An Arranged Marriage - Episode 42

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Anaya

I step away from the hands holding me steady as I almost stumble in the dark.

"Steady" it whispers.

"I'm not drunk, you can stop pretending to care" I say, rubbing my toe from where it had hit the coofee table.

"Well, I can't be convinced otherwise, seeing that the stunt you pulled today was unwise and immature" Cash says, flipping a light switch.

"Immature? Do you really want to point fingers? You literally called me a whore today Cash, let's not forget the jab tih thee at my sister, that was immature, that was darn right hurtful and inconsiderate" I say, my voice low, maybe its the alcohol talking, maybe it's the reason I'm getting emotional but I take a deep breath and rein in my emotions.

I hate feeling emotional, they make everything messy.

"I apologize for what I said this morning, it was uncalled for and I was taking out my stress on you" He says and it takes a lot of my will power and then some for me not to gape at him.

Did the emotionless cash just apologise? The man literally fired his paralegal for spilling coffees in his desk last week, he didn't bat an eye lash, is he apologizing?

Okay, maybe the events of this evening got to the both of us.

This is how it went down.....

***

Earlier in the evening.

Anaya. 

Well, Job searching was a burst. 

I sip the beer in front of me as I swipe through my Facebook feed in a quiet bar somewhere where I was searching for a job. 

It's pathetic that I have no idea where I am and it's 11 at night. 

My phone dings with an incoming notification which I don't bother to check. 

I feel a body slide into the booth but I don't lift my head. 

If you ignore them, they go away. 

"Hey" The rich chocolaty voice says and I'm forced to lift my head. 

I might be a little tipsy but I can recognize a prime male specimen in front of me. 

"Hey" I find myself saying. 

Ugh, I'm a sucker for guys with nice voices. 

"It's pretty late out here for you to be alone" okay then, that is a turn off. 

"Are you trying to say I can't take care of myself?" I ask, my interest in him dimming. 

"No no, not at all, it's just you have the queen of the underworld vibe going on and I'm sure there are guys here who would like to unravel the mystery that is you" 

"Queen of the underworld vibe?" I ask , I, confused. 

"The 'I don't give a f*ck' air" He says. 

"What made you step up to me then? If I'm giving a vibe that say f*ck off?" 

"Because you looked like you needed company, I'm Jake" He says, stretching his hand. 

"I'm Anaya" I say and he shakes my hand. 

We stay silent for a while as I go back to my phone, trying to ignore the mild attraction I'm feeling towards him. 

"Are you going to ignore me all evening?" He asks. 

"I don't know how to make conversation" I say truthfully. 

"We don't have to talk" He says, grabbing my phone out of my hand, tilting my head with his hand. 

His lips come close to mine and my eyes meet his. 

"We barely know each other" I say. 

"We can get to know each other" He says before his lips pecks mine softly, once, twice, he slants his head and his tongue sweeps mine. 

Oh. 

Wow. 

That feels good but somewhere in the back of my head I know this is not who I really.. What am I thinking? I kiss him back deeply but suddenly I'm gone and I'm being crushed into a hard chest. 

"Yeah, we are going home" A voice says and I recognize it, my eyes which I didn't realize I closed pop open and I see Cash's face in mine. 

"What are you doing here?" I blurt. 

"I came looking for you" 

"Babe, is there a problem?" Jake asks and I turn to him, he's holding out my phone, glaring at Cash. 

"Don't call her babe" Cash growls. 

"I think I will call her anything I want" Jake says, all macho like, I turn putty at the growly tune in his voice. 

My body melts. 

"Your voice sounds nice" I say and his attention turns to me, his eyes melting too.

"Do you know this guy?" he asks and I nod. 

"We are going home Anaya" Cash says. 

"I wanna stay with Jake, I'm not going anywhere with you" 

"You heard the lady man" Jake says, stepping forward. 

"Anaya, stop this stupidity and let's go home" 

"Did you just call me stupid?" I ask, the slight buzz I got from drinking lifting. 

"Yes, you in a bar at 12 in the night with no way of getting home or no one coming to pick you is stupid, beyond stupid" I glare at him for a moment before folding my fist and hitting him square on the jaw, pain blooms across my fist but I don't give him the satisfaction of seeing it. 

He does not even reel, showing that I suck at punching. 

He just glares at me before turning it to the guy behind me. 

"If you don't want this guy near you babe just let me know" Jake says again and I suddenly feel very tired. 

Not my body, my soul feels tired. 

"It's fine Jake, thank you so much for keeping company" I say and he nods, getting that my words are a dismissal. 

Before i can turn around Cash is leading me outside and his driver whom I didn't notice is grabbing my bag and my shoes which I had pulled to give my feet some relief. 

 

"Let me go Cash" I say, he does and I'm in the center of a parking lot with this guy. 

"How did you find me?" I ask, I'm very sure this part of town is very remote. 

"It wasn't hard" Which was code he had me followed. 

"Let's go home" He says but I shake my head.

"No"

"What?" 

"It's your home not mine, I'm not going there, never" I say. 

"You made your point Anaya, you are angry at me, fine, but you don't have anywhere to sleep." 

But infact I do, we never put our house on the market, I'm sure I have a spare key in my bag somewhere. 

"You make my anger sound petty Cash, it's uncalled for, you don't have to concern yourself with my well-being, have a goodnight" I say, weirdly sad that he would think I am throwing a tantrum. 

"Anaya" 

"What?" 

"How are you going to get there?" 

"I think I will ask Jake for a ride" I say, I'm so totally not doing that, I have no idea why I feel a need to rile him. 

"Get in the car, I will take you to your house" He says, matching away. 

I fail to admit to myself that just a word of apology would have me going back to his home with him. 

But, Alas, Cash King never apologizes. 

 

***

So this is how we got here, me gaping at him for apologizing and him looking at me expectantly. 

I gulp. 

I'm never nervous. 

I pride myself for being a strong person. 

"Well, Thank you for bringing me back to your home" I say, obviously the man is hard of hearing, seeing as I'm in the house on the hill. 

"I very well couldn't have you in another part of the town, you still have to work for me and also.

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. I very well can't do the things I want to do with you if you are not in this house" 

My breath ceases. 

"What do you mean?" 

He takes a step closer and I'm very aware that we are alone in this sitting room. 

"You feel it don't you? This thing between us, it has to be mutual" He says. 

"I thought you were ignoring it?" I breath. 

"I'm done ignoring it" He says, his eyes gazing into mine. 

"What if I don't want you?" 

"Baby, you want me, it's obvious, and good thing too because I want you" He says and I nod slowly, backing up the stairs and fleeing like the coward I am. 

Heck. 

His chuckle follow me to my room. 

 

AN

Thank you for reading. 

So. 

I hope this doesn't come up as aggressive or anything, I apologize in advance if it does. 

So yesterday I was going through the comments and I saw a comment telling me to do a specific something. 

I did not appreciate it. 

Infact I was upset and pissed and I hate feeling any of those things. 

This thing I do on here, I enjoy it, a lot, it's not that I don't have anything better to do, it's just that I love writing and any way I can share my mind and thoughts with people is awesome. 

I do not get paid. 

I do not get rewards except your lovely advice, comments and messages. 

I've made lots of friends on this place which I have met some in real life. 

But, one thing is that, if this was a book, already published, you would have to read it the way it comes, not make suggestions like uhm...make it more interesting so that people won't lose interest.. That was not right. 

I get that it wasn't coming from a place of malice but nevertheless it sounded somehow. 

I juggle writing on here, on wattpad and in an app and in various blogs too, I try to make regular updates and I try to be fun and stuff. 

The way i chose to write is totally mine, I decide when to unlock a special character or scene or situation, I don't like getting nudges. 

I enjoy your comments and I hope this doesn't stop you from commenting, I really hope so. 

But I just had to say it because this matter had me down all through yesterday and most of today. 

I'm sorry for the late update, I promise to make up for it. 

Thank you!

 

P. S

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Read " Forever, Mitchell " by the same author ( Bebe Ernest )