After that, we stay silent again and I watch his mouth thin to a grim line as he studies me from under his green eyes. The last thing I want right now is his gaze on me, and as much as it terrifies me, it also makes me nervous. "That's no excuse Ms Snowfall." He finally says. I snort and fold my hands over my chest stubbornly. "Earlier today you threatened to fire your security guard and back there you made another lose her job all because their first impression towards me didn't please you." "You're surely not making sense Ms Snowfall." "I'm saying you judge them too quickly even when you acted the same way they do towards me, even worse." "But I already apologized!" He blurts out in defence. "I know, but you should not judge others so cruelly or you might just end up doing exactly what they do. Bullying." He grumbles something under his breath before saying. "Fine you win I'll call Arthur and tell him not to go ahead with firing Cassidy." I smile, feeling relieved. "Thanks, Mr Gate." "Don't thank me," He tells me as a wicked smirk crawls into his face. "You can write it done as a favour you owe me." "And what favour would that be?" I raise an eyebrow at him. "I don't know, you tell me." The smirk dancing on his face makes the favour he wants so obvious. A favour like sex huh? Thanks, but I think I'll pass on that. I see his eyes widen as he stares at me in awe. What? Why is he looking at me like that? Did I say that out loud? Oh my- "There are a thousand and one way to return a favour that is not related to sex, but if sex is the way you plan on returning this favour," his grins greedily at me. "I won't be the one to turn you down." My nose flares up in disgust. "I'm never having sex with you, Mr Gate," I tell him in a tone so certain even the devil knows I'm serious. "Why is that if I might ask." There are a thousand and one reasons why sex is the last thing I'll want with Rory, starting with the white diamond ring in his left pocket. Three things I know are to be respected; God, my loved ones, and A promise and even though I have feelings for him, that give me no right to get in the way. "The ring in your pocket is enough reason for me, Mr Gate." He shrugs, with less concern. "That doesn't have to be a reason." "It is to me, Paris is my friend and I do not plan on betraying her like that." He grunts, but says nothing in return instead he starts the car and turns on the radio and Adele's Hello comes playing. I begin to him along, but then Rory glances at me and I stop. We arrive at the ACH in ten minutes considering the distance is not so far from the Finery shop. Rory parks in the parking lot and I get down. I look around and spot the ACH car which I have taken earlier parked in a corner like Rory had assumed it would. We both walk into the building and once inside we take an elevator and I pressed the fourth floor where Paris and my office is located. I look at my wristwatch and sigh, thirty seconds more to finally get rid of the bipolar man standing g beside me. Twenty nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven, twenty-six, twent- I lose count when I feel a hand snakes its way around my waist and before I can protest, I feel myself stumble against the rigid body of Rory. Standing at about five feet three inches tall, my face is barely higher than Rory's chest and I feel like a midget before Rory who is probably about six feet four inches tall. I swallow hard at the way his strong possessive arms wrap themselves around my waist, compelling my body to learn to and yield to his solid form. Slowly my chin is tilted up and I soon stare in Rory's eyes and I can clearly see the lust thereof. He brings his face dangerously closer and his breath hot hit my face causing my heartbeat to skip. "Like I said earlier, there are a thousand and one way to return a favour that is no way related to sex, but if sex is the way you plan on returning the favour I won't be the one to turn you down." "And like I said earlier, I'm never having sex with you, Mr Gate," I reply, summoning the courage that the Snowfalls has ever known up. Rory's hands loosen on my waist and I quickly pull away and immediately the door elevator opens and we step out. So close. Paris is coming out of her office when she sees us-Rory and her smile brightens and Rory walks towards her. "Hey, Rory it so nice to-" Her words are cut short with Rory's lips, as it closes on hers in a deep longing kiss. So this is what it is huh? One minute you're hot for me and the next you're hot for Paris. Well, I'm not playing your game, Mr Gate. He pulls away to murmur, "I missed you." lowly before kissing her deeply. Paris pulls away giggling. "You had me all night Rory." "Still want you." He says into the croak of her neck. As cute as this looks, I'm gonna puke. I clear my throat and they awkwardly pull away and Rory glares at me? What did I do? Paris smiles at me, but I can see that deep down her smile she is frowning. You two do fit each other. "Thanks for everything, Taylor, you can leave." She shoos me away I don't need to be told twice, I happily leave them to their business and walk into my office. I meet a new file on my desk which makes me happy because with this much work, I wouldn't have the time to think about Paris and Rory the years manipulating couples and right away I begin my work. One of the files on my desk is the turn out of the Meet and greet party which in reference to what I see in the files was and still is a success. The Styles fashion Magazine crowns it the best fashion setting of the year, and the E! online says the party was the most successful in the history of the state and Celebrity Fashion calls the ACH as a reference to last night A must-shop store. The turn out of subscribers and partners is also tremendous and amazing in total we already have a hundred and twenty subscribing outside and within the country in the last twenty-four hours and forty-seven partners which is a breakthrough to the ACH since it started. I smile inwardly at my achievement, yes my achievement. The press and fashion houses and purple may give glory and praise to Paris, but I know my accomplishment. My phone begins to ring and I pick it up to see my caller ID is Mycole. I feel a happy tingle in my stomach and I pick it up. "Hello?" I can't help sounding girly. "Hey." Comes Mycole's voice from the other line. "Someone's happy to hear my voice." I roll my eyes knowing he is smiling at the other end of the line. "Is that why you called, to see if I'm gonna be happy?" I act like I'm offended which normally works. "No, I kind of, didn't... I'm sorry." I can feel his breathing quickens and I know he is nervous about something. "Why did you call?" "Can I take you out after work?" We both ask in unison. "What?" My eyes widen and my jaw almost drops. "You know, like come and pick you out on a date...." He hesitates a little before saying. "It's okay if you're busy and all." Mycole William III is asking me out on a date!! I should do a happy dance. "Shut up Mycole, you can come and pick me up at four thirty p.m., I'll be through then." He surely doesn't think I'm going to say no and miss this once in a lifetime opportunity, does he? "Okay, I'll come and pick you up. Take care and stay out of trouble." Always the mature one, looking out for me. A part of me feels happy to be going on a date with him and a part of me is sceptical. I'm nervous, and worried that it might not go so well seeing it's my first date ever! Yes, my first date ever. My first and last boyfriend Toby wasn't the date and romantic dinner type, but I didn't care though because I just turned sixteen and my dad just died and I needed comfort and he was there and out with his feelings. Mycole was already dating Talia and I didn't want him involved in my life anymore. I felt privileged to date Toby and him taking note of me was not possible because he was the football player that had most girls in school drooling over him. He was also abusive literally and in his words and whenever I asked for gifts or present, he'll call me a cheap slut. I stopped asking and soon got used to getting nothing. That how I got used to being called a slut. Of course, my Mom and brothers didn't know I was going through such misery because I was at his place more than I was at home and Mycole who knew couldn't get me out because I was so stubborn to listen to him. I lost my v-card one night when he got home drunk. Apparently the school team had lost the match and being the captain he couldn't take it so he chose to get drunk and I got in the way and he chose to take it out on me. He threw me out of his house the next day and told me never to come back and the only choice I was left with was going home and facing my family. It was difficult, but I told them everything and that day I saw a part of Mycole which I'd never seen before because he walked out of the house when I finished without saying a word. We later heard that Toby was beaten into the state of coma and that Mycole was in prison for the crime. No one thought he'd taken it that far hell I didn't even know a side like that existed within Mycole, but I was not afraid of this side, but I wondered what it meant. We got him out and with the help of the three Js I forced Toby to drop all charges, threatening to press charges of abuse and rape against him if he continued with the case. Sometimes I wonder how I could have stayed a whole year with a guy like Toby. I finish up my work and looking up at the wall clock four twenty-seven p.m., three minutes to finishing time I begin to arrange my desk and put the files that need to be worked on into a small bag at the side of my seat. I stand up and grab my purse and my bag and walk to the office door and pause when I see Paris at a corner with her hands dancing on the collar of someone I think is Rory. Seriously? It's been six hours already, that's time enough for you to finish up your romantic time with Rory don't you think? I roll my eyes and open the door wider only to freeze at the spot when I realise who she is flirting with isn't Rory, but Mycole.