“I wouldn’t go that far,” joked Ben.
“Regardless, you guys made a working girl’s craziest dream come true, and you absolutely didn’t have to do that. So what else can I say? Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” they answered back in unison.
“But,” and thus began Julianne’s transition into the cold and discerning talent judge, “We made an arrangement. And the arrangement was that only one of you can buy my entry into the Royale Island Yacht Club. Well, I’ve been thinking about it ever since we first made our discreet little deal, and something happened today that solidified my decision. See, and you may not believe this but it’s true, I was honestly teetering for a while. I didn’t know which one of you I wanted to bring me into this strange and amazing world. But I think I can make my decision now.”
“You’re clearly enjoying this,” teased Ben.
“Yeah, come on!” snapped the more impatient Sean. “I can’t wait any longer. You’re killing me, Julianne!”
“Relax,” she replied, as though she were addressing a caffeinated toddler. “Sean, I’m getting to that. Just give me a moment; it’s not like we’re in any sort of hurry.”
Julianne exhaled, as she prepared to deliver her verdict.
“Ben.”
“Go right ahead.”
“I have to be honest; I had my doubts about you because of your age. You look great, there’s no denying that, but our age difference could be a factor. I don’t know. It’s something I may have to deal with one day.”
“Fair enough,” replied Ben, with resigned acceptance.
“So part of me is thinking, well, how can I not turn Sean down?”
Ben wouldn’t have admitted this to anyone, but his heart sank just a little upon hearing this remark.
“Sean, you’re…young, virile, hot, and…God you’re like a machine when you’re inside me. You know, Sean, I don’t think any man has ravaged me the way you have. So that makes me think, well, incredible sex plus a seat at the tables of the New York elite? There are worse ways to spend a life.”
“I like the way you think,” replied Sean with an unwarranted feeling of triumph.
“But is that the best way to spend a life?”
“What do you mean? It’s been my entire life, basically, and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
“But it isn’t a real life, is it?”
Sean paused. There was no pre-packaged response available in his mind.
“Look,” continued Julianne. “One of the reasons I even got myself into this mess was because I was getting so bored with my sex life out there in the real world. Do you have any idea what it’s like to date in the real world? I’d rather do literally anything else with my free time. Unfortunately, if you want to occasionally have somebody help you achieve an orgasm, sometimes you have to venture out into bars for some big-dick from Hoboken to slam himself into you for less than a minute before he passes out for the rest of the night. With you guys, I know I’m never going to have that problem. Ben, you are one of the most passionate and sensual lovers I’ve ever known, and Sean, you just rock my world, there’s no other way of putting it.”
Julianne dropped the act. Her posture dropped, as she let out a deep sigh. Suddenly, this no longer felt like a game to Julianne. This brief venture into a mysterious world was about to change the course of her life forever. There was no point in playing around anymore.
“This isn’t about sex anymore. We’re long past talking about that; you guys have passed with flying colors. So now I need to ask myself: What do I really want out of this arrangement? And the truth is, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life paying bills. At a certain point, I want to kick back and enjoy the one life I have on this planet. Is that so terrible? Okay, so I want money out of this, I want financial security. Well, both of you guys can give me that. So what else do I want? I want to be with somebody who cares about me. Somebody who can be more than just my sugar daddy, you know? Somebody I, one day, might fall in love with. I’m not saying we have to get married right away, absolutely not. But this has to be about more than sex and more than money, I realize that now.”
She took two steps forward. Ben and Sean both looked directly up at her.
“I hope this doesn’t unnerve either one of you, but I think I’m starting to fall for one of you. And that’s what all of this is all about.”
A beat.
“Sean. Sean, you’re great. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met before, and I know you can give me all the money and mind-blowing sex I could ever ask for…but I don’t think you’re the right match for what I’m looking for.”
Sean’s eyelids closed halfway. He glared back with a blank stare.
“I’m sorry, Sean.” Julianne winced, as she prepared herself for an entitled white man’s wrath.
“Fair enough,” Sean simply replied instead.
Julianne braced herself. Surely Sean couldn’t be this nonchalant about the situation. Even Ben looked surprised.
“You’re not mad?” Julianne continued.
“Why should I be mad?”
“I just don’t want you to feel like I sent you on a wild goose chase for nothing.”
“To be honest,” continued Sean, as he stood. “Everything you’re saying is correct. I’m not what you are looking for. You’re looking for something a little more complicated than what I’m interested in. There are no hard feelings.”
He gestured toward Ben.
“This man will give you everything you need. Right now, I don’t care to go any deeper than physical. Having said that, Julianne, you are one hell of a woman. I hope I meet someone like you when I’m ready.”
Julianne jerked her head back in surprise.
“Thanks? I suppose?”
In this moment, Julianne confirmed to herself that she made the right decision.
Sean approached Julianne and kissed her softly on the lips. It was his most tender and sincere gesture toward Julianne during the entire period of their acquaintance. He firmly shook Ben’s hand.
“No hard feelings, Mr. Black?”
“I look forward to seeing you again, and I hope to do more business with you one day.”
As Sean headed for the exit, he stopped. A moment of curiosity had seized him. He pivoted back to Julianne.
“May I ask,” continued Sean, “what was the deciding factor?”
“I’m sorry?” asked Julianne.
“You said earlier that something happened. Something that ‘solidified’ your decision. What was it?”
“Well I wasn’t going to say, but I was a little surprised by your reaction when I fell into the water just now. You helped, yeah, but it took a little while.”
Sean let out a self-deprecating chuckle and nodded, while staring at his shoes.
“I had a feeling. Like I said, I’d never been in that situation before. That’s what I mean, Julianne. I’m a different breed; I’m not quite like the others.”
“I’d jump in next time if I were you. Girls like that.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Salute.”
Mr. Black made his exit. He discreetly showed himself out of the estate and arranged for a private helicopter to meet him at a helipad, which the servants rolled out on the main grounds. The chopper whisked him into the sky shortly thereafter. Julianne never saw him again.
Chapter Eleven
After Sean’s departure, Ben lent Julianne his cell phone. All she wanted to do was send out a quick alert text to Trisha and a few other presumed well-wishers. She also logged onto Facebook and threw up a quick, snarky observation about the weather in order to indicate to the rest of the world that she probably wasn’t dead. After the appropriate anti-S.O.S. messages were delivered, Julianne opted to take the afternoon off. Ben found himself an office space and made a few urgent calls concerning various complicated endeavors. Julianne napped peacefully until it was time for dinner.
Dinner was to be served at five o’clock in the evening. When Ben r
eturned to the room, Julianne was nowhere to be found. He left a note for Julianne instructing her on where to find the dining hall in case she couldn’t remember. Ben enjoyed a quick shave and shower to freshen himself up. With ten minutes to go before he was due to meet Julianne, he headed over to the dining room. The bartender poured a double scotch for Ben. As he calmly drank, Ben surveyed the area. He waited until the clock struck five. Still, there was no Julianne. Concerned, Ben left the dining hall and wandered into the standing area.
He spun around in a circle, hoping she would emerge in plain sight from somewhere. Ben found a servant and motioned him over. He explained the situation and asked if he could look around for Julianne. Ben stumbled over his words as he tried to describe Julianne, finding himself unable to speak about her without lapsing into romantic platitudes. In the middle of a sentence that was never going anywhere to begin with, Ben heard a voice.
“Are you looking for me?”
Ben turned.
Julianne wore a ruby pencil dress that hugged and embraced her luscious curves. She stood before him wearing stiletto heels that elegantly enhanced her perfect figure. She appeared to Ben like a goddess putting the sublunary escorts and mistresses surrounding them to shame. This was a transformation unlike any that Ben had witnessed before or since. Julianne had truly blossomed.
Ben cleared his throat. His cheeks inflamed.
“Good evening, Julianne.”
“Good evening,” she giggled. “Looks okay, right?”
“Okay? Julianne, I’m speechless.”
“Is that good speechless or bad speechless?”
“Let me show you.”
Ben wrapped his arms around Julianne and kissed her like he’d never kissed any woman before. He leaned forward and dipped her, as though they were leads in an Italian opera. The servant made a discreet egress, as the two lovers gazed into each other’s hearts.
“Shall we?”
“Whatever you say, sir.”
Ben Erickson and Julianne Wallace sat opposite each other at an opulent table for two in the center of the dining hall. They enjoyed their first round of drinks together, as they awaited their meals.
“Ben,” said Julianne, “You don’t think I hurt Sean’s feelings, do you?”
“Sean?” he raised his voice. “Never.”
“You sure? He kind of just…up and left.”
“He no longer found you useful,” Ben stated as a matter of fact.
“Harsh,” she blurted.
“I know it’s harsh, but it’s also true. He’s not a bad person at all, really. He’s an honorable businessman and a perfect gentleman. But he sees the world in terms of its uses, its practicalities. As soon as he no longer has a use for something, he chucks it away. Women, business partners, companies, you name it. That’s why he’s somewhat of an outlaw out there. But I wouldn’t worry about him. He’s probably out clubbing with some, or several, of his mistresses.”
“Fair enough,” Julianne replied. “What about you, though?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, let’s say I decided to pick Sean instead of you. How would that make you feel?”
“I’d be disappointed.”
“Disappointed?” Julianne had to pry further. “Is that all?”
“No, that’s not all. I would miss you, for one thing. I would miss seeing you.”
“Oh, but you could have still seen me.”
“You know what I mean. I really like you, Julianne, what can I say?”
“Thank you,” Julianne blushed. “I really like you too.”
They stared at each other comfortably. Suddenly, Julianne found herself picturing her future with Ben. The vision was hazy at best. All that was in focus was the two of them forever entangled in a wide variety of passionate encounters. There appeared to be a gallery of black tie onlookers wearing venetian masks and applauding out of mere courtesy.
“Can I ask you something?” said Julianne.
“Anything,” replied Ben.
“You’re a voyeur, right? You like to watch?”
“You’ve noticed.”
“Well, does your voyeurism only manifest itself whenever you take a trip out to the Royale Island Yacht Club?”
“Has somebody gotten a taste for it?”
“I want to go places with you. I want people to watch us make love, and then I want us to go back and bang each other’s brains out in private. You see, it was the watching that drove me crazy while you guys were fucking me. Whether it was you watching or Sean watching…Ben, I want to go deeper. I want you to take me all the way. I want to see everything that I’ve always dreamt of seeing. This amazing day, this was only the beginning. I got a taste. And I want more.”
“That can certainly be arranged.”
“What time does the Olympian head back? I assume we’re getting on the same boat.”
“The Olympian, yeah. The Olympian will take us back to the port.”
“Okay. Your place or mine?”
“It’ll take a little while to get there, but I might be able to call in a favor. Maybe they’ll consider dropping us off back a little further down? It’ll be a lot smoother that way.”
“I’d be delighted.”
A pause followed.
“You know what? Scratch that,” Ben changed his mind. “Let’s go back to your place.”
“Your place.”
“What?” Julianne’s jaw dropped. “Oh, no. I was kidding about that. Obviously, I’d rather go back to your place any day of the week.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“Excuse me?”
“My place is sterile. It’s great and all, it has everything I could want or need, but it isn’t real. You’re real. You’re real and that’s why I’m crazy about you.”
“Yeah, but I’d much rather be real somewhere else, trust me. My place is a dump. And it probably still stinks of the last guy I brought home, that idiot.”
“I don’t care. If it’s a problem, I have more than enough money to pick up an air freshener on the way there.”
“Well, okay. Clearly there’s no way of talking you out of this.”
“I want to make love to you on your bed. A real person’s bed.”
“That was really hot.”
Julianne got up out of her seat. She lunged forward. She caught Ben’s lips and kissed him furiously in front of everyone. As soon as she had her Ben Erickson craving satisfied, she fell back into her chair and howled.
“Oh yeah. Oh, that felt good.”
“We don’t do that sort of thing at the Royale Island Yacht Club,” Ben nonchalantly remarked.
“Oh, fuck that!” cried Julianne. “I’ve heard just about enough about Royale Island Yacht Club etiquette.”
“Well, now that you’re a member, you’re going to have to start following it to a degree.”
“Oh,” said Julianne as her heart sank. “Christ, really?”
“I’m just kidding,” chortled Ben.
Julianne creased a bright grin.
“You bastard.”
“The look on your face was worth it.”
They laughed. They spent the rest of their meal together in uninterrupted, delirious bliss. They opened up and told each other their entire life stories. Acquaintances of Ben Erickson occasionally attempted to break up the conversational flow, but their efforts were continuously rebuffed. Even some of Ben’s preferred mistresses of the past failed to make a lasting impression on the seasoned, smitten businessman.
**********************************************************
Later, at exactly quarter to seven, Ben Erickson and Julianne Wallace stepped out of the Royale Island estate and boarded the Olympian, each with a fresh glass of champagne in hand. As they waited for their departure, a barrage of business associates approached the couple atop the boat deck. Ben introduced Julianne to each and every last one. The names and faces spun around her head like a carousel careening out of control. At a certain point, Julianne stopped paying atten
tion altogether, opting for a simple nod and handshake with every new identity she encountered.
With a few minutes to go, the guests readied themselves to leave the island. The remaining dormant passengers hastened their goodbyes and scuttled off the pier and onto the Olympian. The clock struck seven. The Olympian set sail.
Predictably, an exodus down to the lower decks commenced. A dozen or so passengers remained.
“Oh boy,” said Julianne. “Orgy time?”
“Like clockwork,” Ben responded. “Do you want to join them?”
“No, I need to give my vagina a break. Besides, I’d like to keep it fresh for later.”
“That’s a good point; I think I need to give the old fella a rest myself.”
“Do they do that every single time? Go down there all at once like zombies?”
“They’ve all gone off to enjoy one last discreet bang before they return to their jobs, their colleagues, and their families.”
“Families?”
“Well, not everyone in the Royale Island Yacht Club is a swinging bachelor like me. A great number of these guys are philandering cowards, to be honest.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” sighed Julianne through her half-empty champagne glass. “Sean doesn’t have a family, does he?”
“Absolutely not. He doesn’t have a wife, and to be honest, I’m not sure if he’s ever been in any kind of serious relationship.”
“I see.”
“But we’re in the minority, I have to be honest with you.”
“So the odds were…I’d get here, I’d wind up getting involved in an affair by mistake, and then I’d be thrown back into reality, right?”
“Most likely, yes, although you probably wouldn’t have been caught by any spouse. There’s a reason we take good care to keep these meetings private. One of these days, you’ll have to introduce me to the person who got you here.”
“Oh, I cannot wait for that.” Julianne did all she could to stifle her laughter. She couldn’t wait to tell Trisha everything, so the thought of introducing her to Ben was hysterical to her.
Billionaire Romance: Royal Island Yacht Club Page 9
