Working in one of the city's most famous nightclubs, Olivia had what she called a boring life - a life without a boyfriend, which at times frustrated her because all the men who approached her kept telling her "I can't stay with a woman who's never going to be there at night". Thanks to a friend, after graduating with a degree in accountancy, she couldn't get a job that would enable her to pay the rent and support herself. She had been working as a waitress in Le Bourget for almost five months.
That evening, she really had nothing to do, as she had taken her five days' leave, of which she had already used up three. During those three days, she was always in her apartments, never going out. She was about to put on a chick flick, which she'd been doing since her first day off, when she got a message from Maggie.
"We're going out tonight with the girls and you're not allowed to say no".
She smiled at the message, and even if she wanted to decline, she knew it wouldn't happen with Maggie, who would be able to pick her up from home. She just had to accept.
"What time?".
Waiting for the answer, she went and made herself some popcorn and came back to choose the new movie she was going to watch. Just in three days, she'd already watched nearly fifteen films like this, it made her dream, a real dream but unattainable because she couldn't see what man could really love unconditionally. At the same moment, her phone screen lit up with a message from Maggie.
"Seven hours no more no less, we'll meet directly in front of Le Bourget".
She fell over as she read her last message. She couldn't understand why she'd chosen Le Bourget to go out when she knew full well she was working there. She already understood that it would be impossible for her to have the time of her life because her colleagues would be there, and if her boss, whom she'd never met, arrived and saw her having a good time, it was certainly her day off, but given the description the others were making of this cold, distant boss, she didn't want to face his wrath under any circumstances.
So she said, "choose another nightclub, but not Le Bourget".
She'd been sitting in front of her screen for an hour already, watching the love that only existed in fairy tales while eating her pop-con, she'd waited so long for her phone to at least vibrate but it was a wasted effort, a sign that she hadn't changed her mind. Besides, Betty loved this nightclub so much that all the hottest guys went there.
Her movie was over at five o'clock and without wasting any time, she dashed off to her room, pulled out a tight beige dress that stopped above her knees, a pair of black pumps and a black clutch. Without wasting any time, she got into the shower and ran the water over her skin. When she had finished bathing, she hastily toweled herself off and did what had to be done. She applied light make-up, since it wasn't in the light of Le Bourget that her face would be visible. She put on her dress, then her shoes and picked up her clutch, put her phone in it and looked at the time; it was half past six then, so she still had thirty minutes to join the girls at the entrance. She left her apartment and locked the door. She left the building and walked for a few minutes, until she reached the sidewalk where she could stop a cab. The taxi was driving at a normal speed, which made her worry about being late, but asking it to speed up was out of the question.
After what seemed like endless minutes, the cab finally pulled up in front of the nightclub, and as soon as she got out, her friends pounced on her.
"Let me at least pay my bill, girls."
"Of course," replied Maggie, falsely sorry.
She rolled her eyes and pulled out a few bills which she handed to the cab driver. He thanked her and left. Her friends were looking at her with big smiles, which didn't reassure her at all.
"What should I expect tonight?"
"I can't wait to rub shoulders with one of these hot men and, above all, to get my groove on," announced an impatient Betty.
"I know that, but don't take the piss, you and I both know that every time we go out, there's always a game, so what's tonight's game, especially as we're going to the club where I work? last time, you made me swallow a bottle of whisky, so what's tonight's challenge?" asked Olivia.
"I called to reserve the VIP room for us, but you can't imagine what the receptionist said."
"What's that?" asked Betty, getting into Maggie's game, which Olivia already knew was fake.
"Will you be accompanied by men or just women?" She said, trying to imitate the voice of the girl Olivia found rather teasing.
"What did you answer?"
"No. What did you want me to say? yes, but it's not true? unless you wanted to wear pants and a tie to go with us," she said to Betty.
"And what did she say?"
"Our company's vip lounge isn't reserved for uptight girls, so no, you won't be able to access it."
Olivia rolled her eyes. These girls were really crazy and she was happy to have them as friends, especially their hilarity which made her de-stress a little. She started to walk towards the front door when the two girls ran into her like two little girls.
"Can I ask what you girls are up to?"
"The game tonight will be a bet, sweetheart."
She opened her mouth with an "o", not feeling the bet thing, because every time it happened, everything turned sour and she always came away with a bad memory. She felt like turning back, but as the girls had already organized, it was impossible for her to refuse.
Once seated around a three-seater table, they placed their orders and waited patiently to be served. Olivia kept casting furtive glances around the room for fear of being recognized, as this was her place of service and it felt a little strange to be there not to work but to relax.
"Are you okay, Oli? It's your day off and here you are." Betty shouted as she saw a waitress arrive with a bottle of whisky, but what caught her attention was the fact that it was her colleague Lola coming towards them.
"Hello girls, your order. Oh, but Olivia, hello, I know it's your day off but you could have helped me out by coming to collect your order, couldn't you?"
"Sorry Lola, maybe another time."
"That said, you owe me a favor. Have a good evening and have fun."
She left, and at the same time Maggie took charge of filling their glasses, and as is tradition for them, they had to drink the first glass straight down, which they did, all the while bursting out laughing like mad.
"Before this bottle is finished and we can go dancing, Oli has to pass his bet first."
She sensed that this was going to be the most unsettling moment of her life, given the mischievous smile that graced Maggie's lips.
"Well, it's a bit like truth or dare then, you're going to make a choice and there's no turning back."
Truth? her life was so messed up she couldn't really see what could be said about it, so maybe to forget her worries for a night, she'd choose action, just trying to do something crazy for a change.
"action."
After uttering this word, she saw the girls' smiles get even bigger and shit! she felt like changing, but the rule was established from the start, no turning back.
"Can you still fall in love after all this time without a man, Oli?"
"No, I don't think so. My heart has hardened so much that I couldn't, so what's this bet?"
"To loosen you up a bit, as we know you've long since signed an abstinence pact, you're going to sleep with a random guy tonight, but the bet is on feelings. You mustn't fall in love with him."
She thought she was dreaming after that sentence, but looking more closely at her friends, she realized that the two girls were just serious, so to pass the bet, she first had to be able to find herself a guy.
Finally arriving in front of his friend's house, where their little buddy party was to take place, Damon got out of the car and asked his driver to leave, as he didn't know what time this evening would end and he didn't want to keep him for anything. He walked up to the large gate and found that he'd left it open. He entered the large courtyard and found that he was in fact the last to arrive, as all their vehicles were already parked. He went to ring the doorbell, aware that he'd be in for a rude awakening if he was late.
It was Tyler who opened the door for him, which was even better because Tyler was giving him murderous looks but didn't dare speak. When he arrived in the living room, everything was already set up, from drinks to what they'd be doing all evening.
-Good evening, guys.
-are you serious, Damon? you come to a party like this dressed in a suit, buddy? we said buddy party, not fucking business dinner, can't you tell the difference between your personal and professional life? we're not your partners, we're your friends.
"I was already late and I really didn't have time to go home and change, so is this evening going well or not?"
"Did you just leave the office at eight o'clock in the evening? Are you the big boss, or are you going to tell us a story about your secretary giving you too much work?"
He rolled his eyes and huffed. This behavior was peculiar to girls, but his friends were so exasperating that it drove him to have this kind of reaction.
"You seem really uptight," Tyler had said, pretending not to look at him.
"I beg your pardon?" asked Damon in disbelief, while the others simply laughed at the situation. He wished he hadn't been paying attention, but he, the powerful CEO known the world over, had just been told off like that, that he was an uptight man?
"Your actions prove that what I'm saying is true."
"Wait, are we really going to spend the whole evening talking to each other like women or what? And I'm not an uptight man either. Do you really want me to remind you how many models I've put in my bed? how many personal assistants I've had on my office couch and how many secretaries have grabbed my office walls? what the hell? you don't know what you're talking about and the proof is, just yesterday I..."
"All right, all right. Tyler, Damon we're starting the night off and today Damon's in the spotlight which means you're going to honor everything we ask of you, absolutely everything."
He wasn't feeling the story, but that didn't worry him at all. He'd taken enough time to deal with a really important file, and now all he wanted was to let himself go on this evening, since he only had the opportunity to do so twice a year. CEO of Dixon Aviation, he had several subsidiaries around the world and didn't have too much time on his hands. He was certainly young, but had a very strong sense of responsibility when it came to his work. Unable to splurge on a suit and tie that would certainly end up hanging him, he went up to James's room to change, since he was almost the same size. A few minutes later, he joined the others in the living room and found that everything was already ready. He didn't yet know what they had planned apart from the drinks, and that still puzzled him.
"Don't tell me we're just going to drink and talk."
"But no, Damon Dixon, relax, I've invited a couple of chicks, but there'll only be two, so one for me and one for Tyler."
" Don't tell me I'm going to spend the whole night listening to you grunt and moan while I try to pin my ears back with pillows."
The two men laughed at his discomfited expression, which didn't please him at all. He was speaking very seriously, yet they took it as a joke. As he went to pour himself a drink, he heard the doorbell ring, and when he turned to the owner of the house, who was James, the latter beckoned him to open the door, which made him growl, as he knew it was their groupies who had arrived.
When he opened the door, he didn't even bother to look at who was at the door and started to leave when one of them opened her mouth.
"But who do I see there? Damon Dixon, CEO of Dixon Aviation."
He paid her no heed and left, followed by the two girls, who couldn't stop talking, a habit he hated in women. Given their build and the way they talked, he didn't have to look far to know they were models.
"Hi, baby," James said to the one who noticed him first. Tiffany, Viviana, this is Tyler and...
"Damon Dixon," cut in the one who was supposed to be Viviana. Who doesn't know the sexiest CEO in the galaxy? the most coveted by women and the most envied by men. The billionaire who's had every secretary in Europe and beyond on his office couch, the man who's slept with every model in the galaxy except me, and I hope I get my chance tonight.
Damon nodded and took a sip from his glass of bourbon, he didn't know that people knew so much about his life, only the press were so down on him and never would he have imagined that people were really interested in what these predators were talking about.
"And I thought I was going to spend the evening in company," complained Tyler.
"I'm really sorry, Vivi, but the god of sex won't be yours tonight, you'll be Tyler's companion as we have other plans for our uptight billionaire. And if you really want to experience the power of his manhood, you can simply apply to his company as there's an empty spot."
"She'd at least have to have a head for numbers," Damon taunted her, glaring at James.
As the five of them made their little evening of it, Damon kept drinking like a man who wanted to drown his sorrows in alcohol. He'd much rather be alone at home than standing there watching his friends and their groupies doing their mouthwash in front of him.
"My role was to take photos of you, perhaps?"
"Sorry, my dear friend, it's just that this girl is really hot. It's already twenty-two o'clock and we think it's time for you to place your bet."
"A bet?" he asked his two friends, frowning. What the hell.
"you're Damon Dixon, the man with the answer to everything, the man who controls everything. Tonight we've decided to challenge you. We know that you like refined women and that you choose them well during the day to see what they look like, so tonight you should get laid with a random girl."
"joke of the century."
"No, that's not the joke, you know it's your turn because we've already proved ourselves, now it's your turn, my dear friend, wherever you can find her, you're Damon and nothing escapes you, right?
He thought it was utter nonsense, but the gleam of mischief in his friend's eyes meant he was going to lose this game if he didn't, and he wasn't about to lose at all."
"But come on, Damon, you don't have to look far, I'm here," announced Vivi, who already had her hand down Tyler's pants.
"And how will you know if I've played or not?"
"We've got our tactics, big guy. Let's go for your bet and good luck. I know you've got a heart of stone, but if you ever fall for the stranger, you lose the bet and we'll be watching you for a month for it."
He even laughed at himself for his last sentence, because Damon falling in love was the last thing he could do with his life.
When he entered his vehicle, he left his friend's property and his only destination was Le Bourget. He wanted to take up this challenge because it had been a long time since he'd given himself over to carnal pleasure. Parked in the parking lot, he got out of the vehicle and took the back door, as he didn't want to be noticed in such an environment, he the CEO.
His destination was his personal VIP room, and once he'd settled in, all he had to do was find the perfect hussy to satisfy his craving and, above all, show his friends that he wasn't a loser, even if his behavior was that of a complete asshole. He'd have to drink something first before going out to find the perfect prey, because at least a high alcohol level wasn't going to kill him, and it wasn't because he was afraid to.
He picked up the landline telephone and dialed the bar's number. After two rings, he heard the beautiful voice of the staff, but this voice didn't make him cringe at all and he was glad that this girl didn't know his identity, besides, none of Le Bourget's employees knew his identity and that was even better.
Still thinking about what she should do to take up her two friends' challenge, Olivia's first thought had been to head for the dance floor with the aim of swaying against a man who would then warm up to her by predicting what would happen. Ellen wasn't the kind of girl to throw herself at men or ask for sex, but she had no choice but to do so if she wanted to win this game. When she was about to stand up, she saw her colleague advancing towards her.
"Olivia, you do remember that you owe me a favor, don't you?"
"Yes, I do, and I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I'm back on duty, but tonight I've got a game to win."
"I'm sorry, but I'd really like you to do me this favor tonight. Last week, we gave several employees the night off and now it's a real pain to manage the cubicle. A new customer has just arrived and I'd like you to bring him his order, please. You won't be long, just his order and that'll be that."
"Just his order?" Betty had asked Olivia while the latter was still trying to understand.
"Yes, just her order," replied the waitress before leaving.
The two girls looked at Olivia like they were taking a chance, but Olivia didn't think she could do it. She was a waitress at this place and if things went sour, she'd lose her job, not to mention the humiliation.
"No, girls, that won't be possible."
"But what are you talking about Oli, he's just a customer and then he'll go away. You won't need to talk to him, you won't need to open your mouth, just execute the plan, don't tell me you want to lose this game without trying?"
"No, but imagine he's an old macho or a man who's already taken a girl for his evening."
"In that case, you'll just bring him his order and nothing else. Go now, and if we don't see you after an hour, we'll know that you're running smoothly, good luck and, above all, it's forbidden to fall in love.
Her colleague had already prepared the order and all she had to do now was take it to the customer, hoping that he'd be the one to win the stupid game she'd given in to. She used to laugh when it was her friends' turn, but now that it was her turn, she didn't think it was funny any more."
"Which room?"
Fifth-floor VIP room, the only one there is.
This customer must have been really rich, because the prices varied according to the floor, and especially since this was the last one. She'd never been inside it, because since she'd started working there, no customer had ever taken it. It was a good thing there was an elevator in the club, otherwise climbing the stairs to the fifth floor would have been a far more complicated affair.
Feeling a little warm in this place, Damon had taken off his T-shirt and was impatiently waiting for his glass of booze. He had to get to the company early the next morning, as he had a new contract to sign, and to do that, he needed to quench his thirst quickly before going out to hunt for his pigeon for that night. He turned off the light in the room and flicked the second switch, making the red bulbs glow. With this lighting, it was impossible to make out his silhouette. At the same moment, he heard a knock on the door and went to open it. In front of him stood a waitress who, strangely enough, was not wearing her work clothes. She didn't recognize his identity, and if she even knew it, he'd kick her out of the place without mercy.
"Good evening, your order."
"Come in, Miss."
She didn't hesitate and entered the VIP area, which was just splendid, but the red light blinded her. She couldn't see a thing, especially not the face of this man with such an exciting silhouette. She opened the bottle and poured the liquid into the glass she handed him.
From the moment she'd turned, he hadn't stopped chewing on her. She was far from a model, but that wouldn't mean he was just as charmed. All he wanted was an evening fuck to satisfy his craving and, above all, win that nasty game that had driven him to Le Bourget yet it had been so long.
"Would you like me to fill another for your companion?"
He was surprised, as it was the first time a waitress had taken the liberty of serving a customer in the VIP lounge, as they usually just came to leave the order, but he hadn't asked for anything and couldn't refuse what was being offered to him for free.
"But of course," he said with a devastating smile.
This answer made her sad, because she'd expected him to tell her that he didn't have a companion with him, that he was all alone, but instead, she'd been looking for that all by herself. She took the second glass and half-filled it, then began to look around the room for her guest, and strangely enough, the man hadn't stopped smiling.
"What if I were to offer you a sip, Miss?"
Only a man with no respect for the woman who had taken the liberty of accompanying him could behave in such a way, and this didn't please Olivia at all, for she had the impression of seeing a man with no respect for women, and for this she had already filed it away in her old bag of records. It was a man in a nightclub, not just any nightclub, but the biggest nightclub in town, and that was to be expected.
Seeing the girl's facial features turn hard, Damon couldn't understand what he'd said wrong, unless this girl was the type to play the self-respecting girl but he knew they were all the same, just after licking their pussy they became as submissive as a medieval woman.
"Did I say something wrong, Miss?"
"No, but you're asking me to drink from your companion's glass, who's certainly not far away. Don't you have any respect for her?"
He smiled as he realized where his problem lay, but this girl was far less playful than he'd imagined, for she'd made it clear that she was angry, and he knew the reason: she'd been hoping to spend an evening with him, and he wasn't disappointed. He moved closer to her and her body was almost glued to his, he could tell by the frantic beating of her heart that he didn't know if it was due to fear or excitement. He moved his mouth closer to her ear and whispered:
"I'm all alone, and I was hoping to finish this bottle of whisky before going out to find a companion for tonight. I think I've got one ahead of me, and she won't let me down.
At the time, he'd even feared she'd have a heart attack, given the redoubling of her heartbeat. He was ready to put his hand on the fact that she had turned peony-red, and he liked that, playing on his charm to make women fall."
"So, gorgeous, am I in luck or should I finish my bottle of whisky first and then go and find my companion?"
"I'll take a sip," Olivia agreed, her voice trembling not with fear but with desire.
It had been a long time since she'd felt something like this, and now a complete stranger could make her lose her mind without even touching her.
"satisfied," Damon said with a smirk.