A Pearl In The Oyster ☑️

34. L'échange - The Exchange

Why did I agree to this lunch? I was regretting my decision ever since I accompanied him, but now it was getting out of hand. How do I answer that question?

I stared at him wide-eyed, and he stared back at me. Grey. Intense. Mysterious. Irresistible. This was the look I couldn't refuse that night, too. How could one speak properly when this man was in front of them?

Clearing my throat, I asked, "What does that have to do with us being in public?"

"Because you gave me a reason to chase you. If you didn't run away, this day wouldn't have come."

When I didn't say anything, he continued. "Why are you avoiding me?"

I took a deep breath. The mention of that kiss still made me flustered, but now he wanted to talk more about it. Of course, he did. What did one kiss mean for a man like him? Nothing.

"Perhaps, is it because you've never been kissed before?" André prodded, driving me into a corner.

Even if he was irresponsible or arrogant or egoistic, he was never dense. He saw everything, noticed everything, understood everything. He just didn't like to act on it. Even now, he had hit the nail right on the head.

Angry, irritated and embarrassed, I shouted, "Yes, yes it was! So what?"

My loud voice drew everyone's attention to our table in the corner of the room, and I shrinked back in my seat. I could feel heat traveling all the way from my ears to my neck, and I was sure I'd turned all red.

André noticed it, and chuckled. A rich, throaty laugh erupted from his mouth, one I'd never heard. Was my embarrassment that entertaining for him? What was with this one-eighty degree change in him lately?

He didn't glare at me or insult me anymore. Instead, he stared at me like he'd never seen me, complimented me, laughed at me and... kissed me.

"So, I was right. You really haven't kissed anyone before," he said, seeming to be very pleased about it.

"Why? Does it make you that happy?" I asked back sassily, but he just smiled.

If I thought angry and grumpy André was handsome, this André was deadlier. I wasn't sure if I could stand his smiles and smirks for a long time. Slowly, I came to know why he was the irresistible bachelor in town.

The waitress returned to our table, with our dishes this time. She placed our dishes in front of us, and came back with a bottle of white wine. Once everything was set, she left us alone. I was thankful for her intervention, as it was time to talk about my concern.

Taking a small portion of spaghetti, I said, "I need your help with something."

"My help? With what?"

"There's a witch at Panache, who's only goal in life is to make everyone's lives hell. If we don't stop her, I won't be able to do my first show."

That had him intrigued. Putting his fork down, he asked me, "Who's that? What happened? Tell me everything, with the details."

So, I narrated the whole ordeal to him. How Sasha sold Sophie's team's designs to the rival company, and blamed them for copying. Their hardships, and the current situation. Once I was finished, André just sat there, speechless.

"Why are you so quiet?" I asked him, not sure if he was angry or just shaken up.

Once he found his voice, he replied, "Let me get this straight. You found out about this a few days after you started at our company, managed to convince dad to give them another chance, and even confronted Sasha? Wow."

His reaction flustered me, but I resisted the urge to turn red. "So, are you going to help me or not?"

He sighed. "How?"

"I've found out that the contract signed between the company and these contractors doesn't hold any certain guidelines on taking work. The contractors are free to refuse work coming from our company at any time. I want you to change that and create a new clause that would require them to accept all requests at any time of the year. We can even add that they will be fully compensated according to the current rates."

His brows furrowed at my request. I knew it was a lot to ask from a man like him, who only held his position in name. But this was the perfect opportunity for me to get him embroiled into his family business. If he managed to pull this off, his image in the company would increase considerably. He might think it was a bother since he was already a part of the company, but that's what his father wanted.

"And why do you want me to do all this? You could have just asked my dad," he said, already sounding lazy about it.

"I can't possibly tell the owner of such a huge company to go around convincing the contractors. And I need someone with considerable power, who won't be turned down by them. They need to be intimidated yet convinced at the same time. At this point, you're the perfect person for this."

When he didn't answer, I grew a bit anxious. What if he flat out refuses? After all, he wouldn't gain anything from helping me. What if I throw him a bait?

After a moment, I spoke again, "Please. I'll do anything."

That got his attention. Of course, he wouldn't ever leave a chance to manipulate others. He smirked and moved closer to me. "Are you sure about that, dear? Anything is a broad term, and can include literally anything."

His grey eyes twinkled with an unknown emotion as he stared at me. Even though I was inexperienced, I caught his drift. When did we get close enough for him to throw in sexual references so casually? Cursing my fate, I kept still, knowing he couldn't actually do anything to me.

"I said anything, and I'll stick by it."

"Okay then. The deal is done."

Of course, Devil. You finally have my soul now.

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