by M. L. Young
People gasped as Kai and I got out of the car at the valet station in front of the restaurant. I’d never been here before, never even known of its existence, and that was probably because a person like me wasn’t meant to ever even know about it. It was ritzy, fancy, and any other adjective you could muster up to say it was for the wealthy. There was live classical background music and gold trimmed molding. Men and women in suits walked around with silver serving platters, and as we walked inside, the maître’ d greeted us.
“It is so nice to see you, Mr. Jackson. How are you doing tonight?” he asked.
“I’m doing well, Gaston, thank you. Looking forward to another great meal,” Kai said.
“Your usual table is ready and waiting if you’d just follow me,” Gaston said, guiding us to our table.
People whispered and chattered as we walked past, though nobody stopped Kai or asked for a picture or anything. They all knew who he was, though. Who wouldn’t in this instant news culture.
“Your waiter will be with you shortly. If you need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask. Have a great meal,” Gaston said with a smile before walking off.
“This is nice,” I said, looking around.
We were towards the back and it was a little secluded, likely for the privacy I was sure Kai wanted when he was out. It was weird, being out in a restaurant and having people looking at me or trying to look towards my table. I guess I’d been invisible for so long that the attention was both a little flattering and also somewhat unnerving.
“Please feel free to get anything off the menu you want,” he said.
“Oh, I don’t want to get too much. There aren’t even prices on the menu,” I said, turning it over to try to find them.
“Not here, not in a restaurant like this,” he said with a chuckle. “Don’t worry about it, though. Whatever you want is fine with me.”
Our waiter came and took our drink order. Kai got a sparkling water and I went for the same, just so I didn’t embarrass myself. This wasn’t the place to try to order a soda, and I wasn’t going to drink alcohol in front of him—especially since he was sober now.
“So, tell me a little about yourself. I feel like we don’t really know one another,” he said.
“Well, I’m still in school, graduate school, and I’m getting fairly close to graduating.”
“What are you studying?”
“Social work. I want to work with mainly kids in schools and homes and hopefully make an impact and difference in their lives,” I said.
“Wow,” he said, breaking off a piece of bread, “that’s pretty impressive. I didn’t have good ones growing up, so I commend you.”
“Good what? Social workers?” I asked, a little surprised.
“Yeah, them. They probably meant well, but there were so many cases on their plates. I remember being ten, maybe eleven, and going into their office for something or other and just seeing stacks of manila folders and envelopes on their desks. It sort of humbled me,” he said.
“I didn’t know you had social workers growing up. I’ve never heard that in an interview or anything,” I said.
“Yeah, it’s not a story-seller, I guess. There’s a lot to me—a lot that has made me into both the man I used to be and the man I am now,” he said.
“Are you ready to order, sir?” our waiter, Jesse, suddenly asked, interrupting us.
“Please, go ahead,” Kai said, looking at me.
“Oh, I’ll have the chicken,” I said, pointing at a French dish on the menu I couldn’t pronounce.
“You have to have more than that small dish. That’s more of an appetizer. We’ll have the garlic and butter escargot, a side of ratatouille, the roasted duck, and surprise me with whatever seasonal vegetables you’re currently serving. Also, one of those cheese plates sans wine, please,” Kai said while the waiter nodded.
“Certainly, sir, I’ll get your order in right away,” he said, collecting the menus and walking off.
“That’s quite a lot, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Hey, I have a lot of money, so I might as well throw it around and make things more interesting,” he said, taking a drink.
Kai was strange. I liked him, at least as much as I could considering I didn’t really know him all that well, but part of me was put off. He seemed to really like a lavish lifestyle, which was fine—he’d earned a lot of money—but that just wasn’t me. I was more of an Outback Steakhouse or corner taco shack type of girl, and while I could appreciate fine dining and everything, it wasn’t really who I was deep down. It felt like he was just throwing money at me like he did with the other women he dated. I wasn’t like other women, though. I wasn’t a groupie.
Still, I played it off, trying to keep cool and brush it off as first-date nerves, which even I had. Why let something trivial like this ruin a perfectly good night?
“So, tell me about yourself,” I said, lacing my fingers together.
“Not much to know, really,” he said.
“Oh, come on, I don’t believe that for a second,” I said.
“I’m twenty-eight, I live in the hills, and I have a desire to visit every country in the world,” he said, looking visibly uncomfortable.
“Where would you like to go the most?” I asked.
“Cuba,” he said quickly, as if he had his answer formed and ready far in advance.
“Relations are good now—you can travel there legally, I’ve heard,” I said.
“I’ve thought about it, but work keeps getting in the way. Besides, I don’t travel much when we’re in the middle of a tour. I get so exasperated with the traveling from touring that I find I just like to sit around here and decompress for a while afterwards,” he said.
“Isn’t your tour over?” I asked.
“The first part, yeah. We have another leg of it coming up in a couple months. The label wants us to rest between this tour and that one, because that one is quite long,” he said.
“I wish I had that kind of opportunity, to travel at least. You’re a lucky guy,” I said, taking a sip. The air was thick, a little awkward. Kai looked kind of upset, or maybe just a little out of it. Did I say something wrong? It was hard to tell with him.
What was a bit of haze turned around later, after our food came and Kai got some food into his system. I was a bit cautious, trying not to go too deep into the meal, as I wasn’t accustomed to this kind of cuisine. I wasn’t stuck in American fare, and I liked going outside of my culinary box, so to speak, but a duck that looked like one of the overly tanned women on Rodeo Drive wasn’t the most appetizing.
“I forgot to ask, are you okay if we make a stop after this?” he asked.
“Sure, that’s fine with me. Where to?” I asked.
“I have something to pick up—something that I ordered a little while back before I left on tour,” he said, with no other clues to even hint me in the right direction.
“Oh, okay, that’s fine,” I said, not pushing the issue. Whatever it was we were doing, I didn’t mind. As long as it wasn’t illegal, of course.
I picked around my plate and soon finished, not wanting too much more, though the ratatouille was pretty good. Maybe I’d ask for burgers on the next date instead of caviar and duck.
“On behalf of the management, Mr. Jackson, we would like to deliver you this beautiful assortment of desserts for your pleasure free of charge,” the waiter said, bringing a tray to us.
The shimmering sterling silver platter held fruit, the milkiest looking chocolate, and even macarons, which I’d never tasted but had been curious about ever since I saw them on a pastry challenge show. The colors were fabulous—green, pink, blue, and even purple.
Kai thanked them graciously, and I picked up the cloud-like confection and sunk my teeth into it. I felt it begin to melt, literally melt, onto my tongue. “Wow,” I said, almost with a hum.
“Those are my favorite,” Kai said, picking one up and putting the entire thing in his mouth.
; “This is better than sex,” I mumbled, finishing mine off.
“Whoa, hold on there, cowgirl,” Kai said, laughing. “You haven’t been with me yet.”
I rolled my eyes, though Kai didn’t notice, and picked up another while I forgot about his comment, distracted by the delicate and irreplaceable treat. I might have found a new addiction that I couldn’t afford. Some people loved booze or cigarettes, but I loved macarons.
We took our time, savoring every dessert presented, before Kai paid the bill and said the place we were going to was staying open a little longer for us, though we needed to get there before they had to leave for the night. He still hadn’t given me a hint, not even a crumb’s worth of one, but he said it was nearby, so I figured a few minutes of waiting wouldn’t hurt.
The paparazzi flashes were horrifying and shocking when Kai and I walked outside. I held onto his arm, more so that I wouldn’t trip, and he blocked the flashes from his eyes while I just tried to look down like he told me. They asked who I was, what my name was, and acted like they were detectives trying to solve a murder mystery where I was the prime suspect. They wanted to know everything about me, but I kept my mouth shut and just got into Kai’s car. I didn’t know how anybody could live like this. It felt like he was some circus monkey dancing for peanuts.
We sped off, the cameras still flashing, and I turned around to see them beginning to disperse. “Are they going to follow us?” I asked, out of both fear and curiosity.
“Most likely,” he said.
Kai was reasonably sure we’d lost them after powering through a few yellow lights and taking an assortment of turns, but I wasn’t as optimistic. We were in a roaring red sports car—not exactly the type of vehicle you drove to be low-key, by any stretch of the imagination. After a few minutes, we pulled up outside a jewelry store, the likes of which I’d never seen the inside.
Armed guards were inside the doors, their weapons in full view, as I watched them and they watched me. “Why are we here?” I asked.
“I told you I have something to pick up,” he said, opening my door and helping me out.
The guards noticed Kai and opened the doors. A man, maybe mid-fifties and with small round glasses and rosy cheeks, greeted him a genuine smile. “Mr. Jackson, it’s so great that you could make it tonight. I trust you’re doing well,” he said.
“Yes, Bruce, I am. This is my, uh, friend, Bianca,” Kai said.
“Nice to meet you,” Bruce said, looking at me. “I have your item ready, if you’d like to take a look. We want to make sure it’s exactly to your liking.”
“Great, let’s take a look,” Kai said, and the three of us walked over to a glass counter.
Bruce opened a small locked drawer and pulled out a black velvet box before setting it on the counter. He opened it, pulling off a cover and exposing the item inside. It was a necklace with a cross on the bottom, but more like a gothic rock star cross. It had black gems, what kind I had no idea, and sapphires around it accompanied by a few strategically placed diamonds. It was as amazing as it was gaudy, but I didn’t say anything. I just kept my mouth shut.
“It looks…amazing. How did you guys pull this off?” Kai asked.
“It took a while just to source the black sapphires, at least at a quality we wanted, but we’re very impressed with how it turned out,” Bruce said.
“I think my father will appreciate it,” Kai said.
I almost let out a sigh of relief after he muttered those words. It wasn’t for him. I guess I shouldn’t have been so mean, he was a grown man and could wear what he wanted, but I would’ve been a little embarrassed to be seen with a guy wearing something like this. It looked more like something Dracula would wear—not a rock star.
“I’d actually like to see you in the back, if you don’t mind. Privately. There are some matters we need to discuss,” Bruce said, looking at me as if I were the elephant in the room.
“Oh, ok, certainly. Bianca, why don’t you look around and find something you like? I’ll get it for you so you can have something nice,” Kai said, walking off with Bruce.
Even though he couldn’t see me, I gave him a dirty look. Get myself something nice? Was he implying that all I had was shit? That a poor girl like me needed a big strapping man like him to keep me well fed and looking presentable for the fancy folk that might see me in my rags?
Not only that, but he didn’t find it weird offering a girl he barely knew a piece of expensive jewelry? I wouldn’t even expect a guy I’d been dating for a year to buy me something here, or even something at one of those budget chain jewelry stores you see commercials for. It made me feel cheap, like one of the thousands of groupies he’d seen. In fact, I’d love to ask Bruce if he’d brought those women in here with him before and done the same thing.
Still, I wasn’t stupid, and I figured I’d do what he wanted and just pawn it off later. Was it unethical? Maybe. Was it the smart thing to do? Yes. I had student loans, I was still in school, and I needed money. If a guy wanted to pour it on me, then I might as well take it off his hands.
I walked along the lanes of displays, looking at rings, watches, necklaces, and bracelets, before settling on a diamond tennis bracelet. I figured it looked nice, wasn’t too expensive at a grand, and would be pretty easy to pawn if I ever wanted to. The longer I stood around waiting, though, the more I began to doubt if I wanted to do it. I was turning into something I hated, something I never thought I would be, all because some guy I’d gone on one date with said something I didn’t like. How would I be a good example and role model to the kids I wanted to help if I didn’t have the conscience and morals to back it up?
“Find anything you like?” Kai asked, coming out of the room after about fifteen minutes.
“I think I’ll pass,” I said, a little miffed.
“Are you sure?” he asked, an underlying sense of disbelief clear in his tone. “I don’t mind, really.”
It took all my strength not to just walk over and point to the bracelet, but I held strong, thinking of the person I was and the person I wanted to be. “I’m sure, I’m not that into it,” I said, clearing my throat.
Bruce boxed up the cross pendant and shook Kai’s hand before we went back to his car and buckled in. “Want to get a drink?” he asked.
“I should probably get home and get some work done,” I said.
“Oh come on, it’s a fun night. Can’t it wait?” he asked.
“No, thanks, it can’t. Just take me home,” I said, giving off a tinge of annoyance in my voice.
Without saying a word or even giving a rebuttal, Kai put the car into gear and drove off, heading towards my apartment. Was I being a bitch? Should I just give it another go and spend some more time with him? No, I wasn’t sure I should. I might’ve had a crush on him and thought he was a cute guy, but he was just as vapid as any rock star or celebrity. All he cared about was himself and his ego, and he never thought before he spoke. To think that I’d be treated like some groupie he could shower with gifts was absurd. I was nothing like them, and he should’ve realized that from the start.
“Well, thank you for the night,” I said as he pulled up to my lot.
“I can walk you to the door,” he said.
“No,” I interjected, “that won’t be necessary. I don’t want you to have to walk all the way there.”
“Is there something wrong?” he asked as I got out of the car. “I thought the night was going well.”
“It was, at least most of it was. I’m not a piece of trash, though, Kai. Maybe the other women you flaunt are, but I’m not. Best of luck to you,” I said, closing the door and walking inside.
I felt proud for standing up to him. I knew he didn’t have that happen often.
“How’d it go?” Regan asked, perking up from the couch as I walked in.
“Shit,” I said, walking straight to my room.
Why couldn’t I meet a normal guy?
Chapter Six
Kai
I couldn�
��t get Bianca off my mind, and I wasn’t sure it was totally for the right reasons.
Sure she was kind, fun, and very hot, but so were a lot of other girls out there. I thought it was her attitude, at least towards the end of our date, that made me want to discover her even further, but I wasn’t sure I’d get the chance.
No girl, at least since I became who I was today, had turned me down. I didn't force myself on them, but every woman I’d met wanted to go out with me and bone me. They’d love me buying them gifts, and no woman would turn down a piece of jewelry and a night out with me. Bianca did, though.
All last night I lay in bed trying to figure out what I did wrong and where things went so horribly. She was a little shy during dinner, but she did end up warming up to me. A lot of people were like that. We had a nice drive, and there was never even a fight or a tense moment, but when we went to pick up the chain it all just went downhill. She kept her cool until I went in the back with Bruce. Was she that mad that I ditched her? I did have legitimate business, and I didn’t mean any malice with my actions. Besides, not to place full blame on him, but Bruce was the one who insisted that I go in back with him. Normally I would refuse, but he did let me know it was urgent. Money matters can’t always wait.
Her words, though, those were the key to figuring her out. She told me that she wasn’t a piece of trash like the other women I dated. Was that a dig at me, or at them? I had to admit that the women I normally dated weren’t of the highest intellectual caliber, even if they were nines and tens on the looks side of things. One of my friends once called one a bimbo, which made me spit out my drink in laughter—not because of the insult, but because I thought people only used that word in old eighties comedies.
Was a woman who wouldn’t take gifts and be arm candy, a woman like Bianca, the thing I needed, though? I was starting to think so. A relationship, at least a steady and stable one, would be nice, and it would have its benefits. She did have a lot of things going for her, even a Masters degree. The last woman I dated sounded like she barely made it out of middle school with all of the “likes” in her sentences.