Author’s Note: This story is completely fictional and did not happen. All names of characters are fictional and were made up. Please do not copy and plagiarize my work.

This story was a reader’s request. The celeb choice, themes and some other story choices were all from them. They have asked me not to credit them by name in the disclaimer, but I give them a gigantic thanks for the opportunity to write this series. Enjoy!

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London, England

Reflections cast across the glass surface of the round table. A round, empty glass sat on the left side with a few ice cubes melting away. The sound of voices in the distance could be heard, along with footsteps and faint music. For a man who had not traveled to England in the past, this trip proved to be one of gorgeous sight-seeing. Elroy Walker found himself alone this evening, enjoying a lonely drink at the Artesian bar. His eyes studied the fancy architecture of the white walls and gold chandelier light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. This was all part of the experience of staying at the Langham Hotel. It was another destination he could mark off his list of places traveled to outside of home. At twenty-three years of age, he was experiencing a career that other men in his line of work were still waiting to see in their thirties.

A tech boom had started in North Carolina back during the pandemic of 2020. Roy had left school from New York with a degree in consultant management and IT tech. He skipped his apprenticeship to go back to his home state, just in time for the company boom. Crypto was surging alongside tech software. Back at the university, he befriended someone with similar aspirations about starting a business. Matthew had connections thanks to his family, who had a legacy as real estate moguls in Boston. With the right investors eager to back them up with capital, their tech business got off the ground relatively quick. All that was now two years removed, as Roy was traveling on behalf of the business’s management. Their start-up was a success in Raleigh as part of the ‘research triangle’ in the state.

This trip was on behalf of a company summit in London. Last year, Roy traveled to Los Angeles for a similar meeting. He had checked into the Langham hotel yesterday after stepping off the plane. A taxi had been arranged for him, and the meeting was set for Tuesday afternoon, but he would have to lead on Wednesday morning. There was plenty of time to adjust to the sleep schedule after feeling jet lagged. A few drinks from the bar and taking his sleep pills yesterday had come in handy. From the begin, Roy was amazed at the sights he had witnessed with his own eyes. It was different from looking at pictures of London on the internet or printed in magazines. The architectural style of the Langham building was so much more impressive to his eye than the bland postmodernist look of the luxury hotel he stayed in back in Los Angeles last year.

As he sat back in the chair, Roy looked around the room. Today had been a successful meeting, but somewhat tiresome after negotiating for three hours. He had still found himself struggling to adjust to the time zone being outside the US, but Roy felt lively today. As a token of gratitude for his success in the meeting, he was given an invite to a luxurious diner in London. Two tickets for a private dinner with a companion. This was a small gift on behalf of one businessman who had made a deal with him. The only issue for Roy was that he did not have a special someone to bring along with him. The ticket was still tucked away inside his jacket. He wore a regular black pinstriped suit with a white collar shirt underneath hidden behind the buttons. His short brown hair was recently trimmed, matching the color of his eyes and a slight five-o’clock shadow over his face.

Underneath the suit, he had a slim create, which was complementary to swimming and bicycling as a hobby. Some people preferred to hit the road in a car and leave all their troubles behind in a blurred distance. It was therapeutic for those people, in the same way Roy viewed the passing scenery and sound of gears turning as his legs rotated around the rolling wheel of his bicycle. During the summer, he spent his time unwinding at the local gym pool. There was something special about diving into the cold water and feeling the splashing waves before swimming forward. This dedication to exercise kept his body in fit enough shape to slip into the fanciest suits that cost hundreds of dollars. Roy made it a point to all the time look sharp and flashy wherever he went. At a place like the Langham, he easily blended in with the other guests who could afford such exquisite luxury.

His eyes wandered around the room, gazing at the other guests who were quietly enjoying their drinks. Sometimes Roy felt lonely in life. Gone were the days of chasing girls in school. Back at the office, he had a crush on one woman who worked as an assistant to his friend Matthew. Emily was a short woman with slender legs, blonde hair, and a busty chest. She often wore shirts that revealed her heavy cleavage to go with the shirt skirts that revealed her legs. The only issue when it came to flirting with her was the fact she had a wedding and engagement band across her left hand ring finger. Roy knew better than to involve himself with a married woman, so he never asked her out. As his eyes continued to glance across the room, he noticed a woman dressed in black entering the bar. She wore Vans-style sneakers that matched her black pants and shirt. Her long brunette hair was curled up in a high ponytail, and a purse was dangling from her right arm.

On first wondered, Roy believed the woman to be somewhat older than him but perhaps not in her forties. She had a pretty face, but most of her body was hidden by her choice of nonrevealing clothes. He sat back in his chair, resting on the padded cushions as he glanced away from her. The last thing he wanted was to be rude and stare at her in the distance. Glancing back down at his glass, Roy was tempted to order a second drink. He sat there, gazing into the round glass and studying the melting ice cubes for a moment. When he glanced back across the room, he saw that same woman looking back at him. A playful smile ran across her pink lips as a set of deep brown eyes gazed back at his face. Something about her was almost angelic in her appearance. She tucked her purse under her right arm while clutching a glass in her left hand.

“Hi there…”

The woman spoke in a heavy British accent. The sound of her voice alone was enough to make Roy blush. She flashed her perfect white teeth while waving her right hand.

“Hello, Miss.”

“Pardon me, but I couldn’t help but notice you sitting here alone. Are you waiting on someone?”

Roy shook his head at her question. She smirked and invited herself to sit across from him. All he could do was sit back and watch as she crossed her legs and raised the glass to her lips for a quick sip. After the drink, she spoke again.

“From your voice, I take it you’re an American.”

“Yes, I am. My name’s Elroy, by the way, but everyone calls me Roy. And you are?”

“I’m Lucy… Lucy Pinder.”

She smiled after finishing her words. Roy could see a strong level of confidence in the way she spoke her name. It was almost as if she expected him to know her from somewhere and that the name would ring bells for him. He had never heard of her before, so he simply smiled and nodded.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lucy. What made you want to come over here and sit with me?”

“I saw you checking me out.”

With a giggle, she spoke again.

“No, really. I thought you might recognize me from somewhere. Not many people give me that look anymore like you did.”

It took Roy a moment to remember something he heard about the Langham hotel. Before he made the trip, Matthew told him that he heard a rumor that celebrities used the hotel to evade paparazzi when they were in London. Maybe the name Lucy Pinder meant something here, but he had not heard of her in the past.

“I’m sorry to say I don’t know your name from anywhere, but you certainly have a lovely face.”

She grinned.

“Thank you. I guess you could say I find American men to be charming at times.”

“Really? I take it you’ve had luck with who you’ve talked to.”

“Sometimes I do. Are you on vacation here?”

He shook his head.

“No, I’m here on a business trip. Why are you here, Lucy?”

“I live across town. I’m staying until I can get a flight booked to Ibiza.”

“Ibiza?”

Lucy nodded with a smile.

“Yes, I guess I’m going on a little vacation with some girlfriends. We want to see Ibiza one last time before the holiday season comes around.”

They laughed at her confession. Roy found himself blushing, as he generally loved the sound of her voice. Lucy’s accent was rich and elegant, unlike any other voice he had heard so far in England. He began to think about the meal tickets tucked away inside his jacket and the possibility of a date with this gorgeous woman.

“Do you know this place called Sketch? Some kind of fancy diner place I heard about today.”

She nodded, smiling widely.

“Yes, you are correct. It’s a fancy place. I haven’t been there in quite some time.”

With a smile, Roy replied.

“Well, I have two tickets for a private table. They were a gift from my meeting today.”

“Are you asking me out on a date, Roy?”

“I guess I am. I’d hate to let the tickets go to waste without sharing them with someone.”

Her eyes widened for a moment as her lower lip fell, revealing her teeth. Lucy looked as if she were either flattered or offended at him requesting a date despite barely knowing her after a few minutes. Roy began to fear he may have overstepped his boundaries when her lips curved into a wide smile.

“It’s been a while since I’ve gone out with a stranger.”

Roy blushed at her words, but Lucy carried on speaking.

“What time are your tickets?”

“Dinner at five.”

Lucy nodded at him.

“I’ll meet you there if you’re asking me out.”

“I am. You can make it at five?”

“I can, if you don’t get lost along the way.”

From the tone of her voice, Roy knew she was teasing him. Lucy got up from her seat, still clutching her purse, as she reached down to grab her empty glass. He sat back, watching as she walked back to the bar and left the glass for the bartender. Before she left, she turned around and winked at him. Roy was left to think about their date in a few hours. Who was she? That was something he began to wonder as he began to rise up from his seat and grab his empty glass. The ice had melted into a small amount of water at the bottom. Condensation formed around the edges, leaving a wet ring on the table. Roy paid it no attention as he brought the glass back and then glanced at the entrance door. Lucy was gone, but she was now the center of his attention.

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4 HOURS LATER

After leaving the bar, Roy took the trip up to his hotel room to prepare for the date with Lucy. He was still in shock that she agreed to a date with him being a stranger to her, as she referred. Not only was he someone she had just met, but he would be out of the country before the week was over. He took a shower, just to make sure he was fresh. While gazing at his reflection in the mirror, Roy began to wonder just who she was when he began shaving his face. The temptation was in him to grab his phone and begin browsing the internet in search for Lucy Pinder. She probably had a LinkedIn page or maybe other social media accounts. Roy guessed she was probably a popular name across this country. He began remembering a fantasy he once had back in his school days.

Every guy in school who went to IT classes had at least one pinup poster in their dorm. Whether it was old Playboy models or more recent girls of the past decade. Roy remembered hanging up a photo of Scarlett Johansson. It was a fantasy to get a big job in tech and then date a model or Hollywood actress. Those dreams were almost gone at this point for Roy. He was happy to just have a date with a beautiful woman like Lucy, regardless if he knew who she was or not. He fought the urge to go online and take a peek at a efficient resume that may have existed of her. It was better to get to know Lucy in person than rely on web pages. Among his luggage was a blue shirt to go with his pinstripe black jacket. After getting dressed, he decided to call for a taxi. Lucy did have a point that a man like him, who did not know the London streets, could easily get lost.

It was quite the experience to sit in the back of a cab and watch a driver navigate the roads. To Roy’s curious eye, they drove backwards compared to back home in the States. Inside the bistro, his eyes scanned the gold interiors. The Sketch restaurant had an exquisite feel based on the interior design alone. White and black tiles covered the floor in a zig-zag pattern while nearly everything else was decorated in a bright yellow or gold color. Lucy was waiting inside to greet him with a soft smile. Her long brunette hair was tucked behind her shoulders as Lucy stood in a black dress. Her legs were visible beyond the ends of the dress, revealing her feet tucked into a pair of matching black high heels. Her dress hugged every curve of her body, with only a slight hint of what appeared to be a busty chest hidden inside. The front covered her chest entirely, with no hint of cleavage whatsoever.

He thought if her dress choice was to purposely keep her attention on her beautiful face. Lucy teased him when she asked if he got lost on his way to the restaurant. The two shared a laugh before he revealed the meal tickets at the front desk. A few minutes later, they were escorted into the dining room to select their private booth of choice. The sunlight was glaring from the windows on the far right side of the room. Roy wanted to sit there, directly across from Lucy, in a corner with the yellow padded booth seats to lean back on. A waiter offered them the choice of wine while they ordered their meals from a fancy menu booklet. Sketch had all sorts of European food choices. That was a welcome relief to Roy, who was used to American diners back home. He followed through, ordering what Lucy had decided on.

“This place still looks marvelous, but quite different. It used to be pink.”

Lucy spoke of the interior design. A conversation unfolded from there, as Roy became curious about the restaurant’s history. She claimed that she had been here more than once over the years. By the time their food was served, the two had engaged in a conversation about their pasts. Lucy asked first, prompting Roy to start talking about his work in IT and the tech industry. She appeared to be impressed by his job. Between using a fork and knife to cut her food and sipping on wine, the two traded talk in a slow conversation.

“It must’ve been fun for you to go to Uni. I was supposed to go and had been planning on it, but my life went in a different direction.”

“What do you mean by that?”

She giggled at his question. Roy watched Lucy raise the wine glass to her lips and take a large sip. After swallowing it, she finally replied to him.

“A photographer took my picture when I was down at a beach. Next thing I knew, the Daily Star was calling me about page three.”

“Page three? What’s that?”

A slow but proud smile ran across her lips.

“You’ve never heard of page three back in the States?”

Once again, Lucy was laughing at his puzzled reaction. Her big brown eyes locked on him as she began to explain.

“Page three was in the newspapers. My job was in the glamour modeling industry.”

“So you were a pinup girl?”

“Yes, something like that.”

Lucy glanced down at her plate of food, trying not to smile as she began to blush. Roy was surprised that he made her blush like this.

“When I first saw you, I thought you recognized me from somewhere. I used to go out, and guys would notice me. Oh, hey, look! It’s Lucy Pinder walking in here!”

They laughed together at that statement. Roy grabbed the wine bottle and poured himself another glass. He gestured to refill her glass, since it was nearly empty. Lucy gave him a nod as she carried on speaking.

“In some ways, it was a little frustrating. Everyone had an opinion about my job since I was famous for literally my boobs.”

That last word of her speech had caught his attention. Roy began to wonder if that was the reason she was wearing a dress that did not reveal any cleavage. He sipped on his glass of wine before replying.

“I can’t relate to that. I wish I could, but when I tell people about my work, they immediately want to know if I’m making a six figure income.”

“I used to get asked that as well. I ended up forgetting all about going to Uni cause every year I’d get a new contract and I couldn’t say no to the money. You should’ve seen what I made when I finally did go topless.”

With a chuckle ending her speech, Roy was now the one blushing. He glanced back down at his empty plate for a moment before setting his view back on Lucy’s beautiful face. Taking a moment to exhale, he considered his words. Deep down, he was reminded of the fantasy he once had about dating a popular model, but he knew better than to say anything rude.

“Did you ever get a chance to go back and do college?”

“Yeah, after I turned thirty. The glamour industry just sort of collapsed. Page three was banned, and then the magazines started closing their doors. I had something of a mid-life crisis, if you want to call it that.”

“How old are you, Lucy?”

“I’m thirty-eight. How old are you, dear?”

“Twenty-three.”

Her lower lip fell in shock.

“You thought I was a little bit older?”

Roy smirked after teasing her. Lucy began to crack up laughing.

“Yes! I thought you might be around my age, to be honest.”

Once again, they were both laughing together. He had another sip of wine and was now done with his food. Lucy appeared to be done eating as well. They were now sitting back and drinking while sharing this discussion.

“When I was twenty-three, my career was just starting to really blow up. Those were good times, I must say.”

“So what happened with your modeling? You said something about the industry collapsing.”

“That’s right. It was about seven or eight years ago. Gosh, it feels like a lifetime ago. Page three was banned, and then the lads mags started folding. If you were a little older and ventured to London for business, I think you would’ve seen me on the front covers of Nuts or Loaded.”

“Nuts? That was the name of a magazine?”

She flashed her teeth, grinning as she slowly nodded her head.

“If I recall correctly, the slogan for Nuts was, grab yours. Quite cheeky, huh?”

As he laughed, Lucy sipped the remainder of wine from her glass, finishing it off. There was still some remaining in the bottle, but she did not refill her glass. Roy took a moment to think to himself. Though he had not seen her modeling pictures, he had the impression Lucy had to be something of a big deal at some point. So far, Roy had learned about Lucy from listening to her, but it was not enough to satisfy his curiosity. Her career and the past were of no importance to him. The sound of her voice and pleasant demeanor had only made him more attracted to her, beyond her beauty.

“I like your sense of humor, Lucy. I can’t help but wonder, what made you want to talk to me earlier today? I imagine a woman like you could have any man you want.”

“Let’s just say I like your face, Roy. Would you believe that I find you to be handsome?”

“Maybe.”

Her flirting with him had only made Roy blush again. Lucy locked her eyes on him, speaking again.

“Do you have a special someone back home?”

Roy shook his head at her, answering her question quietly.