CHAPTER 4

          Her eyes got widened, and then she frowned. Genie stared at him while battling to control the simmering fury that was wrapping her entire being. The nerve of this guy! The arrogance in his voice while suggesting her to accept his money and pretend they were together… 

          ‘What do I say?’ she thought looking straight at him, still appalled and mad by his callousness. ‘You never took the time of day to get your head out from your ass and look at me, maybe try to understand who I am, and now you ask me what do I say about your proposal? I would say not in a billion years, you pompous, patronizing bastard! I would say stick your proposal where the sun doesn’t shine. I'd say up yours, you arrogant prick! I wouldn't spend one hour alone with you, let alone three days and three nights! Not even if my life would depend on it!’

“Dr. Beaumont, I'm sorry, but I absolutely can't accompany you to the medical conference in L.A.,” was what Genie actually said, congratulating herself on her silkily smooth voice.

“Oh… My bad… I never took into consideration the fact that your boyfriend would object to this sudden and most unusual request from my part…”

“No, isn’t like that… I don't have a boyfriend. And, just to be clear, even if I had a boyfriend, I would still call the shots and make my decisions,” she replied pretty determinedly.

“I didn’t know, I just assumed that your rejection was because you were…”

          Phoenix stopped talking. His green eyes locked with her grey eyes and that went on for a few seconds. Then he lowered his gaze and shook his head totally bewildered.

“If there isn’t a boyfriend, then why are you rejecting my proposal? I don’t understand…”

“It’s about my other job… you know, the place where I am waitressing during the weekend… I wasn't able to work last weekend because of some small health issues. If I let my employer at the cafe down again this weekend, I'll lose my job there, and I simply can't afford that.”

          She couldn't afford to lose this job either, which was why she was being so diplomatic and not yelling in his face to go to hell. Genie would have just loved to tell the sweet, considerate doctor exactly what he could do with his proposal.

“I understand… Tell me, Miss Mitchell, how much do you earn in one weekend?” he asked watching closely her facial expression.

“Why… Why are you asking me that, Dr. Beaumont?”

          He sighed and raised his eyebrow.  

“Just answer the question, please, Miss Mitchell.”

“200 dollars, plus the tips.”

“I see. How long would it take for you to get another job like the one you have now if agreeing to my offer would make you lose it?”

“What? Oh, I... I couldn't say exactly. Sometimes you can be lucky, but it could take weeks and weeks.”

“Maybe… let’s say… Three months tops?”

“Y-yes… I guess.”

          Genie was staring at him completely confused about the whole speech Phoenix just made. What was he getting at? Why didn't he just let the matter drop? She wasn't going to say yes, no matter how much he offered her.

          Phoenix picked up a small calculator lying on his desk.

“Ok, so let’s just do the math then and see a few numbers,” he said looking at the small display. “Based on what the numbers are saying, Miss Mitchell, 13 weeks times 200 makes 2600 dollars,” he calculated aloud. “I would assume a girl like you would get plenty of tips, so I'll go up to 3000 dollars… upfront and in advance.”

          His arrogance was absolutely disturbing. She clenched her fists since the desire to punch him right into his face was so great now. Jared… Phoenix… both of them were so similar.  

“What do you say to that, Genie? Not bad for three days' work, don’t you think so? More than enough to make ends meet until you get another job.”

          His use of her first name didn’t escape Genie. This liberty sealed his fate even more than his demeaning offer. ‘You think you got me in your pocket, Doctor?! Well, think again!’, she thought giving him a cold look.

“I'm sorry, but I must refuse again, Dr. Beaumont. I'm simply not a good enough actress for the part you have in mind for me. I think Nicole's right. I think you should hire yourself a professional. An escort would absolutely take you up on your offer in an instant and without questioning.”

“But I don't want a professional, Genie,” he returned coolly. “I want you. You’re absolutely perfect for what I have in mind.”

          Again, she just stared at him, her mouth going dry. ‘My God, if I didn't know him better, I might think that he really means every single word he says,’ Genie said to herself.

“Maybe I should clarify that last statement,” he went on drily, a single eyebrow lifting at her obvious surprise. “The reason I said those things to you specifically is because I know that underneath your oh, so cool politeness you really can’t stand me. I have no wish to have to fire you afterward because you've stupidly fallen in love with me. On top of that, I would imagine that in the right clothes you could be quite lovely.”

          His eyes drifted down from her face to the swell of her breasts.

“Yes... Quite lovely... I can see it already.”

          Genie didn't know which part of his speech infuriated her the most. Certainly, the condescending and offensive 'quite lovely' kept going round and round in her head.  Even so, she was positive that if she set her mind to it, she could make him regret this day and this stupid proposal until his last day on this earth! ‘Phoenix Beaumont, be careful what you wish for... you just might get it!’

“Aren't you afraid that my… dislike might show through?” Genie asked through gritted teeth. “That it might ruin your little game?”

“No, not one bit worried. I have great faith in the acting ability of women, yours especially. Besides, I never take out women who gush all over me. Of course, under the circumstances, I will only expect you to pretend to be a friend, not my real lover. Consequently, I will change the booking to twin rooms.”

          She had a hard time hiding her contempt toward this arrogant prick. So, Erika had been expected to sleep with him during this little trip, to play the part of his wife without ever expecting to truly get the part. Real charming from the Doctor’s part!

          Even if Jared betrayed her and forever change her life, at least he won her heart before expecting her to become his lover. Nothing had been too much trouble… flowers, chocolates, candlelit dinners. He'd swept her off to bed with sweet words ringing in her ears and promises of together forever. He hypnotized her like the snake he was.

          While Phoenix Beaumont promised his women nothing... except a cold-blooded, machine-like performance between the sheets. ‘And knowing all this, why do I find myself suddenly wanting to experience that machine-like performance? Why for pity's sake? It goes against everything I'd ever believed about myself.’

          Heat rushed into her cheeks at the appalling thoughts that sprang into her mind.

“I'm sorry,” she said, flustered now. “I can’t play this game... I-it's quite out of the question. I simply can't.”

“Maybe you should think some more at my proposal,” he bit out. “I don’t see anything bad in what I’ve asked you to do. I would have thought 3000 dollars would have smoothed over any antipathy you felt towards me. Believe it or not, I can be quite likable when I want to be.”

          ‘Likable’? Genie didn’t know that this word was even present in Doctor’s vocabulary. Sure, he was likable like sand between the sheets. She looked at him but said nothing.

“Ok… Look, don't say no straight away. Think it over and give me a call on Sunday night around eight. Nicole will be out, so you don’t need to worry about any awkwardness.”

          Genie decided that it would be much easier to refuse for the second and last time over the telephone. It was hard to sound convincing when one was blushing and stammering like a schoolgirl. And when underneath one was insanely tempted to say yes. ‘Genie, girl, you are definitively going mad!’

“Alright, Dr. Beaumont,” she agreed shakily. “I will call you on Sunday, around 8 pm.”

          When the beginnings of a smug smile pulled at her employer's disdainful mouth, Genie's heart immediately stopped its stupid fluttering. He believed she'd say yes, that the money he'd offered would override any doubts she might have.

          Genie's heart hardened further as she recognized that he might even suspect that underneath her surface hostility she was sexually attracted to him. This last suspicion closed the door on the subject. Nothing on earth would ever make her say yes now! Absolutely not one thing! Not now, not ever!