Daring The Billionaire

chapter three

"Excuse me, miss," a man's voice called out to her and she turned fast, not expecting anyone outside. Simone saw the man that had hit her with an instrument case earlier when she walked into the restaurant.

He had dark hair and his face had a rough stubble that she found extremely attractive. But it was his eyes that were his best feature. Icy blue that looked like they could see into her soul.

A soul she did not want anyone to see because they all thought she was weak and could interfere and meddle with her business as they pleased. Simone thought to herself, her anger intensifying.

"You again? What is wrong with you men? Can you not just leave me the hell alone? Can you not tell when a woman is not interested in your egotistical shenanigans? Piss off will you?"

"I just-.." Simone cut him off by turning to the car door that was opened by her bodyguard, who gave him a sympathetic smile this time.

"Lester, I should not have to wait for my own car on the sidewalk like some commoner," she snapped as he got in the driver's seat and started the car.

Lester ignored her and switched on the radio to Michael Bublé's "It's a beautiful day".

It was only after Simone had sat in the back seat of her car did she realize that she had been rude to the saxophone man. He probably just wanted to apologize for bumping into her but she had blown up on him.

It was not really her fault. Well it was, she thought to herself. But this time she had a valid excuse to be in a pissy mood. The excuse was John Stein Junior or, as he likes to be called, J.J.

Simone was supposed to have a business dinner with John Stein senior to discuss the investment he wanted to make in Shanti-Goddess. At five-fifteen, his personal assistant called to move the meeting forward to six instead. That was not a tussle, since Mira had friends at Marbles and was able to reschedule the reservation. The problem was J.J. being there instead of his father.

Before the starter was even ordered, the man had the nerve to open his big mouth.

" If I had known you were such a nice piece of ass, I would not have been so reluctant to meet with you," J.J. said with a smirk. He had been checking her out as she walked towards him.

Simone never really followed gossip but The Steins had been friends and business associates of her parents for years. From what she had heard about J.J. she knew she would not like the man if they ever met. Now they had finally met and she was right. She disliked him.

"Excuse me!" Simone responded.

"I mean you are hot. When dad told me about this whole business I had pictured troll," he said.

The media called him a serial playboy but Simone was already coming up with new words to describe the man sitting opposite her. The one on top of her mind was an immature jerk.

The waiter came and Simone found herself ordering a whiskey on the rocks. She needed something to throw back to resist throwing something at the man sitting in front of her.

"And why would you have pictured me as a troll, if you don't mind me asking?" Simone asked, wanting to understand why he thought she was unattractive.

"Well, from what I was told, you were getting a bit old and had lots of money. Rumors also say you are uptight. So I figured a tight-assed troll," J.J. said, giving her another smirk.

"I'm glad I did not meet your expectations then," Simone said with a tight grimace.

"I am glad too, imagine being married to that. No man in his right mind would agree with that. But I have to say, by seeing you now, having you as my wife would be pretty sweet," he informed her, then turned to signal the waiter.

Simone found herself blinking a few times in shock. J.J. was now ordering something but she paid no mind as she looked at the man-child before her. Was he crazy or something? She asked herself.

"How old are you?" Simone finally asked when the waiter had left without her ordering because J.J. had ordered for her too, apparently.

"Thirty-five. Why?"

"Just curious as to what in heaven's goodness would make you think I would even contemplate getting married to you," Simone spoke, then turned to thank the waiter who brought her whiskey.

"If you want my company's investment, marriage is the only way," J.J. informed her, making her scoff.

"You mean your father's investment, right?" She reminded him.

"It's going to be my company, therefore, my investment." In Simone's opinion, that company was better off being left to a ten-year-old than being left to the Neanderthal in front of her.

" And my father is the one who came up with the marriage contract idea with your mother in the first place," J.J. continued, but Simone had paused when he heard him talk about her mother.

"My mother?" she queried.

"Of course, but now seeing you I think I can handle being married to you. I was just watching your hips swing as you approached and I fell in love."

"With my hips?" Still trying to figure out how her mother was involved, Simone was just paying half attention to J.J.

"With you my chocolate-flavored dessert," he said as he took her hand in his and tried to kiss it.

Simone had had enough of J.J. to last a lifetime and she had a bone to pick with the meddlesome woman who gave birth to her. Claire Njopera was getting out of hand. Simone took her whiskey and threw it back before getting up.

"I honestly do not think I can continue with this meeting. I'm going to have to go, Mr. Stein," she said as politely as she could given the anger that was multiplying in her at the thought of her mother's meddling.

" Call me J.J., we are going to be married soon," the jerk said oblivious to her mood.

"No offense but I would not marry you even if you and I were the last human beings on earth. Tell my mother and your father that next time they hatch this stupid idea." Simone told him.

"You would be lucky to marry me, sweetheart," J.J. said to her angrily.

"Then I'm f*****g happy my luck ran out this time around," she responded.

With that, she stormed out of Marble with her guard Lester right behind her. She was going to see her meddling mother and give her a piece of her mind. The saxophone man was casualty number one and she hoped he would not take what she said to heart. She might be a ruthless businesswoman but she was not heartless.