One Night Stand with a Billionaire

by Ayla D. Viktoreva

We never learn.

  “That time was…different,” he said, unsure of his own words. I rolled my eyes. “I may not be the best person you’ve ever met, but I must be damned if I let my child suffer or live without its father or even worse, dead,” he finally said as he put the indigents in a pot.

  From what I could see, he was preparing some type of chicken, probably with mashed potatoes since he had them sliced on the side.

  Before I noticed it, there was once again that silence between us. I truly had a feeling that we could only get along when we didn’t speak at all.

  “What do you plan on doing now?” he asked, once again breaking the ice our previous argument created. It was a question I wasn’t sure of how to answer, mostly because I really didn’t know what I was going to do myself or because I avoided that theme.

  Confused.

  Even I was confused about my future.

  “I don’t know. I’ll probably find another job if needed, but I can still manage somehow,” I mumbled, looking at my shaky hands. “I still have some of the money left from…You know, then, so…I’ll rent a better place to stay.”

  “Damn it, woman!” he said angrily, stabbing the chef’s knife into the cutting board he’s been using. “I…I’ll give you all the money you’re going to need,” he said, and just as I was about to decline, he continued, “I won’t take no for an answer. The mother of my child shouldn’t be worrying about unnecessary things, and I have the intention of having a full part in my kid’s life.”

  He spoke with finality. I only turned my head away. Was the whole thing even going to work?

  I kind of understood his point of view, though; he was the father even if I didn’t see that coming, that kind of reaction from him. It was probably that part that surprised me the most, the way he accepted the child and planned to be a part of his life so fast when it took me countless debates as to whether should I keep it or not.

  “Just to clarify one thing…” What did he want now? “You weren’t with any guy other than me, right?”

  Has he just…I gritted my teeth and angrily answered, all rage from earlier came back like I never even calmed down.

  “How dare you to ask me such a question? Unlike you, who only womanizes around, I had only slept with you and no one else. I’d planned on keeping myself for my husband, but you ruined that as well, and now, you have the nerve to ask me if this baby is someone else’s?” Fear forgotten, I only had rage in my voice. “I am not the one that told you about it, so you don’t have any right to accuse me of trying to get your attention. It was you who brought this up first!” I yelled at him, feeling a few tears streaming down my cheeks.

  Dammit, this man, I hated him!

  “I’m a man. What did you expect me to think?” His voice was void of emotions. I couldn’t figure him out. “However, I do believe you. I just…I think I just needed some kind of reassurance from you. Sorry. One more thing about the kid. I don’t want them to have parents living separately. The kid doesn’t deserve that. It was my mistake after all.”

  “What do you mean?” I was so confused by him; first, he accused me of getting pregnant by someone else, and now, he believed me. What the hell was wrong with him!

  “Move in with me,” he said nonchalantly. I just watched him with a blank expression. He’s gotta be kidding. That guy’s been missing a screw or two in his head. Before I could say anything else, he added, “Your brother as well.”

  He couldn’t have been serious. After all that happened, he expected me to just move in and forget everything? Especially with us not being able to stand the other one for even five minutes?

  “You don’t have to answer immediately. Take some time. And since you’re already going to have a sleepover here, let me take you to my room so that you can prepare yourself for sleep. Dinner will be ready by the time you finished.”

  “Yo-your room?” I stuttered. What he wanted to do, I couldn’t think of any other reason as to why he called me in there but that.

  “All other rooms are being renovated, so yeah. Don’t worry, you can take the bed.” He rubbed his neck as I stared at him in disbelief.

  Was he for real?

  “Bu…But I…you…I mean…” I stuttered.

  “I won’t take no for an answer. Just accept the deal. It would be great for you to relax a bit,” he said. I nodded, realizing that his words were final, and sighed.

  I didn’t push my luck. Who knew what he could do in anger? Even I understood that I didn’t know a single thing about him but his name and residence.

  “Come,” he said as I got up. The hell with everything. I could use a good sleep. From his words earlier, I already knew that Ayden was going to be fine or God help me…

  His room was dark, black and white, just like his personality. He took me into led me to the bathroom. It was all red—heck, even the curtains for the shower were a dark crimson red. I was so enchanted by the view that I didn’t even notice him leave and return with a towel and a few clothes.

  “This is all I can offer at the moment. I’ll be back in twenty minutes, and if you’re not done by then, I’ll drag you out naked if I have to,” he said, and I nodded as I took hold of the towel and his clothes.

  He soon left, and I sighed. That was much scarier than it seemed and much more intimidating than I expected. At least, he wanted the baby. I wouldn’t have problems with it. The only problem I had with that man was his bipolar attitude.

  Taking off my clothes, I got into the shower and let myself enjoy the warm water, clearing my head of any thoughts running rampant.

  I was in his house, his room, and his bathroom, enjoying the water. This couldn’t get any better, could it? Oh wait, it could. I’d be sleeping in his bed.

  Sighing, I got out of the shower, dried myself, and put on the clothes he gave me to wear. It smelled like him, which made me frown, but it was surprisingly very comfortable. My hair was surprisingly neat, so it didn’t pose a problem to me to comb it with his simple accessories. I loved that I didn’t have to deal for minutes with my hair.

  Just as I finished, I was interrupted by a knock on the door.

  “Dinner is ready. Are you done?” he asked, and I moved to open the doors, letting him in. Seeing me, he nodded before speaking.

  “I have a hairdryer there somewhere. Hold on.” I didn’t know what else to do or say but nod. I went back to his room only to see a tray with food and be enchanted by its good aroma. Chicken with mashed potatoes, I was right. Who would’ve thought that Blake had the ability to cook?

  “Eat, and I’ll dry your hair. Then go to sleep afterward. I will be in my study if you need anything, okay? Just find Alfred and ask him to lead you to me. But I’ll probably bathe those two first,” he explained, and I nodded. It was much easier than using actual words to reply, so I stuck with that action.

  Once he dried my hair and started combing it, I allowed myself to enjoy the food he had prepared. I had to say that I had never tasted something as good as his meal. He seemed much friendlier and a whole lot nicer too, though I had the feeling that it was just because of the baby. I surprisingly didn’t mind him touching my hair. That took me off guard; I hated when people did that.

  Did he drug me with liking potion or something?

  I sighed. What’s the use of letting it bother me now?

  “Done,” he said, and I just finished eating everything at the same moment. He grabbed the plate and gave me a glass of water before heading outside.

  Since he was no longer around, I allowed myself to go to sleep.

  His bed was definitely the most comfortable thing I ever touched; I would literally kill for it. Lying down, I couldn’t help but gulp seeing how dark his room actually was, so I left the nightstand lamp that was next to the bed on.

  It didn’t take me much to fall asleep.

  I was still running away. I didn’t know any other way to live. I wasn’t strong enough to face reality nor did I have anyone to do so instead of me. But little did I know th
at my course of actions was going to change my life forever.

  And that the person I was looking for might just have been around the corner.

  Chapter 10

  We Haven’t Clawed Each Other Yet

  Our decisions may haunt us because we made the wrong choice or we waited for too long. But mostly it’s because we made that decision in a rush. These bring us to circumstances; them meeting with more circumstances—that’s what “fate” actually is.

  I woke up with…nothing.

  I actually woke up without soreness or pain on my back. And I didn’t feel like getting up at all. What day was it? Oh yeah, Saturday. I was sick if Ryan called. But then again, I needed money. My life officially sucked.

  I swear to everything there was, my life was hell.

  Sighing, I tried to stand up, but something pinned me down.

  An arm.

  A strong muscular arm to be more precise. Wait, what?

  Suddenly, the previous night came rushing in my head.

  Blake.

  That guy. He was the one living here, and I had been sleeping in his bed. He was sleeping next to me. No, no, no, no, no, it can’t be. How could I have let it happen? I had to get out of there, and fast!

  I tried to move, but he wouldn’t even budge, making me impatient. What the fudging cake was his arm made of? I groaned and elbowed him in his ribs, but to no avail. This thing that jumped me from every single corner toned a whale. Maybe I exaggerated, not really a whale, but he was too heavy compared to my tiny body.

  Yes, I unwillingly admitted that my size was one of a midget.

  As I had no other options, I elbowed him even stronger. Please work. I was going to try to whisper something out so it would seem like he was still dreaming and that I wasn’t even real. It seemed to work because right then I heard a groan, and he soon started stirring, a sign that he woke up.

  Finally.

  Okay, now, my plan to…

  “What the hell…” he said, rubbing the place I previously hit, and I realized that it maybe wouldn’t work as I planned. “Go back to sleep. It’s not even”—he checked the clock on a night board flashing 04:58— “five in the morning! What the hell, woman. You better have a damn good excuse as to why you fucking woke me up this early,” he whispered in frustration with half-closed eyes, and I sighed. He had a really nice way with words. So much for my plan to hypnotize him and leave unnoticeable.

  “Saturday, work, morning shift. Ring a bell?” I asked and yawned, and he groaned even louder than the previous time.

  For some reason, I was much calmer than I needed, but I was also feeling a bit lightheaded, so I tried to finish my escape as soon as possible. At that moment, a thought hit me, and I prayed that the morning sickness wouldn’t kick in yet.

  “I will pay you thrice the payment you get if you continue sleeping now. Good night,” he snapped, burying his head in the pillow, and this time, it was my turn to protest.

  Didn’t he have a job to do as well?

  “I can’t just ditch my job to just lay in bed. I have responsibilities, you know? And what about you? Don’t you have some work to do?” I told him, and he just took that pillow from under him and put it on his head so he couldn’t listen to me anymore I’d say. Just then, another wave of nausea hit me, and I bit my lip as I lay down to calm my upsetting belly.

  God help me with this.

  I had read all about morning sickness, but to experience this myself was like a completely different story. It’s like a doctor telling you that injection will just sting a little, but when it comes to the real thing, you have a feeling like someone penetrated your skin with the kind of nail you’d kill a vampire with.

  “Your choice. I gave you my offer,” he said with a muffled voice. “Besides, my job starts at six thirty, and I can take a free day whenever I want,” he added, and I groaned once again.

  Talk about being the lucky baboon.

  Taking money from him was a big no-no. However, my head really started to hurt like hell, and I really liked the bed and pillow I was lying on, and I didn’t want to see Betty from my workplace again today…Moreover, I didn’t really need the money. I still had savings in the bank.

  So four versus one. The hell with it. One day won’t kill me. Pillow and mattress, here I come. And so I prepared myself to fall into a deep…And I couldn’t take it anymore.

  Jumping out of bed with an arm over my mouth, I headed into his bathroom and threw up my dinner in the toilet. It burned my throat, and tears started falling from my eyes, but I couldn’t stop. It continued.

  And then I felt his arm around my waist. He grabbed my hair and pulled it behind with his other one.

  “It’s okay. Don’t try to hold it in,” he said as I threw up again. Wasn’t he disgusted with me?

  “It’s okay. Breathe slowly. Try breathing in, then out,” he said, and I followed. “In and out.” I followed again. It worked, and I soon found myself calmer and better as he lifted me up and placed me on the edge of the tub. Then he grabbed a towel before soaking it with water as he used it to cool my face. I, on the other hand, remained passive, being too tired to do anything.

  “Are you better now?” he asked, and I weakly nodded. Screw my job. I really needed that sleep from earlier. This was going to be a long, long morning, and I would enjoy it so much.

  Note the sarcasm.

  He once again lifted me up before bringing me back to the bed as I curled myself in the covers because I suddenly found my surroundings too cold for my liking. What was wrong with my body temperature? Blake looked like he was in the middle of summer.

  “What are you doing here? In bed?” I asked him, remembering his earlier presence by my side, and he sighed.

  “This is my room, maybe? And my bed,” he replied with a shrug. That smart jackass.

  “You said that I can take the bed,” I protested as my eyes started closing. I was getting too tired to try to run away from him at the moment.

  “I never said that I won’t take it too.” I was going to kill him later, I swore. “I told you that other rooms were being renovated.”

  “You…you…you jerk!” I hit him with the pillow that was next to my head, but with a weak throw such as mine, he managed to catch it while raising his eyebrows.

  “I’m flattered. Why thank you for such a thoughtful compliment, however, I’ve been called much worse,” he said sarcastically, and I slapped myself in the face, muttering, “I wonder why.” He only glared at the pillow and put it back in its place.

  “Go to sleep, woman. Don’t you have something else to do other than annoy me?” he asked.

  “Yes, actually, I have a job to do at this time.” Truth, all truth. At that moment, I was so sleepy that I already forgot where I was and what I had been talking about. Job, what job did I have, anyway? Oh right, café.

  “If you want a job so badly, go and clean the mess those three made, so good luck and enjoy, and leave me to sleep,” he said, and I just stared at him, mouth open. Now that I thought of it…Sleeping was a great thing at the moment.

  “I’ll bring you some water. Hold on a second,” he said as he exited the room, but I didn’t have enough strength to stay conscious, so I soon fell asleep.

  Later that day, I woke up again. Blake was nowhere in sight, so I found that as a good sign. I needed to get out of that place as soon as possible. He offered me a place to live in, but the price would be living with him, and that was a price I was not sure I could pay. Not after all that happened, that is.

  Groaning, I got up from the bed but stopped when I saw a glass of water and a little pill next to it. From the shape of it, I guessed that it was aspirin, so I drank it, believing that it would help me with pain.

  Getting up, I decided to go and look for where my clothes were. Just as I was about to go out and look for the rucksacks with our spare clothes, I saw mine on the chair right from me. I really wanted to complain, but this saved me the time from rummaging the whole house to get it, so I kept
my mouth shut. Now, to get done with this.

  When I went downstairs, Ade and Amy were enjoying their breakfast an elderly woman’s cooked for them. Alfred suddenly followed after me with some bowl. As I recalled, the woman was probably Alfred’s wife he told me about.

  “Good morning, Al, ma’am,” I greeted them. “How are you?” I asked once I entered the kitchen.

  “Perfect, my dear. What happened after Mr. Blackburn found you?” he asked, and I mentally face-palmed myself. It would be great if I knew how to explain that, but trust me, Alfred, your boss is one really confusing man.

  “Um, he…Made chicken with mashed potatoes?” That sounded more like a question than a statement but was also partly the truth and all he had to know for now.

  “Ah, I see. That is so much like him,” the woman added and chuckled. I smiled at her.

  “I’m Bridget, by the way. This man’s wife for whole thirty years!” she stated proudly, offering me her hand, and I chuckled as I took it.

  “And I’m Kaley,” I said before standing next to Ayden. “This little pest’s sister.” His face brightened as he glared at my way but said nothing. He seemed to really like his food.

  “Oh, is that so?” she started. “He’s the cutest little thing I ever saw. Alfred told me all about yesterday, and I must say that this house really needed some action like that, honey!” Yup, well, your boss is a dark freak who scared the children away, so I get you.

  “I could guess,” I said instead as she turned back to the kitchen marble.

  “Would you like me to prepare breakfast for you?” she asked, and I shook my head.

  “Nah, I will wait for Ade to finish and leave then,” I replied truthfully. The faster I got away from Blake, the better.

  “Alright then, but I would feel much better if you ate something,” she added. “Mr. Blackburn informed me of your nausea from this morning, so I think that you should eat a snack at that. It’s bad to walk on an empty stomach,” she added, and I took a quick glance at Ade who still had a long way to eat.

  “Actually, make me a sandwich or two to take. I have time for it,” I smiled and so did she as Al went somewhere with the box of dog food in his hand. I guess that he went to feed Alexander wherever he was.