I gulped as I looked down at the paper. "I had a feeling you liked me. But it's never good to make assumptions." Alessandro smiled. My face blushed bright red as I looked off to the side. Alessandro stood up and walked around the desk to me. God, why me? Why can't I have a crush with, I don't know, someone less strict? Maybe a little easier going. Alessandro lifts my chin to make me look at him. "Your cute, I'll admit that. But before we make any real decisions, maybe we should try and get to know each other first." Alessandro winked at me. I moved my head away and looked back at the ground. Was he suggesting what I thought he was or was I overreacting? Probably overreacting. "At lunch, let's go on a date. As for now, we need to work." Alessandro was back to a strict personality. I gulped and just nodded. I wasn't overreacting. I just went straight to my desk, avoided eye contact and got straight to work. I had to distract myself from everything anyway. It was boring but I kept double-checking the work I have done over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. 

          I've found a few mistakes, but very few. And fixed them. I could feel Alessandro's eyes on me every once in a while, but ignored it and continued to work. I even started making my own equations and examples for practice. Sadly lunch came around sooner then I wanted it to. I was honestly nervous and scared. "Come on," Alessandro said as he got up. "I umm..." I couldn't speak. "I know you want to." Alessandro winked at me, grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the room. I didn't know about this. I felt like I was gonna be judged. My biggest problem is that they always judge. I do too, we all do, so it can't be helped. But the people who are brats, seeing me with a millionaire, they will just think I'm a gold digger. When it's the exact opposite. I don't care for fancy things. It's nice to have them. But I can be happy with what I have. I don't need anything else. But he dragged me out of the house and me to the public. "Where are we going?" I asked. "To the mall. Grab some food. Maybe shop around." Alessandro said. 

          He looked serious. I just stayed quiet. I don't have any money to spend. So it would only be him buying things for himself. Which I was okay with. "At least let me go put my wallet in a safe place," I say. I'll be to tempt to buy things. I'll just bring enough food. That's all. Alessandro gave a questioning look. "Why?" Alessandro asked. "I'll bring enough for food. But I'll be to tempt to buy other things. I need to save my money." I say. Alessandro raised a brow at me but nodded. I ran back inside and hid my wallet in a safe under my dresser. It's a small one. I took out a 50 for myself. I'm pretty sure a millionaire doesn't want to go to a simple Wendy's. I run back outside and Alessandro is waiting. He gets a driver to take us to a mall and when we get there I feel even more nervous. I'm not a gold digger. I repeat that to myself for reassurance. We head inside and I can already tell Alessandro is used to gold diggers hitting on him. He instantly starts asking for things I want or what I like. "I don't want anything," I say. Alessandro rolls his eyes. 

          "Everyone wants something." He says. I shut my mouth. What I want most is happiness. But he would just try and push further because some things do bring people happiness. "I want to just be at peace," I say. Peace can't be brought with money in any way shape or form. Alessandro looked at me questioningly. "No makeup? Jewelry? Clothes? Headphones? Phones? Watches?" He asked. I shook my head in response. "Some of those things could be nice. But I'm happy with what I have. I don't need anything. I don't usually put on much makeup. And I don't usually wear jewelry either. I'm good on clothes and everything else. I don't need anything." I say. "You are not like the others..." He mumbled. "Then you keep running into gold diggers. Maybe it's time you meet someone who doesn't care about money to that extent every once in a while." I say as I continue to walk to the food court. He just watches me for a second, standing there. I stop after I realized he wasn't following, turning to him. "What?" I asked. 

          "You don't care about money?" He asked. "When it comes to objects no. I do care about whether I get the bills paid and have enough for food. But other than that. No, not really." I answer. He watches me before he nods and catches up to me. "Your not like others I've met." He mumbled as I started to walk again. I didn't have a comment on that. So I just continued to walk. I feel a big hand slowly wraps around mine. I look down and see that it's Alessandro's hand. My stomach turns as I look up at him next. He doesn't seem fazed by it in any way. I just pretended to ignore the gesture after that. Even though my heart is racing. We got to the food court and Alessandro got in line for an expensive Chinese place. I gulped as I looked at the prices. It was more expensive then I thought. Some meals go in the hundreds. This was one hell of a mall if it has this kind of restaurant. I just decided to get the cheapest on the menu. Which was just a normal orange chicken? I was fine with that. 

          "You look like you are having trouble," Alessandro said, looking down at me. "It's a lot more expensive then I expected is all," I say as I turned back to him. "Do you want me to pay for it?" He asked with a smile. My eyes widened as I instantly shook my head. "No need! I have enough for something. It's no big deal!" I say as I look at him. He just raised a brow at me. "I can get you something. I don't mind. It's not that much." Alessandro said with a chuckle. Not that much? Not that much!? These meals go in the hundreds just for one person! What does he mean not that much!!? I just went into a blank stare. Alessandro chuckled more, turning into a slight laugh. "When you have as much as I have, its really not that much." He shook his head. I shake mine too. "No. I'm okay with what I can afford. Really, I don't like it when people spend money on me anyway. Let alone that much." I say as I try and politely deny his offer. "Why not?" Alessandro asked. "Because it's just so much... As for small things I don't know. It just feels wrong to me." I answer. 

          We got our food, Alessandro tried a thousand times to try and get me to let him pay for mine. But I refused over and over. We sat down and ate. The food was absolutely delicious. I loved it. And this was the cheapest one. I can't imagine what the others are like. "Do you want to try mine?" Alessandro asked. He got a much more expensive meal, one that looked like a pon-pon chicken? Maybe, I honestly didn't know. I just knew it was in the hundred somewhere. I didn't really know what to say... what would I say? He just found out about my feelings and he acts like he's known for years. Open to letting me do things a normal couple would do. "Isn't that... a little odd... for the first day of..." I just trailed off, looking down at my legs. Something just felt off, and I couldn't place my finger on it. "I suppose... but it has to start somewhere doesn't it?" He shrugged. Part of me instantly wonders if he has had any relationships involving actual crushes and such. Usually, the first step to a relationship like that is holding hands or kisses... NOT THAT I THINK ABOUT THAT!!! Often... Look my point still stands brain! I can feel my cheeks flush as I have embarrassed myself, with myself. Now that's an odd way of putting it. 

          "Why are you blushing? It's not that much." He chuckled. I am so lucky he has no idea what I'm thinking. I need to get these thoughts out of my head. "Umm... honestly maybe another time. I appreciate the offer though. I just... don't think relationships are the way people have treated them to be around you..." I say. His eyes narrow. "You saying I don't know how to make a relationship work?" Alessandro stated. My eyes widened as I instantly shook my head. "No, no. I didn't mean it that way." I start to panic. God, I hope I can explain my reasoning. "There are a lot of people who use others and people who don't try and stay away from people who would. NOT THAT YOU WOULD!! People just take precautions of those around them and some rich, cute guy may be one of the ones that just kinda uses. It's kinda how the world looks at people in your position. Like Actors, or Singers, or... well... popular people." I just continue to blabber on. This is what happens when things go wrong or I get nervous, I blabber. "People don't like taking risks that would hurt them in the end so they try and stay clear-" I was cut off. "Alright alright. Can you stop now?" He asked. I shut my mouth instantly. "I get your point." He sighed. 

          But then his eyes lit up and he smirked at me. "Did you just call me 'cute'?" Alessandro chuckled and my face just went red. I did didn't I?... Someone kill me, please... I look down at the floor again. This is it, there's no more life for me. I won't ever see the sun again, or the blue sky, the lakes, and oceans. Alessandro started laughing and it snatched me out of my thoughts. I glanced up at him and I swear I saw tears in his eyes. Is he laughing or crying? At this point, I couldn't tell. I did say some hurtful things to him, or things that he could take in the wrong way. How long have I been in thought? A couple of minutes or seconds. I check my watch but I don't know what time I started, so that was useless. Alessandro's laugh/crying was calming down and he looked up at me. Part of me was relieved he wasn't crying but the other part was still dying. He had a big smile on his face. "Your fun to mess with." He chuckled. I just stayed silent. I didn't know what to say, or how to say it. My mind was a frenzy.