Gin took the card for Sal’s Place and watched as Phillip drove away in his Roadster.
chapter ten
Gin called Lisa on Monday, but only had a a few minutes to talk. Gin had to work and then she was heading off to meet Phillip at the Billionaires Club. Lisa being Lisa, the first thing she asked was about the sex.
“Why do you just assume we had sex?”
There was silence on the phone, and then Lisa replied, “You can’t seriously be asking me that.”
“No. Really. Why would you think we would do that on our first real date?”
“Geez. Maybe because the date is to Venice fucking Italy.” Gin could picture Lisa smiling as she talked. “Or maybe it’s because it’s Phillip fucking Rogers. You know, the guy who once walked out of a hotel one morning with half the Laker Girls trailing behind looking like they hadn’t spent the night discussing basketball.”
“He did that?”
“Jesus, Gin. Did you not do any research on him at all?”
“I looked at his Inky profile. He definitely is looking for Ms. Right.”
Another pause. “Sure. He just hasn’t found the right person. So forget I asked about sex. I mean I tell you everything about the losers I’m dating, but if you don’t want to tell me what famous billionaire boyfriend is like, that’s okay.”
“Oh my God, don’t pout!” Gin laughed. “That is so not you, and I hate it. Fine. I gave him a blowjob on the plane, and we had sex in this amazing Venice penthouse marble bathroom.”
“I knew it! I can’t believe you did it in the bathroom. You slut. You couldn’t even wait long enough to make it to the bed. And, by the way, I told you the plane blowjob was a good idea. I should totally get credit for that.”
“Yeah. That’s not going to happen.”
Gin went on to describe their walk through the old city, their kiss on the bridge, and the romantic dinner. By the end of the call, Lisa had changed her attitude completely.
“Honestly, Gin, I think you may have won him over. That sounds nothing like what I’ve read about him. Phillip’s known as a one night stand kind of guy. What you describe sounds really romantic and lovely. Well, also kind of slutty and hot, but mostly romantic.”
“Well, I’ll see him tonight at the club. I’ve decided to wear something really provocative. I want the other guys to stare when I am with him.” Gin smiled as she had said the words. She loved the idea of a bunch of rich guys eyeing up her body as she was on the arm of the best billionaire of them all.
“Oooh. Great idea! I’m so jealous. I just want to see what it’s like inside the club. I know you described it as kind of shabby, but I bet the vibe is amazing.”
Gin said goodbye and got ready for meeting Phillip.
Dave’s smile lit up the small entryway as Gin walked in. He put his copy of David Copperfield down and watched as she approached. She was wearing one of Jules’ outfits, the one that Jules described as a stunner to be saved for a special occasion. Gin described it as “classy slut.” It was a tight sleeveless black minidress that was scandalously short and had a cutout in the front that showed off her cleavage. The back had black string that crossed from top to bottom and looked like she had been tied into the dress, otherwise it would have slid right off her body. Her black heels were high and sharp. It was the exact kind of outfit that played to Gin’s busty petite assets.
“Hi Gin. So nice to see you again.” Dave held out his hand. Gin watched him closely as she handed him the club card. She wasn’t sure if she was impressed or disappointed that he acted with utmost professionalism. He didn’t stare at her body at all. He just seemed glad to see her.
“Hi Dave. Is Phillip here?”
“Yeah, he’s been here for about an hour.”
“Thank you!” Gin walked into the dim lights of the club.
As her eyes got used to the lighting she was happy to see men turn to look at her. That’s right boys. I’m here, and unfortunately I’m not here for you. I’m here for Phillip. She noticed Vinnie in his standard seat, while the bartender Rich was serving a couple from behind the bar. She found Phillip. He was at a far booth, talking on his phone. He had a couple empty glasses in front of him but was otherwise alone.
There were a few other women in the club with dates, and while they were all beautiful, none of them had the raw sexual charisma that Gin brought as she strutted through the room. She caught their glances and bathed in their jealousy.
“Hi!” Gin whispered as she stopped beside the table. Phillip’s eyes went wide as he looked at Gin. He made no effort in hiding his attention, looking her up and down, from her legs to her short skirt to her tits.
“I’ll call you back.” Phillip said into his phone, hanging it up and placing it on the table. “I don’t even need to ask. There is no way you’re wearing underwear under that.”
Gin slid into the booth across from Phillip, a little annoyed he didn’t stand up to kiss her. “Well, I wanted to remind you what is yours without breaking any obscenity laws.” She grinned.
Phillip nodded. “I have to say I love your style, Gin.” He glanced at his phone and then out across the bar. “But I am so sorry. The timing is just not good. I have to finish this call and then—” He waved vaguely in the air. “—I have to catch up on some work.” Picking up his phone, Phillip stood up. “I’ll message you on Inky.” Without saying another word, he walked across the room and out of the club.
Gin sat there with her jaw dropped open. What the fuck was that? She thought back to what Phillip said on the plane—work hard and play hard. Was he so compartmentalized that he couldn’t even take a few minutes to pull away from work to treat her like a human being?
She took a deep breath and tried to make sense of what was going on. It’s his work. It has to be his work, she thought. She looked around the room. Everyone was talking or laughing or drinking. Vinnie was still alone at the bar, so she decided to go over and ask him. As a bartender, he probably knew a lot of what was going on with his clientele.
As she approached, it struck her how sad Vinnie always appeared to be. He didn’t look at his phone. He didn’t read. He just sat in the same chair every night after work and drank. She wondered if he was an alcoholic. She put her hand gently on his shoulder. “Is this chair taken?”
Vinnie glanced back, and immediately smiled. “Gin! Of course not. Have a seat.” His eyes glanced down and took in her dress, but only for a moment. She liked how he didn’t ogle her. It was the kind of attention a woman wanted—acknowledgement without being creepy about it.
Her dress was so short that Gin had to hold the bottom as she slid onto the chair, and once she did she couldn’t cross her legs or her entire ass would be showing. She caught Vinnie smiling. “Why is it the hottest dresses lead to the most awkward moments?”
“I think it’s charming, actually,” Vinnie replied. He then turned to Rich, who was halfway down the bar. “Rich, rum and Coke for the awkward lady.”
Gin hit him on the arm. “Don’t be a jerk.”
“Rich, rum and Coke for the girl showing off her hot legs.” She hit him again, but she had to smile how he was having fun with her. “Rich, rum and Coke for the young woman in the Versace dress.”
Gin stared at Vinnie. “This is Versace?” She glanced down and touched the fabric and then looked at him again. “How do you know this is Versace?”
“Are you kidding? The look is iconic. I haven’t seen that piece, though. It must have come from a major boutique ahead of the big shows. I like it, though. It’s like Versace wanted to take the Hurley dress and turn up the heat to make it more contemporary.”
Vinnie finally looked Gin up and down. He took in everything from her heels to her bare legs to where the dress barely covered her ass to the top that showed off her chest. It was odd, though—his was a look of appreciation, not creepiness or lust. He finally turned away and grabbed his drink. “It’s gorgeous, but you need an amazing body to pull that dress off.”
Gin laughed a
t Vinnie’s comment, which she was sure he didn’t realize had a double meaning. “Oh, I don’t know. I have to think that it wouldn’t take much effort to pull this dress off me.” She loved how at ease she was with Vinnie. He was like Lisa. Gin could make absurdly inappropriate jokes with him.
He smiled but didn’t look at her and didn’t reply. Rich slid a rum and Coke in front of her. “So how was Venice?”
“It was wonderful! Thank you for asking.” She proceeded to describe the weekend to Rich and Vinnie, not mentioning the bed on the plane or the shower in the hotel.
Vinnie listened patiently, and when Gin finished, replied, “So things are good with Phillip?”
Gin frowned. “Yeah. Why would you ask that? I know you think he’s all about the conquest, but he was attentive and wasn’t at all this aggressive ‘fuck me now’ type.”
Vinnie nodded. “I’m glad. You deserve to be treated right. I noticed he left earlier, though. I have to admit I assumed he dumped you.” The way Vinnie casually said it hurt.
“No,” she said cooly.
Vinnie turned to her. “Look, Gin. You’re spunky and nice and you don’t seem to be like ninety percent of the women who come in here, all looking for a big wallet attached to a man.” He looked at her body again. “The kind of women who would not only know that they’re wearing a fifty-thousand dollar Versace dress but would make sure to strut around reminding everyone of that fact.” He turned to his drink and sighed. “So I apologize for implying that you will be taken advantage of. I really hope that you have a wonderful future with Phillip. I’m just worried about you. That’s all.”
“Thank you, Vinnie. I appreciate your concern, but I know Phillip. He’s just all compartmentalized. There’s the Phillip that lives in the business world, and then there’s the private Phillip, who is sensitive and concerned about me.”
Vinnie nodded. “Yeah. Those aren’t the same guy. I get it.” He yelled down at Rich, who had wandered off to serve someone else. “Barkeep, my drink is empty. The service here is horrible.”
“And did you say this dress was fifty thousand dollars?”
Vinnie turned to her and smiled. “Somewhere around there. Did Phillip set you up with Jules?”
“Yes. For the weekend trip, and then she gave me a few more pieces for special moments.”
“So Jules gives you a dress that will undoubtedly be worn on some major awards show red carpet and tells you to save it for a special occasion, and you wear it to a bar?”
“Pretty much.” Gin felt stupid. She had no idea what she was doing. She was out of her element in the world of extreme wealth and celebrity.
“I say this with complete and utter sincerity—” Vinnie looked at her and raised his now full glass. “I absolutely love that you are wearing that dress here. You are exactly what this fucking club needs. Someone who just lives life without all the bullshit.” He took a long drink.
Gin smiled. “Thank you, Vinnie. I have to admit that I’m not feeling particularly confident right now. Phillip is all busy with work, and I feel like I’m in over my head. I don’t know what to say or what to wear.” She leaned toward Vinnie with a conspiratorial glance around the room. “Do you know what I call the dress?” Vinnie shook his head. “Classy slut.”
Vinnie laughed. “I’m sure you’re not the first person to describe Versace that way.” He glanced at her body in the dress again, and this time Gin felt like there was a glimmer of something like primal appreciation. “You look amazing in that dress. Extraordinary even.”
Gin looked at Vinnie. She couldn’t figure him out. He was so nice but also sarcastic. He looked like he was her age, maybe late twenties at the oldest and yet he had this old sad soul. He had to make a good living bartending at the Billionaires Club. Did he make six figures? Probably. But he dressed like a factory worker.
The only consistent thing about him was an air of loneliness.
Inspiration hit Gin. I’ll set him up with Lisa. The idea was perfect. Lisa liked bad boys, and Vinnie was this sarcastic loner bartender who hung out with billionaires. She would love that. Plus, she had a good soul and, if nothing else, she didn’t mind jumping right into bed with guys she liked. Maybe all Vinnie needed was to get laid.
“What’s so funny?” Vinnie asked.
“Nothing, just thinking of my friend.” Gin decided to do it, but she wouldn’t tell Vinnie. She’d just introduce them and let Lisa’s charm do the rest. “Rich,” she called down to the bartender.
“Yes, Gin?”
“Can I have a card for a friend? She really wants to see what Sal’s Place is like. I promise you she will be a wonderful guest.” Gin crossed her chest with her index finger.
“I’m sorry, Gin. Only members can hand out cards.”
“Jesus, Rich. Your service is horrible,” Vinnie interjected. “Give the girl a card.” Rich stared at Vinnie, rolled his eyes, and then went over and brought a card to Gin. Thank you for being a rule breaker, She thought. As she held the card, she realized that Phillip had never given her a card to return. He had forgotten as he left.
“Oh shit. Phillip forgot to give me a card,” Gin blurted out. “Can I have another one, Rich?” Rich stared at her and then looked at Vinnie. Vinnie shrugged, and Rich went over, and came back with another card.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Gin said to Rich. She then leaned over and kissed Vinnie on the cheek. He smelled of bourbon. “Thank you, too,” she whispered. She swore that Vinnie blushed, but he didn’t say anything. He just nodded and took another sip of his drink.
chapter eleven
Gin logged into Inky and the first thing she saw was the photo of her and Phillip outside the hotel in Venice at the top of his photo feed. He had posted the photo from some European celebrity rag. He added a short caption: “Having fun in Venice!”
Gin felt her chest go tight. He didn’t even mention my name or that we are dating. She looked at the photo. Sure, her hair was a little messy, but she actually thought that it was a good photo of her. I look happy. And that thought calmed her a bit.
She just had to wait for Phillip to get back from New York and segue from work hard to party hard. She added a comment to the photo. “Way too much fun!” and then closed her laptop and went to bed.
Her cell phone rang a little after eight the next morning. She was running around getting ready for work but stopped cold when she glanced at the screen. It was Phillip.
She answered with a warm and enthusiastic “Phillip!”
“Ms. Langdon?”
Time stopped as she whispered, “Yes?”
“This is Mister Rogers executive assistant. He wanted me to tell you that he won’t be seeing you any more.” Gin nearly dropped the phone. Breaking the awkward silence, the woman added, “I’m sorry,” and then hung up.
Closing her eyes, Gin tried to make sense of what had just happened. Her emotions were a mass of hatred, anger, pain, betrayal, and a deep sense that she had been used. A sob broke through and Gin wiped the tears from her cheeks that she hadn’t even realized had fell.
He’s just another asshole. Good riddance, she told herself. But he wasn’t. He was rich and handsome and charming in a kind of innocent way that she was growing to love. Gin felt a new kind of loss, like she had missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that just made her feel worse, because she didn’t want to feel that way.
“I’m not a whore,” she said out loud, wiping away the tears and standing straight. Tossing the phone on her dresser, she stumbled back to her bed and sat down. She started to cry again. Stop it, Gin! She squeezed her hands into fists. Okay, he used you for sex. Vinnie was right. You were a conquest. The moment he fucked you in the shower, the relationship was over. That line of thought led to an ever harsher self-assessment. What did I do wrong? Should I have waited?
Gin stood up and marched over to her phone. Fuck you, Phillip. I did nothing wrong. You’re just an asshole. She dialed Lisa’s number
“Heya Gin. What’
s up?”
Gin took a deep breath and then whispered, “Phillip dumped me.”
“Holy shit. That asshole. Did he say why?”
“I didn’t talk to him.” Gin paused to get herself together. “He had his fucking executive assistant call me to tell me.”
“Jesus fucking Christ, Gin. That’s not even asshole, that’s like douchebag-prick-who-may-be-an-asshole-on-a-good-day behavior right there.” She quickly added, “Are you okay?”
“Not really.”
“Well fuck him. He’s a total dick. You deserve way better than that asshole. Fuckin’ billionaire thinks he can just buy you with a trip to Venice. Fuck him.”
Gin laughed a bitter laugh. “Well, he did buy me with a trip to Venice.”
“No!” Lisa’s tone was stern and serious. “He bought you with lies about his feelings, his intentions, and what you meant to him. You did nothing wrong.”
Gin started crying again. “Thank you, Lisa. I needed to hear that.”
“Oh, I’m not done. That fuckhead didn’t have to spend a dime on you, and you would have acted the same way. You know why? Because you’re a good person, Gin. You were interested in Phillip the person, not Phillip the billionaire, and you know the worst? He treated you like someone he had to buy. He didn’t know you at all, Gin. He just wanted to fuck the hot girl in the tight dress, and he acted the only way he knew how to do just that.”
Gin laughed through her tears. “Well, I was kind of interested in Phillip the billionaire.”
“God, I love you, Gin. Some guy tramples on your heart, and you drop a self-effacing joke.”
“You’re the best, Lisa. Thank you.”
“No. You’re the best, Gin. I have to get to work, and you do, too, but don’t hesitate to call me if you need to have someone hear you vent about how Phillip has a small dick and you didn’t want to live with that anyway.”
In the Billionaires Club Page 6
