Chapter Nine
I sat on my bed later that night, watching cable news and waffling between going down to Doug's party or staying safely in my hotel room. I was still a little mortified about running away from Tyler this afternoon and didn't want to deal with all of the awkward questions he was sure to have. My cell phone chimed, and I looked down to see a text from Tyler.
TS: Hey weirdo. Are you going to this shindig tonight?
I bit my lip, trying to pretend that Tyler's name on my phone screen didn't send a shock wave of pleasure down my spine. I tilted my head, thinking about something to say that would make me seem cool.
OH: I'm not sure, I'm watching riveting political debate now. I might go if you're going, though.
That made me sound like I was trying too hard. I backspaced and typed in a new sentence.
OH: Not sure yet.
I hit send, hoping that didn't seem curt. My phone chimed back almost immediately.
TS: You owe me for ditching me earlier and leaving me with Vanessa. You seem to blow me off a lot. Do you get pleasure from bruising my ego?
I giggled, then took a deep breath, composing myself.
OH: It seemed like you guys had work to do. I didn't want to get between that.
TS: I still haven't eaten since you abandoned me. Take me to the buffet at the party, so I don't wither away until I'm flesh and bone.
I let out a bark of laughter. My defenses were quickly being torn down. Tyler was using his best moves on me.
OH: I have a feeling you're perfectly capable of going to that party yourself.
TS: Of course I am. But it would be so much more fun with you. ;-)
I let that sink in before answering.
OH: Okay. But only in the interest of your health. We don't want you starving to death before we even start shooting the movie.
TS: I knew you'd see it my way. ;-) I'll pick you up at seven.
I looked at the time. It was already a quarter past six. That did not leave me with very much time for my normal routine of showering, doing my hair, debating endlessly which dress made me look the least fat, having a meltdown, recovering, and doing my makeup. I threw my phone on the bed and hurried into the shower.
I skipped the meltdown, and forty minutes later, I was ready to go. Tyler knocked on my door, and I pulled the back strap of my heel into place and opened the door for him. "You're five minutes early."
Tyler stared at me with a slackened jaw, taking in my appearance. When he recovered, he let out a long, slow whistle. "Damn."
I preened, doing a spin so Tyler could fully appreciate the look. I'd chosen a slinky backless dress with strappy heels and not much else. Judging by Tyler's reaction, he approved. "You like it?"
"You are the single sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life," Tyler growled, pulling me to him so he could kiss me on the cheek.
I shifted, pulling him into the doorway. "I highly doubt that. Let's go get some food in your stomach, you're delirious with hunger," I said. I tapped my phone, making sure my room key was in the pocket on the case, and shut the door behind me.
At the elevators, Tyler reached around me to press the down button, placing his hand on my back smoothly on the way back from the button. The door dinged open, and we entered the already crowded elevator. Tyler pushed his way to the back, gently pushing me forward by the small of my back. The constant contact was sending jolts of awareness surging through me. Tyler kept his hand on my back for the duration of the elevator ride, fingers splaying possessively. He was dangerously close to where my underwear wasn't.
I knew the exact moment Tyler realized I wasn't wearing any panties. He stiffened beside me, his hand exploring lower and lower. The doors dinged open on the conference level, and we jumped apart. The crowd of people surged forward, moving us with them. Tyler was close behind me, keeping contact with my bare skin. He used his hand to gently guide me towards the ballroom that the party was being held in. I stepped forward and swayed, vertigo hitting me like a truck.
Tyler's large hands encircled my waist, steadying me. "Whoa. Are you okay?"
I nodded. "I'm still not used to these fast elevators and high heels. I'm just dizzy. I'll be fine." I grasped Tyler's biceps and stood there, steadying myself until the dizziness passed. The dizziness went away, but still, I held on, not wanting the strong arms to leave my waist. Tyler's green eyes darkened, and he clenched his jaw. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, transfixed by the sudden intensity surging between us.
"Tyler! Olivia!" Doug's booming voice snapped the connection between us before I could do something stupid like jump onto Tyler's hips and ride him into the next room. "You made it! Come on in. There are some people you should meet." He ushered us into the ballroom and shut the door behind him.
We were hit by a blast of loud dance music as soon as we walked in. The ballroom had been transformed into a nightclub, and apparently, the DJ was trying hard to get people onto the parquet dance floor and get the party started. I rubbed my ear a little, trying to relieve it from the wub-wub of the dance music.
I spied Dayna sitting by herself at a table across the room and slipped away from Tyler and Doug, mouthing "I'm sorry" at Tyler as I went. Tyler's eyes followed me with smoldering intensity and mock betrayal as I left, but Doug was talking loudly and insistently about something or other, grabbing Tyler's attention away from me. I smirked as I walked through the magenta- lit ballroom-turned-club, knowing Tyler was watching every sway of my hip and flip of my hair.
"Is there something wrong with your hip?" Dayna asked when I got to her table.
"No?" I asked, confused.
"You were walking funny and jutting it out like you were trying to work out a kink. Look, you're still doing it." Dayna looked concerned.
I frowned and adjusted my posture sheepishly. I stood up straight and looked down at Dayna's almost-empty glass. "What's cracking?"
Dayna held up the remains of her vodka cranberry. "Free booze and Doug gave me the night off, so I'm sitting here and enjoying myself quietly."
"Open bar is always a plus. Scoot over." I slid onto the bench next to her and discreetly looked around. Tyler was still standing with Doug, being talked at and looking bored to death. When our eyes met, I shook with mirth at the furious look he gave me. I winked at him and flagged down our waiter.
"I'll have what she's having." I jerked my head towards Dayna, and the waiter nodded and disappeared. I chanced a look back to where Doug and Tyler had just been standing, but they'd disappeared.
"Looking for someone?" Dayna asked, fiddling with the lime on her drink.
I shook my head. "Nah. You were who I was hoping to see."
"Oh, please. I saw you come in with Tyler. Did you guys come together or what?" Dayna asked interestedly.
I shook my head. "We ran into each other in the elevator." I still wasn't ready for coworkers to know that something was going on between Tyler and me, even if it were someone like Dayna. I had no idea what the repercussions could be, or how vicious the gossip could get.
The waiter reappeared with my drink and a refill for Dayna. We took our glasses gratefully, and I surveyed the room while Dayna texted her little sister. Vanessa had arrived looking fabulous, as always. Her long black hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, and deep red lipstick only served to accent her exotic features. She looked around and squealed when she saw what she was looking for- Tyler. She rushed over to greet him, and I watched with a sinking heart as they embraced.
"Dude, I know," Dayna said, looking at my face. "Vanessa makes me feel that way, too." She nodded knowingly as she slurped the last of her drink. "What a nightmare, right?" She slurped down the rest of her drink and made eye contact with the waiter and nodded. He winked and headed off to get her new drink.
"Flirting with the waitstaff for drinks?" I asked. "You're shameless."
"Don't hate the player, hate the game." Her drink appeared as if magic and she sipped at it with a smile.
"I'm going to check out the buffet." I scooted out of the booth and stood up. "I'm starving."
"Get me some cookies! Oh, and pizza if they have it," Dayna said. I nodded, even though I doubted they had pizza and cookies, and Dayna beamed tipsily. She turned her attention back to her cell phone as I walked away.
The buffet line was empty, surprising me. Every time I'd ever been to a party like this, the first thing I did was check out the food. I guess priorities were a little different here in the land of lipo and fad diets. I grabbed a plate, ready to fill that baby up, but turned when I felt a hand on my hip. I turned, and Tyler was standing behind me, two drinks in hand.
"Chardonnay?" he offered. I looked sadly down at the trays of food laying uneaten and resolved to come back later. I put my plate down, took the glass from Tyler, and followed him to the secluded corner he'd chosen. "That's twice today you've ditched me," Tyler said seriously.
I flushed and took a sip of my wine. "It's a work party. I figured you'd want to mingle with Doug and meet some Very Important People."
"Mingling is overrated, and I was already with a Very Important Person." Tyler's fingers skated across my bare shoulder, and my breath hitched. Was Tyler doing this right now in the open, around everyone we worked with? His lips lightly brushed against my shoulder and he lifted his head back up, devil-may-care grin transforming his handsome face.
I shook my head, silently wishing for him to stop while simultaneously wanting him to continue. I wiggled in my seat, trying to alleviate the growing pressure that was mounting in my core. "You're unbelievable. Are you tipsy?"
Tyler leaned his head towards me conspiratorially. "Being around you does things to me, makes me forget myself or where we are."
My mouth dried, and I tried to play it cool. "Was that a line from Smooth Operator?" Tyler shook his head innocently, and I unnarrowed my eyes. "It's just the dress. I bet you'd feel differently if I were wearing underwear."
Tyler swallowed, his eyes dragging down the length of me and making me feel like I was wearing nothing at all. I leaned against the wall and Tyler followed, his long body aligning with mine. "Olivia," he said languidly. I raised my eyes to meet his, and he traced a circle on my hip with one long finger. "I've been thinking about you all day."
"Oh?" I shivered. The circle he was tracing with his finger was growing wider, and now his hand was palming my waist experimentally. He gripped hard and turned me to face him fully.
Tyler looked down at me, a lopsided smile accentuating his killer dimples. "Yeah. If I'm honest, I've been thinking about you for a lot longer than that. Maybe since the first day I met you in that restaurant."
"Didn't you have a girlfriend then?" I whispered back.
"That only lasted about a week. It wasn't anything serious," Tyler replied.
"And after that?" I asked.
"I haven't dated anyone since then." Tyler pulled me closer to him, practically on his lap. I closed my eyes when the evidence of his arousal jutted against my hipbone, teasing me.
"Tyler, don't," I whispered.
"I like it when you say my name," Tyler whispered back into my ear. "I wonder what you'll sound like when I'm making you come over and over." Oh god. Tyler brushed his lips against my neck, breathing softly and causing goosebumps to run from my scalp to my knees. He grabbed the small of my back and pulled me harder into him, grinding in motion with the thumping of the music from the speakers above us. We ground against each other with abandon, rocking closer and closer to the precipice of what promised to be an explosive cliff.
The music stopped and feedback sounded, bringing me back to my senses. I pulled myself off of Tyler and swallowed, shaking my head. I can't believe I was just dry-humping someone incredibly recognizable in an extremely public venue where we could be spotted at any minute. Tyler looked at me with bald desire, his eyes full of lust and his chest heaving slightly. "Come upstairs with me," he said hoarsely.
"I need to go to the ladies' room," I said, fleeing before Tyler could say anything else that I'd agree to. Doug was making some speech about the commencement of shooting, but I didn't stop to listen, making a beeline for the bathroom.
Once I was in the harsh fluorescent lighting of the bathroom, everything that had happened tonight started to feel like it had happened in a dream- a wildly irresponsible, but elating, dream.
I rubbed my face in the mirror, noting the high flush in my cheeks and the way my perfectly curled hair was mussed. Even if today had been a dream, that was okay. I was spending the next couple of months in La La Land. What was wrong with dreaming a little bit?
I resolved to march right back over to Tyler and accept his offer to go back to his hotel room, caution be damned. It had been over a year since the last time I'd had sex, and that had just been a quickie with Dave in which I hadn't gotten off. If the rumors about Tyler were true, I didn't think not getting off would be a problem.
I exited the bathroom, expecting Tyler to be waiting where I'd left him. He was gone. I looked around the room in confusion and located him quickly. He was leaning against a wall with Vanessa draped all over him, looking cozy as hell. It's probably not what it looks like. I started walking towards them again and stopped dead in my tracks when Vanessa kissed Tyler on the neck.
I turned around, trying to contain my rage. I have to admit, Tyler was bold. He didn't even wait five minutes for me to get back to the bathroom before he'd moved on to the next woman who was willing to sleep with him. I wanted to slap myself in the face. How could I have thought I was special? Tyler goes through women like underwear. Of course if I left him high and dry, he'd move on to a gorgeous, willing vamp who clearly wanted him. I needed this reminder that Tyler was a man whore. A womanizer. A rake.
I put my glass down and turned to leave the party, as I was no longer in a celebratory mood, and Tyler had left a sour taste in my mouth anyway.
∞∞∞
I pulled back the covers on my bed, ready to bury my head under the covers and forget how stupid I'd been tonight. I'd just gotten myself fully wrapped in the comforter when there was a knock at my door. I groaned and ignored it, but the knock became more insistent. There was only one person who would be knocking on my door at midnight.
I got out of bed and swung the door open to face Tyler, who was standing with a clenched jaw in my doorway, flaming mad. What did he have to be angry about? I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest. "What do you want, Tyler? It's late."
"Why did you leave me at the party tonight?" Tyler entered my room without asking, and I stepped in front of him to block his way. He shut the door behind him anyway.
"I was tired," I lied.
"Are you avoiding me?" Tyler asked. He moved closer to me, and I backed up. "What, you're just going to bed? You don't care to finish what you started?"
"No," I said. "You looked like you were recovering just fine without me."
Tyler looked at me with narrowed eyes, not knowing my meaning. It dawned on him, and a huge smile broke across his face, all the annoyance from earlier vanishing. "You're jealous."
"Please." I scoffed. "I'm not jealous. I just don't share."
Tyler backed me up against the wall until I didn't have anywhere else to look but at him. His grin had been replaced with something else, something carnal, full of need. "Olivia, you have nothing to be jealous of with Vanessa. She's an old friend, nothing more. Sometimes she gets handsy when she's drunk, but I pulled her off of me as soon as she tried to kiss me." Tyler grabbed my hand, interlacing our fingers. "You really think I could be with you one minute and immediately move on to the first willing woman?"
"I don't know what to think, and it's not my place to judge." I swallowed. "I can't get jealous because nothing is going on between us."
"I beg to differ," Tyler growled. He ran his hands up my back, stopping at the base of my neck. One eyebrow quirked, asking me a silent question, and at my slight nod, he brought his face down, his lips were fluttering lightly against mine. I moaned at the sudden contact, grasping him by the neck. Tyler took advantage of my open mouth, using the opportunity to deepen the kiss and explore me.
His hand traveled down my spine, coming to rest on my ass. He grasped the round cheek and pulled me into him, holding my leg up, so we were fully connected at our cores. I squirmed, needing more, but Tyler broke the kiss suddenly. He dropped a final light kiss on my nose before stepping back. "Stop running away from me, Olivia. Trust that I want you, and only you." I stared at him, unable to speak. Who was this unreal man? He winked at me and stepped out into the hallway. "Sweet dreams." With that wink and goodbye, he sauntered off to the elevators. I watched his retreating back, a quivering mess of arousal. I was going to need to take care of that tonight.
Had I just agreed to something?