Chapter 38

Ava.

The rest of the night went by in a blur, and by the time I got to the dressing room, my legs were aching, and my foot hurt so badly that I slumped tiredly onto the chair.

"I still can't believe he spilled his drinks all over me just because I refused to give him my number," Willow was saying as we took off our outfits and put on the ones we had worn before.

"Well, most men that come here are just rich obnoxious people. You should tell Aiden if he does anything like that again. There's a strict rule against assault of any kind," Olivia said, handing me her wipes to clear off my makeup.

I faced the mirror, blocking out their conversation as my mind wandered back to the kiss Mikhail and I had shared tonight.

I remembered the taste of his lips in my mouth, rolling over my tongue and filling me with butterflies.

His mo-

"Why are you blushing?" Willow suddenly asked, and I turned around just as they all watched me silently, including Mia, who was still not speaking to me, and Lisa, who stood at the end of the room to change.

"I'm not," I said quickly, looking up to Olivia for help, and she laughed, dragging Willow back to face her.

"Leave her. You were telling me about the guy who tried to touch you," she said.

"Yes, and you wouldn't believe what he did after-"

I sighed in relief, ignoring them once more when my phone vibrated in my bag. Pulling it out, I saw a call from Jayden coming in.

I peeked through the mirror to see if anyone was looking at me and found only Mia's curious but dark eyes on me.

Creep.

She was hell-bent on looking for any evidence to pull me down, so I turned away from her to my ringing phone, debating whether to take it outside or answer it here.

Going outside would look suspicious, and staying here would attract attention.

I pressed the button before I could make a decision and placed the phone over my left ear.

"Hi," I said, not wanting to say Jayden's name and alert the girls.

"Hey, I'm outside already. Are you done?" Jayden asked, his voice sounding a little tired, and I felt guilty for having stressed him.

"Yeah, just give me a minute. I'll be right out," I finished, ending the call so as not to wait another second.

"Who was that?" Willow asked, coming to peek at my phone that I immediately shoved into my purse.

"A friend."

"A guy?"

"Willow!" Olivia scolded, slapping her shoulder, to which she shrieked in pain before trying to hit her back. In a few seconds, they were running around the room trying to hit each other last.

I laughed, staying away from them, and got changed before starting to leave.

"Bye, guys. See you in the evening," I said, smiling at Willow, who stretched her hand desperately toward me but was held back by Olivia in an arm lock.

Mia scoffed, not sparing me a glance, and I turned away from her to see Lisa nodding at me before taking off her shoes.

"Don't forget to be here early for your meeting with Aiden on whether you are past probation!" Olivia yelled when I was almost shutting the door.

"Thanks!" I yelled back, closing the door and snuffing out Willow's screams. I smiled at their playfulness and adjusted my purse on my shoulder before heading out of the club.

I passed a cleaner who was mopping the floors, and I suddenly remembered my old job, sighing in contentment. I reminded myself to give Ashley, the receptionist at the hotel I worked at previously, a call later today.

Getting outside, I saw Jayden's familiar black car and headed for the passenger seat.

"Hey," I greeted, and he dropped his phone before turning to me, a smile on his face.

For such an early hour of the day, Jayden didn't look like he had just woken up or something. His blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail, revealing bright green eyes that watched me with silent admiration.

"Hey," he answered, drawing closer to push my hair away from my eyes and putting it behind my ears before pulling away. I blushed, reaching out to touch my hair.

"Sorry. I just wanted to see your face well," Jayden smiled, and I looked away.

There was this intensity in his stares that made me conscious. I adjusted my bag to keep my hands busy.

"So, won't you ask me why I'm asking to stay over at your place?"

"I wanted to, but I figured you might be tired and would like to rest first. Let's get home first, and you take a shower and eat before we talk, okay?" Jayden said, and I nodded at him.

I pulled on my seat belt, and he started the car and drove out of the club's entrance, and I could have sworn I saw Willow peeping from the doors.

That girl was as nosy as nosy could be.

As the buildings moved fast around me, my mind wandered to Avery for a second, and I prayed she was fine, better than when I had left her.

"So, how's your job?" Jayden asked, keeping his eyes on the road as he avoided a truck beside us.

"It's cool, I guess. Nothing too difficult, but the heels are such a discomfort to me because I'm not used to wearing them for long hours," I chuckled.

"Yeah, I understand, and I know why Aiden made them compulsory every night. There's nothing sexier than a woman in heels," Jayden smirked at me, his eyes filled with mischief.

"Yes, until she's falling flat on her face. Then would that be sexy enough for you?" I asked him, and he laughed.

"Maybe not. But that's when I'll come in to save the damsel in distress. There's nothing like a charming prince coming to save the girl he admires."

"Well, not all girls need saving. Some are knights themselves, a true hero," I nodded in response.

"True. But I'd rather save a lady than let her carry her cross herself. Now tell me, is anyone giving you any trouble there?" Jayden asked, changing the question.

"Not really. There's this girl, Mia. I guess you can say she hates me or something. She's always on my neck and tries to get me in trouble," I said, frowning at the thought of Mia.

"She's maybe jealous of you. That's the only explanation."

"And I'm curious as to what's so different or appealing about me that she's jealous of. She's incredibly beautiful, with a perfect body and height, while I'm short with a big head and pale skin," I slapped my hands against my lap in frustration.

"Beauty is within. Inside, Ava, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met, and I wouldn't let anyone take that from you. Ignore Mia; she'll get over it and become your biggest fan soon," Jayden laughed, taking a turn and narrowly missing a shop sign.

I yawned tiredly and rested my head against the door, suddenly wishing I had my headphones with me.

The rest of the drive wasn't more than five minutes, and soon we were pulling up at the familiar tall building.

"We're home," Jayden announced, turning off the ignition and opening the doors. I got out, my hands shaking nervously as I admired the building's exterior.

"Come on," Jayden said, leading me inside as we got into an elevator.

"Stop being so nervous. It's only me. Think of it as going for a sleepover at a friend's, only the sleepover is every day," he chuckled, and I smiled nervously at him.

"Yeah, thank you."

"No worries. For you, Ava, I'll do anything," he said before taking my hand in his.

I looked down at our intertwined hands, and a soft blush stained my cheeks.

Soon, we were stepping out into the penthouse, and Jayden opened the doors with his fingerprint before we entered.

As usual, I was taken aback by the lavishness of his home, but I didn't embarrass myself further. Instead, I let Jayden lead me to the sitting room.

"So, I'll show you your room where you'll be staying, and I'll give you a tour of the place. I'm rarely home, so you'll need to figure out some things on your own," he said, and I remembered he was into real estate and knew it would be demanding of him.

"This is the sitting room," Jayden pointed at the room we were in. It was huge, painted white, with three sofas in the center, and a huge TV mounted on the wall. There was a small dining area at the extreme right of the room with a door to its left. I figured it was the kitchen.

"What kind of flower is that?" I pointed to the vase of showy star-shaped white flowers that sat at the center glass table.

"Kadupul Flower. They are extremely rare, and I have a passion for collecting things that only I can have. I'll show you to your room," Jayden said, pulling me away from the sitting room to a hallway on the left. There were two doors on each side.

"This is my room. Nothing special," he opened the first door to his left. It was a bland room save for a huge king-size bed and a walk-in closet whose doors were opened to reveal a row of clothes and a door that probably led to a bathroom.

"Nothing special, truly. You didn't even try to personalize it," I laughed when he scrunched his face.

"That's for girls. Men don't have the time," he closed the door and pointed to the next door beside it.

"My office. Just work stuff and files in there with a huge desk and a single chair," he said, before turning to the doors on the right.

He touched the first one. "A bathroom," and I nodded before he led me to the door beside it.

"Your room," he said, and I felt butterflies inside me, fluttering around excitedly.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I just had it done according to my thoughts," Jayden said, and he pulled open the doors.

My jaw fell to the floor at the sight of the room. It was as big as Jayden's room, but the walls were painted blue, with white glowing butterflies on the walls. There was a huge queen-sized bed with blue blankets and a duvet. There was a writing table beside it, a walk-in closet, and a door that led to a bathroom.

I gasped in shock, grinning widely as I stepped into the room, heading to the bed to sit on it.

Jayden followed, admiring the room with a satisfied smile on his lips. "I'll take it that you like it?" he asked, coming to stand in front of me.

I was already up and throwing my arms around him, tears filling my eyes. "I love it. Thank you," I said with appreciation, and Jayden hugged me back before I pulled away and sat down on the bed, rubbing my eyes vigorously.

"Good. Shower and change. I'll order something. Anything in particular?" he asked, taking a step backwards.

"No, thank you. Anything is fine," I answered, looking around the room once more.

Jayden nodded as he started to walk away. "There are some new clothes in the wardrobe. I got them for you a few days ago, but I've been too busy to give them to you," he said, and I squeaked with excitement, running to the closet.

He laughed and was already at the door when I stopped him.

"How did you pull all this off in just a few hours?" I asked, facing him curiously.

"I have my ways," he responded before leaving, shutting the door quietly behind him.

I smiled. Of course, Jayden would have stayed up all night preparing the room for my arrival. He was that sweet, and I knew from the way he looked at me, there was affection in his eyes.

I blushed, suddenly looking forward to my stay here.