C5 I only want Brianne

After Brianne finished cleaning Nate's office, she decided to stay in the room for a while, since she hadn't had lunch yet, and it was the only place that wasn't dirty or under construction.

She had just started her meal when he walked through the door, giving her a smile as he did so.

“Ah, I didn't know you were still here,” he said as he walked over to his desk. “You can just use my office for lunch if you need to.”

“Oh, no, it's fine,” she said hurriedly. “I'm almost done anyway. I was just… thanking you for paying for my father's surgery.”

She gave him a warm smile while sitting behind her desk. “Please, don't mention it again,” she said. “I'm just glad your father is recovering well.”

Brianne nodded, her cheeks becoming hot with blush. She couldn't stop thanking him for what he had done. Her father would never have made it if she hadn't footed the bill, and she was so grateful.

She smiled again and then stood up. “Looks like I'm done here for today,” she said. “Time to go home.”

Brianne nodded and smiled. “Have a good evening, sir.”

“Thank you, I will,” he said, and headed out the door.

After he left, she sighed happily. She would have loved to say thank you, but she knew that he wouldn't want to hear it.

However, she hoped that someday she could repay him for what he had done for her.

When he arrived home, he was greeted by his mom at the front door, who looked quite pleased with herself.

“Hey, Nate,” his mom said with a smile. “Your dad and I have a surprise for you.”

Nate raised his eyebrows. “What is it?” he asked.

“You remember Elaine Weston, right?” he asked. “Her parents are old friends of ours.”

She nodded. “Yes, I think so. However, I haven't seen her for a long time.”

“That's okay. It's been years,” her mother said. “But his parents are in town, and they're going to join us for dinner. They think it would be nice if you two met again.”

Nate grimaced. He didn't remember much of Elaine, but what he did remember wasn't perfect. “All right,” he finally said. “Do they need help settling in?”

“Actually, we asked them to stay for a few nights while they're in town,” his mom said. “We've given them a room upstairs. They're just packing up their things now.”

Nate nodded. “Alright, then I'll meet them at dinner.”

“Good,” his mom said with a smile. “I'll see you then.”

He went into his room and closed the door behind him. He knew that dinner would be a bit of a hassle, but he also knew that his parents had arranged it for his own good.

Likewise, he really hoped they would only be in town for a day or two at most.

As he walked into the dining room for dinner, Nate saw that his mother was right.

Elaine Weston was older now, but he still remembered her as the spoiled brat of the Weston family. She smiled at him as he entered, but he could see the gleam in her eyes.

He was already sizing her up, trying to determine where she stood and what he could get out of her.

He gave her a small smile back as he took his seat at the table. His parents had placed him next to her, which wasn't going to make things any easier.

He hoped dinner would be short, and then they could all part ways.

When his mother sat down, she turned to Elaine. “Why don't you tell us about how school is going for you?” she asked.

“It's going well,” the other girl said. “My grades are excellent. I'm hoping to get into Harvard like my brothers.”

Nate tried not to grimace at the sound of the bratty tone in her voice. “That's great,” he said, trying to be polite.

Elaine turned to him. “And what about you?”

“I've finished everything,” he replied. “My business was excellent and everything went well.”

“Really?” she said, sounding rather impressed. “Good for you. That must be hard work, especially since you're so young.”

“It has its moments,” Nate said. “But it's rewarding to know that you're helping to build something.”

“Definitely,” Elaine said. “I look forward to the day when I can join my family's business as well.”

Nate smiled slightly, just being polite. He could tell that Elaine was trying to make a good impression, but he just couldn't help but remember her as the spoiled little girl that she had been.

He hoped his parents' efforts were just that. Likewise, he really didn't want to be saddled with Elaine Weston for a wife.

The dinner conversation continued, with Nate occasionally adding in a comment or two when he was spoken to, but mostly just eating and listening as the others talked.

He wasn't really paying much attention, though, as he couldn't stop thinking about Brianne from earlier that day.

He wondered what she was doing right now. Hopefully, she was enjoying her meal at least. He hoped that maybe one day he could buy her dinner.

When dinner was finally over, Nate excused himself from the table and went back to his room. He knew that his parents wanted him to talk to Elaine more, but he didn't really feel like it.

He hoped she would get bored and go to bed soon, then. Furthermore, he didn't want her bothering him.

He lay down in his bed and closed his eyes. Possibly he would be able to get to sleep without being bothered. Hopefully. He was just thinking about Brianne again when he drifted off.

The next morning, Nate woke up early and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He wanted to get a coffee before anyone else was awake and bother him.

When he walked into the kitchen, though, he was surprised to see Elaine already up and sitting at the island, sipping a cup of coffee and reading her phone.

“Oh, hi,” she said brightly. "I couldn't sleep last night, so I figured I might as well get up.”