No Strings Attached

by Diana Nixon

  “So what would you suggest?” I asked, a little annoyed, because again, I heard Scarlett using my own words against me. What the hell? I hated it when tables turned, especially when they turned against me.

  “Wait until you see the mentioned above present. It will help you put the rest of the puzzle pieces together.”

  “Did you buy that present in a sex shop?”

  “No, but it is sexy, and it is red.”

  “Okay, I’m excited and a little afraid of seeing it.”

  “I told you, you will love it.”

  “I hope so. And I also hope I won’t try to kill you after I see it.”

  “See you tomorrow, Jill!”

  “Bye, Scar!”

  I hung up the phone, hoping her present wouldn’t consist of a pair of cuffs and a whip. Otherwise, I didn’t even want to imagine how it would help my health…

  Chapter 18

  Oliver

  Shit, I wasn’t going to make it to the ball on time…

  I looked at the plane, getting higher in the sky, and swore under my breath. I knew there was a damn good chance that I would miss the ball entirely, but I still hoped I would at least be able to catch my damn flight. No such luck…

  I took off my jacket and dropped it onto one of the seats. I was the only dumbass who was still sitting in the waiting area, which was not surprising considering my plane had just taken off, so there was no doubt about the reason for my loneliness.

  “Do you need anything, Sir?”

  I looked up to see a man wearing a dark-blue suit with a badge that said he was one of the managers for American Airlines.

  “Yes, I need a plane,” I said. “I was supposed to be flying to New York on that plane, but I missed my flight, as you can see.” I pointed to the plane that was getting further and further away as I sat here.

  “Oh, I think I can help you,” he said with a smile.

  “Really? I will pay anything, price doesn’t matter, just take me to New York.”

  “Follow me, please.”

  I grabbed my jacket and my bag, texting my brother on the way.

  “Maybe you will still see me tonight.”

  “It would be very nice of you to show up, Mr. Altier.”

  Smartass. He always knew just what to say to me in times like these. Especially when we both knew that I was totally screwed.

  “We have another flight to New York, scheduled for tonight, Sir. It’s a charter flight, but I’m afraid there’s no first class there.”

  “Right now, I would agree to fly in a can if that was the only way to get to New York tonight, so it hardly matters.”

  The manager nodded, smiling slightly. Then he asked for my ID and made a reservation for me.

  “Here’s your ticket, Sir,” he said a few minutes later, giving back my ID, along with some papers, which included my ticket for the later flight.

  “Thanks. You are my savior, Mr. Jenkins,” I read the name written on his badge.

  “I’m sure a man like you has a very good reason to be in New York, especially if you’re willing to travel in economy.”

  I smiled. “Indeed. Thanks again.” I looked at my watch and breathed a sigh of relief. I was going to be late anyway, but at least I hoped I would get to Wilson’s Publicity before the ball ended.

  I also hoped I would get a chance to see Jillian. After all, she was the only reason I was travelling back to New York anyway. I hated planes. Period.

  Two months ago, when I left for L.A. I didn’t think it would be possible for it to take me less than five weeks to become one of the most desirable music producers all over the US. With the promo campaign and financial support provided by my beloved brother, I got my first paycheck about two weeks after the whole thing started. I didn’t know if Jill knew about my success. She wasn’t the one who worked on my promo campaign, and as far as I know, she never asked about me. At least that was what Dom said whenever I asked him about her.

  Unlike Jillian, I didn’t do anything to forget the time that we had spent together. It was the biggest screw up of my entire life, but it was also one of the best times ever, and I still secretly hoped that it was not the end, regardless of how final the last dance we shared had felt.

  ***

  My plane landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport at about eight at night – almost two hours after the ball had already begun. Great…

  I took a taxi and gave the driver the address to Wilson’s Publicity. To my surprise, we managed to get there very quickly, sometimes in New York you could walk places as quickly as it would take you to get there in a cab, so the short ride was fairly impressive. I still needed to get changed and leave my baggage somewhere, so I went straight to Dom’s office, hoping it would be open and I wouldn’t have to change my clothes in the men’s restroom.

  “Mr. Altier, what a wonderful surprise!” Mrs. Smith said, greeting me. “I thought you were not going to join us tonight.”

  “To be honest, it’s as much of a surprise for me to be here as it is a surprise for you that I am here. Do you mind if I leave my things in my brother’s office?”

  “Oh, you don’t need to ask for permission. Do you want me to inform Mr. Dominick of your arrival?”

  “No, let it be a surprise.” I smiled and went to the office, closing the door behind me.

  Quickly, I took off my wrinkled suit and changed into black trousers, white shirt and a tux jacket. When it was time for the black tie, I cursed aloud.

  “I will never learn how to do this,” I muttered to my reflection in the mirror.

  “Dom, the guests are waiting for-”

  I turned around and saw Jillian standing at the threshold, my heart skipped a beat.

  She was wearing a long, red dress. It was strapless, with a tight corset covering her upper body like a glove; her hair was up in a high bun.

  “I’ve never seen you in red,” I said, stunned. She was so beautiful, I had to catch my breath at the sight of her. Everything about her felt so familiar. Even with my eyes closed, I could still remember every line of her face, her lips, her body. God, I missed her like hell. I missed everything about her: her laugh, the scent of her skin, the way she replied to my kisses and touches. She was right when she had said that nothing had changed, I was still madly in love with her.

  “Well, hello, Mr. Producer. I didn’t expect to see you here.” She smiled, taking a few steps closer to me. “I saw the light under the door and thought it was Dominick. The guests are waiting for him to deliver his speech.”

  “I missed my flight and I needed to wait for the next one, so I think I have probably missed all the fun, haven’t I?”

  “But you are here now, and that is all that matters.”

  My smile brightened. “I missed you too, Sunshine.”

  She laughed, shaking her head. “I didn’t say a word about missing you, Oliver. But I think we need to get going if we don’t want to miss the rest of the ball.”

  “I would gladly miss it, because I already have everything I came here for, standing right in front of me.”

  She looked at me, and smiled again, saying, “You appear to be having problems with that.” She gestured to me fidgeting with the tie. “Mind if I help you?” She took the black tie from my hands and wrapped it around my neck.

  I don’t think I had ever wanted to kiss her as much as I wanted at that moment. Her lips were so close to mine, I could barely stop myself from wrapping my arms around her waist and making at least one of my dreams come true. It felt so surreal to see her now, as if I had already lived through this very moment, I was having déjà vu again, the only difference was that before it was only a dream, and not reality.

  “Done,” she said, stepping back.

  “Thanks.” I didn’t even bother to look in the mirror, I knew the tie looked perfect, just like everything else that I had ever seen her do, she always made things perfect. Crap, my lower body tensed from the memories of the things I enjoyed her doing the most.

&n
bsp; I shook my head, trying to force the memories away. Now was not the best time to think about them.

  “Shall we go?” She said, turning around and heading for the door. I was still too stunned to move. The skirt of her dress swayed with her every move, as if it was blowing in the wind, making her beauty even more surreal and difficult to resist.

  “Are you coming?” She stopped at the door and looked back at me.

  Oh, I would gladly come with you now.

  “Yes, sorry. I was looking at your-”

  “Dress?”

  “Right.”

  We went out into the hall and headed for the elevator that was supposed to take us two floors below, where the event was taking place.

  “I have this weird feeling of déjà vu, standing here with you.”

  She didn’t turn to look at me, but I could still see that small smile playing on her lips. “I use this elevator at least ten times a day. So déjà vu happens to me every time the doors close.”

  “But you don’t have me here to make everything even more real,” I said in a whisper.

  “Yeah, but then I look up at the cameras, and they bring me back to reality too damn fast.”

  We both giggled. “I wouldn’t mind risking your job again, you know?” I winked at her.

  “Not going to happen,” she replied, giving me a warning stare.

  “Not now, or ever?”

  “Both.”

  I sighed, pretending to be awfully disappointed. “What a shame.” Actually, I was really disappointed, even though I realized that the scenario was too damn good to hope for it to repeat a second time.

  She surprised me with her reply, “Indeed.” Then she winked at me, the doors opened and she went out into the hall, leaving me completely shocked. Was she playing some game? Whatever it was, I already like it, a lot.

  I smiled mentally to myself and followed her into a room full of party-guests, music and lights.

  “Oliver, what a great surprise!” Scarlett said, hugging me. “I’m so happy that you made it here. Now, look at you, Cutie! Your tux looks damn good on you, right Jill?” She looked at her best friend, smiling meaningfully.

  “Couldn’t agree with you more,” she gave me another mysterious look and excused herself, leaving Scar and me alone.

  I looked at my sister-in-law and squinted, smiling, “Does the design of your dress mean that I’m about to become an uncle?” She was wearing a dark-blue dress made of light material, that had a tight sash right under her breasts and widened around the stomach, and went all the way down to the floor in soft lines.

  “It was supposed to be a surprise, but yes, Dom and I are having a baby!”

  I hugged her again, congratulating her. “This is probably some of the best news I have ever heard. Where’s the lucky daddy?”

  “He’s getting ready to take the floor. This is his final speech for tonight, so I bet he’s a little nervous. Though you know your brother, he would never admit it.”

  “Oh, I’m sure he wouldn’t.” My eyes travelled to a group of people that Jillian was talking to, and again, I caught myself thinking about how much I still craved her. It was simply impossible to stop staring at her, and if I thought before I would not react to her the same way I did a few months ago, I was definitely wrong. She was still the only woman I wanted to be with, even after all of this time away from her.

  Scarlett’s eyes followed mine and she nodded knowingly. “I guess she’s the reason you decided to fly all the way from L.A. to attend the ball, huh?”

  There was no point in denying it. “You are right, as always.”

  “The only thing that I don’t get is why the hell have you been staying away from each other for so long?”

  “Look who’s talking! You would have married a different man if Dominick hadn’t shown up in San Francisco and showed you how much you were missing by pushing him away.”

  “Don’t tell me he actually told you how exactly he made me change my mind.”

  I laughed quietly. “No worries, Sis. I never wanted to know the details about your dirty games.”

  “Oh, good to know that. So tell me, Oliver, are you going to do something, anything to show her how much she’s missing by pushing you away from her?”

  “You think I should do something?”

  “Of course! Why do you think she’s still single?”

  “Well, I wasn’t quite sure if she was still single.”

  “She has been working like a mule trying to not let this company fall to ruins. I don’t think she has had time to think about dating anyone, let along to have a more or less serious relationship.”

  “Do you really think I should try my luck with her again?”

  “Even if you fail, it is worth a try. Don’t you see that Jill and you are a perfect match for each other?”

  “If being both stubborn and impossible means we are a perfect match for each other, then yes, I guess we are.”

  “Remember the day you said that Dominick needed a woman like me? Well, I guess it’s my turn now to tell you that Jillian is the exact woman you need to not screw up your life again. Because I’m sure that sooner or later, you will fall into the same trap that all the so-called producers fall into. And I so don’t want my future son or daughter to have the biggest motherfucker of Hollywood as an uncle.”

  “Well, thanks for your honesty, Darling. Do you really think I won’t be able to work with other girls without sleeping with them?”

  “I’m sure you won’t give a damn about any of them if you have the right one by your side. And in your case, the only right woman for you is a woman who can stand your craziness, or to be as crazy as you are.”

  I smirked. “Well, okay. I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Good luck, Bro. Let me know if you need help.”

  I thanked Scarlett for her advice and went to take my seat in the front row. It was time for Dom’s speech.

  “How do you like being here?” Jillian asked, taking a seat next to me.

  I looked at her and smiled, leaning closer to her ear. “I didn’t doubt even for a second that I would love being here.”

  “That is good to hear. After all, the main goal of Wilson’s Publicity is to make sure that our clients are pleased with what we do for them.” She looked at me briefly and then switched her attention to Dominick.

  I couldn’t stop myself from trying to understand what game she was playing. First, I thought she wouldn’t want to see me at all tonight. That’s why I texted her on Saturday. I knew that if there was a reason that would make me fly to New York, it would be her. I didn’t text her again after that night. I was dying to see her again, and I wanted to see if my silence would make her want to see me again too. And at that moment, I didn’t know if whatever was going on was a good or bad sign.

  Maybe she was simply trying to punish me for not calling her for two months? If that was the purpose of what she was doing, she could be happy about the result, because by the time Dom’s speech ended, I wanted nothing more than to have some alone time with Jill.

  She kept touching my hand, as if by accident, smiling and commenting quietly on whatever my brother was saying. I didn’t pay any attention to what he was saying, because all I could focus on were her lips that I couldn’t wait to taste. God, I was in a whole mess of trouble, again…

  “What a blessing to see you tonight, brother,” Dom said, after the guests got back to their conversations and dancing.

  “Good to see you too,” I replied.

  “I guess I also owe you my congratulations on your success. I’m so proud of you.”

  “Who would have thought that one day I would hear those words coming from your mouth?”

  “Personally, I never doubted that one day you would become a normal person.”

  “What did you think I was before today?”

  Dom laughed. “Do you really want to hear the answer to that question?”

  “Well, I think I need to thank you for all of my success. After
all, I would have never been able to accomplish it without that brilliant business plan that you made for me.”

  Dom and Scarlett shared a puzzled glance.

  “What are you talking about?” He asked after a short pause.

  “I mean the business plan that you gave me right before my trip to L.A.”

  Scarlett giggled and Dom shook his head, as if he knew something I didn’t.

  “What?” I asked, watching them even more puzzled than they had been.

  “I didn’t have anything to do with your business plan, Oliver.”

  “What do you mean? Originally, it was different from what you gave me a couple of months ago. I thought you changed it.”

  “Whatever was on the new plan, wasn’t my idea.”

  “Then who created a new business strategy for me?”

  “The lady in red,” Scarlett said, nodding toward Jill, who was now dancing with an old bag of bones that obviously didn’t know how to keep his hands to himself.

  “Who the fuck is that?”

  “Oh, that’s Mr. Towsent – one of New York famous womanizers.” Dom smirked.

  “I didn’t know that men his age were still capable of being womanizers.”

  “Even if his tool is not capable of any miracles, his checkbook is.”

  “I think it’s time to remind someone about my talents as a member of the male species, that isn’t a million years old,” I said, slamming a glass of champagne against the nearest table.

  Dom and Scar laughed behind me.

  “Excuse me,” I said, smiling sweetly at the man dancing with my girl. “I hope you don’t mind if I dance with my fiancé.”

  He looked at Jill, surprised. “I didn’t you were engaged, Miss Murano.”

  “Neither did I,” she said, looking questioningly at me.

  “Oh, she’s such a kidder.” I wrapped one arm around her waist possessively and pulled her away from the douche who was obviously out of his mind if he thought he would be able to con someone like Jill into his bed in exchange for a pair of some trashy diamond earrings.