Page 18 of His Curvy Obsession

Luke laughed. “Ah yes, the elusive Olivia. I never thought I’d see the day James Thorne fell under a woman’s spell.”

“What can I say, she’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met,” James said. “Witty, kind-hearted, beautiful. And she has no idea I’m the club owner, which makes her appeal to me even more.”

Luke shook his head in amusement. “Only you could find yourself in such an absurd situation. When are you going to come clean so you can make this woman officially yours? If you wait much longer, that dream may get thrown back in your face. Women do not like to be lied to.”

“I know that. But it’s not that simple.” He really didn’t know why he was hesitating. So what if he was rich? Wouldn’t that just make their life easier? Wasn’t that why he’d hustled all these years? They say money can’t buy you happiness, but could sure ease the hunger pangs.

But then he remembered the other women who had come and gone in his life. He knew he was attractive, but the number of zeros in his bank account made him more attractive to the fairer sex. Once the women he dated realized they weren’t going to be showered with diamonds and name brand purses, they moved on quickly. “I don’t want my money to come between me and Olivia.”

“Let me clue you in, my friend. The only thing coming between you and Olivia right now is your stubborn refusal to be honest with her. If you don’t come clean soon, you’re going to lose your chance with the best woman to come into your life.”

James rose and walked to the bar in the corner of his office. He poured them each a shot of whiskey before sitting back down in his chair. Staring into the amber liquid as he swirled it around he thought of the last few days with Olivia. He thought about her laughter, the taste of her beneath his lips. He thought how empty his house felt each time she left, taking her bright smile and laughter with her.

James sighed. “I know, you’re right. I need to tell her the truth. I just worry it’ll change how she sees me—that flirty bartender fetching her cosmopolitans and rescuing her from danger may be hard to reconcile with the reality.”

The thought of confessing the truth and potentially losing her terrified him. When was the last time a woman just wanted to be with him? To hell with his status and money? Never. James had attracted women aplenty—but they were more interested in lavish dates, expensive gifts and the lifestyle he could provide than in learning who he really was.

“Look, James. You know you want to settle down. That’s why you opened this damn club. To find ‘the one’ remember? And I believe Olivia is checking off all those boxes, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, she is.”

“So have some faith, my friend,” Luke said. “Any woman can see you’re smitten. And if she cares for you half as much as you do for her, your bank account balance won’t matter. Take the leap—you deserve to find happiness.”

Lucas walked off, leaving James alone with his thoughts. His friend was right. It was time to confess the truth to Olivia, and face whatever consequences came from it. He only hoped it wasn’t too late, and that she could find it in her heart to forgive him for his deception.

He had to tell Olivia everything—and sooner rather than later. Keeping the charade going any longer would only damage her trust in him further. And the one thing he’d learned was that Olivia had been hurt because the men in her life hadn’t been honest. They’d lied about wanting the same type of relationship she wanted.

Thankfully, he wanted that dream. And only with her. The white picket fence, the two-car garage. The family. The children they’d have.

She’d wanted to be with him without knowing about his wealth. It was time to tear down this wall of lies and hope she could forgive him for his foolish deception. She already had his heart—all that was left was to make it official, and pray she still wanted it once she learned the truth.

He took another swallow of whiskey, steeling his nerves for what he had to do. Invite her into his world. A world, he realized he could change at the drop of a dime. He had enough wealth to give them any type of lifestyle they wanted. Maybe that would appeal to her if nothing else. The games were over—it was time to come clean and claim this woman as his own at long last.

Olivia smiled as she entered Club Curve, looking forward to maybe seeing James. Since the night in his home, they had been spending nearly every evening together. They went out on occasion, but both were equally willing to spend the evening in, cooking dinner, watching movies.

Making love.

She smiled, her body already responding by just remembering the nights they’d spent in each other’s arms. As she’d confessed to Jenny, she had fallen in love with James.

But that was for another time. Today, she was at Club Curve to meet the owner. Jenny was supposed to have come with her, but she’d been working on another campaign. She smoothed down her grey skirt and checked her blouse. No lunch stains.

There wasn’t much activity inside and she hadn’t expected any. She headed to the bar where she saw a woman taking inventory. She approached with a smile. She really did love this part of her job. It was fun getting to know the people behind the business and finding that certain something that clicked with them.

“Hello,” she said, getting the other woman’s attention.

“Oh, hi. Can I help you? We aren’t open yet, but if you need something?” The woman greeted her with a smile and Olivia gave the club top marks for customer service.

“I have an appointment with the owner. Grant Throne.”

“Oh, right, that’s today, isn’t it?” She smiled again, holding out her hand. “I’m Jane, the day manager. You’re here about doing some branding, right?”

“Right.”

“Well, come this way, then.”

Olivia was led down the hallway and past the office where James had tended to her wrist. In the back was an elevator and she realized there was a top floor to the club. The two women chatted at they rode the elevator and Olivia made mental notes. The woman seemed very happy to work for Club Curve. That was always a good sign.

They walked down another hall and to a door. The woman knocked and Olivia tried to quell her nerves. She was good at her job, but meeting a new client always made her a little nervous. Especially when Jenny wasn’t at her side. They made a good team that way. Her friend was more outgoing, and Olivia was more creative.