A few days later. D & A Enterprises, Raul's office.
Raul D'Ambrosio had thrown out the last of the resumes from women in the trashcan. He was not opposed to hiring women. In fact, his office had a significant number of female employees, in all positions of hierarchy. He just did not want women for that particular project.
He had finalized three resumes. Two in their mid-twenties and one in his late forties. He was not looking forward to working with the older candidate. But he had an impressive record and Raul wanted to lure him to his company.
He was already leaning towards one but held back his judgment before interviewing them. Both of his preferred candidates had projects that were worlds apart. The one he liked had a strong track record of previously having worked with renovation, he had a taste for century-old art.
The other one had a record for building monumental things out of nothing. Also, he seemed to be a master of interior design. It showed his skill and creativity but was too modern for him. Or for the project. Still, he did not want to decide before meeting them.
That evening he visited his regular bar, Blues, for his usual pint. As he walked in holding his jacket over his shoulder, a loud squeal erupted from the women sizing him up.
He gave the group of young women his signature smirk and walked past them. That was what made him that unattainable bachelor to them. He did not have a playboy lifestyle. At least that was what he projected on the world. No one knew how he was in private.
The mysterious, dark, brooding, and the most gorgeous billionaire alive. He was surely bound to attract attention. Which was what brought Eleonora to Blues that day. She had been watching him for the past couple of days. Did her research and preparations.
And now sitting with a dazed look on the counter, she was waiting for his arrival. When she turned her head slightly as if intoxicated, he was walking in her direction, with an annoyed look on his face.
With the same tone, he muttered, "Damned chicks. Should've just gone home."
"You could still be on your way home", she shot back in the same annoyed tone. But she couldn't help but gloat inside. For two reasons. She got her chance to chat him up and she was actually chatting up the fine specimen.
But he looked taken aback by her response before smiling back. "You don't want to be out on your ass do you?"
"Aren't you a gentleman?" She swirled her glass of scotch, letting out a chuckle.
''As much as your a lady", he gave her a sweet smile and she felt herself melting. He leaned back against the counter, flexing his arms above his head as he called out, "An absinthe, please."
"Aha, no wonder you're a sadist."
"Spoiled little brat...", he muttered under his breath as he lit a sugar cube on fire, over the glass of absinthe. The green of the bottle glowed in the dimly lit flames.
"As if you're not...", she was nowhere near backing down when it was going per her plan. "A passed-up heir."
She spat with such disgust that his hand stopped in the middle of mixing the burnt sugar into the drink. He turned slowly, with a grace that ticked her off, to look straight into her eyes. She returned his stare with an equal intensity that confused him. But then she suddenly averted her gaze with a hurt look and a lone tear escaped her eyes.
To say he was taken aback was an understatement. He suddenly felt like a git. But trying to ease the situation and divert her attention, he started softly. "I'm Raul. You look like a wreck."
"Why, thank you, Mr. Raul the ratchet. I'm Wreck, by the way", she smiled back with an outstretched hand, causing him to laugh.
"Seriously", he shook his head lightly, ignoring her hand. "You look like a train wreck. Broken hearts?", he said in a teasing tone while kicking back and sipping his drink.
"I can't believe you drank that." She scrunched up her nose as if the smell burned her. But she realized it indeed had a burning smell and she was starting to like it.
He arched an eyebrow at her scowling back. "No wonder he ditched you. You're a handful."
Her mouth fell open in shock. Here she was trying to get him to speak and he was getting her riled up. But her eyes brimmed with tears as she glared at him. Downing her shot in one go, she went for another, gulping it down.
He was watching her out of the corner of his eyes, amused by her kittenish anger. He felt entertained by the fact that, despite recognizing him in her intoxicated state, she wasn't all over him. That she wasn't trying to flirt or cozy up but actually insult him.
Although Raul was known for his ruthlessness in business, he really didn't feel great kicking the girl while she was down. He opened his mouth to apologize, watching her never-ending river of tears, but she beat him to it.
"You're a jerk, you know that? Inconsiderate jerk", she said through her tears, wiping furiously under her eyes. Her eyeliner was smudged now and she looked like hell. Yet he really looked at her for a moment and wondered how those pale brown eyes looked upset. Hurt even. While at the same time, mad and vicious.
Her insults fell on deaf ears as his eyes roamed her disheveled hair and tear-streaked face. He felt the need to wipe them, but he gave himself a reality check and sat still.
Heaving a condescending breath, she glared at him. "It's my asshole of a boss. Just like you. Called me worthless." She put her head in her face and ran a hand through her hair. Without looking up she said, "That bastard...", with a shaky breath, "So I told him to shove it and quit."
It was barely above a whisper but he heard it. And felt quite bad. He could see the frustration of a skilled employee being told that. It added to his guilt that he called her 'spoiled' and insulted her further.
He still did think she had an annoying personality. But he felt like a bully at that moment. While he was staring into his drink, lost on what to say, she stood up and walked past him.
"So, what were you working as?"
Before he could think, the words left his mouth. And he regretted asking the moment she answered.
"An architect." With that, she walked off.