Marissa & Mr. White: (Sexy Contemporary Romance) (7 page)

The waiter arrives and takes our dinner orders and brings
another bottle of wine. Mr. White clears his throat once the waiter leaves.
"If you don't mind, Mr. Glenworth, Marissa will record our meeting so we
can have an account of the details for your event."

"Of course not."

"Marissa." Mr. White looks at me.

I take the mini-recorder from my purse and place it in the
middle of the table.

"So how can Trentini & White be of service to
you?" Mr. White asks.

"As you may or may not know, I throw many star studded
parties on the West coast. L.A. specifically. I'm thinking of buying a house in
Atlanta since my baby is from here." He pinches Heidi's cheek. "She
wants to have her twenty-fifth birthday party in Atlanta so that all her
friends and family can attend. When I asked around for one of the hottest party
promoters I kept hearing your name so I reached out. If all things go well, and
my baby is more than satisfied, then this can lead to more parties and not just
when I'm in Atlanta. I travel down to Miami a lot as well." Mr. Glenworth
looks at me. "I'm sure your assistant would love to attend one of my
parties at my beach house in South Beach. That beautiful hair blowing in the
wind in a nice bikini." He takes a sip of his wine.

I smile although knowing that he's picturing me in a bikini
turns my stomach.

"Do you have a place in mind where you would like to have
the party? Or a theme for the party?" Mr. White asks.

"Yes. Cinderella theme." Heidi’s eyes glisten with
excitement.

I fight back an eye roll.

"Cinderella? So this will be formal attire and staged as
if you're going to a ball, correct?"

"Correct, Mr. White."

"Please, Heidi, call me Austin."

Heidi blushes. "Okay.
Austin
. That's exactly what
I want. I want a ball."

More like
his
balls. I take a sip of my water.

"What do you think, Marissa?"

"Huh?" I turn my attention to Mr. Glenworth.

He adjusts his glasses. "What do you think about the
Cinderella theme?"

"Oh." I look to my boss. He gives me a slight nod.
Choose
your words carefully, Rissa. Your job depends on it.
"I love the idea.
I've never heard of anyone having a Cinderella themed party so Heidi will be
the first. I'm sure it will be the talk of the town. In a good way, of
course."

Mr. Glenworth gives me a pleased grin. I return the gesture.

"What budget are we working with here?" Mr. White
asks.

Mr. Glenworth looks at Heidi. "Money's no object. It's my
baby's special day so we're pulling out all the stops. Just give us the
best."

Heidi kisses his lips then turns her attention to my boss.
"I would love for you to be there, Austin."

His lips spread into a smile. "I wouldn't miss it. So
let's get down the logistics and we can start planning."

The waiter brings our food. We go over the details of the
party while we eat. I mostly just listen and eat. Every so often, Mr. Glenworth
draws me into the conversation by asking my opinion. I keep my gaze on my plate
for the most part to avoid his unapologetic staring. I'm still not sure if it
was really necessary for me to be here but I guess my presence keeps Mr.
Glenworth too preoccupied to notice Heidi's undeniable attraction to my boss. I'm
sure if they were alone she would take him at this table.

"So it looks like we have enough information to get us
started. I want to thank you for allowing us to coordinate this special
occasion for you," Mr. White says as we all rise from the table. He shakes
hands with Mr. Glenworth as I shake Heidi's hand. He then walks behind me to
say goodbye to her just as Mr. Glenworth is motioning for me to come over to
him. I grab my tape recorder and purse then step over to where he's standing.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Marissa."

"Same here, sir."

"Peter." He smiles then pulls me into a hug.
"Make sure you're at that party," he whispers. He puts his face into
my hair and inhales. "Mmm. And make sure you wear your hair down."

I pull back from his embrace. "But of course."

Mr. White escorts me out of the hotel. He hands his ticket to
the valet then turns to me. "Thank you for your assistance. I would like
to have those minutes transcribed on Monday morning so we can start making the
necessary arrangements for Heidi."

"Sure thing, Mr. White."

"Did you enjoy your meal?"

"I did. Thank you for dinner."

"No need to thank me, it's business."

Yes, please remind me that it’s just business. We both face
forward as the valet pulls up in front of us with Mr. White's car. A young guy
with spiked hair exits the car. "Nice Camaro, man." He grins then
tosses Mr. White the keys.

Mr. White catches them and responds with a nod. He then opens
the passenger's side door. Once inside the car, I fasten my seatbelt, pull my
hair back and twist it up into a low bun then I rest my head against the
headrest.

"Tired?" Mr. White asks.

"Long day," I answer with my eyes close. "Thank
God it's Friday."

"Yes, it has been a tiring day," Mr. White says.

I open my eyes when I realize we haven't moved yet. I look
over to him. He has his visor down and looking in the mirror. Hmm. I didn't know
he wore contact lenses. Once he put his contacts into their storage case he
glances at me. "Yes, Miss Riley, I wear contacts." He smiles then reaches
over my lap toward the glove compartment. His arm brushes my knee. My muscles
tighten. Instantly I feel a surge of desire run through my body warming me to
my core. Sexual excitement curls in my tummy. I bite down on my bottom lip as I
exhale slowly through my nose. He opens the glove compartment and retrieves a
brown eyeglasses case. I watch him as he close the glove compartment door. This
time I move my leg a little to the right out of the path of his retracting arm.
He takes out his glasses, puts them on then tosses the case into the cup
holder.

"You ready?" His dark brown eyes look like
semi-sweet chocolate chips framed by black-rimmed glasses. A real life Clark
Kent.

I wet my lips at the thought of him ripping open his shirt and
baring his broad chest. I answer his question with a nod.

He smirks then pulls out into traffic in the direction toward
my house.

I don't know if it's because of my new adventures at Club
Masquerade but since my experience there I've been so easily turned on by Mr.
White. I don't remember having such a strong sexual attraction to a man just
because he's attractive. The mystery guy has opened up a side of me that I
didn't even know existed. Now I'm like a sexual lioness in heat. I steal a
glance at Mr. White. If he made a move right now...I wouldn't have the strength
nor desire
to tell him no.

My boss parks the car in front of my house. I unbuckle my
seatbelt and take my house keys out of my purse. Just then my car door opens.
Mr. White extends his hand to help me get out the car. "Thanks." His
hand rests on my lower back as we walk side by side up my driveway. My heart
flutters wildly inside my chest. My shaky hand sticks my key into the lock of
my front door. I turn to face him. "See you Monday, sir."

His gaze goes from my face to my shoulders to my breasts then
back to my eyes. He takes a step closer. His strong body towers over me. His
closeness sends a current of excitement through me. Ohmygosh. Is he going to
kiss me? I wet my lips then tilt my head up to make eye contact. His stare is
bold. He leans in closer. Our lips are inches apart.
Please. Please.
My
mouth is hungry for his kiss. I stare at his lips with anticipation. Just then
I hear a click. I turn my head to the side. Mr. White takes my key out of my
lock then pushes my front door open. I take the keys from his hand. I don't look
at him in fear that he may see the disappointment on my face.

"Rest up, Miss Riley." His words cover me like a
warm blanket.

I step inside my house. "Goodnight, Mr. White." I
close the door and let my foolish thought of a man like him wanting a girl like
me drop from my mind.

Saturday...

I wake up to the sound of cabinets slamming and dishes
clanking together. The aroma of blueberry pancakes fills the air. Mmm, my
favorite. My lips spread into a smile as I stretch my body. I grab my
terrycloth robe from the back of my chair where I’d left it last night after I
showered. I wrap it around my naked body. I need to do laundry. All my pjs are
dirty. I slip my feet into my house shoes then head downstairs. I shuffle my
feet across the carpeted floors through the living room into the kitchen.

Bianca stands with her back to me pouring pancake batter onto
the griddle. "Good morning, Chef Bianca," I say as I open the door to
the fridge.

"Good morning, girl. I figured I would come by and make
you breakfast since I know that you were going to have a long night last
night."

I suck my teeth at her statement. She and I both know that she
came over here to be nosy. She wants the scoop on my "date" with my
boss. I pour orange juice into one of the two glasses sitting on the counter then
take a seat at the kitchen table. "I'm glad you decided to come over
because I woke up hungry."

She puts a stack of pancakes onto two plates then walks over
to the table.

I get up and grab the butter and maple syrup from the fridge then
take my seat. I inhaled the comforting scent of the blueberry pancakes.
"You remember my mom used to make these for us every Saturday
morning?"

"I do remember. I always looked forward to Saturdays."
Bianca smiles wide as she drowns her pancakes in maple syrup.

An overwhelming sense of nostalgia takes over me, and my eyes
well up with tears. I dab at them with the end of my bathrobe belt.
"Sorry." I shake my head and clear my throat. "Memories." I
smile at Bianca. "Thanks again."

"No biggie. I had to eat too." She stuffs a forkful
into her mouth. "Mmm. Heaven," she muffles.

I laugh then take a bite. The flavor of the butter,
blueberries and syrup flood my mouth. I close my eyes as my taste buds dance
with delight. "So good."

"So how was the
date
?" She wiggles her
eyebrows.

I roll my eyes. "I basically sat there with Mr. White and
this Hugh Hefner wannabe and his too young girlfriend and pretended to be
interested in what they had to say. Every so often the older man, Mr.
Glenworth, would ask for my input. The girl...Heidi...kept flirting with my
boss and Mr. Glenworth kept flirting with me. And I think my boss was flirting
with Heidi." I roll my eyes again.

"You seem disappointed that it wasn't you that he was
flirting with."

My shoulders rise and fall as I sop up a little syrup with a
piece of my pancake. "I hate to admit this because I could never act on it
but I'm extremely turned on by my boss. Just having him close to me is
disturbing. Every slight touch from him sends my body into overdrive. I was so
intoxicated with sexual energy that I thought that he was actually making a
pass at me when he wasn't." I shake my head at the thought.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Bianca asks
wide-eyed.

"He walked me to my door last night, and I thought that
he was going to kiss me so..." I cover my face with my hands. "Let's just
say...he's definitely not into me."

"You tried to kiss him and he rejected you?"

"No...I just wanted it to happen so bad that I misread
the signs. I mean I don't think he knew that I was waiting for a kiss. At least
I hope not."

"So if you were on a deserted island, which man would you
prefer being stranded with, your boss or the guy at Masquerade?"

“Hands down, my boss."

"Really?"

"Yeah. But only because I actually know who my boss is. I
don't know anything about the guy at Masquerade except for the fact that he's
amazing with his hands."

We both laugh.

“I just wish I knew more about the Masquerade man. At least
his name.”

Bianca rises from the table and gather our empty plates.
"Don't get your emotions involved, Rissa. It's just sex for these men and
it needs to be just sex for you."

"Wanting to know someone's name or what they actually look
like is not getting my emotions involved. I'm just curious."

"And we all know that curiosity killed the cat."

I laugh.

Bianca walks back over to the table. "I'm serious. Don't
try to find out who he is or find out more information about him. You may end
up finding out something that you don't want to know." She turns her glass
of orange juice up to her mouth.

"Yeah, like he's married with kids."

She shrugs. "Just keep things the way that they
are."

"I guess you're right."

"I'm always right. Now...I need to get going. I have a
hair appointment." She stands over me with her arms outstretched waiting
for a hug.

"But what about the dishes?"

"I cook. You clean."

I suck my teeth then rise from my seat and give her a hug
goodbye. I survey the mess Bianca created cooking breakfast. Well more like
brunch since it's already one in the afternoon. I rub my hand over my full
belly. I'll shower first then clean. I don't have any plans for today other
than just relaxing. After I shower I lay on the bed with the intent of just
resting my eyes for a moment before going downstairs to clean up the kitchen.

What seems like only moments after I close my eyes, my ringing
phone disturbs my rest. I let out a huge sigh then reach over to my nightstand
and pick up my phone. It's not ringing. My brows pull together in confusion. Oh
snap! My work phone. I jump out of bed and grab the phone out of my purse.
"Hello?"

"Miss Riley?"

"Mr. White, hi." He's calling on a Saturday?
"How can I help you?"

"I need you to do me a favor. I have a business meeting.
It's a last minute deal. He is looking to host a launch party for his new
modeling agency and I told him that I would like to help him out. He just
happens to be in Atlanta this weekend and today is the only day he has for a
face to face. I’m scheduled to meet with him at four o'clock this afternoon,
however, due to a prior engagement I'm now stuck in horrendous traffic and I
will be late for the meeting about fifteen minutes. The place isn't far from
where you live so I need you to do me a favor."

"Do you a favor?"

"Yes, I don't want to give this potential client a bad
impression by being late so I need you to go as my representative until I get
there. I should be there at least by four-fifteen. I like to meet all my
clients face to face before taking on new business so all you have to do is
meet with him to keep him company until I arrive."

"Keep him company?"

"Yes."

"Umm..."

"Miss Riley, can you do it?"

How can I say no? "Sure. What time is it now?"

"It's three-thirty."

"Three-thirty?" My voice goes up a few notches.
"I'm not even dressed."

"I guess you better get off the phone then, Miss Riley.
See you soon and thanks. I'll text you the address." Click.

Wow.

I enter the hotel's bar. According to Mr. White's text the guy
I'm looking for will be wearing a red button down shirt and he has dark hair.
There aren’t a lot of people in here so it's not hard to spot him sitting at
the bar sipping on some brown liquid in a glass. I walk up to him. "Are
you Mr. Upton?"

He pause mid-drink and acknowledges me. "Who's looking
for him?"

I extend my hand. "I'm Marissa Riley, Mr. White's
assistant."

"Well, well. Aren't you a pretty little thing?" He
stands then shakes my hand. His wanting gaze rakes over my body. "Have a
seat." He pulls a bar stool out for me.

"Thanks." I take a seat. "Mr. White is running
a little late, so he wanted me to keep you company until he gets here."

He scoots his bar stool closer to me. So close our knees
touch. I think to move over but I don’t want to seem rude. He finishes his
drink in one gulp then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "You can
keep me company anytime." A grin creeps across his face. "Would you
like a drink?" Before I can answer he calls the bartender over. "I
would like another rum and coke and she'll have..."

Both he and the bartender eye me. "Cranberry juice,
please."

"Cranberry and vodka?" Mr. Upton asks.

"No, just cranberry juice. I don't drink alcohol."

"Boo, that's no fun."

I shrug.

"Okay give her, her boring cranberry juice," he
tells the bartender.

"So what type of event are you having, Mr. Upton?"

"Call me Ted, pretty lady." He smiles.

I return the gesture. "Okay, Ted."

The bartender sits a rum and coke in front of Ted and a martini
glass filled with cranberry juice in front of me. "Thanks." I take a
sip of my juice while Ted drains half the contents in his glass.

He looks over to me. "I own a modeling agency and I'm
opening a new location here in Atlanta. I want to have a launch party."

"I think that Trentini & White is the best company to
assist you in planning that event."

"You know, you should think about coming to work for
me." He trails a cold finger along my arm.

"Oh, thanks but I'm very happy with my job. I love
working for Mr. White. So is this a private event?"

He slams his empty glass on the table then leans into me.
"How about we take this upstairs to my hotel room where we can have our
own private event."

I push him back a little. "That's not a good idea, Mr.
Upton. We are here to discuss business."

He stands. "Actually I came here to talk business with
Mr. White." He runs his finger across the back of my neck.

I push his hand away. "Mr. Upton, please don't touch me
like that."

He places both hands on my shoulders then presses his damp
lips against the back of my neck.