Chapter Five
This time, she wasn’t with a garment bag, having brought some clothes the previous morning. She just had to pick out something for him to wear that day. The sun was already up.
She wasn’t a bundle of nerves yet so she strolled casually to the front desk to check in. A phone call later, she was granted permission to go up to his room.
The nerves set in while she was on the elevator. It was odd how intimidated she was by him. She could blame that on his alter-personality. One minute, he could be smiling at her casually and the next, he could be brute. She breathed in slowly to calm herself just as the elevator doors opened at his penthouse.
No one was in sight. That was good. Or so she thought. She stepped into the living room. Her heart was thumping against her ribcage. So much that she could hear it. She placed her palm over her chest and very slowly peeked into the living room. She would have been on her vacation at that time had it not been for this billionaire waltzing into town.
“Something you’re looking for?”
If her heart hadn’t been beating any fast before those words, it was now demanding to be let out of her chest. She turned around so sharply, almost losing her balance.
“So?” Colin said as he stepped into the penthouse. He just had to show up behind her. Where was he from anyway?
"I just got here," she spoke.
He smirked. He had to be playing with her. He took a few steps closer to her and looked at her.
It couldn't get anymore intimidating for Aria. She cleared her throat as she looked anywhere but at him.
"You know, you don't have to be so..." He paused, smiled and looked down at his feet.
Aria had been hanging on his words. She was waiting to hear his last word. It had to be an adjective. It was how he viewed her and she so wanted to know.
"What?" she asked. At this point, she could look at him. He was mighty fine. He wasn't looking at her anyway.
He looked up, but not at her, maintaining the same coy smile he had on.
"What?" Aria pestered hoping she didn't sound completely desperate for his words.
He shook his head and stepped aside saying, "Nothing," as he walked away.
Aria stood there flustered. He just left her hanging.
"I have a meeting at ten. I'm assuming Preston told you." Colin now stood next to his giant flat screen, phone in hand, typing away.
"She did."
"Good. That means - "
Before his next words, some short guy was in the room shouting Aria's name aloud. She was taken by surprise but Colin was more stunned. Riaz crossed the room, passed his father and went to where Aria was to greet her.
"Hi, Riaz."
They high-fived. She was stunned by how it seemed like he had been waiting for her. Colin had stopped texting or whatever he had been doing with his phone and stood with his mouth agape at how his son had completely not minded him to greet Aria. Had she drugged him?
"Are you free today, too? We could hang-out," Riaz said.
Unable to answer the question, she looked to the boy's father for guidance, or permission.
"Don't say no. Dad ditched me yesterday and I had to go into town with some crappy tour-guide. It was the most boring tour ever. You grew up here. Plus, you're fun. Think you could show me some cool places?" He was looking up at her waiting for her answer.
She, on the other hand, was waiting for Colin to intervene. He may not want his son hanging out with some casual wardrobe stylist. Or maybe, he thought she was winning his son over to get through to his money, gold-digging, it's called.
"I think we should ask your dad first," she finally spoke.
"Oh. Yeah. Dad." The eight year old started walking to his father. "You've got to say yes. You owe me after leaving me to that boring tour-guide. No offense to him." The last words he said while looking at Aria. She understood what he meant.
Colin was still stunned. He wasn't moving. Riaz had to hit him a couple of times to jolt him back.
"So? It's a 'yes' right?"
"'Yes' to what?"
"To me and Aria hanging out in town today. I'm not going if she's not coming. You owe me remember."
Colin pretended to be thinking about it. "Okay. Fine. You're okay with this?" He looked at Aria and asked.
She nodded.
"You have no commitments?"
"No. None." He must be thinking how jobless she was.
"Alright. Count me out of your debt list then. If I can make it, I will but right now I have to be getting ready for work."
"Cool," Riaz said as he threw himself on the couch and turned on the telly.
"Aria."
This was the first time she had heard him call out her name. It sounded so right rolling from his tongue. And that Italian accent he heard only made it better.
"I'm on it."
He had a walk-in closet! That's super, she thought. It wasn't filled though. At least, not yet. She just had to pull out a suit for him. He was all meetings today. She did that and laid them out on his bed for him.
"There's just one thing," he said.
She didn't realize he was talking to her until she looked up. He was handing her a black Unicredit card. What was he doing? Paying her? Or did he need her to buy something for him?
"What's that for?" she asked.
"It's a credit card."
She could see that! She just didn't understand what for. Only when she took it from him did she spot the engraved name on it - RIAZ ROMANO.
[THE END]
