This is one syrupy romance so all you sex fiends, this is not the story for you.
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She had it all… everything money could buy… furs, diamonds, estates and cars while he was a stripper. She was lobster soup and caviar…he was pasta and Chinese takeout. How could there be romance between them? Read on to find out…
She was a very rich woman. At the last count she was worth a couple hundred million. People were in awe of her. The women envied her while the men coveted her. Such beauty, such sophistication. Indeed God had been very kind to Lucia Wintergreen. What more could she ask for, what more could she want? Yet no one knew that at heart, Lucia was a very lonely woman.
She did not have many friends, at least not true ones. The circles she moved in were not conducive to the meaningful kind of relationships. But she did have one best friend. Her name was Mabel. She too was very rich though not on such grand scale as Lucia but her brazen temperament did conceal a heart of gold and Lucia was one of the people who knew that.
So it was Mabel who was consoling Lucia one bleak morning when she was going through one of the most traumatic experiences of her life. Paul who had been having a steady relationship with Lucia had left her for another woman, a younger woman though not as rich. The worst part was not that he had left her for another woman, but what he had said while leaving. “Lucia,” he had said, “You are one frigid bitch. Making love to you is like having sex with a snowman. You are never going to satisfy any man. I had tolerated you this long just for your money. Even that does not satisfy me now. Get a life for God’s sake.”
Lucia had felt as if someone had run a knife through her back and twisted it, again and again. Paul couldn’t have said that. Anyone but Paul. Was that what he had been thinking all the times when he had slept with her, when he had professed his love to her? Was she so pathetic that no man could love her, even for her money? What was she going to do now? How was she going to get through this? Any feelings that she had had for Paul had died the moment he had said those hateful things to her. All she felt for him now was hatred, pure and black. She would get back at him, she knew. She would ruin him financially. She knew she was capable of that. She was CEO of one of the largest Banking companies in New York and she had financial interest in several major corporations.
In fact she had been going to finance Paul’s current venture, the latest in a series of get-rich-quick schemes that he regularly used to come up with. Obviously Paul must have thought that his latest girlfriend would finance part of his business and that he would approach a leading bank to finance the rest. She, Lucia Wintergreen would see to it that he never would get any business off the ground. He would have to come begging back to her. In the past thirty-five years of her life, she had seen less scrupulous people. The Paul chapter of her life was closed forever. So the question was what was she to do now. Consciously or unconsciously, she had become dependent on Paul for some emotional support, something she was without now. Mabel was after all a woman. She couldn’t satisfy all of her emotional needs. Lucia turned her attention to what Mabel was saying…
“…So what I feel is that Julia’s party is just what you need now. I’m sure you realise that Julia never does things half-heartedly. So for her bachelorette’s party she has gone all the way. She told me yesterday that she had hired a stud to strip for us. It seems this jock is fresh stock and already he is making waves at such parties. Its gonna be one great night. And I am not going to take no for an answer. It will take your mind off Paul, the rat and you will make Julia happy.”
Lucia had no mood to attend any such party but she knew that there was no use refusing. Once Mabel had made up her mind on something, there was no budging her. She would probably drag her by the hair and deposit her at Julia’s place. So she meekly agreed.
“Great,” said Mabel, flashing one of her brilliant smiles. Be ready tomorrow evening at seven. I shall pick you up.
Saturday evening saw Lucia dressed up in a gorgeous one-piece halter outfit. She was really striking and Mabel's eyes popped out when she saw Lucia at the door.
“My, my,” she gasped, putting her hand to her mouth. That poor guy just doesn’t stand a chance. You are gonna knock him dead. Welcome back to the circuit.”
“Mabel, please. I am not doing this for any guy. It’s just that I don’t want to portray a sorry picture when I meet the other girls. I want everyone to believe that I am not at all affected by Paul’s desertion. Do you think I can carry it off?” She performed a little pirouette.
“Definitely,” Mabel assured her. “Anyways, the girls are very understanding. You just have to look out for Kira. She’s got this nasty tongue that lashes out at every opportunity. Otherwise you’ll be fine.”
When they arrived at Julia’s house, the party had already started. Julia took their wraps and ushered them in. “The food is served and the champagne is flowing. As I am going to be married next weekend, I might as well enjoy my unfettered status as long as it lasts.”
When the party was halfway through, there was a discreet knock on the door. “That mush be Jason,” said Julia jumping up to get the door. He said he’d be here by nine – thirty.” There was a sudden silence in the room. Everyone was eager to see this stud.
Lucia’s first impression of Jason was one of innocence. For all his machismo, he looked so unimpaired by life’s sorrows that Lucia felt this wave of longing for him. What she wouldn’t give to regain that innocence, that period of life where you feel on top of the world. She couldn’t remember the time she had last felt like that. Of course the boy was in his early twenties. Probably in a few years he too would become world-weary like she had. Lucia felt this irresistible urge to brush against him, just to see if any of that guileless charm would rub off on her. Jason was dressed in an off-white silk shirt and jet black trousers. His feet were encased in shiny black dress shoes. None of his clothes and accessories looked new, but they were obviously well cared for. There was an uncertain look about him, like he was unsure of what to do next. Julia pulled him in and introduced him to the group. “Girls, this is Jason. He is going to perform for us now.” Lucia could see the eagerness in everyone’s faces. Married or not, it was not everyday that women got to feast on prime male flesh. And it was even more rare to see one so finely put together like Jason. Every inch of him appeared to be finely sculpted, from his tousled locks to the tips of his shoes. He soundlessly handed over a cassette to Julia who fed it into the music system. All the girls took their places and Jason stepped to the center of the room.
The music started, slowly at first and then building up slowly in its tempo. A slow change came over Jason. He no longer seemed unsure of himself. It was as if the music had transformed him into a different person, though Lucia could still see traces of the other Jason in his eyes. Somehow she felt that she could gaze into Jason’s eyes and see who he really was, a silly notion really. Jason for his part had taken a cursory look around the room and had focused his attention on her. He was not staring at her really, it was just that for the most part, he would close his eyes, but whenever he opened them, he would gaze straight at her and then look away. Lucia felt this eerie sensation shoot up and down her spine. Something was happening here that was totally out of this world. Lucia shook herself to see if these sensations would go away, but no such luck. The sensations were still there and intensifying by the minute. She decided to concentrate on his performance.
