A day passed by in a blur, in just hours Mr Reynolds waltzed into my life and in those long hours, I couldn't stop thinking about him.
Finally, the d-day came, the day that I was supposed to give him my answer, to be very honest, there was no way in hell that I was going to get the money. Definitely, I had no other choice but to choose the other option, which was to work for him. It could not be that bad, right?
I dressed hurriedly, you shouldn't be poor and late, that didn't seemed right.
After all, I was the Alessia Maxwell, 21-year-old witty angel and a college drop out, which was due to financial problems. I loved fashion, it was my dream to own a fashion company one day. I was the only child of my parents, Lexi and Liam Maxwell. My father left earth a long time ago so it was just me, my mom and her hospital bills.
Yup! Hospital bills.
Last year, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, second stage. I was shattered at first but then I realised I had to wear my big girl panties and be strong for my mother, so I had to quit college when the expenses became unbearable. Months into it, I was working tirelessly and endlessly, trying to make enough money for my mother's surgery. The deadline was a week away, and I still couldn't get half of the money.
My mother was at stage 3C now, it was a very delicate stage.
My mother was one strong woman, she would always put others first. Lately, she started pestering me to stop with her treatments, telling me she was eager to reunite with her husband again. She believed she was a burden to me and that wasn't true. There was nothing, absolutely nothing that I wouldn't do for her. Since we lost dad in a tragic drunk-driving accident five years ago when he was on a business trip, our lives had been a rollercoaster ride from there on, the people we thought had our best interests at heart deserted us at our time of need.
My dad's relatives even collected everything we owned. They sent us away from our own home without bringing anything along with us except for the clothes we had on.
My father was what you'd a lawyer with no will.
He didn't set up any will before he died, whilst giving his family members the upperhand.
I hated reminiscing on those things we had gone through. It was very depressing.
I wiped the tears that managed to escape, I didn't even know when I started crying.
I quickly sent a good morning text to mom at the hospital and put a call through to my friend, Hailey.
If you got Hailey as a friend, you got everything. That girl was literally my friend, she really helped me a lot in college and I didn't think I could do anything without her.
I met Hailey when I was in college, she was this 'hey, yes I know I'm rich but quit making it obvious' kind of girl. She was present in all my classes and she loved everything and anything fashion just like me, instantly we clicked. We started by sharing the same dreams, fashions ideas, gossips and before you know it, we already became best of friends.
Something vibrated in my back pocket, creating a funny feeling in me. My phone.
The screen flashed Hailey bear, my nick name for Hailey.
I hit the green button.
"Morning bitch, I missed your call. What's up with you?" Said Hailey, with her high pitched voice.
"Good morning Hailey, I really need your help, could you swing by my place ASAP, like right now?" I asked with hope in my voice.
"I knew it. I knew you didn't call because you missed me. Well, I'm at the front of your building. Come out, you'll find me there." She said
"Thanks babe, I'll be there in a minute." I said briskly.
I grabbed my house keys and a nutella bar to quench the rumble my stomach was making, then headed out.
~•♤•~
"What's up babe?" Said Hailey, gesturing at the nutella wrapper in my hand.
I rested my back on the car seat and tucked in my seatbelt. "The usual." I answered her in a sombre voice. I needed to cut off unnecessary expenses if I was going to make enough to pay for mom's bills.
"Yeah, I know, but you should eat something," She said, concerned about my health. In all honesty, I wasn't even a tad bit bothered by my health. She clicked her tongue. "So where are we headed?"
"It's a company, it's located at Beverly hills,"
"Oooh, fancy!" She laughed.
"Anyways, I met this idiotic, narcissistic and egotistical asshole two days ago, I accidentally scratched the hood of his car and guess what?" I continued when she didn't reply. "You're supposed to ask Hailey bear!"
"I'm so sorry. What?" She corrected herself.
"He told me I have to pay him five thousand dollars or work for him, how ridiculous. Can you believe it?!" Hailey nodded and hmm-ed. "Well, can you? You didn't answer again!" I yelled.
"Ally, I get that you're frustrated, but that was a rhetorical question, you didn't need an answer." She said, grabbing my hand with her free one.
"Of course I know what a rhetorical question is, I guess I just need someone to vent to." I replied back.
"If you must know, it's a ridiculous amount. So what do you plan to do? You do know you have two jobs already."
"That's the problem. I don't even have the money."
"It's fine, I can just pay it off," Hailey said nonchalantly.
"But I don't want you to, he needs to be taught a lesson. Only a fraudulent asshole demands such a huge amount. Do you know the surprising part?" I rolled my eyes at her, "Hailey!"
"Yes, yes. I'm sorry love, what's the surprising part?"
"I'm not saying shits again." I grumbled, folding my hands under my breasts.
"C'mon! It's just amusing seeing you rant about a stranger, so did he tell you his name?" She asked.
"How can I forget his name?" I smiled, daydreaming about his manly voice and tingling touch that left a little spot from two nights ago.
"Did you just smile? Are you thinking about him right now?" She chuckled.
"Wh-a-a-t?" I said in a sing song voice. "Hell no!" I declared.
"So tell me,"
"Tell you what?" I asked, confused.
"His name, dummy!" She retorted.
"Oh! Trevor Reynolds."
"Trevor what?!" She sputtered out, suddenly turning off the ignition, forcing us to lunged forward.
"Are you crazy Hailey?! You could have got us killed!" I frantically yelled.
"I love you and I'm sorry. You mean the man you've been ranting about, all along is the Trevor Reynolds, like New York's hotshot billionaire bachelor?" She questioned, her eyes widened in astonishment.
"Yeah, he said something along that line. What's the fuss all about?" I asked, incurious about the whole thing. I didn't just get it, what was special about him?
"You don't know him, do you? Of course, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't be thrashing his name now. Ally, he's like the second richest man in the world or possibly the first."
I couldn't believe what Hailey said. I knew he was rich, but I didn't know he was that rich. Like he could buy my whole generation, starting from my useless uncles and dead beat cousins splattered all across the globe.
It would really be nice to know what money felt like, to bathe and breathe money. Imagine if you got eighty-nine percent of the world dancing to your tunes, screaming and yelling your praises, what a life that would be? You could get a lot of thing done with just a phone call, all your staffs would be at the beck of your call.
This was the luxury Trevor Reynolds had, money. And money equalled power.
"I get that now. Do you know he bought Campbell's building, he's literally our landlord now,"
"Girl! Money makes the world go round!" Hailey exclaimed.
"But still, just because he's rich doesn't mean he could do anything and get away with it," I mumbled.
Hailey looked at me like I had two heads, disbelief shone in her eyes at my utterance.
"Ally, are you nuts or something, of course, he can get away with things. He's rich, stupidly rich Ally!" She cried out.
"Okay,"
"Why did you asked though?" She questioned curiously.
"He did something on Monday night at Sippin' Strippin',"
"Okay,"
"He assaulted a man who totally deserved it,"
"He followed you there?!" She asked in an unbelieving tone.
"That was what I thought too, but no, he didn't. I guess he was there for a few drinks, I perceived it under his breath."
"Breath? How close were you two that night?"
"Close enough to make me - come," I reluctantly replied.
"Oh, no! You didn't" She laughed humourlessly, shaking her head.
"Yes, I did."
"Wait. Are you serious? I thought it was a joke,"
"Far from it,"
"So, you guys had a one night stand?"
"Eww, no!" I replied fiercely.
"So," She gave me a puzzled look,
"He didn't know about it and I couldn't bring myself to tell him. That would be foolish, don't you think?"
"I'm guessing he used his fingers,"
"Get your mind out of the gutter, nothing like that happened. No sex, no nothing."
"Then enlighten me Ally, make me understand how he made you come without his fingers and dick. Tongue?" She asked.
"Stop it, nothing sexual happened,"
"Now, you lost me. Seriously, I don't understand how the pieces was supposed to fit in," She grumbled.
"See, he helped me when one idiot attempted to hit me. Then, he asked me for a dance, I couldn't refuse because he did me a favour. Just like magic, when his fingers met with my skin, you know the stupid uniform is a crop-top and short skirt, right — well, his fingers danced around my exposed skin, like a rush of feelings and I came. God! This is so embarrassing to say. I didn't know what happened, my body has never reacted strongly to a person like that, not to talk of a stranger."
"Wow, you've got it bad for him."
"I've got nothing for him. It's been long since I had sex, I'm just sexually frustrated," I deadpanned, ignoring her hawk-like eyes staring into my soul, trying to get me to talk.
I would, anyway.
"Um, how long?" She asked suspiciously.
"Long enough to be frustrated," I muttered.
"Long enough, yeah. So tell me, when exactly?" She pressed on.
I let out a long, exasperated sigh, "Fine, you got me. I'm a virgin,"
"I'm aware dummy, I just wanted to let you see the bright truth with your eyes, blindy, I'm your bestfriend. Remember that party at Jake's place, you were told to go down on him,"
"Yea, I do. Why are you bringing that up?" I had an hunch about where the conversation was leading to, but I wasn't entirely sure.
"Sis, you knew you couldn't do it, so you lied to the whole group that he's got STD."
"Seriously, how's that got to do with Trevor Reynolds and me," I asked, confused and curious at the same time.
"Because under the whole - I'm a baddie Aphrodite facade you wear daily, you're a virgin Mary underneath, love."
"Yen-yen-yen. Here comes Hailey with the story again!" I giggled at the thought that she confirmed my suspicion.
"But for real, you did him bad. All the girls stayed away for him throughout that year,"
"Those were the good times, he stopped talking to me after what I did,"
"It's kinda like the same with Trevor Reynolds, you're attracted to him but you don't wanna lose your strong girl title. You gotta admit and unwind girl, you're jeopardizing that poor coochie's life. Let her breathe, Ally, let her feel,"
"Really? We're gonna sit our asses, parked in a private spot and talk about my private part all day?" I rolled my eyes. "By the way, you could get fined for this, you know,"
"Yeah and I don't care, if it's going to make you reconsider, I'll take the risk,"
"There's nothing to reconsider, that night, I didn't remember his dumb demands and I was being polite. But now, I do, he doesn't even like me that way because we barely know eachother, Hailey. We're practically strangers, dude."
"The man is hot and single, Ally. The universe is giving you a sign, take a leap of faith, sis, you never know until you try."
"You're crazy, I have nothing to say to you. Can we just leave this place, I don't wanna be late."
"This conversation isn't over, young woman!"
I laughed at her acting, "Okay, mother." She joined my laughter until one of us wheezed.
"Sure, we'll leave — but give it a thought, you'll see I'm right." She retorted.
"Since when have you ever been wrong," I chuckled at her.
There was no point in arguing with her, I knew my bestfriend like the back of my hand, and it wasn't over as she'd said.
"Did I tell you?"
"Tell me what?" She replied.
"He fondled my breast and pinched my nipples," I laughed out loud.
"Alessia, you daring girl!" She screamed, "You really, really, really got it bad for him."
~•♤•~
"Holly molly!" I shouted. Mr Reynolds wasn't making mouth when he said he was a billionaire, the building standing strong, right in front of me was damn huge. Okay, maybe huge was an understatement, mighty befitted it. A giant signboard was plastered at the entrance which spelt Reynolds International limited.
I headed straight to the entrance after saying a quick thank you to Hailey.
"Good morning sir." I greeted the security man.
"Good morning ma'am, where is your I.D?" He asked politely.
Shit! I was so stupid. I should have known a big company like that would have a tight security. Now what was I supposed to say, God, this was so embarrassing.
"Sir, I wasn't aware of any I.D. Moreover, It was Mr Reynolds himself that requested for my presence here." I said. Trevor fucking Reynolds, that asshole should have told me about this earlier.
"Well ma'am, since It was Mr Reynolds that invited you here, then he must have given you his business card, code or some sort, did he?" The security man said patiently like he had all the time in the world.
Bless Reynolds for the business card.
"Yes, he gave me his business card. Here it is," I brought out the business card and handed it to him.
"You can have it back ma'am." He said, returning the black plated card back to me.
He continued, "You're good to go ma'am." He smiled. I said a meek thank you and managed to smile back since it was the polite thing to do even though he wasted ten minutes of my day.
He directed me to the lobby, and I thanked him once again. What was with me and thank you's?
When I entered the lobby, I was speechless. Everywhere looked sparkly clean, not even a spot was left uncleaned. Everything was in order, I was sure if a pin dropped, the sound would be heard. The ladies were dressed formerly likewise the men. I felt really underdressed in my skinny jeans and sweatshirt, well it was not like I was attending a conference meeting and again, I didn't even give flying fucks about what they said or thought of me, they could kiss my ass for all I care.
"Morning Miss, are you lost?" A raven haired beauty asked me. Damn! She was gorgeous. God must have sprinkled beauty onto Mr Reynolds' company, good gracious! All his staffs were flawless.
She gave me a puzzled look. Jeez louise, she needed an answer. Good, you made a fool out of yourself again, Ally.
"Sorry, I zoned out for a couple of seconds. Back to your question, I'm kinda lost, I think lost is a strong word. I'm new here. I'm heading to the CEO's office but I'm not sure about where it is located- actually he didn't tell me but it isn't my fault that he's a slow pussy, that dickless meatball." I ranted.
"Dickless meatball?" She asked quizzically, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"I meant Mr Reynolds" I corrected, my cheeks red from her witnessing my ramblings.
"Oh! I can take you to his office. That's if you're okay with it?" She asked civily.
"Thank you. You're a saviour, I would actually love that. What about the receptionist? " I asked her.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked with a confused look.
"Shouldn't I be questioned by her and all that?"
"Oh! She quit this morning. I'm sure we will get a replacement before noon. Thank goodness you didn't meet her, she's a total bitch." She laughed. Her laughter was contagious so I had to join in, resulting to everyone giving us dirty looks.
What? So we could not laugh in peace again? Was this some sort of depressed place because I didn't know what had their undies in an agonizing twist.
"Come on. I'll lead the way." She said, walking towards an elevator with me beside her.
"Um, Miss. I didn't catch your name," I said, attempting to start a conversation. You could already guess, I hated silence. Creeped me out.
"My bad, I'm Rosalie. Nice to meet you." She said bringing her hand forth for a formal handshake. I accepted the handshake.
"My pleasure. I'm Alessia, you can call me Ally though, everyone calls me that. Let me let you in on a secret. I hate my name," I said.
"Bitch! And you think I don't? I made everyone here call me Rose." She grinned, her eyes shining with delight.
Jeez! I could tell this girl and I were going to be great friends.
"You know you're a refreshment," Rosalie said after we both laughed our butts off.
"Refreshment? What do you mean?" I furrowed my brows, confusion evident on my face.
"No one's ever called Mr Reynolds a dickless meatball, one, I don't think he's dickless and two,most ladies in this company wants his dickless meat ball, infact yearns it." She snickered.
"Then they're of the same calibre. Dick suckers and dicklesser." I said shrugging off my shoulder.
"Is that even a word?" She asked, amused.
"Who cares?" I replied her.
And that was the truth. Who cares? Who cares if you got a sick mother? Who cares if you're resented by your own relatives? Who cares if you're happy or not? Truth was, no one really cares. Crazy world, crazy people.