Rock Star Billionaire
For the next hour I sat in the teller’s booth with my hands covering my face, bawling my eyes out, not even caring that there were cameras set up here and Zayden would be able to see how miserable I was. There was hardly any shred of my pride left anyway. I had sold all my dignity for sixty-thousand dollars. I was that girl.
Chapter 10
Zayden
I angrily slammed the phone onto my bed. I wasn’t controlling. That was a terrible excuse to get out of the contract. It wouldn’t be a contract if she could just bail at any time. It felt for a bit like I was being taken advantage of. I was getting the shabby end of the deal anyway. In a fit of fury, I had failed to notice that Gina was watching me from outside my open door.
“What was that about?” She asked with an annoying smirk.
“Why do you care?”
“Cause you’ve been swearing uncontrollably for the past five minutes. I am just curious,” she said.
I hadn’t even realized I was doing that. Aria was capable of making me feel completely and utterly out of control.
“It’s nothing. It doesn’t matter.”
Gina didn’t take the hint. Instead, she made herself comfortable on my bed and extended her hand, which I refused.
“Zayden,” she said, looking at me sharply. “If we are going to make this work, we have to learn to be friends.”
“I don’t have any interest in being your fucking friend. Now get out,” I snapped.
She didn’t flinch. Instead smiled, which annoyed me to no end. “Lady troubles I presume?”
“Did I not tell you I didn’t have any ‘ladies’ to worry about?” I asked, wishing she would just get out of my room.
“That’s not what it sounded like on the phone. You haven’t seemed so passionate since we first met. Come on, you can talk to me. I know you better than you know yourself.”
“Bullshit. If you knew me you wouldn’t be here in my room when I just want you to leave me the fuck alone.”
“I’m just trying to help. I don’t suppose you have had the chance to consider my offer yet?”
“Clearly I’m dealing with much more important shit right now. If only you saw beyond yourself for just a second.”
She got up and approached me, while I clenched my fists, still burning with anger.
“Do not touch me,” I said, glaring at her.
“I wasn’t going to.” She shrugged and walked towards my liquor cabinet. “I am way past any pretenses. I told you what I wanted and I am not going to make futile and needless attempts to try and sleep with you anymore.”
She walked towards me with a glass. “Scotch on the rocks. You look like you need a drink.”
“You think you know me so well because you know what I like to drink?” I scoffed. “Guess what? So does ever teenage girl in the country who reads ZEN magazine.”
“Just take the drink and relax. I can draw you up a nice bath if you want. I’m here for you. Although you don’t think that’s possible, obviously.”
I begrudgingly accepted the drink and took a large swig, surprised by how much better it made me feel. “Happy?”
“Not yet. Who were you speaking to? What’s bothering you so much?”
“It’s work,” I lied. “A very important deal might be falling through but I won’t know until tomorrow. It’s a takeover of a boutique bank that would have really helped our expansion strategies.”
“Is the boutique bank named Aria?” She said, probably feeling clever. “I heard you use that name.”
“Aria is an employee helping me with the paperwork. Do you want to see her employee profile from the bank? You probably don’t believe she is actually working for me do you?”
“Oh, I believe she’s working for you alright, but in more ways than one.”