Love For Sale

-Xander-

Maybe this could be fun, I mused, settling into the living room and directing Mona, my lead staff member, to fetch us something to drink and eat.

"This might take a while," I informed her before Adrianna tentatively stepped into the spacious room, her gaze curious as she looked around. Allowing her the time to take in the surroundings, I was pleasantly surprised by her less critical demeanor toward the interior.

"Here you go," Mona declared, setting everything down on the coffee table.

"Thank you," I replied, giving her a smile as I placed the contract on the table. I noticed Mona catching a glimpse of it, and I observed the wary expression on her face. Reassuring her with a glance, she walked off as I turned to Adrianna. Her attention had been drawn to something, prompting me to lean back on the couch to see what had captured her interest.

"Got something to say about my family too?" I taunted, feeling annoyed, yet braced myself for her mockery.

She glanced over her shoulder, but her eyes betrayed no hostility, and it surprised me.

"No," she replied, and I drew back, shocked.

"No?"

"I've just never...seen them," she answered, tracing a finger along the photo before wandering around again.

I twisted in my seat, hating to admit I was waiting to hear her say something. But why should I care about her perspective? Her words mean nothing to me, I told myself, shaking my head a bit, yet old habits were hard to shake.

"Are you done?" I asked impatiently.

"No," she replied once more.

"I thought it was paramount that we discuss the contract," I pointed out, a bit irritated about waiting. I wanted this over with.

"For your sake. I'm searching."

"For a weakness?" I teased.

"Just searching."

"If there's something you want to know, you can just ask," I assured her.

She spun around, her heels making a loud screech that made my ears ring.

"Ouch," I murmured before gesturing to her shoes. "Could you take those off?"

"No, do you have any idea how expensive these are? You should feel flattered that they're touching your floor."

I sighed, leaning my head back and rubbing my eyes. She was getting on my nerves as always. "I thought we agreed that if this was going to work, you would minimize the attitude."

"Yes, right, I might need some practice," she admitted softly, obviously embarrassed that she couldn't keep her sharp tongue in check. I glanced over the back of the couch, surprised to see how nervous she appeared.

"Sit," I instructed.

"Was that an order?" she hissed.

"You obviously don't feel that confident about this idea, so maybe it would be nice for you to sit," I elaborated.

She contemplated it, fidgeting with her skirt slightly. Then she decided to come toward me, sitting down on the chair beside me, but the moment her butt hit the pillow, she rose again.

"What now?" I asked.

She brushed a hand over the seat, and I rolled my eyes before she began fluffing the cushion that supported her back.

"Would you just sit down?" I exclaimed.

She sighed, letting herself fall back again, crossing one leg over the other and revealing a significant amount of skin. With a shake of my head, I tossed a blanket to her, and she glanced from it to me, showing her confusion.