Mr. Billionaire Bachelor Ch. 02

Characters in this chapter are from my previous story, An American Count. I hope you enjoy the crossover. Please remember that constructive criticism is fine but I do not tolerate abuse (i.e. name calling.) Talking about my writing is fine. Talking about my mother is grounds for comment deletion.

Fourteen hours after Damian made the arrangements, his chartered jet touched down at Vienna's Schwechat International Airport. Damian loved the mountains and the Alps were calling to him. The air was cold but clear and the majestic peaks stood in silent welcome to the weary American traveler. Damian had hoped to stay in Aspen for a few weeks and hit the slopes, and after meeting Brenda, he had hoped he would have had a constant companion. But Brenda's text the day before had knocked him for a loop, only straightening out after receiving Luke's email beckoning Damian to visit him and his wife Sophia at their castle near Freistadt.

Most foreign travelers would have to spend a good portion of their time at the airport going through Customs, but Damian was no ordinary foreign traveler. Word was getting around that a new American billionaire was racing toward Europe and that he would be meeting with the world-famous Count and Countess Wagner at their palatial home near the Czech border. Damian was surprised when, for the second time in his travels, he was blinded by a flash of paparazzi cameras.

"You guys really want to take pictures of me?" Damian said as the bright lights exploded around him like fireworks. Reporters tried to ask questions but Damian shrugged them off and fought his way through the throng until he met with a young man wearing a dark suit and earpiece.

"Gutten Tag, Herr Edwards," the young man said as he came face-to-face with Damian. "I am Louis, Count Wagner's head of security. The Count has asked me to accompany you on the remainder of your journey to the Castle. Please follow me."

"I was just about to hire a limo," Damian answered, "do you have a car waiting?"

"Not quite, sir," Louis replied, "Count Wagner wanted to make sure you arrived as quickly as possible."

"So, what? We're taking a Porsche?" asked Damian.

"No, sir," Louis responded, "we'll be going in that." The security chief pointed to the other side of the runway where Damian saw a sleek black helicopter. Under the call letters, the name Wagner 2 was emblazoned in sparkling gold. Damian and Louis, along with another security guard, boarded the chopper and the aircraft swiftly took off. Damian had never been a part of such a fast takeoff and felt the first touches of air sickness. Louis handed Damian a bottle of water and the young billionaire sipped to try to keep his breakfast from reappearing. Once leveled off, Damian found his bearings and enjoyed the remainder of the ride. Two miles out, the Castle Wagner became visible and Louis pointed it out to his charge. Damian had seen pictures of the enormous palace, but the sight was more stunning in person. As they approached the rooftop helipad, Damian could make out a man standing to the side waiting for the chopper to land. When the chopper's runners touched down on the roof, the door flew open and Damian's friend Luke, the Count of Upper Austria, was there embracing his good friend before he could step out of the cabin.

"Glad you made it, Damian!" Luke shouted over the whirring of the helicopter blades. "Man, it's good to see you! Lunch is ready and Sophia and the kids can't wait to meet you! You can tell me all about this 'deal of the century' I keep hearing about!"

Damian looked at his good friend then embraced him back. "Thanks for the invite, Luke. It's good to be among friends..."

Luke was taken aback by Damian's long hug. He never knew Damian to be an emotional person, but he was sure that Damian was crying as the two men embraced.

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"And what's your name, little cutie?" Damian said as he knelt and became eye-level with the strawberry blonde three-year-old.

"Sarah" the little girl replied as she studied the stranger in the large dining hall. "Are you my daddy's friend?"

"Why, yes I am," Damian replied, "so that means you and I are friends too, OK?"

"OK," Sarah replied. "Will you ride horses with me later? Andrew has a piano lesson and I don't wanna ride by myself."

"Sarah, I don't know if Mr. Edwards is up for horses so soon after his trip," the child's mother, a beautiful woman with a nest of red curls said as she picked the little girl up and sat her in a booster seat next to her own.

"It's OK, Sophia," Damian answered, "I haven't ridden in years but I think I remember the basics." He then looked at Sarah and said, "I do know how to fall in the mud if I forget though." That caused the little girl to laugh at the thought of an adult splashing into the soft ground in the riding area.

Sophia smiled at the girl's outburst of laughter and at Damian's ease with her children. Luke entered the dining hall with a smaller version of the Count following close behind. "You guys get acquainted?" Luke asked the trio.

"Daddy, Mr. Edwards is gonna fall in the mud!" Sarah said then laughed the cute laugh that all small children do when they thin something is hilarious.

"Well, let me know when he's going to do that," Luke replied, "I haven't seen him fall down in a long time!" He shot Damian a quick knowing wink that said he had, in fact, seen his friend flat on his face more than once.

"Just remember," Damian responded, "I have dirt on you too, buddy!" Then he looked at Sarah, "And you can call me Damian, if that's OK with your mom and dad."

"OK with me," Luke replied then took a seat across the table from Damian. Andrew sat next to his father and put his napkin in his lap, anticipating lunch.

"Me and Mr. Damian are gonna ride horses after lunch, Andrew," Sarah said in a teasing manner, "but you gotta take a piano lesson!"

"That's 'Mr. Damian and I,' Sarah." Sophia corrected the little girl, "and don't tease your brother. You'll be starting lessons next year too."

Lunch was a light fare of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and tomato soup and spirited conversation, mostly between Damian and Luke with little Sarah chiming in now and then. When lunch was finished, Andrew left the dining hall for the library where his piano lesson would commence. Sarah, after a guarantee from Damian that he would meet her at the stables just as soon as he finished talking with her father, left with Sophia to saddle up the horses. Luke and Damian walked through the dining hall to the parlor where the Count produced two beautiful Cuban cigars.

"Grab your jacket." Luke told Damian as he reached for a red and black checked fleece. "We have to step out to light these up. I own a fourteenth century castle and billions of dollars, but my wife still makes me smoke outside."

Damian slipped his blue pullover on and followed Luke out the massive front door to the circle drive. Luke handed his friend one of the cigars then flicked open a gold Zippo lighter. Damian waited until he felt the warmth flow through the tobacco then sucked the smoke into his mouth.

"Man," Damian exclaimed, "there's nothing like a good cigar after a meal, huh?"

"I don't smoke too many anymore," Luke replied. "Only on special occasions. And there's none more special than one of my oldest friends making the trip to see me. It's been too long, Damian. How are you holding up with everything that's happened in the last few weeks with the sale of AeroSonik then the stock jump?"

"I'm handling it OK, I guess," Damian said, not looking his friend in the eye.

"Come on, man," Luke said releasing a big puff of smoke from his mouth. "I saw you when you got out of the chopper. You're an emotional wreck! What's going on?"

"It's been rough, Luke..." Damian finally responded after an uncomfortable pause. "I knew Mom wasn't going to make it much longer, but then to have her die like she did... And without me there..."

"I know, bro..." Luke said and placed his hand on Damian's shoulder. "Your mom was a great woman. Hey, remember that time you and I and Erik snuck out and..." Luke stopped mid-sentence while he laughed at the memory, choking a bit on the smoke from his cigar.

"We got in so much trouble that night!" Damian said laughing with his friend. "Well, Erik and I did anyway. You never seemed to catch Hell from your old man about anything."

"That was the difference between your mom and my dad though," Luke replied. "Your mom cared enough to punish you when you fucked up. My dad either didn't care or wasn't around enough to know." Luke took another drag off his cigar then exhaled the smoke to the heavens.

"We still had some good times, no matter the consequences..." Damian said as he tapped ashes on to the snow-covered driveway.

"So, I'm throwing a party for Thanksgiving tomorrow," Luke revealed. "I usually just treat the staff to turkey and all the trimmings, but this year I wanted to do a full-on blowout with the Lions game on in the background and drinks and dancing and just a good ol' time. What do you say?"

Damian wasn't sure about another party so soon after the last one he attended. He was still reeling from the impromptu threeway with Brenda and Allie and the disappointment when he woke up and found the goodbye text from Brenda, with whom he had thought might be someone he would like a relationship. But he tried not to let on that a party wasn't exactly what he was hoping for when he accepted Luke's invitation.

"Sounds great, man," Damian said unconvincingly then tried to change the subject. "Say, do you still have that hot little number working for you as a butler? What was her name? Ann? Annie?"

A voice from behind him caused Damian to spin around and face the question he was asking. "Anna, Mein Herr..." Damian nearly dropped the cigar out of his mouth when he saw the blonde looker standing in the doorway. She was dressed in a tuxedo shirt with a black bow tie and black jacket, but her lower half was covered only in a short black leather skirt that stopped about three inches above her knees. "At your service, sir." Anna said with a slight smirk pasted on her full lips.

Luke stifled a laugh then spoke to his female butler. "Anna, please make sure Mr. Edwards room is prepared for his stay. Have you seen to the arrangements for the party tomorrow?"

"Everything is ready, my Lord," Anna responded to her employer. "And I will make sure that Mr. Edwards stay is... most comfortable..." Anna quickly winked in Damian's direction then bowed slightly to the two men before turning on her heel and swiftly walking back into the castle parlor, closing the door behind her.

Luke started laughing while Damian fumbled with his cigar. "You knew she was back there, didn't you?!" he playfully shouted at his friend.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone turn that shade of red before..." Luke said and laughed some more.

"Damn, she is smoking hot, Luke!" Damian cried. "How do you stand living here with two beautiful women?"

"It's not easy sometimes," Luke answered. "And it's three beautiful women now. The third of which you have a riding date with, remember? We'd better get moving. That little one is a harsh taskmaster." The two friends set their cigars on a ledge outside the door then began to walk toward the riding area. As they did, the familiar sound of Beethoven's "Fur Elise" wafted down from the third floor library. "That kid is going to be famous someday," Luke said and pointed to the library window where the music was filtering down, "and not because of me."

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Damian kept his riding date with Luke's daughter, Sarah, and, to her disappointment, he did not fall face first into the mud in the riding paddock. Damian rode slowly with the young baroness then dismounted his steed and watched with fascination as the three-year-old girl put her pony through its paces. Sarah ran her horse around the corral and jumped over obstacles that would have scared Damian out of his wits. When animal and rider finished their equestrian run, Sarah brought the horse to a quick stop next to Sophia and Damian and climbed off the large domesticated beast.

"You're amazing, Sarah!" Damian exclaimed as the little girl ran to hold his hand. "And you're also the prettiest girl in the corral."

"Mommy's prettier than I am," Sarah said as she removed her riding helmet and led Damian and her horse into the stables and guided the pony into his stall. "And Miss Anna's is prettier than me too."

"Well, I think you're the prettiest girl here," Damian said and picked up the diminutive noble girl. "And if I ever have a little girl, I hope she's as pretty as you, Sarah."

"Don't you have any kids, Mr. Damian?" Sarah asked plainly as only children can.

"Not yet, honey," Damian answered, "but maybe someday."

Sophia caught up with the two chatters and reached for her daughter. "OK, Champ." Sophia said as she relieved Damian's arms of Sarah's weight, "You've had your fun, now it's time for a nap before dinner. Tell Mr. Damian goodbye for now."

"Goodbye for now, Mr. Damian," Sarah mimicked her mother then blew her newest friend a kiss.

Damian snatched his hand out into the air to make like he was catching the kiss. "Farewell, dear Sarah," Damian play-acted as he watched mother and daughter walk toward the castle, "Parting is such sweet sorrow!"

The ad-libbed Shakespearian line caused Sarah to laugh a three-year-old belly laugh that caused both Sophia and Damian to giggle. Damian turned away from parent and child and looked out beyond the riding enclosure. The majestic Alps beckoned to him and he longed to be schussing down their snow-topped peaks. Before he left, he promised himself that he would take a few runs down the slopes; he only wished that Brenda had been with him. Why was he thinking about her so much? He had met her just three days ago, yet she occupied his mind like no other. Damian understood what she had said in her text. And he hadn't tried to respond. She had made it clear that the night they spent together, along with Allie, was just a one-time thing, for now.

But Damian had hoped for more. And he still wanted more with Brenda. Can you fall in love with someone in a day? Damian wondered as he stared out into the wide open acres in front of the massive mountain range at the horizon. He sighed deeply then heard his friend's voice pipe up behind him.

"What was her name?" Luke said as he walked up behind Damian and leaned on the white corral fence next to his old high school friend.

"Brenda..." Damian replied, then looked over at Luke. "Hey, how did you know I was thinking about someone?!"

"That's my favorite thinking spot you're standing on, friend," Luke revealed as he pointed at the bottom rail of the fence where Damian had one foot perched. "I come out here all the time and stare out at that scenery and think about what's troubling me. After a while, I stare at that beautiful picture long enough and forget what I was worrying about. And I've heard that sigh before. That's a 'Lost-love-what-the-fuck-did-I-do-wrong kinda sigh.'"

"It's funny, man," Damian replied, "but I met this woman in Aspen just a few days ago and I could swear that it was 'Love at first sight' or close to it. Then she just up and left with nothing but a quick text to say goodbye. I don't know..." Damian mused, "Maybe I'm not cut out for a love life..."

"You had Rhonda Davies back in high school," Luke responded. "And that went on for quite a while."

"You knew about that?" Damian asked.

"Dude," Luke answered, "EVERYONE knew about that! Mainly because Rhonda told everyone." Luke laughed at his friend's puzzled expression. "And, believe you me, we were all mighty jealous of you. Rhonda was what a lot of teenage wet dreams were made of. And she was exclusive with you. I know. She told me that Erik tried to get in her pants a couple times but she shut him down because she loved you."

"What?!" Damian interjected loudly "She loved me?! She never told me that. Why didn't she tell me that?!"

"Because, man," Luke confessed to his friend, "she knew what we all knew. You were meant for someone else. As much as Rhonda threw herself at you and professed her love to the rest of us, she knew she could never tell you how she felt because, although you might have told her you loved her, you wouldn't have meant it. Deep down, you know you wouldn't have meant it."

"But how do I know who I'm meant for?" Damian asked, shocked at his friend's revelation.

"You'll know." Luke said as he put a hand on Damian's shoulder. "Take some time here. Get your bearings straight. It's a good place for it. Drink some beer. Go skiing. I know you're dying to get up on those slopes. Come have fun at the party tomorrow. Then, when you're ready, go find this Brenda and tell her how you feel." Luke clapped Damian's shoulder twice then left his friend in the crisp November air to stare out at the Alps and resume his deep thinking.

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The next day, Luke took Damian on a quick chopper flight in Wagner 2 to Freidstat to shop for clothes for the party. Damian had only the few clothes he brought from America and the suit he bought in Aspen. The two friends spent a good portion of the morning shopping and reminiscing then flew back to the castle with just enough time to get dressed for Luke's Thanksgiving bash. Damian's new black suit and paisley electric blue tie was just as nice as the grey suit he bought in Aspen even if it didn't fit quite like it was made for him, which it wasn't. The party guests began to arrive at 8:30pm and Damian descended the giant stone steps at quarter after nine to the great hall where the festivities were already in full swing.

As he entered the enormous ballroom, a glass of champagne was placed in his hand. Damian looked to his right to see Anna with a tray of filled flutes standing next to him.

"You look quite handsome tonight, Mein Herr." Anna said as she stepped closer to Damian and peered into his hazel eyes. "Please let me know if there is anything you desire of me."

Damian, tongue-tied for a few seconds finally spit out, "T-Thank you, Anna. I'll remember that."

"Enjoy the party, Mr. Edwards," Anna whispered in Damian's ear then curtsied slightly before she left the startled young businessman to attend to other party matters. Damian scanned the room looking for Luke and Sophia. He spotted them chatting with a portly older man wearing a distinctly Germanic Alpine fedora. Damian moved to join his friend and his wife when he spotted a familiar figure in a long sleeveless gold sequined gown just in front of the couple.

"Brenda?" Damian said as he walked up to the blonde Olympian as she was chatting with two other women.

"Damian!" Brenda cried and threw her arms around his neck. She kissed Damian hard on the mouth, surprising her two conversation mates. Brenda finally broke the kiss and said, "What are you doing here?!"

"Luke and I..." Damian began then corrected himself, "I mean, Count Wagner and I are old friends. We went to school together. Why are you here?"

"I've known Sophia for a few years," Brenda admitted. "And I always seem to pop up on these party guest lists when they're close to high-profile skiing locales like the Alps." An interminably long silence followed as the two searched for the next thing to say to each other.

"Damian, I'm sorry..." Brenda said, ending the pregnant pause. "After the other night, I thought you and Allie were... you know going to be..."

"But I didn't want to be with Allie..." Damian interjected, "I wanted to be with you but it seemed like you wanted the three of us to be... you know..."

"My fault, Damian..." Brenda said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry... I screwed everything up! I'm sorry!" Brenda ran from the hall out on to one of the balconies and stood in the frigid Austrian night air. Damian turned to leave the party when he felt a hand grab him by the arm.