He cleared his throat and looked at Max, afraid of making a misstep and uncovering something he shouldn’t. “And that’s why we want to bring it to Europe. We are in…discussions…about it, but we have an ambitious plan to open a global network of our stores, starting with Paris by 1929.”
Max looked like he wanted to punch him in the face. Yes, he was revealing a lot. But who better to turn to for advice on the matter?
“It’s an interesting idea,” she finally said after they sat for several moments in silence.
She seemed to turn the thoughts over in her head, taking a moment to savor the clearly unfamiliar southern flavors on her plate.
“May I respectfully disagree with your business plan?” she finally concluded.
Max looked first to Silas and then to Audrey as she paused, awaiting their instruction. “Why?” his big brother inquired, clearly trying to maintain his temper.
If you say anything about women not knowing anything about business, I swear…
“I don’t think you want to know my answer,” she retorted, the challenge to Max officially issued.
“Of course he does,” Silas butted in, attempting to shift the sudden weight in the room.
“Europe is not safe for business, and it certainly not safe for the likes of me and you. War and fashion do not mix,
mes chers amis
. It will all fall apart again, this time worse than before. But here, in these wild lands, everything will stay safe. I truly believe that this century will be ruled by the Americans, for precisely the reasons you’ve already so eloquently described, Silas.”
The Abramses looked at one another, silent. She was speaking a lot of sense, and Silas couldn’t help but fall immediately into her train of thought.
“Forget about the old guard, gentlemen. You have an empire to build and it’s right under your noses, waiting for you. Imagine this—a store in every state. In every city. Every American, big and small, coming to you for all their needs.
“It begins with menswear, it’s true. The luxurious experience of shopping at Jaqueline’s cannot be for women alone. I am talking about building an empire here, gentlemen, a new store for a new age. And what could be more American than that?”
* * * *
They lingered for hours over the meal, the conversation continuing to flow as Silas poured glass after glass of wine into all of their tumblers. They scribbled down a vast array of ideas and imagined a wild variety of business ventures.
Max had never met anyone as brilliant as this, man or woman. He couldn’t believe that the object of his freshly awakened desires could incite such powerful ideas in him as well. He felt confident they could debate anything for an eternity, and the thoughts she unlocked in him thrilled him to the core.
“What time is it?” she finally asked as they polished off a third bottle. Her eyes drooped with fatigue. They had clearly exhausted her.
“Too late for this nonsense,” Max quickly replied, rapidly standing and moving to where she sat at the table.
“We have too much to do tomorrow to be indulging like this,” Silas added as they recalled the plans they had hastily laid for the next day.
“You have a plan for me?” she muttered as Max lifted her into his arms.
“Sleep well, baby,” he murmured in her ear. “We have wonderful things in store for you in the morning, so get your rest.”
She was fast asleep before he could even lay her down on the bed, the depths of her secret, unconscious world unwilling to relinquish her for even a moment more of the day.
Chapter Nine
Audrey slowly awoke as she became aware that she was no longer in the safe comfort of Max and Silas’ bed. She opened her eyes to find herself wrapped in Max's arms, crossing the threshold into what she could only gather in her half awake state was his dressing room.
She fully regained consciousness after he set her down on one of the multiple leather chaise lounges arranged in the center of the room. It was before dawn, and the only light in the room came from a dim table lamp.
“Put this on, darling,” he murmured as he pulled a cashmere sweater over her head. The incredibly soft fabric immediately enveloped her, and she could already tell the garment would reach to her knees.
“Why am I doing this, again?” Despite her sleepy confusion, she immediately felt turned on by the sensation of his sweater on her naked body. She wanted to spend a lazy morning with Max and Silas, continuing to exist for eternity in this perfect suspended reality. She imagined breakfast in bed and maybe a swim in the afternoon…
He interrupted her thoughts. “We’re taking you somewhere, and I want you to be comfortable. I should have brought home more things from the store. Will this do?”
“That depends on where you’re taking me,
mon cher
,” Audrey replied, halfheartedly resisting when he once again lifted her into his arms.
As they approached the front door of the living quarters, she knew she was in trouble. Idling by the front door was a pristine gold Mercedes. Silas, decked out in his driving costume, sat in the front seat. He jumped out and grinned as he opened the passenger door of his car for them. As the chill of the early morning air hit her abruptly, she suddenly became acutely aware of what was happening. She was being kidnapped.
Inside the luxurious convertible, the combination of the plush comfort of the leather and the brothers' bodies close to hers threatened to lull her into a complacency she refused to accept. She liked the idea of putting up a struggle, especially if they thought they could just throw her in the car without telling her a damn thing about where they were headed.
Now fully awake, she looked at the men as Silas pulled down the driveway. “Where are we going?”
As The Arches disappeared behind them and they gathered speed, she could see the thrill in Silas’ eyes as they barreled down the road. “I hope you like surprises, Audrey,” ignoring her question as he placed one hand on her bare thigh and traced the edge of the sweater against her skin.
Just the mere brush of his fingers against her bare flesh drove her wild, and it took all of her control to sit still. Max joined his brother in this new game, the back of his left hand wandering the length of chest and torso.
“You look much better in this than I do,” he murmured as his lips brushed her right earlobe.
She was almost ready to give into their mischievous ways, but she attempted once more to play the role of innocent kidnapee with all her might.
“Where are you taking me? I have a right to know, don’t I?” she exclaimed with a playful pout.
“It's a secret, sugar,” Silas replied, grinning that naughty grin that drove her insane.
“Couldn't we eat some breakfast first?” Normally an early morning surprise trip would be just her kind of thrill. Today, however, she felt both ravenous and exhausted from the previous evening's wild adventure.
“We're almost there, baby,” Silas assured her with a smirk. As usual, Silas was anything but cautious. They were flying down the never-ending twists and turns of their private road at a speed she could barely comprehend at this hour of the morning. Silas suddenly made a sharp right turn onto a narrow dirt road Audrey somehow hadn't noticed on her initial ride to the compound.
Was that just two days ago?
Audrey breathed in the fresh morning air and tried her damndest to let go of every thought and take in the glorious feeling of the unknown, with these two wonderful men leading her deep into the void. The sun was cresting over the horizon, and Max wrapped his leather jacket around her for warmth, silently assuring her with the warmth of his deep, chestnut eyes.
Silas slowed at a bend in the road, and as they came around the corner, Audrey looked from one to the other, attempting to figure out what she was seeing. It just looked like a massive shed and a long, well-kept dirt road.
“For the final leg of this journey, you will be blindfolded, Miss Rousseau. My sincerest apologies for the inconvenience,” Max said teasingly. Before Audrey knew what was happening, the world had gone black around her, the sensation of a silk handkerchief being tied firmly over her eyes.
Once the car had stopped she heard doors slamming and immediately felt herself being lifted from the car. Taken once again into another set of arms, she quickly recognized Silas’ scent as she struggled against his firm grip around her body. “Is this an American thing? Why won't you two ever allow a woman to walk on her own two legs?”
“Because I want you close to me all the time, Audrey,” Silas whispered into her ear. Her whole body trembled at the sensation of his hot breath in her ear combined with being so closely cradled in his arms.
She heard the sound of the giant shed doors opening and immediately smelled gasoline. “Did you get a new car? Is this a second garage?” she guessed.
“Warm,” Max answered and laughed as Silas passed her to his older brother. She immediately relied on her excellent nose as she took in Max's signature hazelnut scent and put her head on his shoulder.
“This is going to be a bit tricky, darlin’, but I promise it’s worth it. Hang on tight, ok?” As he vaguely warned her of some sort of danger, she felt herself being lifted upwards, her arms quickly grasping onto his shoulders and her legs wrapping around his muscular backside. He seemed to mold her onto the back of his body, and she held on for dear life. She was completely disoriented, desperately trying to maintain her cool despite her complete lack of control.
“This would be far less difficult if you two would just let me in on the big secret already.” As she desperately clung to Max, she felt their entangled bodies climbing upwards off the ground. Were they going up a flight of stairs? Was he hanging from a ladder? She couldn’t be sure, but she was confident whatever was happening was probably dangerous.
She felt suspended high above the ground and continued clinging to Max to reduce the disorientation flooding her senses. Suddenly they stopped ascending, and he gently placed her down onto some sort of seat. Although it felt better to sit down on something firm, she immediately reached out for Max’s touch, anxious to know he was near her. He quickly responded by placing his hand in hers, and she breathed a sigh of relief with the touch of his reassuring fingers.
“Would you like to see it now?” she heard Silas say from below her.
“What do you think?” she replied sassily.
Without saying a word, Max removed her blindfold. She looked around and took in the surreal moment. She was sitting in the cockpit of an airplane. And it wasn’t just any plane, but one unlike she’d ever seen before.
She took it all in, admiring the incredibly sleek design of the space she was now inhabiting. The interior was all shiny mahogany and creamy leather, the long bench seat in the front more like the Mercedes she had ridden in than any plane she could have possibly imagined.
“What do
you
think?” Max fired back at her. Silas had joined them, grinning like a proud schoolboy about his little surprise.
She was speechless. “This…is yours?”
“It was my birthday present to myself,” Silas answered. “I missed flying so much since I came back to Male Order from the war, and the technology is growing with leaps and bounds all the time. I met with the best guy in the business and designed this baby just for us. It’s safe now. Well, almost safe,” he added with a grin. “Would you like to fly, Audrey?”
She passed her hands over the seemingly endless controls, levers and knobs, the gleaming metal a stark but beautiful contrast against the luxurious interior. She looked up at Silas after taking it all in.
“Yes. It’s a dream come true. I can’t believe this is yours.” She looked again at Silas, then Max, fascinated by the secrets and surprises they always had hiding up their sleeves.
“I’m planning on breaking the world record for distance, and I’m even thinking about trying to start up a commercial industry,” Silas murmured, almost to himself. He looked at her thoughtfully, the passion for the projects showing on his face. “This is the future, baby. This machine can hold up to five passengers, she has three engines and her
fuselage and wings were constructed out of aluminum alloy. They’re even corrugated for added strength. She’s the fastest and safest airplane in the world. I spared no expense to have every luxury, as you might be able to tell.”