The Millionaire's Girl

Chapter 6.

She was curled up on her couch with a novel in her hand when her phone started beeping. It was really weird though, she had looked forward to the mid term for so long and when it finally came she had nothing more to do but to stay home and read more novels.

She checked the caller ID and her eyes bulged as she saw Jamie's number pop up on the screen. She picked up the phone as quickly as she could while trying to calm her erratically beating heart.

"Hello Jamie. How are you?" She asked as her voice goes an octave higher than she wanted it to be.

"Hello Cherry. I hope I'm not intruding or anything but I'm almost at your apartment I have something very important to tell you" Jamie said and her eyes went over her messy apartment and her jaw dropped.

There was no way Jamie was going to see the mess that her apartment was. She wouldn't let him. She thought as she looked around again.

"Sure!!!" She said as she ended the call.

The first thing she did was clear the table of the leftover Chinese food she ordered earlier and picked up stray items lying on the floor.

The house wasn't that messy but one look in the mirror and Cherry could definitely pass as a hobo.

She put on the first dress she could see in her closet ignoring the frills and wrinkles and she ran a comb through her greasy hair and put it in a bun.

She hurried towards the bathroom using wipes to clean her face and hoping she looked the least bit presentable.

She was still contemplating changing the horrid gown she was wearing when the doorbell rang.

Shit!!! She thought to herself.

James looked as handsome as ever and dapper in his dark grey suit. He gave Cherry a small smile as she let him in.

"Nice to see you again Cherry!" he says as he enveloped her small frame in his large arms. The hug was brief and Cherry enjoyed catching whiffs of Xavier's cologne.

"Jamie! You look really handsome today." She said when he finally stopped hugging her.

He shrugged. "Thanks. How's the midterm break going?"

She squeezed her face for a moment.

"I told you about that?" she asked as she lead him to the couch.

Jamie nodded his head.

"Yes. You couldn't stop talking about all the books you plan to read and how you deserved a break" he said and she laughed a bit nervously.

Cherry thought it was cute he remembered.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink" she asked as she sat next to him.

"No, I'm all good. I just really had to see you for something very important" he said as his face turned very serious and she immediately started to worry.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, on the contrary everything is fine. It's just that my mum holds this huge charity event every year and normally I take my girlfriend to stuff like that, but now we're broken up and I really need a date. If I go alone my mum would use that as an opportunity to set me up with some other girl."

Jamie's face was tense as he talked to Cherry, he really wanted her to go with him but he wasn't in anyway going to force it.

"I want you to be my date to the charity event. That is, if you'd like to go with me?" he asked as he stared at her intently.

A charity event? She didn't think it was her kind of scene but it seemed really important to Jamie besides, she thought it'll be fun and good for her to go out for a while.

"Sure, I'd love to go" she replied.

"Thank you so much Cherry. You are a lifesaver." he said as he broke into a smile.

"When is the charity event?" She asked eagerly.

Jamie's smile faltered a bit.

"Tomorrow."

Her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped.

"You've got to be kidding me!!! No way Jamie!"

She said as she stood up from the couch quickly, almost stumbling over the couch.

Jamie supported her before she fell, holding her a bit longer as she steadied herself.

"Thanks." Cherry murmured.

"I'm sorry. I know it's short notice. Really short notice. But I think you can pull it off" he said as he brought out his wallet.

"Jamie! I've gotta get a dress, my hair done and all that stuff. I can't do all that in two days!!!" I exclaimed.

"I'm really sorry. I don't want to impose or anything but it's possible. Here's my credit card, you can use it to get anything that you know you'll need. I don't care how much it costs, I'll pay for all the expenses. I just really need you to go with me" Jamie gave his credit card to Cherry.

She looked at it weirdly. "Jamie I can't accept this. I can pay for my own dress" she said as she stretched her hand to give him back his card.

Jamie looked horrified.

"No, I don't mean that you can't pay for your own dress, I just want to pay for it, considering all the stress and the short notice. Please don't take offence to that."

She was quiet for a while. She knew Jamie didn't mean that she couldn't pay for her own dress. But she felt weird being that kind of girl.

But he did have a point, using his credit card would be much better because Cherry probably won't be able to afford the kind of dress they wear to such parties.

And she wouldn't want to embarrass Jamie by looking awful at the charity event.

Jamie must have taken her silence for a no because he suddenly said

"It's fine if you don't wanna go. I can always go alone. I'll just have to bicker with my mum the entire night as she tries to set me up with some girl" he chuckled nervously.

"I want to go with you. I promise I'll take care of your credit card and not spend too much" she answered as she looked at him deeply. He looked ecstatic.

He gave her another hug.

"Thank you Cherry. And I don't care how much you spend on whatever you need. I just want you to look amazing tomorrow night. In fact I know you'd look amazing."

Her cheeks warmed and they both stared at each other for a few seconds before his phone started ringing.

He answered the call and she looked away shyly.

He turned back to her after dismissing the call.

"I really wanted us to get something to eat or hang out for a while but I'm needed back at the office. Thank you again, I'll call you later today." Jamie said as he kissed her on the cheek and gives her a brief hug.

The moment Jamie left she picked up her phone, Becca would know what to do.

Becca and Alice were her two closest and best friends and Cherry knew that they would be happy to help her pick an outfit. Or even with something as simple as a makeover.

An hour later, Becca and Alice were standing in front of her doorstep grinning widely.

"So!! You have got to tell us all about this new man you're swooning over!!" Becca said as she sashayed into the room.

Alice hugged me as she pushed her glasses higher.

"You look great Cherry. Been a while. Are you nervous?"

"Yes, I am. It's a big charity event and I really don't want to let Jamie down."

"Awwn. You're calling him Jamie already."

Becca cooed as she turned to Alice who shrugged.

"I know! It's freaking cute."

After downloading the girls with as much details she could cram about Jamie into a rushed discussion, the girls were swooning over Jamie already.

"If the Charity event is the one I'm thinking, it is holding at Glendale tomorrow then we have lots of work to do!!!" Becca said as her eyes bulged out.

Cherry  started to freak out.

"I can't believe you're going out with James Lancaster!!! I can't even believe you've never looked him up!!" Alice said as she became engrossed with her phone, furiously typing away.

"He seems pretty normal to me." Cherry said as she shrugged.

Becca and Alice's eyes went wide with surprise.

"His parents are the crème de la crème of New York City!!!! His sister Daphne Lancaster now Daphne Pierre is married to the son of one of the biggest hotel owners in France and she's a very successful wedding designer. She makes wedding dresses and owns this really popular TV show 'The perfect wedding dress and let's not even get started on James!!" Becca exclaimed as she fanned herself enthusiastically.

Alice continued as she holds up Becca's phone reading out loud.

"James Lancaster is the co-CEO of LanWick firm, a fast growing architectural firm in New York, he is also the heir apparent to his father's million dollar company Lancaster corps. He has been on the page of a few popular magazines as the youngest and hottest millionaire to watch out for and last we heard, he's single!!!"

She thought about the first date they both went on together, everything seemed so normal and all she couldn't still wrap her head around the fact that James was that rich. She knew he was sounded like someone who had money but really she had no idea about him. She was even surprised Alice knew about him, well Alice read way too much magazines anyways so she was expected to know him.

All the information flooding her brain about James Lancaster was starting to make her very nervous about the charity event, especially if it was as big as her friends were claiming it was.

She was really nervous and she didn't want to let Jamie down. Most importantly, she didn't want to make a fool out of herself.