Blind Date With the Billionaire Read online

  Blind Date with the Billionaire (Billionaire BBW Erotic Romance)

  Cordelia Baxter

  Copyright 2012 Cordelia Baxter

  All Rights Reserved

  *****

  Monica Jordan was still single at 36. It's not that she never had opportunities, it's just that they never panned out. In all her years on the dating scene she never met one guy who could be "the one", or even pretended like they wanted to be "the one." She wasn't a stick figure with a skinny body and tight abs who had guys drooling after her. She was a little fuller than most of the girls she saw, with a little extra cushioning on her chest and ass, and her legs were thick and shapely. Though she liked playing sports, she wasn't an exercise fiend, and definitely didn't diet. She always heard that guys liked a little extra meat on their women, but had never met a guy like that in real life. In fact, all the guys she'd dated let her know, subtly and not so subtly, that they found her figure less than ideal.

  It always crushed her whenever she would chat with a guy online and hit it off only to meet in real life and see the disappointment in his eyes as he looked her up and down and realized she wasn't a size zero. She could see their shoulders slump as they released a sigh, as if bracing for a disaster. They would always rush the date hoping to get the night over with as soon as possible, making snide comments or acting annoyed whenever she suggested getting appetizers. Her attempts at conversation were brushed aside, and suggestions for drinks and dancing after dinner were shot down. After a while, it wore her down and she stopped going on dates altogether--that is until tonight.

  It was Monica's first date in over a year. She still wasn't sure how it happened, but she was excited and nervous about it, and felt the familiar butterflies flittering in her stomach. It all started two weeks ago; she was sitting home alone (again) on a Saturday night, watching a re-run of The Notebook on TV, and eating from a carton of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia. Her eyes watered as she watched Noah and Allie kissing on the screen, as she wondered why she couldn't find a guy like that. Getting up from the couch, she decided on a whim to check her online dating profile. As soon as she logged in, she got a message from Gabe345. He didn't have a picture on his profile, which made her kind of wary, but then she couldn’t complain. Her own picture was a slightly out of focus profile shot, that she thought hid her flaws. He got her attention with his opening line.

  Gabe345: Hi there fellow Sherlock fan.

  It was such a departure from the other guys who would message her with "Hey sweet cheeks", or "Wassup sexy," that she was intrigued. Not many guys would take the time to read her profile, and still fewer shared her interest and love of literature, especially Sherlock Holmes.

  Monjo: Hey there yourself.

  Gabe345: I saw your profile and noticed you were a Sherlock Holmes fan...and you watch The Jersey Shore. I knew I had to message you.

  Monjo: Lol, yeah I’m a girl of varied tastes. What can I say, it’s my guilty pleasure. Are you saying you share my love of trashy television and classic detective novels?

  Gabe345: I’ll only admit to the detective stories. I do have a reputation to uphold.

  Monjo: Mmm hmm, and I assume you didn’t happen to catch the season finale last week.

  Gabe345: My lips are sealed.

  Monjo: You can keep your secrets. I probably wouldn’t admit to watching it either in real life.

  Gabe345: Thank you. I've actually been trying to catch you online for the past week now, but you never seem to be logged in…sorry, did that just sound creepy?

  Monjo: Uh…kinda, but I'll let that pass ;)

  They chatted over instant messenger for hours that evening, discussing everything from their favorite books and movies, to more personal subjects like family and life goals. Monica learned that Gabe was in his early forties, and newly divorced. He was a businessman, but didn't delve too deeply into exactly what type of business he did. She told him about herself, her hobbies and interests, and about her boring job as a receptionist at the power company. The time seemed to fly by, her laughter echoed throughout her living room as he recounted an embarrassing incident in his childhood. It was with some surprise then, that she glanced at her clock and noticed it was already 4am.

  Monjo: Oh wow! I can't believe we've been chatting for 5 hours now.

  Gabe345: I didn't realize that either. Do you have to go to work in the morning?

  Monjo: Nope, it's Sunday. I really have nothing to do tomorrow, it's just I haven't been up this late since college…God I feel old.

  Gabe345: Hey if you're old, that makes me ancient.

  Monjo: Well Old Man, I don't know about you, but I need my beauty sleep.

  Gabe345: Ok…I had fun talking with you tonight…maybe we can chat again?

  Monjo: I'd like that.

  This started a routine of nightly chats that lasted into the early hours of the morning. Monica would rush home from work every evening, giddy with excitement. She'd scarf down her dinner and then plop down in front of her computer from 6pm to 2am every night. Every time she saw the messenger box pop up, her heart skipped a beat. She was having so much fun chatting with and getting to know Gabe. He never talked about himself much. He seemed much more interested in learning about her. Monica had never been showered with so much attention before, even if it was through cyberspace. Gabe was everything she wanted in a guy, and she didn't even know what he looked like. She just knew what type of person he was through his words.

  Gabe345: I've never had so much fun getting to know someone, Monica.

  Monjo: Aw thanks Gabe. Right back at cha.

  Gabe345: What do you think about meeting in person?

  Monica's heart skipped a beat. Gabe was everything she wanted in a guy: smart, funny, and kind. What frightened her was how he would react when he saw her. She didn't want to go through the disappointment again of having a guy she liked reject her because of how she looked.

  Monjo: Um…Are you sure you know what you're getting into?

  Gabe345: Why would you say that? I've wanted to meet you in person since the first night we chatted.

  Monjo: Well, I've never had great experiences with online dating. I don't want to disappoint you.

  Gabe345: You could never disappoint me. Besides, what if I disappoint you? I could be a short ogre with warts all over my body, you know.

  Monjo: Lol, somehow I doubt that very much! Even if you are, I don’t think I'd care.

  Gabe345: I'll hold you to that! You might regret your words.

  Monjo: Well, ogre, where should we meet? How will I pick you out from the crowd? Should I be looking for a short man with warts all over his face?

  Gabe345: Ha-ha maybe I exaggerated. How about you look for a nervous guy holding a red rose?

  Monjo: I think I can do that.

  Gabe345: What about you? How will I be able find you?

  Monjo: Hmm, I'll be the woman in a purple dress also holding a red rose.

  Gabe345: Great! Shall I pick you up or did you want to meet there?

  Monjo: I'd prefer to meet there. After all, you could be a deranged serial killer.

  Gabe345: That's true and you could be a psycho stalker. How about we meet at 7pm next Saturday?

  Monjo: That sounds good to me.

  Gabe345: Great! It's a date! I can't wait to see you.

  Gabe had picked out the most exclusive restaurant in the city to meet. It wasn't a place Monica normally went to since it was way out of her price range, but Gabe had raved about their food, so she was excited to try it. She was in her apartment getting ready for the night. Her whole body tingled with nervous anticipation. She had told him she would be wearing a purple dress--the nicest and most flattering dress she owned
. The deep eggplant color complimented her olive toned complexion. The cut of the dress narrowed at her waist, accentuating her ample chest and giving her an hourglass figure. The hem of her dress reached just above her knees showing off her shapely calves, which she paired with black high heels. She kept her dark brown shoulder length hair down in soft waves, but pinned the front strands back away from her face. Looking in the mirror, she let out a shaky breath. Well, I hope he likes what he sees, she said to herself.

  Monica walked into the dimly lit restaurant a bundle of nerves. She clutched the red rose in her hand as her eyes searched the bar of the restaurant, looking for Gabe. The only person she saw was a tall man standing with his back turned toward her. He had broad shoulders and a powerful, muscular build which his black suit jacket did little to hide. Immediately dismissing him as a possibility, her eyes scanned the bar again. She didn't see anyone holding a red rose, and immediately began to panic. What if he's stood me up? she thought. Oh God this is so embarrassing.

  Just as she was about to turn around and flee, the man at the bar turned around. He was the handsomest man she'd ever seen. He was tall, about 6 feet 3 and had dark wavy hair with a streak of grey at the front. As she noted earlier, he had a muscular build, with broad shoulders and a trim narrow waist. In his hands he held a single red rose. Monica had to catch her breath as she stood and stared at him. She couldn't believe that he was Gabe.

  He hadn't noticed her yet as his eyes searched the crowd. Monica was afraid of seeing that look in his eyes that she had seen so many times before. She was tempted to make a run for it when he finally caught sight of her. Monica sucked in a breath and braced herself for what she knew would happen.

  Far from the disappointment she expected, he actually looked happy to see her. He let out a wide grin that crinkled his eyes and quickly walked towards her.

  "Monica," he breathed once he reached her. "You look absolutely stunning."

  Monica blushed under his praise.

  "Thank you Gabe," she replied, "You look very handsome yourself."

  "Don't sound so surprised," he joked. "Were you expecting a troll?"

  "Well, you did warn me," she laughed.

  "You got me there," he said as he grabbed her hand and led her into the restaurant. They were seated at a private table by the large glass windows. The restaurant was on the penthouse level and overlooked the whole city. Monica looked out in awe as she saw the view.

  "This is amazing," she said, still gazing out the windows.

  "I'm glad you like it," Gabe replied.

  The waiter appeared then and took their drink orders. Gabe ordered a bottle fancy French wine that Monica had never heard of. She felt out of her depth and a little flustered.

  "Do you come here a lot?" she asked once the waiter had left.

  "Not often, and not lately," he replied. "I used to come here with my ex-wife."

  "Oh."

  "I'm sorry," Gabe said, "It's terribly rude to bring her up, isn't it? Especially when I'm on a date with a beautiful woman."

  "You don't have to say that," Monica replied shyly. "I don't mind really. Besides, I'd like to know more about you. I mean, I feel like I know you, but when I think back to our conversations, you never really said much about yourself."

  "Well what would you like to know? I'm an open book," he replied.

  "Really? I can ask you anything I want, and you'd answer it?" she asked.

  "Anything you want," he said with a smile.

  "Hmm, I better think hard about this," she replied, starting to relax. Talking to Gabe in person was just like online. She grew comfortable in his presence--or as comfortable as she could be. She still couldn’t believe this devastatingly handsome man was her date--the guy she'd been chatting with the past two weeks. The same guy who joked about accidently setting his kitchen on fire when he tried to make pasta.

  "You've been thinking a long time. I'm beginning to get nervous," he joked, breaking into her thoughts.

  "You don't have to be scared of me. I won't bite," she laughed.

  Gabe smiled at her and licked his lips. His eyes darkened as he said "I hope that's not a promise."

  Monica felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She couldn't believe she was flirting with him. It seemed so easy and effortless; the words were out of her mouth the moment she thought them. She had never felt so comfortable with a guy before. Maybe it was because he acted like he wanted to be there, or the way he looked at her as he licked his lips, but Monica felt desirable, something she rarely felt.

  "I expect your question to be groundbreaking since it's taking you such a long time to come up with one," Gabe added.

  "Patience, Grasshopper," Monica chided. "I've got more than one question."

  "Well, we've got all evening," he responded suggestively.

  Before Monica could respond, the waiter came back with their wine. She was thankful of that since it gave her time to compose herself. She took the glass and took a deep gulp, choking on the liquid. She spluttered and gasped for breath as her cheeks turned crimson again. Why do I always make a fool of myself? I'm blushing like a school girl, she berated herself.

  Gabe smiled at her, charmed by her flustering.

  "So what's your first question," Gabe asked kindly, trying to put her at ease.

  Monica wiped the corner of her mouth before speaking, grateful for his tact.

  "So what do you do for a living?" she finally asked, deciding to go with a safe question even though she was dying to find out more about his ex-wife.

  "I'm an investor," he answered simply.

  "What exactly do you invest in?" she asked, once it was clear he wasn't going to elaborate.

  "Oh businesses--start ups mostly," he replied. "I've had some success with internet and software start ups.

  "Is there any company you've invested in that I might have heard of," she asked.

  "Maybe," he responded. "Have you heard of YouHoot?"

  "Get out!" Monica uttered shocked. "Who hasn't heard of them?" YouHoot was the biggest social media site on the internet. In fact, Monica had an account there.

  "Well I was an early investor and own a 35% stake in the company."

  "Wow, I didn't know that," Monica replied, awed. Gabe smiled at her, flashing his pearly white teeth.

  "I'm pleased to hear it," he responded warmly.

  "Wait a minute, you're Gabe Stark," Monica declared, after a moment's thought.

  "So I am. I thought we had established that fact weeks ago," Gabe replied jokingly.

  "No I mean, the Gabe Stark. The billionaire investor. Oh my God," Monica rambled on. "I've heard of you. I mean, my company has. I mean, you're investing in that solar energy project, aren't you?"

  "Yes," he answered simply. Seeing she was shocked by the revelation, Gabe tried to change the conversation.

  "I'm don't want to be difficult," he started, "but I'd rather move onto another topic. I find that I really don't feel like talking business when I'm out with a beautiful woman."

  Monica was embarrassed by her momentary outburst and grateful to him for steering the conversation to other topics.

  "You sure do know how to lay it on thick," Monica laughed trying to make light of the situation and the startling revelation that her Gabe was a very rich man. "Tell me how a handsome, charming man like you ended up on an online dating site. I doubt you have much trouble finding dates."

  Gabe's smiled faltered a little as she spoke and Monica instantly regretted her words.

  "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to offend you," she began.

  He cut her off with a wave of his hand.

  "You don't need to apologize. The truth is, this is my first real date in over 6 months," he confessed. "Don't look so surprised," he continued when Monica raised her eyebrows at his admission. "After being married for 15 years, it's hard to meet women again--at least it's hard to meet decent women."

  "What do you consider 'decent'?" she asked, curious.

  "Hmm, someone like you," he replie
d after a second's thought.

  "Come on, be serious," Monica chided laughingly. "What do you consider your ideal woman?"

  "I am being serious," he answered. "But if you want me to go more in depth, I suppose I'm looking for someone who is honest and real. Most women only look at me and see my money and what I can give them financially. You're not like that. I mean, you didn't even know who I was until just a moment ago. I can’t tell you how relieved I am to finally meet someone who likes me for me."

  "That's kind of presumptuous of you, isn't it?" Monica teased. "How do you know I'm not another gold digger after your money?"

  Gabe gave her a bashful smile that crinkled his eyes, and Monica was lost.

  "Well, I hope you like me for me," he said. "I certainly like you for you."

  "But what about looks wise?" she asked, clearing her throat, trying to keep her composure.

  "I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to looks," he answered.

  "Oh really? So you weren't a little let down when you saw I was your date tonight?" Monica asked. "I mean a guy like you could get any girl he wants. I'm pretty sure I don't fit your ideal physically."

  Reaching out a hand he covered hers over the table and stroked it lightly. The contact sent chills up Monica's arm, and she drew back involuntarily, her breath hitching.

  "Look, Monica, I don't know why you think I'd be disappointed you were my date. In fact, I couldn't be happier you're with me tonight, and that's the truth. When I first saw you, I thought you were stunning, still do actually," he admitted.

  "I'm sorry. I feel like I'm being such a Debbie Downer," she said. "It's just that I've never had great experiences when it came to dating. You seem almost too good to be true. You're perfect."

  "Oh, I'm far from perfect," Gabe countered,” but I do know a good thing when I see it."

  Monica flushed with pleasure at the compliments Gabe showered on her. He knew exactly what to say to put her at ease, and she was thoroughly enjoying their date. As the night progressed, she found herself opening up to him like she had never done with anyone else. They talked like they had known each other for years, instead of just two weeks. They tried the food off of each other's plates, and her wine glass was never empty.