The Lady On Top

Out of sight..out of mind

            Emilia let the music control her body.  Everything and everyone seemed to disappear from the crowded club dance floor. Everything except for the warm hand that was still on her midsection, holding her closer and the hard body that kept following her movements. She smiled to herself, thankful for the dark lighting on the dancefloor. This was the first time in a very long time that Emilia felt free. It was also the first time in forever that she had let a man come this close to her.

“You are such a tease,” the man drawled from behind, his breath warm on her neck, his voice making her think of midnight and secret whispers in the dark. He was tall. Being 5’9, Emilia was above average female height but she still remembered looking up at him earlier. 

Emilia shook her head and turned to him, putting her arms around him and looking up at him. “Am I now?” She asked in a sultry voice, her green eyes flashing with laughter. Alcohol gave her an edge that she did not have when she was sober. It made her more confident and daring. And that is exactly what she had wanted. He screamed danger and she was about to put those flames to the test and see how much they burnt. “But we are just dancing, aren’t we..?”

“Max,” he supplied as he pulled her even deeper into his arms, his hands going to her waist. “I think you know exactly what you are doing!”

Emilia laughed, her head thrown back. “If I was really teasing you wouldn’t have known it. We are just dancing, Max!”

Max shrugged and pulled her closer, causing her breasts to be squashed between them.  “So let’s dance!” he said as he moved her round and round on the dancefloor, earning him a giggle and a laugh from Emilia.

For the next hour, the couple danced together to all kinds of music-fast and slow-joking and laughing as they did. Even though Max had tried a couple of times to get her name or number, those were two things that Emilia vowed never to share. When finally Emilia decided she had had enough, Max was reluctant to let her go, but finally had to, also decided to call it quits.

“I have let out a dancing monster!” Jean greeted her as Emily finally made it back to the VIP lounge. “I was about to tell the DJ to announce you missing!”

Emilia laughed, “and abandon you to all these wolves?” She said as she took in the room of people. It seemed to have increased from the time she was there. “Not a chance, sister mine. I would like to go to the powder room though and refresh up a bit. I am all sweaty and sticky and sober!”

Jean chuckled and pointed to a door just on the side of the bar, “only you would use words such as powder rooms to mean restrooms. Right through that door and then to your left. I will be sitting right there,” she pointed to the black seat close to the floor to ceiling window.

“Great! I will be right back!” Emilia skipped to the room. She was now completely sober as she had danced all the alcohol away. She followed Jean’s instructions and found herself in a well lit, well air-conditioned restroom. It was in black and white, with the basins made from clear glass. Walking to one, Emilia smiled as she found it had a sensor. A great feature to escape from all the germs from those who do not wash their hands properly. Quickly, she leaned over and washed her face. The warm water immediately cooled her skin. Reaching for one of the white linen hand towels that was rolled and placed in a pile, she wetted it and rubbed it across her heated skin on her neck, not stopping the moan that escaped. Her skin had felt so hot, she had forgotten who sweaty people got after dancing. Wetting it again she quickly made work on her arms as well, thanking the heavens that her dress wasn’t showing any wetness.

After making quick work of cleaning herself up, she re-applied her makeup before visiting one of the loos. As she was doing her thing, she heard the door opening.

“Did you see the woman he came in with?” one snorty sounding woman asked her companion as they both walked to the faucets. 

“He did not come with her, she was here earlier making eyes on Phillip with me right there. Can you believe the audacity!”

“Why did James allow such a loose woman into the club anyway! She is definitely not the kind to enjoy such luxuries. The club uptown would have suited her better!”

The other woman laughed, “jealousy does not suit you, Arabella!”

“Me? Jealous of some blonde bimbo?” She snorted. “Please!”

Emilia frowned, feeling sorry for whoever the woman was that was being discussed in the powder room. After finishing her business she quickly flushed and opened the door, meeting a set of two eyes all directed to her. She gave them a small smile and walked back to the faucets. “Hello,” she greeted them. She noticed the dark-haired woman that she had met earlier when she and Jean had just entered.

The two women just looked at her. While one of them gave her a tight nod, the other gruntled and turned away from her.

Emilia frowned, wondering what was up with the woman. With a shrug, she made her way to the door that would lead her back to Jean. 

“Look at her! Who does she think she is?” Arabella hissed just as Emilia was opening the door to lead her out. 

Were they talking about her? Emilia’s hand froze on the door handle when she heard this. Not being one to back away from a verbal attack. “I am sorry, were you referring to me?” Her voice changed, using the same haunting tone she used on her subordinates when they were doing something she did not like.

“Stay away from Phillip!” Arabella stated, even as her friend placed a restraining order on her.

Emilia seemed to have forgotten who this Phillip was. “Who is Phillip?” 

“See? Only a skunk would not even remember the people she flirts with!” Arabella rolled her eyes at her in disgust.

Emilia shook her head, “I only remember people I deem worthy for me to remember, I can’t be bothered with anyone else.” She opened the door and walked out. 

“You will not believe what happened!” Emilia exclaimed as she approached her friend near the huge window. “There was a woman in there warning me to stay away from Phillip. I don’t even remember what he looks like!” She shook her head and turned to the bartender. “Carlos! Another one of those blue drinks for me!”

Jean pulled her, “Mia, you have not had enough?” She narrowed her eyes and studied her friend. It had been such a long time since she saw Emilia letting her hair down and enjoying herself-7 years to be precise. And even though it gave her joy to see that her friend was not moping around at her mansion on this anniversary day of her mother’s death, Jean was not ready to have her regret her night. 

Emilia scoffed, “I am good. I danced the alcohol away. Besides, as I told you earlier, I am heading to the ranch tomorrow and have no site visits so even if I get drunk, it will be ok.”

Jean raised an eyebrow, “you are the worst person to suffer from a hangover!” She reached for her drink as Carlos placed them before them. “You will moan and complain about it for the whole day!”

“And you still love me for it!” Emilia took a good swallow and shook her head, “this is the best drink ever! Anyhow, I was telling you that there were ladies talking about me in the powder room. She went as far as warning me. Did I do something wrong?”

Jean reached for her friend and pulled her in a hug, knowing that she was about to get emotional. One thing that people did not know about Emilia was that behind the steel mask that she always wore was a woman who still battled with demons of insecurities. 

“Babe, no! You did nothing wrong. You never even talked to him for long! I know Phillip and I know definitely she is not his girlfriend! Forget her and her threat. Let’s finish up so we go home. I am beat!”

Emilia chuckled a bit. “Yeah. I suddenly feel overly tired!”

“Old woman!”

On the other side of the club, Max sat nursing his beer. Even though he was physically in the club but his mind was elsewhere. It had been one crazy week for him and he just wanted to disappear and forget it, something that was impossible to do in his case. 

“Yo, man, what’s up with you?” one of his friends asked as they approached. “Got dumped by the supermodel once again?”

Max smirked a bit, “I don’t get dumped, I do the dumping,” he said arrogantly. “It’s been a crazy week at work, James.”

James nodded as he sat opposite him in the booth. They were also in the same VIP room, but sitting a little further from everyone else. “We have all had our share of those. What’s good?”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Max replied as he drained his beer and placed the empty bottle on the table. Leaning back, his gray-blue eyes scanning the room, watching the women, and wondering who was going to be the lucky one to head home with him that night. As his eyes moved, they landed on the blonde woman he had danced with earlier.  “Jimmy, who is that blonde with Jean?”

“Aah,” James gave him a sly smile. “The eyes of the master player have found a target. Though I am not sure you want to mess with this one.”

“Just a name, dumbass!” Max gritted, his eyes still focused on the woman who was busy laughing with Jean.

“Emilia Roberto.” James supplied as he took a sip from his Gin and Tonic.

Max frowned and turned back to his friend. “Emilia Roberto? Where did I hear that name before?”

“Probably read it in Forbes Top 10 Women Billionaire Under 40,” James chuckled a bit at his friend’s widening eyes.

“The elusive billionaire,” Max said as a small smile tagged on his lips, “Well I will be damned. You have a woman who most men are running after but can’t seem to even know how she looks like and here you are, entertaining her in your club! What a great PR stunt!”

James shook his head, “unfortunately I cannot do anything with the PR team about this. As part of the VIP membership clause, I have signed an NDA for whatever or whoever comes in here.”

“Damn!” Max shook his head, his eyes turning back to where Emilia was. “I danced with her, not knowing who she was as she downright refused to give me her name. She was really getting it down on the dance floor. Who would have thought?”

“Good for you, champ,” James drained his drink and placed the glass down. “I made a mistake thinking she was Jean’s assistance! She just looks so-not rich!”

Max laughed, his voice deep, “You have got to be kidding me!”

“No joke! I wanted to crawl to a corner and die. Good thing she did not pay any attention to me. She has a way of dismissing people without making it obvious.”

Max’s eyes went back to the woman they were talking about. He watched as she and Jean finished their drinks before waving to the bartender and made their way out. “Elusive hey?”

“Oh, I know that look on your face! What do you want to do now?”

“Let’s make a bet, shall we?” Max said as he moved forward on his chair. “I bet you I can have that woman in my bed by the end of the month.”

James raised an eyebrow on him. “Is that a fact?”

“Yep!” Max put an emphasis on the ‘p’. 

“What are you hooligans talking about?” Phillip asked as he joined them. His eyes were already out of focus showing that he was drunk.

“Making a bet that loverboy here will get Ms. Roberto in his bed by the end of the month.” James supplied as he shook his head. 

“How much?” Phillip asked. 

Max gave him a devilish smile. “A million each.”

“So if you lose, you give us each a mil?” Phillip asked.

“That’s the idea. But you will not be getting anything from me,” Max replied confidently. 

James took a pen and reached for a serviette, “let’s get this in writing, shall we?”

        Emilia groaned and buried her head under the pillow. The morning sun rays made their way inside and straight into her sensitive eyes. Sighing, she stole a glance at the bedside clock-11 AM- before trying to jump out of the bed. “Ouch!” She exclaimed as the headache caused little bright stars to appear behind her eyelids. “Shoot, Jean was right! I am never drinking again!“

“That is what you all say,” came a soft reply and a gentle chuckle. “I made you some coffee.”

Emilia turned on her bed and looked sideways to the woman walking in with a tray in her hands. “Mom Gladys, what are you doing here?”  she struggled to sit, grimacing as her head felt like lead. Gladys MarGaret was Jean’s mother and the woman who did not hesitate to take in a sixteen-year-old girl, raising and protecting her the best way she could. Growing up, Emilia had found it hard to call Gladys just by her name nor to call her ‘mother’ so she settled for Mom Gladys.

“Jean told me you both were out last night. After visiting her and seeing the way she was, I had to come to you too and see how you are doing,” Gladys placed the tray on the bed before sitting herself. “How are you feeling, honey?”

“As though a truck drove over my head,” Emilia smiled as she reached for her coffee. “Thank you, Mom Gladys, though you shouldn’t have.” 

“Oh, ppsh!” Gladys waved her hand to dismiss Emilia. “So, what time are you heading to the ranch?”

“In the next two hours. I will only be coming back Sunday evening, so I will stop by the house for dinner.”

“Are you driving?” Gladys asked as she busied her hands with straightening the bed cover, her eyes downcast as she did not want to show Emilia that she was worried about her. She had learned a while back that Emilia was not at all comfortable with people’s emotions. 

Emilia tried to shake her head, only to groan in pain, “at this rate I am going to ask Shaw to drive me. Besides, he usually drives down there anyways to see Theodora.” Shaw was her driver/bodyguard that just happened to be her ranch housekeeper’s husband. 

“Good,” Gladys released a sigh of relief before standing up. “Well, I have to get going. I am having a brunch meeting with some young entrepreneurs who would like to get us to use some of their products at the spa. I was told their products are hip and happening, whatever that means. Be safe, my girl!” She leaned over and placed a kiss on Emilia’s forehead. 

“Thank you, Mom Gladys,” Emilia smiled at the older woman and watched her walk out before slumping back onto the pillows on her bed. Reaching for her phone she quickly sped dialed Shaw’s number.

“Hello, ma’am. What can I do for you?” Shaw answered after three rings.

“Hey. We are heading to the ranch in 2 hours’ time,” Emilia announced to him.

“I will be ready.”

“Great,” Emilia replied before disconnecting the call. Emilia quickly finished her breakfast before getting ready for her trip.

Emilia had always felt peaceful when she visited her ranch. There was something about being surrounded by animals and nature that calmed her down. Owning a ranch had always been her mother’s dream. Emilia remembers the times that her mother would tell her stories about growing up at a ranch. She would tell her about animals and nature and how everything just seemed more balanced. It was because of those memories and wanting to be closer to her mother that propelled Emilia to buy a ranch when she made her first million. It had been a dying ranch, the owners an elderly couple who did not have any living relatives to leave it to. After selling their land, the elderly couple decided to travel the world. 

When she first bought it, the ranch had a handful of cattle and five horses that I had seen better days. Turning it into a successful ranch with more than a few hundred cattle as well as having breeding areas for some of the best horses to take part in the rodeo was not an easy task. Many times, Emilia had felt like quitting and just focused on her landscape and architecture business, but her determination had no boundaries, and to her giving up the ranch might have seemed as if she was giving up on her mother. 

“I hear there is a new stallion ready to be broken on the ranch,” Shaw commented as they neared the place.

Emilia smiled, “really? When was it brought in?”

“Teddy said this morning actually,” Shaw replied. “The owner said he will be stopping by tomorrow. Seems he bought it recently and would like for it to be trained for horse shows.”  

“It’s a Saddlebred then?” Emilia asked. Training show horses was something she loved doing. Her ranch hands always told her she had a magical touch with the horses, but she knew it was all in the way she treated the animals. 

Shaw nodded, “it would appear so. Black as midnight without stars, Teddy said.”

Emilia nodded with a smile, already excited at the task ahead. She could not stop the smile forming as they started driving up the gravel road, the lush green fields on either side of them. She watched as the horses grazed, a few looking up at the sound of a car. On the other side, she could see a few ranch hands on horseback keeping an eye on the cattle.