High profiles and egos
Gia balled her hands into fists and glared at the man in the driver’s seat. Who the hell drives like that? She thought. But her heart raced and her limbs trembled at almost being run over by a high speed vehicle. The man behind the wheel popped out of the sports car, dropped his sunglasses and took Gia in completely.
“What-what’s wrong with you?” Gia screamed.
“Me? You’re the one who doesn’t look where you’re going. Didn’t anyone teach you how to cross the road?”
“Clearly no one taught you how to drive. You could hurt someone.”
Gia took him in. He had to be older than her by a couple of years. She’d never seen him on campus but then so many people didn’t show up for class regularly.
“Look, I’m sorry. You seem to be in a hurry. Can I take you somewhere?” The stranger asked.
“What?” Gia asked.
“To make up for almost killing you. It’s the least I can do,” he said, flashing her a mischievous smile.
She was in a hurry. Even if she caught the bus now she would get home late. After much hesitation, she gritted her teeth, slid into the passenger seat, and muttered a quick, "Thanks."
“I don’t do this you know,” Gia said after a beat of silence.
“What?” the stranger glanced at her.
“Get into stranger’s cars.”
He chuckled. “I’m Keegan, then. Will the girl with beautiful eyes grace me with her name?”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. “Gia… Graham.”
“It’s lovely to meet you. I’m sorry for almost killing you. I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s… okay.”
Judging by his car she knew he was rich but without a last name she couldn’t tell which filthy rich family in Amity Cove he belonged to.
“Not all rich people are assholes, right?”
Gia bit her bottom lip. Keegan was the first to treat her well, but it’s been less than five minutes anything could go wrong.
“Are you going to give me an address Gia?” Keegan chuckled.
“The Bentley mansion.” Everyone knew where it was.
“You live in the Bentley mansion? I thought you looked familiar. Are you related to Natalie?”
Gia shut her eyes and exhaled deeply. If Natalie heard him say that Natalie would have flipped the sports car over.
“I’m the maid, sorry to burst your bubble.” Now he knew her occupation he wouldn’t think she was beautiful at all in fact she expected a series of abuse to follow.
“Are you sure?” He chuckled.
“You think I’m dumb now?”
Keegan barked out a laugh. “I think you’re gorgeous and witty. You sure look like Natalie.”
“Don’t let her hear you. She hates it.”
“Does she blow up often?” Keegan asked.
Gia remembered the previous night when she received an ear tingling slap for not wearing a mask.
“Not really,” Gia chuckled nervously.
“Does she make a fuss about it at the university?”
“She doesn’t go there. Natalie doesn’t need to go to school.” Everyone knows she’s an heiress.
Keegan chuckled. “That can prove to be a bad move.”
“She’s getting married anyway,” Gia added.
Keegan nodded slowly before slowing in front of the golden gates of the Bentley mansion.
"Thanks, but you can just drop me off here, you don’t need to come inside." she said, unbuckling her belt.
“Come on, are you embarrassed, Gia?”
“No, no, of course not. Why would I be?”
Keegan smirked. “If you don’t let me drop you off I’ll take offense. You don’t want that.”
She was pretty sure she just didn’t want trouble.
“Fine,” Gia relented.
The gates opened and Keegan drove in.
When the car stopped in front of the majestic mansion Gia got out and thanked Keegan again. He got out of the car as well. He held her gaze as if he wanted to say something else. Heat scattered across Gia’s nose and she froze on the spot. Keegan was good looking and kind hearted but that didn’t change that fact that she was a maid and he was someone important.
Before Keegan could speak a black Porsche pulled up beside the sports car. A man in a fitted dark blue suit climbed out of the back. Gia’s breath caught in her throat.
The Warrens. She forgot!
However, Ezra was early.
“Ezra, what are you doing here?” Keegan asked.
Gia froze. They knew each other?
Ezra gave Keegan a brief glance, then shifted his gaze to Gia. It was a fleeting look, but it exposed her. Gia realized too late that she wasn’t wearing a mask. Even though Ezra hadn’t flinched she knew he noticed the resemblance.
Keegan quickly introduced them, “Gia, meet my cousin Ezra.”
“Ezra, this is a girl I nearly ran over but in my defence she doesn’t know how to cross a road.”
Gia gave him a mock annoyed look before returning to Ezra to catch his reaction.
“Gia…” her name rolled off his tongue with a pleasure he didn’t know he needed.
She was the clumsy made who burned her hand.
Ezra turned to his cousin. “Sounds like you to run over a defenceless girl, Keegan.”
"Oh come on, I made sure she made it home safe, didn’t I?" Keegan asked, playfully.
Ezra brushed off the question instead he scrutinized Gia. The petite woman who dabbed on his jeans and sent him home with a hard-on. He couldn't deny the resemblance to Natalie was striking. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would've found it hard to believe that two people could look so alike and not be related.
Under his close scrutiny, Gia felt herself tensing up, fearing he might recognize her as the woman from that fateful night.
“I’m sorry, I have a lot of work to do. Thanks again, Keegan,” she smiled and attempted to slip away quickly.
Ezra raised an eyebrow, observing this woman who was trembling with fear yet forcing a smile. A shadow of intrigue flickered in his eyes. He took her in this time without the stupid mask. She was petite with a tiny waist, a modest chest and long legs that went on for miles. Though, she was clearly not Natalie because she didn’t wear designer clothes or the latest high heels. The young woman before him didn’t dine in the best restaurants. She wasn’t familiar with the brutal billionaire universe. The first time he saw Natalie he mistook her for an innocent dove but he saw right through her eventually.
The mansion doors opened and Natalie strolled out. Her eyes locked on Ezra before gradually moving to Gia.