One Good Brotha

Chapter 8. The Billionaire's Proposal

Laila could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

She could also hear the comments circling around her.

"Was that supposed to be a proposal?" Lawrence asked.

"More like a demand," Roman said.

"This dude has lost his ever-loving mind!" Jamal said.

"I knew it," Titus mumbled. "I knew he wanted her from the very beginning."

"Whoa, guess I really did lose my chance," Marcus said.

"Thank god! The cycle is broken!" Kia said out loud in relief.

"They can always get another assistant," Bryan snickered.

"No, they can't! They're going to keep Laila for the rest of her life!" Kia yelled at him.

Darren laughed softly and pulled his wife up off the couch.

Taylor only smirked. "Come along everyone. I believe these two need some privacy so they can get their affairs in order. Do invite us to the wedding. I'll even pay for it."

Laila paid no attention to any of them leaving. She could only see Braxton standing in front of her. Braxton her boss, her...future husband? What the heck was this?!

"You're kidding right? Is this a joke?" she finally asked refusing to believe it even if her heart was about to jump out of her ears.

"I've never been more serious in my life," Braxton told her watching her carefully.

"So, all those statements you made about taking care of me, fighting other men for me, finding the right woman, never letting me suffer again...it was because..."

"You were mine the moment you stepped into my office and fell on your face," Braxton told her.

"How can you say I'm yours? You've only known me for two weeks?!"

"My soul knows you," Braxton said.

Braxton watched her take a step back. Her hand flew to her chest and rested right above her heart. He smiled as she stared at him with wide eyes. "That's it," he thought. "Look at me, recognize who I am..." he told her soul in his mind.

"Have you been drinking?" Laila suddenly asked. "You have, haven't you? It's the alcohol talking."

"Laila...

"This is all so ludicrous! Am I working for a crazy man?!"

"Laila..."

"And here I was thinking... I don't know what I was thinking, I'm so confused. I've been confused all day and it's all your fault!"

"Laila..." Braxton grabbed her hand and pulled her into another empty room. He watched her pace around nervously her arms folded across her chest. She refused to look at him.

"I can't work with you like this!" She suddenly blurted out.

Braxton winced. He was waiting to hear her say it.

"Laila." He walked over and grabbed her arms forcing her to look at him. "I'm glad, in a way, that my mother gave me an outlet, she knows how I feel about you which was why she blurted out what she did...I guess it did look like I was proposing to you...we'd just finished having a conversation about it..."

"What?!" Laila stared at him with wide eyes.

"You know how I feel about you, Laila. All those things I said, I actually meant from the very beginning. I care about you. I don't want to lose you. I've never been the type to believe in love at first sight, but with you...it was like I'd found my other half; you are everything I've ever wanted in a woman..."