Her Billion Dollar Man

 Absolutely not! I want more! I want to be able to travel the world and live my life to the fullest. I aim to find me a man who is loaded.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Debra told her dryly, nibbling on a fry.

“I am not you honey, I need more out of life.”

*****

“Whatever you said to Tyler is working,” the deep hypnotic voice said as soon as she answered the phone. Debra had to take a deep breath to stop her heart from pounding so much.

“Hi Derek, how are you?” she asked him coolly, determined not to let him hear how nettled she was at hearing his voice. She had just ended her shift and was just about to go to the bathroom.

“I want to see you,” he told her softly. “How about dinner tomorrow night?”

“I can’t,” she told him firmly.

“And why is that?”

“I am working very late.” She answered which was really true.

“What about Saturday night?” he persisted. “I can pick you up from work and we could go somewhere.”

“What do you want Derek?” she finally asked him. “Is it to pay me for being there for your brother? I do that because I happen to like him so there is no need to do anything special for me.”

“You think I am doing this because of Tyler?” his tone was amused. “I am doing it for me, I am attracted to you Debra and I want to see how it pans out.”

“Oh so this is an experiment, something to get out of your system, is that it?” she asked him mildly.

“I don’t want to get you out of my system Debra. I just want to talk and if anything else happens along the way then I am up for it.” He told her. “What are you afraid of?”

“Nothing,” she told him firmly.

“Then go out with me as a friend.” He said his voice persuasive. “I promise to be on my best behavior.”

“Okay just talk then nothing else.”

“’How can we be friends when I feel so much more? Girl I am under your spell why can’t you see it like I do?’” he sang a verse of his number one chart topper: ‘I need more’. Debra felt the shivering starting and she had to blink to focus.

“Goodbye Derek.” She told him.

“See you on Saturday.”

*****

“You are going out on a date?” Tyler asked him curiously as he sat on the edge of his king sized bed and watched as his brother buttoned his gray and white silk shirt. He had always watched his brother in action when he was getting ready for a date and especially when he had met a new girl.

“I think it’s a date,” Derek flashed him a smile in the large oval mirror. He might not do flashy but in the house he had built, it was elegant and had everything money could purchase. He had been determined to get rid of everything that reminded him of the past. “We are just friends for now.”

“Do you like her?” Tyler asked him. He had gone back to school that very week and already he had assignments up to his ears and a science project that he was going to have to do as a group. Some friends were coming over for the night and staying until the next morning. They had been so psyched and had asked him if his brother would be there. Tyler had stifled the resentment and told them that he would probably be out for the night.

“I like her and some,” he said looking at his brother speculatively. Even though they had now gone into a tentative relationship, Derek was not sure he would be pleased to hear that he was attracted to a girl he himself fancied. Tyler was a typical teenage boy and he remembered his teenage years and the girl he had thought he would marry; now he did not even remember her name. “See anyone at school that catches your eye?”

“No,” he avoided his brother’s eyes. “I like someone but she is not at school.”

And there was it! Derek knew exactly who he was talking about and knew that the tentative relationship they had established would go down the drain if he ever found out about Debra. He did not relish the thought of fighting his brother over a girl, but he had a feeling she was no ordinary girl. “Just one girl?” he forced his voice to be teasing. “You are not living up to the Mitchell’s name bro.”

“I am not like you Derek,” Tyler told him soberly, his eyes meeting his head on. “I am not the run up and down type.”

“I am not like that either,” Derek responded. “The different women I am seen with are just for publicity, theirs and mine. Does she know you like her like that?”

“She thinks I am too young,” Tyler shrugged. “Anyway enjoy your night. I am going to be ordering pizza for the night and Maude already warned us to be on our best behavior.” He said with a grin.

“Good old Maude,” Derek said automatically. Somehow the joy had gone out of the evening for him.

*****

He was uncharacteristically quiet when he picked her up. He had not told her where they were heading but she had opted for the traditional ‘little’ black dress. It had been an impulsive buy and she had never had the occasion to wear it until now. It hugged her bosom and had a narrow skirt that stopped just above her knees. The neckline was cut into a V and showed shadows of her bre*sts. She had worn a silver necklace and hoop earrings and had brushed back the front of her hair from off her forehead showing the angles of her exquisite face. He had told her quietly that she was beautiful. He was driving a black BMW with darkly tinted windows and she suspected it was because he did not want to be recognized. The price of fame, she thought.

Her eyes widened as she saw where they had stopped. It was the recording studio that he owned. “What are we doing here?” she asked him with a frown.

“It’s the most private place we could be and I want to talk to you.” He got out of the car and came around to open her door for her, taking her hand to help her out of the car. “The press is always lurking around to get a picture of me and they constantly want to know who I am seeing at the moment.” He ushered her inside.