Chapter 2: Janette.

"What have you done?"

Fredrick's voice is dripping with distaste but I just look away and shuffle closer to the wall. His question, albeit full of hatred for me, sounds reasonable.

I must have done something. 

There's no way someone like Ayden Bravlov would come looking for me.

"I'm sure the girl will have some kind of explanation to give if you just let her do so, Fredrick. Step back and stop acting like you'll rip her head off." 

Mr. Barbell looks at me again and he nods. I can barely breathe so I don't understand what that nod means.

My heart is pounding in my chest and my breath is coming out in short spurts. The only thing I can think of is how much trouble I might be in.

Ayden Bravlov is a tall and handsome man. He's starred in as many tv shows as I and my sister's age put together, and any movie he stars in is always a hit. If not for anything, then just because of his face, his golden honey eyes, the dark obsidian color of his hair, and just the aura of beauty he carries around. Urghhh! 

If not for anything, then just for looking the way he looks, he would still have a poster of himself in every teenage girl's room.

He makes women run mad with want.

Now that same man is in the Dean's office and is engaged in a discussion about me.

I feel like fainting.

The door comes open and my heart jumps into my mouth. I glance at my reflection and my nervousness reaches new heights.

My face has so many pimples.

"Janette?"

Mr. Barbells' voice pulls me out of my thoughts again and I feel my eyes begin to tear up.

"Hey don't cry okay? I'm sure Mr. Bravlov has his reasons for coming to find you."

My voice comes out as barely a whisper when I reply. 

"That's what I'm scared of."

Mr. Barbell regards me for a moment before he walks closer and pats me comfortingly on the shoulder

"If you haven't done anything wrong then you have nothing to fear."

"Unless you have."

Fredrick's voice almost makes me break out into a sob. I haven't!

I haven't done anything wrong so why is all this happening?

"Go in Janette. The Dean is waiting."

The kindness I hear in Mr. Barbell's voice pushes some bravery into me. I haven't done anything wrong so there's no need for me to be scared.

I might not be brave, but I can act brave.

 Almost immediately my heart stops pounding and my pulse slows. My shoulders lose their stiffness to them and I get some strength in my knees. I shoot Fredrick a glance and I take a deep breath.

The door is already open and the secretary to the Dean is looking past me. Her eyes are filled with adoration and wonder.

That's the Bravlov effect for you.

The moment I walk through the small corridor and into the Dean's office, honey-gold eyes land on me and my knees weaken again.

Mr. Ayden Bravlov has to be the sexiest man on the planet.

"Janette Argon, please take a seat."

The Dean has always been a nice man, but there's a wariness in his voice now. Like he's also not sure what is happening.

I nod and settle into the seat right next to Mr. Bravlov. The man's side profile would shame every self-proclaimed Adonis on the planet.

Damn.

"Now Janette, I'm sure you've heard of Mr. Ayden before, you're taking a theater major and I've read on your end-of-year report that you excel well in that field. You want to be an actress, yes?"

I AM surprised at all the extra information being piled into his words. I know all those things, and he knows all those things, so if he's saying them out loud, he's either reassuring himself, or he's saying them so someone else can hear.  I nod slowly.

"That's right sir. I do have a passion for acting."

The Dean nods his head, a calm smile on his face.

"Mr. Ayden here has something he wants to speak to you about. I'm sure you've heard about the Bravlov foundation?"

I nod because I have. Who hasn't?

"I'll let Mr. Bravlov take over from here then."

Ayden Bravlov turns to face me and the smile on his face is enough to melt my heart twenty times over. He's wearing a black shirt, the top two buttons are undone, and he's staring at me so intently that I can't think of what to do next.

"Walk with me, Janette?"

His voice is so dreamy.

"I..i..it would be my pleasure, sir."

He nods and gets up from his seat. I stand up from mine and give the Dean a polite bow.

The Dean nods back at me and gestures with his head for me to follow the dreamy man.

I try not to get wet again as I walk behind Mr. Bravlov. He walks ahead of me but slows down when we get to the door.

"Can you excuse us for a minute Mrs. Estor?"

The secretary nods and stands up, exiting hurriedly.

Ayden Bravlov walks over to the huge open windows at the end of her wall and he gestures for me to join him. I do and I look out the window. 

We stay in silence for a while until he breaks the silence with his voice.

"I heard you reading in class today. It was remarkable."

I blush, knowing fully well he's just trying to ease me into the main part of this conversation.

"Bravlov foundations can give you all you need in terms of support. I know you need the money for a scholarship and I know you need help to kickstart your career. I can give you all of that."

 My words slip out without thinking and I'm looking at him fully now, a bit surprised. 

"Have you been researching my life, Mr. Ayden?"

The hot man simply chuckles and looks out the window. There's a flash of sadness in his eyes. 

"I'll admit I have, and I hope you can figure out why?"

It doesn't take me a moment to come to an assumption.

"You need me for something, don't you?"

He looks at me and nods, and with the way my heart lurches, I know there's no way this will be easy.