The bane of her existence

Lisa's hair whipped around as she turned angrily to face Bane. 

Her face flushed with embarrassment as the last thing she wanted was for Bane to see her so emotional.

To the point where it felt like Lisa could burst into tears at any second now. 

Her stomach roiled incessantly and she had a splitting migraine that made her want to throw up. 

Without a word she grabbed the glass from Bane's hand that he held out to her and no longer hesitated to quench her thirst after not passing out from the first sip. 

She drained the glass completely before putting it down in the sink. 

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked defensively. "It feels like since you have entered my life nothing has gone as it should."

Bane eyed her unabashedly and just shrugged before moving to stand beside her.

Turns out he just wanted to wash and rinse out the empty glass she had placed in the sink.

To onlookers they would have looked like newlyweds making themselves at home in the kitchen. 

"If you had taken my advice and avoided my older brother your personal life would not seem like it is in shambles. You've never listened back then and something tells me you won't listen now. Lisa, you should be thanking me."

Lisa snapped, "Say what?" 

"You heard me," Bane replied firmly. "You're so naïve, for it seems like the moment I take my eyes off of you if only for a second you get into trouble when I'm not around. You definitely need a babysitter."

"I do not! " She sneered. "You are the last person to judge me when you married me while I was intoxicated. So, what's your excuse? How did we even end up at the chapel much less in the same bed, that's what you are talking about. So quick to blame your brother when you're the one touching me inappropriately and signing your name on the marriage license!"

"You said the only way I could touch you was to put a ring on it, so I did as you asked. Why are you making a big deal out of it now."

"A big deal! Are you nuts? You make it sound as if I asked for something on the dollar menu. You just married me while I'm drugged out of my mind and you treat such a life altering decision like it's child's play. You are so… so…"

"So what?"

She got so frustrated with him that she didn't even realize her stomach had stopped hurting and her head no longer throbbed but Bane still got her agitated with his nonchalant demeanor. 

All the strength to argue with him dissipated when Lisa realized talking to Bane was like arguing with a brick wall and she instantly deflated like a balloon. 

How could this be happening to her?

This work trip that was supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime turned into a rollercoaster ride straight to hell.

Without a doubt everything that was going wrong with her life he was definitely at the center, the source of it all, the bane of her existence.

"This must be a nightmare. I'm going to my bed to get some rest and when I wake things should return to normal," Lisa said despairingly, as she turned to exit the kitchen and head upstairs to her bedroom. 

Before Lisa could move away, Bane reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her around to face him. 

Bane reminded her, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news and burst your little dream bubble but I'm afraid you don't have time for that. It's almost 1:30 pm and you barely have time to shower before you have to join the other girls to get your makeup and hair done. Don't forget the blue ribbon ceremony for the opening of the casino section of our hotel is today. I'm sorry you think getting married was the worst that could happen but you have a job to do. We can iron out the issue of our marriage later. I'm not in any rush." 

His elbow knocked over the glass behind him and it fell off the counter and smashed on the floor.

The unexpected roll of the glass of the counter before falling to the ground made Lisa jump in fright at the sound of the glass shattering into tiny pieces. 

Staring wide eyed Lisa watched as Bane didn't hesitate to bend down and pick up the broken pieces of glass. 

Her eyes noticed red dripping on the floor as Bane picked up the pieces and put them in his palm without much thought. 

"You're bleeding!"

She cried out in alarm, his pristine shirt was now ruined as blood had splashed on it.

He gave her a look as if to say stop panicking, it's no big deal but she ignored him.

"How could you just pick up broken glass with your bare hands, you talk about me? You're the one who truly needs a babysitter," she grumbled. 

"This is playing out like a scene from a daytime soap opera," he said.

He marveled at the feel of Lisa's hands against his when she jumped into action, took his hands and ran it under the kitchen sink, he didn't complain, just let the cool water wash the blood away. 

For the first time since they met Lisa was actually worried about him and normally he didn't like people seeing him in a weak state but with Lisa it felt different. 

She could come off like a prickly cactus always having her thorns up when around him, it was nice to see her drop her guard and fuss over him like a mother hen. 

"Do you know where to find a medicine kit around here, you should get that dressed so that there is no infection"

"I have one in my room. Would you like to join me to look for it?"

Was it her imagination or did the mood in the room just get intense?

There was just something about the way those dark eyes watched her hungrily and she could now see why all the girls at the Champion Talent Agency went crazy over Bane. 

Lisa let go of his hand and smiled sweetly, "didn't you remind me to go do my bloody job earlier."

He watched as she sashayed out the kitchen with her hips swinging and left Bane to nurse his injuries by himself.