21. Sarah

21

SARAH

Am I ready to be whisked away on a mystery date by some ultra-hot billionaire in her fancy sports car?

Swallowing my nerves, I nodded. "Yep."

Without another word, Vic's long fingers wrapped around the stick shift and put the car into reverse. Once we left my short driveway, she pressed her foot on the break and took one more look at me.

Her jaw clenched as her eyes dipped over the plunging cowl of my dress and down to my legs. The slit on the left leg exposed my entire thigh for her.

I could tell from the heat of her gaze that she wanted to touch me there, to sink her elegant fingers into the soft skin of my thighs, and perhaps other places.

But instead, Vic bit her lip, threw the car into drive, and took off down the road.

A light gasp escaped my lips as the car accelerated. I felt like I was in a rocketship with the hottest pilot I'd ever seen. My heart raced as she took the backroads smoother than an F1 driver.

"Where did you learn to drive like this?" I managed.

Vic smirked. "I've had my share of accidents. After the third, I asked a professional to teach me."

A part of me wanted to ask her how much it cost, to have a real race car driver teach her something like that. But I didn't want to offend her.

"$500k." She read my mind, without taking her eyes off the road.

Jesus. I didn't even make that much in three years. When I turned to look at her, Vic wore a proud smile.

"Quite the brag." I teased her, a playful giggle passing my lips.

Victoria licked her lips, trying to keep her eyes on the road while a cheeky grin took over her face. "Listen, I worked for it. I do my best to give back to the communities that have lifted me up. But the rest… that's for play."

Of course, I knew about her philanthropic efforts. She didn't mention it herself, not wanting to come off as a savior. But a quick search of her name brought up multiple foundations and personal interest stories about the people whose charities received massive, anonymous donations.

She had every right to brag about her earnings. And I couldn't help but find myself pulled closer to her as she spoiled me.

Before I knew it, we were turning onto the empty highway toward the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. The distant lights of the bridge grew brighter by the second as the car hurtled through the desolate lanes.

Coasting, Vic tore her eyes from the road. I felt her gaze wandering down my neck to my exposed cleavage, down my soft center to my thighs.

My heart raced under her attention. I would've paid millions just to have her look at me like that.

She checked the road again, making sure she was on track, before she took her hand off the stick and rested it on my thigh.

It took everything in me not to moan. But her hands were warm against my skin, and she pressed into my lush thighs with a comforting weight. She wasn't gripping me, but the veins in her hands still bulged all the same.

As the car sped up, Vic's foot resting heavily on the pedal, her hand drifted up my leg.

A whispered "fuck" escaped my throat. All I could do was hope that the purr of the engine was loud enough to obscure my pathetic whimper.

But when I turned to look at Vic, she was biting her lip eagerly. She met my eyes. "Do you like it?"

My heart skipped a beat as I nodded. "Yes."

Smirking, she let her hand travel even higher. It rested just a few inches from the edge of my panties. I was certain she would be able to feel the heat radiating from the slit. A part of me worried my slickness might spread to her hand.

Her fingers pressed into the soft flesh of my inner thigh as she peeled off the highway, now across the bridge. The car gently slowed as we drifted into the town of Beacon.

Vic returned her hand to the wheel as she rolled the car into an open spot on Main Street. It felt like the spot had been left for us. And knowing Victoria, it probably was.

She put the car in park and killed the engine. As she got out, I waited patiently for her to walk around to open my door. I fixed my hair and dress, the fabric tickling the spot where Vic's hand had rested. I felt like her grip had left an unseeable mark on my flesh, branding me.

The door opening cut off my thought. I swung my feet out of the car and grabbed the hand Vic was offering me. As she helped me stand, I could feel her scanning the dress once more.

She was far more eager than I had expected. A part of me assumed it might be harder to get past our professional politeness. But it already seemed like that part of our connection was in the rearview.

Once I was standing solidly on the asphalt, Vic closed the passenger door, looped her arm with mine, and escorted me to the sidewalk.

The town was starting to empty at this time of night; there were just a few stragglers hanging around the closing restaurants on the main strip.

A pink glow washed over the old brick buildings as the sun set behind the distant mountains. Vic walked me to a storefront, pulling open that door too. "Will I have to open a single door for myself this entire night?"

Vic laughed. "You might never touch a doorknob again if I had my way."

As I slipped past her, Victoria wrapped her arm around my waist. The moment the door closed behind, a suited hostess swept in to greet us. "Welcome, Ms. Bradley and Ms. Greenwood. Your table is ready for you."

"Thank you, Laura." Vic nodded and followed the hostess through the empty restaurant. Soft jazz played as we made our way to an empty table at the center of the intimate restaurant.

Laura gestured to the small wood table with a pristine, white table cloth. My mind started to swim at the thought of my legs brushing Victoria's under the wood top. Vic pulled out my chair and pushed me in before taking her own seat.

"Your server will be right with you." Laura nodded as she headed back to her post.

Scanning the table, I took note of the dried flower bouquet at the center, which was short enough to not interrupt our eyeline. My face wrinkled as I realized she hadn't left us with any menus.

Before I could say anything, Vic smiled at me. "The chef only makes one, five-course meal. So there's no need to select anything."

I didn't even know places did that.

Sensing my hesitation, Vic reached her hand across the table. "I figured you make enough decisions in a day to have earned a break."

My shoulders dropped. Somehow, she was exactly right. "Thank you."

After a moment, a server appeared with a bottle of red wine and a towel draped over his arm. "Welcome, ladies. My name is Angel and I'll be serving you this evening. This Romanee-Conti has been selected by our sommelier to pair perfectly with the chef's menu."

Already uncorked, the waiter poured the rich red wine into each glass. Under the dim light, the liquid almost looked completely black. But as Vic raised her glass to mine, the candle at the center of the table illuminated the deep crimson.

The waiter disappeared as our glasses gently clinked together.

Vic's hazel eyes held mine. "To Sarah Greenwood: designer extraordinaire."

Shaking my head, I giggled.

I followed Vic's lead, giving the wine a light swirl before taking a sip. It was rich, with notes of fruits, florals, and nuts.

"Wow." I raised my brows as I set the glass on the table. "That's the best wine I've ever had."

Vic smirked. "Good."

I licked my teeth. "So, tell me how you found out about… this." I gestured to the room around us.

"A friend from long ago." Chuckling, Vic shrugged as a plate of perfectly fried calamari appeared in front of us.

She gestured for me to take the first dish.

Bringing a few pieces onto my appetizer plate, I sprinkled some lemon juice on them and bit in. They were crispy on the outside and soft inside, the light bite of the lemon juice puckering my lips as it hit my tongue. I wasn't sure I'd tasted seafood so fresh and bounding with flavor.

After I swallowed the decadent seafood, I shook my head. "You're gonna have to give me more than that."

Victoria nodded. "The chef was a friend when I was in my party-girl days after selling the app. She vacations up here in the summers. And when she does, she opens little pop-up restaurants to test new items for her actual place in Manhattan."

My eyebrows lifted. "So, this is a sneak peek?"

With an eager smile, Vic nodded. "Of one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city, yeah."

I didn't really know what to say. I still felt like Red Lobster was a fancy night out. This… was something otherworldly. The food so far was immaculate, the waitstaff pampered us, and I was ready to enjoy every moment of it.

It was like being whisked away on a superb vacation. As we ate course after course, Victoria asked me about my life, the kids, my work. And in turn, she revealed slightly more about her illustrious past.

She had founded Pop just after graduating college. Ironically, her degree wasn't even remotely relevant to the tech sector.

"I went for Art History. And while I was there, I felt like I couldn't find my queer community as easily as I'd hoped. So that's when I started working on the idea." Vic finished off her wine.

The waiter brought over two gorgeous plates of ravioli, steam falling off the dish as the plates were set down in front of our respective place settings. I wasn't sure which looked more appetizing: the homemade noodles or the white truffle sauce they sat in.

I cut into a piece, revealing mushrooms and ricotta at the center. A strong truffle aroma wafted through the air as I delicately lifted the fork into my mouth. The flavor overwhelmed my every taste bud – I let the ravioli sit on my tongue for a moment as I tried to take it all in.

"Holy fuck." I moaned. Setting the fork down, I closed my eyes and began to chew.

Once I swallowed, I opened my eyes to see Vic watching me with a smile as I ate.

I shook my head. "Sorry, that was probably so cringey. I just don't think I've ever eaten anything this delicious in my life."

Victoria's jaw tensed as she held her fork just below her mouth. Instead of placing the food in her own mouth, Vic brought her fork to my lips. My mouth fell open for her, taking in the small bite of pasta.

My eyes rolled back as I tasted more of the truffle sauce on my tongue. As I swallowed, I could feel Vic's eyes on me. I could feel my center starting to pulse with excitement again."

"Why'd you do that?" I raised an eyebrow.

Vic's temples tightened as she looked at my lips. "I like watching you enjoy yourself."

My heart leapt out of my chest. Jesus . It felt impossible that someone could be so suave. But here she was, eating this Michelin-grade meal like it was a nice diner and inviting me to do the same.

A part of me didn't understand how someone could ever get so used to this sort of luxury and offer it so generously to someone else. But another part of me understood it completely. As my eyes trailed from Victoria's clenched jaw down the edge of her unbuttoned shirt, all I could imagine was pushing this meal aside and tasting her instead.

After I composed myself, I giggled. "Maybe you should do it more than."

Nodding, Victoria laughed and took her bite. "Maybe I should."

It took thirty minutes just for us to finish the main course. Between every bite, I sat back in my chair and chewed as if it was my last meal.

The meal ended with two pieces of rich chocolate cake, hand-delivered by the chef. Once she set the plates down, Vic shook her hand. "Good to see you."

"How was the food?"

Vic shrugged. "I don't know, Carrie. You could have tried a bit harder."

Rolling her eyes, Carrie punched Vic on the shoulder. She turned her attention to me, meeting my eyes with a sharp gaze. "What did you think, my dear?"

I was startled by her beauty. She was tall, close to six feet if I was guessing correctly. Just as I felt myself getting carried away, I shook my head. Two is plenty for now.

Reaching across the table, I grabbed the woman's cool hand. "You are a genius. This was the best meal I've ever eaten."

Carrie grinned. "See, that's how you compliment someone." Releasing my hand with a squeeze, Carrie grabbed the two dinner plates from in front of us. "If Vic bores you to death, there's more cake with your name on it."

But before her old friend could slip away, Victoria slid a black steel card across the table. "Give your crew a really nice tip, please. Hundred percent, at least."

Raising an eyebrow, Carrie scoffed. "They just give these out to anyone, huh?" Before Vic could respond, Carrie took the card and headed to the back.

I watched Vic closely as she surveyed the place. It was dimly lit, brick walls surrounding us and touches of warm wood throughout the room to absorb the amber light. Vic looked pleased as she reached for the slice of cake in front of her. Delicately, her fork pierced the sponge.

No one could ever accuse Victoria Bradley of being selfish. From the research I had done before signing on to work with her, she had sworn to donate all of her wealth before she died. The only exception was that she wanted her family – and eventual spouse – to be set for life.

Vic raised the fork toward my mouth, using her free hand to cup under the cake. "Here."

Doing as I was told, I opened my lips and let the dessert slide onto my tongue. I wrapped my lips around the cold metal prongs and pulled the chocolate into my mouth. It was unbelievably rich, nearly melting on my tongue.

Victoria watched me closely as I ate. Once I chewed, she took a bite for herself and sighed as she tasted it.

We ate the rest of our slices in silence, taking in the last of the meal. After the card had been returned and the plates cleared, I smiled at Victoria. "So, what's next?"

"Next?" She laughed. "Was that not enough?"

Feeling bold, I shrugged. "What if it wasn't?"

A cheeky smirk took over Victoria's face. "Then I won't stop until you're satisfied." She stood from her chair and pulled mine out before I could argue with her. She wrapped her arm around my waist, pulling me into her.

Under her button-up, I could feel the lean muscle she carried.

After a quick goodbye to Carrie, we walked out of the restaurant, and into the breezy night. The streets were quieter now, most of the regulars already at home.

Victoria opened my door and watched as I slid inside the Carrera, her eyes obviously lingering on my ass in the sleek red dress.

"Where are you taking me Ms. Bradley?" I bit my lip as I looked up at her.

Without answering, Vic closed the door and walked around to the driver's side. I was in her hands now, but for once in my life, I didn't mind giving up control. I knew she'd take good care of me.