“Just what I’ve heard . . . about you.”
“I’m not ‘a shrink’ as you say. I’m actually a psychologist.”
Dorran smiled at her correction. “So you’re like this self-help guru?”
“What? Do you have a full dossier on me? Cute. You have checked me out.”
Dorran nodded his head and couldn’t help but smile. He was liking her spunk.
“You’ll have to tell your investigator to get you better notes. I’m not a self-help guru. Though, if my book does well, I might be widely considered one. I work mostly with athletes. Maximize their abilities not by using their bodies, but their minds. Basically, I tell them that if they get their heads right, the body will follow.”
“That’s cool. I can see that. Athletes are some of the most insecure people on the planet. But here’s what I don’t understand. Why? Why focus on athletes?”
“Well, I just don’t only work with athletes. Everyone has potential. Even playboy billionaires. But working with athletes pays the bills, you know what I’m saying?” The coy look on her face was sexy, even if she had taken a shot at him.
“Yeah, I get it. The playboy billionaire thing is me. All right. So, I’m not hopeless? That’s great news given where I’m at in life and love at the moment.” The fake enthusiasm in his voice made Kerry laugh. “I was worried I was too far gone.”
Maybe there was some truth behind his words. Dorran had gone so far down the rabbit hole, he wasn’t sure that there was any turning back. Instead, his cool demeanor hid his true feelings behind cleverly placed jokes.
“Not too far gone, no one is too far gone, but let’s just say you couldn’t pay me enough money.”
Dorran fought back the urge to scoff. She was likely doing her shrink thing on him now. She was trying to figure out what buttons to push, something she was good at already.
“Ouch. But you’re wrong. I could pay you enough money. My net worth stands at $1.23 billion.
“It’s actually 1.32.”
“Now who’s been checking who out?”
They both laughed.
It was her job to figure out everything about a person. She fixed bad behaviors and encouraged good habits. She got paid to make these athletes into the best version of themselves. But doing her research and finding the details hovering around a client’s life was important.
At this point, she wasn’t too sure he had the best version of himself.
“Prove me wrong. Tell me about yourself.”
Dorran leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. “So you can analyze everything I tell you?”
“I’m not being paid, so consider me off the clock.” It was true. This was a favor. She didn’t date clients; that would be totally unethical. Dinner was enough of a payoff.
Kerry couldn’t help but notice the attitude change in him, though. Perhaps she had hit a nerve. Slowly batting her eyelashes, she leaned forward and rested her clasped hands on the table. “Maybe I really just want to know more about you. You’re such a mysterious guy.”
“I like to keep it that way.”
“In business?”
“In life.”
“Oh, I get it. You mean, in your love life.”
The hookup was just so much easier. The women he dated never cared about who raised him or what college he attended. They just cared that he had lime green McClaren that could go 0 to 60 in precisely 3.1 seconds and lots of money.
“Then don’t tell me about you. I’ll tell you about myself.” Kerry had her ways of making him talk one way or another.
Dorran couldn’t help but release the tension from his jaw. Despite not trusting shrinks or wanting to share his life story with this woman, he had to admit she had an amazing energy about her. A small smile covered his lips as his hand dropped to his lap. “Oh, joy.”
Kerry’s lips curved into a sweet smile as she leaned back in her chair. There was something about Dorran that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. He was handsome, devilishly so, but he didn’t fit the type. He wasn’t husband material.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t make him husband material, though. That was the idea, right? Make herself a perfect man.
“I grew up in a rather normal family, two very loving parents that also loved each other.”
“Boring. Where’s the fun in that?” Kerry’s eyes narrowed as she tilted her head at him. The grin on his face let her know he was teasing, although she couldn’t help but let it get on her nerves a little bit. “Tell me something exciting. Everyone has their childhood traumas and favorite stories. Give me something deep, something… juicy.”
“Oh, well, excuse me. I’m sorry my life isn’t exciting enough for you.” Defensively, Kerry crossed her arms across her chest. “We can all be worth $1.32 billion and drive shiny cars.”
Dorran gave a smug smile, bringing a hand up to his face to rub his chin. “What, being a shrink doesn’t pay enough?”
Something about that word drove Kerry insane. Between being called a shrink and his cocky attitude, she wasn’t sure this would last very much longer. Without much thought, she began to fumble through her purse.
Meanwhile, the food Dorran had already ordered came to the table. As she shuffled through her purse, Kerry peered up and watched as he dug in. She grimaced thinking about just how much work this man would need before he’d be husband material.
“Being a shrink must really suck if all your life chalks up to is marriage and white picket fences. What’s the fun in that?”
Dorran spoke in a mild tone, but she had the feeling he was enjoying getting under her skin. Kerry’s hands clenched around the pen she had finally fished out.
Kerry gritted as she kept her eyes on the napkin in front of her. “Well excuse me if I don’t find wild parties and cheap whores fun.” Her fingers clenched tighter around the pen as she wrote quickly on the napkin. Who the hell did he think he was? Her face was red and hot as she finished and placed the pen back in her purse.
“What, aren’t you going to eat something?” Dorran watched as she stood up. He couldn’t help but let his eyes wander over Kerry’s body.
Kerry didn’t look back as she collected her things. She didn’t even look up as she pulled her keys from her purse. “No, I think I’d prefer buying my own dinner with my shrink money.” She gave him one last glance as she strutted away.
“Well, that was a disaster.” Dorran sighed as he popped another shrimp in his mouth. Standing up, he began to walk away. Dinner by himself just didn’t sound as entertaining. He had just begun to walk away when it caught his eye.
On the edge of the table laid a napkin with black writing on it. He had seen Kerry writing something, but he could only assume it was her writing insults to him. However, neatly printed across the napkin was her name and her cell phone number. With a grin on his face, Dorran made sure to pick it up and tuck it into his pocket.
“Well played, Ms. Donovan. Well played.”
Chapter Four
“That’s ballsy and badass,” Roxanne said.
A thought flashed in her mind, but she let it go without comment, her eyes fixed on some distant place. “I love it. But are you sure?”
Kerry didn’t skip a beat. “Do witches worship the devil? Duh.”
“Well, actually, that’s Satanism. Totally different. We’re not into that. Totally into peace, love and—”
“—you get the point. He’s perfect.”
Kerry got up from her couch and grabbed a magazine with Dorran on the cover that was sitting on her kitchen table. She handed it to Roxanne, who was curled up in a big cushy lounge chair.
“Look at that guy, Rox. He’s a freakin’ god.”
Roxanne peered at the cover, examining Dorran’s perfectly shaped jaw and Adonis-like body. “Bloomberg Businessweek,” she mumbled to herself as she began paging through it. “Please tell me this thing comes with a centerfold.”
“Rox, I’m telling you, he’s the one.”
�
�But he’s bad, as in a total bad boy.”
“Yeah, your point?”
“I mean this cover story goes on for days about all the crazy things this guy has done.” She held up the magazine to her face and began to read out loud. “His antics have become the stuff of Silicon Valley lore. To reward the staff, he once threw a party at his palatial Los Altos estate that included the San Francisco Titans cheerleaders; Titans Quarterback Robbie Lee Richmond; Snoop Dog; Khloe Kardashian; the roasting of a pig on a spit; and the complete staging of Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas show.”
Roxanne put the magazine down and got that far-off look once more. “Football and Cirque du Soleil. Totally genius.”
“He’s my guy,” Kerry said. “He’s arrogant. He thinks he owns the place. He’s an asshole. And he’s gorgeous. So not my type, right?
“You do go for more of the cerebral, thinker type. With no muscles.”
“And what has that gotten me?”
“Dumped at SFO.”
Kerry squirmed at the thought. “Talk about an asshole. Anyway, Dorran Knight is perfect. Ten minutes into our so-called date and I knew it. He’s the guy, Rox.” She turned to Roxanne and arched her brows while widening her eyes. “The . . . guy.”
“I hear you, but I’m getting a funny feeling about this, Kerry. Love is a dangerous thing. You know, baking a cake and all.”
“I’m not baking him a cake, Rox . . . I’m turning him into Mr. Right.”
“But it’s been three days, and he hasn’t even called.”
Kerry smiled softly. “My little grasshopper, you must learn the ways of people. The way of the mind.”
“Huh?”
“We’re programmed this way. What we can’t have is precisely what we’re drawn to like a magnet. He’ll-”
Kerry’s cell phone began buzzing on the coffee table. She looked to see who was calling and looked up at Roxanne with a knowing grin.
Roxanne turned wide-eyed and mouthed the word “no”.
Kerry picked up the phone and answered.
“Dorran. How are you? Yes . . . Well, I don’t know about that, given our little dinner disaster. Are you quite sure?”
Kerry winked at Roxanne. “All right. I understand. I’ll do it but only for Stan’s sake. He’s a good guy. No not Saturday. Tuesday at my place . . . Ha. No, get over yourself. My office . . . You want another date? I have a perfectly good cappuccino machine. My place at 6 pm. See you then.”
After she hung up, Roxanne jumped out of her seat. She squealed excitedly and hugged Kerry.
“You’re amazing. Scary but amazing.”
Kerry couldn’t help but smile, but there was steel in her voice when she spoke.
“This is gonna work, Rox. I deserve love and the many splendid things that come with it. I’m going to mold Dorran into the man I need him to be. The first thing on the agenda? Break his pattern.”
“His pattern?”
Kerry nodded. “His pattern,” she repeated, an air of mystery to her voice.
* * *
Dorran was totally intrigued by Kerry. She was sexy and smart. And he was under pressure, couldn’t forget that. As he drove to her office for their second date, he knew he’d better get this going at least for a while or risk the ire of his grandmother and brother. And maybe even lose his company.
As he pulled into the parking garage of the building where Kerry had her office, he couldn’t help thinking about having a one-night stand with her. He wouldn’t mind it all. A fling with renowned shrink and author, Kerry Donovan, might just be the ticket to getting over these troubles with his family. It would make him look good, right?
He flashed a smile in the rearview mirror. Time to get my game on. Play it cool. Show what an alpha male is all about.
He reached her suite in a nondescript office building that simply had her name on the door. This is just weird, Dorran thought to himself. He was prepared to wine and dine her anywhere in the city, and she wanted to meet here, of all places. Strange.
He knocked, turned the knob, and entered her office.
The place was comfortable and immaculately appointed with an elegant cherry wood bookcase full of books, a tan chaise lounge and a pillowy chair in which Kerry was seated. She was writing some notes.
“So this is what a shrink’s office looks like.”
Kerry stood up, sized him up and smiled.
“First, I’m not a . . . shrink. I think we went over this already.” She pursed her lips. “I’m a psychologist. And, yes, this is my office. Pretty standard issue except for the Italian cappuccino machine over there. I’ll get you a cup. You can have a seat here.”
She pointed at the chaise lounge.
Dorran looked at it and felt an odd lump in his throat.
“There? On that?”
Kerry had already begun to make her way to the fancy coffee machine.
“Yup. Right there,” she said over her shoulder.
Dorran edged up the chair and began to try to awkwardly straddle the thing. Finally, he managed to sit back with his long legs stretched out before him.
Kerry returned with their coffees, and she got right down to business, leaning in.
“We got off to a bad start.”
Dorran started to take a sip of the coffee but stopped as a thought occurred to him.
“Yeah, about that . . . Have you spoken to Stan about our little get-together?”
“No. As a matter of fact, I haven’t. I have a message from him, but I’ve not returned his call yet.”
“Great. My little brother has a bit of complex. You know, that whole second-born thing. A little on the uptight side, if you know what I’m saying.”
“I’ve known Stan since his playing days with the Titans. He’s one mentally tough guy to play through all those injuries.”
“Yeah, I don’t know about that. Anyway, let’s not talk about him. We’re here”—Dorran looked around the office— “to talk about us.”
“Us? I guess I wasn’t aware there was such a thing?”
“Do you want there to be?”
Kerry leaned back, completely in control. She was silent for a moment, which caused Dorran to sit up and look at her with scrutinizing eyes.
“Even though your brother put me up to it?”
Dorran frowned with an acrid look on his face. “How much is he paying you for this?”
It was Kerry’s turn to look sour.
“You really think I would agree to something like that? Like some high-priced prostitute?”
“Whoa. Whoa. That’s not what I meant. All I’m saying is that I got a reputation and women like you . . . Let’s just say you’re not the kind I’ve been known to date.”
“Maybe that’s why your brother reached out to me. Maybe he thought it would be good for you to date a different kind of woman. So, why are you here, Dorran Knight?”
Kerry reached over to the end table and grabbed her notepad and pen. Dorran was instantly put off, his face taut.
“What the fuck? You’re going to take notes. Seriously?”
“No. We’re going to play a little game. I ask you questions, and you answer. Don’t filter or self-edit. Whatever you feel or think is what you answer.”
“No way. I wanted to take you out on a date, see if we’re maybe compatible. Have a good time—not get my head shrunk. I’m out.”
Dorran began to try to get up from this chaise lounge, which was sunk in, given his frame and weight.
“You asked me if I was interested in an ‘us,’” Kerry said. “The answer is maybe.”
Dorran stopped and looked at Kerry. “All right, so let’s get out of here and let’s get it on.”
“Sit back down. I said maybe and before we get anything going, I need you to play along.”
“So, you ask me questions like a shrink, and I answer.” He sat back down on the edge of the seat, looking thoughtful. Flashing her the kind of smile that made it perfectly clear he was used to getting what he wanted, he asked, “Then wha
t do I get?”
“Nothing. Maybe a third date, which I’m sure would make your grandmother and brother rather pleased.”
Dorran considered it for a moment.
“You’re into some crazy shit, Kerry. But, okay, I’ll play. Shoot.”
He leaned back in the chair and got comfortable. Kerry smiled. Everything was going according to plan. She looked over her notepad and then put it down on the end table. She knew what she had to do. She then took a quick peek at a small spray bottle she had lodged next to her chair. All set.
“Okay. We’ll start out super simple. Boxers or briefs?”
Dorran let out a laugh. “You serious right now?”
“Like I said, simple question.”
“What kind of underwear I wear.”
“No. Not necessarily. What kind of underwear do you prefer? Big difference.”
It was Dorran’s turn to smile. “Big difference, huh? All right, if that’s how you roll.”
He reached for his belt, and Kerry suddenly felt uneasy. He unbuttoned and began to slowly unzip.
Oh, hell no, Kerry thought, he’s not about to flash me, is he? But she didn’t try to stop him.
With his zipper about halfway down, he stopped and gave Kerry a sideways glance, a Cheshire cat smile on his face. “Briefs, I guess. Calvin Klein.”
By now, Kerry was shaking her head. “You are a piece of work.”
Dorran was laughing. “That’s why the ladies love me.”
“Yeah, I’m sure Stan is thrilled about that.”
“Oh, I get it. You think I’m here because my brother put me up to it. You think I’m just playing along so that I won’t lose control of Hail.”
He shook his head in recognition of what was driving her. It was all falling into place. “And that’s why we’re here. On your turf. No need to waste a perfectly good meal on someone that’s out to play you. Am I right?”
Dorran knew she was absolutely right about his intentions but wasn’t about to let her in on it.
“No. And by the way, your brother said nothing but great things about you. He sincerely thinks we might be good for each other. Does that surprise you?”
Making Out with the Billionaire Page 4
