Part II (4 page)

Mariana stared at the Adonis before her. His jet-black hair was still wet from the shower. His tanned skin was brushed with baby oil. His muscles were more defined but not too much. And that scent? Oh goodness, that cologne he wore made Mariana’s panties instantly wet. Did he get more gorgeous within the last few hours? “Thank you for inviting me,” she said shyly.

 “Come in, baby,” he stepped aside and let Mariana in. He grabbed her jacket and directed her to the living room where cheese and wine were laid out.

Mariana cautiously walked to the living room. She smelled something delicious simmering in the kitchen and her mouth began to water. She only had a light snack at her apartment before she left and was starving. Scott’s home was lit up by candles and soft light. Teddy Pendergrass played in the background and if Mariana didn’t know better, she could’ve sworn Scott was trying to seduce her.

Despite the warm atmosphere, she didn't feel totally comfortable. Something felt off.  Scott completely avoided her for the past month and he suddenly shows up out of nowhere to be her spanking knight. "What's going on?"

Scott sat beside Mariana and offered her a glass of wine. She politely declined. "I want to put everything out on the table."

"Okay," Mariana warily said.

"We're going to do something; we're going to play a game – 20 Questions. But it'll different." He paused to take a sip of wine. "I want you to ask whatever 20 questions are on your heart and I'll do the same."

Mariana realized she might need that wine after all. "What's the purpose of this?"

"I'm giving you an out." Scott admitted. Since a failed relationship years ago, Scott often treated women like they were business deals. It was easier for him to handle them that way."Whatever happens after our game is up to you. You can stay on the bus or you can pull the string to get off."

The idea sounded intriguing but Mariana still wasn’t sure. Scott gave her an offer she couldn't refuse. "What questions are going to be asked?"

"Whatever you want to know about me," Scott sipped his wine, "and vice-versa."

"Is this part of that whole BDSM thing?" She asked.

"I want to be sure of my investment," He said.

"Investment?" She scoffed. Scott was taking this
slave
shit just a bit far now. "You don't own me, Scott."

"I don't. But I have invested a lot of time
and
money into you. I like to see if it wasn't a mistake." He was serious.

Mariana wasn't about to argue. Scott had paid her very nicely since her became her only client.  "Alright, I'm game."

"I figured you would be." He re-offered Mariana the glass of wine. This time, she accepted.

Chapter Five

Dinner was superb. Beef wellington with asparagus spears and mashed potatoes. Red wine and a light fruit tart for dessert.  Mariana forgot how amazing Scott was in the kitchen.  Every bite of food was orgasmic and the wine complemented the dish well. The conversation was pleasant as well. They talked about current events and the latest in pop culture. Scott didn’t care for Hollywood gossip but he humored Mariana’s passion for it.

Mariana learned part of the reason she hadn't seen Scott for a while was because he was working double hours to set up her internship and he just signed on doing an ad for a major pharmaceutical company.  Her first instinct was right; he was
busy.
But there were still lingering questions and she wasn't sure if she wanted to ask.

"Alright," Scott took out another bottle of wine and put it on the table, "it's game time."

Mariana pointed to the wine bottle. She already had two glasses of wine and was starting to feel a bit tipsy. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"Alcohol is a truth serum," Scott replied, "it's amazing how people act when they have enough liquor in them."

"I thought about a few questions but I have an amendment to your game," Mariana said to Scott's surprise, "I want to ask 10 now with the reservation of asking 10 later."

"Fair enough," He loved she had brains to match her body. "Ladies first."

Mariana took a gulp of wine. "What is your real name?"

"Scott Christopher Reed." He answered. "What's your real name?"

"Mariana Lilian Harlow," she replied, "where did you get your degrees?"

"Undergrad and Master’s, USC," he answered, "what made you go into marketing?"

"I love the fast-pace of the industry. I love finding new ways to market a person or a product and seeing results.” Mariana smiled. “Do you have brothers or sisters?"

"An older sister. You?"

"A younger brother in college. Are your parents still alive?" She asked.

"Yes,” Scott was annoyed with Mariana referencing to his age. “Are yours?"

"Yes," Mariana didn't appreciate Scott's sarcastic tone. She decided to get serious. After all, it was her way out. "How many partners have you had?"

"200.” Scott said to Mariana’s surprise. She thought the number would be a lot bigger. “Have you been with a woman?"

"No and I don't plan to," Mariana was not going satisfy his potential threesome fantasy. "Have you ever been with a man?"

Scott took a sip of his wine. "Yes." Mariana almost choked on the air. Scott motioned her to drink her wine. "Drink before you choke."

She downed the whole glass and started to refill it."You've been with a dude?"Mariana looked at Scott in a completely different light. "When was this?"

"A long time ago. When I first started having sex, I was convinced I was gay because I just wasn't interested in the women at all. We would go out, wine and dine, have sex. She would get off several times over and I found myself going home to jack off because I was bored. So I dated a couple of guys and made the realization I was probably bi-sexual."

"So what made you realize you weren't?" At least Mariana hoped he wasn't.

"Turns out the women were bad lays. I found one who knew what she was doing and furthermore, taught me how to do it. Turns out I wasn't gay or bi-sexual. I'm just more open to experimentation than others. There is something so animalistic about being with a woman.” He smiled as he reminisced the last time he was with Mariana. “Hearing her moans, her cries, her coos. Seeing her toes curl at just the right moments. Feeling her tight heat wrapped around your cock. Seeing her ass jiggle with each stroke you give her. Looking down at her as she’s writhing beneath you, knowing you’re the one that’s making her feel that way.” Scott noticed Mariana began to squirm in her seat. “Fucking a man was interesting but it’s also in my past.”

Mariana felt flushed. It was suddenly hotter in Scott’s home. “Can we open a window in here?” She fanned herself.

“Drink, baby,” He gestured to her wine glass and Mariana quickly took a sip.

“I have another question,” she finally calmed down, “who taught you this BDSM stuff?”

“My Domme," Scott said flatly.  Thinking about the past relationship made him uncomfortable. Emotions were still raw, years later. "She taught me everything."

Mariana was unfamiliar with the terminology. "Your Domme?"

"My Mistress. She was the one that introduced me to
The Lifestyle
. She taught me how to be a
sub
and how to be a
Master
. She was the one that taught me about sex."

Mariana gave a silent thank you to God.

Scott continued. "Everyone has this notion that we're all in leather, carrying whips and listening to some goth metal.
The Lifestyle
isn't like that. There are teachers, doctors, politicians, students, and homemakers who are a part of
The Lifestyle
. You've probably seen them at your local grocery store or shopping mall and probably thought they were just a normal person. For example, you didn't know you liked to be spanked until I did it to you."

Mariana cleared her throat.
"I get your point."

"Oh, you will later." He implied. "Anything else you want to know?"

Mariana thought about to the conversation she overheard at Starbucks. "Have you slept with anyone since that night?" She had to know.

"No." He told the truth.  He contemplated calling women from his Rolodex to see who was available but something stopped him. What disturbed him was he knew exactly what was bothering him and he tried to deny the feeling. He was falling for Mariana. A month separation only made the feelings more intense. "Have you?"

Mariana was shocked. Scott entertained at least two or three women
weekly.
“No. How many others are there?"

"None. I don’t keep a team full of active players if that’s what you’re implying." The answer even surprised Scott. He was getting used to that whole thing called monogamy.

Mariana wasn't sure what to do with the new information she learned. But she had one last question to ask him. "I know you don't do all of this for your other dates so the natural question is why me?"

Scott nursed his vino.  It was a question that was bugging him since he left Tiffany & Co.. "I don't know."

“One last question, a bonus, if you will.” Mariana braced herself for the blow. “Why did you blow me off for a month? No internship takes that long to set up.”

Scott knew the answer. Delving into it at that moment, however, didn’t seem appropriate. The truth was going to come out eventually. “I had issues to deal with privately.”

It was an answer Mariana was not satisfied with but it would suffice. "That's all for now."

"Good," Scott poured himself another glass of wine, "well, I like to keep my end of the bargain. You can leave now if you want."

If Mariana wanted to leave, now was her chance. Scott wasn’t playing when he told her he was giving her an out. "And what happens if I do?"

"Our relationship goes back to being professional and I will treat it as such. It would be as if what happened a month ago never took place."

"And if I stay?"

He circled the wine glass with an index finger. "We just have to see what happens, don't we?"

Mariana thought long and hard about her answer. Scott wasn’t promising her anything but multiple orgasms. If that was all she was going to get from him, she’ll accept it. Mariana found herself surprisingly cautious. 
He
was what she wanted wasn’t he?

But if Scott wanted to pursue anything with Mariana, there were some ground rules first.  "What happened a month ago, I don’t regret. However, you can’t disappear and reappear whenever the mood suits you. If that’s how it going to be, we’re ending it tonight and
I’ll
act like shit never took place.”

Scott loved her tenacity. “That’s fair and I wouldn’t expect anything less of you.”

“Good.” Mariana finished her wine. Not only was it a truth serum but she grew a set of invisible balls at the same time. She was officially drunk and was in no condition to drive. She had a feeling that was Scott's intention with the wine. “I guess I'm staying."

"Good to know," Scott stood up and walked behind the sofa. He retrieved three packages – small, medium, and large – and placed them in front of Mariana on the dining room table. "Open them."

Mariana looked at the packages. "What are these?"

"If you would open them, you'll find out." He deadpanned. "Open the large one, then the small one, then the medium one. It'll all make sense if you do it in that order."

Mariana reached over to open the large package. She tore open the gift-wrapping like if it was Christmas. She stared down at the contents of the box. They were glittered open-toed Christian Louboutins. "I hope I got the size right." Scott sipped his wine.

"How did you…" Mariana stopped. Scott must've seen her shoe size from a month ago.
He remembered?

"Open your next gift, baby." He motioned to the small package.

Mariana set aside the high heels and opened the wrapping on the small box. Her mouth dropped to the floor once she recognized the pale blue Tiffany & Co. was known for. She carefully undid the satin wrapping and opened the box. Staring back at her was a pair of heart-shaped diamond earrings. "Scott, I can't…I can't accept this."