Lust at First Sight

Jesse loudly cleared his throat, interrupting the tender moment shared between Arianna and Pierce. “I’m sorry, sir, but if you hold onto her hand any longer, then I’m going to have to start charging you,” Jesse teased. Arianna kissed her teeth and quickly dropped Pierce’s hand.

“You have some nerve. I’m your future wife one minute, and the next, I’m a prostitute,” Arianna huffed.

“Don’t be like that, Ari. You know I’m just joking, but seriously, hands off the merchandise,” Jesse lowly warned Pierce.

“I got it, I got it. Look, but don’t touch. Ow!”

Pierce found himself rubbing the back of his head from the slap he had just received from Patrick.

“Seriously, Pierce?! You wait good until we get somewhere to start misbehaving. We won’t even be offered membership at the rate you’re going!”

“Jesus...looks like you have your hands full with these two, Ari. I need to get back to the door. I’ll see you tonight,” Jesse declared, giving Arianna a quick peck on the cheek. Arianna let out a huff of frustration because she knew Jesse was showing out like he always did when Arianna

received attention from the opposite sex. Jesse knew they would be nothing more than friends, but he couldn’t help but keep at it, hoping that he’d eventually wear her down.

“I apologize for the unprofessionalism. I promise you we’re usually not like this in front of guests,” Arianna apologized.

“It’s not a problem at all,” Patrick quickly said. “It should be us apologizing. Please forgive my friend. He doesn’t get out of the house much.”

Pierce rolled his eyes at Patrick’s theatrics. He behaved as if Pierce bent the girl over her desk and fucked her until she cried out her safe word.

“No worries,” Arianna beamed, clapping her hands together. “Let’s get started, shall we, gentlemen?”

“Absolutely. Lead the way,” Pierce agreed, knowing he would spend 80% of the tour starting at her backside.

“We’re going to start with a tour of the inside of the facility, and then we’ll head outside. Here you go. My gift to you,” Arianna said, offering the men two Cuban cigars. Pierce quirked his eyebrows in surprise.

“Do you offer all of your potential members Arturo Fuente cigars or only the incredibly handsome ones?”

“You’re so cheeky, Mr. White. You’re gonna find yourself in trouble one of these days,” Arianna teased, snapping her rose gold cigar cutter at him.

“Careful, Ari...you don’t want to hurt yourself with that.”

“I’m good, Mr. White. I’m not the one that should be worried about getting hurt.”

“Uhhhhhhh, excuse me. Let me borrow Mr. White for just one second,” Patrick requested, squeezing himself in between the couple. Patrick dragged Pierce just far enough so that Arianna couldn’t hear them. “What the hell is your problem?!” Patrick whispered.

“I don’t have a problem,” Pierce replied, looking around Patrick to get another good look at Arianna. Pierce sucked in a breath once she bent over to retrieve a piece of paper that had fallen on the floor.

“You have a serious problem. That girl is probably working a little summer job to save up money for her first car, and you are openly flirting with her.”

“I’m sure she’s not that young. She’s probably 18.”

“That’s still not okay. That means she was in high school just a few months ago. Hell, I’m scared.”

“What are you scared of?”

“I can feel it in my bones. She’s going to say she needs to get something from the back and to make ourselves comfortable, and then the next thing you know, Chris Hansen appears, and the cops are waiting for us outside!”

Pierce threw back his head and let out a raucous laugh. “I don’t find this funny, Pierce!”

“Well, I do, and I was due for a good laugh. Thank you.”

“Just...keep it together. I know you’ve just got out of a horrible marriage, and you might feel the need to fuck everything that moves but be smart about it. Plus, I don’t think her boyfriend likes your advances.”

“Boyfriend? Who? The doorman? Naw. He badly wants to be, but he’s not.”

“Uh-huh...you keep telling yourself that.”

Pierce’s mood dampened a little bit once they walked back to Arianna. He knew his chances to catch the beautiful young woman’s eye were slim, but she appeared to enjoy his subtle advances. Hell, she was giving it to him as good as he gave it to her. Pierce felt their brief exchange was mutual, and he didn’t feel like he was coming off as a creepy old man. In fact, Arianna told him to call her Ari. Arianna didn’t offer that same courtesy to Patrick, and to Pierce, that meant something.

“Okay, you guys spent quite a bit of our time gossiping in the corner about me, and we’ve fallen slightly behind schedule. Let’s get to it. Make sure you keep up, and please, please, please ask questions as we go. I’ll cut your cigars when we either tour the outside, or we can stop at the smokeasy after the tour. What shall you decide?”

“Outside,” both men agreed.

“Perfect. So, to give you a little background, Elite San Antonio has been operational for less than a year, and we already have a membership of a little over 500. To some, that may not seem a lot. However, I think that only highlights the level of our exclusivity. The pricing of the memberships varies, of course, based on the level of services you utilize. We offer the Platinum, Gold, and Diamond packages, and they all come with their benefits, ranging from basic to supreme.”

“What comes in the supreme package?” Pierce interrupted.

“Whatever your heart desires,” Arianna purred, looking him dead in the eyes.

“So, you’re included in the Diamond package...good to know,” Pierce declared.

“I’m in a package that’s not offered to you yet.”

“When am I offered that package?” Pierce asked, subtly biting his bottom lip.

“When you’ve proven yourself worthy of it.”

Patrick cleared his throat before interrupting the banter between the two. The sexual tension between the two was so thick that he needed to turn on his high beams to navigate through it.

“Miss Carter, I would love to hear more about the Diamond package.”

“I agree,” Pierce piped up. “You know what they say...go big, or go home.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that. They also say, ‘walk it like you talk it.’” Patrick gave up. He felt if he continued clearing his throat, he would need a lozenge and some hot tea by the end of the tour.

“The best features of the Diamond Package, in my humble opinion, are the use of Elite SA’s private jet, our car service for special events, and a stay at one of our private villas located all over the world for a week.”

Patrick lowly whistled. He didn’t want to ask because you know what they say about asking. If you have to ask, then you can’t afford it.

“The f*e is $500,000 a year for the Diamond Package.”

“That’s not a bad deal if you utilize the services. Take the jet a couple of times a year, and that vacation, the membership might actually pay for itself,” Patrick said with a smile.

“Absolutely, also keep in mind the jet may be shared between members, especially if you’re going to the same destination or somewhere nearby. Hopefully, you’ll get to know some of the other members here and build positive relationships. Socializing is one of the main factors for joining a country club. Am I right?”

“That, and then some,” Pierce answered, still hungrily eyeing Arianna.

“Right. We can discuss the packages later if you actually decide to sign up. Let’s get a move on.”

The men followed Arianna down the massive halls and listened intently as she spoke. Arianna had them hanging off of her every word. “To the left, we have the ballroom,” she explained, opening one of the massive double doors. “We hold weddings and galas, you name it. That’s also a feature of the Diamond Package as well. As a Diamond Package member, you will get first dibs on the ballroom for your special events. You won’t have to pay a rental f*e unlike other members who choose a lesser package.

“Is catering included?” Patrick asked. Pierce rolled his eyes. He could care less. The only thing he wanted on the menu was Arianna.

“Good question. It does come with catering, but they are pre-planned meals. If you prefer something more extravagant than what is offered, you would have to pay an upcharge,” Arianna explained.

“That sounds fair. Do you, by chance, know what’s on a sample menu? I’m asking because my parents’ 50th anniversary is coming up, and I haven’t locked anything down yet.”

“You may choose from a variety of options, including the typical entrees you would find at a wedding: fish, chicken, pork, and steak. You can also choose the buffet option, which has a little bit of everything. From what I can tell, the guests really enjoy the buffet. All of that is included.

“That’s fair. How about desserts?”

“Desserts are included. The menu offers cheesecake, carrot cake, tiramisu, and my personal favorite, chocolate lava cake.”

“That’s my favorite, too,” Pierce interjected.

“Really?” Arianna skeptically asked.

“Really. Something about the cream and the chocolate together sends my tastebuds on a ride.”

“I have a feeling we’re no longer talking about baked goods, Mr. White.”

“And if we’re not?” Pierce playfully challenged.

“Then I would say I can guarantee that you’ve never had THAT type of chocolate before, and your tastebuds wouldn’t know what to do if they got ahold of it. We’re walking, gentlemen,” she said, whirling on her heels to lead them out of the ballroom.

“You really went there, didn’t you?” Patrick drawled. At that point, he wasn’t even surprised at the things coming out of Pierce’s mouth. Patrick decided he wouldn’t say anything else and would allow Pierce to make a complete fool of himself. What would an 18-year-old possibly want with a 50-year-old man? It wasn’t like they could spend a lifetime together. It would be rough, no doubt, for the pair if they decided to get serious, especially for little Miss Carter. Unfortunately, due to her age, skin color, and Pierce’s deep pockets, Arianna would automatically be labeled a gold digger. It wasn’t right, but that was the reality they lived in. On the other hand, it probably wouldn’t be so bad, considering that Pierce didn’t move in the same circles anymore now that he wasn’t with Stella. Patrick hoped his friend’s heart didn’t get broken again.