So, Shall We Get Married?
Chapter 18

I am glad you have decided. I’m sure my proposal will go over quite well.

Olivia wasn’t so sure about that anymore… But if she backed out, she’d be implying she didn’t have a say, she’d wait to hear what Caleb had to say.

-Well, in that case, we should sit down and let him tell me what it’s all about.

-Hey, you see, I need to take you back to my place. And we’ll talk about the job.

< I knew it, I wasn’t wrong. The job that this man is offering me is that I’m his mistress. I can’t accept to be the mistress of this millionaire.

The brunette turns around and bites her lips, thinking of the polite way to refuse Caleb’s proposal, it was better that she cut him off at once than wait until later and it would be worse.

Just as she was about to say no, there’s a knock on her flat door.

-It must be dinner,” he says, opening the door, Olivia sees him take some handbags from his bodyguard and then closes the door. Then let’s eat.

-Caleb, I don’t think I should….

-Come on, I’m hungry. Besides, you’ve been waiting a long time, you must be just as hungry as I am,” he interrupts her as he places some food on the table.

< Oh, no! Now how do I tell him to say no to this man? Why the hell does he have to be so damn handsome?

She bites her lips and ends up sitting in the chair, it was unbelievable that she was sitting at the dinner table in her home with a billionaire who was quite coveted by women. At home, in her humble flat.

-Is something wrong? -She wakes from her reverie and looks up at the sound of Caleb’s voice.

-No, nothing,” she half smiles.

It looked like a date, a romantic dinner for a couple who liked each other. The only thing missing were the candles and the wine, but obviously, this man was never going to order a bottle of wine to have dinner with her…

And that’s when the brunette notices Caleb pull a brand new bottle of wine out of the food bag.

-I hope you like the wine, it’s very smooth and kind of sweet. Do you happen to have glasses?

With a lump in her throat, Olivia says no, blinking occasionally. She was stunned, Caleb had ordered everything for this dinner, God, it was every woman’s dream.

-Well, with glasses, I think that works too.

-Yes,” she nods and immediately gets to her feet to fetch the glasses.

She was so nervous, she looks over the edge of her shoulders and notices Caleb arranging the trays on the table. She frowns, it was too much food, how many people was he planning to feed?

[…]

The dinner ended better than Caleb expected, although Olivia was rather quiet and didn’t understand why. She wasn’t going to ask him why she seemed so nervous either, she had even blushed a few times, was it because they were both dining alone?

Maybe she was nervous about being alone with him. That could be a possibility, but he didn’t think so, at no time had Olivia’s behaviour been any different than it had always been. All the time she was trying to keep him away, and frankly, the way she treated him was terrible.

No woman he knew would treat him that way if she felt any kind of attraction. It was obvious that she didn’t exhibit that affectionate demeanour like the other women he used to date. But that was good, wasn’t it? He wondered inwardly; it was convenient that she didn’t have any kind of crush on him, he knew all too well how terrible it could be for a woman to fall for him in that regard, since she wasn’t looking for that affection.

Caleb looked at the time on his watch, it was late, he had to leave. He watches the brunette pick up the dishes.

-Let me help you.

-No, he’s done too much already. I think it’s too late, don’t you?

-You sure?

-Yes, besides, it’s only waste.

-All right, the day after tomorrow I’ll come for you, for the job.

-And why not tomorrow?

-I’ll be very busy, but the day after tomorrow, I’ll come for you in the afternoon.

Olivia blinked several times, this was the perfect moment to decline his job proposal. She couldn’t accept being this man’s mistress, not for all the money in the world, she had dignity.

-Mr. Palmer, I don’t think so….

-You’ve already accepted, and that’s like giving me your word. I’ll come for you,” he says, putting on his jacket, “I’ll let you know when I’ll pick you up,” he walks to the door, “It was nice having dinner with you, have a good night,” he smiles at her, before leaving the flat.

Olivia’s heart was pumping so much b***d to her brain, her head would explode if she couldn’t calm her emotions. It wasn’t possible that every time this man smiled at her like that she would turn to jelly, and the system would fail.

She put her palms on the table and let out her breath…

-How am I supposed to work with him if I don’t learn to manage my emotions, let alone my reactions,” she swallows. This is going to be harder than I thought,” he denies. The day after tomorrow when he comes for me I’ll tell him, I’ll refuse his offer. I’m not going to become anyone’s mistress.

[…]

Well, at least I had solved Olivia’s problem. All that was left was for her to know her role very well, I was counting on her not to object and end up repudiating the job.

Caleb, adjusting his jacket as he made his way to his car, would have to explain very well what he had to do. Besides, he needed the job so badly, he doubted she would say no to him. In fact, he was pretty sure he was going to say yes.

The CEO smiles as he gets into the car.

-What a night!

He tried to remember a night when he’d had such a good time, without having to pretend, or feel uncomfortable. He’d actually had quite a good time in Olivia’s company. He wondered if she had felt that way too?

What was going through his mind, what was he thinking, he suddenly found himself thinking absurd thoughts. He shook his head, started the car and drove on.

[…]

Two days later…

Olivia’s nails were a mess, she had done them for nothing. The nerves that were eating away at her, ended up biting her nails and destroying them completely. It was agonizing to have to wait for this man to come for her.

She paced back and forth in the tiny room; thinking, racking her brain, trying to replace a way to refuse Caleb’s job offer. But nothing congruent came to mind, the only thing she could think of was that if she didn’t say no, she’d end up in the bed of that handsome millionaire.

-Shit, how come I can’t “no thanks, I changed my mind” is that so hard, Olivia?

She was already sweating, even the little make-up she had put on would be ruined.

-Why the hell doesn’t she just get the f**k over here and say no? Yeah, right, you’re going to say no, after you’re more than dressed up. You’re so stupid, Olivia!

The brunette pretends to sit down when there’s a knock on the door. She immediately turns away, looks at the door as if it were her worst enemy, hears the light knocking again, and decides to walk to the door. Her heart was like a locomotive, she was so scared, and that was very strange for her.

She swallows as she opens the door, seeing the person behind the door, the brunette lets out her breath.

-How are you? What brings you here?

-You’re two days late with the rent for the flat, you know I’m a stickler for punctuality. And you’ve never been unpunctual.

-I’m very sorry, I promise I’ll have the money in a few days.” The manager didn’t seem convinced, but he nodded, and then left.

Olivia closes the door, that was worrying, she had to pay the rent… she was going to lose her house if she didn’t get the money. And that building was one of the best places to live cheaply.

-My God! -He rests his forehead on the door.

Just then there’s another knock on the door and Olivia gasps, blinking repeatedly. That had to be him, she thinks.

She bites her lips as she grabs the doorknob… then at that moment she thought of something very frivolous, she wouldn’t lose her house, her things, she wouldn’t be out on the street because she didn’t have a job on time. If Caleb’s proposal was to make her his mistress, then she would accept, but she would save her home?