18 You don't need to pay to be friends

Sara was escorted from her office to the main entrance of the administration building. A black Jeep Wrangler was parked right in front of the building with the engine running. The butler had ushered Sara to sit at the front passenger seat of the car. To her surprise, Lucas was sitting behind the wheel - in the driver's seat.

She moved uneasily as she was uncomfortable with the position she was in. If he was not the CFO of the company but her colleagues, she could loosen up a bit. After all it has been less than six months since she started working, she doubt she could answer any questions thrown at her.

No more than five minutes has passed and the vehicle has come to a halt.

"Come, let's get to my office. We're here already," Lucas pointed out.

Sara was astonished with the luxury this man had. It must have been only few kilometres and they have not even leave the institution. 'Time must be gold for this man,' she speculated.

While walking towards his office, Lucas was feeling confident. He has not made any plans other than to try to seduce her, to make her fall for him and it has not failed him before. Once there was only the two of them in his office, he swooped Sara off her feet and was trying to give her a kiss.

But Sara's facial expression stopped him from continuing. Instead of feeling honoured and delighted, Sara's forehead wrinkled and her eyebrows were furrowed showing displeasure. Fear that she would do the opposite of falling for him, he immediately but slowly and gently put her down on the floor.

He racked his brains, trying to find excuses of his sudden action. Typically, a normal woman would be ecstatic and had already made their moves the moment they were in his arms and yet this girl was not. 'Oh boy, I think this is going to be a looong and difficult journey,' Lucas disgruntled to himself.

"Luckily I saved you. Otherwise you'll be flat on your face," he explained rather poorly. 'What a lame excuse!' he screamed internally with embarrassment, as a mental image of him punching himself in the stomach appeared.

"Right. Yes, thank you sir." Sara did not buy his excuse at all. She was clearly walking properly. She was not wearing high heels to be stumbling even if she was nervous. Thankfully for the visit earlier, she has a grasp of what Lucas is intending to do.

She was not interested to be with him but she was not sure whether she should just play along until he gets bored of her. 'This must be what Adam was trying to say, not to let his power fool me. I should reject his advances then but what are the consequences?' she pondered.

Lucas was contemplating to be direct to her or indirectly. Should he try to appear to be a chivalrous and courteous man to appeal to her? 'Ahhh, the heck with it! I'm just going to ask her, what will I lose anyway?'

"Sara, I have a proposal for you. Just let me know what you think of it. If you were to stay by my side, benefits and all given to you for a lifetime, would you?" he started.

"You mean you'll pay me to be by your side?" Sara automatically assumed he meant an escort lady since it sounded a lot like a paid companion. She was not aware that Lucas intention was not as impure as she thought it would be. He just really wanted to have her blood sucked.

"Yes, all the girls who has been with me were granted lifetime benefits," he said it as-a-matter-of-factly.

Sara raised an eyebrow, and asked bravely, "So you mean like a paid companion? What is expected of me as a paid companion and what is the benefit given?" She pretended to be interested in his offer, to hear him out before she could flat out reject him.

"Paid? Paid companion?" His head tilted, wondering whether he was hearing it correctly. "Well, if you put it that way, I guess it is kind of similar. You just have to stay by my side and come to me when asked. Benefit wise, you do not have to worry your financial aspect anymore." He gloated, thinking he has managed to won her over.

"If I don't have to worry about my financial aspect anymore, that would mean I don't have to work anymore?"

"Yes, that's right! So, what do you say?" Lucas answered excitedly, waiting for her to spell it out to confirm it.

"Are you expecting any physical intimacy out of this paid companion?" She asked bluntly.

Generally he pleasured other women as a bonus, but her question made him think seriously. He contemplated whether he wanted her sexually and finally gave her a truthful answer, "No, not if you don't want to. So is it a good offer?"

"I guess it is considered as a good offer…" she was about to continue to her buts. Unfortunately Lucas interjected.

"Well done. Good choice, Sara!!" He clapped his hands together with enthusiasm.

"W-Waiiit.. I don't want it!"

"Huh? Why? What do you mean?" His initial facial expression of happiness completely vanished of his face to be replaced with a quizzical look.

"If I don't have to work, what is there left for me to live for? I am not sure I know what to do with the money either. That would mean I failed to repay the institution favour of what was given to me."

Lucas was speechless. She could have all the luxury in the world that most women wanted and she chooses work. He turned his back towards her and was lost in deep thoughts.

"If you wish to work, you could still continue to work. If you do not want wealth, you can name me what you want. We can work this out," Lucas tried to bargain for the very first time in his life.

"It's none of that. If what you want is a friend, I can be your friend for free. You don't need to pay just to be friends," Sara said sympathetically. She concluded Lucas must be lonely without any friends.

He was dumbfounded. Unquestionably the both of them were not on the same page at all! 'Why has this conversation lead to this?!' he sighed in defeat.

"You sure? You can take advantage of me while you can, you know?" Lucas has now given up. He decided to play along with the friendship theme. He wanted her to stay and romance is definitely out of the equation.

"My consciousness would haunt me if I did," she clarified and then took her hands out. "Hi. My name is Sara. Nice to meet you!" She decided to make the first step based on her assumption that Lucas was not capable to make friends.

Lucas is baffled with her sudden introduction and shook her hand reflexively. "Hi Sara, I am Lucas. Nice to meet you too!"