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Chapter 7

  • You can handle this. It's only a couple of hours. He isn't going to kill you. Just pretend it's a date, okay now forget that you haven't really ever dated and are probably bad at it and relax. You'll be okay.
  • "Yes sir" Ambrose says, he looks like he's about to make a mad dash for the door.
  • "Thank you for driving me Ambrose" I look up at him and smile gently, he nods his head and keeps his gaze on the ground like he isn't allowed to look directly at me.
  • "Enjoy your evening Miss Kendrick, Mr Whitlock" and with that, my buffer is gone. It's now just the two of us. I turn my head back to look over at the man in front of me and give him a gentle smile.
  • "Nervous?" He asks me, I can't lie. His direct eyes on me make me feel as though I'm hooked up to a lie detector machine. I nod my head and break out into a shy grin.
  • "Yes I am, I've never done this kind of thing before" I admit, he tilts his head and watches me, his own lips curling into a gentle smile.
  • "How did you get involved in this?" He asks as takes a sip of his water, ice cubes clinking against the glassware.
  • "My friend Poppy, she has an um, well she's done this kind of thing before" I feel uncomfortable using the proper terms, I'm not even sure I know them.
  • "She has a sugar daddy?" Rhodes confirms and I nod my head. The term makes me a little uneasy, I'm not sure if it's the word 'sugar' or 'daddy' that irks me the most, or perhaps it's the combination of the two.
  • "And why would a beautiful young girl like you want to be with an older man? Surely, you would have men your own age banging down your door" His speech is slow and hushed, his body leaned forward as though he's telling me a secret. I feel the red blush forming on my cheeks as I shake my head softly.
  • "Men my age don't really see me" I offer him a gentle smile. He shakes his head and smirks softly.
  • "Now that, I don't believe. You're...stunning" his eyes soften and I blush deeper at the compliment, he certainly is a charmer.
  • "Thank you" I breathily reply. "To be honest, I don't really like boys my age. I sometimes find them to be childish and unmotivated, if not a little gross" I tell him honestly. I have of course had crushes on boys my own age, but nine times out of ten it's over when they open their mouth to speak. No boy my age would ever take me out to a meal or even a drink before first trying to sleep with me, and if I rejected his advances I'd be called ugly and deemed not worthy of his time.
  • He grins softly and stifles a chuckle "Can't disagree with you there love. You're looking for something a little more, high class. Some maturity and sophistication" I nod my head and grin gently. See, he gets it. Our moment is interrupted as a young girl in a clean black apron and white collar shirt appears beside us.
  • "Would you like to order anything to eat or drink?" She doesn't look to me, her eyes are instead solely focused on Rhodes. And I'm unsure if it's because he's obviously her boss or because she's attracted to him.
  • Rhodes nods his head and orders a classy sounding bottle of wine for us to share, I'm not a huge alcohol person but I will stomach a glass or two to appear grown up.
  • "I'll have the steak, and Amelia will have the pasta thank you Anna" She nods her head and quickly hurries off, I'm a little concerned that he's ordered for me but I decide to brush it off. He may just be a bit of a control freak, nothing I can't handle. Plus I'm starving, I'll eat whatever I'm given.
  • "You're a student correct?" Rhodes asks me after the waitress leaves, I nod as I take a sip of my ice water, only now realising how thirsty this whole process has made me. "Do you enjoy it?"
  • I smile and tilt my head to the side. "Honestly, not really" he grins as I continue. "I wanted to study literature but my mum insisted I had to study something that would actually get me a job. It's not completely awful, but I don't love it"
  • "There are a lot of different careers you could go into with literature" He tells me as the waitress appears beside us and begins to pour a deep red wine into two large glasses in front of us.
  • "I spent a year telling her that, no such luck" I scrunch up my nose slightly. That had been a hard year, fighting an uphill battle I knew I wasn't going to win but still trying anyway. At least I didn't go down without a fight.
  • "Do you work?" Rhodes asks as he picks up his glass and takes a sip, he seems to enjoy it.
  • "I work at a cafe on weekends, and on the days that I don't have lectures I work in the university bookstore"
  • "Surrounded by the things you love?" He smirks as he places his glass back down on the crisp white tablecloth. I can't help but giggle softly.
  • "I suppose so, though most of my time is spent unpacking textbooks as opposed to reading. At least I get a staff discount" I feel weirdly at ease in his company, he seems very happy to steer the conversation and I'm just as happy to be lead.
  • "Do you enjoy your work?" I ask him as I pick up my own glass of wine. Though I would be happy to have him lead the conversation, I'm desperate to know more about him. The sides of his lips turn upwards in a gentle smile as he looks around the room.
  • "I do, I really do. It's hard work, I don't get a lot of time away and it's very stressful but I really love it" I grin in response and take a sip of the wine, I'm surprised that I enjoy it more so than I have any other wine before. That being said, all the other wines I have tried before have tasted like nail varnish.
  • "How many hotels do you have?" I ask as I lick my bottom lip and place the glass back down. He silently watches me for a moment before he responds.
  • "13, however there are plans in the works to open another two in the next two years. I am travelling a lot. Do you like to travel?" He asks.
  • I shrug my shoulders slightly. "I've never left the UK " I admit sheepishly. We never had the money growing up to go on holidays, I've never even been on an airplane before.
  • "Perhaps you'll have to accompany me sometime" he smirks softly and lowers his voice. I feel my cheeks grow hot as I take another sip of my wine, hoping my soft smile is enough of a response. Would I want to travel with him? I don't even know if I feel comfortable around him yet or if it's just his charm that's putting me at ease. Luckily we are interrupted by the waitress bringing us our food, a plate of creamy pasta is placed down in front of me and the smell is enough to nearly make me salivate. I thank the waitress before she leaves and pick up my fork, slowly taking a bite of my food. It's rich, creamy and absolutely to die for, I could get used to this.