Damn. Damn. Damn.
Chapter 4
Lori
The words had blurted out in a rush. “I’m a lesbian.” I wasn’t gay at all. My first movie for GoDown had been an F/F, but like I said to him that was just acting. I hadn’t minded it though. I wouldn’t class myself as bi or anything but for my movies I didn’t care who made me come or who I faked it with if necessary as long as I made a great movie and got paid.
Working in the adult entertainment industry didn’t bother me in the slightest but I’d prefer not to have to. I’d have preferred to be on the other side working the camera. I loved photography and cinematography and it had been my dream to go to college and study. Until I met my jerk, ex, a verbally and physically abusive man who’d belittled me and ignored me until I didn’t believe I had any self worth. It had taken me to the point where I’d tried to commit suicide by swallowing a ton of pills, until they’d sent psych to the hospital and I’d received help.
The boyfriend had gone. I’d decided I would get to college. I just needed to work hard to get there. There would be no boyfriends, no distractions. Not until I’d done what I’d set out to do. I was not a victim. I would use what happened to me to make myself a better person, to really live the life I was lucky to have, as my attempt had failed. Found by my roommate at the time who’d forgotten her wallet and returned to our apartment early, I fully intended to give back and help the people in my previous shoes once I got on my feet.
The adult movie job served two purposes. For one, it paid well, and I was going to be able to save up relatively quickly, and also I got to quiz those behind the camera. GoDown was like a family and everyone was part of that family. No one complained about the actress staying behind after to watch the editing and ask a million questions.
I hadn’t known that the man who’d come in to watch the secretary movie being filmed was the owner. I was too busy doing my job to wonder who an extra person on set was, and Aidan didn’t dress like a boss. Stereotypical maybe, but I would have expected a businessman in a suit, not a guy in jeans and a tee. Or maybe some kind of perverted looking guy, or a mobster. Not someone like Aidan.
I guess we’d both misjudged the other.
When he’d called me Lorenza in the club, I’d hated him. I’d thought he was going to try to blackmail me. It was very hard for me to trust a guy and I’d immediately thought that here I was again. Feeling threatened by a member of the male species. I’d not slept well that night. So for him to apologize and for me to discover that actually he seemed a decent kind of guy was completely unexpected and a huge relief.
The truth was I did find him attractive, with his dark hair and molten chocolate colored brown eyes, but my no relationship rule was firmly fixed in place and so I’d told him I was gay. I’d seen the disappointment in his eyes and I had felt a tinge of regret. But only a sliver because I was my own priority. Getting myself to college my complete focus. When he asked me to be his female friend, I accepted immediately because he didn’t know this, couldn’t possibly know this, but he was doing me a huge favor. Because by being his friend maybe I could learn to trust a man again. It was the perfect solution for now.
When I’d seen the movie theater I had panicked. I wasn’t embarrassed about being in adult movies but that didn’t mean I wanted them showing at my other place of work. Staff at Abandon were completely off-limits, unlike some other clubs where you could pay for extra services. If people had recognized me in the movies, it would have blurred the boundaries and I could have received harassment. Just because I was off limits at Abandon, didn’t mean that members couldn’t have sought me out through Lorenza LaBelle and harassed me that way.
All in all I felt fortunate. Two jobs in two good businesses and what appeared to be great staff and a great boss. That night I slept like a baby for the first time in years.
I lived on my own in a small apartment in Brooklyn. I preferred it that way. No one to please but myself. My home was my safe haven. I’d made a small amount of girlfriends over the last couple of years and was still in touch with Chrissy, the roommate who’d saved my life, but mainly I kept to myself.
I was enjoying a rare morning reading while relaxing on the couch when my cell buzzed.
Aidan: GBBF (Girl best friend forever as you will now be named). You free for coffee at eleven-ish? I checked the schedules and you aren’t working at my businesses today.
I smiled and answered:
GBBF: Hey BBBF. (Boy best friend forever). Can coffee be this afternoon, about one? I’m having a rare lazy morning. Checking my schedules? Rule one in impressing a woman. Keep your stalker tendencies to yourself. Meet you at Kave, Knickerbocker Ave?
BBBF: Are you really having a lazy morning or is this a lesson on females as my mom always said ‘treat em mean to keep em keen’. Kave at one it is.
Aidan was amusing, I’d give him that. Now the question was did I really want to help him find a nice woman? What if I did that and then decided I wanted him for myself? And then it was too late. Stop it Lori, I told myself. It’s not your time right now. As one of my own mom’s platitudes had been ‘if it’s meant to be, it’ll find a way’, I returned to the book I was enjoying reading and forget about Aidan Hall for now.
Kave had an industrial look to it and had the most fabulous coffee. It also wasn’t far from my apartment, which was a bonus, especially when I realized I’d been so lost in the plot of my current book, a series about some cowboy brothers I was working my way through, that I’d left myself only five minutes to get ready and get there. I quickly swept my hair up into a ponytail, put on my sneakers, and forgetting the rest of my appearance—the jeans and casual slouchy tee would have to do—I ran around to the coffee shop.
I walked through the green hallway but couldn’t see him in the main restaurant so I went through to the courtyard and there he was. Looking hot and sexy in a white tee that clung to his every muscle. Careful not to salivate, I thought, you’re supposed to be gay. I took a seat at the table.
“Hey, boyfriend.”
“Hey, girlfriend.” He chirped back. “So take a seat and decide what you want to drink. Have you had lunch yet? I haven’t had time so I will eat here.”
“No, I’ve not eaten.” I took my wallet from my purse. “I’m buying.”
“You aren’t. I asked you here so I insist on paying today.” I opened my mouth to protest. “As your very wealthy boy best friend forever, I’m afraid I will have to insist.”
“Or else what?” I cocked an eyebrow.
“Or else I’ll just have to purchase the whole coffee shop, and then everything that comes to the table for us would be on the house, anyway.”
“God, you’re a dick.” I said, and then I flung my hand across my mouth. I’d just called my boss a dick!
Aidan laughed out loud. “Yes, I am. While we are away from work I am not your boss, I’m your boy best friend and I’m a dick. You have the task of trying to un-dick me.” He shook his head. “That really doesn’t sound right. Basically, you can teach me all you know about women. Now look at the menu and tell me what you want to eat.”
“That’s the first thing I’ll be addressing. Your manners.”
“Look at the menu and tell me what you want to eat and drink, please.”
I rolled my eyes at him.
“I’ll take a mocha, and a ham and swiss quiche please.”
“Be right back.” And off he went to the counter.
When he returned, he looked surprised. “There’s someone playing a piano in there now. I’d heard the music but hadn’t realized it was live.”
I nodded. “That’s one of the things I love about here. Also, it’s hard to find if you don’t know it.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that.”
“Oh, shoot. I didn’t tell you how to get in.”
“I managed it.”
“But it’s like a little of paradise. I quite often head down here to get out of my apartment. Well, I did before I started working so
much.”
“Oh yes, the two jobs for college. So what’s that about then?”
I wondered how much to tell him and then decided if we were going to be friends I’d try to be honest, about that at least.
“Well, I want to go to college and learn about photography and cinematography. I’m not sure what career I want exactly, but something a damn more exciting than bartending, no disrespect intended. And the adult movies is a limited career. I won’t be young forever, viewers get new favorites and eventually I want to commit to a person I love, not be leaving my bed to go and sleep with someone else.”
“What do your lovers think to your job? Must be tricky.”
Shit. I hadn’t had any AND I was supposed to be gay.
“So, I’ve only had one girlfriend since I started and she wasn’t happy about it.” I lied, but then I told the truth about relationships and being in movies. “It’s hard for a partner to deal. I get that. The fact remains that I’ll have sex with the actor/actress whether I fancy them or not, and I might genuinely enjoy the experience and come. People can’t handle that.”
“Is it difficult to separate the two?”
“Not to me. One’s a job. I might enjoy it but there’s no emotion involved. There’s no intimacy when a cameraman shouts out ‘can you widen your legs and get your pussy closer to the camera’.”
He laughed. “Yes, thinking about what I’ve witnessed, I guess it’s not the ultimate intimate experience.”
The waitress came over and offloaded our drinks and food. She turned away from the table and Aidan remarked, “Nice ass.”
I looked shocked for a moment and then I remembered I was supposed to fancy females. “Yeah, wasn’t bad at all.” I replied.
“So, anyway, tell me about why you’re looking for a woman. I wouldn’t have thought a rich good looking businessman like you would have a problem getting a girl.”
He sighed. “I made a wager with two of my friends that I could get a woman who would be happy to stay at home and only be mine, while accepting the job I do, and the fact that I will spend a lot of my working life around sex clubs and porn sets.”
I spluttered out part of my mocha.
“Did they have the same reaction I just did?” I wiped my mouth with a napkin.
“Pretty much.” He nodded. “So the bet was placed and if I don’t find someone in the next three months I have to babysit a six-month-old baby once a week which will totally destroy my alpha male image and take my other friend’s evil daughter out on a date.”
Oh my God, this was comedy gold and better than an episode of the Kardashians.
“And if you win?”
“My friend can’t talk about his daughter other than five minutes on birthdays and Christmas because he’s a total baby bore.”
“Aww.” I said.
“Don’t. Seriously, there’s only so many times a baby mashing banana in its face is cute, and I get to see thirty photos of the same thing from different angles.”
“And what about your other friend?”
“Well, that’s one of the reasons I’d really like to win. Other than being ultra competitive. He needs to ask his Assistant on a date and he keeps dithering. If I win he has to ask her out.”
“So it will be win/win/win - no baby photos, your friend gets a date, and you’ll have the woman of your dreams?”
His face fell.
“Christ, I’d not thought that far ahead. Do you think I could pay an escort?”
“As your girl best friend forever, may I suggest that becomes a last resort and first we attempt to find you a real woman?”
He nodded. “Okay. I’m listening. We’ll try that first. So how shall I meet this wholesome person? I’m not likely to meet them in my line of work, am I?”
“Dating app.” I picked my cell up off the table. “Let me just text my friend and ask her the name of the one she’s with. She’s had some good dates, though none have proved to be the one yet.”
“Set me up with your friend.”
“Pardon?” I said.
“Show me your friend’s profile on the dating app. If she looks nice, you can arrange for us to go out on a date. You can vouch for me as being a nice person.”
“I really can’t see her accepting a date from a billionaire. Seriously, it would be a struggle for anyone.” I responded, my voice thick with sarcasm.
“No. You mustn’t tell her. That’s one thing about all this. I need them to want me, for me. So no saying I’m loaded, well, you can say I am in the trouser department.”
“I wouldn’t know, so I’m not saying that.”
“I could show you? You’ve seen enough of them. On second thoughts, mine will look tiny compared to Mattias’ so let’s not bother.”
Thank God! I did not want him flashing me his dick! I reluctantly showed him my friends photo and her dating app profile.
“Pleasantly surprised there, Lori. Nice looking blonde, and medium build so will enjoy a nice meal.”
I rolled my eyes again.
“Interests: good food.” He fixes me with a stare “Told you.”
I pulled my tongue out at him.
“Walking her dog, Barney. Watching movies. Blah, blah, blah. Well she’s caring as she has a dog, so it’s a good start. Can you ask her for her number and if she’ll have dinner with me sometime?”
“I can ask.” I told him. When I came to take a further drink of my mocha, I found my jaw was quite taut. Was I jealous?
Fuck I was. I was jealous.
I did not want my friend to have a successful date with this man. If she did, and they were to get married, I’d have to witness all their lovey dovey crap. I did not need this in my life right now. No love near me. Just work, work, work.
“I will ask her and I will get back to you on that.” I told him.
“Thank you, best girlfriend.” He told me. “I think this will be the start of a beautiful friendship.”
I had to relax my jaw again to agree with him.
“So, let me get this straight,” my friend Chrissy replied, her voice down the line was laced with amusement. “You want me to date this guy, but under no circumstances must I like him. Even though,” she pauses. “He’s fantastic looking. Instead I must be the worst date he’s ever gone on?”
“Yes.”
“And the reason again is?”
“Because he’s my friend and if you got together, it would ruin both friendships, I just know it would.”
“So, I’ll just say no.”
“No, he’s persistent. He’ll not accept that. So you’ve got to go on the date and be awful.”
“In what way?”
“Anyway you like. Have free reign at being a nightmare date.”
“And what’s in this for me then, apart from a free dinner?”
“Erm, I’ll do your ironing for a month.”
“Done.”
“Really?”
“Really. I hate ironing and haven’t done it for the last three months. I’ll bring it around in stages. You’ll be sorry you volunteered.”
“Okay, well I’ll give Aidan your cell number. Expect a call soon, and remember, be a total nightmare.”
“Gotcha. I’ll watch the Devil wears Prada again and Mean Girls for inspiration.”
“Whatever gets you in the zone and then report back and let me know what happens.”
“Are you sure there’s not more to this, Lori? Do you like him yourself?”
“No! I’m focused on saving for my career right now.
“Ohkay, if you say so.”
“I do say so.”
“I’ll be round with my ironing before the date so that you can’t wimp out.”
“You’re the devil.”
“Yep and that’s what you want. See you soon, babe.”
“Oh, by the way. If he asks you, I’m a lesbian.”
There’s a stunned silence. “Whatever. I’m not asking, you’ve obviously gone insane.”
After ending the cal
l I wondered what the hell I was playing at. I needed a distraction. Money always distracted me. Working out my finances and what I needed for the future. So that’s what I did, I opened my laptop and my spreadsheets. If I worked solid for the next three months, taking any extra shifts at Abandon and fitting in movies where I could then I reckoned in about three months time I’d be able to apply for college, and maybe, just maybe, I might be ready to date.
So basically, my evil mind suggested. If you could ruin any chance of Aidan getting a love interest, you could possibly put yourself in his line of vision right at the very last moment, help him win his bet and maybe if by that time I really, really liked him, maybe win his heart. In the meantime as his friend I could get to know him inside and out without any dating crap getting in the way. God, you’re brilliant, I said to myself.
Chapter 5
Aidan
I arranged to meet Chrissy at the bar of a classy restaurant at nine pm a couple of days later. She was waiting for me when I arrived and hopped off her stool to greet me. Mostly when I met a date, they would stand while I shook their hand or at most let me air-kiss their cheeks. Chrissy flung her arms around me and enfolded me a tight embrace. “It’s good to meet you,” she told me, finally letting go.
“And you. Shall we go in and see if we can be seated?” I asked her.
“Oh, what’s the rush?” She patted the seat next to her. “Come sit down and choose a drink. I’m buying this time.”
Another surprise. Usually ninety-nine percent of the time I was expected to pay for everything. Then I remembered, Chrissy didn’t know I was a billionaire. For once it was nice to have a secret to hide behind. Lori and I had decided that I should say I was a bartender at Abandon and that’s how I’d met her.
I watched as the bartender cleared away five wine glasses from where Chrissy was sitting. “Same again, please.” She asked, “and get the man here a beer.”
“Could I have a scotch, actually?” I asked her.
The Billionaire and the Bartender: Aidan's story (The Billionaires Book 2) Page 3