“Come on, Lisa. Let’s give Gin some space.” Bill took Lisa’s hand.
“Yes. Thank you, Bill. I think I just need to think this over some more.”
The two of them slid out of the booth. “I’m as close as your phone, honey. Just call me whenever you need anything. I don’t care what time it is. Just call.”
“Thank you,” Gin replied. She didn’t even watch them leave. Finally alone, Gin couldn’t stop a few tears from falling. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she tried to make sense of something she thought she was prepared for. Gin Langdon, what the fuck did you get yourself into? You are stronger than this. He’s going to fuck that girl and then come back to you. He’ll fuck another girl and then come back to you. Then, someday, it will just be you.
But the truth was that it hurt. It hurt that he was enjoying the girl feeling him up. It hurt that she looked like a model. It hurt that she was tall and elegant even in slutty clothes, and it hurt that Rob seemed to be having as much fun with her as he had with Gin.
“Sorry it took so long. Rich took like forever making your drink.” Gin looked up to see Vin placing a rum and Coke in front of her. She looked away and quickly wiped her eyes. “I didn’t think you’d want to be alone.”
Gin smiled. “I didn’t think you were physically capable of sitting in a different spot in the bar.”
“Yeah, well, if Mohammed will not go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed.” Vin slid into the seat across from her.
“Are you calling me Mohammed?”
“Not only that, I’m calling myself a mountain, so maybe I need to choose better metaphors.”
Gin smiled. “Vin. I feel better already. Thank you.”
“Rob let you down?”
“You can say that,” Gin replied. “But I was foolish to expect him not to let me down.” She took a long drink, while Vin just listened. “I even told myself that I could handle him being with other women.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have to handle those kinds of situations,” Vin replied before taking a sip of his own drink.
“I don’t know, Vin. Rob is damaged. He lost his child, and then his wife divorced him, and he’s just looking for someone to love. He’s wonderful in so many ways. Over dinner we talked about his charitable foundation, and we share so much in common. I mean, we connected. I just know that when he’s healed he’ll be a wonderful husband.”
Vin nodded his head. “And you think you can be the one to heal him?”
“I thought so, but now I’m not sure.” Gin looked up at Vin. “I played it so cool on the outside, but as I saw the girl Molly feeling him up under the tabletop, I was numb.”
“I don’t blame you, Gin. It’s a rough thing watching someone you deeply care for giving all their attention to someone else.”
“Exactly. I was talking to them feeling all numb, but when they left I wasn’t numb. I was full of rage and hurt and embarrassment and confusion.” Gin held up her hands. “Jesus, I’m still shaking.”
Vin reached over and took Gin’s hands in his, holding them as he lowered them to the table. “So what’s next?”
“Fuck. I don’t know. Phillip wanted a one night stand with no commitment. Rob wants an ongoing relationship with no commitment. Where are the men who want a relationship and a commitment?”
“They exist,” Vin whispered. He lowered his head and let go of Gin’s hands. “Maybe you just need to be away from men for a while.” He started to stand up.
She grabbed his hands in hers. “Please don’t let go, Vin. I need someone to hold me right now. I need something to hold onto. I know this sounds so stupid, but I feel like I invested my entire soul into healing Rob. Being the one who would be there to make things better after all of his loss. It honestly wasn’t about him being rich or handsome or anything like that. It was noble.” Gin stifled a sob. “But I can’t handle the price.”
“So you aren’t going to see Rob again.”
“Right to the point, Vin, as always.” Gin’s voice wasn’t angry, and she didn’t let go of Vin’s hands.
Gin lowered her head and was quiet for a long time. Eventually, she squeezed Vin’s hands and looked up. “I’m just not strong enough. God, I’ve slept with more guys than I can remember. I’ve had one night stands. If the night goes well, I have no problem sleeping with a guy on the first date. I’m like the one woman you would think would be able to deal with Rob.” Gin pulled her hands away from Vin’s and wiped her eyes. “But I can’t.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m a big girl. I’ll get over it.” Gin smiled a brave smile and looked into Vin’s eyes. They were so kind and gentle, and his hands were both soft and strong. She took his hands in hers again. “Vin, I’m so glad you’re here for me.” She motioned her head toward to the bar. “You’re my anchor as I run around this place getting pummeled by the waves. I’m clearly out of my league.”
“Gin, nothing in this bar is out of your league.”
“Yeah, tell that to the billionaires.” She let go of Vin’s hands. “Look, maybe you’re right. I need some alone time. You’re wonderful, but I think I just need to get away for awhile.”
Vin nodded while staring at her. There was an intensity in his eyes that Gin had never seen before. “I know what might help.”
“Honestly, Vin. I appreciate it, but I just need to get away.”
Vin leaned forward on his elbows. “I have a place in Sonoma. It’s out-of-the-way and kind of a disaster at the moment, but it’s really beautiful. I haven’t been there in like a year, but I’m sure there’s a spot that would be nice and comfortable. Let’s spend the weekend there.”
“You have a place in Sonoma?” I guess that’s not surprising, Gin thought. A bartender at the Billionaires Club had to make a mint. Even he could probably afford a tiny cabin deep in the hills.
“Yeah. Look, if it’s too weird having me around, I’ll just drop you off. I think you’ll find it a great place to clear your head. Wine country and all that.”
“Sonoma.”
“If you tell me you prefer Napa I may never talk to you again.”
Gin considered the idea, and the more she thought about it, the more it sounded like exactly what she needed. Even having Vin there would be awesome. He made her laugh and knew how to cut through the bullshit.
“Okay. But I have one condition.”
“Anything.”
“You need to come along. I don’t think it would be weird at all. What will be weird is not having Rich there, too.”
“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.” Vin smiled. He looked happier than Gin had seen him in a long time, and that lifted her own spirits.
“So where do we meet and at what time?”
“Tomorrow? Say, eight o’clock? I could pick you up at your place or we could meet here.”
“Oh, let’s meet here. We could make fun of Rich and then shock him with our mutual departure.”
“Perfect!”
“There’s only one thing. I need a card to get in.”
“No problem. Hold on.” Gin watched as Vin walked over to Rich. Vin was not only drop dead gorgeous, his ass looked great in his jeans. She shook her head. She wondered if she’d ever be able to look at a man without thinking of sex. He walked back over and handed a stack of cards to Gin.
“Holy shit. Won’t this get you in trouble?”
“What?”
“Giving me so many cards. I don’t want Rich or you to get in trouble.”
“Why would this get us in trouble?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you’re handing out cards like they’re candy.”
Vin shrugged. “I’ve done worse.”
“Oh, this I have to hear.”
Vin smiled. “We can trade youthful regrets and indiscretions on the drive to Sonoma.”
“If I were to share my youthful indiscretions you very well may drive off the road.”
“That’s good because if I were to share mine, I�
��d be so embarrassed I’d be tempted to drive off the road.”
“Okay, this is going to be one damn good drive.”
chapter twenty-two
“Okay, let me get this straight,” Lisa said from the other end of the phone. It was later that night, and Gin had just given her the update. “Your prick boyfriend is smiling as he’s getting felt up in front of you by a model. You are then comforted by this drop dead gorgeous bartender who has a place in Sonoma. You’re driving out there with him for the weekend. Do I have that right?”
“More or less.”
“And you still have no interest in dating him?”
“I’ve lived the bad guy thing, Lisa. I’m done with that.”
“Are you seriously telling me that you think Vinnie is a bad guy?”
The question hit Gin so hard that she lowered the phone while she thought it over. He was someone that she loved to be around. She was really attracted to him, and yet he sat in that same chair every day, just drinking. “He’s an alcoholic, Lisa. I’d rather deal with Rob fucking half of San Francisco than an alcoholic.”
“At least have rebound sex with him. Trust me, you need it.”
“I couldn’t use him like that, Lisa! He’s my friend.”
“Fine. Friends with benefits then. You can’t tell me you haven’t used your Hitachi while thinking of him.”
Gin considered how to respond, and decided to be honest with her friend. “Maybe I have—”
“I knew it! You probably had a dozen orgasms while thinking of him. And, trust me, he’s jacking off to you. I guarantee it.”
“—but there’s still no future with an alcoholic.”
“First of all, you don’t know he’s an alcoholic. Maybe he just drinks when you’re around. He wouldn’t be the first guy you’ve driven to drink.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. And, secondly, why do you keep thinking future relationship when discussing Vinnie? Just fuck the guy. This is not complicated, Gin. Hot guy. Hot girl. Both unattached. Together in Sonoma. This would actually be one of your classier hookups.”
“Thanks again. Pot meet kettle.”
“Actually—” There was a pause, and then Lisa replied, her voice tentative, as if she was sharing some bad news, “Are you really sure he’s an alcoholic? Think about who you’ve been spending time with. Could it be more that… he’s not a billionaire?”
“Jesus. I’m not a whore, Lisa.”
“Hey, I’m your friend. I had to ask. I actually think that’s totally legit. Hanging out with rich guys to find Mister Right is no different than hanging around a biker bar to find Mister Right. You’ll probably eventually find one in both cases, but if you have a choice, it makes more sense to hang out with the billionaires.”
“That makes a disturbing amount of sense. Still, I don’t want money so bad that I’d shut out a guy just because he doesn’t have a yacht.” Gin tried to sound calm, but Lisa’s comments actually hurt.
“So just fuck Vinnie this weekend and see what happens.” Gin didn’t reply, and Lisa broke the awkward silence by adding, in an almost sad whisper, “I’m not doing a very good job of getting your mind off billionaire asshole, am I?”
“First of all, I would like to point out that your solution to every relationship problem tends to involve fucking some new guy as soon as possible. And secondly, Rob’s not an asshole. He’s been nothing but honest with me.”
“So he’s an honest asshole.”
Gin laughed. “Sometimes all I need is to call you, Lisa. You drive me crazy, but you eventually get to a point where you make all the sense in the world. Thank you.”
There was a slight pause, and then Lisa replied, her voice serious, “I just want you to be happy, Gin. You deserve it. You are a wonderful person.”
chapter twenty-three
Lisa’s conversation the night before put Gin’s packing plans in turmoil. She had planned on jeans and flannel shirt or maybe a denim shorts and a tank top or t-shirt, but should she consider the possibility of sex? Just thinking about Vin naked made her shiver in anticipation, but she wasn’t prepared to put any effort into a relationship with him at all.
Knowing that a relationship was off the table opened all kinds of fears as she looked at a pile of sexy clothes on her left and a pile of comfy clothes on her right. If we have sex will that change our friendship? Will he want a romantic relationship? Is friends with benefits even possible?
As she packed for the fifth time, her phone dinged with a text message. It was from Rob. She hadn’t talked or texted him since she saw him with the redhead.
Rob
Can I just tell you how awesome you are?
Gin stared at the message for a full minute not at all sure how to respond, or even if she should respond. Before she had made up her mind, Rob texted again.
Rob
I’ve been thinking about you pretty much non-stop since I saw you at Sal’s. I don’t want to see you once a week. I want to see you all the time.
Gin was so stunned she sat down. Did she really have that kind of impact on him? Did she touch his heart and heal him? Was he saying that she was who he wanted? She had hoped for that. She had believed it, but then she saw the redhead. But was her response to Molly at the Billionaires Club the difference?
She had so many questions, and behind them all was joy and excitement—so strong that she had a hard time believing it was real. I’ve touched this damaged man. She had turned his indiscriminate search for love toward her.
She re-read the texts for the twentieth time and felt pride—she was devastated at the Club, but she had handled the pain perfectly. By pushing aside her own pain she had done the impossible and tamed the infamous Rob Greene.
The phone rang. It was Rob.
“Hello?”
“Gin, I’m so glad you picked up. It’s Rob.”
Deciding to play it as cool as she did on Thursday, she replied, “Heya Rob. How was your night with Molly? She was really beautiful.”
There was a pause and then a laugh. “That’s why I love you, Gin. You just throw it out there. I always know where you stand.” Did he just say he loved me? “Things didn’t go so well with Molly, which is one of the reasons I’m calling you. Molly helped me understand just how special you are.”
Be cool, Gin. “That’s really sweet, Rob. You know I think you’re amazing, too.”
“So I have a reason for calling you.” Gin had no idea what it could be, but her stomach fluttered over the possibilities.
“What’s that?”
“I’m being given a special award during the European Business Awards—I know this is very last second—but I really want you to be there with me. I think you’re really special, Gin, and it would just kill me if you weren’t part of this special moment.”
Gin’s chest went tight. She had trouble maintaining any semblance of nonchalance. Everything was moving so fast. She was still trying to get past seeing the redhead stroke Rob right in front of her, and now he was inviting her to an awards gala. Wait, did he say last second? And did he say European?
Gin took a deep breath. “That sounds amazing, Rob. Congratulations. But what did you mean by last second and where is this being held?”
“Well, here’s the thing.” Rob cleared his throat. “The ceremony is on Monday, and I’m leaving in a few hours on my private plane.” There was a pause, and then he added. “It’s in Innsbruck.” He quickly followed that up by saying, “I’m so sorry. I know this is absurdly last second, and I have no doubt you’re angry and that you’ll say ‘no,’ but I had to ask.” There was an intensity in his voice as he continued, not giving Gin any room to respond, “I’ve thought about this a lot over the last couple days. I want you to be with me at important events in my life, and this is the first one.”
The final comment sealed it for Gin. She let out a deep breath and smiled wide. She had won Rob over. This wonderful man, who was sexy and fun and classy and who received awards in Europe—he
wanted her to be there with him at his important life events. Nobody else. Just her!
“Oh Rob, I’m so happy for you, and I’d love to join you. In fact, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than be with you as you are being recognized for being the great man that I know you to be.”
“Wow, Gin. I’m so happy to hear you say that. I”ll send Frank over in about 90 minutes. Do you have your passport? Do you need me to buy you any clothes if you don’t have anything ready? Suitcases?”
Gin laughed. She still had her clothes from Jules’ shop, and she knew exactly what she’d wear to the awards ceremony—the Versace dress that Vin said would be seen on red carpets in a few months. Oh my God, Vin! She forgot about her trip to Sonoma with Vin.
“Uh, yeah, That should work fine.”
“Are you okay? You don’t have to do this if it’s too disruptive. I don’t want to cause problems for you.”
“No, it’s fine. I just have to make some phone calls to reschedule some things.”
“Okay.”
“And I have to pack.”
“Of course.”
“See you in a couple hours. I’m really excited, Rob. This is the kind of thing I was hoping for after our first date—us together during special moments in both our lives.”
“I can’t wait, Gin. Thanks for being who you are. I can’t tell you how important and special you are.”
“You too, Rob.”
Gin hung up the phone and paced in her apartment. She was supposed to meet Vin in two hours at the Billionaires Club, but now she had to cancel. She was sure that he’d understand, but it was still rude. Maybe he’d be angry, and that really bothered her. She didn’t want to hurt Vin or make him angry.
She also didn’t know how to get ahold of him. She didn’t even know his cell phone number. Hell, she didn’t even know if he had a cell phone. She decided to call the Club. A quick Google search later, and she called the listing for Sal’s—the Billionaire’s Club.
In the Billionaires Club Page 14