Chapter 4

Scarlett’s POV

“No way,” I muttered. “My name is Scarlett Jackson.”

“Well, Scarlett, I don’t think tonight will be a wild night of sex as Louis thought.”

“Your best friend’s name is Louis?”

He nodded. “He’s a fool, but I like him, and he helps me with the casinos.”

“Wow, you have casinos,” I licked my lips. “I thought you’d treat me badly like all the businessmen I’ve met. Some are a bit whiny, others are too hot, and the rest seem to want to rip out your soul.”

He laughed. “Who says I’m not whiny or hot? Or what was the other thing you said?” he seemed to think for a moment. “Oh yeah, who says I don’t want to rip out your soul?”

“Your ‘rich boy’ face made that pretty clear, but don’t be offended, you’re a very cool rich boy,” I said.

“Thanks, Scarlett, your comment has given me a lot of feelings.”

“I know.”

Suddenly, I felt like everything was crashing down on me. It was strange, but I was having fun with someone I didn’t know. His face relaxed, and he crossed his arms. He was young and very wealthy. When Francis showed me his picture, I thought he would be a stupid, spoiled brat, but he wasn’t. Or at least he didn’t seem like it.

“How old are you?” he asked suddenly.

“I’m twenty. And you?”

“I’m twenty-one.”

“Okay.”

“I’m not usually like this,” he admitted. “I’m stubborn and I yell most of the time. My employees drive me crazy, and my brother… damn, my brother is immature.”

“Why do you say that?” I swallowed. This was getting weird. If Francis was his brother, we would probably see each other again. Or maybe not. Maybe I would go back to Los Angeles before that happened.

“Francis is a hormonal boy. He falls in love easily and he’s charming. Plus, he spends a lot of money, but he usually helps me out, so I can’t complain.”

“William, I have to tell you something.”

“William?”

I was about to tell him the truth, but someone arrived. He was young and wearing the same suit as William. I assumed it was Louis. His eyebrows raised when he saw me, and he whistled in approval.

“You’re even more gorgeous than in the picture.”

Francis’s brother’s face changed completely.

“The young lady was about to leave. Louis, please leave,” he said.

So that was it. What he had told me wasn’t a lie. He was acting like a millionaire, but he had allowed himself to let loose with a stranger. I felt good for having seen his more liberal side. My sixth sense told me he didn’t show it often. His posture had changed, and now he was standing straight with his hand on his waistcoat. Louis, on the other hand, was standing, looking at his friend. He narrowed his eyes and eventually nodded.

“See you later, miss…”

“Scarlett,” I said as we shook hands, and he smiled. His presence disappeared in a matter of seconds, but William’s demeanor remained the same.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Sorry, I lost track of time here. This was silly, I should be working. Please forget about it, I’ll pay the bill. See you, Scarlett.”

“William,” I said before he left.

“Yes?”

“That was the best blind date I’ve ever had.”

He nodded and left.

I sighed, leaning back in my seat. My eyes closed, and I allowed myself to relive everything that had just happened. It was incredible how drastically William could change. He wasn’t someone who belonged in Vegas, so I wasn’t part of his world. But the world is small, and worlds can fit everywhere.

I got up, looking both ways as if someone were following me. I walked home, and Olive was sitting watching TV, her face showed no expression. That meant she was upset. I rolled my eyes because I hadn’t done anything wrong today. We didn’t even get to talk. Why could she be upset?

I approached her arm and touched it. She looked at me and smirked cynically.

“You left and didn’t want to hang out with Francis. Was it jealousy?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I furrowed my brows.

“Nothing, Scarlett.”

“Don’t be stupid,” I said loudly, but not quite yelling. “Yesterday was a shitty night, and today I went out with someone. Not everything is about you, Olive.”

“What happened yesterday?” she lowered her head.

“Nothing that concerns you.”

I stormed upstairs, angry. These two days had ended poorly. I think this trip was a bad idea. If we had gone to Miami, none of this would be happening. I should be on the beach, not crying in my room over people who don’t understand what’s going on. And I wasn’t referring to my bad luck with guys, but rather the way they behaved towards me, the way they thought they had some sort of entitlement over me. Men should be more measured. I was lying in bed in the same clothes from the afternoon. William crossed my mind for a while, and I smiled because I had fun being with him.

Last year I met a boy in Miami. He was tall, and smart, and helped me with school activities. One day we were alone in the classroom, and I asked him to teach me what I needed to do for math. I didn’t want him to do my homework; I just wanted him to teach me. At first, everything was fine, until he put his hand on my leg, and I got scared. At that moment, his eyes seemed like those of a predator.

I’ve never liked feeling trapped or that people have any kind of control over me. I’ve always been the kind of free-spirited person who does what she wants and enjoys spending time with friends or family, but most people might not understand that. Men tend to care more about themselves than anyone else, and I don’t like that.