Bad Boy Romance

The Billionaire's Game Sierra stared at her reflection and sighed heavily. Her hair, always tightly drawn up in a ponytail, gave the impression that she had a very angular face. She turned her head from side-to-side, looking at all of the planes that made up who she was. Her hair was a copper brown and her eyes blue. She had a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks that gave her a playful look. She had full lips that were always tinted as though she were drinking Kool-Aid, never forcing her to wear lipstick to give herself some more color. Not that she ever wore make-up, really. As a waitress, she rarely had the time to care about things like make- up, or much else for that matter. She sat there contemplating what she could do to make herself pretty, or what she could do to improve her looks, or at the very least, make her more exotic or something. She should have never agreed to stand in for Katie on a blind date. It's not so much that she was going to stand in for Katie on the date, it was that she had to actually pretend that she was Katie. It was just as much her own fault for saying yes, as it was Katie’s for asking. She was always there for her, and this minor thing was no big deal, until now. She used her forefinger to push around the skin on her face, testing to see what she would look like if she had a face lift or something. That is until Katie herself came around the corner and gave her a short laugh. “ What the hell are you doing to your face, Sierra?” She said it with what remained of her scratchy voice. “ I’m looking at it, I wish I was more… I don’t know, exotic or something.” She continued to poke and prod. “ Why would you want to be exotic? You're beautiful the way you are.” Katie made her way across the room. “I really appreciate this Sierra, it’s a one-time thing, I told my mother I would go… and you know how she is.” She rolled her eyes as she said it. Asking you to pretend you're me on a blind date is too much to ask, I know." “ I don’t mind at all. I never get to go out, especially to a nice place like Giovanni’s. Are you worried you will get found out somehow?” Sierra stopped long enough to glance at Katie, who was rifling through the make-up pile. “ No, Mom doesn’t even know what he looks like or anything. She set this up for a friend of a friend or something. The guy's mother is desperate for him to find a nice girl and settle down because he's somewhat of a playboy. The only reason I agreed to this blind date was because I owe her for missing my cousin, Owen’s wedding. I just wish I could have found a way out of it without dragging you through it.” Sierra glanced at Katie. “It’s okay. This interview you have could really be a big break for you. You can't risk missing it by going on a blind date with a guy your mother fixed you up with. I understand, and like I said… free food. Who goes out on a Thursday night, though?” She gave her a smile. Katie giggled. “So what are you wearing? Oh, and I’ll do your make-up, maybe make you look more exotic!” They laughed together as they set out to getting Sierra ready for her date. They also had to figure out how to make the guy think that Sierra is really Katie. An hour later, Sierra turned to take a long look at herself in the mirror. She was transfixed on her appearance. The Sierra she looked at everyday was gone, and in her place was a beautiful woman. Her hair, normally full of curls when left, down, had been straightened and now felt like silk on her shoulders. Her freckles were hidden and her eyes were the focal point of her face. Katie used her skills to give Sierra's eyes a dark and dusky look and she added some pink to her cheeks. Her dark lips only needed a hint of color, and she was definitely a different woman. “ Are you gonna stand there and look at yourself all night or go get this silly date over with?” Katie was equally made up for her interview. The two of them stood side by side, staring at the mirror. “ I don’t even look like… well me.” Sierra giggled. “ Well, tonight you’re not you, you’re me.” Katie said simply as she picked up her bag to go. “Don’t forget, meet him at the entrance at 7pm. He said he would have a red handkerchief in his jacket.” Katie walked over to reassure Sierra once more. “I really do appreciate it girl.” She gave her one last smile and she headed out. After Katie left, Sierra slipped on the tall black pumps Katie pushed on her to go with her outfit. She took a deep breath, and with a sigh, she left for the restaurant. A.J. was frustrated. His latest business merger was in trouble, he was in desperate need of a woman and lastly, he had this blasted date tonight that he didn’t want to go on. The day was dragging and he wanted to go. He flicked open the black book on the top of his desk and sighed. He had an unusual appetite and he needed something new, something exciting to help him calm down. This company… his company was everything to him. He built it from the ground up, and with it, he become an important figurehead in the community. The truth was they didn’t really know him. He had a dark side, one he kept hidden and he needed more. His appointments were short today. One merger meeting. Tomorrow morning he had one charity appearance for a donation he had made locally. He was always glad when the corporation could donate funds in the city where it was needed. It was almost a penance for the side of him that he couldn’t control. He owed his mother his life and so, from time to time when she would request this of him, he would do it, to soothe her worried soul about the playboy reputation he had developed. He checked his reflection in the mirror and smiled to himself. He was a playboy, and that suited him just fine. There were far too many women out there for him to have to settle for just one. He loved them all, and enjoyed his life exactly as it was. The unfortunate thing was that he was an only child and his mother was constantly on him about settling down and finding a nice girl to marry, to carry on the family name. He gave his hair one last smoothing down before he put on his glasses and made his way to the waiting car. One of the perks of running a multi-million dollar company was the luxury of enjoying someone else driving you to and from. He would be lying if he said he didn’t get a thrill of impressing the ladies by having a driver when he pulled up to a new club in town. He liked to be impressive and his looks helped with that. He took care of himself, working out 5 days a week until he was toned. He had jet black hair, almost shaved on the sides and longer on top. His eyes were described as black by most and he always had a shadowed goatee. He was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, and his evasive nature with women gave him an air of mystery. He settled into the cool leather of the seats and leaned back to rest for a second. Hopefully, this night would go smoothly. The last time he went out with one of his mother’s “girls” she bored him to tears until they made it back to his penthouse. There, she became a tigress and the s*x was phenomenal. It was typical of his situation. More often than not, these girls would come in, hoping to find a husband and he would charm them right out of their clothes before they knew what happened. This date would be the same, of that he was sure. He felt the car come to a stop and he made his way to the restaurant with ease. He gave the hot little hostess a smile and she started shuffling the papers in front of her as she blushed. It was almost too easy for him. What he wanted most was a challenge, something to work for, at least a little. He was led to a table in the corner, as requested , and he waited. As usual, he arrived early so that he could watch and decipher the woman his mother sent for him this time. It was almost like an animal stalking its prey. He leaned back some and waited with hooded lids. Sierra took a deep breath before entering the restaurant. She was nervous that her date would find out that she really wasn't Katie. She knew she wasn’t a mess since she was receiving appreciative looks from random men in the main entrance. She was led to a table, thanked the young lady who seated her, and turned to meet this month's “guy.” She felt the blood in her veins warm up and her mouth go dry at the same time. He stood and extended a hand to her, helping her into her seat. She felt the faint presence of his fingers trace her back as he helped push her seat in. Before she choked on the water she was sipping, she decided to speak first. “ So, you must be A.J?” She took another sip. Surprised by her forwardness, he raised an eyebrow. “I assume that makes you Katie. Yes, I am A.J. It’s nice to meet you.” He had a voice that spilled out of his mouth like honey. She knew exactly why he was getting appreciative glances from the waitresses. He was almost too attractive. He had classic good looks with a mix of ruggedness which made it clear that he was no innocent poster boy, but rather a force to be reckoned with. “ It’s very nice to meet you too. This is a nice restaurant. Do you come here often?” She was trying making small talk, and he knew she was nervous. He could tell by the way she sipped her water uncontrollably. “ No, I’ve only been here a handful of times, but it’s very good, trust me.” He gave her a dashing smile and Sierra knew in his simple off-handed comment that he was going to irritate her. It wasn’t his looks. The truth of the matter was that he was the most intensely gorgeous man she ever saw. That alone gave him some kind of arrogance that reached out of him. He was put together like a package. Every piece of him from head to toe was perfect. Part of her wanted to ruffle his hair and put him in sweats. He almost seemed too well put together. He was gorgeous, but his cookie cutter life made him unattractive to her, not to mention that he was far too sure of himself. She again sipped at her water as he watched her. It was almost unnerving. “ Do I have something on my face? You seem to either be lost in thought or overly concerned with what I'm doing.” She said it simply and with a smile, and enjoyed the puzzled look that crossed his face. “ No, on the contrary. I was just looking at you, Katie.” He delivered his words smoothly, and she had to stop her heart from racing. He gave her a smile and she felt her stomach lurch. She was as bad as the hostess. She rolled her eyes and glanced at the menu. With any luck, this would be over soon anyway. He leaned back into the booth, watching her intently. She was so beautiful, it was almost painful. He enjoyed the banter they were having because she wasn’t like most women. She had no idea how beautiful she was and that intrigued him even more. Usually the women he went out with were all superficial and very much aware of their beauty. They ordered their food and managed to make some small talk about nothing. He knew she was nervous and that gave him some sort of excitement. She moved without thought and enjoyed her food without counting calories. The entire scene was refreshing for him. She made an idle joke about the waiter, which he found amusing and they laughed about it. “ The decorating in here reminds me of a painting. I think art is beautiful.” She gave him a half smile, less concerned about his good looks now that she was three glasses of wine into the date. “ Really? Maybe we should go to the art show that’s traveling into town next week. I can get tickets fairly easy, actually.” He gave her a smile and she felt the warm heat travel up from the pit of her stomach. He certainly had a way with words, and with women. She saw more than one lady go by to use the restroom and his eager attempts to greet each and every one of them. Playboy all the way.