Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

"Thanks Jacques." Danielle said gratefully to her best friend's ex, getting out of his cab, after she'd asked him a million times, pleading earnestly with him to drive her when she'd woken up late for her scheduled appointment.

Jacques, forty and thin with a fat moustache and dark hair cascading locks down his forehead, cocked a brow at her, "Now, can I have my money?"

Danielle gave him a faux smile and rummaged through her bag pretentiously "Shoot!" she grunted, "I forgot to take my purse."

He glared at her realizing she was lying, "When can I have my money?"

"Right when I get this job," she beamed; happy he didn't persist for his money. Knowing him for a year and half, Jacques would create any scene to get his money back. Including hauling her up by her skirt.... if he was that strong.

"I am counting on you to get this job." He warned and scrutinized her outfit the first time since the ride. She wore a black satin blouse with ruffles on the neckline and a high-waisted matching skirt, "You'll need more cleavage if you want good news."

"Sorry Jacques," her voice etched with sarcasm, "it's a woman giving me the job."

"Oh," he nodded in realization, "I almost told you not to offer BJs, if anything, handle a hand job, 'cause you never know where his junk has been to."

She giggled lightly watching the cab screech away "Silly." She remarked turning to face the building she was heading to.

Grayman Avenue, Santa Barbara, Newchic. All her life as a free-lance writer, her biggest wish was for an employment in one of the best Women's magazines in the world. Newchic was every girl's dream and being part of the 'every', she'd planned her life to be prepared for the glitz and glamor that came with working for the magazine.

Now, all she needed was to know if she had the job with the trial article published in the previous issue. And that was only possible if she could muster courage to walk into the building without running back for a cab home.

It was normal to be nervous, but it wasn't normal for nervousness to keep her standing outside the building on a pavement for almost five minutes.

A passing guy with a Mohican cut with tattoos all over winked at her.

She grinned comfortingly, that was the encouragement she needed. She strutted towards the building with an elegant lithe, making sure she made perfect steps with her 3.5 inch Louboutin heels, swaying her head and making her chin-length red hair move with the light wind.

As she did her mojo-walk crossing the street to the building, she felt slightly uncomfortable underneath-Her Panties! She cursed silently, stopping right at the entrance of the building. They must have entered her bottom again.

'Sometimes, fashion was a pain in the ass,' she'd heard from a lot of people, now she was realizing it. And the most bugging thing was, she was literally experiencing it.

She dug her hands into the back of her skirt trying to get herself out of the awful wedgie situation.

She sighed in relief as she made slight movements to test for comfort.

"Oooh!" a group of guys taking the adjacent pavement hooted at her.

She turned sharply at them and looked away quickly, "Great Danni," she chided herself, "next time you want to embarrass yourself with good-looking guys make sure you select the right underwear."

 

Newchic's workspace occupied the fourth and fifth floors of Black Publishing Company building, which was a publishing house that was founder of numerous magazines including Newchic.

Danielle had to get to the third floor where her meeting was scheduled at the office of Cathleen Black, President of Black Publishing/EIC of Newchic. Having met her the first time last month, she could gather the woman hated unpunctuality and looking at her watch as she rode alone in the elevator, Danielle was far from punctual.

The elevator doors slid open, she sighed thankfully rushing out of it onto the floor.

"Sorry." She bumped into a few people before reaching the receptionist's desk.

"Danielle Longhorne?" the receptionist who had curly blonde hair and wore a tight suit asked with uncertainty.

"Yeah." Danni nodded frantically, "Please do not tell me the appointment's been cancelled, I am just five minutes late. And you know how living with the elderly is, all the feeding, the diaper change-not forgetting the throw ups--"the receptionist snapped her off her lies.

"No." she shook her head, her eyes bulging out with seriousness, "I do not know how it is living with the elderly, and don't worry about me-it's a good thing Cathleen didn't cancel the appointment, but keep the explanations for her."

"Is she furious?" Danielle asked scared, she'd not even had the job yet and she'd started with the bad impressions already.

"Why don't you go into her office and come back with the report? Trust me, you are not the only one dying to know."

Danielle creased her brows at the rudeness to which she'd answered her, "Nice suit." She complimented out of annoyance before she turned to walk towards Cathleen's office.

Danielle pushed through the door tagged 'Cathleen Black-President'. She stepped into a chic office with five cabinet drawers, a large glass desk-on it a vase of roses. A small black leathered sofa stood beside the desk with a coffee table and a couple of magazines. On the walls were posters of Newchic covers which Cathleen had explained earlier, were the best-selling issues of the magazine.

She looked back at the glass desk noticing the dark woman with rich brown chocolate skin and brown hair pouring down the straight shoulders. She was dressed up professionally in a white pant-suit and black heels that revealed immaculately painted fuchsia toe-nails. At the moment, she was busily scanning files whilst tapping a pencil against her desk.

Danielle didn't know whether to interrupt her or wait till she looked up to notice her. She was already late so she guessed she should take the brave step of making her aware of her presence, "Ms. Black?" she called, nervous.

Cathleen looked up and on seeing her, she took off her contact lenses to reveal her piercing gray eyes.

Danni felt her skin peel off as her hot gaze scanned her outfit.

"First things first, Granny."

Danni's features went dead at how she'd been referred to.

"Anything wrong?" Cathleen asked, noticing her expression.

"You called me... Granny." Danielle almost killed herself for voicing that out.

"Isn't that what you told me the other time?" she asked, confused "'I am Danielle Longhorne, Grannie for short.'" She made a mimic of her voice.

"That's not what I had said," she tried making it sound less rude than it already was "I said," she enunciated, "'I am Danielle Longhorne, you can call me Danni for short."

"Oh," she said in comprehension, gesturing her to take the seat adjacent to her.

Danielle walked quickly to the desk, pulling out the swivel chair and sitting.

"Well," she spoke tucking her hair behind her ear, "First things first, Granny," she said with all intention, making Danni aware of the fact that she was still the boss and could call her anything she wanted, "I adore the blouse," she pointed her acutely-sharpened pencil at the black satin top "who designed it? I mean, it might be black but it sure isn't from Ralph Lauren's Black label."

"It's one of those dresses you buy at the flea markets with its label ripped off by the other bitches who struggled with you to get it." She answered honestly, winning a chuckle from the woman. Honesty had always been the best policy, even in securing a job at a high-end magazine.

"Okay, let's get to the point here..."

Danielle's heart skipped a beat as she waited for the news. She prayed she was getting the job, and that sincerely was the last time she would be saying any prayers if she didn't get it.

"The point is," she brushed a stray strand on her arm "you can't come into a place that could be the HQ of the fashion industry dressed in something from the flea markets."

"I know." Danielle admitted mortified, "But in these hard economic times, it's not easy affording a wardrobe with each outfit at thousands of dollars."

Cathleen sighed in exasperation, "Let's get to the point here, the tweed skirt so isn't working for me."

Danni kept a smile on, 'cause she knew if she took it off, she was going to RIP HER HEAD OFF! Enough with the clothes already! She came here for the job not a whole lecture of what outfit works and what doesn't. Plus, she was hurting her feelings, minutes before walking into her office, she'd thought she was the most fashionable woman on the planet-not the most fashionable thing, everyone knew Lady Gaga was the most fashionable thing on the planet.

"And haven't you heard of accessorizing!" Cathleen yelled at her "Okay, so you are wearing earrings, but we all know if they aren't Swarovskis, you are not accessorizing!"

Danielle switched her gaze to her surroundings in order to block the thoughts of things that had a lot to do with punches and throttling.

"And crissakes, what scent do you have on?" she scrunched her nose in displeasure "Please tell me it's something from a celeb, 'cause the scent doesn't matter if it's got J-Lo on it."

Danielle looked back at her incredulously. Maybe she thought she was no match for her in the wrestling department that was why she was pushing her buttons that hard. Really, Danielle knew she couldn't stand up  to a fight with the woman, any attempt and she was going to be crushed like hotdogs in a roll. If she really wanted to hear whether she had the job... or not, she must think of something to get the woman straight to the point.

"You know it would have taken just a cinch at the waist to nail the outfit," she surmised "I didn't want to say this but..." she shook her head pitifully "your choice of clothing is as bad as your article."

Tears slid down Danni's cheek instantly, she buried her face in her hands sobbing uncontrollably.

"Oh my..." Cathleen stared at her horrifyingly, just when she thought she had thick skin to endure in the business "Tell me you are not crying."

"I am!" Danni yelled at her "you just called my article bad."

"Okay, I didn't mean what I said about your article." Cathleen blurted out wondering if she just joined the baby-sitters club.

Danielle almost grinned. She couldn't believe she'd fallen for her 'cry-baby' trick. Thank heavens she hadn't ditched the prank back when her mother had found out it was a ploy to always get what she wanted. Now she was going straight to make the woman go straight to the point, "You are lying." She continued with her pretension reaching out for Cathleen's bag for a handkerchief.

"Here." She handed her the Kleenex on her desk when she guessed what she was scrambling to her bag for, feeling awful for causing her to cry.

Danielle dubbed the Kleenex at her tears, speaking, "You are not telling me the truth, and do you know how much that hurts? I have strived for years trying to make it to Newchic and I come here and all you tell me is lies!"

"You had the job!" Cathleen blurted out to Danni's surprise.

"That's another of your lies, isn't it?" she asked, tears ceasing all of a sudden.

At Cathleen's assuring smile, Danni leaped out of her chair screaming "Aargh!"

Cathleen stuck a finger in both ears to stop the noise.

She slammed back in the chair frenetically, getting short of breath, "Tell me more."

Cathleen grinned, happy she'd made her happy, "I loved your article-Love is an understatement," she thought for a word "I...LOVED it!" she screamed out when no possible word came in mind. Before Danielle leaped for a scream, she gripped her arm to prevent her "wait till I am done." She instructed coldly "I wasn't the only one who loved it, all our readers did and in our mailbag we've got thousands of letters on your brilliant article, Sniffing His Underwear. Newchic has made a decision, and we didn't only give you the job, but a three-page space," she gripped her tightly when she was about to go for another jump "now with this info I hope you don't cry anymore and scream, 'cause if you do, I am taking back my job and giving it to someone who doesn't scream so loud."

Danni smiled happily after hearing all that news "Thank You." She stood up, taking her bag "I promise I won't disappoint." She said through a broad grin.

"Start by not screaming."

"At least can't I do just a little?" Danni implored.

"Just a little." Cathleen agreed after thought.

"Aargh!" Danni screamed louder in excitement.

"I told you I will take my job back." Cathleen threatened.

Danni rushed out of her office. She walked briskly past the receptionist who awarded her scowl for yelling past her desk. She smiled excitingly walking down the street, sashaying to the tune of Florence and the Machine's Dog Days Are Over which had hit playback in surround sound in her mind. She loved Florence Welch (-though she couldn't afford an album-yet) Dog Days Are Over was like a female empowerment track.Free-lancing days are over.Staying up all night wondering which big-time mag was going to sign you, was over. All the bitchy editors who wanted you to sell the rights to your article so they turned up as the creative minds behind them, were over.

Newchic. New beginning. New life. New shoes.

Never had she felt this pleased with her life as a virgin.

(Florence and the Machine-Dog Days Are Over)

 

 

"Alberto Cavallini, charming, sexy, bachelor-not for long, is getting married," Alberto read from a tabloid in his kitchen making coffee, "who's the lucky girl?"

Where do these morons get all their information from? he thought to himself laughing seeing the picture attached. It was him in a white suit at the Emmys with a silhouette figure of a woman hooked under his arm.

Now his secret was no secret anymore, he thought, aiming the tabloid in the bin.

He plugged  the coffee-maker into the socket, after filling the filter basket, adding water, he dragged his feet lazily across the wooden floor, moving into the hall of his Venice Beach house.

He fell onto a sofa and supported his head on the armrest, waiting for his always bad coffee to be brewed as he thought about Danielle for the first time in weeks. As bad as it sounded, he had work, work, work, which hardly left him time to think of her, moreover, get off thinking of her. Who said being a high profile Hollywood director was an easy task?

He had met her on a dating site years ago-couldn't remember which particular one since he'd been trooping from chatroom to chatroom when he got bored-and yes, their relationship had already hit low octane. He had loved her because of her sense of humour (and a guy like him needed that, since he hardly showed his teeth for a laugh), she was also smart and hot. Her reddish-brownish short hair gave her an exotic edge and so did her sober tiny brown eyes which always had a glint even when she frowned.

After a year of getting to know each other through Skyping and tweeting pictures of their every activity, their relationship status transformed from friendship to lovers after a proposal he'd made along with a Facebook gift package. The next year, their first physical date came on, as bad as he'd wanted, she never uttered the words, "How about you come in for coffee?". She'd told him she did free-lancing for low key magazines, after years of lying she was a hawt flight attendant and took off her boob add-ons. He had confessed he wasn't a mechanic, revealing he was the Alberto Cavallini. Their relationship had blossomed hitting the local pubs while trying to stay clear of tthe paparazzi, and arguing on topics like, 'Who is funnier? Jimmy Fallon or Steve Caroll?'. After a long while, she invited him into her crammed-up house, and after coffee, he made the first move, but her friend-walked in on them. He had found out the house was her friend's and after more interruptions from her, he had had it, he asked her to move in with him.

Then he had wanted to have sex with her, but she will complain she was tired-which terrified him because all she did was stay home and flicker through TV channels emptying his cellar. Sometimes, they would be kissing each other hungrily and tearing their clothes off, then she'd doze off right when they were about the third base.

After a quadrillion attempts of trying and getting more desperate as time passed, she noticed his frustration for wanting so bad to do the deed with her, and as though the thought was nefarious after three months of living together, she packed out and moved back with her friend.

On a date last month, October, he'd asked her to be his wife. Partly because he loved her and duh, she knew perfectly well that sex was part of the deal, nevertheless she had agreed and made him the happiest man on earth. It was all she could do after making him one of the horniest guys in the world. The Hollywood wedding, which was being handled by a celebrity planner and his personal assistant who didn't want to take her leave for the up-coming holiday season, was scheduled for three weeks, but still he couldn't wait to get the issue of the deed over and done with. He had stayed faithful for long-but he had to admit, the reason was because her was a good soloist.

He picked up his phone from a table messed up with more trashy tabloids of news about him he had failed to throw away since, and dialed his fiancée's number. He still found it strange he had kicked her off speed dial, but he was a Hot-shot Hollywood movie director, he couldn't afford not having celebrities on speed dial.

He smiled when she answered her phone, "Alberto." To his surprise her voice had no heart-warming effect as it used to.

"Danni." His thick Italian brogue interfered with his English.

"'Honey, I had the job!" she screamed in excitement. "Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, it is." He answered not caring in the least. He wasn't even sure she could keep the job she had dreamed of so much when they tied the knot. Playing Hollywood wife was job enough.

"You don't sound happy." Somehow she noticed.

"I am happy," he denied forcing a chuckle "Let's celebrate tonight." He blurted out, although that wasn't quite what he had in mind, but he was Alberto Cavallini. He was loved because he could take up any genre of script with the lowest budget, and make a box office smashing hit out of it.

"That's not going to work Alberto, I've got to be planning on my next big article."

"C'mon," he hated to be denied, but Danni was the best at it, starting from her not wanting them to have sex with him unless they were married "There will be candles, strawberries, Italian cuisine-plus, I will be cooking."

"Sounds tempting, but sorry." He could almost see her shake her head obstinately "I have got work to do."

"Hey, I make a mean Fettucine." He continued in his persuasion "Are you going to turn it down, me down, us down? Danni you know we are getting married in three weeks. Now isn't that enough for you to agree."

She sighed-sign of defeat, "Okay." She finally agreed, "Just promise I will come out alive. I just had this job, I don't want to be dying because I ate something you made."

He smiled, did he say he loved her mainly because of her sense of humor?-besides her boobs and good looks.  "I promise if there's anyone having a chance at death it's me, I will be the one handling all the fire trying to make the best food."

"Bye." He sensed her smile, getting off the sofa to head for his coffee.

"I will be waiting." She hanged up and he jumped in excitement.

He punched speed dial one and reached his P.A "Reina." He spoke, "I need C.A's finest Italian chef." Before she got curious he disconnected.

"Ah." He sighed pleasingly sipping his coffee, he was finally going to make love to her-and complete the love-making.

 

 

 

Danielle got to Orilla Del Mar district, the fine East Beach neighborhood that had more women in bikinis than Macy's swimwear department.

She arrived home with her feet hurting, who said it would be easy walking in 3.5 inch Louboutins? She couldn't even make ten blocks in flats. She dreaded any form of exercise, but that's what she got for leaving her purse (who was she kidding? She couldn't even chase an ice cream van with the money she had in her purse).

She took off her heels stepping into her best friend, Shelly Green's house. As always she was welcomed by its crammed hall which was just like the other two bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen of the house. It had rugs everywhere, two sofas, a small TV surrounded by a sound system, shelves with loads of books and a desk which she didn't use anymore with a P.C and a couple of files. The house wasn't as cozy as Alberto's, but it held a lot of excitement and life than his did.

Who knew what two women living alone could do in the dark, broad-day light and at dusk?

Shelly walked out of the kitchen with a laptop in her hand and on seeing Danni at the door, "Hey, I wasn't expecting you." She said feigning chagrin "I thought being out to get a job meant looking for a place of your own too."

Danielle smiled at her sarcasm, she'd gotten used to it all these years "Why the swimsuit?" she asked watching her flaunt her perfectly tanned petite body in a black nylon-lycra.

"Just because I am hitting fifty, doesn't mean my days of partying are over." She replied sitting on the sofa.

She wasn't hitting fifty. She was fifty. Even though she hated to admit it, she looked younger than ten years off her age. With the help of Botox, the face-lifts creams, foundations that promise anti-wrinkling and all the yoga and Pilates, she could pass as mid-thirties. She feared ageing and did everything not to be called Granny. Oh-and yes, she didn't have children-and who could deny that wasn't the best way to prevent the Granny title?

Doing all these, one might think she was a socialite like Paris Hilton or the fabulous designer, Kimora Lee Simmons or a terrific show host like Cat Deeley. Rather, she was just an author (yes, author as in Nora Roberts-well, except the looks).

"So," Danni came by her on the couch distracting her writing "Aren't you going to ask me?"

She looked confused "Oh," she let out in realization "Are you a virgin?" She relaxed back in the couch in mockery "Sorry, I already know the answer to that."

"I did it with some random guy on the streets." Danielle blurted out in annoyance offering a faux smile "It was hot. And man, it was hard to count the o's."

"Really?" Shelly grinned to share her excitement.

"No." she replied brusquely "Won't you ask if I got the job?"

"Oh," she grimaced, "that."

"About the job," she persisted when she wasn't asking "I had it!" she snarled at her "And I would have been so thrilled if you asked."

"Honey," she patted her shoulders, "the only thing I care about these days is you finding another place."

"I am getting married in three weeks, at least be happy to spend the last..." her voice trailed in thought "can I get help with the calculation?"

"Eighteen days." Shelly lied knowing she wasn't going to figure that out in a million years.

"Eighteen days with your best pal." Danni concluded.

"Yeah," Shelly banged her laptop shut "Nothing is more engaging than listening to you whine about how your Hollywood fiancé wants badly wants to do you."

"That's so not true." Danielle denied feistily "I do not always talk about Alberto wanting to have sex." She paused "Besides, he called on my way to offer a congratulatory dinner he is planning tonight. Men are confusing, they want to do the deed, why not ask right away?"

"I will be in my room when you are done." Shelly stood up with her laptop, tired of hearing her complain.

"Don't you walk out on me Shelly Green," Danni grunted, screaming, "For Chrissakes I am facing a crisis here!"

Shelly spun around right when she heard that "For Chrissakes, break your virginity!" she walked back to the couch angrily blustering "I am fifty-forty-nine! A widow! Haven't had sex with my husband for ten years! But I have with other guys countless times and believe me, it was unexplainable!" she paused, then went on after catching her breath "You are thirty, it's so okay when you do not burst your cherry at twelve-like I did mine. It's understandable when you kept it through the eve of eighteen and twenty. Twenty-five, great to be saving it for Mr. Perfect! On the eve of thirty?! Girl are you outta your mind, just buuuuuuuurrrrrrsssssssssssttt it already!"

Danni was surprised at all those screams avalanched on her, "Wow." She let out in shock, "That was a whole lot of anger you just let out." She muttered.

"Danni," she sat by her on the couch "you should see a shrink, this is psychological." She said with all the seriousness she could gather.

"Don't start with this Shell," she stood up "I am fine and perfect and happy to be saving for marriage." She feigned a smile "I will be in my room when you are done with talk of shrinks and breaking virginities."

Shelly watched her walk away in surprise "Chrissakes Danni, don't walk out on me! ... I am facing a crisis here!"

Chapter 2

                                 

CHAPTER 2 

Danielle shut the door of the cab gently as she got out to Santa Monica. The skies were dark as coal and the evening breeze was soothing as a spa treat. 

 She turned her gaze away from the star-glittering skies to Alberto's semi-detached duplex house.

Two months since she had stepped foot here and the house hadn't changed. It wasn't like she was expecting some big renovations, but sometimes she forgot Alberto was Hollywood Royalty and she'd bet people with that tag makeover their houses like they changed their wardrobe.

One thing she liked about him, he wasn't the Hollywood stereo-type type. He wasn't ostentatious, and he was all there was to know about him-no secrets, just the Italian with a loving heart-and an uncontrollable thirst for sex.

Rubbing her palm against her blue sequined Luca Luca dress which had a low back drop, three-quarter sleeves and spaghetti-straps, she wiped the sweat off knowing well what was getting her nervous.

She was popping her cherry tonight, yay! Wasn't that great?

She wasn't convinced though, but she was doing it anyway. Thirty was no age to celebrate without having a bikini wax.

She did her mojo walk; chin high, shoulder high and a slight grin, heading for Alberto's house. She punched the bell on reaching the porch of deckchairs. Ding, ding. She pressed a couple of times. When she had no answer she grunted in frustration"Seriously." She uttered in her anger, if she'd come all the way to be PUNK'D she'd make sure she wasn't leaving him without a hole in his groin.

She tried the doorknob and was surprised the door jerked open. Alberto never left his house unlocked. Maybe that was the plan, she thought, he wanted her to come in without being the one to let her in.

Seriously, what was she thinking? Fiancées never used the bells, did they? Well, she had left her keys with him when she'd moved out tired of him demanding sex all the time. That turned out to be a good decision preventing her from creeping back beneath his covers whenever she was going through the feeling-lonely night phase.

She walked into the dark hall, remembering where the switch was, she palmed her hands on the smooth wall-papered walls to locate it. She turned on the lights watching the beautiful chandeliers dim-lit the exquisite hall.

"Alberto?" she called tracing her gaze up the stairs.

"Alberto?" her voice rang louder walking towards the staircase.

Before she could take her first step on the stairs, she caught sight of the dining hall blearing with flickering flames of candles.She cocked a brow in puzzlement as a smile curved her lips.

Guess who was reading Newchic to go the extra mile to sweep her off her feet.

She walked slowly to the dining hall, her knees shivering from excess anticipation with a doze of excitement making it difficult to move in her golden Giussepe Zannotti peep-toes. She pushed open the dining hall door wide, stepping into the beautiful array of burning sweet-scented candles. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the vanilla in the air.

 Inching closer to the round set-up table with two chairs adjacent each other, expecting to see some lip-smacking Italian dishes, but there was none.

Like any sane woman, she couldn't resist Italian food and Italian men. Italian men were better than their American counterparts and whoever disagreed should go over Jack Black and Leonardo DiCaprio to see who ticks most of their boxes (certainly not Jack Black after his performance in Guliver's Travel wearing-eek!-a granny robe in portraying the doll).

She felt the hair at the back of her neck stand, and she heard footsteps behind her. Before she could turn, two strong hands snaked around her waist from behind, drawing her close to their possessor.

She stiffened in his arms inhaling his musky scent which was just like a breath of fresh Texan air: hot and dusty (emphasis on hot) . Only being this close to him could stir wild emotions, like the unexplainable sensations coursing through her body.

Fire seared her neck when his lips touched it "Alberto." She moaned silently, sending her hands behind to move her fingers through his silky hair. She closed her eyes loving the moment to the extreme "I missed being in your arms." She whispered.

"I missed being with you." He whispered back in her ear as his finger played circles around her navel area.  If anyone could use his hands more than X-men's Wolverine, it had to be him.

"What will we be having today?' she asked rubbing her hands against his hairy arms, touching a Rolex and feeling their strength.

"Me." He giggled in her ear at his answer making her heart flutter.

"Mm..." she carried on with his seduction, thinking that should be the best way so she would not chicken out when it came to the last minute "That sounds... spicy."

He hauled her around to face him and realizing he was shirtless, she found out where all the attraction had come from.Alberto was hunkiest of the hunks; his physique was Greek god standards. High embossed chests, six-pac steel abs, his arms were lean muscled and perfectly chiseled. She realized he had waxed off the hair on his tummy. Maybe she wasn't the only one who thought thirty was no thirty without waxing.

Hell-ooo? They were getting married it was only normal they shared the same ideas (at least)when it came to grooming.

"Nice shirt." She complimented jokily looking in his fiery brown eyes.

"It's a Cavallini. Hundred percent cotton." He replied with a grin, listening to her chuckle.

"Please tell me what we are having." She implored as he led her to the table dragging one of the chairs for her to sit. Like a true Italian gentleman.

"A taste off." He replied laconically to her confusion.

"Taste off?"

"Give me a sec."

He came back holding two huge trays with plates of all kinds of Italian delicasies. Her taste buds watering as she stared at the plates being settled along the circumference of the table. They were eight in total, all screaming to be eaten.

"Taste off?" she asked again, this time having somewhat of a clue.

He nodded "This," he moved to his seat twirling the table "is a swivel table." He spoke demonstrating, "These dishes here, I have labored to prepare."

"Mm..." she rubbed her palms in anticipation "I guess I will be tasting all these."

"Yeah." He winked at her making her heart flutter "And I am going to take you through the trouble I went through cooking them."

"I can't wait." She squealed in excitement.

"Then don't." he gestured at the food right in front of her "Let that be your first."

She shook her head disagreeing "How about..." she pointed a plate to his immeditate left.

He twirled the plate to her gently but swiftly "Filletto alla Rossini."

"Mm..." she murmured closing her eyes to savor the taste iwith delight "I love it." She spoke with food in her mouth "Did you say you cooked it?"He nodded lying. He had worked all afternoon watching Disney Channel (could you blame him? He was bored) as a chef did all the cooking.

One thing about being Celeb, you could get everything you wanted and lie about it all you wanted "C'mon Danni, you've got seven more dishes to go." He stated after watching her dig her fork in the meal more than four times.

"Ugh," she slumped into her chair obstinately, "I never want to stop eating this."

"What's your next choice?" Her features cogitated looking down at the meals "I think I'll have that meat." She pointed the baked ziti.

"Good choice." Alberto lauded twirling the table for the plate to face her.

"Alberto, you really think I am stupid to believe you cooked all this." She chowed down the meat.

"You are just jealous I cook better." He teased taking hold of her hands to bring back the chemistry that was dwindling.She felt her skin tingle looking down at his hand caressing hers. 

She looked into his eyes to see him have that gaze that made you feel he was undressing you-the penetrating gaze. Clearing her throat to evade the thoughts of him making love to her, she pulled her hands from beneath his "I'll take that." She pointed a plate closer to her, her voice not sounding as enthusiastic as it had been.

He nodded giving the table a little push. "Spaghetti Karmponara." He said, chiding himself for making her feel that uncomfortable.  

 If he wanted things to turn out successfully as he had planned, he had to take off the I-want-to-undress-you quality of his gaze.

Fortunately after tasting the Fettucine al ragu alla Bolognese, chicken cabonara with farfalle, polenta with hunter sauce, she got her zeal for the date back.

Seeing she'd tasted all the dishes on the table "Now," she spoke grinning at him like a proud cat after its daily milk ration, "let me rate your cooking." She looked down the plates "My favorite was the fettucine thing, it was the best I've ever tasted and I am giving it a ten out of ten." She nodded in affirmation, "All was great Alberto. Maybe I should admit that between us, I suck at cooking... or... " She wore on a skeptical look reaching for her purse to pull out a sticker and stamped it hard on the table in an in-your-face sorta way "I found it at the hall and I thought you should see it."

"No." Alberto's face contorted in embarrassment looking at the sticker that read:

FROM THE SERVICES OF ALDO's.

"OK, you caught me." He looked extremely mortified, making her see his boyish side.

"I didn't think for once you did it." She mocked "Thanks for hiring the best chef and bravo he did all this."

"Time for desserts." He said standing up from his chair.

"Speaking of time," she stopped him by his arm as he moved away to catch the hour on his Rolex"Eleven-thirty!" she gasped in surprise, "I have to go."

She stood up frantically snatching her purse from the table.

"Go?" he said in surprise "We haven't had desserts yet, and the wine, this time, had my hand in its selection." He said in disappointment, he knew she was running off, so she wouldn't get to spend the night.

If there was anything Danielle would have loved to do... and was scared to do, it was bursting her cherry. But tomorrow was Sunday; she needed to begin work on her article. One thing about Sunday was, if you started early, you would be in a chain of success, but when you began late, failure was inevitable. Says who? The girl stalling out of her fiancé's because she'd suddenly decided she was bursting her virginity at thirty-five (ok, not all that was true. C'mon thirty-five?! Was she insane? Who kept their virginity PAST thirty?) 

"Sorry," She apologized with a remorseful look "but I've got to go."

He stared at her for a long while, his expression vague "I will walk you to the door." he said finally.

"Thanks." She offered a faux smile dragging him to the door. "I promise we will have this another time."

"It's not like the date didn't end with all my boxes ticked." He feigned a smile.

She smiled back tip-toeing to take his lips with hers for a kiss.

Weeks since they'd kissed, but as he tasted her lips, he began to get all the rush of adrenalin he had the first time he had kissed her. He plunged his tongue deeper, circling his arms around her shoulders drawing her tight. Her mouth, with reference to taste, had no fine line between delicious and hot.

She pulled away realizing he was taking the simple kiss too far.Had he thought he was shooting one of his romantic comedies?But just like in the romantic comedies the kiss had had an overwhelming effect on her that her pulse was rocketing sky-high.

She gazed into his eyes filled with desire, "I have to go." She managed.

He wanted her to stay but he wasn't forcing her. He opened the door for her and leaned against it watching her take steps backwards out of his house with her eyes still on him.

"I had a nice time."

He nodded "Glad you did." He watched her turn away, then without thinking, but knowing he didn't  want her gone, he reached out to grab her wrist before she 

could take another step, yanking her back into the house and closing the door shut behind them.

"Alberto." Before she could protest, he captured her lips with his, she responded to the kiss in a split second and he was delighted she'd rather be with him than leave.

"I have to go." She broke away to speak with her breath rugged.

"I know." He went back sucking at her lower lip persistently.

"It's getting late." She pulled away after seconds of returning his kisses.

"I know." He nailed her hands on the door, this time, pushing his weight down on hers against the door with all his strength, forcing her to give up with the protests.

"You kiss good." She remarked between his kisses, she shook her head realizing what had come out of her lips "I meant, I have to go."

"I know." he replied back cheekily and inched his lips closer to hers again.

"I know." He grasped her thin waist and swept her off her feet into his arms "How about new surroundings?" he asked with a grin.

"Put me down." She said obstinately.

"Seriously, you want me to believe you are not interested." he grinned cockily.

"Put me down this second!" she said louder, making him get loud and clear, she wasn't into what he had in mind.

He stared at her silently for seconds. His then handsome features now dead-panned with anger he was trying to conceal.  Slowly, he let her down.She sighed in relief running out of the house without giving him a second glance.

He kicked his sofa in frustration, chiding himself partly for being a moron and hating her for not wanting to be with him.

She'd always been like this since the start of their relationship. One second she was into it, but the next she'd be running out of his house shuttiing down all communication with him for weeks.

He sank into his sofa with mixed feelings of anger and regret. Maybe he should reconsider this marriage thing. What's a fiancée who wouldn't want to to do the deed three weeks to the wedding? Plus, they'd been dating for over a year-if his records were right-and not once had he come close to getting it with her.

The door bell rang to interrupt his thoughts, and groaning inwardly, he picked himself up from the couch and sauntered to the door.

He rarely had visits if not from his P.A since this was one of his numerous houses Hollywood didn't know of. So no pop-ups from fans waiting for an autograph, or untalented actresses bludgeoning him for a role in his upcoming title with assets he'd never been fond of.

He swang the door open and was surprised to see Danni. A smile curved his lips in bewilderment.

"I am crazy," she began frenetically, "and I am so unsure of this." she sighed deeply for a dramatic pause "but I think I want to do this."  

He smiled to himself somewhat cockily, gazing at her bemused with his head tilted to a side.

"C'mon Alberto, I wish you had a lot of time to start with in the first place." she brushed past him in annoyance. "Thirty minutes, and you can't have more.".

 He pulled her back into his arms before she moved further away and plastered a sultry kiss on her lips. She pushed him off her within seconds that he fell to the couch.

"What was that for?" he asked with a surprised smile.

"Catch me if you can." She ran towards the stairs.

"If that's how you want it." She heard him say as she took the stairs hastily.

In no time he was right behind her, covering distance like an angry villain in a scary movie.

Before she could make a touch-down onto the corridor upstairs, her feet weren't on the ground. Her head wasn't either.

She threw him a look that said: At least let me get to the room before you take me in your arms.

He was supposed to be her Superman (not Spiderman, everything about spiders gave her the creeps), but now staring into his leering eyes, he felt like Octopus or- worse-the Wicked Witch of the West.

Hell, f**k the voice that convinced her to return.

In what seemed like hours of being in the arms of a beast ready to devour her, she was thrown onto his king-sized bed with his hunky body hopping onto hers.

He clasped her shoulders with his hands, parting her thighs with his.

"Wait." She pushed him off her rolling out of the bed.

"What?" he demanded in his impatience.  

These were always the sexual anti-climaxes he had with her. If he was lucky enough they would make love to each other passionately (if kissing for hours was your idea of 'making love passionately'), but when it was time for him to take her clothes off, she would resist saying she was exhausted or had to stay up at night to finish an article.First he thought she was keeping him in suspense, but now he was thinking she was practicing some strange religion that prevented any form of entry to her jay-jay.

"I...I..." she was incoherent "I need something."

"What do you need?" he asked uninterested.

"Lemonade." She improvised quickly.

She needed to plan her escape. In no way was she going to relive one of those horrifying stories where chimpanzees attacked women and abused them sexually, in no way was she giving birth to babies who were so hairy, there wouldn't be enough plasters when they went to for a wax (not that Alberto was a chimp, *swoons* he is a darling, but let's face it, he was acting a bit, uh, animalistic).

Stupid, stupid Danielle. Stupid for returning.

"Lemonade?"

"If I am doing this I need something to calm me down." She cheered herself for lying that quick skipping the part where she had to, wave her waist flirtatiously, throw her arms with pom-poms unreasonably about and make splits to add, "Unfortunately, I forgot my anti-depressants.".

"I'm not sure I have lemonade," he backed towards the door, "give me a sec."

When he was away, she looked around for the best place to escape sex with him. She rushed to the window and drew it up “Damn.” She muttered staring down at the height “Ten feet.” She shook her head disbelievingly at what she was thinking “If that will get me away from the eager monster.”

She was about to jump when a cold breeze chilled her pores that she was faced with an intense shiver throughout her body. It was only then she realized, SHE DIDN'T HAVE CLOTHES ON! "Dammit!" Alberto had tossed her outfit downstairs right before he brought her into his room, leaving no such thing as an underwear.

Without thinking, she rushed into her closet and picked up a linen long-sleeved shirt.

“Danielle?”

She dropped the shirt on the floor running out of his closet.

“What were you doing in there?”

Before she answered she snatched the glass from his hands and only found out it was tequila when she it was in her mouth, she wanted to spit out the liquor, but thought it was necessary if she really was jumping ten feet to escape. She looked up to hand back the glass realizing he was no more by her but on the bed tapping the mattress invitingly.

Think Danielle, you don’t have to do this, tell him you are a virgin and this might all be over “Alberto.” She walked to the bed with her mind made up “I am not doing this.” She saw disappointment drawn on his face “I am not doing this if I am not going to be allowed on top.”

He sighed in relief getting out of the bed and coming right in front of her to grab her hands “I know you are nervous about this, but please let me take care of the top seat.”

“No.” she shook her head obnoxiously “And I take the below seat.”

“Why do you want to be on top anyway?” he asked angrily “It’s not like you are better handling it than I am.”

She creased her brows in annoyance “What happened to not judging a book by its cover?”

He chuckled placing his hands at his sides “Okay, what experience do you have?”

“Do you think I am virgin?” she frowned deeply, actually, she was afraid to tell him she was “You want to know all I can do with your junk hopping on it, guiding it deep in me and you screaming with plea.”

He cocked a brow challengingly “Let’s see who begs for the other to stop.” They knocked knuckles and he walked to the bed.

“I need a rope or something.”

He turned to her in amazement “You are going to do me in bondage?”

“Tell me, will it be fun any other way?” she sneered “I can always go back home if you are scared.”

“Huh,” he let out indignantly “I am sure you are going to get something in my closet.”

“What do you think I was doing there earlier?”

“I will be back.” He ran out of the room.

She went back in his closet picking the shirt from the floor she ran out throwing the shirt down the window and climbing up to sit on the sill. She looked into the skies. The best way to jump a height like this was to think you will be landing without a fractured spleen, pelvic and toes. All you had to do was think you are jumping into a pool of cotton candy.

“Danni?” he was back before she could jump.

Uh-oh, she got off the window quickly stepping back into the room “I thought of something whilst you were gone,” she needed to improvise quick “We need some chocolate for hot chocolate sex.”

“So why were you sitting on the widow?” he asked puzzled not quite convinced.

“I always do that when I want to think.” She giggled uneasily “Weird huh?”

He brushed past her and headed for the window, he looked down to see the shirt.

Oh my…I have been caught with his shirt down.

He turned slowly to face her, his expression vague, she looked into his eyes shamefully, she felt sorrier seeing his inscrutable expression.

He walked away from her heading for the door.

“Alberto.” She ran to stop him stepping in front of him.

“What do I have to bring this time?” he asked in annoyance.

She had nothing to say but “I am sorry.” She continued quickly “I know I should have told you…but I couldn’t.”

“What?” he demanded irksomely “That you do not want to have sex with your fiancée you’ve been dating for two years and are getting married to in three weeks?”

Her eyes stung with tears, no cry-baby ones this time “I couldn’t tell you that…” her voice rattled off “I am sorry.” She said instead of telling him she was a virgin. Maybe, she was afraid he would lose all interest in her, crazy huh?  She’d watched movies men who were about to get married bolted when they found out their fiancées were pregnant…with another man’s child. And wasn’t that similar to her story?

“Take the bed.” He brushed past her “I’ll be down on the couch…it’s not like you will be needing me.” He stopped at the door “But hey if you want to jump call me to push you out.” He walked out of the room banging the door hard.

She wiped away the tear that slid down her cheek with the back of her hand “Be happy Danielle.” She said to herself turning from the door to the bed “at least you got the bed all to yourself.”

Tried as much as she did to comfort herself she wasn’t feeling happy as she’d wanted.

She crawled into the bed and waited for sleep to come claim her. Minutes passed and she was still feeling that sick sensation in her stomach.

She grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. She was angry at herself. Tomorrow she would be waking up a virgin and if she wasn’t lucky she would lose him.

Chapter 3

                                                           Chapter 3

Cavallini stepped out of his limo and got out to a host of paparazzi running to him. His guards' effort to block them amounted to failure as they kept increasing in numbers. He could have sworn someone had tipped them, and what bugged him most was , he'd never be able to get the culprit no matter how hard he tried.

He'd always hated these types of ambush by the press. And it didn't take a genius to guess what they were after. It definitely wasn't to take a picture of him leaving the country.

"Mr. Cavallini, who's your lucky bride?" he heard one ask as dozens of phones and other talking devices were shoved at him.

"When are you getting married?"

"How did she manage to win your heart?"

"Is she a Hollywood star?"

He could have answered them but at the moment he was not in the mood. All he did was keep cool even when he wanted to throw the first punch to have them duck away.

Seeing the swollen lips of a guy who had one eye plastered it was hard to tell what color it was, he just could tell he'd just had an encounter with Mike Tyson, therefore a punch from another celeb, who was no athlete, but could aim a good one, would send him running to press charges.

He was flying to shoot a movie at home soil, and he should be so proud he had managed to gather Hollywood's finest to star in the romantic comedy. The thought of Danielle made him sick.

He had left her at home with a note that stated his reasons for the travel. He didn't want to speak her, he didn't want to hear more explanations.What she did was inexcusable and he was sane enough not to speak to her.

After he was back from this trip, he would make the big decision he wasn't even sure of at the 

moment. 

* * * * *

 

Danielle rushed out of her cab when her taxi had reached the Tom Bradley terminal of the L.A.X international airport.

She knew he hated public confrontations, but how did he expect her to react when she'd woken up to a note plastered on 

the fridge saying: 

                                                 I'M LEAVING FOR ROME.

It would have been better if he had added a smiley face, but he didn't, and that scared her. The note on the fridge scared her, and she knew a lot of women dreaded it too.

THE! NOTE!! ON!!! THE!!!! FRIDGE!!!! Like her, women all over the world would think it chilling and shiver as she did when she'd finished reading it.

Would it have taken him hours to get upstairs? Fuck if he was going to spoil her sleep. She knew what had meant was:

                        I AM LEAVING YOU... maybe, FOR ROME .

She moved in pell-mell into the airport building thanking heavens she'd decided on flip-fops.

At the moment, Joan Rivers will be enthralled to catch her looking this fashionably-disastrous. She'd bet she would first take on Alberto's loose t-shirt, destroy her Luca Luca dress which popped out of the shirt as her skirt and finish off with the flip-flops. Plus, she wasn't going free without talk of her roots.

Luckily, no one knew she was Alberto's fiancée and no one will ever know if he called off the wedding.

"Bitch." She bumped into an old woman with a bent back who muttered a lot of curses at her "I might be old but I am still living to knock off some of your teeth."

She pushed down a guy pulling a luggage cart who came her way and snatched a little boy's candy cane.  

Okay, chide her all you care, but it didn't happen like it did in the movies. No one went on a chase on an empty stomach.

She wasn't amazed the airport was this parked. It was two weeks to December and everyone here was sure flying off to some exotic location. And there were the others like her trying to get their long-time partners to see they were THE ONEs they didn't want to let go.

She halted at the security check-in area. Catching her breath she scrutinized the long queue. How would she be able to outsmart security? She scrambled her brain for ideas.

"Danielle?" the call took her out Einstein mode, she turned to the familiar male voice ahead of her. It was a guy in security uniform. She cocked her brow in shock. She didn't seem to recognize his straggly blonde hair and his 6'3" height and his lean physique from anywhere. Okay, she wasn't the kind to do one nightstands (duh, she was a virgin) so he should be someone from College or highschool or... that was all, she had no social life. But there was something about his voice that got her ears on end as though they recognized the timbre and were striving hard to put a name to the voice.

The guy walked to her smiling with his huge blue eyes, "I take it you don't remember me, but, I do you," Danni kept peering at him as he spoke, "Roman Washington." He offered his hand, "I-asked-you-out-more-than-a-couple-of-times-but-you-kept-turning-me-down-Roman-Washington... from College."

"Oh." Danni uttered in realization, "Roman?" she smiled widely, "You've not cut your hair."

"Was that why you never agreed?" he inquired quite flustered, raking his hands through his unkempt blonde hair sprawling unfashionably all over his skull. With his look of bewiderment, he probably thought his hair style was tasteful.

"Partly." Danni confided with a smile. But who was she to judge hair? Here she was, with her roots undone looking like so shabby she wished she was into hijab scarves. 

He chuckled, "Why didn't you say something? I would have butchered it all off just to be with you."

Danielle giggled, "It's too late now."

"Ouch." he wore a pained expression, "I was going to ask if you'll still want to go out with me, if I go to the bathroom and shave myself bald."

"We met at a bad time, Roman." Danielle kept looking past him to the security booth and the world ahead it. "I am not really in the mood for a chit chat." she gestured her hands down her body to let her clothes speak for her.

"You're Danielle Longhorne. You will look good in a sack."

"Hmm..." she wore on a faux smile as she shook her head. Guys said that all the time no matter how awful you look. "If you'd excuse me..." she had turned him down so many times it had been hard to keep track. Now, she was doing it again, and it felt... mean, inhuman. A guy can only take rejection for long. But it wasn't like she'd meet this tall and lanky guy with straggly blond hair and in security unform again. It wasn't like she was going to need him for anything. She was here to stop Alberto and she'd already wasted a lot of time speaking to him. She had to leave, had to find way to invade security... had to... had to... her thoughts halted as a mental gasp sprung up in her mind.  Was he wearing a uniform-security uniform?!

Just when she thought all hope was lost.

"Roman, would you mind letting me pass through?" she blurted out.

"Yeah, sure." He was a bit rattled, he probably felt he needed more time to convince her to go out with him,  but stretched out his hand.

"What?"

"Your pass."

"I have none."

"You are joking right?" he asked in disbelief "Danielle," he called out her name as though he was scolding a little girl "I am going to lose my job!"

"Please." She begged in a low tone, trying to sound convincing. 

 "One time, someone tried it. We all saw the police escort him. Next thing, he didn't have a trial and now he sends reports about the other inmates having named his butt America's Finest." 

 Danielle couldn't help but giggle. Receiving his look of scorn, "Sorry." She persisted "But please."

"What are you going to do?"

"Isn't that obvious? I am stopping my fiancée from leaving."

Gosh, didn't he watch movies?

"Fiancé?" he was so surprised it was hard to comprehend his reaction. She was pretty even at thirty and she could get any guy she wanted. Too bad she didn't want him. He'd thought the uniform would have done the trick, but he guessed these days women swooned over lifeguards than they did personel on airport security since Baywatch "Okay, let's work a plan out."

In a few minutes they had a plan worked out. Roman and a friend created a false alarm and the two guards doing the check-in took off leaving the job for the two.

Danielle brushed through her turned-down-so-many-times-it-was-hard-to-keep-count college guy and his so-fat-it-was-difficult-to-brush-through friend quickly.

Roman ordered his friend to stay put. He chased after her and she ran like her heels were on fire that no one would notice it was ploy.

She got to the departure lounge. Stopping to steady her breath, she looked around. No sign of Alberto. She knew if he was there his presence would get- 

She turned around to see a crowd gathered at the far end of the lounge.

"Found him?" Roman asked when he got to her.

"Think I have." Danielle rushed to the crowd.

* * * * *

 

"Alberto Cavallini are you working on a new movie?"

Movie. There was always the emo among the jocks. The odd one amongst the bunch. Whilst everyone kept pestering about his fiancé, this person threw in his movie. No doubt it was a ploy to get his attention so he brushed it off.

"Where did you meet your fiancée?"

"How did you propose?"

"On facebook." He answered the last question with a tint of humor to his voice, the reporters calmed down now "I sent her a Facebook gift and with it, will you marry me?"

They laughed and he thought his strategy of leaving without them getting an answer at all was going on well, until-

"Alberto."He watched as the crowd paved way to reveal the redhead wearing his t-shirt over her dress "C'mon." he said to himself silently. Didn't she consider her appearance? He frowned noticing a lean guy in security uniform hold her hand. His jealousy got him marching to them in less than a second.

"Thanks." He said coldly to the security guy "I can take it from here."

Roman felt suddenly intimidated knowing her fiancée was the famous movie director. He stepped back and ran off quickly before she could thank him.

"What are you doing here?" he scowled, moving to her side to grab her arms as they walked past the flashing cameras. This time the paparazzi moved away knowing they'd got what they'd wanted.

In minutes they were out in the tarmac where it was hot and noisy with planes taxiing down the runway and others making touch-downs. "Danielle you know I hate public confrontations." He scolded her.

"You left me no option when you left the note on the fridge." She retorted.

"I said I was leaving for Rome." He snapped back.

"Well if you haven't realized movie star," she shouted at him "this is the first trip you are taking without asking me to come with you."

"If I did, like always, you would have refused. And I am tired of giving you the benefit of the doubt."

"I am tired of how eager you want to have sex with me!" she screamed without thinking "Oh my..." her voice trailed in shock realizing what she had said had hurt him. She came to get him back, not drive him away! What happened to all the communication skills she thought she had?

"Forget it." He walked away, heading for his jet's hangar.

"Alberto," she rushed after him "I am sorry."

"Again, you are sorry!" he halted in rage "Danni," he held her by the shoulders "I don't think I can go on with this anymore." He said sincerely.

"You are dumping me?" she said surprisingly "At an airport?" never in her life had she felt like one of those DHL packages.

"If you can't allow me to have sex with you," he enunciated "you really have some issues to sort out before we go on with this marriage thing."

"You are dumping me?"

"I am putting our relationship on hold."

"On hold?" she repeated incredulously.

Who says that?! On hold?!

"I am late." He said checking his watch.

"Don't worry." She nodded as tears stung her eyes "I am already gone." She turned to leave.

Without giving her a last look he spun around heading for his jet.She turned to see him leave and nodded firmly.Maybe it was time to let go, she told herself continuing with her slow walk.

There was no more him, there was no more marriage. And in the end, the virgin never gets the happily -ever-after.

 

                     (Kelly Clarkson-Already gone)

 

Danielle got home by dark. She'd spent all her time that afternoon at East Beach.

Sitting on a rock, she'd stared out to sea in her misery.Alberto. She loved him and it was not something she had found out minutes ago. It was something she'd found out hours ago.As usual, Shelly got out of her room when she heard the door.She stared at Danielle who had sunk with her back to the door, her brown eyes staring at something distant.

"He left me." Danielle said softly, realizing Shelly's presence.Shelly shook her head pitifully, watching her for a while. She moved to sit with her on the floor, pulling her head in her lap.

"And I am not going to cry because breakups shouldn't hurt anymore." She paused in thought "How do I look?"

"Miserable." Shelly combed her fingers through her hair "But that's how you are supposed to look."

"I loved him."

"I know you did."

"I don't want to cry." she admitted airily, fighting back the tears, "I don't want to be those women who weep buckets because their fiancés have called off the wedding."

"Then don't." Shelly advised, "I hate those women too..." she paused thoughtfully, "but it's still loss, and it hurts anyway. I guess I cried a little when Tom died."

Tom had been Shelly's husband. He died in a car accident ten years ago, exactly on the date of her fortieth birthday and their eleventh anniversary. Bad huh? You'd think piling up your anniversaries to a day was romantic. It had been tragic for her. Danni had met her a week after in UCSB when she'd been invited by the college for Writing Workshop retreat. Shelly had been her role model and still was. After the inspiring lecture, Danni had practically stalked her to get her address. The next day she visited to find her cleaning out stuff of her husband, her eyes red from prolonged tears. Danni had offered help and informed her she'd listened to her lecture and how she'd been inspired by her as they went through frames, lots of frames and clothes that had lots of memories of Tom. Shelly pretended to be listening but it was obvious with every piece they packed into a box, she felt like snuggling in the couch with it and crying some more. A las' they were done packing, and just when Danni thought that was the end of her encounter made brief by memories of a lost husband, Shelly had said, "Move in with me, I can do with a roomie through these times."

Their relationship had kicked off on a good start, and it had all been girl-time for them. They became best buds going clubbing, shopping and being each other's rock through the tough. She had been the envy of all her course mates, then through graduation. Now, ten years later, their relationship was still strong as the beginning.

"Why didn't you force me to the therapist?" she demanded airily.

"I tried, remember?"

"Well you didn't try harder." She snapped getting out of her lap "Tomorrow I am seeing a shrink." She said firmly "I am 

taking this virginity out."

"I will recommend you one." She stared at her for a while "But 

seriously Danni go do your roots."

"Are they that bad?" she giggled lightly, her eyes glittering instanly "Tomorrow's Monday and I can't make my debut in Newchic looking like this."

They sat in silence for about a minute. Danielle indulging in misery, Shelly wondering who raised her up lying to her virginity had to be preserved till marriage-TO THIRTY!

"Ironic isn't it?" Shelly asked after thought.

"What?"

"An erotic columnist a virgin?" 

 "Please don't start with that. FYI, it's possible I might get fired if anyone finds that out. My boyfriend went, it will be just great to lose my job too." 

 "So you wouldn't take from my purse everytime you need a tampon, trust me to keep that a secret."

Danni cracked up a little, resting her head on Shelly's shoulders and heaving a sigh, "It hurts to be single, again." she uttered sadly.

 

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

It was morning and the sun was already out to the fullest, like it always was in S.B.Santa Barbara was far different from New York and all other cities that 'never slept'. In New York, at this time of the year, people should be trudging through thick snow to get to work, in their heavy fur clothing and pricy boots. Whilst in S.B, the majority left early for beaches to avoid the problems of parking and congestion.

For some people like Danielle, they lived the lives of New Yorkers, moving around to work or for work, taking their alarm clocks seriously and staying late to work over-night and getting up early, ignoring musings of an ended relationship.

Now that she had Newchic, Danielle thought, applying her eye-liner, she was going to move from life as a New Yorker to life as a hectic New Yorker. She dropped her liner on her dresser and picked up her rose Maybelline lipgloss. After rubbing her lips against each other to balance the distribution of the lipgloss, she summed up her look.

She had gone casual selecting a black cowl neck sweater dress, a black skinny-legged jeans and matching black flat heeled boots.

Just to note, the choice of clothing had nothing to do with her loss. Just a coincidence she decided to go all black after a breakup.

After minutes of brushing her hair, although it didn't look perfect with all her roots undone, she was good to go, but not without her bag and not forgetting, her purse.

"Hello." Danni greeted entering the kitchen. Shelly's kitchen had no fine line between cottage and modern. With marble counters, broad cooktops, a kitchen island, wall-stove, fine white polyvinyl cabinets and appliances littered everywhere that it was hard to find counterspace, the kitchen prided on elegance and simplicity. The walls had a splash of cream with a horizontal scarlet running through its three sections. The floors were terra-cotta with intricate designs Danni was sure were from countries that paid attention to detail (like Mongolia and Malaysia. Yeah, the ones with the old knitting types who could design handmade that went-insanely-over four hundred bucks-the cost of her purse!). Shelly's garden she spent less time on than she did being a cougar-one-nightstand-tress was the backdrop of the kitchen's glass pane windows with its beautifully pruned hedges splashing an amount of green on the fine cream walls with the help of the invading, persistent sun rays. Despite all the beauty, the woman who was settled on a stool, propped up against her marble counter with a coffee in her hand, was no homerunner.

"Hey." Shelly smiled on seeing Danni in a good mood. She wasn't expecting that after yesterday's break up "You look hot."

Danni shook her head in disagreement pouring herself some coffee "I look Newchic."

"First days," Shelly spoke in reminiscence "Everyone remembers their first time..." she trailed off after her innuendo that was sure to aggravate her listener.

Danni threw her a cold look, leaning against the kitchen counter and sipping her coffee "Good choice of words Shell."

"Sorry." She apologized ironically "You've not had a first time..." she gasped, faking shock.

"Why are you starting with this Shell?" she gripped her coffee mug in annoyance she was sure it would crack if she squeezed a tad bit, but that was all her strength, "I agreed to see the shrink today."

"Great." Shelly smiled "That's what I don't want you to forget." She warned "I don't want you blaming me next time for the good one getting away..." she sipped her coffee "I don't suppose you hear the horn honking loud outside, do you?"

"Jacques!" Danni dropped the mug frenetically "I called him to pick me up."

"And I am surprised he came considering your record of being so punctual." Shelly said with sarcasm receiving Danni's smile.

"Old, lonely hag." Danni jibed running out of the kitchen. Shelly gasped "I am so coming after you to make you eat back your words!" she dropped her coffee in pursuit of her, but she was already in Jacques' cab when she got out. She waved at them laughing "I'll get you!" she yelled at her.

Shelly went back into her house, on walking to the kitchen, she spotted her laptop on the center table of the hall. She moved to it, picked it up onto her lap, switched it on and launched Word.

Last night, as she tossed and turned in bed, a story came to her. She began chapter one thinking the new story was going to be her major come-back after five years of being out of the writing scene.

She'd bet people would rush for the story as though it was a magazine revealing a celeb topless.

 

* * * * *

"Today is my first day at work, you know?" Danielle asked rhetorically trying to make small talk with Jacques, who seemed to be in a foul mood today.Like the good friend she was (mainly because she didn't want to pay for his services), she was going to try cheering him up.

"Hmm..." he murmured in response keeping his eyes on the road.

"And you know I am now a Newchic, don't you?"

"Hmm..."

"I have three pages in the Love and Lust column, you know?"

"Hmm..."

"C'mon Jacques," Danielle had had enough "haven't you realized you've been hmm-ing..." she checked her watch "For the past two minutes. I know you are upset, but people have gone through worst things, yet still, they do not lose their ability to speak."

"I am not upset, okay," he banged the steering wheel continuously in rage "I am furious!"

O-kay, that was scary.

"What is it?" she asked with concern, arching her chestnut brows.

"Shelly." He replied brusquely.

"Shelly?"

"You know, all these years I've had a thing for her, we finally have a thing, she breaks up with me the next day after having the thing. Then years later, which happens to be today- this morning, she waves at me for the first time after all those years of drawing apart, absolutely no communication as though I was some... thing." He blustered.

"And that's reason to be angry?" Danielle chuckled with disbelief "She waved at you after two years of no communication and you are... what's the word you used?"

"Furious."

"Furious?!" Danni spoke angrily "You want real reason to be furious? I will give you one. How about dating this guy for two years, and three weeks to your wedding, he gives you the heave-ho?"

Jacques went extremely shocked "Hollywood Bad Boy broke up with you.""You know, I've warned you a million times not to call him that, but I do not care anymore, he is the Hollywood Bad Boy. The guy that walks into a commoner's life and shatters her heart apart."

"You win," Jacques admitted taking his eyes off the road for the first time "he's a jerk," he said comfortingly "he doesn't know what he is missing."

"I can give you his number so you tell that to him."

"But I am going to prove to you, I have more reason to be furious," he paused turning right onto East Cabrillo Boulevard "I've had a crush on her the first day I met her. That was years ago, before she got married. After her husband died, I waited eight years for her to finally recognize me. We go out on our first date, our second, sex after that, the next morning she calls me and tells me she can't continue with the relationship again, finalizing with the 'It's not me, it's you' speech. Did you hear me? She said, 'it's NOT ME, it's YOU.' How am I supposed to feel?"

"Awful." Danielle answered sadly in thought "But awful isn't close to furious. All those times we were dating, the whole year of e-dating and the other of physical contact, all he wanted was to have sex with me. I feel... used!"

"Used?" Jacques disagreed "She dumped me a day after we did the deed, if there's anyone supposed to feel used, I should be the one."

"Right." Danni agreed "It's a draw. But had he never loved me all those years? Was I confusing love with lust, 'cause now that's what I am thinking, He 'lusted' me. He never loved me."

"She used me for sex and dumped me, what other reason than lust? You were lucky enough that you had two years with him. Some of us didn't last two days."

"Two years of pretension, two years of hell!"

"Aaaaaargh!!!" Danni watched in bewilderment as Jacques screamed out of the window.

"What was that?" Danni inquired in puzzlement.

She had one weird French friend. He didn't have an accent, she didn't know his surname and he screamed out of cars! Too!The only proof she had was the rod he had always belabored about, which she'd never seen but believed.

No way she was playing, Seeing is Believing with such a topic.

"I feel good." He nodded with satisfaction "That was anger management therapy," he explained at her confusion "I read somewhere screaming takes it all away like Botox does signs of ageing."

"Sure?"

"Yeah, try it." Danielle shook her head, "No, I won't do that." She stated with a firm nod "I will leave that for the cabbies. Ladies, do not scream out of cabs like that-"

"Just do it already!"

"Aaaargh!" Danni imitated him "Aaaaaaargh!" but louder "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!" and longer. She came back into the car when her throat began to hurt. She tried not to look out the window to avoid stares of people moving by in their cars.

After seconds, he asked "Now how do you feel?"Danni sighed 'Weird."

Jacques nodded "Now that's the only therapy that's going to leave you feeling weird. And weird is good."

"Uh, yeah... I guess."

 

Danielle smiled nervously at everyone in the elevator riding with her, mostly women and a few men. She hated riding in stuffed elevators. All the heavy perfume and the sweaty armpits never gelled for her. But in this, she felt out of place.All the women looked like they waited for Vogue to dictate their wardrobe every month, and all the men looked Ralph Lauren-ish in their jackets and Polo tees and jeans.As the elevator moved to her destination, she thought of how Newchic would look like, classy and chic or raw but spacious. Either way, she was looking forward to her first day at work-in NEWCHIC... yay! She deaserved a cheer for that.

She finger-combed the edges of her chin-length chest-nut hair, waiting in anticipation with the others "It's my first day on the job." She tried to initiate small-talk with a woman who looked super-busy, wearing an ash blazer over a white tank with a pencil skirt and holding a huge file stashed with lots of A4-sized papers.

Before she could receive a reply, the elevator doors slid open and the woman with all the others stormed out quickly, leaving her bewildered at their haste. 

 Her first step in Newchic had her gaping in surprise. She couldn't believe her eyes watching in awe the state-of-the-art working environment.

( Elie Ghoulding-Lights)

The hall that led to the main entrance was something like the cafeteria. Painted woody brown with folding chairs set around tables, and a huge buffet table which at the moment had nothing on it. A few people got together for a chat in groups, their outfits stunning and the atmosphere laced with laughter and chinking of glasses like some high society party.

She couldn't help but listen in on some of the conversations walking towards the French doors of the main entrance. Pushing through the glass paneled doors with Newchic spelt out in lime in a stylish uppercase typeface, she met the receptionist's desk which was round, huge and purple. This hall compared to the cafeteria was quiet, except for the professionally rehearsed voices of chic receptionists taking calls.Danielle was amazed at the array of colours the decorator had employed. The four walls had lime, orange, turquoise and yellow-one on each. She glanced at the walls, seeing digital screens of Newchic 2o11 covers displaying the headlines of the issues they bore.

She grinned at the Adele cover which marked her debut in Newchic. Blushing on reading one of the cover stories:

FIVE SCENTS HE'S NOT INTO YOU ANYMORE.

That had been the theme line of her article, SNIFFING HIS UNDERWEAR, which had five scents women could smell on their guy's underwear to tell if he was cheating. Weird but true.

She did her mojo-walk on the excitement seeing her article had given her. Heading for the receptionist desk, savoring in the rush of adrenalin that laced her blood.

"Hello, how may I help you?" the receptionist she approached, a dark-skinned woman with a Natalie Portman cut, wearing an animal print blouse and some short blue chiffon tier skirt, asked with a wide smile.

"Danielle Longhorne." Danielle offered her name. Before she could speak-

"Ohmigod!" the lady gasped, turning to her four co-workers "She's the Danielle."

"The Danielle?" the others rushed to where she stood frantically.

The Danielle? Was she missing something here, or she wasn't the same girl whose celeb fiancé ditched her because she was a virgin?"We loved Sniffing His Underwear!" the girls crooned like a bunch of teens drooling over a photo of their favorite Hollywood Hunk.

Apparently, she was their Justin Beiber (that is, for all those who considered the popstar, a hunk).

"I so thought my guy was cheating," a light blonde spoke "I always smelt Coco Chanel on his underwear, but I thought it was one of his primping secrets, like the other day, I caught him applying my Clinique Clarifying lotion. It turned out, he was having a double affair." She nodded firmly in conclusion at Danielle's feigned surprised expression.

"And funny thing is," a dark brunette who had rather a lot of make-up applied over her olive skin spoke "they are still together."...

 

"Hey," the blonde scowled at her "you cannot share my relationship secrets to a stranger-no offense." she turned sharply to Danielle to clarify "Think me a whole lot of shit, but he's been my boyfriend since College and guys with teeny-weenies like his, do not walk on streets."

Danielle giggled with the others. She knew these blonde types. The Stupidly Blondes.

"Isabel Burton's waiting at the Writer's Lounge." The dark-skinned girl, who had introduced herself as Rhonda, informed.

"Writer's Lounge? Isabel Burton?" Danielle asked in confusion.

Kyle, Stupidly Blonde said, shaking her head "First days." She said with a tone of sympathy "It took me a whole month to get accustomed to the Newchic terms."

"Only difference is, she is a fast learner, and you are... the blonde." The brunette said offensively to Kyle.

"Someone hold my hands, 'cause I am about to rub the excess blush off her face." Kyle threatened.

"Writer's Lounge is just a hall away," Rhonda directed, pointing a round doorway with glass paneled doors.

"Thanks." Danielle smiled gratefully at all five, heading for the entrance.

Walking through the wide circumference of the door-way, she spotted ahead a busy hall. It was gigantic than the others with cubicles of lime, orange, turquoise and yellow arranged in rows. The walls were white and a huge plasma screen, Danielle thought was for announcement, faced everyone. The hall was divided into columns representing each corner of the magazine. Danielle read the tags to the columns heading for the Love and Lust corner, moving through the cubicles and an atmosphere of hubbub with people moving from cubicle to cubicle like a form of social call, the noise of typing keyboards all around.

"Hello." She smiled, greeting on reaching the L&L corner, a girl who had a nerdy look going on for her, deeply occupied in her job.

The girl looked up with a scowl for the distraction "Couldn't you find anyone else to bother?"

"Sorry," Danielle apologized. Hey, as if life was all about work, "but I am looking for Isabel Burton." 

 "But I am not the one supposed to show you who she is." She replied brusquely, returning her attention back to her computer.

Some temper. Danielle couldn't believe people harbored that much anger to write something about Lust and Love. She turned away looking for someone who would be the least entertaining. Before she could spot her target, the hall went absolutely loud as everyone was in a haste to get settled. Heels clicking, chairs being drawn, the sound of typing keyboards becoming even louder.

Danni looked around with a raised brow, curious of what was getting them frantic and in order. She spotted a blonde woman afar, about Shelly's age, maybe a little older, sashaying through cubicles elegantly dressed in a red embellished tunic and white pair of pants.

The twenty-first century Botox woman, head held high, oozing confidence, commanding fear and respect. Danni prayed silently, she shouldn't be Isabel Burton. She looked hot and all, but if she was that feared to guarantee an entrance that elevated decibels of typing keyboards, she had to be really mean.

"Find a place to sit or lose your job... and your head with it." The nerd muttered.

"I have no seat." Danielle replied, suddenly terrified.

"No one's forcing you not to lie on the floor, squat, kneel."

Danielle stared at her in disbelief, but had no option than to go down.

"Danielle Longhorne?" she heard her name as she went down.

It was her, she was Isabel Burton.

She slowly stood straight, walking towards the front where the woman was.

"Chrissakes, I haven't got all the time here!" the woman's voice had Danielle practically running to her.

Nearing her, she stared into the cold grey eyes and already didn't like her, and was (a little) scared. Danielle faced everyone nervously, fixing a smile that made the corners of her lips shake. Plus, the woman's scent wasn't helping at all in soothing her nerves, it screamed: DISGUST. 

 "Everyone," Isabel began the introductions "Danielle Longhorne." 

Danielle tensed at the murmurs that sprang because of her, she waved shyly.

"Yeah, yeah," Isabel spoke silencing them "the brain behind Sniffing His Underwear." she turned to her "Congratulations, you've made a name for yourself." She said with coldness that made the hairs behind her neck stand on end "Forgive me for not being able to give you the Newchic tour." She said silently, her tone cool (not cool as in, cool. Wicked cool).

"It's alright." Danni replied in a thanks-but-no-thanks tone.

"There's an empty cubicle at the L&L corner for you," she raised a brow in caution "don't think you are getting any privileges, because you've got a three-page space..." she paused, seizing her entire outfit "Walk your ass off like you must do for your work."

Danni turned to leave, looking around for the empty cubicle at the L&L corner, she didn't find any "Ma'am," Danielle turned back to her "I see no empty cubicle."

Her lips twitched into a smile looking over her shoulder to the L&L column "Fanny." Isabel screamed.Danni turned back to the L&L column to see the girl she'd addressed, stand. 

 "Clear your stuff," Isabel spoke "you are fired."

Murmurs of surprise went up in the atmosphere. The girl quickly rushed out of the Writer's Lounge in tears."Go claim your cubicle." Isabel whispered behind her, turning to walk out of the Lounge.

Danni felt her body temperature drop, her heart doing a staccato, realizing because of her, someone had been kissed off her job.

Everyone stared at her with a mean look as she slouched to the cubicle.

Jeez, they must have liked the Fanny girl.

"Great." Danni heard someone say, "Now who's going to give us all the gossip."

 "And the free bagels." another added.

"Not forgetting, the low-carb recipes."

Danielle settled in the orange L-shaped Formica cubicle, feeling worse taking the girl's place. She didn't want to start her first day with everyone hating on her.

Minutes didn't pass for her worst fears to dawn.

"It's her!" a girl with blonde hair detailed with eighties school-girl all-american curled bangs rows away screamed, waving a paper, "Alberto Cavallini's fiancée!"

"Jesus," Danielle moaned in horror, looking around to see everyone stare at her with looks of incredulity and amazement.

What a perfect start to her first day at work!

 

 

 

Waiting at a Bath Street neighborhood, Jacques whistled his old favorite Enzo Enzo's Juste Quelq'un de Bien. He loved French classic music just as he loved... err, what was it he loved? Yeah, he loved French Classic music just as he loved the older women. The rich, powerful, sexy older women. And in his line of work, he met a handful of them.

He could have been anything he wanted, being forty and unreasonably thin. Ranging from carpentry to delivery guy or Russell Brand. But he chose to be a cabbie. He wasn't just any other cabbie, he had people he drove all around S.B and most were the Botox and powerful undeniably, sexy ones.In other words, he was a chauffeur, but with his own ride.

He looked in the direction of the house of the woman he was attending. Like most Bath street houses, it was built with expense and taste, and like the house, she could see a lot of resemblance to its owner, Ms. Quinlan. Posh, beautiful, breath-taking. Jacques swallowed hard with his heart skipping a beat spotting Ms. Quinlan walk out of her house. She was tall and thin possessing the body of Gisele, her platinum blonde hair, darting to her slow erotic movements.

Sometimes, he thought she always did that to get him hard, but the truth was, she'd even get him hard frozen cold in an iceberg.

She wore dark wide- brimmed sunglasses, her torso clothed in a sheer blue caftan and in it he could see a dark green nylon-spandex swim-suit's top and boy cut briefs that framed her hips.

Looking down at her luscious thighs, he took in a sharp breath looking away, she was damn sexy. In what seemed like hours, she was in the cab taking off her sunglasses to throw him a sexy lop-sided smile.

"I guess you've noticed we won't be going to my clothing store today." she said in her low husky voice. Couldn't there be anything that wasn't sexy about her?!

Jacques forced himself to look into her blue eyes "No... I haven't noticed." He spoke, jittery, looking away before his eyes went down to her boobs. He didn't want her to think he had noticed, with an eye of interest, her clothes.

He was... professional, and that was the last thing he wanted to be robbed off, by her good looks... uh... and good boobs.

"Okay." She replied laconically, tousling her hair to give her a rough sexy edge "Drive me to Goleta. I love it there. It's a lot spacious than it is in East Beach and Arroyo Burro."

"Yes ma'am." He replied politely as he always did. Starting the engine, he drove off moving between the lanes of parked cars on the street.

She crossed her legs, relaxing her back into her seat to massage her neck.

Jacques listened, keeping his eyes on the road, to her soft moans. He couldn't help but think, she would have moaned louder if he was doing her. He buried the thoughts as fast as they came. With the corner of his eye, he saw she was staring at him and that didn't help his manhood bulging beneath.

"Would you mind joining me?" she asked finally.

"Where?" he asked surprisingly.

"The beach."

"No." he replied hastily "I have to be driving the cab," he chuckled "besides, beaches have never been my thing." The thought of moving in the midst of guys that women these days referred to as 'hawties', wasn't the least appealing to him, unless, being nude at the beach included baring yourself waist down.

"I will pay for your company."

He couldn't believe he shook his head to that, not only because of the money, but he felt she was temptation. Man's temptation to deadly sin "I will be busy all afternoon and through the night."

That got her silent for seconds, but she had her major come-back grasping his thigh. He forced himself not to jerk away at her gesture, if only she knew she was an inch away from where all the blood in his body rushed to.

"I like you Jacques." She announced to his surprise "And it's so obvious you feel the same for me, but you are fighting it." She paused, playing circles on his thigh, "There is nothing attractive than a guy playing hard-to-get."

"I assure you ma'am," he shook his head sharply letting out a chuckle "it's..." he breathed heavily, "It's not what you are thinking."

She looked away smiling. He took the micro-second to look down at his crotch and the perfectly manicured hands that neared it, he shook his head in frustration.

She was killing him.

"At least..." she looked back at him "you have a friend who thinks like I do." That said, she placed her hands on his fly "Don't fight it Jacques." She grinned "Now how long would it take for you to park the cab?"

Yes, she was temptation. One he didn't want to resist.

Chapter 5

 

CHAPTER 5 

After the earlier incident, Danni had moved from everyone's hated girl to everyone's favorite girl, to her surprise.Almost everyone at the hall came to her cubicle to ask about her life as fiancée of the celebrity director. It had been tiresome spending over an hour talking to them all about her relationship with Alberto. The shocking part for which she was angry at herself was, she didn't tell them he had ditched her for his private jet.

She was like a-list celebrity now and with that title, she couldn't focus on her next article when everyone was constantly staring.

She pushed the keyboard away in frustration. Staring at Word empty, except for the blinking cursor, got her mad. She wished it was only thoughts of everyone staring at her that got her this furious. It seemed he didn't only break her heart, he took her mind away with him.

SCREW HIM! All those happy times they had had toghether, the romantic dates, gosh, she was the only guy she'd allowed herself phone sex with-that meant, the only guy she'd allowed breaking her virginity through phone lines. E-Breaking!

She breathed heavily, fury slushed through her heart shutting her air supply.

Woah, she really had to do something about all this rage before she ended up an award-winning Brit pop-star who won everyone over with her ballads.

She ripped off a post-it and pulled out a pencil from her pencil vase. She had read somewhere, 'to be determined about your dreams, you needed to put them on paper'. And at that moment, her dreams were-

"Strategy FORGET ALBERTO." She scribbled as she spoke silently, "One... work." She paused in thought "Two, work hard." She reclined back in her chair to think of three "Three... Work Hard Extremely." She dropped her pencil, sighing in satisfaction "Wait," she turned to the girl on the nearest cubicle in the L&L corner to verify something that puzzled her. Apparently, she was the nerdy girl she had had her first not so good encounter with. Still, she never kept her eyes off the monitor screen despite Danni's call "Should it be work extremely hard or work hard extremely?"

'Work hard extremely." She replied not giving her a glance.

"Sorry, but I kinda think its work extremely hard." 

She turned sharply at Danni with a look of scorn and her nose scrunched below her glasses. At least, she looked at her, Danni thought frighteningly.

"Look," she spoke through gritted teeth "if you haven't realized, I am the only one not dazed about the fact that you are...what's his name? Yeah, what's-his-name's fiancée , so if you do not mind, I am busy." She turned back to her computer.

"I was just confused." Danni said lightly, looking back at her notes to continue her thoughts.

"Hello." Seconds later, a squealing kind of voice like that of the ones who read American Cheerleader and wished to be characters of Lisi Harrison's kind of novels back in Highschool, approached her. Danni looked up at the girl who owned the over-done nails with more than three colors "Bethany." 

 Danielle stared with a vague expression at the lady with a blonde bob, dark eye-linings around her blue eyes and a crimson lipstick over full set of lips.  

"Danielle." She took her hands only to have her jerk them out of hers.

"I didn't say anything about wanting you to touch my O.P.I'd nails." She added a faux smile to soften her jibe, smoothing the fine nail work of a finger with the another braggingly, "Bethany Heitman, Fashion writer." She paused looking at Danni's vacant expression "I guess I was expecting a 'the Bethany Heitman' as I get that all the time, but... for you I can make that slide."

Danielle nodded with pursed lips, not wanting anything better than her leaving.

"I came all the way from the sixth floor to welcome the Danielle Longhorne and soon to be Mrs. Alberto Cavallini." She clasped both her hands tight, sighing and offering her a huge smile that Danni thought would send her mascara imprinting on her cheeks "So." She leaned onto the desk, giving Danni a peak at those not so impressive boobs through her red halter-neck dress.

Seeing Danielle distracted by her boobs, "Don't worry, I am saving for surgery."

"Oh." Danielle kept on a vacant expression as she nodded.

"So tell me everything about... Alberto."

"Alberto." Danni replied, not surprised by her question, "He's sweet, funny, and intelligent-"  Danni was interrupted uttering the words she'd memorized not so long ago.

 "Not that." She rolled her eyes exasperatingly, "You've got to learn how to speak Newchic very fast." She said to Danielle's confusion "When I say 'everything'," she leaned closer, her boobs falling on top of Danielle's monitor, providing a more discomforting view, "I mean, how thick is he down there? How... large...how 'penormous' he is."

"Penormous?" Danni asked, clueless.

"Enormous penis." She supplied brazenly. 

 "So his penis is the everything you want to know about?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah," she yelled at her for how long it took for her to realize "I made it clear in the first place."

"No." Danni shook her head "You said you wanted to know everything about him, you didn't mention how...how... penormous." A girl in front of her turned to stare with repugnance.

Before Danni felt mortified and mouthed an apology, 

"Chrissakes," Bethany jumped to her defense, "you are in the L&L corner and you definitely know what lust means, don't you?" she snubbed, turning her attention to Danni "No, Danielle," she shook her head in disagreement "if you remember clearly, I said, 'Tell me everything... about Alberto.' Not 'tell me everything about Alberto'."

Danni shook her head in disbelief. Seriously, someone tell her the difference she was missing.

"Enough of this silence." she grinned "Keep me informed on all those juicy details."

Danielle stared at her watch realizing it was almost noon. 

Time to go see the shrink.

"All you should know is," she stood up taking her bag with her, "he has a penis, like every other man... his age." She walked away, moving through the numerous cubicles.

"Please," Bethany went in pursuit of her, "I saw his full-frontal the other day... and Holy Zombie!" she exclaimed "That was a very huge one."

Danielle halted turning to face her, wondering what could keep her off. With an interest in male genitalia, she was somehow convinced she wouldn't back down and would follow her all the way to Shelly's recommended therapist if she didn't get what she wanted. She new these celebrity VPL-obsessed ones. "And you want to know if the leaked is a fake or not?"

"Exactly." Bethany nodded; ecstatic they were on the same page.

"Keep your phone on," Danielle said close to a whisper with a knowing smile, "you do not know when I will be sending in those pics."

"Thanks!" Bethany screamed excitingly watching her leave "I want close up photos! 640 by 480 to be precise." she added.

Danielle giggled, staring at her watch as she walked out of the huge hall that was the Writer's Lounge and into the Receptionist's suite. She would skip lunch at the cafeteria and run off on her first day, to have her appointment with the virginity shrink.

"OHMIGOD!" she heard Stupidly Blonde scream as her eyes popped out at her BlackBerry screen,"the bitch he's leading a double life with just tweeted a pic of her with a ring on her finger!"

Danni shook her head, suppressing giggles as she pushed through the French doors leading to the cafeteria.

 

 

 

* * * * *

 

Sipping cold margaritas as she sun-bathed on a lounger, Shelly stared at the blue seas of East Beach.When she was done writing for the day, she took a long break here at East Beach on a quiet secret spot she'd stumbled upon walking around Hotel Mar Monte.

It was a great feeling, chilling out with the soothing wind and the sounds of the gentle waves... and of course the margaritas. If Wordsworth had stumbled on this spot, his fans would have been expecting one of his hideous romantic poems.

She closed her eyes when she got tired of staring at the blue sky, trying to take in all her surroundings. Too good she wasn't anymore the writer who would lock herself up all day trying to finish a book. Now, all she did was enjoy life and keep her mind off the writer's cabin in order not to age quickly.

She sighed, still with her eyes closed and stretching her legs out on the lounger "What a life!" she exclaimed.

"What a woman!" On hearing the voice, Shelly shot up to sitting position quickly.

"Sorry." She found herself staring into the eyes of a tall cute guy with cool blue eyes, a bit of grey in his spiky black hair and a smile that made the veins surrounding her heart do a hula-hoop "Sorry for startling you," his boyish smile made her stomach churn with over-excitement "I was wondering what a woman as beautiful as you are was doing here all alone."

He was English too. Shelly crooned at the thought, and she fought the smile that played at the corners of her lips staring at the topless male. His impressive torso was bronzed by a tan, his muscles perfectly corded, his biceps spectacularly masculine and his strong boobs were to drool for... as she was doing... internally. She looked down the guy who towered over her to block out her sun only to find out, waist down he was clothed. She creased her brows in disappointment, "I am also wondering, who would want to disrupt my sizzling moments."

"As I apologized earlier," he spoke, lowering himself on the white sands to his knees "I am terribly sorry. Can I sit? Because I'm afraid some buffed guy would come out of nowhere and waste me out on the spot."

 

She chuckled at his sense of humor, he was macho'd enough to handle ten men his size-no hyperbole intended "What you should be afraid of is whether the mistress accepts your company." She feigned an English accent knowing she was pretty good at it.

"And does my mistress-"

"Your mistress?" she shot up a brow in surprise.

Okay, she liked cute English men, but not the lecherous ones. It didn't fit their accent.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way," he apologized giggling "I will leave if you do not accept my company, but I must tell you, I am one entertaining bloke."

Oh, trust her, she was entertained. Entertained by all that eye-candy. She grinned, sitting cross-legged on the sun-lounger "Maybe you can spend a few minutes...and be gone after that."

He laughed sitting his fine English butt on the ivory sands "It's lovely here, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," she closed her eyes sighing "I won't set up here if I didn't like it. The waves, the wind, the sand and those lovely shells you stumble upon... it's a delight."

"We English think special locations need that special persons to be spent with," he looked into her eyes, his direct gaze boring into her and making his blue eyes turn a shade darker, "Where's that special person and is he anywhere around?"

She smiled plainly shaking her head "No special someone, just me. And I've been just me since my husband died ten years ago."

"Wow." He uttered in shock.

She wasn't sure if it was because of staying single for ten years that the word had sprung out of his lips. Or was it because he couldn't believe a hot cake like her was single? Anyway, she didn't want to inquire, when you are fifty-sorry, forty-nine, every 'wow' mattered, 'cause who knows what you will be getting at sixty.

"That makes two of us, except there's been no death. I divorced my ex two years ago and I am here with her."

"Oh," she let out to her in disappointment. 

Were they trying to rekindle old flames? "Are you and her trying to find that lost love, or what went wrong?" she asked with bravery that surprised her.

He chortled and all she thought was, just when I thought he was my English knight, there was an ex in the picture.

"I came here with my ex and daughter."

She was glad she hadn't lost her ability to smile after his previous statement "So you are the irresponsible dad who leaves everything to the mum."

"Really?" he drew his head back in surprise at her assessment "I left because she said something nasty that sent me running here. I didn't want a fight in front of my daughter."

"Exes." Shelly murmured with sympathy. For one thing, she knew he was a caring dad, with an annoying ex.

"Sorry." He grunted "I do not know why I keep apologizing, but I think it's got something to do with my English manners." She laughed, "I am Richard."

"Shelly." She reached out to take his stretched hand, and mother of Mary, those hands were strong, and all those currents that ripped through her body at his touch was sure because off the chemistry that coursed between them, releasing freely charged electrons. She was the proton and she had met her electron. Together, they'd cross out their charges.

She'd always thought good men came with dexterous hands, and boy did his hands look dextrous to handle any position if put to the challenge.

"That's some coincidence," he grinned "My daughter is also Shelly."

Her lips went apart to let out an awkward laugh, that was... weird. She didn't want to think of all those images he might be thinking of if they were to indulge in phone sex. Her beautiful body or his daughter's petite own?-eek!

"Well, Shelly," he stood up "I think I must get going if I do not want my ex threatening she's going to press for full custody."

Shelly couldn't help but feel disappointed. Now, the next thing she was expecting was an 'if destiny wants us to meet again, we will cross paths' speech. It would be low of her to ask for his contact. She was strictly behind women having their pride and dignity even when faced with irresistible men "Bye then." She let out painfully.

He picked a twig and she watched him scribble something on the sand "I hope to be hearing from you Shelly... soon." He smiled, walking backwards to run off.

Shelly looked down at his number on the sand. It didn't take a second for the evil waves to wash across shore taking the digits with them. Shelly laid back on her lounger taking her margarita and sipping.

She would have been damned if she hadn't memorized the number.

 

 

 

 

* *

 

On her way to the therapist's office, striding down the streets of Anacapa, Danielle caught a whiff of fries, burgers and coffee, and her stomach growled out its hunger.

Damn! Just when she thought she could walk past Coffee Cat which was one of the best Cafes in S.B, usually stuffed with people because of the good food and undeniably best service in the whole of Santa Barbara, without getting some of their infamous burger.

She frowned walking into the café and like what had been happening on the streets, she drew everyone's attention. It should be the tabloids, she thought, she couldn't believe just dating Hollywood Royalty will have her all over them (seriously, could she hear herself? Even hoes who go down on Hugh Grant in the back of cars make the late night news).

She took a window seat since being in the center would be more awkward for her. For once in her life, she didn't want to be the center of attention.

A waitress walked to her table keeping her eyes on a notepad she carried "May I have your order?" she asked politely and looking down to see who she was speaking to, she dropped the notepad in shock.

Danielle creased her brows in exasperation "You might as well drop the pencil too." She said looking at the notepad on the table.

"I am sorry." She pleaded scrambling for the notepad as her eyes were still fixed on her "it's not every day we get celebs."

Okay, so now Danni had had enough being celebrity for the day. She and Alberto were no more and she was expecting a call from E! so she shout it out to them on air or not "Decaf and a ham burger stuffed like multiple surgeries on Dolly Parton's face." She placed her order. 

 The waitress chuckled "I won't take a sec." she replied running over to the café's counter. Given her haste Danni had to be sure she wasn't tipping the paparazzi before she reclined into her seat.

In minutes, her order was in 'Thanks." She smiled at the waitress.

"You are welcome." She grinned in return "Now I am dying to see that shiny rock Cavallini gave to you."

Danielle's eyes fell down her fingers sharply, sipping her decaf. Her ring, wow, she hadn't realized she had thrown it away yesterday at East Beach. Damn! She could have sold that and become a millionaire instantly. "Too bad," she murmured looking at her fingers "I didn't put it on today."

"Why? It's Cavallini's ring-"

"And it's your job to wait," Danni shouted "Now go before I scream there's a strand of hair-strawberry red hair in my burger."

She shook her head walking away "It beats me too." She said to an old lady who was surprised by Danni's outburst as everyone was "Never knew Cavallini liked them feisty." The old lady nodded in agreement.

Danielle took the burger from its plate and dug her teeth into it "Mm..." she licked her lips in delight at the mustard that was all over them. Most people hated mustard in burgers-including her-but Coffee Cat must have done something right to make even anti-mustard-in-burger lovers fall, "I love this." She said with her mouthful-

She opened her eyes to find everyone still staring with wide eyes. The fact that they weren't touching their food bugged her. 

She blamed herself partly for eating the ham burger and reacting as though she had died and gone to George Orwell's Animal Farm "C'mon people, I won't be wasting my food knowing I bought that with my money." She shouted at them.

That didn't move them in any way. They still sat there staring at her in silence as though they were just reuniting with a long lost love.

"Fine." She stood up, leaving her money and the burger "I am leaving." She walked to the door taking her decaf with her "Never," she turned back at the people standing at the doorway "have I met such mean people who wouldn't make me finish my burger." She grunted, spinning around to the door.

Sppff, her coffee splashed on the t-shirt of someone she'd bumped into "Huh," she gasped in surprise "I am so sorry." She took out a handkerchief from her bag and began dubbing at the hard torso.

"It's okay." He said stepping back "It's also my fault for not seeing you here." The deep rich baritone got her curious of who owned the voice that screamed: SEX APPEAL. She looked up into the face of a guy with strong set-jaw and beautifully chiseled cheek bones. His eyes were the greenest she'd ever seen and they held some sort of spell that got her enchanted, they possessed the warmth of the sea. His thin sensuous lips were so kissable, exactly a copy of Jake Gyllenhaal's , except his were original and had a little very-hard-to-notice scar splitting one corner. Stubble of hair lined his jaw, she could almost feel the friction it would present against her chin if they kissed. He was one incredibly hot male with a masculine form that was as impressive as that of a personal trainer-maybe he was a personal trainer. Yeah, the kind you'd fantasized about slick with sweat as he lifted weights in one of your skimpy underwear.

 

 

 

"I..." Danni felt herself lost in the depth of those cool green eyes "I...I..." gosh if she could only think straight, plus, her knees weren't helping as they shivered uneasily "I..." she bit her lower lip hard to get her thoughts far from underneath him and a bed "I don't know what I can do to replace that shirt unless...you tell me you've got one in your...back pocket." That was better, her speech wasn't perfect, but who could go prefect staring at this incredibly hot stud.

She rubbed his shirt some more to feel more of his torso, and he was damn hard "I am stupid." She chided herself "I am not always this clumsy..."

"Don't stress over it." He grabbed her hand to stop her from rubbing his chest. 

Gosh, she could swear she was actually melting at his touch.

"I am going to change. I don't leave far from here."

"You are not far from here?" she asked with a glimmer of hope. I could help him change. "Good for you then...I can't imagine myself walking a long distance in that." She thumped her finger against where the coffee had spilled to feel more of his body heat. "Then," she sighed nervously "see you soon," her throat formed a tight knot at what had come out of her lips "I meant..." she jumped in correction quickly " see you later-no, I do not want to see you at all." She yelled at him, he was the cause of her fuzzy head.Only one in a million guys had this effect on her and since he was the one, this should be her first time experiencing this "What I mean is," she spoke to his bewildered expression at her yelling at him "how do you say to a guy," who is this hot "bye?" 

"Bye." He replied coyly with a smile that made her heart do a two-step.

"Bye." She sighed in relief, now that was better than see you soon even if she wasn't meeting him again.

There was a moment in every girl's life they met an incredibly perfect guy they couldn't have, and he was her Mr. Too Perfect I Cannot Have.

"Do you mind?" she asked, gesturing him to step back since he was in her way.

"No." he stepped back and out of the restaurant "I am going to change anyway."

"I am going to walk all the way, regretting I ruined your shirt." And hating you for not giving me a card. 

She turned to walk away, and after a few steps, she glanced at him taking the opposite direction, "That body had a fine ass too?!" She said in regret for not asking him for his number "That was way too much eye-candy to donate to another bitch."

Now, if she hadn't taken a card that was one memory of a cute butt she'd make a locket of. Her Mr. Too Silly to Have Let Him Go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Bummer." Danni cursed slamming the door of the cab to get out to Anapamu Street. How could she have confused the address? She'd been walking all around Anacapa looking for the address until she called Shelly to verify.

She shielded her head with her arm from the scorching sun looking up the building she was heading to with Hearst Therapy embossed with a whole lot of other signboards.

"All this punishment to break a simple virginity." Danni muttered, no wonder people ended up becoming nuns. She walked into the building and took the elevator to the third floor as Shelly had instructed. 

The floor was like any other she'd seen, with a receptionist and a lot of people pacing around.

Wow, she'd been expecting to see nutcases pacing around like zombies in a horror movie. Maybe she should write something about an experience at the shrink's so stereotypicals like her would not be scared of being in the same room with loonies.

"Hi." She approached the receptionist, a guy in his mid- twenties, lean muscled with a Bruno Mars quiff on his tawny hair wearing a long-sleeved shirt.

"Wow." He looked up his monitor with admiration "I almost quit my job."

She chuckled. It was a normal thing for her. Since she was two, everyone told her she would grow up to be a pageant-queen, sell her face to loads of commercials, but look what she turned up, an erotic writer "I have an appointment with the shrink, can you show me where I can locate his 'healing center'?"

 

 

“Bummer.”  Danni cursed slamming the door of the cab to get out to Anapamu Street. How could she have confused the address? She’d been walking all around Anacapa looking for the address until she called Shelly to verify.

She shielded her head with her arm from the scorching sun looking up the building she was heading for, with Hearst Therapy embossed with a whole lot of other signboards.

“All this punishment to break a simple virginity.” Danni muttered, no wonder people ended up becoming nuns. She walked into the building and took the elevator to the third floor as Shelly had instructed.

The floor was like any other floor, with a receptionist and a lot of people pacing around. Wow, she’d been expecting to see nutcases moving around like zombies in a horror movie. Maybe she should write something about an experience at the shrink’s so stereotypes like her would not be scared of being in the same room with loonies.

“Hi.” She approached the receptionist, a guy in his mid-twenties, lean muscled with a Bruno Mars quiff on his tawny hair wearing a long-sleeved shirt.

“Wow.” He looked up his monitor with admiration “I almost quit my job.”

She chuckled, it was a normal thing for her. Since she was two, everyone told her she would grow up to be a super-model, sell her face to loads of commercials, but look what she turned up, an erotic writer “I have an appointment with the shrink, can you show me where I can locate his ‘healing center’?”

"'Healing center'?" he repeated drawing quotation marks in the air "That's some attitude you've got, when it's clear you are the one who needs to be 'healed'."

"Huh?!" Danni gasped in shock at how she'd been insulted by the guy.

"Dr. Hearst is the best," he spoke with pride "one of the finest in S.B, and as he says, 'the first step to solving your problem, is admitting you have a problem'. Girl, with this attitude you won't be cured."

"Who are you? And who says I have a problem?" she demanded banging his desk.

"Pretty face, that's all they say when they come looking for Dr. Hearst, but they end up walking out of his consultation room changed."

"Mind your words, boy," she warned "and I am not your pretty face... although I sure am pretty-and do not have a 'problem'."

"You do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't." she barked "Hello," she turned to the people around  "Who's the manager here? Someone wants to lose his job." She wailed.

He giggled "Seriously, they will find out who you are seeing and employ me back."

She turned to him sharply "I might be anything, but mad! And you, you sit here telling people they have a problem when you sure have one yourself."

He laughed indignantly, making Danni burn in fury "What could I have going on here besides good looks and kissable lips?" he asked cockily.

He should see his lips. They say Jay-z's were ugly but this guy's looked like they had been dipped in elephant shit. Danielle spotted a tag on his long-sleeved shirt and ripped it off "Who wears D&B?"

"Give that back." He stretched for it, but she was quick to pull it out of his reach.

Danielle giggled "Help me figure this out...what does the 'B' stand for? Dolce and... Banana," Danni gasped sarcastically feigning surprise "You are wearing a Dolce and Banana, ohmigod, I've always wanted one of those." she giggled at her act and stopped abruptly with a stern look at him "You see you have a problem." She said in an I-told-you-so tone.

"Preposterous." He faked a laugh "What problem could that possibly be? Wearing a shirt that says D&B instead of D&G? Try harder 'cause that's not going to end me up at the shrink's." he laughed some more.

Danielle shook her head at his stupidity "You are one stingy ass and you need to see Dr. Hearst." She concluded with a firm nod.

"I am not stingy." He denied.

"Yes." Danielle touched his arm offering comfort in an ironic way "We both know the first step to solving your problem is admitting you have a problem."

"I do not have a problem." He snapped.

"Yes you do."

"No, I don't."

"Is to." She sniggered.

"Is not."

"Is to."

"Alright!" he shouted frustratingly "Dr. Hearst's office is that way." He pointed the corridor to his right.

"Thanks." Danielle smiled mockingly "Thrift stores are not places to start a professional wardrobe, trust me, I haven't been there before." She snickered walking away.

"Hey, for your information, I own a lot of Burglary jackets and they are not from thrift stores." He shouted at her.

"Oh, you mean Burberry." Danielle shouted laughing harder than ever.

She walked into the shrink's space and met with his P.A, a fat black woman with curly black  hair. "You are late." She said looking at her watch.

"Yeah." Danni agreed "I got lost on my way."

"Hmm..." she cocked a brow, smiling. 

Danielle noticed she didn't believe her "Really, I lost my way."

"Girl, that line is getting cliché, you've got to consider how many times I've heard it just today." She replied getting out of her desk to show Danni into the adjoining door that was probably the shrink's consultation room.

"Wait." Danni ordered right before she could turn the door knob "I will take it from here."

"Okay," She shrugged dismissively walking to her desk "just make sure you do not get lost."

Danni walked closer to the door,taking a deep breath "I open this door to recovery." She said
under her breath "I open this door to a new life." She sighed deeply and turned the door knob "Goodbye virginity." She stepped into the consultation room.

"Hi." She met Dr. Hearst right at the door "I am Dr. Hearst, you should call me Mark."

Danni took the hand and looked up into his face. Her breath caught realizing she was staring into the green eyes that possessed the warmth of the sea.

Was that Mr. Too Perfect She Couldn't Have?

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 17.04.2013

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