Chapter 3 Three

Why must it be you of all people? You make me want to love you more.

~~~

It was exactly 12 a.m. Claire's phone beeped as she unlocked it and read Louis' text message. She smiled. She didn't expect her 25th birthday to be the best because her 24th birthday had disappointed her, and her fiancé had pulled out of their wedding plans roughly a week ago.

Claire recalled chasing him and grabbing his hand. She apologized to him in the rain because she didn't know what went wrong, but she promised to do everything she could to make things right between them.

Michael had asked her if she could do whatever he wanted, and Claire had pulled her hand from his as soon as he said those words. He became enraged, tossed his umbrella to the ground, and walked away, leaving her alone to grieve in the rain.

She tried to get over it, but things just weren't going her way. With her and the guys, it had always been like this. They always depart, and she moves on to the next job, and so on.

She was a simple person when it came to love, and once she was over them, she moved on. However, they tend to return when she is finally back on her feet, prompting her to reject them because she had given them not one, but more than five chances, and they always abused those opportunities.

Her screen displayed a message from an unknown number. Every year, it happens. She meets new people, becomes close, and then they leave. She didn't seem surprised. She responded to the unknown number, and they began a real conversation from there. She didn't expect anything more from him than friendship.

She had just sent a message to The Cohen industry requesting the management post. She hadn't expected a response from the employer by noon, but she had hoped she would get the position.

She and the unidentified man exchanged photos, and he introduced himself as Elijah. They discussed their preferences. The man in the photograph had brown hair and dark eyes. He appeared to be 6'1" tall and thin. His jawline wasn't flawless, but it was enough to knock some ladies off their feet.

He was interested in learning more about Claire. She was fascinating to converse with, and she was also curious about him. They had this connection from the time they started conversing, and she had never experienced anything like that from any of her ex-boyfriends.

When her phone rang, it was him. They'd talked on the phone for hours, and she'd told him more and more about her life, including how she met the celebrity she'd adored her entire life, and how the celebrity had saved her life by inviting her to apply for a position at her son's company.

Elijah never told her the truth about his life. Only his first name and his stories were correct. He hoped they kept talking like this because the picture and everything else was fiction.

He desired her. Sure, but he's not sure if she won't end up like the previous girls. He knew he shouldn't be thinking like this, but even though he hadn't met her yet, he wanted her in his bed.

He desired to touch her. Her serene voice, the way she laughed and sighed and chuckled over the phone. He wanted to know what she had done to him to make him want her as soon as he saw her images.

Claire finally dozed off at 5 a.m. after they had talked all night.

*** Claire Hutton received a call around 8 a.m. from an unknown number, and she answered with a smile on her face. She was hired, but the person said the director would be unavailable.

Elijah Cohen, the son of the woman she admired, was someone she was looking forward to meeting. Elijah was the man who broke the internet two years ago after his first real picture was posted on Instagram, and Claire had never imagined seeing him face to face because people like her who are always busy with life wouldn't have the chance, and now that the chance had finally arrived, he wouldn't be in the office on her first day.

It's too bad. Too bad.

Claire was overjoyed to have such good news on her birthday. She sat in the tub for a warm bath after opening the bathroom door. She was getting used to her simple existence, and her dream was finally coming true. She'll have to buckle down and figure out a method to make more money in order to reclaim Hutton's company, even if it means returning to her father's home after a long absence.

Claire exited the bathroom after some minutes and turned on the hairdryer on the side of her bed. She was drying her hair when she remembered her younger brother Charlie. What would have happened to her if he hadn't taken the money from the company? Would they have been able to pay off her father's debts without having to touch his mansion? Her leg is tucked into the black pencil heels. She wore a long black straight slit skirt with a buttoned-up antique long sleeve shirt and straightened her short black hair. Anyone would have spotted her long legs selling her off. She fit perfectly in with the Cohen industry's taste for exquisite gowns.

She stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her makeup. She kept returning her gaze to herself. She breathed deeply. Claire knew she'd have work to do on her first day because the director wouldn't be present. Because it was her birthday, she wanted to go out and have a good time, but she also needed to work in order to rescue Hutton's company.

She's not going back now. She needed to be at work by 10:30 a.m.

She picked up her purse after she was finished with everything. Claire exited her apartment, closing the door behind her.