Chapter 9

"Wow, you're leaving for work so early?" Lila teased. "Your new boss has done more good than bad to you." 

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. I was in no mood to argue with her. "Silly." I stood in front of the oval-shaped dressing mirror, adjusting the collar of my pink button down shirt. 

"Gosh, you're also dressing like you're going to work and not a club." She looked truly dazzled, buttoning her shirt. 

"Silly." I chortled, brushing my hair and tied it into a ponytail. 

"Why did you change the color of your hair? I liked it blonde and shoulder-length." She walked to the nightstand and poured herself a glass of water, pulling its brim to her lips. 

"I don't know, I just felt like changing my look." I leaned forward to the mirror, scrutinizing the spot of my forehead that previously had a bump. "Finally smooth again." I smiled sheepishly at my reflection. 

She cleared her throat. "Let's get going." 

"Hang on." I ran to my bag and took out my black scarpin heels, sliding my feet into them. 

I hung the black bag on my forearm then left the room with Lila. Thank goodness, she was going to drive me to work today!

***

"I balanced it all into one file, Mr. Hendrix." I walked up to Hames and dropped the big file on his table, picking my phone from the top of the file. 

He glanced at them then raised his head to me with a positive nod. "That's good." He rose to his feet. "Do I have an appointment with anyone again today?"

"Uh…" I raised my phone to my face and opened his schedule for today on my phone. "Yes, you have an appointment in twenty minutes with…" my eyes widened at that. "Amanada Hart." Gosh, I had totally forgotten about his date with Amanda. 

"Okay, and you're coming with me." He reminded me, picked his jacket from his chair and wore it, turned around the table. 

"May I know why I have to go with you?" I asked out of curiosity. 

He snapped his head in my direction with an icy stare. "Amanda is a friend of mine and she'd constantly pester me. She wouldn't believe that I have to leave for other important things so you'd be there, incessantly reminding me and her that I have to leave in a few minutes. You're not to say or do anything much but sit beside her so she watches what she says. She's a blabbermouth and it's very annoying but she'll mind her words in your presence." He explained. 

It didn't make so much sense to me because that meant I had to attend his date rather than do other things I preferred to do with myself. 

I sighed. "Okay."

"Meet me at the parking lot in five minutes." He said and turned around to leave. 

After he had successfully shut the door, I groaned, muttering cuss words to myself before leaving for my office. 

I wore my blazer around my body, brushed my hair, slipped my phone into my bag, hung the bag on my forearm and left my office. 

I took the elevator to the ground floor. 

"You're leaving already? Lucky you…" Sarah heaved a sigh. 

I didn't bother to respond to her and left the building to the parking lot. There were so many cars and it freaked me out a bit. They looked so neat and expensive.

Hames was resting against a Porsche 911 Carrera with an indifferent look on. 

"Will you hurry up? I don't have all the time on Earth to waste." He opened the door to the passenger seat. 

I increased my steps and stood in front of him. He indicated for me to get into the car which I obediently did. He got in as well and shut the door. 

I had never sat this close to him so it remained awkward at the moment. 

There was no one in the driver's seat so we waited silently, though he was constantly dialing a number I assumed was the driver's.

After a few minutes, the driver appeared, running and hopped into the car. "I'm sorry I'm late." He apologized, breathing heavily.

"Just drive," Hames breathed out. 

*** 

Hames had decided to have his seat on the table outside the restaurant, beside the glass walls that gave you the perfect view of the beautiful interior design of the restaurant. 

As it seemed, the so-called Amanda Hart wasn't present yet. He had sunglasses on and was avoiding getting noticed by the few passers-by who had serious looks on their faces rather than seeming interested in him.

"Amanda prefers to stay outside." He clarified my internal conflict and I muttered an 'oh'

"Hames," a very high-pitched feminine voice called from behind me. Hames raised his head to whoever was behind me. 

I turned my head to the direction of the woman and behold, an epitome of beauty stood behind me. She was slender and tall with dark brown hair and grey eyes. She was in a red silky gown that hugged her considerable amount of curves. 

"It's so good to see you again." She had a strong British accent that sounded cute to my hearing. 

"Yeah, it is, Amanda." He took off his sunglasses and set it aside on the table. 

Amanda arched her back to give Hames a tight hug. "Too tight." He said chokingly. 

She giggled then pulled away from him. "I'm glad you came, earlier than me even. I thought you weren't—" she stopped talking when she pivoted and only noticed my presence. She stared at me from head to whatever part of my body that wasn't away from view due to the table. 

"I'm Imogen Mark, Mr. Hendrix's secretary." I introduced politely and formally with a smile I considered adorable. 

"Oh…" she muttered disappointedly. "So you brought your secretary to our date?" She didn't sound pleased to know that. 

"Yes, we have to attend a business meeting after this so she's here to constantly remind me of that. You wouldn't let me go if I didn't come with her." He defended.

"Oh." She muttered again, taking a seat beside me. She didn't even respond to me? So rude, girl.

I shifted in my seat. A waiter was called by Hames who took our orders and left.

"How have you been?" Amanda started, rested her elbows on the table, intertwined her fingers together so she could plop her chin on her knuckles. 

"Good, I guess." He shrugged, scrolling through his phone. 

"How well did you miss me?" She grinned from ear to ear. "I missed you way more than you can ever imagine. I always remembered the beautiful times we've spent together since we were children. I vividly remember when we first met Ten years ago when I was 15 and you were 16. Then we'll go on dates like this, but without a secretary." She glared at me. Like I wished to be here, "I always knew you were going to become a very successful businessman, judging from how hardworking and determined you already were at the age of 17. You were always so protective of your mother and me." Jeez, Hames was right. She was such a blabbermouth. No one asked her all of these, did anyone? "You wouldn't believe Dad was almost making me leave you and everyone else here by trying to make me stay in England permanently, how silly of him? I couldn't bear to stay so far away from you and everyone else living here."

He raised his head to her, glancing between both of us like he was totally lost and hadn't listened to a word she said. 

"Oh, you were saying something?"

Amanda's jaw dropped. "I haven't even spent ten or five minutes here and you're already lost? Gosh… you're so annoying." She retrieved her hands from the table. 

"Oh, okay." He shrugged indifferently. 

The Waiter returned with our order and Amanda began to eat aggressively, bearing to the fact that she was having the sulks because of Hames who didn't seem to care that much but was paying close attention to his phone. 

"Miss Mark, please check your email now. Also, fix a date for me to have a meeting with 'Friz and co', also fix an appointment with that company I need by… uh… what's he called again?" He squeezed his face, trying to remember who he had in mind. 

I quirked my lips, trying to guess who he meant but couldn't. 

"Oh yeah, by Brad!" He clapped and ate from his meal. 

"Okay," I nodded and took out my phone to take notes. He resumed scrolling through his phone and eating from his meal at long intervals. Amanda still glared at him while she ate but he was too engulfed in the Work he was doing via his phone than noticing her. This was the most boring date ever!

"You're stupid." Amanda hissed, connecting the brim of her glass of chilled orange juice to her lips. 

"Excuse?" He lifted his eyes to her but didn't raise his head from his phone. 

"Is this even a date?" She disconnected the glass from her lips. "You're not paying attention to me. You haven't seen me physically in 4 months now, but you don't seem like you cared to miss me." She huffed and dropped the glass back on the table. 

Hames, for the first time I had seen him, smirked at her. "We've been friends for a decade so you should know how I work. It wasn't an easy thing for you to have been the High School's Badboy's friend and not be ignored so why are you bothered over it now?"

"You're so annoying!" She groaned, placing a stress on 'so'. "I hate you!"

"Sure, I hate you too." His smirk slowly faded and his frigid face returned as he returned his gaze to his phone's screen. 

"You're no good!" Amanda bounced to her feet, slamming her hand against the table, causing its content to shake and almost pour. "We'll reschedule this date to a day you're totally not busy and wouldn't have to bring your 'secretary' along." She spat. 

"Sure, okay. Miss Mark, take note of that and try to fix a date because I'll definitely forget." He didn't look like he cared about the poor furious woman who had been pretty much excited to finally see him after 4 months, like she said. Such a cruel-ass Hames.

"Yes, Mr. Hendrix." I nodded politely and took out my phone to take note of that too."

"Goodbye, I'll call you tonight and I promise you I won't accept your apology so easily." She pushed the chair backwards so she could move out of that space freely. 

"You're leaving already? Okay…" he finally dropped his phone. "Goodbye then." He leaned back in his seat. 

She stuck her tongue out at him and turned around to leave. I tried to hold back any laughter from erupting from me. She was damn funny and cute, to be sincere. Being friends with Hames sure wasn't such a pleasant thing. 

"I guess we should get going now," I said in more of a question. 

He craned his head to me. "Did I say that? I don't usually spend time outside. It might take a billion months again before I eat openly so the least I can do is finish my meal at this chance I've gotten." He picked his phone up again. "Right after I respond to this frustrated woman from a business partner." 

I shook my head at him, knowing he couldn't see me. What a terrible life. At least he was making his millions of dollars. This man was going to be a multi Billionaire next year if he continued working hard at this pace. 

I continued eating. After a few minutes, he set his phone aside and focused on his meal. 

"So…" he cleared his throat, "there's a massive business in Australia for me—" he was cut off by a feminine voice.

"Hamzy?" 

He furrowed his forehead as he lifted his head to look above me. 

Soon enough, a young-looking elderly woman with honey eyes and black hair pulled a chair by the left side of the table and sat on it. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off me and she looked damn familiar, I had definitely seen her somewhere but I couldn't place my finger on it.

"Mom, why are you here?" Hames asked, not rudely. Mom?! She was his mother? 

"Why not, silly? You move around, I do too. Do you think all I do is sit at home and do nothing?" She scoffed. Her eyes returned to me then they widened as she stared between both of us. "Oh dear Hames, is she the one?!" She looked eager to know his answer. 

Hames rolled his eyes twice but he froze and leaned closer to her with squinted eyes. "If I say she's the one, you won't ever pester me, right?"

"Absolutely not! When she's dashing, hot, neat and suitable." She looked at me like I was a piece of cake she could eat at once. 

"Uh… sorry to interrupt but—" 

Hames interrupted me, "yes, Mom!" He exclaimed then gazed at me like he was trying to pass a message to me but you bet your asses that I wasn't receiving the message at all. "She's my girlfriend, Imogen Mark."

Okay. What the fuck did I just hear him say?

***

Author's note: I'm sorry for not updating this book in the last two days, I was stuck in half of this chapter and couldn't seem to write more words but was also updating one of my other Ongoing books.

So… yeah, it's here! I hope you enjoyed it and you're ready for the next chapter?

Ignore any grammatical errors you might notice or nicely point them out.

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