“Text me if you change your mind.”
While she was on their web site, Lia decided to check out their ticket sales. They only managed to sell about half of the available tickets for the next evening’s performance, even though their interpretation of Othello got favorable reviews from most critics in town. Lia allowed herself a moment of panic. If we keep going at this rate, we’ll have to close our doors within a few months. We need to find a way to crank up sales somehow. But how?
“If you’re panicking about our sales, we’ll figure something out,” Maggie announced as if she had read Lia’s mind.
Lia gaped at her friend. “How on Earth…”
“You have panic face. And since you’re staring at our ticket sales, I assume it’s not about what you’re going to wear tomorrow for your second date with Travis.”
Lia smiled at her friend. “You have an uncanny ability to see right through me. It’s quite scary, you know.”
Maggie shrugged. “I’ll stop reading your thoughts when you stop panicking.”
Lia held up her hands in mock surrender. “All right, all right.”
After some time had passed, Maggie swiveled around in her chair again. “I just had a brilliant idea. I think I’ll invite one of my friends to tomorrow’s show.”
Lia narrowed her eyes. “Why do I sense something else coming after that seemingly innocent announcement?”
Maggie grinned. “Because you know me, as well as I know you.”
Lia groaned. “Tell me.”
“This friend of mine runs a celebrity blog. So I figured, she’d be interested to know which billionaires are coming to our performances.”
Lia rolled her eyes. “That’s actually not a bad idea. As long as her name’s not Trudy. And if I don’t gave to be involved.”
Maggie held up her palms. “Not possible. You have to be involved. That’s what happens to girls who go out with billionaires.”
“On their own free will,” Lia added, giving Maggie a meaningful glare.
“Well, you didn’t seem to have a problem with it last night. Especially during dessert, huh?”
Lia crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it at Maggie. “Hey. You can’t hold that against me.”
Maggie ducked, squealed with laughter. “Nobody’s going to hold anything against you, Lia. Except for maybe that sexy hot billionaire. Maybe he’ll find something hard to hold against you and I bet you won’t object if he does!”
“Maggie! Do you have to make it sound so crude?” Lia felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
Maggie pulled out her cell phone. “All right, that settles it. I’m calling my blogger friend, Shaylin.”
Lia rolled her eyes. Despite herself, she felt a strange wave of exhilaration.
A knock on the door interrupted her reverie. “Yes?” she and Maggie said in unison.
The door opened with a creak. It was Wanda, the stylist. “Hi Lia. Sorry to disturb you but I wanted to ask you something. Do you have a moment?”
Maggie suppressed a chuckle. Lia rolled her eyes inwardly. “Wanda, I’m a bit busy at the moment. Maybe a little later?”
Wanda nodded, barely hiding her disappointment. “OK. Come find me when you’re available. I’ll be around.”
She had trouble concentrating the rest of the day. Even though nobody else showed up to question her about the big date with Travis, she couldn’t help but think about him. Her mind was spinning with memories of last night and anticipation for their next date, along with her worries for Pages’ future.
“All right. I’m done for the day,” Lia announced, turning off her computer. It was Friday and she was looking forward to her usual run in the park.
Maggie looked up from her screen. “Have fun on your run.” She uttered the words with obvious distaste.
Lia grinned. “You’re welcome to join me!”
Maggie gave a theatrical shudder. “Yeah, when hell freezes over.”
“You know, that reminds me,” Lia said, cocking her head to the side. “I need to think of some suitable form of revenge for all this meddling you’ve done with my dating life. Maybe I’ll force you to come running with me sometime?”
Maggie grinned at her cheekily. “If you promise me that your meddling will provide the same climactic results as mine did, we might have a deal.”
Lia laughed, blushing slightly again. “Exercise releases endorphins, just like…” she trailed off, raising an eyebrow.
“OK, OK.” Maggie smiled. “Maybe next time.”
“Right.” Lia put on her coat. “I assume you’ll be there tomorrow evening?”
“Sure. Shaylin accepted my invitation. I’ll see you then.”
She sneaked out of the building through the stage door, hoping to avoid running into Wanda or Christina or anybody else from the crew. It was one thing to tell Maggie everything about her date, but she didn’t want to discuss her private life with the whole cast and crew of Pages.
When she got home, she quickly changed into her running gear. She discovered running when she was in college, when she was short on cash and needed a low-cost activity to help relieve stress. She found that running soothed her nerves, refreshed her mind and helped release all of her pent up energy.
There was a park near the apartment building where she lived that had a decent running trail. She quickly fell into her usual gait and soon, the whole world disappeared and it was only her, the road and the music.
The spring air was clean and fresh after the light rain in the morning. Lia took deep breaths as she ran. She enjoyed how the damp air felt like it was rinsing her lungs and clearing her mind. The sky was still overcast, so the park was illuminated only by the streetlights. Lia wished she could see the stars; the idea of a vast universe out there always helped put whatever trouble she was facing into perspective.
She nodded at a few fellow runners, most of them regulars. A squirrel scurried through the trail. She turned off her music for a moment to listen to the sounds of the world. An owl hooted nearby. Her footsteps thudded softly on the hard rubber trail, and in the distance, she could hear the sounds of the city. Here, on the trail, she felt she was a part of the world, a tiny but essential wheel in the great machine of the universe. Her heart filled with happiness. She took a deep breath before turning around and heading home.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Travis stood in front of the window of his penthouse apartment, and stared out at the city. It was a gorgeous view and lately, he was spending more and more time admiring it. He felt the old desire to build something stir inside of him again. He scanned the buildings in front of him, searching for features he admired and imagined what he might design differently.
It was Lia’s fault, of course. Somehow, she ignited something in him, something he’d suppress for years. That night, when Lia insulted him at the gallery opening, he felt like he’d been hit with a bucket of cold water.
His heart leapt and a broad smile spread across his face at the thought of seeing her tonight. He wanted to impress her, to matter to her. He admired her dauntlessness and found himself wishing with all his heart that her bold vision for Pages would be successful. Perhaps there was a way he could help make that happen…
Lia slept in on Saturday, relishing the feeling of the warm blankets covering her skin. She spent a few minutes happily indulging in a fantasy involving Travis. Anticipation and arousal bubbled up inside her core, because she was pretty sure that she’d get to live out her fantasy, or something quite similar that night.
Once she got out of bed, she ran a hot bath complete with bubbles and immersed herself in the water. She let the tiny bubbles tickle and stroke her skin, enjoying their luscious thick texture and creamy vanilla scent. Thoughts of Travis ran through her head as she ran her fingers over her erect nipples and let a hand slide between her legs.
Her phone beeped. It was Maggie. ‘You sure you don’t want me to help you get ready for tonight?’
Lia smiled while she texted back. ‘See you
at Pages.’
She ate her lunch while catching up on a few TV shows whose recent episodes she missed. I can’t remember the last time I had such a lazy Saturday, she thought to herself, but she just couldn’t help it: she wanted to be relaxed and as well-rested for her evening with Travis as possible. Besides, given the amount of time she put in at work recently, she felt like she really deserved a day off. Especially since she was working that night. Sort of.
Around five p.m., she started to think about possible outfits. Inspecting her closet (and bearing in mind what Travis told her about the length of the dress), she picked out a little black dress. It was tight and extra short, ending just a few inches below her buttocks. It showed off her long lean legs nicely. Its fabric was interwoven with thin silver lines, creating a sensual sparkling effect. It had a halter neckline, and left Lia’s arms completely bare. She could feel herself getting aroused again as she thought of what Travis would do to her in that dress.
She did her makeup and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She wriggled into the dress and draped the matching cape around her shoulders. She inspected herself in the large closet mirror one last time before the doorbell rang.
“Here we go,” she said, giving her image a nervous once over. She stepped into her stilettos and left the apartment, her heart beating furiously.
Just like last time, Travis was leaning against his car, waiting for her. A wolfish grin appeared on his lips as soon as he spotted Lia. “Wow. I see you took my request seriously.”
Lia gave him a coquettish glance. “I aim to please. Are you satisfied?”
“Very satisfied.” He opened the passenger door for her and she got inside.
He took his seat behind the steering wheel, eyeing her long legs. “Would you mind if we didn’t make it to the theater after all?”
Lia raised an eyebrow. “What? And lose the benefits of our dark, private VIP booth?”
Travis chuckled. “I like your way of thinking.” He started the engine and swerved the car onto the road. Elation flooded his body upon finally being close to Lia. He was really excited about his surprise for Lia. What would she say when she saw what he’d done?
They arrived at the theater within minutes. Lia was excited and nervous; for some reason, she felt it was really important that Travis like their show. After all, it was his money that was keeping Pages afloat, she told herself, ignoring the tiny voice that kept repeating how important his personal opinion had become to her.
Travis parked the car a few blocks away from the theater. They got out of the car, Travis holding out his hand. “Come on. I want to show off my gorgeous date.” Lia smiled and put her palm into his. It just felt right. Hand in hand, they walked towards the theater, enjoying each other’s closeness.
The first odd thing was the noise. It was a deafening hum of chatter, and Lia gave a small frown as soon as she heard it. Pages was never quite silent on a show night, but this level of chatter was more appropriate for a big theater with a sold-out performance.
They stepped into the lobby and Lia’s mouth fell open. The lobby was packed; hundreds of people stood around, chatting, buying refreshments, waiting for the show to begin. She took in the crowd, uncomprehending. What were all these people doing here? Where did they come from? The show was only half sold-out, after all, when she checked the theater’s site the previous day. She opened her mouth to share this peculiar thing with Travis when she heard somebody yell his name.
“Travis! My man, good to see you!” It was a young man wearing a bright yellow jacket.
“Big T! Mate, you made it.” This was an even younger man, wearing baggy jeans and a baseball cap.
“Travis! Dude, this chick’s awesome.” A third young man was pointing at the life-sized picture of Christina, wearing her Desdemona costume.
Lia stared at Travis uncomprehendingly. “Where did all these people come from, and why do they all know you?” she whispered to him.
“What can I say, I’m popular?” Travis scratched his chin. “I might have told a few of my friends that Pages is the hottest new theater in town,” he added with a boyish grin.
Gratitude and happiness welled up in Lia’s chest, and she felt tears prickling her eyes. “Wow. That’s really…” she trailed off, not sure how to put her feelings into words. “That’s incredibly sweet of you.”
He smiled at her, thrilled at her response, and squeezed her hand. “You see? I’m capable of selfless good deeds.”
A coy smile appeared on Lia’s lips. “Are you sure you expect nothing in return?”
“Well, if you put it that way…”
“Lia! Lia! Look at this!” Lia turned her head towards the voice. It was Bernie, one of the ushers. His usually spotlessly styled white hair was flapping up and down as he galloped toward Lia excitedly.
“Hi Bernie. What’s up?”
“Maggie told me to find you.” Bernie shoved a piece of paper under Lia’s nose. “We’re sold out! Completely! Look!”
Lia looked at the paper, grinning. It was a printout from the website’s ticket sales section. The image of the auditorium was painted red, meaning there were no more tickets available.
“That’s wonderful, Bernie!” Lia hugged the old man.
“I’ve got to go back. I have to help all these lovely people to their seats!” Bernie grinned and ran back to his spot.
Lia smiled at Travis. “Thank you. You made all of us really happy tonight.”
Travis nodded graciously, acknowledging Lia’s thanks. “My pleasure.” Then a wicked grin appeared on his face. “Let’s see if I can make you even happier.”
Lia was overwhelmed with happiness and excitement. She wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him right there in front of everybody. At that moment, a bell sounded, signaling the start of the performance. Lia took Travis’ hand. “Come on, let’s find our seats.”
She led him towards the VIP section. He booked the box that was furthest away from the stage, providing the most privacy to its occupants. Lia felt little shivers of excitement travel up and down her body, meeting between her legs.
They took their seats and Lia craned her neck and looked out at the packed auditorium. She was overjoyed to see the full house. Regretfully, it didn’t happen very often.
The lights dimmed and soft music filled the air. Lia leaned back in her seat, waiting for the actors to appear on the stage. Travis put his hand on hers and she opened her palm automatically, interlacing her fingers with his without thinking. It felt so natural that she didn’t even notice they were holding hands.
The performance was powerful. The sold-out house gave a vibrant, new energy to the actors and the show was brilliant. Lia found herself on the edge of her seat, even though she’d seen their version of Othello countless times.
Occasionally, she snuck a glance at Travis. He was engrossed in the performance, eyes glued to the stage, his face a mask of concentration. Lia was exhilarated by his reaction.
He caught her eye and leaned close. “This show’s so good it almost makes me forget who’s sitting next to me,” he whispered. “Almost.”
He extricated his fingers from Lia’s and let his hand slide onto her bare thigh. She sighed softly, enjoying the feel of his skin on hers. A strange warmth spread around her heart and she felt she was about to burst with joy. His fingers traveled up and down her thigh, stroking her gently, teasingly. She felt her body softening in his hands. She parted her legs and pressed her thigh into his.
He inched her dress up her legs. “OK,” he whispered into her ear. “This dress is definitely easier to handle.”
Emboldened by his obvious desire for her, Lia reached out and placed her hand on the crotch of his pants. He inhaled sharply as her fingers made contact with his huge erection through the thick fabric.
“Wow,” he breathed. He didn’t even realize up to this point how much he longed for Lia to touch him.
“I don’t want to be in your debt,” she explained, a cheeky grin on her lips. Her finge
rs traveled up and down on his erect cock. His eyes fluttered close and he let out a soft whimper, elation and excitement washing over him at the same time.
She was about to unzip his pants when thunderous applause broke out. Lia and Travis jumped, both yanking their hands back to themselves.
“What? It’s already over?” Travis asked, bewildered.
“No. It’s just the intermission,” Lia replied, her face flushing.
“Right.” Travis eyed Lia regretfully. “I really liked where we were heading.”
“Yeah, me too,” Lia replied. “We’ll pick it up from there.”
Travis grinned. “You bet.” He stood up, stretching lazily. “Would you like a drink?”
“That would be lovely?” Lia stood up as well, smoothing her dress back into place. Travis opened the door to the box and they stepped outside.
The VIP section had its own buffet. It was located just a few steps from their box, so they were the first to arrive at the counter. Travis placed their orders (two glasses of white wine), and took Lia’s hand. “Listen, the downside of me inviting my friends is that I have to talk to them. Would you mind accompanying me?”
Lia thought about this. She had absolutely no wish to meet Travis’ friends. She wanted him completely to herself, but as he’d done so much to make the evening a success, she felt compelled to indulge him. “Of course,” she said. “Let’s go.”
Drinks in hand, they mingled with the crowd. Travis introduced her to countless people, all of whom were raving about the performance and vowing to come back for all the other shows as well. Lia’s heart was bursting with excitement and happiness. Could Travis be the answer to all of our problems? She mused, Is Travis Paulson going to save us? She didn’t even have time to register how natural it felt to be at Travis’ side and socialize with his friends as if they were a real couple.
At one point, Maggie appeared behind her. “Lia, honey, this is so much more than what we’ve hoped for,” she whispered. “My blogger friend, Shaylin, is beside herself upon seeing all these high-society people running around. Something tells me we’ll get a glowing post on her blog!”
The Auction: The Billionaire Wins a Date Page 8