Chapter 8
CASSANDRA
I don’t know what is more funny, the fact that I’m supposed to be disguised as a broke homeless pig or the fact that I am actually broke, since the money Victoria sent to me isn’t mine until I finish the job, although I’ve spent a couple millions out of it to pay the Mortgage officers. How hard is it to kill a person, it can’t be that hard, right? Killing Nicholas should be easy, right; since I don’t know him and I just have to stab him or shoot him? Oh God! why do I have a bad feeling about this?
Okay Cassy, you can do this; you have to do this because there is no backing out of this now. You collected the money and you’ve already spent out of the money to pay the mortgage officers which is the best thing that had happened to you in years, you already sent money to your brother too, and if you quit, you’ll have to return the money, and you know you can’t get that amount of money even if you work non-stop for the next five years. Anyways, you’re rich now, so you should be happy.This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.
What am I even saying?
I stand in front of Nicholas’s company, dressed in faded, tattered clothes like a homeless person; time to make him fall for my charms… hopefully. At exactly 7am, he drives in, and comes out of his car with a very pretty lady. Does he have a girlfriend or what? I run right into him intentionally to the ground, falling face flat to the ground, while his briefcase falls open to the ground, and all the contents scatters across the floor; but he is still standing while I am on the floor.
This is crazy, how will I make him fall for me if I’m dressed in tattered clothes? I should have dressed properly. Why in the world did I agree to Victoria’s stupid plan?
“Mr. Bennett are you alright?” The blondie that came out of the car with him cries out and rushes to him, touching his suit, checking if he is alright; more like seizing an opportunity to feel him. What harm could my intentional bumping into him possibly cause? I guess she isn’t his girlfriend with her formal tone and all, or maybe she’s pretending, who knows?
“I’m fine Laura, calm down.” He chuckles and she blushes, looking away, and then starts to pick up the files from the ground. Gross! I’m not paid enough to witness this cringe show, and Hello, I’m still on the ground, you can help me up if you’re done upsetting my stomach. I start to get up since apparently, they are too busy flirting and making my eyes bleed, to help me.
He stretched out his hand to me. “Are you okay?” He asks, looking down at me. I stare at him and then at his hands, but then decide to not accept his help. I’ve literally been on the floor for almost seven seconds, and now he decides to help; Thanks, but no.
“I’m fine.” I say, trying to hide the irritation I was feeling, and prevent it from seeping into my tone. I get up without his help, and start to dust myself. “I’m sorry about your briefcase.” I say, non-apologetically.
He withdraws his hand, still in shock that I had rejected him, What’s up pretty boy? Never been rejected before? He smiles, “It’s nothing. Afterall, it was just a mistake.”
“Are you going yell about how expensive your brief case is? How I could never afford it? or How you will sue me or something?” I murmur, my tone devoid of any emotion. I just want to leave this place.
He chuckles, staring at me with interest, “It’s just a briefcase, and if I sue you, can you afford it?” He asks, making me frown. Rich people and broadcasting or boasting about their riches at any given chance that they get, it’s not like we don’t already know. Gosh! He’s just like the rest of them, how disgusting.
As if reading my thoughts, he quickly says, “That’s not what I mean. I didn’t mean to sound rude or look down on you.” I nod, the frown on my face not leaving its’ position. He’s about to say something else when the blondie… I think he called her Laura earlier, stands up after putting all the files back in the briefcase, and interrupts him before he can even start speaking. “Mr. Bennett, we’re going to be late, everyone is probably waiting.”
He looks at her, then at me. “Okay, why don’t you go ahead and I will join you in a minute.” He says to her and she looks like she’s about to protest but instead she nods her head at him, gives me a frown and walks into the building. I brush it off, I’m used to getting glares from ladies anyways, they are always intimidated by me, so I’m not surprised.
It is quite obvious he wants to talk to me so I attempt to leave. “I’m so sorry for bumping into you, I’ll get going now.” I start to walk away when he calls me back.
“It’s okay…” He pauses for a while and then continues, “I am running late for a meeting so I need to go but can we meet again? I want to properly apologize for what I said.” He says and I stare at him in shock.
“Me?” I ask and then stare at my clothes and back at him. Well, who knew the prince would fall the pauper… Maybe not fall, but whatever.
“Yes, you.” He says. Time to play the hard to get game.
“Why?”
“I want to apologize for what I said.”
“You already did, it’s okay.”
“I want to apologize properly.”
“I don’t know what a proper apology is, but I’m pretty sure it’s not necessary. You should get going; you have a meeting.”
“…Okay, I just want us to know each other better.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“Yes, that’s why I want to know you, and you, to know me,”
“I’m Cassandra and You’re Nicholas Bennett, done. We now know each other. Happy?”
He looks frustrated, and I start to feel like I’m overdoing this ‘hard to get’ thing. “Please, can we just meet up at the restaurant down this building by six?” He asks, genuinely. I pretend to think about it, while looking at him with fake suspicion, when I’m already dancing for joy inside, I wasn’t expecting this to work.
“Sure.” I say, pretending to act like I’m not too happy about it, and then add, “And I’m not planning to dress fancy or anything, Afterall, I can’t afford it.” I say, laying emphasis on the afford, making him smile. He moves closer to me, and-
The horning of a car brings me back to the present, and I fall back on my butt when I realize I was almost hit by a car due to my daydreaming of how I want my meeting with Nicholas Bennett to go.
“Are you okay ma’am?” A deep, male voice asks and I look up to see Nicholas Bennett kneeling beside me. I blinked twice. Am I still daydreaming?
“Ma’am? Are you okay?” He says again, waving his hands in my face.
“I… You… I’m dreaming.” I stutter before bursting into laughter, and then add, “There’s no way Nicholas Bennett is in front me. I’m still daydreaming.”
He looks slightly embarrassed at what I just said, and smiles a little. “I almost ran you over with my car. Are you okay? And can you walk? You can’t stay on the road forever.” He says, moving closer to me so as to help me up. Weird. Are our imaginations supposed to feel this real and are they supposed to smell so nice as well?
“Are you hurt? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?” He asks, touching my hands, and that’s when I realize that I’m not imagining things; Nicholas Bennett is right in front of me and I don’t even have a plan to work with.
“I think I hurt my leg.” I wince, limping as he helps me up.
“Let me drive you over to the hospital so you can get the leg checked on.” He says and I nod, wincing as he walks me to his car. He opens the front-seat door and then helps me in, after which he hurries to the driver’s seat, and starts the engine, before heading to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, he calls his secretary and cancels all his appointments for the day because of me, and I start to feel guilty. At the hospital the doctor checks me and says I’m okay, and my leg is fine, but I shouldn’t stress myself too much so as not to get sick.
Outside the hospital, I thank Nicholas for bringing me to the hospital. “Thank you for bringing me to the hospital.” I say and he smiles.
“It’s fine, I’m just glad you’re not hurt.’ He says, and I bow my head in guilt.
“I’m so sorry you had to cancel your appointments for me.” I say meekly, not being able to meet his eyes.
“It’s okay. You can let me treat you to dinner sometime to make up for it.” He says, and I remind myself to put my game on, and not forget why I was here.
“I don’t think that’d be possible. I’m not someone that should be seen around with you.” I say sheepishly,
He chuckles, “I didn’t know there are particular people I should be with and those I should not be with, and why do you say so? You’re human, and I think that’s enough reason for me to be friends with you.”
Here it goes. I start to sob, “I’m so poor I don’t even have a home, sleeping wherever there’s space, and I can’t even wear good clothes. So, do you still think we can be friends? Me, a nobody, and you, a celebrity?”
He shrugs, smiling sweetly at me, “Yes, I think we can be friends, and if it bothers you so much, you can stay at my house for the meantime.”
I fake a shocked expression. “I-I can’t. That’s just too much… I can’t just live under your house for free.” I trail, also faking speechlessness.
“Fine, you’ll pay me yearly.” He says, leaving my mouth wide open, and then he adds, “I’m just kidding, you just have to help me with my house chores.”
I beam, “Thank you so much! I’m going to live with a star.” I fake excitement, and then stop, blushing furiously. I honestly can’t wait for this to end. “But… You don’t even know me or my name.” I say with surprise
“Well, may I know your name?”
“Cassandra, but you can call me Cassy.” I smile.
“I don’t think I need to introduce myself, you already know me, but I’m Nicholas, and you can call me Nick. Now that we know each other, can we go to your new home?” he asks and I laugh, nodding as he leads me back to where his car is parked. How do I possibly kill a man that is this nice?