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Authors: Thalia Lake
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for several moments and tried to imagine the smell of a freshly-baked chocolate cake, or my favorite chocolate chip, pecan cookies fresh out of the oven. Anything to get my mind off of wanting a drink to calm my nerves.
That irritatingly sexy, deep voice brought me from my reverie. “Did you hear me?”
I turned my head slightly and frowned when I saw Roman staring at me with a stern look on his face. Apparently, Mr. Ego wasn’t done telling me off.
“What?” I snapped.
I saw the slight look of surprise in his eyes and I continued to look at him impatiently as I waited for him to state what he wanted. As far as I was concerned there was nothing more for us to discuss.
“I said that we got off on the wrong foot tonight and I think we should start over.”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes and returned to looking out into the darkness through the window.
“No, I think we got off on the right foot. You’re like all the rest, eager to show who is in charge and what your money paid for. I get it, and you can relax, Mr. Mancini. I’ll be sure you get your money's worth tonight.”
“Turn around and look at me so we can discuss this like adults,” he demanded, firmly.
The nerve of this man was baffling. Oh, I was going to turn around all right, but it was to set some ground rules of my own. I turned slightly to pin him with my angry eyes as I spoke. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing left to discuss. The tone for the evening has been set. Whenever we’re alone, like we are right now, you’re Mr. Mancini and I’m Miss Paris, and you will get nothing more from me. In front of your colleagues and counterparts you will be Roman, and I will play the role of a lifetime as your date and give you exactly what you’ve paid for. Is there anything else you want to set me straight on? Should I enter the party through the servants’ entrance with the rest of the help, or am I presentable enough to be on your arm?”
“Enough!” he yelled, causing me to jump a little. Even still, I continued to look into his dark, stormy eyes. I watched his square jaw tighten from the tension and anger that was roiling through him. Roman took a deep cleansing breath before he continued. I could tell he was trying his best to keep his anger under control. “Look, I don’t apologize often, but I do apologize for offending you. I mentioned what I paid for to prove a point. I’m paying you for a service, and I expect to get what I paid for in addition to being obeyed. I know that may sound chauvinistic and crass, but this is who I am. I’m a businessman, and I don’t allow anyone to run me over, no matter how beautiful they may be.”
Wait a minute. What just happened here? How does a person apologize, admit to being a chauvinistic pig, and give you a sexy compliment all in the same breath? And let’s not talk about how his voice became soft when he called me beautiful. And never mind the fact that when he called me beautiful, there was heat in his eyes which made me feel tingly and warm all over. Can I really be mad at his honesty, even though his apology was shitty? I’m so dumbfounded right now that I’m not sure what I should say. Finally after gathering my thoughts, I looked him in the face and asked, “Is there anything you want me to know about you before we go inside?” Yup, I completely changed the subject.
We were driving up a long, winding driveway and I knew we had arrived to our destination.
His eyes turned cold at my dismissal of his apology. He began to straighten his bow tie and pick imaginary lint off of his tuxedo when he began to speak.
“So you’re going to ignore what I just said, Sarah?”
His voice was calm even though I know he was anything but calm at the moment.
“I think we’ve gone around in enough circles about who paid for what and what is expected for the evening, so why don’t we move on,” I suggested.
“Fair enough. If people ask how we met, just say through mutual friends
That irritatingly sexy, deep voice brought me from my reverie. “Did you hear me?”
I turned my head slightly and frowned when I saw Roman staring at me with a stern look on his face. Apparently, Mr. Ego wasn’t done telling me off.
“What?” I snapped.
I saw the slight look of surprise in his eyes and I continued to look at him impatiently as I waited for him to state what he wanted. As far as I was concerned there was nothing more for us to discuss.
“I said that we got off on the wrong foot tonight and I think we should start over.”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes and returned to looking out into the darkness through the window.
“No, I think we got off on the right foot. You’re like all the rest, eager to show who is in charge and what your money paid for. I get it, and you can relax, Mr. Mancini. I’ll be sure you get your money's worth tonight.”
“Turn around and look at me so we can discuss this like adults,” he demanded, firmly.
The nerve of this man was baffling. Oh, I was going to turn around all right, but it was to set some ground rules of my own. I turned slightly to pin him with my angry eyes as I spoke. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing left to discuss. The tone for the evening has been set. Whenever we’re alone, like we are right now, you’re Mr. Mancini and I’m Miss Paris, and you will get nothing more from me. In front of your colleagues and counterparts you will be Roman, and I will play the role of a lifetime as your date and give you exactly what you’ve paid for. Is there anything else you want to set me straight on? Should I enter the party through the servants’ entrance with the rest of the help, or am I presentable enough to be on your arm?”
“Enough!” he yelled, causing me to jump a little. Even still, I continued to look into his dark, stormy eyes. I watched his square jaw tighten from the tension and anger that was roiling through him. Roman took a deep cleansing breath before he continued. I could tell he was trying his best to keep his anger under control. “Look, I don’t apologize often, but I do apologize for offending you. I mentioned what I paid for to prove a point. I’m paying you for a service, and I expect to get what I paid for in addition to being obeyed. I know that may sound chauvinistic and crass, but this is who I am. I’m a businessman, and I don’t allow anyone to run me over, no matter how beautiful they may be.”
Wait a minute. What just happened here? How does a person apologize, admit to being a chauvinistic pig, and give you a sexy compliment all in the same breath? And let’s not talk about how his voice became soft when he called me beautiful. And never mind the fact that when he called me beautiful, there was heat in his eyes which made me feel tingly and warm all over. Can I really be mad at his honesty, even though his apology was shitty? I’m so dumbfounded right now that I’m not sure what I should say. Finally after gathering my thoughts, I looked him in the face and asked, “Is there anything you want me to know about you before we go inside?” Yup, I completely changed the subject.
We were driving up a long, winding driveway and I knew we had arrived to our destination.
His eyes turned cold at my dismissal of his apology. He began to straighten his bow tie and pick imaginary lint off of his tuxedo when he began to speak.
“So you’re going to ignore what I just said, Sarah?”
His voice was calm even though I know he was anything but calm at the moment.
“I think we’ve gone around in enough circles about who paid for what and what is expected for the evening, so why don’t we move on,” I suggested.
“Fair enough. If people ask how we met, just say through mutual friends
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