by Tia Siren
He was a master of sex. Every move, every stroke, every touch took me a little higher. I was so close. It was within reach, just a little higher. My breath hitched, waiting for the last touch to send me over the edge.
It wasn’t the wall of the hotel room against my back. It was my lumpy mattress.
“Dammit,” I whispered into the dark room.
It had been another erotic dream. The man had visited me often over the past four years. Each time he left me on the verge of a climax, and I would wake up feeling hot, achy, and desperate for his touch.
I squeezed my eyes closed, hoping I could go back into my dream. I loved those dreams. I smiled thinking about the many ways he had made me come that night. That hotel room had been thoroughly used and abused. The man was very creative, I thought with a lascivious smile, remembering some of the more interesting ways he had fucked me throughout that night. Honestly, it had been the best night of my life.
We had used condoms, so it had been a shocker to find out I was pregnant. One of the condoms must have broken, which made sense considering the vigorous sex we’d had. The memory of being pushed up against the wall of the hotel room sent a bolt of electricity through my veins.
There was no way I could go through the day like this. Every time I moved just right, I would be on the verge of a climax. It was time for a little relief.
My hand slid down my belly and directly to the point between my legs that was emanating heat and already wet after the erotic dream. I knew my body well. I had to. Being a single mother left little time for dating. The men I did meet were never what I was looking for. I stroked my wet pussy and sucked in a breath through my teeth. The few men I had gone to bed with never measured up to the man who had rocked my world that one magical night.
I let my mind and body drift back to that night while I stroked my clit. The familiar spiraling sensation started low in my toes, taking me higher and higher. I slid one finger inside my slick passage and groaned with pleasure.
“Tyler.” I whispered the name, testing it on my lips.
Hearing it and saying it brought me a great deal of pleasure. I rubbed faster, probing deeper, thinking of the man.
“Tyler,” I cried out again, my body weeping with juices as I climaxed.
I gave myself a couple minutes to calm down before getting out of bed, showering, and getting ready for another long day at work. I hated my job. It wasn’t terrible, but people could be real jerks sometimes. I had to take a lot of shit and got paid little to do it.
It was the usual rush to get out the door and drop Tommy off at daycare. When I got to work, I wasn’t surprised to hear that one of the other waitresses had called in sick. It was a typical day of busting ass to make up for someone else. When we were shorthanded, the customers waited longer, which meant I got smaller tips.
“I’m going on break,” I shouted back to the office, where the manager was sitting on her ass, as usual.
“Make it quick!” she hollered.
Rolling my eyes, I replied, “I’ll make it ten minutes.”
I already had my phone out of my pocket as I walked out the back door of the restaurant. I didn’t smoke, but I didn’t want to utilize the break room and have the sounds of a busy restaurant in the back room as a distraction.
“Hello. I’d like to talk to Tyler Case,” I said in my friendliest voice possible.
“Who’s calling please?”
I cleared my throat. “A friend,” I said, wanting to keep it vague for now.
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Case is in a meeting,” the female on the other end of the phone said, then promptly hung up.
My mouth fell open and I stared at the screen of my phone. I growled low in my throat, determined to talk to the man. I’d call on my next break. At least I knew I had the right place. It had taken a quick search on the internet to find out he owned a successful investment company. I should have known it would be hard to get through to his direct line.
I went back to work, got through the lunch rush, and took my lunch break, determined to get through to the man.
“Mr. Case, please,” I said, trying to sound more professional and hoping to get put through.
“I’m sorry. He’s not in right now. Can I take a message?” the familiar voice asked.
I sighed. “I really need to talk to him.”
“Is this a personal or business matter?” she asked tersely.
“Personal.”
She let out an exasperated breath. “If you have his private number, I’d suggest you call that line. This is his office number and it really isn’t appropriate for you to call it for personal matters.”
“I don’t have his cell number,” I said with frustration.
“I’m sorry. If he has your number and is interested in calling you back, I’m sure he will. Have a nice day,” she said and hung up the phone.
I wanted to scream and throw my phone at the brick wall of the building across the alley from the restaurant.
“Of course I don’t have his cell number!” I shouted at the sky.
I got another idea. I quickly pulled up the company website, clicked on his profile, and then clicked the link to send him an email. I typed out a quick message, not revealing too much, and sent it. Within a couple minutes, I got the alert I had a new email. I hurriedly opened the email, anxious to see what he had to say.
“Dammit!” I cursed when I saw it was a canned bounced-back message.
Not willing to give up so easily, I called Sarah.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“Do you have Tyler’s number? His direct line?” I gushed out.
She laughed. “As if a lowly production assistant would get that kind of information.”
“I have been calling his office and sent an email. The guy is impossible to talk to!”
“I could try to get the assistant’s number, but I have a feeling he isn’t going to put you through to his boss. The guy is a bit rabid. I’m convinced he would bite if anyone got too close to his owner—I mean boss,” she joked.
I growled and stomped my foot. “How the hell am I supposed to tell this guy he has a son if I can’t talk to him?”
“You could sign up for his little show,” Sarah said softly.
“No way! I want nothing to do with that crap!”
She laughed. “You don’t actually have to win it. Sign up, get through the interview process, and go to the meet and greet they’re setting up for the women who get through the first round.”
“How do you know I’ll make it through? I could humiliate myself and still not get the chance to talk to him. Maybe I should just go to his office and stalk him,” I mused.
“Oh, yes, I’m sure that would end well. They’d have security toss you out on your ass faster than you could blink. I’m sure that man is well insulated. I don’t think they’re going to let you waltz in and talk to him.”
“Well, I could make up a story and say I’m some rich lady wanting a meeting,” I said, the idea taking shape in my mind. “I’ll say I want to invest or have something to sell or whatever it is he does. What does he do?” I asked aloud, realizing I had no real idea.
Sarah giggled. “Beats me!”
“I’ve got to get in there. I doubt he’ll remember me or recognize me. He pretty much told me he only did one-night stands, and judging by his expertise in that area, I would say he had a lot of practice,” I said, heat flooding my cheeks.
That earned another giggle from Sarah. “It certainly sounds like you had fun that night.”
“I did. I’ve got to see him, Sarah,” I whispered, desperation in my voice.
“I think the only people allowed into the sacred office are those with lots of money and who are known to him. Even Gabe had to jump through a few hoops before he was allowed into the inner sanctum. I’m telling you, his bulldog PA is no joke. I think he doubles as security for him.”
“Great. I can’t believe how difficult this is.”
“Hey, at least you have his name and
know who he is. You can always have him served.”
“No! I don’t want to come on that strong. I want him to have a relationship with Tommy, or at least meet him. I guess I really don’t know how I feel about them hanging out. I don’t know the guy. He could be a complete jerk,” I mused, seriously pissed at myself for getting into such a difficult situation.
“Relax. Come on, one step at a time,” she said in that soothing way she had.
“I have to get back to work,” I mumbled.
“Think about signing up. The open call closes on Thursday. Then there is a meet and greet scheduled for Friday night. The women who have been chosen for the show will get called sometime Thursday night or Friday morning,” she said.
“I’ll think about it, but I’m really not interested in competing for the man. I just want to tell him about Tommy. He can have all those other women. I just want him to acknowledge his son and maybe send a little child support,” I said, pouting.
“Don’t think about it too long. This is your chance, Emily.”
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”
Hanging up, I felt completely deflated. Naively, I had thought it would be easy enough to just call him, remind him of our night, and then tell him about Tommy. I didn’t want millions of dollars, just a little help. He’d agree to that; I was sure of it. I would sign whatever he wanted stating I wasn’t going to sue him for a bunch of money or go public with the revelation that he had a kid. Hell, he was probably used to this thing happening, which explained the wall around him. Tommy could have had a whole horde of half-brothers and half-sisters out there.
Back inside, the first thing I heard was my manager arguing with an irate customer about the soggy bread on his sandwich.
“God help me,” I muttered.
Chapter Seven
Tyler
Work felt like it was going a little easier. Now that I knew I was actively doing something that would help find the woman, I could focus on making more money. I should have done this a long time ago, I mused, as I clicked through one email after another.
“Mr. Case?” April’s voice floated around me.
“Yes?”
“You’ve got a call from Gabe. Do you want me to take a message?”
“I’ll take it,” I said, eager to hear what the man had to say.
The phone didn’t even buzz before I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Mr. Case!” Gabe said, his voice booming through the phone. “You’re a popular man!”
“I know,” I muttered. It was a blessing and a curse.
Gabe chuckled. “We opened the contest yesterday via an online advertisement. We’ve already gotten over two hundred applicants. I’m hiring a couple more screeners to go through the applications and do online interviews. I have to say, this is a far higher turnout than I expected. I guess the ladies really love your looks.”
“It’s the money,” I said dryly.
Gabe laughed again. “You’re right; it’s probably the money, but the looks don’t hurt. Anyway, I wanted to let you know we’re off to a great start. We’re working with your assistant to get the meet and greet set up for this Friday night. I’ve got my people securing a location, but plan on a couple hours if you could.”
“I’ll be there. You’ll have them all screened?” I asked, wanting to make sure they weren’t going to try anything shady and waste my time.
“They’ll all be screened,” he promised.
“What if the one I want isn’t there on Friday?” I asked.
“The one you want?” Gabe said, confusion in his voice.
I cleared my throat. “I mean, what if the women I meet aren’t what I’m looking for? How long can we keep the casting call open?”
The pregnant pause told me he wasn’t excited to hear my question. “I think you’re going to be pleased with the turnout. If you reject every single woman we pass through the first round of screening, we may need to reevaluate this whole thing.”
“I’ll keep an open mind, but I’m not going to marry just anyone,” I growled.
“Keep in mind, this is for the cameras. We’ll have contracts for each woman to sign. Just because you propose on the finale doesn’t mean you actually have to marry the woman.”
I digested the information, realizing there was still an out. “Good to know. I’ll be in touch,” I said and hung up the phone.
“Shit,” I muttered. I had gambled. Huge. It had better pay off.
The last thing I wanted was to have my name and face splashed all over TV with various headlines about being desperate or unlucky in love. I was putting myself out there. I hoped it didn’t blow up in my face.
I worked a little longer before completely scrapping it. I had lost my focus again. I sent Landon a quick text, asking if he wanted to go out for drinks. I needed to blow off some steam. He agreed, of course. Any excuse to go out worked for him.
I finished up a few things and told April I was leaving for the day.
“Already?” she asked with surprise.
“Yep. I have a dinner engagement.”
She laughed. “Drinks with Landon.”
I winked. “Shh, don’t tell the boss.”
I heard the phone ringing as I strode toward the elevators. I was done for the day and wasn’t going to worry about who was calling. Alex was waiting for me and whisked me away to one of the more private, upscale bars. I wasn’t in the mood to be inundated with women trying to catch my eye. I had a feeling it would be far worse than usual considering my new foray into reality television.
I walked into the club, and the windows were completely blacked out. We could see out, but those passing by could not see in. The dark walls and dim lighting made the place feel a bit like a cave, but it provided a great deal of privacy. It was where men came to meet their mistresses and where ladies came to find lovers while their husbands were away.
I made my way to one of the tables. Immediately, I noticed that the tables in this place were positioned several feet away from one another to offer more privacy. Then there were tables with semi-circle couches around them, giving the occupants the luxury of people watching. Landon was already seated on one of the couches.
“This is different,” Landon said, looking around the sparsely populated room.
“I wanted to keep it low-key,” I said, sliding into the booth.
He smirked. “Yeah, you’re a bit of a rock star.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I hope this whole thing pays off. I’m a little worried about the fallout. If she isn’t in the pool of contestants, I will have done all this for nothing.”
He grinned. “But look at all the fun you’ll have searching for Mrs. Right.”
I watched the room, noticing a couple women looking at us. “I’m not really interested in that. I know what I want.”
“You think you do. From what I hear, there are a lot of women clamoring for a spot on your little show. You’re the twenty-first century’s Great Gatsby.”
“Not quite. I’m a man desperate to find a woman. A specific woman,” I clarified.
Landon waited to respond until the pretty waitress who brought us our drinks had turned and walked away.
“Tyler, I’m your friend, probably your best friend, and I say this from a place of concern.”
His face was completely serious. It wasn’t often that Landon was serious. He was carefree, spoiled as hell, and truly had not a care in the world.
“What?” I groaned.
“Do you honestly think this woman is going to show up? You aren’t exactly a ghost. You’ve been on the top ten most eligible bachelors of the Bay Area list for several years in a row. How could she have not seen you at some point? If she really wanted to find you, don’t you think she would have reached out?” He said the words in a low voice, still looking concerned.
I sighed. “I know that, but if she isn’t from the area, she wouldn’t know. There’s also the chance she doesn’t follow society pages.”
“Okay, o
kay,” he said, leaning back against the leather bench. “I just had to get that out there.”
“Thank you for looking out for me. I appreciate it, really. If this doesn’t work out, Gabe tells me it’s all for the cameras anyway. I don’t have to marry anyone. If I get lucky, I find her. If I don’t find her, I may be lucky enough to find someone else. I mean, when you think about it, this is the best way to date,” I said with a smile.
“Why is that?” he asked, clearly curious now.
“It’s like speed dating without me doing any of the work. They’ve been screened. I know their likes and dislikes, and I have their pictures. It’ll be easy to weed out the ones I would never be interested in so I won’t be wasting my time,” I said, shrugging a shoulder as if we were talking about a business deal.
“Hmm. Maybe I should get a reality show for myself,” he said, spinning his glass back and forth between his palms.
I laughed. “You need to move to another country. You’ve already met and screwed most of the women in California.”
He smiled. “Oh, I probably don’t know most of their names or remember their faces. It would be like starting all over again.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re terrible.”
“You’re just as bad,” he shot back.
“Was. Past tense.”
He scoffed. “For now. You’re just going through a phase. If she doesn’t show up, you’ll be back on the wild side with me.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. I felt stronger than ever about moving on with my life, settling down with someone and starting a family. Maybe it was a phase. It didn’t feel like it, but I supposed phases weren’t easily recognized by the person caught up in one.
Landon and I had a few drinks, talked about work and future plans.
“I should get going,” I said, pushing my empty glass away from me. “I’ve got to actually get some damn work done tomorrow.”
He chuckled. “You could just retire.”
I gave him a look. “No. I’m not that old.”
“You sure are sounding like you are.”
“Funny. Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told him, standing from the table.
“I’m going in late,” he said as I walked away.