Chapter 3 - Second Time's the Charm
The weekend.
Oh, how I looked forward to my weekends. Away from work, away from the stress and away from Jasper. The tension between us had become ridiculous, he was still pissed off over the 'Vincent situation' so I did everything in my power to avoid him but thanks to my profession, I'd filed that under the impossible.
"I'm so bored," Melissa whined for the millionth time this evening as I folded my laundry.
"How the hell can you be bored?" I laughed. "You practically left the country yesterday!"
"Well, I need constant stimulation," she shrugged. "And since Blake isn't here to physically stimulate me, I'm going to have to settle for some sort of mental stimulation."
I grimaced. "First of all - gross. Second, if you're that desperate to stimulate your mind, we could visit that new club downtown?"
"You would never go clubbing on a normal day let alone a day before work! What the hell happened at the office this week?" She joked, not knowing about my disagreement with Jasper or my dreaded meeting with Catherine Reed.
"I just want to have a good time before work," I lied easily, making my way upstairs to change.
"Is my stuff still in the guest room?"
"On the left-hand side!" I yelled from inside my room.
I opened my closet, settling on a pair of skinny jeans and a pink silk shirt.
Twenty minutes later, I was stood at the top of the stairs, wondering whether my dear best friend was intending on making it out some time this year.
"Finally," I muttered as she swung the door open.
"You look like a child, Scarlett." She stated emerging from my guest bedroom, dressed in an LBD and a pair of bright red skyscraper heels.
"And you look like a hooker." I replied giving her a pointed look as she flipped her hair grinning. "Let's go."
***
"What's it like working for a sexy man you can call boss?" Bella asked eagerly as we sipped on our cocktails once we were settled into the club.
This was becoming ridiculously boring and we'd only been here for an hour.
"It's fine, I guess." I said trying not to sound too bored.
"Yeah, but... It's Jasper Queen, the most sexiest bachelor alive!" Jade piped up loudly.
"Mm hm." I stood up and walked over to the bar to order another drink while the rest of them exchanged confused glances.
Jade and Bella were nice girls but the pair of them gave true definition to the term airhead.
Lucky for me, Melissa was friends with all sorts of people so she would be entertainment enough for the girls.
"A lady like yourself shouldn't be alone in such a place, Scarlett." A male voice spoke as I turned around to match a face to the voice. It was none other than Vincent Haynes dressed in a sharp grey suit making him stand out in the casual club.
"I can take care of myself very well thank you very much!" I snapped at him, downing my drink quickly.
"I didn't mean to offend you." He held up his hands as if he were surrendering. "This place is not safe for a beautiful woman like yourself, there are a lot of creeps hanging around here."
"Who's to say you're not one then?" I snapped again as he laughed.
"I can assure you I most certainly am not Scarlett, no matter what that pompous-ass boss of yours has told you!" He said seriously as I burst out laughing.
"My 'pompous-ass' boss has told me to stay away from you." I giggled, beginning to feel slightly tipsy.
"Funny, I should be saying the same thing to you about him. Can I buy you a drink?"
"I'm fine thanks."
"G&T it is." He winked turning to the bartender to order.
"Why are you dressed up as if you're on some sort of business meeting because you weren't dressed like that when you came to see Mr Queen?" I asked nosily.
"As it happens Scarlett, I just came back from one, they are so incredibly boring."
"And you're a business man?" I questioned raising an eyebrow.
"No, my brother couldn't be bothered to turn up to his own meeting so guess which brother had to play business hotshot?" He asked sarcastically, gulping down his drink.
"If you're not a businessman then what are you?"
"I'm a freelance journalist. Not very ambitious according to Pops but I enjoy it," he shrugged nonchalantly.
Well, I had to say, I was warming up to the guy since my first encounter with him; he didn't seem that bad.
"I want you to stay well away from him..." Jaspers voice echoed in my mind as I ignored it.
"I think that's amazing, I'd love to just travel everywhere and write stories," I said dreamily.
"It's not as glamorous as that." He laughed.
"So, tell me a little bit about yourself, Vincent," I smiled leaning back on the stool so my back was against the bar counter.
"Well, I'm twenty-eight and I have seven siblings."
"Seven? Jesus." I mumbled as he laughed.
"Yep. Seven. My turn. Are you single?"
"Yes, as it happens, I am." I winked suggestively.
And this is why I don't drink.
"That's good to hear." He grinned boyishly. "And obviously you work for Jasper."
"Yep."
"Hey, Scarlett, who's your friend?" Melissa asked, popping out of nowhere.
"Melissa, this is Vincent. Vincent - Melissa."
"Pleasure to meet you, Melissa," Vincent said taking her hand to plant a kiss.
"The pleasure's all mine, Vincent." She blushed before turning to me. "I'm going to head home Scarlett, the club's pretty dead. Do you want to come or are you... Occupied enough, should I say?"
"I'll make my own way home; I have to do something important." I lied.
"As long as it's not Vincent," she laughed loudly as I felt my face heat up.
"Don't you worry, I'm too much of a gentleman to allow that to happen," he winked at me as Melissa grinned, leaving the club by herself.
I frowned, wondering where Jade and Bella were; a frown that quickly dissipated when I saw them flirting with some poor man.
A poor man who was clearly going to get some tonight, though.
Sighing, I turned to Vincent.
"So, what was your meeting with Mr Queen about?"
"We were just sorting out some personal business." He responded casually. "Oh, speak of the devil."
I followed his gaze to the entrance of the club where my boss was walking in with a tall redhead plastered to his arm.
I quickly spun around in my chair, attempting to avoid eye contact - or any kind of contact, for that matter.
"Are you alright Scarlett? You look a little flustered." Vincent asked concernedly.
"Yes, I'm fine." I smiled as my stomach rumbled loudly. I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment as Vincent laughed.
"Come on you, we're going to dinner." He smiled offering me his hand as we proceeded to leave. "Chinese, Indian or pizza?" He asked as we got into his rather flashy Bentley.
"You mean Italian?"
"Yes but... It's pizza. Who really acknowledges it as Italian?" He asked frowning, his cheeks reddening slightly, making him look incredibly adorable.
He seemed harmless. I think I was too quick to judge him and as for Jasper? Well, he hated everyone.
"Relax, Vincent; I'm only teasing." I laughed slapping his arm jokingly.
"Not funny." He pouted sticking his tongue out. "Now, what was the verdict then, Miss Valentina?"
"Pizza." I grinned as he rolled his eyes and drove to the nearest pizza parlour.
"We'll order it to go, we can eat at my place and I can drop you off later if you have work tomorrow." He said while we were standing in the queue.
"Sounds like a plan to me," I nodded.
***
"No way, you actually did that?" I laughed at Vincent almost choking on my pizza. It had been around an hour since we'd entered Vincent's lavish apartment and I'd gathered Vincent was a pretty decent, sweet guy - not to mention hilarious.
"Yeah, I did. Trashed my father's entire office in the space of an hour just before his meeting was about to commence," Vincent stated proudly as I doubled over in laughter.
"I can't imagine the grief you would have gotten after that meeting was over," I said raising an eyebrow.
"Well..." He started sheepishly. "In a nutshell, it's like he's had a stick shoved up his ass permanently, for the last ten years."
"What? You mean he-"
"Still hasn't forgiven me? Check." He laughed shrugging his shoulders.
"Damn. That meeting must have meant a hell of a lot to him if he still hasn't forgiven you," I countered as he continued to shrug. "What about your mom?"
"Trophy wife." He stated simply, casually even.
"Your other siblings?"
"I have five sisters, all older, also trophy wives."
"Sexism seems to be a key trait amongst your family," I muttered.
"It always was easier for him to get them married to rich men. Quickest way to get rid of them without getting involved with anything that required a lawyer or cops." He said seriously as I sat there in shock.
"I can't say I'd want to cross paths with your father then."
"How do you think I feel, having put up with him for eighteen years? Anyway, enough about my sob story, how about you?" He smiled looking me in the eyes.
"Well." I coughed uncomfortably. "What about me?"
"Your life. Childhood? Siblings?"
"I'm an only child." I started, trying not to wince as the memories I tried so hard to keep away resurfaced. "And childhood, well, pretty boring if I'm honest." I shrugged trying to calm my nerves.
"I've got all night." He winked spreading his arms across the couch.
"Well, I haven't." I said sternly flicking the end of his nose. "Take me home."
"Of course my mistress." He grinned standing up. I slid my jacket on and followed him to his car.
"Do you have work tomorrow too?" I asked him as he pulled up into my street.
"Is this your way of asking me out on a date Miss Valentina?" He asked cockily.
"You wish." I muttered rolling my eyes.
"No, I'm free all day tomorrow. I'll stop by your office at lunch time tomorrow?"
"Sure." I smiled as he parked up outside the apartment.
"I'll walk you in." He said as he unclipped his belt.
"I see chivalry is not dead then." I laughed while walking up to my apartment.
"I had a lot of fun tonight Scarlett." he said seriously as he held my hands.
He was going to kiss me, wasn't he?
"I had fun too; it was lovely." I smiled as he slowly pressed his lips to mine.
I had to admit; I waited for the sparks. The electric tingles, but I got nothing. You know, how they describe it in books - the fireworks, how time stops and all of that rubbish. It was a nice kiss, don't get me wrong, it just wasn't romantic or passionate. I didn't feel anything, in fact, you could have even labelled it as boring.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Scarlett." he grinned before leaving.
"Goodnight," I mumbled unlocking my apartment door.
I slumped down on the sofa, a feeling of guilt sweeping at my insides for not obeying Jaspers instructions and kissing Vincent, but then I thought, to hell with it, Jasper was pretty much occupied himself with his latest girl anyway so why should I care about his feelings?
I just couldn't help thinking there was a pretty big reason he was so adamant I stayed away from Vincent, but I couldn't figure it out.
I'm just being paranoid, I thought, putting my feet up and closing my eyes.
I knew what I was getting myself into, I just hoped it was going to be worth it.