Tethered (9 page)

“Are you excited
? Have you ever been here before?” Kurt asked.

“No I haven’t, but I’ve always wanted to go!” I said with a smile.

“Well then, your dream is soon to become a reality,” Kurt replied with a smile as he grabbed my hand and held it lightly.

•••

Kurt and I arrived at a private airport, as a private jet waited on the tarmac for us. I had never traveled like this before, and the thought of not having to sit next to a crying and snot-filled kid made me almost relax on the inside. The driver pulled up near the jet, and he quickly got out and opened the doors for us. I had wondered why he didn’t do it at my place, but figured Kurt just wanted to be a gentleman and escort me out himself. After all, it was almost as if he needed to impress me over the weekend so I wouldn’t stray away from him again.

“Good morning
, Mr. Simmons and guest. I’m your in flight attendant, Maria, and I’ll be available for anything you need. The plane is waiting, and if you’d like to go up and get seated, we will soon be ready for takeoff,” Maria, said with a smile as we approached.

“Ready?” Kurt asked as he looked at me.

“Mmhm,” I replied as I nodded like a shy little girl talking to her father.

Kurt and I walked up the stairs, him having to bend over as we went through the door, and I was exposed to a clean, bright, and tan leather interior that was accented with shiny and expensive looking wood
. This was the definition of luxury, and I felt as though I was sitting inside a set from one of those money magazines. Was this how Kurt really lived? Private jets, concierge, car services, and vacations on a whim? It sounded exciting, but also made me scared that he wasn’t in touch with reality, as if he was surrounding himself in this bubble where he could get anything he desired in a moment’s notice.

“We will be taking off soon
. Please buckle yourselves in and once we reach altitude I will bring you your drinks,” Maria said with a smile as the doors were shut from the outside.

•••

“Welcome to The Yargo House. I’m your concierge, Sergei, and I will be here to take care of any needs you may have. We are very happy to have you, and Herman here will escort you to your room. Please don’t hesitate to contact us any time day or night if you have any problems,” Sergei, a tall and slender man said as he handed us our keys.

Kurt had booked a room at a fancy place, not a chain hotel like I was used to s
taying at when I actually did travel, and it was beautiful. Marble floors, hanging chandeliers, and modern sculptures that screamed wealth. I saw a few guests wandering about, and they were all dripping quarters instead of sweat.

We walked to our room, where Herman opened the door and let us in first before following with our bags
. The room, The Presidential Suite, was huge to say the least. The fixtures were close to the same as in the lobby, and I was sure this marble floor cost more than my parents’ house. There was a large balcony, and it overlooked an expansive vineyard that I could see off in the distance. I walked up to the balcony door, leaving Kurt with the bellboy, and looked off for miles as I was filled with awe. Maybe this trip wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Even if Kurt did slip up a little bit, I might be able to look the other way and forgive him.

“Thank you for the generous tip, sir
. If you need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are available at your convenience any time,” Herman said before bowing out of the room and shutting the door behind him.

“So, how do you like it
? A friend recommended this place to me, so I thought I would give it a try,” Kurt said as he walked over to me.

“It’s amazing
, Kurt. Seriously, I’ve never even come close to staying in a place like this,” I said.

“It’s just a taste of what this weekend has to offer
. I truly do appreciate you coming, and do want to show you a good time. I have a lot of things planned, but I thought we could take a break for a little bit and get our bearings together. Maybe we could go and take a walk or something?” he asked.

“That sounds lovely,” I said with a smile before we both turned around and walked out the gigantic front door.

We walked outside onto the grounds, the perfectly manicured hedges and sculptures guarding the walkways, as our feet pressed down upon the round and gray rock pellets.

“I’ve never been this far north,” I said.

“Really? Never? I like to come up here every now and again to just get away. My life is so stressful and hectic, and going up north or to the country just lets me unwind and get back to my normal side. My agent and managers don’t like me to take big breaks, but I think I would go crazy without them,” Kurt said, his guard starting to slightly come down.

“Why don’t they like it?” I asked, probing him further.

“They think it affects my career or something like that. I think they just want to work me to the bone so they can make more money. That’s all anybody is ever after, and as much as I like them as men, they are leeches who only make money when I make money. If I don’t do any movies or commercial work for a while, they don’t get paid, except for past royalties, which never amounts to a ton of money,” Kurt said, his tone changing as it seemed like he was releasing pent up stress.

“Why don’t you get rid of them then?” I asked
naïvely.

“I can’t do that
. They get me jobs, and have been with me since I first started. I just have to suck it up and deal with it until I’m ready to fully retire, which I sometimes hope will come sooner rather than later. I don’t mind acting, but I just want to be left alone sometimes. All anybody ever wants is my money or fame, and without me working, they can’t get either,” he said as we went around a bend that overlooked one of the vineyards.

“Well, for what
it’s worth, and I know it’s not worth much, I don’t want those things from you. I like spending time with you and getting to know you. I wasn’t sure of you at first, but you’re really making me realize that maybe being famous isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. I know it won’t mean much, but I like you for who you are,” I said as I glanced up at him and grabbed his hand tightly in mine.

“It means more to me than you’ll ever know,” he said with a relieved smile.

Chapter Nine

The night with Kurt was nice. He didn’t try and make any moves, which took me by sheer surprise. The man I had almost come to know as a sex fiend was being courteous, respectful, and just overall nice. I was almost waiting, as if to see if he would try to smack my ass or rub himself against me, but he didn’t. We went through the night with just cuddling and a few short and sweet kisses exchanged.

Evening arrived
, and since it was Friday night and our first full day here, I wondered what Kurt would want to do. I knew Napa Valley wasn’t as crazy and bumping as back home, but surely there must be
something
to do. Let’s just hope that didn’t consist of playing checkers near a fire or something.

“Are you ready for dinner?” Kurt asked as I finished getting dressed in the other room.

“Yes, I’m starving.” I walked out of the room, my black dress hugging my figure as my bold silver necklace draped across my chest, as if I were trying to exude luxury so I would fit in here.

“Wow
, Chloe, you look…amazing,” Kurt said, as he was clearly awestruck.

“Oh stop,” I said as I sat down and slipped my heels on.

“Seriously, Chloe, you look very beautiful.” He extended his hand to help me up.

I gra
sped his hand, my body quickly being pulled to my feet, as I smiled and grabbed my jacket, which was laying on the cushion next to me.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Let’s go,” I replied.

•••

Kurt had rented an exotic car, and it was sitting underneath a large covered pavilion in front of the hotel. It was red, flashy, and the idling engine made my body vibrate from outside. Even though this whole retreat had been low key, I knew this was one thing that Kurt couldn’t help himself with. He was a boy, and he loved his toys more than anything.

“M’lady,” he said with a smile as he opened the door for me, which ascended upward instead of opening out.

“Thank you, sir,” I replied as I sat down, carefully pushing my dress into my legs so nothing underneath would be visible to anybody.

Kurt shut the door and went over to the other side, sliding in, and strapping himself into the seat before he rubbed the steering wheel with a smile on his face
. I almost asked if he’d like me to leave the car so he can make love to it, but I let him have his moment instead.

We drove for ten minutes before arriving at the
busy restaurant. Friday night in Napa Valley actually was pretty bumping, if old women in fifty thousand dollars’ worth of jewelry meant party.

A valet attendant, a shorter college
-aged guy in a red vest, took the car from us and handed Kurt a ticket. Kurt fixed his coat, looked around the entrance, as if scouting for paparazzi  to take his picture, and then shrugged with a smile as he realized he was safe. I wrapped my arm around his, and we walked inside, as the doorman held open the front door for us and greeted us with a happy hello.

The restaurant, even though busy, surprisingly wasn’t that loud
. There was some noise, and you could tell the place was busy and packed, but it wasn’t like going to some chain restaurant with screaming toddlers and old, drunk, laughing men.

“Hello
, Mr. Simmons, it is an honor to have you here in our establishment,” a man, who looked like some kind of higher up manager, said to Kurt with a smile, as if he had been standing there waiting for us to show up.

“Thank you so much for having us
. My friend, Chloe, and I are very excited to try the food. We have heard nothing but great things from all of our friends,” Kurt replied.

I smiled, not because I was excited to be eating food from a five
-star restaurant, but because Kurt included me. He said
our
friends, not his friends. I knew he likely wasn’t thinking much about it, but him including me made me actually feel important and that I was a part of this. I wasn’t just some girl he brought on vacation, but rather a valued and important person to him.

“Thank you for your kind words
. If you’d follow me, we saved the best table in the house for you. It overlooks some of the best scenery in Napa,” the man said with a smile as he grabbed two menus.

I had a feeling it wasn’t his job, or close to it, to seat guests and take care of them, but I quickly understood why he cared so much
. Kurt was a big player—a star. One good meal here for him meant he could tell his friends, family, and maybe even drop the name of the restaurant in some magazine or interview. That kind of business was almost impossible to buy with advertising, and his good mark could mean cash money. Kurt has the Midas touch, and I should know.

As we got to our table, which was a little more secluded from the other tables, Kurt pulled out my seat and pushed me in as I sat down
. No man, other than Jimmy Hughes at an etiquette class when I was nine, had ever pulled out my seat for me.

“Your wait
ress will be Kim, and she will be with you very shortly. Please feel free to look over the menu and dessert is on the house,” the man said happily as he clapped his hands together in excitement before walking away.

I opened up the menu, a brown leather bound journal, and I
was being conservative with the word journal, and scanned over everything they had. Prices weren’t included, instead just the name of the dish and the main ingredients used, and things were spaced very far apart as the bright white stock paper felt beautiful against my fingers.

“What looks good?” Kurt asked as he flipped through his
menu.

“I’m really not sure, there’s so much to pick from,” I said, with
a flustered tone in my voice.

“Do you like fish?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah, fish is pretty good. We have a lot back home,” I said.

“Then we will both get the seasoned salmon with a roasted vegetable and truffle salad,” Kurt said, taking charge of the situation.

“Okay,” I said with a smile as I set down my menu.

I usually liked to order for myself, for I was sort of a picky eater, but having Kurt take charge and tell me we were both getting it kind of turned me on
. Something about a strong man taking charge and being dominant made my stomach tingle a little inside.

“Hello and welcome
. My name is Kim, and I’ll be your waitress for this evening. I hope you have had a few moments to look over the menu. May I start you off with something to drink? Maybe a cocktail or something from our vast wine collection?”

“I think we’re just going to stick with water for tonight,” Kurt said, surprising me, as I was sure he was going to choose some expensive wine or cocktail.

“Of course, that’s not a problem. I’ll be back shortly to take your order,” Kim said with a smile before walking off.

I had friends who were waiters and always got pissed when people didn’t get drinks to up their bill price
. After all, a higher bill meant a higher tip, which is where they made all of their money. I thought Kim might be a little mad, but she likely realized that Kurt was famous and rich, and we could order bread and water and she would still make more than enough.

Kim came back shortly with our water, and took our orders, which Kurt had memorized and spoke perfectly, even pronouncing the funny ingredient names with ease
. Kim seemed happy with the choice, saying the salmon was one of the best items on the menu, and said it would be out shortly. Kurt said there was no rush, and then looked at me with a smile, as if hinting to Kim that he wanted a good amount of time here with me.

•••

“That was so good,” I said as I took my last bite of chocolate velvet mousse cake.

“Indeed it was
. I’m almost going to say it was better than sex,” Kurt said.

“Definitely not,” I said flirt
ing fully.

Kurt gave out a nervous laugh, as if
he realized what he said and tried to avoid that subject altogether. He hadn’t made a move on me yet, and I didn’t think he wanted to be reminded of sex.

Kurt paid the bill, generously leaving Kim a one hundred percent tip
. He took a sip of water, looked at me, and swallowed his water before asking me if I was ready. I was, and took one last sip of mine before standing up and started to put my jacket on, which Kurt quickly helped me with.

We walked to the front door, my arm around his just like when we came in, with all eyes in the restaurant staring at us and smiling, as if they were all starstruck
. The manager wasn’t anywhere to be found, but the maître d' wished us well and thanked us profusely for our visit tonight. Kurt waved, and we walked outside, where he gave the little slip of valet paper back to the same guy who had parked our car for us earlier.

“So, what now
? Back to the hotel?” I asked.

“You think I would end the evening this fast?” Kurt asked with a smile.

“What are we going to do?” I asked in excitement.

“Now if I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise
. We aren’t too far away, so just be patient, my dear,” he said before the car was brought back around.

Kurt gave the kid fifty dollars and helped me into my seat once again like a true gentleman
. He jogged around to his side and quickly got inside and strapped himself in before we took off out of the parking lot and onto the main street. I looked all around, trying to see any clue of where we were going. It was hard to see, for it was dark, and everything we passed that I thought could be our destination wasn’t.

“Here we are,” Kurt said as he
signaled to turn and pulled into a paved lot with a horse and carriage sitting out front.

“We’re going on a carriage ride?” I asked as I stared at the horse,
which looked absolutely beautiful with its shiny coat.

“I hope that’s okay,” Kurt said as he
shut off the car.

“I love horses,” I said as I turned to him and smiled.

Kurt and I got out of the car and approached a man in a top hat and horse attire, who greeted us with a hearty smile before we got into the back of the carriage, where a large black blanket was neatly folded and ready for our use.

“If you two kids are ready, we will depart now,” the older man said.

“Sounds great,” Kurt said happily.

The man grabbed the reigns, flicked them as he made a clicking noise with his mouth, and away we went
. We trotted down the side of the road, slowly making our way as we saw all of the businesses and houses in the area. We traveled onto a walking and bike path on the side of the road, which was empty due to it being Friday and the middle of the evening. Kurt put his arm around me and opened up the blanket as a breeze blew through and hit us both, giving us the chills. I got under the blanket, and scooted in closer to Kurt, whose body was far warmer than mine.

“This is so beautiful,” I said as I looked at all of the twinkling lights.

“Isn’t it?” Kurt replied.

As each minute passed I felt as though I was getting closer to Kurt
. He was calm, collected, and caring, which is all that I wanted. He held me closely in his arms as the trotting horse pulled us around, and I couldn’t imagine being here with anybody else in this moment. His arms made me feel protected, as if nothing could harm me. I was safe, and I knew he would make sure not even a speck of dust from the road would hit me. He was being somebody that I didn’t know, but desperately wanted to meet. Somebody who wasn’t some hotshot actor, but just a normal guy who didn’t seem immortal. He was human, and with his guard down, I knew I could finally be let in.

“Thank you for bringing me on this trip
. I’m having such a great time,” I said as I put my head against his shoulder.

“It’s my pleasure
, Chloe. You’re part of my life now, and I want to be able to do these types of things with you. I love just spending alone time with you,” he said.

I
was part of his life now? I mean, I knew I was obviously a part of it since he asked me here and all, but something about hearing him say it without being prompted or asked made me feel as though he really did see me as special. I wanted to see more of him. I wanted to know him.

“We are going to be heading back now
. I hope you kids have had a good time. My old girl here has been chugging for a long time ya know,” the man said.

“Well she’s a great horse
. We are having the time of our lives,” Kurt said, raising his voice, so the man could hear him.

He smiled and turned back around, guiding the horse
through a roundabout turn and back toward his building, where we were parked. Even though we were going back toward the same things we had already just seen, it all seemed new. The sky had gotten a little darker, and the lights seemed to get brighter, as some new ones were now on. We passed bars, restaurants, and shops that were all still open. A chocolate bar, Le Chocolate, was bustling as the smell of fresh cocoa soared through the crisp air. I would’ve said something, but after that insanely rich dessert at the restaurant, I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle more sweets. I was going to play it safe and make sure I didn’t make myself sick, especially in front of Kurt.