by BWWM Club
“Two hundred. Maybe two hundred fifty,” he said. She looked at him and then looked at the entrance. They even had a red carpet. “Come on, baby,” he said as he slipped an arm around her waist. He leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. “You look beautiful,” he said in a whisper as they walked into the hotel.
*****
It had only been half an hour and so far, Angelina was sure the people at the party were not her kind of people. She was asked what she did and every time she said she was an artist who ran her own gallery, she noticed a disappointed look on the people’s faces. She did not know why at first but soon enough she realized that everyone there was a Fortune 500 kind of person. Being an artist was not exactly their kind of success, unless of course your art pieces sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Adrian had stepped away from her to talk to some people, leaving her to handle the snobby Uber rich alone.
Angelina had just taken a glass of white wine when a woman she had been looking at walked up to her. Angelina had first noticed her because of her beautiful red Louboutin heels and nude sleeveless dress. She had long honey blonde hair that looked a little too glamorous to be real.
“I don’t think we’ve met,” she said a cheery voice just as Angelina took a sip of her wine.
“No, I don’t think we have,” Angelina said.
“Sophia Gallagher,” the woman said as she extended her hand to shake Angelina’s.
“Angelina Carter. Nice to meet you.” She took a sip of her wine. “Gallagher…that’s Welsh?”
“Close. Irish,” Sophia said. “My father’s side.”
“Interesting. Do you ever visit Ireland?” Angelina asked and the woman smiled.
“I try but I don’t visit as often as I used to.”
Angelina nodded and took another sip.
“What changed?” she asked.
“Maybe I shouldn’t say this in the polite company of a stranger,” she said.
“Oh come on. We are already old friends now,” Angelina pointed out.
Sophia smiled, showing off a dimpled cheek.
“Okay fine. I used to date this guy…millionaire with his own jet. My family and his got along and every time he would fly to Britain to see his family, I would hitch a ride and then sneak off to Belfast for a couple of days before making my way back in time for another ride back to town.” Sophia smiled as a waiter passed by. She took a glass of wine and sipped on it. “Good times.”
“Sounds like quite the catch,” Angelina said with a smile.
“He was…I think he still is,” Sophia said with a smile. “And he had this Christian Grey vibe to him too.”
“You mean the whole fetish thing?” Angelina asked and Sophia nodded, her cheeks flushing.
“He is the only man who turned me on using pain. It was like having a switch you didn’t even know existed…” Sophia’s voice trailed off. “I never thought I could be so turned on by whips and chains and handcuffs and now I…” she turned to look at Angelina and suddenly her cheeks were flushed again. “What is wrong with me? Why am I blabbing about something so private to a perfect stranger?” she suddenly said as she fiddled with a strand of her hair.
“Technically, we stopped being strangers like seven minutes ago,” Angelina said with a smile.
Sophia smiled and then laughed.
“Anyway, I wasn’t even supposed to be here. To be honest, I only came to this party because I heard he was going to be around.” Sophia sighed dreamily. “He was the best eighteen months of my life.”
Angelina looked around and shrugged.
“Good luck finding him in this crowd,” she said with a smile.
“Oh don’t worry. I have my ways,” Sophia pointed out as she took another sip of her wine. “But enough about me. What about you, Angelina? What’s your connection to this whole shebang?”
“Boyfriend’s plus one,” Angelina said in a cool voice.
“Oh wow. Explains why you are standing here all alone.” Sophia was smiling.
“Well, apparently what I do isn’t synonymous with profitable industrial corporations,” Angelina said rolling her eyes.
“Why? What do you do?”
“Art. I run a gallery a few blocks away…The Parisian,” Angelina said.
“I’ve heard of that place. I have been dying to visit it.”
“Really?” Angelina couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Yeah. I’ve heard some pretty great things about it.” Sophia took another sip. “Plus a friend of mine bought this beautiful abstract piece on the gallery’s website.”
“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that,” she said with a smile. “I have been trying to build the gallery to measure up to my competition.”
“From what I hear, you don’t really have any competition. You already set the trend…you are the talk of the town when it comes to art, you know,” Sophia said.
“Now you are just pulling my leg,” Angelina said in a light tone.
“No…I’m so serious right now, I don’t even know how I can say it to make you believe me.” Sophia smiled again showing off that beautifully dimpled cheek.
“You are by far the most interesting person in this room,” Angelina announced.
“Well,” Sophia started as she waved her hand dramatically. “I like to think of myself as the life of the party.” Angelina laughed as Sophia looked around. “I am starving and I cannot see any waiters with food. They all have champagne and wine…”
“They are probably just restocking,” Angelina said as she took a long sip of her wine. “So, Sophia Gallagher, what about you? What is it that you did that was so bad you had to come to a party you don’t like?” she asked.
“My firm represents the company throwing the party,” Sophia said as she pulled a business card out of her purse. Angelina looked at the card.
“Gallagher, Ross and Stein. You are a senior partner in a law firm?” she asked looking up at Sophia. She looked far too young to be managing partner of anything. “Are you one of those people who have had extensive surgery to hide your real age?”
Sophia laughed and shook her head. “Why would you even think of that?” she asked, still smiling.
“Because managing partners are usually old grumpy people. Or people in their forties if they are lucky,” Angelina said matter of factly. “You don’t look a day over twenty eight.”
“Well, thank you but I am actually thirty two and rather than spend my entire inheritance spoiling myself with Bentleys and throwing parties on yachts I decided to buy into something I believed in that guaranteed great returns,” Sophia explained.
“How great are the returns exactly?” Angelina asked.
“The company gets a seven figure profit every year,” Sophia pointed out. Angelina shook her head, impressed.
“But how did you ever think of something like that? I mean, most people would have blown through their money…it’s the normal thing to do,” she said.
“Two words. Wise father,” Sophia pointed out.
“It’s a good thing you heeded his advice then,” Angelina said as she stuffed her card into her clutch.
“Oh my God,” she heard Sophia whisper.
“What? What happened?” Angelina asked looking at her.
“The guy I told you about…my ex,” Sophia said turning around.
“You saw him?”
“Yeah.” Sophia was still whispering and Angelina saw the redness in her cheeks. She was blushing. “And he looks better than ever.”
“How long has it been since you saw him?” Angelina whispered, even though she didn’t have to.
“Two years.” Sophia ran her fingers through her shiny hair. “How do I look?” she asked.
“Perfect,” Angelina said smiling. She looked up just in time to see Adrian walking towards them. She couldn’t wait to introduce her new friend to her new boyfriend. She had just opened her mouth to speak when Sophia turned around.
“Adrian,” she said in a soft voice
. Angelina raised an eyebrow over the other.
“Sophia,” Adrian said, much to Angelina’s surprise.
“You two know each other, huh? Small world,” she said, not fully grasping the intensity of what was unfolding before her at that moment.
“The ex I was telling you about,” Sophia started and Angelina’s smile began to slowly fade.
“Don’t tell me that this is him,” Angelina said in a low voice. Sophia nodded. “Damn it,” Angelina cursed under her breath.
“Wait, do you two know each other?” Sophia asked and Angelina nodded. “How?”
Angelina wanted to answer but somehow, she just couldn’t. She was literally caught in between a rock and a hard place. On one side was the man she loved and on the other, was a woman whose looks would have challenged even the hottest woman alive.
“Sophia, what are you doing here?” Adrian asked.
“Gallagher, Ross and Stein Legal. We represent the company’s legal interests.”
“Oh…I saw the GRS sign but I never thought that you were that Gallagher…” Adrian took a long deep breath.
“I am still yet to understand just how small this world is,” Sophia pointed out.
“Angelina and I have been seeing each other for a while now,” Adrian said, looking right into Angelina’s eyes.
Angelina noticed Sophia’s eyes grow wide.
“You two…” Sophia started and Angelina nodded. “Awkward,” she said under her breath.
“Tell me about it,” Angelina thought as she circled a finger on the rim of her glass. Sophia forced out a smile.
“Well, it was nice to meet you Angelina and Adrian,” she turned to look at him. “It was nice to see you after so many years,” she added before she walked away.
Adrian took a step forward and looked into Angelina’s eyes.
“I really want to leave right now. You can stay but…” Angelina looked at Sophia who was now casually chatting up a man even though she was stealing glances at them every chance she got. “I really don’t want to stay here.” Her voice was now low. Adrian didn’t need an explanation to know that she was upset.
“If you leave, I leave.”
“But your shareholders….” She started before he shook his head.
“They already saw me. My technical appearance will have to do for now,” he said. She nodded. “You look upset,” he said when he noticed she was doing all she could to avoid looking into his eyes.
“I just want to go,” Angelina said in a small voice.
Adrian took her glass and then slipped an arm around her waist before he led her towards the exit. He handed the glass to one of the waiters as they walked out but when the valet walked towards him he shook his head and smiled politely.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I am taking you somewhere we can talk in private,” he said without looking at her. They walked for a few minutes before he stopped and turned around to look at her. “You are upset and I need to know why.” He took off his jacket and draped it on her shoulders.
“Adrian I just want to go home…” she started before he held her face in his hands.
“Talk,” he commanded. She looked at him for a long minute before she finally found the courage to speak up.
“Sophia said stuff about you. She said that you were…a certain way with her…”
“What way?” he asked.
“She said she was your girlfriend but you used whips and chains with her…” she started and Adrian nodded.
“Yes. So what?”
“I keep on asking you to do things to me, to show the real you but…you never want to. It makes me feel…sometimes I feel like you are holding out on me and I feel worse because that amazingly attractive woman in there knows things about you I might never come to know…”
Adrian lowered his head and kissed her, cutting her short. She didn’t want to kiss him back but she found herself doing it anyway. She was kissing him deeply, seeking out his tongue. Her hands were on his waist as she kissed him, slowly angling her head to allow his tongue to go wherever it wanted.
“I love you,” he said when he finally pulled away. “That is all that matters.”
“Did you love her too?”
“Not the way I love you.”
“Is there a difference?” Angelina was confused. To her, love was love despite who it was given to.
“There is. A big one.” He gently pushed her hair back and traced his index finger on her shoulder. “Are you still upset?” he asked as he looked into her eyes.
“I honestly don’t know what I am feeling right now. I think coming here today was a mistake…” she started and he pressed a finger to her lips.
“Don’t. Make. Me. Angry.”
His tone caught her completely off guard. As far as she was concerned, she was the one who was supposed to be upset and definitely not him. She gasped when he suddenly pulled her closer to him.
“If you only knew what you do to me, Angie,” he said in a harsh whisper before he buried his head in her shoulder. She closed her eyes as he kissed her neck. His other hand was slowly moving down her back to cup a feel of her firm ass. He kissed the other side of her neck before he pulled away and looked into her eyes. Even in the dim parking lot light, he could see how dilated her pupils were, a true sign of her shock and arousal.
“I think it is time to leave too. I’ve had enough of this party,” he said.
“But we only got here…like half an hour ago,” she whispered.
“If we stay here any longer, I will bend you over this SUV and have my way with you, Angie.”
For some reason, she wanted to tell him to go ahead and do exactly that but she was tongue tied. So she just complied when he slipped an arm around her and led her back into the hotel.
Chapter 9
Olivia’s eyes were getting wider and wider as Angelina spoke. Listening to her best friend was like she was watching one of those Brazilian telenovelas where you always expected some kind of dramatic twist. The two were seated in Olivia’s living room.
“So this woman…” Olivia started.
“Sophia.” Angelina rubbed her temple.
“So this Sophia woman actually dated Adrian?” Olivia asked.
“Yup. Actually dated is a little of an understatement. The two were in a relationship, Liv. And a long one at that.”
“How long are we talking?”
“A year and a half.”
“Whoa…someone actually managed to tie down Adrian Corday for that long?” Sophia asked.
“What are you trying to say? I am in a relationship with said man.”
“All I am saying is that to me, Adrian seems a little closed in with all his business dealings and trips…plus I have found out he is privy to a lot of A-list events.” She reached for a cookie and bit into it. “Most people I know in his circles are single till they are in their forties before they decide to settle down with some model they met in Czechoslovakia.”
“It is now The Czech Republic or Slovakia.” She looked into her now cold coffee and then at her best friend. “Your geography sucks.”
“That’s because I paid more attention to history,” Olivia said matter of factly. “Back to you, this is good right?”
“What is?” Angelina asked.
“This, knowing about him and Sophia.” Olivia was talking in such a cool voice as if what she was saying was the most normal thing in the world.
“How, pray tell, is this good?” Angelina was confused.
“You are always going on about how closed up he is about his past. This way, you literally had a front seat to his story,” Olivia said as she bit into her cookie again.
“When I said I wanted to know more about him, this is most definitely not what I had in mind, Liv,” Angelina pointed out. “I mean, I do know he was not exactly keeping himself pure until he met the right girl but I hate the way I find out these things.”
“In all fairness Angie, have you been honest about th
e guys you’ve dated?”
Angelina looked at Olivia and shrugged.
“It’s not like he’s asked about them or anything. I’m not obliged to volunteer that information.” Angelina said quickly.
“In the same way you are not obliged to volunteer that information as you say is the very same way he isn’t.” Olivia rested a hand on the couch. “You need to cut him some slack, Angie. If you want to know something about him, then ask.”
“You know it is not so easy to just ask something like that,” Angelina started. “It is not like you are asking for a glass of water or anything.”
“Actually, it is that simple. You need to know something just go ahead and ask.”
Just then, Angelina’s phone rang. She looked at it and sighed. She had been dreading this call ever since the two left the cocktail party the previous evening. To make matters worse, when Adrian suggested they should go back to his place, she declined and when he asked to walk her up, she made up a silly excuse about being tired.
“Are you going to get that or are you going to let it just get to me even more?” Olivia asked as she looked at the phone ringing. “It’s him, isn’t it?” Angelina nodded. “Why don’t you want to answer it already?”
Angelina sighed and shrugged when the phone stopped ringing. She didn’t want to admit the real reason why she didn’t want to talk to Adrian was because she knew she was being a bitch. She was just about to answer Olivia when she heard a text come in. She picked up the phone and looked at it.
Hi. Thought we could have breakfast but Matt said you didn’t come in today. Call me.
“You are being ridiculous. Talk to him already,” Olivia said as she got off the couch and walked to the kitchen. “I don’t understand why you are still trying to push him away even though you are way over your head as far as feelings are concerned.” She took a tray of fresh muffins and put them on the counter before she made her way back to the living room just as Angelina’s phone vibrated wildly signaling another text.
Angelina looked at her phone again. This time it was Matt.
Hey boss lady. Mr. Corday has called the gallery four times now. He said something about breakfast. Call him.
Angelina took one last bite of her cookie and then grabbed her bag.
