"Are you just going to stare at her the whole time?" Ansel could tell Anya was irritated, but he didn't care. He was too busy drinking in the sassy girl's beauty. Whoever thought he would find her in this café for all places? He couldn't believe his luck.
"I'm just trying to strategize my next move," Ansel said, never breaking his gaze, which kept falling directly on her butt. She had such a nice butt.
"Stop ogling her. It's sexist and gross. If you're so infatuated, Why don't you go talk to her?" Anya asked. "If I remember correctly, she said her name was Elisa."
Ansel turned his attention back to Anya. "Are you kidding? Don't you remember what happened at the restaurant? She hates me," he smirked as he remembered her smart mouth. For most of his single life, He had dealt with submissive women. So hearing her spewing insults at his was kind of refreshing.
"That happened months ago. I bet she totally forgot about you," Anya said before sipping her coffee.
"Who could ever forget?" he protested and pointed at himself. "No woman can forget this face once they laid their eyes on me. Nor they can help but fall in love with it," he smirked.
Anya rolled her eyes at his narcissistic comment. It wasn't like he was completely full of shit! Women did like him. They couldn't resist him. He worked out daily, so he was physically fit. After Jessica's betrayal, Ansel made a point of keeping in good shape to attract beautiful women who'd jump into the opportunity to sleep with him. He wanted women to lust over him and become eager to please him, only to be thrown away right after.
"I guess only one way to find out," Anya raised her hand.
"What do you think you're doi-... " he started to protest.
Anya opened her big mouth before he could stop her.
"Excuse me! Elisa?" Anya cried to get her attention. Ansel turned to face Anya. This way, the girl would only see the back of his head. He wasn't ready to reveal himself yet.
Ansel heard her walking towards them. "Anything I can get you?" her voice smooth and melodic. His heart pounded faster as he felt her presence behind me. He smelled her perfume, a sweet floral scent.
"Could my brother get some more coffee?" Anya smiled brightly.
"Oh, I'll let your server know," Elisa said.
"Actually, I was hoping you'd do it. We are kind of in a hurry, so do you mind?" Anya asked, turning on her charm.
"Sure thing, I'll go get it right away," Elisa said and walked away.
Anya looked at Ansel and raised her eyebrows. "See? She didn't even remember me."
"That doesn't mean she forgot about me too," He waved my hand in frustration. He wasn't too keen on letting her meet him right away. He was cooking up a vindictive plan in his head to make her notice him. Really notice him.
"Stop making that sour face. You'll scare the girl." Anya poked him playfully.
Elisa came back to our table, and this time she was facing him. "Here you are," she said and started pouring coffee into my mug. Ansel cleared his throat. "Thanks," he said.
Elisa finally made eye contact with him. Her friendly demeanor suddenly turned cold. Ah, so she did remember him!
"Well, here's your coffee. Enjoy," she said dryly, then stomped off.
"Looks like I was wrong. You made quite the impression last time, so she remembers you well," Anya looked amused. "Girl kept a grudge, huh."
"I know. Did you notice the lust in her eyes when she saw me? She was definitely undressing me with her eyes," he said confidently.
"I think you ate something bad last night because you're talking crazy," Anya giggled.
"She will be mine. You'll see," Ansel kept a playful tone, but he was serious.
"Oh great, my brother is a delusional freak," Anya rolled her eyes. Anya is his twin, so she knew him the best. They occasionally headbutted, but then the got along great for the most part.
After lunch, Ansel walked Anya to her car. Good thing they drove separately because he had no intention of leaving, Ansel thought. He wanted to go back and re-introduce himself to Elisa. This time, the right way. He wondered if she'd get snippy again and curse him out in front of everyone. He sure hope she does!
"Alright, it was nice spending time with you. Let's do this again sometimes," Ansel said, opening the car door. He didn't want to rush Anya, but he needed her to get going.
Anya looked at him suspiciously. "What are you planning to do?"
"What do you mean? I'm not going to do anything," Ansel shrugged.
"Ansel, leave the poor girl alone," Anya said.
"I won't do anything," he repeated.
"Ansel..."
"Anya. Go home," he said irritably. Anya sighed. She knew how stubborn he could be. "Say hello to Connor for me," he said before she gave him a final glare then drove away.
Ansel went back to the café and looked around for Elisa. He spotted her by the cash register. He had to tread carefully, although he had an evil idea formed inside his mind.
"Hey beautiful," he said in a low and husky voice after getting closer to her. The ultimate portrayal of suave.
"Can I help you with anything else, sir?" she asked. She was not smiling, which confirmed the fact that she remembered him all too well.
"Yes, I believe you can," Ansel said.
She stared at him and waited for his answer, so he cleared his throat. "My name is Ansel Adams. I own Adams Corp. across the street. You know, the tall building over there." Ansel told her. He wasn't entirely telling the truth. He did own the company, but only half of it. He had to share the ownership with Anya.
"Okay, Mr. Adams. Why are you telling me this?" she asked quietly, sounding unimpressed.
"I wanted to properly introduce myself to you since our first meeting wasn't too pleasant," He grinned.
"I don't know what you're talking about, sorry," Elisa declared.
Oh, she is going to pretend like she didn't know him, huh? Ansel thought.
He leaned over and whispered near her ears. "I know you recognize me, Elisa. And I remember you quite well too. I could never forget the girl who insulted me in front of all those people at the restaurant."
Her cheeks slowly turned pink. "What do you want from me? Are you here to take revenge?"
"Yes and no," Ansel smirked.
"What does that mean?" she barked, then lowered her voice as the teenage boy at the cash register looked at them curiously.
"Relax, I'm only joking. I don't want revenge," he chuckled.
"Then what it is that you want?" Elisa looked at him. He could tell she was slightly nervous, but she tried her hardest to hide it from him.
"I want to take you out for dinner. Sort of like a peace offering," he said.
"I'm not interested," she said and tried to walk away, but he grabbed her wrist.
"Don't be so rash. How about you sleep on it, and we set a date for tomorrow night?" he took out his business card and handed it to her.
"Don't count on it," she sneered.
Ansel grinned and walked out of the restaurant. It looks like she might be a challenge, but he was up for it.
Oh Ansel, what do you think you are doing?
Elisa Campbell tried to shake off the annoyance she felt after talking to that jerk wearing expensive clothes. She threw his business card in the trash as soon as he left the café."Do you know him?" Annie asked while wiping down a table. She was supposed to be the one taking care of Mr. GQ's table, but Elisa was the one who got stuck doing it. What a nuisance that was!She recalled the first time she met the guy at her old job. He was so arrogant and obnoxious just because she accidentally bumped into him. Elisa had always been the most temperamental out of all five of her siblings, so she couldn't control herself and went off on him then quit her job before her manager could say something to her. She regretted it as soon as she walked out and realized what she had done. She was now unemployed. She wished she kept her anger in check."No. I don't know that self-preening asshole," Elisa shook her head."Looks like someone rubbed you the wrong way,"
"So remind me again why you dragged me out here in the middle of the afternoon?" Connor narrowed his eyes.Ansel was looking at the view of the city through his wall-to-wall glass window. His best friend and brother-in-law came to visit per his request."I need your help to find more information on Elisa. The waitress who insulted me a few months back," Ansel said.Connor smirked. "Anya told me about her. Maybe you should leave the poor girl alone. It seems like she has no interest in an asshole like you, so just buzz off."Ansel shook his head. It wasn't like he acted like an asshole all the time. Sure, he liked to have a lot of one-night stands and ghosted a few of them, doesn't mean he was a bad person. Last week, he donated a large amount of money to a charity event. Would a complete asshole do that? He didn't think so."Whatever, dude, just give me the number of a private investigator. Didn't you say your cousin's friend did that for a living?
Elisa looked at Kevin with a horrified look on her face."I don't understand," her voice shook."I am afraid I'm going to have to let you go," Kevin cleared his throat and repeated himself. He knew it'd be hard as Elisa didn't do anything wrong, but he couldn't refuse Ansel Adams. Aside from the money he offered him, he was a powerful man. Who knows what he would do if he crossed him."But why? There must be a reason," Elisa asked.The timing couldn't be worse. She just found out her father needed money from her, and she was almost getting evicted alongside her six year old daughter. And now she was about to lose the only job she had. It was as if her whole world was crumbling down. What did she do to deserve this?"All I can tell you is that you offended someone very important. I can't give you any more details. He is very powerful and well. He donated a huge amount of money to our café, so I can't afford to lose his support," Kevin said ev
Ansel smirked as he saw Elisa's shocked expression. He thought about staying out of the interview and reveal himself later but then changed his mind. Besides, Anya would have a fit if he didn't show up."So, Ms. Elisa Campbell. It's a pleasure to meet you," Ansel said, acting as he had never met Elisa. He looked over at Anya. She was giving him a dirty look. He guessed his sister figured out that he had something to do with it, and she wasn't too happy with his tricks."Can I talk to you in private?" Anya forced a smile and grabbed Ansel's arm. "Excuse us for a moment, Ms. Campbell," she dragged him outside before he could say anything.Anya punched him on the arm."Ow! What was that for?" Ansel winced."What the fuck is she doing here? Is this one of your dumb pranks? You are too old to be doing this, Ansel," she hissed."What are you talking about? She has every right to interview for a job," Ansel feigned shock."Don't play dumb wi
Elisa looked like she'd burst into flames anytime now. She didn't say anything for several moments and just stared at him. Most likely contemplating his murder."Are you threatening me?" she asked. Ansel could tell she was trying her best to control her anger which excited him even more."Absolutely not, darling. I don't have to threaten anyone to sleep with me. Women usually fall right on my lap. I'll admit you're turning out to be a challenge but trust me, you are just like all the others and will eventually end up in my bed. Mark my words." Ansel said. His eyes never left hers."You're infuriating and completely delusional. Since this isn't about work, I'll excuse myself now." Elisa stood up."Until next time. Oh, I know! Why don't you join me for dinner after work? Since you owe me and all," Ansel smiled sweetly.Elisa let out a low groan and stormed out of the office. Ansel laughed to himself. This was turning out to be a lot of fun. He knew h
Elisa tried to focus on work after Ansel left, but she was so annoyed. No, not just annoyed, furious. Darn that arrogant man. Who does he think he is! Just because he was rich and good-looking, he had no right to act that way. He is the worst!Elisa stormed inside her apartment and slammed the door shut."Ugh!" she groaned."Um...are you okay, miss?" Esmeralda asked with her eyes full of worry.Elisa almost forgot Esmeralda was babysitting Audre. She looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry. I am fine. I just had a rough day.""Are you sure? You looked really upset just now. Anything I can do to help?" Esmeralda asked.Elisa didn't want to burden Esmeralda with her personal problems, so she decided to laugh it off. "It's nothing really. Just some work-related frustration I needed to let out. Don't worry about it," she said."Oh, by the way, A man called earlier," Esmeralda said.A man? The first person who came to mind was Anse
Anya stared into space and frowned. It was Sunday afternoon, and her husband Connor was making her favorite breakfast. Chocolate chip pancakes with real maple syrup. The kitchen was filled with a delicious aroma, but even that wasn't enough to cheer her up as she had something in her mind."Alright, what's going on?" Connor finally asked. He had been observing her for a while now."What do you mean?" Anya looked at him."You've just been sitting there, not saying a word. Normally you wouldn't keep your mouth shut even if I tried," Connor smirked."Ha, ha... well, I've been thinking," she said."What else is new?""Connor!" Anya scolded.Connor chuckled. "Sorry, just joking. What are you thinking about? Do tell.""I am worried about Ansel. He has no respect for women, and one day he'll get himself into real trouble," Anya said.Connor shook his head. It was normal for Anya to worry about her twin brother, but Ansel was a
Ansel locked up his office for the day and headed home. He decided not to bother Elisa on his way out this time. He didn't want to appear too desperate for her attention. Also, he was exhausted.He took his key out and unlocked the door, and was surprised to find the living room light was on. He had always been careful not to do that. It wasn't that he was afraid to waste electricity bills. It was because his mother drilled into his brain that he shouldn't waste electricity, and he got into the habit of turning all the lights off.He heard a noise in the kitchen and stiffened. Fuck, is that a burglar? he thought. Well, if it is, he was in the wrong apartment!Ansel picked up a fire poker and carefully approached the kitchen, ready to take down whoever dared to rob him.He slowly opened the kitchen door with the fire poker still raised, then gasped when he saw the woman sitting on one of his barstools."What the fuck, Jessica! What are you doing her