Manhattan Passion

Riley walked over to her mother impatiently. "Mom, you're going to miss your flight." She started crossing her arms and tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. "For the third time, this club would be a good, already established business, to add into our hotels, it'll be better than adding an unknown one and these clubs are some of the most well-known in the country. You're going to make the club owner think we are flakey and he's going to back out."

"Riley what do you want me to do? They pushed my deadline up, I have to stay focused right now, Jerrod will understand." Erin James returned, still staring intently at her laptop screen. "I can't just send Sam, he and Mandy are on that trip for your father already."

"Then I'll go. I'm part of the family too. I know everything I need to know about our hotels and these clubs that is necessary, and they are going to bring in accountants anyway. Plus Sam and I did most of the work on the blueprints." Riley contested.

"Ok, Ry, I will allow you to do this, but you do need to spend some time in that club, it's called the Myer's High Club. It's in L.A. that way you can check it out and see if they might have faked any of the paperwork on it." Her mother gave in.

Riley hid a smile. "Mom, that's not part of the business deal." She hid her excitement about her mother finally allowing her to go on a business deal. "I'm just supposed to go look at the statistics and see if it's a good fit, not party like a sorority girl."

"What better statistics than personal experience, my love?" Her mother returned. "I know you are gorgeous, but you will have your bodyguard with you, and the club has excessive amounts of those anyway, you'll be fine. I'll text Ronnie and have him get packed for you."

"And what is your beloved Gerard going to think about this?" She didn't even try to hide her disgust when she said his name.

"Sam told you then?" Erin questioned. "Look Gerard is my best friend's son, The Moretti's are well off, I thought you two would be a perfect fit. Plus you two dated in college for two years."

"Mother!" Tears started streaming down her eyes. "I thought our happiness is more important than money to you. I'm not marrying him."

"Riley, do you want to do this or not?" Her mother was obviously tired of the conversation.

"Yes, mother, I can fly out to L.A. But I will not, ever marry that creep." She returned, her anger seething through her words.

"Enough Riley!" Erin yelled. "You are going to miss your flight."

Riley ran out of her mother's office, brushing the tears off her cheeks as she ran to her penthouse. She started packing her bags quickly her phone started buzzing, she put it on speaker. "Sam is this why you are with him all the time lately?" her frustration apparent in her voice.

"First off, Hi sis, we haven't talked in forever, I miss you, and no, I don't think you should marry Gerard, I don't like him, I don't trust him, and I have been hounding dad to cancel those plans with the Moretti's. Ry, what's going on?" Sam returned in his usual soft, protective voice he always had when they were talking.

"I offered to go to L.A. for mom, she wants me to spend some time in the nightclub, and I brought up Gerard, it didn't end well. My flight leaves soon so I just have to hurry and pack my bags." Riley answered honestly. She had always been really close to her brother so it was easy to talk to him about anything.

"Well, I called because I finished up the contracts early, I will be headed back the day after tomorrow. How about I book a flight with a layover in L.A. we can get brunch or something like that." Sam returned.

"Sam I would appreciate that. We never get to see each other anymore. Dad's always got you working." Riley stated.

"The clubbing thing might not be so bad Riley, you can go have fun, and I assume mom will be sending Ronnie with you, plus nightclubs have a ton of bodyguards. Check out the scenery, enjoy yourself, you deserve it and you'll have nothing to worry about, unless you find someone interesting."

She giggled. "Sam you know, I'm not that type of girl."

"But what would be wrong with being that type of girl, for one night. You need some fun, you're always so serious and consumed in paperwork that mom still double checks after you've finished, lighten up a little sis." Sam's words stung a little but she knew he was right.

"Thanks, Sam. I got to go, bye." She hung up, trying to ignore the fact that her brother basically just called her a stick in the mud. She finished packing and headed for the airport.

The first class seats were nothing out of the ordinary for her, or her bodyguard, but she had never been on a business trip before. She was anxious, giddy and frustrated at the same time. The only time she ever got to leave the hotels was when they all went together, or Sam snuck her out. Now she was finally on her own, minus the body guard. She slept most of the plane ride and the second she got off the plane Ronnie had her carry-on bags in his hand leading her to where they pick up the other luggage.

As usual her mother had a driver waiting to pick them up and drive them to the Manhattan that was located there in L.A. staring out the window, she was almost wishing she wasn't the rich heiress to a pristine hotel line.

"Is everything alright back their Miss James?" Her bodyguard asked.

"Yes Ronnie, I am fine, just waking up, probably need some coffee." She lied. She trusted Ronnie with her life, he had been her bodyguard since she was ten years old, but she hated always being followed.

"Well, Miss James, your mother booked me the room across the hall from yours, so if you need me at all."

"I know, Ronnie, thank you, I appreciate it." She returned. "You're still sworn to secrecy right?"

"Yes ma'am, as long as it does not hurt you I have no obligation to tell anyone anything." Ronnie returned.

"Well sometimes, I just wish I wasn't me anymore, I need a break, not from work, but from life. I don't want to be 'The princess of Manhattan' anymore." Riley opened up for possibly the hundredth time to her bodyguard.

"I'm sorry Miss James, but we have arrived at the hotel." Ronnie said getting out of the car and opening the back door for her. He carried her bags up to the room in silence.

He always got quiet when Riley said something that made him feel bad so it really wasn't a surprise that he did it now. However instead of just dropping the bags at the door of the suite he just walked in. "We are sworn to secrecy right Riley?" He questioned as the door shut.

"Yes Ronnie, since I was sixteen." She could see the sympathetic look in his eyes.

"I will stay behind tonight, but you have to promise me that you will keep your phone on all night so that I can track it, and the second I see you going anywhere besides the club and here I am coming to find you." He suggested.

"Really, Ronnie, you'd really do that for me?" Her eyes were watering she was so touched by his kind gesture.

"I will text the driver and tell him we are just going to take a cab at around six, and you just have to bring a cab back." Ronnie stated.

"But if mom and dad find out you'll be fired." She stated.

"I know, so just be careful, I know how safe nightclubs are." Ronnie started. "Just call or text the second that things go bad."

"I promise Ronnie." She stated with a wide smile. "Thank you."

He left the room with no other words said. She wondered if he knew how much this meant to her, she had never been without a bodyguard, all of her life, even through school, she had one with her unless she was in the hotel her parents owned. She started unpacking and getting ready for the night.

As she dressed for the club she couldn't help but wish she had Sam or Mandy with her. She put on a purple halter top, pair of tight, light colored skinny jeans, black cowboy hat, and grey and purple cowboy boots. The boots, Sam had gotten her for Christmas one year, the halter top Mandy picked out when they went shopping together, and the cowboy hat, her mother always hated because it covered her face. If she was getting one night to be whoever she wanted she was going to do just that. Taking another quick look in the mirror she felt pleased with herself, then all of a sudden she got really nervous. She dialed Sam's number, hoping to get some courage from him.

"Sam I don't know if I can do this." She stated, her nervous tone overcoming her usual calm demeanor. "I've always had you or Mandy with me when I go out."

"Sis, you know that Mandy is with me, for reasons she doesn't know yet. You'll have plenty of fun without us." Sam started.

"I don't know Sam, my cleavage is showing, my ass looks huge in these pants."

She was interrupted by Mandy's voice then. "Ry, you look hot, Tonight is a chance for you to go have some fun, be your own woman." Mandy's was a happily welcomed opinion on this matter.

"Mandy, I need a wing woman." Riley pouted into the phone.

"Ry, you don't need a wing woman, you need extra body guards because you are smoking hot." Mandy didn't skip a beat as she said it. "Love you, have fun." Just like that the call was ended.

She took a deep breath, hoping to calm her nerves a little bit more. She called a cab, just like Ronnie requested, and sent him a text that she was heading out. It was a short ride to club, and she was pleasantly surprised when she got there.

It was smaller than she imagined, in her opinion the perfect size for a night club. She loved the interior, modern with a little bit of western accents. She had a few drinks before going out onto the dancefloor by herself.

Just as she was starting to get annoyed with all the men that were trying hit on her the club doors swung open with a slight breeze that drew her attention over to him.

He was tall, dressed in some dark blue jeans and a navy button up shirt. His hair was slicked back, somewhere between spiked up and laid back, with a little bit of curl to it. He had a neatly trimmed beard and moustache. His hair was between blond and brown, as their eyes met, she was practically lost in the hypnotizing hazel green stare, she had to tear her gaze off of him forcefully. Her heart was racing, thundering so loudly she thought it might be louder than the music that was playing.

She tried to ignore it all, but she couldn't help but wonder how she could manage to come up with a reason to go talk to that stunningly attractive man. She continued dancing, wondering if she should buy him a drink or if that looked desperate.

She had just barely decided to just go back to the hotel for the night when the waitress stopped her. "That man over there." The waitress started, pointing at the jaw-dropping man that had caught her eye when he walked in. "He said you're on fire and should simmer down." She said handing her a rum and coke first, then a bottle of water. She chugged the rum and coke before thanking the waitress and putting the glass back on her tray. She needed liquid courage to go over and talk to him. Taking a deep breath she walked over.