One-Night Stand with the Billionaire

Wren’s POV.

“What?”

Iris placed her mug on the table and traced its rim. “F*ck. Him.” She repeated, like it was the most normal thing to say.

“Iris!” I screamed not believing what she just blurted out.

“What?” She shrugged, tucking a strand of her black hair behind her ear. “Your landlord is pretty hot for his age. A little tumble in his bed will make him give you more time to pay your rent. I’m not sure he gets a lot of action these days.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes in disbelief.

“I’m most definitely not sleeping with my landlord.” I replied and took a sip out of my mug.

“Can’t you just move in with Jace?” Iris asked and I paused for a while, thinking of the right excuse to give for him.

“I can’t. You know that he's trying to get that promotion at work and he's working extra hard, I don't want to burden him with this. Speaking of Jace, I have to go to his place, he’s not feeling too well.” I said after a few moments of thinking of the perfect excuse to give my best friend as I was too embarrassed to tell her that my boyfriend didn’t like having me over for even a few days.

“Well, I guess you're going to have to consider making some alley a little more comfortable then,” Iris replied jokingly and we both laughed.

I stared at the letters on my small dining table. There were eviction letters, bills to pay and notices.

“I need to… I need to get another job or something,” I said. “The tips aren't coming in as they used to.” I looked at Iris, tears flowing down my eyes. “I think he's going to fire me soon.”

“Lee…” Iris stood up and walked over to my side. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and leaned down for a hug.

“You’re going to be okay, baby girl. You can always move in with me.” She said and I felt comfort in the moment.

I patted her arm and shook my head. Iris lived in a small apartment, just like the one I lived in, there was barely space for a kitchen, dining table and bed in this apartment. I couldn’t burden her with my presence.

“I’ll figure out a way, thanks.” I said smiling through the rears.

Iris sighed and straightened herself.

“On the bright side, you’ve got me. And it's time for work. Come on, that money isn't going to get itself.” She said and I laughed wiping the tears in my eyes.

“I’m going to Jace’s place now, then the bar afterward, I’ll catch up with you later,” I said standing up from where she sat.

I packed up the letters on my table, keeping them in a safe place. I and Iris left the house and turned separate ways to work our evening shift.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Try not to worry too much, okay?” Iris said.

“I’ll try,” I offered her a smile and waved at her before we parted ways.

I walked straight to Jace’s apartment, I was worried about his health, he was a workaholic; missing work because of his health must have meant a big deal to him.

I got to the front of his apartment, and already having a key, I let myself in. I didn’t want to make any sounds so I didn’t wake him up just in case he was asleep.

I gently walked over to his bedroom. While I approached, I kept on hearing weird noises and getting to the door, I realized that it was moans and groans I had been hearing all this while.

I knew exactly what my eyes were about to see but I still went ahead and opened the door to find my boyfriend, Jace on top of another woman, breathing like a dog as he f*cked her.

He didn’t notice when I entered the room but after a moment, he turned to find me standing there, his face petrified as he knew he was caught in the act.

The woman he slept with was a co-worker of his, her name was Rebecca or something, I could barely remember as we’ve only met once.

“It’s not what it seems,” Jace said alighting from the bed and wearing his underwear as he rushed towards me.

I stood in a fix, staring at him dead in the eyes, I didn’t feel pain, anger or even hate, I felt nothing. He held my hands in his and all I did was stare at him and back at the woman on the bed.

This wasn’t the first time he was cheating, this was just the only time I had caught him, I knew about others and despite knowing I kept on loving him with all my heart. But this was the last straw and it is the closure I have been searching for in a while. I felt relief, my heavy chest released from the burden of unhappiness I had been bearing while dating him.

“Say something, Wren. You forgive me right?” he said with a corner of his lips lifted in a wry smile; he felt he could still play the cards that worked every time.

“It’s over, Jace. There’s nothing between us anymore, I’m done with you and if you’re smart you’ll forget I exist” I said and I saw a wave of shock run through his face.

“She seduced me, It was all her fault”, he said trying to hold me back as I attempted to leave the room.

“Let me go Jace, I need to go to work” I said in a nonchalant tone and it surprised him that I didn’t care that much to cry.

“You can leave, just don’t come running back to me when you realize that only I can love you the way you deserve,” he said and I left his apartment without saying another word.

I pulled my coat closer to my chest and walked quickly to the Downtown Bar. Though it was a small bar, it had a stage for a live band or performance, and I worked there most nights for a couple hours.

The pay was okay, and the tips were mostly what kept me going but lately, business has been really slow. With the new club opening not too far away, most of the people would go there for new attractions.

The Downtown Bar used to be popular among the locals and visitors, but with the new club, I was barely getting any tips at the bar anymore.

The bell above the door jingled as I walked through and most of the eyes in the room turned to me.

“If it isn’t our very own Wrenlee Gibson!” one man cheered and soon, most of the customers in the bar blew whistles, applauded and welcomed me.

I smiled, a warmth starting in my chest and spreading throughout my body. Despite what just happened with Jace, I felt freedom and peace. And now I came to my favorite place, this was the only comfort I needed.

“Old Man Lancaster, I can’t believe you’re here for the third night. Wife kicked you out again?” I teased the old man who had said my name. I walked towards the counter where he was seated nursing a beer.

There was another man by his side, two stools away, it was a new face maybe a visitor but, I paid him no heed.

I waved at some other customers as I made my way to the old man.

The man gave me a toothy smile. Most of his teeth were yellowing and missing. His white hair was hidden underneath a baseball cap and he wore an orange shirt and worn blue dungaree.

“I left on my own tis’ time. Tha lady 'bout to blow my eardrums with those lungs of 'ers.”

I chuckled. “Maybe you should stop smoking.”

“Hogwash. You all goin' to see me six feet under before that happens.”

I shook my head, a genuine smile on my lips.

“Evening, Stan.” I said to the bartender, and I took off my coat.

He nodded at me.

“Good evening, Wren. You look pretty.”

I was wearing a shimmering silver blouse, black trousers and brown boots. I had slapped on some lipstick and mascara while Iris had run a comb and hairspray through my hair. I didn't think I looked all that pretty, but I knew this was one of my favorite outfits that I felt most comfortable in. Today was a special day and I’d like to remember it, the day I set myself free.

Still I said thank you as I handed my coat to Stan. He walked through a door and returned without the coat.

“Where’s Henry?” I asked. Henry was the manager and owner of the bar.

He had taken over about two years ago from his father after the accident. God bless his soul.

“He’s out back going through the accounts,” then there was a sad look in Stan’s eyes, “business is really going downhill these days.”

I understood. “I won't blame him.”

“Go up there and show them what you’ve got,” the old man smiled, encouragingly and patted my back.

“'Cause your silly lawyer boyfriend ain't seeing it.”

“He’s no longer my boyfriend, Stan.” I said with a bright smile on my face “Finally.” Stan replied with a wide smile.

But it was true. Jace hardly ever came to watch me sing. He had, during the first few weeks of their relationship. I remembered how I would look for him in the crowd and keep my eyes on him while I sang.

I walked towards the stage and climbed the short steps. The mic was set up and the guitar was leaning against the stool I would sit on.

I connected my phone to the speaker and sat on the stool.

“I wrote this song myself. I hope you like it as much as I do.”

The lights in the bar dimmed till the only lights left on were on me. I inhaled and exhaled before bringing my fingers down on the guitar and opening my mouth to sing.

The bar had gone quiet except for my singing and guitar strums. It only took me a few moments to get lost in it. In my mind, I wasn't in the bar anymore. I was in the skies; singing, dancing and twirling to my song.

It was the most incredible feeling. It was why I loved singing. I sang like it was the last song I would ever sing here.

It was.

Asher Levine twirled a pen in his hand and flipped through the documents in front of him. His brow furrowed, “There seems to be a mistake, Mr. Chu.”

“I believe not,” The middle-aged Chinese man sitting across from him, straightened his shoulders and undid the button of his black suit jacket.

“This clause here… it states that Roman Corps will be left out of the process for a minimum of six months,” Asher set the paper down, “That was not our agreement.”

“We are working together as business partners. This project is owned by us. We have full rights.” Mr. Chu replied to him, trying to get the upper hand. “We call the shots.”

Asher leaned back and smiled. His smile was so cold and lacked any of the warmth that came with one, “I’m afraid that's not going to work.”

“What?” He swallowed, sweat starting to gather on his brows. He shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable.

“I will not invest in your company if this is how you decide to do business. I’m quite certain no one will if word gets out that Roman Corps pulled out of this investment.” The smile disappeared, revealing the ruthless CEO.

The temperature in the meeting room of the hotel seemed to drop a couple degrees after Asher's statement. Mr. Chu felt a chill travel down his spine as Asher pinned him with a stare.

He took his eyes off of him to hand the pen back to his secretary behind him. She grabbed his suitcase.

“Mr. Levine—”

“You claim to be business partners. We discussed the terms. I don't intend to change everything you've worked hard to build. Far from that. I want to be involved in the process.”

“Mr. Levine,” Mr. Chu began, wiping the sweat on his brows with a damp handkerchief, “I’ll draft up another contract tomorrow. After all, two heads are better than one.”

“My secretary will do that.” Asher stood to his feet and buttoned his suit jacket, “We’ll meet here tomorrow.”

Mr. Chu stood to his feet, his mouth a thin line. “Ah, yes. Very well.” He held out his hand.

Asher stared at it. “Save that for tomorrow after we've signed our contracts. Goodbye.”

He turned and left the man, standing where he was. His secretary — Nadine— turned and followed after him, her red heels clicking against the tile loudly.

They closed the door behind them.

“Make sure the contract’s the same as the old one, make the clauses much stronger. I do not want any loopholes. I’ll put Mr. Chu in his place,” Asher stated as they walked.

Nadine took notes on her notepad and nodded. “Understood.” she replied; they took a turn and found themselves in the lobby of the hotel.

Asher walked towards the elevator.

“Dinner, sir?” She inquired.

“You can have dinner on your own, Nadine. I would like to go on a drive.” He told her.

She nodded and passed the keys to him. “Drive safe.”

“See you in the morning,” he told her as he walked out of the elevator and into the penthouse that he had checked into earlier today.

He shrugged out of his suit and walked into the bathroom, taking a cold shower. He changed into a navy blue polo and brown trousers, pairing it off with a baseball cap and sneakers.

Asher shut the penthouse door behind him and took the elevator to the underground parking lot. He got to the Range Rover he had rented and sped out of the building.

A deep sigh escaped his lips as the grip on the steering wheel loosened. He was feeling so down, the void growing in his chest seemed to be growing with each moment.

Something was wrong with him, he knew it. But he didn't know what, and it was beginning to affect the way he thought and related.

He kept driving around, taking the highway. His mind cleared and drifted, not sure where he was heading. More than an hour and some minutes later, he parked by the side of a street and checked the map.

It turns out that he was in Cottonwood Falls.

He rubbed his hand over his face and sighed. “Driving back now means I'll be at the hotel close to midnight.”

He couldn't risk it. Not at all.

Asher decided to look for where to stay. He began to drive around, looking at the establishments in this quiet town.

He saw a club, a few cars parked around and people milling about. He shook his head, thinking against it. He had a deal to finalize in the morning. He needed a clear head. And it would be worse if someone recognized him in that place.

He drove past the club and then he spotted a town bar. It looked calm, not drawing too much attention.

Asher decided that he would have a glass of something strong. He stopped the car and walked into the bar. There weren't quite a lot of people here but something about the place made him feel at ease.

He walked over to the counter and took a seat, two stools away from the old man in the old dungaree. The bartender came to him.

“What would you like?” He asked, wiping the inside of a glass with a white handkerchief. The man had thick arms, big enough that Asher thought that if he fought a bear, he would win.

“Your best,” Asher stated, slapping a hundred-dollar bill on the table.

The man’s eyes fleeted down to the cash and then at Asher, he palmed the note and slid it into his pocket. “You really shouldn’t be throwing money around.”

But he turned and prepared his drink. “Shit gets crazy when people know you have a lot to offer.” The man continued. He poured some drinks into a canister and shook it.

Placing a glass cup with ice in front of Asher, he poured his mixture into the glass. “You could get f*cked up really fast.”

“Well…” Asher said as he lifted the glass to his lips, “I think my life's just a little bit f*cked already.”

It took him a couple more drinks and he was laughing at the bartender's joke and the antics of the old man next to him. He was feeling comfortable, content.

Well, until she walked in.

“If it isn’t our very own Wrenlee Grace!” the old man beamed, turning on his stool to look at the literal goddess that just walked through that door.