Arm Candy

(4) I Choose You

A week later Bucky was still working on a lot legalities on expanding his business internationally. Kelsey was cleaning the counter at the diner when the phone rang "Hi Mel's diner this is Kelsey how can I help you?' 

"Hi Kelsey It's James I need a delivery my usual." he said 

"Okay.' she said as she started to write it all down. 

She gave him his total then ran his card once he gave her the number. "Okay it will be about 20 minutes." she said 

"Thanks Kelsey." Bucky said 

"Welcome." she said 

She hung up the phone and put the order in. Once the order was ready she took off her apron since she was taking it on her way home. She got herself clocked out then grabbed his food and left the diner. 

She arrived at the office building it was a little after 6 when she arrived so everyone else had gone home. She pushed the button on the elevator and went up she made her way down his long hallway. 

She knocked on the door he had his blue tooth in his eye as he was speaking French as he walked to the door. He opened the door and he told her to wait a minute. He finished up his conversation took his blue tooth off and threw it on his desk. 

"Thank you Kelsey." he said as he opened his wallet.

"You already paid Mr Barnes." she said 

He walked over to her and he said "This is for you." as he hands her a 20 dollar bill. 

"Okay.." she said 

"It's your tip. Just like when I come into the diner." he said 

"Right..where is everybody?' she said 

"I send everybody home at 5. I'm trying to expand my architecture business internationally so I'm having a lot late nights here in the office working out meetings cause of the time differences." he said 

"Oh.." she said 

"Yeah besides I rather be here than at home." he said as he opened his food box. 

He started to eat his burger "Not to sound nosy but aren't you married? Doesn't your wife worry about you being at the office so late." Kelsey said 

"Right now..no she's in a weird mood here lately so I rather be here working then be at home." he said 

"Oh..no kids?' she said

"Nope just me and her been married 10 years together for 14. " he said as he hands her a picture of them on their on wedding day. 

"Why is in a weird mood?" she said 

"She has this weird notion that I should find me an "arm candy girl" cause the papers and the ladies that she works with aren't so nice when she attends things with me. Dottie has a lot of insecurities always has. I was the popular jock in high school and she was in the band. But I found her so beautiful and smart." he said

"Arm candy? What does she mean by that?' Kelsey said

"She wants me or her to find a gorgeous girl to attend events with me so she doesn't have to go and be ridicule in the papers or go to work without being made fun of. She says it's like being in high school all over again even though she teaches at the elementary school. " he said 

She looked at him confused "Well that's just asking for trouble. I mean don't take this the wrong way but if I was a wife and I was basically saying here go with this girl I would be making some rules cause I would be concerned about cheating." she said

He laughed "I have self control." he said 

"I'm sure you do but it's not always the guy sometimes it's the girl." she said as she looked down. "But anyways I have homework waiting at my apartment so I better go. I have an early class." she said 

"Kelsey.." he said as he lit up his cigar and poured himself a drink. 

"Yeah.." she said as he walked back over to her 

He took a sip of his cognac and said "What if I picked you. What if I decided that I wanted to do it but only if it was you." 

She swallowed hard "Me?' she said

"Yeah. I have a feeling you could keep me in line and keep me out of trouble cause the other option is I attend things alone which is what I had to do the other night when I had to attend a charity event over the weekend. " he said 

"I um I.." She said 

"Kelsey I met you two weeks ago and we have talked a lot here and there. Tonight is the first time we have had a full conversation but I trust you. I mean you will have to meet Dottie cause she did say that she would want to meet the girl but if I did want to do this I would only want you to do this with me." he said 

She swallowed hard "What all do I have to do." she said 

"Attend balls events and galas with me." he said

"James I'm not gonna be able to do that. I don't really have the money to buy the dresses that I have seen the girls wear to those things. You need to find someone that matches your financial status." she said then she added "I should go..um I'll see you tomorrow." 

She left the office and he finished his drink and took a puff of his cigar. That night he got home to find Dottie eating ice cream. "Hey James." she said 

"Hey.." he said then he looked at her and pressed his hands against the counter. "I found a girl..but the problem is she won't do it cause she doesn't have the funding to buy the dresses she has seen the girls wear." he said 

She looked up at him "I thought you said you didn't want to." she said

"I don't but then I met this girl." he said 

"I want to meet her. Maybe we can work something out if I like her." Dottie said 

"Well I hope you do cause I'm not going to do it." he said 

"Okay.." she said she put her bowl in the sink and they went to bed.