Masked Indulgence

by Michelle Love

  “Hello, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Arsen Lockhart and here’s how I became a billionaire novelist”, the man announced before the class. As soon as the word “novelist” slipped out it was as though something clicked inside of her brain. Her head popped up immediately and she began paying attention.

  Lola Anderson. She was the epitome of stubbornness and ruination. Her only goal was to become a novelist, so she had never had time for relationships, or even friendships. Except for one, that is. Lola had a best friend named Arabella Spencer and they had had an unbreakable bond since middle school. Lola was currently skipping her eight o’clock math class to spend time with Arabella and never expected that there would be a seminar. Who could have known that this one day would be the start of something interesting?

  They made eye contact from across the room and from the moment he saw her, he knew he had to have her. She bit down on her lip as she watched the much older man walk around the classroom. It was really a coincidence that on the day she had skipped her class a great opportunity like this came about. There had to be a reason the universe pulled them together.

  Lola

  I began to feel very drawn to Arsen as he started his presentation. Despite the fact that I was in college, I hadn’t met any other guy who had that certain type of confidence he did. I examined the way he walked, with his back straight and chin up, the way he spoke slowly making sure every word was articulate, and the way his eye contact burned holes straight through anyone’s head. He was the perfect guy, if I wanted one.

  I quickly shook away the lustful thoughts and started to take notes. He went into detail about how to market your novels for the age group you want to sell to, and that’s where I struggled with my work—trying to make someone want my book in their home.

  Arsen also owned a line of hotels across the country named after himself, The Lockhart. I wasn’t interested in any of that, though. The fact that this man was a novelist was really attractive to me. He told us about his daily routine and how strict he was with time for his employees. It showed how ruthless he was when it came to his work. He was stern and didn’t play with his work. He was a man who knew what he wanted and got it. What was this feeling? I fanned myself lightly and continued taking notes.

  A half hour went by and the presentation was over. When Arsen went around to hand out his business card for whenever we needed to ‘contact him,’ his smile melted the hearts of all of the female students. I fell victim to this feeling, but I would never let that be known. When he handed me the card, we made eye contact and there was a tingling feeling throughout my body. He winked and I was taken aback, feeling attracted but confused. I guess he noticed because he chuckled and moved on to the next row of students.

  “What was that?” Arabella asked, smiling. “He was totally just flirting with you”

  I rolled my eyes and pulled my bag over my shoulder. “You’re over-analyzing things, Bella”.

  “You like him!” Her eyes widened with excitement as she stared at me.

  I raised an eyebrow, trying to mask my nervousness, and stood up from my seat. “I need coffee,” I forced out and left the room quickly.

  I’m not sure how a simple gesture could get me to crack like that, but it was strange, and I had never felt that before. I rushed out of the class and straight to the coffee shop to clear my mind. I started to think about Arsen again as I waited in line. His suit was so nice—form-fitting without a single piece of lint. His hair was so dark and his gray eyes were piercing.

  “Hello! What can I get for you?” I heard faintly in my head. That confused me, but I ignored it. “Excuse me!!”

  I snapped back into reality and realized the barista was trying to get my attention. I laughed softly. “Sorry about that. One large cup of vanilla hazelnut coffee please”.

  The barista put in my order, then told me my price. As I looked through my bag for my wallet, I heard a familiar voice.

  “I’ve got it, and add another large coffee. Black” I saw a man extend his arm, handing the barista a black card. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him and my body tensed up. All of my feelings from just ten minutes ago came rushing back when I turned to see Arsen standing next to me with a smirk on his face.

  “You didn’t,” I spoke lightly, then cleared my throat. “You didn’t have to.”

  “I wanted to, so I did.” He chuckled and took his coffee from the barista, and I did the same. “Let’s talk.”

  My eyes widened, and he chuckled again and walked away to a table in the corner. Taking a deep breath, I followed him to the table and sat in front of him.

  “You’re not afraid?” I asked.

  “Of?” He furrowed his eyebrows.

  “Being out in public without some sort of bodyguard or protection. You know ... being a billionaire and all.” I took a sip of my coffee and almost moaned as the warm liquid rushed down through my chest.

  “I have nothing to be scared of …” He trailed off, not knowing my name.

  “Lola,” I stated simply and stuck my hand out to shake his. He grabbed my hand and placed a kiss on it. I heard a girl gasp from the table behind us and I rolled my eyes.

  “Too much?” He asked, referring to the kiss.

  I shook my head in disagreement. “Girls here are just annoying sometimes, but why did you want to speak with me?”

  He smiled and took a sip of his coffee. He licked his lips and that made my stomach full of butterflies. “I saw you taking notes and I wanted to ask you what you thought about my seminar.”

  “Arsen Lockhart cares what I think?” I questioned and smiled lightly.

  “I do.” He smiled and drank more of his coffee. “So tell me, Lola, what did you think?”

  “I really admire how hard-working and dedicated you are.” I pushed my hair back behind my ear. “Actually … can I interview you the next time you’re available?”

  “Uh. Sure. What will this interview be about?” He leaned back in his seat and crossed his hands.

  “You and what made you want to become a novelist.” I stared into his eyes as he nodded.

  “I should be free next Tuesday around three. I’ll tell my assistant. Don’t be late, Lola.” And with that, he stood from his seat and left.

  I just sat there, not knowing what to do really. I was confused about why he decided to leave so abruptly, but after a few minutes, I shook away the thought and went on about my day. I grabbed my cup of coffee and headed back to my suite, which I shared with Anabella. When I got there, she was sitting on the couch waiting for me with a smile on her face.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” I chuckled and took off my jacket, hanging it on the coat rack.

  “I saw you and Mr. Lockhart at the coffee shop! You totally have a thing for him, Lo”

  I plopped down on the couch beside her and kicked off my shoes. “Why do you think I have a thing for him? We only spoke for like five minutes.” I pulled my feet up and looked over at her.

  “That’s the reason, Lola! You never give any guy—” I cut her off.

  “He’s not a guy. He’s a man. So what if I talked to him? That doesn’t mean I like him”

  “You never give any guy or man the attention to even have a five-minute conversation. You’re a hi-and-bye type of girl” Anabella smiled. “It’s good that you say you don’t like him because he’s too old for you anyway.”

  Too old? I thought to myself. I’m a grown woman. I can date anyone I want, however old. I mentally rolled my eyes and flashed Anabella a fake, small smile. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

  Three days of normal activities went by and it was finally Tuesday. For some reason, I wanted to wear something that would catch his eye, so I decided on a black button down, a black skirt that hugged my waist and hips, and a pair of red heels. I did my makeup neutral with a bold, dark brown lip. I straightened my hair and smiled at myself in the mirror. If this look didn’t grab his attention, I didn’t know what would.

  When I walked out of
the bathroom, Anabelle’s mouth dropped. “Where are you going? You look so hot!”

  “My interview with Arsen is today.” I smiled and grabbed my bag from the couch. “See ya’ later, babes.”

  I could feel her watching me in disbelief as I left, but I shrugged it off. As I walked toward my car, a ton of guys looked my way or tried to talk to me, but I only wanted Arsen’s attention. I hadn’t been interested in a guy since I’d been in college, so the act of developing feelings for someone was new to me. Like learning how to walk again.

  I pulled up to his office. It was a place I had always seen, but had never thought to research, since this wasn’t the place I was from. When I walked through the huge glass doors, my heels clicked against the marble floors. That sound made me feel bold for some reason and helped me stay focused. I was here for an interview, not to fall into the arms of Arsen Lockhart.

  The walls had big, beautiful paintings on each wall. ‘The Lockhart’ was written on the wall behind the front desk. Although it was a big building, I felt as if I belonged. Like this was the place I needed to be.

  Arsen

  “He’s straight through the doors,” I heard my assistant say from afar. I turned from my view of the city to see Lola sitting there, looking as beautiful as ever. I was shocked. She looked completely different from the girl with the jeans, sneakers, and ponytail she’d been when I first saw her. I smirked and sat down at my desk.

  “Hi, Mr. Lockhart. How are you today?” She sat in front of me with a smile on her face and her notebook in hand. I watched as she opened it and wrote something down. She looked back up at me, confused as to why I was staring at her, but I just chuckled and leaned back in my chair.

  “I’m doing great, Lola. How are you?” I stood and walked to the front of my desk, leaning against it. I looked down at her in her chair and finished before she could speak. “Let me guess … ‘I’m doing well Lockhart, and I’m looking very beautiful as well.’” I mimicked her voice and laughed.

  She cleared her throat uncomfortably and shifted in her seat. “Good. Um. Actually, Mr. Lockhart, I was going to say I’m doing fine.” She looked me directly in the eyes with a straight face.

  I laughed. She couldn’t possibly be serious right now. Who knew she couldn’t take a joke? Scoffing, I grabbed a cigar from my desk and lit it. “Well, what are your questions?”

  “For one, I wanted to know what inspired you to become a novelist.” She looked down at her book, ready to write. Her nails were painted beige and her hands looked soothing and slightly glossed from the lotion she had used.

  “Since I was young, I’ve loved reading, so by the time I was seventeen, I had written my first book. It was never published, but since then, I’ve been extremely passionate about writing. It’s really all I’ve ever wanted to do with my life, so I decided to turn it into a career. Now look at me—a billionaire!” I laughed and took a drag from my cigar. I loved talking about myself. It’s not so much of a ‘cocky’ thing to do. I’m just very confident, and talking about myself helps remind me of how I made it to the top on my own.

  “Great,” She spoke, writing down what I’d just said in her notes. “And how long have you been writing, Mr. Lockhart?”

  “Twenty years.” I returned back to my seat. “Published my first book when I was twenty-two years old”

  I saw her eyes widen slightly, but she continued to write. Her bracelets clanked together softly and her hair fell on her face. She was so beautiful. I really wanted her in my life. There was a silence in the room and the air grew thick. I decided to lighten the mood a bit.

  “How old are you, Lola?”

  “‘I’m twenty-one, Mr. Lockhart” She kept her eyes on her notes, but I could see her face turning red.

  “Do you want to be a novelist?” I asked and she nodded.

  She finally looked up at me and spoke. “I do, Mr. Lockhart”

  “Call me Arsen,” I told her “How badly do you want to be a novelist? How hard are you willing to work for it? It’s not as easy as you may think. You can’t just write a book and get it published. It’s much more than that. It’s hard to catch the reader’s eye these days, and this field is competitive, since most people read on their electronics. To get to the top, you have to be the best and don’t stop working, ever, until you get what you want.”

  She sat there in shock, not doing anything. She had completely stopped writing and just stared at me. She was startled and I could see it all over her face.

  “Let me mentor you, Lola.” I smiled and leaned forward on my desk.

  “O-okay, Mr. Lock—Arsen.” She shifted in her chair once more and wrote something down in her book. I could see her begin to turn red in the face again.

  “Every Tuesday, same time.” I stood up and fixed my tie. “I’ll show you out”

  She looked at me, confused, and stood up, following me toward the door. Before she could fully exit, I grabbed her hand and planted a kiss on it. She furrowed her eyebrows and continued walking.

  I couldn’t afford to be around her too long or I might just grab her and kiss her. She was so gorgeous, standing at 5’6 with a perfect curvy figure and long, black hair. Her freckles were like constellations and her lips were pouty and desirable. There was no doubt in my mind that she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen in my life, and I had to have her. I didn’t mean to come on to her too strongly. I guessed that she just needed time to get comfortable around me. She seemed stubborn about who she gave her attention to and that’s what attracted me the most. I’d be a fool to let her slip through my fingertips.

  Lola

  He did it again! Cutting our meetings off short, as if there wasn´t work that needed to be done. I rolled my eyes at the thought of it and got in my car. I didn’t understand him. The interview was going well until he just went on a rampage about what’s it was like being a novelist. I appreciated the advice, I really did, but I didn’t expect all of that in that very moment. I definitely didn’t expect the kiss he left on my hand before I left. Although that was a very interesting experience, I am happy that he asked to be my mentor. I needed someone like him to help me get where I need to be. The only problem with that plan will be trying to focus on my work with him breathing down the side of my neck. I felt like I was going to melt right in his office, but showing extreme amounts of affection too early with a guy can turn him off or give him the leverage to use you.

  When I made it back to my suite, I thought of ways to avoid Anabella, but luckily, she wasn’t there. All I could do was lie in bed and think of Arsen. I hadn’t felt the weight of a crush in years and it made me feel like an irresponsible schoolgirl again. There was just something about the way he talked. His voice almost struck fear into my heart. Those bold eyes and pink lips. That slender body in that dark suit. I felt myself getting hot and breathing heavily, so I had to quickly take my mind off of the thought of him. I rolled over on my side and pulled my laptop onto my bed. I opened it and the last piece of writing I was working on appeared on the screen.

  It was titled “Daisies & Apricot.” It was a short story I had written about my past lover who always brought me daisies and apricot-scented body scrubs. As I read over it, I thought that I would come across some similarities between my ex-boyfriend and Arsen, to give me a little hint as to why I was so attracted to him, but that wasn’t the case. Arsen was the exact opposite. He was challenging. All of my past boyfriends were very sweet and submissive. Their personalities fit so well with my dominate behavior. They all fell to my knees the moment they saw me, but Arsen Lockhart was different. He saw me and felt attracted, but he didn’t fall to my knees like the rest of them. He remained strong and determined. That’s what attracted me the most about him.

  I was so used to being around childish little boys that thought being over the age of eighteen made them “real men,” but Arsen was a real man. Strong, hardworking, dedicated, and stern, all while being confident. He had everything he wanted in the palm of his hand and he could c
ontrol people however he pleased. Except for me, of course. I liked him too, but I wasn’t that easy. I was a tough cookie who took a while to be cracked, so if he thought he could have me falling to my knees in a couple of days, he had another thing coming. I smiled, closing my laptop and putting it on my bedside table. I had a man who had my dream job and also had a thing for me. Why not use this to my advantage?

  I took one red rose and one white rose from the vase on my desk and carried them to the bathroom with me. I needed some time to relax and to also care for my skin, so I ran a warm bath and added the petals from the roses, pink salt, and a few drops of lavender oil. When I first put a foot in, I felt the warm water kiss my skin and it automatically put me to ease. I played my favorite album on my phone and just relaxed. This was everything that I needed.