Sinful Pleasures

Chapter One

It's been six years since I have been home. Six long years since I left for Brown to begin chasing my dreams. Never would I have thought I would own my hotel just one year after getting my degree. I can't wait to start making it the hottest hotel in the Upper East Side.

Unfortunately, before I can even see my hotel in person, the wicked witch from the Upper East Side has other plans in mind. Time to face Mother after all this time. Welcome home to me. I quickly found an empty spot outside of the Fifth Avenue shopping strip.

I enter my mother's store, of course not seeing her right away. I have to admit, she has owned her own store for as long as I can remember, and it is still thriving. I would never tell her, but I still love shopping here. I better see where she is so I can finally relax in bed. Living in the penthouse of my own hotel should be quite nice.

I of course get side tracked by my mother's new line of evening dresses. (Oh. I forgot to mention that Mother also sells her own designs.) I am scanning the rack with my eye on a stunning little black dress when I hear her.

"Blaire! There you are! I shouldn't have to request my daughter's presence when she gets back home."

Mother comes from the back room with her signature glare. Mother looks fantastic for her age. If she didn't have the worst case of Resting b***h Face, she would be a delightful person. But just because she is beautiful on the outside, doesn't mean it is the same on the inside.

"What was so important that I had to come straight here? I have been driving all morning and really just want to relax in a hot bath with a glass of wine. Enjoy my remaining free time for the weekend before my first day running the hotel."

I mock her glare perfectly so that she knows how annoyed I am. Minus my looks, I also have a horrible case of RBF. I at least can manage mine, unlike Mother. I really should not let my temper rage so she can just get this over with. Sooner she tells me whatever it is, the sooner I can retreat to the penthouse.

"I am having dinner tonight with dear friends. You are to be there, not looking like you just rolled out of bed." Mother makes sure to wrinkle her nose for dramatic effect. She obviously just forgot that I have spent the last 3 hours in the car. Not to mention loading my car before that. But I won't sass her this time.

"Why would I want to have dinner with you and your friends? That doesn't sound very appealing to me."

"Oh Blaire. You will find it appealing once you see who will be there."

Mother crosses her arms and smirks, like this is going to make me cave. She has something up her sleeve. I never attended these dinners without her trying to con me into something. I already don't like where this is going. I roll my eyes and set to give in because I am so tired right now.

"What time Mother? I still need to unpack and shower."

"6 sharp. Please don't be late. I don't want you making a terrible impression your first night back home."

Mother heads back to her office without even a goodbye. I'm not surprised, and I am too tired to care. I decide to escape to my car so I can enjoy as much peace and quiet as possible before this dinner.

I pull into the garage and park in my own personal spot. I just sit and admire my name that is plastered neatly on the sign directly in front of me. I am overcome with a sense of pride and excitement. I just hope the rest of the staff is as excited as I am for the changes I have planned.

After sitting in my own little world for a solid 15 minutes, I head inside the building and head to the reception desk. I find a young looking redhead behind the desk. I quickly look at her name badge so I can properly greet her. Have to make good impressions early.

"Good afternoon Addie. My name is Blaire Green. I am the new owner." I smile sweetly at the receptionist as she starts to become slightly nervous. I laugh to myself. I remember the first time I met my boss during my internship. I was so nervous that I thought I would pass out. "You can relax Addie. I am not in boss mode until Monday morning. I was just wondering if someone could grab my bags and take them to the penthouse suite for me?"

"Of course Ms. Green. I will send someone out now for you." I watch her visibly relax and smile shyly. She quickly picks up a cell phone and sends a message. Within minutes there is a younger blonde guy approaching the desk. I notice a slight redness to his cheeks as he approaches. I shift my eyes back to Addie and notice a shy smile playing on her lips and a slight blush on her as well. They are so cute. They remind me of a certain someone but I quickly push the memory from my mind.

"This is Jamie. Jamie, this is Blaire Green. The new owner. Would you mind helping her with her bags? They need to go to the penthouse." She quickly became professional and her complexion went back to normal. Jamie looked at me like he had just noticed me. I make a mental note to give her a push in the right direction.

"Of course Ms. Green. Let me just grab a cart and I will get your bags. Let me know if there is anything else we can help you with."

Jamie smiles one last time at Addie before heading off to get a cart. I turn to Addie with a grin on my face. When she finally tears her eyes off of Jamie, she looks at me and instantly gets embarrassed. I softly giggle and smile at her. They couldn't have been more than 21, maybe 22. I decided to show her that she didn't need to be nervous around me. I wasn't going to be that bitchy boss that never smiles and doesn't care about my employees.

"Have you told him that you like him yet?" I watch her face become red again, like I just found out her darkest secret. "If you like him, then you should tell him. He obviously likes you as well. If you are worried about my reaction, you don't need to. Even though I don't know you guys, I fully support it. After all, I am the boss."

I give her a wink before heading to the elevator to finally see where I will be living. All I really want to do is run a nice, hot bath and enjoy a glass of wine or three. But no, I have to deal with a hot shower and get ready for this dreadful dinner. I have to admit though, I am curious as to who will be there that Mother thinks I would want to see.

The elevator finally stops on my floor. As the doors open, I am greeted by a cream colored foyer. There is an elegant looking glass table in the middle with a simple flower arrangement. There is a nice sized window with the drapes pulled open, letting in the sunlight from outside. The decorations are simple, yet elegant. I love it already.

I continue walking in to find the biggest open space I have ever seen in a penthouse. It is the same light color on the walls as the foyer . Instead of dark colored drapes like in the foyer, there are light colored drapes. There is a perfect mix of light colored furniture with dark colored tables. It was very welcoming. I could definitely see relaxing in here with a book, or inviting my best friend Lexi over for girl time. My next venture is to find the bedroom. I hear the elevator open as I make my way down a short hallway. Jamie can just figure out where to leave my luggage.

As I make my way through a door, the first thing I notice is the fireplace. I am able to see through it into what can only be my bedroom. This is the perfect little area to just curl up with my laptop when I don't want to go into the office. Just light a fire, grab my coffee and get to work in my pajamas. Another perk of living where I work.

I made my way to the bedroom. It was perfect. The same neutral colors as the rest of the house. Minimal decorations. The same dark tables and a dresser to offset the light colors. I could not wait to enjoy this room tonight. The last place that I have time to check out is the one I need the most: the bathroom.

The bathroom was the most different so far. The black and white striped floor was the first thing I noticed. Then the mint colored vanity. They played off each other well. Then the tub was where I found myself next. I could definitely picture myself relaxing in here with some candles lit and a glass of wine in my hand. Sadly, I can only muster time for a hot shower if I have any hope of finding my acceptable dresses for Mother's dinner. I might as well start now so I can get this over with.

I quickly stripped down and hopped in the shower. I turned the hot water on until there was steam rising. I let the water run over me for 10 minutes before I started actually washing myself. After letting the hot water turn to cold, I finally decided to get out. I threw my hair in a towel and proceeded to my luggage. I grabbed the one that I threw all my dresses in and brought it to my room. I wanted a simple black dress for tonight. I finally found the perfect one. I decided to pair it with some black and white vintage heels and opted for an easy pulled back hair style. Minimal effort without looking homeless, as to not embarrass Mother.

After I finished putting myself together, I heard the elevator ding. I stood in front of the mirror for a few seconds trying to figure out who it could be. I wasn't aware that anyone knew I was home. Mother was the only person I had talked to. I hadn't even had time to call Lexi. I finally tore myself away from my thoughts. As I entered the doorway to the living room, I saw a familiar face. One of my other best friends, Henry Smith. We have been best friends since elementary school. There were four of us: myself, Henry, Lexi and Damon. I internally groaned at the thought of Damon's name. I sighed and made my way to Henry. He opened his arms and I willingly walked into them. I missed his hugs. They got me through a rough time right before we set off for college. Even though this was unexpected, I was glad to see him.

"Henry, what are you doing here? How did you even know I was back?" I stayed in his embrace for a few extra minutes. His embrace always made me feel at home. I only pulled back when I heard him sigh loudly. I knew I was about to be annoyed with his answer. Once I look up at him, I saw him roll his eyes. This had Mother's name written all over it.

"Helen obviously didn't tell you I was picking you up tonight for her dinner. She asked me to be your ride a few days ago. She said she would tell you, and that you would be expecting me. Although after all these years, I'm not sure why I am surprised."

Henry spent a lot of time at my house when we were growing up. We all came from very wealthy families, but seeing as how my Mother was rarely home once we hit junior high, my house became the preferred hang out spot. Over time, everyone got used to my mother's behavior. So no, Henry shouldn't have been surprised by my lack of knowledge about him showing up here.

"You look great by the way. And this penthouse is amazing. It fits you perfectly too. Laid back, yet elegant. It doesn't scream money." Henry started walking around, taking everything in. I had to agree, if I had to design this myself, this is about how I would do it. I might end up renovating a few things, but that will be a future project. Right now, my priority is getting this hotel where I want it: at the top. The hottest hotel in the Upper East Side. I was confident I could do it. After all, I did graduate top of my class at Brown, and my previous boss recommended me for this position. I couldn't wait to get started.

"We should get going. Mother has already yelled at me once today. I would rather not have a repeat at dinner. I also just want to come home and finally relax. Maybe start to put my stuff away. Monday will be here before I know it." I rolled my eyes which earned a chuckle from Henry. He knew I was serious and started towards the elevator. I was nervous to see who else was at Mother's. It made me nervous that she sent Henry to fetch me. This means she wanted to make sure I was in a good mood. Lord help me.

It was a short drive to Mother's place. Henry and I made small talk. Thankfully we kept in touch while in college. We both got busy within the last year so we used this time to catch up. Once we pulled up to Mother's, I became equal parts nervous and annoyed. Both due to the fact that I had no idea what was waiting on the other side of the door. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the door.

I was thoroughly surprised to see my absolute best friend, Lexi, answer the door. We practically became best friends in the womb. Our mothers were best friends well before we were born. So naturally, we became best friends. We knew absolutely everything about each other. We never kept secrets. She was my rock right before we left for college. She never judged me for how I handled things. She reminded me that college could be my fresh start. This blonde haired babe was just who I needed right now.

"Blaire! Thank god you are finally here! I have missed you so much! We need a girl's day ASAP!" She basically tackled me. I'm honestly surprised we didn't fall to the ground. I couldn't help but laugh. I missed this girl. As soon as we composed ourselves, I saw her become serious. I groaned and didn't want to know what was going on. I could tell by her face that I wasn't going to be pleased. I was becoming slightly curious though.

"What has Mother done? Just tell me so I can mentally prepare myself." I stared right at Lexi, who in turn glared at Henry. Obviously, nobody wanted to tell me what was going on. At that moment, nobody needed to. I felt his presence before I saw him. Then his all too familiar aftershave invaded my nose. It took me back to 6 years ago. I became bombarded with old feelings. I closed my eyes and relished in the memories and scent. Then everything went right back to that terrible night 6 years ago. I slowly opened my eyes and found him.

"Damon........"