The Billionaire's World

Saturday evening rolled in, and I stood in my mirror, preparing for what felt like the biggest night of my life. I was wearing an elegant cream colored strapless gown, the highest pair of heels I ever dared to walk in, and sported a small clutch that Bentley picked out to carry my recorder.

I felt beautiful. But I was scared and nervous because Rodger’s warning sat in the back of my mind. As I got ready to walk into the lion's den full of hungry billionaire’s and their prey, I prayed it wouldn’t be the biggest mistake of my life.

“Name?” A large bouncer standing at the door with a clipboard and checklist asked.

“J-Justine,” I stammered. “Justine Sky.”

The a****n of a man gave me a cold look from head to toe before saying, “Mr. Thomas’ VIP. He’s waiting for you inside.”

He removed the velvet rope from its golden post and stepped aside to let me in. My heart thudded in my chest as I walked the red carpet of the entrance. Although I was invited by the host himself, I still felt out of place, like I was doing something wrong by being there.

Looking around the room, I saw people I recognized from TV and people I had never seen a day in my life. I can honestly say I was starstruck by the people I knew. But when the reality set in, I wondered what their dealings were with the Mafia family.

“Ms. Sky?” Another large man approached me. He was wearing a black suit and an earpiece, so I knew he was security.

“Yes?”

“Mr. Thomas is waiting for you in the VIP lounge. Right this way, I’ll escort you.”

I smiled and shook my head as the man led the way. The mood was so rebellious and luxurious, I felt like I was the damsel in the center of a mob boss film. When he showed me to the VIP lounge, Bentley sat quietly, wearing a red and black suit and gold loafers that made him look like he was the king of the underworld. It was freightening, but exhilarating.

“Finally.” His voice was rugged and confident.

“What do you mean finally? I never said I was coming to the party to chill with you.”

He chuckled and made his way over to me. As he did the day before, he took me by the hand and pulled me into his space. Our bodies collided as he placed his hand on my lower back. My knees nearly buckled under his grip, but I fought away the temptation.

“What are you doing?” I placed my hand against his strong chest to put space in between us.

“Welcoming you,” he said.

“A handshake would have done just fine.”

When we sat down on the plush red couch, I noticed we were the only two in the VIP lounge. Everything was red. It reminded me of that TLC video, Red Light Special. I wanted to ask what the color red meant to him. But I made my own assumption. Murder.

“Is this what you imagined one of my parties to be like?”

Bentley rested his hand on my thigh as we sat, gazing into the crowd of people. I didn't push him away that time. His touch felt too good to miss out on.

“I don’t know what I imagined,” I said, “but this looks about right. Classy. Elegant. Rich.”

“Very rich,” he chuckled. “Almost too rich for me. My dad is the one who puts all of this together. I’m just here to make a good impression.”

Normally, I could tell when someone was bullshitting me or trying to pull the wool over my eyes. But Bentlye’s humble nature startled me. Even though we were in a crowded room full of celebrities and elite businessmen, he didn’t showboat his success. In fact, he shied away from it.

“Do you drink?” he asked.

“When I feel like it.”

“Do you always have to be so sassy?” he laughed. “Are you gonna have a drink with me or not?”

To intrigue him even more, I did the honors. The gold bucket of chilled champagne sat in front of us with two glasses near it. Leaning in to show my thigh through the slit in my dress, I placed the cups side by side and filled them halfway. Before offering him a glass, I took a sip and made sure to hand it to him on the same side my lips touched.

I didn’t expect him to accept my gift. Then again, he’d been undressing me with his eyes since the first day we met, so I knew I had him right where I needed him to be.

“So, what’s this party all about? Is it someone’s birthday, a business gathering, a networking event?”

“It might be all of that,” he said after taking a sip from the glass. “Everyone in this room is here for some reason or another. But, why are you here?”

His question was just as seductive as his stare into my eyes. My air got trapped in my throat before I could answer, and I let out an embarrassing cough and nearly spilled my champagne all over him.

“You okay?” His hand cupped my waist as he leaned in closer. "Do I need to do CPR?”

“Yeah,” I cleared my throat. "I mean no. I'm fine.”

Bentley leaned back on the couch as if his mission of seducing me had been accomplished. I hesitated to look at him, knowing I would turn and see a confident grin on his lips that would make me want to kiss him even more than I already did.