"So you were just going to stay out all night with no call or text, then come home and not tell me where have you been?" Anabella asked from my doorway. I looked at her and shook my head.
"Ana, I called you like twenty times last night and you didn't answer the phone for me, which resulted in me staying the night at Arsen's house. I didn't think you would care to know where I've been since you ignored my phone calls and didn't even bother to respond when I just said hello to you." I rolled my eyes and continued to stare up at the ceiling.
"Did you call my new number? That would be the smart thing to do, Lola," she said. “And great. Just great. You’re sleeping with this man now?”
"Since when do you have a new number and when were you going to tell me, Anabella?" I sat up quickly and looked directly at her. "I'm your best friend for Christ's sake. What if it was an emergency?! And how dare you? Nothing happened between Arsen and I!"
"I'm sure Arsen would be all the protection that you needed, Lola. And I definitely sent a text to all my contacts with my new number. You would have noticed if you had taken a break from that little novel of yours and paid attention to the real world." She scoffed. “Pathetic. I don’t even know who you are anymore”
"Get out of my room, Anabella." I couldn't believe that my own best friend would even say such a thing like that to me.
She had been the only one who supported my decision to become a writer, but the last few days had been really tense between us. I wasn’t sure where all of this built-up hate had come from inside of her, but I needed to find out, and I needed to know why she was directing it toward whatever Arsen and I have going on.
"Fine," she mumbled, folding her arms over her chest and leaving my bedroom.
I heard her say a few things under her breath, but I didn't care enough to extend the problem at hand. Since we were children, Anabella was always stubborn. She never cared if she was wrong or right as long as no one questioned her actions, and when her actions were questioned, she would catch an attitude. This specific problem never phased me because I was the most knowledgeable one in the friendship and she would always listen to me.
Since Arsen and I had begun talking, Anabella had taken her stubbornness to an entirely different level. She had been very moody and disapproving of everything that had been going on, although I was a grown woman who was completely capable of making her own conscious decisions. I wasn’t quite sure what she didn’t get about that.
Even if she didn’t approve of who I was dating, she could at least support me being in a relationship—and that was the thing! Arsen and I weren’t even dating, so I didn’t see what the big deal was. Whatever we had between us could either go really badly or really well. All I knew was that I wished I could have my best friend there for me through it all.
I started to do a bit of studying to clear my mind, but also to gather some questions to ask Arsen. I searched his name on the internet and wrote down any interesting facts that caught my eye. I started downloading a couple of his books onto my laptop to read later. I wanted to know the ins and outs of his mind. One of his books caught my eye and I couldn’t wait to read it.
The very first page caught my eye and I almost instantly fell in love with the story.
"Idyllic is what I would describe him as." I spoke into the phone, letting out a small laugh. I was in the community kitchen of my apartment, filling up a small bucket with ice. I heard my best friend mumble, slightly confused, on the other side of the phone.
"You barely even know the guy, Sarah. Plus, he’s like ten times your ag." She sounded irritated. I could just imagine how hard she rolled her eyes, but something drew me to this guy—my new neighbor directly across the hall. We bumped into each other once in the hallway and the way he caught me was breathtaking. I don't know what it was.
Guys never really caught my eye, old or young. I was always on a level that they weren't. I liked to focus on my craft more than a silly relationship, but this was something different. His rich, tan skin and glistening smile. There was a little spark when I fell into his arms. The innocence of the touch drove me up the wall and I have yet to understand why.
"You don't get it, Rachel. I felt something." I smiled slightly and ran a finger around the rim of the silver bucket of ice.
"You're irritating, you know that?" she exclaimed with a very nasty tone of voice. I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath.
"Look, if you're going to continue with this lurid attitude, I don't think we should finish this phone call. Bye." And with that, I hung up the phone.
When she made it back to her room, she opened up her journal to the entry she wrote after meeting Arthur.
‘He was just a guy and I was just a girl.
No, wait, he was more than that.
How could I devalue a soul with rich intellect and a consciousness that glows immensely to just a gender? Something so distant, something so man-made.
I want to know your thoughts. I want to feel your vibrations. I want our subconscious minds to linger around each other and engage in an experience our physical bodies can't.
I want to talk to you. I want to hear about your childhood, I want to know your deepest conspiracies, and I want you to take up all the space in my mind.
Feed me knowledge. Enlighten me.’
Sarah smiled down at the page before she started to draw hearts all over it. She felt that Arthur was the guy of her dreams.
The story of my life. Midway through reading, I found myself still thinking about the argument I had with Anabella again. So I decided to just let the situation go and get some rest before class and my meeting with Arsen tomorrow.
Arsen
Why was Lola acting so …seductive after I practically told her that I’d kill her? Why was she so eager to see me again after she found out about my drug cartel? This was all so strange. Did she really feel this way, or was this all apart of some type of scam from my enemy? I wasn’t sure what it was, but I called a meeting with the guys at the clubhouse.
I picked up a pack of beer and brought it along with me to the meeting. The guys were very anxious to hear the news that I had for them. I didn’t know how they’d react or what they’d say, but I just knew I had fucked up badly. Had I not taken the time to calm down, I would’ve never noticed that my hand was red and burning from how tightly I was gripping the steering wheel.
I just can’t believe that something like that even happened. How could I be so stupid to have practically left all of my most important information out in the open? I just thought I’d be able to trust Lola enough to not do anything stupid like that, but boy was my judgment wrong. I started to think about how my entire empire could come crashing down if the world found out about this, and I became so angry that I just had to hurry inside before I lost my temper.
In the clubhouse, the guys and I gathered around the table. They all took seats while I stood before them. I put my hands behind my back and cleared my throat. I was afraid to tell them the news, but I knew that I had to be strong in front of them. My team would never do anything to me. I just had never told them news like this before so it was a new experience for me. This could also spark a new emotion that I had never seen in them.
How easy could it really be to break news like this to them? How could I tell them our future lives were in danger?
"All right, guys, here's the bad news." They all sighed and threw up their arms in anger. "I know. Bad news is a rare thing around here, but we are in serious trouble now."
"What kind of trouble, boss?" Pete, one of the members, asked.
"So, there's this girl who I met after doing a seminar at her school a couple of days ago and she's gorgeous. I mean, the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on." I took a deep breath and continued. "To make a long story short, we went on a date and she came home with me. I let her stay in my home while I was at work today."
"Well why would you do that, boss?" David, another member, said.
"Don't ask. Anyway, I caught her g
oing through my email and she found out about this drug cartel." I shook my head and took a deep breath waiting for their response.
All of the men gasped and looked around at each other. I could see the anger in their faces, but also the worry. A couple of men started discussing with each other what could go wrong if anyone else found out, and it felt like the weight of the world came crashing down on my shoulders. I knew that I had really messed up.
"What are we going to do about this? What are we going to do to the girl? No one can find out about this." Pete sounded confused, looking around at all of us.
"I say we kill the girl. If she isn't that popular around the school or if she's a nobody in general, there should be no problem if she dies. Right?" one of the other members spoke. The group waited in silence for my response
"Kill her?! I think we've killed enough people already," I said, covering the fact that I wanted to save her life because of the feelings I had towards her. "Plus, there's something really special about this girl."
"You like her or something?" Pete asked.
"That's beside the point here, Pete."
"I say you kidnap the girl. There's like a week left in school, right? Kidnap the girl and no one at the school will come looking for her because it's the summertime," David spoke up. "There's no point in killing the girl when you can use her to work for you"
I ran my index finger and thumb over my chin. "Hmm, sounds like a pretty cool idea."
All of the guys simultaneously agreed that that would be the best option and we began to plan it out. The guys and I came up with the best way possible to get Lola to fall for this trap. Tomorrow at our interview I would see if Lola would come over to my place for dinner after her last day of classes. Then I would explain to her that she was going to stay and work for me until everything was settled between us. Hopefully, some other things would happen between us, but I'd save that for later.
Lola
I finally finished my math final and it was time for me to go to my interview with Arsen. I changed my outfit from a simple t-shirt and jeans to a form-fitting skirt with a button down, leaving the few top buttons loose to show off my cleavage. I put on a simple pair of heels and pulled my hair up into a tight bun. I went for my everyday makeup, which was natural but with a bold lip. I knew that Arsen would love what I was wearing, so that made me feel more confident than usual. I got in my car and headed over to his office.
Upon entering, I saw the same gorgeous girl at the front desk. For some reason, that made me really jealous and I began to wonder if Arsen had ever tried anything with her. I mean, she was flawless. She had great hair, a great body, and a nice smile …but she wasn’t me. I walked up to the front desk and flashed a fake smile.
"Lola Anderson for a scheduled meeting with Mr. Lockhart at three p.m." I stared at her as she clicked through the computer. She told me to just walk into his office and that he would be waiting for me. Perfect.
I walked towards his office, once again loving the sound of my heels clicking against the ground. I made it to his door and knocked three times. I heard him mumble for me to come in, so I proceeded to enter. I watched and he looked up from his desk. He was wearing his reading glasses and had on a navy blue suit. I felt this tingly feeling in my stomach.
“Hello, Arsen.” I smiled and took a seat in front of his desk. I pulled my notebook from my bag and opened it to where I had left off after our last meeting. “How are you today?”
“I’m fine, Lola. How are you?” I saw his eyes go from my eyes to my chest and back up to my face. He smirked and leaned back in his chair, holding the back of his pen between his teeth.
“I’m amazing.” I let out a small laugh, “So, Mr. Lockhart, I did a little studying on your pieces of work and I wanted to talk a bit about your book, ‘The Midnight Hour.’’ It’s more erotic than I expected, but it really caught my eye.”
“Yes. That’s one of my favorite books that I’ve written.” He folded his hands together and placed them on his lap. “What about it sparked your interest?”
“The age difference.” I smiled and he raised an eyebrow. “Also, the way you write. I love how the story alternates between both of the character’s point of view. You have a way with words that really capture the reader's eye, Mr. Lockhart.”
“Thank you, Lola.” He smiled. Just then, there was a knock, and a pretty woman stuck her head through the door.
“Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Lockhart. I have your coffee.” She walked in wearing an outfit similar to mine. She placed his coffee on the desk and flashed a sly smile. “Have a nice day, Mr. Lockhart.”
Arsen smirked and watched her as she left. I raised an eyebrow in slight jealousy and cleared my throat. “Um. I should make myself a bit more comfortable.”
I pulled my hair from its bun and let it fall over my shoulders. Arsen’s eyes widened at the sight, and I knew I had him back in the position I wanted him.
“Now.” I smiled. “What inspired you to write ‘The Midnight Hour?’”
“My attraction to women like you inspired me, Lola.” He chuckled. “My dominant traits inspired that book as well.”
“My attraction to men like you makes me want to read your story a million times.” I laughed and began writing in my notes. “Tell me about your favorite book, Arsen.”
“Well, for starters, I’ll tell you the name of the book. It’s ‘Can’t Buy Love,’ by Nicholas Hunter.” he spoke and I jotted this down as fast as I could before he could continue to explain what it was about. “It was the very first book I bought from the school store of the college I went to. I’d heard a slight buzz about it around town and decided to check it out.”
I smiled softly and sat back in my seat, waiting for him to go further in detail.
“It was about a boy who had always dreamed of having as much money as he needed to buy whatever he wanted and he achieved that goal. But here’s the twist—by having so much money, he attracted all of the wrong types of people to have friendships or relationships with. He learned that money can’t buy love, and though it can buy you materialistic things, it can’t bring you deep-rooted and eternal happiness.” He smiled and watched as I copied that down into my notes.
“That’s really beautiful. I’ll definitely have to check that out.”
“I have a copy that I could lend you one day,” he offered.
“Wow, that’d be amazing. Thanks, Arsen.” I blushed slightly.
He checked his watch and looked at me. “Well, Lola, I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have a meeting to attend.” He sat up and took a sip of his coffee.
“Oh …all right,” I said, making the disappointment in my voice clear. I began putting my notebook in my bag and rolled my eyes at how awkwardly short that was.
Arsen stood from his seat and grabbed my hand as he walked from around his desk to walk me to the door. “Now listen.” He backed me into the door.
I began breathing heavily from how close he was. I stared into his eyes and he smiled.
“I have a very busy schedule this week. So I don’t need you popping up with any interviews anytime soon. All right?” He grabbed my arms and slid his hands down to my waist. “Next Friday, after classes, get real pretty for me, all right? And meet me at the coffee shop at seven p.m. sharp. We’re having dinner at my place.”
I nodded slowly, not breaking contact. I felt his lips press against mine roughly and my knees buckled. I never expected for him to kiss me. One of his hands left my waist and held the back of my head, pulling me closer to him. There was absolutely no space between us and I felt my heart drop when he bit and tugged on my bottom lip.
“Now go.” He pulled away, laughing, and used his thumb to wipe away any lipstick that he had smeared.
I licked my lips and just stared at him, not knowing what to say. That was the most breathtaking kiss I’d ever had, and the way he had taken it by force was the icing on the cake. He held the door open for me and I quickly fixed my hair before leaving. For the second t
ime with Arsen, I felt nineteen again.
I walked away feeling like someone powerful. I felt like a new person ...like I had a life again. With being the uptight, all-work-no-play type of girl, life could get pretty hard. I was always stressing about what I had to do or what deadline I had to meet, but I didn't feel that way around Arsen. I thought that I might be letting my guard down a little too fast, but honestly, it was the best decision I'd made in a long time. This new rush of excitement completely took over me and I didn’t think I could turn back. It was far too late now.
Being around Arsen made me feel like it was okay to take a break every once in a while and have fun, but to also go back and finish my craft later. But it had only been a few days, so I needed to slow down and really pay attention to who I was falling for. This man was a murderer—a new leader of the drug cartel! What had I gotten myself into?
Arsen
I knew she wanted that kiss as badly as I did, and I knew that the kiss would definitely leave her wanting more. I didn't really have a meeting. I just wanted to leave her on edge. I knew that even the strongest, most independent girl couldn't hold herself back. I knew my magic, and it only took a couple of days. I chuckled to myself and walked back to my desk, taking a sip of my coffee while looking out the view of the window. I had everything I wanted in the palm of my hand.
Lola made me feel young again. Being around her took me back to when I was around her age and just starting to discover what love was all about. That was a time when I was wild and adventurous. I had a lot of down time and could really be myself without any consequences. That’s why being with her was such a valuable time for me.
I felt as if she was really the one for me and that was why it hurt me so much that she would betray me. I thought that if her feelings were almost the same as mine, she would at least respect my privacy. Whether my email was left open or not, it wasn’t her place to take a look inside.
That whole situation angered me so much, but I just couldn’t force myself to be over-the-top upset with her. I knew that showing extreme anger toward her would make me uncomfortable and I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her …that much.
His Beautiful Revenge: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance Page 53