Chapter 8

Lori

Okay. It was safe to say I was in over my head. I was far too stoked about the fact I was going on a date with Aidan Hall and also we’d kissed twice. Twice! I kept touching my lips and imagining his warm mouth brushing against mine. It had been a long time since I’d had intimate relations with a guy, one's beyond the acting fucks, and now I had a date with a hot man and he thought I liked women! At some point I was going to have to confess my lies but for now I would enjoy spending the time with him without the pressure that usually came with dates. I knew it was cruel, but I was aware he liked me. He made it obvious enough. But he thought he couldn’t have me. The devil part of me wanted to play with that and so I deliberately dressed in a tight black dress that revealed a hint of cleavage and my best feature, the curve of my ass. Hopefully, I’d make it up to him one day, if I managed to stop him hooking up with any other women. It would be difficult and I needed to think of tactics because while I was working so many hours I could only do a date night one night a week. Meeting Aidan for coffees was eating into my free time as it was and I was determined to keep my mind on my increasing bank account and working as many shifts as possible. I’d had to turn down a shift for tonight and that couldn’t carry on. After tonight, shifts took priority over fake dates.

He picked me up on the dot at eight-thirty and held the passenger door of his car open for me.

“You need to completely get into your role as my fake girlfriend. This is a proper date I’m taking you on.” He said.

“Can’t wait.” I replied. “A billionaire taking me out. Champagne and caviar it is.”

“You can order whatever your heart desires.” He said. “And if you wish for my private helicopter to whisk us away somewhere just ask. Or if you fancy dinner on my boat, or drinks at my vineyard.”

My jaw dropped. He was so down to earth in his attitude that to really consider his wealth just then kinda blew me away. I could offer a cheap bottle of wine and a swim at the gym pool in return. It was another way I was shown that we were ill-matched. It was better I kept up my charade.

We took our seats in the restaurant and Aidan asked me if I wanted to order some wine. When I said yes, he passed me the menu. I chose the cheapest thing on there and handed it back to him. He laughed and changed our order with the waitress to a different bottle.

“What was the point of that?” I asked.

“To see how you felt about my money. You chose the cheapest thing. Lori, I am loaded. Like completely and utterly ‘I could buy every bottle of wine on the menu and it wouldn’t make a flutter in my bank account’ loaded. Tonight is a date with me, and all my wealth so we’ll drink and eat the finest there is, okay? And you will be fine with my extensive wealth because my fake date is going to become my fake wants to spend their life with me girlfriend until such time as we fake break up and decide we are better off as friends. You’ve got to be okay with my career AND my wealth.”

I sighed. “It goes against every bone in my body. I earn my own way through life and I’m proud of that.”

“Yeah, well take the stick from up your ass and spend my goddamn money.”

I picked up the menu. “In that case I can’t decide between two starters. I’d like shrimp scampi with yellow squash noodles for my main and I might order every dessert on the menu just to taste them all and only eat a spoonful of each.”

“I’m loving this idea.” He said, and he waited for our waitress to return with our wine.

“We’d like an extra three bottles of wine.” He read out the name of three more bottles from the menu. “Then for starters could you bring all ten from the menu and two plates because we’re going to try them all. The shrimp for my girlfriend and steak for myself for main please, and then all of the desserts you offer, again we will taste them all.”

“Of course, Mr. Hall.” The waitress smiled. “I would find it difficult to choose from our menu too. You may have a little wait while we get all that prepared so I’ll arrange for some appetizers to be delivered to your table along with your wines.”

I couldn’t stop smiling. “Oh my God. That’s crazy. We’ll never eat it all.”

“Who cares?” He said. “We’ll do our best and let’s rate everything out of ten as if we’re on a cooking program.”

The evening was amazing. The wine went to my head and Aidan was charming. He kept feeding me different foods, and he’d asked the waitress for a spare order pad and pen so he could note down our ratings. It had caused quite a stir in the restaurant and some other diners had also requested a selection of courses though not quite on our level of every starter and dessert on the menu.

We were on the desserts now and Aidan was feeding me a piece of tarte au citron.

“Aidan. I’m going to burst. Seriously, my guts are going to be all over this restaurant’s walls.”

“Coffee time then?” He suggested.

I made a gagging noise. “I can’t ingest another thing.”

“But I don’t want the evening to end yet. I’m enjoying myself.”

“Me too.” I smiled. “But I can’t eat or drink anything else. Do you want to come back to mine and see if there’s anything on the TV?”

“Seriously? You trust me enough to come into your home? I’m truly honored.” He said.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of wine,” I told him. “Far too much in actual fact.”

Aidan beckoned the waitress over. “Could we have the bill please, and could you prepare me a coffee to go?”

I shook my head. I did have coffee in my house. But I let him get his takeout. He drove us back to my apartment, and he followed me inside. I watched him take in the simple but homely furnishings in my small one-bedroomed apartment.

“It’s very compact.” I told him.

“Yeah, but I like it.” He said with what appeared to be genuine honesty. “You have a great touch. You’re good at putting colors and textures together.” He stared at the photos on the walls. Shots I’d taken of the world around me. “These are amazing. You are so talented.” He told me. He sat down on my couch sipping at his coffee while I hovered at the furthest edge away from him. “Come sit here, girlfriend.” He said, patting the seat next to him.

“That coffee’s not doing a great job of sobering you up.” I said, sitting next to him and clutching my head as the room tilted slightly. “Fuck, I can talk. I’m wasted.”

“So, how do you think our first date went? If it was real marks out of ten?” Aidan asked.

“Eleven, definitely.” I replied. I started counting on my fingers. “Good company. Attractive. Generous. Witty. Honest. No bullshit… what number am I on?” I asked, confused.

“I don’t care. This is the best not-a-date-date I’ve ever been on. From now on I’m dating lesbians.” Aidan announced.

“I think you’ll find I’m the great company and that it has nothing to do with my sexuality.” I told him.

“Kiss me.” He demanded, putting his coffee down.

“No.” I told him.

“You kiss men in your movies. You act straight. I want you to kiss me like you do them. Let me see how good you are. I didn’t get long enough to judge the other day. I want to give you marks out of ten.”

“You’re so drunk.” I laughed. Then I couldn’t stop laughing. I had a complete fit of hysterics imagining myself kissing Aidan when he thought I was acting because I liked women when really I completely fancied him and this was like some kind of romantic comedy film only in real life.

“What are you laughing at?” Aidan pouted. “Is my face ugly to you because you like women?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Aidan.” I said, and I leaned in and placed his lips on mine. He leaned back into me once again capturing my mouth with his own and at that point I didn’t give a damn that he thought I was acting a role. My body was on fire and I needed him. However far this went I was going with it.

He pushed me back against the couch, his hand sliding up my skirt. “Touch me.” He asked.

He lifted up his torso as I unfastened his trousers and lowered the zipper. His cock sprang free, and I fastened my hand around it and slowly stroked my hand up and down the length of his dick.

He groaned in response. I felt myself get slick. I desperately wanted him inside me.

“Let me get on top,” I instructed.

We moved around. I removed Aidan’s pants and boxers from his body and stripped his shirt and jacket off him. Then I stood and removed all my own clothes.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful.” Aidan murmured. Then he mumbled something I couldn’t make out. I could only guess it was regret that he thought I didn’t bat for his team.

I straddled his waist and leaned over to kiss him. His tongue tangled with mine and he lifted his hands up and stroked my breasts tweaking my nipples. He leaned forward and captured a nipple in his mouth, sucking then teasing with his tongue. I’d waited long enough. I took hold of his cock and held it at my entrance and then I lowered myself on him until he filled me completely.

His mouth emitted a string of expletives and blasphemy. Fucks and oh my God’s. I rotated up, down and around on his shaft, using the fingers of one hand to play with my clit. “Open your eyes and watch if you like, Aidan.” I told him.

He did. His eyes fixed on us and roamed everywhere. From my swinging breasts to his dick pumping inside me. To me fingering myself while I fucked him. His pace intensified, his thrusts frantic, and I felt myself build with the telltale sensations that my orgasm was on its way. “I’m going to come.” I told him.

With another thrust Aidan came, his hot cum spurting inside me and I exploded with sensations all around his cock.

“That was, that was, intense and…crazy.” Aidan said, gathering me to his chest.

I snuggled under his arm feeling sated and satisfied.

“There’s no wonder you’re so well rated as an actress. I could have almost believed that was real then. You get full marks.”

It was like a bucket of cold water had been thrown on me. It was an act. Aidan of course thought it was an act.

“Yeah, I’m amazing.” I told him. “Now, do you want to get yourself cleaned up, because then I’m going to shower and hit the sack. This date’s been great but all good things, hey?” I started to move away.

“Just five more minutes snuggling with my best friend please?” Aidan begged. “Lori, I know we got carried away a bit there. I’m sorry. I’ve been drinking, and I totally crossed a line.” He sat up and I was astonished to find he looked genuinely remorseful.

“Lori, I’ve fucked up. I just totally got carried away and fucked my friend. I know you did it for me and I am so goddamn sorry.”

“Hey,” I tilted up his chin with my hand. “I got off didn’t I? When you were sucking my tits I imagined it was a sexy woman. Look, I used you as much as you used me. I get you were curious. Most guys are. We are still best friends and fake dating, all right. You hear me?” I said.

Aidan bit his lip. “I’d understand if you never wanted to see me again.”

“Yeah, well you can’t get rid of me that easily.” I said. “It was a fuck. End of. Now as far as fake dating goes we know what we’re like in the sack together. Now go get cleaned up because I really need to sleep.”

He went to the bathroom and then he said goodnight, but as he left, I knew things had changed. He couldn’t look me in the face properly.

Fucking had fucked us up.

I went in the shower where I burst into tears. Stupid woman, I thought to myself. You need to stick with work. Even pretending to date had become too complicated. I was better off alone.

And that’s how it went. I still received a text each evening asking if I was home safe but Aidan distanced himself from me, making the excuse that he was busy at the club. So, I threw myself into my work. I didn’t need him in my life. I was fine as I was. Six weeks went by. I was about a month away from meeting my money target. Maybe I’d meet it even faster if I continued to work extra shifts, but at GoDown, they’d noticed I wasn’t myself and I needed to get back to my professional actress self and fast. I couldn’t afford to lose jobs there.

I was in the middle of a scene when I turned my head and I thought I saw Aidan in the background. But Matthias hovered over me and when he moved again, there was no one there but the crew.

The final straw came when I was out with Chrissy one night for drinks. We were going to eat at the restaurant where she’d had the terrible date as she wanted to apologize, but as we got there, we saw Aidan with his arm around the back of a slim woman who I recognized as the magazine editor. I kidded myself that it was a business get together until he leaned down and kissed her.

“Oh, crap. It’s your boss. My bad date. Ugh, he must take them all to the same place. What a loser.” Chrissy stated. “Let’s go someplace else.”

“Yes, lets.” I replied. My heart crushed. He’d found someone else. Someone who wasn’t a fake date. I had only myself to blame. But at least I could concentrate on my new career and forget Aidan Hall.

Yet later, there he was on my doorstep. The man himself.

“What do you want?” I asked him coolly. I’d not responded to his nightly text as I’d felt it was stupid for us to carry on like we were friends when it was clearly no longer the case.

“Don’t be like that. I came to make sure you were okay. You didn’t respond to my text.”

“Yeah, about that. Can you stop sending them? It’s lame really.”

“Oh. It’s lame someone cares about you and whether you’re safe?”

“Well, it’s not really your place to worry is it? I have a girlfriend now,” I lied. “She’ll make sure I’m home safe from now on.”

“Oh, well, okay.” Aidan stepped back. “I’m sorry, Lori. I’m sorry I screwed up our friendship.”

“Oh stop with the pity party for one.” I exclaimed. “We’re grown ups. You didn’t attack me. I went along with it. Just go home, Aidan, I don’t have time for this shit, I have a shift to work and a movie to film tomorrow.”

“About that.” Aidan asked.

“What?”

“We’ve been invited to H and Amelia’s for dinner. I was going to tell them we split up but I have a proposition for you.”

“You kept that charade going? What about Ember Valente?”

“I just took Ember out a couple times for food. It’s too early to know if that’s going anywhere. They still believe I’m dating you. I haven’t had a chance to tell them different.”

“Well, you’ll have to tell them now because I’m not coming.”

“How much do you have left to save for college? Give me the ballpark. I want to hire you as an actress. Two dates. One to come for the meal with H and Amelia, and then a further date at my club at the three month mark so I win the bet. Name your price.”

“So I go on two dates with you and then I don’t need to come to Abandon anymore and can quit my movie career?”

“That’s correct. Add in the living expenses for while you go to college. You’re a brilliant actress and worth every penny.”

“I want two hundred thousand dollars.” I goaded him, waiting for his jaw to slacken.

“Done.” He held out his hand. “I’ll get Ashley to deposit the money in your account in an hour.”

“What if I disappear with it?” I said.

“You won’t. I trust you, and if you did, well you win some you lose some.”

“Well, I guess two hundred grand is a drop in the ocean to a billionaire.” I said, trying to stop my face forming a grimace.

He smiled. “Maybe a small sailboat dropped in the ocean?”

I shook his hand. “Deal. Let me know where I need to be and when.”

Aidan looked at me with regret. “I really hope we can be friends again.” He said.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Aidan, I don’t know if that’s possible anymore.” I replied honestly.

He nodded and began to walk away. “Well, take care. I’ll text you with the date and time of the meal. In the meantime, I hope everything keeps going well with you and your new girlfriend.”

“Yeah, me too.” I told him. But, I didn’t wish him luck with Ember because I was bitter and twisted and hoped it went to shit. Instead I went inside, waited for the money to hit my bank account and then I quit both my jobs. I spent the following couple days in a heap of despair having my own pity party for one. I should have been feeling joy that I would finally be able to attend college and get the career I’d dreamed about. But I’d not earned it the way I’d wanted to, on my own terms. Also, I kept finding myself thinking about Aidan fucking Hall. He’d just paid for my services and ruined our friendship in one fell swoop, yet my mind wouldn’t quit picturing us in bed together.

And it wasn’t going to get any better seeing as I had two fake dates booked with him.