Count yourself lucky

*Over the Phone*

"I still have no clue as to why we are friends," Brithney says

Romaine throatily laughs at her comment while adjusting the collar of his white shirt.

He bends over and reaches for his cup of coffee with a wide grind

"Remember you said friend with benefits. Why forget so suddenly"

He sips the warm dark brown liquid and Adam's apple descents down his throat accordingly.

She pauses for a second at the sound of his swallow.

"Are you drinking something?"

His eyes lit then regains steadiness at once "Yeah, why?"

He deposits the solid gray cup onto his side cupboard. His manly hands going back to their latter action as he reaches for his jacket.

"Well, coffee gives nerves so if you wanna live long, don't take that often"

His brows raise with a smirk fully formed over his rich pink lips "How did you know it was coffee?"

"How wouldn't I know someone as busy as you take that?" She responds questioningly with a knife in her hands separating two sandwiched bread salads.

His heart skips abruptly knowing full well she only knows him as a normal businessman but not the owner of many corporations.

She smiles at his silence taking a bite of half the slice of bread.

He worries about how to respond when she breaks the moment with a laugh.

She brows knit and he struggles to adjust his mixed blue and black tie.

"I wish to see your face at this moment. I've never known I could bit you in a talk till now."

Still unsure if this is a medium for her to break out his secret, he chuckles "What do you mean?"

"Like how could an entire Romaine be still at the guess of his habit. I wasn't even sure of my response you know. I just assumed every worker takes coffee every morning. And my assumption was exact"

"Don't give yourself full hopes of getting my habits that easily. It's ok to reflex your muscles before work. It makes you smart."

"I know, I know. At least I got you handed and speechless for the first time." She takes in another bite

"I guess for now" he moves from his spot with the coffee cup out of his dressing room.

"I assume you'd go for holidays in Georgia soon"

"Oh yeah, to visit my family for sure"

She nods gently as though he would notice it.

"What? You want me to stay?"

She giggles with a mouthful "You wished."

He laughs at her response striding towards the kitchen.

"I don't want you giving an excuse to your boss that your 'girlfriend' made you late. So I'd hang up now"

He smirks resting the coffee cup on the counter and moving over to the living room and down towards the door picking up his car keys from a shelf.

"I should be the one informing you that but I love the sound of it so I'd stick with your suggestion because I'm already late"

"Hush. That'd be a fat lie. Firstly, you don't have a girlfriend, and secondly..."

He waits patiently for her to complete her utterances "Secondly what?"

"Nevermind. Bye," she hangs up before he says anything else.

He smiles and heads for the door, opening and closing behind him.

Someone stares at the far end as he gets into his car and drives away.

*Some Minutes later*

Romaine is stopped by two cars. One ahead and the other behind him. He stays calm as they get out of their car and over his.

They order him out with wounded faces "Where is the money?"

He frowns "Which money?"

Their leader points a gun over his thick cloth at his vertebral column.

"If you do not tell us where it is, we'd end your life"

Romaine blows out his cheeks and responds firmly "I don't have what you're asking for"

"Check his car! And if we find it, we're gonna kill you for making this hard for us" he whispers the last statement and the other men did as ordered while Romaine remains pinned against his door with a gun almost breaking his spine.

*Flash Back*

After Romaine got into his car, he instantly called

"Yes Sir," A man responded

"Cancel every money transfer. I won't be collecting a dine"

"W-why Sir?"

"Just do as told"

"Sure Sir" the man replies and he ends the call recouping his hand over his stirring.

*End Of Flashback*

"We can't find it" A man announces.

"Are you sure about that?" Their leader asks and they nod.

"Count yourself lucky"

Romaine tries to give him a side look but fails as they rush back into their car. He groans at the pain caused by the gun while they drive off.

He settles back and reflects on the incidences.

"You played with the wrong man Leonel" he mutters under his breath and launches the engine then drives off too.

...

Brithney is called by Leonel to his office so she leaves her post at once and meets him.

She pauses at the door and exhales before encircling her hands over the knob and thrusting in with the door.

She closes behind her and walks before his desk. His eyes showing excitement.

"You'd be free for the entire week starting from now. That's my holiday gift for you."

She puts in all effort not to roll her eyes.

"You should spend a wonderful Christmas with your family before the new year"

She narrows her eyes at him. What did he mean Family?

"You're always welcome to see your parents. You should try and make peace with them you know" he adds

She slightly clenches her jaws "I thought...I'm your slave. Why would you want me to see them? Did I complain?"

He adjusts himself on his seat and rests his chin over his entangled hands.

"Am I that wicked? Why don't you just do me a Favor and...accept the fact that your parents are living freely and luxuriously. Something no one will do after being rejected from you"

"Isn't this hypothetical?" She acknowledges more than questions

"No. It's true love"

She chuckles "Love? You don't even love yourself."

He smiles dangerously lining back against his chair.

"And so do you. You know...I've never seen anyone who knows me better than you do. Why don't we put the past away and move ahead just you and me."

"You're sick! I will never love or be with you. We have nothing in common. And for your information, I love myself because if I didn't, I won't be alive since then."

"Here you lie. Do you know why you never tried to love me back or find love till now? I'd tell you why" he rises and gently walks towards her.

She follows his steps with her eyes until he is a meter away. He leans in and whispers.

"That's because you never loved yourself. You didn't and don't love your life. You were an obsessed little girl whose parents cared less about her. You had no love around you. How then could love grow in you? Don't you think it's logical? Reflect, and dig in. You know my words are so true. They are always."

He jerks away back to his seat. "You are dismissed," he said before settling.

She flinches at the sound of his formal tone then turns around and exist his office silently.

His words chopped into her bone marrows. She felt her heart stopped. He was right. She doesn't love her life nor herself.

Once she reaches her bureau, she quickly assembles her files and every other thing then lives.

At the exit door of the building, she stumbles against someone but doesn't look just like before as she rushes out without an apology.

Romaine is shocked and miserable at the sight of her solemn countenance.

He doesn't get the chance to settle his thoughts when a man users him to Leonel's office.

He reaches there woundedly due to the supposed rob earlier.

Leonel sees him and stands up to salute with a stagnant smile shaping over his face.

"Nice to see you, Mr. Romaine. You didn't bring along any company"

"Well, you sent companies ahead of me already so I didn't see that necessary"

"You can leave us alone," Leonel says to his work and he does promptly.

"Can we revisit your sentence because I don't recall sending my assistant over to you"

Romaine jams his hands in his pants looking into Leonel's eyes daringly.

"I don't repeat my words, Mr. Leonel. I have full respect for your dad and his achievements. If not, I wouldn't be here and the police will be dragging you already. But I came for us to get this straight. I will have this company because we made a deal. But you won't receive any money from me."

Leonel laughs "What a joke man"

"Call it whatever you want. If I don't receive the necessary documents after this, I'd get you locked up. And your company will still be mine." He states turning around and walking away while Leonel clenches his jaws at the back of him.

To be continued...