Aww. This is why she’s my best friend. She always knows the right thing to say. “Thanks, Bee.” I smile.
“So maybe next Friday we can go back to Club Masquerade together since you have your meeting tonight.”
“I will pencil you in my dear,” I say with excitement building just at the thought of seeing my mystery man again.
“Now get dressed girl, it’s almost nine o’clock.”
“Kay, talk later. Love you, Bee.”
“Love you too, girl.”
Once I step out the shower I look over at the clock on my windowsill. I have thirty minutes to get dressed. I towel off leaving my skin slightly damp. I read somewhere that you should apply lotion to your skin while it’s slightly damp so that it can penetrate your skin better and leave you moisturized longer. I don’t know how true it is but I do it anyway. I take my almond scented lotion and smear it over my entire body. I can’t stop the moans that escape my lips every time my hand touches a part of me that was touched by him. I want to keep touching myself. To keep reliving his soft caresses and his kisses and his nibbles and his…I glance at the clock on my cable box. Damn. I got to get dress. Get it together, Marissa. Get it together.
I take from my closet the only little black dress that I own. A simple black dress that stops just above my knees with removable spaghetti straps. It was actually given to me by Bianca out of pity. She said that every girl should have at least one little black dress. I slip into the dress, apply a little mascara, eyeliner, and lip-gloss. I check my time. Ten minutes before Mr. White is supposed to arrive. I grab my paddle brush from my dresser, flip my hair over, brush out the tangles then secure it into a sleek high bun. I give myself a once over in the mirror. This will have to do. The doorbell rings. He’s early. I should’ve expected that.
I grab my heels and purse. My lower lip twitches. I exhale slowly as a bundle of nervous energy fill my tummy. This is a business meeting, not a date. Calm down. I take my tape recorder from my desk drawer, place it inside my purse then make my way downstairs. I put on my heels then answer the door. "Mr. White." I smile.
He's dressed in a nice black suit, no tie. "Miss Riley." He looks me up and down.
I can't tell if he approves or not. "Are you ready?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "This is not going to work."
My brows draw together. "What's not going to work?"
"Your look."
"You told me to wear something nice." I look down at my outfit. "This is as nice as it gets for me."
He stares at my hair. "My client likes blondes."
"Okay." I shrug.
"He also loves girls with long hair. You should where your hair down.”
"Are you serious? I don't think my hair is going to make or break the deal." I roll my eyes at the thought.
Mr. White steps in the door. His large frame pushes me back a step. "Turn around."
I stare at his mouth because I can't bring myself to look into his eyes. Without question I turn around. I stand there tingling with anticipation. But nothing’s happening. What is he doing? Is he staring at my butt? I turn my head to the side. “Mr. White? Is something wrong?”
He clears his throat then within seconds my hair is pulled loose and cascading down my back.
"Now I'm ready," he says.
I turn around to see him walking toward his car. I sigh. This should be an interesting night. I lock the door then take careful steps down the driveway. My boss waits near the passenger side of a black sports car. As I approach he opens the door. At least he's somewhat a gentleman. "Thanks." I get inside and he shuts the door after me. I survey the car. Nice. Neat. And it smells like cherries.
The leather gives under Mr. White’s strong body. He fastens his seatbelt then starts the car. "I'm sure you understand this but I need to reiterate that this is an important meeting. Do you remember the client’s name?"
"Yes. Mr. Glenworth."
"Glenworth is what I like to call ‘old money’ wealthy. And he loves his women and partying. He throws the biggest party every year in LA. Everybody who is somebody is on the guest list. He’s thinking of doing a birthday party for his new girlfriend. She's in her mid-twenties, which is another reason I wanted you to accompany me to this meeting. If we can persuade him to hire us to host and handle the logistics of this party it will open up a lot of doors for other major events. We want to be one of the first stops that people of Glenworth's status makes when they want to have a party or special event."
"I got it. This meeting is extremely important and I'm willing to help as much as needed to secure this client."
He finally looks at me. "I noticed your tattoo on the back of your neck.”
Of course he wasn’t staring at your butt, Rissa. “My mom died a year ago from breast cancer so I got the pink ribbon in her memory.”
He turns his gaze back to the road. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks.”
We pull up in front of the hotel. The valet opens my door and helps me to my feet. "Thanks." I smile and wait for Mr. White to walk around the car.
He stands beside me and I follow his gaze as it roams over my body. He looks me in the eyes. "Did you bring your recorder?"
I let out a frustrated breath to my surprise. I guess I expected a compliment. I don't know why. "Yes." I pat the front of my purse. "Right here."
"Good girl."
My lips pull into a tight smile.
We walk into the lavish hotel. I've never been in here before but I've always wanted to stay here. Unfortunately, I don't have one-kay to drop for a one night's stay. And that's the cheapest you can get for one of their standard rooms. Bianca celebrated her twenty-first birthday here last year in the nice lounge that they have. I was still mourning my mother's death, so I didn't go to the party. Of course she understood. I have to find a way to make that up to her this year by the way.
I follow alongside Mr. White as we walk through the lobby. I try to ignore the stares but in every direction I look there's some chick eyeing us. They're probably wondering how in the world a girl like me pulled such a hunk. If only they knew that he is just my arrogant boss then they wouldn't look at me with such envy. We walk up to the hostess desk.
My boss places his hand on the small of my back. I glance up at him but he's facing straight ahead. "Good evening. We are meeting Mr. Glenworth for dinner."
The hostess stares at him for a moment too long before checking her computer. "Yes, sir. Mr. Glenworth has arrived. I will show you to your table." She walks over to us. "This way." She gives him this "I want you" smile.
I'm sure he's wishing she were his assistant right now. She has all the qualities that Mr. Glenworth likes. She's beautiful, young and blonde. The hostess leads us through the dining area to a table that's somewhat secluded from the rest of the tables. A bald guy with dark rimmed glasses sits with a twenty-something blonde with long Jessica Simpson type hair. She looks like she should be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. As soon as she spots us coming towards them her mouth drops open and her eyes widen in admiration.
Mr. Glenworth rises from the table with a grin, completely oblivious to the googly eyes his girlfriend is giving my boss. I shake my head. This is something I'm going to have to get used to when accompanying him out in public I suppose. "Mr. White," —Mr. Glenworth extends his hand— "nice to meet you." He motions for Blondie to stand. "This is Heidi, the birthday girl."
Hmm. He didn't introduce her as his girlfriend. I guess being a wealthy man who can have any woman he wants...titles aren't necessary. Who needs titles when you’re getting his time and his money?
Heidi stands in a skintight red cocktail dress. She's about three inches taller than Mr. Glenworth. My gaze is immediately drawn to her chest. Damn. Her breasts makes my B cup look like the chest of a twelve-year-old boy. She tugs on the hem of her dress, which barely covers her crotch before she shakes Mr. White’s hand with a little too much enthusiasm. With the way she's drooling over him I don't think my pr
esence is needed for this meeting after all. I'm pretty sure Blondie has her own tricks to get Mr. Glenworth to do just about anything she wants.
Mr. White turns to me. "This is my assistant, Marissa."
I extend my hand to Mr. Glenworth. "Nice to meet you, sir."
Mr. Glenworth smiles then kiss the back of my hand. "The pleasure is all mine. Are you sure you're not a model? You're much too pretty to be his assistant."
I smile. My first compliment of the night comes from a sixty-year-old man. But I'll take it. "You are too kind. Thank you for the compliment."
"It's no compliment, sweetheart, it's the truth." He winks at me.
I look over to Heidi. She's still smiling while stealing glances at Mr. White. I look at him and he's smiling with his gaze trained on Mr. Glenworth. I return my gaze to Mr. Glenworth who's still holding my hand. I slip my hand out of his. "Thank you."
"Sit. Sit," Mr. Glenworth says.
My boss and I take the two seats across from the couple.
"Wine?" Heidi asks as she pulls the bottle of white wine from the ice bucket.
"Sure, thanks." Mr. White takes the bottle from her hand. "Marissa?"
"Oh no, only water for me."
"Oh come on, sweetheart. Have a glass," Mr. Glenworth says.
"I don't drink."
"You don't drink?" Heidi asks as if she's never heard anyone say that before.
"No, Heidi, I don't drink."
"Heidi, be a dear and pour her some water."
She snaps her head toward Mr. Glenworth. "What?"
"The water." He nods his head toward the pitcher of water near her. "Pour some into Marissa's glass."
Heidi stares at him as if she's trying to comprehend what he just said. After what seems like forever she grabs the pitcher of water and my wine glass then fills it up to the brim. "Here."
I smile wide as I take the glass from her hand. I can tell by the look on her face that I won't be getting a personal invite to her birthday party. "Thanks."
"Yes, thank you, Heidi," Mr. White says.
I look over to him. He flashes his playboy grin and Heidi lights up like a Christmas tree. I shake my head then take a sip of my ice-cold water.
The waiter arrives and takes our dinner orders and brings another bottle of wine. Mr. White clears his throat once the waiter leaves. "If you don't mind, Mr. Glenworth, Marissa will record our meeting so we can have an account of the details for your event."
"Of course not."
"Marissa." Mr. White looks at me.
I take the mini-recorder from my purse and place it in the middle of the table.
"So how can Trentini & White be of service to you?" Mr. White asks.
"As you may or may not know, I throw many star studded parties on the West coast. L.A. specifically. I'm thinking of buying a house in Atlanta since my baby is from here." He pinches Heidi's cheek. "She wants to have her twenty-fifth birthday party in Atlanta so that all her friends and family can attend. When I asked around for one of the hottest party promoters I kept hearing your name so I reached out. If all things go well, and my baby is more than satisfied, then this can lead to more parties and not just when I'm in Atlanta. I travel down to Miami a lot as well." Mr. Glenworth looks at me. "I'm sure your assistant would love to attend one of my parties at my beach house in South Beach. That beautiful hair blowing in the wind in a nice bikini." He takes a sip of his wine.
I smile although knowing that he's picturing me in a bikini turns my stomach.
"Do you have a place in mind where you would like to have the party? Or a theme for the party?" Mr. White asks.
"Yes. Cinderella theme." Heidi’s eyes glisten with excitement.
I fight back an eye roll.
"Cinderella? So this will be formal attire and staged as if you're going to a ball, correct?"
"Correct, Mr. White."
"Please, Heidi, call me Austin."
Heidi blushes. "Okay. Austin. That's exactly what I want. I want a ball."
More like his balls. I take a sip of my water.
"What do you think, Marissa?"
"Huh?" I turn my attention to Mr. Glenworth.
He adjusts his glasses. "What do you think about the Cinderella theme?"
"Oh." I look to my boss. He gives me a slight nod. Choose your words carefully, Rissa. Your job depends on it. "I love the idea. I've never heard of anyone having a Cinderella themed party so Heidi will be the first. I'm sure it will be the talk of the town. In a good way, of course."
Mr. Glenworth gives me a pleased grin. I return the gesture.
"What budget are we working with here?" Mr. White asks.
Mr. Glenworth looks at Heidi. "Money's no object. It's my baby's special day so we're pulling out all the stops. Just give us the best."
Heidi kisses his lips then turns her attention to my boss. "I would love for you to be there, Austin."
His lips spread into a smile. "I wouldn't miss it. So let's get down the logistics and we can start planning."
The waiter brings our food. We go over the details of the party while we eat. I mostly just listen and eat. Every so often, Mr. Glenworth draws me into the conversation by asking my opinion. I keep my gaze on my plate for the most part to avoid his unapologetic staring. I'm still not sure if it was really necessary for me to be here but I guess my presence keeps Mr. Glenworth too preoccupied to notice Heidi's undeniable attraction to my boss. I'm sure if they were alone she would take him at this table.
"So it looks like we have enough information to get us started. I want to thank you for allowing us to coordinate this special occasion for you," Mr. White says as we all rise from the table. He shakes hands with Mr. Glenworth as I shake Heidi's hand. He then walks behind me to say goodbye to her just as Mr. Glenworth is motioning for me to come over to him. I grab my tape recorder and purse then step over to where he's standing.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Marissa."
"Same here, sir."
"Peter." He smiles then pulls me into a hug. "Make sure you're at that party," he whispers. He puts his face into my hair and inhales. "Mmm. And make sure you wear your hair down."
I pull back from his embrace. "But of course."
Do Me A Favor
Mr. White escorts me out of the hotel. He hands his ticket to the valet then turns to me. "Thank you for your assistance. I would like to have those minutes transcribed on Monday morning so we can start making the necessary arrangements for Heidi."
"Sure thing, Mr. White."
"Did you enjoy your meal?"
"I did. Thank you for dinner."
"No need to thank me, it's business."
Yes, please remind me that it’s just business. We both face forward as the valet pulls up in front of us with Mr. White's car. A young guy with spiked hair exits the car. "Nice Camaro, man." He grins then tosses Mr. White the keys.
Mr. White catches them and responds with a nod. He then opens the passenger's side door. Once inside the car, I fasten my seatbelt, pull my hair back and twist it up into a low bun then I rest my head against the headrest.
"Tired?" Mr. White asks.
"Long day," I answer with my eyes close. "Thank God it's Friday."
"Yes, it has been a tiring day," Mr. White says.
I open my eyes when I realize we haven't moved yet. I look over to him. He has his visor down and looking in the mirror. Hmm. I didn't know he wore contact lenses. Once he put his contacts into their storage case he glances at me. "Yes, Miss Riley, I wear contacts." He smiles then reaches over my lap toward the glove compartment. His arm brushes my knee. My muscles tighten. Instantly I feel a surge of desire run through my body warming me to my core. Sexual excitement curls in my tummy. I bite down on my bottom lip as I exhale slowly through my nose. He opens the glove compartment and retrieves a brown eyeglasses case. I watch him as he close the glove compartment door. This time I move my leg a little to the right out of the path of his retracting arm. He takes out his glasses, puts them on then tosses the
case into the cup holder.
"You ready?" His dark brown eyes look like semi-sweet chocolate chips framed by black-rimmed glasses. A real life Clark Kent.
I wet my lips at the thought of him ripping open his shirt and baring his broad chest. I answer his question with a nod.
He smirks then pulls out into traffic in the direction toward my house.
I don't know if it's because of my new adventures at Club Masquerade but since my experience there I've been so easily turned on by Mr. White. I don't remember having such a strong sexual attraction to a man just because he's attractive. The mystery guy has opened up a side of me that I didn't even know existed. Now I'm like a sexual lioness in heat. I steal a glance at Mr. White. If he made a move right now...I wouldn't have the strength nor desire to tell him no.
My boss parks the car in front of my house. I unbuckle my seatbelt and take my house keys out of my purse. Just then my car door opens. Mr. White extends his hand to help me get out the car. "Thanks." His hand rests on my lower back as we walk side by side up my driveway. My heart flutters wildly inside my chest. My shaky hand sticks my key into the lock of my front door. I turn to face him. "See you Monday, sir."
His gaze goes from my face to my shoulders to my breasts then back to my eyes. He takes a step closer. His strong body towers over me. His closeness sends a current of excitement through me. Ohmygosh. Is he going to kiss me? I wet my lips then tilt my head up to make eye contact. His stare is bold. He leans in closer. Our lips are inches apart. Please. Please. My mouth is hungry for his kiss. I stare at his lips with anticipation. Just then I hear a click. I turn my head to the side. Mr. White takes my key out of my lock then pushes my front door open. I take the keys from his hand. I don't look at him in fear that he may see the disappointment on my face.
"Rest up, Miss Riley." His words cover me like a warm blanket.
I step inside my house. "Goodnight, Mr. White." I close the door and let my foolish thought of a man like him wanting a girl like me drop from my mind.
Marissa & Mr. White: (Sexy Contemporary Romance) Page 7
