Chapter four
1331 Words
HE CAME CLOSER AND she stiffened. He bent and picked something up, holding it to her. “Someone of your capabilities does not deserve a wasteful death.”
Millie noticed the purple of her glasses. She took it and put it on. There was a c***k on one lens but it wasn’t so bad that she couldn’t see.
A gasp escaped her lips and she faltered. Logan Forest reached out to steady her.
“Easy now,” he says, before letting go. “I don’t want you dying on me.”
“You’re the CEO,” Millie said, unable to believe her eyes.
“With you, on this roof.” He added, taking a step back and bringing his hands back into his pocket.
“What do you mean, ‘I have something that you want’?” Millie asked.
“You see, I have thousands of employees scattered across the country and three other continents. Yet,” he paused, “none of them has brought an idea to me that I bit into: hook, line and sinker. It surprises me, I had to see this Millicent Whitlock.”
“You liked my idea?” Millie asked, pushing her glasses up her nose.
“All of them, in fact. Although, I’ld like to make a few changes. With you, that is.” Logan said, “It is highly unfortunate that those pictures are going around but, your personal life is none of my business, or any of the morons’ down there. All I want is you, your untapped creative. Your mind is wired different, Miss Whitlock. You are made for greatness.”
Millie turned back to face the world. “Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it?” she snapped, irritated. “I don’t care what you think. It wouldn’t matter anyway if I was dead.”
“Miss Whitlock,”
She turned her head to look at him.
“You can decide to take a step out there and give everyone the satisfaction of saying that the guilt and shame killed you. Or,” he took a step closer, and held out his hand. “you can take my hand. Take my hand and I’ll make those photos disappear, I’ll make everyone forget it ever even happened.”
“You don’t have that kind of power,” Millie whispered but the wind carried it to his ears.
“What’s in it for you?” Millie asked instead, ignoring his outstretched hand and looking into his light grey eyes.
The billionaire smiled, bringing his hand back to his side. He had to think of something. He was offering to help her, which in turn helped the company. But, what did he stand to gain? He was a business man, for crying out loud. Profit should be at the fore front.
His phone vibrated in his suit pocket and he excused himself to answer it. It was his secretary. “Yes?”
“Mr. Forest, there is a certain lady at the lobby who claims to be a minister’s daughter. She wants to meet you.” the secretary explained.
“Send her away,” Logan replied, about to take his phone away from his ear.
“Unfortunately, sir, when you left, the Chairlady called personally and told me to let her in. She is enroute to you, now, sir.”
“Alright.” Logan said, resigned. He had a new idea. He turned back to meet Millie. “It seems that we might need to speed things up.”
“And?” Millie asked.
“I want you to be my girlfriend.” Logan said, coolly.
Millie spluttered. “What? Hell no.”
Logan was not suprised. In fact, he had expected the reaction. “For play, Miss Whitlock,” he began, “My mother is on my neck about my love life and she has currently sent the minister’s to meet me here.”
“On the roof?” Millie asked, eyes widening.
“With you, on the ledge. Yes.”
Millie shook her head and went back to the topic at hand. “So you want us to lie to the Chairwoman?”
“I prefer pretend.”
Millie narrowed her eyes and muttered the word “pretend.” “For how long?”
“A few months. As long as I deem fit. I do not intend to extort you, Miss Whitlock. Be rest assured. You’ll be compensated for your work. And as a bonus, I’ll help you crush your loser boyfriend.” He held out his hand again, counting down the seconds until the minister’s daughter would barge into the rooftop.
Millie didn’t know if it was her emotions or the high from standing at the edge of the eighteen-storey building for so long but, she put her hand, lightly, in his.
“Ex-boyfriend.” she said, firmly.
The billionaire looked almost relieved. “Yes, my apologies, the ex.”
And it didn’t matter how much she loathed billionaires like Logan who cared more about money and were calm, collected while doing it. It didn’t matter that she hated the air of arrogant confident he had, she was going to accept the deal.
The door to the rooftop moved and on impulse, Logan pulled Millie towards himself. He kept her on top of him and beared the brunt of the fall as she lost her balance and fell.
Despite how much she tried to get up from him, Logan held onto her.
“Stop moving,” Logan almost snapped, “you’re making this more uncomfortable than it already is.”
Millie froze.
Logan pushed her bangs to the side of her head and looked into her chestnut eyes. They reminded him of his mother’s obsession with the man who had brown eyes. It was another reason to hate the cosmetics chemist.
He tilted his head back to make sure his audience of one was watching. Indeed, the young woman stood, sunglasses in hand, her perfect eyebrows lifted. She put her glasses on. “I’ll be waiting in your office, Mr. Forest.”
Logan exhaled as she left. This was not going to be an easy one to get rid of.
Millie hurried to her feet and wiped imaginary dirt off her clothes. She cleared her throat. “Give me a warning next time.”
Logan was not in the mood to correct her tone. “My apologies.”
He sat up and flexed his arm. It was starting to sore from the fall. He stood. “How dirty is my suit?” and then he turned his back to her.
Millie couldn’t surpress the small smile that tugged on her lips. “Dirty enough that you would hate me.” That much she knew about Logan Forest. He was a clean freak.
He clapped his hands together. “Perfect! Let’s see how much she likes me dirty.”
Millie said nothing.
“Will you be okay, Miss Whitlock?” He asked. He didn’t care about her, he didn’t just want someone as resourceful as her to take the jump the moment he turned away. “If you would like, you can hide out at my office until you’re ready.”
“No,” she snapped, “I don’t want your pity.”
“None given, Miss Whitlock.”
He was going to wear her name out.
“Besides,” she added, “why put off the inevitable?”
Logan liked that. He liked it so much that he thought of buying a frame that held those words. “Then I suppose I must see my guest and break a few hearts.”
Millie ignored him, put on her heels and made for the door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Whitlock,” He said it like he was so sure that the sun would rise tomorrow. He was sure that he would see her.
“You will, Mr. Forest.”
Then, she was gone, slamming the door behind her.
- Writer
