. I am beginning to realize that I’ve made that mistake. I’ve lived to work.’
‘I’m very sorry, but we will be closing the bar soon,’ the bartender said. ‘Would you like to order your last drinks?’
‘Thanks, but I’ve had enough,’ Amaranthine said. ‘Unless you want one?’
‘No, you’re right,’ Daniel replied. ‘Blimey, look at the time! It’s two o’clock in the morning!’
‘We should really get some sleep, eh?’ she said. ‘Or we’ll be unconscious at the meetings tomorrow.’
‘Yeah, let’s go.’
They took the elevator to their floor and Daniel walked her over to her room.
‘Goodnight, Amari,’ he said. ‘I had a great time.’
‘Me too,’ she replied. ‘Thank you for taking me for that walk, and for the picnic, and the sunset. It was incredible.’
‘I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I ordered that sunset specially.’
She laughed. ‘It’s good to know you have a way of doing it. I’ll now be expecting it every night.’
They both fell silent, looking into each other’s eyes and not wanting to part. Finally, Daniel took a deep breath, gave her a friendly hug and kissed her on the cheek.
‘Sleep well, Amari.’
His hands were strong and hot on her arms as he embraced her, sending a spasm of desire through her body, all the way to the tips of her toes. She felt her heart beat accelerate and she knew that there was no way she was letting him go to his room and close the doors between them.
He slid his hands down her arms and was about to take a step back. She didn’t let him. Gently, but decisively, she locked his hands in hers and pulled him back towards her. When she looked into his eyes, she saw a trace of a battle. But as soon as their faces were less than an inch away, it was replaced by desire. She knew that he saw the same emotion in her eyes.
Daniel freed his hands from hers, took her face in them, then tangled his fingers into the hair on the nape of her neck. A shiver of pleasure travelled along her spine; she was going mad with anticipation. When their lips finally met, balls of light exploded under her eyelids.
The door to her room opened without her having to send a clear mental signal to the hotel’s mind-reading computer. Her emotions were strong enough for the machine to pick up the intention and interpret it correctly.
They went in, still kissing. Daniel took off his backpack and dumped it on the floor right by the door, then picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.
What happened next was so unlike any of her previous experiences that Amari found it hard to believe she wasn’t under one of Eiko’s simulations. He stroked her head, her shoulders and arms, he kissed her in places she didn’t even know could feel that good. He took it slowly, as if they had all the time in the world. He was firm and gentle at the same time and he burned with passion when he touched and kissed her.
And she responded. Responded in a way she had never done before. She returned his gestures, she focused on guessing what gave him the greatest pleasure and when she noticed his reactions, they made her happy.
None of them checked the time. What was time? Did it even exist? The only thing that seemed to exist at that moment was touch.
Daniel pulled the cover up, locked her in his arms and kissed her one more time.
‘Sleep well, gorgeous,’ he whispered.
‘And you,’ she purred back.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It took her a few moments to wake up. It was like returning to Earth from some incredible, alternate reality. When she regained full consciousness, she realized that Daniel’s arms were still around her. She turned around to look at him.
‘Good morning sunshine,’ he said with a warm smile. ‘You look beautiful when you sleep.’
‘You stayed all night,’ she smiled back, ‘I didn’t know men like you still existed.’
‘Why would I leave?’ he said, ‘what better place could I possibly be?’
She kissed him in response.
‘Last night was incredible,’ she said.
‘I happen to agree.’
They fell silent, just lying in each other’s arms, enjoying the warmth and proximity of their bodies. None wanted to break the moment, though both knew it was inevitable.
‘We’re going to have to get up at some point, huh?’ she finally said. ‘What time is it?’
It was nine. Their first meeting was at ten.
‘How long does it take you to get ready?’ Amaranthine asked.
‘Five minutes,’ he murmured, kissing her neck.
‘I was hoping you’d say that.’
It was amazing again. Afterwards, they decided to take a shower together. Daniel took the shampoo out of her hands and soaped her hair himself. She didn’t stop him; it just seemed such a natural thing to do. When he rinsed her hair off, she couldn’t help but touch him again. None were prepared to wait till they were back in bed.
Daniel left her room at nine fifty-two.
It took all her might to stay focused during the staff meeting and not let her feelings for Daniel show. She kept getting flashbacks of their love making and she caught herself a few times imagining him naked and fantasizing about him. She could only imagine how hard it was for him; he chaired the meeting, so all eyes were on him constantly. She was mostly listening, occasionally asking questions and making notes as she’d not travelled with the band before. Daniel’s team asked her about the attack, to which she replied with what was being said on the news. The secret her and Daniel shared made her want to be alone with him again even more. She felt like he was the only person that she could be herself around.
It was slightly easier at the meetings with Carpe Diem. It was much more casual; they chatted with each band member, brainstorming the ideas for the marketing campaign. Creating a cohesive and convincing public image of each musician was all about getting enough details that would keep the fans interested, but that the guys would be comfortable revealing publicly. By the end of the day Amari had a fair idea how she wanted to build the new campaign. Her and Daniel would work together on the exact wording of the future press releases and the channels of delivering juicy bits of gossip to the fans and the media. Keeping that process under strict control whilst making it appear like a series of random leaks was a fine art; Amaranthine had mastered it, though, and Daniel knew most tricks that worked with the Mortal audiences. They truly made a great team.
‘So do you want to work on it this afternoon?’ Amaranthine asked when they finished eating late lunch. Angela and Frankie were with them and asking the question in a matter-of-fact tone was a huge effort. She knew she couldn’t handle it for much longer.
‘Yeah, sure,’ Daniel glanced at his watch. ‘Shall I come by, say, four o’clock?’
‘Sounds good,’ Amari replied. ‘I’ll start inputting the data and drawing some simulations, so we have something to work with.’
‘Excellent. See you later.’
It wasn’t even fifteen minutes later that she heard gentle knocking on her door. She ran to it like an excited teenager, secretly meeting up with her first boyfriend right under the noses of her guardians. She could tell that Daniel felt exactly the same way.
He took her into his arms as soon as he crossed the doorstep.
‘I daydreamed of this moment all day,’ was al
l he managed to say before she silenced him with a kiss.
It became their routine for the rest of the week. They spent evenings exploring Tokyo’s best restaurants and bars, their nights making love and they woke up together every morning. Then they would split for a few minutes to get ready for the day’s work, and agonized for the few hours that they had to spend pretending to be just colleagues in front of other people. As soon as they were free to go, they returned to Amaranthine’s room for more love making. They gave each other pleasure and accepted it. And every time it was time to part, they dreamt of the moment they would be together again.
They also talked for hours.
‘Tell me more about Africa,’ Amaranthine said, stroking his chest. ‘What is it like?’
‘It’s the only place on Earth, where you always feel a connection to the soil,’ Daniel replied. ‘Even if it hadn’t been proven that the human race originated there, I’d know it. It has the power to draw you back, even if you only spent a day in there. Once you go to Africa, you will always keep returning.’
‘Would you take me there?’ she asked.
He kissed her on the top of her head.
‘Nothing would make me happier.’
‘Me too.’
She felt it was true. Nothing would be better than visiting all the places in the world with Daniel and experiencing the same things together. Everything she’d ever seen as a simulation, she now wanted to visit in the real, and Daniel promised to take her anywhere she wanted to go.
But her time in Tokyo was drawing to an end; Daniel was also moving along with the band. Their next leg was China and South East Asia. Nectar wanted her back in New York, expecting the dust over the attack to start settling any day. ‘People need entertainment, no matter what is happening in the world,’ he said. Amaranthine knew he was right; since the Cure’s formula had not been stolen, the terrorists were captured and damages were limited to one destroyed building in Manhattan when it could have been dozens, people slowly started going back to their normal lives. That meant a return of interest in Carpe Diem, especially that their concerts in Japan were received with huge acclaim.
Amaranthine couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing Daniel every day and not waking up in his arms. She dreaded the first night alone in her huge bed, without him by her side. She was prepared to fly back and forth two hours every morning and every night just to be with him, but deep down she knew that would be impossible in the long run. More importantly, she wasn’t prepared to waste so much time that she could be spending by his side.
‘Maybe you can persuade Nectar to let you work from here,’ Daniel said with hope.
‘I’ll do my best,’ she said, ‘maybe I could at least spend half a week here, from Thursday to Sunday.’
‘And I’ll fly back on the other days as often as possible,’ Daniel said. ‘That could work. Let’s hope Nectar buys it.’
‘Just leave it to me,’ she smiled, ‘I have a way of getting what I want from men.’
‘Do you now,’ he took up the challenge, ‘but I’m Scottish. I bet you can’t make me do what you want.’
She grabbed him by his tie and pulled him towards the bed.
‘Sit down,’ she ordered, pushing him.
It took Eiko less than five seconds to transfer Amari’s mental order to the hotel’s computer. The lights dimmed, the music started. Amari undid her shirt, button by button, as she started dancing right in front of him.
Daniel realized he was staring at her with his mouth wide open.
‘I told you I had my way with men,’ she said afterwards, kissing his collar bone.
‘So you do,’ he smiled. ‘As long as this was what you wanted.’
‘It was exactly what I wanted.’
They flew back to the US together on Sunday night, having come up with an excuse for Daniel to be in New York on Monday. They went straight to her apartment and spent another night together. Amari was happy not to be facing the real life again on her own. Daniel also accompanied her to the office on Monday morning, yet again sensing that she needed him there. It was the first time she revisited Manhattan and her workplace after she nearly lost her life there only ten days ago. Having Daniel by her side made the whole experience bearable.
Her and Nectar’s offices had been repaired and looked almost the same as they did before April 23rd. The whole office smelled of fresh paint. They had a meeting with Nectar, updating him on the developments regarding Carpe Diem’s tour and marketing. He seemed glad to hear what they were saying; clearly he was slowly getting over the drama of his office being smashed to pieces by some crazy terrorists.
‘So how is it going with Collins?’ Nectar asked after Daniel had left. ‘Is everything running smoothly?’
‘It seems to be running very smoothly,’ Amari replied.
‘Can you stand working with him for a full year?’
‘It’s going to be fine.’
‘That’s good. I want it to stay this way, we need this tour to be perfect, and we need them to keep performing the way they are.’
‘About that,’ she said, ‘I think it would be a good idea for me to remain closer to the band. I think it would be beneficial for me to be present at most of the concerts.’
‘You think this is necessary? I thought everything was running smoothly.’
‘It is,’ she replied, ‘but nothing is given forever. I want to personally make sure we keep the interest up in the US, and the best way of doing that is by publishing reviews and footage from the band’s concerts in other countries.’
‘I need you here for the advertisers and the media.’
‘I know that, Nectar, but I need to monitor how the crowds react to the band,’ she insisted. ‘It’s crucial for my marketing strategy. I can work from the office Monday to Thursday and fly out Thursday evenings or Friday mornings to be there for the concerts. It’s only a two hour flight.’
‘Well, I mean, if you’re happy to do it and you think it’s necessary?’
‘I’m happy to do whatever it takes to succeed. And my instinct is telling me that my presence there is essential. The stakes are too high now to leave the band out of sight.’
‘Ok, it’s your call, Amari. Do what you think is right.’
‘Brilliant,’ Daniel said when he heard the news. ‘You really do have your way with men.’
‘I told you so,’ she joked.
They were flying westwards in his hovercar ‘to see something incredible’ as Daniel put it. Again, Amaranthine had no idea where he was taking her and what he had up his sleeve, but she looked forward to whatever he wanted to show her. It was unusual for her to be in someone else’s power, kept in the dark and completely out of control. Something she would never in a million years expect to enjoy. But that was before she met Daniel.
He lowered the car now and sat it gently on the ground. They were in the middle of an enormous grassy field, not a building or a person in sight.
‘Where are we?’ she asked, unable to help herself.
‘In Kansas, about 25 miles east of Topeka,’ he replied. ‘Don’t worry, we are not waiting for a tornado to take you to the Land of Oz.’
She giggled.
‘I have a present for you,’ Daniel said.
‘A present?’ she couldn’t hide her excitement. He’s not given her any presents yet.
‘Yes,’ he said, taking a small flat package out of his pocket and handing it to her. ‘But you are not allowed to open it until six-nineteen. You promise?’
‘I promise,’ she said, taking it out of his hand. ‘I feel bad, though. I don’t have anything for you.’
‘Not to worry,’ he smiled, ‘I brought a present for myself as well.’ He patted his other pocket.
‘You really are a man of mystery,’ she said, racking her brain to figure out what he was plotting. Why would he bring her to the very center of the United States, give her a present in the middle of a field and not let her open it till six-nineteen?
She
quickly communicated with her idatron to find out precisely what time it was. Six-fifteen. She would find out what his surprise was in four minutes. She ordered Eiko to alert her when it was time.
‘Why don’t we sit down,’ Daniel said, spreading out the same blanket he’d used in Tokyo to serve her the picnic. He didn’t seem to have any food with him this time, though, and the sun was already very low, so it couldn’t have been about another picnic over the sunset.
She sat on the blanket and he positioned himself behind her, putting his arms around her. She turned her head to kiss him.
‘Ok,’ he announced seconds before Eiko’s alert rang in her head. ‘Let’s open them.’
She unwrapped the package. Inside there was something that looked like a pair of very primitive glasses. They were made of cardboard and they had black plastic sheets in the place of the lenses.
‘Put them on,’ Daniel urged her, unwrapping his own pair and placing it on his nose. She laughed at the sight of him. ‘I wouldn’t want you to hurt your eyes.’
‘Hurt my eyes how?’ she asked, but obeyed.
‘Just look at the sun.’
The bottom of the yellow ball was already slightly hidden behind the horizon. Suddenly, the right side of it also started disappearing.
‘Eclipse of the sun!’ Amaranthine exclaimed. ‘How did you know that I’ve always wanted to see one?’
‘I didn’t,’ Daniel said, ‘I just thought you might enjoy it.’
‘You’re incredible,’ she kissed him again.
‘I’m glad you like it.’
‘Let me guess,’ she laughed, ‘you ordered it specially.’
‘Of course,’ he said, ‘but the message got messed up on the way and they didn’t make it long enough. It’s only going to last for three minutes and forty-seven seconds.’
Amaranthine watched, mesmerized. A black circle inched its way forward, gradually claiming the solar disc until it covered it completely.
For a short while, it was night. The stars became clearly visible in the dark sky. It became instantaneously cool and she felt a touch of dew on her bare arms and legs. It also became very quiet, as if the surrounding nature took a deep breath and held it, not sure what was happening and why. A moment later, crickets started chirping.