Disclaimer: I do not own poto.

Chapter 2

Hello again. I guess I should start of where I finished last. I apologize for beginning something that I was not able to finish. It is awful when telling a story, one gets interrupted but as you may have come to understand that I could not deny him. Even now as I write I pray he will leave me be for a while. Thank goodness he must attend to his businesses for an hour or two every day. Even then he wishes me to be by his side but that didn't turn out as accommodating as he thought it would be. It's actually quit funny, a certain business associate cursed while on speakerphone and Erik didn't know weather to chide me for laughing at the mans obscenities or to fire the poor man. That was the last time Erik ever requested or should I say demanded my presence at his so called "business relations" time.

So now as I write I know I can say a bit more then last. So where to begin, so many incidents to count, well I guess I will start with the first time I met him. Like I said before I was just two months shy from turning fourteen. Though many fourteen or should I say almost fourteen year old girls hung around with friends there age, I never really had friends. My friends were my adult cousins who as wonderful as there were, made me grow up faster then usual.

Now when I recall those memories I see that It's natural when a little girl who is growing up, into becoming a young lady, that when she sees beautiful women around her that she tries to mimic there actions. The way they dress, you try to dress as sophisticated as teenage fashion will allow. When they make themselves exotically beautiful with wondrous shades of color that they carefully apply to their face, you watch in awe and try to memorize the way they applied what color where, and how much. So in response you try to sneak in a little bit of their make-up unto your face when there not looking. You basically try to become a miniature version of them. But the sad truth is that even though you try to run with them you can never truly catch up.

But for him, I already had and was beyond them mentally. I agree I was far more mature then your average teenager but I still had my moments. Physically speaking, I was pretty much starting to get my figure a lot earlier then normal but still had some growing to do naturally. But he always approached me from the first moment he saw me, as if I were the most beautiful and interesting person around. And that is how I became trapped in his web and have been immobile since. Beautiful words can sometimes caress your ego but can cost you far more then you ever bargained for.

The day I first saw him, was a typical bright day in sunny California. I was on my three month summer vacation that I always looked forward to every year. Cause when your almost fourteen and your cousins are filthy rich, there is nothing as cool as there gigantic pool in there backyard. With that said I'll let you know how our days always began; it started off with a regular wake up call in the morning, with my cousin tickling my nose with my long hair. That always woke me up with a smile and sometimes a sneeze. Then it was a fight to see who would shower first. She would always win, obviously since it was her bathroom. I could have easily just used the many other bathrooms in the house but I preferred to use that time that I was waiting for her to finish, to just nap. I love to sleep, especially sleeping in. I miss those days with such longing. If I had known then what was to become of me now I would have appreciated every moment a lot more then I had.

I guess I should get to the part where it truly matters. We made our way through into the morning traffic of Los Angeles downtown. Into the busy, loud and cruel streets that made or broke you in business, you would either become successful in whatever you endeavored in or become apart of the huge population that depended on your measly pity money in order to buy drugs and booze, in order to wipe out the memory of your downfall.

As we would make our way into the building, my cousin would always receive a lot of stares from men who knew she was out of their league, but couldn't help to stare. She was beautiful, petite and slim with features that were evenly proportioned everywhere. I was taller then her by a couple inches so I always felt gigantic next to her. So I never paid attention to any of the gawking men, I always assumed it was for her only, but apparently as I will tell you later that some were meant for me too, and one in particular especially was always staring at me.

We entered her office after entering two other ones that led to her own. It was an interesting set up. With cameras in each office to monitor the employees and there activities, but I always enjoyed the office next to hers. It had windows on one side that were from floor to ceiling. You had a wonderful view of the downtown scene with all the people running left and right trying to make that last deal or deposit before the day ends. And it was in that room that my last moments of me actually living as I wanted came to an end. By late morning my cousin asked me to come into her office, I didn't think much of it for we always had coffee usually at this time. Yes I loved lattes with three packs of sugar in it. It was one of the small highlights of my day. What can I say it didn't take much to put a smile on my face.

So as I entered her office by the door facing the wall in front of her, I noticed a lean muscular back of a man sitting in one of the chairs in front of her, the one I would be sitting in. I briefly paused, considering weather or not if I should continue. My cousin must have seen my hesitation for she quickly greeted me with a smile and welcomed me to my future.

"Come in Christine" she said politely. "There is someone I would like to introduce to you. This is Mr. Erik Levine; he is one of our partners in the business."

As I neared I began to notice something unusual about this man that had invaded my chair and my coffee time with my cousin. As he began to stand up to greet me properly I noticed two things at once, one that one side of his face was covered with what seemed to be a flesh colored mask and the other that the part that I did see his face, it was extremely flawless, perfect jaw line, beautiful eyes and eyelashes that any girl would kill for. I didn't know how to respond to be honest and I think he saw that and broke the ice by greeting me.

"Hello Christine, It is a pleasure to meet you." He purred

I smiled shyly not only from his intense stare but also from my own embarrassment of being caught staring. I didn't say anything in response, just smiled and sat down in the chair next to him.

"My cousin is visiting for the summer. She prefers to come to work with me and get an early start in the business world" she laughed lightly as she watched him for his reaction.

I looked at my cousin wondering why I was the start of the conversation but she was looking at him.

"An intelligent child indeed." He said as he turned to examine me again.

I felt his eyes burning into the side of my face, but I could not look at him. Because all I heard was Child. Child, me an almost fourteen year old a child, I was being degraded by a stranger with a mask. The day was turning out to be more embarrassing by the minute.

"Well she is related to me Mr. Levine, why wouldn't she be" my cousin replied saucily.

And so the next forty minutes or so continued pretty much with my cousin praising me and Mr. Erik the pessimist trying to bring me down. Who was this man that apparently had figured me out within the first few minutes of meeting me? He was just about getting on my last nerve when all of a sudden he said something that melted all my dislike for him in an instant.

"Christine, for a young lady of fourteen you are truly a rare gem. For your patience and manners thus far have been the most remarkable I have ever seen"

This time I did look at him and was hypnotized by his green hazel eyes. The words he spoke were not true in the least but the way he looked at me now made me almost believe it. If he had known the names I had called him in my mind, he would be in shock. But the only one who was left in shock was me again. For just as he finished what he said about me; my cousin was called away by an employee on an urgent matter. She excused herself saying she would be back as soon as possible and gave me a look of behave or else, and then pleasantly smiled as she left, leaving me with Mr. mysterious.

The pitiful look on my face changed as soon as I turned my head to look at him. I half-heartedly smiled trying to be at least a nice looking hostess while my cousin was away. He just continued to stare at me with that dam intense stare of his and the corner of his mouth tuning into a sly smile. I didn't like that look. It was a predatory kind of look, the one a cat gives to a mouse before he attacks it.

"My, my Christine if only your cousin knew the things that you've said about me in your pretty little head."