better off with you | book two |

14

finally, the shows were over. and the most embarrassing night of my life, owen sleeping in my bed. we haven't talked a whole lot about it, we've kept things professional and now we were in our flight home with two hours to go. once again, bored as fuck.

"we still on for tonight?" owen glances over at me
"oh god, i forgot about that. um, let me see if lexi will be home."
i pull out my phone and send her a text asking if she has plans tonight. she answers almost immediately saying she has plans to go out to get drinks with her friends but if i needed her, she could cancel and stay home with me. i assured her that i was okay and was going to have company over.
"you're good to come over."
"looking forward to it."

i rest my eyes for the last two hours of the flight, by resting my eyes i mean falling asleep curled up in a ball in my seat. it isn't until owen shakes me awake that i realize we have landed. we were the last two on the jet.
"you ready to go home?" he asks
i nod and yawn once more before grabbing my bag which owen takes from me. my suitcases were already gone.

i felt woozy transitioning from the plane to the ground. the time zone was also going to throw me off. it felt like noon to me but the sun was setting in new york.
i decided i didn't want to drive my car and considering owen and i were back to the same place i just drove with him.
after the drive, i slowly, and i mean slowly crawl out of the car, i made owen grab all three of my bags. no chance i was carrying those.

"how much do you pack? god alana these are heavy." he says.
we go into my building up the elevator down the hall and into my penthouse.
"ah! home sweet home!" i fall back onto my couch.
"where do you want your bags?" owen asks
"anywhere, i'll take care of them later." i groan.
my eyes were locked on the man standing in front of me. his tight navy blue slacks, and even tighter white button down. i can only imagine what he sees looking at me in my fuzzy sweatpants and way oversized dark blue white fox hoodie.

"alright, i'm starving. what's on the menu alana" he asks sitting down next to me.
"can we just order food? i don't know how to cook very well and i doubt lex went food shopping while i was gone. the only thing i am capable of is making an espresso martini, which is what i need."
"alright, what are you in the mood for, we can order out."
"i don't know, my bed. i'm in the mood for my bed"
"pizza and wings it is"
"sure, my card is in my wallet on the table"

i go into my room dragging my suitcases behind me. my body felt so limp, i was exhausted for no reason.
i changed into black flavored leggings and a emerald green cropped tank top and meet him in the living room.
"okay, i ordered a large cheese pizza an order of garlic parmesan boneless wings and buffalo. is that good?" he asks
"did you ask for ranch?"
"extra."
i smile and once again lay into the couch.

"so, those conditions"
"i believe i said over dinner, dinner is not here"
yeah yeah, i have a lot, and i mean a lot of paperwork to do tonight. so let's keep it early tonight okay?
"sure."

i look at him and admire the man next to me.
"what?" he asks
"nothing" i look back at my giant window in the living room looking over the city.

"remember when you came to my room and wanted to give us another shot?" i ask him after a few moments of silence
"alana, i was drunk. i don't know what i was saying. i barely remembered i went to your room until theo told me the next morning."
"no, no it was a different night. after dinner you were sober. you said you wanted to give us another shot."
he sighs and looks around the room, he's uncomfortable and agitated. which gave me the upper hand to go over these conditions.

i move closer to him which makes him tense up.
one thing i have gotten real good at was getting my way. and using seduction to help me out.
"i-i do want us, i have for years alana. you know that."
"you know, i want a lot of things too" i tell
him dragging my fingers up and down his bicep.
"yeah? and what are some of those things? i mean, last night you said you wanted me."
"i did, didn't i" i look up at him making eye contact.
he shakes his head and looks away from me
"what are you doing, what do you want alana? i can't sit here with you when you do these things to me if it means nothing to you"

okay plan B.
i swing my legs to either side of him so i was on top, straddling him. unfortunately this is where i end up.
"it does mean something to me"
not a lie.
he rests his hands on my thighs and looks back up at me.
to be fair, there was a point to all of this, it was the conditions i needed to go over with him. there was no way he would agree to them if i wasn't on top of him.

"what is it that you want?"
"you"
he pulls me closer to him so our faces are just barely an inch apart.
this time i was getting nervous.
"and what do you really want? i know how you are when you want something."

i move my head into the crook of his neck
"i don't want to work under you, i told you that you would never be my boss" i whisper
he scoffs and throws his head back.
he puts his hand under my chin and pulls me back from him
"so what are you proposing?" he kisses my neck
"sign me to smith industries as your partner."
he freezes and backs his face away from
mine and laughs.

"you're not serious" he stares at me.
"i am, owen. i will never work under you but equal to you is what i can do."
"you don't know the first thing about running an industry"
"i do, i got my business and marketing degree after highschool while starting up modeling. i know what im doing. plus i have been around this type of industry for four years. i know the ins and the outs by now"
"im not looking for a partner."
"then you can find the second highest paid model of this year because i will be returning to mariana."

i attempt to move myself off of him but he holds me in place.
"are you blackmailing me? if i don't sign you as my partner then i never have a chance to work with you again."
"the ball is in your court" i tell him
"you're good alana, but you're not capable of running a business"
"so give me a shot, if i'm not holding up my end then fine fire me."
he sighs and looks up at me again, hes considering it. this is good.

"i have to talk it over with my team. would you still want to model?"
"yes, if half of my proceeds go to some sort of foundation."
"i can do that."
i put my hands on his neck while his hands rest on my hips.
"what am i going to do with you?" he asks
i smirk at him and laugh.
a few seconds later there's a knock at the door.
"that would be dinner. you know, you have to get off of me so i can get the door" he says after a few more seconds pass by and i hadn't moved.
eventually i slide off of him, he gets up and answers the door giving the delivery man a cash tip and walking back to me.