Chapter 9

Chapter Rating: PG-13

"It would seem as though good fortune is smiling upon me today, Ms. Spencer."

That would make one of us. "Is that so?" Olivia said politely to the youngest Rivera.

"My father has informed me that he would like to treat his guests to an evening of fine dining at one of his favorite restaurants this evening," Mateo continued.

"That sounds lovely," she answered with a half-truth, as she could almost bet where this conversation was heading.

"I would be honored if you would allow me the pleasure of escorting you to dinner this evening. Perhaps we could go somewhere a little less formal afterwards? Get to know one another. Trade our Hotel Managerial Nightmare stories. What do you say?"

Olivia kept running the offer through her mind. She considered Mateo to be a very appealing young man, to be sure. The emphasis being, however, on the 'young' part of that equation. In fact, Olivia couldn't even be certain that the man had even reached his thirties yet. And he definitely needs to stop eye-fucking me every time he looks at me.

She had grown quite tired of the men who wore their adoration of her openly on their sleeve. It was too predictable. She wanted to meet someone who possessed a certain mystery about them, someone who didn't show all of their cards in the first round of betting. She needed a challenge for once. She knew she was right in her assessment of the gentleman before her that he was surely NOT going to be a challenge. I could ask him to take me right here in the elevator bay, and if he could get it out before it went off in his pants, he probably would.

She tried to suppress the giggle that the image had induced. He was waiting for a reply. He, indeed, seemed nice enough, and she understood that he was trying his very best. And then, out of the nowhere, came the idea of just how furious seeing her with her brother would make Natalia.

"It would be a pleasure," was her reply. As soon as she uttered the words, she wished she could take them back. She could tell that in his head he was no doubt yelling AWESOME!!! like a college boy, but instead he smiled graciously and informed her he would pick her up at 7 p.m.

What could it hurt?, she tried to justify her decision; it's ONE dinner, maybe a little dancing afterward. She entered the elevator and waited for the doors to close. And hey, if it happens to turn into more than that, I must reeallly have needed it bad! she chuckled.

Who knows? Perhaps it could satiate this growing appetite I seem to be developing for flirting with cantankerous females who, not so secretly, want me DEAD!

-----------------------------------------------------------

Natalia had been staring at her computer screen for several minutes now. The ramifications of what she was about to do were huge and it was hitting her hard. But this was her last chance. This was her 'Necessary Evil'.

She offered up a silent prayer for forgiveness... and clicked 'Send'.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Olivia had about an hour and a half to put her outfit together for her upcoming 'date', for lack of a better word. She located a few designer fashion stores not too far from the hotel. She had decided upon a half-length, turquoise evening dress from the 'Debenham’s Collection' which featured a wrap style v-neckline and pleated empire waistband with a waterfall ruffle to the front. She assessed that the plunging neckline was low enough to make Mateo forget his name momentarily yet respectable enough to be warn in the presence of the elder Rivera.

She pulled her shoulder-length hair back loosely and quickly fixed it into a knotted chignon. This exposed her neck, which was accessorized by a simple white gold and emerald teardrop pendant that had a matching pair of earrings. She finished her ensemble with a pair of Pedro Garcia silver/clear, metallic leather pumps. Not her most expensive shoes, but elegant enough for the dinner and versatile enough for whatever Mateo had planned for them afterward.

She gave one last look in the full-length mirror and adjusted a few strands of the hair that had been permitted to fall loosely to frame her face. She looked sensational, and she was not too ashamed to admit it. While she waited for her 'escort', her mind went back to her irrational reason for saying yes to the handsome man who, no doubt, was already on his way up to her room.

What is it I am going to be trying to prove to her this evening? she wondered. She knew what it was going to look like when she arrived on the arm of the son whose father held the key to the expansion of her franchise in the West. It wouldn't be the first time that she would be accused of using her body to secure a corporate takedown. In many cases those accusations would have been correct. She didn't care what people thought. She did whatever it took to get what she wanted.

She wasn't wanting to go down the same path this time. That's not why she said yes to Mateo. She clearly said yes in order to piss the living daylights out of the young woman who, for whatever reason, was consistently tormenting her mind. She wanted under Natalia's skin. She wanted her rattled and unsteady. The fact that she was going to try and deny her the pleasure of winning the bid for the hotel made Olivia want to fight dirty.

A knock came from the door and Olivia took a deep breath and admonished the eyes in the mirror that seemed to be scolding her.

"Show-time, Ms. Spencer, you're on in five four three two..."