The million dollar man

Chapter fifteen

//Bella's POV//
I was in the garage, there was a car which was in parts so I took it upon myself to put it back together and add some parts to get the beauty back up and running.
"Hello, Bella, are you in here?" I heard Maria's voice call out.
"Erm, yeah." I said confused as to why she was here.
"Damien sent me, you two are going on a date, he says its your first one?" I nodded.
"Unless dinning in a hospital bed counts." Maria chuckled and shook her head.
"From seeing you the other day I guessed your sizes, now, I hope you're a size 4 shoe because that I had to go out on a limb."
"I am." I said a little shocked yet amazed she could do that.
"He will be here at 6pm, meal for 6.30 and then some private art gallery."
"Oh." I said, I had never been to a fancy restaurant, the best restaurant Kyle took me to was Nandos.
"Oh- I don't like that oh." She said looking at me.
"It's nothing."
"Bella, you can trust me, I'm not going to go running off to Damien or whoever, I'm here incase you just need a bit of girl talk or girl power." She said smiling. I itched my arm, something I hadn't done for years!
"I don't wanna go out, I-" I stopped myself and took a breath. "I'm scared, it's so mean outside." And now I sounded like a 3 year old.
"Look, I know about Kyle, I have to set lawyers up and you have to write a statement soon but not the point, if you don't get back outside, you'll stay here for the rest of your days, tonight, it's just you and Damien, you'll be okay, he's not going to hurt you, he won't force you into something you're scared to do and he won't rush you to do something like go into a crowded place or go to the office, I understand that it will take time." She grabbed my hands and smiled. "You'll get past all this, you'll laugh back at yourself and trust me, there will be parties, alcohol and drugs." Just how I use to be when I was 15, god that felt so long ago. I smiled and nodded. "There's that beautiful smile."

//Damien's POV//
Maria took longer than I thought she would, not that I minded. I was sat at my office staring at paperwork. I heard a knock at the door.
"Come in." I called, I didn't expect to see her. My eyes lit up and a smile was plastered on my face. Bella walked in and waved.
"Hello." She said standing by the door awkwardly.
"This is a lovely surprise, what are you doing here?" I asked waving her over.
"Maria said it was a good idea if I came out and saw a bit of New York before tonight but I don't know New York so she said I could come back with her for a bit." Bella said chewing her lip nervously.
"I'm glad you came." I said standing up and kissing her. "Take a seat, the computer won't bite, nor will I." I said pointing to my desk chair, she sat down.
"I have some HR things to deal with but I won't be long." I said grabbing some paperwork and kissing her forehead.

I was now in a happier mood, I looked back as my office door closed. I sighed and walked towards the lift.
"Surprise." Maria quipped.
"Thank you, she's still very fragile." I explained.
"She's scared of everything, I think she's going to need a therapist."
"She'll get through it."
"How do you know?"
"She's been through worse."
"Just remember, there's only so much a human can take before they break." I nodded and walked off.

Was Bella strong enough?

//Bella's POV//
Later on in the afternoon, Maria drove me home. It was 4pm, I had 2 hours to get ready. Great, I had no idea what to do first!

I was laid in the bath, my hair under the water, my mind elsewhere, I felt like I was floating in the sea and nothing could stop be but that's the problem, everything could stop me now. I wasn't the tough kid anymore, I was the scared adult who could barely say boo to her own reflection. I wrapped a towel around my body and stared at myself in the mirror, what a mess. I looked down and couldn't see one good thing, I needed to become strong, I needed to swim or I'll drown in a river of my own thoughts.

I got ready and put my heels on, I had Maria's number, the dress and shoes were nice so I text her my thank you. Now I was dolled up with make up on, a mask to cover me up, I felt a lot more confident. I guess that's why girls wear make-up, it's not always about concealing their insecurities, sometimes it's simply a mask to hide the real them, what they're really feeling like and what they really view themselves as.

The door opened, I turned to see Damien in a black-tie suit. I smiled and blushed a little.
"You look beautiful." He breathed.
"Not so bad yourself." I mused. He held his hand out, I was hesitant but I grabbed his hand anyway.

The restaurant, wow. It was so romantic and beautiful. Wooden furniture, dimly lit, flowers on the tables and it was amazing! Open door-windows to look out of and it was all spread out so you're not on each others laps. I smiled and Damien led me to a table in the back corner, a candle lit with a flower. He pulled the chair out for me before he sat down, I blushed and looked down at the table.
"Mister Ford, Revena Family Vineyard, as requested." The waiter said. I nearly chocked on thin air. That was a $150 bottle of wine! I looked at Damien with a 'what the fuck?' expression. He smirked and the waiter poured us the wine and left it on the table before scuttling off.
"That's a $150 bottle!" I whisper-yelled at him.
"And my business made 150 million today, which is less than average but it's a Wednesday, so it's normal." He said as if money was nothing.
"Jesus Christ, 150 was what I had after paying everything but even that would be paid for booze for him."
"Well, now you don't have to work, you show up, when you're ready, to fancy parties and meals and what-not." He said smiling. "Also, I ordered our food, don't worry, I asked Jenny before we left and I've looked at what you've been eating at our home."

Home. Wow, I have never really had one of those since my parents died. I couldn't help but smile, Damien considered his house, mine and his home!

Damien didn't really press on about my past and childhood, which I was grateful for. Don't get me wrong, I will tell him just not yet, I'm only just recovering. If I will ever recover from what has happened, every loud or sharp noise scared me like a woman's laugh the other side of the restaurant.
"Do you have family?" I asked Damien as I sipped the wine.
"Both of my parents had me young so they're still kicking, I have a sister and my parents adopted an African boy when I was 17."
"Full house then." I said with a smile.
"What about you? What can you remember?"
"Just me and my parents, they died, I was a little shit at school, would run away from the care homes, steal, joyride, do drugs and party on a school night, I just stopped caring about myself then when I reached 16-" I stopped and took a breath. "When I was 16 they put me on a train, I said goodbye to my friends and I haven't seen them since, by 17 I was working at David's cafe, then I started dating Kyle when I was 18 and here I am."
"Must have been tough, out there being rebellious and running away."
"I wish, do you know something? I would do it all again, it was hard and I had my bad days but I didn't care."
"Afraid to say I was quite dull, did all my school work, when my grandfather passed he gave me the business because my father has a business too." He said smiling.
"And you built it up."
"It took time and a lot of work but in the end it's always worth it but here, you can do what you want, you can be that party girl again as long as you promise to be careful and come back."
"Of course I'll come back, you saved my life and I owe you a lot."
"Oh Bella, I'd do everything for you."

We got back from the date, I was exhausted, the art was simply beautiful and really peaceful which I was thankful for. I was sat with Damien, he was nursing a whiskey to help him sleep and I was falling asleep with my head on his shoulder.
"Go to sleep." Damien said kissing my temple.

//Damien's POV//
I had dated a few women, but Bella was different, she was quiet but her thoughts were loud, she was young but mature and most of all she meant everything to me. Already.

I finished my whiskey and looked down at my shoulder to see Bella fast asleep, her blonde hair in front of her face and she was curled up next to me.
"Think it's time for bed." I mumbled picking her up. She was light, too light but I knew she was recovering mentally from what happened. I walked into my room with her and laid her on the bed, she rolled over onto my pillow and hugged up to it. I smiled.

She was my everything.