Highest Bidder

He looked at me, his brow cocked in surprise. “Chinese instrumental?”

“It calms me,” I replied.

“You started listening to it because of Maddie? She’s Chinese, isn’t she?”

“Not at all, she doesn’t like instrumentals. Her mother used to play it a lot in the house though when we were in secondary school, so that’s how I—” Something suddenly struck me. “How do you know about Maddie?”

He returned his gaze to the dark page of codes he was writing on his own screen. “You don’t expect me not to know as much as possible about you before proposing a relationship with you do you?”

The pen fell from my hand.

He smiled as he caught it just before it rolled off the desk. “Close your mouth, Freya.”

As I watched him, I knew what I wanted to ask but I didn’t know how to put it in words. My brain wouldn’t work so instead, I looked away and thanked him for saving my pen. Of course, he would know everything about me ... I remembered his brother’s words. He's not an ordinary person. He’s calculated, precise ,and never careless. Every move he makes means something and is properly thought out.

It made me wonder then what he was doing here. What sitting beside me right now in this cafe meant. Did he want to get closer to me, or was he trying to get me to perceive him in a certain light? My guesses didn’t make sense and they were draining the energy I had reserved for studying. I turned to him. “Why are you here?”

“I'm working,” he answered. When he realized I was still watching him he turned towards me too.

“I know, but you never do things without a reason. You could be working on your own but you’re here where it can’t be as comfortable as your study. I’m just curious why.”

His smile spread into a full grin then as he leaned back into the chair. “What makes you think I never do things without a reason? I’m a human being.”

“Well, you’re the only one who thinks that,” I muttered and returned my gaze to the book open before me.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

I shut the book and turned to him. “You're calculating, aren’t you? You plan every single move you make.”

He blinked.

“Right?” I prompted.

“Okay,” he responded.

I got the impression he was just humoring me. “Forget about it,” I said and returned to my book.

“Yes, I am quite structured,” he explained gently, “and me being here right now, is quite impulsive for me I have to admit, but I wanted to be near you.” He leaned in, his nose to my neck. “To wallow in the scent of your skin.”

I felt my bones begin to melt. It was as though his words had conjured up a bubble around the both of us that kept the rest of the world around us outside and silent. It was as though we were the only two that existed in the world right now.

My head slanted to catch his lips, the slight taste of him shooting red molten desire straight to my core.

I pulled away, worried that he would be too uncomfortable with such displays of affection in a public place, but as I licked the taste of him on my lips, his hand went around my neck and pulled me forward. He slipped his tongue into my mouth and I saw stars.

Few seconds later, and I couldn’t even sit still any longer. My knuckles were white from gripping his sweater. He broke the kiss then and my forehead collapsed onto his chest. I was out of breath and my heart was beating like a drum. “How far away is your car?” I asked.

“If I take you out of here, I cannot guarantee that you will return.”

“I don't care.”

“If you fail the test, will you come work for me?”

I immediately straightened and leaned away without meeting his eyes. His slight chuckle was pure music to my ears.

Freya

The following day, I stepped out of the test halls in the Merrill Lynch headquarters in Oxford, quite surprised at how well the test had gone for me. Pulling my phone out of my backpack, I switched it on, my teeth nibbling on my nail as I held my breath for Brent’s good luck message.

There was none. Of course. He wanted me to fail so I would go work in his company. I called Maddie.

“Hey,” she answered.

“I’m done,” I said, “where are you?”

“I’m at home.”

“Why are you whispering?” I asked.

“Ella’s here,” she responded. “And she’s completely ballistic. She’s been crying for an hour.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“David cheated on her,” she replied.

I sucked in my breath. “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I said and was immediately on my way.

When I arrived, Maddie immediately warned me to keep my voice down. “She just fell asleep in my room.”

We crept into the kitchen for a cup of tea, and Maddie filled me in on what had happened. There was an alert from my phone and though I was dying to look at it, I forced myself not to look.

“Are you expecting someone?” she asked.

“No!”

Her eyes narrowed at me and then glanced down at my phone. “Is it your test? Will the results be out today?”

“No, that will be next week.”