Chapter 16

Meadow

I wake up to a dark room and an empty bed. Looking out the window, I notice it’s still dark outside and there’s no trace of Jamey anywhere.

Had he really just left me here? The least he could have done was wake me up before leaving.

“Jamey? Are you in here?” I call out.

I get out of bed, unlock the door and walk into the lobby. It was even darker.

Squinting around, I see something moving but I couldn’t tell who or what it was.

“Hello? is anyone there?” I say quietly.

No response

“Do you need some help?” I ask again.

Still no response.

It was getting closer.

My first instinct is to run or go back into the room but I’m frozen in place, helpless, useless.

Out of nowhere I feel an arm around my neck tightening, suffocating me.

“Stop, please stop. Let me go.” I scream at the top of my lungs.

I couldn’t breathe, my body shook aggressively. Hot tears poured down my cheeks and I was getting dizzy, my legs threaten to give way for the ground.

I try fighting back but the man is too strong.

It was getting closer.

I cry louder, “Please, I’m begging you, let me go.”

The man doesn’t stop coming closer, he’s right in front me. Before I could get a good look at his face, the arm let go of me and the figure slaps me hard across my left cheek and I fall to the ground, my knees bruising in the process.

I hadn’t even noticed the blood dripping from my nose when I feel hands on me, hitting and grabbing me.

It was too much, all too much.

So much pain but nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

“Pleaseee….please don’t.“ I beg for my life

“Meadow!” I hear my name echo from around me.

Too scared to respond, I hug my knees to my chest and lay on the floor, sobbing.

I hear it again but louder this time.

“Meadow” I feel someone shaking me hard.

It was Jamey’s voice but I couldn’t see him.

“Meadow, wake up”

What the fuck?

I open my eyes to see Jamey staring down at me with a worried look on his face.

It was a dream. It was all a dream.

“Are you okay?” He said wiping the tears from my cheeks.

I stare at him blankly.

Was he serious? After all that had happened the night before, he shut me out, made me feel used and worthless right after making me feel special and priceless. He had no right to be caring now.

“Don’t touch me” I say slapping his hand away.

“Meadow…”

“Leave me alone Jamey ”

I get out of his bed and walk back to my room still shaking from the nightmare I just had.

Jamey

“Self-sabotage” Omar says at the other end of the line

“What?”

“That’s what you’re doing, it’s called self-sabotage”. He says again

“I’m not self-sabotaging anything, Omar” I say, buttoning up my dress shirt.

“Yes you are. You could have fucked her, but you didn’t. You could have won the bet, but you didn’t. Why? You keep taking one step forward and ten steps back!” His voice more eager than I expected.

“She wasn’t ready” I say playing back the events of last night.

“She wasn’t ready?” I hear him laugh. “What is she, a child?. Dude just say you want more time with her, you want more than this bet. And it’s fine if you do” I can hear the smile in his voice.

“If I did fuck her, I wouldn’t enjoy the win. Like I said she wasn’t ready.”

“Okay whatever, so what happened after she let you into her room?” He’s curiously getting the best of him

“Nothing, we talked, I apologized then I went back to my room, showered and slept. What was supposed to happen?”

I ask fully knowing the answer

“Jesus Jamey! You talked? Are you serious? Not even a kiss? That’s poor dude” I could beat the disappointment in his voice.

“It’s a bet Omar, there’s no feelings, no affection, no lovy dovy shit. Strictly for the bet, so no kissing, it’s to intimate.” I said staring at a blank space in the wall

“Whatever dude. Just get on with it , you know sleeping with her is one part of the bet, and getting her to fall in love with you is other.  And one is easier than the other, so play your cards right.”

“Okay. I have a meeting, Bye”

I hang up.

Ok so I didn’t tell Omar the full details of what happened last night.

Did it matter?

He was on a need-to-know basis and he didn’t need to know.

He didn’t need to know how glorious she looked with her legs spread wide open for me,  he didn’t need to know how beautiful she looked moaning and whimpering my name like I was the only person that could make her feel that way, he didn’t need to know how badly I wanted to stroke myself to the sound of her sexy moans and how badly I wanted to be at her mercy and most importantly he didn’t need to know how all I wanted to do was hold her and watch her sleep.

This was self-sabotage at its finest.

The trust was that I didn’t hold her not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t know how to.

When I woke her from the nightmare she was having, I didn’t know what to say to make her feel better, to make her feel safe, to make her feel comfortable.

How could I? After making her feel worthless a few hours ago. This was all new to me.

I let out a deep breath.

This bet was harder than I expected.

After about 45 minutes, I’m fully dressed and ready for my meeting. I take the elevator down to the lobby and see meadow waiting for me in a sexy tight corporate gown, paired with black heels and her hair in a messy up bun.

Gorgeous as always.

“We have 3 meetings today Mr. Salvador” she said looking down at her phone.

Mr. Salvador? Back to formalities, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Each meeting should be a one hour tops, so you should be done by lunch time. I also made a lunch reservation for you here, but if you would like me to change that, let me know. The driver is waiting for us.” She started to walk towards the exit.

“Meadow… wait.” I say holding her wrist.

She turned and gave me a death glare. If looks could kill, I would be six feet under.

“We’re going to be late, sir. And I would prefer to be addressed as Miss white” she pulled her wrist free and walked to the car.

I couldn’t help but grin as I watched her walk away.

I liked her feisty, things had just gotten interesting.

The first two meetings fly by but the third was agonizingly slow. To make matters worse, meadow didn’t sit next me. All secretaries were assigned to a separate section of the conference hall.

It was very stupid and unnecessary if you ask me.

Doing my best to pay attention to the speaker, I hear her voice from somewhere behind me. I turn slightly to see meadow talking, smiling and laughing with another secretary.

A male secretary.

What on earth could he be saying that was so funny? She had never laughed or smiled that much around me. Infact, she had never laughed with me, ever.

The longer I stare, the more I notice how her body naturally leaned into his, she was comfortable, too comfortable.

She wasn’t that comfortable with me. She even went as far asplacing her hand on his thigh. The sight made my blood boil.

I turn my attention back to the meeting, fighting the urge to walk up to them and punch him hard enough to break his jaw, but I ignore.

I don’t care. Why should I?

There was nothing between us but a bet. A simple, stupid bet she knew nothing about.

But I hear it again, louder this time. Her giggle.

I couldn’t resist, I turn again and he see him whispering something in her ear, she was blushing.

Why the fuck would she be blushing?

She knows I’m watching her because she slowly raises her head and looks in my direction. Our eyes meet, and a devilish smile appears on her lips. I watch carefully as she turns to him, writes something down on a piece of paper then slips it into the palm of his hand, while still looking at me.

That was it. I couldn’t take it anymore.

I get up and walk straight in their direction but before I could reach them, she gets up, winks at the guy and walks towards the exit.

She was doing this intentionally, she was playing with me. Why?

I had two options, walk up to the guy, break his jaw and get banned from this meeting for life or go after meadow and teach her a lesson.

I choose the latter.

I didn’t care about him , he was beneath me. He wasn’t even attractive, she could do better and I was better. Far better.

Was this jealousy? It couldn’t be, I was better than him. I could give her things he couldn’t dream of giving her, I could make her feel things she wouldn’t even know it was possible to feel.

I am better than him.

Taking long strides towards the direction she left in, I get a sense of Deja vu. This is the second time I’m chasing after MeadowWhite.

Fuck.

I was losing my mind but I couldn’t stop.

What is she turning me into?