My Billionaire and I

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

I continued to meet Braxton at the café on campus. I came to learn that he was older than me by three years, twenty one. He graduated from Columbia earlier than expected and started learning the trade to his family’s business. I told him a bit about myself, how I loved to travel during beauty pageants but hated wearing all the frills. I left out parts about my mother because I didn’t want to jinx myself. If she came around with her crazy self…I would die.

My best friend, Karin, came up to visit after seeing me on TV with some rich guy. “Why have you been keeping him all to yourself?!” Karin is my only friend I keep in touch with on personal things but I decided to let the media handle one thing. “I’m sorry. Next time something big happens you’ll be first to know.” Back home Karin and I were the odd pair, a short Asian and a tall mixed kid, but we didn’t care. Karin was also a part of the pageant life and quit around the time I did because her grades were slipping. “Alright, but you better keep your promise. I don’t wanna have to find out from TMZ that you’re preggers with a billionaire’s kid.” “Wow!” I hadn’t even thought that far. Sure, I like Braxton, I enjoy being around him, but I’m not so sure that I want to be his wife or baby mama – worst case scenario. “Yup…have you talked to your mom lately?” “Ugh, no; I’ve been avoiding her as much as possible, even when I talk to Braxton.” What I haven’t mentioned is my extreme hatred towards my mother. Yes, she is my mother and I should forgive, but I will never forget what she has done to me and tried to pull over on me, I just won’t.  “Well, I’m sure she’s seen TV and read the magazines, which makes me wonder if this Braxton guy is going to bring you home to mommy!” Karin got so happy that she started jumping up and down on my bed, in my dorm…on the eighth floor! Again, I hadn’t thought that far. I’m not even his girlfriend! “I think you’re getting out of hand.” She stopped jumping and laid out flat on my bed, head resting in my lap, “I’m just telling the truth. Maybe you can get me the hook up, you know I’m special.” I nodded my head and started playing with her long bleached hair, “Yup, one of a kind.”

A week went by before I talked to Braxton. It was like I only waited for him to call, to initiate contact. I guess that just proves to him that I’m not after his name or money. I went to class as usual, but wore oxfords, a striped fedora, grey shorts, a cream blouse, blue scarf, and some antique style jewelry. I stopped by Chick-Fil-A to get some cheesecake, only to find that it was taken off the menu – sad face. Thus, I went to English class with a pout on my face. When I got there, all eyes were on me. “What?” Talking only made the class stare harder. My voice is…soft, to say the least. I don’t talk much but when I do, it’s like music – or so I’m told. “Hey.” It didn’t take much for me to know that it was Braxton. He stood at the bottom of the class, leaning on the podium stand, looking directly at me. During those few seconds my heart stopped beating. It took an electric jolt from my nervous system to tell me to breath. “Are you free this period?” “Obviously not…” I didn’t say it in a harsh or sarcastic way, it just said it as it was, the truth. “Well you are now.” He sprinted up to me from the bottom, linked my arm around his, and escorted me out. “I better not get a mark for this.” “Don’t worry, your teacher loves me; She can’t say no to her only nephew.” “Mrs. Harrison-Lockhart is your aunt?!” “Yup. She was supposed to marry a Vanderbilt but she wasn’t all into him.” We stopped running/walking when we reached the parking lot. “I never would have guessed.” “Well you’ll see the connection soon.” “Huh?” “I wanna introduce you to my family, immediate family.” We walked over to an Aston Martin and he opened the door for me, a first. “Where are we going?” I sat down in the leather seat and looked up at Braxton as he closed the door. He walked around, got in and looked me in the eye, “You’ll see.”