CHAPTER FIVE: Blackmail

AELLA 

I barge into the kitchen of the restaurant I'm working at and fling the half-filled tray on the counter. 'I wonder why the customers today were being extra bitchy and insensitive.' 

"Is everything okay?" Greg the restaurant's chef asks. 

"She said the egg was too salty." I respond angrily referring to one of our customers.

"It's a paprika-fried egg, it's supposed to be salty." He says while filling up another tray. 

I grab the tray and move towards the door, "Yeah, tell that to her." 

"Chicken and fries coming right up." I say with forced cheerfulness to my newest customer. 

After serving, I look at the clock and notice its time for my thirty minute break and I don't hesitate in heading out the back with a burger. 

I sit down on the back porch and groan into my hands at the unreleased tension in my lower back. Last night had been too much, we had watched movies and drunk a cheap bottle of tequila until we literally passed out. And then I had to wake up early this morning for my classes. 

My busy schedule had helped me douse the feeling of disappointment I had felt when through out half of day I didn't set my eyes on Roman. What with how he was demanding for my schedule and claiming he knew all about it. 

I finish eating my burger and take a large gulp of water preparing myself to complete the remainder of my shift when I'm interrupted by Grace. 

"Boss wants to see you." Grace says with a smile that shocks the living hell out of me. 

Grace never smiles, at least not at me. 

I pack up my water and follow behind her, allowing her to lead the way, "is there any problem?" 

"No there isn't." Grace responds while humming under her breath. 

When we get to the office, I hear voices inside, one male and one female, with the female voice obviously belonging to my boss. 

I'm not confused for too long as I eventually come face to face with the owner of the voice. 

I do a double take and I almost fall down if not for my grip on the doorframe of the office. 

"Hey baby, I was just telling your boss how we met." Roman says while smiling at me. 

My boss looks at me with clasped hands visibly swooning, "why didn't you tell me, Roman was your boyfriend?" 

I never took my boss to be a romantic at heart, while she wasn't exactly strict, we had never been close enough to have any kind of conversation that would lead to me telling her about my personal life.

"Well because he's not my boyfriend." I respond. 

"Oh, you don't have to lie to me, Rome here has told me everything I need to know." She says with a dazed look. 

"What am I doing here?" I ask cutting to the chase. 

"No need to be rude honey." Roman says in an admonishing tone making be flush beetroot red. 

Mel my boss clears her throat regaining a bit of her composure before turning in my direction, "your boyfriend here ——" she stops, correcting herself at my glare "—— Roman says you guus have an event to attend to together, and he needs me to give you the remainder of the day off." 

"No, we don't have any event to attend to, at least not together." I say, giving Roman a disbelieving look. 

"Yes we do honey, remember my dad is hosting a charity ball." Roman says with a smirk. 

"So what?, apart from the fact that I didn't know about the ball, don't you have some other girl you could force to attend with you?" I ask 

"What girl are you talking about?" Roman asks with a scowl. 

"The one you were dryhumping in that video." I say with venom. 

"Jealousy looks good on you honey." Roman says with a smirk. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" I sputter. 

"Oh to be young and in love again." My boss says with a dreamy sigh while sharing a smile with Roman and then to me She says, "as for you, you deserve a break, and even if you're not going to the ball with this tall handsome Knight, take yourself out." 

'Wow', I couldn't even believe my ears, it was an unspoken rule to never call off sick from work or stay home irrespective of the reason but now she was giving me the remainder of the day off just like that, well not just like that, but with the help of this jackal. 

Mel goes back to work without sparing me another glance. I know better than to push my luck, knowing I was going to use this opportunity to rest and sleep the day off. I move out of her office, not bothering to see if Roman is following me or not. 

I stop at the staffs licker and hurriedly change up while picking up my bag, I leave the restaurant through the back door, not expecting to find Roman and his signature wrangler jeep steaming idly while probably waiting for me. 

I ignore him, moving in the direction that will take me back to my dorm, what I don't expect is for Roman to roll his car at a snail pace in tandem with my walking step. 

The cars behind the jeep horn loudly, and a few start cursing, but when I look at Roman, he doesn't seem the least affected. Taking a page from his book I choose to ignore him.

When I'm sure it all becomes too much for him, he turns off the car coming to my side and before I could make a run for it, he lifts me up and deposits me in the passengers seat before locking the door from his key fob. He moves leisurely to the driver's seat, and when he is all settled in, he zooms off, heading out of college and into town. 

I have all but a second to wonder about his superhuman strength before we are stopping infront of a very fancy building which appears empty. 

"I didn't fuck her." Roman says breaking the silence. 

"Who?, my boss?" I ask sardonically. 

"Don't act smart with me, I'm talking about the girl from the video." He says in a serious tone. 

"Why are you telling me this?, I don't care." I respond, willing my heart to believe my words. 

"Huh, could have fooled me." He says before stepping out of the car. 

I don't wait for him to come to my door, I step out by myself, not willing to be manhandled again. 

"Next time, wait for me to open the door for you." He says in a patronising tone. 

"Oh, what a gentleman." I respond snarkily. 

He doesn't say anything to me, just places his hand on my lower back, leading me towards the entrance of the building. Now that I'm paying more attention, I notice the upper floor of the building was mostly glass. The style and design of the building screamed 'fashion house' and although I'm dying to ask him what I'm doing here, I hold myself back. 

Just like I had suspected, the building was almost empty, with the exception of a few people whom I presume are workers. 

"What am I doing here?" I ask. 

"The ball, remember?" Roman responds with a question of his own. 

"About that, I'm not going with you, I have classes tomorrow." I say to him. 

"I will get you back in time." He responds. 

"How about this, I don't want to go anywhere with you." I say while dragging my feet, trying to slow us down. 

"I wasn't asking." He responds while grabbing my elbow, forcing me to move along side him. 

"You can't force me." I say in a trembling voice, already doubting the veracity of my claim. 

"I can, and you know it." He says while stopping to speak to one of the workers. 

I don't get a word of what they're saying, but soon, one of the ladies is taking off dresses from hangers and placing them on my hand. When she is done with what she is doing, she leads me to a dressing room in the back to change. 

I place the dresses on the counter contemplating ignoring his orders. 

"Do you need help?" Roman asks in a clear tone from just outside the door. 

"No, thank you." I say hurriedly knowing fully well he was capable of doing exactly that. 

The next hours go in a haze of various dresses and one word affirmations or negation from Roman. He eventually settles on one dress which was red in color, floor length with a low neckline showing a hint of cleavage and with a completely open back. Needless to say the dress was exquisitely breathtaking. 

As we make our way back to the car, Roman makes calls with various people who are supposed to meet him at his apartment and I wonder what that is all about. 

"What time is this event?" I ask Roman. 

"By six." He responds.

"I don't want to go anywhere with you." I say coldly. 

"I think it's time." He says mostly to himself.

"Time for what?" I ask, almost freaking out. 

"Time to show you why you would come to the ball with me without making a fuss." He says while picking up a tablet from the backseat.

He hands it to me already turning it on, but before even looking down, I know whatever is on it or whatever he wants to show me will definitely not be good.