boss certainly didn't. He looked across at her from his office, noticing her leafy green eyes full of confidence and her walk more like a big and beautiful model strutting her stuff on a catwalk. He had entertained the idea of inviting her out on a date, but he knew that business and pleasure should not mix. He kept his affections for her hidden, locked away in his mind.
Just as Barbara sat down at her desk, a beautifully wrapped pink parcel was delivered to her from reception. How strange, she thought to herself. It wasn't her birthday and by the look of the wrapping, this contained something expensive. She unwrapped the parcel, to find a box with the writing Jimmy Choo on it. A grin crept onto her face as she realised somebody had bought her an $800 pair of lavender Jimmy Choo high heels!
A note accompanied the box. She read it carefully: Put these on and meet me for lunch at Antonino's Restaurant on Northern Boulevard at 1pm sharp. A rush of blood swept through Barbara's body as she realised that whoever had sent her this gift was doing so in response to her Facebook status. She glanced around the room to ensure nobody was monitoring her computer and logged onto Facebook to see how many people had clicked 'like' on her status.
There were four likes, the first from Edward Bell, her old school friend who she barely remembered, two from her girlfriends Tina and Rosie and a fourth from a work colleague named Joe, a man old enough to be her father. Surely not, she thought to herself, glancing over to see Joe waving at her as her eyes met with his across the open office.
Barbara kicked off her heels, replacing them with her new Jimmy Choo shoes. They fit perfectly and she wondered how this secret admirer knew her feet size. She could barely concentrate on work that morning as her mind continued to race. She constantly glanced at the clock positioned on the adjacent wall from her office space. Barbara felt like a school girl again, all excited about the mysterious date she was having that afternoon. As the hours passed by, she became increasingly nervous, yet thrilled at the same time.
She knew it would take approximately 15 minutes to arrive at the restaurant. At a quarter to one, she called out to her work colleagues to let them know she was leaving the office for lunch. Joe waved again, but did not attempt to move from his chair. That counted him out of the equation. Barbara took the elevator to the ground floor, smiled as she walked past security and headed for the exit. This was going to be fun!
Barbara arrived on Northern Boulevard and found a nearby parking spot to the restaurant. Her heart began to race as she locked the car and walked towards Antonino's. As she peered into the window she noticed a man wearing a Versace Leather Biker jacket and tight jeans. His hair was blowout burgundy and he had a neat goatee. It was Edward, a man who somehow made a cross between a SNAG and a bad boy look extremely appealing!
He smiled as she slowly walked towards his table. Barbara attempted to smile back but her nerves were almost out of control. She took a seat across from him and thanked him for the shoes. Edward leant across the table and whispered softly, "You are welcome." At this point, Barbara's legs were like jelly, wobbling underneath the table. She was totally falling for him, before they even had an opportunity to talk.
Talking just made him more appetizing. He spoke articulately and told her about his career and future ambitions. Edward worked as a photographer for magazines such as Vogue and Sports Illustrated. He also owned a boutique fashion shop near Broadway in New York City. As they dined, Barbara found herself fantasizing about posing with her voluptious and naked round body for Edward on a secluded beach. Just the thought of it sent chills down her spine.
The date had been almost perfect, however an incident occurring an hour after she had met Edward left her confused and very scared. Two men, dressed in dark suits and of European descent, stormed into the restaurant and approached Edward, yelling at him in French. Barbara had studied it back in school, but had forgotten many of the words. She hoped that what she could remember would allow her insight into the conversation.
There were words and phrases she understood quite well, and what she heard, from both the aggressors and her date, intimidated her. One of the men who approached Edward mentioned something to the effect of Edward photographing a 16 year-old model nude. The more he spoke, the louder he raised his voice, threatening Edward, who initially seemed unfazed by the accusation. Barbara glanced across the table, making eye contact with Edward, before he turned his attention back to the aggressors.
Edward, who had appeared quite calm, suddenly pulled a Swiss Army knife out from his pocket and flicked open the blade. He lunged towards the man who accused him of photographing an underage model naked and narrowly missed his neck. A woman on the next table screamed and a waiter ran towards the front desk to dial 911. The aggressors fled the scene.
Barbara was in a state of panic. She stood up and just as she went to exit alone, Edward grabbed her by the hand and whisked her out of the restaurant. Handing her a helmet, he lifted her on to the back of his motorcycle and rode off quickly. Barbara had never been on a motorbike and held onto Edward tight, feeling both scared, yet also exhilarated by the experience.
"What the hell happened back there?" she yelled, as he continued to speed down the road.
"French Mafia, known as the Unione Corse. It turns out I photographed the bosses daughter naked."
Barbara was really freaking out now, with multiple thoughts racing through her mind. Was she about to be hunted down and shot? Was Edward illegally photographing teenage girls? Who was more dangerous, the French Mafia or the man in front of her on the motorbike?
"I know what you're thinking," Edward replied. "Her agent told me she was 20. He produced fake ID of her as well."
As soon as danger passed, Edward pulled over to the side of the road. He let Barbara off the bike, so she could call a taxi and return to work. It was far too dangerous for him to escort her back there. Acting as the perfect gentleman, he waited until a taxi arrived, kissed her on the side of her face and told her he hoped to see her again.
If Barbara had thought it was difficult to concentrate at work that morning, the afternoon shift created quite the challenge but she was not averse to the thought of seeing him again because not only did he intrigue her sexually, she also wanted to find out his true identity and his real secret and most importantly why he knew so much details about her...
Story III
This was the busiest time of year for Callie. One which she was dreading. That was probably a little strong. Still it wasn’t something she looked forward to.
She ran a cake catering business together with her friend Barbara out of her home. Her friends said the two girlfriends have to expand if it kept going so well for them. She felt reluctant about that as it meant more work and responsibility for the two of them and she knew Barbara her best friend.
Barbara her best friend preferred to splurge eating cake and watching TV during the holidays rather than convincing Callie to expand the business.
Why did she pursue this business with her friend Barbara then? She knew she had the talent and Barbara had the taste for rich flavored cake, the wit and the looks on her side. It was Barbara who pushed Callie's passion from just being a hobby to making it a career and starting up a business together. Callie seemed to have more pleasure in it when it was more of a past time and without the pressure that is keeping her busy all the time now while her friend was enjoying the real life.
Back to why it was a busy time of year for her. It was coming up on Valentine’s Day. Not her favorite day of the year. Some would say it was because she wasn’t in a relationship. That’s why it held no joy for her. That came across like she was bitter and jealous. Even when she was involved with a man or woman
