After the door to the private room closed, Bella slowly stood up and looked William up and down.
It was undeniable that this young man had a unique charm about him. She had learned from Emily that William seemed to have some expertise in ancient scripts.
At such a young age, he had even managed to have the former dean of Hudson University willingly become his student.
“What are you looking at?” William interrupted her thoughts and firmly said, “Miss Bell, just to let you know, I don’t just sleep with anyone.”
Gross!
Bella almost spat in his face, taken aback by his audacity.
“Pretend to be my boyfriend for a while, accompany me to a few meals, and then we can end things claiming it didn’t work out between us,” Bella, suppressing her urge to smack William, proposed. “As for compensation, name your price. As long as it’s reasonable, it’s fine.”
William, quick to understand, knew that today’s ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ were akin to past couples.
Although he had never acted on his feelings for Evelyn, he would never do something that would tarnish his image.
“I can accompany you for meals, but pretending to be your boyfriend is off the table,” William replied straightforwardly.
Pretending to be her boyfriend could lead to misunderstandings with Evelyn, right? How would he explain it then?
He wasn’t the type to stoop so low for money.
Bella was genuinely surprised. A waiter in this place, who serves middle-aged wealthy women, was turning down such a lucrative offer?
Surely, pretending to be her boyfriend was a better gig than accompanying those 30-40-year-old rich women?
And the pay would be much higher!
“$100,000 a month!”
Bella still believed everyone had a price. The job she was offering was not tough, and she couldn’t believe that someone like William would turn it down.
After all, those in his line of work had probably let go of their pride, driven solely by money.
“$200,000!” Bella, gritting her teeth and staring intently at William, raised her offer. If it weren’t for appeasing her family, and a slight interest in William, why would she even consider such an arrangement?
William firmly shook his head, “Like I said, meals are fine. Pretending to be your boyfriend is a no-go.”
Being rejected again, Bella was getting quite frustrated.
“Fine! When you dine, keep your mouth shut! $1,000 per meal!” Bella figured she could manage without the pretend romance. As long as William kept his mouth shut and ate silently, it would work.
“Who talks while eating?” William chuckled, looking at Bella as if she was being ridiculous.
Bella, a successful businesswoman, had never been looked at in such a manner in her life.
It was as if William was saying, “Do you think your conversations are more appealing than food? I’d rather eat in silence.”
“Let’s settle it! Leave your number! You need to be on call whenever I need!” Bella took a deep breath, feeling that she couldn’t speak with William any longer. If they continued their conversation, she felt she might be driven mad by him.
“Add me on WhatsApp!” William pulled out his phone, adeptly displaying the QR code. “Pay me before the meal. I stick to a strict eating schedule, so I can’t be at your beck and call anytime. You can invite me for breakfast; we won’t discuss lunch and dinner. But if there’s an afternoon tea, that works. And as for late-night snacks… well, that’s okay too.”
Bella scanned his QR code and shot him a withering glare. “You call that a strict eating schedule?”
William felt this work arrangement was actually not bad at all. Someone was treating him to meals, and even paying him beforehand. Considering Bella’s wealth, the food wouldn’t likely be bad. Such a deal was hard to refuse.
After adding him on WhatsApp, Bella stormed out of the private room, slamming the door behind her. She wondered why her grandfather would suggest she get close to someone like William, who was so challenging to deal with.
Emerging from the room, William found Nicholas waiting at the door. “William, are you okay?”
“What could be wrong?” William’s eyes were clear, showing no signs of inebriation, and he smiled warmly.
Nicholas was almost ready to idolize William. Was this man a deity? “William, there’s another group outside looking for you.” Nicholas had worked here for a couple of years. From a rookie waiter to an experienced staff member, he’d seen all sorts of scenes, but recent events were eye-opening.
William’s tolerance for alcohol was one thing – Nicholas was deeply impressed. But did William have some extraordinary social skills?
First, there was Piper, the wealthy woman who took a liking to him, then Bella, the ultimate rich and beautiful lady, sought him out. And now another group was directly asking for William.
“Someone else is looking for me?” William was a bit curious. His bar gig wasn’t that well-known, was it? He didn’t expect the old guys from Anthony Carter’s group to come.
Scanning the bar with his intuition, William couldn’t help but smile. Another young rival?
When Bella left the private room, she saw Ryan and his group. Bella had watched Ryan grow up. After chatting briefly, Bella intended to leave. But hearing that Ryan was there for William, she decided to stay and join them.
“Bella, are you also here for William?” Ryan mentioned William with a hint of resentment. “That guy is a jerk. I feel my sister fell for his tricks. Then, there’s the unclear relationship between him and Evelyn from our school. You need to be careful around him.”
“Your sister is his girlfriend?” Bella’s interest in William grew. She remembered Lila had brought her to the bar the other night. Lila was from a distinguished family, as was Bella, and was incredibly accomplished for her age. How could Lila be interested in William?
“Probably not,” Ryan replied. “But something’s off between them. Imagine, my sister spending a whole day shopping with William and even having me buy things for him.”
In their social circle, everyone knew Ryan and his sister were close. While he was intimidated by Lila, she had always pampered him since childhood.
“So, what are you here for?” Bella asked with a sly smile. “Want to warn William to stay away from your sister?”
“That’s the idea,” Ryan admitted. “I might not be able to confront him at school, but it’s a different story outside. I’ve thought long and hard; William can’t stay in New York.”
“I support you!” Bella was always one for a bit of chaos. She was curious about William. To attract the attention of top families meant William must be extraordinary. Yet, so far, she found him incredibly annoying and a heavy drinker, with no obvious redeeming qualities.
While others might hesitate, Ryan Carter from the prominent Carter family feared nothing. Letting him test William’s mettle seemed like a good idea..