My 3 Contract Lovers

[15]

[Dante]

“Mine Lord,” I looked up to see Frederick standing in the doorway of my bedchamber.

“Yes, Frederick?” I asked softly in acknowledgment as I stood in front of the full-length mirror and made sure my royal blue tie was tied correctly.

“Reservations at The Pearl for seven-thirty has been confirmed, Mine Lord,” he said, and I gave him a curt nod before I slipped on the royal blue jacket that matched my trousers and tie.

“Very well,” I said before I turned to him. “Milady awaits,” I was nervous, and I wasn’t sure why. This was not unusual. I always wined and dined with my consorts. I always treated them to lavish dinners or parties. It was normal for me and yet, I was doubtful when it came to Bianca. I had taken her shopping earlier and she had taken quite a bit of time to warm up to the idea of spending my money. Even then, the first store - and only store - we had gone to, she had been uncomfortable and awkward. Luckily, the owner knew me personally and assisted us in a private room. That had helped and I was pleased with the selected choices. The chosen outfits were casual and innocent with a flare that showed her personality. Bianca was an enigma and I found out that her favorite color was red. And I couldn’t help but compare her to my many other consorts. Many had gone crazy without hesitating to spend my money, while Bianca had chosen four outfits and, despite insisting that it was more than enough, I had a feeling she might never wear them. I could be wrong. I was hopeful that I was wrong.

“Ready Mine Lord?” Frederick questioned, effectively snapping me out of my Bianca mind fest.

“Aye,” I left the room and he followed as I made my way down the long hallway to the staircase. I wanted Bianca to see my home, but I didn’t want to rush her. I knew that she had two other consorts. I also knew that this year would not be easy for her. The car was ready and waiting, which I was grateful for. The evening had a chill in the air that made me wonder if Bianca had anything warm to wear. That made me pause as I thought about the dress I had sent her. She would be cold if she didn’t have a coat. I abruptly stopped and turned to Frederick. “Is there time for a quick stop?” he pulled out his pocket watch and I rolled my eyes at the outdated item.

“Aye Mine Lord,”

“Good, we need to make a quick stop before we pick up Milady,” I slipped into the back of the car and relaxed as I made sure I didn’t wrinkle my jacket. Soon we had left my property and I could see the lights of the city ahead. “Voyage Boutique,” I informed Frederick as I pulled out my phone and sent the owner a quick message. Luckily, Barbara stayed close by, and I knew the woman would not have any issues helping me at such a late hour. The drive was quick, and Frederick managed to get a good parking space right in front of the store. I spotted two security men as well as Barbara standing just inside the doorway. I hurriedly exited the car and smiled in greeting.

“Lord Hudson,” she cooed as she came forward and I kissed her cheek before straightening up. “I’m going to assume you are here to purchase a cloak?”

“Aye, there is a chill in the air tonight,” I explained. “I cannot thank you enough for coming out on such short notice,”

“Ah pfft, anytime and anything for you,” she led me inside and directed me to the display of feminine cloaks. My eyes were immediately drawn to a red cloak, and I pointed it out. Barbara nodded before she took down the cloak and held it out for me to see. “It’s a crimson-red velvet cloak. No sleeves and it would do quite well with this chill in the air. May I ask what color her dress is?”

“Cream…or as the store clerk said, golden cream and, if you want to know, it is lace,”

“Then this will match perfectly,” Barbara remarked, and I nodded thoughtfully. It wasn’t too long and would be easy for her to drape over her shoulders.

“Don’t bother wrapping it,” I said as I pulled out my wallet. The owner beamed as she removed the price tag but left it on the wooden hanger so that it wouldn’t crinkle. After I had paid and returned to the car with my purchase, Frederick drove me to Bianca’s apartment building. I was surprised to see her waiting in the foyer and her eyes went wide when she spotted me with the cloak. I took my time to approach her as I took her in. The golden cream lace dress fitted her perfectly, showing off her lean curves. It was floor-length with thin straps and a square neckline. Even from here, I could see the goosebumps on her arms as she trembled from the chill in the foyer. She wore her hair in an up style that made her neck appear longer and more elegant. The makeup she wore was simple and tasteful. However, as I got closer, I realized that she wore no jewelry of any kind, and I made a note to change that.

“Hello Dante,” she greeted rather shyly, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Good evening Bianca,” I said as I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers in a chaste kiss that lasted all of two seconds. I wanted more but we were out in the open and it would not be appropriate. I quickly removed the cloak from the hanger and draped it over her shoulders. Barbara had been right, it matched perfectly.

“Thank you,” she whispered. The gentleman standing by the door came over to dispose of the hanger and I offered Bianca my arm. I could tell that she felt awkward and out of place and I suddenly wondered if I shouldn’t have simply invited her over to my home for pizza. I quite enjoyed pizza. And ice cream. I escorted her to the car and I was grateful that the restaurant was just around the corner. We sat in silence, but it was comfortable. I wanted to say something, but my mind was blank. Once Frederick had parked the car again and opened the door, I escorted her to the entrance.

“Good evening, welcome to The Pearl,” the hostess greeted us as soon as we walked through the door. She smiled warmly at us, and she recognized me immediately. “Ah, Lord Hudson, we have your table ready,” she then said. I inclined my head and we followed her to the back of the restaurant where it was a lot more private. We were seated at a table for two and the hostess took Bianca’s cloak as well as my jacket.

“Where is she going with our stuff?” Bianca whispered and I stared at her for a moment before I understood.

“The cloakroom,” I answered. Bianca went pink and while I enjoyed seeing her all bashful, I still had this weird feeling that this wasn’t the type of evening she would enjoy. She looked around the restaurant and I simply watched her. Suddenly, a waiter appeared.

“Good evening,” he greeted. “My name is Jonathan, and I will be your server tonight,” he went on as he set down three menus on the table. Another waiter stopped by and after showing me the sparkling water bottle, I nodded. He opened the bottle in front of us and carefully poured the water into the glass goblets that Jonathan had placed down. Bianca seemed out of place and bewildered by the treatment thus far and this worried me. Had I made a mistake?

“I will be back shortly,” Jonathan announced, before he and the other waiter disappeared. I picked up the glass and took a sip of the cool water. Moments later, Jonathan reappeared with a beautiful woven breadbasket filled with freshly baked rolls that he placed in the middle of the table. He also set down a tiny pot of butter before he disappeared once again.

“Is this all right?” I finally asked and Bianca’s gaze snapped to mine.

“Sure…I mean, it’s my first time, but I’m sure you knew that already,” she said, and I nodded. “It’s fine. According to my aunt, I absolutely must experience something like this,” I frowned as I leaned forward slightly.

“Do you want to experience this?” I found myself asking and once again she blushed.

“Yes and no,” she admitted softly as she looked down at her hands beneath the table and I frowned. She was uncomfortable and that was all my fault.

“We can go someplace else,” I suggested, but she quickly shook her head and avoided my gaze. I already knew what that meant, so I set my glass back down on the table and held my hand out to her. I spotted Jonathan coming back our way and I shook my head, which made him stop and turn around. “Bianca?”

“I don’t want to embarrass you or disappoint you,” she finally said as she put her hand in mine. It felt strange and yet, completely natural.

“You could never,” I said rather fiercely. “Come now, your aunt is right. You should experience this, but I am here with you and you never have to feel as though you would disappoint or embarrass me,” I gave her hand a soft squeeze before I let go. “Go on, pick up your menu,” Bianca did as instructed and I went through each item with her. I explained what it was, and what it tasted like, and I found out that she wasn’t a fan of chicken or fish. With that in mind, when Jonathan stopped by to take our order, I took charge and ordered the marinated beef carpaccio for our starters, tender beef fillet for our mains, and cheesecake for our dessert. I made sure to accompany each course with a glass of complimentary wine. The rest of the evening went by rather well and Bianca opened up about her childhood and her family. I found myself doing the same and although this evening had been usual for me, it was quite different. I was eager to hear about her past, her present, and her dreams for the future. I held onto every word and ended up sharing details about myself that I had never done before and when the meal came to an end, I was disappointed. I didn’t want it to end.

“I had a lovely time,” Bianca said as I led her inside her apartment building.

“Aye, so did I,” I admitted as I escorted her to the elevator.

“Will you stop by tomorrow for a feeding?” she boldly asked and I smiled. Although Bianca had only had three glasses of wine, it appeared that she was lightweight when it came to alcohol, and I found she was a lot more open and talkative.

“If that suits you,” I said as I pressed the button for the elevator.

“It suits me,” she whispered as she leaned in. “Do you know what else suits me?” her voice had gone soft and low, seductive even, and I blinked as I gazed down at her.

“Pray tell, Bianca, what else would suit you?”

“A kiss,” I was pleasantly surprised by that, but I would never take advantage of her. She stepped into the elevator and she turned to see that I hadn’t joined her. Bianca then pouted at me as she lifted her hand and gave me a small wave.

“Good night, Bianca,” I said, just as the doors started to close.

“Nighty night, Dante,” I heard her say, and I smiled. Bianca was most definitely an enigma.