Another Side of My Life Chapter 18

By Julie D Cole

As we walked back to the hotel Jack appeared too wound up about what he would say to Laura to continue our discussion. I couldn’t blame him now I knew how awful she’d been to him and the trouble she’d caused. She was a nutcase.

As we entered the front doors of the hotel we could see Laura and Jane arguing with the hotel manager. Laura was shouting and waving her arms so she was being ushered towards the front door and we heard her threaten to call the police that made no difference. Jack stepped in to help calm her and the manager explained that the argument was about the two guys who had slept in their room and the state of the room. Apparently the hotel had made a charge to Laura’s credit card for the damage they’d caused in the room. They were told that they would be banned by the hotel group in future but Laura was undeterred.

Jack told her how ashamed he was and how stupid they’d behaved in the hotel and throughout the weekend. Laura then took aim at him but missed and fell over. A security guy stepped forward and took hold of her as she struggled to stand up and walked her backwards out of the door and down the steps to the pavement sitting her on a small wall. He kept her there standing in front of her to stop her from causing more trouble and the police were called.

Within a few minutes 2 officers arrived and this seemed to calm Laura down. The manager explained what had happened then Jack managed to persuade to let him take responsibility for escorting them to the railway station. The hotel manager who was calm and respectful throughout agreed and said she would not press charges if they left quietly.

Jack collected their luggage from his storeroom and they all left for Kings Cross in a taxi. The police left and I stayed at the hotel to avoid any excuse for Laura to raise her hackles again. As the taxi pulled away she stared at me through the window, stuck out her tongue and gave me the finger.

The manager shook her head in disbelief and then introduced herself as Christina Carter that I could see on her name tag although it said Chris rather than Christina. She wore a smart business suit that looked like designer label so I felt awkward being so casually dressed. She had a firm handshake and was slightly taller than me in her heels. She knew I was a friend of Jack and that I was helping out in the bar. Since Jack had escorted Laura and Jane she invited me to join her for tea or coffee in the business lounge. I nodded my acceptance and opted for some tea. She smoothed her skirt and sat up straight and I tried to copy her posture ensuring that I kept my knees close together. She gave the impression of confidence with an air of authority much like my boss at work but she seemed much nicer. She seemed to quickly analyse me and I was nervous in case she had quickly worked out that I wasn't female. My throat was dry since I was so nervous and it felt like I was invited to join her to be interrogated. I tried to speak in my softest voice and keep my hands on my lap. When the tea arrived she poured it.

We sat and chatted for a while and she asked me where I lived and what I did for a living. I hesitated before explaining that I had a boring job behind a computer and that every day was the same. She clearly liked her job and the opportunities that had been available to her since she had been hired from university. She said that if I'd enjoyed helping Jack that I should look at a career in the hospitality industry and if I relished a challenge that London offered lots of opportunities for people of my age. I tried to appear enthusiastic but sadly I had another life and as much as I was enjoying myself this was not a permanent arrangement. She asked me for my contact details and said that she'd be happy to let me know if she saw any opportunities pop up in the hotel group. It was a relief when she was called away to deal with a problem. She shook hands again and invited me to stay in the lounge until Jack returned.

In the conversation she let slip that it was her who had asked Jack to run the bar and persuaded her boss to give him a chance and to let him run it like a private enterprise. I liked her and as she left I looked at the way she walked and her skirt was well fitted that necessitated small steps. I doubted I could have kept pace with her had I been wearing something similar.

After I finished my tea rather than hang around I decided to go into the bar to check that everything was tidy and clean for Jacks return. I wondered what I should do for the rest of the week and how Jack might react if I told him the truth about me. He was unlikely to be rude and awful to me or aggressive but the longer this went on the more difficult it would be to maintain the friendship that I had enjoyed so much in just a few days. In truth I didn’t want it to end but I needed to get real.

I received a text message to let me know he was on his way back on the underground and that Laura had behaved herself apart from leaving him to pay the cab fare. I told him that Christina had introduced herself and we’d chatted over cups of tea and she seemed nice and was complementary about him.
‘Yes she was kind to me and she hired me to run the bar before coming up with the idea that I should run it as a small private enterprise with financial support from a Government backed scheme. I jumped at the chance. The hotel owners wanted rid.’

‘So you are pretty much tied in then?’

‘Yes I can’t walk away but hey it’s making money now and Christina is on my side and arranges back up when it’s needed until the business takes off.’

A few minutes after our call ended Jack walked through the front entrance to the hotel and spotted me. He had a look of relief on his face that broke out into a big smile.

‘Good riddance. I have spoken to Debs to let her know what happened. She was so angry that she said we should have let the police deal with it but it’s too much hassle for Christina.’

‘Let’s forget her. She is poison.’

There was an awkward moment between us and we both seemed to want to move forward towards each other but waited for each other. I inched forward and then Jack took the initiative and stepped close enough to take my hands. He stared into my eyes and leaned forward wrapping his arms around me and kissed me softly on the lips. I felt a shudder down my spine and I didn’t want to move. Jack pulled me closer and the kiss became more passionate. I couldn’t fight the feeling I had for him anymore even though we were in full view of the reception and anybody who might pass by.

My knees were like jelly and Jack took the weight of my body.

‘Sorry but I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you. I hope I’ve not embarrassed you.’

I let out a sigh and tried not to smile. ‘No need for you to be sorry Jack. It was nice. It’s just that it’s getting complicated and I don’t want to hurt you.’

‘I’m a big boy so I promise to behave and control myself. I won’t hurt you because I am not the aggressive type. But I do think that you seem to be a bit in denial. I am not sure what you might be scared about but I promise that you can trust me whatever.’

I gulped slightly and then I took a deep breath, but no words would come out. I wasn’t proud of myself but it was like I was on a wheel or a roundabout and I couldn’t jump off because it was spinning faster and faster.

‘Come on Jules let’s focus on the bar and get some trade going and we can chat when you feel ready. Nothing is spoiling. You aren’t leaving me are you?’

‘No, I have probably decided to stay as I said that I would and I will return home as planned at the weekend.’

‘You do still have your ticket don’t you? It wasn’t with your stolen credit cards was it?’

‘No, it’s in the inside zip pocket of the jacket I was carrying. I’m sure that I checked already but I need to double check later.’

Just as soon as Jack opened the bar and started cleaning a beer pipe the first customers entered. A group of business men looking to celebrate some sort of deal so I welcomed them and gave them copies of the bar menu then took their order. They were in good spirits and since they were staying in the hotel they ran a tab. One guy seemed similar age to me and but he was the shy type. He was sitting on the fringe so I made extra fuss of him that raised a smile.

When I was called to take their next order his boss asked my name and he introduced them individually asking my name. I was extra nice to Jeremy to stop his blushing. That could so easily have been me in that seat, silent and embarrassed in front of a stranger. Now I was that stranger and I wasn’t embarrassed to speak to any of them and I quite liked to receive complements.

More customers arrived and the bar almost filled over the next few hours so we were pretty much none stop with few opportunities to chat for long and some good tips. I really enjoyed myself working in tandem with Jack and having customer interaction. It was so much more fun than staring at a computer screen all day in my job with no promotion prospects or opportunities to increase my experience. I looked across the bar at Jack as he laughed a joked with some hotel guests from Ireland who were in no hurry to go to bed. Jack would make a great boss in any job because of his personality and as I had found out earlier he was a great kisser too. I’d never actually kissed anybody with passion until this trip and Jack was certainly more skilled than Sarah. He was gentle because of his stubble and his tongue teased mine so that I was sorely tempted to allow it to push deep into my mouth.

I was obviously staring and as he looked around the bar he noticed and smiled. Suddenly I felt my knees tremble a little and I quivered as I felt a dampness in my panties. I needed the bathroom so I took my bag from under the bar and excused myself and hurried to the most convenient one in the reception area. As I examined myself I realised that the wetness was not a leak but excitement and yet I hadn’t stiffened at all. I tucked myself back into the thong that I wore to hide my bulge that I now needed to rinse through later back at Jacks place. I was down to my last 2 clean ones not having had chance to do any laundry so far.

The lighting in the bathroom was very bright and I looked at my face and considering the long day we’d had I looked OK. I was still passable and no major surgery required. I freshened my lips to replace the lost coating that Jack had enjoyed and tidied my hair. Before I left I gave myself a quick spray of fragrance trying to avoid going over the top. Just as Liz entered who was the duty receptionist. She smiled and recognised the brand immediately. In less than a week my fear of using the ladies bathroom had disappeared altogether.

Back in the bar I was welcomed like a long lost relative by the Irish customers. They had already coaxed Jack to drink with them and insisted I joined them for a nightcap since Jack was closing up soon. I was trying to think of a drink when they asked for another tumbler and asked Jack to pass the bottle of Jamesons whiskey. I tried to resist since I struggle with shorts and shots but they said to wait and trust them. They added 2 cubes of ice and a bottle of dry ginger and said to taste it and if I didn’t like it they’d finish it. I took a sip and it did taste nice.

Jack was on his second or third tumbler and I tried to resist them topping up my tumbler that was a waste of time. They were from Dublin and had enjoyed a night out after concluding a deal in the City for investment into some racing stables. Aiden was the leader and his aides were Mick and Dermot. The bottle had to be emptied before they would leave the bar.

Somehow Jack coaxed them to take their drinks to the lounge so he could close the bar but not before each of them insisted to kiss me goodnight. Luckily no groping or passionate kisses. I think I could have failed a breathalyser test even from the alcohol they transferred saying goodnight.

We said goodnight and then Jack flagged down a taxi and we headed to his apartment. He was a little drunk but not out of control. Luckily I was within my limits. Jack put his arm around me and pulled me close. He liked my fragrance and said he liked having me around and that he’d enjoyed our day together. I tried to sit properly in the skirt and could see the taxi driver checking us out in his mirror. He just smiled because Jack was slurring his speech.

I helped Jack to open the door to his apartment and as he closed the door he took hold of my hand and pulled me close to repeat the passionate kiss we’d enjoyed earlier.

‘Julie, will you sleep with me tonight? I have fallen in love with you.’