by Mila McClung
A BILLIONAIRE FOR BREAKFAST
MAN SEASON #1
By
Mila McClung
RTWD PRESS
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
A Billionaire For Breakfast
Copyright 2013 RTWD PRESS
All Rights Reserved.
For the ocean lovers, like me.
CHAPTER ONE
Sea air had to be the most refreshing, scintillating fragrance in the world! Or so Tess Jenkins thought as she stepped off the plane into the brilliant, tropical sunshine of the Cayman Islands. She and Kylie Preston had flown to Miami the night before, stayed at a nice but inexpensive motel to save money. They woke early, perused the trendiest shops in South Beach to give themselves that ‘ritzy look’ as Kylie called it. Now they were ushered off the plane like royalty and taken through the airport security rituals with gentle guidance. Not at all like the warden meets the prisoners type hassle one usually received during those moments.
“Am I dreaming?” Tess whispered, sweeping her luxurious auburn hair away from her face. Her freckled cheeks dimpled as she smiled; her eyes soft and black as onyx.
The women were shown to a waiting white limo that glistened like pearls in the sunlight.
“No, darling, you are definitely not dreaming! This is exactly how I pictured it! Nice to know some things do live up to their hype.”
They were executing a careful plan that Kylie had dreamed up years before. She pinched every penny she could get her fingers on, worked every extra hour allowed at the office, until she had enough money to take an expensive two week vacation in the Caymans. And, with Tess’ added savings, they were on their way! But it wasn’t a simple vacation – they were on the prowl – for billionaire husbands.
Kylie had proposed the idea to Tess one afternoon after a birthday party at the office, where the usual frat boy hijinks had soured their attraction to ordinary guys.
“I am so done with this!” Tess shouted above the childish snickers. “When do men get over the fart jokes and lewd eyeballing?”
“Most, never,” Kylie sighed. “You know, I used to watch Gunsmoke with my dad. In one episode Miss Kitty was ruing the death of an outlaw ex-boyfriend. She said something like, ‘he was the first real grown-up man I’d known in my life.’ It made me realize I have never actually known a guy who acted like a grown-up man. And that was depressing as hell!”
“God, I know what you mean! I’m not sure where a girl could meet real men, or even if they truly exist … except in black and white movies and a TV show or two. My mom watches those classic film channels, and I’ve gotten hooked on them myself. We sit there sometimes five nights a week, staring at Cary Grant or Joel McCrea or whoever. I don’t think they grow them like that anymore!”
“That must put a damper on your love life, sitting at home with your mom every night.”
“What love life? Honestly, Kylie, it isn’t worth the effort!”
“Hum, I’m beginning to see exactly how things are with you. I’ve been hatching a plan in my head for awhile now, and I think it could work out better if I let you in on it. Sit down, Tess, let me state a proposition to you … and I don’t want you to answer right away. Give yourself a few minutes to allow the idea to settle.”
Tess eased back onto a chair, tense with excitement at what Kylie might have to say.
“After my parents died, I took a lot of time off from my work to think about my path in life. I finally realized that what I wanted was a man, a real man. But not just some guy I might meet in a bar. I wanted someone interesting, exciting, a man who could take my breath away!”
“Like a movie star, maybe?”
“Oh, no, even better than that! I wanted a billionaire!”
“Dream on, sister!” Tess smiled then she caught a determined look from Kylie’s face and knew she wasn’t kidding. “I guess most girls want that, too, Kylie. But it’s a dream, a fantasy …”
“It doesn’t have to be. Once I made up my mind about it, I started a clear course of action. I studied every book I could get about manners and etiquette, and style, and sex … the Kama Sutra is quite a blast! Ever read it?”
“No.”
“I highly recommend it. To catch a rich man, a woman needs to know a little bit about everything, and a whole lot about the subjects those men are interested in. I’ve taken classes on finance, investing, even yachting …”
“But what’s the point to it? You can’t meet billionaires in Astoria.”
“I don’t intend to try. I’ve been saving my money, to get ready for a two week trip to the Cayman Islands! I have enough to rent a posh house and really live it up while I’m there.”
“Sounds wonderful! I don’t have much planned for my vacation. I’ll probably mope around the house, watching old movies and eating too much.”
“Not if you’re in the islands, with me!”
Tess stared at Kylie. “Why would you want me there?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking that a woman showing up alone would get suspicious looks. But a couple of friends on a Girls Only vacation … now that will get their interest. You know how men are …”
“No, sadly, I don’t. I mean, I’ve had boyfriends, but we always seemed more like pals than lovers. Maybe I don’t have what it takes to attract cool guys.”
“Oh, but you do! Innocence is refreshing to those jaded souls. And that auburn hair will make you a stand-out, for sure!”
“Okay, so let’s say I am popular while we’re there, though it’s a total fantasy, then won’t I cramp your style?”
“No, no, darling. You can take one, I’ll take another. As long as he’s filthy rich, that’s all I care about.”
Tess stood, began to stack dishes and run water in the break room sink. She glanced out the window at the bare trees as they shivered in a cold winter wind. The buildings down the street were all full of people just like them, working their bums off for next to nothing. Cars passed like toys on a track, back and forth, endlessly. It was a dull, frigid scene. It seemed unimaginable that she could escape it, to fly off into an ocean paradise with bright blue skies and blissful beaches.
It was a fantasy. Kylie was beautiful with her long pale blonde hair, cerulean eyes and athletic legs, but she was fooling herself if she thought she could meet and fall in love with a guy in two weeks. Life was never that easy. But then, she didn’t say she wanted love, did she?
“Is something bothering you?”
“Yes, you haven’t mentioned the word ‘love’. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“I’m no fool, Tess. I know love is just something people talk about in lyrics or books or films. That’s the fantasy. You have to compromise your feelings to get what you want out of life.”
“What if I’m not willing to compromise?”
“Oh, you will be, once you get a taste of the good life. So, tell me, are you going?”
“Can I call my mom?”
“Sure.”
Tess hit the number for Carol Jenkins’ cell phone. She was retired after toiling in the New York garment industry for decades. Now all she did was sit home and stare at old movies. Tess didn’t have a dad – in her life, anyway - he had been a rich boy who deserted Carol for a European prep school before she could tell him about Tess. Now Carol was an out and out man-hater, unless they were dead film stars.
Tess knew her mother’s views, still, she was shocked at Carol’s reaction.
“If you go with this woman, you will never set foot
in my house again!”
“Why? What harm could it do?”
“You don’t know these rich bastards, and the lies they tell.”
“Mom, just because my dad is a rat doesn’t mean every man is.”
“I haven’t met one yet who wasn’t! I mean it, Tess. If you go off with this … this …”
“Careful, Mom …”
“Well, I won’t say what she is then. But if you buy into this insane scheme, you’re no better than what she is!”
“You’re letting the past ruin what bit of life you have left. When I get back, we’ll talk it all out.”
“No, we won’t! Find another roommate, Tess! I mean it! I won’t have this stuff going on under my nose!”
Tess stood there, blinking tears at her mother, unbelieving at the coldness in her voice.
“Fine, I’ll look for another place, when I get back!”
“You do that!”
Now, sitting there with Kylie on the back seat of the limo, Tess recalled the harsh words her mother had said. She had an urge to call her but she refused to give in to it. For once, let Carol do the calling, and the apologizing. Tess was through being a doormat.
The ride to the rental house was slow and luxurious. The limo had a built-in bar and snack counter stocked with several fresh seafood appetizers and dainty alcoholic wonders all dressed up with delightful little parasols. Kylie imbibed freely but Tess decided to sip a bit of something here and nibble on something small there – she didn’t want to gain any weight on this trip or lose her common sense in a drunken haze.
“Loosen up, Tess!” Kylie commanded. “You only live once!”
“I’m loose enough, Kylie. I want to keep my head in all this. And my dignity.”
“I know what my limitations are, how much liquor I can hold. I intend to keep my dignity, too, you know. Rich men aren’t interested in slobs full of wine!”
The car pulled up to a blindingly white house perched over a verdant hill like an elegant bird attempting to take flight.
“Wow! It’s beautiful!”
“Shh!” Kylie warned. “Don’t let the driver hear your enthusiasm. We’re supposed to be jaded world travelers.”
“I could never be so jaded that I wouldn’t appreciate this! And it’s ours, for two whole weeks?”
“Or longer, hopefully, if we make the right connections.”
After a quick shower Tess slipped on a teal blue sundress and matching heels, and waited for Kylie to join her on the wide veranda.
The sky was glistening, with not a shred of clouds. The sea was a buoyant blue, beckoning her down to the beach. She glanced at Kylie’s door.
“Ready yet?” she called.
“In a minute!” Kylie shouted.
Tess shrugged, took the swirling steps down to the crystalline sand. She shed her heels, left soft footprints behind her as she explored the rambling shoreline. Gulls cried hello above her, dolphins leapt out of the water as if welcoming her. Tourists waved from their colorful perches as they went parasailing or from their fishing boats or jet skis. A few yachts eased by, the on-deck crews sending her wistful glances and encouraging smiles.
“Lots of cool guys down here,” she found herself thinking. “Does the right one have to be a billionaire?”
There was a screeching noise just to her left. She turned, holding her heart in shock, as she watched a black motorcycle fly over her head and land abruptly in a mound of sand. But where was the driver? She quickly scanned the grassy area beneath the hilltop road. He was there, lying in a ditch.
Tess ran to him; began to examine him for injuries. There weren’t any, but what she saw there disturbed her all the same. He was insanely handsome, with chin length, naturally blue-black hair, and a rugged, tanned body that oozed “Come take me.” from every pore. And his eyes – whoa – when he looked up at her she thought her heart had stopped completely – they were green with strange flecks of blue that made them glitter like jewels.
“Are you okay?”
“Sure, just a skinned elbow and a sore bum. Serves me right for thinking I could make that curve at 100 miles per hour! I’ve never seen you. What’s your name?”
“Tess Jenkins.” She was shy under the heat of his stare. You’d think he had never seen a girl before.
“That’s a plain, solid kind of name.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.”
He stood up, brushed off his faded jeans. He was wearing a pair of worn out Converse sneakers but no shirt. Tess tried not to follow the sinuous lines of his torso down to the bulge in his crotch but it was almost impossible.
“You live around here, Tess?”
“Yes, I’m staying at the white house down the beach.”
“Ah, the Swan House; so I guess you’re one of those Jet Set women, hum?”
“I suppose you could say that.”
“Too bad,” he shrugged. “And I was getting some really good vibes from you.”
“What have you got against rich women?”
“Nothing, if I can help it. Bad pun, sorry. But I’ve been around too many of them. I know how they are.”
She was starting to feel insulted, which made no sense since she wasn’t rich.
“And just how are they?”
“Conceited, thinking they’re entitled to have anything or anyone they want.”
“I’m not like that!”
“Aren’t you? So what are you doing here in the Cayman Islands?”
“There you are!” a breathless voice uttered. Kylie Preston stepped around the sandy mound. “I was afraid someone had carried you off!”
“I’m sorry, Kylie. I thought I’d explore a bit while I was waiting on you.”
She looked the man up and down and licked her red lips. “Um, and look what you found! I should go exploring sometime. Ready to go?”
“Sure. But let me go back to the house and get the sand off my feet first. I would say it was nice to meet you, Mr. …”
“Don’t bother.”
“Fine, I won’t.”
She stomped off towards the house, without looking back. Kylie winked at the man and followed her a few steps behind.
“Nice work if you can get it. Who is he, anyway?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care!”
“Sure you don’t! But be careful of your heart, Tess. You can lose it easily in a romantic place like this.”
“I’m not losing anything. I’m here to win!”
“Good attitude!”
“So where do we start?’
“The Players’ Club. For lunch. It’s loaded to the gills with billionaires!”
“Wonderful! Come on, I’m starving!”
The two women strode into The Players’ Club, sporting a new resolve for success. Most of the male eyes in the building turned in admiration and delight as Kylie and Tess took their seats and ordered from the fancy menus.
“Look around, Tess, they’re ours for the taking!” Kylie whispered.
Tess subtly glanced here and there; noted with disappointment that the majority of men there were gray-haired, wrinkled and paunchy; not exactly comparable to her dead film star standards. Or the guy on the beach – he kept crossing her mind – the look in his eyes, the shape of him - even his scent. Why couldn’t he have been rich?
“I don’t feel comfortable here, Kylie. These old guys are creeping me out, staring at us like we were new dishes on the menu. I think I’ll go back to the beach house.”
“Oh no you won’t! Have your lunch, and keep calm. Some attractive men are bound to enter soon.”
Tess shrugged, began to pick at the shrimp and wild rice on her plate. Again her thoughts drifted back to that man. She wondered what he was doing – probably working on his bike so he could fly it off the highway one more time. She closed her eyes; saw him standing there with the sun in his gaze and the wind whipping up the black hair. His mouth was strong and yet tender; she imagined kissing it, nibbling on it. Her insides went a bit crazy, started her to t
witching in her seat. She clenched her thighs, was startled to realize she was having a minor orgasm. She looked about guiltily then clenched them again. She stifled a tiny moan. Kylie glanced at her.
“What’s wrong? Caught a shell in your teeth?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’ll run to the bathroom and get it out.”
“Don’t run, walk, with class.”
“Right.”
Tess found the rest room hallway, made her way there as regally as she could. Several men smiled at her with wicked expressions. She wondered if she was throwing pheromones about the room. Was it obvious that she had just come, however minutely? Gad, the humiliation!
Once she hit the rest room Tess ran some cold water and smoothed it over her neck and cheeks. Then she had to reapply her powdered make-up. She heard some engine noises outside, pulled open the blinds to find a motorcycle shop across the road. A bunch of guys were standing around, laughing and talking and guzzling beer. One, in particular, caught her attention. It was him all right. Still in jeans with no shirt; and oh did he look good! She lost track of time, stood there spying on him, trying to hear what he was saying.
“Tess! What are you doing?”
“Damn, Kylie! Don’t scare me like that! It took me awhile to get the shell loose, that’s all.”
“Well, come on back out! I’ve met two charming men, one is older but both are terribly handsome! They want to meet you.”
The older man, Patrick Mercer, was lean and animated, talked with his hands and his bright, dancing eyes. He was near fifty, maybe past it, Tess surmised, though he acted much younger. The other one, Jack Leonardi, was very talkative and full of himself. Tess didn’t like him at all; he was attractive at any rate, with sun-streaked brown hair and a tennis player’s wiriness. She could tell Kylie was leaning her arrow towards Patrick. That would leave Tess with Jack, and she did not want that.
“I think I need a walk, to burn off this lunch,” she announced, “if you all will excuse me.”