Wanted By A Billionaire

“Not at all. You’ve just been around more lately, and I noticed you’ve been off your usual self for the past few days. I was wondering, is there a problem?” Mabel asked as she reached Chalondra.

“Not at all, Mabel,” Chalondra said with an assuring smile.

“Okay, if you say so,” Mabel said with a skeptical look. Chalondra wasn’t surprised that Mabel had noticed her change of attitude. She couldn’t deny that she had spent the past few days contemplating calling David. She couldn’t count the number of times she had been lost in thoughts thinking about him. David affected her in a way no other man had done. She decided to stop deceiving herself and accept that she wanted more of him. She had been thrilled when she had seen his call some hours back. It had taken everything in her not to show her excitement over the phone. She didn’t know how terribly she had missed his deep voice, which had the ability to send tingles down her spine.

“Chalondra?” Mabel called out. At this, Chalondra snapped out of her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, my mind was elsewhere. What were you saying?” Chalondra asked.

“I was just saying you should live a little,” Mabel continued while giving a knowing smirk.

“What do you mean?” Chalondra asked with a puzzled expression.

“Come on. I can bet that a man is responsible for your recent changes,” Mabel said, and Chalondra’s eyes widened. She wondered how Mabel knew that little fact.

“Don’t be surprised. I experienced the same thing with Jerry at first,” Mabel said, and this got Chalondra intrigued. However, she paused when she realized what Mabel was insinuating. Mabel thought she was in love, and that wasn’t the case. What she once had with David was nowhere close to being in love.

“You have it all wrong,” Chalondra said as she slightly shook her head.

“Maybe, maybe not. Listen, I’ve watched you for years, and I’ve seen how you are a good woman,” Mabel said with all seriousness.

“The only thing I will tell you is that the man who is able to affect you this way might be worth giving a chance,” Mabel said, and Chalondra contemplated this. She didn’t know how to explain that there was nothing about a chance in what had transpired between her and David. She knew David had asked that they should talk, but she guessed he just wanted to clear things between them to make it easier for them to part ways. Chalondra recalled how he had sounded hurt when she had told him that she thought he had wanted her gone.

“The best man that you can have is a man that makes you happy as much as he can,” she said.

“Mabel, you have it all wrong. This isn’t what you think,” Chalondra said.

“Okay, if you say so. Anyways, you deserve the best,” Mabel said.

“Thank you, Mabel. Thank you for everything,” Chalondra said with a smile before Mabel shrugged.

“I have to leave now,” Mabel said, and Chalondra nodded. Her mind went over what Mabel had just told her as she watched Mabel’s retreating figure. However, what kept ringing in her mind was that she didn’t have that sort of relationship with David. She turned and got into the elevator. She was nervous about what David wanted to tell her. She hoped it wasn’t to rub salt on her injury, her injury of trying to forget David despite the fact that she didn’t want to break ties with him. Chalondra left the hotel some hours later and headed towards Crystal,  a restaurant downtown. She had carefully selected it because she wanted somewhere that would be a bit private.

Chalondra arrived at the restaurant some minutes past seven. She had made arrangements to meet with David by seven. She hoped he hadn’t gotten tired of waiting and left. The talk with Mabel and the slight traffic she had encountered had made it impossible to reach Crystal by seven. She alighted from her car and made her way inside the restaurant. Chalondra briefly scanned the restaurant to check if David had arrived. She spotted him within seconds as it was hard not to notice his presence. He stood out even though he was seated in a secluded area. Chalondra tried to steady her erratic breathing as she stared at David’s handsome figure.

David’s head was bowed when she entered, but he raised his head in a few minutes. It was like he could feel her presence. Chalondra forced her legs to move in his direction. She tried to quell the excitement that went through her as she stared at him. It became increasingly difficult not to throw herself at him. Chalondra got to the table, and David stood.

“Chalondra,” David called out with his smooth deep voice.

“David,” Chalondra replied as they held each other’s gaze.

“Thank you for coming,” he said as he crossed to her side and pulled out a chair. Chalondra didn’t know what to say to that. Hence she took her seat before David returned to his.

“I was skeptical that you hadn’t changed your mind,” he said.

“I told you I would be here,” Chalondra said as she finally found her voice. She couldn’t keep her eyes from David’s breathtakingly handsome face.

“Thank you,” David said as he stared at Chalondra with intensity. Chalondra swallowed hard as she stared back. The desire they still had for each other was clearly obvious. They couldn’t take their eyes off each other and everything around them blurred. They could only see each other.

“Good evening,” a waiter said as he joined their table. This cut them out of their reverie as they both turned to look in his direction.

“Good evening,” Chalondra replied.

“I would like to take your orders now,” the waiter said, and Chalondra nodded. She raised the menu on the table while David watched and placed her order.

“What about yours, sir?” the waiter asked as he turned to David.

“I’ll have what she is having,” David said while he fixed his gaze on Chalondra. The waiter nodded before he left them alone.

“How are you?” David asked as he fixed his unwavering gaze on Chalondra.

“I’m fine,” Chalondra said as she shrugged.

“You said we needed to talk,” she said.

“Don’t you think so?” David asked, and Chalondra shrugged.

“Let me explain this. I spend the most beautiful night with an extraordinary beauty, and she runs off before I wake,” David said, and Chalondra’s eyes widened at the description. She felt joy radiate within her at David’s description of their night together. She was glad that he didn’t count it as just another fling. However, he ruined the moment when he said, “That has never happened to me before. No woman has left my bed the way you did.”

Wait a minute; he called me because it hurt his ego that I left the bed before he could chase me out, not because he still wanted me? I should have known that this was about the chase,  Chalondra thought as her anger showed on her face. David noticed this and wondered what he had said wrong.

“I see. This is about your ego,” Chalondra said.

“What do you mean?” David asked with a puzzled expression.

“You know what I mean. As a matter of fact, I left your bed, and I didn’t run. So what? I’m glad I did if it means a dent to your ego,” Chalondra fired. “This might have been a wrong idea after all,” Chalondra said as she was about to stand.

It dawned on David what Chalondra was referring to, and he quickly grabbed her wrist, which was on the table. “Wait, you have it all wrong,” David said while Chalondra glared at him.

“Do I?” Chalondra asked with raised brows.

“Yes, you do. Please sit. Let me explain myself,” David said as he gave her a pleading look.

“Fine,” Chalondra said as she relaxed on her seat.

“I won’t deny it that it hurt my ego,” David said, and Chalondra gave him a knowing look.

“However, that wasn’t why I asked that we see each other, Chalondra,” he said as he rubbed her wrist, which was still in his palm. Chalondra noticed this and couldn’t pull her hand away from his. She bit her lower lip to keep from moaning out at the sensation.

“Really?”

“Yes,” David said as his eyes darkened. He was aware that Chalondra was reacting to his touch, and it thrilled him beyond measure. “Listen, what you did was new, but I didn’t call you because of my ego. I called because of something else,” David said.