Frankie's point of view -
"Excuse me?"
My high-pitched squeak made him smirk in amusement. He straightens his posture and it allows me to breath again. My eyes were wide and my pulse raced. I couldn't speak, I just watched as he sauntered towards the water dispenser in the corner of the room and pours a cup, returning to hand me it.
"I don't think you misheard what I said, Miss Fields." He spoke confidently, hitching himself up to sit sideways on the table. I sip at my water, my shaking hands bringing the plastic cup back down to rest on my lap.
"I didn't - but I don't understand."
He shrugs his shoulders, opening the button of his navy suit jacket and revealing the creaseless, crisp white shirt underneath. He starts to pull on his tie, letting it loosely dangle and he starts to undo the top two buttons of his collar.
Lord have mercy.
"You seem to be a perfectionist at relationships-"
"I'm not."
His eyes narrow at my abrupt tone cutting him mid-sentence and I silently apologise.
"As I was saying," he begins carefully and my cheeks flush in embarrassment. "You seem to know what a woman wants and I clearly, well, don't. So I'm asking you too help me."
"Mr Hayes, it was never my intention to give you some sort of doubt within your relationship. I'm sure you and Miss Bennett are perfectly happy and well-matched." My tongue burned with the lies. They weren't perfectly matched, she wanted him for his money and that was clear but there was no way on this earth I could ever tell him that. "I am so very sorry. You know Miss Bennett better than what I do, and I'm appalled at myself for inter-veering. Please, don't listen to a word I say."
I knew I was rambling, but the nerves were eating at my insides like a pact of wild wolves finding their prey after being starved for weeks. I was never fortunate enough to have any time alone with Mr Hayes, he didn't even interview me all those years ago. He was simply a myth as far as I was concerned, I had only ever seen him in pictures.
"My first girlfriend," He began. "I was only sixteen, she was eighteen. I was the talk of my friends for scoring with a older girl. We only lasted two months, she dumped me after my father stopped my allowance and I couldn't take her for dinner."
Another gold-digger.
"I dated a girl before Natasha. She, again, dumped me because I had to cancel our trip to Venice because my grandmother was sick."
Is this the type he attracts?
He clears his throat quickly. "I guess money has always been the issue in all my relationships. I suppose, what I mean is - I don't know what it's like to be with someone who cares for me, and not the dollars in my bank. I don't know what a woman wants - what a real woman wants, if they don't want to be bought. Do you understand?"
I gulp and nod. My heart clenches for him.
He's always used his wealth to buy affection of these women who took him for granted.
"So," he says and rises back to his feet again. "Will you accept my offer?"
How could I possibly teach my boss - my incredibly successful, clever and drop-dead-gorgeous boss - how to love when I didn't even know what it was myself? I had never experience love aside for the love I shared for my family. I read countless books, I had watched hours of movies and even found myself waking up in the midst of the night almost sobbing over love.
But I have never been in love.
"You know, Miss Fields when someone ignores me I would usually take offence." His pleasantly chirpy voice snaps me from my overwhelming thoughts. He stands nervously, hands buried in the depths of his pockets, and looks down upon me. "I'm not usually patient either."
"Is my job still safe?"
"Always."
I nod, a shaky exhale leaving my lips. "Alright."
"Alright?"
"Alright." I repeat, nodding. His eyes twinkled and he grins widely. "On one condition, though."
"Anything." He says.
"Nobody can know about it." I tell him, proud of my stern tone even though my insides and hands trembled. "I would rather save embarrassment if this went completely belly-up."
Incase I failed, I wanted to say.
"Okay." He agrees, the smile never fading from his lips. His teeth were so perfectly straight and white, making me subconsciously run my tongue over my own. He proceeds to walk to the door, opening it slightly and I take it as my queue to leave. Hastily, I jump to my feet. "I'll text you tonight about arrangements. Have a good day, Miss Fields."
"You can call me Frankie."
I swore I seen the corner of his lips lift into a smirk, but once I blinked it was gone.
"See you soon," He says as I exit into the hallway. "Miss Fields."
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Something about sitting in front of my tiny box TV in a pair of leggings, an old oversized sweater that had seen better days whilst gnawing on a half eaten tub of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food and watching reruns of my Friends box set, was oddly satisfying yet also incredibly sad for a Friday night.
But I couldn't have been happier.
My phone ding's once, then again and then for a third time. My attempts of ignoring it failed and i groaned, lifting myself out of the comfortable fetal position and making my way to the breakfast bar were my phone was threw when I came home.
From; unknown
Miss Fields, I hope you have no plans for tomorrow night.
I raise my brows. How did Mr Hayes get my number?
From; unknown
â¢I have made us reservations for dinner to discuss our deal.
â¢Please be ready for seven-thirty.
My fingers hover across my keypad and I chew at my lower lip. What was I supposed to respond? I was clearly overthinking, and for too long of a time for Mr Hayes as suddenly the unknown number flashes across my screen.
"Miss Fields, I hope your not ignoring me."
I stumble over my words and he laughs low enough to make me doubt if I even heard him correctly.
"You didn't give me a chance to reply."
"Miss Fields, I sent those messages over twenty minutes ago." Did he? I couldn't have been thinking about a response for that long. "Now if you could answer my question. Do you have plans for tomorrow night?"
"No." I mumble in embarrassment. What twenty-five year old woman sits in on a Saturday night and actually looks forward to it? I take my place again back on the couch, lowering the volume of Friends so it wouldn't look like I was a complete loser.
"Now you do." He says proudly. "I'll pick you up at seven-thirty, please be ready. I would like to get started on our deal as soon as possible."
I hum, chewing at my inner cheek. "Where are we going?"
"Todds' on fifth."
I choked on my own saliva. Todds' was the most extravagant, most expensive, most upper class restaurant in town. It was one of those places that even passing the outside made you feel uncomfortable. You needed a multi-million background too dine in there, and that was certainly something I didn't have.
"That is far too expensive, Mr Hayes." I yelp, trying to keep my composure. The butterflies are loose within my stomach at the fact he would want to take me to such a restaurant, but they were quickly diminished when I realised that dining there for him was like going to McDonald's for me.
"It's not that bad."
I roll my eyes, pausing for a moment to put him on speaker so I could search the restaurants' menu.
Lobster - $486.50
No thank you.
"The cheapest thing is almost five-hundred dollars." I stated blankly. "Excuse me if I sound rude, Mr Hayes - but was our deal not too teach you how to love by not buying affection?"
When he was silent I wished I could eat my words. His silence made me pace my apartment floor, which wasn't that big, and made my stomach knot painfully. As I opened my mouth, he interrupted.
"Then where do you suggest?"
I smile with a giddy giggle. "I know a place. I'll see you at seven-thirty, Mr Hayes - oh, and dress casual."
I could almost feel his smile through the phone and it warmed my insides.
"See you then. Oh and Miss Fields?" He says and I hum in response, still feeling like a overly excited teenager whose first crush admitted their mutual feelings. "Call me Jason."
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This is a filter chapter, please keep reading it gets better!
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