Grounded

e ?" Not the least bit shy, he didn’t care that he was standing there naked, yelling at his mother.
    "I think I’m your mother… "
    "I don’t give a shit. How I live my life is none of your business!" he thundered. Then, as quickly as she had brought him there, he left on his own power.
    "Well," Aurora said on a sigh. "I could’ve handled that a little differently."
    "Really? You think?" Ira asked sarcastically, appearing next to her.
    "Oh, be quiet," she said with exasperation.
    "Mother, even I have to agree with him this time. That was totally uncalled for."
    "Did you not see how he’s carrying on? Not the least bit concerned about anything or anyone other than himself?"
    "And just what did you think jerking him out of that pool and into your chamber would accomplish?"
    Aurora slumped into a chair. "Is it too much to ask for one single grandchild?"
    "When you do it like that, it is," Ira answered and disappeared.

~ 4 ~
Down To Work
     
    After a full week of decadent delights, Dion felt refreshed and invigorated. Not only had he managed to regain his perspective, he’d also had the opportunity to tell his mother exactly what she could do with her interfering ways. More clear-headed than he’d been in a long time, the following Monday he returned to work. Ms. Reed’s feathers were ruffled over his prolonged absence, but he let her surly comments slide right off his back.
    Nothing could bother him, and he was absolutely sure he could face Patty now and be completely professional. After all, he had hired her for her abilities pertaining only to the job at hand, and not because of any emotional response to her.
    Her qualifications were top-notch and she was exactly the type of assistant he needed. She’s totall y no t my type, he told himself, and that was a good thing. With no sexual attraction to distract him, he’d be free to work with a clear mind.
    They’d keep their relationship on a strictly business level. Totally professional, he told himself. Everything is going to be just fine.
    But if that were true, then why did his hands shake every time he thought about seeing her again?
    Patty couldn’t believe how quickly she’d gone from the unemployment line to earning a paycheck larger than she’d ever imagined in her life. In fact, she was earning so much working for Dion Vine International, Inc., she fully expected someone to show up and shout, "April’s Fool!" at any moment. Not only did she not have to stress over all of those bills she had been so worried about just two weeks ago, she could now afford to pay off every credit card she owed. And not onl y that , she now had a passport in her purse that had been arranged by her employer, a company car at her disposal, and a limo was parked out front, waiting to take her to the airport. Oh, and she wasn’t going to be flying on a commercial flight, no, she would be flying with Dion in the company jet to Italy.
    Italy!
    Looking around her apartment to make sure she had everything she needed, she glanced at the empty cat bowls near the fridge. Leaving Elton was her only regret, but the cat had been tucked away at the Purr-fectly Pampered cat motel. The luxurious cat-boarding kennel offered mechanical mice to chase, stuffed doggie-shaped toys to chew on, and plenty of staff to rub a visiting kitty’s tummy. Elton probably wouldn’t even miss her.
    The doorman buzzed her apartment, announcing that the limo driver had indicated it was time to leave, and she almost squealed when she told him she’d be right down.
    Imagine, she thought, me, Patience Ellen James, running off to Italy with a man so gorgeous he should’ve been a model. Could’v e totall y been a model. A man so gorgeous, even Brad Pit paled in comparison. A man, she reminded herself, who was now her boss and off-limits.
    Oh, well, she thought, refusing to allow anything to ruin her mood . There’s a down side to everything . Pulling the handle up on her suitcase, she dragged it behind her, locke d the front door and threw her purse over her shoulder as she headed to the elevator. Thi s was the most exciting thing that’d ever happened to her, and she hoped she could do th e job well enough that Dion wouldn’t be sorry he hired her.
     
    ~ * ~
     
    "I told you it would work," Aurora said. "I know my children better than they know themselves."
    "Yes, mother," Ira agreed. "But it would be nice if just once you could refrain from saying, ‘I told you so’."
    His mother smiled