Kiss & Cry, Where Passion Awaits Read online

  Kiss & Cry

  Where Passion Awaits

  By

  Ramona Lipson

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright © 2013 Ramona Lipson

  Edited: K. Murphy

  Cover: Ramona Lockwood

  Kiss & Cry, Where Passion Awaits

  License Notes

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return online and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Table of Contents

  The Early Years

  The Proposal

  The Offer

  The News

  Breaking The News

  The Shower

  The Invites

  The Date

  The Meeting

  Bradley

  False Alarm

  Calgary

  Surprise Visitor

  Surprise

  Torn

  Wine and Cheese Party

  The New Idea

  The First Freeskate

  The Skate-off

  Lost in Desire

  The Assault

  The Hospital

  The Shower

  Uncensored

  Elimination

  Normal

  The Makeover Show

  Breakdown

  The Psych Ward

  Dr. Carson

  Discharge

  Lake Louise

  The Trial

  The Continuation

  The Confession

  Leaving Camp

  Montego Bay

  Followed to Montego

  Good-Bye Toronto

  The Final Show

  The Early Years

  Flawless! The single, most accurate word to describe the performance. Ryan Kennedy and partner Dhalia Kennedy hugged each other and laughed like giddy teens in the middle of the ice, they. Fans screamed and waved their Canadian flags; the applause was thunderous. Flowers and stuffed teddy bears tumbled at the skaters' feet from all directions. The arena was packed to capacity, not an empty seat to be found, and not a single person remained seated. It was their first standing ovation ... ever. Flashes nearly blinded them as photographers snapped pictures of Ryan and Dhalia in their moment of glory. It was exactly the way they had dreamed it would be, and more.

  An army of six- and seven-year-old girls in cute skating dresses and long ponytails glided on to the ice to collect the flowers. Dhalia curtsied. Ryan bowed to the live audience. Each picked up a bouquet off the ground and waved back to the crowd, then they skated off the ice. Matt, their coach, was waiting for them on the sidelines to receive their final scores.

  The first set of marks was for artistic merit, followed by the second set for technical merit.

  Dhalia kissed Ryan’s sweaty pink cheek, and then she turned to the camera to mouth “I love you” to her mother, who supported her for so many years, and to her dad, who passed away a few months earlier. It seemed a bit silly for Dhalia to do that for her father, but if there was anyone she wished she could have shared that moment with, it would have been him. Her eyes misted at the thought of her dad missing this moment.

  Ryan placed his arm around Dhalia knowingly and kissed her tenderly on the lips while they waited, all the while trying to catch his breath. She looked at some of the stuffed animals the little girls handed them while the commotion from the crowd began to die down.

  Everyone waited with silent anticipation for their marks to be displayed. A yellow stuffed bear caught Dhalia's eye, which she later found out was Special Agent Oso. It was so cute and cuddly. She promised herself that if they won an Olympic medal, she would keep it next to her in bed for the rest of her life. Ryan would have to share her affections.

  A hush fell over the crowd and at last their marks were posted for all to see; they snagged first place! Ryan and Dhalia hugged each other with joy, and Matt embraced both of them. An Olympic gold medal. There were no words. Nothing could touch this feeling of elation they shared with one another.

  Later, the announcers called their names, and they skated to the podium. The third place couple moved over so Ryan and Dhalia could step on the platform that represented gold. They congratulated the other winners with hugs and handshakes. They all faced the television cameras after waving to the public in each section of the arena so everyone could get pictures of the winners on the podium.

  "Everyone please rise while the Canadian national anthem plays." The Canadian flag inched its way into the air. "O Canada" blared from overhead speakers. Flashes went off in all directions, tears flooded Dhalia’s eyes, and her vision blurred. All the years of sacrifice and training paid off, all to accomplish this very moment with Ryan. Ryan grabbed Dhalia's hand tightly as tears, too, fell from his eyes. He swiped them away quickly but they were rapidly replaced with new ones. The team was proud they had the honor to represent Canada; it truly overwhelmed them. They won for their country, and they made their country proud, together. Dhalia's entire body trembled. When the subsequent anthems were played, Ryan and Dhalia stepped down. It was then Dhalia realized they were bonded forever, immortalized by Olympic history.

  Several Olympic stations vied to be the first to interview this couple from Toronto, Canada, before they went back to the Village to change into street clothes. Once alone after all the fanfare, Ryan and Dhalia celebrated by making love all night long with the stamina of proverbial Olympic athletes. They didn’t fall asleep until 5:00 a.m. and their plane was scheduled to leave at noon.

  Present Day

  The Proposal

  Dhalia Kennedy dressed professionally and impeccably for her meeting at Universal Television. As a previous Olympic champion who was freshly divorced from her skating partner, Ryan Kennedy, she had to make more than a good impression. She was going to present her business plan to the TV executives, the powers-that-be who held her ambitions in their hands, hoping desperately they would approve her idea for a reality skating television show.

  Bradley Hotman (and boy, was he a hot man!), the president of the Canadian Skating Association, was to accompany her for moral support. Dhalia secretly had a crush on him since she started working at the Association, but she was too shy to do anything about it. She knew it was inappropriate, as well, since he was her boss. She also didn’t want to hurt Ryan, the ex, who worked with her at the Association. It was her last remaining tie to him, and quite frankly, she was fearful to sever it. They divorced on friendly terms. Dhalia was well aware she still harbored feelings for Ryan, because, admittedly, he was blessed with the ability to make women of all ages swoon.

  Three weeks earlier, Dhalia had the brilliant idea to propose a reality TV show about the best skaters out of Canada. (After all, she was formerly one herself. Her love for skating born when her mother bought her a porcelain doll with a flashy parka and ice skates.) At the initial in-house meeting and once the members approved her pitch, it was under the expectation the president, Mr. Hotman, would additionally attend, as it was felt by the board that the studio would take Dhalia's idea more seriously. Dhalia was thrilled on more than one level that Bradley was going to be coming with her, figuratively speaking.

  The appointment was at 10:00 a.m. Bradley and Dhalia met at the office at 9:00 and took a white stretch limousine to Universal’s building. Bradley, though twenty years older than Dhalia, looked especially handsome. His jet black hair, with hints of gray peeking through at the temples, was recently cut short. He had piercin
g dark eyes setting off his squared jaw and perfectly chiseled features. The sight of him commanded attention and even the most composed women became weak in the knees at the sight of him.

  He wore a slick gray suit and a white shirt. The top button of his jacket was closed yet revealed a matching gray tie. He looked sophisticated. When Bradley was standing close to her, she would lean into him a bit, to catch a whiff of his musky scent. Delectable! One day he noticed, and he called her out on it by with a simple "It’s Drakkar Noir, For Men." Dhalia's cheeks reddened, and from that day forward she worked harder to be more subtle. Seriously, sometimes she wondered about herself!

  Dhalia opted to appeal to the panel by wearing a navy skirt that was almost too short, with a white silk camisole and a navy jacket, which she left unbuttoned. She also wore matching blue pumps. Like icing on the cake she topped off the outfit with black framed Dior glasses and a Gucci handbag for a more professional look. Still in her early thirties, Dhalia was aware looking polished would play in her favor. She swept up her blonde tresses in a bun, a few wisps flowing down at the sides. A professional appearance was important to Dhalia, but she also wanted to look approachable.

  Bradley glanced over at her in the limousine. “You look beautiful today.”

  “Only today?” Dhalia flirted, flashing a smile. A compliment from Mr. Hotman was huge. As was to be expected, she was exceptionally nervous with the meeting in less than an hour. She couldn’t help looking at her watch and feeling those proverbial butterflies in her stomach. She wasn’t sure if she should have eaten or not this morning. She chose not to and she was sort of glad she hadn’t. She probably wouldn’t have been able to keep anything down. Dhalia could just imagine having to excuse herself during the meeting to run to the bathroom and throw up from nerves. Yuck!

  “Are you okay?" Bradley asked with concern. Dhalia melted at the sound of his deep voice and his perfect features. He was a vision.

  “Just nervous,” Dhalia confessed. “Why? Do I look green?” She dug through her handbag for her compact. He looked at her for a few seconds and nodded jokingly, then reassured, “No, and don’t be. Just pitch your idea as if you are talking to us at the Association. It will sell itself. Trust me.” That’s when he placed his hand over hers. Dhalia didn’t move hoping he would keep it there. His touch was warm and stimulating; she imagined his hands touching her elsewhere.

  “Thanks for supporting me, Bradley.” Dhalia smiled at him. It felt like he almost wanted this as badly as she did.

  She took her iPhone 5S out of her purse to check the time against her wristwatch. Oh My God! Forty-five more minutes and counting! Dhalia put her phone back in her bag and felt Bradley's eyes on her, so she feigned interest in the passing scenery as they drove.

  They pulled up to the impressive gray stone building. The architecture was fantastic. There was so much detail in the stonework and design. Universal Television occupied every floor; the company was huge. The driver opened the limousine door for them and tipped his hat as they exited. "Call me when the meeting finishes and I'll be waiting for you."

  Bradley opened the door for her like a gentleman, and he placed his hand on the small of her back authoritatively, leading her to the information desk where he informed the girl behind it of their appointment. There was no question in Dhalia's mind by the way he handled her that he was a dominant man. This concept was foreign compared to the way Ryan was with her. She couldn’t help wondering what it would be like with Bradley.Head back in the game, Dhalia, she chastised herself. After they signed in, the young clerk smiled at them and guided them to the elevator. "When you reach the top floor, there will be a receptionist who will meet you and give you further direction,” she explained.

  The elevator was posh. Bradley and Dhalia were the only ones to occupy it. Rather than standing beside Dhalia Bradley stood slightly behind her and very close. She felt a flash of sexual tension. Dhalia shifted her weight to get a smidgeon closer to Bradley and abruptly froze when she thought she felt his member touching the back of her skirt. He looked down at her shoulder and then up at the number on top of the elevator doors. Dhalia could feel his breath on the back of her neck. The sensuous feelings she had for this man of power caused her to shiver. The elevator moved unexpectedly quickly and they were at their chosen destination before they knew it, or wanted to be.

  This time, Dhalia walked over to the attractive blond receptionist and told her who they were. “We have a ten o’clock appointment,” she said. The receptionist glanced at Dhalia first and then Bradley, giving him her full attention whenever she spoke to them. She was so obvious it was bordering on rude, but Dhalia chose to ignore it. As quick as Dhalia was to judge, she probably would have done the same thing had it been her.

  “Please, have a seat. I’ll let them know you’re here.”

  Dhalia’s nerves were going crazy on her. She sat down on the plush beige faux leather couch. Bradley joined her. He murmured under his breath so the receptionist couldn't hear, “You have to calm down. I can feel your tension.” His warm breath against her ear made her shiver with desire.

  She sighed quietly not even realizing she was doing it, and then she muttered to herself, “It’s all good. Calm down. It will sell itself.”

  Every minute that passed felt like ten long grueling ones. Breaking the silence, the receptionist’s phone buzzed. “They are ready for you. You may go in. It’s the door on the right,” she directed.

  Bradley stood first and waited for Dhalia. She followed suit. She rose and smoothed down her skirt before walking to where they were directed. Dhalia thought she looked every bit composed, but she totally knew she was beginning to perspire.

  “Oh my God,” Dhalia whispered under her breath, "this is it. Make it or break it time.” So much was riding on this single meeting. It wasn’t the same pressure she was used to feeling with Ryan at Worlds and the Olympics, but it was right up there. This self-imposed stress was for her bread and butter. She needed it for survival, so no doubt, it was more crucial. She could honestly say, her barrister made her cupboards bare.

  They stepped into what appeared to be a boardroom. There was a long onyx table with four black leather computer chairs on one side, which were already occupied by Universal staff. On the other side were two more chairs, presumably for Bradley and Dhalia. They stood with uncertainty until they were offered seats, which was almost immediately. A comforting scent of coffee permeated the air, and on the table sat a pitcher and several glasses on a crystal tray.

  Dhalia started. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Dhalia Kennedy; I am head of media relations for the Canadian Skating Association. With me today is Bradley Hotman, its president. We would like to thank you for having us and giving us the opportunity to present our idea to you. It's one we think could lead to great profitability for the association, but what is more important, your studio.

  "Reality television has unprecedented followings. I have come up with a reality skating show that will blow all other shows off the ice! It’s guaranteed to increase public interest in figure skating, and I predict it will boost your network's ratings tenfold. Isn't that what television is all about?"

  Dhalia concentrated on remembering what to say, and ensuring eye contact as she went along. She practiced this speech for hours in front of a mirror until it was perfect. She only hoped she executed it to the best of her abilities.

  "This, ladies and gentlemen, is how it would work. By invitation only, we would take the top five female and the top five male Canadian competitors and invite them to a training camp. We would choose four top coaches. Two of the coaches who are known for their abilities in teaching jumps, one who specializes in choreography, and an off-ice trainer. Finally, we would hire a nutritionist who would prepare all meals for these gifted athletes.

  "These fifteen people would be flown in to Calgary where they will have twenty-four hour access to an Olympic-sized skating arena and gym facilities. They would live in a residency on the same floo
r where the teachers can keep a close eye on their students.

  “The athletes will be aware they can, and will, be filmed at any time. Cameras will be running twenty-four seven, but they will all be hidden. No one will ever know when they are being filmed. The cameras will record during competitions, too. We will start with entry level competitions and go all the way to Worlds. For those unfamiliar, Worlds is a precursor for the Olympics.

  “The viewer will receive the full experience. The public will learn what is expected of an athlete at World level status. By the end, they will feel like they were on the podium with their beloved athletes. It will be a one-of-a-kind reality show that’s never been done before.”

  Dhalia looked over at Bradley and he nodded at her with a serious expression. She smiled at the four-person panel and asked, “So, are there any questions?”

  “Why Calgary?” one of the four posed.

  “Why not? The 1988 Olympics were held there, and research, and I won't bore you with the details, deems it a perfect locality for such a venture.”

  “Will the families be allowed to visit?” a woman asked.

  “We would love for them to visit, but it’s been advised that it might make the skaters homesick and interfere with their training. So, no,” Dhalia replied. “It could also ruin the nature of the show. Let the coaches teach and the families watch from home with the rest of the public, except for the actual competitions. We definitely wouldn’t want to deprive them of being there for that.” In a flash, Dhalia sadly remembered how desperately she would have liked to share her Olympic moment with her dad.

  “How are you going to pick the skaters and coaches?” another panel member asked?

  “Simple. We will go by last year’s competition results.”

  “How will you get the skaters to want to join your camp?” another man on the panel questioned.

  “Money! Is there any other greater motivator? The most successful female and male skaters who attend the camp will win $100K. If they train on their own there is no financial incentive. The money will increase their determination and guarantee they will come to camp. I have no doubt there will be countless sponsors who would love to be part of the equation,” she said.