Bound by Tension
29

"Hi, guys." I grinned, waving. I just started a video call with Nikita and Lila.

"Babe," Nikita said boringly.

"Imogen, how are you?" Lila beamed.

"You called today? What a surprise!" Nikita said, throwing a handful chips into her mouth.

"Indeed a surprise. Is there any special occasion going on? Did you wake up to the wrong side of the morning?"

"No, guys. I called to say 'hi' to you, together." I

"Dummy." Nikita said for no good reason. "How are you spending time with your boyfriend over there?" She winked.

"Boyfriend? What Boyfriend?"

"Your boss, Hames. You're viral on the internet, baby. Let your followers know I'm your best friend so they can follow me too to check out my cool ass." She smiled smugly.

Lila rolled her eyes. "Is it true? Are you dating him now? So soon?"

"Ew, no way!" I furrowed my forehead.

"Why not? The internet says you are." Nikita drew her eyes in askance, "are you lying to us?"

"You don't have to believe everything you see on the internet." Lila frowned.

"Why not?" She frowned too.

"Because not everything on the internet is true."

"How would you know?"

Lila scoffed. "Imogen, please speak."

"Hames isn't my boyfriend. I don't know who the hell spread the news on the internet."

"In the video, Hames called you his girlfriend." Nikita raised an eyebrow. "And romantic photos of the both of you. I don't believe it's not true."

"It isn't. It's all a long story but that's not my concern right now. I have a higher issue to discuss."

"Ah! I knew it! You won't call if you don't have a problem." Lila said, sitting up.

"Not true."

"True." Nikita retorted.

"Be quiet and listen to me." I groaned, throwing my head back in frustration.

"Fine, what's your problem?" Lila asked with a sigh.

I glanced at my room from the balcony I was, feeling like Hames was going to barge in anytime soon and force me to be his girlfriend or something. I knew that wasn't possible but there were no limits to imaginations.

I returned my gaze to the laptop screen. "It's my boss. Yesterday, he asked me to go over to Kade's hotel room to grab some files. While I was about to leave, I realized the door was locked from the outside. I wondered how and why." "Whoa, interesting." Nikita threw another handful of chips into her mouth.

"I was stuck in there for almost 10 hours till Kade and Jovi finally returned."

"Stupid Jovi." Lila spat.

I chose to ignore that. "I returned to our Presidential suite. There were candles, balloons and roses everywhere. It suddenly went dark... blah blah blah... Hames confessed he has been in love with me for two years, that's why he requested for Kade to transfer me to him."

"Oh gosh." Nikita's mouth went agape.

"Oh my God, I knew it! I told you, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did." I rolled my eyes.

"Wait... what was your response?" Nikita asked, wearing a smirk.

"I told him I'm not interested and rejected him outright."

"What?!" They exclaimed in unison.

"Are you crazy?" Lila frowned.

"Why the fuck would you do that?" Nikita frowned ever more.

"Are you kidding me?" I laughed. "He's not the kind of man I want. I don't like him at all, why'd I date such an annoying freak like him?" I scoffed.

"He's got money!" Nikita exclaimed, huffing and fanning a hand over her face dramatically.

"Money doesn't make happiness."

"You could've told him you'll think about it." Lila said with a calm tone.

"Nope, I'm not thinking about it. I can't let history repeat itself."

"What history?" Nikita spat.

"Mia, duh."

"Mia? My mother?" Lila shook her head with a small smile. "It doesn't matter."

"Really? She was deceived by your cold, hot, rich father who promised to change for her. What happened after marriage? Didn't he end up turning her to a punching bag and returned to his cold ways? I don't love Hames at all and I never will. This is a very similar story to Mia's. He's not the type of man I want, I'd replace someone better."

"No, babe. You won't. You haven't and you'd never." Nikita stated.

"Rude." I scoffed.

"Just because it happened to Mom doesn't mean it'll happen to you." She chuckled.

"It does. I can't take the same risk. And, I don't want him."

"You're crazy..." Nikita groaned. "The dude's rich, extremely hot, mostly rich. You don't have to love him, idiot. You just have to date him, sleep with him, extort money from him then break up with him. Simple." "Could you ever mind your words?" Lila sneered.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not interested in dating him or sleeping with him." I scrunched my face up in disgust.

"Wait, you're literally living with a man and nothing has happened between you? Are you virgin Mary?" Nikita asked in astonishment.

"We have separate rooms. Nothing happened, nothing will."

"It will, he's got money!"

"Money isn't everything. I need a man who loves me and I love too, not Hames. I can never love him."

"Why not?" Lila snapped.

"Do I have to repeat that he's not my type?"

"Who's your type? A broke dude?"

"No."

"Imogen dear, you shouldn't judge things from what happened to Mom. You should at least give him a chance."

"Love is pointless. Get his damn money." Nikita rolled her eyes.

"Nikita, you should keep your silly thoughts to yourself. A lot of people believe in love and not just sleeping with useless old and dirty jerks just to get money. The money wouldn't go as far as true love." Lila said as a matter of factly. "Are you trying to insult me?" Nikita's face went red.

"Of course not. I'm only saying my opinion. Imogen, if Hames has loved you for 2 years, he truly loves you. Please give him a chance."

I heaved a sigh. "I don't want to."

"Did he say he's willing to change for you?" She asked.

"Yeah, but I still don't want him. I hate him."

"Hate no one, as Mom taught us. If he's ready to change for you, give him a chance. Don't judge a book by its cover. Don't judge him by how he may seem, know him better. Please, for my sake. I beg you with my whole life. I want what's best for you." She pleaded.

"Just be after his money, babe." Nikita shrugged.

"Will you shut up?!" Lila snapped, earning a gasp from Nikita.

"Oh, you didn't just say that." Her face became crimson.

"You're such a bad influence to Imogen. All you care about is money, that's all you can think of."

"Please, stop arguing." I chortled.

"Bad influence? So what are you? Holy mother? Jesus' girlfriend that gives the best advises?"

"Shit, I should've known it would lead to this."

"Whether or not I am, I don't utter foolish words, I don't speak without thinking first." She looked really furious.

Shaking my head at them, I ended the video call, shut the laptop and rose to my feet from the chair on the balcony.

I inhaled beautiful fresh air. The cool breeze kept throwing my hair upwards in a way I loved. I admired the amazing view from here for the next few minutes till I was satisfied enough.

I picked my laptop from the table and left the balcony for my room.

I dropped the laptop on the table, guessing it was finally time I left this room and might probably have to see Hames. I couldn't continue hiding from him like I had been doing all morning.

I sighed, ambled to the door and opened it, going out of the room.

Hames was on the sofa, as I had wished not.

"Imogen," he called, leaning back in his seat. I glanced at him. "Come here."

Reluctantly, I shambled to stand in front of him.

"Sit." He tapped the spot of the sofa beside him.

"I'd prefer to sit anywhere but beside you." I replied sternly.

"No, sit here."

I hesitated before finally sitting beside him. "What do you have to say?" I didn't mean to but it came out rudely. I didn't care.

"We've both been very hardworking, as well as Kade and Jovi, and have been able to finalize our work with 'The Carters' so we'd be returning to New York City after Mr. Carter's company party." "Oh, that's good to hear." I nodded. Finally, I was going home from this torturous place.

"We still have a lot of work to do back in New York so you'd have to put more effort in your work like you've been doing."

Oh no.

"You might have a chance to receive a day break.

Just a day? So mean. "Okay," I nodded again.

"You'd resume your normal working timetable and we'll finalize everything that needs to be finalized as soon as we can."

"Yes, sir."

He went silent, peering at me with no hint of emotion from him. I drew my eyes in askance at his awkward silence.

"Is something wrong, sir?" I tried my best to sound polite.

"Don't refer to me as 'sir', you make me feel old. Just call me 'Hames'." That explained why he had asked me to call him by his first name.

"No. I'd refer to you as 'sir' like an employee to her employer, so you'd know you're nothing but my boss and it should remain that way."

"Now we've discussed things related to work, let's dive into our personal lives. Why are you being stubborn? Why won't you accept me if I promise to change for you?"

"I don't like you at all, why'd I accept you?"

"Then I'd make you like me, what should I do to achieve that?"

"Nothing, do absolutely nothing. I'm not interested in you so let it remain that way. We're nothing but a CEO and Secretary."

"Why won't you think about it first?" He was growing frustrated and I knew it.

"I won't let history repeat itself.'

"What history?!"

"Mia, my best friend's mother. She became my mother when I was 18. Her stupid husband was also rich and cold like you."

"I'm not cold." He said. I gave him the 'who the heck are you kidding' look. He sighed, "fine, I know I am."

"He promised to change for her, promised to make her life better, to make her happy, to make their children the happiest but his sweetness lasted till they got married. The monster in him returned."

He laughed. "Gosh, I'm so sorry for laughing. It's quite funny to me. A lot of people change for the ones they love, don't judge everyone by Mia's husband. I could be cold sometimes but I'm loving, sweet, calm, very nice and jovial around the ones I love."

I snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" His forehead creased.

"Around the ones you love? You claim to love me but you're neither of what you said towards me."

"That's true, and it's because you didn't know I love you yet. Now that you know, I'll be whatever you want. 2 years isn't a short period and you're aware of that. Please don't be the reason for me going completely crazy and ending up in a psychiatric hospital."

"Whatever you say, nothing would change my decision. You're one of the worst people I've ever met in my life."

"You make it seem like I murdered someone so close to you. You think I'm terrible because my way of working and how I treat my employees is different from Kade's. Don't you get it? People's way of life can't be the same but I'm willing to change for you after 27 years of my existence on Earth. What else do you want?"

"27? You're still a little brother, so... No, thank you." I rose to my feet.

"Little brother? You're 25. I have your personal information, woman."

"Great, still changes nothing."

He held my hand before I could leave. "You're messing with my proper thinking." He pulled me back to sit on the sofa by his other side, way too close to him.

I squeaked as his other arm went around my waist. "Hames, let go." I tried to push him off but he wouldn't budge.

"Will you ever stop this stubbornness?" He slowly leaned closer to me. With my eyes bugged out, I moved my head backwards but he didn't stop leaning his face to mins

"Wh-what are you doing?" I asked, my heart palpitated wildly inside my rib, almost to the point of exploding.

"A kiss can solve it all. It can turn your brain and you'd accept me."

I shook my head. "No, stop it." I turned my face away, covering my mouth with my hand. He didn't stop leaning his face to mine. His lips were only a few centimeters away from my cheek. My heart's palpitation was even wilder.

He chuckled, surprisingly pulled away from me and rose to his feet.

I was both relieved and confused.

"I won't kiss you by force, I'm not that crazy. I can resume kissing you in my dreams till you finally accept me in real life." A smirk crawled up to his lips. "Your dreams? Gross."

"I know right?" I had to admit that his smirk made him look... charming? I guess so.

"It's crazy."

"It's you, all you. Anyway, you'll be going with me to Mr. Carter's company party."

"I know that."

"No, I mean as my date."

"Ew, no way."

"Yes way."

"No, thank you."

"You are. Nothing would change that. It's not such a big deal, is it?"

"Yes, it definitely is. It'll prove the internet craziness right."

"You're going as my secretary but representing my date. Nothing's changing that. You'll receive another $10,000." He turned around and took his leave.

He almost turned off the lights on his way out but he refrained from don't that and left the room, shutting the door.

After I could guess he was out of hearing range, I shouted, "you're an annoying idiot."

Could this ever be less annoying?

I had to go to the party as his date, for one night, and I'll receive $10,000? That was such a nice deal but it was still very annoying. I was only going to accept because I'm human and in need of money.