Only a few seconds passed since that sentence was uttered that my phone started to ring.

"It's him," I whispered to Lory, looking down at the cellphone screen to find Mr. Rowe’s name flashing on it. My heart was about to pound out of my ribcage as my finger hovered over the accept button. I sucked in a deep breath before pressing it. “Hello?” I answered after a moment of complete silence.

"Willow." His breathing was heavy. He sounded anxious and relieved at the same time to hear my voice. “Are you well?”

"Um... yeah," I said tentatively. I had no idea why he was calling. Moreover, I still hadn’t wrapped my head around what had happened earlier.

"He didn't hurt you?" He bit out.

I hesitated to respond as my mind became completely blank. I had zero idea what he was referring to. It took me a moment to consider that Virgil had already called and told him about the incident. Why would Virgil do that, though?

“Are you speaking of what just happened with Chris?”

“Is that what his name is? Did he hurt you? Tell me his last name. Why were you all alone?”

I recoiled and stared at my cellphone, perplexed by his barrage of questions. Part of me was flattered and honestly excited about his obvious concern for my wellbeing. Another part was disturbed by his probing into my private business from across the country.

“He didn’t hurt me. I’m fine,” I assured. “Mr. Grant happens to be the winner of your illustrious scholarship. Mr. Grant received the grant because of his exemplary conduct and achievements, did he not?” I was rather proud of the pun I had come up with on the fly.

He grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "little son of a bitch." I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling out loud. Lory just stared at me with her brow raised. I shrugged at her in response.

"I won’t keep you, then. Your flight is early in the morning. I wanted to make sure you were okay." He sounded so sincere in his worry that it warmed my heart.

"Thank you for checking on me. I am sorry I disrupted your night, Mr. Rowe. I promise that I am perfectly fine and my best friend is here with me."

"Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything at all. Or call Virgil. Sweet dreams, Willow. I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Mr. Rowe," I said slowly, not wanting the call to end.

No sooner had the call ended than I gaped at Lory. We erupted into a fit of squeals. I was thankful Virgil was not close by. What would he have thought otherwise?

.

Lory and I awoke at the crack of dawn. It was better to say neither of us got much sleep to begin with. But I was happy to dress up for once. I was a ball of nerves and wanted to look and feel the best when I met the man who held my future in his hands. After showering, shaving, and exfoliating to military satisfaction, I sat there patiently as Lory guided me through the steps. My hair was down, soft, and slightly curled at the ends to make my hair look thicker.

I dressed in a white flowing summer dress Lory told me I looked nice in. And I had to admit she was correct when I stood in front of the mirror. It definitely highlighted my long legs and nice butt. I only wished I could fill out the bodice a little more.

“Perfect. Perfect. Perfect,” she clapped as she circled around me and checking for anything else I needed to do. I could have missed a spot while shaving. It was better being safe than sorry.

The clock read 8 sharp and my heart pounded wildly knowing that I would soon be on my way.

“How I wish you could come with me,” I told her.

"I will see you soon. Whether it is directly at Quentin in two weeks or if you come back to Atkins again to leave together… it doesn’t matter."

I sighed. “I don’t have a place to stay in Quentin right now. I will be back in a few days at most.”

She only responded with a hum, telling me she knew something I was missing.

"You need to call me every day. Make sure you update me on every small detail."

I nodded. "Of course. I'm going to need your analysis," I teased.

We had stayed up for most of the night, going back and forth about what had happened and what could happen. Lory was fixed on the idea that Mr. Rowe was interested in more than paying my tuition after his call inquiring if I was alright. While I was nervous about his intense interest, I was mostly intrigued by how caring he was. I wondered what Virgil told him about Chris and his actions to act that way.

When the doorbell finally rang, I sucked in a breath and looked around my room. Everything I owned was packed and ready to go. There was nothing but emptiness left in the house apart from that. Lory grabbed my luggage while I did a final check on the things in my sidebag. I followed her down the stairs, snickering at her visible excitement. She flung the front door open. Virgil stood on the other side with a polite smile.

"Good morning, ladies." He gave us a curt nod.

Lory stretched her hand out to him. He took it in greeting. “I apologize for what happened last night. It was my fault for taking Willow there.”

He shook his head. “Miss Adams, please don’t blame yourself for the actions of a drunken moron.”

Lory kept her eyes on him. “Willow is my best friend. I consider her my sister. Please promise me that nothing improper will happen when she meets Mr. Rowe. I do not care how rich and powerful he is. If he so much as offends her, I will find a way to pay him back ten times over. He may be richer, but I sure as hell am smarter.”

My mouth dropped open at her words. The last thing I expected was for Lory to bear her fangs and leave nothing unsaid. However, this amused Virgil rather than offend him.

“I assure you that Mr. Rowe only has the best intentions towards Miss Taylor.”

"I sure hope he does. It is reasonable to think he has ill intentions toward my friend, though."

"Okay. That is enough." I tugged on her sleeve to pull her away from Virgil, my face on fire from blushing. "Lory, I am going to be alright. I will call you as soon as I can, okay?"

She pulled me into her arms and I hugged her back tightly. Going from seeing her every day to not seeing her for a few at the least… it would be difficult.

"I love you," she said, a sob making her voice shake.

"I'm going to see you soon. Our dreams are coming true, silly girl." I kept my tears at bay.

Lory nodded and pulled away, wiping her tears away. Virgil took my bags and made his way towards his car.

"I love you more than anything." I gave her one last hug and followed after Virgil.

"I'll lock up," she called out.

I waved at her before getting in the car. Virgil closed my door and he turned to say something to Lory. She nodded at him and stayed on the porch as we drove away. I took one last look at the house I had lived in for years, a small voice in my head sure that it would be the last time I would see it.

Virgil drove in silence, leaving me to my thoughts as we sped down the highway. I finally turned to him, curious about the ‘protection’ he thought I needed.

"You told Mr. Rowe what happened last night, didn’t you?"

He didn’t shy away from the answer. His eyes remained on the road as he responded, “Yes.”

"Why?" I asked.

"You should ask Mr. Rowe that."

I sighed, knowing he would not crack and give me the information I needed. I tried a different approach. “How long have you worked for him?”

"Four years."

"Have you ever followed any of his other charitable projects?"

He glanced at me. "Is that how you see yourself? A charitable project?"

I looked out of the window. "It doesn’t really matter. I am grateful he is funding my education."

When he didn't reply, I turned to him again. I noticed the light shake of his head and the indistinguishable muttering. I was sure he called me naive.

It didn't take long to reach the airport. Virgil flashed a card at the security checkpoint before we pulled up beside a jet with the initials RHI on the side. I was led up the stairs and on board the plane by Virgil without a hitch.

It was my first flight and I was nervous. After I was directed to a plush seat and secured in, Virgil started to walk to the back of the jet.

"Wait!" I tried to get his attention. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to sit back here." He seemed confused by my question.

My eyes were already watering and I was overwhelmed. "Do you have to sit back there?"

After a long pause, he shook his head. "No."

"Can you sit somewhere closer?" I didn’t want to be all alone and vulnerable. “I've never flown before."

He must have understood because he moved to the seat across the aisle from me. He gave me a reassuring smile as he spoke, “Don’t be scared. Statistically, it is safer to fly than drive.”

Right. Statistically, I shouldn’t be scared. If only I could make the anxiety in my heart die down.

Virgil’s presence kept me grounded and calm during takeoff. He even gave me a chewing gum so that I didn’t suffer from ear ache when the air pressure changed. The flight was grueling and long, but it went by quicker than I had imagined. The flight attendant was polite and came often to ask if I needed anything. She even condoned my tinkering with the entertainment system and helped me function it. I must have succumbed to exhaustion somewhere in the middle of the second movie I chose to watch, because when I woke up, Virgil was gently nudging me to say that we had arrived.

As we got off the jet, I saw a car stop on the runway in a distance. We got off the jet and I was led into the back of the limousine. It was already early evening, and I stared at the Quentin scenery as we passed it. I had been to the central cities before, Fairview was near Atkins and if someone wanted to go out for a trip, that was where they went.

But Fairview was nothing like Quentin.

Time seemed to flow and ebb as I watched the outside world in awe. Virgil allowed me to gawk in peace and whenever I glanced at him, he was busy on his phone.

“Where are we headed?” I finally asked him.

"Mr. Rowe's house." He briefly looked up and smiled.

There was a knot in my stomach at the mention of his name. I was finally meeting the mysterious Mr. Rowe in a matter of minuted. As we passed a security gate and slowed in front of a row of large and beautiful houses, I took several deep, calming breaths. The car finally stopped and a guy in a suit opened the door immediately. He offered me his hand and I wondered where he came from. Had he been in the car all along without me knowing? Had I been to anxious to notice.

I had to shake the thoughts out. I was lingering on irrelevant things and scaring myself further.

Virgil was at my side a moment later, my luggage in hand, and waiting while I soaked in my surroundings. Mr. Rowe’s house was made from light brick, and the vast amount of glass windows of the five stories greamed in the fading evening sunlight.

I had to check myself immediately. I straightened my dress and ran my fingers through my hair nervously. I felt so out of place in midst of such grandeur. I felt as if I wasn’t worthy to stand and breath in the rich Quentin air.

I had watched enough television to understand this was the locality where the filthy rich resided.

“Please don’t be nervous, Miss Taylor. Keep my words in mind.”

I stared at Virgil, glad that he was trying to encourage him, but I wondered which of his words he wanted me to remember. He had said a lot of cryptic things in the past two days, most of which left me with more questions than answers.

I finally gave him a small nod and followed him up the steps to the front door. The door opened and an friendly older woman who reminded me of my late grandmother greeted us.

"Welcome, Willow," she greeted. She took my hand and urged me inside. "I hope the flight wasn't too taxing for you. I'm Laura, by the way, and I take care of Mr. Rowe’s house. Come to me if you need anything."

I bit back my smile at her enthusiasm. She seemed excited that I was there and I couldn’t understand why.

"I’m glad to meet you, Laura."

She squeezed my hand before turning to Virgil. "How's my lovely boy?"

Virgil grinned as he pulled her into a hug. It was the most sincere display on emotions I had seen on his face since we met.

“I am wonderful, as always. It’s great being back in the city.”

Laura hummed. “Why don’t you leave Willow’s things here? I will have someone else take care of it in a bit.”

They exchanged a knowing glance before turning back to me. I didn’t have the energy to ruminate over the exchange about my luggage. I assumed it would be taken to whatever hotel I was staying at.

Virgil nodded, catching my attention. I saw him preparing to leave. "Miss Taylor, it is time for me to leave. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you. And I am sure I will see you again soon,” he said lightly.

"You're leaving?" I asked, jittery at the thought that the only somewhat familiar face was leaving all of a sudden.

"You are in excellent hands. It is time for me to check-in with my team. As you can see, my work forces me to leave."

I was at a loss for what to do. I wanted to hug him goodbye and thank him for his help, but it seemed inappropriate. “Thank you for everything,” I finally settled at saying.

He gave me a polite nod before leaving out of the front door. In the end, I was alone with Laura.

“Would you care for something to drink? Nicholas asked me to arrange dinner on the terrace. I am sure you must be famished.”

It was the first time someone referred to Mr. Rowe as Nicholas. I was hungry even though my anxiety was dampening it. I hadn’t had a single bite the entire day.

"Thank you, Laura. I don’t want anything to drink."

She patted my hand almost affectionately. “Very well, dear girl. Let me show you to the terrace.”

I followed her timidly, admiring the open layout of the rooms and the large staircase that curved along the wall. I held back the gasp at the extravagant chandelier hanging from the ceiling as we walked through the living room. The next room I entered was equally, if not more, impressive.

All my fantasies were laid out in front of me. A library. I could have been killed in the room and happily gone to heaven. It took up two floors and each wall was lined from top to bottom with rows and rows of books. There was an expansive sofa set arranged comfortably for people to sit. I could just imagine curling up in front of the fireplace as it snowed. The best part was the sliding ladders available at each panel for easier access to the highest shelves.

I was speechless as I turned slowly, taking in the whole room.

I was so lost in my thoughts that minutes passed before I realized Laura was no longer with me. I swiveled to the direction we had come through and my breath caught as I saw Mr. Rowe leaning against the doorway, watching me.

The pictures on the internet did him no justice. He was the best-looking man I had laid my eyes on. His eyes glittered as he watched me, his lips curved up in a small smirk. He likely thought I was nuts, looking awed by a room he saw everyday.

My eyes drifted down from his face, to the crisp dress shirt he had on, unbuttoned and rolled up at the sleeves to reveal his forearms. His arms were crossed over his chest. I saw a thick silver watch around his wrist, as well.

I felt bad for scoffing at girls who raved and drooled over forearm pictures. How had I not known they could be so sexy? His hands belonged on social media as a thirst trap. His slacks hung low on his hips, perfectly showcasing his long legs. His stance was casual with one foot crossed in front of the other as he leaned against the door frame. My eyes snapped back to his and I saw his smile broaden. Safe to say my heart was pounding.

He obviously enjoyed my ogling and the effect he had on me. I checked myself to ensure I was not drooling in reality.

His head was tilted to the side and his gaze was intense. I began to wonder if he was staring into my soul. He had promised to take care of me, but he never specified what he meant by that. I only hoped that he wouldn’t regret his decision.

I was panicking as he drew out his silence.

‘Why isn’t he saying anything? Is he waiting for me to speak first?’

After what felt like an eternity, he pushed off the grame and slowly made his way to me. He was so graceful that I felt fainter with each step he took.

“I’m glad to finally meet you, Willow.”

My insides became goo at the sound of my name falling from his lips. Still, I gathered my wits to take the hand he held out in greeting. When our hands touched, I had to clench my teeth to not have a meltdown.

He just radiated electricity that made my hormones go berserk.

He was so tall that I had to crane my neck to hold his gaze. His lips tugged into a frown as he eyed my lips. I suddenly realized that I was biting my lip and it was bothering him. I released it immediately and sucked in a deep breath. I looked down and found our hands still clasped together.

And I had yet to say a word.

“Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Rowe.”

At the sound of my voice, his smile returned. My breath hitched when his thumb stroked the back of my hand, sending tingles up my arm.

“The pleasure is all mine, Willow.”

I would petition for his voice to be deemed illegal. It was wrecking havoc on my insides. He could start an ASMR channel or become a voice actor with how attractive it sounded.

"And please, call me Nicholas."

I could barely nod.

He let out a soft laugh. "Come. Laura went ahead to prepare our dinner, so I will show you to the terrace. The weather is too nice to dine inside." He took my hand gently in his and led me out the glass door of the top floor.

The scenery outside was surreal. I could barely believe my eyes when I saw the sugared stoned of the floor perfectly aligned and stretching throughout the terrace. I smiled at the cozy table setting, complete with candles.

But my eyes were stuck on the sparkling water of the rooftop swimming pool.

"Do you like it?" His excitement made me grin. "It's rare in this city to have a private pool because of the space crunch." He pulled me closer to the pool, showing me how half of it was indoors. "The glass goes down into the water to form a tunnel you can swim through from the outside to the inside," he explained. As beautiful as it looked, the thought of swimming under it made me feel slightly claustrophobic. Well, I wasn’t going to swim there, so I didn’t need to think about it.

I failed to mention the jacuzzi right beside the pool. There was a rock wall aligned on one side and water flowed down into the hot tub and finally into the pool. The whole set was breathtaking.

"It's beautiful, Mr. R—Nicholas."

He gave me a boyish grin and his enthusiasm made my own smile widen.

"I am glad you like it. I did notice that you enjoyed the library more."

I was flushed immediately and chastised myself for acting like a fool inside his house. “You have a lovely home. Thank you for inviting me.” I bit my bottom lip and looked up to find him making a garbled noise.

He shook his head a little before leading me to the dining table. “We should get seated so that dinner can be served.” He was mostly talking to himself.

He slowly pulled out my chair and I sat down, watching him take his seat across me on the small table. Hints of gold shimmered in his hard hair as the light from the candles danced. I wondered how his hair would feel if I ran my hand through it.

I paid great attention to the napkin on my lap, trying to use the time to get a grip on myself before I did something stupid. I had never felt desire so acute for another in my life.

Laura appeared suddenly, distracting me from my thoughts. She placed the salads in front of us before giving me a wink.

“How long has Laura worked for you?” I asked after she was out of earshot.

Nicholas uncorked a bottle of chilled wine, pouring some into each of our glasses. "I have known her since I was a child. She worked for my parents since before that, but when I bought this house, I asked her to be here. She makes his place a home worth living in. I am not sure what I would do without her around."

I could tell Laura held a special place in his heart by the way he spoke about her. I took a bite of the salad and eyed the glass of wine within my reach. Evidently, Nicholas didn’t have issues with allowing someone underage drink.

“How long have you owned this house?” My head was finally catching up with what was happening. Perhaps my clarity of mind was dependent on having no physical contact with him.

“Three years.”

I nodded dumbly before I could say something stupid.

He pushed his plate aside and put his elbows on the table. He put his chin on top of his palms.

"Tell me a bit about yourself, Willow."

“There is not much to tell,” I said, meeting his gaze. “I am sure you know everything about me already.” He had sent Virgil to do a background check on me. Of course, he knew everything there was to know about little old me. I didn’t have anything to hide either.

He smirked. “I did my homework. But there is a lot more I wish to find out.”

My palm itched to slap the smug smile away. Or maybe to kiss it shut?

‘Stop it, Willow!’ I was more frustrated with myself than I was with him.

“Why do you wish to know more? What is this about?” I asked with a hint of irritation. I pointed to the wine and candle to make a silent point.

His eyes glimmered as he spoke, “I wondered what you would look like when you talked back. It is even better than I imagined.”

Before I could show him just how well I talked back, Laura appeared with two more plates of food. I had lost my appetite but I still thanked her. It wasn’t her fault that the man she worked for was frustrating. If I hadn’t been confused and intensely aroused, the dish would have been perfect for the setting.

I took the glass and took a large gulp of the wine. I saw Nicholas fill my glass back up and arched a brow when he went back to his own food. Yet, his eyes never left me even as he ate with a grin.

“You should really try the food, Willow. It is delicious.”

“You haven’t answered my question yet.” I took another sip of the wine and folded my arms over my chest in defiance.

He tilted his head to a side. “You haven’t figured it out yet?”

“No, Nicholas. I haven’t figured anything out. If you could please tell me why I am here…” I trailed off.

He set his fork down and leaned forward. “It’s simple. I want you, Willow.”

I almost choked on air. My head was spinning. ‘He wanted me?’

I didn’t know what he meant by that, but I couldn’t dismiss how fast my heart raced, or how my stomach flipped at his words.

Apparently, I was wrong and Lory’s flight of fantasy was the reality.

I tried to maintain my composure as his eyes lingered on me. But I was sure my nerves were on display when I grabbed the glass of wine with shaky hands and downed it at once. I was well past being tipsy. It seemed my alcohol tolerance was low too. I was going to be wrecked if I kept drinking the wine like soft drinks.

Nicholas chuckled when I picked up the bottle of wine and poured myself more. Who cared? I needed some courage to finish the conversation.

“Does the does of me wanting you disgust you, Willow?”

I shook my head immediately. “No. It is unbelievable… impossible. But not disgusting.” If I didn’t shut my mouth, I would ramble on.

He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “We will have to work on your self-confidence some other time,” he said finally. “For now, answer a few questions for me, okay?”

“Go ahead. Ask away.”

"From what Virgil told me, you worked so you could get out of Atkins and live a better life, Is that correct?"

He couldn’t have said it better. "Yes."

“Excellent. I love your determination and that you fought for what you wanted. I am the same way.”

‘What did that mean?’ I swallowed a few times as a few thoughts popped into my head. It was all too unreal.

“As I understand it, you have nothing keeping you at Atkins. The only person close to you is your friend, Miss Adams?”

"Yes," I said tentatively.

"And Miss Adams will be coming to Quentin to attend college, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me, Willow. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? What do you imagine your future to be like?"

The truth was, I had never had the time to think beyond doing something with my life. I had never wanted to be disappointed when my expectations didn’t come true.

I had spent all my time trying to get grades to get into college, still they didn’t hold a candle to some of the other students. I didn’t have one particular subject I had a desire to pursue. I knew I liked reading so the thought of studying literature or getting a teaching license would suit me just fine. The only thing I knew absolutely was that I wanted to belong somewhere in the future. I wanted to be wanted by people and I wasn’t going to tell him that.

“I am not sure of that yet.”

I could tell he knew exactly what I was thinking. “May I share what I thought when I read your scholarship submissions?”

I nodded nervously, sure that I would receive criticism for lacking in purpose.

“You seemed unsure of where you wanted to go career-wise. You want something different, I can see what. And then it struck me that you want to belong in a place… a family… the right one.”

How had he understood that so perfectly? The need for affection must be written on my forehead.

When I didn’t respond, he continued, “We are more alike than you can imagine.”

Laura chose that very moment to return. She frowned at my untouched plate of food but didn’t say anything. After the dishes were cleared, only a plate with dessert remained. I looked closely to see some type of cake.

Nicholas stood up and scooted his chair so that it was right beside me. He sat down close enough that our knees touched. The butterflies in my stomach reappeared when he hooked his foot around mine under the table.

“Come. Try this.” He held his fork out with a bite-sized piece of cake on it. I closed my eyes and bit on it. I almost moaned at how good it was. When I opened my eyes, I saw Nicholas’ expression. For a second, I wondered if he wanted to eat me for dessert.

After a few more bites, he spoke again. “You haven’t spoken much. Are you scared of me, Willow?” His tone was soft and he slowly leaned in so that I could feel his breath on my face.

"No," I barely said. In my head, I was begging him to come closer.

Our noses were almost touching and our eyes were locked onto each other.

"May I kiss you?"