Billionaire

Chapter 24

"Hey, Aria!"

Joanne's lilting Texan accent catches my attention, and I spot her balancing precariously on a ladder at the front entrance.

"How early did you guys get here?"

I ask playfully as I approach her, and she simply shakes her head as she dips her roller back into the paint can clutched in her hand.

"We wanted to get a head start. Cranky Cranton is expecting this finished by today, remember?"

I can't help but grin at the return of that creative nickname.

"Smart move."

She grins in agreement, pointing to the supplies at her feet when I ask her where I can get my own roller.

"Oh, that's Caleb over there, by the way- he's your replacement."

I turn and narrow my eyes in the direction she pointed to, but all I can make out is a mop of curly brown hair atop another ladder. Joanne notices this and cups both of her hands around her mouth before yelling:

"Caleb! This is Aria!"

My cheeks flush at how obnoxiously loud that was, and I see the boy she yelled at quickly shimmy down his ladder and come bounding up to us. Now that he's close up, I can that he has large blue eyes and dimples.

"Hi...I- I'm Caleb."

He awkwardly shakes my hand, and I notice a strange look of bewilderment in his eyes.

"I'm really sorry if I'm staring, you're just...very pretty"

Slightly taken aback by his compliment, I don't manage to muster a reply before a voice echoes from above me.

"Aww, look at you two kids...doin'... whatever kids do nowadays."

Caleb bursts into laughter at Joanne's awkward comment and his beaming smile lights up my mood instantly. Something about him has the same unexplainable effect on me that Benjamin has, although, obviously less intensely.

"Miss Leverton?"

I turn around, and in front of me stands one of the last people I expected to see today; Alejandro, looking as out of place as ever in the bright morning sun.

"Oh, hi, Alejandro. Back here so soon?"

I try for a casual reply, despite the fact that both Caleb and Joanne's jaws have hit the ground, undoubtedly at the sight of this hugely intimidating man smiling pleasantly at them.

"Mr. Hansen needed some more supplies."

He informs me with a smile, and my heart picks up speed.

"Is he here with you?"

"No, not this time."

Relief washes over me, but I try not to let it show on my face.

"I'll let you get back to work. I'll tell him you said hi, miss."

The second he's turned the corner, Joanne leaps off of her ladder, landing on both feet beside me.

"Who the hell was that?" She asks, and I realize she looks strangely flustered.

"Alejandro. He's my boss'...bodyguard? I think that's his job description, but I'm not entirely sure."

"Your boss has a bodyguard?"

I try for a casual nod, but I can tell she's not having it.

"Who do you work for?"

Sighing in defeat, I place my roller and paint down on one of the ladder steps.

"The man I was with in the shop last week. His name's Mr Hansen."

She looks deep in thought for a second, but then her eyes widen.

"Oh my God- him? He's your boss?

"Yep."

Her eyes narrow.

"And how exactly did you get the job?"

"I went to an interview."

She arches a ginger eyebrow perfectly.

"Sure you did."

I decide to ignore her judgmental look and begin to paint the wall.

"Mr. Hansen, huh? From Hansen Enterprises?"

I turn around for a moment, startled to see Caleb still standing beside me.

"Oh, yeah."

"Wow, that's quite an upgrade from this place." He says cheerily, before he grins widely, displaying two rows of pearly whites.

As we set to work trying to cover up the old navy paint peeling off of the walls of the store, I can't stop the small part of me that wishes Benjamin was with Alejandro. I tried a little harder with my outfit today; wearing one of my nicer pairs of jeans and a t-shirt with no paint splatters for once. I guess that was for nothing.

* * *

As Joanne and I balance the weight of the ladder between us, trying our best to shuffle it over to the other side of the store, I suddenly feel the hairs on my arms stand up. As we hastily set the ladder down, I turn around to see Caleb staring intently at me. His cheeks quickly flush a deep crimson as he realizes he's been caught, and I find it charming in a weird way. At that moment, he jumps down from his ladder, walking over to where Joanne and I are standing with a goofy grin on his face.

"Um, Aria? I know this is a little abrupt but...could I take you out sometime?"

I blink at him. Oh.

"Sure. I would love that."

I say politely, and his entire face lights up.

"Great! How about this Wednesday? That's my day off."

"Oh, I'm away on a business trip this week. Maybe another time?"

I catch his face falling, but he quickly fixes it, smiling warmly again.

"Oh, yeah, that's okay. Another time."

* * *