All That He Requires 4
1
I realize you probably know all this already, but let’s set the stage first. Because, hey, I might sound a little crazy soon if you don’t know where I’m coming from.
Number one: I’d had my heart broken the night before.
The man I’d fallen in love with had basically let me know we weren’t on the same page as far as what we wanted, relationship-wise. After he’d offered me money to continue sleeping with him for another week.
Ew.
Yeah, yeah, he was a billionaire… and yeah, yeah, I’d only known him three days… and yeah, yeah, the ‘relationship’ (or whatever you want to call it) had essentially started with crazy-hot sex on the boardroom floor of the company where I worked.
Still – ew.
I said ‘no,’ and he walked out, more or less.
It hurt worse than anything in my life ever has before.
Number two: because of my heart being broken, I hadn’t slept all night. I was the emotional equivalent of a zombie on The Walking Dead. But not a mean zombie that wants to eat your brains, just a weepy zombie that stumbles around on the verge of tears and needs a hug.
Yes, I’m a nerd.
Number three: I had been dreading losing my job for twelve hours. Actually, I had feared that possibility since last Friday night, but the crazy-hot sex and falling-in-love part had distracted me for most of the weekend.
Which made me a zombie on the verge of tears, who needs a hug, and is deathly afraid of the scary human chasing me with a shotgun. (The ‘scary human’ in question being my jerk of a boss.)
Number four: the shotgun went off.
I had just lost my job.
Actually, that’s kind of soft-peddling the situation. Makes me sound like I was the victim of a corporate layoff or The Great Recession.
To be technical about it… I’d been fired. Partially for insubordination, but mostly because my boss was a raging asshole.
Immediately after that, I informed Asshole Boss he couldn’t fire me, because I quit.
Number five: with my car towed by Asshole Boss, and my life in ruins around me, Man Of My Dreams came driving up like Prince Charming in a Cinderella coach. Except, in this case, it was a Lamborghini. And then he proceeded to give me a breathtakingly romantic speech about how he knew he’d messed up big-time, and that he was sorry, and I could walk away and never look back, but to please give him one more chance – and that I was what he wanted more than anything else in his entire life.
So, with my heart still broken – but temporarily back on life-support – I got in the car.
I’m still not entirely sure if that was a mistake or not.
But some mistakes are worth making.
2
The Lamborghini roared through the parking deck outside my former workplace.
I’d never been in a Lamborghini before. I might have enjoyed the experience more if it didn’t feel like somebody had put my brain in a blender and hit frappé.
I settled back wearily into the leather seat and lolled my head towards the driver.
Connor Templeton.
Gorgeous Adonis.
Billionaire businessman.
Scion of one of the wealthiest families in America.
“You’re a real asshole sometimes,” I murmured.
He gave a tight little smile. Not one of his usual cocky grins; more like grim agreement.
“Yeah, I know,” he said in a low voice.
He reached one arm across the center console of the car and took my hand in his.
The warmth of his skin on mine melted the tension in my body.
The sweetness of the gesture melted my heart.
I couldn’t help myself: I broke down in tears.
Funny… after the last few hours, I didn’t think I had any left.
He slammed on the brakes, pulled off his sunglasses, and stared at me with those gorgeous blue eyes. “What? What’s wrong?”
I fought back the sobs. “I – I thought I was n-never going to see you again.”
He leaned across the seat, took my tear-streaked face in both his hands, and kissed me.
Softly.
Sweetly.
Romantically.
Then he pulled back just a few inches and wiped my tears away with his thumbs as he gazed into my eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
I nodded silently. Smiled sadly.
He leaned forward and kissed me again.
Behind us, a car beeped its horn.
I pulled away. “We should go.”
“He can wait – I’m busy right now,” Connor whispered, and pulled me back to him.
I think the car drove around us, honking angrily.
I’m not sure; I was lost in the kiss, and the rest of the world just faded away.
3
After three or four cars honked and passed us, though, the world started to come back into focus.
I finally broke things off with a laugh. “Come on… let’s go.”
I realize you probably know all this already, but let’s set the stage first. Because, hey, I might sound a little crazy soon if you don’t know where I’m coming from.
Number one: I’d had my heart broken the night before.
The man I’d fallen in love with had basically let me know we weren’t on the same page as far as what we wanted, relationship-wise. After he’d offered me money to continue sleeping with him for another week.
Ew.
Yeah, yeah, he was a billionaire… and yeah, yeah, I’d only known him three days… and yeah, yeah, the ‘relationship’ (or whatever you want to call it) had essentially started with crazy-hot sex on the boardroom floor of the company where I worked.
Still – ew.
I said ‘no,’ and he walked out, more or less.
It hurt worse than anything in my life ever has before.
Number two: because of my heart being broken, I hadn’t slept all night. I was the emotional equivalent of a zombie on The Walking Dead. But not a mean zombie that wants to eat your brains, just a weepy zombie that stumbles around on the verge of tears and needs a hug.
Yes, I’m a nerd.
Number three: I had been dreading losing my job for twelve hours. Actually, I had feared that possibility since last Friday night, but the crazy-hot sex and falling-in-love part had distracted me for most of the weekend.
Which made me a zombie on the verge of tears, who needs a hug, and is deathly afraid of the scary human chasing me with a shotgun. (The ‘scary human’ in question being my jerk of a boss.)
Number four: the shotgun went off.
I had just lost my job.
Actually, that’s kind of soft-peddling the situation. Makes me sound like I was the victim of a corporate layoff or The Great Recession.
To be technical about it… I’d been fired. Partially for insubordination, but mostly because my boss was a raging asshole.
Immediately after that, I informed Asshole Boss he couldn’t fire me, because I quit.
Number five: with my car towed by Asshole Boss, and my life in ruins around me, Man Of My Dreams came driving up like Prince Charming in a Cinderella coach. Except, in this case, it was a Lamborghini. And then he proceeded to give me a breathtakingly romantic speech about how he knew he’d messed up big-time, and that he was sorry, and I could walk away and never look back, but to please give him one more chance – and that I was what he wanted more than anything else in his entire life.
So, with my heart still broken – but temporarily back on life-support – I got in the car.
I’m still not entirely sure if that was a mistake or not.
But some mistakes are worth making.
2
The Lamborghini roared through the parking deck outside my former workplace.
I’d never been in a Lamborghini before. I might have enjoyed the experience more if it didn’t feel like somebody had put my brain in a blender and hit frappé.
I settled back wearily into the leather seat and lolled my head towards the driver.
Connor Templeton.
Gorgeous Adonis.
Billionaire businessman.
Scion of one of the wealthiest families in America.
“You’re a real asshole sometimes,” I murmured.
He gave a tight little smile. Not one of his usual cocky grins; more like grim agreement.
“Yeah, I know,” he said in a low voice.
He reached one arm across the center console of the car and took my hand in his.
The warmth of his skin on mine melted the tension in my body.
The sweetness of the gesture melted my heart.
I couldn’t help myself: I broke down in tears.
Funny… after the last few hours, I didn’t think I had any left.
He slammed on the brakes, pulled off his sunglasses, and stared at me with those gorgeous blue eyes. “What? What’s wrong?”
I fought back the sobs. “I – I thought I was n-never going to see you again.”
He leaned across the seat, took my tear-streaked face in both his hands, and kissed me.
Softly.
Sweetly.
Romantically.
Then he pulled back just a few inches and wiped my tears away with his thumbs as he gazed into my eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
I nodded silently. Smiled sadly.
He leaned forward and kissed me again.
Behind us, a car beeped its horn.
I pulled away. “We should go.”
“He can wait – I’m busy right now,” Connor whispered, and pulled me back to him.
I think the car drove around us, honking angrily.
I’m not sure; I was lost in the kiss, and the rest of the world just faded away.
3
After three or four cars honked and passed us, though, the world started to come back into focus.
I finally broke things off with a laugh. “Come on… let’s go.”