by A. Anders
Slowly pulling herself out of bed, Brik didn’t object. She looked around trying to remember where she dropped her dress and then remembered that it was on the balcony. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she felt humiliated having to go outside naked to retrieve it. Luckily, before she could get up, Brik spoke.
“I’ll get them for you,” he said still shirtless.
It was official, Brik wanted her to leave. Cara fought the urge to look more into it than there was. But between her and Mars, she had lost. And all she could do is watch as the well-built man crossed into the night air to retrieve her dress and rid himself of any evidence that the night had occurred.
“Here you go,” he said handing her her dress and shoes.
Knowing that the elevator which opened into Brik’s penthouse would deposit her onto her floor, Cara didn’t bother to put on her shoes. Otherwise dressed, both approached the elevator and stood in silence. When the doors opened, Brik ushering Cara in and then stepped in behind her.
As the doors closed, Brik pushed the lobby button. When he didn’t push the button for Cara’s floor, she reached over and did it herself.
“What are you doing?” Brik asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you going to your floor?”
Cara stared as Brik unsure of what he was saying. Was he expecting her to come with him? Was that why he had so readily offered to get her her dress?
“I need to change,” Cara said not knowing what else to say.
Brik looked Cara up and down. “Yeah, that’s probably best,” he agreed before the elevator binged and opened onto the sixteenth floor.
Brik was about to follow her off of the elevator when she stopped him. “No. Go ahead. I’ll change and meet you there.”
Brik looked confused for second but then quickly agreed. Watching the elevator doors close, Cara wondered why she had done that. She could have easily thrown something on while Brik waited and then gone down with him. But there was something about that that didn’t feel right.
Did she really want Mars to know what they had just done? How would he have responded to that? It wasn’t like she felt nothing for Mars. And things would’ve been a lot different if she hadn’t met Brik who then asked her to keep things professional.
Whatever the cause, Cara had clearly made her decision. At least, she thought she had. She was with Brik now. And as much as she liked Mars, she knew she couldn’t have them both.
Washing her face of makeup and putting on something casual, Cara was out of the door in ten minutes. It was still very early in the morning, but she was now fully awake. If Mars had indeed delivered his promised clothing line, her job was done. Brik agreed to give her a month at the hotel for free. It had been less than two weeks. Technically speaking, this would be the beginning of her actual vacation.
When Cara arrived at the studio, the door was open. Inside, under the lights, stood only one person, Brik. In front of him were a selection of very cool tops and skirts. They looked inspired. Which made it the more confusing that Brik stared at them displeased.
“Where’s Mars?” Cara asked as she entered.
“Oh,” Brik said startled by her entrance. “He said he was tired and was going to get some sleep.”
Cara wanted to get a better look at the clothes, but instead, she headed for Brik who looked upset.
“What’s the matter?” Cara asked concerned.
“Mars and I, we had a bit of a disagreement.”
“About what?”
“This,” he said pointing at the hanging clothes.
“What about them?”
“They’re all wrong,” Brik said firmly.
“What do you mean? Don’t you like them?”
“I mean, there fine.” Brik turned to Cara suddenly realizing how he could make his point. “Tell me, when you look at these clothes, what do you think? Who are these clothes made for?”
Cara suddenly felt very put on the spot. She didn’t know what she was supposed to say. So, instead of trying to guess, she approached Mars’ outfits and tried to classify them.
There were five tops, two skirts, and a dress. They were slightly upscale, yet colorful. The blouses had fun prints and all the sizes were larger than standard. These were all things that Cara would wear.
“They were made for me,” Cara said realizing it.
“Yeah. You’re right. Exactly. They were made for women like you,” Brik confirmed as he realized it for the first time as well.
“And, what’s wrong with that. There are a lot of girls like me. And we all buy clothing. In fact, we buy a lot of them,” Cara said becoming a little more defensive.
“I know. And I’m sure you do. But that wasn’t what he was supposed to be making and he knew it.”
Now Cara was confused. At no point had either of them discussed their direction for the clothing line. Having hired her to be his muse, Cara had simply assumed that he would be making clothing for women like her.
“I don’t understand. Who was he supposed be making clothes for?” Cara asked a little disorientated.
Brik stared at Cara before taking a deep breath. The gesture confused Cara even more. Why would his response require him to gather himself?
“Cara, do you know what a bisexual is?” Brik asked approaching her and holding her hands in his.
“Of course I do. It’s when someone likes both men and women.”
“Well, he was supposed to be creating a clothing line for bisexuals,” Brik told her.
Cara paused as she tumbled the statement around in her head. “Wait, what? What does that mean? What type of clothes do bisexuals where?”
“I don’t know. That’s just it. And, Mars didn’t know either, which was why he was creatively blocked.”
“And you thought that I could inspire him to create a clothing line for bisexuals?”
“I thought you could inspire him to start creating again. And, you did. You have. It’s just that, what he’s created is wrong.”
Cara looked at all of the outfits again. “How do you know that they’re wrong?”
“Do any of them say bisexual to you?”
“No. But, what would say bisexual?”
“I don’t know. But it’s not my job to know. That was what Mars was supposed to figure out. I’m just the guy giving him the money.”
Continuing to stare at the clothes, Cara became increasingly confused by what was going on. Of all the things in the world, why were they designing clothes for bisexuals?
“Have you thought about designing clothes for people like me instead?” Cara asked. “This stuff looks great. I would definitely buy it. I’m sure a lot of people would.”
“I’m sure. But, how many other brands do you know that sell clothing specifically for folks like you?”
Cara thought about it for a moment. “Not a lot.”
“But there are some, yes?”
“I can think of a few. But not many.”
“That’s exactly it. I’m a businessman. I acquire and manage hotels. Why would I invest in a clothing designer who wanted to enter an already crowded market? Where is the opportunity there?”
“So, you think that clothes for bisexuals is an open market?”
“Can you think of any brands that cater to bisexuals?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any,” Cara explained.
“Okay. Tell me this. Do you know of any clothing brands that cater to gay people?” Brik asked.
Cara thought about it for a moment. She was going to say no and then she remembered a store that she had seen in the hotel. “Versace, I guess.” She thought for a moment more. “And, I guess Abercrombie and Fitch has those shirtless guys standing at the door to the store. I mean, I could see how they could be catering to gay guys.”
“So, you thought of two in a matter of seconds. I imagine if I give you a minute more, you would be able to come up with a few,” Brik declared.
“But, that’s just because t
here are so many gay people. How many bisexuals are there?”
“At least twice as many,” Brik explained.
“Twice as many?”
“Depending on how you define it, as much as five times as many.”
“How do you know this?”
The light in Brik’s eyes dimmed a little. “I’m a businessman. My job is to search out opportunities. Untapped markets are where the opportunities are. I researched untapped markets.”
Cara’s mind began to swirl again. There was more going on here that she couldn’t put her finger on. He hadn’t completely explained how he knew this. And there was something about this topic that made her wonder what his relationship with Mars really was.
“So, how did you and Mars end up working together? I mean, how did you two meet?”
Brik shifted uncomfortably, found a chair and decided to sit. “We met at the bar at one of my hotels. It was the one where I reside in Los Angeles. Needing to step away from work, I went downstairs for a drink. I saw Mars at the bar and struck up a conversation with him.”
“And just like that, you all started talking about designing clothes for bisexuals?” Cara asked trying to piece it together.
“I mean, it wasn’t just like that. I asked him what he did and he told me he designed clothing. I asked him if he ever heard of clothes that were designed for bisexuals and he said that he hadn’t. I asked him if he could figure out what that meant, and he said that he could. After checking out his credentials, we start a partnership. Six months later, here we are.”
“So, you were the one who asked him about the bisexual clothing?” Cara said narrowing in on something.
“Yeah. Why does that matter?”
“And you were the one who approached him at the bar?”
“Yeah.”
“Why did you choose to talk to him?”
Brik’s eyes bounced around the room as he thought about it. “I don’t know. He was sitting by himself. He seemed interested looking. I felt like talking.”
“And that’s it?” Cara asked figuring out the missing piece of this puzzle.
“What else is there?”
“And, tell me something, why did you think that Mars could design clothing for bisexuals?”
“Because he said that he was one.”
Cara’s heart fluttered as all of her thoughts suddenly settled into one conclusion. There was more to Brik and Mars’ relationship than either of them was letting on. Maybe they didn’t realize it either. But the way Brik described his reason for talking to Mars sounded like he was in a bit of denial.
However, Brik’s reason for approaching Mars was now perfectly clear to Cara. The thought turned Cara on.
“I think I might be able to inspire Mars to create exactly what you’re looking for,” Cara said a plan assembled in her mind.
Brik sat up surprised. “You can? How?”
“You don’t have to worry about that. The only thing is that you’re gonna have to help me.”
“Sure. How?”
“I want the three of us to go out and do something fun.”
“Okay. Is that it?”
Cara looked at Brik trying to decide how much she should tell him. “Yeah. But, I mean that we should really go out and have fun.”
“Doing what?” Brik asked confused.
“I don’t know. What do really rich people do when they want to impress somebody?”
“What do really rich people do? I don’t know.”
“Then, figure it out. That’s what I want us to do. Something cool, and exciting, and once-in-a-lifetime.”
“And this is going to inspire him to create a clothing line?” Brik asked doubtfully.
Cara gave him a sly look. “I think it might.”
“Okay then. I’ll come up with something fun that “really rich people do,”” Brik said with a smirk.
“I am counting on you now. It has to be something good.”
“It’ll be something good,” Brik assured her. “When should I plan it for?”
“Give Mars a few days to rest. He had to have been working nonstop.”
“How about in two days?” Brik asked her.
“Perfect,” Cara said with a smile.
“And you think this is going to inspire Mars to design a clothing line?”
“I think it will,” Cara said feeling her loins tingle as she considered it.
Chapter 6
Cara
After the early morning meeting, Rick returned to his penthouse as Cara returned to her room. Cara couldn’t sleep as she considered what was to come. It wasn’t until after the sun rose and she thought about grabbing breakfast that she finally settled down and fell asleep.
Four hours later when she got up, it was time for lunch. Grabbing a quick bite, she headed to the studio looking for Mars. He wasn’t there but she stayed. Hours later he showed up and he looked like how she felt, tired.
“What are you doing here?” Mars asked her as he entered.
“I was waiting for you.”
Mars grunted in reply.
“I heard that things didn’t go so well with Brik.”
“He told you, huh?”
“He mentioned something about it. He said that it wasn’t right for who he was aiming for?”
“That’s what he says.”
“What? Don’t you believe him?”
Mars found a chair and sat. He looked frustrated. “I don’t know. He says a whole bunch of different things. I can’t figure out what he wants.”
“I know you’ll figure it out,” Cara said sincerely.
Mars looked at her quizzically. “Thanks.”
“By the way, I thought the line you created was amazing. I would wear it all in a heartbeat.”
“Thank you,” he said not taking the complement well.
“But I think all your stuff is amazing, even if you won’t show me everything,” Cara said with a smile.
Mars looked at Cara confused. “What won’t I show you?”
“I’ve never seen the first dress you created. You know, the one that I didn’t inspire you to design,” she said poking fun at him.
Mars smiled back. “Oh, that one.”
Cara approached him and touched him playfully. “Yeah, that one. Why won’t you show it to me?”
Mars walked away unusually bashfully. “It’s nothing special. It was just something I created.”
“And yet you won’t show it to me.”
“I’ve designed better stuff,” Mars said hoping to end the conversation. “Hey, you wanna grab a drink?” Mars asked changing the topic.
“My parents put beer in my baby bottle. Of course I wanna grab a drink,” Cara said joking.
“Great. Because I’m feeling like I’ve been sober for way too long,” Mars said with a smile.
“How about drinks in the pool?”
“Do you mean the place that we met?”
“Yeah,” Cara confirmed.
“Awww… Are you getting sentimental on me, Cara Reeder?”
“If sentimental means shit-faced drunk, then, no doubt,” Cara said with a laugh.
“Good. Then, how about I change into my trunks and meet you there.”
“Sounds like a plan,” she said excited to again be talking to the spirited man she had first met.
Cara headed back to her room, changed into her bikini, and then headed down to the pool bar. She was the first one there. Laying her towel on a lounge chair, she waded into the water and swam up to the bar.
“Two of your lava whatever specials, please,” she said recognizing the bartender as the first one she had met.
When the dark-skinned bartender pushed the two glasses over to her, it was just in time for her to turn around and see Mars walking up. He was shirtless and wearing a pair of shades. Damn, did he look sexy. Cara thought about how it had felt as he pushed into her. With it came a warm pulse that rippled through her body and settled just inside her pussy.
“You made it,” Cara sa
id grabbing both glasses. “I got you our drink,” she said with a grin.
Mars smiled, dropped his shades onto a chair, and then cannon balled into the middle of the pool. Cara screamed. Giggling, she balanced the two glasses in her hand as Mars swam up from beneath her.
Surfacing close enough to kiss her, Mars kept his distance and retrieved one of the glasses from her hands.
“You know just what I like,” he said flirtatiously.
“Yeah I do,” she said with more confidence than Mars would have guessed.
“Let’s toast. To failed ventures.”
Cara looked at him with chastisement. “To ventures that haven’t succeeded yet but definitely will.”
“Okay then, to delusion,” he concluded with a smile.
“To delusion,” Cara said with a laugh before the two of them cheersed and drank. “So, what’s the deal with you in Brik?”
“What do you mean?” Mars asked with a mouthful of icy lava.
“I mean, what’s the deal. Is there something going on between you two?”
“Going on?”
“You know, are you two involved?”
“Yeah, were business partners,” he said not sure what Cara was referring to.
“I know that. I mean, are you two dating or something?”
“Dating? What makes you think that?”
“I don’t know. He just seems to be very protective of you.”
“He’s protecting his investment. That’s how he sees me, as a hole he’s dumped a bunch of money into.”
“Are you sure that’s how he sees you? Because I’m getting the feeling that there’s more than you’re saying.”
Mars looked at Cara confused. “Where’s all of this coming from?”
“You really don’t see it?” Cara asked disbelievingly.
“Don’t see what?”
“Wow, how could such a great designer be so blind? I thought seeing was a required skill for someone who designed clothes for a living,” Cara asked teasingly.
“How many of these did you drink before I got here,” Mars asked sincerely.
“Okay, fine. Then, at least tell me this. Tell me you see how hot Brik is.”