The Billionaire’s Stripper

CHAPTER 14

I sat there in the passenger seat of the car while Michael McAllister himself drove me to a destination that I was not even sure of.

I mean, he had mentioned it to me, the place that we were going to have our dinner and it had been a name too bogus for me to keep in my memory, so I had decided to go with the flow.

The ride was quiet and the air of silence around us, comfortable. All through the ride, I couldn't bring myself to stop staring, rather admiring the man for all he was worth, and it seemed as though he got even more attractive by every second that passed. It was simply unbelievable.

"Miss Kelly," He called me officially, and I noticed a corner of his lips slightly angle higher as though he was drawing a smile at me, and I couldn't help but smile back, "You do stare a lot. Don't you."

That smile lingered on my face a whole longer and did not come off as I flirtatiously answered him, "I told you, Mr McAllister, I love staring at beautiful things."

He didn't stop smiling either and he said nothing more. That tiny smirk did not leave his face either and clearly, I could tell that I was making a good impression on him.

Or doubling the intensity of the already good impression I had on him.

I liked it. I liked the fact that I was making him smile. I mean, this flirtatious side of m was what got me this job in the first place and if I had to double my efforts to make him see that I was capable of being the one to be his bonus for his work, then, I would just continue.

After all, he wanted a bold and confident woman by his side. Someone that could come upfront to any situation without fear. Someone like that would excel in the business of Marketing. Someone like me who had the audacity to flirt with the upcoming CEO of the McAllister Enterprise.

We reached the front of a fancy building that I already presumed at first glance to be our destination. I smiled in contentment when I looked at it from inside of his car and it beat whatever luxury I may have imagined it to be in my head.

It was absolutely gorgeous and I was already feeling on top of the world, having walked into a place as stunning, flashy and beautiful as this, with Michael McAllister.

The entire day felt like a damn dream to me.

"Shall we?" He asked me like a true gentleman, and only then, had I noticed that he had even gotten the door open for me and with a smile on my face, a beet red colour punctuating my cheeks, I stepped out from the car and took his outstretched hands.

"We shall," I responded as he helped me down from the car and I tried not to blush too much and be too obvious with the way I was fawning over him.

Subtle, Rachel. Subtle is the key.

Michael McAllister took me by the hand and I felt like I would die when he made me hang onto his arm as he took me into the restaurant.

This close proximity between us made me feel like I was running mad. It made me feel like I was losing all my brain cells because as close as I was to him, I could feel it all, his body on mine, and his scent, his sweet scent of cedar and fine wine, dancing all around my nose.

This is a business test, Rachel. I had to remind myself of that fact. Not a romantic gesture.

The night was still young and darkening by the moment and it was a warm feeling being in this aesthetically pleasing beauty of lights and luxury. I walked in and was more impressed by the interior than the exterior.

The interior gave me a more vintage vibe. With shades of red and gold illuminating the entire space around me, tables and seats made of glass that shimmered and shined, dressed with fine linen of red and roses. Each table spaced out perfectly, as though they were planning on getting everyone their own personal privacy, and it all seemed to be table for two. Sweet Jazz music filled the air and it was a wonder to walk in here. I never wanted to leave.

The workers knew who he was and there were no two ways about that; We didn't even need to beckon anyone and quickly, they were at our call, leading us to a special table that I could see from my distance was created just for me and Michael McAllister — a table that would have made my mouth drop from the madding awe I felt on seeing it.

"You did all these?" I asked Michael with eyes wide in surprise.

I was surprised that he would go this far, really. But what was I expecting from a man who had billions harrassing him every f*****g day of his life? He was Michael McAllister after all. I should have expected him to go all out.

With the way the table looked, I could have sworn it looked like he was preparing a dinner date for someone whom he was proclaiming to the world as his to be wife. The table was beautifully arranged with the most pretty food that I had ever seen and they were arranged in first class taste, an assorted mixture of all sorts of food and expensive wine.

If I didn't know better, I'd have thought this man was about to propose to me and ask me to be his wife!

"I mean, I like being thorough in everything I do, Miss Kelly," He said to me, "That is not a problem. Is it?" He raised a brow at me as he helped me pull out a seat on our table and I laughed softly.

"Not at all," I said to him in response, taking the seat promptly, "I like to be very thorough myself."

"Really," He seemed to like that; he gave me an earful, "So, what else is it about you? I like to know more, Miss Kelly."

He returned my smile back before he waited for me to speak while pouring a glass of red wine into a little wine cup.

Meanwhile, I was fighting a lot of thoughts in my head and choking up intensely as I tried to come up with a suitable, in fact, the best way to start.

"Don't keep me waiting, Miss Kelly," He spoke to me as he extended the wine cup to me and I took it daintily.

I liked how he talked. Assertive. But gently assertive. He made you respect him with his manner of speech and if anyone feared him for it, it had to be because of how much it reeked of confidence and certainty. The man talked like he knew what he was saying. He talked in a way that made you feel he was undebunkable.

"Well, what do you want to know?" I asked him with that smile playing on my rose red lips, sipping softly from the glass.

"Start with what you did for a living," He said to me, "Before you found Ciel, that is."

I felt a log in my throat, but I forced it down immediately and feigned a character of control and confidence.

"I remember you said you had no specific work experience," He said to me, "But there must have been something you were doing to survive, right?"

"Is this the part where I start telling you about how I used to be an ex waiter and escort, Mr McAllister?" I joked.

He laughed. He actually laughed. Of course, it was a joke to him.

"Be serious, Miss Kelly," He said to me, "You have an impeccable sense of humor, but I am genuinely interested in knowing more about you."

"Okay," I said with a smile, thinking of something quick to say. Some lie to tell. Anything that would make sense. "I used to work some jobs online."

His eyes piqued with something akin to interest.

"Something along the lines of Marketing," I further went on with the lie, hoping and praying that it would make sense to him.

Fortunately, it seemed to.

"Freelance Marketing?" He asked me.

Piquing, I jumped like a bird at that suggestion and snapped my fingers.

"Yes!" I agreed, "I used to be into Freelance Marketing. Yhup! That was it. That was, um, my whole life in a nutshell before I got a job at Ciel!"

Michael seemed to be buying that s**t. He also seemed to be more interested in it and that made me worried. Worried that I would fumble at this, because I knew nothing about freelance Marketing or how it worked. Lord, help me.

"That's awesome, so what companies did you work for?" He asked me.

"A lot of them actually," I answered in a heartbeat.

"Like which one?" He asked me.

I blinked at him, dumbfounded.

"Which company did you work for?" He asked me again, and I didn't know how to make it clear to him that I heard him the first time.

"This hair company," I started. I was fumbling. God knows I was talking rubbish, but hopefully, I didn't look stupid while at it and my forced behavior of confidence would make up for it and make it seem like I was actually saying something that made sense, when I knew I was about to do the opposite, "This company in Australia…."

"Hair company in Australia," He repeated my words with a slight frown on his face and I nodded, carrying it along like a total i***t.

"Yes, they sell hair and.. and make-up products too!" God help me. "And some body lotions once in a while. They, um, they are known for their cosmetics and—"

"Quiel Cosmetics?" He asked.

I jumped at that. Snapped my fingers again at his suggestion.

"Yes. I used to work for Quinn Cosmetics," I said to him.

"You mean, Quiel," He corrected me with a little chuckle and a raise of his brow.

"Isn't that what I said?" I laughed too and I was relieved when he let that little slip up go.

"That's amazing," He said to me, "I know the CEO of Quiel and I was always wondering how she managed to get her sales so steady. Now, I know the secret behind her success. Wow."

"Hehe," I cringed at my own laugh and hoped he didn't pick that up, "That's me! I'm the secret. Hehehe."

"I feel honoured to have you here," He said to me.

"Well, I feel honoured to be here," I said back to him.

"I feel like I already know everything I need to know about you to hire you as my bonus right on the spot," He said to me.

I laughed. Again, that cringe CRINGE laughter.

At least, he was impressed by me. That was what was the goal here and I was not failing at that. Thank God.

"But, I am interested in knowing more about you, Miss Kelly," Michael said to me.

"I thought you said you knew enough," I said to him with a little laugh.

"Not just for the job," He made it clear to me, "You interest me."

I tried my best to hide my red cheeks from display, but that was a total failure.

"I want to know more about you as a person, Rachel Kelly."