“Arsen Lockhart cares what I think?” I questioned and smiled lightly.
“I do”, he smiled and drank more of his coffee. “So tell me, Lola, what did you think?”
“I really admire how strong working and dedicated you are” I pushed my hair back behind my ear. “Actually… can I interview you the next time you’re available?”
“Uh. Sure, what will this interview be about?” He leaned back in his seat and crossed his hands.
“You, and what made you want to become a novelist” I stared into his eyes as he nodded.
“I should be free next Tuesday at around 3. I’ll tell my assistant. Don’t be late, Lola.” and with that, he stood from his seat and left.
I just sat there not knowing what to do really. I was confused on why he decided to leave so abruptly but after a few minutes I shook the thought and went on about my day. I grabbed my cup of coffee and headed back to my suite which I shared with Anabella. When I got there she was sitting on the couch waiting for me with a smile on her face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I chuckled and took off my jacket, hanging it on the coat rack.
“I saw you and Mr. Lockhart at the coffee shop! You totally have a thing for him, Lo”
I plopped down on the couch beside her and kicked off my shoes. “Why do you think I have a thing for him, we only spoke for like 5 minutes?” I pulled my feet up and looked over at her.
“That’s the reason, Lola! You never give any guy—” I cut her off.
“He’s not a guy. He’s a man, so what if I talked to him that doesn’t mean I like him”
“You never give any guy or man the attention to even have a 5-minute conversation. You’re a hi and bye type of girl” Anabella smiled. “It’s good you say you don’t like him because he’s too old for you anyways”
Too old? I thought to myself. I’m a grown woman, I can date anyone as old as I want. I mentally rolled my eyes and flashed Anabella a fake small smile. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
Three days of normal activities went by and it was finally Tuesday. For some reason, I wanted to wear something that would catch his eye so I decided on a black button down, a black skirt that hugged my waist and hips, and a pair of red heels. I did my makeup neutral with a bold dark brown lip. I straightened my hair and smiled at myself in the mirror. If this look didn’t grab his attention I don’t know what would.
When I walked out of the bathroom Anabelle’s mouth dropped. “Where are you going? You look so hot!”
“My interview with Arsen is today” I smiled and grabbed my bag from the couch. “See ya’ later, babes”
I could feel her watching me in disbelief as I left out but I shrugged it off. Walking to my car a ton of guys were looking my way or trying to talk to me but I only wanted Arsen’s attention. I haven’t been interested in a guy since I’ve been in college so the act of developing feelings for someone was new to me. Like learning how to walk again.
I pulled up to his office, it was a place I’ve always seen but never thought to look up what it was since this isn’t where I’m from. When I walked through the huge glass doors, my heels clicked against the marble floors. That sound made me feel bold for some reason and helped me stay focused. I was here for an interview not to fall into the arms of Arsen Lockhart.
The walls had big beautiful paintings all on each of the wall. ‘The Lockhart’ was written on the wall behind the front desk. Although it was a big building I felt as if I belonged. Like this was the place I needed to be.
Arsen
“He’s straight through the doors” I heard my assistant say from afar. I turned from my view of the city to see Lola sitting there looking as beautiful as ever. I was shocked, she looked completely different from the jeans, sneakers, and ponytail she wore when I first saw her. I smirked and sat down at my desk.
“Hi Mr. Lockhart, how are you today?” She sat in front of me with a smile on her face and her notebook in hand. I watched as she opened it down and wrote something down. She looked back up at me confused as to why I was staring at her but I just chuckled and leaned back in my chair.
“I’m doing great, Lola. How are you?” I stood and walked to the front of my desk leaning against it. I looked down at her in her chair and finished before she could speak. “Let me guess… ‘I’m doing well Lockhart and I’m looking very beautiful as well”” I mimicked her voice and laughed.
She cleared her throat uncomfortably and shifted in her seat. “Good um. Actually, Mr. Lockhart, I was going to say I’m doing fine” She looked me directly in the eyes with a straight face.
I laughed, she couldn’t possibly be serious right now. Who knew she couldn’t take a joke. Scoffing, I grabbed a cigar from my desk and lit it. “Well, what are your questions?”
“For one, I wanted to know what inspired you to become a novelist” She looked down at her book ready to write. Her nails were painted beige and her hands looked soothing and slightly glossed from the lotion she used today.
“Since I was younger I’ve loved reading so by the time I was 17 I wrote my first book. It was never published but since then I’ve been extremely passionate about writing. It’s really all I ever wanted to do with my life so I decided to turn it into a career. Now look at me, a billionaire!” I laughed and took a drag from my cigar. I loved talking about myself. It’s not so much of a ‘cocky’ thing to do, I’m just very confident and talking about myself helps reminds me of how I made it to the top on my own.
“Great” She spoke writing down what I’d just said in her notes. “And how long have you been writing, Mr. Lockhart?”
“20 years” I returned back to my seat. “Published my first book when I was 22 years old”
I saw her eyes widen slightly but she continued to write. Her bracelets clanked together softly and her hair fell on her face. She was so beautiful, I really want her in my life. There was a silence in the room and the air grew thick. I decided to lighten the mood a bit.
“How old are you, Lola?”
“‘I’m 21, Mr. Lockhart” She kept her eyes on her notes but I could see her face turning red.
“Do you want to be a novelist?” I asked and she nodded.
She finally looked up at me and spoke. “I do, Mr. Lockhart”
“Call me Arsen,” I told her “How bad do you want to be a novelist? How hard are you willing to work for it? It’s not as easy as you may think. You can’t just write a book and get it published. It’s much more than that, it’s hard to catch the reader’s eye these days and this field is competitive since most people read on their electronics. To get to the top you have to be the best and don’t stop working, ever, until you get what you want.”
She sat there in shock not doing anything. She completely stopped writing and just started at me. She was startled and I could see it all over her face.
“Let me mentor you, Lola” I smiled and leaned forward on my desk.
“O-okay, Mr. Lock— Arsen” She shifted in her chair once more and wrote something down in her book. I could see her begin to turn red in the face again.
“Every Tuesday, same time” I stood up and fixed my tie. “I’ll show you out”
She looked at my confused and stood up following me towards the door. Before she could fully exit I grabbed her hand and planted a kiss on it. She furrowed her eyebrows and continued walking.
I can’t be around her too long or I’ll just grab her and kiss her. She was so gorgeous, standing at 5’6 with the perfect curvy figure, long black hair. Her freckles were like constellations and her lips were pouty and desirable. There was no doubt in my mind that she was the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen my life and I had to have her. I don’t mean to come on to her too heavy but I guess she just needs time to get comfortable around me. She seems stubborn about who she gives her attention to and that’s what attracts me the most. I’d be a fool to let her slip through my fingertips.
Lola
He did it again! Cutting our meetings off short as if there
wasn´t work that need to be done. I rolled my eyes at the thought of it and got in my car. I don’t understand him. The interview was going well until he just went on a rampage on what’s it like being a novelist. I appreciate the advice, I really do, but I didn’t expect all of that in that very moment. I definitely didn’t expect the kiss he left on my hand before I left. Although that was a very interesting experience, I am happy that he asked to be my mentor. I needed someone like him to help me where I need to be. The only problem with this is trying to focus on my work with him breathing down the side of my neck. I felt like I was going to melt right in his office but showing extreme amounts of affection too early with a guy can turn him off or give him the leverage to use you.
When I made it back to my suite I thought of ways to avoid Anabella but to my luck, she wasn’t there. All I could do was lay in bed and think of Arsen. I haven’t felt the weight of a crush in years and it made me feel like an irresponsible schoolgirl again. There’s just something about the way he talks, how his voice almost strikes fear into my heart. Those bold eyes and pink lips, that slender body in that dark suit. I felt myself getting hot and breathing heavily so I had to quickly take my mind off of the thought of him. I rolled over on my side and pulled my laptop onto my bed. I opened it and the screen of the last writing I was working on appeared.
It was titled “Daisies & Apricot”, it was a short story I had written about my past lover who always brought me daisies and apricot scented body scrubs. Reading over it I thought that I’d come across some similarities between my ex-boyfriend and Arsen, to give me a little hint of why I was so attracted to him, but that wasn’t the case here. Arsen was the exact opposite, he was challenging. All of my past boyfriends were very sweet and submissive, their personalities fit so well with my dominate behavior. They all fell to my knees the moment they saw me, but Arsen Lockhart was different. He saw me and felt attracted but he didn’t fall to my knees like the rest of them, he remained strong and determined. That’s what attracts me the most about him.
I’m so used to being around childish little boys that think being over the age of 18 makes them a “real man” but no, Arsen was a real man. Strong, hardworking, dedicated, and stern all while being confident. He had everything he wanted in the palm of his hand and he could control them however he pleased. Except for me, of course. I like him too but I’m not that easy. I’m a tough cookie that takes a while to be cracked so if he thinks he could have me falling to my knees in a couple of days he has another thing coming. I smiled closing my laptop and putting it on my bedside table. I have a man who has my dream job and also has a thing for me, why not use this to my advantage?
I took one red rose and one white rose from the vase on my desk and carried them to the bathroom with me. I needed some time to relax and to also care for my skin so I ran a warm bath and added the petals from the roses, pink salt, and a few drops of lavender oil. When I first put a foot in I felt the warm water kiss my skin and it automatically put me to ease. I played my favorite album on my phone and just relaxed. This was everything that I needed.
I was about three songs in when my phone began to ring. I dried off my hands on a small towel and picked up my phone to see who it was. My eyes widened at the name that sat on the screen. Arsen Lockhart. What was he doing calling me after our meeting? Hopefully, it was to tell me why he ended our session so quickly. I hesitated a little then answered. For some reason, it felt really good to hear his deep voice on the other line.
“Hello, Lola” he spoke, not saying anything else.
“Hello, Arsen. Is there anything I could help you with?”
“I’m trying out this new restaurant tonight and I want you to come with me.”
“Well, Mr. Lockhart I-” he cut me off.
“I’ll pay for everything and you can ask me any of the other questions you were going to ask earlier today.”
“I guess dinner wouldn’t hurt…” I trailed off and sat up in the tub.
“It wouldn’t, so I’ll pick you up at 7:30. I’m wearing a navy blue suit so work around that” and before I could even get a word out he hung up. I guess I was going on a date tonight. I sat there genuinely confused and sort of turned on, but I quickly shook the thought and began to wash off.
When I got back to my room I looked in my closet and thought to myself “What do you wear on a date with a billionaire?”
I have to look like arm candy, Arsen Lockhart wouldn’t just go out with any girl. It was now 6:30 so I just laid out my clothes and started on something else to past time. I decided on a simple black dress that hugged my curves with a pair of heels. I straightened my hair and put on light makeup but I made sure to wear a bold red lip.
“Where are you going tonight?” I heard Anabella speak from the door.
“Out” I replied simply.
“Yeah sure, Lola. Have fun with Mr. Billionaire” she chuckled and walked away. I don’t know what upset her so much about me being out with an older man but I am a grown woman if I want to date someone much older than me I have every right to.
I rolled my eyes at her remark and walked over to the bed to slip on my dress. I felt so beautiful with it on, I never wore it because my mind was too focused on my studies to go on dates. To go anywhere at that, all my life consisted of was writing. I remember when I was around 18 or 19, I knew how to balance being a party girl and still getting everything that I needed to be done. That sadly wasn’t enough for me, though. I wasn’t reaching as much success as I wanted so I completely cut out partying and having fun at the age of 20 and here I am today.
I’m 21 years old and I have butterflies before going on a date. Nothing wrong with that I just always thought life would turn out different for me. Maybe that’s why I’m so open with Arsen. It may not seem like it on his end but I don’t even give guys the time of day so he’s lucky. I feel like he could be that missing excitement that I need in my life, I’m just so used to being by myself without any distractions. I’m not sure if a relationship is what I need right now but I’m willing to try it out.
My phone lit up showing a text from Arsen, it said that he was outside and that his driver was waiting for me. I laughed a little and slid on my shoes. I don’t even know why I would expect for a billionaire to drive himself to a restaurant. I made it outside and saw the driver open the back door. I kindly thanked him and got inside. Arsen sat watching me get in the car with a smile on his face. His teeth were the whitest I’ve ever seen, all of his teeth were perfectly straight it was mesmerizing.
“You look absolutely stunning,” he spoke.
“Thank you. You look good as well, Arsen” I blushed slightly at the nickname he gave me.
The ride there was lovely. I got to see the view of downtown at night while music played softly in the background. The air was fresh while blowing through my hair, I felt like my 19-year-old self again. I heard a chuckle and turned to see Arsen watching me.
“Having fun there?” he smiled.
And for the first time, I actually smiled back. “I am, actually. I’m feeling a bit nostalgic”
“I understand” he nodded. “Go out with me more often and you could feel this all of the time”
The smirk on his face made my stomach drop. “As pleasing as that offer sounds, I’ll have to see how the rest of the night goes before I make a decision”
He shrugged with a smirk on his face and turned to face the window as we pulled up at the front of the restaurant. I waited for the driver to open my door and thanked him after. I looked up at the big white letters.
“The Crystal Room” Arsen spoke, reading my mind. He grabbed my hand causing me to tense up and pull my hand away. “It’s okay, Lola. I don’t bite”
I nodded and he grabbed my hand. “At least not too hard” I heard him mumble as we walked in.
Arsen
I watched as her body moved swiftly in that dress, she was the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever laid eyes on. I liked a woman with curves, long hair, and an attitude.
I was determined to make her mine.
“Hello, Mr. Lockhart. Your table is this way”
We followed the waitress to our secluded table, upstairs on the balcony, and took our seats. I ordered us some wine and watched as she looked over the menu.
“See anything you like?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Not really…” she closed her menu and sat back in her seat. “Order for me”
I smirked and looked over at the waitress who had begun to pour our wine into our glasses. “Are you ready to order, sir?” she smiled down at me.
“We are” Lola stated loudly. The waitress jumped a bit from how stern Lola’s voice was and I chuckled. She clearly wasn’t expecting for her to be that bold. Lola seemed a bit protective over me but I liked it.
I scanned my eyes over the menu and decided on what we were having. “We’ll both have the steak and lobster dinner with mashed potatoes on the side”
Evergreen: An Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 33
