”Thank you, dear. ” her dad said, and she nodded;

”Sure, take care of yourself. ”

”You too. ” her dad said, and she ended the call.

Xavier had listened to the conversation, and he got a hint of what was going on. He wanted to ask, but he decided not to. She might not want to talk about it.

They arrived at the place before long, and Ari would have stepped out of the car by herself if she knew how to open the door. The place was really private. It smelt of class. Ari didn’t need anyone to tell her it was a place for the top class of society.. Not everyone could walk in there or even afford it.

When they walked in, the receptionist recognized Xavier immediately and quickly gave him the card to his reserved room.

Ari wondered just how many times he had been there and with how many women. But that was not her business. She was just there to tell him what she had in mind.

Xavier opened the door and held it open for her to get in before he did. The room was furnished beautifully, with paintings hanging on the walls.

Ari looked around her before she sat down elegantly.

”Do you like the place?” Xavier asked, and she nodded.

”It is exquisite. I like the paintings. ” Ari said with a smile. Contrary to what she told him. She didn’t like dinners like this. She preferred to go to the movies, or on road trips, or hiking. Just something to take her outside, and not anything that would make her stay confined in a space like this. If she would come to a place like this, she would rather stay at home and watch Netflix and drown herself in a bowl of popcorn. But that was not important, cause he was nothing to her.

She would only tell that to someone who meant something.

”I’m glad you do. I wanted a private place where we could talk, ” Xavier said as he popped the wine bottle, which was sitting on the table, and poured them a drink.

Ari picked her glass; ”What do we have to talk about? ” She asked as she took a sip. It tasted nice, and it was non-alcoholic. She was glad that at least he had the decency not to order something alcoholic without asking her.

Xavier smiled as he stared keenly at her. He had never seen someone who was so bent on not wanting him. He liked this. This was the most entertaining thing that had happened to him in recent weeks.

”I want to know you, Ari.”

Ari glanced at him from above her glasses as though he had said some weird joke, but she did well not to show it.

”The wine tastes good. I like it. ” She said, changing the topic instantly as she stared at her wine cup. Xavier noticed what she was doing, and he smiled. Picking up the tablet for the menu, he scrolled;

Selecting a few options, he passed it to her;

Ari took it and picked a few dishes. She was not at all hungry, but she could not just stare while he ate. ”You’re seriously avoiding a conversation with me, do you know that?”

Xavier asked, and Ari smiled.

”Am I?”

”Is it because of what happened between us?”

That was it! The dreaded conversation!

She had wondered how she would bring it up, but thankfully; he had done it in her stead.

”What happened between us should remain in the past, Xavier. It shouldn’t have happened. It was one night of… ” she wanted to say utmost regret, but she held herself; she enjoyed it while it lasted though, so it was not totally a regret.

”If I knew who you were, I would never have slept with you. I did not know, and I blame myself for acting irrationally and sleeping with a stranger. But what is done is done. We cannot change the past, we can only make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

”what if I do want to?” Xavier cut her off.

Ari frowned; ”Do want what?”

”What if I want to make it happen again, what will you do?”

Ari chuckled lightly; she was brewing with anger at the moment. One for his words, and another for his disrespect towards Melissa. If he was not her boss, she would have stood up and walked right out.

She wanted to say something crazy, but thankfully, the servers knocked on the door and brought their orders.

Ari waited till they left before she smiled.

”I’m really sorry, Xavier. It’s totally my fault for how you view me right now. Who am I kidding? I jumped into bed with a total stranger!”

Xavier frowned; ”that’s not how I see you, Ari, it’s not because… ”

”Xavier, it was a one-time thing that would never ever happen again. For so many reasons, which include the fact you’re in a relationship, and that you are my boss, but most importantly, the fact that I have no interest in you whatsoever. I was idiotic that night and I did what I shouldn’t, but that is what it is, Xavier, a one-night stand, and I don’t want us to make it seem like it is more than it actually is. Besides, it is not fair and would never be fair that you are shamelessly cheating on a beautiful woman like Melissa. If you were going to cheat on her, why did you bother dating her? It’s inhumane to do that to someone, and I would never be part of that.”

Ari breathed out when she finished speaking. With the amount of self-control she summoned to say all that she said without raising her voice, she had to mentally thank herself.

Xavier smiled as he leaned to the side, supporting his head with his hand as he watched her keenly. He could tell she was trying her best to hold in her anger, but it made her look really cute and innocent.

”You make me want to chase you, Ari. ”