“Testing. One. Two. Three. Testing.”
My heart is pounding, and I'm not even the one standing in front of The Billionaires Club. This seems so scandalous . . . and silly, at the same time. I don't know why we're doing this. Why Evelyn talked me into doing this. Why she'd waste her money on something like this. She hates Anders. Helping me stalk him should be the last thing on her list of priorities. Not to mention the last thing she'd be willing to spend money on.
We're using our friend Cynthia as bait. We sent her in to do a consultation at The Billionaires Club fully armed with a hidden microphone and glasses that have a video camera installed in them. Evelyn and I are huddled around her shiny new desktop computer in the living room watching the screen as Cynthia stands outside of The Billionaires Club and checks the equipment one last time before she goes into the lion's den.
“I don't think this is going to work,” I mutter as I shift uncomfortably.
“Of course, it will work,” Evelyn insists.
“One of the billionaires probably invented those glasses.” I give her a sardonic look.
“Then I guess we best be glad she's seeing a consultant and not one of the billionaires.”
Cynthia reaches out a manicured hand to introduce herself to the consultant who comes to retrieve her from the front desk. He's every bit as gorgeous as the rest of the men who volunteer there. Short brown hair, a bit of a five o'clock shadow, bright green eyes. And I can tell just by looking at the fit of his suit that he has a rocking body beneath it. My loins ache at the sight of him, and I instantly think of Anders naked. The bastard. I wish I would have gotten the lawyer he was telling me about instead. If I had gotten the lawyer, I probably wouldn't be going through this now.
“I can almost hear the Mission Impossible theme song playing in the background.” Evelyn wiggles in her chair as she watches the consultant take Cynthia back into his office and sits her down in front of a large wooden desk to start his presentation. Evelyn seems more excited about this than I do. Hell, she seems like she's actually having fun.
Of course, she's not the one with her heart on the line. I am. I'm sitting here, waiting to see my boyfriend's picture included in the penis buffet. It's not just the penis buffet. It's the steak course. The one that women pay for. And what makes it worse is knowing that he picks his clients. He chooses every single woman he fucks. He's chosen women to fuck since me. My body tenses at the thought.
I'm not sure I can handle this, but I have to. It never seemed like a good idea to do this when Evelyn brought it up, but I need to know the truth. Why? I'm not sure. When Ryan told me that Anders was still volunteering at The Billionaires Club, it should have been enough. I decided right then and there that it was over between us. He had lied to me, violated my trust on a very real level. The ex-wife thing had been an oversight. It had never been his obligation to tell me he had been married before. This was a blatant lie though. A blatant disregard for my feelings. A blatant breach of our agreement. He had said he would give The Billionaires Club up. There's no reason he should be there now if not to fuck other women.
“Oh.” Evelyn jabs me in the arm with her elbow. “Here it comes.”
I can feel my chest tighten as the consultant starts laying out the pictures of the billionaires on the table. Each one is a blown up eight by ten of the guy's face. Evelyn wasn't joking. They're all gorgeous. I can't help but wonder which one is the lawyer that Anders had told me about, the guy who would have just fucked me like he was supposed to and not broken my heart.
The consultant lays the pictures out one at a time, and as he nears the end of the lineup, I feel the faintest glimmer of hope. Maybe Anders told the truth. Maybe he really did step away from The Billionaires Club to focus on being with me. Ryan could have been lying to me because he was jealous.
It's not to be though. When photo number eight is laid face up, I feel like I've been hit by a freight train. It's Anders smiling perfect face. Not his panty melting smile. Not the smile that's won me over time and time again. In this picture, the smile is forced, but still attractive.
“That's him,” Evelyn says into her headpiece, relaying the message to Cynthia. We watch her head bob in acknowledgment. Now it's time for the second phase of the operation.
Cynthia waits patiently while the consultant lays out the rest of the photos. My eyes scan over them, and instead of focusing on Anders, I think about the lawyer. It's all I can do to keep my sanity. My heart has had enough. I knew it was over between us before I even agreed to this little spy game. Allowing myself to be put through this was entirely unnecessary and painful.
“Him.” Cynthia places a finger on Anders' picture. “I want him.”
“That's not how it works here.” He's already explained the rules to her, that the billionaires pick the clients they want to sleep with, not the other way around.
“Mister Lebowitz, I'm spending an awful lot of money here. I think I should be able to decide which one of these fine gentlemen I spend my time with,” her tone is short yet professional. She plays the snooty rich woman well.
“I understand that, ma'am, but this is a volunteer operation. Not all the men are available to take on clients at all times.”
“Then why are you showing me all of their pictures?” she sounds genuinely agitated, and I can tell she's making him nervous.
He clears his throat, “We've found that it makes it more fun for the client if we show them all the potential possibilities.”
“Well, I'm not a client yet. And I'm a realist. I want to know what my real options are. You show me, or I'm walking out of here, and I'm taking my ten grand with me.”
The consultant straightens himself, and his pleasant disposition softens into discontent. Evelyn leans back in her chair, perhaps fearing his reaction just as much as I am. It's obvious that this guy isn't going to allow himself to be bullied.
“Listen, Miss Jones.” He laces his fingers and sets them on top of the desk, leaning forward a bit, his voice cool and collected. “There's no other place like The Billionaires Club on the face of this planet, as far as I know. Having said that, we reserve the right to run things as we see fit. All of our guys work really hard, and aside from the charity money that's generated by this establishment, they also donate their own money to charity. While we really would love to have your patronage, we are not interested in deviating from the system that is already set in place.”
“Shit,” Evelyn whispers under her breath. “Well, that's it then.” She turns to me. “I'm sorry, Tessa. At least you know now that he was lying to you.” The look she gives me is obscure. I can't tell if she's actually sorry for my situation, or if she's upset that Cynthia wasn't able to carry the plan out all the way through.
“I'll give you twenty thousand dollars for him.” Cynthia stares the consultant straight in the eyes. Her composure doesn't falter for a heartbeat.
He sighs, “It's a generous offer, but it goes against our policy.”
“Fifty thousand.”
“Fifty thousand!” Evelyn shoots up into a standing position. “I'm not going to give her that much money for him.”
“Calm down.” I gently tug at her arm. “She's not actually going to go through with the consultation. Remember?”
“Fifty thousand,” the consultant repeats the number, looking thoughtful. For a moment, he considers it. Then he shakes his head. “No, I'm afraid not.”
“Well, will you at least tell me why I can't have him? That's an awful lot of money to turn down,” Cynthia grumbles. Damn she's a good actress. Now I'm wondering why she didn't try to be one instead of a makeup artist. She certainly has the looks and the skills for it.
“I'm sorry, but it's a breech of confidentiality for me to disclose such information.”
“Meet me in the middle here.” She digs in her purse to pull out the wad of cash that Evelyn sent her with. When she has it in hand, she places it on the table as a visual, a thick stack of twenties bound together in a wrapper. “One of my friends told me he was the best you've got. She's been here at least half a dozen times and has had a variety of your men. Naturally, if I'm going to spend this type of money, I just want your best. However, I understand that it's not always possible.” She pauses briefly, “I'm not asking you what he's doing. All I want to know is if he's available or if he will be available in the near future. If you're willing to tell me that much, I might still be willing to book an appointment with one of these other fine specimens.”
I can't help but giggle when she says 'fine specimens'. Maybe she's not as great of an actress as I thought. Evelyn casts a sideways glance at me in agreement, shaking her head as if to say, “What in the hell was she thinking?”
The consultant looks her square in the face, apparently not disturbed by her strange wording at all. He takes a deep breath and says, “He's currently not taking any new clients and hasn't specified when he'll be available again.”
***
“Hello, beautiful,” Anders greets me with a smile. It's the smile I'm so used to seeing, the one that breaks me down until I'm helpless against him. He's genuinely happy to see me, and that makes it somehow painful today.
I don't know what he's doing at The Billionaires Club, but I know he's still going there. More than that, I know he's been lying to me. That's what really matters. That, and the fact that I still don't trust that he's keeping his dick in his pants.
The way he draws me into his apartment is proof enough of his insatiable lust. His mouth is on mine almost the second the door is closed behind us, and he's lighting up my body with his touch. I'm so weak against him. So weak. His lips taste like mint. His strong arms feel like heaven beneath my fingertips.
“I've missed you,” he whispers against my neck before placing tiny kisses where his breath just was.
I want to say I've missed him too, but all I can manage is, “I've been thinking about you.”
“And I've been dreaming about you.” His hand effortlessly glides up the front of my shirt, caressing my stomach. As he pushes me against the door, I can feel how hungry his body is for me. I need to speak to him before I allow myself to get lost.
“You lied to me.” The words spill out just as cold as they feel inside of me.
“I'd never lie to you.” He doesn't even bother moving away from me, doesn't stop his sexual assault on my body. His thumb lazily pushes up the cup of my bra, so he can get at the soft flesh beneath.
My breath hitches as I realize he's getting close to bringing me to the point of no return. He's good at that, getting me in bed. I have to escape from him before that happens.
“You just lied to me again.” I roll out from under him and take long strides towards his living room to sit on the sofa.
“What are you talked about?” He follows, sounding a bit irritated.
“Have you been volunteering at The Billionaires Club?” I look up at him before he sits beside me, scooting away for my own safety.
“No. I told you I wasn't.” He furrows his brow.
Pain rips through me. “You're lying.”
“Why would I lie to you about that?”
“I can think of quite a few reasons.” I roll my eyes as images of hundreds of unidentifiable women with Anders between their legs pass through my mind like some warped porno.
“I told you I would give that up for you.” He reaches to take my hand, but I quickly pull it out of his grasp.
“Well you're doing a shitty job of it.” I stand up and walk to the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city, wrapping my arms around myself as if it will further protect me from him. My anger is building. Why won't he just admit it?
“Tessa, I don't understand what's going on,” he sounds genuinely confused, and it only ticks me off more.
“I'll tell you what's going.” I turn to him, my nostrils flaring. It's taking everything in me to keep my voice down. “One of my friends went in yesterday for a consultation at The Billionaires Club, and guess whose picture was on the penis buffet.”
“The penis buffet?” His delicious lips quirk into a smirk, fueling my fury.
“You've been fucking lying to me, Anders,” I drag out the words, trying to get my point across.
He cowers a bit, realizing he's been caught. Fucking finally. “It's not what you think.”
I'm pretty sure it is what I think. There's only one reason he'd still be volunteering at The Billionaires Club. “Tell me what you think I think.” I glare down at him.
“I know what you think, and I promise it's not that.”
“You know what.” I throw my arms up at him. “I don't even care anymore.” I've had enough. I gave him this chance to make things right, to come clean, and he's completely blown it. It's proof that he'll keep lying to me if he thinks he can get away with it. I don't need a man like him in my life. I have other options. Better options. Honest options.
I make for the door, and he's on his feet in an instant, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me around to face him. “Tessa, wait. Just let me explain.”
“There's nothing for you to explain, Anders.” I try to keep my tone still so that he won't hear how upset I am. Of course, he knows I'm upset. Everything I've done up to this point has been a clear indication of that. I don't know why trying to hide it matters now. Maybe because I want to be strong. I have to be strong if I'm going to walk away from him. Even though he's a lying piece of shit, it's still hard to give him up. He was just too good to be true.
“I have a valid reason for keeping this from you,” he insists.
“Valid,” I huff. You wanted to have your cake and eat it too, didn't you? Your lying is all the validation I need.
“I didn't tell you because I knew you would get pissed.”
“You're fucking right.” I pull out of his grasp and continue towards the door.
He jogs past me and presses his body against it so I can't leave. “Listen to me. Please.”
“Move, Anders.” I cross my arms over my chest and stand in my best I'm-not-messing-around stance.
“Not until you listen to me.” His eyes look desperate, but I'm determined not to buy into whatever he has to say.
“I'm not interested in your lies.”
“I won't lie this time. I promise.”
“It's too late. You had your chance. You blew it.”
“I'm still under contract with The Billionaires Club.”
I tilt my head back as if looking at the ceiling will help expel the rising anger from my slightly parted lips. Not just anger. Pain. My chest feels tight with his admission. He's been fucking other women. I knew it.
“Anders, move.” I gather up what poise I have left and glare at him. My mind is inches away from going into a rage fit. If he doesn't move soon, I won't be held responsible for my actions.
His expression changes, as if his brain just clicked in sync with mine. “It's not what you think. I don't have other clients there. I haven't had any clients since you.”
“I don't want to hurt you, but I will.” I start popping my knuckles. It's meant to intimidate him, but he doesn't seem fazed by it at all.
“If you're still under contract with The Billionaires Club but you're unable to take on clients, then you have to help with the administrative side of things. Those are the rules. That's what I've been doing there.”
“Not buying it.” I shake my head. I'm so tired of his bullshit. I don't want to listen to it anymore. I just want to leave.
“Let me show you. We'll go there together. You can see my office and the work I've been doing,” his voice is pleading.
I roll my eyes. “Yes, because that's exactly what I want to do. To go back to where this whole nightmare began.”
“Tessa, you have to believe me.” He steps forward and grabs me by the shoulders. His expression is so sincere, it's hard for me not to feel something from it. I want to forgive him. I really do. But he's screwed up too many times.
“I could have believed you.” I look away from him. The fight is leaving me. Now there's only defeat. I won't lose to his sexual advances tonight, to those beautiful blues eyes and his sensual touch. He's hurt me too much for it to be bandaged by lust. “If you hadn't lied to me,” I say weakly. “I could have believed you. Could have forgiven you . . . if you hadn't lied to me twice.” Emphasizing the last word is meant to hurt him, but I'm pretty sure it injures me more. He lied to me. He would have continued lying to me if I hadn't caught him. I can't love a man like this.
“Tessa, I'm sorry,” his voice is thick with remorse. “I'll do anything. Whatever it takes to make it up to you. Just please, give me a chance.”
“Get out of my way, Anders.”
To my surprise, his hands fall from my shoulders. He seems reluctant to let me go, but he does, taking a step to the side to allow me to pass. His head hangs low, and he looks every bit as defeated as I feel.
Briefly, I think about talking to him some more. Maybe this can be fixed. Maybe there's something he can say to make me reconsider. In my heart, I know there's not though. He's wrong for me. He always has been. I take one last sorrowful look as his handsome face, and then I walk out the door.