Sarah's POV
He kissed my right shoulder and I almost threw up. Everything was numb. This was my life right now. I had to accept it.
"Hey, I had fun last night." He said from behind me.
I tried to smile even though he couldn't quite see my eyes. "I'm glad you did, sir."
"I told you that when we're in the bedroom it's Parker. Do you hear me? Parker. You can save the whole formality rubbish for when we're outside the four corners of this bedroom." He sighed. "We've been doing this for what? Four month now?"
"Six months, two weeks, three days." I couldn't help but keep count."
He chuckled. "Well that is awfully detailed."
"I..."
"What?"
"Nothing." I started getting up to get dressed as I could sun was starting to set. His hands clamped firmly against mine.
"You know I hate it when you keep your thoughts in that pretty mind of yours. Tell me." It was a command.
"I just thought that by now you'd be tired of me."
He laughed this time. "Have you seen yourself, Sarah? You're not easily forgettable."
Why couldn't I just say no to him? Why did I keep coming? Why couldn't I just say no to my mother either?
I picked my dress he'd hastily tore from my body the previous night and rushed to the bathroom. His eyes on my bare skin was annoying. I quickly dressed up and when I walked back into the room he was no longer lying down. He'd gotten dressed too. Good.
He wrote a check and handed it over to me. Which I would still deliver safely to my mother in the staff quarters. It was our tiny routine.
"There's extra there for you. I want you to get your hair done. The last hairstyle that nobody could shut about, that's the one I want you on."
"Yes, of course." I plastered a stiff smile on my face and my way to the door.
"No kiss?" He asked, making me to stop in my tracks. I slowly turned back and pressed a kiss to his lips. I didn't wipe my mouth with the collar of my shirt until I was behind his closed door though.
***
"You're late again!" Theresa announced as I entered the kitchen. She'd only been given the kitchen overseeing maid and she was acting like she was Queen Viola the third.
"Sorry. Won't happen again."
"That's what you said the last time and the time before that time." She scolded, then handed me a duster. "Thirty minutes is all you get before the chef arrives. Make good use of it."
"Yes, ma'am." I said and she turned around and walked away.
I leaned over the kitchen island, willing myself to forget everything that had happened that morning.
"Sarah, right?" A voice said behind me and I jumped, clutching my chest. I turned around and found A.J staring at me. He was Parker's youngest son. He was all the maids could talk about. They were all crazy about him. And why not? His eyes were... Magnificent. He was dangerously handsome and I hated him. If he came from his father then he had to be just as horrible as he was.
"Uh, yes sir."
"Oh, no, please. I will pay you to stop calling me that."
"Calling you what?"
"Sir."
"Oh... Okay." If only he could just leave already. I'd pay him to leave. If I had any money that is.
"You can call me A.J." he said and I nodded, then immediately started dusting the kitchen island. He didn't leave though, he just stood there.
"Was there something else, sir? I mean, A.J." I immediately amended before he could.
"I... Uh... I just... I wanted to ask you something."
"Yes, Anna-hill-jay is really my mother, if that is what you wanted to ask."
He chuckled. "No. That's not what I wanted to ask, but er... It must be good to work the same place with your mother, huh?" It was a nightmare. Maybe if we worked different places she wouldn't keep forcing me to sell myself to the president. Perhaps I wouldn't be an exotic dancer. Maybe, just maybe, her salary would be enough for her. But I couldn't say any of that, could I? I forced a smile instead, praying he wouldn't see the disdain that I knew was lurking under my lashes.
"Yeah, I guess." I said and we just started at each other. He was young. Very young. Most people might miss that because of his muscular body but I knew he was. "What did you want to ask?"
"I... Uh... I know you might say no. And I know there might be policy against this but I was just wondering if you want to go out with me sometime, preferably tonight, but you get to choose."
"What?"
"Sorry, I know that came out wrong. Let me try that again." He cleared his throat and closed his eyes briefly. "Would you like to go out for dinner sometime?" No! I almost screamed out. Definitely not!
"I don't think so, sorry." I said and resumed dusting.
"Why not?"
"Nothing." I squeaked.
"Was it what I said?"
"No. You are right, it's against house rules policy."
"But I'm not staff here, it shouldn't be a problem."
"You are not a staff but your father is the president of the United States which is much more scary."
"My father wouldn't do anything."
"Well, I'd hate to test the theory, so... No."
"But—"
"No!" I yelled before I could get a hold of myself. I froze and so did he. He stared at me for a while, his green eyes piercing mine. I looked away. Mortified at myself. Before I could open my mouth and apologize, I heard a light tap on the door and we both turned. It was my mother. A deep scowl sat on her face.
I was in deep trouble.
***
Her hand landed on my face immediately the door to her bedroom closed behind me. Her eyebrow was almost meeting at the center of her face.
"Have you no sense, Sarah? Do you want to get us both fired?"
My hand still cradled my face and I tried to hold on to the tears before speaking. "That is what I am trying to avoid, mama."
"You are not acting like it. How could you think that talking to your boss's son that way makes you keep your job. You openly disrespected him!"
"I didn't mean to, he was just persisting that I..." I paused, releasing a hiccup. "I was having a tough morning." I finished.
My mother studied me. "Why was he persisting?"
"Nevermind."
"You will tell me what he said this instant!"
"He asked me out on a date." I finally said, half expecting another slap, probably a blow to the face. My mother hated it when other men showed interest in me outside the bar. She was sure it would make Parker loose interest in me.
She threw her head back and laughed instead. The corner of her eyes crinkled.
"What exactly did he say?"
I didn't understand why she was happy. Normally, she'd scream.
"He asked me out on a date."
"He did?"
"Yes."
"And you said...?"
"No, of course. You should know." I said and she rolled her eyes.
"You're not as smart as you should be regarding the fact that I am your mother and I am very smart, if j do say so myself."
"I don't understand."
"Of course you don't. You should have said yes!"
"Why?"
"Because Parker doesn't offer marriage, but if you play your cards right, A.J might."
"Mama, he just asked me out on a date."
"Yes, you will woo him. He is young and foolish, so all you have to do is bat your eyelashes at him. Show him buts and pieces of cleavage. Tell him all sorts of romantic nonsense and before you know it, he is down on one knee like an imbecile."
"I have no interest in him."
That angered her. She grabbed both of my shoulders and shook. "All you have to do is pretend! Pretend that you care. I hear the three of the president's children has trust funds and that A J's is enormous. When you're his wife, you become his next of kin and then, per adventure that something happens to him, it all becomes yours. Ours! Do you get it now?! We'll be rich!"
"I don't want to lie to anybody." I spoke quietly.
"It doesn't matter what you want. I'm your mother. I will tell you is brilliant. And this is brilliant. So you will go to A.J., you will apologize tohim for being haughty and you'll take him up on that offer of his. We will look for something nice for you to wear. You will woo him. He will marry you, do you hear me?"
"Yes, mother."
"Good. Mother knows best."