Playing: 🎶 Under The Influence by Chris Brown🎶
                   -I Know You Are Bothered-

Xander's POV

"First off, I'm no barbie," she comebacks, whirling to face me. "Secondly, why are you suddenly in need of speaking to me? You have my number, and wasted days to do so, why now?"

"I'm sorry," I apologize, knowing this would come.

"You don't have to apologize." She shakes her head, biting her lip. "I should be the one doing that."

"No, no, you shouldn't," I argue, taking a step toward her. "I asked for your digits and ended up not doing anything with it, and I'm sorry."

"As I said, you owe me no apology," she smiles sadly. "I was the one who was stupid enough to hope I was worth a bit of your time."

"It's funny you are saying this," I chuckle in disbelief. "That should be my line, you have always given me the cold shoulder and made me feel so unworthy of you. The truth be told, I was surprised you gave me your number."

"Yeah right," she snarls. "Look, I'm sorry about the other night, you are my boss and a freaking celebrity at that. I don't think we should take this further than it already has."

"Why did you think I didn't text you?" I ask stopping her footsteps as she begins to walk away. "What's your theory?"

"I've said it all, I was stupid to think far off okay? It's fine," she retorts.

"Well whatever your theory is, that's a lie," I state. "I didn't text or call because I was busy 70% of the time. The other 30% was me thinking you were drunk and gave me your number by mistake."

"That's silly," she laughs in hysteria. "The only drink I had was two shots of alchohol and the one I did with you. Also, if I was drunk you would have noticed it when we kissed."

"Who's the stupid one now?" I inquire, scratching my hair in embarrassment.

"That's why you ghosted me?" She implores, closing the distance between us. A second later, she whacks me upside the head. "I hope that helps reset your brain."

"Ow," I feign pain, a tad happy the moment she lets out a genuine laugh. "Are we even now?"

"It depends," she blurts, doing that thing of nibbling on her lower lip that has me fighting against every hormone in my body not to stop her with my lips.

"I'm truly sorry," I mumble. "Can I make it up?"

"How do you plan on doing that?" She interrogates, crossing her arms.

"I can start by buying you lunch?" I offer more of a question.

"Make that breakfast and lunch, I haven't had anything since I woke," she agrees. "Some of us had to be here early."

"I have a lot to make up for don't I?" I query in a sigh at her jab.

"Yep," she gives a half-smile.

"Follow me then," I motion to my Ferrari. "Let's get started with brunch."

"Okay," she accepts. I unlock the car and stride to the passenger door to pull it open. She cocks her head to the side at my gesture and I simply shrug in response.

She gets in and I close it, a smirk appearing on my mouth as I circle the vehicle to the driver's side where I do the needful and enter, bringing the engine to life.

"Macdonalds please," she communicates as I reverse bringing us to the concrete roads.

I lend her an inquisitive glimpse and step on the accelerator as she continues. "I'm craving Burger and OJ."

"You are hungry and you want to eat that?" I investigate, shifting my gaze to the road.

"Is there a problem?" She quizzes.

"Nah, I was thinking maybe pizza," I reply, gripping the steering wheel as I turn a corner.

It's her time to bestow me a questioning glimpse, her head tilted to stare pointedly at me. I release a breath and go on to explain. "I may not have had anything to eat."

"Oh," she lets out, nodding.

"Yeah, so I'm famished," I admit.

"Pizza it is then," she concurs and I smile in gratitude. "Your secret is safe with me."

"I don't know what you are talking about," I snort in reply to her statement.

"It's okay," she winks. "You are free to wolf down your meal in my presence. Just hope I won't record you on video and upload it to my Instagram."

I choke on my saliva, my hand on the wheel going slack as my eyes turn wide. My mouth opens and closes like a fish in need of water, more so as she breaks out in giggles.

"What?" I manage to ask, hastily shifting my focus between the road and her.

"Your face, oh God, your face," she says in between laughs, her arm going to grip her stomach in humor. The jolly sound she produces somehow irks me and I join her in laughing though mine lacks the required mood.

"You thought I would do that?" She queries, calming down, her words a bit breathless. At my silence she pauses the little chuckles leaving her throat. "Bad experience I suppose?"

"One of the perks of being famous," I murmur, sarcasm coating the sentence.

"Sorry," she blurts.

"It's fine," I assert, parking the car in front of 'Gigi's Pizzeria'. "Let's go eat."

"Finally," she sighs, pushing open her door as I do the same. "My insides were about to turn to ashes."

"You exaggerate too much," I grin.

Locking the door, we saunter across the concrete driveway towards the colorful restaurant. I pull open the entrance and let her enter, I join afterward and close it, Italian music reaching our ears as we search for a table.

Finding one, I place my palm on the small of her back and lead her towards it. We get seated on the red cushion opposite each other, the round wooden table separating us.

A male waiter appears in a black vest with the restaurant's name on it and jeans. "A large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese."

"I'll take a medium-sized pizza with extra cheese and chicken toppings," she beams kindly at the male who seems to blush before running away to get our order.

"I'd like to see you smile that way at me," I voice, tongue in cheek as she concentrates on retrieving her phone from her nude handbag.

"You'll get there don't worry," she smirks and I shake my head in wonder.

"Which part of the country are you from Helena?" I inquire, placing my palms on the table.

"I'm not from any part of the country," she stares up from her phone's screen. "I'm not even from this continent."

"I didn't expect that, but alright," I mutter in astonishment. "So tell me where exactly."

"I'm a Nigerian," she answers. "The Igbo tribe to be precise."

"Cool," I tell, digesting the info as the waiter returns with our food. "Thank you."

"Yes!" Helena moans, immediately diving into her pizza. "This is what I'm talking about."

"You like it," I observe, watching her eat.

"Like? I love," she corrects, mouth full but she happens not to care as she continues. "This is my best pizza place in the city."

"It's the only pizza place," I declare.

"Exactly," she voices, moving on to the next slice.

I sit quietly and watch her eat, marveling at her nonchalant attitude as she munches on the cheesy goodness, not bothered about her face getting dirty or her blouse becoming stained.

To my surprise, she is halfway through the food in minutes while I'm hesitant to start eating. Her previous statement comes to mind, even if she made it clear she was joking, I can't let go of the possibility.

Layla surely did a number on me, and I'll be damned if I'm not careful this time. Her words call me out of my thoughts, rather I seem not to have heard them. "What did you say?"

"I asked why you aren't eating yet," she explains, eying the untouched pizza.

"I'm not that hungry," I try to deny.

"Yeah right," she rolls her eyes. She astounds me once again by cleaning her fingers on the napkin and picking up her phone. "Here, I know you are bothered. Go on, take it."

"How?" I query in awe of her action.

"It crossed my mind that you might be worried," she informs, returning to the remaining four slices. "So this is me saying I mean no harm."

"You are handing me your phone, which I might add is presently unlocked, and I can decide to snoop if I want," I confess, gaping at the female before me.

"I've got nothing to hide bro," she enlightens, proceeding to lend me an encouraging smile. "Now, please eat before your pizza goes cold."

Feel free to check my other books⬇️
'Finding The Badboy's Diary' A badboy romance
'A Very Sticky Situation' Romance
'Self-Love' A teenfiction/humor romance

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