I
With his penetrating eyes, the Boss looked at Gerthel from head to foot and then he smirked. “You looked so conservative, huh,” he said with a lifted eyebrow. His hand reached for her chin and forced her to look at him.
Swallowing her saliva, Gerthel looked into his eyes and try not to bat. “Indeed, I am a conservative woman. Is it not obvious?” she retorted with bravery. She could not bear not to answer him back. If she can prolong the time in order for the Boss to forget about the real agenda why he called her to be in his room, it will be much better. There was mixed emotion in her, excitement and fear unlike her wolf inside who seemed to be purely excited to meet again their second chance mate.
“I can guess that you did not prepare in coming to me tonight.” It was a statement rather than a question which the Boss let out in a disappointed tone. His eyes never left her.
“My apologies. I was dragged in here without my consent. You see, Sir, I was a free woman, I have my own home when robust men forcefully brought me to that prostitution den, and then here comes your trusted man, buying me off from them just like a bag of fruit,” she said not hesitating to let out what was in her mind. “Let this egotistic Boss know that not all women come to his room to please him,” she thought while trying to never still bat an eye.
His eyes narrowed while looking at her as he let loose his fingers on her chin. “So, you mean, you were just forced to be here?”
“Yes!”
“A lot of women use that alibi to pretend to be hard to get. Your cost was not simply commensurate to a bag of fruit. You are definitely expensive for Ten Thousand Dollars.” His voice has that sarcasm that made Gerthel flare up.
She removed his fingers from her chin and with fiery eyes, looked at him. “I am not pretending. I can return your Ten Thousand Dollars if you will just allow me to go home now,” she said with confidence. “I can definitely pay you that little amount,” she further stated with her chin up.
His laughter filled the four walls of the room. “If you are not ready yet tonight, alright, I will let you go for now. But remember, you cannot use alibis the next time. Get out of here before I change my mind,” he sneered at her, his haunting eyes pierced into her like she was easy prey.
Gerthel practically ran out of his room, when he motioned for her to go. It was a chance that she will never let go without grabbing. She locked her door the moment she entered it, for fear that he might change his mind and follow her inside her room.
She was gasping for breath as she sat on her bed. “Until when could I get away from him?” she thought with a feeling of hopelessness.
II
For around two days, Gerthel felt relaxed. She did not notice the Boss, straying around his mansion.
“Hmm, Mr. Gab, where is the Boss?” she simply asked the Boss’ right-hand man, who looked at her with a malicious grin.
“Why are you asking, Ms. Gerthel? Do you miss him so soon?” he asked with such a malicious grin on his face, unfading.
Gerthel rolled her eyes and gave the man a quick shake of her head. “I just asked, nothing more.”
“Ohh, he is out of the country. He might be back tomorrow or maybe the next day.”
“Really?” she asked while a sigh let out from her mouth. She then smiled at the Boss’ right-hand man and let out a sigh again.
With a raised eyebrow now, Mr. Gab eyed her seriously. “Do not let the Boss ever feel that you are happy that he is not around. Do not let him feel that you do not like him or wanted him. Do we understand each other, Miss Gerthel?”
“Err, alright. My apologies,” she said, as she automatically erased the smile flashing on her face. She excused herself from Mr. Gab and walked fast to her room.
Knowing that the Boss was not around, Gerthel decided to succumb to the inviting water in the swimming pool after a few minutes of having her light dinner. She grabbed the two-piece swimming suit inside her wardrobe cabinet, wore them, and covered her body with a white bathrobe. But then, she opened the cabinet again and got the white shorts she saw, which she put on over her sexy bikini swimsuit. She then walked toward the recreation area quickly, not wanting the guards around to look at her while she was just in her bathrobe.
She sat on the lounge chair first nearby the pool and watched the rounded moon shining upon her. She remembered her best friend Karla, her Aunt Laura, and Uncle Tony and she was not able to control the falling of tears from her eyes. She suddenly missed Karla and her parents, the people she considered her only family. Now, no one is left with her. She is alone and worst, being held captive inside this place. She wiped her tears and stood up slowly from the lounge chair.
“So, I will be having a companion here?” Gerthel’s silence has been broken by such a male voice, which was so familiar now to her.
Gerthel immediately turned around, surprised. In a panic, she hastily covered her eyes with her hands, to the laughter of the Boss, whom she never thought would be arriving so soon. He even came closer to her and hold her hands covering her eyes, then removed them therefrom. She outrightly closed her eyes not wanting to see his almost naked body.
Still holding her hands, he whispered near her right ear. “Open your eyes, and look at me,” he said, his warm breath tickling her.
Slowly, Gerthel opened her eyes and looked at his face. She dared not to look down. “Why haven’t you put on your bathrobe at least while wandering around? You know, the wind is cold, you might catch some colds,” she said in an almost shaking voice.
“So, you care for me eh? Don’t worry even if I am naked in front of you the whole day, I won’t catch a cold,” he said while looking at her with mischief that made Gerthel’s heart spin rapidly.