Anything But Mine (7 page)

Jen paused to allow the waiter to remove their plates and take their dessert order before answering Vince’s question. “You’re right, Vince, I’m not much of a party girl or a club girl. Over the years, I’ve tried to keep as grounded as possible. I enjoyed my time in college and made sure I finished on time.”

“What was your major?”

“Art history. Not practical, I know, but at some point, I’m hoping to go to graduate school and get my master’s degree.”

Is she for real? She seems too good to be true,
Vince thought, as he appraised Jennifer with a critical eye. “So, what do you do for fun?”

Jen had to think about Vince’s question for a moment before answering. “Well, I really like spending time with my family and my close friends, cooking dinners for them or with them. I love spending time at my house, and at my family’s farm, out in the Hamptons. And I love to read and to knit.” For the first time since she sat down at the table, Jen felt uncomfortable, and fidgeted in her chair, before continuing, “It probably all sounds pretty boring to you.”

Vince narrowed his eyes, carefully watching Jen as she squirmed in her seat, surprised at how ill at ease she had suddenly become. “You don’t like talking about yourself, do you?”

“I’m a fairly private person. I really don’t like calling attention to myself.”

Vince laughed out loud, and said, “Well, you picked an odd line of work to go into, didn’t you?”

After a beat, Jen joined him in his laughter, helping break the tension. “I really never thought of it that way. It’s just that I’m a little shy, I guess. Social anxiety is what my parents call it. But when it comes to work, it feels like more of a performance, like it isn’t really me out there. Being a model is just what I do, it’s not who I am. I like to think of it that way, anyway. It makes it much easier.”

While they ate their dessert, Vince asked, “So, how did you deal with the overnight fame? Was it hard to remain grounded when you became a celebrity so quickly?”

Jen thought about his questions for a moment, before explaining, “I really don’t think of myself as a celebrity, Vince. I just go to work, and do my job. Like I said before, being a model is what I do for a living, it’s not who I am. I’m a little shy, and maybe even a little anxious, in social situations. I never set out to become famous, it just happened to me. I’m pretty much a ‘homebody’, and I’m very close to my parents, my family, and my small circle of good friends. It’s important to me that I remain true to the person I’ve always been.”

So she really is shy,
Vince thought.
That’s interesting, and refreshing, after all the gold diggers I’ve dated in the past. She’s the real deal.
He touched his napkin to his lips to buy a moment of time, before asking, “So why did you agree to be auctioned off for a date? That had to be terribly uncomfortable for you.”

“It was –
it
was enormously uncomfortable,” she replied, before explaining the deal she had made to make personal appearances in exchange for securing a job for Chris.

“Was that the guy you were with at the charity auction? The one who would have won the date with you if I hadn’t bid on you?”
The tall, handsome guy who held your hand and never took his eyes off of you,
Vince remembered.

“No, that was my friend Drew. Chris was there, though. He was one of the other guys who bid on me.”

“Why was it so important to you that they hire Chris? I don’t get it.”

Jen sighed. “At the time I agreed to be auctioned off, Chris was my boyfriend. He and I were living together back then, and I wanted to help him. We had broken up by the time of the fundraising auction, but I had already made a commitment to the charity and didn’t want to break that commitment.”

“You’re a good person, Jennifer. It couldn’t have been an easy night for you.” He paused and watched as Jen nodded, before asking, “Why did you and Chris break up?”

“I came home from a photo shoot in Europe, and found him in my bed with another woman.”

Vince was unable to hide his shock, raising his eyebrows in surprise. “I can’t imagine anyone doing that to you,” he said. “So what about the other guy, the one you were with the night of the auction?”
The one you were holding hands with, the one who had his arm around you.

“That was Drew.”

Vince sat back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest, thinking back to the night of the charity auction. “Boyfriend?”

How do I explain this without going into too much detail?
“He was a college classmate of mine, and a good friend. He’s since moved back home to California.”

He assessed her answer, trying to determine whether she was being truthful with him.
But I watched him kiss you, and I saw the way he looked at you. It didn’t look like he was just your friend.
“Any other boyfriends?”

“No, I never really dated much,” Jen said, causing Vince to raise his eyebrows in surprise once again. “I’ve only had two serious relationships in my life. I met my first boyfriend, Taylor, when I went away to college, and he broke up with me when I decided finish school in New York. And then, well, you just heard about Chris.” Changing the subject to deflect the attention away from herself, she asked “So, let me turn the tables on you. Why did you decide to bid on a date with me?”

Vince closed his eyes and smiled, remembering the first time he had laid eyes on Jennifer, at a polo match the previous August in Bridgehampton. An image of her, dressed in a white sundress, her long legs and toned arms golden and tanned, and her blonde hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, was seared in his memory.
You were so stunning, so gorgeous that day
, he thought.
I watched as you shared a laugh with your boyfriend, and was desperate to meet you, but you disappeared before I could make my way across the tent. And I’ve been obsessed with you ever since.

Unable to admit that to her, knowing it would probably send her running for the door, he instead simply answered her question. “Because I could.”

Vince noticed that, once again, Jen was blushing and had become visibly uncomfortable. He asked, “Are you embarrassed?” When she was unable to meet his eyes, and nodded her head instead, he said, “Don’t be, Jennifer. You caught my eye at a polo match last summer, and I was immediately attracted to you. You’re a very beautiful woman. I wanted to meet you, but didn’t get the chance that day. So, when I heard about the charity auction and a chance to bid on a dinner date with you, and it was for a good cause, I decided to go for it.”

His revelation left Jen momentarily speechless, and she was relieved when the waiter brought the bill. She silently watched as he paid for their meal with his Peter Luger charge card, before saying, quietly, “Thank you for dinner. I had a good time.”

“My pleasure. Do you need a ride home?” When Jen hesitated, Vince said, “It’s okay, Jennifer. I don’t bite, and I’m not going to jump you. My driver is waiting outside.”

“Um…okay,” Jen said, as she nervously accepted the offer of the ride, and followed Vince into the back seat of his limousine.

After the short drive from Williamsburg to Brooklyn Heights, Vince escorted her to the front door of her apartment building. “I had a good time tonight, Jennifer,” he said as kissed her on the cheek.

“I had a good time too. Thanks again for dinner, and for the ride home.”

Vince watched as Jennifer disappeared inside the lobby, past the doorman, and into an elevator. He made a quick note of her address, before returning to his waiting limousine for the ride back to his home in Manhattan.

Looking out the window while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, Vince thought back to his childhood and the endless taunting he endured from the other children in his Bensonhurst neighborhood because his family was so poor.
The bullies stole my new pencil case at the beginning of 6
th
grade, the one Mama proudly gave me on the first day of school, and no one stuck up for me because I had no friends. They mocked me in the playground, and called me “skinny Vinny” because there was barely enough to eat at home, and so many nights I went to bed hungry. Mama would have stretched tonight’s dinner out over three or four nights,
he thought, as he remembered the childhood promise he made to himself –
that
he and his parents would never “do without” again, once he was successful.
If only Mama and Papa had lived long enough to enjoy my wealth and see how far I’ve come,
he thought, regretfully.
I know that they’d be proud of me.

In the dark, quiet solitude of his limousine, more memories came flooding back.
While the other, more popular kids played baseball or went to high school dances, I stayed home because I couldn’t afford a bat and mitt, or the admission fees for the dances, and I studied instead.
He recalled the only time he asked a girl on a date, for his senior prom, after saving up money from his after-
school
job at the local pork store.
She flatly refused to go with me, and I was humiliated,
he thought, as he remembered locking himself in his bedroom facing the overhead subway tracks on New Utrecht Avenue the night of the prom.
I vowed that night that I would be rich and powerful, and have my pick of the most beautiful women in the world. And I’ve achieved that goal,
he thought, as he reminisced about the women who had thrown themselves at him over the years as his fortune grew.

While it boosted his ego that women were more than happy to sleep with him, Vince recognized that ultimately what they all wanted was his money, and not him.
It’s been years since I’ve had to chase after someone,
he said to himself, as he thought about the previous few hours with Jennifer, and how refreshing it was that she didn’t fall all over herself trying to get him into bed.

The gears in his mind turned as he plotted his next move, knowing he couldn’t come on too strong, not wanting to scare away the shy, reserved Jennifer.
She’s everything I ever wanted in a woman,
Vince thought, already feeling possessive of her, even though they had only been on one date.
Don’t fall into your old habits,
he thought, berating himself for letting his controlling nature once again rear its ugly head, the way it had when he was in college and didn’t understand the meaning of the word “no”.
It took years of therapy for me to realize that I acted that way in college because I had so little when I was young, and that was why I became possessive of things and people in my life, especially the women I wanted.
Although he tried to bury his old compulsion, and remind himself not to relentlessly pursue Jennifer, those ideations kept bubbling to the surface, and he had only one thought:
I have to make her mine.

CHAPTER EIGHT

T
he next morning, as she was getting ready to go running, the intercom rang in Jen’s apartment, and when she answered it, the doorman announced that she had a flower delivery. Moments later, a delivery man arrived at her door holding a large crystal vase filled with enormous red roses. Opening the envelope attached to the cellophane wrapping, she smiled as she read the card, “Had a great time last night. Hope we can do it again soon. Vince.”

Jen removed the cellophane and, closing her eyes, inhaled the sweet scent of the roses. Carrying the card with her into the living room, she sat down on the sofa, picked up the phone, and called her agent.

“So…how was last night?”

“Nice. Surprisingly nice. Do you know how to contact Vince? He sent me roses, and I want to thank him.”

“Hang on, and I’ll get his info for you.” A few minutes later Mike was back on the line, explaining, “Sorry about that. I had to call his assistant to get his cell phone number and e-
mail
address.”

After ending her phone call with Mike, Jen pondered whether to call or e-
mail
Vince to thank him for the flowers, and decided to send him a short e-
mail
before going out for her run. After she clicked the “send” button, Jen slipped her sweatshirt over her head, but had not yet gotten out the door when her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but answered it anyway.

“Hello?”

“Jennifer? Vince Moscolo.”

Shocked, she asked, “How did you get my cell phone number?”

“I had my assistant get it from your agent earlier in the week, just in case something came up and I had to break our date at the last minute,” Vince explained. “I hope you don’t mind that I called.”

“Of course not, it’s fine,” she replied. “Thanks again for the roses. They’re beautiful.”

“My pleasure,” he said, as he turned to look out his office window and across the East River towards Brooklyn Heights. “I enjoyed getting to know you last night, and would like to get together again. Can I take you out to dinner next Saturday night?”

“Umm…”

Sensing her reluctance, Vince pressed his case. “Jennifer, your entire dating history consists of your going out with a frat boy, then a jock who cheated on you. And I’ll bet neither of them treated you the way you deserve to be treated. Why not let me take you out on another date, and show you a good time? Let me spoil you a little.”

“Umm…,” Jen repeated, biding her time as she opened her calendar and aimlessly flipped through the pages, noting that the only entries in it were for photo shoots and other work-
related
items. “Okay, I guess,” she said, unenthusiastically.
Why not? It’s not like I have anything better to do.

The following Saturday night, Jen slipped into a black, boat neck cashmere dress, and looked in the mirror as she ran a hand over her exposed shoulders and clavicles. She pulled her hair back into a low chignon, which helped accentuate her long neck, and fastened a pair of simple pearl earrings onto her ears. Taking a deep breath, she thought,
I guess I’m ready.

At exactly 7:15, the doorman announced Vince’s arrival, and Jen met him in the lobby. He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, and ushered her into his waiting limousine, where they made small talk on the short ride to The River Café, a restaurant on a barge docked next to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Once inside, Jen removed her black cashmere coat, and she caught Vince’s eyes traveling up and down her body. “You look absolutely beautiful tonight, Jennifer,” he said. “Simply exquisite.”

They were seated next to a window, and Jen looked out across the East River, taking in the view of the Manhattan skyline, the lights of the city reflecting on the water like sparkling diamonds. “Such a magnificent view,” Vince said. “Have you ever been here before?”

“Just once, a couple of years ago, for my mom’s birthday,” Jen said, somewhat distracted, as she continued to look out the window, thinking about how much Drew loved the skyline, before shaking her head to try to rid herself of any memory of him.

Vince wrinkled his brows, and asked, “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing,” Jen replied, with a forced smile. “I was just thinking back to the last time I was here,” she said, not wanting Vince to know that she was thinking of another man.

“Have you ever thought of moving into Manhattan?”

Jen was taken aback by Vince’s question. “Actually, no, I never have. I love living here in Brooklyn,” she said. “I enjoy the view of the city, but don’t think I’d ever want to live there.”

But you will, one day,
Vince thought.
One day soon, you will be living in the city with me.

Over the next few weeks, Vince continued to ask Jen out on dates, and each time he asked, Jen agreed to go out with him. At the end of each date, he walked her to the door of her apartment building, and kissed her on the lips before saying goodnight, leaving her puzzled as to why he hadn’t attempted to advance their relationship physically.

I know he’s attracted to me,
she thought while lying in bed alone after a night out with Vince.
He told me that on our first date, and he’s shown me by the way he looks at me and kisses me. But if he’s as interested in me as I think he is, why does he treat me like a fragile piece of crystal that might shatter if he held me too tightly? It’s so confusing. He’s so different from anyone I’ve ever dated before, so much older than me, and so formal.
She rolled over and hugged her pillow.
I’ve felt so empty lately, without someone to hold me and love me,
she thought with a sigh.
I wonder what it would be like to spend the night with him.

The following week, after she returned home from an out of town photo shoot, Jen invited Vince for dinner at her apartment.
He’s so reserved all the time,
she thought.
Maybe a more casual meal at home will get him to relax.
“I’d really like to make you a home-
cooked
meal to reciprocate for all the fancy dinners you’ve treated me to,” she said, the next time she spoke with him. “How about dinner at my apartment on Friday night?”

“It’s a date,” Vince replied, as he stared out his office window at Jennifer’s apartment building across the East River. “I’m looking forward to it.”
I’ll finally get to make my move. After Friday night, you will be mine.

When Jen opened her apartment door to Vince, she felt more comfortable, and somewhat more in control of their relationship, than at any point since their first meeting, as she welcomed him with a warm embrace and soft, deep, lingering kiss on his lips.
Finally, a real kiss,
she thought.

As she took Vince’s coat, she noticed that he seemed much more relaxed than he had at any time before. Noticing that he had dressed casually in jeans and a navy blue v-
neck
cashmere sweater over a white t-
shirt
, she complimented him. “You look great in jeans,” she said. “You should really wear them more often.”

Jen’s compliment brought a smile to his face and, in response, Vince admired her turquoise knit halter top. “I love your top, Jennifer. You look gorgeous tonight,” he said, as his eyes wandered from the hint of cleavage showing through her knit top, to her slender waist and her faded, low-
slung
jeans at the curve of her hips, and down to her bare feet.

“Thanks, Vince,” Jen replied. “I just finished knitting it the other day.”

Vince raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You’re very talented. Did you knit it from a pattern, or did you design it yourself?”

“I designed it myself.”

“That’s very impressive, Jennifer. You could go into the design business,” he said, causing her to blush. Noting her discomfort, Vince changed the subject and inhaled deeply. “Something smells delicious. What are you making for dinner?”

“We’re going to start with a cold poached asparagus salad with a lemon vinaigrette dressing and chopped hard-
boiled
egg, and then we’re having a seafood stew with shrimp, clams, scallops and lobster tails. I hope it’s okay –
I
observe the ‘no meat on Fridays’ rule during Lent,” Jen said, as she took Vince by the arm and escorted him into the living room, where she had set out an appetizer of homemade smoked salmon spread with toasted baguette rounds.

My good, Catholic girl,
Vince thought, as he looked around her cozy living room, tastefully decorated in shades of pale pink, light gray and white. He wandered over to the window and looked out at the Manhattan skyline. “Great view, Jennifer,” he remarked. “It’s even better than the view from The River Café, because you’re on a high floor.”

“Thank you,” Jen said, pleased that Vince liked her apartment. She offered him a glass of champagne from the bottle that had been chilling in an ice bucket on the coffee table.

He accepted the glass and touched it to hers, as he made a toast, “To you, my sweet Jennifer, and to the beginning of what I hope will be a happy relationship.”

As they sat side by side on the sofa, Jen observed Vince’s eyes traveled up and down her body, lingering on her cleavage and mostly-
bare
back.
I wonder if I made a mistake by wearing a halter top without a bra,
she thought.
I don’t want to give him the wrong impression.

Once they sat down side by side at Jen’s small round dining room table and were eating the poached asparagus salad, Vince asked, “Do you have any travel plans in the works for the upcoming weeks?”

“I have a number of photo shoots booked, including one in Miami next week. I’m looking forward to a few days in warm weather.”

“What about next weekend? Will you be back in town?”

“Yes, I’m flying back on Friday afternoon.”

“Why don’t I fly down and meet you there instead. We could spend the weekend together there, or hop down to the Caribbean. I could use a little getaway,” he said.

“That sounds like fun, and I wish I could, but I have to go to an engagement party on Saturday night.”

“Who is getting married?”

“My friend Catherine. We met when I took my last two college classes here in New York, after I moved back home. I’m a bridesmaid, so I really have to be there,” Jen said, resignedly.

“You don’t sound too enthusiastic about it.”

Jen sighed. “It’s not that—
I’m
really happy for her and her fiancé, Luke—
but
I’m a little nervous about going to the party.