Whatever It Taes

Phillip and Nicole went out almost every night that week. They went to baseball games, saw movies, took long walks at nearby parks, and went out to dinner at nice restaurants. The week had been like a dream for Nicole, and had been very effective in taking her mind off her lack of progress at work.

It's not that she couldn't find reliable sources to get information from. That definitely wasn't a problem. The problem was that only a couple of people had responded to her calls and emails, and they did so with very vague answers to her questions. However, Nicole remained optimistic and believed that one source would come along soon that would tell her everything she needed to know. Until then, she would do what she could with the information she had. Besides, she still had a few more weeks to dig up some dirt, and was confident that everything would work out in her favor.

After getting home from the office on Friday night, Nicole immediately changed into her pajamas and flopped down on her couch with a big bowl of popcorn to begin her annual Friday night movie marathon, since she and Phillip didn't make any plans for the night since he had to work late. Around 8 o'clock, she got a phone call on her cell from an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Is this Nicole Anderson?"

"Uh, yeah, it is. May I ask who this is?"

"This is William Harrison." Nicole let out a surprised gasp. She was completely speechless. "Listen," said Harrison, "I know what you've been up to Ms. Anderson. My sources tell me that you're snooping around in affairs that you have no business knowing anything about."

"Mr. Harrison, I-"

"If you don't put an end to your little investigation, I will personally destroy both that, and your career, permanently" he threatened before hanging up.

Nicole didn't know what to say or think. She froze on the spot, confused and extremely pissed off.

Who the fuck does this guy think he is, threatening me like that? I guess now I'll have something interesting to add to the article.

There was no way on Earth she was going to let his threats hold her back. A minute later, a knock at the door brought her back to reality.

Nicole took a quick peek through the eyehole and opened the door. "Hello?"

"Hi, package for Ms. Anderson. I need you to sign," said a delivery man.

"Of course, thank you." The package was enormous. Nicole couldn't begin to guess what was inside.

Maybe it's from mom and dad,

she thought, examining the very ornately decorated box. She ran to her room to see what it was, and who had sent it. Upon opening the box, there was a card on top of the wrapping paper that read:

Had we but world enough, and time,

This coyness, lady, were no crime.

We would sit down and think which way

To walk, and pass our long love's day;

But at my back I always hear

Time's winged chariot hurrying near;

And yonder all before us lie

Deserts of vast eternity.

Thy beauty shall no more be found,

Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound

My echoing song

Now therefore, while the youthful hue

Sits on thy skin like morning dew,

And while thy willing soul transpires

At every pore with instant fires,

Now let us sport us while we may;

And now, like am'rous birds of prey,

Rather at once our time devour,

Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.

Let us roll all our strength, and all

Our sweetness, up into one ball;

And tear our pleasures with rough strife

Thorough the iron gates of life.

Thus, though we cannot make our sun

Stand still, yet we will make him run.

Lines from Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"

she thought smugly.

It has to be from Phillip

. She opened the wrapping paper, and nearly fainted. Inside the box was the $4000 Gucci gown she had seen a few days ago.

How did he know I was looking at this?

Not only was there the gown, but also a very expensive looking pair of Louboutin T-strap pumps

. I don't even want to know how much this all cost

. She began to feel dizzy and had to sit on her bed.

I know he's rich, but...

Before she could finish that thought, her cell phone rang again. "H-hello?"

"Did you get my gifts?" It was Phillip.

"Jesus, Phillip. What the hell were you thinking?"

"First of all, a simple thank you would've been nice. Second, I was thinking I wanted to see you in that dress."

"There's absolutely no way I can accept it. Or the shoes. Flowers and chocolates are fine, but a $4,000 dress is way, way too much."

"Nicole, I got 2 tickets for a gala at the opera tomorrow night. You said you've always wanted to go, so I thought tomorrow would be the perfect occasion. Of course, I assumed you'd need something to wear."

"Why would you do that!? We've only been going out for a week..."

"I did it because I thought it would make you happy. I did it because I

wanted

to. So stop making it seem like it'd be wrong of you to accept."

Nicole didn't know whether to want to kiss him or slap him. "Well, thank you," she said meekly. "I appreciate it, I really do, but like I said, it's too much. I'll have to pay you back somehow."

"Seeing how amazing you'll look tomorrow will do more than suffice. Anyway, I've got to go. I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7, okay?"

"Alright, see you then. Bye."

For the second time that night, Nicole really didn't know what to think about her present situation. First she's threatened by the man she's working her butt off to expose, then she's given gifts that are worth 3 months of her salary by a man she's only been seeing for a week.

What have I gotten myself into?

She thought as she walked to the kitchen. She was considering the best ways to address the issues of her work and personal life as she made a hot cup of tea. A knock on the wall shifted Nicole's attention to Leah, who had just come back from the university. "Hey babe, you still up?" inquired her perky roommate.

"Yeah, I'm not very tired tonight," Nicole responded quietly.

"Alright then, I'm just going to hit the shower and go to bed. That experiment was exhausting, I never thought I'd finish it."

About 5 seconds later, Nicole heard Leah scream, and rushed to make sure her friend was okay. Nicole found Leah in her room, gaping at the gown and shoes. "I-I can explain," she began.

"Nicole, did Phillip buy these for you? Because I know you sure as hell can't afford them. For Christ's sake, they probably cost the same as 4 months of our rent!"

"Well, he got us tickets to the opera tomorrow night and thought I would need something to wear."

"The opera? Okay, I know he's handsome, but if he's got enough money to waste on this, you'd be crazy to let him go!"

"Leah! I'm not a gold digger! Trust me, I would've ditched him a while ago if he hadn't been so persistent. Anyway, a night at the opera does sound pretty amazing..."

Leah burst out laughing. "Nicole in love. I never thought I'd see the day."

"It's not love. I've only known him for a week."

"If you say so," said Leah, rolling her eyes. "Hey, if you want, maybe we can go out tomorrow and do some shopping. You might need a few accessories to go with the dress. And while we're at it, you should get your hair done, too."

"I don't know, that all sounds pretty expensive..."

"Nicole! If everything goes well, you won't even have to worry about expenses in the future!"

"What did I just say about not being a gold digger!?"

"I'm just saying! Please? It's one night, and going to the opera has been a dream of yours for so long....plus, going to a gala can be a once in a lifetime thing. What harm could it do to splurge for a special night?"

"Well...I guess you're right. But don't expect me to empty out my bank account, okay?"

"You worry way too much. If you're that concerned, we'll come up with a budget or something."

"Okay, whatever, I'm going to bed." Said Nicole, who had suddenly become too exhausted to think about anything other than her warm, cozy comforter.

****************************************************************

"GOOD MORNING!"

"God, Leah! I'm up, I'm up!" Nicole yelled at her highly energized friend.

"Come on, we gotta get going. You have 10 minutes."

Why the heck is she so excited?

Wondered Nicole, walking over to her vanity to fix her hair. At the moment, she was more nervous than excited. There were so many things that could go wrong.

Breathe,

she told herself.

Everything will be fine. I just have to get through today. It'll be fun- I think. I guess I should try to be a little nicer to Phillip. After all this was pretty thoughtful of him.

With positive thoughts in mind, she grabbed her purse and strolled out the building with her best friend, determined to make this the best day of her life thus far.

While walking past a strip of clothing stores, something caught Leah's attention.

"Babe! We HAVE to get you something from here!" It was a lingerie store.

"Hell. No." she responded succinctly and angrily.

"Oh, come on. You never know, things might get a little heated tonight, if you know what I mean," said Leah as she winked and nudged her friend's elbow.

"Um, I don't think so. It's just a date."

"Does he know you're a..."

"Shut up! No, he doesn't, and he doesn't have to know. It's not like we're gonna..."

"Fuck? Have Sex? Make Love?"

"Leah! For Christ's sake!"

"You don't want to?"

Nicole blushed. "It's not that. I just want to take things slow. Really slow."

"Alright. Well, can we at least get you some nice underwear to go with the dress? It looks a little form fitting, and some simple lingerie would make you feel sexier, even if Phillip doesn't see it."

"Will it get you off my back?"

"Yes ma'am"

"Let's go." Nicole gave up. She knew all efforts to change her friend's mind would be in vain. As they walked into the store, they were immediately greeted by a perky sales clerk.

"Hi there. You lovely ladies need help looking for something?"

"Yes we do. My friend here is looking for something sexy that won't show under an evening gown." Said Leah.

"I know just the thing. Follow me." With that, the clerk led the two friends to a section dedicated to lingerie sets and ensembles. One in particular caught Nicole's eye. It was a very sexy black lace thong and garter belt set.

"Um, what about this one?"

"Excellent choice, that's one of our most popular sets. What's your size?"

20 minutes later, Nicole walk out of the store with her new lingerie, feeling embarrassed at having it in her possession, even though no one could see it through the bag.

"Why didn't you get a bra?" asked Leah.

"I don't need one. With the way the dress is, it would show in all sorts of places," Nicole explained.

Eventually the two girls made it to the salon. Nicole got a French mani-pedi, and had her hair pin-curled. That, combined with her make-up, made her look like she just stepped out of an old film from the 1940's. "Wow, you look great. I'm actually jealous." exclaimed Leah after seeing the end result.

"If you say so," responded an increasingly bashful Nicole. "You look great too."

Leah just got layers, and blond highlights to go with her brunette locks.

"Thanks, hon, but there's no way I could compare to you. Anyway, it's 4:30. We should get out of here." The two girls paid and headed home.

*************************************************************************************

I really, really hope this is alright,

Nicole thought as she examined herself in the mirror. Everything fit perfectly, and she was actually quite comfortable. Under the dress she wore the thong and garter set with a pair of nude stockings with black lace on the ends. As much as she hated to admit it, Leah was right, she did feel sexier.

This is going to be a good night

, she deduced, trying to give herself a pep talk before Phillip arrived.

You're going to have fun, and be as pleasant as possible

. However, no matter what, Nicole couldn't rid herself of the butterflies in her stomach.

But what if he doesn't like how I look? What If I trip and fall flat on my face?

Her pessimistic side was definitely coming out. She had never had to put this much effort into looking nice for a guy before, and had no idea what he was expecting or what he wanted to see. After a few spritzes of her favorite perfume, she decided her appearance was as good as it's going to get.

"Nicole! Your extremely handsome date is here!" Leah called from the living room.

"Coming!" Nicole brushed back her curls, stared at her reflection in the mirror, and took a deep breath. "It's no big deal, just another date. You can do this." With that, she left her room to join her date and friend in the living room.

Leah whistled, "Isn't she gorgeous?"

"Yes, she is." Said Phillip quietly.

"Well, you look great too." Said Nicole, who was amazed at the fact that it was possible for Phillip to look even better than usual. On an ordinary day, he could pass for a male model, without a doubt. But tonight, he looked almost like a prince out of a fairy tale.

"Ready when you are," he said, holding out his arm. Nicole took it and the two of them headed out.

"Wait! Hold on for one second, I need a picture. You guys look so adorable together!" Leah said as she hurried off to find her camera. "Leah! This isn't prom night, and we have to go!" yelled Nicole. She looked up to see Phillip trying his best not to laugh. "What?" she asked, "You think this is funny? We're going to be late..."

"Relax," he said, kissing her forehead, "I assure you, we'll make it in plenty of time. Although, you do look awfully cute when you're angry," he laughed, pinching her cheeks.

Nicole turned away from him to hide her embarrassment. A moment later Leah returned with a camera. "Alright you two, get close together and say cheese!" Anyone who saw them at that moment would've thought they were the perfect couple. After a few photos they headed out. "Have fun you two! I won't bother waiting up!" Leah winked at her friend before closing the door behind them.

While waiting for the elevator, Nicole made no point to hide her embarrassment "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. That was so humiliating. She can be a bit much sometimes...well, most of the time actually."

Phillip put his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, it'll be nice to have something to remember this night by."

"I guess you're right." The two made their way out the building to a town car waiting to take them to the opera house.

Nicole was somewhat confused. "Is this for us?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am. It's mine. Usually I use it for work and whatnot, but I thought it would be appropriate for tonight."

"Aren't you full of surprises?" she asked sarcastically, getting into the car.

Phillip laughed, "Sure am, but that keeps things exciting."

At this point in their relationship, Nicole obviously knew that Phillip was beyond wealthy, partially due to his family (which was seldom brought up) and due to his work. However, during their dates, they never did anything too extravagant. On the contrary, their dates were very normal. Because of this, Nicole was taken aback at Phillip's display of his wealth over the past couple of days.

I guess it's not a bad thing

, Nicole thought to herself as she stared out the window,

but it'll definitely take some getting used to.

Meanwhile, Phillip couldn't keep his eyes off Nicole

. She's perfect, absolutely perfect.

Seeing her was the only thing he thought about for the past couple of days.

Tonight's the night,

he thought,

I'm going to make her mine

. To his dismay, Phillip realized that he was beginning to feel aroused. Not being the appropriate time or place, he summoned all of his willpower to look away from Nicole.

"Thank you," she said suddenly.

"What?"

"Thank you, not just for this, but for everything you've done over the past week."

Phillip was a little confused. "But, I haven't really done anything. I just wanted to spend time with you."

"Not just that. You're the only guy who's ever really made an effort to get to know me," she said, "I know I'm not the easiest person to put up with. Actually I'm still pretty surprised you wanted to go out after our first date."

"It's like I said, I wanted to spend time with you." Nicole moved closer to him and rested her head on his arm.

"You make me feel special. Anyone with eyes can tell that you're too good for me. I know I'm not very good at expressing it, but being with you really does make me happy."

"I'm happy as long as you're happy." Nicole didn't know how to respond. "Anyway, we're here," he said, "You excited?"

"Yes, I am. I've been wanting to do this for so long." Phillip took her hand they both proceeded to the opera house. It was beautiful, and being with Phillip made Nicole feel like a princess. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Suddenly, a thought dawned on her.

"What opera are we seeing?" she asked. With all the worrying about the dress and how she looked, she never thought to ask. Phillip burst out laughing. "I thought you would've asked that question a while ago."

Nicole pouted, "Well, I've had a lot on my mind."

"It's La Boheme. I know you really want to see Carmen, but they weren't doing that this season."

"No, that's great!" she exclaimed. "A few years ago, I saw

Rent

on Broadway. Ever since then I've wanted to see the opera that inspired my favorite musical." Seeing Nicole this happy made Phillip want to have her all to himself even more. He wanted to be the only person to make her smile the way she was now.

Soon enough

, he thought. But a few hours seemed like eons, and Phillip didn't know how much longer he could hold out until he put his plan into motion. Suddenly the lights flickered on and off, signaling that the performance was going to begin soon.

"Shall we?" he asked as he took her arm in his. Nicole giggled, she felt like a little girl. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she was this giddy. Things really were shaping up to be a great night, and any traces of stress or doubt that had clouded her thoughts over the past few days seemed to have disappeared.

They walked arm-in-arm into the hall and found their seats. They were in an ideal section, not too far, and not too close. A few minutes later the curtain rose and the performance began. Nicole was instantly mesmerized. She had never seen anything like it. The sets, the costumes, the props-everything-made it really feel like a dream come true for her. Sure, she'd seen countless videos of arias and librettos on the internet, but saying that they paled in comparison to the real deal would be an understatement. She couldn't look away as Rodolfo and Mimi fell in love while singing "O Soave Fanciulla".

Despite the amazing duet being performed in front of him, Phillip struggled to pay attention, as he was much more interested in the woman next to him. He took an immense amount of joy in just being next to Nicole, and looking at her reactions. He loved looking at her as she smiled, as her brow furrowed when she was angry, or as she tried to hold back tears during tragic scenes.

As Alcindoro appeared dumbfounded at having received Musetta's bill, the curtain closed, signaling the end of Act 2 and the beginning of the intermission. Phillip took a deep breath.

It's time.

"Let's grab a drink," he said as he took her hand and led her to the bar.

"Hey, I'm just going to look around a little bit." Said Nicole

"Alright, I'll come find you."

While walking around, Nicole took a moment to look at all the other women around her.

They're gorgeous

, she thought. Since it was a gala, everyone in attendance looked their absolute best, and spent the night socializing with important people. She caught a couple of men staring at her, but she simply gave them a shy smile and continued to observe her surroundings.