The Deal Maker (Book I)

Chapter Ten - A Lover's Quarrel

                                                                             Chapter Ten

                                                                         A Lover’s Quarrel

The taxi pulled up to the metal gate and rolled the back window down for me. I leaned casually out the window and peered up at the man in the tiny security building right outside of the gate. He looked at me, recognition clear on his face. “Do you have an appointment?” he asked in confusion.

“No, but I’m here to see Matthew, he knows the reason.” I waited patiently as he phoned the main building and finally opened the gate for us.

I was driven to the front entrance and greeted by two of the security team—I remember their names were Rocco and Wayne—and I paid my taxi driver with a nice tip for not smoking like a taxi driver I once had. Rocco led me into the mansion with his giant gorilla-like arms swaying by his side. This was such a sudden decision to come here; it wasn’t like I planned in days in advance. Originally the plan was to come here on a Monday, but I grew eager to earn more money and therefore called a cab right on the spot.

We went straight into the library without knocking, though no one was there. I was told to sit and wait for Matthew because he was currently occupied. It didn’t matter to me because I wanted a few minutes to compose myself and make me seem relaxed and emotionless. Coffee was brought to me by Jacky after waiting half an hour, and soon cookies were placed in front of me after ten more minutes had passed. Finally the doors opened and Matthew entered the room looking a bit un-kept. His blonde hair wasn’t slicked back, it was rather messy and wet looking. His tie was loose around his neck and the top buttons of his shirt were undone. I extremely hate to admit it, but I was momentarily distracted by how hot he looked right then and there.

“Joanna, what a surprise,” he said dully as if I were some dog he were greeting.

That tore me out of my ogling. “Did you think I wouldn’t return?” I questioned in a snarky tone.

His smile was faked. “I thought the last job was too rough for a girl like you.”

Ouch, that stung. “Obviously you were wrong.”

“Obviously,” he admitted under his breath.

I sipped the remainder of my coffee as I took in his messy look. It was strange to see him not as composed as he usually is. That’s when something occurred to me. “I wasn’t, err, interrupting anything, was I?”

He smirked at me and sat on the couch across from me with his arm casually draped across the back of the couch. “What if you were?”

My eyes widened and I looked at my hands for a distraction. “Well, this is awkward.”

A light chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Hardly, I was swimming when I heard of your arrival.”

Relief washed through me. At least I wasn’t intruding while he was with a chick. That would have been pretty awkward. “I came here for a job,” I explained, quickly changing the subject.

“I figured.” He rose from his seat and went up to the bookshelf and reached behind one of the books. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but suddenly two shelves split horizontally. There, behind a large group of classic books, was a bookshelf with leather bound books that seemed almost older than the ones around us. Dozens of books hidden behind a large bookshelf? I found myself growing curious as he pulled two books from the shelf and closed the hidden bookshelf behind him. “Telling someone about this would be against your contract,” he informed me with a quick glance my way.