Chapter 03 A Proposition
1084 Words
Raven
Richard stood up and walked up to me. His eyes trained on me as if he had so much to say but won't. He placed his hand under my chin and stared into my eyes while I remained frozen, allowing him to touch my face, and I couldn't tell why. I should kick him.
His eyes softened as if he was seeing me for the first time.
"Why will Caitlyn be jealous of you?" He asked, and somehow, I knew that question wasn't meant for me to answer, nor was it a compliment. I also suspected Caitlyn was the angry woman who just left.
"Since you say you are not an escort, why don't you do me a favour then? I promise I will make it worth your while," he said, and I pushed his hand and stepped away from him.
"I don't do strangers favours," I said to him, and he chuckled.
"Far from it, Raven. I like your spirit, and I believe you will be the best person for this job," he said, and I frowned at him.
I needed a job; I wasn’t well off.
I had been depending on Jane for the better part of our friendship, and even though I knew she wouldn’t complain, I had a problem with it. A job might be great, but there was no point in allowing Richard to see my desperation or my eagerness; businessmen always took advantage of such emotions. He already thinks little of me as it is.
If the job Richard is about to offer me is reputable, it might give me something to do, an opportunity to continue to care for my aunt, and I won't have to depend heavily on Jane for support. It was not like she was complaining, but I was.
"What is it?" I asked, sounding sceptical.
"Simple, you move in with me, and we pretend to be engaged," he said, and I frowned at him.
"Why?" I asked him.
"Will you do it or not?" He asked, and I chuckled.
"I would be a fool to say yes without the full information," I said, and he smiled.
"You are a smart one, I see," he said, returning to where he was sitting.
"'You see if I am engaged, my parents will stop trying to arrange a marriage between their friends' children and me; Caitlyn will also get jealous and realise that the French bastard she is with isn't the right person for her. She will come to her senses and beg me to get back with her," he said, and I suspected the real reason he wanted to do this was to get Caitlyn back. He seemed to loathe the French man.
I was sure he would; French men were romantic, a far cry from him.
"Don't you think it would backfire, and she would move on?" I asked him, and he looked at me.
"I read body language and reactions, Raven. Caitlyn was threatened by you just now. I have never seen her act in such a way towards anyone before. This is the first time. I know it won't backfire because she hates to lose," he said, and I frowned at him, wondering if the same couldn't be said about him.
"And what will be in this for me?" I asked, and there was mischief in his eyes even though he wasn't smiling.
"Other than the four hundred thousand dollars I will pay you for this, you get to make Derek Osworth jealous and regret cheating. It's a win-win situation for the two of us," he said, and my eyes widened when I heard him mention Derek's name.
"How did you.." I started, and he nodded.
"I had Thomas ask Jane about you before bringing you home, and she told him you had just gone through a bad break-up yesterday," he said, and I cursed under my breath, wondering why Thomas didn’t add the fact that I wasn’t an escort to the information.
"What do you say, Raven? Whether you are an escort or not, you deserve revenge. I will get my pound of flesh from Caitlyn and get her back, and you will get your pound of flesh from Derek and get him back if you want him," he said. I knew I should walk away, but it sounded like fun.
"Do we have a deal?" he asked me, and I studied him briefly.
"How long will it last?" I asked him.
"A year max, but I am sure Caitlyn will come to her senses before then," he said.
"What about Derek?" I asked him.
"I can make him pay and regret what he did, but getting back with you will be up to him," he said, and I shook my head.
"I don't want him back. I just want him to pay," I said, and he raised his eyebrows.
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," he said, almost amused.
"Well then, pay he will," he said and stood up to extend his hand for a handshake.
"I suppose we have a deal," he said, and I accepted the handshake to prevent myself from changing my mind.
I didn't know what I would be getting myself into, but I just hoped it wouldn't be too much and I'd live to regret it.
"Within this year, you are not allowed to get jealous, fall in love with me or get pregnant by me, should we find ourselves entangled in the sheets," he said, staring at me with his no-nonsense expression. I didn't care about his words. He wasn't the type to fall for. I just nodded.
I knew I shouldn’t, and I might be walking into a f****d up situation, but I couldn’t help my thirst for adventure and need for the financial freedom it would bring.
'"And one more thing," he added, breaking the handshake.
"You can't be an escort while we pretend to be engaged; it will be bad for my reputation. I will try to make it worth your while. Hopefully, Caitlyn won’t be stupid for long, so you can get back to your life," he said, and I got angry instantly.
"I told you I…" I started, and he nodded, walking away.
"They all say that. Just try to be respectful, Raven. My reputation matters a lot to me," he said and headed to the bedroom. I knew he had concluded our discussion with that, and I was mad that he had the last say.
- Writer
