Virtual Reality

by Kitty Cox

  "Chocolate," Kate said, unsure of what she was picking.

  He nodded, and in a smooth motion, slid a pair of crepes onto a pan, filled it with something, and grabbed a bottle from the fridge. Folding the eggs over, he drizzled what was in the bottle on the crepes, put the container back in the fridge, then dropped the omelet beside it.

  "Chewy or crunchy bacon?"

  "Crunchy."

  Something beeped, and he tilted his head toward it. "Coffee pot's in the corner, cups are above it. Would you pour me one?"

  She found it easily. "I'm now convinced that you are the strangest man I've ever met," she said as she filled a pair of cups.

  He shot her a confused look. "Why?"

  "You are not some stuck on yourself millionaire. I can't even believe you cook, but look at this place!"

  "Mycah taught me to cook before she went to college. Janelle would have killed us, and Darius hates it." He laughed, his eyes on the pans. "I figured out that it was an easy way to impress the ladies."

  "Oh? So you are a slut."

  "Hm." He thought about that. "I guess. It got a whole lot easier to attract the ladies when I had some money. Even more when I started getting my name in the papers." He looked back at her. "I was nineteen when I made my first million. Bought a shit house, right? Like my fourth one. Started stripping the drywall because it was covered in mold and found this cloth tacked to the walls. I was smart enough to do research before I started ripping it out."

  "Ok?"

  "The dive was a historical site. Used to be a bordello, way long ago. Put it back together, found some replicas, and sold it to a guy interested in history. I dropped about forty grand into it, made one point two."

  Kate hiked her ass onto one of the bar stools. "So you got lucky?"

  He tilted his head back and forth. "Kinda. I got a lucky break. I should've made a few hundred thousand from it, and I would have just kept clawing my way up. But I'm glad it happened. I was about to buy another junker when the housing market started slipping and this nasty-ass, skanky hotel came up for sale. And so, I changed my interests. Now…" he gestured around them with his spatula. "I'm rich." He plucked out half the bacon, dropping it onto the plate, and passed it across, handing her a fork a second later.

  She took a bite, trying the crepes first. They were exquisite, filled with creme cheese and just enough chocolate syrup to tantalize the tongue. She groaned, trying the omelet next, finding that it all complimented each other.

  "This is good!"

  He grabbed his own plate and joined her. Instead of chocolate, he'd gone with strawberries. Chunks of the fruit were smeared with red syrup. "So, does that means you're giving up on cold cereal?"

  "Well, with what you're paying me, sure." She shoved more into her mouth.

  He nodded, cramming in a bite just to talk around it. "And you get a raise Monday."

  "Thought you had nothing to do with my pay."

  He shrugged. "No control. I still sign the checks." He grabbed a piece of bacon. "But, in full disclosure, I should probably tell you that I didn't intend for you to be Nancy's admin when I made that appointment for an interview."

  Kate's eyebrows shot up. "Ok? I thought I was coming in for the front desk?"

  He shook his head. "Nope. I thought you'd make a perfect replacement for Mark. When I realized that Katelyn Gaskill was Lithium, I changed my mind and called Nancy. Told her I thought this woman was amazing, but I was pretty sure I'd run into her in the game and would end up getting my ass sued if you really were who I thought."

  She nodded, thinking about that. "So, does she know Ice is Adam?"

  "No. She can't keep track of game names. I decided not to enlighten her." He took a sip of coffee. "She does know about the car."

  "And didn't say anything?"

  Adam shook his head. "Nope, because she was gonna do the same damned thing. Granted, she figured you more for a sports car kinda girl. Her big plan was a bright red Porsche Baxter. I talked her out of it."

  "It's a mini! That counts!"

  He laughed and shook his head. "Oh baby, no." He took another bite, washed it down with coffee, then looked at her again. "So. Gonna be my date tonight?"

  "I still have nothing to wear."

  "Cocktail attire." He held up a finger, then stood, walking out of sight.

  Kate shook her head and finished her breakfast, unwilling to waste such a good meal. She'd just consumed the last bite, her face buried in her coffee cup when something plastic slapped down beside her. Swallowing, she looked. His credit card was by her elbow, looking as completely normal as her own.

  "I have to make some calls this morning if I want that hotel. Keep it under three million, if you could?" He grinned and bit down on the last piece of bacon.

  She stared at the card, unsure if she should be squealing in excitement or offended. "You are so weird."

  Adam thrust out his lower lip, bobbed his head, then shrugged. "Yeah, basically. I'm rooting for black, but that turquoise was pretty damned nice."

  "Hm, ankle length?"

  His eyes followed her legs. "With a slit? Sure. Otherwise, you'd better show those things off."

  "Right. So you're dressing me now?"

  He held up a finger, swallowed the last of his own meal, then pushed the plate away. "Pampering and expressing my opinion. I love your legs." He tilted his head, a devious smile making an appearance. "I like them wrapped around my neck. I most certainly am not going to tell you what clothes to wear. I'll just tell you which ones I like you wearing."

  He stood and grabbed her plate, carrying it with his to the sink. Kate couldn't pull her eyes away from the credit card, wondering why it felt so wrong to let him buy her a dress to go to a function he'd invited her to. When she sighed the third time in a row, he leaned over the counter to face her.

  "Stop." She looked up, finding his face serious. He looked down at the card in her hands. "I can only guess where your mind is going, but just stop. I'm not dumb enough to think I can buy my way into your bed - or you into mine as the case may be." He took a breath, looking frustrated. "It's money, Kate. Once upon a time, I wished for it. Now I have it. Let me enjoy it. Let me pamper you because I love seeing that smile. It's worth more money than my bank account will ever have, and it's what I wish for now. Ok?"

  "It's weird."

  He nodded. "Yeah, but it's kinda nice, huh? Being able to just go buy the perfect dress? That's gotta feel at least a bit good." He lifted a hand. "If it makes you feel better, you made Degrass Industries an extra two million since you've been working there. Revlon paid a lot more than I expected, and you saved a fortune when the Columbus thing tried to blow up. Consider it a bonus."

  She thought about that for a moment, but it still felt wrong. Not that she could wrap her mind around why. "Would you be buying a dress for Mark if he'd earned you a lot?"

  "Probably not." Adam chuckled. "But golf clubs, sure. In fact, I did when he had to play a game with me for charity. Sorry, darlin'. You're not going to win this one."

  "It's still weird."

  He just shrugged, proving he didn't care. "I'm still rich. Hopefully, I'll always be rich. I figure you have to get used to it eventually. Now go buy a dress. I'm gonna buy a hotel."

  After stealing a shirt and sweats from him, she was halfway across town before she finally figured out her problem. It wasn't that he'd offered to buy her a dress. It was that she'd slept with the man then been given free rein with his money. Like please, and thank you, she remembered him saying, and Kate had no interest in being any man's trinket.

  That was how her husband had treated women, and not just her. He'd done it with the ones he'd cheated with, which was why the credit card debt was such a point of contention between them. But who knew how many times Adam had just handed over his credit card. Mr. Degrass wasn't exactly known to be celibate. He also didn't take women home. Still, she had no idea how many he spoiled with his money. He was so different from Marshall, yet she'd also thought Marshall
was amazing when she'd first met him, so she needed to go into this with both eyes open.

  She still wanted to see Mycah's art show. As she walked into T.J. Maxx, she had no idea what she was going to buy, but she was going to get something. If Adam was being nice, then she didn't want to rub it in his face. If he was just this good at seducing women and making them feel special, then she deserved to believe it for one whole weekend. Well, at least a day. She was pretty sure Nancy wouldn't let her be taken advantage of - even if Adam was almost another son to her.

  And enjoying it was exactly what she planned. The selection of dresses was rather impressive. That so many were in her size, even more so. After trying on her options for over an hour, Kate finally found exactly what she wanted. The dress was short and black with a wide swath of white cut along the front right side. It would be perfect for an art show. Then she needed some heels. For those, she chose something completely frivolous. She'd never had a reason to own shimmery shoes before, and they matched the dress perfectly.

  The grand total? One hundred and seventy-two dollars. Proud of herself, she headed to her next stop: Wal-Mart. Kate found a couple of inexpensive t-shirts, a pair of yoga pants and some shorts that she could keep in her car if she had another sleepover. She also picked up a toothbrush, shampoo, and conditioner. Adam said she should get things for the next time she stayed over, right?

  That was her excuse, and she was sticking to it. By the time she was done, she'd spent less than three hundred dollars. Knowing Adam, it was probably the smallest purchases his card had ever seen. She was also feeling a whole lot better about this. Evidently, a little retail therapy really did work as well as Nancy claimed.

  Her last stop was at her apartment. Kate didn't even bother hauling the bags up. She had every intention of lounging around Adam's place all day, maybe even using his pool before she had to dress up for the function. But she'd need makeup and a curling iron. Pulling her new car into the first open spot, she climbed out and pressed the button to activate the alarm. For the first time in her life, she was glad she had a small apartment. It made collecting her things that much easier.

  She had her makeup bag, hair products, and jewelry all shoved into a gym bag when the sound of a car alarm made her pause. She almost ignored it, then thought of her precious new mini! Two shoves, one zip, and she was rushing out the door to make sure her present wasn't being vandalized. Out of habit, she pulled the door closed behind her - and froze. A man was peering into the back of her car with a camera, rapidly shooting photos.

  "Hey!" she yelled, hoping to scare him away.

  He just turned and pointed it at her. Even from the second floor, she could hear the shutter clicking repeatedly.

  "Get the hell away from my car before I call the cops."

  "What's your name?" another man asked from the bottom of the stairs.

  "Kate." She hefted the bag onto her shoulder and turned to lock her door. "Who are you?"

  "Ohio Examiner," the man said. "So what is your relationship with the millionaire Adam Degrass?"

  That was when it hit her. These weren't thugs or vandals. No, they were tabloid reporters and local paparazzi. She made sure the deadbolt on her apartment was truly secure then lifted her chin and made her way down the stairs.

  "It's Katelyn - spelled with a y - Gaskill. I am the Executive Marketing Coordinator for Nancy Macintosh. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an event to prepare for." She wasn't going to stop, but if she handled this with class, it sure couldn't hurt.

  "Are you dating Adam Degrass?"

  She smiled at the man beside her car. "Adam and I will be attending an event together to surprise my boss and his close friend." Then she pulled open the door and tossed her bag inside.

  But before she could close it again, the man had one more question. "So why is he dating you? Last week he was with Davina Huber."

  The supermodel. Of course, he was. Kate tried to convince herself it wasn't a big deal, but couldn't. One week ago, he'd been gaming with her every night, or so she'd thought. Granted, a few times he'd logged in later than usual.

  As she started her car and backed away from the insanity, she tried to convince herself that there was nothing to worry about. He'd been upfront and honest. He said he often took models to the events he had to attend. It was easy because they wanted to get the media's attention, and he couldn't seem to shake it. Granted, he also hadn't said a thing to her about it. He hadn't even considered asking her.

  Kate made the drive back across town trying to figure out what the hell she was doing. She wasn't the kind of woman who caught the hot, sexy millionaire. She was the kind of woman who got her head shoved through a glass table by the ex-husband who treated her like shit. She was just one step up from poverty, and only because she just wouldn't stop trying. What could someone like Adam see in her?

  Slowing for the railroad crossing, she reminded herself one more time that this was ok. They were both from the wrong side of the tracks. He wasn't too good for her. She wasn't some pity case. This would all be ok. She just had to remember that not every man in the world was going to treat her the same way Marshall had. She'd already used up all her bad luck, and Adam really did like her. He'd flirted with her before she even worked for him.

  But she kinda wished that he lived in a zip code she could afford.

  Chapter 25

  Parking in the same spot she'd left, Kate gathered her things from the back seat. Adam's parking garage wasn't disgusting, like most. It was as posh as she could expect from a millionaire. Her shoes didn't even echo as she headed to the door leading into the lobby. She'd been too distracted to notice that last night.

  But when she stepped inside, things were very different. The concierge didn't smile at her. The women behind the counter didn't offer empty pleasantries. They all stared. Kate turned her feet toward the elevator, but the man on duty lifted a hand, stalling her.

  "Can I help you?" he asked a little too politely.

  "I was going to see Adam Degrass." This time, she didn't sound confident. Her voice almost squeaked.

  He just shook his head. "No one goes to the penthouse without checking in Miss...."

  "Gaskill," she supplied. "He's expecting me."

  "Yes, ma'am. Follow me." He gestured to the front desk.

  While she stood before the dark wood counter, he stepped behind it, reaching for the phone. On the far side, a pair of younger women had their heads pressed together, but both were looking right at her. Then one giggled.

  "Miss Gaskill?" the man from the elevator asked. "What's the nature of your meeting with Mr. Degrass?"

  She shook a breath, nodding once as she let it out. At least this was an angle she'd already figured out. "We're planning to attend a function for my boss, Nancy Macintosh, tonight."

  That sounded a lot better than admitting she'd already slept with the man. It also wiped the smiled off the faces of the girls still staring. In an instant, they recategorized her from slut to employee, and it showed on their faces. One shrugged at the other, then they both turned their attention back to whatever they'd been doing before. On her other side, the man from the elevator was muttering softly into the phone. His eyes kept flicking to her, and he nodded, then set the phone back in its cradle.

  "Sorry about that," he said, gesturing back to the elevator. "We pride ourselves on security, you understand."

  "Yes, sir," she assured him, falling in at his side.

  But instead of just calling the car for her to ride up, when the doors opened, he stepped inside with her. "Mr. Degrass says you have free access to his room." He pressed the button for the top floor. "Made it very clear that his girlfriend shouldn't be inconvenienced. It'll take a few days before all of the staff recognize your face, and a few may ask for ID, but you've been placed on the permanent guest list."

  Her head snapped over to look at him. "His what?"

  The man chuckled softly. "He referred to you as his girlfriend, Ms. Gaskill."

  "I see. Doe
s he do that often?" She half expected the man to say yes.

  Instead, he shook his head. "Pretty sure Mr. Degrass has never given access to anyone outside his family. Er, I mean the Macintosh family."

  Which meant he hadn't lied about that. Biting her lips together, she nodded, thankful when the elevator doors opened only a second later. Kate stepped off the car, and the man gestured to the proper door.

  She made it one step before he said, "We will have an extra key at the front desk for you Monday morning. Have a good visit, Ms. Gaskill."

  Nodding her head at him, she kept going. A key? One date and this man was giving her a key? She wasn't quite sure how that made her feel. Half of her thought it was sweet. The other half - the one that had lived with Marshall for seven years - flipped through warnings about codependent men, moving too fast, and stupid decisions. She was finally single and jumping right back into a relationship? What happened to learning how to live on her own? And why did he think he could just decide for her that they were a couple? It was one fucking night.

  Literally, she realized, tapping on the wood.

  "Come," Adam called from the other side. "It's open."

  Kate turned the knob and stepped in. "Adam?"

  He peeked his head around the corner from his study. "Hey, darlin'. Sorry, I forgot about the lobby."

  "Yeah." She'd start with the easy questions first. "I didn't know you went out with Davina Huber last week."

  His eyes jumped to her face. "It was for the Action Ohio fundraiser." He took a deep breath and stepped the rest of the way into the room. "She asked if I'd make a donation."

  "Don't know that one."

  His throat tensed as he swallowed. "A local charity for domestic abuse victims. This happened Wednesday afternoon. She called just after..."

  "Marshall." Just after her husband had beaten her in a stairwell. "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "Because I didn't want you to think about it. Nancy said you were barely holding it together, and I felt useless, so when Davi asked, I agreed."