Chapter 7: Proper Introductions

*BONNIE’S POV*

Bonnie still had a difficult time wrapping her head around the man who was presented to her mere moments ago. Now, she was doing the unthinkable by following him into a horribly lit hallway that led God only knows where.

She thought her bones were going to shake out of her skin from the amount of worry that overtook her. However, this man nearly made her knees give out when he took her hand in his own. Her heart stammard wildly in her rib cage as the heat from Marcus’ hand spread up her arm and throughout the rest of her chest.

“Stay close, it’s easy to get lost up here,” he said quietly.

Bonnie quickened her pace to keep up with his long strides. Once they reached the end of the hall, they took a sharp right and the hallways instantly expanded. She took note of the other several doors on each side of them.

‘Jesus, it’s like a maze,’ she thought. ‘What the hell kind of nightclub is this?’

By the time they reached the main office, her legs were killing her. Marcus opened the door and gently nudged Bonnie inside. The second the door closed behind them he turned around and immediately pressed his hand against her forehead.

Bonnie's entire body froze in place, not knowing how to react.

“Umm...What are you doing—?”

“Your head still feels warm,” he muttered. His brows snapped together. “When’s the last time you took any meds?”

“Uhh, I think earlier this morning,” Bonnie answered, sounding too unsure for his liking.

Wolfgang shot her a skeptical look before guiding her over to the small sitting area next to his desk.

“Sit,” he ordered.

Again, Bonnie did what she was told like a child. It should have bothered her more than it did but she had become too focused on watching Marcus move around his space. The man went around the side of her desk.

She heard him rustling through numerous drawers. In the meantime, Bonnie looked around. The room was huge for an office. Not only was there a lounge area but nearly an entire bar on the far side of the room along with a series of tall shelves filled with books.

“Take these,” he insisted. Marcus placed a small glass of water down on the table and placed two white pills in Bonnie’s hand.

She stared down at them for a moment while Wolfgang took a seat next to her and watched her weary expression.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her gently.

Bonnie let out an exasperated breath, unwillingly to look at him. “I just don’t understand,” she said.

“Yeah, neither do I,” Marcus murmured under his breath.

He sounded just as confused as she felt. Part of her was comforted from knowing that she wasn’t the only one in this situation that felt totally lost. Bonnie turned to face the man who had gone out of his way to help her.

“I mean we don’t even know each other... and yet, you brought me to the hospital on campus? Why? How did you even get into the dorm room?” Bonnie questioned.

Wolf quirked a brow. “First off, what kind of person allows their body to suffer instead of trying to help themselves? Your breathing was so labored you had passed out twice. And does the name Karoline Wolfgang ring any bells?”

Bonnie blinked several times before making any grand attempt to answer him.

“Yes, Karoline’s my—was my roommate. But she moved into her new sorority house,” she answered.

“Well, while you were letting yourself die on your side of the room, I was the one helping my sister move out. In between moving her sh*t out, I noticed your breathing was off and you were burning up,” Wolf explained.

‘Wait, what? His sister?’ Bonnie asked herself, feeling utterly baffled.

The time she was sick in her dorm room was quite distorted in her mind. She wasn’t entirely sure what was real or what was just another figment her head cold had cooked up. Bonnie partially recalled a bit of the conversation when that stranger had walked into her room. Even then, she wasn’t certain if it really happened.

She did, however, remember the deep honeyed tone of the man’s voice.

‘...You’re burning up...’ the voice echoed in her mind. ‘...I’m gonna get you out of here...’

It suddenly dawned on her that the voice she had heard the first time around was in fact the same person who came back for her later that day. Bonnie’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink. Good God, could she have been any more oblivious?

She buried her face in her hands and huffed. “That was you.”

Bonnie waited for the heat to leave her cheeks before lifting her head up to meet Marcus’ patient gaze. She returned his look of skepticism as her eyes raked over Wolfgang’s sharp physic.

“Are you really Karoline’s brother?”

She had no idea that her former roommate had an older brother. Yet again, neither one of them really knew much about the other. Most of the time, her roommate was out with friends while Bonnie sort of kept to herself.

She didn’t think of herself much as a social butterfly like Karoline. But she never would have guessed that a person like Marcus would ever be related to someone like Karoline.

Marcus cracked a smile at her and spoke with amusement. “You look surprised,” he drawled.

She ignored the flutter in her chest and slowly shook her head. “No. Not surprised. Maybe just a little taken back by the concept of you being related to someone who wears pink on a daily basis.”

Wolfgang’s lips pulled back to reveal a gorgeous smile. Another wave of heat touched the peak of her cheeks. The sound of his laughter sent chills up Bonnie’s spine in the most tantalizing way.

“You’re not the first one to think that,” Wolfgang admitted. “I’m almost positive that Karoline was born with a pink bow on her head.”

Bonnie giggled at the thought. Her body, unknowingly, sunk further back into the sofa. The nervous anxiety from before was nowhere to be found as she sait less than a foot away from him.

Although, she did keep her hands on her lap as she worked up the courage to speak. “So your last name is Wolfgang. Is that why people call you ‘Wolf’?”

She caught a quick glimpse of something that resembled trepidation skim across Marcus’ eyes. Oh, damn. Had she asked a question she shouldn’t have?

Just when Bonnie thought she crossed a line, Wolfgang spoke. But he wasn’t able to face her as he did.

“That is...partially correct to some degree,” he went on to explain. “People around here call me all sorts of things. ‘Wolf’ is a nickname that comes with multiple meanings, none of which are very pleasant.”

Bonnie didn’t feel it was right to press on the matter. Whatever those ‘multiple meanings’ he spoke about were none of her business. Nor was she trying to make the man feel any more uncomfortable than he was.

With air gradually thickening around them, she took in the biggest breath that she could. “Well then, thank you, Marcus, for taking care of me,” Bonnie said softly.

That was twice now, the young girl had knocked the fierce looking man off his focus. Wolfgang’s expression of befuddlement had him shifting in his seat. He cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders back like he was mentally prepping himself to regain control of this conversation.

“Alright. Now you’re going to answer my questions,” he said sternly. “Tell me why you didn’t seek help sooner when you weren’t feeling well.”

***

*MARCUS’ POV*

He watched Bonnie sit back and sighed.

“I honestly didn’t expect my head cold to stick around for very long, much less land me in the hospital. Usually, when I get sick, it only lasts for a few days and then I’m okay again. But, I don’t know, something came over me this time.” A small smile formed on her lips which nearly sent Marcus into a mental spiral. “I wanted to use it as an excuse not to go into work.”

He gave her a quizzical look. Why didn’t she want to go into work? Was modeling more difficult than he expected? What more was there to it aside from putting on priceless clothes and posing in front of a camera?

Of all the pictures Marcus saw of her modeling, Bonnie was smiling. Then again, a smile didn’t necessarily mean that she was happy. This time, Wolfgang actually contemplated asking her this next question.

“Why? Do you not like what you do?”

Bonnie glanced at him through hooded eyes. “I assume you’ve looked into me once you found out who I was,” she replied with tired amusement.

He flashed her a devilish grin. “Guilty,” he answered unapologetically.

“I figured as much,” Bonnie laughed. “Well, then you know that I work as a model for Viona Xavia, and have been under contract with them for close to ten years.”

Marcus raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. “I didn’t realize you’ve been in it for so long.”

Bonnie shrugged as if it was no big achievement, but more so a burden she had to carry around with her.

“It sounds more extravagant than it really is,” she told him. “All those flashing lights and cameras may seem dazzling at first, but after a while, it all grows to be rather repetitive and dull.”

Wolfgang felt a strange feeling of desolation twisting in his chest. Perhaps it was because deep down he felt the same way about his work. Hell, his entire life.

“Then why do you keep doing it?” he asked without a pause.

Bonnie stared off into the room. “Sadly, modeling is all I’ve ever known. I’ve been involved in it for so long that I never had time to think about another occupation—much less anything else.”

His eyes scanned her side profile. Absolutely stunning, he almost forgot his train of thought. “But what about becoming a teacher? Isn’t that why you’re studying education?”

Bonnie snapped her attention back toward him. The question of how he came to know about such a thing dangled off the tip of her tongue. She didn’t appear startled that he knew this tid-bit of personal information, but more so impressed.

A spark of pride sizzled throughout his chest. Marcus was deeply pleased to find her not as stiff as she had been prior, and at least becoming somewhat comfortable speaking to him about this.

“My my, you really did do your research,” she humored. “Well, you’re not wrong. I am very interested in pursuing a career in teaching. One day. But, due to my contract, I am prohibited from working any other job. However, I finally got my manager to crack down a bit and was able to convince her to let me attend college for a while.”

“So, this contract, it sounds very restricting,” he commented in distaste.

He watched Bonnie’s light-hearted demeanor fade, making the muscles in his stomach clench. This was a touchy subject for her without a doubt, but Marcus needed to know. What sort of prison had these people at this agency locked her into?

The beautiful girl scoffed. “Yes. Restricting and completely idiotic.”

The stoic look on Wolfgang’s face prompted her to further explain. Now, the expression on her face almost held a touch of shame to it. His insides were burning. What meager gentleness the man still possessed was slipping away more and more by the second.

“Let’s just say that image is ‘everything’. Not only am I expected to dress and behave in a certain manner, I am also expected to be seen with ‘certain’ people,” Bonnie disclosed.

His eyes narrowed. “Meaning what exactly?”

The severe glimmer in her eyes told Marcus that part of him already knew that answer to that question. But he was determined to know everything that made this woman too far beyond his reach.