The Billionaire's Interest

Alone with him

I close my eyes, clutching my satchel close to my chest. I can't go back home, Dan might even show up. I can't be at the apartment this week. I need to ask Laura if I can stay over by her for the rest of the week. She hasn't called me yet and I need to call Clara too.

"You shouldn't run out in the street like that, you almost gave me a heart attack" Connor says. I open my eyes forgetting that I even got into his car. I look over at him. He focuses on the road ahead.

"I'm sorry" My phone rings in my hand and its my mom. "Gosh" I say, closing my eyes again. My phone rings again, I open my eyes again to see who the caller is, because I am expecting calls from Laura and Clara. I see Laura's name appear on the screen. I answer the phone. "Hey"

"Hi what time do you want to have drinks tonight at Ravings? I can come and get you"

"I'm not home at the moment, but I need to discuss something with you later, so does seven sound okay?" I ask her.

"Are you okay? You don't sound so okay, and yes its fine with me"

"I'm okay, I will meet you there instead"

"Okay I will see you then" I hang up the phone.

"You are not going anywhere with MR Landon" Connor says in a serious tone.

"It wasn't Landon, it was Laura, we are meeting for drinks tonight, and I am not going to allow you to control my life Connor. I have had enough of that my whole life" I say.

We enter a drive way, the remote control gate opening and we drive in once the gate opened completely. Connor parks the car. The house looks huge from the outside, it is painted dark grey. I follow him to the front door, and I follow him inside. The place is amazing. The lounge has floor to ceiling glass windows, through the window I can see a pool. The lounge is spacious. Dark grey furniture, there is a fire place one side and stairs. I walk further inside, there is an open plan kitchen, everything is modern and built in. I can definitely see that this place belongs to him. The CEO of an architecture company, not just any company but the number one recommended architecture company in the world.

"Would you like something to drink? Juice?" he asks me standing with his hands in his tan khaki shorts looking awkward.

"Yes please" I say.

"Please have a seat" he gestures his hand to the sofa. I make my way to the sofa. I sit down and I dial Clara's number.

"Hey are you okay?" Clara answers after the first ring, Connor sets my glass of juice down on the glass coffee table. He takes a seat next to me on the sofa.

"I'm okay, I'm sorry that she was there. I had no choice but to open the door for her, she knew that I was there. She was basically stalking me" I sigh.

"Gosh she is crazy" Clara says.

"I might not come home this week because I need to stay away. I don't want her to see me. If you can stay away for the week as well, I advice that you do" I say basically begging her to stay somewhere else for the week.

"I will see what I can do, you are scaring me Stacy. Where are you going to stay?"

"I don't know, I need to discuss it with Laura, we will be at Raving tonight, I need to get home later to pack a bag. That will be after my meeting with Laura. Call me if anything seems unusual to you" I say. We hang up.

"Is everything okay?" I forgot that I am at Connor's house, I look at him. He has concern in his eyes.

"Well no, I ran away from my apartment, because of my mom. She is a crazy woman" I let out a small laugh.

"Why? what's going on?" he asks me, I look at the coffee table in front of me.

"My mom is a control freak, she wants me to have a career in dance, because she thinks that I will make more money. She shoved me into beauty pageants when I was young and then the dancing came. She thinks that architecture will get me nowhere in life. My father was a construction worker, and he died. I got my passion of architecture from him. After my father's death, my mom remarried to a billionaire, this is when dancing got tough because whenever I said 'no' as I got older, she found it to be disrespectful. She would always inform my step father about me, not wanting to do what she says. He would punish me" I say, taking a deep breath.

"How did he punish you?" Connor asks a bit of anger in his voice.

"He would lock me up in the basement, no food, no water. He took the light bulbs out so that it would be dark. My phone would be confiscated, I would be in the basement until I agreed to go dance. He would drag me to the basement, that my arms and wrists had bruises on them." He put his hand on my wrist, looking down I don't realize that I am holding my wrist too. I look up at him. He has concern in his eyes, his hand is still on me. I look away. "I was only allowed to eat salads every day of my life, to maintain my body for dance according to my mom. If I had anything else, and my mom saw, I would be punished again" his grip tightens around my hand and wrist.

"I'm sorry" he says. And I know that he is apologizing for saying those rude words to me at the restaurant about salads. I just nod.

"I wasn't allowed to have any friends, Clara is my first friend that I could be around without worrying about my mom. But she thinks that Clara is bad influence just because she works at Ravings. I never had a boyfriend because I would be punished for that too. My step brother is in the military. Whenever I would go out, there is always my step father's chauffeur or security following me, just to get me back home. After my father died, my life was hell. For college, I came this side. Decided to do things on my own and not get things on a silver platter. So here I am, and I am still trying to cut all ties with my mom and step father. I need a place for this week, because if I go back to the apartment which my step father bought for me. I will be dragged back home to Seattle because I disrespected my mother on two occasions so far. That is why I need to speak to Laura" I say looking at him.

"You can stay here, I'm here, its safe. I have extra bedrooms, if your other friend wants to live here, then call her. Its up to you two. I will take you to Ravings, just call me once you two have decided what to do" he says.

"Thank you" I smile a bit at him.

I look down to where his hand is still holding me, I pull my hand away, and he lets go, clearing his throat as I lean forward to take my juice from the coffee table. I have two options.

One: Stay with Laura

Two: Stay with Connor