by Claire Adams
She laughed. “Yes, yes, I am aware of you and your rich ways. Which reminds me, am I dressed up to standards for your gala? I’m returning the dress you sent.”
“Of course you are,” I shook my head, but with a smile. “Like I said in my note, I wouldn’t have cared if you came in ripped jeans. But to answer your question, you look more beautiful tonight than I have ever seen you.”
Her face got pink as she mumbled thank you. “You look pretty good too,” she said looking out the window.
“Are you talking to someone in the street?” I teased.
She looked me in the eye this time. “You are very handsome. I am really looking forward to spending this evening with you,” she spoke softly.
I was startled by those words, not at all expecting her to be so solemnly candid in showing signs of affection. Okay, maybe it wasn’t quite affection, but some admiration had to be lingering somewhere if she was willing and excited to spend an evening with me. That made me very enthusiastic, so much so that I almost wanted to skip the whole evening and just spend it with her, however she wanted.
I was becoming weak.
---
“What exactly is this auction for?” Aria asked, as we walked in almost holding hands. We were brushing our fingers against each other’s, which made me feel all kinds of desires. It also scared the shit out of me because I had never come close to holding a girl’s hand after my ex.
“For cancer research,” I said and nervously added; “I forgot to mention, I will be giving a speech on behalf of the organizers. Usually I ignore speaking arrangements, but I love this cause, and of all the non-profit hostings, this probably gets the highest percentile of my yearly donations.”
She put a hand on my shoulder. It was definitely affection this time. “You’re an amazing guy.”
“I’m alright,” I said with a straight face.
“Nope, really amazing. I look forward to your speech. I will be embarrassing and whistle and make you wish you had never-“
“Zayden!” An old, balding man approached me. “How are you doing, my boy?”
“Hi Mr. Kirk, I’m doing good. It’s nice to see you!” I looked at Aria and pointed, “This is Ms. Aria Roberts, my date for the night.” Then I looked at Mr. Kirk. “Aria, Mr. Kirk is one of our oldest business partners, and when my dad was alive, one of his best friends.”
Upon hearing those words, Aria wrapped her hand around mine and I felt her warm, soft skin.
Mr. Kirk’s face lit up. “Wow, what a beautiful girl! What do you do, dear?”
She looked nervous. “I am finishing up college, studying to be a loan officer. I also work at the bank.”
“That’s great,” Mr. Kirk said, with much less enthusiasm, and started walking away. I had never quite taken someone plain to a public event like this. Sure, I fucked all the young women that worked for me, but that was usually confined to the walls of my own house; I never dared take a teller out to a coveted event like this one.
These things were boring beyond belief though, and her company, with her snarky humor and challenging attitude, would provide a lot of entertainment. I enjoyed having her around.
“I think you’re being judged pretty hardcore right now,” Aria looked at me with amusement.
“You aren’t… offended?”
She laughed. “Why should I be? I am sure he’s used to seeing you with supermodels. Everyone is. It is quite amusing watching people’s reaction. I never quite realized this before, but messing with rich people is fun.”
“Fucking rich people is even better,” I winked.
“Okay, I practically led you to that one,” she shrugged. “What does a girl have to do to get a drink around here?”
“I’ll grab one for you,” I said, and started walking but remembered something. “You’re not 21.”
“Meh, it’s just a matter of a few months, nobody will care.”
“I hear it’s impossible to get a comfortable king-sized bed in jail,” I retorted.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, if it’s such a big deal-”
“I’m teasing you. Champagne okay?”
“Grab me a beer,” she grinned. “Let’s see how your acquaintances will react to a working-class girl who also shamelessly drinks beer at a classy event.”
I chuckled. “You are crazy. I don’t think they even have beers at this thing. I can ask Ned to-“
“It’s okay, you don’t have to make everything happen at the snap of your fingertips. Get me anything you want.” She put her hand on my shoulder again and smiled. Her touches were distracting.
I returned with two glasses of red wine and handed her one. “So I have to make a speech in like five minutes, you think you’re going to be okay on your own for a little bit?”
“Of course not. Oh wait, I’m not a 5-year-old that needs constant adult supervision,” she pulled out her tongue. “Break a leg.”
“Don’t interrupt my speech if you need anything. You’re on your own. We can always screw later.”
She covered her face with both her hands. “Zayden, go make your big important speech.”
Chapter Nine
ARIA
I took a huge gulp of my wine as Zayden proceeded to the mini-stage that had been crafted in the middle of the room. It was a very interesting taste; bitter, but rich enough to make my whole mouth feel like velvet. I was already starting to get a bit buzzed from a few sips. I looked at Zayden adjusting the mic and took a deep breath. The plain black suit fit his lean body immaculately, and the dark blue shirt made his eyes pop. His skinny black tie was slightly loose, and I wondered how it would feel to undo it. And then his shirt. Aria, focus. I slapped my own forehead and frowned, trying hard to pay attention to the words now coming out of his mouth, rather than his mouth itself and just how succulent his lips looked.
“As many of you know, I lost my grandfather to cancer,” Zayden was saying. The room was utterly silent, every pair of eyes concentrating on him, as though he was reciting the next set of global constitution. What must it feel like, commanding any room you walk into? Someday, I would find out. I may never make it to Zayden’s status – I wasn’t born with the right set of luck in order to get there – but someday I would become successful enough to have a room full of people care about what I am saying.
“It was my complete honor to sponsor this gala, and I want to thank you all so much for your generous contributions to this truly wonderful cause.” It was obvious that this truly meant something to him, that he actually cared. There was a rumor around the office that he turned down an offer to speak at a local TED talk, so the fact that he was willing to come over here and take the time to address these people for the sake of cancer research was oddly heartwarming. He was definitely a much better person that he led himself and everyone else to believe. As he spoke with passion and intensity, I began to feel a very uncomfortable knot in my chest. It was a knot of feelings beginning to develop. I always thought he was attractive, but that’s simply an objective fact; he was attractive like the sky is blue, and I was also certainly very grateful for all that he did for me. But somehow, it was beginning to feel like there was more, like I appreciated him for who he was outside of who he was with me.
I was in trouble.
When he finished his speech there was applause that lasted for minutes. People were cheering him on and screaming his name.
“Now let me invite Ms. Cameron Elizabeth, the head organizer of tonight’s grand event, to begin the auction,” Zayden said and stepped aside to speak with an older blonde woman on the stage. I was surprised to feel a tap on my shoulder, since I didn’t really know anyone else at the party. I turned around to find Mr. Kirk smiling at me.
“That speech was quite something, huh?” He asked.
“Absolutely! Zayden is passionate and a wonderful speaker.”
“I’m sure you think so,” he shrugged in a way that made me uncomfortable. “How much is he paying you anyway?”
“Excuse me?”
I felt a fit of rage begin to spread inside me.
“I’ll write you a blank check to fill in as you please for one night. But I have some very specific requests. Things not every girl is comfortable doing. Even though you’re a professional.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I was so angry I didn’t even care about my language or creating a scene. “I am not for sale.”
He laughed. “Oh, he’s taught you well. Come on. I have known the kid since he was 10 years old, you’re not going to convince me that he’s just taking out a lowly employee because he likes your personality.”
“Actually, that is exactly why I brought her here tonight,” I heard a different voice say. Zayden was standing in front of us and he looked like he was about to commit murder. “And why you should now exit this event. South National will no longer be dealing with your company.”
Kirk’s face turned to a deep shade of purple. “Come on, Zayden! Are you really going to side with a whore?”
“Watch your language, or I will have you thrown out of here in a manner that will make it impossible for you to ever show your face in public again. Aria is a beautiful young woman with a deeper intellect at her age than you have acquired in 60 years. I would rather spend the very little free time I have in the company of somebody like her, than do business with some sick bastard who has no respect for another human being. Call her a whore again and my lawyers will ruin you until you’re on the streets. Now, get the fuck out.”
People had begun watching and I wanted to draw a hole underneath me and disappear. This must have been embarrassing for him, yet he was fighting for my so-called honor, and I was completely paralyzed in shock. The truth was that he was, in fact, paying me, even if it wasn’t exactly for sex. But the fact that he was still supremely offended by Kirk’s behavior made a small part of me ridiculously happy. The rest of me kind of wanted to collapse and never see humanity again.
When we finally left the gala, every single person was apologizing to me for Kirk’s behavior, and I realized that not all rich people sucked, contrary to what I had convinced myself of. In fact, Zayden seemed to run around in circles of some truly nice people. All in all though, the evening ended on a nice note, and by the time we made it back to Zayden’s car, I was tipsy, tired, and in a much better mood than I had expected to be.
“I’m sorry about Kirk again, Aria,” Zayden said once we sat in the car again. “I have known him all my life, but he’s never acted so sleazy before. I wouldn’t have introduced him to you if I knew he was going to act that way.”
I gently put my hand over his and he started to move his fingers against mine, causing an internal volcano to begin popping in my system.
“You don’t have to apologize. I feel terrible about creating a scene. I am sure you didn’t come in here today thinking ‘Hey, guess what would be fun? If I had to insult one of my business partners on behalf of my date and cause a whole dramatic production.’” I laughed.
He lifted both our hands and put his arm around me. “I have never in my life used this word to describe a girl before, but Aria Roberts, you are really amazing.”
He must have thought calling me amazing was somehow amusing since that’s what I had called him.
I giggled. “How long have you been practicing to say that?”
“Since I read your paper. It was… amazing.”
“Amazing. You’re…amazing too.” We were both gazing into each other’s eyes at this point and I barely knew what I was even saying. “Very, very amazing.”
He removed his hand from mine and lightly brushed his index finger against my cheek, the effects of which I felt across my whole body. He was leaning in, and I gazed at his perfect mouth and wondered if he would taste like whiskey. As soon as our lips slightly touched, however, I jerked away. A few seconds later I got the courage to look at him.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m sorry, Zayden. I can’t. I just…”
“It’s okay,” he said and looked away from me, without any hint of disappointment in his voice. “I know you don’t want to and I shouldn’t have-”
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” I blurted before I could stop myself. It was too late to take it back now. “Whenever I am around you, it’s difficult to breathe. And all I want in the whole world is to let you win and feel the taste of your mouth and to touch you and let you do whatever you want to me.”
He didn’t speak for almost a few minutes. Then he said, “The screen isn’t soundproof, Ned can hear you.”
“No I can’t,” I heard Ned say, and then I felt absolutely mortified.
“The point that I have been trying to make – sorry Ned – is that it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I can’t. And I’m sorry.”
Zayden sighed like he didn’t care. “Don’t be. It’s your stop. I’ll see you on Monday. Sleep well, Aria. Thanks again for coming out with me tonight.”
I couldn’t bring myself to get out of the car for the longest time. I finally forced myself to say, “No, thank you, for everything.” Then I ran out of there as fast as I could.
I didn’t sleep well that night. I didn’t sleep at all.
---
On Monday morning I was woken up by a phone call from my mom.
“It’s 5 a.m. Mom,” I mumbled on to the phone. “Can I call you back?”
“I’m sorry for waking you up, sweetheart, I just wanted thank you for the 10,000 dollars that you paid to the hospital on my behalf. I’m glad your loan went through.”
Wait, what was she talking about? My loan never – oh. I sat upright, suddenly understanding.
“It was paid?” I asked stupidly.
“Of course, from your name.”
“I know, I meant to ask if it went through alright. I’ll call you later okay, mom? Don’t worry about it too much, I got you. Love you!”
I dialed Zayden’s office number and immediately hung up, remembering what time it was. It would just have to wait until I got to work. I couldn’t believe what he had done. I felt a sense of warmth and affection throughout my whole body.
The contract was real.
I tried going back to sleep, but spent the next few hours thinking of him and just how underrated he was as a person. I had expected him to be upset with me, given the rejection from Saturday night. He hadn’t tried to get in contact with me all of Sunday and I assumed he was miffed. Instead, he had decided to go on and make the first payment early. And the way he had fought for me at the gala. Perhaps I had judged him unfairly, but I would never think he would jump to defend me against his own kind. His business and reputation, I assumed, were way more important than some girl he was trying to seduce, yet I was wrong, as I seemed to be on many accounts when it came to Zayden. I would have to find something nice to do for him, soon. For the first time in a long time, I could not wait to get out of bed and get to work.
Which is why I was very disappointed when I got to work and Zayden was not in his office. He usually got there before everyone else, and I was convinced that he slept in his office most days. I wondered if everything was okay. I thought about writing him an email and drafted something:
Hi,
I wanted to thank you in person, but you seem to be out today. I hope everything is okay. My mom called me about the hospital payment and I wanted to thank you for going ahead with that way earlier than our contract demanded. And for sticking up for me in front of Mr. Kirk the other day. It meant more to me than you ever imagined.
So I was thinking, about that pizza, beer, and Netflix thing, do you want to come over some day this week?
I would love for you to join me…
No, not that word. I would “like.” I went ahead and scratched the whole email off. I had to tell him in person.
The day got more and more agonizing, as I kept my eyes straight on the door, waiting for him to walk in, with increasing disappointment. At 5, I made a final glance, at this point assuming there was no way he would show up at work, but I still co
uldn’t help but feel utterly disappointed. I didn’t work on Tuesdays, and waiting until Wednesday to see him would be too unbearable. I started packing up as slowly as I physically could, while everyone else began walking out of the office. What was I expecting? The day was over, he wasn’t coming. And maybe I had something to do with it. Maybe if I hadn’t pulled away the other day...ugh. I didn’t owe him anything physical.
But I wanted to so bad, so what was I even fighting for? Right now I couldn’t think of a single reason why I wasn’t in Zayden’s arms.
Trudging out of the office, I wondered if I could skip some classes to come to work tomorrow. As soon as I got to my car, however, I saw Zayden’s silver BMW pull in and my heart jumped. I stood there, feeling completely paralyzed, and when he got out of the car I could barely keep up with what I was doing.
I ran to him as fast as I could and planted a kiss squarely on his lips. He stepped back for a second looking completely startled, and as Ned started driving away, he pulled me towards him and kissed me. His hands were on my face and when his mouth began to part mine, I forgot everything about the world. His tongue entered my mouth and started exploring, and one of his hands was now on my back, almost lifting me up. I tried to kiss him back with everything I had, but it wasn’t enough, I wanted more, I wanted every bit of him. His hand was now inside the back of my dress, grabbing my ass firmly, and I felt like I could explode from that sensation alone. It felt like an eternity when we finally broke apart, gasping for air.
“It’s nice to see you too, Aria,” he grinned at me. I was still trying to remember how to breathe.
“I-” I tried to speak. I had never realized how difficult that process could be. My eyes were still on his mouth. “I wanted to thank you. About the payment. And about Kirk. And I wanted to-”
He cut me off with another electrifying kiss. He tasted like expensive scotch, just like I had imagined; a little smoky, and the faintest hint of sweet. When his mouth left mine and he proceeded to kiss the side of my neck, I couldn’t take it anymore.