*******
“Samantha?” he calls her name again,
“No. Get out!!”
Shock vibrates through his body
“if you need validation just because you did a good deed and you expect me to reward you, you are sadly mistaken. If you wait for someone to tell you how to treat people, then you are really pitiful. You should know the difference between right and wrong, you hurt someone’s feelings, you should apologize, you don’t like someone, you tell them, not to use them just because…. it doesn’t matter if you are rich, your heart is what should matter. I don’t know how messed up your childhood was but I believe you should have done better for yourself. You don’t come here to tell me you apologize to someone you hurt and expect me to clap for you… No Mr Bass, you should be ashamed of yourself. Were you doing it for me?
Then you are wrong. You should have done it for you… because me? I mean nothing to you for you to think you are pleasing me. And asking for a kiss, how dare you? Get out of my house Mr Bass… and I hope you treat people better because you want to, because it feels right not because some girl with a sharp mouth had to tell you that” she says out of breath
“I am… I am sorry, forgive me” he says taking a step back as shame washes over him, he leaves. She closes the door, resting her back to it. she didn’t realize her hands was shaking, not of fear, but of something else.
*******
Her words tormented him for days, and he even began losing focus at work
“Mr Bass, are you feeling well?”
“I am fine. But tell me honestly Samantha… what do you think about me?”
She raises an eyebrow
“No, –am sorry Sophie” he closes and opens his eyes
“Well, honestly you are a great boss but sometimes you can be, excuse my forwardness a pain in the ass but we don’t mind it sir, promise’’
“Let’s assume for a moment that my looks don’t matter”
“That’s hard not to notice”
“Just assume, and that I am an egocentric arrogant dxxk. Would you still be working for me, would you like me?”
“Honestly? Hell no!”
He sighs
“But Sir, really, we don’t complain’’
“That’s the problem. Sophie, really, I am sorry if I ever come off as arrogant towards you, from henceforth I would try to do better”
She looks at him, frowning “Sir, are you sure you aren’t sick?’’
“I have been sick for a while Sophie, for far too long, I just had a wake up call and I realize that… sometimes, you need something to shake you up to know how messed up you have been”
“Okay sir, thank you sir”
She keeps staring at him as she leaves
He is facing his window as he gets up.
Yes, he hadn’t been himself since that night at Samantha’s, her words plagued him and every fiber in his being has been burning of guilt.
Everybody he had misbehaved with, every woman, every passing stranger, it was as though they tormented him in his sleep. He wasn’t a bad person, he never went out of his way to hurt anyone, but he never suffered a fool and when it came to women, he didn’t care if his actions hurt them, and but now, he regrets everything.
He sighs running a hand over his face..
He really wanted to kiss her, he did. But she turning him down and telling him to get out of her house hurt him so much and he didn’t blame her, he blamed himself, he had been an ass, a proud pompous jerk… everything she said about him had been right and he wants to change all that.
For her… and he had no idea why.
His thoughts of her had been so strong and un-explainable, and every time he thinks about her his chests hurts…
She hated him, that’s what makes it even worse..and for the first time in his life, he wanted to make things right..
For her, for him..
Everyone had taken his bullshits, ate it, and acted like they weren’t hurt about it, but she had called him out..and he was thankful. If she hadn’t come into his life albeit in a dysfunctional way, he would have been the same person he had always been..
A rich Man who had no regard for others, especially women . But now he wants to change all that.. and he would.
******
So he began, changing his attitude and the way he spoke, how he treated people even those he thought were beneath him. What he told Ver was true, he didn’t have feelings for her and wanted to be her friend…and she accepted.
He even came across the waitress at the restaurant, she had walked out on him and he followed her and apologized, the shock on her face was…strange. He felt, relieved. And there was Betty, she threw a tantrum, but he told her… he was sorry too. Like a burden, his weight lifted .
Even his staffs looks at him strangely now, wondering if he was feeling unwell.
He had never felt better in his life… all because Samantha had waltzed into his life and told him to his face how messed up he was… no one cared to, okay maybe they were scared to but because of her… he wanted to be different and better.
He sighs looking at his phone..
It’s been two weeks since that day… and every single day he was tempted to pick up his phone and call her… and he felt the thing he had never felt in his life before..
FEAR!!
FEAR OF REJECTION!!
He turns away from the window…
He thinks about her a lot, and if only he could talk to her… he was going crazy and he couldn’t explain the feelings he was having..
“Samantha!” he breaths
******
“Are you gonna ever talk about it or not?” Jamie walks beside her
“No”
“Why not?”
“Because there is nothing to talk about”
“Samantha, it’s been two weeks, what’s the big deal? Look, a guy like Mr Bass ever hardly changes but in his rarest of moments he had been emotional open with you… why didn’t you just go for it”
“Because I don’t like men like him, being vulnerable so that they can get girls like us to feel sorry for them. I mean what, allowed him to kiss me and then what, I lose my senses?’’
“Maybe that is what you need. Isn’t it obvious he likes you?”
“Mr Bass doesn’t like anyone but himself, his fat account and his pretty face”
“You never know… he has changed… the way he talks and acts towards people, people are saying maybe it’s because of a woman or because he is sick”
Samantha seats on the chair, staring away “It’s not of my business, if he has, good for him”
“Samantha, tell me honesty, why didn’t you let him kiss you that night, what were you scared off?’’
Silence
“Of losing myself” she closes her eyes
Jamie nods “Maybe this time would be different, he seems to like you”
“No… men are all the same, and he may think he likes me because I am different, I don’t fall all over him, I challenge him and I am a supposed upgrade, not like the women he has around him… like a new game he is just intoxicated about the idea of me, he doesn’t like me and God forbid I allow myself into that web of confusion”
“Do you like him, even a little?’’
“No”
“You are lying”
“I don’t, there is nothing to like and I am glad that I will never see him again. Forget Mr Bass, I meant it when I told him to leave, he is a proud man Jamie and I bruised his ego, they never heal from that. At least if he is changing, I am glad I was able to teach him some things and I hope it makes him a better person in life, and he needs no validation from me. He should change for him”
“But I still think he likes you a lot Samantha”
“Well you should stop thinking and let’s go have that ice cream okay?” Samantha gets up
“What if he shows up out of the blue… what if he wants something more… more than he had ever asked or given someone… what if Samantha?”
“Fairy tales are for children Jamie. And I and Mr Bass’s classes are over. Glad to know he Aced , but really I don’t care, stop talking about him already”
“Okay, at least I want to formally admit that I am rooting for you two, take one for the team’’
“Jamie!!!!”
“Fine, let’s go”
