When had she stepped into an alternative reality where Clark Anderson was eating dinner with her in a diner? Bella ran fingers through her hair, easing out the length. She kept her hair tied up when she worked as the strands got in her way. Getting it cut was not an option. She liked her hair long and intended to keep it that way. Spotting a dirty cup ring, she picked up some paper towels and wiped the mess away.
“You don’t like mess, do you?” he asked.
She shook her head. Putting the towel underneath her milkshake, she took a quick suck to test. The milkshake was creamy and tasted right with just the hint of chocolate.
“No, I don’t like mess.”
He reached over the table to take her hand. “Relax, Bella. We’re having dinner, and afterwards I’ll take you home.”
“How do you know my name?” she asked.
“You work for me. You know my name, and I know yours.”
Smiling, she drank some more of her milkshake. Clark didn’t let her hand go. His fingers stroked her own. Licking her lips, she checked the clock to see it was after one. They’d spent an hour together.
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to this,” she said.
“Not used to what?”
“Dinner, talking, and spending time with someone.” Bella lived in her
routine. She liked her routine, but she liked talking with Clark.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but the woman came back to put their food on the table. The scent of fatty burgers and chilli scented the air.
Her stomach rumbled again. She wanted the floor to open up and eat her. When would her stomach give it a rest? She was about to eat.
The woman left them.
“This looks pretty tasty,” he said.
She nodded, picking up her burger and taking a bite. Unable to contain her moan of pleasure, Bella closed her eyes enjoying the succulent meat.
“I love a woman who enjoys her food.”
When she opened her eyes, she saw Clark watching her.
Smiling, she took another bite of her burger.
“How do you know where I live?” she asked, trying to fill the silence with something other than her moans of approval.
“It was on your employment record. I have everyone checked who works for me.”
“Why?”
“I’m a wealthy man, and I’ve made enemies.”
He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t ask for more information. She knew all about keeping certain things close to her chest.
“You’re not going to ask to know more?”
She shook her head. “No, you’re not wanting to talk about it. We’ve not known each other very long, and I don’t expect anything to change between us.”
Clark sat back observing her.
“What?” she asked, feeling self-conscious under his questioning gaze.
“You’re not like other women.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
He remained silent as she ate her food. Clark ate as well, but the silence remained while she waited for him to answer her question.
“It’s not a bad thing. I’m just not used to it.”
“You date supermodels and actresses. They know what to talk to you about. I’m a cleaner and a waitress, Clark. I’m not exactly in the know when it comes to you and the company you keep,” she said.
Clark smiled. The action lit up his whole face. He looked so handsome when he smiled. Her throat became dry. Taking a sip of her milkshake, Bella averted her gaze.
“You’ve taken notice in the glossy magazines about me,” he said.
“I’ve seen the stories passing several newspaper stands. You’re a well known guy.” She shrugged finishing up her food. Clark ordered another coffee and a milkshake for her.
“Yes, I know. Don’t read all the newspapers. The stories are made-up crap,” he said.
His face darkened. Swallowing past the sudden lump in her throat, Bella looked at him. “Which stories?”
“All of them.”
“So, you haven’t slept with porn stars?” she asked, smiling.
“Well, there wasn’t a lot of sleeping involved.”
Bella burst out laughing at his joke. His wicked smile sent tingles throughout her smile.
Another hour later they were ready to leave.
“Come on, I’ll take you home.”
She climbed into his car and strapped herself in waiting for him to start the car. Clark wouldn’t allow her to pay for their meal. She’d enjoyed every second with him talking. He wasn’t dark or brooding but fun.
He parked outside her apartment. She turned to him, grabbing a key out of her bag.
“Thank you so much for tonight. I really do appreciate the lift and the food.”
“I’m glad. I enjoyed spending time with you.”
Bella climbed out of the car as Clark leaned in close. She didn’t want to know what he was about to do. Men were off limits and especially him. Clark was a player. She’d read enough about him to know he loved women. Bella had also seen an interview where he’d spoken quite clearly about never being in a long term relationship.
She waved at his car from the door before making her way up to the third floor where her apartment was. Once inside, she slid the locks into place then made her way straight for the bathroom. The scent of lemon permeated the air.
After a quick shower, she set her alarm for nine and then eased down under the blankets. Her mind playing over the night, Bella wondered what had happened. His attention didn’t make any sense. She wasn’t pretty like his models, and she was sure he’d leaned in to kiss her.
Thinking about his lips made her shiver. Her pussy melted as heat swept through her. Frank never left her feeling so passionate even after a night together.
Running her fingers through her hair, Bella cut off all of her thoughts. Her imagination was running wild. Clark wasn’t going to kiss her or try to do anything with her. She wasn’t worth his time.
****
Clark drove home feeling like he’d missed out on a kiss. He’d leaned in close intending to kiss her sweet, plump lips, and she’d moved away from him. Why had she moved away from him?
Going back the way he came, Clark ignored the passing scenery. His only intention was making it home. There were many nights he’d gone without sleep.
Since his obsession with the lovely Bella, his sleeping patterns had changed to match hers.
He didn’t like her being in an apartment in an area of the city he didn’t trust. There were a lot of things he didn’t like about his woman’s current lifestyle. The fact she’d skipped lunch and dinner annoyed him. He liked her appetite. Dating women who ordered salads or soup irritated him. Clark remembered a time when he’d loved the slenderness of a woman. Now, he found their eating habits and their neurotic obsession with weight annoying. On several dates they’d talked non-stop about other actresses and models with fatter figures or slimmer figures. He was tired of hearing about weight, food, and the damn celebrity business.
Parking his car into the parking lot of the apartment complex, Clark made his way up to the penthouse suite. The large windows overlooked the city. He walked over to them the instant he closed the door behind him. Pulling at the tie around his neck, Clark threw the tie away and loosened a couple of buttons.
His life was changing. Being in the public eye was losing its appeal, and if he was honest with himself, a family started to look more appealing every day.
Several of his friends were settled down with a couple of kids while he remained single, living the bachelor lifestyle. He recalled the conversation he’d had with John at their garden party the other month. The last of the summer rays had been dying away, and the guests were gone. He’d watched John reading to his little girl before she went to bed. John’s wife had come out to the garden to take their daughter into the house.
“You look happy,” Clark said.
John smiled at him. “I am. Having a family is amazing. I’m a husband and father.”
Sipping his beer, Clark looked out toward the garden. “Don’t you ever miss it?”
“No,” John said.
“Do you know what I’m talking about?”
John laughed. “You’re talking about women. Do I miss women and having a new woman in my bed every night?”
Clark nodded. His friend let out a sigh.
“You’re sleeping with the same woman, John. I remember a time when you’d never settle down. Sleeping with different women was your thing.”
“Exactly, it was my thing. Not anymore.”
He waited for his friend to elaborate. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” John asked.
“No.”
After several seconds, John sat forward. “Sleeping with lots of women wasn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Yeah, it was fun. I didn’t know the women I was fucking, and I didn’t care. When I’m with Samantha, I care. There is a connection between us. When I’m with her, I do everything I can to please her. There is not some quick release and then leaving her alone. I love watching her come apart. When I go to work every day, I know I’ve got someone to come home to. I love my family, and my life is a hell of a lot fuller for being with them. I don’t envy your bachelor lifestyle, Clark, and I wouldn’t go back to one either.”
John’s words came back to Clark. Since that night he’d not been able to stop thinking about Bella. She’d been in his thoughts but never as bad as it was now. He stayed behind at work to see her and waited for her to leave. Waiting for her to speak to him was new for him. Women spoke to him all the time trying to gain his attention. Bella did nothing. Even in the car she hadn’t tried to instigate a kiss; she’d run from him.
Closing the blinds, Clark shut out the world. Tomorrow was Thursday, and he looked forward to the end of the day more than he did the beginning. Going to the fridge, he grabbed a glass of milk before heading to bed. He checked his phone to see several calls and messages from the women he’d been seeing in the last month.
Call one of them and fuck Bella right out of your system.
He didn’t want to. Cancelling all of the messages and calls, Clark climbed into bed alone. He’d not been to bed alone in years.
His aversion to relationships stemmed from when he was a teenager. The girl he’d given his heart to had crushed him by dating his brother instead. Clark thought about Tonya. She was his age and had been his best friend. Tonya was now married to his brother, and they had three children. His brother, Seth, adored Tonya, and their relationship was strong.
Clark’s parents were still married and their love stronger than ever. He loved his family even though he avoided them. Family occasions annoyed him as his parents were always trying to set him up on dates. His parents didn’t approve of his lifestyle.
He recalled his father’s comment last Christmas.
“Son, watching you parade a load of women around on the television is not what I wanted for my boy. I’m proud of what you’ve done with yourself. I know you didn’t want to be anything other than your own businessman However, you’re going to regret your life if you continue with this. You're breaking your mother’s heart. You deserve a good girl to settle down with.”
At the time he’d thought his father was nagging him again. He wasn’t made the way his parents or his brother were. Closing his eyes, Clark tried to forget about Bella. She wasn’t like his other women, but she wasn’t in his future either.
Thursday was busier than usual at the diner. Bella struggled to keep up with the orders and the customers. Her late night was wearing her down. She’d settled herself into a system with her two jobs, and going out to dinner with Clark had disrupted that. By four she was exhausted and ready to go home. Instead, she finished her shift at the diner before making her way across the city to the Anderson Corporation building. Her feet ached, but she refused to give in. Her hair was tied in pigtails down either side of her shoulders. It was seven at night when she got inside. She’d missed lunch and was hungry. Ignoring the pangs, she grabbed the cleaning trolley, smiled at the security guard before making her way over to the elevator. She pushed the trolley inside, pressed the button for her floor and waited. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she pulled the trolley onto the floor. The light inside Clark’s office was on. Nibbling her lip, she wondered if she should go and talk to him
The personal questions unnerved her. She didn’t like talking about her past as that’s where she wanted her past to stay and never come out. Munching on the noodles, Bella waited for him to start talking. “Why don’t you have any photos?” he asked, ignoring her question. She finished eating and placed the carton back on the table. Why did this have to be so hard? This was why she kept to herself. The hours she worked stopped her from attaching herself to people. The diner was perfect as none of the staff had time to talk. Some of the girls tried to get her to go out, but she refused because of her second job. Working in Clark’s building took her late into the night when everyone was home. If anything, she talked to the security guard on the way out of the building, no interactions at all that left her feeling out of place. “I don’t have any photos to put up,” she said. “I don’t like these questions, and I’d prefer to know about you.” Her mother never owned a camera,
The next few days flew by, and before Bella knew it, the following weekend was there. Every night during the week Clark had been waiting for her in his building. Some nights they went to the diner to eat and others he dropped her home without going inside with her. She didn’t mind as some nights their friendship confused her. Clark talked a lot about his work, and she got the feeling he didn’t talk with anyone else. His own friends were settled down with children. He liked to talk about them a lot. She didn’t mind listening. He stopped asking her questions about her past. Turning over in her bed, Bella checked the time on her alarm clock. It was gone nine on a Saturday morning. She’d gone shopping last night after finishing work early at the diner. Bella switched on the radio and climbed out of bed. Walking into the bathroom, she cleaned her teeth and started a shower. Once her shower was finished, she dressed in a long denim skirt and pink jumper. The weather looked chill
Bella had never intended on talking about her past boyfriend. Clark shared so much with her even though he didn’t need to. The trust he displayed made her wish for the same kind of ease to share all of her troubled thoughts with him. Biting her lip, she stared out of the window. The only way for her to talk with him about Frank was if she wasn’t looking at him. “What about Frank?” Clark asked. “He was my last boyfriend. I thought he was amazing. He worked in a bank as some kind of accountant. I met him in the supermarket, and we hit it off. He asked me out on a date. I jumped at the chance to see him. I was a fucking fool. I can’t believe I gave so much of my life to him.” She shook her head remembering how quickly she’d fallen for his charm. Frank had been heavily built with brown hair and the kindest eyes she’d ever seen. He knew what to say to make her feel special. All Frank had been doing was spinning her lies. Frank knew what to say, even though he never meant an
The day at the art exhibition was fantastic. Bella couldn’t imagine a better way of spending her time than with Clark. He was sweet, and his friends were great. She saw how relaxed he was around his them. Bella wished she had her own set of friends she was as comfortable around as Clark was with his friends. Afterward at the Italian restaurant she’d sensed a lot of people paying attention to them. The restaurant made her nervous. Everything about Clark’s richer way of life made her nervous. She didn’t like feeling less than he was. When he started with his money and being able to pay for certain things she could never afford, it put her on edge. His money meant nothing to her, but the way his friends stared at her made her think they were assuming the worst. She’d never be a gold-digger. The concept of using a man for money disgusted her. Bella was more than happy making her own living. She earned enough to keep her going. The bills she kept in the safe would be paid without c
Clark’s family was huge, and Bella saw they all loved each other. The display of affection was making her yearn for something similar. There would be no happy family gatherings for her and no public displays of affection. If anything, her mother would proposition Clark after already getting blind drunk. She’d not seen her mom in years, and the thought of returning to the trailer where she used to live filled her with fear. His mom turned to look at her. She had expected to see the disappointment or some other emotion of disgust. What she got was a large smile, and then she was pulled into his mom’s arms. She turned her gaze to Clark wondering what to do. “You need to wrap your arms around her, dear,” the older man who looked like Clark said. The others chuckled. Bella smiled along with them and wrapped her arms around the woman. The older woman smelt so comforting. Her vanilla scent helped to calm Bella’s nerves. “Penny, dear, I think you’re scaring the wom
One month later. Bella placed the food down in front of her regular customer. She waited for them to ask for something else. When they ignored her, she walked toward the next customer. She checked the clock on the far wall to see how long she had left before it was time to start heading for her other job. Her time with Clark was the best part of her day. Their time at his family’s home had really cemented their friendship. After she’d promised to always be in his life, Clark had held her close, and their friendship deepened. They were no longer the Billionaire business man and the cleaner in her mind. They were simply Clark and Bella, two friends who enjoyed spending time together. He was her first real friend, and she adored him. She checked the clock again to see if the hands had moved faster. This was how her life had become, clock watching. She grabbed the cloth and started wiping down surfaces while also taking used plates and trays back into the kitchen. The othe
Tiredness consumed Bella, and for once she was pleased she wasn’t cooking. Clark drove them to his apartment. Her eyes widened at the sheer size of the building in front of her. He punched in some numbers, and then he was driving underneath the building. “You live here?” she asked. “Yeah. It’s nothing like my parents’ home, but this is where I live when I’m not with them.” “This is insane. I can’t believe you want to spend time with me when you could be here.” “It’s lonely, Bella.” She kept her mouth closed after that statement. Clark had opened his heart to her the last time they were at his parents’ house. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t worry about it.” He parked the car, and together they made their way up to his apartment. She stared at their reflections in the metal door of the elevator. Clark wore a designer business suit while she wore her cleaning uniform. They were like chalk and cheese. Her old tattered purse dangled in front of her legs. They were p