Chapter 22 WHEEL AND DEAL

Charles hung up as soon as he asked me to send him my location and stated that he was coming to pick me up. He didn’t ask me anything about what my plan was and why I was at my friend’s place. I was confused as to what must have happened with him that he was venting it out on me. Until then, I had never seen him get so controlling.

He had always been the kind of person who liked to make things go his way, but at least for issues pertaining to my life, he always gave me a say at the minimum. It was the first time that I saw him get dominant with me. And what was more surprising to me was that I was actually listening to him. Just when the call was disconnected, I didn’t only send him the address of where I was, but I sent him my live location instead.

A little of domination was acceptable to me if I were in a relationship with him, but we were just friends back then, and it still didn’t feel weird to me. Maybe because I was already interested in him and wanted him to be interested in me just the same way, or maybe because he held such a position that I couldn’t do anything about it.

Confusion took over me about what happened to the plan that he was making with somebody on call that morning. I kept thinking about different ways that I could bring that topic up in the car while we were driving back home when he got here to pick me up.

Little did I know that if I got away from him, and if he didn’t find me at home when he returned from work, it would have such an effect on Charles even though his female friend was coming over to his house for dinner, and that would have unquestionably led to an indefinite extracurricular activity.

While I was convincing my friend, Liam, not to worry about me having to go away and stopping him from dropping me home as he insisted, I was thinking about the girl who Charles had invited home for dinner on call. I had doubts if she stood him up, which is why he sounded crazy on call with me.

The reason for not wanting Liam to drop me home, or even to come down to see me off was because if he were to see me with the richest guy in town, or if I got into the luxurious car in front of him, he would have spread the news to everyone at college. And that was something I was still not comfortable with.

As soon as I stepped down after handling things with Liam, winding up and picking up my stuff, I saw a two-seater Lamborghini turning from the main road to the lane that Liam’s apartment was on. I understood that must be the angry young man for now – CEO Charles Lozano, wanting to control everyone and everything.

That car he had only to drive at times when he wanted some alone time. He would get into the car and drive to an unknown location and drive for as long as he wanted to, so that he felt better. No one else except for me had gotten into that car, and no driver was allowed to drive it. That was something that I was told by my chauffeur the next day. Charles would also clean that car by himself on days when he wanted some time away from his daily activities.

I was prepared to be berated by him. Ironically, I was grinning as I was waiting for his car to get closer to me. It felt to me as if I was his girlfriend with the concern that he showed for me. Dominance comes only when someone feels as if they owned the other person. Usually, no matter how dominating girls get, but there will always be that one guy who will be able to make her submit to him. And that night, I felt the same way.

No words were needed from him to tell me how he felt for me because it was better not to know as I didn’t want him to break my bubble in case he was to say otherwise. I was happy to assume that I mattered to him and that he loved me. In fact, I never wanted that to end until and unless my dream was actually going to come true.

When he stopped his car in style right in front of me, I was pinching myself to stop smiling as I got in the car with him. The frown on his face told me that I was going to be in trouble any minute he opened his mouth now. But he didn’t talk to me at all and started driving instead. So, I thought of at least initiating a conversation. I asked, “How was your date?”

“What date are you talking about?” He asked. After which he raised another question which seemed more rhetorical. He said, “Are you in your senses?”

“The girl you were talking to in the morning and inviting home for dinner,” I clarified.

“Oh God! You crazy head, I was talking to my cousin’s daughter.”

Listening to that from him, I sighed in relief and felt stupid for assuming such a thing. But I actually wasn’t wrong. With the kind of impression which he carried, it was plausible. But to cover up for my reaction, I apologized, “I am sorry, I didn’t know who she was.”

“Then you A-S-K,” he stated and emphasized what I must have done instead.

He was right, and I was not feeling any better about myself, so I apologized to him once again and kept my mouth shut until we got back home.

Immediately as we entered the main gate, I looked at Charles and saw him calming down. It looked as if he was trying his best not to smile, but I didn’t understand what reason did he have to smile in the first place.

“So, tell me what I must do to you?” He asked after parking his car in the parking lot.

As confused as I was, I looked at him with an expressionless face.

“Tell me,” he said again.

“What you must do to who?” I questioned him to understand what he said.

“Shall I punish you for assuming and running away to spend the night at your friend’s place, or shall I let you go with just a bargain?”