Good Girls Do It Well (A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance) (7 page)

“That’s fair. I don’t want to pressure you into having any kind of fun or anything. Even if you aren’t going to sleep with the man, wouldn’t it at least be fun to drive him a little crazy?”

“What do you mean? How am I supposed to drive him crazy?”

“Let’s be honest. You don’t have anything in this closet that you’re going to be able to wear in any restaurant that he is going to take you to. Why don’t we go into my room and find something for you to put on.”

“Um, no offense, but I’ve seen your clothes. I don’t want to advertise that I’m open for business, especially when I’m not.”

“Are you trying to say my clothes would make you look like a slut?”

“A little bit, yeah.”

“Okay, I was just making sure. Anyway, what’s the problem with flashing a little skin at the man? You don’t have to do anything with him. It’s like having an appetizer before dinner because you’re so hungry but by the time all is said and done, you’re much too full when the dessert tray comes around.”

“You literally have an analogy for everything, don’t you?”

“It’s one of my quirks. Come on, let’s find you something to wear.”

In Lexi’s room, I sat down in a chair in the corner of her room while she walked into her closet and started throwing dresses onto the bed. As I watched what she was picking out, I couldn’t help but think she wanted me to dress like I was about to walk the streets looking for a sugar daddy. Each dress that flew out showed more skin than the last. At one point, the amount of fabric on the clothes was becoming so little that I feared she might decide to wrap a ribbon around my breasts and send me on my way.

“Lexi, I don’t think I can wear any of these dresses you’re throwing out here. They aren’t really my style.”

“Don’t be stupid Sarabelle,” she yelled at me from the closet. “Obviously, none of those dresses are going to work with your prude ass. I’m getting them all out of my way so I can find that little red dress I bought last year.”

I knew the red dress she was talking about and realized she knew me a little better than I thought she did. Yes, the red dress is not something that I would have ever bought to wear myself, but out of all the clothes she had in her closet, it was the one that most matched my style. When she finally found it, she pulled it out, brought it over and held it up against me.

The dress was much shorter than any dress I ever wore. I didn’t like to show my legs off even though everyone always tell me that they are one of my best features. It was also very low cut, showing off a lot of cleavage, which I wasn’t particularly comfortable with.

“This is going to look damn good on you,” Lexi boasted. “Christian is going to have a hell of a time trying to keep his hands off of you in this thing.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. What if he spends most of his night wanting to find out what it looks like crumpled up on his bedroom floor?”

“Maybe you should show him. If you decide not to, you can always tell him that the dress is mine.”

“Okay? Why would I want to do that?”

“Because I wouldn’t have any problem with him taking it off of me.”

“Lexi Williams! You stop it right now!”

“Oh, did I strike a nerve? I think you like this guy a little more than you’d like to admit. It’s okay, you know. It’s not that big a deal to give it up. You have been kind of uptight lately. Maybe it’s time for you to have a mind blowing orgasm and see what the fuss is all about. I hear that Christian knows what he’s doing in the bedroom.”

“If I ever decide to find out, it will be on my terms,” I said blushing, wondering if maybe my sister was right. I wasn’t a little girl anymore. Maybe it was dumb to be hanging onto the fantasy of the perfect man sweeping me off my feet.

I decided I had nothing to lose and was going to wear the dress. I grabbed it from my sister and went back to my room to start getting ready. I felt like I had an enormous ball in my stomach and thought I may actually get sick on a couple of occasions. My nerves were getting the best of me. I don’t even know what I was so afraid of. He was just a man taking me to dinner. It wasn’t like I was going out for a job interview or anything like that. I was being ridiculous and I knew it. There was a part of me that wouldn’t let the nerves go and that only served to make me even more anxious. It felt like something was happening and I didn’t have a clue as to what it is.

I looked at the clock and realized that I didn’t have a ton of time. I still had to shower and get dressed before doing my hair and makeup. I was going to have to hurry if I was going to be ready when he got there. Prioritizing my time, I took a quick shower and got dressed just as fast, leaving most of my time for my hair and face. I wasn’t even close to being done when I heard the doorbell ring. Looking at my watch, it was only 6:30. Was he really here so early?

“I’ll get it,” yelled Lexi as she started running down the stairs towards the foyer where the front door was. After a minute or so, she yelled up to me that Christian had arrived.

“I’m still getting ready. I’ll be right down,” I yelled, embarrassed that he was going to realize how much I went through to get ready for the evening. I wanted him to think that I was coming into the date casually. I wanted him to think that I didn’t care about being there one way or another. The fact that I had about a half-hour of getting ready to do was going to throw that facade straight out the window. I wondered if this was one of his ploys to see if he could get me to hurry up to appease him. I decided I was going to do the opposite. I was going to take my time and he was just going to have to wait.

Once I was completely ready, I looked at my watch again and it was approaching 7:15. I found it kind of funny that he had been downstairs waiting for me the entire time. I could almost guarantee that it took him out of his comfort zone as most women would probably never dream of making the great Christian Wilde wait for them. Hopefully, it would be a little bit of a wake-up call for him, making him realize I am not one of the typical girls that he usually goes out with.

After I was completely ready, I slipped on my shoes and looked at myself in the mirror. With so much leg exposed and my cleavage sticking out, I looked like an entirely different person. Much to my surprise, I didn’t hate it. I didn’t usually make an effort to try to make myself look sexy but apparently I was able to do quite a good job of it. I took a deep breath and decided I was ready. Walking slowly, I descended the steps looking absolutely stunning.

CHAPTER 8

Christian

As Sarabelle came walking down the stairs, I had a hard time believing that what I was seeing was real. Was this the same girl that I had saw for the first time at that silent auction? Was this the same sweet, innocent looking girl that I first spoke to the night of the gala? If her sister hadn't been standing next to me, I would have sworn that Sarabelle had decided to back out of the date and convinced Lexi to be a stand-in. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She was truly a sight to see. Never being able to pass on the opportunity to crack a joke, I opened my mouth against my better judgment.

“Wow Sarabelle, you look fabulous. As good as you look, I think I should have my driver just take us back to my place. We can skip dinner and move straight on to dessert.”

Lexi started laughing instantly but it only took a few seconds of studying Sarabelle’s face to realize I shouldn’t have said anything. Regardless of the fact that I was just kidding, the smile she had been wearing on her face had suddenly turned into a scowl. The comment had apparently left her feeling uncomfortable.

“You know what, I’m not sure if I’m feeling up to this after all. Maybe going out with you tonight isn’t the best idea,” she said, desperately searching for a way out. I would have to think quick if I was going to be able to salvage the evening.

“Oh no, you’re not getting out of our date that easily. What if I promise to be good? Will you go out with me then? I promise I will be on my best behavior.”

Sarabelle looked down at the floor and started to giggle. When she looked back up at me, her face had turned a deep shade of crimson. I’m not sure what I said that was so funny to her but whatever it was had been enough to make her blush. I considered that a success, especially when she continued down the stairs and walked to my side.

“You kids be good and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Lexi said as we started to walk out the door.

“Lexi, I don’t think there is anything you wouldn’t do,” Sarabelle replied.

“Whatever, Sarabelle. Don’t be jealous of me just because I’m not a prude. You guys have fun. I won’t wait up.”

Sarabelle rolled her eyes and walked out the door, closing it behind her. Much to my surprise, she accepted my invitation to take my arm, interlocking hers with mine, allowing me to lead her to the car. The limo driver was standing at the rear of the car, waiting to open the door for us. As we walked, I gave a subtle motion with my head for the driver to get back into the car, which would allow me to play the role of the gentleman who would open the door for the lady.

I held the door open and winked at Sarabelle as she entered the limousine. She looked uncomfortable as she slid in, continuously fighting with her dress to make sure it didn’t expose any more skin than she intended to show. Once she was situated, I got in and sat directly across from her. I wanted to slide into the seat beside her and let my hands explore every inch of skin that her dress wasn’t covering before making my way to the rest of it but I knew I had to bide my time. To make sure I was on my best behavior and kept my wandering hands to myself, I figured it was best if I sat opposte of her. If I played my cards right, I was sure it would happen.

“So where are you taking me?” she asked as I poured her a glass of champagne.

“Nowhere special,” I lied. “Just this little French place that I know in Tarrytown.”

The part about going to a French restaurant in Tarrytown was true. The nowhere special comment, on the other hand, was not so accurate. I was good friends with the head chef of the restaurant and had called ahead to make sure the evening would go smoothly. I don’t know what had gotten into me. I’d never felt pressure to impress anyone I’d taken out before but Sarabelle was different. I wanted to show her a different side of me. The problem was, I wasn’t sure whether or not that different side actually existed.

The ride into Tarrytown was only about 20 minutes long but most of the trip was made in near silence. I made attempts at small talk and got a few answers here and there but I could tell she was uneasy so I backed off a little bit. I hoped there would be plenty of time for conversation during dinner and maybe even after it.

As we walked into the Equus restaurant, we were immediately greeted by Victor Bailey, the Maitre D’.

“Mr. Wilde, it’s very good to see you. We’ve been expecting you and have your table set up for you in the back. You’ll be dining at the chef’s table this evening. Please follow me.”

“Nowhere special, huh?” Sarabelle asked as we followed Victor towards the back of the restaurant and into the kitchen where a special table had been set up. I shrugged my shoulders at her, acting as though I had no idea what was happening.

The kitchen had the best seat in the house. You’d never know how crazy and hectic a kitchen is until you’ve been inside one to see it with your own eyes. Sarabelle looked like she was in awe as everyone was running around, yelling times to one another and coordinating every move to ensure that tables were served at the exact same time. Sarabelle couldn’t believe how many different people it took to make the kitchen run smoothly. When most people order their food, they only think of a single cook preparing their meal. In reality, there is not only the head chef but also a saute cook, fish chef, roast chef, grill chef, fry chef and vegetable chef.

We’d only been seated for about five minutes when Lawrence King, the head chef of the restaurant, came over to greet us. I stood up as I saw him coming.

“Christian, it’s been a long time! It’s so good to see you,” he said as he shook my hand. “We are going to take such good care of you and your lovely date tonight. You don’t have to worry about a thing. Sit tight for just a second and we’ll get some wine over here for you. The food won’t be far behind.”

“Thanks, Larry,” I said. “This is her first time here and I want to impress her with your finest dish.”

“I only deal in perfection, you know this!”

I sat back down just in time for Sarabelle to lean over towards me.

“What are they bringing us to eat? We haven’t even seen a menu?”

“We don’t need a menu. I already ordered our food when I called ahead and spoke to Larry.”

She seemed concerned because I didn’t know much about her, much less what she liked to eat. Little did she know that I had done my research. Not only had I spoken in-depth with her sister but I had also searched through her Instagram account, where she loved to post photos of the food she prepared. I found it a little shocking that my prude Sarabelle hashtagged everything as FoodPorn.