Tom Billionaire Ch. 08

It took a while, but Vivienne and I eventually patched things up. I explained that while I did love her, our relationship had not progressed to the point yet where I was ready to have children with her. We'd known each other for less than three months, and more to the point, it was unfair of her to make such a life-altering decision without my input or approval.

Vivienne couldn't really disagree with that. She apologized, telling me that she'd made an impulsive decision, but one founded on her love for me. She truly believed that we would be together forever, and she wanted that "forever" to start right away.

In the end, we made up by making love right there on that flight. She cried when I told her I wouldn't cum inside of her. But she willingly opened her mouth when I pulled out. And she eagerly swallowed every drop down, willing me with her eyes to understand how much she loved me.

Even so, there was no telling whether the morning after pill had worked. Vivienne had been off her birth control for nearly two weeks, and I'd filled her with sperm dozens of times in that period. For all we knew, it was already too late.

And so with our immediate argument resolved, but the longer-term worry still in the back of my head, Vivienne and I returned to the main cabin. The mood wasn't exactly festive, but at least it wasn't as gloomy as before. I hoped that time would heal our wounds. I hoped that a few weeks would bring Vivienne's normal menstrual flow to confirm that she wasn't pregnant. And I hoped that things would eventually go back to the way they were before.

Really, you'd think I would have learned by now.

****

*-- MANHATTAN, NEW YORK --*

"Happy Birthday!!!"

Girls whooped. Disposable kazoos were tooted. And everyone clapped. Surrounded by dozens of people, all clapping, Joey just beamed and started clapping as well.

"Now blow out your candles!" Ashlyn encouraged, bending over and blowing lightly at the two upright wax sticks embedded in the cake.

Joey probably didn't know exactly the words meant, but she still knew enough to mimic her mother. And she puckered up and blew cutely.

The candles went out. Everyone hollered even more. And Joey was having an absolute ball clapping her hands together. I could only wonder how much more excited my baby girl would get once it was time for her to open all the presents stacked on a nearby table.

The mass of bodies that had collected in the dining room began to disperse after that. The large cake was expertly cut up by Lucy, Ashlyn's housekeeper. Charlotte and Karl were helping her hand out the plates. And in general, everyone spread out to resume other conversations.

Joey made a mess of her face with the cake frosting. My little girl was pretty good at using a fork by now, but she still liked using her hands. I knelt beside Joey's high chair and tried to help her put a piece of cake onto her toddler fork, but she promptly grabbed a piece of frosting and slathered it across my nose. My startled yelp only entertained her even more.

"Joey!" Ashlyn scolded, but couldn't help grinning. My ex-girlfriend stepped up with a wet washcloth at the ready, immediately wiping down my face.

I let her clean me up and then stood with a smile. "No harm done."

"Of course not." But Ashlyn immediately knelt and stared her daughter in her eyes. "Be a *good girl*, Joey. Food is for *eating*, not play."

Joey tried to smother _Ashlyn's_ nose in frosting, but the knowing mother quickly pulled out of the way.

Evelyn immediately swooped in and started clucking over the now 2-year-old toddler. Joey settled down and ate her cake a little more sedately, although with that much sugar, I expected she'd start bouncing off the walls pretty soon.

Ashlyn then retrieved a new plate with a slice of cake on it, handing it over to me along with a fork. I accepted gratefully, and gestured back to the table. "Aren't you going to have one?"

The supermodel just rolled her eyes and patted her flat belly. "Yeah, right."

I put a small bit on the end of my fork, topped with pink frosting, and then held it up right in front of Ashlyn's face. "You _sure_?"

The redhead went cross-eyed staring at the morsel of cake, a hungry expression on her face. She sighed and then looked over at me. "We both know I can't."

I shrugged, started putting the cake into my mouth, and then pulled it back, waggling the morsel in front of Ashlyn's face once more.

"You're evil, you know that?" she sighed before grabbing my wrist and holding it steady so that she could glomp her mouth around the end of my fork, eating off the cake and then swallowing it with relish.

"There. Was that so bad?"

"Yes," she groaned. "What IS it with men? You all want us to stay pencil thin and yet every chance you get, you try to tempt us into eating more."

There was actual vehemence in her voice, and I mumbled, "Huh?"

She shook her head dismissively and waved me off. "Nevermind."

"No, really."

Ashlyn sighed. "Bad date."

I arched an eyebrow. "Fabrizio?"

"So you remembered his name."

"Of course. What happened? I thought you said things were going well."

"They _were_," Ashlyn groaned. "Up until Saturday night."

I bristled, my fists clenching. "What did he do to you?"

"Johnny, Johnny," she quickly soothed, holding her hands up to calm me down. She then glanced around, spotting a quiet corner before taking my elbow and leading me to it so that we'd have a modicum of privacy. "He didn't _do_ anything, not really. It's just not working out."

"I'm sorry," I stated, working hard to keep my face still.

Ashlyn gave me a funny look. "You don't mean it."

I blushed, caught. "Sorry," I offered more seriously, although with a smile.

The redhead chuckled and shook her head. "Typical ex-boyfriend. If you can't have me, no one can."

"Hey, I'm not doing anything to stop-"

"I know, I know..."

I shrugged. "Can't help the way I feel. I still care about you. About you both."

"I know. A part of me will always love you, too. But we know why we can't get back together. I won't settle," Ashlyn stated firmly.

"I'm not asking you to; it wouldn't be fair. Just know that I'll always be here for you. Think of me... like an older brother. Brothers can love you, and be a little protective of you, can't they?"

Ashlyn shook her head but smiled. "Uh, don't know that I can ever think that way about you. Every time I look at you I want to rip your clothes off and fuck you within an inch of your life... _brother_. But I get what you're trying to say."

I just grinned and asked. "So what's next? Or who?"

"Time will tell. I'm not in a big rush. Relationships are a complicated thing." Musing on that, Ashlyn suddenly punched my shoulder lightly. "What about you? How are things at home?"

I shrugged. "Shouldn't you already know? I know you and Taylor spread gossip faster than Twitter."

"Yeah," she conceded. "But I still want to hear it from your side. How are things with Vivienne?"

I sighed. "Good and bad. Her period is due in two days. She's not sure whether to be hopeful or anxious. I'm not sure myself."

Ashlyn glanced over at Joey, who by now was running around the living room with some of her toddler friends. "I can relate." She then picked her head up to look at me, but instead gazed past my shoulder. "Speaking of whom..."

I turned to see Vivienne approaching. She smiled and immediately hugged me, pecking my cheek. But then to the surprise of both me and Ashlyn, my girlfriend turned to face the redhead. "Bonjour, Ashlyn."

"Bonjour," Ashlyn replied with a smile. Although Vivienne had initially been paralyzed with celebrity awe upon meeting the famous supermodel, time had helped her get over it.

Vivienne touched my arm and smiled at me for a moment before asking something I never would have expected. "Excuse me. But do you mind if I, ah... _steal_ her... for a moment?"

My eyebrows rose in both amusement and surprise. I was amused at Vivienne's attempt to pick up the English slang. And of course I wondered what Vivienne wanted to talk to Ashlyn about. But I saw no harm in it, and willingly stepped aside. Ashlyn looked just as surprised as me, but she nodded as well.

With a smile, Vivienne took Ashlyn by the arm. And then she led the two of them down a hallway toward the private bedrooms.

For about half a second, I imagined the two gorgeous beauties stripping and attacking each other with an erotic passion. But then I just shook my head and chuckled to myself. My life was pretty crazy, but that was just a little too far-fetched.

****

*-- MONTAUK, NEW YORK --*

The sun was setting in the distant west as the helicopter buzzed eastward back to the mansion after Joey's birthday party. Taylor and Cassandra reclined against my chest from either side of me. Vivienne and Evania sat across us. There was a light conversation going around, momentarily interrupted when Evania's Blackberry beeped.

She quickly fished out the device, and glanced quickly at Vivienne before pressing the button to close the message. And then my valet looked up and gave me a big grin.

I couldn't help but smile as well. "The packages arrived?" I asked.

Evania nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Right on time." I grinned even wider. I then looked over at Vivienne, but she was staring out the window. Actually, Vivienne had been staring out the window for most of the flight. She hadn't been participating much in the conversation, and Evania had to nudge her to get my girlfriend to notice that I wanted her attention.

But rather than get ready to listen to what I had to say, she immediately spoke up. "Tohm, I need to talk to you when we land."

I arched an eyebrow in surprise. "About what?"

Vivienne looked around at the other women, sighing, "It's very private."

I blinked and shrugged. "Uh, okay. But it might have to wait."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

I couldn't help but start grinning once again. "Because I have a little surprise for you."

Taylor now sat up straight. "A surprise? Those packages Evania just mentioned?"

"And how come I don't know about this?" Cassandra frowned, looking put out.

I chuckled and waved with my hands to get the girls to settle down. "It's a _surprise_. And they're really for Vivienne, okay?"

The girl in question was now squirming in her seat, brimming with anxious energy. "But WHAT are they?"

I smiled wickedly. "You'll see."

That was the most the girls could get out of me for the next five minutes. Belatedly, they then realized that Evania was in on the secret and started pestering her. Vivienne even resorted to tickle-tactics, and the cabin was soon filled with the sounds of squealing girls.

But then the helicopter began its descent to the family compound, and everyone started looking out the windows to see if there was anything new visible from the air. Perhaps they were expecting some twenty-foot box to be sitting on the lawn, wrapped up with a gigantic bow. But there was nothing below but the familiar sight of the mansion.

Still, the girls were all atwitter as we landed and went through the rotor shutdown. When it was safe, a security officer came and opened the chopper door. And all four ladies poured out, heading straight for the mansion doors, oblivious to whether or not I was following. You'd think they would have realized they might need me to show them *where* the packages were placed in this cavernous house.

I followed them pretty quickly anyways. In this case, I figured they would find the surprise soon enough. That was because the packages weren't actually packages; they were people.

"Vivienne!" a French-accented voice squealed. Another at a slightly different pitch soon followed. And I had to clamp my hands over my ears against the deafening scream that came after.

Vivienne tore off down the hallway to the living room, at a full sprint before diving into the waiting arms of Aveline. The impact was enough to nearly knock the redhead over, but she managed to stay upright. And very quickly, Cecile piled on as well.

What followed was a riot of French words as questions were asked and half-answered, only to be drowned out by another question. The three girls were talking and hugging and kissing and then talking some more, all going by so fast that I really didn't understand a thing.

Evania stepped up, and was immediately pulled into the middle of the circle like an old friend. A few words in heavily-accented English followed. And in the meantime, Taylor and Cassandra hung back with me.

"This was a good idea," Taylor mused, surveying the babbling young ladies.

"Agreed," Cassandra nodded.

"Well, since I now have your _approval_," I drawled.

The two of them chuckled and turned to me. "When did you come up with this?" Taylor inquired.

"Last week. Vivienne was clearly depressed after we got back to New York. I thought this might cheer her up. She's talked about being homesick before."

Taylor reached up and brushed my bangs back, staring up into my eyes. "You really want her to be happy, don't you?"

I nodded. "Of course."

She turned her eyes behind me to Cassandra. I saw something pass through them, but as usual, I was left out of the loop. "What?" I queried.

Taylor just shook her head.

Cassandra then gestured toward the four girls. "I'm assuming these are the other girls who were with you on the yacht? Not Vivienne's family or anything like that."

"Correct," I nodded.

Taylor smirked and then looked at my assistant. "Well then, care to spend the night with me, Cassie?"

"Of course," Cassandra replied.

"Huh?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Come now, honey. Don't tell me it hasn't crossed your mind that those four are going to drag you down to the guest wing tonight."

I blinked in surprise, my mouth falling open. "Actually... I hadn't. I really just wanted to bring Vivienne's friends over... for _her_."

Taylor shrugged. "Okay. But that doesn't make my prophecy any less true."

Cassandra smirked. "Let's go take a shower. I'm sure Jonathan will know what to do from here." She then glanced at me and advised, "Drink lots of fluids."

Taylor swooped in and pecked my lips. "See you in the morning, honey."

And then they were gone.

Sure enough, four excited girls immediately surged over, surrounding me with high-pitched babbling and many, _many_ hugs. And right in front of me was Vivienne, her eyes absolutely afire.

****

"Where is Lucette?" I managed to ask, once the girls got done kissing me in greeting. As a group, we had retired to the Common Room to sit down and catch up.

Aveline sighed, "She could not get away from work."

"She could not get away from her _boyfriend_," Cecile corrected.

Aveline explained. "He was already suspicious enough when Lucette returned from Greece with the extra clothes and jewelry."

I blinked and glanced over at Aveline. The busty, blue-eyed redhead preened as I ogled her, positioning her body for maximum seductiveness and batting her eyelashes suggestively. And I asked, "What about *your* boyfriend?"

"What boyfriend? I have no boyfriend."

"Not _anymore_," Cecile chirped. The petite blonde turned to me with a wry smile. "Sebastien realized what happened when Aveline returned home," she added in thickly-accented English. I'd forgotten that she was the least comfortable with my language.

I winced. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Aveline said with a shrug. "The relationship was over anyways."

Vivienne nodded, apparently familiar with her best friend's history.

"But we're not here to talk about us," Aveline said brightly, extending her arms toward me and Vivienne. "We're here to talk about *you*!"

"Je ne peux pas croire que vous soyez toutes les deux venues ici!" Vivienne enthused happily, explaining her disbelief that her friends had come.

"Comment aurions-nous pu refuser?" Aveline pouted. "We missed you!"

The girls hugged again, and Vivienne looked at me. "But how?"

Cecile spoke up again. "Evania called us."

"It was Mr. Kwong's idea," Evania gestured to me.

"Au sujet de votre nom... So your real name is 'Jonathan Kwong'?" Cecile inquired with raised eyebrows.

I nodded.

Aveline and Cecile glanced at each other with knowing looks. "You are quite famous, then."

I smiled. "In America, at least. Fortunately for me, I was not so famous in Europe."

"You are now," Aveline said seriously. "There was a story about a kidnapping, in Marseille."

I grimaced. "Yes. But that's over now."

The three French girls looked at each other and made a few comments I didn't quite understand. But then Aveline moved forward and grabbed my head, turning it left and right as if looking for injuries.

I chuckled and Vivienne moved forward, slapping her friend off me. "No. He did NOT get shot," she stated in English.

Aveline started slapping right back, and soon the two girls were giggling as they playfully batted each other's hands away. For a second, I thought about throwing two pillows between them and then sitting back to watch what happened.

"Arrêtez! Arrêtez!" Cecile interposed herself between them, smiling all the while.

Her hair a little mussed, Vivienne brushed it back and then beamed, smiling the biggest I'd seen from her since Yosemite. "How long can you stay?"

Aveline sighed and gestured to Evania. "Our flight back is..."

"Sunday," Evania finished. "After Mr. Kwong's birthday. But the plans are flexible if you choose to remain longer."

Vivienne smiled. "That is almost a week."

"Just like Mykonos," Aveline said with a grin.

"So? What shall we do?"

****

Despite Taylor's and Cassandra's insinuations that I would find myself dragged beneath a pile of naked Euroflesh until morning, it didn't quite turn out that way, not yet at least. Aveline and Cecile wanted a tour of the mansion, and they oohed and ahhed at everything in utter rapture. Actually, Aveline wanted to strip naked and dive into the indoor pool as soon as she saw it.

After the tour, everyone assembled back together for dinner. The newcomers apologized profusely to Taylor and Cassandra for not introducing themselves earlier. My wife and assistant laughed off their concerns and welcomed the girls with open arms. Dorothy made a splendid meal, and we all ate, drank, and chatted for well over an hour.

Much of the conversation centered on the new girls. Vivienne wanted to know what had been going on back in Dijon, and the girls were filling her in on the latest hometown gossip. There were discussions about kooky neighbors and various old friends. There was small mention of Vivienne's parents, from whom my girlfriend seemed to already be estranged. And the girls all laughed over how heartbroken this one young grocery store clerk had been when he found out Vivienne wasn't coming back.

Vivienne also shared what she'd been up to these past couple of months. She focused on all the fun things, like the trip to DC, Nashville, and New Orleans, as well as the National Park hopping and river rafting excursion. She raved about French-Cajun food and told the story of the French owner hitting on her at Savann. And in general, Aveline and Cecile sighed dreamily over how lucky Vivienne was to have hooked up with me.

Indeed, Aveline flashed me a teasing grin and asked in a flirty voice, "Do you need any more girlfriends? I'm sure I could be persuaded to stay a little longer."

"She means 'forever'," Cecile put in helpfully.

Vivienne just slapped her friend's shoulder.

After dinner, Taylor and Cassandra went off on their own, believing that the girls would feel more comfortable without their presence. They were right, because once the European girls and I re-settled in the Common Room, there were no limits to what they could talk about.

Aveline promptly began asking questions about our sex life, and how that all worked. Vivienne blushed and protested that she could not, but only for a moment. Then she went ahead and gave rather graphic descriptions of the shenanigans we'd gotten into. She mentioned Virginie, the waitress in New Orleans, who reminded her of Aveline. She laughed about the whole group seducing Chrissy, the Idaho river guide. And she even gently ribbed Evania about Tommie Joe and his houseboat in Nashville.