Nobody's (17 page)

“You say that like you’re completely sure it will happen.”

“Because I know it’s true.”

“Then you know what it’s like.”

I scoffed at his comment.

“I’m a hooker. Matters of love are nothing but a conflict of interest. I learned early to stay away from it.”

“A businesswoman to the end. I can respect that.”

“Maybe you should hire me to be your real personal assistant.”

“Yeah…”

I forced my eyes to remain open as I looked back at him. His gaze drifted to the side and once again I saw his eyes filled with so many thoughts at once. I leaned in close to him, pressing my body against his and breathing against his chest. I closed my eyes in the hopes that he would understand that I couldn’t fight off the wine any longer. He wrapped his arms around me and I laid there in his embrace, the warmth of the flames now tickling my skin.

“I won’t be here when you wake up,” he whispered to me. “Make sure that you call someone if your hangover becomes too much to bear.”

“I can handle my liquor. I’m a big girl, Mr. Livingston.”

I could feel his chest moving against me as he started to chuckle softly.

“Yes, Angel. I know… I know.”

He ran his fingers along my back and his gentle touch comforted me. Like flipping a light switch, his hand pressed against my back and slowly, I drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 15

My eyes flickered. Slowly, I started to force them open and was greeted by a beam of sunlight shining through the window. I closed them and attempted to return to the comfortable slumber that was being interrupted. But it was no use. The lingering effects of the alcohol prevented me from trying to jump back into my dreams.

I sat up from the bed and noticed that I was still in the dress I had worn last night. All around me, the bed had already been made. It was like I had fallen asleep on the bed without even remembering it. I stumbled toward the bathroom and my makeup was still fresh. After stripping my clothes off, I had time to think to myself underneath the showerhead.

Even though my body wasn't used to so much wine, I still remembered everything with vivid clarity. I remembered attending Anthony and Alina's party. I remembered the offer they'd made to me.

The water washed over me but I still couldn't make the decision. It was so much money. But did I really need any more money than Thomas had already promised me?

I wrapped a towel around myself and put my hair up before heading out to the living room. I was surprisingly greeted by an unfamiliar sight. Thomas was sitting at the breakfast table, seemingly waiting for me to arrive. But more strange than actually seeing Thomas there with a breakfast buffet awaiting me was the way he looked. Gone was the suit that usually sat upon his rigid body. Instead, he was dressed casually in nothing but a pair of loose slacks and a dress shirt tight over his torso. His feet were bare, one of them resting upon a chair as his leg extended outward. Even his brown hair looked a little messy upon his head.

As soon as I stepped into the room, he turned to me away from the window and smiled.

"I wasn't expecting you to be here," I said.

"Are you disappointed?"

"No... No, I'm not."

I took a seat at the table and smell of a freshly grilled breakfast distracted me long enough to take away from everything that was weighing upon my mind.

"No meetings today?"

"I told them that I needed a day off. One of the benefits of being in charge."

"If you were really in charge you would get more than a day off."

Thomas thought about what I said. Then he slowly started to nod his head.

"You're right," he said. "I will take more time off."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"Aren't there important people waiting on you. Board members and business partners and employees at your whim, waiting for you to tell them what to do."

"I'd rather tell you what to do," he winked at me.

"And how many more days are you taking off?"

"As many as I feel. After all, I am in charge. Do you have any objections to being forced to spend more time with me, Angel?"

"Mr. Livingston, my time is your time."

"But you get paid a thousand whether or not I'm here during the day. Which would you prefer, Angel?"

I laughed softly to myself, staring down at my food after hearing his question.

"Well..."

I knew I had to choose my words correctly. When he looked at me, I stopped laughing. He was smiling but his eyes said something else. He was serious.

"Well..."

"Angel, you can be honest. You're getting paid either way."

"I... I enjoy your company, Mr. Livingston. But I also enjoy having time to myself."

"That's not an answer."

"It's an answer, Mr. Livingston. Maybe not the one you wanted to hear but one nonetheless."

"You have a way with words, Angel. You know how to bullshit someone and tell them the truth all at the same time. You should work for me."

"I do work for you, Mr. Livingston."

We grinned at one another then enjoyed the next few moments of our breakfast in peace. It may have sounded like I was lying to him but it really was the truth. I didn't object to Thomas's company. There were far worse things I could be doing at this moment. As we sat there in silence, I enjoyed all of the food in front of me. Thomas would take a sip of his coffee and over the rim of his cup, I could see his eyes glancing at me. We would exchange silent smiles with one another before I would turn my attention toward the gorgeous morning view of the city right next to me.

Anthony and Alina's offer loomed over my head. I was thinking about it constantly. I could walk out of Thomas's suite right now and get one of my own if I wanted to. But Thomas was still paying me generously and the offer wasn't off the table. After asking me about it the other night, with seemingly adamant interest, Thomas didn't bring it up. For the moment, I remained solely his property and nobody else's.

"Mr. Livingston..."

"Yes?"

"Now that you're spending more time with me, what do you plan on doing?"

I raised one of my eyebrows from across the table, curious as to what he could possibly have planned for me even though my instincts told me it was obvious. I was dressed in nothing but a towel, my hair still damp from the shower.

Thomas just stared at me. The emeralds in his eyes were full of something that couldn't be mistaken. I stood up from the table and took his signal. Slowly, I sauntered my way over to him. I gripped the towel and untied it, letting it drop down onto the floor.

"Would you like some dessert for breakfast, Mr. Livingston?"

I gave him a look of seduction, staring deep into his eyes and biting my bottom lip ever so slightly. He reached out slowly with his hand and placed it upon my stomach. I closed my eyes as I felt his fingers trail down my flesh and toward my center.

"You are built to perfection," he whispered. "But..."

I suddenly felt the pressure of his hand disappear. I looked down at him and he had returned his attention back to his cup of coffee.

"We have a busy day," he said. "I'd prefer you save your strength."

"Busy day? What could you possibly have planned for me?"

"Get dressed. We’re heading out. You'll see."

I didn't remember the last time I had been told to put my clothes on. There were times when some poor guy lied about how much money he had. There were times when the clock ran out on them. There were even times when guys got nervous and changed their mind. This was the first time someone had ever denied me, even if it did seem to take him some effort.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider, Mr. Livingston?"

It wasn't just because I was in disbelief. It was a blow to my ego. I could admit that. But there was more to it. Seeing Thomas in this kind of light was different. He wasn't in a suit but he still managed to look as handsome as he always did. For a second, I wanted him to take me and the question spilled out as if by accident.

He didn't look at me. Instead, he turned his attention to the view while he took another gulp of coffee.

"Angel, if I did reconsider, this food would have been shoved onto the floor and you would have been spread across this table. But we do have a long day ahead of us. Please, don't tempt me any further. That's what I want."

"As you wish, Mr. Livingston."

I picked my towel up off of the ground and slowly made my way back to the bedroom. I turned around one last time to see if he was even watching me walk away but the city still had all of his attention. Now I was really curious as to what he had planned for the day.

“Angel…”

I stopped in my tracks.

“Make sure you put your hair up. No wigs today.”

I nodded politely to him and returned to the closet in the bedroom we both shared our time in. It was easier to get dressed these days. Everything in my wardrobe was flattering. But I still took the time to look like I belonged on the arm of a billionaire. Thomas didn’t mind. I put my hair up as he asked and painted my face to perfection. In a black skirt and matching top, I jumped into a pair of pumps and returned out to the living room where Thomas was holding the door open for me.

“After you.”

I stepped out of the suite and was greeted immediately by William, who escorted me through the hotel. Flanked by the two men, I made my way into the limo, my mind curious as to where we were heading. Thomas looked at me from across his seat with a sly smile on his face but didn’t say anything.

“So, where are we going?” I asked him as I looked out the window.

“Patience.”

The view of the city was different from the inside of a limo compared to the penthouse but not by much. On the top of a building, you could look down on everybody. From here, tinted windows shielded you from any prying eyes that might be trying to get a peek. No matter what, I was always at some kind of advantage. I liked it. It was like I was right there, close to all of the people in the city, but I didn’t have to deal with them unless I wanted to.

Staring at all of the people going about their day was all I could do to occupy myself. Thomas remained silent for the entire trip, only smiling coyly at me when I was about to inquire as to what his plans for me today were.

Eventually, the limo pulled into a small parking private parking garage in the heart of the city. William opened the door for me and when I stepped out, I was still confused as to what was going on.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“Hold on. You’ll see…”

I took Thomas’s hand as he led me through the small garage to a back entrance of the building right next to it. I could hear something behind the walls. There was music playing. It was loud enough for it to be thumping through the walls. Underneath the sound of the beat, I could hear someone speaking. Thomas held the door open for me and ushered me into the building and finally I saw where he had brought me.

The room was small. The windows were tinted and even though the sun was still bright, the lights shining above were necessary to light the room. The wooden floor squeaked underneath me. The rest of the walls were lined with mirrors. And standing at the center of the room was a man dress in nothing but a white tank-top and a pair of black slacks.

He was a tall and slim man. He looked like he was in his older years but none the worse for wear. His posture was a line straight down from his head to the ground. The firmness of his muscles was apparent even though his skin had shown some signs of age. His gray hair was cut short against his head and he had a focused look in his eyes.

He stared at a couple who were in one another’s arms. They were ordinary. A man whose hair was long gone and thick-framed glasses that practically hid his face. The woman he held was similarly unspectacular. She wore a thick sweater to hide her figure and a pair of pants that matched her mate's.

Together, they danced intimately with one another. Their steps were measured and uneven, barely in rhythm to the music. It was clear they weren’t professionals but the look in their eyes told me they didn’t care what they looked like. They were enjoying themselves.

The rigid man watching them nodded his head to the slow-moving tune. His eyes were locked upon them, his lips moving and counting silently as they did their best to gracefully move across the dance floor.

I stood next to Thomas as I watched them dance, in the back of my mind curious as to why he brought me here, but somewhat captivated as to what was happening in front of me. This wasn’t the kind of dancing I saw at these wealthy social functions I had been spending my time at. It was the complete opposite. But none of it mattered.

I could feel Thomas’s gaze fall upon me from time to time but I didn’t look back at him. I was still looking at the average-looking couple struggling to stay in rhythm with the music and with one another. The music almost mercifully came to an end and the man closely observing them nodded his head with approval, a smile coming across his face.

“Very good. Very good. You’ve made a lot of progress. You guys are going to do great when the time comes.”

Almost in unison, the couple sheepishly nodded their heads as they thanked the man.

“T-this… Why did you bring me here?” I asked Thomas. “What’s going on?”

Thomas continued to remain evasive, not saying anything to me. It was frustrating and confusing all at the same time. I shook my head as I started to laugh at him, standing at the edge of the dance floor while the man said his goodbyes to the couple.

“Just remember to relax,” he said to them. “Remember. It’s your wedding day. Nobody will be focused on your steps or your timing. The only thing you have to do is dance with one another. Everything will take care of itself.”

The two thanked the man again and they left the studio. Now alone with Thomas and the stranger, I was finally going to get the answer I was looking for.

“Ah, Mr. Livingston,” the man said as he turned around to see us. “Right on time as usual. And this must be the lovely young lady I’ve been hearing all about.”