"I think we've got a good start, don't you?" I smiled at her fully expecting to have a normal conversation but my smile was met with a sneer.
"We've barely scratched the surface." With that she got up and walked out of the room.
I sat there thoroughly confused and disappointed. Once I saw how well we worked together I was relieved because I didn't want to have tension with this woman all week and I just knew that we were going to get along, but it looked like I would have to deal with her shitty personality.
Carol and Mark left to go have lunch and Sebastian and I were left alone. I could feel his eyes on me but I didn't want to give him so much as the time of day with the way he had been ignoring me, so I got up and started to walk out of the room. Sebastian grabbed my arm as I walked by him and stopped me in my tracks.
"Elena, look at me."
I didn't want to but I slowly raised my eyes to his and my breath caught in my throat. He was so beautiful and I was reminded of that the closer he was to me. His piercing dark eyes studied mine and I could feel butterflies gently fluttering in my belly. I tried not to let him affect me but I was powerless under his touch.
"I want you to know that I am not ignoring you, I just can't give you more attention than the others because they will start to talk and I can't have that."
I let the words sink in and then I got pissed. "Why not? Are you ashamed of me, or something? You openly dated Sophia, didn't you? You say that you want me and we will be together, but no one can know? How do you think that makes me feel?"
I could see that he felt bad as he raked his fingers through his thick waves and looked at me with a bit of regret. "No, I am not ashamed of you, I don't want you to think that. Elena, things are complicated and I can't go into detail just yet so you're going to have to trust me. I do want to be with you but we have to just wait a while before anyone can know."
"Why?"
"I can't say but I promise you there is a legitimate reason. We just have to wait for a bit."
"How long?"
Just then Mark came back into the room with his lunch and plopped down in front of his computer to work through lunch. Sebastian instantly became distant as he put his work hat back on and asked to me check something in none of our files. I found what he was looking for and then left the room to go grab lunch.
So, I had to wait to be able to date him? Did he think that I was going to date him secretly, like someone who wasn't good enough to be seen with in public? Fool around behind closed doors? No way, not gonna happen. I ate lunch by myself and was kicking myself for allowing the kiss to happen and allowing myself to fall for him. I decided that anything that might have started with Sebastian Blu was over because if he couldn't date me openly, then he couldn't date me at all.
Chapter Ten – São Paulo Part 4
Thursday flew by and I avoided any personal contact with Sebastian, just kept things on a professional level. Sophia and I had slipped into a comfortable working thing and she backed off with her snide comments which made working with her much more pleasant. We weren't anywhere near being friends but we had achieved a level of respect when it came to work.
When I returned to my room Thursday evening there were two full racks of beautiful designer clothes waiting for me. I was in complete awe of the gorgeous dresses, suits, pants, blouses and shoes, and I felt like I had won the lottery. Even though I was pissed and hurt that he only wanted to be with me in the dark, I wasn't above accepting the shoes and clothes. Besides, once he saw me in the gorgeous clothes he would want me even more and it would kill him that he couldn't have me. He knocked on the adjoining door Thursday night but I ignored him and I smiled to myself because, I'm not gonna lie, it felt good to have him pursuing me. Even though he was probably just looking to fool around in the dark, it felt good to know that such a rich and powerful man was interested in me. But my smile fell when the reality set in that I wasn't good enough to be seen with in public. The knock came again. Go away Sebastian.
On Friday I kept myself very busy with Sophia and did not give Sebastian a chance to be able to speak to me without anyone else around. Friday night I had just slipped into bed when I heard a knock at the adjoining door, and I looked up at the ceiling in the darkness and waited for it to stop. Go away Seabastian. If he couldn't be with me openly then he couldn't have me at all.
Saturday was a workday for us and Sunday was our day off so I was really looking forward to having some time to myself. We entertained clients for dinner on Friday and Saturday night and on Saturday night Sebastian and Sophia stayed after to have drinks with the clients. I tried not to let it bother me that he was spending that extra time with her, but it did because I knew how much Sophia wanted to get back together with Sebastian, she was super obvious about it.
There was no knock at my door Saturday night, and late Saturday night as I was laying in bed, I could have sworn I heard a woman's giggle coming from his room. My stomach ached at the thought of Sebastian touching another woman, and I felt downright sick when I thought about that woman being Sophia. But I was being a hypocrite; of course he would be able to find another woman to fill his needs. I tossed and turned for what seemed like forever before I was finally able to drift off to sleep.
The next day I was going to do some sight-seeing and I couldn't wait to take a ton of pictures and explore the city. I was looking forward to spending time by myself and having the day off because it had been a brutal week of work. I briefly thought about Sebastian while I finished getting ready, wondering what he had planned for the day but I was too excited to dwell on him and I welcomed the distraction of my sight-seeing adventures. I ordered room service and by the time I finished breakfast and getting ready it was 10:00. I checked my makeup one last time and grabbed my purse and was reaching for the door when I heard a tap at the adjoining door. I froze in my tracks as butterflies ravaged my belly. Should I just ignore him again? My head said yes but my heart made my feet turn around and walk over to the door.
He tapped again, a little louder this time.
"Elena, please open the door."
I opened the door and was completely caught off guard by his looks; he was so damned attractive. He had a perfect tan and was wearing a light blue linen shirt and white linen pants and he looked like he had just stepped out of a page in GQ. I tried to look annoyed but I'm sure I failed because I was happy to see him. Even after his little speech about not being able to date me openly, and the fact that I thought I heard a woman in his room the night before, I was happy to see him standing at my door wanting to see me. Giddy even. But I couldn't let him know that.
"Yes?"
"Good morning to you too, sunshine. May I come in?"
I stepped aside so that he could come into my room and he walked over to my couch and made himself comfortable. He clearly didn't care that I was dressed and ready to leave, I mean just looking at me you could tell that I was on my way out.
He had one arm up on the couch and looked super comfortable as if he were in his own room. "I see that you're on your way out. I want you to cancel any plans that you have today Elena."
Was he kidding? I knew that he was arrogant but this was taking it a bit too far, my world did not revolve around him.
I put my hand on my hip and looked at him in disbelief. "Excuse me?"
"It is not safe for you to go traipsing about São Paulo, especially when you have never been here, you could easily take a wrong turn and end up in a dangerous part of the city. I have made arrangements for us to do some sightseeing today and I have also fit in a couple of hours of complete R&R. You have been ignoring me for the past couple of days, I want to know why, and I want to spend time with you, just you and me." He looked at me with a yearning in his eyes. "Please, will you cancel your plans?"
I looked at him with defiance in my eyes, my hand still on my hip.
"Why don't you spend the day with the woman who was in your room last night?"
He looked thoroughly confused. "There was no woman in my room last night."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Really? I know that I heard a female giggle coming from your room late last night, so you're going to sit here and lie to my face?"
"It must have been my television. I have no reason to lie to you Elena, there was no one in my room last night. The only person I want in my room is you. So, will you please cancel your plans and spend the day with me?"