City Vibes - Complete Series (BWWM Interracial Billionaire Romance)

by Violet Jackson

  “Tell me about your dates.” She demanded.

  Reese rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze to the four tables she had at the moment. They were all at some point in the middle of consuming their entres so she had a good ten minutes before anyone needed anything. “We've been on like four. We got coffee once,” Reese smiled at the memory of making out with Daniel in the middle of central park, “then he took me to this tapas place one night, and then we saw a movie last Saturday, and the other day we went to an exhibit at MOMA.”

  Maria raised an eyebrow. “Is he actually artistic? Or is he just pretending to be because he knows you are.”

  “Oh please. Don't be silly.”

  “Reese.” Maria ducked her head. “You are literally the most quirky, crazy, creative person I know.”

  Reese nodded. “Right, and Daniel is pretending to be something he's not to impress me.”

  “Well, are you trying to impress him?” Maria demanded.

  She glowered at her. “I don't think that's even possible.”

  Maria laughed humorously. “You don't think he expects you to be someone you're not?”

  “Well, I'm not gonna be someone other than me, so I don't know why that would even come up.”

  Maria cocked her head to one side. “Come on, Reese. You two are too different from each other.”

  “I'm sorry!” Reese retorted. “I didn't realize you were born in 1832. You know we have a black president now right?” She replied.

  Maria sighed. “Don't be like that.” She placed a reassuring hand on Reese's shoulder. “Just think about it. You hate money and he's a stock broker. You've seen the sleazy fucks he works with.”

  Reese leaned in to Maria, her heart pounding in frustration. “You're a waitress. Yet no one's going to call you a failure at life because of it.”

  Maria grimaced. “Damn, bitch. The claws come out.”

  “I have no tolerance for people as judgmental as you.” Reese pushed herself off the table and made to leave.

  However Maria grabbed her arm. “You're five years younger than him and in a completely different socio-economic situation. You're kidding yourself if you think, for one moment, that he cares more about you than he does his money, or that you're more to him than just a token beautiful black girl to parade around.”

  Reese tried to rip her arm out of Maria's grip, but failed. “You're a jealous bitch.” She hissed.

  Maria raised an eyebrow, completely unphased by Reese's insult. “I'm just trying to protect you.” She replied in a matter of fact.

  Reese was finally able to tear herself away from her. She sauntered down the back hallway that lead to the kitchen, her face flushing and her blood boiling hotter and hotter. She couldn't believe Maria had said all of those things to her. I mean how dare she? If the roles had been switched Reese would have been nothing but supportive of her. What was it about Reese that made her romance with Daniel so unbelievable? Who cared about the money, and "status", because Daniel obviously did not. So what about the age difference? Couldn't an older man find a younger mind attractive? And Race? C'mon this was New York City, interracial couples were more common than bed bugs. What, did Maria just think that Reese couldn't possibly be smart enough to captivate someone like her? God, what kind of friend was she anyways? She was supposed to hold Reese up, not pick apart every one of her accomplishments. It wasn't fair for Maria to make her doubt herself like this. Because that was just it: she was making her doubt herself.

  Once under the harsh lights of the kitchen, Reese went straight for the ice box and pressed her entire body inside of it. Her eyes were stinging with the beginnings of tears as she thought about all the time she had gone out in public with Daniel and was finding it harder and harder to convince herself that everyone that saw them wasn't thinking the same thing Maria was. As Reese thought of the admittedly logical assumptions that someone like Daniel could never find someone like Reese mentally or economically impressive she couldn't help but feel sick to her stomach. The overwhelming realization that she lost in the fight with his money on his list of priorities made her want to quit right there.

  Just as this thought crossed her mind, Frank yanked the freezer door open. His jaw dropped at the sight of Reese curled into a ball on the semi-frozen ground. “What the-”

  “Yes?” She replied in a wavering voice.

  He gestured with his thumb behind him, “I just had to drop off half of your checkbooks for you. What the hell are you doing in here?”

  Reese shook her head slowly. “I just needed some air.” She replied.

  Frank let out one dry chuckle. “You are so needy.” He wrapped his large hands around her wrists and helped her up. “You've still got a shift to finish.”

  Reese nodded and stepped out of the ice box.

  “Oh, and someone is waiting for you at the bar.” Frank added as he locked the door behind her.

  Reese cleared out her last two tables and crossed the slight threshold that separated the dining room from the bar to find Daniel waiting for her, a chilled glass filled with beer in his left hand and his iPhone in his right. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of his hair, tousled by a full day of work, his tie loosened and his lips pursed as he concentrated on whatever text message or email he was drafting.

  “Hey.” She murmured when she was just within ear shot of him.

  He straightened up at the sound of her voice and placed his phone on the marble bar. He then stood up, holding his arms slightly open for a hug. When Reese eagerly obliged, he planted a kiss on her forehead. “I came to visit you.” He murmured.

  “I can see that.” Reese replied.

  He furrowed his brow as he stared intently into her eyes. His perfect lips folded into a deep frown. “Is everything all right?”

  Reese's eyes went wide as she realized how bad she must have looked. Not only had she just finished a four-hour waitress shift, but she had literally just stopped sobbing in the freezer. Her hands flew to her face as she struggled to swiped the smeared eyeliner from under eyes and put her hair back together. “Yeah. I'm just... uhm tired.”

  “Well, that's too bad.” He replied lightheartedly. “Because I was going to invite you to stay at my place tonight.”

  Reese gulped. There was nothing she wanted more right now than to spend the entire night with Daniel. “Oh. Well, I'll be fine. I'm just... I just really want to be done here.”

  A crooked smile brightened his face. “I thought so.” He then glanced over her shoulder at the dwindling dining room. “So how long do you think you will be?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “I don't know. I only have one table left. So, maybe... thirty minutes?”

  Daniel nodded and kissed her again on the forehead. “All right. I'll be right here waiting.”

  Reese beamed her heart singing with a relief she couldn't logically placed. “Thanks.” She muttered as she skipped away.

  Chapter 7

  Reese's eyes fluttered at the sight of Daniel's car in a parallel space on the side of Per Se. Although she had seen it almost five times since she met him, something about the sight of his midnight blue Audi, the moonlight glinting off of the dark headlights and sharp rims, took her breath away. Daniel unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for her before taking his own place in the driver's seat. She settled in to the leather, its smell filling her nose and relaxing her mind. “You're car makes me want to sleep.” She murmured.

  Daniel laughed. “That wasn't really the reaction I was going for.” He mumbled as he put the car in drive and maneuvered out of the parking space and into the busy street beyond.

  “Don't worry. It's a compliment. I swear.”

  “I was hoping it would dazzle you.” he joked.

  Reese plastered a curious smile on her face. “You don't need a car to dazzle me.”

  “Oh?” Daniel replied as he glanced at her. “So tell me, what is it that will dazzle you?”

  She sighed. “Well, if I'm looking to be dazzled.... which I'm mo
st likely not... it would take a lot more than a car.”

  When Daniel didn't respond, Reese pressed her forehead against his window and watched as the skyscrapers, their shapes skewed by the shadows of the night and the glaring light seeped into her line of vision, then slipped out of her consciousness. She kept her eyes wide open, taking in the images of thin women in Burberry pea coats and LV heels slamming against the unforgiving pavement as unforgiving 40-somethings and 50-somethings rushed from their cafe's and office buildings to their dinner dates and Broadway shows. The blown out girls and shiny necklaces wisped around in the night, always just out of reach. Reese sighed to herself as Daniel pulled up to the awning of what looked like a large, elaborate apartment complex. One quick look at a cross-street told her she was somewhere around East 104th street and Park Avenue.

  A man in a hat and a cap hopped up to the car and whipped the door open for her. She shot him a half-hearted smile as he took her hand and guided her out of the car. By the time her feet hit the pavement, Daniel had already come around the front of the car and was handing his keys to the valet. “Good evening Mr. Scott.” he greeted him.

  Daniel just nodded at him, then slipped his right arm around Reese's waist as the doorman opened the door for them. When they entered the lobby that looked as if it had been carved out of Mt. Olympus, Reese balled up her apron in an attempt to make it as small as possible so that it would hopefully escape the notice of everyone around her. As the elevator doors swung open and she followed Daniel inside, she found it more and more difficult to ignore the fact that her skin crawled with self-consciousness.

  After souring to the penthouse floor, the elevator doors opened to reveal a pristine hallway that continued on in both directions for about ten feet and then terminated at the face of french style doors. Reese followed Daniel as he stepped out of the elevator and approached the door to the right. At the foot of the threshold was a black doormat with gold trim. Reese pursed her lips as she scraped her cheese encrusted, soap scoured non-slip soles against them. Eventually, Daniel got the door open and they stepped inside. Reese sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of his wide open pad of a penthouse apartment. Sets of warm light clicked on one by one as they stepped down into his living area and kitchen. Reese could have sworn her right eye was twitching at the mere sight of so much dark marble and stainless steel in one place.

  “Are you hungry?” Daniel asked as he led her into the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of scotch from an elaborate-looking bar area.

  “Why? Do you have a chef hiding in the pantry.”

  He laughed, his hands trembling as he filled two cocktail glasses with expensive-looking alcohol. “No. I was thinking we could order pizza.”

  Reese's brow furrowed. “How proletariat of you.” she joked.

  Daniel stood up as he dialed the number to a local pizzeria on his phone. “I'm sorry if I can't meet all of your expectations.”

  Reese giggled, then slipped out of her chair, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Rest assured. You have met all of my expectations.”

  Daniel turned so that they were facing each other and pressed his lips against hers. Reese sighed to herself, her body turning to mush beneath his touch as she wrapped her arms around her neck. He snaked his hands around her waist, the tip of his tongue pressing just inside of her mouth. She then moaned at the sensation of his lips against her cheek.... then her neck...

  “Daniel....” She moaned.

  “Reese.” He hissed.

  She hitched her leg around his hip just as he dragged his fingertips down the inside of her thigh. In one motion, he swooped her up and carried her into his bedroom. Daniel dropped her onto the black silk sheets that covered his California King bed. Her eyes flashed open as her chest hit the mattress and she took in his grand, yet minimalist room. Besides the bed and the canopy, he had nothing but a large avant-guarde tapestry filled with purple and green patterns, occasionally interrupted with a slash of bright red. “You're room is...uhm... interesting.” She commented.

  Daniel just smiled and kissed her again. “You're interesting.” He murmured.

  Reese giggled to herself as she kicked her shoes off and began to unbutton his shirt. She closed her eyes to the sensation of his dense body pressing against her. Her skin was singing; each microscopic hair stood on end as if to reach out and embrace him. Goose bumps sprouted through her chest as he unbuttoned her shirt and caressed her chest with his lips and tongue. She tugged at tufts of his hair pressing her body closer and closer to his until she couldn't be sure if the pounding against her rib cage was her heart or his. Her mind had been overcome with a deep serenity, the kind where the only image in your mind is bright white light, where the only sound in your ears is your breathing and his body is the only thing that exists to you. She felt the “L” word at the tip of her tongue. It danced around in her mouth as he sucked on her neck. She parted her lips and it had all but slipped out of them when a sharp ringing stopped the two of them in their tracks.

  Daniel froze.

  “Is that... a phone?” Reese asked.

  He nodded, then reluctantly stepped off of the bed.

  Without his body against hers, Reese felt a draft of cold air.

  “Hello?”

  She drew his soft sheets up to cover her chest as he answered the phone.

  “Yes, I'm at home.”

  There was the muffled sound of someone speaking on the other end of the line.

  “What? You have got to be fucking kidding me!” He snapped.

  Reese flinched at the heat of his anger and murmured, “Is there something wrong?”

  But he ignored her. “No. Mitch you should have said something.”

  He turned his back on her, his right hand resting on his hip and his shoulder as tense as a bull's.

  “What the fuck? I leave the office for an hour and you let this happen?” He demanded. “They've got 500,000 shares. It's Google! Not some no-name trailer trash penny -stock. Jesus what the hell do you expect me to do? Undo everything you've apparently caused?”

  Reese's eyes went wide. Her heart was still throbbing, but for different reasons now. The sight of Daniel stiff with anger and cursing like that made her tremble. She beat her lips and squeezed her hands into fists in an attempt to calm her tremors.

  “That's twenty billion dollars, Bill!” he lodged his phone in between his ear and his shoulder as he rolled down his sleeves and redid the buttons on his shirt. “How committed do you think they are?” He asked. As he listened to whatever this Bill Mitch person was saying, he turned his razor sharp gaze on Reese, and with demanding fingers, snapped in her face to get her attention.

  She grimaced at this, her skin crawling with disdain at the level of disrespect he was displaying. “God. You know what I meant. Their tone of voice. Did they sound resolved? Like they were considering it? Like someone had put the idea in their heads?”

  Reese slid off of the bed, her eyes wide and dry with shock. “What?” She snapped.

  Daniel cocked his head to the side at the sound of her voice. “Go get my brief case and my laptop. It's in the dining room.”

  Reese held her hands out in sheer confusion. What did he want her to do with his brief case and laptop, and where was the dining room to begin with? When she did not move, Daniel swiped the phone away from his ear and pressed it against his shoulder. “GO!” He roared.

  A lump the size of a basket ball lodged itself in her throat. Out of sheer fear; a fear that made her skin crawl, and fear that turned her lustful blood to sheer ice, a fear that sent her running through his bedroom and out into his dining room, half naked, looking for his brief case and laptop. In the next few minutes, she returned to his bedroom with the things he had asked for. He snatched them from her with a curt, “thank you.”

  “What's going on?” She demanded.

  “No.” He snapped. “Don't do anything.” he replied in a hard, hasty voice. “Mitch.” He muttered deliberately. “Please, don't do anything. I'm on my
way right now. Call John. Have him meet us at the office.” he then ripped the phone from his ear and threw it on the bed. He brushed past Reese, who swiftly stepped aside to put on his pants and re-buckle his belt.

  “Daniel, what the hell?” She demanded, her hands on her hip.

  “I have to go back into the office.” He muttered as he shoved his lap top into the brief case.

  “oookay... why?”

  “Because a client of ours has decided to drop all of his holdings.”

  Reese nodded. “That doesn't seem to bad. What does that mean?”

  Daniel released a harsh sigh. “It means I'm fucked!”

  “Hey!” Reese snapped. “Watch your language.”

  Daniel grimaced as if to question her nerve. “I don't have time for this.”

  “Yes! You do!” Reese pressed. “Explain yourself.”

  He stood up and placed an oppressive hands on her shoulder. “No. I don't. I don't have time to explain basic economics to someone like you.”

  At that moment, Reese felt everything Maria had said to her about him, come rushing through her head, but she didn't want to believe it. Reese shrugged away from his touch. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Don't be stupid.”

  Reese's jaw dropped. She could already feel her lip quivering again and her eyes watering up. “Daniel. I think you're stressing yourself out and you just need to calm down.” She said in an even tone.

  “Jesus, Reese. Don't tell me what to do.”

  She shook her head in disbelief. “I wasn't...” Then she trailed off as he stood up and headed for the bedroom door with his brief case in hand. “Wait!” She called as she jumped off the bed. “Where are you going?!” She demanded.

  “I already told you!”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “I don't know! I've got billions of dollars on the line as we speak. I cannot deal with this right now.”

  “What is this?” Reese wrapped her thin fingers around his wrist in an attempt to stop him. “This is me you're talking to. No one treats me like this. Over money of all things.” She spat.