Nobody's (14 page)

“Did something happen today? Did you have a bad meeting?”

“You might say that,” he sighed once again.

“...Tell me.”

It wasn’t until this point that I realized that I knew nothing about Thomas. I just knew that he was a good-looking man with a lot of money and a lot of charm. We never actually spoke to each other in terms that didn’t involve business or trying to get one another off. This wasn’t what I normally did. But I was so intrigued by Thomas that I wanted to know more about what made him tick.

“Do you remember when Anthony spoke of the business I purchased? How he said that I bought a significant portion of the tech sector?”

“What about it?”

“It seems there are people who can see right through my intentions.”

“And what are your intentions, Mr. Livingston?”

“To make more money, of course. The key to continued to success is to eliminate those who threaten to take it away from you. And now there are people gunning for me. They’re saying that I already have too much and that I’m attempting a monopoly.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Besides being illegal? You make a lot of money and everybody wants to be your friend but if you make too much, suddenly everybody starts to hate you.”

“I don’t hate you, Mr. Livingston.”

“That’s only because I haven’t tried to take your money away, Angel.”

He stared at me and I hesitated to respond. Thankfully, he broke into a smile and the tension I was feeling between the both of us started to relieve itself. I sat close to him and listened to him talk about his day. Stuffy old men who wanted nothing more than to take Thomas down filled the conversation.

“They’re jealous,” I said to him.

“Jealous? I would use a much stronger word than that, Angel.”

“No, that’s what they are. And that’s all this is.”

“No, Angel, they hate me.”

“Why would they hate you?”

“Because I’m doing everything I can to take their money away from them. I’m extending past my own boundaries.”

“But they already have their own money.”

“True. We all have our own pile. But you see, it becomes less about money when your pile starts to get really big. Now it becomes a contest of who can get the biggest pile. And I’m doing everything I can to win that contest.”

“Some people… They would have been happy with any pile, no matter the size. There’s no need for it to be bigger than everybody else’s. They would only need it to satisfy their own needs…”

“Some people. I’m still like that, Angel. I haven’t lost my perspective.”

“Then why are you still trying so hard?”

I was curious. I was already at the point where I had more than enough money to satisfy my needs. Thomas had all of that and then some. But the way he stared at me made it seem like there was something greater besides money. Something I didn’t understand.

He held his breath as he looked at me. I awaited the answer to satisfy my curiosity as to what could drive a man to pursue something he already has. But Thomas simply chuckled softly to himself before leaning forward to take another sip of his wine.

“Please, will you join me for dinner, Angel?”

“But of course, Mr. Livingston.”

He stood up from his seat and returned to the bar where he poured himself another helping of wine.

“I should probably get dressed,” I said to him.

“You don’t have to,” he winked at me.

His half-sarcastic remark made me smile as I made my way to the bedroom to search through the wardrobe I had purchased just for him. Moments later, William was whisking both of us away in Thomas’s limo toward some undoubtedly expensive restaurant. It was more of the same of what I was quickly becoming used to.

Everybody in the restaurant was decked-out in their fanciest attire. Even the wait staff looked like they spent a significant amount on their uniforms. I didn’t seem too out of place thanks to Alina’s impromptu shopping spree. I actually felt classy for once. The black skirt and top I had picked out was something that I was eager to try on.

“You look amazing,” Thomas said to me as he took a seat across the table from me.

I smiled politely at him and as was the norm at this point, Thomas proceeded to order nearly everything off of the menu even though most of it would surely go to waste. I stared across at Thomas as we waited for dinner to proceed. I looked into his eyes and could see that there was something on his mind. I tried to coax it out of him without saying anything and eventually, he relented.

“How is my suite treating you, Angel?”

“It’s great. It’s comfortable. The view is great. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

“And the hotel staff?”

“I… I really haven’t dealt with them.”

“You know that they’ll give you anything they want. All you have to do is ask. They know it’s my suite, so they’ll go out of their way to ensure that you get what you want.”

“I… I couldn’t really ask for anything more, Mr. Livingston.”

“Speaking of which, I understand that you spent some time with Alina this afternoon.”

“That’s right.”

“And how did she treat you?”

“She’s… She’s nice. She showed me where to shop and helped me pick out some nice clothes. In fact, she helped me pick out this outfit I’m wearing right now. Do you like it?”

“I already said you look amazing.”

“Oh… That’s right. I’m sorry. I forgot.”

“That’s all right, Angel. It can’t be said enough.”

He smiled politely at me and I found myself trying to fight the blush off of my face. I shook my head and started to laugh, trying to figure out something else to speak about.

“Will this situation be resolved soon?” I asked him.

“Situation?”

“Your day. You said you had a bad run-in with some other businessmen. This isn’t anything too serious, is it? I mean, things will work out, won’t they?”

I couldn’t tell whether the smile on his face was because he thought I wasn’t being serious or because it was a stupid question. I felt a little embarrassed but I really wanted to know if this is something that would eventually blow over.

“The situation hasn’t been resolved in a long time, Angel. I doubt it will be dealt with in the foreseeable future.”

“So it’s like this every day?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. It just seems like a struggle to have to deal with all of this. It doesn’t sound pleasant.”

“It’s a struggle but one that I’ve learned to deal with. I’m Julius Caesar, Emperor of the Roman Empire. My borders are expanding and the people are fighting back. Eventually, someone will stab me in the back.”

“You make it sound so morbid.”

“I’m sorry,” he chuckled. “But business at this level does indeed get a little trickier.”

“You didn’t answer my question. If you’re not happy, why keep doing it?”

He still didn’t tell me why he was doing it. A man with all of the money in the world and yet he still seemed unhappy. It didn’t make any sense to me.

I remembered the night we made our deal. He spoke vaguely about not being able to experience the pleasure he was searching for. He asked me to experience it with him. He promised me everything. And here I was, still trying to figure out why I was the one to help him out of everybody he could have chosen.

“Stopping is not an option, Angel.”

“Why? Why can’t you just be happy with what it is you have?”

“Who says I’m not happy?”

“You do.”

Thomas stared at me before he smiled as if trying to cover up and deny what I had just said to him. It forced me to laugh just a bit but deep down inside, I was beginning to realize that Thomas was more than just who he seemed to be. The young billionaire with more money than he knew what to do with was just a facade to cover up an issue that he seemed unwilling to share with me. I made it a point to figure out what it was exactly. This was less a job and more of a mystery that needed to be solved.

“I want to fuck you,” he stated to me bluntly.

“Whatever you like, Mr. Livingston.”

Even though he had changed the subject so drastically, he and I both knew that I wouldn’t stop wondering what the right answer to his question was. But he was indeed serious about his intent with what he wanted to do to me.

We both excused ourselves from the table and made our way through the back of the restaurant, escaping into the darkness of the alley. The sound of the streets were the only thing to let me know that we weren’t alone but the streetlights were too distant to show off any prying eyes.

It didn’t take Thomas very long. I spread my legs for him and bent over against the wall as he had his way with me. He finished in my mouth and only moments later, I was washing his taste down with a glass of wine. Dinner was served and we had gone on like nothing had happened. But Thomas still didn’t seem like his mind was clear. He told me that the only pleasure he felt was from sex but even now, he still seemed distracted. For now, however, I would let it go and not say anything about something he seemed to be hiding from me.

“Anthony and Alina are hosting a dinner party tomorrow night,” he said to me. “I’d like you to attend with me, Angel.”

“Of course, Mr. Livingston.”

“It’s a formal party. You’ve dealt with it before. Lots of wealthy individuals. Expensive catering. Exclusive access. It’s something you’ll need to get used to.”

I didn’t say much in response to his plans for me the next night. When he returned to his suite after dinner, Thomas was full of food and liquor, resting solemnly on the couch as he stared into the fireplace. I prepared myself for bed, trying to entice him into repeating our brief rendezvous at the restaurant by once again donning nothing but my underwear. But Thomas didn’t respond to my advances. I eventually gave up, resigned to the fact that tonight Thomas wouldn’t be doing anything more with me.

I leaned up against him and rested my head upon his chest, listening to the beat of his heart.

“Now what are you thinking about?” I asked him.

“Don’t you ever get tired of asking that?”

“No. I’m a woman. It’s in my blood. You should know that by now.”

“I should. But for some reason, I’m always surprised when it happens.”

“Well, women are complicated creatures, Mr. Livingston. You shouldn’t feel too bad about it.”

“Indeed. But for now… I’d just like to enjoy this moment of peace for the rest of the night. If you don’t object, that is.”

“Anything you desire, Mr. Livingston.”

I continued to listen to him breathe softly. He wrapped one of his arms around me and I leaned in closer to him. Closing my eyes, I thought about everything that I had learned about Thomas today. But there was nothing. I only knew that somewhere, deep down inside, there was a man different from what he seemed to be.

Chapter 13

I had a red dress on tonight. The sleek straps stretched tight over my shoulders and the rest of the satin pressed tight against my skin. The long flowing skirt dripped down my legs, two slits on the sides to show off the bare skin of my calves and thighs.

After an uneventful day of enjoying the comforts of Thomas’s penthouse suite, he whisked me away to the dinner party of his friends, Anthony and Alina.

Thomas and I exchanged the usual pleasantries. He told me I was beautiful. It wasn’t odd to hear him say it but it was definitely one of the many things I was growing accustomed to. I was living the life of a woman who was paid to do nothing more than be at the side of a man who had so much money he didn’t know what to do with it.

When we got to the ballroom of the hotel down the street where this particular party was at, it was noticeably more subdued than the previous one I’d been to. The lights were much more dim as candles provided most of the illumination. There were the same haughty old men gathered around their tables, discussing matters that should be trivial at this point in their careers, while their trophy wives sat or stood next to them. The live band played a soft ambient music that didn’t drown out the conversations going on around them. The dance floor wasn’t crowded and the mood was light. Without the bright lights of a chandelier shining down upon me, I felt more comfortable. With less light there would be less people to stare at me and notice how out of place I looked.

But it didn’t take long for someone to spot me. As soon as I’d entered the ballroom with Thomas, Alina quickly made her way to me.

“Thomas, so good to see you. And Angel, of course, that dress looks fabulous on you.”

“Thank you.”

“I knew that shop wouldn’t do you wrong. You’ve got the figure to pull it off.”

Alina was as enthusiastic as she always was. While she continued to praise my current outfit and the makeup I had spent so much time on, I turned to Thomas and watched him as he looked out into the crowd. He searched through all of the decadence and extravagance, his furrowed brow making me curious as to what exactly he was looking for.

“I’m really glad you’re here tonight,” Alina said to me. “You’re going to have a lovely time. We must discuss more about how it’s been being Thomas’s personal assistant.”

“Well, I’m here on Mr. Livingston’s behalf but I can’t be too specific about any certain details.”

“Of course.”

She winked at me and took me by the hand. She dragged me away from Thomas and when I turned to look at him, he did nothing but stand there and smile at me. Alina pulled me into another group of generally indistinguishable young women. The makeup was thick and the outfits looked expensive. Their faces looked constructed and almost too perfect. It was like pieces of art resting upon their necks. It’s about what you would expect when there was nothing else to spend money on.

“Ladies,” Alina said to get all of their attention. “I’d like you to meet Angel. She’s Thomas’s new personal assistant.”

They all looked at me and my face flushed with embarrassment. All of them greeted me graciously, their introductions accompanied by a positive critique about something I looked like. Their compliments were obviously flattery but I appreciated that they weren’t questioning my odd position of attending a function with Thomas and being his “personal assistant.”