Chapter 5
Let's get married~
OLIVIA
I have worked for Bartholomew Hades as his personal assistant for two weeks.
Two good weeks.
Two weeks of excruciating pain and longing. Two weeks of planning for several blind dates for him.
I wondered why a man like him would be going for blind dates. He could go to the streets of New York and get as many women as he wanted, all for free.
Two weeks ago, Mr Hades had sent me a message to meet up with him and talk. I declined the message, telling him it would be inappropriate to talk to him outside the office, considering our relationship.
I think that message had triggered something inside him.
He rarely talks to me; he keeps his distance, and if we're five feet close, he would back away as though I reek of cheap perfume, but I know that's not the reason, so I try my best to ignore him and do my job perfectly, and I think it's been going well.
I had a word with Rachael over the phone, and she told me Mr Hades had spoken well of me and she was happy.
Meanwhile, I'm seated in my office, typing away on my laptop when the intercom buzzes.
I pushed my chair back and walked to Mr Hades' office.
Bartholo— Mr Hades glanced up, and our eyes met.
For a few minutes, we continued to stare at each other until I looked away.
"You called for me, Mr Hades?"
He gestured for me to take a seat. I frowned, sitting down on the soft couch that was softer than my bed.
I don't know when he came over; I must have been so deep in my thoughts when Mr Hades sat beside me.
So close that the heat radiating from him felt impossible to ignore.
"Hello, Olivia." He said, and I stiffened, eyes dilated, but I kept my gaze on the table in front of me.
That wasn't the voice we've used for communication ever since I became his employee.
That was the voice when we were strangers with a two-night stand history.
"Look at me." The command got me looking so fast, and a memory rushed up my foggy mind.
••
"Look at me, love. You look away, and I stop; you get that?"
••
He seems to know what I'm thinking about as a smirk curls on his lips.
"Mr Hades," I called.
The name seems to displease him, but I don't care as I scoot back, giving us space in between.
"How have you been?"
"I've been perfectly fine, just like yesterday," I answered.
Play cool....
"Well, I'm not." The reply got me snapping my gaze back to him as quickly as possible.
Is he sick? He looks fine to me.
"I went to the bar two weeks ago and also last week. It was stupid of me to think I'd find you there, but I decided to think I would, so I went there and waited for hours, but you didn't show up. Not that I blame you." His gaze was unwavering as he took me in, as though he was seeing me for the first time, yet so hungrily.
"We're still at work, Sir."
"Would you speak to me if we're not?"
"No. We should keep this relationship professional, Sir. You're my boss, and I'm your employee. Nothing good can ever come out of this." I replied.
Office romance was considered the best kind of romance, until you're being handed a sack letter with no clue what you did wrong...only because your boss was jealous of a male worker.
Ask Bella; she could give you a report on how that almost ruined her life professionally.
"And what if you're not working here? I could give you a job that doesn't entail you being my assistant."
All so we could have s*x? The s*x was perfect; it was everything dangerous and sweet, but for how long?
How long would I be doing the same dance, all over again?
So he would become a third? Fourth? Fifth night stand with nothing attached?
Bartholomew drops a file on the table.
"My trust funds are not accessible and will be donated to Castle Greens if I fail to comply before my birthday, a month from now. My grandfather was one infuriating bastard and decided he would trap me with marriage because he knew I would never get married." He continued.
I frowned, flipping through the pages of the file.
"Why wouldn't you get married? Are you against marriage, or did you just decide it would be best to stay single?"
"Why do people marry, Olivia?"
"Because they care for each other so much, they don't want to ever be apart. They get married before God and man because they love each other." I said.
"Not every marriage is real or before God and man. Some just do it for show."
"Like you're going to?" I asked, glancing at the marriage contract staring right back at me.
"Is that why you've been going on blind dates? You're searching for a candidate that would fill in the position of a dutiful wife? That's insane. Why not just marry for love?" It still baffled me why he would do such a thing.
He would be lying before God and other family members who would be there to celebrate the big day with them.
"I did go to the blind dates, and none of the candidates was up to the job."
So, it was true.
Each woman I vetted for a blind date these past few days was for marriage?
I blinked, suppressing that sharp sting of jealousy that was crawling its way up my throat.
All this time, I've been planning his wedding without my knowledge.
It hurts... thinking about it.
"Marry me, Olivia Benedict Hayes."
What?
My eyes widened to an unbelievable size.
I was still trying to process the fact that I had spent days preparing other women for him, and he throws this at me.
To marry him? Was this a joke?
"I....I don't understand, you just said—"
"That I need a wife for two years, and I want you to marry me. Be my wife for two years, Olivia Benedict Hayes, and name anything you want. Name it, and it's yours."
TBC