"Your girl?" Camilla repeated what he said, and he nodded. "Mr. Strauss, we barely know each other."
"But this is easily solved. We just have to... know each other. I told you before. And you agreed about our date, after the 'job' is over."
She looked at him as if he had said the most unfunny joke of all time.
"Oh? How is it that I didn't think about it? We just having to 'know' each other. And yes, I told you I would 'think' about the date."
"I'm brilliant, I know. Now, seriously, we can start to go out, interact and see if that is what is best for both of us. We know one thing already." He had a grin on his face and she got suspicious.
"I am afraid to ask, but I will, anyway. What is it?" She closed her eyes, as if waiting to be hit by something.
"We are compatible in bed." She opened her eyes and he was giving her a seductive smile.
She blushed furiously. Remembering what he did to her in that room... so embarrassed!!
"Yeah..."
"Of course, there is more than sex to make a relationship perfect. Claire was good at that - not as good as you, I guarantee you, sincerely - and look how we ended up." He opened his arms as if showing her something.
"You said you wanted to show me something at your house. What is it?" She asked, recalling what he said last night before he left.
"You'll see with your own eyes." He lifted one eyebrow.
"You're lucky I am a very curious person..."
"I know it, or you would have never agreed to sleep in this hotel, in the first place." She agreed and, because of that, she replied nothing.
They finished their meal and Alex got up, offering a hand to her.
"Thank you. I need to go and check out. Oh, and of course, grab my stuff."
"Okay. I'll take you to my house and, after we deal with what is needed, I'll deliver you home." He said, passing his other hand through his hair.
After the checkout, they went to his car. But before they exited the hotel, Alex asked her to be prepared, because probably paparazzi would be outside, waiting for them.
"And what do I do?" She asked nervously.
"Just pretend they are not there. Don't say anything. Just follow me to the car." She took a deep breath and nodded.
Alex was right. Lots of cameras were pointing to them both, asking what was their relationship. Before Alex entered the car, he said:
"I already explained what you needed to know, for now. Keep an eye on my Social Midia. I have nothing more to say and if I see any lies about this matter, this time, I won't let it go."
The paparazzi already knew how he was and how he never played around. They stopped shooting his car and just let the car go away.
"What did you tell them?" Camilla asked because she saw the looks of those photographers.
"Just said the truth on how things work with me. They know, I just had to remind them. No more lies. They can't say shit about you, or me, as if Claire is the victim."
Camilla was not very aware of what happened, in the end. And to be frank, she didn't want to know. Getting into rich people's businesses was a dangerous thing.
They drove in silence to the mansion. He parked the car and opened the door for her.
He asked her to follow him. She was afraid he was lying to her and all of it was just a pretense to make her go to his house, so he would have the chance to seduce her. Again.
He leads her to his office.
"Please, take a seat, miss Bakers, or can I call you Camilla?"
"Camilla is fine." She answered, sitting on the chair.
Alex opened one of the drawers and took a paper from there. It had a few pages.
"This, Camilla, is what I need from you. Please, read it."
He put the document in front of her and he went to the cabinet to take a drink. He offered her, but she refused it.
It was a contract. Clearly. She would accept to be his girlfriend, not just in the paper, but for real. The deal was: accept to know him better, do not try to get info about him and the enterprise to give to others, do not cheat, do not put herself willingly in danger, never vanish without telling him where she went to. After the girlfriend thing, if everything worked as planned, they would get engaged and, finally, married.
The rules to the marriage were mostly the same, with two more clauses: have a kid with him and, if she ever cheated on him, she would have to pay two million dollars.
"Is that for real?" She asked, thinking he got too far, this time. A contract? To be his girlfriend? How ridiculous!
"Yeah. I want you to commit to me. My family is important in this society and we cannot afford another Claire. But, as the only son of Gerald Strauss, I must marry and have a child. I see you may be the best choice so far. That is why I want to construct a relationship with you, not impose it upon us."
"I need time to think. You say you don't want to impose, but you give me a contract." That was all she could manage to say.
"Okay. You have until our partnership between the companies is done for. After that, you'll give me an answer. And the contract says we will try. The only time you may be punished, is if you cheat on me."
"Fine." She shifted uncomfortable in her chair. "I better get going. I have to write about my experience in the hotel and make it become a good marketing."
"Sure. I'll ask Jared to take you home." He, once again. asked her to follow him. When they were already outside, he opened the car to her and, before she entered, he held her waist and kissed her.
"For you to think better about out deal." He said, almost like a whisper. She only nodded, dumbfounded, and entered the car.
She got home and went for a shower. Alex's cologne was in her clothes, after he kissed her. She didn't put her dress in the dirty clothes basket. Instead, she kept it in her bed, so she could sniff it. She smiled at her action, because she was feeling like a pervy. Camilla couldn't stop thinking about him, but she had to concentrate on her task: the marketing campaign for his company. Shit!!
When she was writing down about her experience at the hotel, most of her thoughts were Alex holding her hand, Alex kissing her in the elevator, Alex licking her private parts on the bed, Alex all hot proposing to have her as his. None of this mattered for her work! She was in big trouble.
She went to the kitchen to have some water to try to cool down. She had to clarify her mind so the ideas would come up, and none would have anything to do with a sexy blond man.
What if she touched herself? Maybe it could help her release the tension about him. She lay on her bed and closed her eyes, thinking he was touching her breasts, her belly, and, finally, her lower parts. She wanted more from him, and, in her dreams, she could have everything, so she reached her orgasm along with her imaginary Alex Strauss.
After a good shower, again, she sat once more at her desk and started writing seriously. It finally worked and she was done before the clock chirped at 6 pm.
She sent the file to Mr. Hopper. Okay, it was a Sunday, but he was going to look into it, because Alex Strauss was a 'big fish'.
While she was eating her dinner, Mr. Hopper called her.
"Hey!" He greeted her, and she could sense he was happy.
"Hello, Mr. Hopper."
"I loved it. I believe he will approve of it."
"Amen to that!"
They spoke a bit more about their expectations on the work for Strauss Company until Camilla received the warning that there was another call coming. She looked at her phone. Of course, it was Alex.
"I got to hang up, Mr. Hopper. See you tomorrow at work." He said his goodbyes and she finally accepted Alex's call.
"Miss Baker, I thought you were going to ignore me."
"Ah, I was on another call." She said.
"With who? Who was more important than me?" Alex asked, pretending to pout. Camilla smiled at that silly behavior.
"It was Hopper. We were talking about work. Related to you."
"AAh, okay. For a second I though you were going to dump me." He sighed. "That is great! So, I'll receive the plan for the campaign by tomorrow, right?" He asked, a bit anxious.
"Most likely."
"Marvelous! Now, you can start to think about what I proposed to you." He was sitting on his sofa, drinking. He was remembering everything at the hotel and decided to call her. His grandfather had called him earlier to ask about his love life. He had heard about Alex and some random girl, and that Claire was cheating on him. He complained about be getting old and not having any great-grandchildren to play with and spoil. And that he didn't want to die and not see his lineage in danger because his only grandson couldn't provide him such simple happiness.
"I will, for sure. Don't worry, okay?" She replied, feeling a bit weird. He sounded like he was not there, talking to her. "Are you all right?"
"Why do you think I'm not?" He asked, taking another gulp of his drink.
"Are you drunk?" She asked after she heard him swallowing a liquid.
"Maybe. Wanna check on me?" He smirked.
"What, you want me to go right now to your house just so I can see if you are drunk or not?" She asked in disbelieve.
"You can take care of me. And I will take care of you, too."
"Mr. Strauss, we better talk tomorrow."
"I need you now."
Camilla went silent. 'He must be really drunk', she thought, because for as much straightforward he was, he never showed weakness.
"Fine. I'm coming."