Chased by the billionaire

Keeping things professional

 Archer

“Archer Cullen.”

The sound of my name on her lips makes my head snap up and take her in. I am shocked to see that she is dressed so casually, but then again, she didn’t have much of a warning before she came into work. The jeans she has on are molded to her legs and ass and I have the urge to growl at every male in there like an animal and then lick her to mark my territory. I hate having men look at her with hungry eyes, but I really can’t blame them. She has comfortable looking sneakers on and a Supernatural t-shirt. With her glasses on, she looks the complete picture of a sexy geek. She looks good enough to eat and I quickly make my way to her, wanting to get her alone and away from all these hungry, lust filled eyes.

She turns and I follow her to what I assume is the testing room. She tells me to take a seat and then starts asking me about my health history and I start to wonder if she even recognizes me. She doesn’t show any sign that she even knows who I am. Did I not leave an impression on her? I want to ask her if she remembers who I am, if she remembers that night at all, I know she wasn’t drunk, if she was, she would’ve slurred her words or swayed or given some indication. I want to say something, but she keeps asking me question after question, not giving me a chance to say much. She gets up to move the equipment in front of me and I see her hand tremble and realize that she is just as nervous as I am. Is she nervous about who I am or because she remembers that night. I decide to test the waters.

“You still have my shirt, or did you throw it away the second you got home?” I ask her the second she sits down. I can’t see her with the thing in front of me, but I hear her breath hitch and I know she remembers.

“Listen, this is my work place, I would really appreciate it if you would keep this professional.” She says and I lose my momentum. It is clear that she doesn’t want to talk about that night and for the first time, I feel like I am out of my league.

“Sorry, I meant no disrespect.” I tell her sincerely.

“Apology accepted.” She says and then gets to work, turning knobs and making me look through different lenses. When she is done, she tells me that I have perfect vision and have no need for glasses. I already knew these things, because I go for all my tests every two years as requested. She gets up and walks to the door but I beat her to it, keeping it closed.

“Can I take you for dinner some time?” I ask her, hoping she will give me a chance.

“I’m sorry, I am dealing with some things right now and my life is just a bit of a mess right now. Just give me time to get on my feet, I have your number now and I will call you as soon as I have my life under control again.” She says and her tone of voice makes it clear that I shouldn’t press. I can see the exhaustion in her eyes and the sadness there too and I wonder what had happened in the last six months to make her look so tired. I nod my head and then bend down to give her a kiss on the head.

“I will wait to hear from you then.” I say and then open the door and head to the receptionist to pay. I look back at her office and see her still standing at the door looking at me. I give her a smile and she returns it, but it looks sad, more like she is saying good bye, rather than she will see me again.

I make my way to my mother, needing to have someone to talk to. My mother has a big estate on the outside of New York, about an hour’s drive from my house. On the way there, I keep thinking about the sadness in Gwen’s eyes, about the sad smile she gave me. I wish I could ask her what is going on, wanting to help her, but I am still a stranger to her, the fact that we had mind blowing s*x for one night, not making a difference. I have no right to question her about her personal life.

When I got to my mother’s estate, she was already waiting at the door, she was probably looking at the camera at the gate. My mother and father were high school sweethearts, my mom being a cheerleader and my father the football captain. They got married right after school and seemed happy enough, until my mother fell pregnant with me three years later. My father never wanted children and when he found out, he left. My mother was heartbroken, but she kept her head held high and finished her studies. When I was five, my mother and her sisters’ decided to open their own event planning company and they have been going strong twenty two years later. My mother helped me buy my first company right out of school, supporting my ideas and always making sure I go after my dreams. My father tried coming back into our lives when he found out my mother had made her first million and said he was sorry for what he had done. My mother had told him to walk away, that we were better off without him. At first I was angry, wanting to get to know my father, but when I was sixteen, I found out for myself what kind of man he really is.

I found my father at a street corner, begging for money and I gave him $200 without telling him who I was. I watched him, wanting to see what he would do with the money. He got up as soon as he thought I was out of sight and I followed him as he made his way to an alley. He gave the money to some shady looking guy and the man gave him a small bag of powder. I knew what it was and I was furious. I confronted him, and he simply told me, to f**k off, that he is who he is. I was hurt but finally understood that my mom had seen what he had become, something my young heart and eyes couldn’t understand.

I get out of the car and walk into my mom’s open arms. This woman right here is my world. She has been my rock and my wings, supporting me in everything. No matter what I went through in life, she was always there, through the good and the bad. I always promised myself that if I ever got married, it would have to be with someone as strong and pure of heart as my mother.

“It’s good to see you my baby, but would you mind telling me what is with the sad eyes?” I could never get anything past this woman. My mother never remarried, but she did play the field, not that I like the idea of that, but she is still young and beautiful, men young and old seem drawn to her beauty and that just gives me the creeps. I have had to threaten a few men away from my mother over the years.

“I went to see her today.” I know I don’t have to explain to my mother, she knows me too well.

“I knew you didn’t want to tell me her name, but may I ask why now?” She asks as she leads me into the house.

“It’s been six months that I couldn’t get her out of my head. I needed to see if she felt the same before I would ever be able to move on, but things didn’t go as I had hoped.” I tell her and her eyes turn sad before determination takes over her face.

“Mind telling me now, what her name is?” She asks with a raised eyebrow and I shrug, what damage can it do.

 “Gwen Fitzpatrick, she owns…”

“I know who Gwen Fitzpatrick is.” She says before I can say more and I look at her in shock. “She tests my eyes every six months before I have a new set of glasses made, I love their unique brand of frames and she has designed a few of them personally for me. Last I heard, she walked in on her boyfriend that she had been dating for fifteen years, cheating on her with a blonde bimbo. She was devastated and ended up getting drunk at a bar and woke up the next morning in the arms of the most attractive stranger she had ever met. I had never seen that girl blush so much, but she made me laugh with that story, little did I put together that you were the guy she left shirtless in the hotel room. I should’ve put two and two together sooner.” She says and I stare at her with my mouth hanging half open.

It’s good to know that I had also left an impression on her, but a bit awkward that she talked to my mother about the night we had spent together. Of course she probably didn’t know it was my mother she was talking to, but still. I also realize that I might just have been one wild night for her, a way to get back at her ex for cheating on her. I really don’t hope that is the case, or I am really out of luck when it comes to her. Maybe after six months she will be able to move on, I just have to find a way to convince her that I am the man worth moving on for.