James sat alone in the pool area while his father was inside having dinner with Edward and Diana. He let Janice and the girls took care of everything and decided to have a little break himself.
His conversation with his dad earlier about reducing his sentence returned in his memory. William had decided to forgive him and wanted to take him home, the decision that James had waited for ages but when the time came, he didn't want it anymore.
His punishment was finally over and he begged to stay. How ironic.
He didn't want to leave yet. He wanted to be with Diana, the conversation with Nana last time made him realise that he had to be here with her to accompany her and to support her. Besides, he started to like Diana and he wanted to know how far she would go with Patrick. He had to be there to protect her if Patrick decided to play her.
"Hey, there you are... " Diana's soft voice startled him.
She was standing not far from him with her robe wrapping her body.
"Miss Ana? It's eleven o'clock already. What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you." She took the next chair, lying down. She was copying him, scanning the black sky above them.
"Looking for me? Do you need anything?"
She shook her head, "No, I was just wondering where you are. You usually tuck me in."
"Oh... " James was out of words. Diana looked so vulnerable in her thin silk robe and she wanted him to tuck her in?
"I am sorry... Let's go then." He was about to get up but she didn't move.
"It's beautiful isn't it? She smiled.
"Yes it is." He was back to his original position, lying flat on the chair to stare at the stars. His new favourite thing to do at night when he had the time.
He thought the night sky represented Diana perfectly. It was stunning yet mysterious that he couldn't predict what was actually there except the dazzling stars.
"Are you okay?" Diana asked, turning her body to her side, her silk robe exposing her curve nicely.
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" he ogled her shamelessly.
"You are so quiet lately, you're not sick or upset, are you?"
"No I am not sick or upset." He laughed.
"Are you sure? You've been working hard since you came."
"I am fine Miss Ana."
She nodded slightly, closing her eyes she enjoyed the cold night breeze touch her face. The corner of her robe flipped, uncovering her beautiful long legs.
"James, how long have you been working here?"
"About three months."
"With no day-offs?"
"I am alright."
"Why don't you take some days off?" Diana offered.
"I am fine Miss Ana, don't worry about me." He told her the truth, he was fine, he was more than fine. He didn't have much to do while Diana was at work anyway. He only managed the maids and did some budgeting. Robert's help made him do his work more efficiently that he was still be able to run his company remotely.
"I have to worry about you James. You work the hardest." She sat up, and flicked her hair to her side then playing with it. She looked so elegant under the dimmed light of the swimming pool area that illuminated her slender body from behind and making her glow.
James was secretly admiring the view, she had transformed, he just realised that now. She was still being silly every now and then but she was gentler, more fluid, more careful in what she was saying. The way she smiled had changed, the way she walked and moved was more gracious. She was more like a lady now.
He couldn't thank her etiquette teacher enough and also the team that Edward sent from London since day one to fast-track her transformation.
"I drove you crazy, didn't I?" she carefully lifted her eyes to meet his.
"What?! No."
"No? Then why did you punch that poor palm tree last week?" She giggled.
"I... " he closed his eyes cursing, he should be more careful. It wasn't her that turned him mad. She wasn't the main source of his frustration lately. It was his other job, his CEO job. Sometimes he received bad news and that was what happened last week. "I am sorry that you had to see that." He must keep his secret more carefully. It wasn't the time yet for her to know who he actually was.
"You know... " slowly she picked herself up and move to his narrow sunbathing chair, and she laid herself next to him. Her shoulder was on top of him and pushed him to open his arm and took her in, otherwise she would fall. He was surprised of her move. She had never come this close before. She always kept her distance that sometimes he felt that she was tiptoeing around him.
"You know what? Starting from tomorrow, take my car, drive somewhere nice, get laid and come back next week." She continued and shuffled herself closer to him.
"Get laid?" he choked.
"Yes. Use the car, get a pretty girl or two."
"Miss Ana, do you think I like to do that?"
"Do what? Hanging out with pretty girls? Of course you do. You are not gay are you?"
"No I am not gay." He laughed rather loudly, unconsciously pulling her deeper onto his chest. He liked her close like this. She was tiny and fragile, that made him always wanted to protect her.
"Good because I found stash of playboy magazines under your bed."
"What?! You went into my room?" he held his urge to prop his elbow up so that he could stare at her and giving her his classic disapproving look but he didn't want to move right now. He would give everything to keep her in his arm a little longer. The smell of the coconut vanilla shampoo mixed with her scent intoxicating him.
"Sure, you can't stop me. You go into my room all the time." Still resting her head on his chest, she looked up to him, their noses only inches apart. He held his breath. Seeing her this close made his heart beat faster. She sure looked beautiful, her big brown eyes were clear and innocent. How couldn't he see that before? Diana was stunning.
"But... But that's different. I am working."
"Really? What did you do last night?" she smiled, placing her palm on his chest and pushed herself up so she could see him properly, her hair covering his neck.
"Last night? I was just checking on you." He gulped, where did she want to go with this? All her move was sensual and seductive and she asked about last night when he sat there in her room watching her sleep. Sometimes he missed her and last night was one of those times.
"Yeah? Just checking?" she repeated her question.
"Yes, promise."
She breathed out a small laugh, lowering herself back onto his chest and snuggled further. She knew he didn't just checking on her. He sat there watching her for ten minutes, maybe more because she was falling asleep after that.
But she was amazed of how comfortable she was to be around him. The fact that he was sitting in her room watching her didn't freak her out. She secretly liked it, he made her feel safe, even now when she was this close to him.
She was a little silly tonight and she decided to test him, tried to seduce him, pressing her body toward him but he didn't react, he kept his hands and his sexy lips to himself, he didn't try to take advantage of her. She reached the point where she could trust him completely.
She wondered herself. Months ago she wouldn't even come close to him. She hated him. He was too arrogant, mean, and blunt. She'd tried her best to befriend him but he seemed to resist her. He'd been weird as if he had a battle within himself. One day he was nice and the next he would shove her around and told her off if she made mistakes.
She didn't understand why, but every time she wanted to strike a conversation he would place an invisible wall between them and moved away. She could tell her dad to sack him for sure but she also saw gentleness in him in a way that stopped her from reporting him.
But something must have happened to him. He didn't snap as much and he was more guiding than ordering. He treated her with more respect. His face softened, his eyes weren't as sharp and angry anymore.
He was more like a friend now. Diana felt that she could talk to him about everything and he would react kindly and this was what she was about to do.
"Mr Stratford is scary." She started.
"What?!" James was confused with her sudden change of topic.
"He doesn't smile much, does he?"
"No he doesn't" James agreed.
"But I can see he loves his wife. He talked a lot about her. Oh and his son Nicholas."
James tensed, "What did he say?"
"Oh nothing, he said he misses his son."
James smiled. He missed his dad too and his surprise arrival lightened his heart big time.
"He must be a great guy, that Nicholas." She said.
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't know, maybe because dad suggests me to marry him?" Diana blew a long breath and James' jaw hanged open. How could she be so calm about this?
"And you are okay with this?"
"Yeah, what can I do? I think it's kind of romantic. You know, I get to meet a prince charming and marry him... "
James was baffled. This particular girl was totally unpredictable. He did the opposite, went against this arrange marriage anyway he could but Diana just surrendered to it, more like liking it. Was she crazy?
"Are you serious about this? You don't mind?"
"Oh James. Why would I waste my energy to fight this? To me this is nothing. I see it as a suggestion. I know they are serious but I won't sweat over it. Maybe in the next few months they will change their mind. Besides if I liked Nicholas then why not?"
"But you don't even know him Miss Ana." James reminded her.
"I didn't know you at first and now we get along well, don't we?"
"You think so?"
"Yes, I think so." she tapped his chest.
"What are you going to do then?" James turned the conversation around. He really didn't want to talk about their getting-along thing or he wouldn't able to stop himself from kissing her.
"I don't know...... I just got the news at dinner. Dad said to give it a chance, get to know him and stuff. But I don't know how, I am scared...."
"Scared?"
"Yes I am terrified."
"Of what?"
"This Nicholas. How is he? Does he know about this? Does he have a girlfriend already? What if I contacted him and he didn't want to get to know me? I will be mortified."
"Miss Ana, you really are thinking too much."
"I think I am." She giggled. "But at least I have to know his face."
"Fair enough." James blew a breath of relief.
She stayed silent for a bit and clapped her hands when crazy idea came into her mind. "Let's Google him!"
"What?!"
"Google this Nicholas. Maybe I can find him on Facebook."
"Maybe not." He had no time to update his Facebook, everything there was old news.
"How do you know? Give me your phone."
"No!"
"Why not! Come on give me!" she patted his trousers pocket carelessly and almost touched his crotch but she was oblivious about it.
"Stop touching me!" James protested and quickly fished his phone from his right pocket, Diana snatched it.
"Okay... " She typed his name and surprisingly about a thousand links came out on the screen.
"Oh my god! So many... Who is he?"
"Um... He's kind of famous in the UK."
"Famous?"
"Yes."
"Famous as how? Rich? Successful? Brat? What?"
"All of them." He sighed in defeat, somehow regretting whatever stupid things he had done in the past.
Diana raised her hand up to share the screen with him and James wished the ground would swallow him right now. He wouldn't know which link she would choose.
Secretly he prayed that she would pick some business sites where they talked highly of him and uploaded his corporate photos that were taken by professional photographers, where he got the chance to pose and looked like a proper gentleman.
But of course she didn't!
She scrolled down, passing the business sites and stopped at some shitty links instead, random websites that belonged to nasty bloggers and to add his misery, she clicked a blog link owned by his mortal enemy, Raymond Wood.
They were greeted by cheap looking website with a title: Ray Wood: Celebrities Unmasked – The Ugly Truth about The Rich and Famous.
And a huge photo of Nicholas in the middle of the page. Nicholas in a party with some girls. He was in his natural blonde hair and five-day stubbles covering his jaws. He held a beer bottle and five girls with their fake boobs sandwiched him tightly. The photo was totally overblown and made him looked like a mad drunken loser.
"Ew... " She mumbled. "This guy?" she lowered her hand trying to get a better look. "He looks terrible." She cringed in disgust.
James felt a knife went straight into his heart. "He was drunk and the angle of the photo wasn't the best."
"Yes I know." Diana scrolled down and found an article titled, Nicholas Stratford is missing.
"Missing?" she read through. "What? This article doesn't make sense. How could he be missing? His dad didn't say anything about him being missing. Stupid article." She continued scrolling down a bit more.
Nicholas Stratford, the young billionaire spent three hundred thousand dollars overnight to celebrate his birthday.
"Oh, a dumbass. Who would spend three hundred thousands overnight for these bitches? They're not even pretty." She mumbled.
Another knife dug into his chest. He didn't spent that much, but she was right though. Those girls weren't nice. He must be too drunk that day that he decided to buy everyone drinks and let these girls flirt with him.
Again, she scrolled down and found another article with a dozen of photos of him on the street driving different luxurious cars.
Nicholas Stratford and his car collections.
...and another article...
Nicholas's new girlfriend claimed to be pregnant.
"Aw... He has a baby already." She sounded disappointed. "I won't be his number one then... "
"That can't be true Miss Ana." James couldn't help from defending himself. Ray Wood was a total ass. He could sue his butt long time ago but he didn't want to waste his time for this particular loser.
"What James? Are you on Nicholas' side now?" Diana turned her head and bumped onto his.
He was thankful that the light was dim and she couldn't see his face, it lowered her chance to recognise the resemblance. Even he was still sure it wouldn't happen believing that she was really bad with faces.
"I was just saying those are just from a blogger, not real journalism." He tried to explain.
"Yeah I know. The blog name says it all James." She replied calmly.
"Then why are you even reading it?"
"Because this is funny. Oh look Nicholas girls." She clicked it. "James, check these girls out... " James sighed out loud. It was going to be a long long night he thought.
Soon the screen was full of photos of beautiful women that James didn't know.
"Wow... " Diana was taken aback, "how many are they? One, two, three..... Thirty two?!" she made faces.
"Is it that bad?" James asked.
"I don't know. He sounds like a gigolo."
"I am sure this guy Ray is exaggerating." James almost cried now.
"How many girls have you slept with James?"
"Um... " James stuttered. "I... Um... "
Diana tapped his cheek, "Just joking James. Relax... "
She scrolled down a few more articles before complaining, "This is useless....."
"At least you know how he looked like."
"Yes. He's easy in the eye I must admit, but hopefully he's not as bad as what those websites said."
"Don't worry too much about it Miss Ana, those was from random unimportant people."
"I know I know... but sure he is a show-off, isn't he? I am impressed that he is such a successful man at the age of 23, but maybe because he's too young, he doesn't know how to control himself. Poor guy." Diana gave back his phone and closed her eyes.
James was amazed of how spot on her analysis was but he was also relieved that she didn't talk about Nicholas any further, she didn't even demand talking to him or contacting him. At least he had a little bit of time to think of a strategy to tell her the truth.
Clearly he didn't have a plan before since he thought he wouldn't be engaged to her for too long but his situation had changed and now he wanted to pursue his dad's crazy idea of the arranged marriage. Diana had captured his heart.
Only one problem that he had to tackle, Diana was unpredictable, so he had to be extra careful of what approach he was going to take.
James sighed before asking her the question that had nagged in his head for hours, "What about Patrick then?"
"Patrick?"
"Yes, your colleague. How was lunch? You went out for lunch this afternoon, didn't you?"
"How did you know... Oh never mind."
"I thought you like him." James used the chance to find out where he stood.
"Yes I like him. He's hot and kind and smart... "
"And... "
"Lunch went well, he kissed me." She whispered.
"Kissed you?!" James sat up and almost sent Diana sprawling on the floor. "He kissed you? On lunch time?"
"Yes James. He kissed me. It was only a peck on my lips. It's not a big deal." Diana stood up pulling her robe down.
He suddenly felt the urge to yell, "Why did you let him?"
"Why are you so upset?"
"Because you're engaged, that's why. Nicholas hasn't got the chance to kiss you yet and you let Patrick kiss you first?"
"Patrick kissed me this afternoon before I knew anything about engagement. So, technically I wasn't engaged back then, you dummy!"
"But... "
"No but! Nicholas and I, it's not official yet. Till the day when he asked me to marry him comes, I can kiss and date whoever I want!" She became agitated.
"No you can't."
"Oh yeah? Stop me!" She turned her body around and walked into the house. James followed from behind.
"I will." He mumbled.
***
"What are they doing?" William stood in front of the glass door watching the swimming pool area where Diana and James were sitting.
"Talking I guess." Edward joined him with a bottle of beer in his hand.
"Talking? Nicholas doesn't talk to girls. He flirts."
"He has changed Bill."
William snorted. "I just don't understand why you give your precious daughter to a guy like my son. He's a jerk."
"Now Bill, don't call your own son a jerk. I am sure you have a part that had turned him into a jerk, hadn't you?"
"I guess you're right." He sighed. "I demanded too much of him. He is only twenty three after all. He is too young to have so much power in his hand. He forgets how to be a good man... "
"Don't worry, Bill. He is learning. Do you know that he called George and apologised to him?"
"Really?" William looked pleased.
"Yes he did. He had never served people in his whole life and I guess turning him into a butler made him see things in a different perspective, besides Diana drove him mad, that made him realised that a butler job isn't that easy. Nana Sullivan helps me shaped that boy too. It's not too late. Just give him more time. He'll be back to normal. I am sure of it."
"I really hope so. He asked me to stay a little longer too. Can you believe that? He wants to stay and help Diana out."
"Hm... " Edward's eyes were fixed on the pool area watching them cuddling each other like lovers. "Maybe, our joke about that Wellesley and Stratford union will come true?"
"I sensed that too Ed....." William responded.
"But, will you and your wife like it?"
William chuckled, "We couldn't ask for a better family than yours, you know that. What ever happen from now, it'll be up to them, not us."
"Yes. I agree."
"Thank you for doing this to us Ed." William tapped Edward's shoulder in gratitude.
"Anytime Bill. You've helped me a lot in the past too. If it wasn't for you I didn't think my dad will let me find Liz."
"Yeah, that old man of yours is one of a kind. How is he? Does he like Diana?" William walked back to the living room and took a seat on the leather couch.
"Yes, he loves her. Thank god for that. They've bonded quite well last time I took her back to London. And they still do, Diana called him every week just to check up on him."
"She's a sweet girl I can see."
"Wait till she bites." Edward chuckled.
"I saw it, today. She is sure your daughter, I can see your fire in her. Impressive... Oh wow look, they're arguing already." William shook his head and lifted his feet onto the coffee table, watching the subjects of their conversation fought loudly on their way into the house.
Diana entered into the kitchen area and slammed the door behind her.
"Don't slam the door please." James warned her.
"Shut up!" she took the steps upstairs. Her voice echoing in the hallway. "I am going to bed. Why are you following me?"
"You said you want me to tuck you in, you spoiled Princess. Besides I want to make sure you go to bed and not go sneaking out to kiss random men on the street."
"Patrick is not a random man."
"Yes he is."
"No, he is not. He's Patrick....." their silly argument slowly faded upstairs.
William chuckled. "I feel like I am back to the time when Nicholas was a loud five-year-old boy who argued with his mom all the time."
"Yeah I remember. So, where were we? Do you think it will work out? Those two?" Edward gulped his beer.
"I think so. Only Diana could tame him I guess."
"Good to know Bill, good to know..."