Catching Feelings [bwwm]

Chapter 17- His Point of View

James' POV

"Could you just allow a couple more questions, Mia?" My father asked. "I just really have t-"

Question after question after question! It was as if he thought this was some stupid, never-ending game show about her life. How many fucking questions was he going to ask her?

Completely fed up, I leaned forward in my chair and looked deeply into Mia's beautiful brown eyes.

"Mia, will you marry me?"

There was no point in stalling any longer. I knew Mia very well, and I knew that she was going to say no. When my father came to me with this stupid ass plan of his, I made him very aware that she was going to say no. But being the stubborn man he was, he insisted on trying and wouldn't stop pestering me about it. So finally I agreed, just so I could get the satisfaction of seeing the stupid look on his face when she denies my proposal.

Mia, who sat directly across from me, stared me directly in my eyes and laughed. She laughed as if she'd just heard the funniest joke in the world or as if her life depended on how hard she laughed. She laughed so hard she buckled over and tears rolled out her eyes.

I looked over at my father and saw the most horrified look on his face as he looked down at Mia as she snorted, still laughing. Raising my eyebrow and motioning to her, I gave him a look that simply said 'told you so.'

After five more minutes of this, Mia finally looked up and noticed that she was the only one laughing.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. "Why aren't you guys laughing? That was so funny!"

I rolled my eyes as I leaned my elbow on the armrest and rested my chin in my palm.

"Wait, you're serious?" She asked, shocked. "He's serious?"

"Mia..." My father began slowly. "I don't know how to put this..."

She slapped her forehead. "Holy shit! You are serious!"

"Listen, Mia, we really need your help." My father explained. "The judge really wants to see Josie have a maternal figure in her life and James' lawyers think this is the best way."

Mia stood up and began pacing. "Why me? Of all the people in the world - hell, in fucking South Florida - why me? I could literally walk outside on the street and grab some random woman who would marry him in a heartbeat!"

"You've spent the last couple of months with my granddaughter and have..."

Staring at Mia as she paced back and forth with her hands laced in her hair, I completely tuned out their conversation and just admired her.

I admired everything about her.

Long before I met her, my brother always talked about this employee of his that would always be causing problems. She didn't take shit from anybody so she'd always be calling people out on their bullshit no matter who they were. He described her as a dirty-mouthed, rude, disrespectful woman who had no concern for other people's feelings.

Of course, I recommended that he fire her, and every single time, he would tell me that he couldn't.

"She may be the biggest pain in my ass, but she's the most hard-working, compassionate, and determined employee I've ever had. In the years she's worked for me, she's never once missed a deadline and she keeps everybody in line so the company runs efficiently. Her work is always done properly and organized just how I like it. She puts her all into everything she does. Plus I'm afraid that if I do fire her she'll come back and murder me," Jonathan had explained to me once.