Omorfia and the Beast

Chapter Two

“To be honest, I asked how much piercings she had, not how she looked.” Bash Linchfield stated matter of factly as they got out of the car and the old man shook his head with a smile.

Since the car accident that took place which took his eyesight, his boss became rather bitter and annoyed at anyone and anything; now when he had his eyesight it was a different story. He wouldn’t describe his boss as a womanizer but Bash certainly had an eye for beauty, especially a beautiful woman, thus he found it fitting to describe how Omorfia looked in case he was wondering.

They entered the house and for a short time went their separate ways but after a few minutes passed Richard met with his boss in the study to speak about the nights occurrences. “How do you not know she is making all this up?”

The younger man asked, playing with the whiskey glass in his hands, the iceblocks clinking on the glass. The old man beamed. “I have already contacted the hospital and they confirmed that miss Bradshaws father is indeed awaiting a heart transplant however there is issues with payment. In fact they informed me that if the Bradshaws doesn’t pay up soon, the hospital will have to send her father back home.”

Bash gave a slow nod as if thinking very deeply about what he was told. “So this means the money we gave her obviously will not do the trick.”

Richard gave a nod and then realized he had to reply too, clearing his throat. “I am afraid so sir.”

After another moment of silence, Bash got up and held out his glass. “Take me to my room please, I need to do some thinking.”

Richard obliged and took the glass from his boss, placing it down on a nearby table and then assisting Bash down the hallway to his room. Just as he opened the door to help his boss in, Bash turned towards him. “Just how does she look?”

And there it is… the curiosity.

The old man smiled. “Well sir, she is short but slender with a small waist; actually well built. Her hair is brown with light streaks in them, from what I could tell she has long hair but I couldn’t see exactly because it was tied up in a bun. Her eyes are blue with sapphire like shine to them. Her skin is milky white, could perhaps do with a tan to be honest…”

Bash seemed to listen attentively and then just like that turned away from Richard. “Good night Richard.”

Once home, Omorfia took a warm shower in which spend almost a hour in. Amazing how a shower would always feel like a therapeutic session. She felt tired but not sleepy and decided to get some studying done, slothing over to the living room where all her books and paperwork laid sprawled out on the floor. She remembered the wad of cash she received and she took it out of her gowns pocket where she placed it earlier.

Her mouth almost dropped open when she realized how much she really was given, a full round amount of eight hundred dollars. She carefully placed it down on the coffee table warily looking at it. It wasn’t much but it was a start.

Much better than the mere two dollars she made in tips earlier, and if she saved it up she could also start searching for a new job at one of the other restaurants in town. Manhattan is big after all….

Omorfia wasn’t sure just when exactly she fell asleep or what the time was but she woke up to the sound of a knock on her apartment door. For a moment, she sat up groggily staring at nothing until the knock sounded up again but with a bit more urgence than before. She got up and made her way to the door almost falling over her study work and let out a curse that could be heard by the person on the other side of the door.

She opened the door still rubbing her shin. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Richard but before she could even start to freak out or to get creeped out with the amount of stalker vibes his appearance just gave off, he stood one side revealing the same man she served with the obnoxious redhead the previous night. She felt herself going pale, thoughts of fear welling up, thinking that she was going to be threatened or something.

“Good morning miss Bradshaw. I’m terribly sorry for showing up like this unannounced however I need to share this news with you.”

She wearily looked at Richard and realized that she was still dressed in her night gown and she uneasily wrapped her arms around herself. “Exactly what is going on here?”

If she sounded a bit defending she meant it. This whole situation felt and honestly looked bizarre. The man who she learned was called Linchfield took a step forward, “What Richard here is trying to say to you is that he was not entirely honest with you. He is not just a caring old man, he is also my personal assistant and after the whole ordeal last night I asked him to find you….”

“You mean the ordeal with that b***h who caused me my job.” Omorfia interrupted him with annoyance in her voice and Bash grimaced.

“You can call her as you please miss Bradshaw. I am not here because of her.”

Her guard seemed to go down and she looked a little more surprised than afraid now. “Oh?”

She was waiting for an explanation but the younger man took another step closer. “Look I would like to talk to you about something important however I am honestly not sure it is something to be done here in the open.”

Realizing that she forgot her manners for a moment, a blush crept over her cheeks. She opened the door a little bit wider. “Please, come in.”

Bash turned to Richard, “ I will let miss Bradshaw assist me from here Richard. Please wait for me.”

The old man smiled. “Of course sir.”

He took a step back and Bash held out his hand towards Omorfia. For a fleeting second she looked at his hand in confuse and then it struck her that the man was blind and she took his hand in both of hers.

She silently lead Bash towards the living room, looking very guilty as she spoke up. “Please mind your step Mr. Linchfield, my living room floor is a bit of a mess with all my study material sprawled out.”

He didn’t reply her but when he took his seat, he held on to her hands. “Final year of law isn’t it?”

She gulped, feeling awkward with him holding on to her hands like that. “Yes… Would… would you like some coffee or tea?”

Bash let go from her hands and sat back, taking off his sunglasses which fully revealing his face now. He didn’t look bad at all. Strong facial features, aristocratic nose and dark brown eyes. The only thing that might look out of place was the scar that ran over his eye downwards to his cheek. He actually looked lovely.

“Coffee please.”

His voice brought her back from her daydream and her cheeks burned red, suddenly very glad the man was blind because she was staring at him like some lovestruck teenager. “It will not be the same fancy coffee you’re used to though…”

“Its fine. I like my coffee strong with two sugars and milk please.” She almost felt irritated that he had the audacity to tell her how to prepare his coffee but then she reminded herself once more that the man was blind, she had to be more empathetic.

“Ill be right back sir.”

She scurried off to the kitchen, made the coffee and returned to Bash, carefully handing him the cup. “I hope its fine Mr. Linchfield.”

Bash turned his face towards her, sensing that she was taking a seat next to him. “Please, drop these formalities. I’m Sebastian Linchfield, not sir or mister.”

Another blush crept up her cheeks, “Only if you agree to call me by my name as well. Miss Bradshaw feels like I am at class.”

He gave a nod, “Deal.”

For a few mere seconds there was silence in the room as they each took a sip from their coffee and then just as she was about to ask why exactly he came to her, Bash spoke up again.

“First of all, I am deeply apologetic about last night. Whatever occurred last night was uncalled for, and then secondly more to the point….”

She held her breath up wondering just what he was about to say. Perhaps he was there to tell her that Miss Clarke was burned and she was being sued but then he continued- “Richard shared with me about the predicament you currently find yourself in and after a lot of thinking I have a proposition to make you.”

Omorfias back stiffened a bit. “I am under no circumstances a charity case Mr. Linchfield. You do not have to feel guilty over your friend causing me to lose my job, I have always managed to make it and I am pretty sure I can do it now as well.”

There was a bit of ice in his voice when Bash spoke up after her rendition of the brave and strong girl she is. “You do not need to go over in to attack mode. No one here is showing you pity or feeling sorry for you. I came here because I am in need of your services and you need a job.”

Realizing that she is too quick to pick a fight when it came to anything personal she inwardly took a deep breath before she got all riled up by the use of services in his sentence. “What exactly do you mean?”

He sat up, turning his face towards her. “You see after the car crash where I lost my eyesight and my fiancé, I have had multiple care takers which never seemed to know what they are doing and on top of that I have long lists of women trying to wiggle their way in to my life since I am a man of importance which I can not always maintain whether or not they are genuine or not-“

He took a sip of coffee and continued-“Mostly they are not genuine, plain Golddiggers but without eyesight obviously I cant always determine this….”

Omorfia silently listened, wondering what this all had to do with her, but when he went silent she knew she had to respond. “And?”

Bash’s face had no expression whatsoever when he took his last sip of coffee and held out the cup, continuing: “And this is where the job offer comes in. I am making you the offer of you marrying me…”

“Excuse me what?!”

Omorfia almost yelled out interrupting him as the mug fell out of her hand with a loud thud on the floor. Luckily it was carpeted thus the cup didn’t break. “The offer I’m making is quite good Miss Bradshaw. You see in marrying me I will pay all your fathers hospital bills and you will also receive a monthly allowance.”

Her eyes widened, still not believing that she heard him right. “And what exactly is it that you will be getting out of this whole deal you are offering me?”

He could hear the sneering sound in her voice and there was a slight smile tugging on his lips. “Nothing s****l I can assure you. You will only be my wife in name, this is simply a way for me to safeguard my heritage and business against unwanted characters, and you can keep me company on days when needed.”

“And how would you know if I am maybe not in fact one of those unwanted characters?” She was still in disbelieve over this outrageously ridiculous proposal.

“Miss Bradshaw, I might be blind but that doesn't exactly make me stupid. I have done my homework; I know exactly what and who you are and believe me when I say that I thought this through well enough to have made this decision.”

“I didn’t say you are stupid. I just don’t understand why exactly you would make me, a complete stranger, this proposal.” Omorfia retorted still looking at the man as if he was completely out of his mind. “You need the money and I need the services I mentioned.”

He replied as if it was that simple and Omorfia sat back giving a slight laugh. This really is ridiculous… “So?”

Bash had his face turned to her once more with lifted brows and she shot him another look. There was some kind of dominance about him, almost arrogance yet it suited his gorgeous face. “I .. honestly don’t know what to say.”

“You can say accepted, or deal, whatever you prefer. You want the money, I want your services, as simple as that.”

He started moving, indicating that this discussion was over and that he was going to leave now and she got up as well. “It really isn’t as easy as that Sebastian! This is a life altering decision, and to be frank even though you might say you know all about me, I in fact know nothing about you. What if I get used or abused or better yet end up working as your s*x slave. And for the love of god please stop using the word services… it makes it sound even worse…”

He was throning over her, his frown deepening as he listened to her rambling. “You are a smart girl aren’t you… I will give you until tomorrow to answer.”

By the end of this sentence he held out his hand indicating that he was done talking and ready to leave. Omorfia still felt severely shocked over all of it. When they reached the door he slightly turned towards her before she could open the door. “And for the record, when I say services I do not by any chance mean s****l services. I do feel you have to get your head out of the gutter.-“

There was a small pause and Bash turned himself completely towards her, tracing from her hand up to her arm, realizing that she was still dressed in her night gown which gave him a sort devilish smile as his hand found her face, cupping her cheek. He leaned in, so much so that she could feel his breath slightly touch her lips which send a sensational tingling through her body. “Now since you do keep mentioning and acting like the word services means more than I intend it to be, we could always make an alteration to the deal.”

Her eyes widened as he moved even closer and then his lips touched hers with an almost hunger. For a moment she forgot that she wanted to get mad, as her body simply just couldn’t help but to react to his touch and she felt herself giving in to the pleasure but as she felt her lips slightly part away for him to enter her mouth with his tongue, she gasped pushing him away, her eyes spewing fire.

“How dare you!”

He turned away, “By the way you reacted to that kiss tells me it wasn’t completely undesirable. Please call Richard, I would like to leave now, and remember, you have until tomorrow to answer me.”