The Billionaire's Desire

by Lila Lacroix

  She kissed the note and said, “Oh Jonathan. I bloody love you!” forgetting her friend was in ear-shot.

  Danielle woke from her shock and approached her at an incredible speed. “What the fuck? You do?”

  Vanessa screwed up the note and secreted it away in her ample cleavage. “What?” she said annoyed at her friends nosiness at this private time.

  “So, he did buy this for you then? I knew it. You guys are serious aren’t you? He’s not just playing you, you’re not going to wind up in bits on the office floor?”

  “Hey, don’t spoil my moment, bud!” Vanessa looked at her friend, through the driver’s window.

  “No, I won’t. Sorry, just worried, that’s all.”

  Even seeing the car, even after being ignored in favour of Jonathan, Danielle was still happy for her, even worried about her. Vanessa wanted more than anything to confide in Danielle, but she couldn’t. “You are sweet to worry, but don’t. Just look at what he did.”

  “Err! Yeah, I have eyes.” She pointed at the car. “I see all too well, and you’re right. It’s tremendous. I’m so jealous of you right now.”

  “No, I don’t just mean the car, which is great, of course,” but unfortunately, a car was always part of our contract, even if not a Merc. “but here, look. He only wet and made me a playlist of love songs.”

  “Noooo!” said Danielle. She ran around to the passenger side, climbed in, grabbed the spare ear-bud and said, “Let me hear.”

  * * *

  Vanessa spent many an hour driving around Honolulu, with and without Jonathan, and at least twice with Danielle.

  She connected the iPod to the car stereo, allowing her to play his music repeatedly, and she found her tastes weren’t quite so provincial as she’d once believed.

  Wanting to do something special to say thank you to Jonathan, she Googled a few things, made a few calls, and two hours later on a Saturday afternoon, found herself in a mature woman’s apartment, buying a rare Robert Johnson recording of Me and the Devil Blues. An original 78, recorded in Dallas (1937), which cost $500; money she could little afford. But after the Mercedes, and the playlist, and the Gucci clothes, she had to do something huge.

  This will even things out a little. At least, in my head.

  Vanessa told herself she wouldn’t be short of cash pretty soon anyway, drew cash out of her credit card account on her way, and paid the lady. “Thanks Mrs. Dillard,” said Vanessa. “My fella’s going to love it.” Inhaling, she smiled and a striking image of Jonathan smiling passed behind her eyes.

  The woman took the money and gave it to someone Vanessa assumed to be her assistant, instructing, “Take care of this.” She looked at Vanessa as one might a fly nearing ones dinner, “Yes, well. Mr. Dillard left it here along with the rest of his rubbish, for me to tend to. You might as well take it as anyone. Here.” She handed the small blue vinyl record, including certificates of authenticity, to Vanessa.

  Gratefully and excitedly taking them off Mrs. Dillard, Vanessa placed them in a plastic shopping bag. “Thanks.” Having noticed boxes piled high, and two men unscrewing several chandeliers in the hallway, she asked, “You moving somewhere, Mrs. Delany?”

  The women looked at Vanessa, one eyebrow cocked. “Well, I’m not exactly hiding the fact.” she shook her head. “Yes, I’m leaving this awful place and moving back to New York. I only came here for him and well, he has no say, any more.”

  Vanessa could have sworn she saw a ghost of a smile pass over the woman’s eyes as she looked over to the corner mantle, at her husband’s urn. “So, New York aye?” This is a big purchase, what if it’s fake? Where would I get a refund, or send the fraud squad. Or whatever, whoever deals with that kind of thing. “You have family out there?”

  “Miss Stiles,” sniped the woman, clearly tiring of Vanessa’s questions. “Have we ended our transaction?”

  “Yes.”

  “You can see how I’m fixed.”

  Vanessa looked around, saying nothing, expecting rudeness.

  “So, if there’s nothing else concerning your purchase, would you kindly leave so I can back to work?”

  Vanessa didn’t think she needed to respond verbally, so walked past the woman and out of the house.

  Once she had closed the door behind her, she said “Rude bitch.” under her breath.

  On her way to her car, her phone rang and Jonathan’s image popped up to the tune “Love To Love You Baby, by Donna Summer. Grinning, she clicked accept and said, “Hey, how’s it going?”

  Jonathan sounded as happy and carefree as ever, “Hello Honey.”

  Vanessa smiled. I love when he calls me that. Shit, stop it. It’s not real.

  “Where are you?” asked Jonathan.

  “Oh, you know how I love to drive since I got the Merc. What’s it to ya?”

  “I have another surprise for you. Get to my apartment ASAP. Susan’s cooking steak for us, and you wouldn’t want to see her reaction to waste. It’s worse than yours to extravagance,” he said, laughing.

  “On my way, as it happens. And quit with the surprises already. I’m still reeling from the last one.” Arriving at her car, she climbed onto the leather seat and added, “Anyway, stop talking. I’m about to start driving. No way I’m crashing this little beauty.”

  “Wear your seatbelt. Drive slowly. I can be patient, if I have to be.”

  “Huh, don’t believe that for a minute!”

  * * *

  Once at Jonathan’s apartment, they ate their juicy steaks and drank a glass or two of wine, as was their routine, and he had yet to reveal his next surprise. Instead, he dangled it like a carrot throughout.

  “Well, my stomach is full, and I’m going to have to decline your carrot. Because …” she could barely contain her excitement any longer. “I have my own carrot to dangle.” Vanessa walked to his music system and grabbed her bag, grinning at him when she turned around. She so enjoyed watching his jaw drop for a change.

  “A surprise for me? Now then, you are naughty.” His sexy smirk and slow prowl towards her, made her body hot and pulse.

  “You have no idea,” she giggled. “How about you show me yours, then I’ll show you mine.”

  He stood right in front of her, close enough for their breath to mingle. “Are you playing hardball with me, Miss Stiles?”

  “Could be, Mr. Jergan.” Vanessa tried not to, wanting to maintain her attempt at hardball, but couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Very well. You win.” He stood back, placed large hands on his slim hips. “My surprise is …” he bent forward slightly and whispered, “a skiing trip.”

  His gaze washed over her face, down Vanessa’s throat. Vanessa could almost feel it, like fingertips. “I err, I don’t ski. I’ll break into a million pieces.” She licked her lips, watching him watching her. “It won’t be pretty.”

  “Oh, I disagree. You are always pretty.” he winked, then leaned against the wall beside her. “Besides, I will teach you all you need to know. It’ll be fun.”

  “Why skiing?”

  “Because it’s time, it’s where I want to propose to you Vanessa. The society scene there will get the word out, without my having to make a very formal and very public announcement.”

  She closed her eyes, and just for dreamy moment, she imagined this moment wasn’t planned, paid for, and phony. “Ah, right. Of course. Great.” Her fantasy over, she stepped aside.

  “Not the reaction I imagined, Honey.” Jonathan gave her a quizzical look.

  Vanessa shrugged, held her bag up to her chest. “Scared of the whole skiing thing, that’s all. And yikes, what’ll I wear in the cold? I only own one sweater. We live in Hawaii, after all.”

  “I’ll take care of the wardrobe department; we’ll go shopping when we get there.” He sat on the sofa and patted the space next to him. “Now, I believe you owe me a surprise and I’m not big on waiting for surprises.”

  The joy she felt earlier seemed somehow diluted. But she pulled out the record
and certificates, all encased in a clear plastic folder, to him. “Hope you like it, and that it’s as genuine as the certificates suggest.”

  Vanessa hoped he would love it, but was not prepared for the light bulb that went off behind his eyes.

  He carefully examined his gift, occasionally glancing up at Vanessa with an odd look on his face.

  “Well?” asked Vanessa, getting nervous.

  “Oh, I’m shocked, surprised, a bit speechless.”

  “It’s a fake isn’t it. I’m an idiot. I knew I shouldn’t have risked it. I just really wanted to do something special for you and now …”

  “Oh, it’s real all right, you are no idiot. It’s just so unexpected. And unnecessary.”

  “Don’t tell me you already have it. You do, don’t you? Oh crap, of course you do.”

  “Stop berating yourself, I don’t have this. It’s… an incredible gift Vanessa. Thank you.”

  “Oh. Well, good,” she finally exhaled.

  “But where did you find it?” Asked Jonathan. “And how did you afford it?”

  “Well, I’m pretty good at research, and it didn’t cost anywhere near as much as that Merc.” Vanessa winked at him, loving his reaction to it now she knew he liked it, it wasn’t a fake and he didn’t already have one of the other copies.

  “But I read one of the other remaining copies of this record sold for $12k Vanessa this year. So, you can’t afford this, let me pay you for it.”

  “Wait, how much? Really? I only paid $500?”

  Jonathan laughed, “You’re kidding, right? $500 bucks for this? Who did you con?

  “Oh no, an old woman who’s moving to New York.”

  “You conned a little old lady? Watch it Vanessa, my business sense is rubbing off on you.”

  “No, no. Don’t. Anyway, she was a vile wealthy snob who hated her husband, to whom that record originally belonged.”

  “Oh. Fair enough then. If she can’t respect the Devil, sod her!”

  “The Devil. You mean Robert Johnson?”

  “You’re learning. Ah, Vanessa. You’re a very generous woman. I’ll treasure this more because it came from you.”

  She felt a little bashful, but pleased with herself for giving Jonathan something he’d treasure. “Well, I’ll look forward to a new experience on the snow. Just don’t let me break any bones.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  * * *

  On the day of their holiday, Vanessa had sought out and packed her warmest clothes, but knew they were wrong for skiing. “And he wants to take me shopping; why is that so abhorrent to me? It’s going to be a big spend on things I’ll probably never wear again. I feel like his Barbie doll sometimes,” she muttered to herself as she packed up her things.

  Vanessa huffed, brushed her hair and her teeth, grabbed her bags and locked up her apartment. Partly excited, partly anxious, she made her way down street below.

  Roger picked her up, taking her to meet Jonathan at the airport. Once they arrived and drove past all the drop off areas for departures, she asked, “Hey Roger, where are we going? You passed departures.”

  “Ah, because you won’t be using the aircraft leaving via that route, Miss. He didn’t tell you did he?”

  “He told me we we’re going skiing in Vail. We’re going to need to fly there I presume?”

  A few minutes later, during which Roger smirked in silence, they arrived at a private hanger. “You have got to be kidding me. Where’s Jonathan?”

  “See that guy waving at us, over by the Gulfstream?”

  “Oh my God, that’s Jonathan. Don’t tell me we’re going in that.”

  “Yes indeed you are. His latest toy. You have a wonderful time, Miss. And be careful on the slopes.”

  “Okay. This is all a bit much, don’t you think? I mean, I was getting excited by flying first class.” She sniggered nervously. “I don’t think my knees are going to carry me.”

  “Can’t get any closer to the plane, Miss. Rules. You’ll be fine.”

  “Shit, Roger. This is so not me.” I’m about to go skiing with a billionaire, via a private jet. All that fuel, all that plane, just for us. Such a waste, but… “Oh to hell with it, I wanna see the inside.” Vanessa climbed out of the car and waited for Roger to get her case out of the trunk, stare focussed on the plane ahead. Roger walked passed her, on his way to Jonathan with her case. “Umm, no, no. I can take my case, Roger. It’s on rollers, I’m not entirely useless.”

  “Course you’re not Miss,” he laughed. “But let me take it anyway. I’ll lose my job otherwise. Besides, I want to say my goodbyes and check on Mr. Jergan. Pick up any duties for while you’re away, that sort of thing.”

  “Well, if you’re sure. Thanks, Roger.” Vanessa felt weird having someone else doing the heavy lifting, but it was nice. She returned her attentions, still agog, to their transport, and her hot date for the trip.

  Jonathan greeted her with an enthusiastic hug, and a kiss on her lips. Tongue-less, unfortunately. “Welcome Honey. Please board the plane and get settled. Champagne’s chilling and there are a few movies for us to occupy us for a few of the seven hours.”

  “Seven hours? Jeeze.”

  “We’ll make them fun between us.” he winked. “Be right up.” Jonathan’s eyes shone like a child’s on Christmas morning and he appeared at once masculine, with his tall athletic build exuding sexuality, and excited child, with his unguarded enthusiasm.

  Mid swoon, Vanessa smiled as he watched her climb the steps to the open door, and reminded herself that business came first, everything else (if anything at all) came second. Even though she had been one to make the rule, and Jonathan had agreed to it, she found this harder and harder to accept, so generally chose not to think too much about it.

  Jonathan’s eyes were bright, her heart was full, and a holiday with the handsome Jonathan Jergan beckoned.

  Before entering the door, she looked back and noticed Jonathan had turned his attentions to Roger. He’d taken him to one side, where they whispered. Vanessa shrugged and boarded the plane, escorted by a sweet looking airhostess in a lovely blue uniform, from the door into the plane. Easily in her fifties but well preserved, she smiled and was courteous, much to her relief. Although, unsurprisingly, because Vanessa was after all her boss’s girlfriend. At least for now. At least, as far as the airhostess was aware.

  The inside blew Vanessa away. The sheer magnitude of everything shocked her. She had only flown once before, from Illinois to Honolulu, and economy class at that. This was quite another monster. Cream leather and walnut wood furniture, crystal lighting features, a huge movie screen and stereo system all screamed WEALTH! It even had a large shower room, vanity area, dressing room, all linked to the huge master bedroom. “With one massive bed. Where’s my bed?” Don’t think, don’t think, thought Vanessa, taking a seat, pushing her flight pillow underneath one of the seats with her foot.

  Ten minutes later, they sipped Champagne, sat closely on the leather sofa. “Shall we raise a toast to our first holiday together? Asked Jonathan.

  “Love to, and thanks. This is all so … unexpected.”

  “I aim to please you, Vanessa. Like I said, this won’t be a prison sentence for either of us. It will be fun, at least, that’s the idea.”

  “How long have you owned this aircraft? You know, it’s the most extravagant and wasteful possession anyone could own. I had a moment of guilt about even climbing aboard, but curiosity get the better of me, to my shame.”

  “Well, thank heaven for that. Yes, it is extravagant. But it’s also necessary. I fly all over the World for work, and public transport, with its delayed schedules and immigration dealings slows me down. I got this two months ago, pretty cheap. The guy who owned it could no longer afford it, so … I got a bargain. I lease it out while I am not using it. It’ll pay for itself in few years.”

  “I doubt that, but I’m learning it’s none of my business what you spend your money on.”

  “So, you’ve dec
ided not to fight me on it. I’ll miss those judgemental sneers and arguments, but you’re right. I am who I am.” he touch the tip of Vanessa’s nose. “As are you. Only, I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

  “Oh, that’s … a lovely thing to say, but you only said it to make me feel bad.”

  “It’s a shame you think that, Vanessa.” he topped up our glasses and buckled up Vanessa’s belt. “Hold your glass tight and prepare for take off.”

  After a smooth take off, they settled in, eating freshly prepared seafood platters, listening to Blues and watching a movie. Her favourite: Annie Hall. One of his favourites, too.

  When they arrived in Vail, they left their paradise in the sky and stepped into a limousine, which took them to an entire luxury chalet in Game Creek, which Jonathan rented for the duration of their stay.

  The Game Creek Chalet was a secluded Vail Mountain hideaway nestled above Vail Village, offering access to everything they might need, from their own private haven. This surprised her, as the whole trip was supposed to be about making a public commitment to her, and statement to the elite skiers. A private space kind of went against that. Still, all the better for them to enjoy each other’s company.

  “This is incredible, Jonathan.” She smiled, inhaling the warming smells of wood, smoke from a huge roaring file, and vast bunches of red roses placed ubiquitously around the chalet. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Looking around the chalet, she found it beautifully designed in a European style, with four spacious bedrooms, five bathrooms, and an entertainment room with satellite TV. She glanced out of the window and allowed the stunning views of Vail Mountain and the surrounding snowcapped peaks to enthrall her, imagining them getting close in their own private hot tub, or curling up together in front of the cozy fireplace after a long day on the slopes.