Chapter 9

"So? Spill it. How good was he?"

Elizabeth was shocked but not surprised by Vanessa's question. She looked at her longtime friend from college, an attractive woman standing at five and a half feet with auburn hair, green eyes, and figure that was every man's wet dream. Vanessa Straits was an eye turner and she knew it but she was as smart as she was beautiful. "Damn, can't get anything past you, can I?"

"Nope," Vanessa chirped. "You're absolutely glowing. I could probably use you to guide airplanes in on a foggy night. So spill."

Elizabeth sighed and then started giggling hysterically at the memory of her and Sean's very busy Sunday. She was still sore from the marathon sex but in a good way. After Elizabeth got her giggling fits under control she took a calming breath and told it all. "Sean says he loves me. He loves me, Vanessa. And yes, he said this before we had sex and without any hint so much as leaning towards it when he said it. He's genuine. As soon as we were alone I pretty much pounced on him. He may have said that he's only had one lover in high school but you sure couldn't tell from Saturday night... and all... day... Sunday! Oh my God Vanessa I can't even begin to tell you how good he is in, and out of, bed. He did things to me I didn't think were even possible."

Vanessa herself was glad to hear that Elizabeth had found a guy that treated her right but she couldn't be sure of this guy Sean until she met him herself. In a way she was a test. She knew she was attractive, model material if she ever wanted to capitalize on her looks, but instead she got her degree in administrative business and was now successfully running the rat race in the corporate world. If she could get this super-stud alone for half an hour and he didn't make a pass at her of any sort then she could believe that his eyes were only for her friend. After the catastrophic marriage with Charles, Vanessa was very protective of Elizabeth. "Wait, he did what?"

"He made me pass out, but only for a minute. And then there was the morning after..."

Vanessa listened in astonishment as Elizabeth spun the tale. There was no way a guy could be that good, twenty-two or not. Hell, they had sex in the coatroom! By the time Elizabeth had finished talking Vanessa was not only curious, but wet. Seemed like Elizabeth landed herself a stud. "Of course, now you're going to have to introduce us."

"Oh no you don't, this ones mine," declared Elizabeth. "I'm not sharing him. But he did say that he wanted to meet you. I met his friends Saturday night and he asked about my friends." She paused. "Well, you're it. Charles pretty much scared away everyone else."

Vanessa reached out across the table and held her friends hand in a comforting gesture. Vanessa didn't like Charles from the start and she told Elizabeth immediately but the girl thought she was in love then, too. And her jumping from a divorce and into the arms of another man so quickly just didn't seem sensible. And then there was the age difference. An obviously spry man, he sounded like he would have a better time with girls his age but according to Elizabeth he was much too mature for them. There were too many mysteries around him. If he were a millionaire why did he still go to college? What about his family? Perhaps she should look into it herself without Elizabeth knowing about it. Best way to save her any hurt feelings. He just sounded too good to be true.

"Friday night," Elizabeth said.

"I'm sorry what?"

"I said that you'd meet him Friday night. He said that he wanted to meet you and that he'll pay for dinner. Says he wants to splurge a bit since he never gets a chance to around his friends. I think he just wants to impress you. He's so sweet. Sean's not miserly but he doesn't like spending his money frivolously although he can afford it. He doesn't want people to know he's rich. Almost like he's ashamed of it or something." Worry began to crease Elizabeth's brow. "God I hope I'm not making a mistake with him. He just seems so..."

"Perfect."

"Yeah." Elizabeth quieted. Charles had seemed perfect, too, rich, successful, and good-looking. He had it all. The bastard dazzled his way into Elizabeth's heart and then he slowly crowded out everything in her life. He liked to dominate, that was his thrill. Soon after they married the thrill wore off, he had taken her for everything. Family and friends were soon muscled out, discreetly of course. And then he simply ignored her. Then he started playing out his sick perversions on her. Elizabeth shut that door immediately. There were things there she didn't even tell Vanessa although she was certain her friend had already guessed at some of it.

"Hey," Vanessa's hand squeezed her own. "This Sean sounds like a really nice guy. And since you've met him you've been nothing but happy. That's all I could ever wish for you. And hey, he kicked Charles' ass three times in a row. That'll always win him brownie points in my book." The two laughed at that.

"Thanks, Vanessa. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Oh, that's what friends are for," the two hugged. "One thing though, does he have an older brother?"

Friday night rolled around and Vanessa slid her sporty red Audi in front of the house. She did do a background check on him and found some interesting things. Sean was an almost overnight rags to riches story. He was raised in a lower-middle class family with his parents, Jane and Arthur Lee, and older sister, Stacey, had rich family ties back in Taiwan but Sean was never steeped in it. The turning point was when he was seven, his mother died of some post-surgical complications from a routine kidney removal. That was when things fell apart. A year later Stacey took to the streets and basically became a washout ever since, mixing it up with a few drugs to boot. Sean's father remarried to a woman who brought her own daughter into the family. Was hospitalized on two occasions, one for an ulcer when he was seventeen and another for stopping an armed burglar at his friend's apartment just last year. Sean's grandmother died overseas and gave Sean and Stacey a small inheritance. His sister squandered it while Sean bided his time and invested all of it into a then unknown upcoming biotech company, GenenCorp. That was when things started getting peculiar. Sean's father died of a heart attack and Sean immediately filed for financial independence by the age of nineteen. He worked at laboratories part-time under professors and made mediocre grades for his biochemistry major. The report said a lot but missed a lot of other things. Such as where he got the tip off on GenenCorp, why he basically cut himself off from his family, and why he was simply sitting on millions of dollars.

Vanessa arrived at the front door and rang the bell. Elizabeth answered the door in a delightfully cut dark blue dress. Her hair was done artfully up and only a light touch of make-up made her look beautiful and Vanessa said as much as she greeted her friend.

"I'd have to agree," came a deep voice from behind the door.

"Oh, sorry," Elizabeth said as she opened the door wider. "Vanessa, this is Sean, my boyfriend. Sean, this is Vanessa, my best friend from my college days.

"Pleased to meet you," Sean said and offered his hand in a shake. She took it and felt how warm and firm his hand was. He was dressed impressively in a tuxedo by Armani, judging from the cut, and sporting a fine looking cane with an ebony carving of a raven on the end. But she was paying attention to his face. No sign of anything else besides warm, greeting eyes in friendship. "Well, this pretty much proves my theory."

"And what would that be?"

Sean wrapped an arm around Elizabeth's waist. "Beautiful women tend to hang around beautiful women." He gave Elizabeth a peck on the cheek. "Both of you look gorgeous tonight. That's a lovely green dress you're wearing."

Vanessa thanked him for the compliments while the back of her mind processed any hidden meaning but found none. Elizabeth and Sean led the way to the living room where they introduced themselves more thoroughly. Again, Sean didn't say anything about who he was. "So, when's the reservation for?"

Sean looked at his watch. "Not until eight but I guess we should get a move on if we're going to catch the opera. Elizabeth told me you like Italian so that's where we're headed after. I heard of a nice place with a great outdoor patio. I've been dying to go there but never really had an occasion. Besides, none of my friends would be comfortable there. Reviews say it's a very quiet place with good music and great wine."

"Sounds great. Let's go."

When they arrived at the opera house Sean admired her car as the valet drove off with it, he was veritably drooling. "Now Sean, you have a perfectly serviceable car right now. No need to buy a new one," Elizabeth teasingly chided him.

"But..."

"Uh-uh," Elizabeth's eyes shined with mirth, "You said it first. Not going to buy a new one until your current car breaks down."

Sean made a big production of sighing. "Yes, dear." And then he laughed with her.

"What's so funny? What does Sean drive now?" Vanessa had to ask. She noticed they took Elizabeth's car.

"A used '98 Corolla," Sean said with pride. "Why'd I have to buy a car I knew would last?"

"Because you're a sensible man, love."

"Why don't you buy a new car? From what Elizabeth told me you could afford it."