The CEO Ch. 23

When Eva woke up the next morning, breakfast was on the night stand with a single rose. Lucas was already gone. There was a note.

'Good morning, Sexy! Wear something comfortable today, we'll be going to the club, and then we'll go to the bars tonight and have some German bier (beer)'.

Something comfortable, Eva pondered. Maybe her robe would do, and then she could drop it quickly when he needed her. Sometimes, at moments like this, it seemed like all Eva ever thought about was sex. Well, she might wear something comfortable today, but it was going to be sexy, nonetheless.

She picked out a pair of tight fitting jeans and a top that had long sleeves with cut outs on the shoulders and a plunging neck line. After her shower, she pulled her hair back in a pony tail, though she didn't wear it that way often, and put on some dangly earrings.

Eva flipped through the TV channels. He had mentioned that the commercials only came on between shows, and were quite entertaining, since they had to give the viewer some reason to watch. There was a bier commercial, and it was definitely racier than one would see in the states. The clinging wet T-shirt on the model left nothing to the imagination.

Eva found some type of documentary that seemed to look at German night life. She couldn't understand all of it. But, it showed people in clubs, lots of drinking, people on the city streets being interviewed. There were lots of neon lights and girls dancing in clubs.

They interviewed some men in offices about things, and then there was a man they were interviewing that looked like Lucas. It was Lucas! They showed the city streets again, a girl leaning over a car window talking to the guy inside. Then it seemed to follow a hooker as she went through medical examinations, and then showed her standing in the doorway of a room as men walked by. It ended, and Eva wondered what Lucas was being interviewed about in the film. That was crazy.

She turned it off, and looked out the window, taking in the view of the city. She could see some kids on inline skates at the corner. They were riding them down the stairs to the subway, and climbing back up. How was that even possible without falling? There were three or four of them, zooming along the little park walls and then careening down the stairs disappearing before returning a minute later to zoom around some more. The door opened.

"Hey, Sexy! Wow, you look great! That's perfect, and I love your hair up. Are you ready?" Lucas asked.

"You know I'm always ready for you," Eva said in a sultry voice teasing him.

"Oh, I'm ready for that, too," he agreed. "But we have to go so we can make it to the club. I don't want to make Boris wait."

"Oh, so Boris is more important than me," Eva feigned.

"Not at all, but we need to go, you'll see," he said.

They went down to the front door, and the valet brought the car around. Lucas opened the door for Eva and then went around to the driver's seat. After he pulled out, Eva decided to ask Lucas about the show on TV.

"I saw you on TV, in some documentary, but I wasn't exactly sure what it was about," Eva began.

"Oh, hmm," he remarked while turning the corner.

"It seemed to be about night life, and night clubs, and businesses that cater to those things," she went on, trying not to blurt out that it seemed to be about the German sex industry.

"Hmmm, I've been interviewed for several shows, documentaries and the like. I doubt that I've actually seen all of them," he said nonchalantly.

"Wow, you're a bigger celebrity than I thought," Eva mused. "Do people recognize you in public?" she asked.

"Not usually," he remarked. "But, sometimes."

He pulled into the parking lot of the Frankfurter Tennis club.

"I didn't know that was the type of club you were talking about," Eva laughed. "I've never really played, myself."

"You don't mind watching for a bit, do you?" he said, not really asking, it seemed.

"I didn't know you were a tennis player," Eva said, thinking that this was one more thing that she didn't know about him. "I'm learning all kinds of new things about you."

"Wunderbar!" he said, getting out and then getting her door before grabbing a bag out of the trunk.

"I love tennis clubs. I've been playing since I was about nine. I can't explain the feeling really of walking out on the court. But, it is somehow relaxing and familiar. And the game..." He paused, a look of contemplation on his face. "It's beautiful really, a combination of speed and grace, precision, geometry, gravity, and aerodynamics. There's nothing like it."

Eva could see the twinkle in his eye as he talked about it, and could tell it was something he enjoyed. It was similar to when he looked at her. He opened the door and Eva stepped in to a foyer. A man behind a counter turned and smiled.

"Ah, Herr Hanssen," he said. "So good to see you! I think you'll need your 'A' game today. Good luck!"

"Danke, Franz," he replied. "If I can return half of his serves, I think I have a chance," Lucas said with a laugh.

"You're on the main court," Franz called after him as he strode toward a tall couple nearby.

"Lucas, so good to see you," the tall man said, taking his hand in a hearty shake.

"Oh, Lucas," the tall woman almost sighed, giving him an embrace. "It's been too long; how time flies. And this must be the young lady I've heard so much about," the woman said turning toward Eva.

"Hello, my name is Lilly, and this is Boris." Boris took Eva's hand, and it seemed to disappear under his, but it was softer than Eva expected.

"So, pleased to meet you," Boris said his German accent quite obvious behind his large smile. "I see why Lucas likes you," he said with a wink. "I'll try not to beat him too badly, for your sake," he chuckled and then put his arm around Lucas and practically dragged him toward the locker room.

We'll let the boys play," Lilly said with a knowing smile, and we can get to know each other, plus I know some of Lucas' secrets," she laughed.

Lilly wrapped her arm through Eva's and turned towards the seating overlooking a tennis court. It wasn't a large area for the indoor court, but there were some people milling about as though they were waiting for something to start. Most wore tennis outfits, but not everyone.

"Lucas is such a catch, I'm quite sure all the women at the club are jealous. I've known him quite some time, and he introduced me to Boris, actually," Lilly paused. "You don't really follow tennis, do you?" she said, sympathetically. "Boris played professionally back in the 90's, but that was a long time ago."

"I thought he looked a little familiar," Eva admitted, "but I wouldn't have been able to name him."

She gestured towards the milling groups. "He still draws a little crowd when people hear he's going to play," she noted. "Let's sit over here, where we have a little privacy," she said pulling Eva along.

"How did you meet Lucas," Eva asked.

"I was a model and actress, and his production company was involved in some of the projects I worked on," she replied. "He always tried to make sure people were treated properly. It's a hard business sometimes." she explained.

Then in a whisper she added, "I also worked on the side for him sometimes, in the lean times between jobs." Lilly gave Eva a knowing look, but Eva felt like she wasn't in on the secret.

Boris and Lucas walked onto the court and walked to opposite sides and began batting the ball back and forth, talking across the net while they warmed up. Lucas seemed to hit the ball nearly as well as Boris, and they rallied easily. When someone missed a shot another ball was started immediately and they rallied again. Eva must have looked a little out of sorts, everyone knew about his business except for her.

Lilly whispered again, "You don't really know all about his business yet either do you?"

"Well, I can't say that I do, but he has promised to show me some of his businesses and real estate holdings in the local area," Eva replied.

"He's a good man, and he's done much to improve the conditions and earnings for workers in the club districts," she said emotionally. "Don't judge too quickly when you learn about his enterprises. Promise me." she implored Eva earnestly, taking her hand and squeezing it between hers.

It appeared the game was about to start. Boris tossed the ball and blasted it down the center line, rocketing it past Lucas' lunging outstretched racquet. It hit the back wall curtain with a resounding thud.

"I see you thought you had to bring out the big guns right away," Lucas commented. Boris just grinned. He lined up and rocked a couple of times before tossing the ball and striking it, sending it careening off the side line and wide away from Lucas. Lucas lunged, looking almost like a ballet dancer in his seemingly effortless motion, and somehow caught it on his racquet directing it back on a sharp angle across the court. Boris lunged at it but it was out of his reach.

"And I see you are already taking advantage of the fact that I'm an old man and slow," Boris quipped.

The points continued, each getting the advantage and then losing the advantage, with a lively banter and generally jovial mood. But, it was also apparent that they were intensely competitive and engaged, nonetheless.

Boris would serve and knife to the net, putting the ball away quickly. Lucas was scrambling and keeping the ball alive, occasionally dropping the ball softly over the net where it would bounce several times before Boris could get to it. Eva had never seen tennis like this before, and she couldn't help but sit on the edge of her seat silently urging Lucas to victory.

"They work so hard chasing after that little ball, don't they," Lilly said. "I don't mind it. I think it keeps him young."

"I didn't even know Lucas played tennis," Eva remarked. "Maybe I don't really know him at all," escaped quietly from her mouth. Lilly looked at Eva empathetically.

"Tell me what you do know about him," she encouraged.

"Well, he grew up in a wealthy family household after his parents died," Eva started, trying to think how to say the next part without saying he was a gigolo, "... and learned how to behave and how to cater to high society women. He has some business dealing with my uncle. He knew my aunt at one time, and she taught him to dance. He's kind, attentive, great in bed..." Eva couldn't believe she had just said that especially to someone she just met, but Lilly seemed so understanding and in tune with her feelings, "and I melt when he looks into my eyes."

"Maybe you know about the most important things that someone needs to know about another person," Lilly offered. "He adores you, I promise you that, and you won't find a man of better character anywhere." Then she added with a whisper, "and it doesn't hurt that he knows what he's doing in bed, now does it."

Good lord, Eva thought to herself, she's slept with him, too. Now her mind was going around in circles. Eva didn't know anything about him, he's slept with half the women in Europe, he might be involved in the German sex industry, he can dance, and play tennis, and.... Eva's mind drifted to their love making session the previous night... and fuck her like no one else. Crap, the whole thing was crazy.

Eva was suddenly lost in the swirling confusion in her mind, retracing every moment that she'd been with him, How she first met him, the dance, the photo session, and then being penetrated by a man for the first time by him in front of the camera and Big Daddy. She thought about how she spent the rest of the week with him, and then the emails and texts over that past few months.

And now, there was this trip. It all seemed surreal. Maybe Eva was just being used, or this was part of Aunt Mable's game. Every sort of notion popped into Eva's head. The whole thing was crazy. Lilly said Lucas adored her, and his friends already knew about her. Maybe he was being genuine. Eva didn't know what to think....

"Six all." Boris announced, as he readied to serve. It seemed to snap Eva out of her day dream.

"Lucas is doing well. They'll have to play a tiebreak for the set. I don't think he's ever taken a set off of Boris before," Lilly noted.

Eva decided to pay attention to the game. Boris boomed a serve that skidded off the line and caught Lucas in the chest as he was unable to get out of the way, while trying to get the racquet on it.

"Wow," that had some heat," Lucas congratulated. He grabbed the ball and bounced it a few times before tossing to hit his serve. The ball arced wide to the right side of the service box and bounced away from Boris, leaving him flailing at the air.

Lucas served again, and Boris got the ball back into play. The two rallied, neither seemed willing to take too much risk in attacking the opponent. The ball arced back and forth, interrupted by the popping sound of their racquet strings striking the ball. Slowly, the intensity built, as one or the other used a measured attack which caused the other to scramble to get the ball back, but once again neutralize the point in the continued rally.

After 20 shots they were both now going for broke on each shot, trying to get the ball past the other. Suddenly, Boris's ball hit the net tape, causing it to pop up and land just on the other side of the net. Lucas sprinted forward, stretching and sliding to get his racquet under the ball just before it hit a second time. The ball angled sharply across the net, passing over the center and landing less than a foot from the net on Boris' side.

Boris clapped his approval. It seemed to be the deciding point, though Lucas still had to get to seven. Play continued with neither seemingly giving in, but eventually, Lucas took the set. They came to the net and shook hands, and then Boris put his arm around his shoulder as they went to the side of the court. As Lucas put his racquet back into his bag he looked up at Eva and smiled, blowing her a kiss from his hand.

"Lucas will be in a good mood this evening," Lilly observed. "I will have to console Boris, but luckily, I know what brings him around," she smiled.

A little clatter of applause rose from the small crowd as they left the court.

"Lucas sure is full of surprises," Eva said out loud, just referencing things in general.

"Well, you wouldn't want life to be boring, now would you?" Lilly remarked.

"I guess your right. I've certainly surprised myself lately on several occasions," Eva said offhandedly.

"Do tell," Lilly encouraged. Eva was suddenly embarrassed, having been thinking about her sexual forays. Eva could see Lilly seemed genuinely interested, and somehow Eva had felt comfortable with her from the moment she met her. However, Lilly sensed her trepidation.

"You don't have to share anything that you don't want to, but I promise, whatever it is, I've probably been there," Lilly said in a comforting tone.

"Lucas was my first, during a photo shoot of all things," Eva confessed.

"That's fantastic," Lilly said, her eyes lighting up. "I wish my first had been something, and with someone, that I wanted to remember," she said, bemoaning her past momentarily. "It must have been exciting."

We spent a week together, it was amazing," Eva continued, "But then he had to come back to Europe."

"That must have been hard," Lilly commiserated. Eva gave a slight nod looking down.

"I feel like all I think about now is sex. Is that normal?" Eva asked.

"Perfectly," Lilly reassured her. "Heck, once it happened, I probably slept with a dozen guys that first year," she admitted, and then leaned in closer to whisper. "And I've tried about everything in the book at one time or another. Threesomes, gang bangs... I've worked as an escort... and even enjoyed it," she said, a smile coming across her face. "I hope you won't think less of me," Lilly implored.

"Not after the things I've done in the last two months," Eva replied.

"Oh, here come the guys," Lilly said, glancing up. "I understand that you are going out with us tonight, we'll be able to continue this later," she smiled. Eva couldn't have been happier to know that she would get to spend some more time with Lilly.

Lilly gave Boris a big hug, and Eva could have sworn she whispered something about sex into his ear. Eva hugged Lucas and gave him a big kiss, congratulating him on his triumph.

"It was only a set, he could have come back if we were playing a match and finished me off," Lucas said, downplaying his success.

"Well, you were wonderful. I didn't even know you could play," Eva said with admiration.

"I saw Lilly over here talking your ear off. She didn't give away too many of my secrets, I hope," Lucas said, giving Lilly a glaring look.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Eva teased. "Us girls have to stick together."

"I see how it's going to be," Lucas said. "Okay, let's get some grub, I'm hungry."

They drove back to the hotel, and then started the short walk to the bar district. On the way, they passed a store with a big sign out front with neon lights that said 'Sex Shop'.

"Let's go in," Lucas suggested.

"Okay," Eva said, a little hesitant. "I've never been in a store like this before," she said.

"But you have a couple toys, don't you," he asked.

"Well, yes, but Aunt Margo and, I assume, Aunt Mable got them for me," Eva replied.

"Oh, so you don't enjoy them? Look, no one here is going to recognize you," he reassured her.

They stepped inside and there were several sections in the store, and a winding staircase that led upwards. There were DVDs in one area, broken into genres it appeared, as Eva browsed past. The covers were quite graphic. Not all of them looked inviting, but there were definitely some sexy poses.

"Do you like porn movies," Lucas asked.

"I have watched some things online, but I didn't know they came in all these variations," Eva admitted. Then there was a whole section of dildos and other gadgets, most Eva had no idea what they were for.

"Wow, do people actually use all these things," Eva asked.

"They do," he said picking up a remote control butterfly vibrator. "Take this one for instance. You put this in under your panties right against your clit, and this little ball shaped item slips inside you, and then someone else controls when the vibrator kicks on. Great fun," he laughed. "Can I buy you one?"

"I don't know, I already get pretty excited at your control," Eva teased back.

Then there was a whole assortment of whips and chains and the like.

"Oh, my Aunt Mable would like these," Eva remarked.

"I'll bet she would," he agreed. They went up the stairs and there were all types of lingerie and sexy outfits. The third floor had signs indicating video booths and peep shows were available.

"I told you I would show you one of my businesses," Lucas said.

"This is yours?" Eva exclaimed a little shocked.

"Actually, I have 20 of them around Europe," he said.

"Okay, so you're a sex shop entrepreneur?" Eva said, not sure what to think.

"Well, actually, that's just a small division in the organization," he replied."We also produce some of the movies that we sell." Now Eva was putting it together. Lilly was a model and an actress.

"So you know Lilly from porn movies?" Eva exclaimed.

"Well, she started as a lingerie model, actually," he said.

"Like me?" Eva blurted. Eva had been used as a lingerie model by Big Daddy. She knew that he had sold some with her approval.

"Am I in your catalogs?" Eva questioned.

"Well, yes, actually," he replied.

"So you're just using me for business?" Eva was perturbed now.

"No," he implored. Eva could see the color run from his face, and he suddenly looked ill. "It's not like that at all. I bought some shots before I knew you. I mean, I knew who you were, but I didn't know you. I was so intrigued, I asked Big Daddy if I could meet you, but not for business, but because I wanted to meet you."

"So you see a picture of a woman, and you just go make you hers until you're done with her?" Eva asked. "Because you can."

Maybe this whole thing was just a ploy to suck her in and get her into his movies, Eva thought. Eva didn't even really know why she was suddenly angry. After all, she was the one who had gotten herself into all this. But, it seemed all too convenient that everyone in her family was involved, and he was close to her Aunt as well. The whole thing just somehow didn't seem right.

"I just... it seems so... I felt like.... everything was real between us," Eva was practically crying.

"Everything is real between us. I've never met anyone like you, that I've felt I could talk to and share things with," Lucas said, trying to lift her chin to look at him.

"But, you couldn't share all this with me," Eva countered.

"That's why I brought you here, to Germany. I wanted to show you everything, and I will. But there's a lot to share, and I can't do it all in one day," he said.

"Everyone I meet keeps telling me to trust you, but maybe they all just work for you, too," Eva blubbered.

"Look at me," he said. "There is not a single thing in my life that I want to keep from you. If I had wanted to hide something from you, I certainly never would have told you the story about Mable," he said. "I started with that, because I thought you needed to know, and because it affected me, who I am, and who I want to be," Lucas explained. "You'll think I'm crazy, but in my mind, I already believe that we'll be married some day, and all of this will be ours. I want nothing more than for you to be my partner in everything."

"And I thought I was crazy," Eva's crying now turning to nervous laughter. "I think you've lost your mind more than I have. I'm still trying to be realistic. I mean, I haven't even finished college yet, and we've only really known each other a few months."

"Sometimes you just know," he said as he pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her.

Eva did feel good when he held her. The two of them stood there for a long time, just holding one another. One of the workers walked by.

"Hey, Herr H. Es tut mir leid (I'm sorry). I didn't know you were here. Do you need anything?"

"Nein, Gerhard, Danke," Lucas replied. He passed on by and disappeared into the back.

"I'll show you another place after dinner." he offered.

"Okay," Eva said. He kissed her, and Eva's lips lingered on his. Why did she feel even closer to him now than ever before? Eva's heart was oddly heavy but sincerely happy at the same time. She wanted to make love to him right then. He slowly turned and Eva grabbed his hand to follow him back onto the street.