Chapter 5 A new experience

ETHAN's POV

Alex looked as though I had compounded her troubles with the single act of returning her money and I could not quite understand why she would behave that way.

What was she expecting? That I should be paid for the pleasure and beautiful time we shared together the day before? That would be utterly ridiculous.

We both enjoyed it, and I would even not mind spending time with her some more. There was just this bridge between us, she was putting up herself and it is obviously because she doesn't want to come off as weak/feeble.

I was glad that she had left her phone, and as someone who knew her before she got to know me, I knew where her office was and it was no hassle taking her phone to see her.

Maybe I was wrong to think that could help things go well between us, because she still was arrogant and looked at me distastefully.

Her eyeballs rolled when I dropped the money and started towards the door and I even felt them at the back of my head, but there was no point turning back now.

Intrigued, Alex called out to her guard to stop me, after she had allowed me to leave the office, and I couldn't help but wonder if she just wanted to stress me, while at the same time hope that it was for the best.

Maybe she noticed that I was taking longer than usual to come, because I had just ignored the guard, making him know that he cannot just push me to and fro, she rushed to catch up with me herself.

Now, it was finally starting to make sense. It meant that she was feeling me the most and at least wanted to give me an audience, or maybe not.

"Erm, Ethan...or Mr...?" She said, trying to catch her breath when she came up close to me.

"Just call me Ethan, Alex" I said, with no emotions on my face, waiting for her to declare her intentions of stopping me, so I would know if I had no business here still."

"Could we at least talk?"

"Let's have it here, if you don't mind, I have other matters to attend to as well." I knew how it felt for a woman not to be the one to form "busy" and I knew it would make her want me more, so I had to play that card on her.

"Oh, I am sorry about that. Maybe you should get going then" she said, as though defeated.

"No, it's fine, please speak, I still have a lot of time to spare for you, and I was hoping we could even get to know each other better" I knew that at this point, she was never going to say no, I already had her interest in the matter.

"That's okay" she said, as though she had other things to say, but something kept holding her back.

"Yes, and I must say that it has been a great pleasure coming here, I have only heard about how great your establishment is, I have not seen it. It's a great one you have here, indeed" I started with my charming smile again.

"Don't flatter me with words, I am just trying my best to make ends meet, as well as live up to the standard I have created for myself" she smiled back.

"Well, I must say that you are the standard yourself, and all must bow to you...consistently!" I emphasized the last words to make it sink and she signaled for her guards to go so they would give us more privacy to share our minds.

"Thank you, Ethan. I hope you don't mind me keeping you on a stand still for so long?"

"No, I don't mind at all, you have something else you want to discuss with me?" I looked into her disturbed eyes and I could see right into her soul that something was bothering her still.

"About yesterday..." she said, confirming my suspicions.

"Can we talk about that over food at a restaurant this evening. I know of quite a few places that could facilitate such talks and resolve things in full, if you permit me, my lady." I interrupted her with a big grin on my face.

"Okay" she said simply, as though she was not interested or she was rather skeptical about it, but she accepted at the least so that was the most important thing.

She had no choice than to agree and she just kept silent as I told her the location we would be meeting and what time it was that would be best for us to discuss.

I went home happier that everything was falling in place with this gold mine of mine, and it took all afternoon planning the words I was going to say to her as well as how I was going to give her the best dinner she has ever seen before.

"It's a beautiful evening, but not even thrice as beautiful as you are, Alex" I said, looking at her lovingly, and I could not help but cut into our very serious discussion.

She has spent all evening, not only looking breathtaking but also being so interested in knowing more about my life and I already told her all it was that she should know and even more- she now knew those tiny details that not even my family all knew, it was that fast.

I introduced myself first as a successful businessman sharing details about my small company to her and she looked so committed to the course of making it grow bigger already.

Although it was no small work, she still found so many things to talk about and it was rather exicting to converse brilliant ideas with her, as Alex reciprocated by discussing her own business ventures.

"Thank you" she said shyly, and I noticed it. It was just then that I knew that she was already feeling what I could feel inside myself for her. Maybe even more.

As the night unfolded, we found ourselves deeply drawn to each other and our connection blossomed into a romance. It was everything I had always wanted.

"Thank you for coming this evening" I said, more than five hours after we walked into the restaurant together and I felt this was not going to be the last time, we would talk at great lengths without watching the time.

"Let's go home" she said, and I knew just what that meant for us.