Chapter 0008

"So wait, you're meeting with him today?" As we go along the corridor towards our lecture hall, Poppy asks me.

I agree, having just completed telling her about my meeting with Mr Whitlock last night.

"That's moving quite fast, you really like him then?"

I shake my head and shrug. "I guess I just think this is the best solution for my situation." He's not a creep, he's got money to burn, and if it turns out that I don't really like him, it's okay because he travels so often." Even though the conditions appear to be in my favor so far, that doesn't indicate that my luck won't change throughout the negotiation.

"Has he told you how much he's going to offer you?" She inquires, speaking more quietly now that we are surrounded by classmates. "I'm not looking forward to hearing how far I've fallen in terms of self-esteem, even though I don't know any of them.

"Not yet, but he advised me to quit my employment in order to be more available to him. So if I don't have to work, it must be wonderful," we say as we walk inside the lecture hall and take two seats in the back row.

Ambrose is supposed to pick me up after class, and even though I'm apprehensive about going to the meeting, I don't want to keep anyone waiting.

"Wow," Poppy exclaims, leaning back in her seat. "He sounds kind of intense."

I nod in agreement, he is quite intense. I'm nervous because I don't want to sign a contract that allows him to blow me off and treat me like I work for him. "He is, but at least he's not a creep."

Not on the surface, he could be harboring some terrible twisted desires. I'll carefully study the fine print to make sure I'm not consenting to let him sacrifice me or tie me up anyplace.

Poppy seemed to want to add more, but the professor has begun his presentation, and the hall falls silent. I attempt to concentrate on the content at hand and keep track of the notes I need to take, but it's difficult to keep my mind from wandering. Last night went far better than I expected; it almost felt like a real date. But that wasn't the case, at least not for him. It was a business meeting, and I need to start thinking of it that way.

The professor finishes his talk sooner than I expected, and others around us begin to gather their stuff and depart the theatre. Poppy and I step outside, scanning the road for Ambrose, who is standing outside the car that drove me to the hotel in last night. He's dressed smartly in a black suit and wears dark glasses on his nose. I make a motion toward him.

"My rides are here," I say with a smile as Poppy's mouth slightly opens.

"Damn girl, you're moving up in the world," she says as she wraps her arms around me and squeezes me. It's as if I'm leaving for war and she'll never see me again; it frightens me more than it soothes me.

"Good luck, don't agree to anything you aren't comfortable with" I nod and whisper farewell as I begin to move towards Ambrose, a gentle grin on my lips as I approach.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kendrick," he says as he opens the back door for me to enter.

I notice a few people roaming about who have stopped to observe. I ignore them since I have no idea what they think is going on here.

"Afternoon, Ambrose, thank you for picking me up," I say as I enter into the car and take a seat. I take the time to make myself slightly more presentable on the way to work, with the faint sound of piano playing throughout the car.

I take my hair out of my ponytail and carefully brush it through to remove any tangles. I next apply a light layer of mascara and lip gloss with my phone's front-facing camera.

I'm not exactly dressed for a business meeting, but I've come straight from class, so perhaps they'll appreciate that. My blue checkered summer dress hangs just above my pallid knees; I'll need to catch some sun as soon as possible. But they're not as white as my converse, which are still white despite their severe need for a wash. As we drive up outside the offices, I lean down and neatly tie the laces.

"Have a good meeting, ma'am," Ambrose says as he opens the back door and I slide out, clutching my tan tote bag and tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Thank you, Ambrose, and have a nice day," I say as I walk into the building and over to the bank of elevators.

As soon as she sees me, the receptionist stands; I don't even have to give her my name or that I have an appointment while she types on her office phone.

"She's here...yes, ma'am," she says as she walks around the desk.

"Right this way, Miss Kendrick" I follow her down the long corridor and enter the room through the door she has opened for me. There's a large table with at least a dozen chairs set around it, it's poorly lighted, and only Lory and Mr Whitlock are inside.

Lory extends her hands and gently grabs my shoulders before kissing me on both cheeks and putting some stray hair behind my ear. She does this while smiling broadly. She pulls away from our embrace and gestures to Mr. Whitlock, who is standing off to the side with his hands clasped behind his back.

"You look lovely, of course you remember Mr. Whitlock," she says, breaking up our embrace and gestures to Mr Whitlock, who is standing off to the side with his hands clasped behind his back.