“Excellent,” Alexander replied. “So am I.”
***
In the morning, Alexander gently woke Dana up and told her to start packing. Their flight back to Los Angeles was to leave at 11:30. They enjoyed a quick but delicious breakfast before packing their bags.
After she had loaded up her bags – of which there were several more than when she had arrived – Dana took one last walk around their penthouse suite. Alexander came in to find her.
“Our car is waiting downstairs,” he said.
“Okay,” Dana replied. She paused for a moment. “Thank you, Alexander. This has been an amazing trip.”
“My pleasure,” he replied. “I was glad to have your company. Let’s go.”
They met the bellhop by the elevator. Together, they all rode down to the ground floor. Dana waited while Alexander checked out, and together they headed out to the Limousine that was waiting for them on the street. Alexander tipped the bellhop and they were off.
Dana’s nose pressed against the window the entire ride. The car took a different route back to the airport, and she was able to see some of the quieter, prettier areas of the Upper East Side. In that moment, Dana hoped that she would one day come back for a longer visit – but in the spring or summer. The grey and drizzle dampened her mood.
The limo sat in traffic for a while. Dana tried to engage Alexander in conversation, but he was glued to his phone.
“Business correspondence,” he had said. “I’m sorry to be bad company. I have to get these things done by tomorrow morning, unfortunately.”
“I understand,” Dana said.
Just like at LAX, the limo drove past the commercial terminals, where enormous crowds of people were unloading their cars and checking in. Dana and Alexander were let off in front of a small, modern building and into a private waiting area that was significantly smaller than the one they’d been in at LAX. Alexander still wasn’t feeling particularly talkative. Dana noticed that he was making spreadsheets on his laptop.
I guess no amount of money can release you from the reality of Microsoft Excel, she lamented to herself as she enjoyed a complimentary parfait and mimosa. It was only a few more hours until she returned to her workaday life, but she was grateful for the taste of luxury she’d experienced on Alexander’s dime.
Before long, they boarded Alexander’s jet. Dana sat at one of the tabled seats, and Alexander sat on the other side. He immediately pulled out his laptop and got back to work. Dana decided that she was going to read. After the plane took off, however, she found herself glued to the giant window of the plane, staring down at the changing landscape below. She hadn’t gotten to see it the first time around. For some reason, six hours flew by when she kept her eyes out the window.
As the green farmland turned into brown plateaus and then enormous mountains, Dana decided to take her camera out and snap a few pictures of the ground. She took several, then pointed her camera at Alexander, who promptly put his hand in front of his face.
“No candids,” he said without a hint of humor and barely looking up from his computer.
Dana apologized. He is in some mood today. Dana realized at that moment that Alexander was a fundamentally moody man.
She stared out the window until she recognized the landscape below: the barren desert of Death Valley, the oasis of Palm Springs, the sprawl of San Bernardino County, and then the sprawl of Los Angeles. The plane descended and Dana watched the city and coastline come closer into view.
Fifteen minutes later, the plane had landed. Alexander wiped his brow in exasperation and shut the lid of his laptop.
“I’m glad to be back,” he said.
“Me too,” Dana replied, feeling slightly disoriented from the trip and the time change.
“Let’s get you a car home.”
They descended the steps of the plane and hopped into a car that took them back to the private terminal. There, Alexander spoke with the concierge and arranged a car ride home for Dana.
“Come, I’ll walk you to the door,” Alexander said.
A bellhop had loaded Dana’s bags onto a cart. He pushed them out behind her.
“Thank you for coming with me,” Alexander said, taking Dana in an embrace.
“Thank you for taking me,” Dana said. “I never thought I’d experience anything like that.”
“Well, that’s our deal, isn’t it?” Alexander smirked.
Dana hesitated.
“Yeah, it is.” She felt a little strange. It was as if she had to keep reminding herself of the relationship’s boundaries – to stop her mind before it started going other places.
“I’ll be in touch.” Alexander smiled as Dana climbed into her car and headed home to Burbank.
The driver had just helped Dana unload her bags onto the sidewalk in front of her apartment building. Before she had advanced three feet toward the stairs, Dana’s phone began to ring. It was Jessica.
“Hello?” Dana said, trying not to sound exhausted.
“Dana! I meant to call you earlier and tell you that James Blake’s show was postponed! He got stuck at the airport and they had to push the show back to tomorrow night. I still have that extra ticket. Do you want to go?”
“Sure, sounds fun.”
“Great! See you tomorrow at the Airliner.”
Dana hung up her phone, lugged her bags just barely into her apartment, and crashed in her bed for the rest of the afternoon.
I wonder what William’s been up to? She thought as she drifted off.
***
On her way to the Airliner the next night, Dana was singing along to ‘We Are the Champions’ at the top of her lungs. Work had been pretty uneventful until Graciela had approached her desk at the end of the day and given her a raise.
“I can’t justify paying you your current salary for the caliber of work you’ve been doing,” she had said. “Consider this an advance on a promotion a little further down the road.”
Dana was glad that she had made plans to go out, because she planned on celebrating her good fortune. She arrived at the club, found some street parking, and looked for Jessica outside.
Dana recognized Jessica’s delicate, leggy frame waving at her from the confines of a tiny white bandage dress. They greeted each other with a hug.
“Thank you so much for this ticket! How’ve you been?” Dana asked as she released Jessica from her embrace.
“I’ve been great! Everything is going well.” Dana admitted that she did look particularly glowing.
“I’m so glad that I agreed to come! I just found out today that I got a raise.”
Jessica’s eyes widened and her face opened into a huge smile.
“Oh my God! I’m so happy for you!” She hugged Dana again. “Let me buy you a drink – even though you should probably buy me a drink.” She laughed.
Dana laughed and thanked Jessica as they presented their tickets and walked inside the dim nightclub.
Dana heard the dance music thumping upstairs as Jessica grabbed them some cocktails.
“So, what did you do this weekend?” Jessica asked as they made their way upstairs into the main room.
Dana thought quickly to come up with a suitable lie.
“Well, I decided to go decompress in Joshua Tree with my brother. He was down from San Francisco for the weekend. I’d never been before. We just got a little room at an inn and sat by the pool.”
“You don’t look any tanner,” Jessica replied.
“Oh! Well, I used super high SPF sunblock. Yeah. I burn easily. Gotta be super careful. But yeah, Joshua Tree was really nice.” Dana tried to change the subject. “Anyway, I listened to James Blake’s music and I really liked it. I’m excited for the show.”
Jessica took Dana’s cue and dropped the subject. “Yeah, it’s going to be really fun -” Jessica was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and shrieked with delight at the sight of the equally tall, beautiful girl who had come up behind her. They exchanged a fierce
embrace and started chatting. Jessica pointed to Dana.
“This is my friend, Dana. She’s new to the city and I’ve been showing her some fun stuff to do. Dana, this is my old friend, Brittany. We haven’t seen each other for like, two years!” Jessica shrieked and embraced her friend again.
“Nice to meet you.” Dana extended her hand out to Brittany, who took it delicately.
“Dana’s a fashion photographer!” Jessica exclaimed. Brittany’s eyes widened.
“Cool!”
“The show’s probably not going to start for a while. Will you be cool if Britt and I go out back and have a few cigarettes?” Jessica looked slightly guilty.
“Oh, yeah – I’ll be fine,” Dana said, not wanting to make a big deal. She hated being alone in a crowded room.
Jessica and Brittany disappeared to the back patio of the club. Anxious, Dana sucked down the last of her drink and immediately went back down to the bar to order another. She took her place in the three-deep throng that had accumulated.
Dana’s feet were starting to get sore from waiting, until she felt a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw none other than William Levy, the man she’d put at the back of her mind all weekend, standing in front of her.
“Fancy seeing you here,” he smiled.
Dana felt a surge of joy at the sight of William’s shiny, toothy smile. She gave him a hug.
“Do you like James Blake?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” He smiled and looked into Dana’s eyes. “Let me buy that next drink for you.” Before Dana could object, William had thrown his card down on the counter and captured the bartender’s attention.
Dana had never seen William so dressed down. He looked positively ‘normal’ in a clean, striped t-shirt and straight leg jeans. His hair was a little messy, and Dana concluded that she had never seen him quite so handsome.
Drinks in hand, William led Dana to the corner of the dimly lit room and backed her into the wall. Not feeling the need to converse first, he began to lightly kiss her lips and neck. Dana’s concern at the PDA slipped away as she caved to the gentle, warm softness of his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and lost herself in William’s kisses.
Dana heard the heavy door click open a few feet away. She opened one eye to see who was coming in. Two tall men entered first, and Dana was relieved that it was nobody. A few seconds later, she caught sight of two familiar-looking girls trailing behind.
Oh God, Dana thought as she saw Brittany and Jessica follow the two men inside. Before she could shuffle herself away from William, it was already too late. Jessica stood in the doorway, mouth agape, and let out a laugh of pure disbelief.
---
Part 5: An Irresistible Opportunity
“Oh. My God.” Jessica nearly dropped her drink on the ground where she stood, mouth agape, blinking in disbelief at the sight of Dana Jacobs pinned against the wall of the Airliner night club by William Levy.
Dana froze. She was completely at a loss for what to do, so she forced herself out from under William and ran toward the club exit. William stood for a moment, flabbergasted. He looked over at Jessica, maintaining his cool.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said over the blare of the music, conveying disapproval with his eyes.
Jessica didn’t move. She only blinked in acknowledgement as William ran out of the club in search of Dana.
He found her standing in the parking lot, leaning on her car and crying softly. She looked up and saw William, his face displaying unmistakable exasperation. Dana sighed.
“My life is over, isn’t it?” she asked.
“What makes you say that?” William asked. He wrapped his arms around her in a calming embrace.
Dana realized that she couldn’t say anymore. William didn’t know about her affair with Alexander – at least, she didn’t think he did.
“Don’t worry about her. I’ll take care of it at the office tomorrow.”
Dana forced a smile through her anxious tears. She appreciated William’s ability to figure out what she meant without her having to say it. William pulled her closer.
“Come on; let’s get out of here. Where would you like to go? I’ll go with you.” He stroked Dana’s hair.
“Anywhere but here,” Dana cried.
“Would you like to go my house? We can stop at Millie’s Diner on the way – if you’re hungry, that is.”
“Let’s go to your house.” Dana nearly cut him off. “Do you have food there?”
William laughed. “I probably have everything you’d need to cook whatever you would order at Millie’s. And someone to cook it, too.” He caught himself. “I’m sorry – I don’t mean to brag –“
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just your life.” Dana smiled. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”
“Good,” William replied. “I took a car here anyway.” He winked. They both climbed into Dana’s car.
“It’s not quite what you’re used to, I know.” Dana blushed.
“Nonsense. Believe it or not, I’m not terribly picky.”
Dana was taken aback for a moment. Surely he was only talking about cars.
“Except when it comes to women –“ William smirked wittily.
Relieved, Dana backed out of her parking spot and zoomed down Broadway. She realized that William didn’t know that she knew where he lived.
“Tell me where we’re going,” she lied.
“I live in Malibu,” William replied. “I’ll guide you there. Just head toward the PCH for now.”
Dana had driven to Malibu often enough by then to know that it was going to take them almost an hour to get there. With William in the car, she was okay with this. She was taking more of a shine to William and his graces with every passing minute in his presence. She laughed silently when she realized that the idea of being stuck in a car with him was actually appealing.
I hope he’s feeling the same way right now, she thought. I feel like I just made a total fool of myself.
“I want to know more about you.” William snapped Dana out of her thoughts.
“That’s such a broad question.” Dana fumbled for words. “What, exactly, do you want to know?” She stared straight out the windshield.
“I don’t know. Tell me about your life before you moved to LA.”
Dana thought for a moment.
“It was pretty…um…boring, to be honest. I grew up in a small city in central California. I lived in a house on a cul-de-sac. I wasn’t popular in high school and I kept my nose in my schoolwork when I went to college...then I moved to LA, and now we’re sitting in the same car, talking about my life. That’s it in a nutshell, I guess.”
William chuckled.
“But you’re a photographer. You’re creative and you’re amazing at what you do. Most boring girls don’t become successful photographers right out of college.”
Dana’s blushing cheeks were visible even in the darkness of her car.
“There’s clearly something very special about you.”
“I can’t imagine what that might be,” Dana replied, a hint of despondence in her voice. She had always had difficulty taking such sincere compliments.
Silence washed over Dana and William for a moment.
“Did I tell you I got a raise today?” Dana chirped. “My boss wants to promote me in a few months.”
“That’s what I mean!” William exclaimed. “You’re so good at what you do – everybody else sees it too.”
Dana froze, unable to acknowledge William’s compliment.
William looked at her, a note of surprise on his brow. “Do you not believe that you’re as amazing as everybody else sees you?”
“I guess I just do what I do and try not to think about myself so much.”
“A sophisticated, intelligent, charming, graceful, talented, beautiful girl like you should know that she’s a complete catch. Any guy is lucky to be with you.”
Dana’s face, which had been progre
ssively reddening in the darkness, was now as red as a beet.
“I suppose I could say the same of you,” Dana replied meekly.
“We’re just two very lucky people right now. Lucky to be sitting in this car with each other.”
“You can say that again.” Dana smiled, not averting her gaze from the windshield. William ran a hand through her hair as she drove. She paused.
“Maybe I should get better at taking compliments.”
“If you do, I’ll compliment you all the time.” William looked at her and smiled, still entangling his strong, warm fingers in her hair.
“I would like that,” Dana replied. “What about you? Tell me about your life.”
“I’ve lived here all my life. I’ll probably die here too. ‘Living and dying in LA.’”
“Fair enough,” Dana replied. “What were you like when you were a kid?”
“Let’s see…” he scratched his chin, thinking. “I followed the rules and did what I was told most of the time. I worked hard in school even though I could have skated by and still made out okay. I spent most of my childhood working to gain the trust of my father so that I could have his support in starting my company.” He paused again.
“My upbringing was far from normal, but I’m pretty boring. I admit it. It doesn’t shame me. I’m a boring guy who works hard. But I make an effort to play hard, too…anyway, it seems like we both think that we’re boring people with boring stories.”
“But I don’t think you’re a boring guy at all, William. I find you utterly fascinating.” Dana’s voice conveyed yearning sincerity.
“Nor do I think you’re boring, and I also find you fascinating.” William smiled and looked admiringly at Dana as he continued to play with her hair. They both laughed.
They hit a small snarl of traffic once they hit the Pacific Coast Highway, but Dana could not have been happier than she was in that moment, stuck in her car with a man who thought she was as amazing and interesting as she found him.
***
The ‘Malibu City Limits’ sign shone brightly, illuminated by Dana’s headlights. William directed her off of the Pacific Coast Highway and onto a winding side road that turned gradually up the height of one of Malibu’s many tall hills. It looked vaguely familiar to Dana because she had seen it the night she stayed at Alexander’s house, but she pretended to be completely unfamiliar with the roads in William’s presence.
The Virgin and the Billionaires: The Complete Series Page 13
