The Runaway Girl and The Billionaire

Chapter 10: The Bestfriend

"So, tell me about her," Akira demanded, as she lounged in a leather loveseat in Xyrus's office.

The two had just finished up a business meeting when Xy sought some much-needed advice. Seeking discretion, he asked Akira to follow him to his office before he told her about how badly he had blown it with Lana.

Unable to control her laughter, Akira had laughed for a full two-minutes before speaking and Xy found it difficult to take her seriously.

"What do you mean? What's there to know?" He asked, chuckling softly.

"What about her caught your attention?" She asked.

"Her eyes." Xy's answer was swift, because he had been visualizing Lana in great detail more than he cared to admit.

"Well, that was quick," Akira raised one eyebrow, impressed by his answer.

"You haven't seen them. Her eyes are. mesmerizing, as blue as the Pacific Ocean," Xyrus looked up towards the ceiling as if recalling a wonderful memory.

"You really have a crush, Ashington," Akira teased, using Xy's last name as she did whenever she was giving him a hard time. It was a joke that had lasted between them since their sixth-grade gym teacher insisted on calling everyone by their last names.

"It's not that, Akira. I just need to know what's best," Xy explained, running his fingers through his hair as he struggled to wrap his mind around the situation. He was deeply troubled and that was strange to him. While he thought Lana was beautiful, she certainly wasn't the first beautiful woman he had seen.

After initially wanting to win her over, Xy had decided he needed to let Lana go. In retrospect, he felt like he should have backed off when Lana first turned him down at the bakery. She made it very clear that she wasn't interested in going out with him, but he had still pushed further.

"It's not as bad as you think," Akira shook her head at Xy's dramatic behavior. It was unlike her boss to be hung up on a woman, so she was soaking up the rare occurrence.

"You didn't see the look on her face," Xy countered, recalling the fear in Lana's eyes. She was terrified of him which left him feeling horrified.

No longer interested in winning her over, all Xy was looking for now was to apologize properly. For whatever reason, Lana had made it clear she wasn't interested in dating him. He needed to respect that.

"I bet the look on her face when you send her fifty roses will be even more memorable," Akira challenged.

"Roses? That's not too romantic? I don't want her to get the wrong idea," Xy said.

He had worried about coming across too strong as he tried to decide the best way to approach her. It was the reason he asked Akira for advice in the first place. Xy wanted to make sure that Lana understood his position. She didn't have to go out with him, he just didn't want her to fear him.

"Roses sent to a house are romantic. Roses to a job can mean many things. And just to be safe, only a dozen," she advised him confidently.

Much more than an assistant, Akira had served as Xy's resident relationship expert for as long as he could remember.

Just then, a soft knock at the door caught their attention. Turning to face the door, smiles erupted on both Xy and Akira's faces when they realized just who was interrupting their meeting.

"Wind! Get in here!" Xy yelled, greeting his long-time friend as he rose from his desk.

Wind Villa was Xy's closest friend in high school, and they had remained close ever since. As the head of the leading charity event planning organization in California, he always had a reason to pop in on Xy on his ultra- successful best friend.