Next to Never: Shattered Innocence Trilogy

by A. L Long

  When they got outside, a valet had the passenger door of a very expense sports car opened for her. Even though she knew nothing about cars, Dylan could tell by the sleek design and the plush leather interior that it cost more money than she could make in a decade. When the door closed, she was worried about having a complete stranger drive her home. What if he ended up being a rapist or maybe something even worse? Rade could feel her uneasiness as she sat next to him. He normally didn’t offer rides to strange women, but he knew he needed to spend more time with this captivating woman and he knew this was his chance.

  “So, what is your name?” Rade asked.

  “What?” Dylan commented back.

  “I don’t know what your name is. I think I should at least know the name of the beautiful woman I am giving a ride to.”

  “Oh, yeah, right. My name is Dylan Adams.”

  “Okay, Dylan Adams, where to?” Rade responded with a smile. Dylan gave Rade her address.

  It wasn’t long before Rade began speaking. “So have you lived in New York long?”

  Dylan fidgeted a little before she answered him. “Well, I was born in New York, but I’ve only lived in New York City since college. I’m originally from Kingston. My friend Lilly and I grew up together and ended up going to Columbia University together.”

  He glanced back over to her. “So I take it Lilly is the friend you were with at the club?”

  “Yeah,” Dylan answered as she focused on the street lights ahead.

  Rade continued in conversation. “So what did you study in college?” Rade was hoping he could find out more about her. At least something he didn’t already know.

  “My main study was business finance. I graduated with an MBA.”

  Dylan could tell Rade was interested in her academic achievements. She continued telling him about her upcoming interview. “I have my first job interview on Monday. It’s with Northgate Financial. Have you ever heard of them? I heard it’s a really good company to work for.” Dylan wasn’t sure why she was sharing so much information. She tended to ramble when she got nervous.

  Rade hesitated a little when Dylan mentioned the name of the company she was interviewing for. “Yeah, I’ve heard of the company. It is a good company. I hope you get a job with them.” Hearing this bit of information from her just made his evening better.

  Rade pulled up to Dylan’s apartment building. He turned off the engine and opened his door. He rounded the front of the car to the passenger side and helped her out.

  Dylan texted Lilly as she made her way to the entrance of the lobby. Turning to Rade she said, “It’s not necessary for you to walk me to my door. I can make it from here.”

  Rade looked at Dylan with warmth in his eyes. “I insist making sure you get inside safely, please indulge me. It will give me peace of mind.”

  Dylan proceeded to unlock the lobby door with her entrance key. Walking to the elevator, she pressed the up button and waited for the car to come down. When the elevator door opened, she got inside with Rade close behind. Once they reached the fifth floor, Dylan walked down the hall to her apartment. Reaching her apartment door, she turned to face Rade. Looking up at him, she said nervously, “Thank you for the ride and walking me in. It really wasn’t necessary.”

  “It was my pleasure, Dylan Adams.” As Rade said these words, he couldn’t help but look at the most unbelievably beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. Without even thinking, he cupped Dylan’s face with his hand and lowered his lips within inches of hers. He moved closer and consumed her warm, soft mouth. First, with only a gentle touch, and then with a little more passion until she eventually parted her lips, allowing him entrance. He slowly slid his tongue inside and explored every inch of her incredible mouth. When they finally broke, Dylan was speechless. She was fumbling with the key to her door when Rade finally took the key from her hand and opened the door with ease.

  As Rade handed her the set of keys, he lowered his head to her ear. “When can I see you again?”

  Dylan reached for the key as his lips grazed her ear lobe. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. I mean… I’m not ready to see anyone right now. Thank you again for bringing me home. Good night, Rade.”

  Rade knew then it wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought getting to know this woman. He needed to try a different approach. Most of the women he seduced gave in to him with no hesitation. Ms. Adams was going to take some work.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Rade was beside himself. He had a restless night after dropping Dylan off at her apartment. He knew it was going to take more effort to get Dylan to fall for him. He needed to focus on his objective, even if it meant breaking her heart. It wouldn’t be the first time he broke a woman’s heart. Why should this be any different? The problem was, once he laid eyes on her, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Her beauty was nothing like the other women he’d been involved with. Most of them, although beautiful, were superficial and didn’t have any of the natural beauty Dylan had. She had an innocence about her. He just needed to find out if it was real or an illusion.

  The following morning, there was a buzz coming from the intercom mounted on Dylan’s kitchen wall. Dylan was still half asleep when she heard the annoying sound. As she stumbled out of bed to the kitchen, she looked at the time on the alarm clock sitting on her night stand. “Oh my God, how did I sleep in so late?” Even though it was Saturday, she wanted to work on her presentation for her job interview. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but she wanted to make sure she was prepared.

  “Hello,” Dylan said into the intercom while yawning. The man on the other end responded, “Are you Dylan Adams? I have a delivery.” Dylan answered, “Yes,” and buzzed the courier in. Once the courier was at the front door of her apartment, all she could do was gasp at the delivery he was holding. It was the most beautiful bouquet of flowers she had ever seen. There must have been every color of lilies and roses in the floral arrangement. The courier handed Dylan an electronic clipboard so she could sign for the delivery. She handed the device back to the young man and took the flowers. As she placed the arrangement on the living room coffee table, she searched between the soft petals of the enormous bouquet for a card. Once she located the card, Dylan slowly opened it.

  Dylan,

  First, I wanted to thank you for allowing me to take you home last night. I would have felt awful if something happened to you.

  Secondly, I want to take you to lunch tomorrow. I will have a car pick you up at one o’clock.

  Looking forward to seeing you then.

  Rade

  Dylan didn’t know what to think. She made it very clear to him that she wasn’t in any way interested in seeing anyone. This was the last thing she wanted. She had no idea how to let him know she couldn’t meet him. She didn’t even know his last name. Her only option was to tell him when his car came to pick her up tomorrow.

  As Dylan was working on her portfolio for her interview, her cell phone rang. She looked at the screen and saw it was Lilly.

  “Hi, Lilly.”

  “Hey, girlfriend, so spill, how was your ride home with Mr. Hunk of a man?” Lilly replied with curiosity.

  “It was fine, Lilly. I should really hate you, but he was a complete gentleman. He wants to take me to lunch tomorrow, but I’m not sure I’m ready for this… I mean… so soon after Michael. I don’t even know how to get in touch with him to let him know.”

  Dylan could hear the frustration in Lilly’s voice. “Dylan, what are you afraid of?” Lilly began. “The only way you are going to be able to get past Michael is to get out more. If you continue to keep yourself from meeting new people, you’re going to end up being lonely and miserable for the rest of your life.”

  Dylan knew Lilly was right. She did need to start meeting people. She just wasn’t sure if she was ready or if she would ever be ready. Dylan heard the concern in Lilly’s voice and knew it was breaking her heart to see her this way. Not wanting to disappoint her friend, Dylan decided to
go ahead and accept the lunch invitation for tomorrow. She just hoped she wasn’t making a mistake.

  *****

  The next morning, Dylan woke up early. She had a hard time sleeping. She was plagued with thoughts of her job interview on Monday and her lunch date with Rade, which she wasn’t looking forward to. She decided she needed to get her mind off of the date and do something more productive. She settled on showering and then taking a walk to the corner market to grab a few items.

  It was a beautiful day and a perfect day for a walk. Dylan slipped on a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and her favorite pink hoodie for her morning walk. Even though it wasn’t quite spring yet, it had been a pretty warm day. Not quite a block from her apartment building, she got this eerie feeling that she was being followed. When she turned around, she saw there was no one there, just other people taking advantage of the nice weather. Not giving it another thought, Dylan shrugged her shoulders and continued walking toward the market.

  It was almost eleven o’clock by the time Dylan returned to her apartment. After unloading her groceries, she decided she better think about freshening up for her lunch date with Rade. She spent almost an hour just deciding on what she should wear. Rade left no indication in his note where he was taking her for lunch or what to wear. She chose to dress somewhat casual. She picked out a cute skirt that flared out at the waist and paired it with a sleeveless shell sweater with a matching cardigan. It was a little cool for open-toe shoes, so she settled on a pair of sling backs. Dylan switched out her purse with a small blue clutch which matched the floral print on her sweater. Hopefully her attire wasn’t too causal.

  With one o’clock approaching, Dylan decided to make her way down to the lobby of her apartment building. She was already a little nervous about going on this lunch date, but when she saw the car Rade had sent waiting out front, she became even more nervous. “How many cars does this man own?” The car was a black, sleek Bentley SUV. She recognized the emblem on the hood and knew this car had a price tag that could feed a Third World country. With the red fancy sports car he drove her home in and now the Bentley, she was becoming more convinced that this date might not be such a good idea. Not only was she not ready to get involved with anyone, she knew men with money were nothing but trouble.

  As the driver got out and circled the front of the car, he looked at Dylan. “Good afternoon, Ms. Adams. Mr. Matheson regrets not being able to accompany you to the Waldorf for lunch. He will, however, be meeting you there. He had a pressing matter that needed immediate attention.”

  Shocked, Dylan stumbled her words. “The Waldorf-Astoria?”

  The driver gave her an agitated look. “Is there any other?” He opened the passenger door and Dylan slid into the back seat of the Bentley. A little embarrassed by her comment, Dylan thought to herself, “Who has a casual lunch at the Waldorf and why is he interested in having lunch with me?”

  Dylan was trying to make small talk with the driver, mostly just to pass the time and calm her nerves. “So tell me, Mister Driver, what can I call you?”

  The driver replied as he pulled from the curb, “You may call me Richard.” Dylan continued. “So tell me, Richard, how long have you worked for Rade, um… I mean Mr. Matheson?”

  Dylan didn’t really care since she wasn’t going to see this man again after today, but she hated riding in silence.

  “I’ve been under Mr. Matheson’s employment for ten years. Before that I was employed by Mr. Matheson’s father,” he replied.

  “So what does Mr. Matheson do, exactly… I mean for a living?” Dylan looked up just as the driver peered back in the rearview mirror.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Adams, but you will need to ask Mr. Matheson that question. I am sure he will be able to answer it better than I can.” Richard looked briefly back at Dylan. He hoped he wasn’t too abrupt with his answer, but he wanted to be careful what he shared with her, especially not knowing what Rade had already told her.

  Dylan had the feeling Richard didn’t like her very much. She thought it best to remain silent for the remainder of the ride. When Richard pulled up to the Waldorf Hotel, there was a doorman waiting at the entrance. As the doorman approached the car, he opened Dylan’s door and nodded with a tip of his hat as he assisted her out of the car. As she approached the entrance, another doorman opened the glass door for her. She entered the massive hotel and made her way up the steps to the hotel lobby. She wasn’t sure where Rade would be for their lunch date, so she began walking toward the concierge desk. Just as she reached the desk, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Dylan was just about to turn around when she felt a soft kiss on her neck. Fully turned, she looked up at Rade with a smile that showed she was affected by his small gesture. She should have been angered by his advance, but he looked so incredibly handsome in his white button-down shirt and dark blue jeans that her anger was gone. Plus, his gorgeous hazel eyes were more potent than she remembered.

  Dylan spoke in a soft tone. “Hi… I wasn’t sure where you would be.”

  Rade’s expression was that of a school boy learning to ride a bike for the first time. Excitement had filled his eyes. “I wasn’t sure you would come. I’m glad you did.” Looking at her face, he could tell his light kiss was having an effect on her.

  Rade escorted Dylan to the restaurant. She still couldn’t figure out why he wanted to share her company for lunch. As they came to the doorway to the restaurant, a maitre d' greeted Rade by name and led them to a table located in the back of the dining area. Once they were seated, the maitre d' handed them each a menu and filled the water glasses. Confused by the multiple pieces of silverware on the table, Dylan wasn’t sure which utensil to use for each dish. She had never experienced the elegance of a five-star restaurant.

  The restaurant was very plush with its black marble pillars, burgundy and tan seating, and neutral walls decorated with large antique mirrors spaced just so throughout the dining area. As they sat, Rade requested the maitre d’ bring them a bottle of 2002 Dom Perignon.

  Feeling a little uncomfortable with Rade’s gaze on her, Dylan looked down and said, “Thank you for the flowers. They were absolutely lovely. You really didn’t need to send them. They must have cost a fortune?”

  Rade responded with a smile, “You’re welcome. I know I didn’t have to send them, but I wanted to… and it’s you that are lovely.” Dylan just smiled.

  Rade placed his napkin on his lap. “I will go ahead and order for us?” Dylan looked at Rade, thinking how arrogant this man was. Whenever Michael and she went out for lunch, Michael never took it upon himself to order for the both of them. This was definitely an unsettling difference.

  Not wanting to cause a scene, Dylan agreed. “That would be fine. I am not sure what would be good to order. I’m sure you’ve been here before, probably on many occasions.” Dylan began feeling overheated as she continued to look at Rade. Rade knew she wasn’t fond of his demand and he could tell she was irritated.

  With an arrogant look, Rade confirmed her assumption. “I have been here on a few occasions.”

  When the waiter came to the table with the champagne, Rade began to order. “First, we would like to start with the Riesling Poached Pear Salad, followed by the Pasta Du Jour, and for dessert we will have the Valrhona Chocolate Macaroon.”

  Even though Dylan was angry, she was also amazed how Rade had placed their order so effortlessly. This man was so not good for her, but she was still curious to find out why he insisted on inviting her to lunch.

  With a hint of concern, Dylan came out with it. “Rade, why did you invite me to lunch? You could have invited anyone, or should I say woman? Why me?”

  Rade was shocked by her boldness, but also turned on. “Well, I find you very attractive and I wanted to get to know you better. I also happen to think you’re a very intelligent woman, which I also find very pleasing… and… Yes, I could have invited any woman to lunch, but you are unlike any woman I have eve
r met.”

  “Even when I told you I’m not ready to get involved with anyone?” Dylan shot back as the waiter delivered their order.

  “Why is that, Dylan? You seem very adamant about that. All I’m asking for is your company and the opportunity to get to know you better. Maybe you aren’t ready for a relationship, but this is what I think… if you didn’t want this, you wouldn’t have accepted my lunch invitation. Am I right?”

  “Just so you know, Rade, I didn’t turn down your invitation because I didn’t know how to let you know otherwise. Besides, I don’t know anything about you. For all I know, you could be a stalker or something,” Dylan replied defensively.

  “A stalker? That is highly unlikely. What would you like to know, Dylan?” Rade answered back.

  “Okay, so maybe a stalker is a little harsh. But I still don’t know anything about you. Like, what you do for a living? Where you’re from? What kind of things you like to do in your spare time, aside from hassling young women? If you have any brothers or sisters? I don’t even know what your favorite color is, for that matter?” Dylan was looking straight into Rade’s eyes. No way was this man going to intimidate her.

  “Okay,” he said as he took his napkin to wipe his mouth. “To answer your questions, Ms. Adams, I own my own business, which I began when I was twenty-four. I live New York, even though I was born in Canada. I usually don’t have any spare time, but when I do, I love sailing, watching polo, or reading, and I only hassle women I am interested in. My favorite color is red, which you would look amazing in, by the way. What else would you like to know?” Rade was beginning to enjoy this conversation with Dylan.

  As they finished eating, Dylan asked, “What about your family? Do you have any brothers, sisters, dad, mom?” Dylan could see the tension in Rade’s face as she inquired about his family.

  Rade took his champagne glass with a firm hand and finished the contents. “Let’s get out of here.”