by Sandi Lynn
"Hi, Andrew, it's Addison," I responded nervously.
"Addison. Hi. I'm happy you called."
"I just wanted to thank you for the lovely roses."
"You're welcome, and trust me, they are well deserved after what I did. I'm sorry I left like that, but under the circumstances, it couldn't be helped."
"No, it's fine. I understand completely. I hope everything is all right.”
“It was a family issue. Everything is fine now.”
His voice was low, and I didn't realize how much I missed it until I heard him again.
"Please say you'll have dinner with me tonight?” he spoke with desperation.
My inner voice chimed in and spoke, “Play hard to get. See how badly he wants to see you."
"Sure, I'll have dinner with you tonight,” I spoke, dismissing the voice inside my head.
"Great. Let's have dinner at my place. I'll cook," he spoke with an excited tone. "I’ll have Phillip pick you up at seven o’clock."
"Sounds good. I’ll be ready.”
"Goodbye, Addison, I look forward to seeing you again.”
"Bye, Andrew. Me too. See you later."
I hung up and placed my hands on my face while my belly fluttered. I wasn't sure if having dinner at his place was such a good idea. But, I did love a man who could cook, so I put it out of my mind.
I went to my room and started unpacking my clothes, trying to decide what I was going to wear for my date with Andrew.
"Emma," I yelled from my room.
She came to my room in a flash with her iPad in hand.
"I'm going to have dinner tonight at Andrew's place. What should I wear?"
Emma was the expert at putting together outfits; that was her job. She was a part time personal shopper for Neiman Marcus while she sat home most nights designing and creating her own fashion line.
"Hmm," she spoke as she rummaged through my clothes. "I would assume it’s casual dress since it's at his place. But maybe not if he decides to dress up.”
She pulled out a pair of skinny black stretch pants and a plum-colored tank top.
"Here, put this outfit on while I go to my room and grab something."
I pulled on the pants and then the shirt that fit nicely with my Victoria Secret push-up bra. Emma came back into the room with a short leather jacket.
"Here, this is to go with," she said as she threw it at me. You need your black heels, Addy. Where are they?"
"They're packed in one of those boxes," I spoke as I pointed to the corner.
She walked over to the other side of the room and opened one of the boxes.
“Here we are.” She smiled as she handed me my black Jimmy Choo cosmic suede heels.
I slid my feet in them and looked at myself in the full-length mirror while Emma jumped up and down.
"Perfect, perfect, perfect. You look amazing, girl. Andrew isn't going to know what hit him."
I looked at my phone for the time. It was six forty-five. Phillip was going to be here in fifteen minutes and I still had to curl a few more strands of my long blonde hair. After giving it a fluff and a spritz of spray, I touched up my blue eyes and then grabbed my lipstick from my purse. As I was applying it to my lips, my inner voice went off and decided to offer me a piece of advice.
"Whatever you do, don't sleep with him. It's too soon and you'll only be hurting us both."
I rolled my eyes and headed down to the lobby. When I reached Carson, he looked me over and whistled.
"Miss Belle, I must say you look amazing." He grinned.
"Thank you, Carson. I'm going on a date."
"I believe that Escalade out there is here for you.” He pointed.
I patted his arm and walked outside. Phillip got out of the car and opened the door for me.
"Good evening, Addison. You look stunning, if I may say so."
"Thank you, Phillip," I spoke as I smiled and slid inside.
The ride seemed like an eternity with all the traffic, but it gave me a chance to try and calm the hell down. I couldn’t understand why I was so nervous. I wasn’t like this with men. Phillip pulled into a parking garage and parked the vehicle. He opened the door, took my hand, and helped me out. My luck, I would have fallen flat on my face trying to get out by myself in these heels.
He walked me over to the elevator and inserted the key that took us up to the top floor. The door opened, and I stepped out into a large foyer. Turning my head from side to side, I took in the beauty of Andrew’s home. The walls were beige with white Le Chambre crown molding throughout, and the French limestone floors shined like diamonds. Standing there, I wondered how the hell he could afford a place like this. I heard footsteps walking my way and a very handsome man approached me.
"Addison, you look gorgeous." Andrew smiled as he gave me a kiss on each cheek.
He stood dressed in a pair of black Armani jeans and a white button-down shirt that clung to his sculpted muscular arms. His hair was softly tousled, and his eyes were even a brighter blue than I had remembered.
"Thank you." I smiled.
He lightly grabbed my hand and led me to the living room. The beige walls were complemented with floor-to-ceiling windows. In the center of the room sat an oversized leather couch and loveseat in a dark cranberry color with an elegant coffee table and end tables that matched perfectly. The fireplace was the focal point of the room with floor-to-ceiling bookcases on each side and a seventy-inch plasma TV that was nestled in between.
"This is beautiful," I spoke as I looked around the room.
“Thank you, but I must give credit to my interior designer. She put this whole place together. Dinner will be ready shortly. Please make yourself at home." He grinned.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked.
“Six months,” he spoke as he headed towards the kitchen and I followed behind.
"Where did you learn to cook?"
"Believe it or not, Paris."
"What?” I asked in surprise with a smile on my face.
“My family and I spent a summer in Paris when I was fifteen," he spoke as he removed the pan from the oven. “The man who lived next door to the house my parents rented had us over one night for dinner and asked me if I wanted to learn how to cook. I said yes, and he taught me.”
“Wow. What a great experience.”
“Actually, it was. I learned a lot from him. I hope you like alfredo.”
"I love alfredo. It's one of my favorite dishes.” I smiled.
"You’re not just saying that, are you?” He smirked.
“No. I really do love alfredo.”
He grabbed the chicken alfredo and set it on the table in the dining room. I took the salad and the rolls that just came out of the oven and followed him.
"Addison, you are a guest in my home. Let me serve you," he spoke as he took the plate and bowl from my hands.
"I can help. I like to help."
"I hope this wine is satisfactory for this meal?" he asked as he held a bottle of Pinot Noir in front of me.
“It’s perfect.” I smiled.
We both took our seats at the table and began eating.
“Andrew, can I ask you a question?"
"You can ask anything you want," he replied with a grin.
"What do you do at London Arc Corp? I never asked you that night.”
"Ah," he replied. "I do a lot of things there."
"Hold that thought.” I got up from my seat. "I'm sorry, but I need to use the bathroom.”
"Go down the hallway and it's the first door on your left."
“Thanks. I'll be right back." I smiled.
I walked out from the bathroom and on the wall directly opposite of it was a picture of Andrew and his parents. It looked like it was taken at some reception or banquet. The engraving on the frame read, "Businessman of the year Gregory London." I gasped and covered my mouth.
Chapter Nine
"Addison, are you okay?" Andrew asked as he walked down the hallway.
&n
bsp; "Andrew, what is your last name?" I asked with seriousness.
He approached me, and I could tell by the look on his face that I already knew.
"London. It's London," he answered as his blue eyes stared into mine.
My heart started racing, and all of a sudden, I felt very hot. He noticed my reaction and lightly took hold of my hand.
"Come sit down, please."
He led me to the oversized leather couch and I sat there staring at him in disbelief.
"Now that you know who I am, I don't blame you for wanting to leave and never see me again," he spoke as he put his head down.
"Never see you again? How would that even be possible since I'll be working for you?” My voice grew louder. "Why didn't you tell me the first day we met?" I asked with anger in my voice.
"Does it matter, Addison? Does it really? I wanted you to like me for me, not my name."
"I'm not that kind of person. I like someone for who they are inside, not how much money they do or don't have!" I spewed at him.
"Addison, please calm down. I'm sorry, but the fact is you never asked me what my last name was."
I got up from the couch and grabbed my purse.
"I need some air."
"Please don't go,” he begged as he jumped off the couch.
He grabbed my arm, pulled me against his hard body, and smashed his mouth against mine. He wrapped his hands around my head, and instantly, I calmed down. He gently bit my bottom lip and his tongue found mine as they intertwined. I ran my fingers through his hair, for no one had ever kissed me the way he did before. I knew from that kiss, it was hook, line, and sinker for me. He pulled back and looked at me. When he stared into my eyes, I felt so at ease and comfortable with him, as if I had known him my whole life. I felt like putty in his hands.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I couldn’t help but smile. "Yes, Mr. London, I'm okay."
He gave me a tender kiss on the lips and led me back over to the couch.
"Talk to me. Tell me how you feel about this, about me, about everything."
I could sense the desperation in his voice, and I could tell he was worried that I wouldn't want to continue seeing him.
We sat on the couch together as he ran his finger softly up and down my arm.
"Did you know who I was that day we met at the Coffee Pod?" I asked.
"No. I didn't until after you left, and I went to talk to Veronica."
"Did you follow me that night to the club?"
Andrew smiled. "No, Addison. I own that club."
I sat there in disbelief and pondered why he didn’t tell me that night.
“Excuse me? You own that club?”
"I went there that night to check on things. I usually get there about once a week, and as Phillip was driving by, I saw you standing in line with your friends. You looked cold and I couldn't leave you standing out there.” He looked down.
I brushed his cheek with the back of my hand.
"That was very sweet of you," I whispered.
He looked up at me and took my hands in his, interlacing our fingers together.
"I'm going to be honest with you, Addison. From the moment I saw you holding up the line at the Coffee Pod, I wanted to get to know you. No. I needed to get to know you.”
“You did?” I bashfully asked.
“Yes. I did. You’re a very beautiful woman.”
I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks and I looked down in embarrassment. He took his finger and placed it lightly under my chin, lifting it slightly so my eyes were staring into his.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you who I was. I’m just tired of people wanting to get to know me because of my name. Will you forgive me? Please?”
The corners of my mouth curved into a small smile. He was charming, and I couldn’t seem to resist him.
“I forgive you.”
“Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me. Now let’s have dessert. Shall we?”
Andrew helped me up from the couch and led me into the kitchen. He walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out the most magnificent-looking chocolate cake with raspberries surrounding it.
“I hope you like chocolate cake."
"It's one of my favorite desserts.”
"Again, I'm sorry about not telling you who I was," Andrew spoke as he cut into the cake. "I'm twenty-five years old and I’m the CEO of one of the biggest architectural companies in the world. You have to imagine what kind of group that puts me in."
I picked up my fork and cut into the cake.
"Do you like running your father's company?" I asked.
He sighed as he poured me another glass of wine.
"It's a lot of hard work, but yes, I do enjoy it, and I like the perks and benefits." He winked. “I wasn’t supposed to take over the company for several years. I was supposed to work as my father’s right-hand man until he retired, but he had an unexpected massive heart attack.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, and I’m sorry about your father as well.” He held up his wine glass. “Here’s to two amazing fathers. May they rest in peace.”
I tipped my glass to his with a smile.
"Would you like to dance with me, Addison?" he asked as he set down his glass and held out his hand.
I looked around as I placed my hand in his.
"I don't hear any music playing, Mr. London."
He grabbed a small white remote off the counter, and with the push of a button, music started playing around the apartment. He led me back to the living room, where he held me, and we slowly danced to Eric Clapton's “You Look Wonderful Tonight.” I’d never felt so safe as I did in his arms. I laid my head on his shoulder and I heard him take in a sharp breath. He kept his hand on the small of my back and his face was nestled in my hair.
"You smell wonderful," he whispered in my ear.
He could feel me smile as he held me tighter and closer. The song ended, and as I lifted my head from his shoulder, he gently brushed his lips against mine. Our mouths locked together, and our tongues started tangling ever so softly. I could feel his heart and mine racing together as another song started to play. His hands slowly moved up and down my back as mine were wrapped around his neck. He moved his mouth to my ear and softly down my neck. I was on fire and melting at the same time as I could feel his hard cock pressed against my body. Andrew suddenly stilled and looked at me.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He smiled as he put the back of his hand to my cheek.
"We have to stop, Addison. I won't let us do this tonight."
He was serious, and I couldn't believe it. I wanted him inside me, on top of me, holding me, making love to me.
"I have great respect for you and I won't let us jump right into bed before we know each other better. I hope you can understand.”
I trusted him and his decision, so I softly smiled. In the past, I’d been too quick to sleep with guys and it always ended with me being broken hearted.
“I agree, Mr. London."
"It's getting late. Let's get you home." He kissed my forehead.
I curled up in my bed, and suddenly, I felt alone. My mind was playing the events of the night. The dance, the kiss, the passion, and the fact that I was quickly falling for this twenty-five-year-old CEO of the company I now worked for. Suddenly, my phone dinged with a text from Andrew.
"Good night and sweet dreams. I had the most amazing night of my life with you. I miss you already.”
I instantly replied back with a smile on my face.
"Everything was perfect, including the chocolate cake and our dance. I miss you too. Good night and sweet dreams.”
I closed my exhausted eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Ten
I was awoken by Emma and Jasper jumping on my bed.
"Wake up. Wake up."
I opened my eyes and glared at both of them. Emma and Jasper made themselves comfortable on each side of me as they clim
bed under the covers.
"So, tell us about last night." Emma beamed with excitement.
“Ugh, are you two always this happy in the morning?" I pulled the sheet over my head.
Jasper grabbed it from me and pulled it back.
"Only when our friend has juicy stories for us."
I sat up as Emma reached over to the nightstand and handed me a cup of coffee she had just made.
"You are never going to believe it," I said as I took my first sip. "He is none other than Mr. Andrew London."
Jasper and Emma looked at me in confusion.
"Okay, Addison, so now you know his last name," Jasper commented.
"Hello? Do I need to spell it out for you? London is his last name, as in London Arc Corporation, the company I work for."
They both clasped their hands over their mouths in shock.
"I know, right?" I spoke.
Jasper grabbed my hand. “Not only is he hot, but he's filthy rich. Way to go, girl."
I rolled my eyes.
"Did you sleep with him? I want all the details!” Emma smiled.
There was no topic off limits in our friendship.
I sighed. "No. I thought maybe we were going to, but he stopped it.”
"Stopped? Is he gay?" Jasper smiled.
I softly hit his arm. “No, he's not gay. He said that he respected me too much and it was only our first date."
"Technically, it was your second, Addison," Emma chimed in.
“He’s a very thoughtful man. I'm really falling for him, and I'm scared. I don't want to get hurt again.” Tears started filling my eyes.
"Aw, Addison. Come on, don't cry." Emma pouted. "Just take things slow. Judging by what I saw at the club that night, and the flowers he sent you, I think he's head over heels for you. He just doesn’t want to rush into sex yet. Which, to be honest, I find a little weird for a guy.”
“Don’t be silly,” Jasper spoke. “He’s obviously a perfect gentleman and he wants to make sure things don’t get complicated. Sex complicates things, sometimes. Look at what happened with George.” He placed his hand over his mouth. “Oops. Sorry, darling. I truly didn’t mean to say that.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Whatever. It’s fine. I’m over that asshole anyway.”