Chapter 10: Chapter 10

“Olivia, I am going to take a break for a while. Can you handle it?” The friendly bartender asked her and she nodded with a smile.

She loved the new work environment. Everyone was so friendly while the people back in the club were always rude to her. She thought that the reason might have been that she was a stripper and was profusely judged because of that. They may have concluded that she was just money-hungry and gold-digger. Despite her trying hard to mingle, they distanced themselves.

She could not control people’s perceptions though. She gave up eventually after they gave her a cold shoulder.

Here, her coworkers were very friendly. It was her fifth day at work, and she was already comfortable and adjusted.

There were three bartenders who handled the people at night. It was not a big bar but an average sized. She was glad that it was not crowded like the club she previously worked at.

She was busy serving drinks to the customers when she heard a few taps on the counter. The music was softly playing so she heard it clearly.

“Welcome! What can I get you, sir…” She turned with a smile, but her smile quickly faded away when she saw who the person was.

“Thomas?” She said with confusion. What was he doing there?

He was dressed in a grey button down shirt. She could not see what he was wearing below as he was sitting on the chair. He looked as good as he always did. That guy was always neat and handsome. He was not even a tiny bit messy in his drunken state the other night.

“You look good in this uniform.” Thomas said looking at her with interest. She scoffed.

“What do you want?” She asked with a huff, folding her arms.

“I am here as a customer. Can’t you see?” He replied in a mischievous tone. His expressions told her that he was in the mood for jokes. Bad news! She did not share his mood.

“What do you want, Thomas?” She said it firmly this time. She knew he was not there for fun. It was not a rocket-science to think that he had been able to find her new workplace. It could not have been a co-incidence.

“You know what I want. I want you to marry me.” He said leaning closer so she could hear him. There was something in his eyes that left butterflies in her stomach. He was gazing at her so keenly that she almost—almost believed that he was proposing her when in fact, he was just repeating his stupid offer.

She took a deep breath and released it.

“I told you I won’t give into you offer. Why don’t you leave me alone?” She told him with clenched teeth. He shrugged casually making her angrier.

“I told you before and I am telling you once again. I am ready to give you any amount, anything you ask for in return for one year of marriage. What is the problem?” He had the nerve to ask her what her problem was when he should have explained what his problem was! Why wasn’t he leaving her alone?

“And I told you before and I am telling you again. I will never-ever accept such a pathetic offer. You can take you offer and stick it into your ass.” She did not know where the words came from. She was always so gentle, but he was getting on her nerves. She had denied him her acceptance time and again, yet there he was, pestering her and frustrating the hell out of her.

She could see the change in his expressions. All the apparent softness was gone in the blink of an eye.

“When I want something, I get it at any cost. It will be in your best interest to agree to my offer while I am asking politely.” There was a sudden change in his tone making her frown deepened.

“Are you threatening me?” She asked, refusing to believe that that was the actual case.

Was he the same person who saved her the other night from being sexually harassed? He looked so angry that night that she thought he was a true gentleman. And now, he was not only harassing her but also threatening her when she clearly said she would not accept his offer.

What the hell was he doing? And why?

“No, I won’t harm you in any way. But you will be my wife whether you like it or not.” He told her in all seriousness making her surprised once again.

“I am asking for the last time, will you marry me?” He asked looking directly into her eyes while she kept staring at him without blinking once.

Her heart was beating harshly. Why was she nervous and anxious?

“I will not marry you.” She gave her last consent making his expressions go dense. She saw him stand up and leaving the bar without another word.

‘What the hell just happened?’ She was confused to no end.

She was glad he had stood up without another word, but the look on his face did not tell her that he had given up.

“Thank you, Olivia. I owe you.” Rose returned giving her a side hug. She tried to smile as her mind was still preoccupied with the thoughts of Thomas.

She knew she did not have a good eye for recognizing people. She had been truly mistaken in his case. She thought he was a kind and helpful person despite his rude behavior. He helped her, so she was really thankful. But he had proved her wrong. He was a dirt-bag, and she sensed it very well after he left.

‘Why am I thinking about him this much? He cannot do anything. Each party has to have free consent while entering in the contract.’ She knew that much law, so she dismissed the thoughts of him and got busy with work.

Thomas’s POV:

“Damn it!” He cursed as he kept pacing around in his big and luxurious room. Something told him that he was being ridiculous, chasing around a girl who did not want him—neither did he. It was not like he had feelings for her. He just did not have any choice. All the girls around him was gold-diggers, and he feared they could threaten him and demand more money till he had nothing left. He had seen a lot of cases like that.

It was not like he did not have enough money, but the thing was that he could only get his hands on the ‘unlimited’ wealth after he married and replaced his grandpa as the head of the company.

He could not take any risks. It was a sensitive deal that he had to make with someone who would not threaten to expose everything and put their chain of demands before him.

Olivia seemed to be just that. She looked like someone who had some self-respect. He had seen the example in the club when Joe was ready to give her anything in return for some sexual favors, and she was not willing to take it.

He grabbed his phone after thinking for a while.

“Mark” he greeted before continuing, “I want to know about the owner of a bar. I am sending you the details. I want results as soon as possible.” He talked to someone over the phone. He was his trusted ally who worked at one of the top security agencies in the state.

“Okay. I will let you know about it till tomorrow.” Mark replied. It was late at night. His voice sounded tired.

“I want it within an hour. It’s urgent.” He said firmly and heard a sigh from the other side.

“Okay. I will try.” Mark said and ended the call. He knew that he was not being fair asking him to run a private investigation late at night, but he was desperate. Besides, he would pay him for his services. He had to do something to convince her. Otherwise, he would be left penniless and on the streets.

How he spent that one hour, only he knew. He had always been stubborn, but she was insinuating a kind of challenge in him. He knew how to win a challenge.

Mark was true to his words. He sent the details after a little over an hour. He smiled deviously after he noticed the piece of information that would benefit him. Seemed like fate was on his side. He knew something was up the moment he stepped foot in that bar. He wasted no time and called the number. He heard the greeting on the other end.

“No need for greeting. There is a bartender named Olivia Anderson. I want you to fire her the first thing tomorrow. Otherwise, you will be responsible for the consequences.” He warned without missing a beat.

“Who the hell are you?” He heard a grumpy voice from the other end. The old man must have been disturbed at such threat late at night.

“The owner of the same bar you run. Thomas Walker.” He informed.

There was a pause on the other end, “M-Mr. Walker?” He stuttered making him smirk.

“Yes. Are you firing her or not?” He asked angrily this time.

“Yes. Yes. I will fire her first thing tomorrow.” He said obediently. Thomas ended the call.

He was a step closer to get what he wanted. Who knew the owner of the bar was none other than Mr. James Walker? He had talked to the manager, and he knew she would lose her job the next day. She would have no choice than to comply with his offer.

He smiled lying on the bed, “Seems like someone would get a good sleep.” He thought closing his eyes.