It takes her a while to come down from the ceiling. She had been convinced her business would come to a grinding halt on Friday…but now they had a future. And it had to be due to Mr. Moneybags. Who else could it be? Dominica remembers the business card he gave her, and reaches for the office phone. She probably won’t get past the gatekeepers in his office, but at least she can leave a message. She hesitates for just a moment, and then makes the call. The phone rings and a female voice answers…no surprise there.
‘Mr Rockford’s office.’
‘Is it possible to speak to Mr. Rockford?’
‘I’m afraid he is in a board meeting at the moment. Can I take a message?’
‘Yes, please. Just tell him Dominica Dunn called to say ‘thank you.’”
‘Oh, Ms. Dunn…I do apologize. I didn’t realize who was calling, please forgive me.’ The receptionist sounds strangely flustered. ‘Mr. Rockford gave specific instructions to let him know if you called. Would you please hold for a moment…I’ll get him on the line.’
There was a click as she was put on hold.
Specific instructions?
What on earth was that about? The receptionist must have got her mixed up with someone else. Dominica Dunn has never been important enough for anyone to issue specific instructions to be nice to her. There is another click, but this time the voice she hears is definitely masculine, and familiar, too. It’s Mr. Moneybags himself.
‘Dominica, I’m so glad you called. I was hoping to hear from you today. You’ve been on my mind all morning. Did you sleep well after your ordeal?’
‘Oh, Max, yes I did. Very well indeed. Thank you for thinking of me. But I thought you were in a board meeting? I didn’t mean to disturb you.’
‘Oh, it’s just boring business stuff, nothing to worry about. You know, the usual – mergers and acquisitions, all that kind of thing. But that’s what I employ managers for. They can manage without me for a moment or two. I would rather talk to you – it’s much more fun. And what could be more important than having fun?’
What would Miss Executive Girlfriend say if she heard that? Dominica feels her heart take another little leap inside her chest. She tries to focus, but the words come out in a confused heap.
‘I just wanted to…what I mean is…what I am trying to say is thank you for your help – with Allerton & Wesley. I don’t know what you did, but I got the money a few minutes ago. And I know that wasn’t a co-incidence. They’ve been giving me the runaround for weeks. Then within hours of mentioning it to you, they are in a big hurry to pay up. Don’t try and tell me your influence isn’t in there somewhere.’
Max laughs softly. ‘OK, I admit it. I found out that Allerton & Wesley is a supplier to one of my companies. We do a lot of business with them, millions of dollars if you add it all up. I made it clear that unless they pay their bills on time, we won’t renew their contract. I won’t work with businesses that try to cheat suppliers. Allerton got a shock when I told him that. Nearly had a heart attack. So I think all your invoices will be paid promptly in future.’
Dominica is almost dancing on the spot, but she tries to stay calm. ‘You did that for me? You are too kind…I wish I could do something to repay you.’
‘Well, I’m so glad you said that, because actually – you can. I would like you to join me for dinner tonight. Nothing formal, just a quiet evening together. Then I will consider us to be quits. How does that sound to you?’
‘Dinner? Oh, gosh. I don’t know…’ Dominica is a little shocked. That is pretty much the last thing she expected. What she hoped for, maybe, but definitely not what she expected. Max sounds rather disappointed.
‘Oh, what’s the problem? Do you have a prior engagement for the evening?’
Oh yes, I have an important prior engagement with a microwave oven and the vacuum cleaner. It’s been in my diary for weeks. But bollocks to them…I am not turning down the opportunity to dine with a hunk, no matter how unlikely it all sounds.
Dominica tries to sound casual and unconcerned, even though her heart is fluttering.
‘Oh, yes…I had some plans, but don’t worry about that. I can make a few phone calls and rearrange things. There’s nothing that I can’t change.’
Yeah, I can rearrange things – I’ll postpone my appointment with the vacuum cleaner until the weekend. The dust will just have to wait.
‘Perfect. It will be great to see you again. I think we will have a lovely evening. I’ll pick you up at your house at eight, then. Does that work for you?’
‘Oh yes, Max. That would be wonderful.’
Wonderful? Wrong word…that sounds too keen. You should have just said ‘OK.’ Never mind, too late now.
In a moment, he is gone, and she realizes she is sitting staring into the receiver waiting for something to happen. She puts the phone down, but is unable to concentrate on any work. Dominica finds herself staring at her computer screen, but not actually doing anything. Too many thoughts are racing through her mind. She has a date with Mr. Moneybags tonight. And she hardly knows anything about him. Time to do some research. Thank God for Google. She fires up the laptop on her desk and types ‘max rockford’ into the search engine. The first result is a Wikipedia page. Heck, you have to be somebody to have one of those. And it’s not one of those stubs that nobody has bothered to add any content to. This is the full works.
She checks out the photo on the right hand side, and recognizes him as being the right Max Rockford…definitely the guy who was in her kitchen last night. Rather drier and better groomed, but definitely the man with the Merc. She reads on with considerable interest:
…Maxwell Rockford is the third generation CEO of Randal Rockford International, founded by his grandfather Randal over forty years ago. The business expanded greatly under the ambitious leadership of his father, William. Maxwell Rockford is now engaged in transforming the business into a truly global empire that can survive and prosper in the international economy of the 21st century and beyond. The company has expanded into a range of new markets, from telecommunications to green-energy solutions. Max Rockford has once again been nominated for the annual Business Person of the Year Award in recognition of his achievements…
All that is interesting, very interesting indeed. Max Rockford is quite the tycoon, it seems. Amazing what you can do when you inherit the family millions. But if that part is interesting, the next bit is fascinating…
Rockford has been linked to various ladies romantically throughout his career, but he remains single and despite on-going rumours, does not seem ready to commit to marriage. He is known to be a tough businessman with a no-nonsense approach to management…
Dominica pauses. A no-nonsense approach to management. That makes sense. The kind of approach that gets CEOs out of bed to apologize to an insignificant supplier. She finds herself smiling…wondering exactly what was said to John Allerton to get his butt kicking into action so quickly. She would have loved to have been a fly on his wall during that conversation.
So he has been ‘linked to various ladies romantically’ – well, that’s hardly a surprise. No doubt he only has to click his fingers and they all come running. But why isn’t he ready to commit to marriage yet? Has he just not met the right woman? With all the choice he would have, that seems a little unlikely. Maybe he just enjoys being a rampant playboy – the next generation Hugh Heffner.
But the big question is, why on earth is Mr. Moneybags interested in spending the evening with her? After all, she is plain old Ms. Dominica Dunn. He wasn’t after her money – because she didn’t have any. There wouldn’t be much change out of the 40K once the bills and salaries were paid. And anyway, he clearly had more than enough money of his own. And it was hardly likely to be her body. As the Wikipedia page made clear, he had all the hot Miss Executive Girlfriends he could wish for, waiting in line. So what did he want with a redhead soccer mom and her freckles?
Well, maybe she would figure that out later. The more pressing question was, wha
t should she wear? She briefly toyed with the idea of breaking into the 40K and going on a spending spree…but that was out of the question. That money belonged to the business and was already allocated. There was a woman shopaholic inside her who thought investing a few thousand dollars in tonight’s date would be a good investment. Fortunately, the sensible business executive won the argument. This was clearly going to be a one off – not worth jeopardizing her business for, especially when she had just won it back.
She would have to make do with what she had. Her budget might just about stretch to a new pair of shoes…as long as they were on special.
Leila pokes her head in to say that her ten o’clock was waiting in the reception area.
Ten o’clock…already?
The day is drifting by in a day dream. Dominica kicks herself back into business mode, and the morning passes quickly in the usual whirl of meetings and phone calls. She finds it hard to focus on the mundane mix of press conferences, interview scheduling and product placement that takes up her day. She would like to tell her clients to go away - she has a hot date with an even hotter guy to worry about. But somehow, she manages to fake her way through the meetings without putting her foot in it or offending any self-obsessed VIPs.
At lunchtime, she heads straight for the bank and deposits the 40K check. When she hands it to the cashier, she half expects it to be returned with a shake of the head and a stamp marked ‘Forgery.’ But the cashier takes the check without any complaint. Dominica asks for a balance on the account, and is greatly relieved to see the funds safely deposited.
Thank you, Max…thank you very much indeed!
Then she hits the shops and spends an extended lunch hour trawling for shoes. Eventually, she finds a pair that she not only likes, but which she can also afford – a rare and giddy combination. They are red leather with higher heels than she usually wears, but they make her feel more elegant somehow – the kind of shoes that Miss Executive Girlfriends probably wear. All she has to do now is practice walking in them without looking like a drunk on stilts. That turns out to be a little harder than she expected. During a quiet half hour in the office that afternoon, she gives them a trial, and finds that walking in them is a challenge. But after a little practice, she discovers she can cross the office without much danger of falling over and breaking her ankle.
Great!
Dominica is starting to feel like a woman again.
3: Passion On The Menu
Dominica leaves work early for once, and the traffic on the homeward journey is heavy, but moving freely enough to get her home with plenty of time to prepare for her big evening. She soaks in the bath for half an hour, then spends an hour dressing and putting on her make up.
By the time eight o’clock rolls around, she is feeling like a princess, albeit a princess with sore ankles where her new high heels are already biting into her flesh. She slips a band aid onto the back of each ankle to stop the pain getting worse. Maybe the new shoes were not such a great idea.
But looking in the mirror, there is no denying that she looks sensational. She has chosen a white dress to show off her flaming red hair, with red accessories to match. Her hair is brushed out and flowing round her shoulders, and her lips are painted as red as her shoes. She is ready to make an impression wherever she goes. This promises to be a very exciting evening.
The doorbell rings on the stroke of eight, and she opens the door to find Max standing on her doorstep with an enormous bunch of flowers. He is immaculately groomed, in another expensive tailored suit, with a white shirt and a red tie. A very desirable bachelor indeed.
This is my date? There must be some mistake…
She wishes Jo was there to see this – she would be jumping up and down with excitement. Max seems pretty impressed with the vision of beauty standing before him.
‘Wow! Good evening, Ginger…you look absolutely stunning. I must say, that dress is a big improvement on the bedraggled-lady-with-tire-iron look. Oh, I brought you some flowers. I hope you like them.’
It would have been hard to miss the oversized bunch, but Dominica feigns surprise, as if she has only just noticed what he is holding. She gushes her thanks and takes them into the kitchen and places them in water, the heady scent of the flowers filling the room. Then they are both outside, walking down the driveway to the familiar Mercedes. Dominica tries not to walk with a limp. As she heads down the driveway, she looks discretely at her neighbor’s house. Just as she expected, the curtains are pulled to one side, and a familiar face is gawping at the sight of the two of them walking down the drive. Dominica winks at her neighbor.
Well, Maryanne…that will give you something to gossip about for a day or two. Bet you didn’t expect to see your friend next door stepping out with a millionaire, did you? What do you think about that, then?
She gives Maryanne a knowing smile, then continues down the drive, knowing full well that her neighbor won’t stop staring until the car has left the street. When they reach the Merc, Max opens the door for her again, and she slips inside, wondering how all this can be happening.
‘You didn’t tell me where we are going,’ she says politely, but Max only grins in reply.
‘Of course I didn’t. If I did, it would hardly be a surprise, would it? You’ll have to wait and see. But I think you’ll like it. We’re going on a magical mystery tour.’
Great. Now I have no idea whether I am overdressed or underdressed…not that there is much I can do about it now. Stop worrying, just relax and enjoy it for as long as you can. Soon he is going to realize that you are not Miss Executive Girlfriend material, then you will be out on your butt. Again. But multi-millionaires don’t drop into your lap every day, so hang on to him as long as you can, Dominica Dunn.
‘It’s great just to be out,’ she says. ‘I’ve spent enough evenings in front of the TV with a microwave dinner. Jo is a wonderful daughter, but teenage talk can drive you nuts after a while – all Facebook and boy bands. It’s really great to have a conversation with someone who is about my own age.
Max gives her a puzzled glance. ‘But surely you must go on plenty of dates? An attractive woman like you must get more than your fair share of attention.’
‘Well, a few dates here and there…but most of them are not exactly nights to remember. There are guys who seem to be just about perfect…and then disappear without a trace. Then there are others who are perfect…except they turn out to be married. There was even one who admitted he was actually gay, but trying to make it work with a woman for the sake of his career. Believe me, I’ve had them all.’
‘Ouch! You deserve better than that. Well, just for the record, I’m not married, and I’m not gay, either. So let’s see if we can make this evening one that you do want to remember.’
‘Well, the bar isn’t very high…so I am sure you can ace it. As long as you take me somewhere one step up from KFC, you will already be ahead of the game.’
They both laugh, and Dominica realizes this is already the best evening she has enjoyed for a while. In fact, she would be happy with KFC, or Taco Bell, or Denny’s. Even if they just went to McDonalds and had a burger and fries, she would be very glad to be out with Max. He just oozed confidence and authority, as if he was always in charge of the situation. That’s probably a result of growing up with money, she thinks – it’s easy to be confident when you have a few million dollars to back up your authority.
Of course, they don’t go to McDonalds. Or KFC, or any other fast food joint. Dominica is expecting to go to some restaurant downtown – probably one of the ones where she couldn’t afford the starter, let alone a whole meal. She intends to offer to pay her share, yet is worried about whether her credit card will stand the strain. But the Mercedes sweeps past Downtown and heads out of the city. They cut through the mountains, and then they are hugging the coast. The properties are further apart here, more exclusive and more expensive. Now they are in the world of gated communities and million-dollar views.
The
Merc eats up the miles effortlessly, and soon they reach the marina at the end of Main Beach. This is the playground of the rich, with the masts of multi-million dollar yachts bobbing in the breeze. Even in the fading light of dusk, Dominica can taste the money in the air. It’s a different world from the one she is used to living in, as different as night from day. This is her chance to see how the other half live, it seems.
Max pulls up in front of a barrier, winds down his window and swipes a card though a card reader. The barrier opens, and they motor slowly into the most private and expensive part of the marina. He drives along the seafront, and then pulls up in front of one of the largest yachts.
‘We’re here,’ he says. ‘Let’s get on board.’
‘On this yacht?’ Dominica is puzzled. ‘I thought we were going for dinner…’
‘Yes, that’s right. Dinner at sea…you’ll love it. Trust me.’
Oh, boy…wait until I tell Jo about this. It will blow her mind. This is going to be one truly awesome evening…’
As they walk up towards the yacht, she realizes just how big it really is. This thing is enormous. She doesn’t know the first thing about yachts, but you don’t need to be an expert to understand that this beast cost a fortune. Although ‘beast’ is not a fair description. In fact, it is a beautiful vessel, clearly designed for speed as well as comfort. She wonders vaguely how much a yacht like this would cost. More than she could earn in multiple lifetimes, certainly.
He takes her hand and leads her to the gangplank. His grip is firm and sure, and she shivers slightly on the contact. Max detects the movement.
‘Are you cold?’
‘No, not at all. It’s a beautiful evening,’ she smiles. And it is. The spring moon peeps out from behind the clouds, lighting up the evening sky and glistening off the white surface of the yacht cabin. Soon they are inside, and it is like stepping into a five-star hotel. Not like a boat at all. If it wasn’t for the occasional movement of the floor under her feet, she would have forgotten they were in a yacht. She finds herself in a lounge decorated with sofas and low tables, with soft lighting casting gentle shadows around the room. She wonders how many businessmen Max has entertained in this room – and more to the point, how many Miss Executive Girlfriends?
The Domination of Dominica Dunn: Discovering New Worlds of Sexual Sensation Page 4
