Love in the City, an erotic romance novel (16 page)

“Of course, how could I say no to something like that? I’m honored you would
take me.”

“Well,” he said, reaching across the table to take her hand in his, “you are my lady.” His fingers caressed the top of her hand.

Her heart melted.

The waiter came by with their lunch orders and then refilled their glasses with the sparkling water.

“So when is it?” she asked, as they started in on their lunches.

Giorgio took a sip of water. “Well, you see, that’s why I needed to see you sooner than later.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s this weekend. Satu
rday night.”

Anabelle nearly choked.

“I know, really short notice.”

“Giorgi
o! That’s less than a week away.” She was nearly apoplectic.

“I’m sorry about that,” he replied, with a sheepish grin. “I would have invited you sooner, but we didn’t meet that long ago, then things between us have been moving kind of fast. After the other night at your place…well, let’s just say, I’d like to have you by my side for this event. It’s special.”

She was feeling a rush of mixed emotions. She liked what he was saying. A lot. She was glad he was at least asking her, but she shook her head. “I don’t know about this. I’d like to go, but that’s really soon. Were you originally planning on going alone or with someone else?”

“Just my brother and his wife,” he said, “which is fine. I’m involved and I go every year. I know lots of people there.”

She let out a long sigh. She couldn’t possibly see how she could be ready for something like that ball with such short notice. In addition to getting a mani-pedi and a proper hairdo, she’d have to shop around and find something suitable to wear. In fact, she’d have to do some research first to see what the standards were. Come to think of it, she doubted there was any way she could afford a dress like that, as she tried to remember the pictures she’d seen from it in the papers. She remembered diamonds and really expensive-looking gowns. There was no way she could fit into this crowd, even if she had a month to prepare. It was an event for New York City’s high society. The wealthy and the well-heeled. She was neither.

Giorgio watched her. He saw the wheels turning. He had a suspicion as to what was going through her mind. “Tell you what,” he said, “no pressure. Could I just ask you to sleep on it? I’ll call you tomorrow after work and you can give me your final answer then.”

Her face looked tense. “I guess so, but I really don’t…”

“Please,” he said, placing his hand over hers. “Just think about it. Don’t write it off right away. We’ll talk about it more tomorrow night. I won’t be able to see you in person, I’ve got too many preparations for the ball, but I’ll call you. You never know, you might come around to the idea.”

She didn’t want to admit all of her reservations to him. The gap between them in financial terms and social connections alone was incredibly wide. She could try to forget about it when it was just the two of them alone, but this just magnified it. And it was extremely uncomfortable. “I’ll try,” she said.

“Good, thanks,” he said, giving her a big, movie-star smile.

They finished their lunch and he kissed her goodbye. He watched as she walked back to the office, her head hung low in thought. He smiled. He had an idea.

Anabelle had worked late Monday night, and then spent a panicky rest of the evening rummaging through her closet, finding nothing even remotely suitable to wear, and then on the phone complaining about the situation with Sarah.

Sarah wasn’t impressed that a man would give a woman so little notice for such an important event, no matter the excuse. She said that he shouldn’t have put her in a position like that. She emphasized how he had no consideration for Anabelle with respect to how much time and money goes into prep
aring for a high society event.

Anabelle agreed. She was planning on turning down the invitation. Her life would be much simpler that way. She could spend a cozy Saturday night cuddling with Jasper. At least he didn’t put crazy demands on her.
Maybe all I need is my cat,
she thought to herself.
We could live happily ever after.
After having some treats and a nice, long tummy rub, Jasper seemed to agree.

*****

Tuesday came and Anabelle’s stomach was in knots. She felt both disappointed and relieved that she was going to turn Giorgio’s invitation to the ball down.
Maybe next year,
she thought,
if we’re still together then
. She realized that was a very long ways away and a pretty big ‘if’.

Raquel came up to her desk not half an hour after she got to the office. She hadn’t even finished her first cup of coffee yet and yesterday had been a long workday.

“Before you go making plans, I’m going to need you to work through lunch today. No excuses. We have to get the Tsar Enterprises proposal ready for next Monday.”

“Monday? I thought it was set for Wednesday next week?”

“Change of plans,” Raquel said with a dismissive wave. “Get used to it. It’s the nature of this business. In fact, we may be working late most nights and through all the lunch hours this week. I want this presentation to blow them away.” She walked away without so much as an explanation as to why the deadline had been moved up.

Anabelle fumed. As usual, no thanks for working late last night, no good morning, and no consideration. Giorgio hadn’t said anything to her yesterday about the change, so she figured this had to be Raquel’s doing. Maybe just to keep her on edge. She went to pick up the phone to call Sarah. She dreaded having to cancel on her friend again. This wasn’t the kind of person she wanted to be. Before she could dial, Jennifer came rushing over to her.

“Anabelle, there’s a package up front that you need to sign for.”

She put the phone down. “Ok
ay,” she said as she followed Jennifer to the reception area.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw it. It wasn’t a business delivery. Sitting on the reception desk was a rectangular box wrapped in pale lavender wrapping paper, with a shiny dark purple ribbon tied in a big bow around it. An envelope was tucked under the ribbon.

Anabelle signed the delivery man’s sheet and thanked him. He left.

It was then that Jennifer noticed her new Versace watch. “Whoa,” she said. “Nice blinged-out watch!”

Anabelle smiled and nodded. “Thanks. It was a gift.”

“Oh,
the very fine Mr. Tsarkopolis I assume?”

Anabelle lowered her voice to a whisper. “Yes, he got it for me on a business trip he went on. We’ve sort of been dating. It’s really new, so nothing serious yet. Don’t tell anyone.”

“Nice! You lucky girl, you. Don’t worry, my lips are sealed,” she said in a hushed voice, pretending to zip them. “Well then, I wonder who this package might be from?” Jennifer asked, winking and giving her a light elbow.

Anabelle blushed. “I’ll take this over to my desk.”

“Oh no, you don’t,” Jennifer said. “Us women live vicariously through these things. Open it here. I’m dying to know what he’s sent you. Read the card first.” Her eyes were alight with curiosity.

“I
f you insist,” Anabelle said, winking at her. She opened the envelope. She read it and her heart skipped a beat.

“What does it say?” Jennifer asked, leaning forward.

Anabelle smiled, her heart beating faster. “It says, For my beautiful Anabelle, in the hopes that you will join me for a magical night of Dreams… Giorgio…xo”

“Wow, r
omantic or what!” Jennifer said, placing her hand over her heart.

Anabelle nodded excitedly. She carefully removed the ribbon and wrapping paper, and then
lifted the lid from the box. Inside was matching lavender tissue paper. She pulled it aside and lying there was a deep burgundy satin dress, with intricate beaded detailing around the neckline and a thin bejeweled faux-belt at the waistline. It had two thin straps and a sweetheart neckline.

“Oh my…it’s gorgeous,” Jennifer said.

“Is it ever,” Anabelle agreed as she took the dress out of the box and held it up. It was floor length and had a slit half-way up the side of the dress. The fabric was fine and rich in color. “It’s beautiful,” Anabelle said. “I love it.”

“That color is perfect for you. It will compliment your eyes and auburn hair perfectly. Does he know how to pick them, or what?” Jennifer said. “What’s this for?”

Anabelle briefly filled her in on her lunch with him yesterday, the Dream Ball invitation and short notice she had received about it, and that she had decided not to go.

“Oh, but you have to go now,” Jennifer said, her eyes going wide. “He obviously recognizes the pressure he’s put you under, but he wants you there. That’s huge.”

“You think so?”

“Are you kidding me?” Jennifer asked, giving her a playful push in the shoulder. “Yes, absolutely. He just invited you yesterday at lunch? And then he somehow found a dress that is perfect for you in time to have it delivered this morning? Big effort. Really big.”

“You’re right,” Anabelle said, biting her lip as she realized just how much work he must have put into making this more comfortable for her. She went to place the dress back in the box when she noticed something. “Hey, look, there’s something else in here.”

“What is it?” Jennifer asked.

It was a small square box, also wrapped with a dark purple ribbon. It had a small card tucked in with it.

“I have no idea,” Anabelle said as she opened the card. She read it aloud to Jennifer.
“Since you stole my heart, maybe you can bring what’s inside with you to the night of Dreams…”

“This is the most romantic thing I’ve ever witnessed,” Jennifer said, swooning. “You are really being wooed, you lucky girl.”

Anabelle nodded, her heart beating fast.

“What’s inside? Open it! The suspense is killing me!” Jennifer said, giggling.

Anabelle lifted the small lid. She inhaled sharply as she saw what was inside.

“Oh. My. God.” Jennifer whispered, her eyes going wide.

Inside the box, lying on a deep purple velvet cushion was a diamond heart-shaped pendant. It sparkled and shone with a brilliance only diamonds could achieve.

Anabelle gently lifted it out of the box, holding it in
her hand and up to the light. The heart shape was adorned with twenty-three diamonds that increased in size from the top of the pendant to the bottom.

“It’s stunning,” Jennifer said, holding her hand over her heart. She looked at the back of the pendant as Anabelle held it up. “And it’s platinum. Wow.”

“I’m speechless,” Anabelle said, breathlessly.

“I’m jealous. You know, i
f you don’t go to this ball,” Jennifer said, playfully bumping shoulders with her, “I can always go in your place.”

Anabelle giggled.
“I guess this seals it,” she said gazing at the beautiful pendant and then back down at the dress. “I’m going to the ball.”

“You know if he has a single brother or good-looking friend or cousin, please, please, please send him my way.”

Anabelle laughed and gave her a hug. “You got it, girl.” She tensed up. “I need to hide this from Raquel,” she whispered. “I don’t want her to know I’m going to go to that ball or see what Giorgio has sent me.”

“Why not? She’ll be
greeeen
with envy,” Jennifer said, smirking.

“Exactly. Giorgio’s still a client, she’s my boss and she has a thing for him. Any way you slice this, makes for an uncomfortable situation for me.” She started packing it all back up.

“Roger that,” Jennifer said.

“I’ll put the box with the pendant in my purse, but the box for the dress is going to be hard to hide at my desk.”

Jennifer looked around. “You can leave it here, under the reception desk, if you like. It’s really big, there’s lots of room and I was planning on having lunch at my desk today and reading a book anyway.”

“Thanks, that’d be great. I’ll pick it up on my way out tonight. I’ll be working late.” Anabelle then remembered Sarah. “Oh crap,” she said. “I have to cancel my lunch with Sarah. Raquel said I also have to w
ork through lunches this week.”

“Figures,” Jennifer said. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” She tucked the box away under the large curved reception desk.

“Thanks for your help,” Anabelle said, giving her another hug. She headed back to her desk to call Sarah.

“Hello?”

“Sarah, it’s me, Anabelle. Do you have a minute to talk?” She heard her friend sigh.

“I gather since you want to talk on the phone that we won’t be doing that over lunch.”

“I’m really sorry,” Anabelle whispered into the phone, “but Raquel has ordered me to work through lunch. In fact, she’s torpedoed all my lunch hours this week and said I’ll be working late every night. Just this morning she moved our presentation up from next Wednesday to Monday. No explanation.”

“You really need to look for another job at some point. She’s a wench.”

“Too right, but for the moment, this is the only job I have.”

“Ok
ay, fine.”

“There’s something else important I wanted to tell you about, too.”

Sarah guessed what was coming next. “Is it about Giorgio and you not going to the ball? Is he giving you a hard time about it?”

“No, he’s not. Not really. I wasn’t going to go, but things changed.” She filled her on the delivery and notes she’d received.

“Well,” Sarah said, the irritation evident in her voice, “I guess he’s not the type of guy to take no for an answer.”

“It’s not like that,” Anabelle said. “This is a really sweet gesture. You should see the dress and the pendant. They’re gorgeous.” She opened the box again to admire the diamond heart.

“I’m sure they are,” she said, “and he’s gorgeous. And rich and gives you expensive gifts. I get it. But do me a favor and still keep your wits about you with this guy.”

“Sarah…”

“No, really, Anabelle. Listen to me for a moment. I’m your friend and I care about you. I’ve been reading some of the rumors surrounding his business. We need to talk about this. I’m concerned.”

“Can we meet after the ball to talk about it?” Anabelle asked. “I’m not going to get paroled from work this week for five minutes from the sounds of things and I don’t think we should talk about this over the phone.” She looked down at the pendant. It was so beautiful. “It’s not like I’m going to elope with him or anything that night. Plus there’ll be lots of people there. I’ll be safe.”

“It’s not just that,” Sarah said, “I just worry that he’s going to pull you so far into his vortex of money and power and looks, that you won’t see trouble even if it’s staring you right in the face.”

“But, this is a charitable ball. He and his family support it. They’re good people.”

Sarah huffed. “Just because they do good things publicly, doesn’t mean they don’t harbor dark secrets. Wealthy people often play by their own rules. What ordinary folks like you and I think or value doesn’t matter to them. They can just sweep us aside whenever suits their fancy or whenever we get in the way of what they want.”

Anabelle was biting her nails. “That’s a pretty bleak outlook.”

Sarah paused for a moment, drawing in a long, deep breath. “Just promise me you’ll keep your eyes and ears open and remember that you don’t know him very well yet. That’s all I ask.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “I’ll give you a full report after the ball and you can fill me in on what your research has turned up.”

“Don’t tell him anything about what I’m doing yet,” Sarah warned.

“I won’t. And again, I’m really sorry about lunch. This has just been a crazy time. I’ll make it up to you. Maybe we can go for an early dinner on Sunday. How about 5
p.m. at Lexi’s Diner? It’ll be my treat.”

“Fine,” Sarah said. “But if you bail on me one more time…”

“Not going to happen. I promise.”

“Alright
,” Sarah said, her tone lightening up a bit. “Have fun and look beautiful. I know you will and that you’ll knock his socks off.”

“Thanks, you’re a great friend. See you Sunday.”