Lily and the Billionaire: The Complete Collection (8 page)

During her next shift at work she was musing about this as she loaded glasses with lightning precision into the dishwasher. "But maybe he really did want to, but he genuinely remembered something that he had to do", mused Mia, with whom she had shared most of the story.

"Hmmm," Lily pondered, "Maybe. But now that I think about it, every time I mention the art project he is very vague about it and then changes the subject".

"Really?
That does sound a bit suspicious".

Lily sighed. "I was so looking forward to creating more art again, after such a long time. But he kind of…put me off a bit".

Mia nodded, sympathetically. "I know what you mean. I haven't done any dancing for ages - not proper dancing, I mean, the kind which I trained in."

"What kind is that again?" asked Lily.

"Well…Flamenco, mainly. And some contemporary dance."

"Wow!" said Lily, and Emily, who had come down to their end of the bar since there was no-one to serve, and was cleaning the coffee machine. This was always a good way of staying at the end of the bar for a long time at once if you wanted to chat. Knowing this, the girls usually left the machine to get filthy so that they could really get into a good gossip when they felt it was necessary. It was not particularly nice to the customers considering they charged 3.50 per coffee, but the social aspect of this job was by far the only real perk so they felt justified in their actions.

"Yeah, well, anyway, I don't know if you remember that guy I was getting with a couple of months ago - Luke was his name", continued Mia.

"Oh yes, the Mancunian?" nodded Emily.

"Oh aye", said Mia, putting on a pretty good Manchester accent, "that were 'im". They giggled childishly.

"Well, he was the manager or something of this community centre down in Greenwich, and he kept telling me that he could get me a space there for free to set up some workshops or something" carried on Mia.

"That sounds amazing!" commented Lily, "renting out one of those spaces would cost a fortune, wouldn't it?"

"Exactly, don't even dream about it", said Mia.

"So…did he?" asked Emily, struggling with the different parts of the coffee machine, some of which were so grimy they would not budge. Lily moved over to help her twist them off.

"He
kept
saying that he'd sort it out", said Mia, "and I was so excited that I barely noticed that it had already been a month or more that he said that, with no action".

"Oh." the other girls were disappointed.

"So, no dance space," sighed Mia.

"And probably no painting in Daniel's project" agreed Lily.

"If he even has a project", added Mia, with suspicion.

"Ladies! Come on!" cried Emily, finally wrenching free the coffee-holding part of the machine and spilling coffee grounds everywhere. The other girls began looking for cleaning products with glee - something else to prolong their task.

"Come on", continued Emily, as they began sweeping up, "you don't need men to follow your dreams! Lily, why don't you just do your painting now?"

Lily laughed. "Right now? Where?"

"On Bill's
face
", suggested Mia from the sink and they laughed. 

"No, really!" said Emily. "I mean, what's stopping you?"

Lily considered. "Well, I don't have canvases, for a start. And I don't really have enough time….I'm just always working. At least, that's how it feels".

"Except when you're having raunchy adventures with Indie boy", pointed out Mia mischievously.

"Well yes obviously of course, but that is necessary for my health", said Lily, setting the other girls tittering.

"Why do you call him Indie boy?" asked Emily curiously.

"Doesn't he look like he's in an Indie band to you? You know, the tight trousers, messy hair - he looks like he should be singing in a whiney voice about how the world is so great but he is just hurting so much…"

All three girls collapsed in laughter, Lily gasping, "I'm guessing you're not that much of a fan of Indie music, huh?!"

"But, anyway", said Emily after they composed themselves, “I think these are just excuses. If you really felt
inspired,
don't you think you would be painting now? Who cares if you don't have canvases! Most of the stuff at the Tate Modern is a completely random assortment of items anyway. Maybe just use your imagination!"

"Yeah", pointed out Mia, "I'm sure you have more imagination than some of the artists that get put on at the Tate Modern".

"But what do I need to do to feel inspired…?" mused Lily, half to herself.

"I know what you need," said Mia. "More money, honey!"

"Well, that would be useful…"

"Why don't you just get married to some rich guy?" suggested Magda, walking in at that moment. Emily snorted in disgust. "You're not being serious?!"

"Well, why not?!" asked Magda. "That's what I want to do. If I marry someone who can provide for me completely, then I can be free to do whatever I want to do".

"And what is that?" asked Lily.

"Well, loads of stuff. I want to finish my Reiki training, then I will be able to heal people", said Magda. "But it's like you say, with no money, it's impossible".

"I don't think you would be free if you were dependent on your husband, though", pointed out Mia, "Surely he would have some conditions attached…" 

"I don't care, as long as he gave me enough space for what I need", said Magda confidently.

"I guess you also get to stay in this country legally if you marry an English guy", said Mia cheekily.

"Er, fuck off! I
am
in this country legally!" countered Magda, grinning. "Although, I got to admit, English guys are a lot sexier than Polish guys…"

"I think it's a horrible idea, getting married just for money,” said Lily.

"It's not just for money", pointed out Magda, "in fact, the money is a side issue really. It's space I want."

"But even if he gives you space, he wouldn't respect you - not
really
I mean". Lily spoke with conviction, and the other girls looked at her curiously. "If he is providing for you then no matter how independent you feel he will always feel superior to you and that will show in your marriage". This was exactly how she felt about her father's attitude to her mother; something which she despised. No matter how low-down on the breadline she got, she didn’t ever want to be stifled by some inconsiderate misogynist like her father.

"Respect is very important", agreed Emily. Lily nodded, glad to have someone on her side with something she felt so strongly about.

"Well then, you girls had better start respecting the bar a bit more!" they heard from behind them. It was Bill, looming suddenly up behind them as was his wont.

"Uh oh, better go and do some real work," muttered Magda.

"What are you talking about, Bill?" asked Mia innocently, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "We were just cleaning the coffee machine!"

Lying in bed that night, Lily tossed and turned, confusion coursing through her veins. Edwin's parting words kept coming back to her: "when we are giving our true gift, life is always easy ". But how could she know what her true gift was? Every time she tried to move in one direction, it seemed she got thwarted. Like with Daniel and his mysterious 'project'.

What was she going to do?…

*******

Fitfully, she fell asleep, and woke up…in the arms of Edwin Waterman. They were lying naked in a huge bed, stroking and fondling each other, kissing in electric passion as they rolled around…

No matter how far they rolled in either direction, the bed just kept going. It was beautiful.

"Oh Lily, you inspire me to new heights of arousal", Edwin was whispering in her ear, softly caressing her thigh, making her pussy tingle in gooey delight. She ran her hands up and down his smooth, muscular body, admiring his deep tan, and laughing at the place where it suddenly ended at his pale white bum, and his balls and dick sticking out from his dark body like three shining light bulbs. She stroked them, feeling their electricity.

“
If you get your tan on a sun bed, why don't you just zap your dick and balls too?" she was asking.

"I don't use a sun bed", he replied. "This tan is from the place where the hibiscus grows…"

"Oh, oh, I can see some other things growing," she purred, fondling his gorgeously large dick, delighting as it extended even more in her hand. "What a pretty dick!" she commented and he growled deeply in pleasure, as they continued to roll…

"Take me to the place where the hibiscus grows!" she demanded, as he rolled on top of her and slid that thick shaft right up inside her - penetrating her so deep that she gasped in bliss, already almost on the point of coming.

"Oh, Lily," he whispered, as he began rocking back and forth inside her, "we're already there…"

She squeezed his cock inside her, pulling him in, and rocked her hips
pulsingly with his, joining in his rhythm, then speeding up as he started fucking her harder and harder. Every nerve in her body was being stimulated by him and she felt herself opening up like a flower in spring, as he thrust himself deeper and deeper inside, fucking her into a state of pure bliss. "Oh yes, Edwin!" she cried, as from deep within her, her orgasm began to burst open in full technicolour bloom -

She woke up, panting and sweating, her fingers already inside her pyjama bottoms and rubbing her wet pussy frantically; trying to stifle her wild cries she came, in her own finite bed.

*******

Work seemed to pass in a beautiful haze, so lost was she in the memory of her delicious dream. Towards the end of her shift, Daniel came in, on his way to begin work at his own bar around the corner. "So when do you want to start painting?" Lily asked eagerly, still prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt about his project.

"Yeah!
Painting! We'll do that soon, don't worry," grinned Daniel, smiling lazily.

"Er, and…What was it exactly that you wanted me to paint?" inquired Lily. He looked vague, staring around him vacantly for a few seconds before fixing his eyes on her.

"I got it, don't worry", he said. "I got it all worked out, in here", he tapped his head.

“Ok…cool…" said Lily doubtfully.

"Look, just come round to my place sometime next week. I assure you we will really get…creating," promised Daniel. "I gotta go, baby. Give me a call when you want to do it!"

He left Lily feeling distinctly uninspired.

Well, what to do now? She pondered as she waited again for another bus that was running late. Living in London certainly takes up a lot of time, waiting for public transport, she thought. And time was something that she was feeling increasingly like she did not have enough of.

She certainly didn't feel like she had any more time for Daniel, and what she was pretty sure were his empty promises. ‘What the hell’, she thought: last night's dream was definitely a sign. When she got home, she took out her phone and dialled his number.

"Hello?" said that deep American voice, the same as it had sounded in her dream, instantly making her tingle.

"Hi, Edwin", she said, trying to keep the trembling from her voice, "it's Lily".

"Ah!" genuine delight, it sounded like. "How are you doing, Lily?"

"I'm…very good." she said. "Um, I was just wondering if you'd be interested in maybe…joining me for dinner or something, sometime?" she paused, waiting for the answer with bated breath. What if he said no?

But of course, that confident, sexy voice came down the phone, saying the words she wanted to hear. "Lily, I'd be delighted".