SO MUCH, FOR LOVE

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Lizzy

For a brief moment I thought I was hallucinating but when I blinked and he was still there standing in front of me with a teasing smile on his beautiful face, my heart squeezed. This is definitely a pleasant surprise, and is he teasing me? "Mr. Espinoza? To what do I owe this pleasure?" I say this with a sly smile and he rewards me with that charming grin which usually makes my knees weak. All the sadness I had when he said he had to leave and I thought he wouldn't come back has been momentarily erased from my memory, the only thing or rather person I see right now is 'Markus'.

"What can I say, I'll always be there for a damsel in distress, and do you need help with that?" he said, pointing at the heavy trays I was lifting. Honestly I'm too tired to refuse any help from him so I take it, "I really wouldn't mind an extra pair of hands" I give him an apologetic smile, I know he is just come here from his office and helping me is the last thing he would want to do. He replies almost immediately, "at your service ma'am" "I just need you take the remaining trays and put them in the main fridge" I say and before I can even blink he picks up two trays and walks towards the kitchen. Guess he is not that tired after all, with him helping me we finish the packing within fifteen minutes and I sigh in relief.

"Thank you so much Mark, you just made me realize I need to hire employees to manage this place" I say while locking the door "then why don't you?" "You know, hire employees" he says from behind me, I don't even have to think. I snort "little 'old me has only so much money for renovations, I can't afford salary for another person at the moment" I say looking at him over my shoulder "besides I like it this way, gives me a sense of superiority" I say this while flashing a smile in his direction.

"The lady likes to be on top" he says with a smile of his own, "besides I like it when my lady is on top" he says and I frown, what does that.....oh! I blush so hard at this comment, I must look like a tomato to him. Is he flirting with me? I think and immediately push that thought away, no way would a guy like Markus spare a second glance to a girl like me. I clear my throat and regain my composure 'head in the game Lizzy' "so why exactly are you here Mark?" I ask with a stern face and he frowns. I messed up, the smile I like so much is gone because of me, he's looking at me like he's almost angry, almost. Then he releases a calming breath and says something I never expected "Lizzy, I know you probably won't believe me but I am a person who goes for what he wants and right now I want you" he sighs "I wanted to ask you out on a date, whenever you're free" he was looking at me with almost pleading eyes and I felt bad for what I was going to do.

"Date?" I asked incredulously, we had known each other for what 48 hours? I can't go on a date with him, I have suffered enough heartache for a lifetime and I know for sure that if Markus left me too I'd broken, and I sure as hell knew he would leave me. "I'm sorry Markus, you are an amazing person but I haven't been in the dating game for a really long time and I'm not sure if I'm ready for it now. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me, I hope you understand" I'm trying to lay him done as softly as possible and he knows that, his eyes are two sad globes of grey I could see it, I hurt him.

"I understand" he says softly, shakes his head and leaves. I watch as his back retreats further away from me, he gets into his car and leaves the vicinity. Hmm..... A BMW, he must be crazy rich to own that kind of car, who is Markus Espinoza?

***

Markus

That was.....unexpected, to say the least this woman really is intriguing. I'm more amused than angry at her, something must be really wrong for her to reject me like that. Does she have a boyfriend? Is that it? No, that seems like a very stupid reason, I laugh at myself when I reach home. What was I even thinking? A woman like Lizzy would never go out with a man like me, she's too gorgeous and beautiful and witty for her own good and me? I am.....well, I never had a problem with a women before, this is new territory even for me. I need to be patient with her because sure as hell I'm not going to leave her.

I don't visit her shop for the next few days, I need to give her space we've known each other for about two days and me throwing a date in the mix is not helping at all. I need to go slow for her sake, make her see that I'm not a complete idiot. The day after her rejection is the worst I've ever had, I've been going rampage on my employees for no particular reason, in reality I was angry at myself for pushing things with Lizzy, she is different and I want her to know that, she hasn't dropped hints about monetary needs or expensive restaurants, she wasn't trying hard to get, and that is definitely a first for me.

I consider sending her flowers but decide against it, I don't even know her favorite ones. Clearly I need to level up my game, all my life I've always got what I've wanted but Lizzy, I have to work for her. I don't greet my receptionist nor my P. . In fact I shout at both of them, the receptionist for smiling too much and Stella for just merely greeting me, I know I'm being an ass but I can't help it. The vixen is messing with my brain and I need to find a solution before I go mad. "Jezz! Mr. Espinoza get it together" Stella says when I ridicule her for yet another stupid reason, I must have really crossed a line because not ones in ten years Stella has spoken to me in that tone. I should be angry but I'm not, she's right I'm mixing personal life in my business and that will never end well for me. Sighing I try my best to get it together, I will make this right.

A week, it's been a week since I last saw Lizzy and I still can't get over her, this further proves my point, she has to be in my life PERMANANTLY. Currently I'm in the house pool swimming my guts out because the fire within me is still burning as brightly as it was when I first saw her. She is an insatiable need for me, something I want to forget but for some god awful reason, cannot. So I call the one person I think knows better about these kind of situations than me, my very big and experienced brother. "Mark, what a pleasant surprise!" he says in a mocking voice and I immediately smile, I've missed this guy. "Glad you still remember me Lucas, how is work at the firm going?" I ask "it's great a lot of new projects and a lot of new development to the city, you sound different," "so tell me why did you really call me?" the one person who knows me the best after mama is my brother and he knows all this pleasant bull shitting is not what I do. "I need your help and it's important" I say very seriously, "is something wrong with the company Markus? Do you need help?" I chuckle he's the last person I would ask for business advice "what makes you think I'd ask for business advice from you?" he groans "what do you want then?"

This is the hard part, how am I to explain that I'm head over heels for a woman and she doesn't want me? I clear my throat before speaking "I like someone and she doesn't like me back" that sounds gross even to my own ears. His laughter booms on the other side, my brother actually laughs at my helplessness "you, what?" he laughs some more before taking a few deep breaths "she must be someone really special, tell me about her" and so I do, I tell him everything from Emily taking me there to the rejection. "One week is enough time, go after her but don't push," "take it slow, from what I know she must really have had a bad relationship to reject you!"