by Alexis Gold
He laughed out loud and whooped for joy, and the two of them were positive that nothing could ever be better than what they had together right then.
She took him to her house, and getting their suitcases to her bedroom was as far as they got before they stripped one another of their clothes and she took him to her bed. They spent hours upon hours loving and touching, tasting, squeezing, and teasing. He laid her back and brought his tongue to her core, giving her pleasure that she had never known before, making her cry out and beg for more, making her call his name as she melted beneath him and he tasted the orgasm he had given her.
He buried himself in her depths, filling her, rocking her, moving in her so deeply that the two of them were one, and when they had given each other all of themselves time and again, they fell back into her bed and slept beside one another, making their dreams almost as sweet as their realities.
***
In the days that followed, they knew nothing but bliss, and they shared their time between his home and hers, almost all of it answering their need for each other in one another’s arms. She saw his studio and was incredulous of his artwork; his sculptures and paintings, and he pleaded with her for her to let him paint her nude. He did, and slowly he began to fill up part of his studio apartment with paintings of her in detail and sometimes in full frame. He sculpted her in clay and created more versions of her than she could ever had imagined that she had.
As the days passed, one thing came between them that marred their happy passions. Derek was still working as an escort because he was not making enough money with his artwork and it was an awkward conversation for them to have with one another, but it had to happen.
He sat her down one day and looked into her sweet brown eyes. “I have to talk to you,” he said with a somber expression.
She looked at him in concern and asked quietly, “What is it? What’s bothering you?”
Derek sighed. “I have to work. I have to escort. There’s a lady who keeps asking for me, and she wants me to go out with her tonight.”
Julia sighed in frustration and nodded. “I understand. I don’t like it but I understand.”
He took her hands in his. “It’s some kind of art gala. She just needs someone there with her. It’s not a romantic date, so I don’t want you to worry about that, okay?”
She sighed and nodded, looking away from him.
He frowned and pulled her close to him. “There’s no one for me but you. You must know that’s true, and you can’t worry about it. I won’t do anything to lose you. I promise. I know you went through this with Theo, but that’s not who I am and she is not what I want, and nor is any other woman.”
Julia sighed again. “I know. It’s just the thought of it that’s so hard for me. I know you’re going to work. I can deal with it.”
She meant it, but as she watched him shower and perfect his hair, iron his clothes and splash on cologne, she couldn’t help but feel a little jealous that he was preparing to look so good for a date with another woman.
Julia kissed him goodbye as he walked out of the door and she sat on the sofa and watched television, telling herself that it was going to be fine and that she trusted him and knew that he wasn’t out with anyone doing anything that would hurt her.
She watched the clock out of the corner of her eye as it ticked by, getting later and later, and she knew that he was out with someone else.
Chapter Five
The limousine pulled up outside of the coffee shop where he asked her to pick him up, and he walked toward the door, his hair perfect, his suit perfect, his look elegant, but his blue eyes empty and disinterested, not quite reaching his small smile. The chauffeur helped her from the back of her car and she stepped out to greet him. She was wearing a tiny black dress that barely covered her medically enhanced-breasts and her long bare legs that stretched out from the hem to her black stiletto heels.
“Derek!” she grinned at him and embraced him closely, rubbing her body against his lightly. “It’s been so long that I was beginning to think that you had forgotten about me! Now, you would never do that... would you?” she asked as she embraced him and kissed his cheek, leaving fire engine red lipstick on it, and then she leaned forward and kissed his mouth. He did not kiss her back.
“Oh! What’s the matter? You used to give me such good kisses. Come on now, be a good boy and kiss me like you want to find out just how far I’ll go with you in the back seat of my car.” She grinned up at him and he sighed.
“I’m glad to see you, Felicia, I’m just a little preoccupied tonight. That’s all.” He told her the half-truth. He was preoccupied, he was thinking about the look on Julia’s face when he told her he was going out on a date with another woman.
She waved her hand in the air lightly. “Oh darling, don’t worry about it, just come in here and have some fun with me.” She took him to her car and the chauffeur helped them both into the back seat.
Derek knew he had better play the part, even if his heart wasn’t in it at all. “Felicia, you look so hot. Is that a new dress? Did you wear it just for me?” he asked in a sexy voice as he raised one eyebrow and smiled a little at her.
She grinned and moved to sit next to him. “Of course I did... I wore the dress for you and I wore nothing under it for us.” She leaned over and took his hand, sliding it up her inner thigh just a short ways before she his hand go and grinned at him. “Well, come on now baby, you know where that hand should go. Why don’t you remind me how much you’ve missed me? Come on...” she teased him.
He pulled his hand from beneath her skirt and she pouted.
“What’s the matter baby, don’t you want me anymore?” She reached up to the soft bun behind her head and pulled the pin out of her hair, letting it cascade all down around her shoulders in golden blonde waves. Then she climbed on his lap and slid down to his groin where she began to rub herself against him as she slid the straps of her dress off of her shoulders and she bared her big hard breasts to him as she grinned and leaned in to kiss him.
He looked away from her body, not wanting to see it, and he looked instead up into her eyes.
“Felicia, this isn’t what my job is about and you know it,” he sighed. “We’ve been over this, and I keep telling you no. This isn’t what I do. I’ve kissed you before, but that’s it, and that was because I knew you were sad and you need a little TLC.”
She grinned at him. “Sad? Can’t you see that I’m devastated right now? Come on... kiss me,” she said, leaning close to him and pressing her lips to his and her breasts just beneath his chin.
Her mouth was hard on his, biting and pulling on his lips as she kissed him roughly and he reached for her hips to hold her back from his groin. He was disgusted with his body, which ignored his mind and his heart completely, as an erection grew hard between his legs and she felt it.
Felicia slid her hand down and began to rub it and stroke it over the cover of his pants.
“Now that’s more like it, baby,” she moaned softly. “Give it to me... please... I want you, Derek. I have wanted you in me for so long. Let’s give it a shot. We will have so much fun. I promise I’ll be the best lay that you ever have. Come on, baby,” she cooed to him and he moved out from underneath her.
“Felicia, I’m going to tell you again, that’s not what I’m here for. Please stop. I’ll be happy to escort you to your party, and I will be attentive and caring and spoil you. I’ll take care of you and cater to your every reasonable whim, but I don’t want you like that and I’m not going to want you like that, so let’s make sure that we keep this as a business arrangement. All right?”
He hoped like crazy that he could get her to listen to him. Last time she had tried to seduce him, he’d nearly insulted her and gotten in trouble at work doing it. He looked at her kindly now and shook his head.
“Come on now, Felicia, you deserve someone who really wants you. Someone who can’t wait to make love with you anytime you need it. I’m not that person. I’m just h
ere to stand in at your elbow when you need someone,” he told her earnestly.
She rolled her eyes and winked at him. “Oh come on. You could always use a little playtime. I’d rather have someone to stand in between my legs, not at my elbow.” She teased him back and he knew that he was getting through to her at least a little bit.
The car pulled up to an enormous gallery and they stepped out from her car.
“This is fantastic!” he said as he gazed up at it.
She slid her arm through his and snuggled up close to him. “It’s mine. I own this gallery and four more just like it. This is the largest one, though, but not by much. Isn’t it great?”
He nodded in agreement. “It is, Felicia, it’s really great.”
They walked in and she steered him around the floor introducing him as her date for the evening and telling everyone that she saw him sometimes. He nodded and smiled, oozed charm and kissed hands and cheeks everywhere he went. One woman who was watching him with keen interest asked him, in front of Felicia, what he did for work and he didn’t hesitate a moment.
“Oh, I’m an artist,” he told her.
She looked surprised. “Well that’s wonderful! What kind of art do you do?”
“I paint and sculpt,” he answered her with a smile, tickled that anyone would take an interest in what he was doing.
Felicia turned and stared at him. When they walked away she stopped him and spoke to him privately in between greeting her guests. “Derek! Why didn’t you ever tell me you were an artist! All this time I just believed that you were an escort! I can’t believe you’ve never said anything to me about it! Now, I want you to take me to your art studio this week and show me what you’ve done. If you’re good, I want to support you! God baby, I have four galleries. The least I could do is put some of your best pieces up!”
He grinned in surprise and nodded enthusiastically to her. “Of course! I would be glad to show you my art, Felicia, no problem.” He thought carefully about when he could show her his studio. It had to be when Julia wouldn’t be there. It was hard enough going on dates with her at home worrying without her having to meet one of them in person. Also, he didn’t know how much support he would get if Felicia knew he had a girlfriend.
“How about Thursday just after lunch?” he asked hopefully. “Maybe one in the afternoon. Would that work?”
She nodded and grinned. “Just give me the address and I’m there baby!” she told him, leaning in to kiss his lips and squeeze him tightly.
They spent the remainder of the evening walking among her buyers and clients, and she began to introduce him as her artist boyfriend, piquing a great deal of curiosity among her patrons.
The night ended late, and it ended with her trying desperately to kiss him again, and him sliding out from beneath her once more and washing his mouth of her lipstick before he let himself into Julia’s house. He crawled into bed and all he could think of was how much he wanted her and how much she meant to him, and as he woke her with kisses and she smiled at him, he was able to show her just how much.
***
Thursday came and so did Felicia, walking right into Derek’s studio apartment, which doubled as his art studio. It was the first and only time she ever acted professionally with him. She walked among his pieces of artwork as if she were carefully critiquing each one, weighing its value in her mind and determining if it was a piece that she could turn a profit on. She may be a fool for a good looking man, but she was an astute business woman and it showed in every moment she examined each piece he had created.
At long last she turned to him and smiled. “You have enough here for an art gallery showing. I want you to let me host an opening for you at my main gallery. Let’s set it for two weeks. We’ll put every one of these pieces up and we’ll even add a corner for whatever you’re working on currently. People go crazy for things they can’t have quite yet.” She winked at him. “What do you say? Can we do a gallery show for you?” she asked with genuine interest.
He nodded in disbelief. No one had shown the least amount of interest in his art and now he knew why. He’d been showing it to the wrong people. “Yes!” he exclaimed to her. “Yes! I would be so glad to do a gallery show with you. Let’s do it!”
“Okay.” She grinned at him. “Two weeks and the gallery will be yours.”
Then she walked over to him and slid her hands around his waist, looking up at him and holding him close to her.
“There’s just one thing, baby,” she purred to him, looking at him through narrowed eyes.
He had been afraid that there might very well be that one more thing. “What’s that?” he asked in hesitation.
She leaned her mouth up to him and rubbed the end of her nose against his. “You have to be my date. I mean, my date. I’m going to tell everyone that the gorgeous young man that did all the work is my guy.”
Warning bells went off in his head and he sighed and said, “Felicia, I can be your date for that one night, but not as your man, not as your guy or you property; just as your date. Will that work for you?” he asked, looking at her in concern.
She leaned up and pressed her lips to his, kissing him slowly and hungrily, and he did not kiss her back. She slid her hands around his back and down over his ass, giving it a hard squeeze and pulling him to her hips.
Then she let him go and nodded. “Yes baby, that’ll work for me. Maybe you’ll consider this show as a way for me to show you just how interested I am in you, and just how much I want....” she paused and ran her hand slowly over his crotch, “...everything about you.”
She kissed him long and slow again and he stood there, not kissing her back, not wanting to encourage her, and not wanting to make her upset so she would change her mind about the show she was now planning on hosting for him.
“Come on baby, let’s have some fun before I have to go, okay?” she said as she pulled at the button on his jeans and slid the zipper down, sliding her hand beneath the material. “Give me what I want!” she smiled and winked at him.
He shook his head and pulled away from her, fastening his pants back up. “Felicia, I’m going to remind you again that things aren’t like that between us. You have to respect that. I will date you as your employee, but that’s it. Okay? Please understand that,” he told her seriously.
She pouted and smacked him on the ass. “Oh all right. I am still going to try to change your mind, and you are still going to be my date for you gala opening show, okay?” She came close and ran her hands over his chest. “Do you promise me?” she asked, her blue eyes looking up through her fake lashes at his eyes.
He nodded. “I promise.”
She grinned and turned to leave his studio apartment, blowing him a kiss on the way out.
When she left, he buried his face in his hands. He was going to have to be her date for the gallery opening night. He had no idea how he was going to try to explain that to Julia and get any kind of a positive response. Most of the recent paintings and sculptures were of her, and he knew she would want to be there to support him and encourage him as she always did, telling him how proud she was of him and making a show of her love for him.
He couldn’t begin to imagine the blow that it was going to give her to know that he was going to actually, finally, be having his own gallery show, and in a Weston Gallery of all places, where he was sure to make some sales and get his name out into the art community in the Bay Area in even as far south as Silicon Valley. She would either have to miss the show altogether or show up and pretend not to be his girlfriend while he walked around with Felicia on his arm telling everyone that he was her date.
The idea sickened him and he had no idea what he was going to do. What was worse was that he had almost no time at all to prepare for it. Two weeks was going to fly right by them.
***
He spent the next week working hard in his studio with every bit of spare time he had, creating new paintings and sculptures, forming all kinds of new art pieces in preparation
for the show. He would go to Julia’s place covered in art mediums, worn out and tired, and she would shower with him, washing him carefully and lovingly, taking him to bed and rubbing him down, and then making love with him before they fell asleep. He still had not told her what it was that he was working so hard toward and what he was preparing for.
When there was only four more days before the show, he felt like he was watching sand spin around the bottom of the top half of an hourglass, just about to fall through it. He knew time was short, and he was working extra hard, and hoping that everything he was working toward was making a difference for him, either then or the foreseeable future.
Three days before, he knew he had to tell her, so he took her out for an ice cream and a walk and she was glad to get the extra time with him.
“You’ve been so busy lately!” She told him, “I was beginning to wonder if we were going to go on any of our romantic dates anytime soon again.” She smiled at him and he nodded quietly.
“I know. I’m so sorry I’ve been so busy. This has really been a crazy couple of weeks for me,” he said, not meaning to have given her the exact time frame like he had. She stopped walking and looked up at him.
“What do you mean? What crazy couple of weeks? What’s going on?” she asked curiously.
He sighed. “Well, one of the women that I... that hires me through the escort service, is a gallery owner. She has four galleries, and they are all really big, really successful galleries between San Francisco and San Jose.”
Julia’s brow lowered and she watched Derek closely, looking for some sort of clue about what he was going to tell her.
“Well, she saw my work and she loved it and wanted to sponsor a gallery show for me to help me sell some of it. I took her up on it,” he said quietly.
Julia grinned in excitement. “That’s some of the best news that I think I’ve ever heard!” she exclaimed.
He stopped and turned to look at her. “Well, there is a catch,” he told her quietly.
