Page 66 of Analysing Her Assets

Call me ASAP. A text from Tally.

Tamar’s heart raced. With shaking fingers, she speed dialed her sister, letting the towel slide down. The last time Tally sent a similar text, Eyal was in the ER with a broken arm.

“Hey, is everything okay? Is Abba okay? Eyal?”

“Yes, yes, wow, Tamari, relax, stop shouting. It’s just about the warehouse deal.”

Tamar crumbled on the bed in relief, then re-knotted the towel around her body.

“So, this lady, this fabric importer, who’s going out of business?” Tally continued in her typical breathless fast speech. “She wants her answer now because she has another offer. What should I tell her?”

The chief analyst position wasn’t hers yet. Leasing the warehouse and not getting the position was unthinkable. Tally was throwing the decision at Tamar, plus her disappointment if the deal didn’t go through. She thought of another pressure-putting family. Gideon had the guts to stand up to his family. This was a huge financial decision and she shouldn’t have to make it under pressure, during a hurried phone call.

“I’ll get back to you,” she said quickly and hung up. Her hands shook even more than before. She had said no to Tally. She took several deep breaths, fighting the urge to call her sister back and rescind.

Too restless to stay in the room, she started putting on jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, and then changed her mind. She would soon be management, and at dinner she should look the part. She wore the new black dress Tally had handmade for her.

It was sleeveless, with no cleavage. Hidden seams that Tally sewed vertically complemented her chest. The black material was crackly and a little shiny, the flared skirt stiff. It fit her perfectly and made her look like a genuine contender for the role of chief analyst.

She slipped on her black leather ballerina shoes, since Tally said it was okay to pair it with flats. She added a short jacket and buttoned it. Then she unbuttoned it. Then she buttoned it again. There.

Going down the stairs, Tamar turned left towards delicious cooking smells. The signs said the dining room was on the basement floor. Her stomach rumbled. A tomato salad and a bit of bread didn’t amount to a proper meal.

A hurrying hotel employee bumped her shoulder just as her phone vibrated. She veered a little to the side, into a long side corridor. Large signs with arrows pointed to the hotel’s conference rooms.

I’m heading to my room. Where are you? What’s your room number? Gideon’s text said.

The nearest door was a conference hall called “The Jasmine Room.” The name looked familiar, and she recalled that was where the company gathering would take place tomorrow night.

Come to where I’m at. Floor -1, I’m next to the Jasmine Room.

She didn’t have to wait long. Gideon arrived within five minutes. He was in a simple T-shirt, and navy-blue swim trunks. His hair was damp, the straightened curls brushed back, a shade of afternoon stubble on his cheeks and determined chin.

“I like the dress.” He smelled a little sulfuric, a little flowery, like bath salts.

“Thanks. Where were you?”

“At the relaxation pools. It’s a great place. Why didn’t you come with your friends?”

Hotel employees kept going back and forth in the back corridors that led to the dining room, and some of them looked at them curiously. Tamar grabbed Gideon’s hand. His skin was water-soft and warm.

“Come inside,” she said and pulled him after her into the cavernous space. He closed the door behind them, casting them into near darkness. The only light came from the glowing red emergency indications positioned above the other three exits.

“Did you skip the pools because you’d have to be in your bathing suit?” he whispered. He already knew her too well.

“Gideon...have you ever done it in a public place?” she deflected. She wasn’t in the mood for a motivational talk of how much he loved her body, how she shouldn’t be ashamed, etc., etc.

“Ohhhh....” He breathed out. He kissed her, lightly and playfully. He was salty and soapy.

“I missed you this weekend,” she blurted and blushed furiously, grateful for the dark. He leaned into her and tipped her head for a kiss. It wasn’t playful. This one was ferocious, as if he missed her too. He explored her mouth boldly, knowingly. His sure moves and competence had always made her aware of how much more experienced he was. Yet, he told her she was the best sex of his life and he meant it. With this knowledge, Tamar returned his kiss, sending her own tongue to lick the salt from him. They broke for some harsh breathing.

“You know what turns me on, and it’s getting to be a real problem?” he asked in a quiet murmur.

“What?” she whispered as well, even though she could probably speak in her regular voice. They were completely alone in the vast space.

“It’s your voice.” There was an echo of a laugh. “The other day when you were asked in the morning review about the Cryptos, and you started talking. I got a hard-on.” He flattened her against the wall with his pelvis, showing her exactly what his hard-on felt like. “A real full-blown boner. Just from hearing your voice. Crazy. I wanted to crawl right between your legs and lick you till you came.”

Flurries traveled from her center to her heart. When the time came, it would be so hard to let him go.

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