The red dress Chapter four

 The last chapter sees Lisa and her brother Scott being driven to a nightclub in Douglas by Nick, a multimillionaire they had met at the hotel in the Isle of Man, where they went on holiday with their parents every year. Nick is determined to sweep Lisa off her feet because he had secretly watched her change from a gangly teenager into a beautiful woman over the last three years and he had fallen in love with her.
 
 
 
Scott began to feel like a spare part the minute he got into Nick's car. Designated to the tiny back seat of Nick’s Lamborghini, it was obvious that his earlier conversation with Scott in the bar that day had only been a prerequisite to chatting up his sister. By the time they got to the nightclub, he was beginning to wonder if they actually remembered he was with them at all. Not that he minded so much. He was getting a little bit long in the tooth for the family holiday thing, and the idea of being on the loose in a night-club full of local talent was not such a bad consolation prize.
 
     As expected, Lisa was enjoying every moment. The only nightclub she had been to before was on the cruise ship, and the club Nick took them to made that look like an outdated ballroom by comparison.
 
     From the moment they walked through the door, Nick was greeted by everyone he met. It was either with a wave or a simple “how you doing Nick,” and Lisa had her first experience of being with a man who was obviously popular and well known. Each and every time it happened, Nick would make a point of introducing Lisa in such a way that it almost dictated that the friendship and respect he was being shown must be extended to the woman by his side.
 
     Within an hour of arriving, Lisa had been bought several drinks which, mixed with the electric atmosphere of the club and the vibrant music, made her feel incredibly alive. By the time Nick got her up to dance, Lisa had lost most of her inhibitions, and let the heavy beat of the music take over her body. To Nick, the way she moved seemed more erotic than anything he had ever seen before, and when she caught his eye, she would give him a lovely smile, which made him feel as though she was dancing just for him...
 
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     The last week of the holiday had flown by, and Lisa couldn't believe how much she'd enjoyed it. The night Nick had taken her and Scott to the nightclub opening had been the start of a week she would never forget.
 
     He had taken her out every day after that and, with her mother's permission, every evening too. He took her on drives around the Island every day, stopping off at quaint and romantic spots, and at night he had shown her a life she knew existed, but she had never been allowed to enjoy. For the first time ever, her mother seemed to be happy about her going out with someone, and Lisa realised how influenced she was by Nick's wealth. The strange thing was, even though it was patently obvious he was very well off, Lisa wasn't really interested in how much Nick was worth. But his money did seem to be the key to her freedom, as far as her mother was concerned. 
 
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     As Nick got dressed to go for dinner with Lisa and her family that final evening, he felt happier than he ever had before. Lisa was everything he had expected, and more. He had waited until he took her back to the hotel that first night before he kissed her, and she had kissed him back in a way that defied the fact that she was still a virgin, which she had told him she was. The electricity that had surged through his body when her lips parted under his was greater than anything he had ever experienced before, and his need to possess her, body and soul, greater still. It was as though Lisa had been kept 'on ice' just for him... and he made sure that he got her mother on his side right at the start by sending her flowers and thanking her for allowing her daughter to go out with him.
 
     The only thing that was spoiling his happiness was the fact that Lisa wasn't going straight home after the holiday. Sadly, nothing he could say or do would talk her out of going to her friend’s house in Chelmsford for a week. He was concerned in case she might meet someone else nearer to her own age if she was away from her mother’s restrictive care. If that happened, everything he had meticulously planned over the last three years would be destroyed.
 
     After dinner, Nick took Lisa on a drive out to Douglas Head, and when he turned off the ignition, he took her hand, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
 
     “You know that I'm crazy about you, don't you, Lisa?” he said, his voice full of emotion. “I don't know what I'm going to do when you leave…”
 
Lisa let out a nervous laugh, surprised by the seriousness of what he had just said. She couldn't believe that anyone could fall for her, especially when they hardly knew her. If her mother were to be believed, he would soon change his mind.
 
     “Oh I bet you say that to all the girls you meet at the hotel…I remember what the café owner said to that housewife in Shirley Valentine…”
 
     “I'm being serious Lisa! This isn't some silly holiday romance…not for me anyway!”
 
Lisa started to panic when she realised that not only was he being deadly serious, but more importantly, she didn't feel anywhere near as strongly as he did. She had known him for less than a week and had enjoyed his company and the odd kiss, but no more than that.
 
     “I'm sorry, Nick…I didn't mean to make light of what you were saying. It's just that we hardly know each other…”
 
Nick looked down at her hand in his before turning round to face her, his eyes boring into hers.
 
     “I know you well enough to know that, when you leave tomorrow, my life is going to feel unhappy and incredibly empty, Lisa. I don't want you to go…”
 
For the first time in her life, Lisa knew how it felt to be loved, instead of just being lusted after. It was a wonderful feeling, but it was scary as well. She had always imagined being whisked off her feet by some rich, good-looking guy… but not yet. She didn't know how it felt to be in love, but she envisaged it being a lot more intense and wonderful than the feelings she had now.
 
     “I don't know what to say, Nick…You’re not saying that you want to marry me are you?”
 
Nick put his arm around her and pulled her close.
 
     “Would it be so awful if I was?” he asked her.
 
She pulled away from him so she could see his face.
 
     "But you don't even know me Nick. I'm only seventeen...I don’t know what I want! Don't you understand?"
 
Lisa looked like a cornered animal and Nick realised he had done the very thing he had sworn he wouldn't -  come on too strong, too fast. He knew he was going to have to back off a little, or he might lose her all together, so he managed to smile through his misery and lighten up a little.
 
     “Hey, gorgeous, I'm only checking you out -  like I do with all the girls I date from the hotel on their last night. I don't want to make plans if you're not interested!”
 
Lisa looked disappointed. Much though she'd been scared by the intensity of what Nick had said earlier, she didn't like the idea of being just another 'girl' he had picked up at the hotel either. He had made her feel special, and now that she'd got used to the feeling, she couldn't imagine being without it.
 
     "So that’s all I am to you, Nick! Just another notch on your belt…Were you just saying all that stuff earlier to try and get me into bed on my last night?!"
 
After that, and because she was looking at him with such a serious expression, the hurt showing clearly in her eyes, Nick burst out laughing.
 
He took her in his arms, and after he had kissed her gently, he sat back and locked eyes with her again.
 
     “What do you think?”
 
Lisa was so confused she didn't know what to think. Still with a smile on his face, Nick ran his finger across Lisa's lips before speaking again.
 
     “I adore you, Miss Collins, and no, I didn't say the things I said just to get you into bed, although I would be delighted if that happened!”
 
Lisa opened her mouth to speak, only to be silenced by Nick putting his finger back up to her lips.
 
     “Yes I know, Lisa, you want your first time to be special. But what you don't seem to understand is that’s what I want for you too. That’s why I wanted you to know how I felt about you. Crazy though it seems, seven days is six days longer than I needed to know that I'll never feel this way about another woman. I'm in love for the first time in my life - with you.”
 
Nobody had ever said those words to Lisa before, and the effect they had on her was wonderful. To be loved…truly loved by someone who had never loved before, was something she had always hoped for, but thought impossible.
 
     “I don't know Nick…you'll have to give me time…I hadn't imagined getting married for years yet. I was hoping to go to university in September.”
 
     'What do you need to go to university for, Lisa? If you marry me you'll never have to work a day in your life! My company's going public next year, which is one of the reasons I moved over here three years ago. I’ve already got enough money for us to live very comfortably for the rest of our lives.”
 
Nick took her by the shoulders and stared at her intently as he spoke.
 
      “You would be marrying one of the richest men on the Island and we'll be able to travel the world…have children, do whatever you want. I only have to be resident on the Island for a percentage of the time…we could even buy a place in Scotland if you want to be close to your family, it's not a problem!"
 
Nick felt her take a deep breath as she shook her head.
 
     "That’s just it, Nick - I don't want to get away from my dad and Scott, but I don't want to live anywhere near my mother. That’s why I applied for a university in England."
 
Nick had noticed the tension between Lisa and her mother, but had just put it down to the usual teenage stuff. If she wanted to get away from her mother, surely marrying him was a better alternative than having to go to a university in England. But more importantly, as far as he was concerned, once there, she might meet someone else.
 
     “Your mother’s okay…she's probably just a bit over protective. If you married me then she would have no control over you.”
 
As his words sank in, Lisa felt a huge surge of relief, but she knew escaping her mother’s clutches was still not a good enough reason to marry a virtual stranger. She knew she couldn’t make that kind of commitment yet, but she didn’t want to lose him either. The last seven days had introduced her to a new kind of freedom, and she knew that was all due to him.
 
     “I'm not saying that I don't want to marry you, Nick, but I need more time. Please understand," she pleaded.
 
 “Why don't you come over to Scotland as soon as I get back from Vikki's? Then we can take things one step at a time...”
 
Nick felt relieved, but he was still disappointed. She hadn’t said no, but she hadn’t said yes either. He had run out of time.
 
     “Well, if I have to wait, then I have to wait, but Christ, Lisa…it's going to be the longest week of my life...” 
 
 In the hope that she could allay all his fears, she leant over and kissed him before she spoke.
 
     “It’s only a week, Nick. What could possibly happen?”
 
What indeed...