8

Rosalinda walks into the diner, watching as people began to pull the chairs and tables out, as Alistair decided on how he wanted the diner decorated and painted. As she walked through, she saw Alistair staring at her, as he gave a small smile.

The young female turned away from him and into her office. She walked through the small staff room and unlocked her office door. She walked inside and shut the door behind her, heading behind her desk, and took a seat. She looked over some of the papers and pulled her laptop and bills out of her bag that needed to be paid. She took a deep breath, beginning to make orders for the food she needed and write checks for the bills she had to pay, until her phone began to ring.

She looked at it and smiled at the caller ID, picking up her phone and holding it to her ear.

"Mom, how are you this morning?" She asked softly into the phone, unable to keep the smile off her face as could just tell her mother was smiling and ecstatic her daughter answered the call.

"I'm doing alright, Rosy. Wish you were here with me to keep me company." She said with her thick Maltese accent, her daughter's smile falling a little and sighing.

"Don't worry, I'll come by later today and take you out, since the doctor said that you'll be able to stay with me for the weekend." She hummed, going back to her work, as she opened her laptop to look over the hospital bills, but paused after a moment to see the charges saying they were paid. Her brow raised, sitting back and humming softly.

"Something wrong?" She heard her mother ask, as she forgot for a moment she was still on the other line.

"Um, are you paying off the hospital bills?" She asked, her office door opening, but the young woman not noticing.

"No, really wouldn't be able to, since I had to quit my job." Her mother told, Rosalinda brows furrowing this time, but then looked up with a gasp at seeing Alistair standing in front of her, as her mother asked what was wrong. Rosalinda quickly dismissed it and told her mother she would call her when she came to pick her up. Saying their goodbyes and 'I love you', Rosalinda hung up the phone and looked at Alistair.

"Can I help you with something?" She covered up parts of her bills with her laptop and closed the top of the electronic, staring at the man with confusion and annoyance.

"Um, yes." He said, gulping softly, stuffing his hands into his nice suit pants. He took a deep breath and looked into the green eyes staring back at him.

"I paid those hospital bills-And before you get angry or saying anything else I did it because I wanted to make it up to you for how I've been treating this agreement and you." He said quickly, Rosalinda's eyes widedening. She took a deep breath and covered her face with her hands, her thick curls falling in front of her. She sat there quietly for a moment, scaring the man a little, until she looked up with rosy cheek, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Please, don't do that again. I can handle it, but...Thank you." She said, sniffling softly and wiping away any tears that were going to spill. She stared at the man that smiled back at her, as she took a deep breath.

"Look, I'm sorry that I overreacted, I just have a lot on my plate right now and you're not helping the situation." She explained, as man's smile fading a little.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He said, taking a seat in front of her desk and adjusting a little.

"Look, let me make it up-" He was cut off by his phone ringing, as he looked at the caller ID and sighed.

"Sorry I gotta-"

"Just go." She cut him off, waving a hand and turning back to her things. He stared at the woman for a moment and nodded, heading out of the room and taking the call. His "fiancé" began yelling across the phone, asking where he has been, as the man became annoyed with the situation, trying to calm her down.

"But I don't understand why you're hanging around that pesky diner so much! Am I not good enough?!" Raven yelled across the phone, causing Alistair to hold it away from his ear a little, before sighing.

"No, Raven. I'm just trying to make it nice and hopefully attract even more customers with it. This is just the process. I'm working." He tried to reason, hearing the woman roaring with anger across the phone.

"Then I guess I'll come down to keep you company! Since I'm the only one who cares about this relationship." Alistair's eyes widened, as he was going to tell her not to, the line cut off, signaling the Latina woman hanging up.

Alistair frowned deeply and stuffed his phone back into his pocket, looking at the office door that Rosalinda was behind. He decided to keep her company, as he knew the renovators knew what they were doing. With a small groan he began to walk back into the room, Rosalinda trying to hold back her laughter.

"What?" He asked, the Maltese woman shaking her head and covering her mouth with one hand.

"Oh nothing!" She snickered, but couldn't hold back anymore as she howled with laughter. After a moment she calmed down and looked at Alistair; her green eyes a little brighter and more welcoming, as the man couldn't help but smile a little at the pleasant look and not an angry one.

"Just find it interesting that your "fiancé"," she put her hands up, making quotations with her pointer and middle fingers, "is so concerned about your relationship, when you don't even wanna be in it." She snickered, as Alistair rolled his eyes and sat down in front of her.

"Why are you snooping in on my conversations, hm?" He asked with a smirk, the woman smiling more, but with more devious intentions behind it.

"Because Mr. Hamelton, we're a team, and teams try to get to know each other better." She snickered and went back to her bills, shaking her head.

"You know, Ms. Scott, I don't think you understand the business aspect of a team, so why don't I teach you it over an apology dinner?" He offered with a smile, the woman looking up and raising a brow.

"Tonight? I don't think so, my mother and I already have major plans and I don't want you in them to ruin them." She told him, as he frowned and crossed his arms.

"I would not ruin them!" He argued, as Rosalinda looked at him questioningly, then shook her head.

"Just stay away from my mother and I. I haven't been able to spend time with the person who gave me this life, and I plan on spending the most time with her I can." She explained, Alistair tapping his foot in annoyance.

He didn't understand why he wanted to spend so much time with the young lady sitting in front of him, but he wasn't able to think more about it, when a door slammed open and his name was being called out across the whole building.

Alistair groaned internally and looked at Rosalinda, snickering in her seat, but jumped when her office door opened. She looked up at the piercing brown eyes that stared daggers into her soul, then over at Alistair, who was holding his head in his hands, readying himself for the scene was about to play out.

"You know, I don't understand what she has! She's like a dough ball!" She pointed at Rosalinda, who fake gasped to continue this, as she enjoyed this whole scene.

"Oh my! How dare you say that! Honestly, I think you need a little more in your diet." She said angrily at the woman, but more in a joking matter, trying to cover up her laugh when the woman gasped and looked at her appalled. She stomped over to Rosalinda, grabbing her face, digging her acrylic nails into her tan skin, the woman whimpered a little at the roughness.

"Excuse you?! If I were you I'd keep my fat ass mouth shut! I can beat you to a pulp and I'd suggest you remember that!" Raven threatened, as Rosalinda looked at her with wide eyes, but then bit her lip to keep back her laughter. She pushed the girl's hand away and began to laugh hysterically.

"Okay! Whatever you say, il-livell għoli tiegħek (translation: your highness)!" She laughed and sat back in her seat. Raven's face began to turn red, pulling her fist back to hit the woman laughing in her face, until Alistair grabbed her around her waist and pulled her back.

"Enough! This is so stupid and immature." He said, glaring at Rosalinda, who shrugged at him and turned back to what she was originally doing. Raven turned around in his arms and wrapped them around his neck.

"Oh, love! I'm sorry! Well a little. She did deserve it." She shrugged and placed her right hand on his cheek, Alistair trying not to push away the affection, knowing he would have to get used to it if he had to marry this crazy woman in front of him. He forced a smile and held her hips.

"Well look, I'll make it up to you with dinner tonight, hm? Just the two of us. I just ask you leave me and my business associate alone, so we can get some work done." He asked, faking his kindness, which brightened the Latina's mood.

"Deal! I'll see you at home, love!" She pecked his lips and head out of the room. She swayed her hips to try and be sexy while leaving the room, which didn't please Alistair and caused Rosalinda to snort slightly, as the door closed behind the woman.

Alistair looked over at the woman with slight anger and leaned over her desk, to her face. Rosalinda looked at him, blushing slightly at how close he was and backed up a little.

"Why did you have to fuck with her? I already didn't want her to be here and start talking, but you just had to start shit!" He growled, Rosalinda raising a brow and smirking. She leaned back in, testing the man, as he raised a brow at the way the woman stood up to him with no fear.

"Because I can and I did. No way to change the past now, Hamelton. Besides! I just like messing around, she's easy to manipulate. She acts like a high school bully and I find it very amusing." She snickered and sat back. Alistair stared at her in astonishment, but shook his head, sitting down in his seat again.

"God. Women. What is wrong with all of you?" He mumbled, Rosalinda shrugging her shoulders and packing her things up.

"A lot, get used to it. Especially with the woman you're being forced to marry." Rosalinda states simply, standing from her seat and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a WONDERFUL woman to pick up and spend the weekend with me, and I want to see her as soon as I can." She smiled, hopping around her desk and looking at the man who raised his brow, not knowing who she was talking about, as Rosalinda rolled her eyes and ruffled his hair a little.

"My mother. Now, I need you out of my office. I don't trust you." She truthfully said, as Alistair sighed and stood up. He head out, Rosalinda following behind him, turning around to lock the door, bending over a little to lock it.

Alistair was going to ask her something, but his mouth immediately shut, as he couldn't help but stare at her figure with her back to him. She was a beautiful and curved woman, but took a deep breath and continued to look at her when she turned and faced him. The rays from the setting sun against her skin made her glow with a golden hint against it, as her green eyes looked brighter against her smiling face.

He was snapped from his thoughts and gaze when she began to walk away. He turned and watched, following the movements of her hips and the way she swayed without knowing it was slightly sexual.

"See ya later!" She called from in front of him, holding a hand up, as she disappeared from his view, heading into the remodeling of her diner.

He began to follow behind her, as he couldn't help but grab her wrist, causing her to stop and look at him. She was confused by the way his eyes showed some compassion, curiosity, and...Liking? She shook her thoughts away, focusing on his lips that began to move.

"Please, let me take you out again or spend time with you without work involved." He begged softly to her, moving his hand into her's. Her eyes widened into saucers, gently pulling her hand away with a blush.

"A-alright, but not until the weekend is over." She stuttered, but cleared her throat quickly, standing tall and not letting her thoughts of the way he looked at her interfere. But once he smiled to her in a different way, the woman slightly melted at the look, as he looked like an excited high-school boy.

"Deal! How about Monday? He offered, as she nodded unconsciously, and turned to the door. She walked out, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, glancing back at the man, who gave a small wave to her. She shyly gave one back, then walked down the street. Once she turned the corner, away from her diner, she broke into a sprint, running past the bus stop and down the street.

"What the hell is wrong with me?!" She yelled into the dawn sky, noticing people giving her odd looks, but she didn't care.

Why was Alistair so interested in spending time with her?!

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