Invest In Me

“Phew!” Bella uttered, wiping sweat from her brow and putting her hands on her waist. She admired their work.

“Well done to the both of us!” Sam exclaimed and the two of them high-fived.

The clock indicated that it was time for Bella to prepare herself for the dinner with Thomas. She showered again and this time put on a white gown with black ornaments all over it. She tied her hair in a bun, put on some light make-up and was ready for round two. Her slim body perfectly accepted the way the dress was sewn.

“Bye, Sammy. See you!” she said as she exited the apartment, this time not forgetting the purse, which tonight was black. It matched her black stilettos.

“Have a blast! I think that I will go out myself tonight,” Sam said and pecked her on the cheek. She was still dressed in black leather and had striking make-up.

It wasn’t until Bella climbed down the stairs of the building that she realized she hadn’t gotten a text or a call from Thomas. He didn’t tell her the place of their meeting. She started to panic when she heard a honk. Her eyes settled on the black Mercedes with the same plates from yesterday. It was Thomas.

A smile immediately appeared on her face as she opened the door and sat inside the leather seat.

“Wow, just wow, is all I can say, Bella,” Thomas said, kissing her on the cheek. She felt that familiar rush again. The positive hurricane was roaming her body once again.

“Thanks. Where are we going?” she asked, curious.

“It is a secret. You will see.” He giggled and winked at her. Bella noticed that he wore a black suit with a white shirt. The same combination as hers. It was like they were meant to be together on a dinner tonight.

Thomas was working his way across New York like a real pro. Turning left and right at will – it was like the whole city was shifting according to his will. Bella completely lost herself. The surroundings didn’t even look like New York anymore. They were still in the city, yet in a completely different part of the city Bella started to know.

“Um… I believe that we are here. Ah, yes,” Thomas said as they parked before the entrance of a huge, massive building. It was all made of glass with blinding lights all over it. Many cars like theirs were parked before the entrance and young men dressed in red uniforms were getting in them and taking them in an unknown direction. It was what the billionaires did; they didn’t even bother to park their own expensive cars. And Thomas couldn’t break the customs, for he would be targeted as an outsider and a newbie. It was hard being Thomas Graves and in those small signs did Bella see that.

“We look like an amazing pair, don’t we?” she asked all of a sudden and turned to face him. The lights were playing with the shadows on his face. Oh, how gorgeous and attractive he was.

“We do. The best pair,” he said and looked at her as well. She bit her lip involuntarily.

Thomas caught her arm and put it under his. They walked inside like a power couple as Bella could sense all eyes on the both of them. They were surely questioning who she was, for Thomas was an already established star.

The place was much more luxurious than the restaurant they had been the other night. The room they had entered was just like a ballroom with a huge dance floor in the middle and all the tables situated around it. Thomas caught her hand and they intertwined their fingers.

“Over here, Bella,” he said and they headed to a table for two with a red rose placed in the middle in a white porcelain vase.

“Thank you,” Bella replied as Thomas pulled the chair for her to sit in. She put her hand on his biceps as a sign of gratitude to which he nodded. His muscles underneath her touch were hard and smooth.

The waitress came almost immediately after seeing Thomas land in his chair. Thomas ordered the meal of the day and the waitress seemed satisfied with that. Bella was too. She trusted him fully. Especially after her dream from last night.

“Do you want to dance?” he asked all of a sudden.

Bella was taken aback. She hadn’t danced since forever and felt a bit clumsy surrounded by all those people who knew every popular dance. But she didn’t want to disappoint Thomas. And besides, she wanted to have fun herself.

“Yes, sure,” she said as the both of them stood up. He approached her, closer and closer until he kissed her on the lips. They were easy on her, showing her the tenderness and passion she had for her.

“I love you, Bella. I know that it is an unbelievably short period, but I fell in love. I fell for your charm and magic,” he said, kissing her again.

Bella found herself kissing him back. Thomas saying that seemed to lift off a huge rock weighing down on her heart that she didn’t even know existed. Yes, she was feeling weird around him and right there she admitted it to herself that she felt the same way about him.

“I think I love you, too, Thomas,” she said.

Thomas grinned, placing his hand on the small of her back while his other hand took hers. The both of them quickly blended in the crowd dancing on the light music of the orchestra. Bella had no idea of how the steps went, but she let Thomas guide her and he was an amazing teacher. Her feet moved with ease as if she was doing precisely that all her life. She laughed with all her heart as pure joy oozed from her pores. She was having the time of her life right there and then with Thomas Graves.

They danced and danced their feet off until the orchestra played their last note and all of the dancers started applauding including Bella and Thomas.

“It was an amazing dance,” she said. Her eyes smiled and glistened under the light of the crystal chandeliers.

Thomas stood there with his gaze fixed on her. He seemed to stand unmoving for some time, until he lowered his lips to her ear. “Do you want to come with me?”

Bella would have accepted even if he had told her to move with him to New Zealand. Of course she would go with him. That was the strange power of love. And plus she wanted to be with him in some secret spot. She felt a burning fire inside herself.

Nodding, she took his hand as he led the way across the ballroom to the stairs. They were on the second floor now, laughing. With a card, Thomas opened one room and the both of them entered in a complete darkness. Only a soft blue light came from the moon above.

“My dear Bella… My lovely Bella… Oh, how much I love you,” he whispered seductively, licking his lips.

Thomas lay next to her all in sweat. His perfect body was gleaming in the night. He kissed Bella.