was wrapped around an elegant white box bearing the inscription â Atelier Livia Risiâ. Inside was a simply stunning dress called âPizzo Jersey BuyByâ, designed and custom-made by Livia Risi herself. It was a bias-cut dress, which made it harder to stitch and required a lot of fabric, but only a bias-cut dress flowed in perfect harmony with a woman as she walked. It was fuchsia with a black v-neck down to the base of the breastbone, and it was possible to wear it without a bra thanks to the embroidered black elastic that followed the shape of the breasts. It was one of the Italian designerâs must-have dresses, a timeless classic that featured (updated, of course) in every spring/summer collection. The dress was embroidered with different layers of lace: double on the front, where a bit more coverage was required, and single in areas where the elegance and sensuality of the female form could more readily be admired. Barbara Harrison was going to look a million dollars in this.
â Wow!â she exclaimed as she lay the dress out on the bed.
Barbara was a bit of a tomboy at heart, so she tried as much as possible to avoid wearing particularly feminine or revealing outfits. Although it was true that she could make anything look good, she was determined that men and women should recognize her other qualities first, the ones that went beyond appearances. At work, in particular, she had no time for men trying to undress her with their eyes.
â If you want to stay on the right side of me, you need to stay focused and quit daydreaming about something thatâ s never gonna happen. Do I make myself clear?â She would say that to anyone who met her for the first time and stared at her too much.
Barbara was forty-two but appeared to have pulled off the trick of stopping nature a decade ago, and even she was taken aback by her refined beauty and innate elegance as she looked at herself in the mirror, wearing her new dress.
Robert accepted that Barbara had this more masculine, and sometimes in private scruffy, side, but he also wanted to see her as beguiling and feminine, an unobtainable goddess whose every slight movement could hypnotize him and make her fall in love with her all over again. He certainly wouldnât be disappointed today. After applying her cat-eye makeup and finding some sandals to go with the dress, she left the apartment and headed for the restaurant where he would be waiting for her.
Barbara was pleased they had cleared the air on the phone the previous day, and she loved how Robert was always able to surprise her. Spending a few weeks apart from him had served only to deepen the void she had felt ever since she was a child, when her older brother Richard had died suddenly and inexplicably from a heart attack in his sleep. Ever since, that sweet and sensitive little girl had changed and taken on the characteristics she most remembered in her brother: strength and courage. It was her way of trying to ease the unbearable pain her parents had carried around since Richard died and fulfill the expectations they had initially had for both children.
Barbara had been in several relationships over the years, but only Robert had brought that sense of familial warmth and security. It would be a mistake to let a man like him go. He loved her like crazy, she knew that, and beneath her protective shell, she loved him too, in her own way. All he wanted from her was to be there, to live for today, and to accompany him on lifeâs journey, and all he wanted to do was declare his undying love for her.
Chapter 11
R onald Howard was in a good mood as he drove out of Jim Lewisâs repair shop, escorted by the same two armored cars he had entrusted with protecting the vintage Mercedes over the last few days. Jim was also pretty happy because Ronald had been in a hurry, so he wasnât stuck with him for too long. They might have been long-standing friends, but as grown-ups the billionaire and the mechanic didnât really have much to talk about, save revisiting some hazy and often made-up memories from their college days. Some of Ronaldâs recollections were so far removed from what actually happened that Jim struggled to humor him. Ronald at least had the good sense to steer clear of politics and the economy, although he would sometimes have a bit of a moan in what could only be described as a clumsy attempt to show solidarity with his friend and the lower social classes. Ronald was a bullshitter but he was no fool, and Jim appreciated that, just like he appreciated the ten thousand dollar check he was now holding firmly in his hand.
â Ten thousand bucks for fitting a muffler and oiling a door - that is daylight robbery⦠God bless you, Ronald, and your bullshit stories!â thought Jim, chuckling to himself. It was now unbearably hot in the repair shop. After folding the check and tucking it safely into his wallet, Jim headed into the bathroom to throw some cold water over his face. His day ahead would now consist of pulling down the shutters, going to collect Henry from school, taking him to his Aunt Jasmineâs for some lunch together, and then heading to the bank to pay in that big fat check, maybe after a change of clothes.
At least thatâs how his day would have gone had he not emerged from the bathroom to find himself face to face with Shelley Logan, sat on her scooter in the middle of his repair shop, wearing a pair of flip-flops, some white Daisy Dukes and a pink camisole, which with no bra underneath provided a perfect outline of her shapely breasts and hard nipples.
âMy engineâs flooded, Jim. Can you help me?â Shelley asked, pouting seductively in a way that only some girls could pull off.
âMaybe you need someone to take a closer look, Shelley...â
âOh I think I do, Jim. And I think youâre the only one who can help me. Do you know, Iâm not sure I can stay upright when itâs so hot...â replied Shelley mischievously, stretching her legs out and pushing herself back on the saddle to activate the kickstand.
â I canâ t believe youâ ve only just turned 20, Shelley. YouPorn has turned your generation into a bunch of whores, and I just take a ticket. Looks like my numberâ s come up againâ¦â thought Jim as he approached the girlâs scooter.
âWould you mind if I pulled down the shutters? The heat in here is just unbearable, you know?â
âSure. You got anything to drink?â replied Shelley, taking a band from her wrist to tie her hair into a ponytail.
âThereâs a fridge in the office. Take whatever you want and grab something for me too,â said Jim, before pulling down the shutters.
Shelley re-emerged with two mini bottles of vodka, like the ones in hotel mini-bars.
âHey, shorty, you feel like downing these in one or would that be too much for you?â
âJim, I am so thirsty...â replied Shelley, raising the bottle in a toast and proceeding to pour the entire contents straight down her throat.
â Oh, you are such a bad little girl, Shelleyâ¦â thought Jim, walking over to her and grabbing her ponytail, forcing her to turn around, sink to her knees and then get on all fours like the horny little bitch she was.
âIs this what you do with your boyfriend, Shelley?â asked Jim, still grabbing her ponytail and controlling her like a dog on a leash.
âNot at all; he loves me...â
âAnd is that why you came to see me?â
âYeah...â
âShelley, you are such a bad girl, you know that?â Jim didnât wait for her to answer. He took
