by Velvet
“Everything sounds good, so I’ll leave the selections to you,” Preston told the waiter.
“As you wish, sir.” He nodded genie-style.
Once the waiter was gone, Preston raised his glass and clinked it with Ariel’s. “To us.”
She took a sip and, as the icy cold vodka slid down her throat, she began to finally relax. Ariel couldn’t remember the last time that she and Preston had had a romantic dinner, and it felt good to be pampered.
Preston slid closer and softly kissed her neck. “I’ve missed you, Ariel,” he whispered into her ear.
“You’ve been so pre—”
He kissed her lips to stop her talking, and instinctively finished her sentence. “I know I’ve been preoccupied lately, but I promise, things are going to change. You are the most important person in my life, and I—”
“That’s funny, I thought Senator Oglesby was the most important person in your life,” she said, cutting him off.
Preston looked wounded, as if her words had cut him to the quick, but he immediately recovered. “I’ll admit that sitting on the Supreme Court has been a dream of mine for a long time, and the senator has been an inescapable part of this tedious process, but—”
Ariel cut him off again. “What are you trying to tell me, Preston? That our relationship has to simmer on the back burner until you’re confirmed?” she asked, raising her voice half a decibel. She could feel the vein in the middle of her forehead start to sprout, and downed her martini in one swift gulp in an effort to cool her jets.
“What I’m trying to tell you,” he reached into his breast pocket, and pulled out a small aqua box, “is that I love you.” Preston opened the tiny lid. “And I want you to be my wife.”
Ariel looked into the plush little box, and looking back at her was a four-carat, princess-cut diamond engagement ring. Her jaw dropped in complete shock. A proposal was the last thing she had expected. Even though they had been dating for years, he never once alluded to marriage, and she never pushed the envelope. The way Preston had been acting lately, she assumed that the last thing he wanted was a permanent commitment. “I . . . I . . . don’t know what to say,” she stammered.
He took the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger. “Just say yes.”
She stared at the ring and admired the way it glistened in the candlelight. The rainbow-colored rays were mesmerizing, rendering her speechless.
“Ariel, will you marry me?” he asked, anxiously awaiting her answer.
“Preston, don’t you think we need to have a serious discussion about what’s been going on lately, before we dive headfirst into a situation that neither one of us is ready for?” she asked.
“If you’re talking about Michele, I’m going to tell you once and for all that nothing is going on between us. It’s strictly professional. Besides, she’s dating my son.”
She looked surprised. “Little Preston?”
“He’s not so little anymore. He’s a grown man now. And he and Michele are dating,” he said again to bring the point home.
“Wow, I haven’t seen him since . . .” she hesitated, trying to recall their last visit, “. . . since, I don’t know when.”
“Actually you did see him, the other day at the town house. He was coming in when you were going out.”
Once again, she looked surprised. “That was Little Preston?”
“Yes, in the flesh.” He took her hand and looked deep into her eyes. “Now do you believe me when I tell you that I’m not sleeping with Michele?”
She nodded her head yes. “But . . .”
“No buts, honey. Just say yes.”
“Preston, you’ve been pushing me away so much. Now you do a complete about-face and propose marriage. This has taken me totally by surprise, so I’m going to need some time to think about this unexpected turn of events.” In the back of her mind, she could hear her foster mom’s voice telling her to say yes, but after her encounter at The Black Door, she wasn’t sure what she wanted.
He slumped back in his seat, as if the oxygen had been sucked out of his lungs. Preston knew Ariel was upset with him for being preoccupied, but he didn’t think that she would actually mull over his proposal. “Take all the time you need,” he said, trying to sound sympathetic to her feelings.
“Thanks for understanding.”
But Preston didn’t understand. He knew most women wanted nothing more than white lace and promises, but Ariel had practically turned him down cold. Well, he wouldn’t pressure her tonight, but he wasn’t about to let her slip through his fingers either. He had too much riding on her decision, so one way or another she was going to be Mrs. Preston Hendricks.
14
ARIEL SAT with her back to the closed door, gazing out of the floor-to-ceiling windows of her office. The cerulean sky was cloudless and crystal clear, and she saw a jetliner streak through the picture-perfect sky and wondered where it was headed. She imagined traveling on that plane and being whisked away to a tropical island where her days consisted of eating, drinking, and fucking. Daydreams had consumed her entire day, and she found it difficult to concentrate on anything other than the massive rock that occupied her finger. She held her hand out and admired how the sun caught each exquisite facet, causing the diamond to cast off a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors. Even though she hadn’t accepted Preston’s proposal, Ariel couldn’t bring herself to take off the engagement ring; it was stunning and she was captivated by its beauty.
All morning and half of the afternoon, Ariel was racking her brain trying to figure out why Preston had made a complete 180. The only plausible reason was that he was trying to make amends for putting his impending nomination before their relationship, but his gesture of devotion couldn’t have come at a worse time. Though she loved Preston, sex with her secret lover was so explosive that it made her question if she was indeed ready to sleep with one man for the rest of her life.
Conflicting thoughts were swirling inside her head at warp speed and it was making her dizzy. Ariel needed a sounding board to help her sort through her tangled feelings. She thought about calling her foster mother, but Mrs. Grant would be anything but diplomatic; she’d probably called Preston herself and accept his proposal on Ariel’s behalf. She swiveled the chair around to the front of the desk, picked up the phone, and called Meri instead.
“Hey there,” Ariel said, trying to sound calm.
“Darling, I take it you finally have time to talk. You rushed me off the phone so fast last night that I didn’t have time to tell you about Stanton,” Meri said, wasting no time steering the conversation to her favorite topic—men.
“Who?”
“Only the most delicious man I’ve ever tasted,” Meri said, using one of her standard lines.
“Didn’t you say that about, uh, what’s his name?”
“Paul,” Meri answered, knowing exactly whom she was referring to. “Well, he was on last week’s menu. Stanton is the dish du jour, and I’m feasting on a daily basis. You should see the head on his dick; it’s so big and smooth that I can’t keep his schlong out of my mouth. And the way he eats pussy is mind blowing. I haven’t had a sixty-nine this good since 1969.” She laughed heartily.
Meri never ceased to amaze Ariel. She was the most sexual being that Ariel had ever met. Her libido was in perpetual overdrive, and she consumed men like a black widow devouring her unsuspecting prey. “How long are you going to keep this one around?” Ariel asked, knowing that Meri didn’t keep her boy toys around for too long. Once their newness wore off, she’d discard them and go to her well-stocked shelf for a new toy.
Meri let out a deep belly laugh, then said, “As long as he keeps my clit happy and his dick hard, I suspect he might stay around for a few weeks before I trade him in.”
“Oh my! That long? You must really like him,” Ariel teased.
“As a matter of fact, I do,” Meri answered seriously, dropping her cavalier tone. “He’s more than just a pretty body. Believe it or not, he actually
has a great mind. We have meaningful conversations about politics, social issues, and even religion.”
Not quite buying Meri’s change in attitude, Ariel joked. “Before, during, or after sex, of course.”
“Touché,” Meri said dryly “Anyway, enough about me. What’s going on in your world?” she asked, ready to change the subject.
“My world has been rocked and is spinning wildly on its axis,” Ariel said, staring at the engagement ring.
“Do tell, darling.”
Trying to collect her thoughts, Ariel hesitated. “I don’t even know where to start.” She sighed.
“Start with the juicy stuff first.”
“Of course, you’d want the dirt first.” Ariel chuckled. “I went back to The Black Door and—”
“And did you finally get your brains fucked out, or did you just stand around and take in the sights?” Meri interrupted.
“Meri, Meri, Meri,” she repeated, unable to fully verbalize the sensational experience. “The sex was so good, I saw stars.”
“Stars? Which one of the hunks turned you out?” Meri, asked knowing that The Black Door was brimming with sexy young studs willing and able to please at a moment’s notice.
“Who said I was turned out, missy?”
“You didn’t have to say a word; your tone says it all. So tell me, which one of the masked men tickled your fancy?”
Ariel’s mind quickly drifted back to her erotic encounter, causing her temperature to rise a few degrees. And even though Meri couldn’t see the gesture, she fanned her hand in front of her face at the memory. “Well, I didn’t see his mask until after the dirty deed was done.”
For once it was Meri who was shocked. “What do you mean?”
“He caught me totally off guard from behind, and practically dragged me into a small room. My face was pressed so close to the wall that I couldn’t see too much of anything, and when I finally turned around, he was standing right in front of me.”
“He? Who are you talking about?”
“Didn’t I tell you about the guy in the black mask?”
Meri thought for a second, recalling their last conversation about The Black Door. “No, you never mentioned anyone in a black mask.”
“I met him that first night in the stairwell and the chemistry between us was . . .” She hesitated, trying to find the right word. “Electric. I’ve never been drawn to a man like that before, not ever. My libido perked up the moment I laid eyes on him, and I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and tongue him right on the stairs.”
Meri was surprised to hear Ariel speak so candidly about desiring a man; usually she was the one who shared every single detail of her sexual exploits. “What stopped you?”
“I didn’t respond quickly enough; you have to remember this entire experience is new to me and I froze, but I was totally thawed out the other night. Whew!” She sighed. “Just thinking about him makes me hot all over.”
“So, when are you going back for more?”
“I’m not,” Ariel said flatly.
“Why? Now I’m confused. You just had the sex of your life, so why wouldn’t you go back for a double dose?”
“Because Preston proposed last night,” she said, finally getting to the real reason for the phone call.
“What?” Meri nearly dropped the receiver. “How did you guys go from barely seeing each other to getting engaged?”
“We’re not actually engaged, because I haven’t given him an answer yet. I told him I needed some time to think. His proposal came totally out of the blue, and I’m still trying to get my mind around his complete change in attitude.” Ariel went on to tell Meri the details of Preston’s proposal, and his admission of undying love.
“Sounds like you’re being paranoid, darling. All I can say is that it’s about time. You guys have been dating longer than most couples have been married. So when’s the big day?”
Ariel was surprised by her response. She expected Meri to shoot holes in Preston’s heartfelt story, since she had told Ariel numerous times that she needed to dump him for a younger man. “Maybe I am being a little paranoid, but I’d expect you of all people to understand.”
“I do understand, but I think you’re overreacting. Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?”
“Frankly, I’m not sure what I want.” Ariel exhaled loudly, obviously frustrated. “Growing up I dreamt of the perfect house, with the perfect husband and the perfect kids, but now I realize that nothing’s perfect. Least of all me and Preston. I’m having decadent sex with a stranger, and he’s blinded by a political career that will take him to Washington. I’m well established in New York, and not sure if I’m ready to pull up stakes and follow Preston to D.C.”
“Darling, don’t sound so glum. You can always transfer to Yates Gilcrest’s Washington office. Besides, I think every woman should have at least one extravagant wedding in her lifetime, and you, my dear, have yet to jump the old broom,” she said lightheartedly, trying to lift her friend’s spirits.
Contrary to popular belief, Meri was a proponent of marriage. Having been married twice, she’d experienced the good and the bad. Her first husband was a cheap tyrant who monitored every single penny she spent, and when she went over his ridiculously low budget, he cut up her credit cards and removed her name from his bank account. Unable to live underneath a microscope, she divorced him and walked away with more money than she had ever spent during their marriage. Her second husband, on the other hand, was the love of her life. He was a generous man who showered her with love and lavish gifts on a regular basis. When he died, she was devastated, and began dating younger men to dull her pain.
Ariel chuckled nervously. “It’s not about the pomp and circumstance; it’s about a lifelong commitment, and I’m just not so sure I’m ready to devote the rest of my existence to one man.”
“Hmm, does this have anything to do with your Black Door lover?” Meri asked knowingly.
Ariel didn’t say a word because she didn’t want to admit the truth. And the truth was that she couldn’t stop thinking about the masked man, and what he was like outside of the club. In the recesses of her mind, she fantasized about waking up each morning with him in her bed, how they would make love before heading off to work, and end every evening wrapped in each other’s arms.
Having been around the block more than once, Meri instinctively picked up on Ariel’s hesitancy to commit. “Listen, I know you’re probably romanticizing what it would be like to have a relationship with a handsome hunk, but trust me, the sex quickly fizzles out once you try to convert a ‘working’ man into an honest man. Darling, believe me, I know what I’m talking about; save yourself some heartache and marry Preston. He may not be the hottest bun in the bakery, but he’s a man you can depend on, someone who’ll be there when times get tough.”
Meri made a good argument. How could she possibly build a life with a gigolo? “You’re absolutely right. I’ve been living on Fantasy Island for the past few days and haven’t been thinking straight.”
“Good sex will do that to you. Just remember that The Black Door is not reality. It’s an adult playground, somewhere to go to get your brains fucked out, and nothing more. Besides, you can always go back on those nights when Preston is burning the midnight oil,” Meri teased.
“Get serious. Once I get married, I’m giving you back your red mask.”
“Oh, so you’ve made a decision?” Meri asked, noting her slip.
Not realizing what she had said, Ariel hesitated a moment to let her mind catch up with her mouth. “So it seems. The more I think about marrying Preston, the more sense it makes. He loves me, and will no doubt be a good husband. Besides, it’s not like I’m getting any younger. If I don’t get hitched now, it’ll probably never happen.”
“Spoken like a true middle-aged woman.”
“Hey, hey, speak for yourself. I’m not middle-aged yet.”
“Don’t tell anybody, but I’ll never admit to being a day over thirty-eig
ht,” Meri whispered, as if she didn’t want to be overheard.
They both let out a hardy howl. And when the laughter subsided, Meri said, “I insist on giving you an engagement soiree. You can invite anybody you like. It’ll be fabulous.”
“Can I invite my friend in the black mask?” Ariel joked halfheartedly.
“We’ll save him for the bachelorette party.”
The women chatted for an hour, discussing plans for the engagement party and wedding. The more they talked, the more excited Ariel became. Even if Preston was not the Prince Charming of her fantasies, she would make the marriage work; after all, she still had memories of The Black Door to keep her warm on those lonely nights when Preston was preoccupied with his work.
When Ariel hung up from talking with Meri, she was totally elated. Her apprehensions about getting married had quickly dissipated as they hashed out plans for an extravagant black-tie engagement party. With talks of champagne, caviar, and walking down the aisle, Ariel could feel herself being drawn into a world of caterers, engraved invitations, and florists. She wanted a quaint ceremony with close friends and family, not an over-the-top wedding like Meri had suggested. But before any plans could be finalized, she needed to formally accept Preston’s proposal.
No time like the present, she thought. Ariel looked at her watch. It was late afternoon and Preston was probably in his chambers. Instead of calling, she decided it best to tell him in person. She gathered her belongings and headed out the door.
LOWER MANHATTAN WAS a world within itself. The imposing municipal buildings with their Roman and Grecian columns and ivory steps seemed centuries away from the modern glass-and-steel skyscrapers dominating midtown. The taxi stopped in front of the federal court building, where Preston reigned, and let Ariel out. The hallways were bustling with people hurrying to hear their fate in front of a judge. She passed through security, pushed her way onto a crowded elevator, and rode up to the sixth floor to Preston’s chambers.
“Hi, Anna, is Judge Hendricks available?” she asked his secretary.
