No Strings Attached

Chapter 1: No Strings Attached

Elaine's POV

My morning shift schedule despite being swamped at the shareholder's meeting earlier was still close to perfection as I trip back to my apartment.

The second I woke up this morning, worked in the office for a total of ten grumping hours, and had an ear-deafening group video call with my friends over the phone for two hours, I still could not let go of my excitement.

I mean, who could not be? Everything went well according to my 24th birthday celebration plan apart from one thing - to finally confess my seven years of hidden feelings to Dylan Spencer, my CEO boss, at the same time, my best friend.

Receiving two text messages from him was completely such a blessing in disguise. The first message stated his midnight birthday greetings with red roses and fireworks popping out of the screen while the second one told me that he had a big and life-changing surprise, giving me hope.

Dylan and I have been best friends since we were twelve. We lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same school, and graduated from the same Business Management course together.

He was the most loving, caring, and understanding man I have ever known in my whole life. And he was the only man in the world I allow who can hold my hands, shrugs me off, and most of all, the only man who can invade my personal space.

The only difference between me and Dylan is that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth while I am living an ordinary life - the lowest standard of the pyramid. And if not because of him, I could barely find a better and more reliable job considering my poor resume.

Two years after we graduated from college, Dylan's billionaire parents hired me to be his eyes and ears, prepare for his daily schedules, and meetings in and out of the country, and help him maintain his noble image.

They hired me more than just his secretary. More on, I can refer to myself as his nanny and bodyguard because I am the only one who understands and survives how outlandish and moody he really is. And I have been working loyally with him for almost seven years.

Who could have thought spending time with him day and sometimes late at night has built a one-sided feeling? Tonight, I am going to take risks to confess. Good luck with me!

"Elaine, have you heard the news?"

I could not help but curve the tip of my brows when Felise, one of my close friends, appears in front of me out of the blue. She suddenly reaches out to my hands while catching up her breath.

"It's Dylan," she continued.

My excitement started getting out of control when Felise softly breathed out his name. So I lifted my eyes above, the window of my apartment to check something unusual, especially when she seems to have come out from the apartment building I am renting.

"Let me guess...?" my voice was shaking with excitement, "Is he already in my apartment? Do you have any idea what kind of surprise he prepared for me?"

While waiting for her response, Felise's expression suddenly changed. She drops her eyes to my foot and stands in front of me like steel.

Then she gropes something from her jeans pocket and stretches out her hand toward me. In her hand looks like an ATM card which I believe is a hotel room swipe card. "Maureen gave that to me earlier," she replied, "And she told me that Dylan's surprise was in that hotel room."

Without asking further questions, I snatch the card from her and hail a cab and flash to the address of the hotel. My hands were trembling while holding the card as I am heading to a five-star hotel.

Of course. Dylan has just been appointed as the new CEO of his parents' company. He can afford to spend even a hundred thousand dollars for a room for one night. And I could not deny the fact that I somehow find him romantic when he could have just handed over me his present.

It appears to me that he manages to read my mind that I am going to confess my feelings for him. And that he wants to hear it from no one else but himself. As soon as I reached the door of the room, I took a deep breath, just once.

However, as I am about to reach out to the door scanner, someone's familiar face greeted me. Someone that I least expected. She smiled at me from ear to ear while standing in front of the door. Then followed Dylan, half-naked.

The card key in my hands almost slips off as I step back away from the door. All our eyes met. Their glimpse was telling me something naughty while mine was startled.

"Elaine, what are you doing here?" Dylan asked. Excitement and lust were evident in his voice, "Didn't you like my birthday present? It was parked in the parking lot in front of your apartment."

A part of me wanted to ask what is going on between them but my utter dismay, intrigue, and confusion preceded me. Instead, I look into Mauren's eyes, trying to read what was running through her mind.

Mauren Denver is my roommate for four years and counting. I cannot afford the rent in my own place so I look for someone with whom I can share half of the expenses. The worst part is that she is the only one who knows that I have feelings for my best friend.

But why do I feel like the weight of the world befallen me while looking at them standing in front of that same door together? No, I'm just overthinking things. Nothing is going on with them.

Perhaps seeing them together was also part of the surprise. I mean what else could it be, right? Mauren even asks Felise to give me the card key to the room.

So I smiled at them.

"What are you still doing here, babe? Can't you see you are half-naked? Get back to the bed, will you?" Mauren said, her voice sounding like she was petting a CEO.

Mauren did not wait for Dylan to say something as she steps out of the door and pulls it close. "This is the surprise, Elaine," she declares. "Dylan and I are in an intimate relationship. And tonight, on the same day as your birthday, marks our first month as a couple."

"What?" the balls of my eyes remain wide open as I am having a hard time absorbing her confession. "But you know that I have feelings for him, Mauren. How can you do this to me, huh? We even talked last night that I am going to confess my feelings to him. Let me talk to him first, please?"

I was about to reach out to the doorknob but Mauren blocked me from getting in. Her glares sharpen like a knife stabbing me straight into my chest.

But that doesn't stop me from reaching out to the doorknob as I need to confront Dylan myself. I pull Mauren away from the door but to my surprise, I am the one who stumbles to the floor when she pushes me back.

A part of me wanted to scream from the excruciating pain when my ankles got sprained. I even shoved the tip of my chin onto the solid tiled floor.

However, the emotional pain that I felt inside me preceded the physical pain. My world falls apart when the thought of them stabbing me behind my back started to get clearer.

"You're already crossing the line, Elaine!" the balls of her eyes remain furiously wide open while pointing a finger at me, "No matter what we do in that fucking room, I remove his clothes, lick his nipples and lips, or s*ck his d*ck, you're already out of it, you bitch! Always remember, you're just his best friend. Nothing more. Nothing less. And I am his girlfriend. Better know your place."

Mauren's words cut deeper into my heart, body, and soul. The feeling seems like the seven years about me and Dylan starts to get dim. It feels like my entire body is burning in flame after getting struck by a bolt of thunder and lightning.

"Babe, what took you so long? Please, don't keep me waiting. It's already hard down there." Dylan frowned after seeing me crouching on the floor with my cheeks flooded with tears.

He quickly steps out of the door despite having only boxer shorts on his body and offers to help me up. However, I already have had enough of their lies.

So I dodge his help with the heavy weight of my body being supported by my trembling arms and legs just to back me up and then walked away without saying another word.

As soon as I reached the main road, people start to wonder when I drop my knees on the rough surface of the ground and began to burst out crying. I scream louder beyond the reach of my throat to let out the cold air that blocks my lungs.

If I am not going to let out the cold air that was stuck in my chest, the higher the tendency I might die of heart attack.

"Please, I like Mauren so much, Elaine. Can you help hook me up with your cousin?" Dylan begged me that cold and rainy night in front of my apartment, his voice encouraged by faith, hope, and love.

As far as I could remember, those were the lines he told me two months ago. Yet I ignore Dylan's words at first because I know him better than anyone. He is not the type of a man who will get interested in someone like Mauren.

Mauren, on the other hand, is the liberated type of woman. She dates and fucks everyone she likes. I even know and met her affluent French boyfriend three months ago whom she plans to walk down the aisle with. But that man is not Dylan.

Leaving no choice, I hail a cab and went straight to the parking lot of my apartment to check Dylan's gift. But as soon as I reached the parking lot, my heart no longer feel any bit of excitement upon seeing a grandiose and expensive red Ferarri.

All I could think of at that moment was how they could stab me with a knife behind my back, especially Dylan. I trusted him unconditionally. But he chose to break it in just a blink of an eye.

Because of the excruciating pain that lingers all over me, I grab the fist-size stone from the ground and was about to smash it to the windshield but someone snatches it from me. It was a middle-aged and good-looking man.

"Are you kidding me?" the man blurted before he scoffs at me. "Breaking the windshield will not ease your pain." then he looked me in the eye. "The repair fee will probably make a huge hole in your wallet and gives you much of a headache."

But all I could see in his eyes was similar to mine. His eyes were full of pain and regret. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth is the best revenge for your madness. He cheated on you. Wanna cheat too? No strings attached. Just have sex with me."

Based on my quick observation, the man stands probably 180 cm with a lean yet muscular physique that is evident in his sharp jawline, broad shoulders, toned arms, and chest.

He had a fair complexion and his face is characterized by chiseled features, such as his high cheekbones, defined eyebrows, and captivating almond-shaped eyes were dark brown On top of that, he had this warm and approachable persona that makes him more appealing to everyone's eyes. To my eyes. Dylan may be my ideal type of man, but this one in front of me is one-of-a-kind.

The feeling was like this there was this part of me that blooms while staring at him even just for a few seconds.

"So, what do you think about my brilliant idea?" he continued this time, with a glimmering smile on his face. "My name is Ghino Frost, by the way. Just like you, I was betrayed and cheated by the ones I loved the most."

Ghino's proposal completely tempts me as it makes me realize the reason why would I dream of someone impossible. Dylan is my best friend.

And it seems that my kind of dream of holding his hands, kissing his lips, and making love with him forever stays in my subconscious. Dylan and I will never happen.

But I badly need anything that can distract me and survive for the night. Just for the night. "Fine," I finally spoke up after a few minutes of considering everything. "Let's do it. Let's have sex."