Romance: In Love With A Billionaire (6 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Still in need of celebrating my victory, I called Madeleine because I knew she was always up for a challenge. This time, it was her turn to buy the booze.

When I got in front of her door I knocked once, expecting her to come right away.

But she didn’t answer.

I didn’t call her on the way because I considered talking to her once to be enough.

I knocked again, but still no answer.

Oh no, something must have happened.

Or was she wasted already?

I’ll kill her if she drank the booze before I got here, I thought, then opened the door by myself.

There was no movement inside…where could she be?

I was a little scared, but soon I heard water running.

My girl was just showering.

What a relief!

“Damn it, Maddy, you almost gave me a heart attack!” I said while grabbing her shoulders and shaking her a bit after she stepped out of the shower.

Then I hugged her.

“A girl must wash from time to time, don’t you think?” she said while drying her hair. “So tell me what happened. What’s so urgent, and why do you need so much wine? Is it bad?”

“Nope,” I replied. “This time I want to get wasted of happiness. I’m happy!

“Who made you so?” she asked, intrigued.

“Myself,” I answered. “I did it myself.”

“Girl, you sound kinky. What exactly did you do that made you this happy?”

“Well, you know how hard I’m working on my new project?”

“The stadium, right?” she asked.

“Yes, yes, the stadium. Well after months of work and studies, we got the approval from the planning office, and they told us we were good to go.

“A few weeks ago, our workers started working on the foundation, and everything was going according to our plans. Until I got a call from the same planning office, telling me that I should stop my project because it doesn’t fit in with a future building that’s going to be constructed later this year.”

“And what has your stadium to do with it?” asked Madeleine, baffled.

“That building was going to be an office, and its constructor is Blake’s firm. The prick came to me that night to spy on me and find a way to stop my project so that his could go on. You see, my stadium is going to block the sunlight to their building. Can you believe it? He tried to bribe the people from the planning office because he wouldn’t see the sun. Just get a light bulb!”

“Get out of here!” said Maddy, laughing. “He’s something, indeed…a devil in disguise.”

“You’re perfectly right,” I added. “But today, I fucked him up because I went to the planning office and straightened things. Now his fucking building’s going to stay in the shade day and night, and there’s nothing he can do about it!”

“Way to go. That’s my girl! You know how to handle things and people, especially pricks like this Blake of yours,” she said, pouring wine.

That was a good day.

A perfect one, at least for me!

Chapter Fifteen

A couple of days had passed since the heroic moment when I defeated both Blake and the corrupted system in our city.

I was enjoying myself in the moments of my glory, when I got another phone call—something I didn’t expect, and something I didn’t like.

“Hello, Clara. How are you?”

But I knew he didn’t care about my current state of being.

“Why should you care how I am? You tried to screw me over, remember? If you forgot that already, I’ll remind you. So please be quick and spit out what you want, because I don’t have all day to listen to your bullshit!”

I was nervous because I knew he would come up with some shitty excuse or argument to make me soft or look the other way while he’s doing his game—a game that’s beginning to be outdated and overrated.

“C’mon, Clara, don’t be like that…you know I didn’t call you to have an argument. I just wanted to talk to you, that’s all.”

I knew he had a hidden agenda—he always had, no matter how simple the situation would seem at the beginning.

He was pure evil, and even if there was some charm attached to it, his evilness would shadow every other quality of his.

“Now you want to talk to me? What about that time I asked you to solve the problem you had created in the first place? Remember what you did? You threw shit at me, insulting me and making me feel like I was nothing compared to your awesomeness.”

“I was wrong,” he said. “I know that I did awful things to you and your company, and for that I am terribly sorry. I misjudged you, I admit, and I have to say that I’ve been surprised by your determination and drive to achieve the things you love. You’re clearly not the person I expected you to be; you are so much better.”

He was failing at his attempt at an apology—clearly, it’s not his thing.

“Keep those flattering words to yourself, please. This time, I’m not going to fall for the same cheap, lame shit you pulled in front of me last time. I learn from my mistakes, if you have to know. You don’t need to waste your words on me this time because I’m not in a mood for it and I’m not going swallow any of your lies!” I said, ready to hang up the phone.

“Please don’t hang up; I still have a couple of things I need to tell you. If you listen to me, I won’t bother you ever again…I promise that!”

And somehow, he convinced me not to hang up.

A couple of moments more or less…what difference can it make?

I thought, deciding to listen to his bullshit and knowing it won’t have any effect on me.

“So what is it that you want to say that suffers no delay?” I asked him quite impatiently.

He made my nerves go crazy!

“I was thinking of asking you out to dinner. What do you think? Would you answer positively if I asked you?” he said through a double question, as if he’s trying to make me smile, or at least forget for a moment what a jerk he was.

“Is this a joke?” I just couldn’t believe the audacity of this man. A moment ago he was shitting all over me, and now he’s asking me to dinner… His brain must’ve been broken when he was a child because there is no logical explanation to his words and actions.

They defied common sense!

“No, it’s not a joke: I am serious. Will you go on a date with me? I won’t kill you or anything…”

“Let me reiterate: I won’t ever go anywhere near you. Also, let me remind you of the last time, when you assured me that things will be just fine. You fucked me big time—and I’m not referring to the actual fucking, which I enjoyed; I’m talking about the other one, which almost destroyed my career if I didn’t fight to defend what was mine!”

He was a closed chapter for me, no matter how much he tried to persuade me the other way around.

“Well you see, that’s why I’m asking you to dinner: you convinced me that you’re the woman I need in my life. I’ve always looked out for a fighter, a woman who will never back down from a challenge and defend what is rightfully hers!”

“Are you telling me this was some kind of test to see if I’m worthy of your highness? Stop before I change my mind. God knows what I’m capable of if you keep bothering me with your silly shit. Go and try your stupid tricks on stupid women who will definitely fall for your cheap poems.”

“But…”

I hung up the phone.

Chapter Sixteen

The rest of the day, the phone rang constantly.

He called me again, and again, and again, until I finally answered.

“What do you want now? Didn’t I tell you already I never want to hear your name or see your face? Piss off! Leave me alone before I call the police and accuse you of harassment. Don’t you get it when people tell you ‘go away’?”

“I understand you perfectly,” he said. “But I want to tell you that you’re making a huge mistake, probably the biggest mistake of your life—”

“No way, you’re a psychologist too? Man, you’re full of surprises, but are even fuller of shit.”

“I know you’re mad with me. I know you’re nervous, but I beg you to calm down and judge things from another perspective, because we have this chance only once. I say we should take advantage of it if it’s here.”

But I just didn’t get it. “What are you saying? What opportunity? Because I can’t see a damn thing, and I’m neither blind nor stupid.”

“Us,” he replied. “I’m talking about you and me. I believe we should give us a chance before it’s too late…”

“There is no us!” I yelled at him through the phone. “Maybe in your wide and wild imagination it exists, but in reality there’s no such thing like ‘us.’ You better get this into your head: if you think that fucking you for a couple of minutes made me fall in love for you…well mister, you’re completely wrong! For me, sex is just sex and nothing more, just an ephemeral pleasure of the flesh that I forget about the next day when I wake up. So give me a break, will you.”

Even if I said those words to him, I was neither completely right nor completely fair to myself, because I lied.

Something did happen to me that night, making me feel a bit different.

He affected me, and there was nothing I could do about it.

“You know you’re lying your ass off right now? I know it too; I can feel it in your voice, you know. It’s easy to observe how your words tremble even if you want to seem stronger. These things you just can’t fake!” he said, so sure of his words as if he was right in front of me, looking at my face.

No matter how I felt and how my voice sounded, I was determined to end this shit once and for all.

No was the only answer I had prepared for that night.

“Can’t you understand, mister? I don’t wanna see your face again in my life. Get lost, and stop calling me because I won’t answer you anymore no matter how many times you try. Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth?! “LEAVE ME ALONE! I told you, I’m going to call the police if you keep harassing me. I’ll see you in court—let’s see if you like that!”

This time I hung up, I also took the battery out of my phone so if he tried to call me again, I wouldn’t be able to answer even if I wanted to.

Chapter Seventeen

He didn’t try calling me again.

Somehow, he calmed down and left me alone.

It was a miracle, because I thought I would never break free from that awkward situation.

He seemed to be that type of man who follows you till his death—the stalker type even the police can’t handle.

In the solitude of my office, I relaxed.

Somehow I love this type of environment: the silence of the night, when you can concentrate at will without getting interrupted.

As I was sitting there all by myself, measuring and making all sorts of complicated calculations, I heard it.

Knock, knock.

At first I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, because I was thinking of that night.

My brain probably replayed that moment from my memory, but I could hear the sound again.

Knock, knock.

What the hell?

Was this déjà vu?

Was my mind going crazy? But again I heard that voice that I detested and loved so much at the same time…

“C’mon, Clara, are you going to open this door or what?”

Was it him—again?

Didn’t I tell him to stay away from me, or had he gotten mad already?

Should I open the door, or leave him there until he got bored and left?

My mind was a mess, and I had no idea what to do.

I wished Madeleine were with me right now, because she always knew what to do in tense situations.

Maybe I misheard the voice?

“Clara?” he continued to call out.

Finally, I decided to open the door.

I grabbed the handle and after twisting it twice, I saw him standing in front of me.

“You must be hungry,” he said. “I would be, after such a long day of work. I guess you must be starving, so I brought you something. Something you like very much.”

I looked at him but don’t say a single word, because I didn’t know what to say.

I didn’t prepare for such a thing, and all I could think of was what to do in the next moments to not seem like a dumb shrew, or maybe a slut.

He’s probably here thinking he could have a nice piece of ass for free again…

“Why did you come here?” I asked. “I told you specifically I didn’t want to see you again in my life, and here you are. What do you want from me? Can’t you see I’m working and don’t have time for useless discussions?”

“Didn’t I tell you already? I brought you your favorite takeout,” he said, smiling, as if he was waiting for a tip for his delivery.

“Did I ask you for something or told you I was hungry? Take your shit and go back from where you came from in the first place, okay? I hope I’ve been specific enough this time so that I won’t see you again.”

“I brought you pork dumplings,” he suddenly said.

He looked at me with his plain and innocent face, waiting for my reaction, which came soon enough.

“How did you know that my favorite takeout was pork dumplings?” I was intrigued, because from what I could recall few people knew about my secret—if I can call it like that.

“Don’t you remember?” he asked. “You told me once, when I asked you. You didn’t understand why, and I told you that it was for the future. Well, this is the future I was talking about.”

I couldn’t believe it: this guy remembered something that wasn’t about himself.

It’s something to be noted because who knows when it might happen again.

“I see. It seems you can hear other things besides your self-appointed compliments and the shit you’re constantly throwing at others. Good for you; you’ve made another step toward becoming human. I congratulate you, but I can’t say I’m too impressed by your feeble efforts. You could’ve done better, you know.”

“Can we at least eat the things I brought? These pork dumplings look delicious, and it would be a complete shame and waste not to eat them. Then we can leave on separate ways if that is what you want.” He said those words with a set of puppy eyes I had never seen on him before!

“Okay, I agree, I’m hungry and we should eat the food. But if you think we’ll have sex like the last time you busted in my office in the middle of the night, you have to know that this is going to be a friendly meal and nothing else.”

“I understand your point of view, and I’m telling you that I won’t attempt on you anything you don’t desire. Rest assured that the atmosphere will remain calm and professional tonight—nothing sexual, not even at a verbal level,” he said, but I knew his words never were what they seemed to be.

I was determined to remain vigilant for the entire evening because I knew how things can take an unexpected turn when you least expect it.

“So how did you come to love these things that much?” he asked, trying to make conversation.

I decided to step in the game, anyway—I had nothing better to do while enjoying those delicious pork dumplings.

I didn’t know why, but they seemed the best I’ve ever had.

Really strange that after some time, taste is now relative…

“Well you see,” I started, “when I was little and my father left us, my mother had to work and take care of me as well. Seeing how these things don’t take too much to prepare, my mother would always cook them for me. I would eat them at least three times a week, if not more, and with time I began to love them. I can’t tell if I loved them so much at the beginning, but now I simply can’t live without them.”

“Interesting story you got there,” he replied. “It seems you’ve turned a necessity into a passion. That’s not common, but it’s nonetheless interesting. I hope these are at least half as good as those cooked by your mother…I know mothers cook food with so much love, we tend to think it’s the best in the world.”

“What about you?” I asked. “What is your favorite food, if you have any? I told you mine, but you didn’t tell me yours,” I said as I grabbed another delicious pork dumpling and threw it in my mouth, chewing it with so much satisfaction.

“Well,” he began hesitantly, “I can’t say I have one favorite food like in your case. Rather, it depends on the mood and on the season. For instance, what I like very much to eat is pumpkin pie. I know it’s not exactly a meal but a dessert, but I would kill for a bite if I get one of those serious cravings in the middle of the night. I also like to eat my mother’s famous beef stew. She makes it so delicious, you wouldn’t stop eating it for days. She just puts something in it—I don’t know what, but it’s freaking delicious. You should taste it.

“You see, I’m not the monster you probably thought I was. The thing is, sometimes I get carried away by my feelings and my ego gets the best of me. I hurt people, I know, and I even hurt you…I curse my life every day because it was the last thing I ever wanted to do. Yet I did it, so I ask for your forgiveness. Even if you chose not to see me again after this night, I’ll know at least that we had no grudges between us when we separate,” he explained, making all sorts of gestures with his hands. But all I could watch was his face, which seemed sincere for the first time in his life.

“Don’t worry, we all make mistakes,” I told him, trying to comfort his sadness. “I make mistakes too, but the important thing is to learn something from them and not repeat them. If you do, you’ll be hurting people again and again and they’ll eventually turn their backs on you. You’ll end up sad and lonely.”

“I know what you mean,” he replied. “I’ve been trying for some time to right the wrongs I’ve done and stop from making new ones, but with no success. I hurt you too, from what you could see, even if I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“The secret stands in perseverance: you have to keep trying until you succeed. Nothing that’s good will come easy; you have to fight for it!”

I grabbed his hand, trying to send him a bit of my positive energy.

It made him smile…and it made me smile too.

“You know what I need? A second chance,” he said, looking in my eyes. “I need a second chance to prove to people and to you that I’m not the person you think I am. I want to prove that I’m better than that tag they put on my back—I want to show them the real Blake, not that fake image they all see.”

His words seemed so genuine, he made me believe him.

I was totally charmed.

“Will you go with me on a date? Nothing fancy, nothing sexual, just a pleasant dinner with two grown-up people talking about various things…just having a good time. What do you say?” he asked timidly. “You should know: this is the last time I’ll ask you this question. So think about it.”

As I looked at his face, I joggled between saying yes or no. But an idea struck me.

“I’ll rather regret doing something than live with the thought ‘what if.’ I’ll go with you on a date, but under my rules,” I replied.

A huge smile engulfed his face.

“Whatever you say, boss…whatever you say,” he said, smiling.