whole book

 

Her eyes were the shade of the coffee she poured, that waitress, Andrea Fuller. Her customer, Riley Dawkins: billionaire, looked into those brown eyes and his face was stone. ‘’Pardon me,’ Riley asked. His voice, soft, yet authoritative. My name is Riley Dawkins.’’

‘’Andrea Fuller,’’ the waitress introduced herself, shaking the customer’s hand.

‘’Would you do me the honor of being my date this Christmas Eve at my home in Beverly Hills?’’

Andrea returned Riley’s gaze. She concentrated so intently, that she failed to realize she was flooding the coffee mug she poured into. He nodded, narrowing his focus to the flooding mug. She looked down and when she realized what she had done, she stopped pouring, grabbed a handful of napkins and started cleaning up the coffee. ‘’I’m really sorry,’’ Andrea apologized.

‘’It’s alright,’’ Riley cleared his throat. He handed Andrea a business card with directions to his house on it. ‘’What time do you get off work?’’

‘’Nine,’’ Andrea rolled her eyes.

‘’Same time tomorrow?’’ Riley questioned. ‘’His eyebrow raised.

‘’Correct,’’ she said, feeling slightly interrogated.

‘’Why don’t you come over to my place after you get off work and I can fill in the details then?’’ Riley asked.

‘’Sure,’’ Andrea answered, her eyes did a jig.

‘’Great. Goodbye,’’ Riley stated.

Andrea watched as the billionaire left. Her friend, Joni, walked over to her. ‘’Do you know who that was?’’ Joni whispered.

Andrea shrugged.

‘’That was Riley Dawkins. He’s a big shot director. He directed Christmas with Claude,’’ Joni informed her friend.

‘’With that actress, Margo Abby?’’ Wondered Andrea.

Joni nodded. ‘’They dated for a while.’’

‘’Wow. She’s beautiful. And a great actress,’’ Andrea remarked, looking herself over.

‘’So what did you two talk about?’’ Joni asked.

‘’He asked me to be his date to a party he’s throwing on Christmas Eve,’’ Andrea answered.

‘’Wow. You’re like Cinderella right now,’’ Joni postulated.

‘’ If this is a dream, I don’t want it to end,’’ Andrea’s eyes filled with stardust.

The fence was made of rod iron. The drive way a mile long. Andrea had never seen grass so green. The mansion had a green veneer. She rang the doorbell and waited as it played a tune more akin to a church choir than a doorbell. The door opened and a frail looking man with white hair on the sides of his head and nothing atop his head answered the door. ‘’Yes?’’

‘’Hi, I’m Andrea Fuller. I am here to meet Riley Dawkins,’’ the waitress stated, her voice a little shaky.

The old man beguiled himself into smiling. ‘’He’s in his study. Do come in, madam.’’

 

The elderly butler led the waitress into the parlor and hurried off to retrieve the master of the house. Riley entered the parlor. He was dressed in blue pajamas with a monogram of his initials on the breast pocket. RD. ‘’If you would not mind, Wilbert will take your measurements and make your dress. What color would you like? Riley handed her a book full of fancy gowns. ‘’Pick one.’’ He stated. His voice devoid of emotion.

Andrea shuddered at the sudden wind at her back. Andrea’s eyes waltzed when she saw the dress of her dreams looking back at her on the model in the catalogue. ‘’The strapless pink

‘’Very well,’’ Riley stated, snapping his fingers, sending Wilbert away to work quickly. He stood over her as she sat on the sofa. ‘’Shall we discuss how you’re going to act?’’

‘’What?’’ Andrea asked, her mouth drooped open.

‘’The rich act very different from you poor types,’’ Riley informed her.

Andrea’s cheeks grew hot. All the blood in her face rushed to her temples. She stood up and got in Riley’s face. ‘’I’m not poor. I may not be a rich snob, but I’m not poor.’’

‘’I had no intention of offending, but I come from old money. To me, a waitress is about stumbling step away from living on the street, comparatively,’’ Riley replied.

Andrea clinched and unclenched her fists. ‘’You have an attitude problem. You’re a smug jerk.’’

‘’Margo said I came off cold and sometimes, brutish. That’s why she left me. She grew quite tired of my cold nature. She was a woman of such passion. I admired for that. She’ll be at the party, and I don’t want to mess this up,’’ Riley lamented, slumping down in his chair.

 

‘’Will you help me win her back?’’

Andrea folded her arms across her chest. ‘’You mean, you asked me on this date, just so you could try to get back together with your ex?’’

‘’Precisely. If it’s an issue of money, I can pay you,’’ Riley suggested.

‘’No, I just thought…’’ Andrea began, looking into the billionaire’s eyes. ‘’Nothing.’’

A little while later, Wilbert, came into the room, holding the dress in his hands. ‘’Here you are, madam. I hope it is to your liking.’’

Andrea took the dress and ran her fingers over its surface. She rubbed her face against it. She had never felt anything so soft before. ‘’It’s beautiful,’’ Andrea’s tone came out deflated.

‘’Wonderful. I’m so glad you approve,’’ Wilbert gave the lady a nod.

Riley went over to a secret drawer and pulled out a pencil and a notepad of paper and handed it to Andrea. ‘’Write down your address and I’ll have it sent to your address the morning of the party.’’

Andrea scribbled down the address and handed it back to Riley. The next day, Andrea tossed and turned that night in bed. She glanced up at the clock. It was 2:00 am. ‘’Who does Riley Dawkins think he is?’’ Wondered Andrea.

She stood up and walked over to the window. Police sirens went by, the squad car lights thrust the night into its haunting glow. She saw a man walking a dog. He stood five seven and wore a gray jogging suit. A definite insomniac. Much like herself tonight. The dog, a border collie, sniffed around a fire hydrant and its surrounding area, looking for an ideal place to do its business. The man scratched his head and turned and watched a stacked woman going by.

The next day at work, she told Joni all about her encounter with Riley Dawkins. ‘’That creep did what?’’ Joni asked.

‘’He’s totally using me to get back with his ex,’’ Andrea lamented. ‘’Isn’t that awful?’’

‘’Some things are just too good to be true I guess,’’ Joni sighed. ‘’I better give the guy at the booth over there his food. He looks ready to pop.’’

The night of the party arrived. The lawn of the Riley Dawkins estate lit up. The colors alternated between blue, yellow and red. The lighting was set on an automatic timer. About every thirty seconds, the coloring would alternate. Champagne flowed and bubbles popped. The woman wore fashionable dresses and the men wore the finest custom made suits. Margo Abby walked arm in arm with her boyfriend, Byron Larrimore.

Byron and Margo approached Riley and Andrea. ‘’Riley, darling. It’s been ages,’’ Margo said.

‘’You look beguiling as always,’’ Riley stated.

Andrea rolled her eyes.

‘’You’re looking well too. This is my fiancé, Byron Larimore. He’s a cellist,’’ Margo bragged.

‘’A cellist. My little sister was a cellist. That is before she grew up,’’ Riley stated, trying to stop an oncoming smirk.

 

Andrea laughed, snorting a bit. Margo made a vain attempt to stifle her disgust.

‘’Would you mind if I stole your date for a dance?’’ Riley asked, Byron. ‘’I’ll let you dance with my date.’’

‘’Okay,’’ nodded Byron.

Andrea watched as Margo and Riley guided one another to the dance floor. Byron and Andrea began to dance, as did Riley and Margo. ‘’You hate Byron, don’t you?’’ Margo asked, her cocked to one side.

‘’He just seems like a putz,’’ Riley admitted, looking into Margo’s eyes.

‘’He’s warm and sensitive. He listens. Unlike some people,’’ Margo stated.

‘’I’ve been trying to change,’’ Riley said.

‘’Good, I’m sure Andrea will appreciate that,’’ Margo’s words seemed to slice through Riley’s belly like a serrated blade.

The song ended and Margo and Riley and Andrea and Byron parted ways. Byron joined back up with Margo and Andrea joined back up with Riley. Andrea and Riley’s bodies intertwined. The scent of Andrea’s perfume brought out the mountain lion in Riley. He grabbed her, kissed her lips. She kissed him back, madly, passionately, both growing ever more aware of who they were both going to marry.

 

Imprint

Text: Doug Robbins
Images: Doug Robbins
Editing: Doug Robbins
Translation: Doug Robbins
Publication Date: 09-06-2016

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
A billionaire invites a waitress to his Christmas Party and love is in the air.