Blackmailing Aria Original Version

7

Xander gives them each a nod, before lifting me into the car. I squeal since he didn't give me a warning. He, obviously, find my squeal amusing...this guy finds everything about me amusing.

He lifts himself in right after me, with a cheerful smile on his lips. I cannot even explain how beautiful he looks with his charming smile against his pin striped suit. It's...perfect.

He's perfect.

The door shuts behind as he opens his mouth to speak. "I can't make the walk to work because it's not safe. A billionaire walking around New York City isn't exactly the greatest idea." He points out.

Oh god, I'm so dumb.

I want to smack myself for how stupid I am. I just...don't seem to think whenever I'm around Xander.

The door beside me opens, revealing one of the two men. He offers me a smile and slides in beside me. The passenger door opens too, and the other man hops in.

Before I can ask Xander who the men are, he tells me.

"Aria, these are my bodyguards; Michael, Luke, and Simon." Xander gestures to the man sitting in front of him then to the man driving the car - who I didn't notice - before to the man sitting next to me.

They are all large, and really bulky. While Xander is fit, these men are bulging with muscles. No wonder they're his body guards, I bet they're really good at what they do.

The car starts and we drive off into the busy streets. Xander is busy on his phone, which I don't really mind, there's nothing to talk about anyways. Five minutes later, we pull into a parking garage. The man sitting next to me -who I believe Xander called Simon - opens his door and hops out. He keeps the door open, and waits patiently for me to follow him. I jump out of the car with Xander behind me.

Simon smiles at me warmly and offers me his arm. I chuckle at the sight. I always thought chivalry was dead, but it's amusing to find out it's not. I loop my arm through his large bicep and smile. Simon is very good looking, with a scruffy beard and hooded eyes. He looks like a teddy bear, very large in muscle, but has the biggest smile.

Quickly, I was being yanked back into a hard chest, I let out a yelp. I look up to see Xander glaring at Simon, with death playing in his eyes.

"What was that for?" I twist around in his arms, and demand an answer.

"Don't touch her again." Xander orders Simon before stalking off, with dragging behind.

I didn't see Simon for the rest of the day.

...

"This is what you do all day?" I look around Xander's large office, taking in all the fine details of the walls and paintings before landing on Xander sitting before his very messy desk. "See I don't think little kids know what they're getting themselves into when they say they want to be rich when they grow up."

"Rich people are rich because they earned the money they've received. And you're right, five year olds don't know what they're wishing for." He keeps his eyes focused on the large file in front of him.

"But some rich people get their money handed to them and they don't have to work a day in their lives." I sigh and look sideways from the couch to see a scowling Xander. "But not you of course! You actually work, in fact, you work very hard. At least it looks like it." I motion to the bomb that was set off on his desk.

Xander's scowl is slightly replaced by a small smile. He pushes away from his desk, in his swivel chair (which I really want to try out), he opens out his arms in front of him, beckoning me to him.