Chapter 14 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“Don’t worry, the company is taking care of his bill. We just figured you get a personal driver to take you around since you’re new to the city.” Harry assured her as they both walked outside and stopped where a beautiful black salon car was parked, with a young man seated inside.

“Congratulations. This is your official car.” Harry announced with a smile before knocking on the windscreen to get Benne’s attention.

Celsie’s eyes widened in surprise the moment her gaze met with Benne’s through the windscreen, Him again?

It seemed to Benne like Celsie’s eyes were going to pop out of their socket seeing how she was looking at him in disbelief. He tried to look equally surprised as he stepped out of the car to join her and Harry.

Celsie swallowed convulsively as she turned to look at Harry, hoping they were at the wrong vehicle, “Who… Who is he?” She asked, cocking her head in Benne’s direction.

“Oh, that is the personal driver I mentioned. Come over and say hello to your boss.” Harry said to Benne who remained by the door acting like he didn’t know whether or not to act like he knew her.

“Good day ma’am.” Benne said with a polite bow without meeting her eyes, while Harry watched them both in amusement.

Celsie looked at him, completely lost for words. How could this be a coincident too? Wasn’t it too much? First the club, next her next door neighbor, and now her driver? None of it made any iota of sense. She opened her mouth to let Harry know that she didn’t need a driver, but paused when she remembered Benne telling her the previous evening that he was hoping to get the job to keep body and soul together. She definitely couldn’t turn him down simply because of her personal business with him. Besides, she had asked him to forget it ever happened, so it would seem petty of her to deprive him of his job simply because she couldn’t get over the fact that he had deflowered her. Moreover none of this was his fault, right? He had only offered to help her check her list.

“Miss Miller? Is there a problem?” Harry asked when she still didn’t say anything.

Celsie swallowed, “Not at all. Everything is perfectly okay.” She said with a stiff smile.

“Okay then, I will leave you two to get acquainted. I have work to do.” Harry said with a discreet nod at Benne before walking away.

“I…”

“You have to be kidding me. Are you really going to say this is coincident too?” She asked immediately Harry was out of earshot.

“I could just quit if it makes you feel so uncomfortable. The moment I saw you, I realized even I wouldn’t believe this was mere coincident too.” Benne said with a shake of his head, “If you say you don’t need my service, I’ll absolutely understand.” Benne said, and started to walk past her, but she shook her head.

“This is going to be really awkward… But we have to keep things professional, okay? You’re my driver and you can’t cross the line simply because…”

“Simply because we had a one night stand, I understand.” Benne finished the sentence before she could.

“I was going to say simply because you’re my next door neighbor.” Celsie said, giving him a pointed look, “And I’ll appreciate it if you don’t bring that up again if you really want to work for me.” She warned before turning to leave.

“Sorry ma’am.” Benne called out, “When can I pick you up?” Benne asked as she walked away, making her pause to look at him.

“When I’m done I’ll let you know.”

“When will you be done?” Benne asked insistently, “Since I can’t just hang around here waiting all day, I have to go and fix other things, so I just need to know when I can leave there and start coming back to pick you up. Or we could both exchange our contact numbers, that way you can reach me an hour before you’re ready to leave.” Benne suggested.

Exchanging numbers? Of all guys in the whole of Serenopolis, how had she ended up having a one night stand with someone she would not be able to get rid of? Now not only did she have to face him at home, but she also had to deal with seeing his face even at work? Everyday?

“Ma’am?” Benne asked politely.

“Shouldn’t you hang around the office with the other drivers? What if I need to go somewhere urgently?” Celsie asked with a slightly raised brow, and then paused when an idea struck her.

“You know what? Just hand me the key, I will drive myself around while you do your handy man job. You don’t need to drive me anywhere.” Celsie said, hoping he would agree and just get lost.

“And my job?”

“You can collect your paycheck every month end. No one needs to know I’m driving myself around. It’s a win-win for us both.” She said with a shrug.

“No. I’ll rather drive you around and take the paycheck. Don’t worry, I’ll just find the other drivers and join them to do whatever they do while waiting for their boss.” Benne said with a smile making her frown.

“And your handyman job?”

“I’ll do it whenever I find the time. This job is more important than that. So you can go in, I’ll be here waiting for you till whenever you are ready to leave.” He promised her as he returned to the car.

What was going to happen now? Celsie wondered as she walked away uncomfortably, while trying not to look back, since something told her he was probably checking out her backside. She wasn’t having a good feeling about any of this. And it wasn’t helping that Sonia’s suggestion to keep him as her sex partner was still very fresh in her head.

Benne on the other hand had a grin on his face as he watched her walk away. He tapped his pocket where the thong she had forgotten in his bedroom the previous day was safely tucked. He had gone back to his mansion to pick up a couple of his personal effects, and his house servant Maya had gifted him the underwear which Celsie had left behind in her haste. He chuckled as different ideas ran through his mind on how best to present the underwear to her.

All he had to do now, was find the best way to while away his time while waiting for her to close from work.

“Focus Bryan!” The photographer called in irritation for what was probably the fiftieth time already that day. It was so unlike Bryan to be distracted during photoshoots, but he seemed so absentminded since he arrived at the studio that morning.

“Just give me a moment.” Bryan told him before walking out of the stage. He signalled Mia over, “Have you heard from her yet?”

“Not yet.” Mia said with a shake of her head, leaving a frown on Bryan’s face.

“Okay.” Bryan said with a nod before returning to the stage where his pictures were being taken. He didn’t like that he was feeling so apprehensive over Sonia’s sudden disappearance. He knew he ought to be glad that she had disappeared from his life the way he had wanted her to, but she had left without a proper goodbye and without demanding anything meaningful from him either, although she had taken the engagement ring with her, and he knew the ring would fetch her quite a sum.

His mind kept returning to their conversation the previous night, “So what do you want to do?” He had asked her.

“Well, I want us to talk.”

“Talk?” He had repeated like he couldn’t believe her.

“Yes. I want to have a heart to heart conversation with you, and then maybe I can get ideas from you for my next story. I want you to be my muse for tonight.” Sonia had said with an excited smile making Bryan look at her suspiciously.

“Just that?”

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