His Treasure

Lola

Lola

He did it again! Cutting our meetings off short, as if there wasn´t work that needed to be done. I rolled my eyes at the thought of it and got in my car. I didn’t understand him. The interview was going well until he just went on a rampage about what’s it was like being a novelist. I appreciated the advice, I really did, but I didn’t expect all of that in that very moment. I definitely didn’t expect the kiss he left on my hand before I left. Although that was a very interesting experience, I am happy that he asked to be my mentor. I needed someone like him to help me get where I need to be. The only problem with that plan will be trying to focus on my work with him breathing down the side of my neck. I felt like I was going to melt right in his office, but showing extreme amounts of affection too early with a guy can turn him off or give him the leverage to use you.

When I made it back to my suite, I thought of ways to avoid Anabella, but luckily, she wasn’t there. All I could do was lie in bed and think of Arsen. I hadn’t felt the weight of a crush in years and it made me feel like an irresponsible schoolgirl again. There was just something about the way he talked. His voice almost struck fear into my heart. Those bold eyes and pink lips. That slender body in that dark suit. I felt myself getting hot and breathing heavily, so I had to quickly take my mind off of the thought of him. I rolled over on my side and pulled my laptop onto my bed. I opened it and the last piece of writing I was working on appeared on the screen.

It was titled “Daisies & Apricot.” It was a short story I had written about my past lover who always brought me daisies and apricot-scented body scrubs. As I read over it, I thought that I would come across some similarities between my ex-boyfriend and Arsen, to give me a little hint as to why I was so attracted to him, but that wasn’t the case. Arsen was the exact opposite. He was challenging. All of my past boyfriends were very sweet and submissive. Their personalities fit so well with my dominate behavior. They all fell to my knees the moment they saw me, but Arsen Lockhart was different. He saw me and felt attracted, but he didn’t fall to my knees like the rest of them. He remained strong and determined. That’s what attracted me the most about him.

I was so used to being around childish little boys that thought being over the age of eighteen made them “real men,” but Arsen was a real man. Strong, hardworking, dedicated, and stern, all while being confident. He had everything he wanted in the palm of his hand and he could control people however he pleased. Except for me, of course. I liked him too, but I wasn’t that easy. I was a tough cookie who took a while to be cracked, so if he thought he could have me falling to my knees in a couple of days, he had another thing coming. I smiled, closing my laptop and putting it on my bedside table. I had a man who had my dream job and also had a thing for me. Why not use this to my advantage?

I took one red rose and one white rose from the vase on my desk and carried them to the bathroom with me. I needed some time to relax and to also care for my skin, so I ran a warm bath and added the petals from the roses, pink salt, and a few drops of lavender oil. When I first put a foot in, I felt the warm water kiss my skin and it automatically put me to ease. I played my favorite album on my phone and just relaxed. This was everything that I needed.

I was about three songs in when my phone began to ring. I dried off my hands on a small towel and picked up my phone to see who it was. My eyes widened at the name on the screen. Arsen Lockhart. What was he doing calling me after our meeting? Hopefully it was to tell me why he ended our session so quickly. I hesitated a little, then answered. For some reason, it felt really good to hear his deep voice on the other line.

“Hello, Lola,” he spoke, not saying anything else.

“Hello, Arsen. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“I’m trying out this new restaurant tonight and I want you to come with me.”

“Well, Mr. Lockhart, I-”

He cut me off. “I’ll pay for everything and you can ask me any of the other questions you were going to ask earlier today.”

“I guess dinner wouldn’t hurt …” I trailed off and sat up in the tub.

“It wouldn’t, so I’ll pick you up at 7:30. I’m wearing a navy blue suit, so work around that.” And before I could even get a word out, he hung up. I guessed I was going on a date. I sat there genuinely confused and sort of turned on, but I quickly shook off the thought and began to wash off.

When I got back to my room, I looked in my closet and thought to myself, “What do you wear on a date with a billionaire?”

I had to look like arm candy. Arsen Lockhart wouldn’t just go out with any girl. It was 6:30, so I just laid out my clothes and started on something else to pass the time. I decided on a simple black dress that hugged my curves, with a pair of heels. I straightened my hair and put on light makeup, but I made sure to wear a bold red lip.

“Where are you going tonight?” I heard Anabella speak from the door.

“Out,” I replied simply.

“Yeah, sure, Lola. Have fun with Mr. Billionaire.” She chuckled and walked away. I didn’t know what upset her so much about my going out with an older man, but I was a grown woman. If I wanted to date someone much older, I had every right to.

I rolled my eyes at her remark and walked over to the bed to slip on my dress. I felt so beautiful with it on. I never wore it because my mind was too focused on my studies to go on dates. To go anywhere at that. All my life consisted of was writing. I remembered that when I was around eighteen or nineteen, I knew how to balance being a party girl and still getting everything done that I needed to do. That sadly wasn’t enough for me, though. I wasn’t reaching as much success as I wanted, so I completely cut out partying and having fun at the age of twenty, and here I am today.

I was twenty-one years old and had butterflies before going on a date. There was nothing wrong with that. I just always thought life would turn out differently for me. Maybe that was why I was so open with Arsen. It might not seem like it on his end, but I didn’t usually even give guys the time of day, so he was lucky. I felt that he could be that missing excitement that I needed in my life. I was just so used to being by myself without any distractions. I wasn’t sure if a relationship was what I needed right now, but I was willing to try it out.

My phone lit up, showing a text from Arsen. It said that he was outside and that his driver was waiting for me. I laughed a little and slid on my shoes. I didn’t even know why I expected for a billionaire to drive himself to a restaurant. I made it outside and saw the driver open the back door. I kindly thanked him and got inside. Arsen sat, watching me get in the car with a smile on his face. His teeth were the whitest I’d ever seen. All of his teeth were so perfectly straight that it was mesmerizing.

“You look absolutely stunning,” he spoke.

“Thank you. You look good as well, Arsen.” I blushed slightly at the nickname he gave me.

The ride there was lovely. I got to see the view of downtown at night, while music played softly in the background. The air was fresh while blowing through my hair. I felt like my nineteen-year-old self again. I heard a chuckle and turned to see Arsen watching me.

“Having fun there?” He smiled.

And for the first time, I actually smiled back. “I am, actually. I’m feeling a bit nostalgic”

“I understand.” He nodded. “Go out with me more often and you could feel this all of the time”

The smirk on his face made my stomach drop. “As pleasing as that offer sounds, I’ll have to see how the rest of the night goes before I make a decision”

He shrugged with a smirk on his face and turned to face the window as we pulled up at the front of the restaurant. I waited for the driver to open my door and thanked him after. I looked up at the big, white letters.

“The Crystal Room,” Arsen spoke, reading my mind. He grabbed my hand, causing me to tense up and pull my hand away. “It’s okay, Lola. I don’t bite.”

I nodded and he grabbed my hand. “At least not too hard,” I heard him mumble as we walked in.