Chapter 3: The Inaccessible
Brielle
"Give me that phone."Hera grabs the handset from me tossing her silken Ginger red hair over her shoulder.
"Listen here Javier, if you want Brielle's workplace to be more opened to the world you'll do this pep talk for us to Mrs. Sicilio tomorrow, capiché? Make her agree." Hera can be ratchet at all times.
"Good. Brielle will call back and tell you when to meet up with Mrs. Sicilio, We'll see you tomorrow." She snaps my cell phone shut.
"Sorted. All we need to do now is decide where and when. Call him." She holds the phone out to me. My stomach twists.
"Call De Leon, now!" I scowl at her and reach into my mini purse for his business card. I took a deep steadying breath and with shaking fingers, I dial the number. He answers on the second ring. His tone is clipped, calm, and cold at the same time.
"De Leon speaking," He said sternly.
I swear his voice sounds different from when we talked in real life, he sounds cold and stiff.
"Err... Mr. De Leon? It's Brielle Damara." I don't comprehend my voice, I'm so nervous. There's a brief pause inside and I'm quaking.
"Ms. Damara. How nice to hear from you." His voice has changed. He's surprised, I think, and he sounds so warm, seductive even. My breath hitches and I bloom. I'm suddenly conscious that Hera Crimson is staring at me with her mouth open and I dart into the bathroom to avoid her unwanted scrutiny.
"Err... I'd like to go ahead with the Arrangement with transferring to the mall, but tomorrow we'll have Mrs. Sicilio's words of agreement."
Breathe Brielle, breathe, my lungs drag in a hasty breath.
"Tomorrow, if that's okay. Where would I meet with Mrs. Sicilio that will be convenient for her? Shall we say, nine-thirty tomorrow morning, at my office?"
"Okay, well see you there." I am all gushing and breathy like a child, not a grown woman who can vote and drink legally in a place like Italy.
"I'll look forward to it, Ms. Damara." I visualize the wicked gleam in his blue eyes. How can he make seven little words hold so much tantalizing promise? I hang up.
Hera is in the exit door and she's staring at me with a look of complete and utter consternation on her face.
"Brielle Damara. You like him! I've never seen you so affected by anyone before. You're blushing."
"Oh Hera, you know I blush all the time, It's an occupational hazard with me don't be so ridiculous," I snap. She blinks at me with surprise.
"I just find him fierce, that's all. I'll make dinner then I need to study." I cannot hide my irritation with her as I open one of the cupboards to get my ingredients.
I'm in the depths of the stock room trying to keep my voice casual. "Okay, Hera Crimson, keep your ratchet on. " I chuckled, I never knew that Hera had an obsession with the De Leon's.
"I hope you collected his number today, bitch." Hera yells on the phone, nearly demolishing my eardrum.
"I have his cell phone number," I answered back and heard Hera gasp.
"The richest, most elusive, most enigmatic bachelor in the city just gave you his cell phone number?" Hera wheezed again.
"Er... yes," I replied rolling my eyes
"Elle! He likes you. No doubt about it." Her tone is decisive.
"Hera, he's just trying to be nice." But even as I say the words, I know they're not true. Enrique De Leon does nice but for Jace, he simply doesn't do nice, he does politeness may be, and a small quiet voice whispers. perhaps Hera is right.
My scalp prickles at the idea that maybe, just maybe, he might like me, After all, he did say he was glad that Iker didn't serve him coffee in the first place. I hug myself with quiet glee rocking from side to side entertaining the possibility that he might like me for one brief moment.
Hera brings me back to it now. I don't know if Mrs. Sicilio had agreed with his offer. I don't know if He'll be pissed if she disagrees because Mrs. Sicilio had been in parlemo streets for years before her husband Mr. Raul Sicilio passed away.
My mind was far away from my conversation with Hera on the phone but I came back with enthusiasm when she spoke again.
"Hmm... What about Javier?"
"Javier?" I shriek, unamused repeating the question.
I don't know why Hera is asking about Javier but all I know is that she doesn't like him for me.
"Yes Javier, your boyfriend," she let out in a mocking voice.
"He's not my boyfriend, Hera, " I warned.
"Why don't you ask him, he might be able to talk Mrs. Sicilio into relocating to the Mall, he'll do anything for you, then call Enrique and find out which side of the mall he wants Mrs. Sicilio to start the coffee business." Hera is irritatingly cavalier about Javier.
"I think you should call him." Hera snorts.
"Who, Javier?" I repeat the question knowing too well that she hates her questions being repeated.
"No, De Leon!" She scoffs. "Elle, you're the one with the relationship."
"Relationship?" I squeak at her with my voice rising several octaves. "I barely know this guy, it was just a cup of warm coffee and a strange conversation." I skim.
"At least you've met him," she says bitterly. "And looks like he wants to know you better Elle, just calls him," she snaps and hangs up.
She is so ratcheted at all times. I frown at my cell, rolling my eyes out at it. I'm just leaving a message for Javier when Cleo enters the stock room looking for a cup.
"We're kind of busy out there, Elle, " she says without acrimony.
"Yeah, um, sorry," I mutter, turning to leave.
"So, how come you knew the big shot? Enrique De Leon?" Cleo's voice is unconvincingly nonchalant.
"Well, I had to serve him coffee the day he came in and I didn't even know he was a rich person." I snuggled my nose.
"Enrique De Leon in Sicilio little coffee shop? Go figure," Cleo snorts, amazed. She shakes her head as if to clear it. "Well, I'm sure he's here because they bought this whole building and he needs Mrs. Sicilio to sign the contract before it gets demolished!"
"Yeah, that was the first thing that came from my mind since I saw the notice!" I grin at her.
"Anyway, want to grab a drink or something this evening, because I'll be going out with my other friends"
I always do say no to her, not because I don't like her or anything but I just don't like the kind of vibe she produced, grabbing a drink right now and even found out from Iker that she's a lesbian, I'm not judging her though, just saying.
"Isn't it a friendship dinner or something for you and your other friends?" I asked, not wanting to straighten In turning her offer down.
"But you are my friend too" she responded.
"Maybe some other time, Cleo. I need to study tonight. I have my final exams next week." I try to make her see the reasons.
"But it's just for one day " Cleo whines.
"Cleo, please?" I begged her, Clutching my cell and staring out of the window at the fading evening light.
"It's okay, I'll let it pass but promise me we'll go out together some other time!" She begs.
"No promises, but I'll try," I smile slightly as I walked past her.
Chapter 4: The De Leon Brielle A few minutes later, After dinner, Hera dozed off like a child who just sucked from her mommy's breast, leaving me with the trauma of my Fantasyland. I was restless, tossing and turning, Dreaming of smoky Alexander's eyes, long legs, long fingers, and dark unexplored places, his smile, and good manly scent. I woke twice in the night, my heart pounding. I scold myself. I punch my pillow and try to settle. "Am I falling for a stranger?" I asked myself, knowing too well that he's rich and popularly intelligent, why did he buys the building of the small coffee shop. _ After the meeting between Mrs. Sicilio and Mr. Enrique De Leon, which she agrees with due to the conversation she had with Javier, he summoned me to come and see him in the De Leon company residence, so I went with Javier a
Chapter 5: The Suprise Brielle Where are you, Enrique? I glance at Jace and he gave me an encouraging but wry smile, revealing his pure white teeth. "Your glance gives me some sort of clue that you might be thinking about my brother. If I may ask, have you fallen for him?" he wheezes. "Who said I've fallen for your brother? he's not even my type to start with." "I think you're very self-contained," he mutters. how am I managing that? No way, I just lied about my feelings for Enrique. Am I just another kind of hedgehog? "Except when you blush of course which is often. I just wish I knew what you were blushing about." He sips from his cup. "Do you always make such personal observations?" I query him.
Chapter 6: The clubbing idea!Brielle"What did you say?" I wince my nose in a child-like form, knowing that she's undoubtedly going To freak out. I have known Hera for almost half of my life. She is a screamer."Hera?" I called in a breathe taking tone."Yes?" She replied with a sharp breath."Don't shout, don't strike me, don't do anything crazy. So, I'm going to repeat what I said again." I watched as she did an infusion of breath in breath out,"Okay, Are you ready? " I inquired with an explanatory face.She grinned, doing what the Chinese do with their hand to comfort stability. "Okay, I'm good, ""Do you remember the tall, handsome guy from high school with dirty blond hair with glasses on? " I raised my misgiving eyebrow at her for confirmation.
Chapter 7: The wrong timing!BrielleIt's hushed. The light is dimed. I was feeling so comfortable and warm. I slowly open my eyes, and for a moment, I'm tranquil. I have no idea where I am.The headboard behind me is in the shape of a massive decor of a naked male and female. It's oddly familiar.The room is large and airy and plushly furnished in browns and gold and beige. My idiotic brain struggles through its recent visual memories."Holy Molly! I'm in the De Leon hotel, in Jace's suite,"I have been in a room similar to Hera's, and it looks bigger than my high school grades.
Chapter 8: The tea hormonesBrielleMy hormones are raging, my skin tingles where his thumb traced over my face and lower lip, I feel like squirming with a needy, achy affliction, and I don't understand this reaction.Hmm... Desire. This is desire, and this is what it feels like.I scramble out of his bed, frantically searching for my jeans, he emerges from the bathroom wet and glistening from the shower, still unshaven with just a towel around his waist, and there am I."If you're looking for your jeans, I've sent them to the laundry, "His gaze is dark. "They were splashed with your vomit.""Oh." I flush scarlet. Why, oh why does he always catch me on the back foot?"I sent my helper out for another pair and some shoes, and they're in the bag on the chair.
Playlist- Cute I think you're cute, I think you're cute, oh yes I do, oh yes I do, you think I'm cute? Yes, I think you're ugly, girl I think will need to go out on a date, I'll pick you up at night and we'll do a little something, ~|DRAM|~ Brielle "Do people always do what you tell them?" I tense up. "Usually, if they want to keep their jobs," he says, deadpan. "And if they don't work for you?" I ask with fright inside of me. "Oh, I can be very persuasive, Brie. You should finish your breakfast and then I'll drop you home. I'll pick you up at Sicilia's at nine- fifty when you finish, We'll fly up to Milan." I blink at him rapidly. "Fly?" "Yes. I have a helicopter and a private boarding airplane."
Chapter 10: The magical thingsDOMINANT & SUBMISSIVEWhen you think he's not right for you, and he's too exquisitely hot for you, you later find out he's not just your side Values. After you realize you like them ~|Printerst|~BrielleJace opens the door to the black Mercedes Benz, and I clamber in. It's a beast of a car. He hasn't mentioned the outburst of annoying me. Bitch.I glance at him. Jace is his usual polite, slightly distant self. How confusing. he starts the engine and reverses out of his space in the parking lot. He switches on the MP3 player, and The car interior is filled with the sweetest, most magical music Alessa Cara 'Scars to your beautiful ' playing. My senses are in disarray. So this is doubly affecting and sends
Chapter 11: The heartbeats in Milan Playlist- I'm with you (AVRIL LAVIGNE) He is punctual, of course, and waiting for me when I leave my workplace. He climbs out of the back of the Lexus car to open the door and smiles warmly at me. "Good evening, Signorina Damara," he says. "Signor De Leon ." I nod politely to him as I climb into the backseat of the car. Enzo, his bodyguard, is sitting in the driver's seat. "Hello, Enzo," I say. "Good evening, Signorina Damara," his voice is polite and competent. Jace climbs on the other side and clasps my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze that I feel through my body. "How was work?" he asks. "Very long," I reply, and my voice is pudgy.