A Choppy Chopper Ride
Iram gazed into her coffee in confusion.
"Just like my heart, black and strong," sighed Eva, taking a long sip of hers. She looked at Iram critically and said, "Did the panda population of New York just increase by one? You look like you haven't slept all night."
"I haven't," agreed Iram. I have been very very disturbed. She ran her fingers through her auburn streaks and said, "What if this is one big fuck up Eva?"
"Then we will go bankrupt and open our tiny little interior design business and use all your talent and creativity to build a new business."
Iram smiled at Eva and said, "Ever the optimist are you not?"
She took a long swig of her Blue Tokai, imported all the way from India, and said, "Eva, I have come to a decision. I am going to take that money."
"And what will the board think? How will your shareholders feel about taking your taking drug money to get your business back up? Oh…and what of your fiancé, Param? How is he going to handle your traipsing off with The Lou Grant for a month-long revelry?"
"I don't know any of it yet Eva, but what I do know is that I cannot let father's legacy be taken away from us. This is the only option I have left and I'm going to get."
"A…ok", Eva said finally, "Let me get you some cucumber slices."
"Cucumbers?", asked Iram confused.
"Yes, we don't want you meeting Mr. Sexy Grant with dark circles now, do we?"
A few hours later, Iram stepped out of her Lambhorgini, onto the private Helipad of Grant Enterprises. She pulled down her brown aviators and pulled her orange Hermes bag closer to her. Her outfit looked fairly decent for a chopper ride. Cream slacks, matching cream sneakers of one of her favourite Indie designers from Brooklyn, a simple blue top, and a matching cream and blue scarf. Lou was standing next to the chopper and waved to her.
How could he look so heart-stoppingly attractive? Here he was in a simple linen blue shirt and blue jeans, so cool, they didn't even have a label on them. He grabbed her arm and shook her hand, "It's gonna be a pleasure to do business with you Iram, but I have to tell you red suits you much better than blue."
Iram blushed and felt very stupid after. She wasn't an awkward teenage girl, but a grown woman.
"Thanks, Lou," she said primly and sat stiffly in the chopper in the back seat.
"Hey…..what are you doing at the back? Come on up ahead, I'm not going to fly this baby alone."
"You…you are going to fly this?", she asked incredulously.
He grinned at her over the controls and said, "Absolutely yes Madame!"
Iram shut her yes as they took off, the rotors of the chopper made a very loud noise and she was terrified of heights.
"Fear of flying red chilli pepper?"
"Yes…., " she muttered through gritted teeth.
"Hey don't worry, most of our flight is over water and if we do crash or something, there are life jackets below your seat."
"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better." She said gloomily.
He smiled and didn't say anything as he expertly maneuvered the chopper across the brief ride. In a while, looking down onto the blue waters, at times dotted with yachts and ships, Iram finally began to feel better. It wasn't possible to talk much over the noise of the rotors and the wind, so they communicated in gestures, pointing out interesting sights on the way to each.
Finally they got off at a helipad on Long island, where a limousine waited for them. Iram sat back in the car in relief as Lou opened a Perrier for her and smiled, "You sure travel in style Lou," she murmured.
He flashed very white and even teeth at her and said, "Always, Iram…always. Anyway are you hungry?"
She realized that she hadn't eaten anything since morning and nodded. She was famished actually.
"What do we think about grilled lobster, slow cooked parma ham and a bunch of salads?"
She felt her stomach rumble, and Lou laughed and said, "Lunch first, food later." They drove along the coast for about 20 minutes and Iram was rather impressed by Lou's understanding of business, economy and policy. The man was quite fascinating and if she hadn't owed him 6 million dollars she might have actually liked him.
They drove upto a charming little Mediterranean Bistro on the coastal road and had a lovely lunch. Lou had even managed to convince Iram to have two glasses of chilled Prosecco with him and she felt rather light headed.
"To work then?," he asked, as they sat back in the car.
"Work….ummmmm yes of course."
"If you want to play hookey, am happy to take the rest of the afternoon off, chilli pepper!"
"No….no, I have to get home in time.I have to meet my fiancé for dinner."
"Oh, well and the man swoops in once you have solved the company's problems." He muttered sardonically.
Iram felt a pinch when he said that but she decided to let it pass. "Lou," she said, touching his arm, "I have something to discuss with you."
"You. Are. Touching .Me", it's something big isn't it Iram? We want to change the terms now do we? What fiancé is gonna come along on our little trip in a menage a trois?"
"No…Lou, nothing like that. It's just that I can't afford to let anyone know where I am getting the money from. Everyone knows that Grant Enterprises was built on drug money….sorry, no offence but it's not good PR."
"Of course it isn't!, Lou declared, his smile not quite reaching his eyes now.
"I agree Iram. I am investing in Azure Hotels and I don't want to let my investment tank or carry the family taint as we like to call it. I want you to meet Raina, she is my partner in the Manhatten Bar and in Volcano, which I plan to open here on Long Island. You will meet her and really like her, I'm sure."
Iram felt a twinge of jealousy. Raina sounded like a sexy name. She wondered if she was his business partner in more than work. Well, with someone like Lou, anything was possible.
They pulled upto a large building under construction on a hilltop overlooking the bay and she gasped, "What a view!"
"Absolutely, Iram, imagine a deck here with DJ's and artistes playing all night under the stars, overlooking the bay. It's beautiful. I think it's going to be a rage."
She was still entranced with the view when a tall, leggy blonde in the tiniest of shorts walked upto the car and fist bumped Lou.
"Hey, Lou, you were supposed to get here two hours ago."
"Yes, Raina, I was but Iram here was hungry…..for…food, " he emphasized with a wicked grin and Iram blushed a beetroot red.
"It's amazing isn't it? How she blushes?" he asked Raina.
Raina grinned at Iram and said, "Kou got under your skin yet? He used to drive me mad till Pierre told him, he would throw him into the sea and make sure sharks would eat him."
"Pierre?" asked Iram confused.
"My husband and only the most talented DJ in the world," Raina said with a happy smile.
Iram could not believe the relief she suddenly felt when Raina said that. She looked at the duo and said, "So property tour?"
A couple of hours later, as Lou descended on the Grant helipad, Iram felt tired, but happy. She didn't remember when she had last taken a weekday off. It had been the most fun she had had in a long while. Lou grabbed her hand and pulled her down to the tarmad. She felt her body slide against his and went stiff. She waited for him to steady her, but instead he held her against him and said, "So chilli pepper, did you have a nice time?"
She was frozen, and she found herself nodding.
"Good, cos I like my first dates to end in a kiss," he said, swooping down on her lips. She felt his lips on hers, very soft, but insistent. His tongue danced around her, swooping in gently, as he crushed her to him. She gasped and he swirled his tongue with hers, entwining it, teasing and kissing her ina slow and sensual dance. Iram shut her eyes and got lost in the sensation. He tasted of Prosecco and lobster, sea and sun and she found her body softening as they both melted against each other. When the kiss broke, they both were silent for a minute and he said, "Were you jealous of Raina? I saw this look on your face and you were wondering if I was sleeping with her. No leggy blondes for me honey, I'm beginning to have a thing for caramel coloured curvy brunettes!"