Chapter 2: Zeke Armani

Zeke Armani's P.O.V.

The thought that he's already considering and entertaining the idea made zeke's hands sweat. In reality looking at everything that has happened this could be for the best and if he intends on doing this he has to make the choice himself... He can't let diane choose his woman for him temporary or not, it's still his choice to make....

Right now he's on his way down the elevator on to the next building, all the women in New York City has been so giving and willing when it comes to him except one woman. A woman he had casually asked out and outrightly flirted with and yet he was politely turned down!

At this moment He hadn’t been this nervous since what? College? Zeke had always been confident when it comes to women especially the ones who fall at his feet with just a flash of his Pearly white teeth and hefty bank account. Asking out women was easy. He could smile and get any woman he wanted to hop in his bed for the night with hardly any effort. However, the idea of asking the woman he's about to meet now to marry him and maybe have his child to save his company made him nervous.

So, halfway down to the lobby, he decided he wasn’t going to ask her directly. He was going to take her to dinner. That made his palms dry a little, but his heart still raced in his chest. He still made him nervous. She had turned him down before. She was one of the few women that consistently told him no. He didn’t know why she said no to him. As far as he knew, she wasn’t seeing anyone, and even if she was, he was fucking Zeke Armani. No woman said no to him. The fact that she could say no actually made him like her more. She was unobtainable.

Maybe that was why his hands shook as the elevator doors opened. Maybe that was why the butterflies in his stomach suddenly came to life. He had done hundreds of high power meetings with men and women worth billions, their entire companies on the line, and he hadn’t been this nervous.

It had to be her. It has to be his barrister crush Blair!

He dosen't know why he wants her to be the one but the sensible part in his brain still says it all. She's motherly, suits the criteria he was searching, she's attractive and beautiful also from humble beginnings...

He took a deep breath, licked his lips, put on his smile as he walked into the coffee shop.

She was at the register taking an order for a customer. He watched her for a moment. Her brown hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail under her cap. He had known Blair for almost a year and half since she started working at Starbucks, at first she was shy when she first started out but now she runs the place like she owns it which shows she's a hard worker like he was although Diane would like to disagree on that ...

Also Blair isn't like all the other models he's dated or been with. He dosen't necessarily have a type when it comes with women, he can roll with any flavor but as long as the little spark of chemistry and desire is there. To him that's what keeps the sheet hot!

Blair wasn’t a model neither did she have their slim figure. She had real curves to her body that his hands ached to hold onto. She was real, which after dating hundreds of fake women, was suddenly very appealing. His hands started to shake again. Her apron seems to emphasize how curvy she looks both up and by the side.

“Mr. Armani, you’re back.” She looked up at him and her smile lit up her face. He felt warm just being with her and those damn butterflies started again. Now he understood the meaning when girls say they got butterflies just staring at him....

“Hello, Blair,” he greeted her. His voice cracked.

“What can I get you?” she asked, ignoring his voice crack for which he was thankful. How did she make him feel like a sixteen-year-old boy just by smiling at him?

“Actually, I’d like to get you something,” he told her. He leaned casually against the counter. “I’d like to get you dinner tonight.”

“Tonight?” Her eyes went wide.

“If you’re available.” His stomach knotted waiting for her to answer.

She chewed her bottom lip for a moment. “I can’t.”

“You already have a date?” he asked. He hated that his chest tightened. 

“Kind of,” she replied. She gave him a crooked smile.

It took him a moment to understand what she was saying.

“I’m babysitting tonight,” she clarified. She blushed, putting color in her cheeks that made him wonder where else she flushed when she was nervous. “But, I’m free tomorrow.”

Hope surged in his chest and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He’d asked her out before this, so he wasn’t sure why he was struggling with this now. Asking women out was kind of his specialty.

“Tomorrow is great,” he told her. He grinned. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

She winced. “Can you do eight? I work until seven.”

Not a lot of women had the audacity to change the time of a date with a billionaire, infact they wouldn't delay it but skip and just jump right into his pocket... She wasn’t making this easy. However, he smiled. “Eight it is. I’ll pick you up here.”

“Sure.” She looked like she wanted to say more.

“What?”

“What should I wear?” She gave a nervous laugh. “I think the nicest dress I own is acceptable for church or a wedding not sure if it suits the criteria for those fancy restaurants you eat at or get photographed at.

“You saw the news then?” he asked her not sure if to scream at the stupid press for invading his privacy like that... But a part of him liked that she was blushing which means the video had intrigued her and suddenly he wants to know what she's thinking..

He grinned. “Well I guess am fancier" he assured her. “How about I take care of everything? You just finish your shift, and I’ll take care of everything else plus the paparazzi.”

"Believe me I hate them now more than ever, their attention is costing me a lot"Zeke says grimacing 

She frowned. “What should I wear, though?”

“I’ll take care of that,” he told her. She didn’t look convinced. “I’ll get you something. And before you say I shouldn’t, I will remind you that I am a billionaire. And kind of your boss.”

“You are not my boss,” she replied, shaking her head.

“I own the building,” he said.

“Yes, but you don’t own Starbucks I work for them. You can’t fire me. You can kick my employer out of the building, but you can’t directly fire me. So, you’re not my boss,” she explained. He liked the way she smiled as she said it.

“Well, that’s good then,” he smiled. “I don’t have to worry about any of those pesky employee dating rules.”

She giggled and it made his chest tighten. How in the world was he still nervous? She already said yes to the date.

“Can I ask you something?” He kept leaning on the counter, trying to keep playing it cool. “I’ve asked you out before. Why did you say yes this time?”

She shrugged. “Because this time you meant it.”

Her answer threw him off guard. Where normally he would have been able to hold a smile, he was unable to this time. “I meant it every time.”

She shook her head slightly. “Not like this. This time you’re actually asking me. It’s different somehow this time. You mean it.”

She had no idea how right she was. “I’m glad you said yes,” he told her.

She grinned. “Me too.”

“So, I’ll pick you up here tomorrow at eight. Be ready for the time of your life,” he told her. He was already thinking of the best way to get her to like him. He was going to show her a great time so she’d want to say yes to his proposal to marry him and have his baby.

“Okay.” She grinned and hugged her arms to her body. “That sounds great.”

He flashed her his best smile and walked out of the coffee shop feeling like he’d just won the lottery. She had said yes. He felt like jumping into the air and shouting, but decided to just walk calmly to the elevator since he knew she was watching.

He grinned the whole way up...

Maybe he could trend for the right reasons this time and the investors stocks will rise once again...

The stock market will be dominated again...