Chapter Two
1294 Words
There he was. Billionaire James Wilson, standing in front of my apartment building, leaning on his really expensive car, waiting for me.
The only thing I knew about Mr. Wilson was that he owned a successful architectural firm, he wore a serious look on his face all the time, and he was my boss.
He straightened up when he saw me walking towards him. “Mr. Wilson, good evening. I was not expecting to see…you,” I said awkwardly.
He looked at me without an expression on his face. “You can call me James.”
James, it is. Stunned and speechless, I nodded and crossed my arms together, feeling extremely conscious. “Can I help you with something?”
“I wanted to thank you once again for agreeing to what we discussed earlier..my proposal, that is.”
I was speechless, again. I only smiled at him and, surprisingly, he smiled back.
He moved smoothly to the door of the passenger seat and opened it. He gestured me into the car and I got in without any contention, then he shut the door and got in too.
“So, where are we going?” I asked after minutes of silence.
A slow smile took over his very nice mouth. “Somewhere nice.”
I remained quiet until the car came to a stop on top of a hill above the city. The view was magnificent, and I couldn't help the grin that spread across my awe-filled face.
“I thought we should get acquainted,” he said, then stepped out of the car.
I followed him immediately to where he stood in front of the car. He leaned on the bunker and crossed his arms. His eyes were closed, so I stood beside him quietly.
“What is your full name?” he asked in a gentle, deep voice.
“Alyssa Olivia Clark.”
“Where did you grow up, Alyssa?”
“New England.”
He smiled with his eyes still closed and said, “That is nice. I grew up here in New York. I have a little sister named Amy. She is eighteen currently…I spent most of my childhood without her, but we get along just fine.”
“That’s lovely.”
He looked at me then with his gorgeous blue eyes. My God! He is beautiful.
“There are tears in your eyes.”
“It's the wind,” I responded without looking away from him.
“You must be cold then,” he said, taking off his coat. He wrapped it around me tenderly while a sigh of relief escaped my chapped lips.
“Thank you.”
He nodded and gave me a small smile.
“Do you come here often?”
“I do,” he replied, looking very serious, “It is quiet…less crowded.”
I giggled at his attempt at a joke. “Well, it's a great place. I love the view.”
He spoke again after we had sat in silence for a while. “You know…I could live out here alone. I’d just have my family with me. That is all I need.”
There was a simple, decent man beneath the fame, recognition, and wealth. I had just discovered him on a hilltop under a very beautiful full moon.
“What about coyotes and mountain lions and other creatures that lurk around these parts?” I was the one making jokes now, but he didn’t laugh. He only smiled at me.
We sat in comfortable silence, content in each other’s company. After pondering on the statement he made I spoke again, “I could do the same thing,” I said mostly to myself.
If he heard me, he did not act like it.
“Let's get you home.”
Standing in front of my building now, I wanted nothing more than to be back at that hilltop with…James.
“Thank you for tonight.”
“Don't mention it,” he replied, then reached for something in the backseat and stretched it out to me, “These are for you.” He looked serious now with a clenched jaw.
A bouquet of daisies. They were beautiful and unexpected. A warmth enveloped my heart as I sniffed in the lovely scent of it. “T-thanks...James.”
He gave a half smile and in a matter of seconds, he was gone.
The next day, I packed my things and in the early hours of the proceeding day, I was at the airport with James. I got to see the interior of a private jet…not just the pictures of it.
When we landed, there was a ride already prepared for James. I got the feeling he liked to drive himself around, even though he had the option of getting others to do it for him.
We got down to a view of a very beautiful, gigantic mansion. I took a minute or two to take all of it in as chauffeurs rushed to help James with the bags.
“James!!”
A smile spread across his face when he turned around and saw a pale white-skinned girl with blond hair and beautiful blue eyes.
Amy.
Her smile was so delicate that it made her look a lot like snow-white.
She ran down the path, majestically. With her hands in the air, she threw herself on her brother’s broad chest and wrapped her slender arms around him.
He lifted her from the ground as he received her. “Oh my God! I missed you,” she giggled and he laughed. A rare sight.
“I missed you too, kiddo.”
My lips automatically spread into a grin. It was a precious moment. She turned to me when he had set her on the ground.
“Hi Alyssa!” she said, beaming, “I have heard so much about you.”
I smiled back. “You have?”
“Yeah! Well, not a lot. You know…he only mentioned you like two days ago. I have been so excited to meet you ever since,” she replied while elegantly putting a lock of hair behind her ear.
My face flushed, and I slowly looked up to James, who stared straight ahead of us with a stern look on his face.
“Where are they?” he asked, looking at Amy now.
“At the pavilion.”
James interlocked his fingers with mine as we walked into the mansion. As outstanding as the mansion was, I was more conscious of James holding my hand.
As I admired the architecture and the interior decorating, Amy went on about a party that was to be held later that night.
“It is going to be so much fun. Everyone is going to be there, Alyssa. I really can’t wait...”
We stepped out into the garden and James greeted his mother, Janette, with a hug while she laughed about a compliment he had made.
They were all so pretty. It was in the family. James introduced us and I was completely surprised when she wrapped her arms around me, but I was glad.
“What in the world are you talking about? I trusted you with this, Paulo! How could you?”
All heads turned towards Mr. Wilson. He kept yelling at the person at the other end of the call while we all stared at him completely amazed.
Especially me.
“Fix this!” he said, frowning, then faced us.
The frown slowly faded from his face and turned into a smile as he turned his eyes to me.
A smug smirk took over his lips and he said, “Hello Alyssa.”
The look in his eyes sent alarm signals all over me, but I hoped I was wrong.
- Writer
