My Ex is a Billionaire

First Date

Beatrice

I can’t tell why it bothered him that I was going out with Ethan tomorrow, but I was angry that he even thought he had a saw in it. Still, he dropped it so quickly I wonder if it actually hurt him, or if it was just curiosity. The conversation had made me forget how awkward I felt when I first got here, but as we got back to business I started to feel nervous all over again. 

I had never imagined being in a room with him alone again. He’s professional though. He’s smart. I always knew he was smart, just not L.A lawyer smart, but he carries himself well. The night ends up going by quickly, but we still finish late at night. I find myself driving home at around midnight. By the time I actually get into my pajamas and under my covers, it’s 1am and my eyelids are heavy. Despite being tired, I still go on my phone for thirty more minutes, before I knock out. 

I don’t dream of Myles tonight, which I was glad about. I can’t imagine how much worse it would be if  I dreamed of him now that I actually see him again. I wake up to the sound of my phone ringing, I don’t even look at the caller I.D as I pick up the phone, and lazily say, “Hello this is Bea?”

I hear a chuckle on the other side, and I immediately recognize his voice. I sit up quickly, and look at the clock on my bedside. How was it already 12pm? I can’t believe I slept that long.

“Well, good afternoon Beatrice. Although I’m assuming it’s morning for you.” he says.

I clear my throat, “No, no I’ve been up. Just doing um, laundry.”

“So you don’t do laundry on Wednesday’s only anymore, I'm surprised.”

Of course he would remember that I always did, and still do laundry on Wednesday’s. What a stupid, and currently inconvenient thing for him to remember. “Yeah I do it on Saturday’s now. Anyway, were you still wanting to go shopping today?”

“Yes I was. I was planning on picking you up at 1:30 if that’s good for you, but if you need more time, just let me know.”

“No, no. That’s fine, I’ll be ready.”

“Okay, if you can just send me your address. I don’t actually have it anymore.” The way he says anymore makes me think for a split second about our old times, but I push it aside.

“Okay I’ll send it as soon as we hang up.”

“Great, see you then.”

He hangs up and I sigh. I rub my face to try and wake myself up more. I’m going to be spending my Saturday afternoon with Myles Ashford, and my Saturday night with Ethan Finch. I should probably tell Lauren, I’m sure she’ll freak out, but I don’t have time. I have to start getting ready. I text Myles my address really quick. 

I get up to the bathroom, and start getting ready. I’m glad it’s fall, because that means I get to pull out all of my favorite sweaters. I put on a burnt orange colored sweater, and a black skirt, with black tights. I pull my hair back into a ponytail, but I also add a black headband so it’s not too noticeable that I didn’t want to do anything with my hair. 

I decide I don’t have the time, or the energy to do a full face of makeup, so I just put on mascara, and lip gloss. As I’m swiping mascara on my eyes, I hear my phone beep. I close the mascara tube and see that it’s already 1:30 and Myles just said he was here. He was never this punctual, I guess that’s a new trait he has as well as many other new things. I slip on my black flats, grab my purse, and head out the door. 

There in a black sleek Lexus, is Myles. He’s standing outside the passenger door to open it for me. He gives me a sly smile and nods. He's in a casual beige t-shirt, with a leather jacket, and jeans. He looks so good in just casual wear as opposed to the suit I  saw him in yesterday. 

I can’t help but remember the first time he ever picked me up.

Beatrice Ten years ago

I was so nervous, I swear I changed like twelve times. I shouldn’t be this nervous. I told myself that I did agree to going on a date with Myles, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to let myself get all caught up in him the way other girls do. I also tell myself that I have to be on guard. I knew he and my friends assured me this wasn’t some kind of joke, but you can’t stop those feelings from surfacing. I wasn’t going to tell him how often I was thinking that though. If this was going to turn into something I didn’t want him to know right away that I’m not exactly the most optimistic person. 

I was pacing around my room waiting for him to show up. It was already 5:45, he said he would be here at 5:30. But he texted me saying he was going to be late, so it’s okay, it’s not like he’s M.I.A. I took deep breaths. Then sighed loudly.

It doesn’t make any sense. Myles Ashford was that mysterious bad boy that all the girls want to date, because on top of his bad boy demeanor, he was incredibly good looking. He’d been known to sleep around with girls from our school, and others, so why did I say yes?

Maybe it was because he stuck up for me in the middle of math class. I was late again. I didn't want to tell anyone, but it was my dad’s death anniversary so I had spent the entire morning crying. I thought my teacher would notice, because my eyes were so puffy and red, but she didn’t care. Instead she yelled, and threatened to write me up if it happened again. But Myles was the only one who noticed, and cared. So he stood up and yelled at her. Telling her that she had no right to yell at me like that for something that she didn’t even bother to understand. Then he went off about how the whole school was messed up. This turned the attention away from me, and to Myles.

I didn’t even get detention, but he did. For a week. So my friends convinced me I had to thank him. When they heard his detention punishment was cleaning the gym floors, I went there after school to look for him, and thanked him. Instead of just saying you’re welcome, he said I could thank him by going out with him. I made it clear that I wasn’t going to be like the other girls who would sleep with him in a heartbeat. He laughed. He really laughed and said that he expected that, so not to worry. I accepted and now I was in my room, with my heart jumping as I saw the headlights of a car pull into my driveway. 

I peeked out the window to make sure it was him, and I saw him getting out of an old Volkswagen. He had torn jeans, a leather jacket that I’d seen him in a thousand times, and a white shirt. I saw him walk up to the door and ring the doorbell. 

I panicked for a second, then ran over to the door. Before I opened I brushed my clothes down, and breathed. 

When I opened it, he looked at me, and I saw his eyes scanning me. A smile appeared on his face, “You look beautiful Beatrice Monroe.”

No one had ever referred to me by my last name. That was something people did to him, because he was just so much of a presence it demanded his entire name be said. Hearing him say my name like that I froze. Then he pulled out a rose from his jacket that I didn’t see before, and I melted.

He handed it to me, and I took it and instinctively smelled it. It was so beautiful.  “Thank you.” I said softly. He held out his hand for me to take. I hesitated and he said, “Don’t worry. I promise I don't bite.”

I rolled my eyes and took his hand, holding on to the single rose he gave me in the other. As we were walking down my driveway to his car he said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you a whole bouquet. Between scrubbing the gym floors and rushing to get ready, I didn’t have many options.”

“Thank you again, for sticking up for me.” I saw as he opened the car door for me. I slid in, as he leaned on the doorway of the car.

He shook his head, “Don’t worry about it really. I just hope you’re okay. I know you haven’t spoken with me much before, but I’m really good at keeping secrets.” He finished his sentence with a wink, before closing the door, and getting into the driver's seat. 

As soon as he’s in, I couldn’t stop staring at the rose. Not that it was a diamond ring of anything, I was just still confused that he wanted to ask me out, and he even brought me anything. People had always said that he was cold, and unapproachable, but it didn’t seem that way to me. I had tutored him a couple of times in English, and he was always respectful to me. Sure, the tutoring was forced on him by the school, but he was never rude to me, or anything like everyone made him out to be.

Maybe that was because I was actually nice to him from the start, and because I told myself not to be afraid, and so I wasn’t. So I spoke to him like a normal human, instead of the school’s rebel. 

He started the car, and started to drive. “So where are we going?” I asked. Eyes still on the rose, twirling it in my hands.

“I’m not really the date type. If you didn’t know by now. But I also felt like dinner and a movie was too cliche. We can’t go outside because it’s getting cold already. I was thinking about bowling maybe?” he answered.

I smiled, honestly I didn't think I was that hard to please, but it was cute that he did put thought into it. “That sounds perfect.”

I looked away from the rose, and saw he was looking at me. “What?” I ask, confused why he’s just staring at me like that.

He shook his head, and looked back to the road, “Nothing. It’s just… You really are beautiful, you know?”

I could tell I was blushing. “Um… Thanks.”

“I know you don’t believe me. I can hear it in your voice. So I guess I’m just going to have to spend the rest of today convincing you that you are.”

I was red as a tomato there was no denying that. He was so sweet. He was more than I could’ve ever imagined, and we were only five minutes into this date.