strangers to lovers

CHAPTER-NINETEEN:

I glanced at Channing, who was standing outside my desk, blearily at me. He had his cell phone in hand, ready to take it out of his pocket. I glanced blearily at him, who was standing there, and told him that his mother wanted him to wake up. A sudden alertness struck me. I straightened up and cleared my throat. "Why didn't she call me first?" He quickly muted his phone. "She knows I'll not answer." "Is she back?" I hesitated. Had she already found out I had changed the locks? I was grudgingly picking up the phone from Channing and unmuting it. "Yes, Mother?" I asked, "Were you sleeping?" "No," I replied. Had the security cameras turned off, and she already had found out I had changed the locks? We were not sleeping. There was a lot of paperwork piled up on my desk: plans for new offices, ideas for new promotions, severance plans for one employee who had been fired in California, and a request for an updated OSHA certification, as well as a payroll incident our accountant wanted me to investigate. Despite all those papers, I am still not sure what else I missed out on. "Have you heard anything about California? Did you hear about the earthquake or the employee getting fired?" I cut her off as a headache struck. I glared at Channing as he held up his arms defensively, "they had the lowest KPI of all our hotels." I did not answer my mother's phone calls because of this reason. Despite the fact that they are harming our company, your feeling of sympathy toward them is evident. It is probably the case that they are stressing out-" "I will handle it then." "I don't think we need to inform them. " "Fine. I'll deal with it myself." I curled my free hand into a fist. "Okay, I'll deal with this myself. That's all? I have work to do." "That wasn't the reason I called you." "Michelangelo's is your favorite restaurant?"Her question was meaningless. She didn't know everything about me, but she said, "Get there at eight o'clock sharp tomorrow. Dress nice." "Why?" I asked. When I replied, I trembled. The daughter of Cecil Castrilli wants to meet you, so I've set you up for a date to meet her. You should not ruin it." It would not be a mistake for me to meet with an old, balding company head. If it were another time, I would swear to God- "I set up a date with you for her." "A date?" I asked. "I don't have a girlfriend." As I tried to resist throwing my phone across the room, my phone flung from hand to hand across the room. I don't think you do. You are dating someone that I do not like. "That's not " I'm fine with Sierra's daughter." I do not want her setting me up on a date with her." You're going to be at my house at eight in the morning. I don't want her to set me up with anyone. I am going to treat her well and ask for a second date." I didn't say I wasn't allowed to suggest anyone." "What's wrong with Ella?" The mother snapped on my phone. The only thing I'm asking you to do is to go out with her." "What attitude?" I'm pretty sure you insisted on calling her something nasty back when you first met her." My reply to him was, "There is no need to marry her. You may continue dating your

other girl, but I will ultimately decide who is the most suitable candidate for our company." I fell silent for a moment. Although I was aware that she did not ask me to do anything more than continue dating your other girl, it was my responsibility to decide who would be the best fit for the company, even though I knew

that she did not ask me to do anything more than continue dating her. There is no doubt in my mind that she was not trying to get me to go on another date with another girl because she already knew Ella and it did not matter to her if I dated anyone else. It was even possible that I didn't care about Ella.

The faking still felt weird to me. I was going to argue back, but I bit my tongue. "Mother," I started, but she spoke over me. "Do you want to become the CEO of our company or not?" Things like this are sometimes needed." Despite wanting to argue back, I bit my tongue. My mother knew how to end arguments. I had to become the CEO. No matter if it meant going on an unwelcome date. "Luke, are you listening?" She sounded impatient. "Luke , are you listening?" she said. I pulled the phone away and hit the end button, giving Channing a deadly look. "Yes, I hear you. I'll be there." "Very well. I'll see Sierra." I pulled the phone away and hit

the end button, giving Channing a deadly look. His face turned white, as he carefully reached for his phone. "If that's all......" I told him, "Go home early." I didn't even try to think it was funny. "No. I'm leaving too." "But..." he trailed off. My mouth fell open a little and I put my hand on my forehead, pressing hard. "Is everything okay?" "You're my assistant, not my friend," I replied brusquely. "I didn't mean that." I couldn't take my frustrations out on Channing. I wasn't his mother. He scratched his back, and I hated how awkward it made him feel. I shook my head and said, "Maybe I can try to get you out of it.". She'd freak out, so I'll leave." "How about Ella?" "She doesn't have to know," I said, locking eyes with him. She was playing along like she was supposed to be. I was the one who almost broke the rules." "Would she care?" Ella asked. She was playing along like she should be as well. I felt that this date might help me get my head straight. Channing's face told me that

he didn't like what I believed. The fact that Ella was uncomfortable around me made me want to make sure he did not mention it to her. I nodded as I felt drained. "I will ensure that I don't mention it to anyone. Before I leave, I'll finish up the preparations for tomorrow." I said to my friend. After Channing left, I closed my eyes. It was at moments like these that I knew why James had done what he had. I felt tense as I wondered why he had tolerated it for so long because of the way he had treated him. It has been 29 years since I have known you have felt that you could not control yourself, as if they were suffocating you. It is unjust to continue living this way. As the CEO, I had to take care of all the crushing paperwork and I could do a few dates with a lackluster girl, but I couldn't think like that. It was too much for me to lose my job. I didn't even want to think about it. It was important to me that I did not fail my brother. It was too much for me to lose my job. After shoveling myself away from my desk, I muttered, "Damnit, James." I didn't want to think about it for a while. When I am faced with difficult times, it makes me sometimes wish I could still have my big brother with me. When I was younger, he was always there for me. He always made sure that I would be able to cope with any problems I encountered. When I opened a message from my mother, I let out a scoff. In the moment of seeing the picture, I knew immediately that it was the girl I had been set up with, who had her short, coffee- colored hair framing the pointed face and the sharp, challenging eyes. I knew immediately that the picture was of the girl I was being set up with. It was easy for me to recognize her because of her sharp, challenging eyes. The same one was always used when I would look down on someone. There was a text message on my phone. A 25-year-old woman, Bella Dawn, received orchids instead of roses. She attended Harvard University and never wore jeans. I locked my phone, refusing to roll my eyes. My next thought was to call. "Channing," I replied. It didn't matter that I didn't like the date. I didn't need Spark Notes for a date. There was a clue in my head. Five seconds later, as he walked into the room wearing crooked glasses on his face, I got a clue. There was a feeling of confusion on the face of the man saying, "Your mother has already ordered 12 orchids, Sir," as if it were the first time they had met. Asked if he would get me a dozen roses by 5 o'clock tomorrow, he looked somewhat confused. It was time for me to pack up. I checked the time and was surprised that I had yet to get Ella. "I will need roses." Channing stepped back outside and I ordered them. I thought I would be able to get Ella before she ate dinner. If the weather permits, we may treat her out to dinner since it has been raining all day, so I hope she won't mind a little rain, because it has been raining all day long. It would be nice to treat her out. As I hit send, my face fell. Would she agree to go for dinner with me? Would she think it was strange? It had been a while since I had seen her. I smiled. I took out my phone and texted her. As I waited to hit send, I paused, wondering if she would even agree. Would

she think it was strange to send her a text. What are the chances of her agreeing to this proposal? When I saw Ella's name on the screen, I almost dropped my phone, which I almost dropped because I tried to catch up on work. Now that I think about it, I could've been trying to avoid her. The buzz in my hand could have been a result of me avoiding her, or I may have been trying to catch up on work. "This is Donna," I replied, as the voice said, "Ella." "No." "No," a completely different voice replied. "This is Donna." Who had been using Ella's phone? "Where's Ella?" My body temperature dropped ten degrees. "We got into an accident." In a car accident? Suddenly, my chest tightened as I gripped the phone tighter. I had a thousand questions in my mind at that moment, including whether she was okay, whether everything was alright, whether she was alright, whether it was bad, whether you were alright, if Henley was alright, how did it happen? My

brother should not tell me that it was bad. "It wasn't bad, Mr. Connor," she said quickly, assuming my silence meant anger. In a husky tone of voice, I asked Donna. She had to be okay too. Donna had to be okay as well. The other reason Donna called must have been a different reason. As soon as I heard that she was okay, I felt that I could breathe again, though I still felt a little shakey. It may have been my heart that made me feel this way. Donna asked softly, "Did I scare you?" My heart was shaking. It is the rental of my house that has made Ella freak out. She is calling the police now. Oh, she hung up. "I'm sorry. I should not have started like that. "It's your rental." "Ella," I answered right away. Her voice was exactly what I needed. "Er, yeah, yeah. It's me. Do you ever say hello to me?"Sometimes, you are irritated by things that are irritating to you, but that they can be satisfied by them too. A good example of this is Ella's sarcasm. I used your name to greet her, as Donna explained to me. The right front of my car is bent, because I ran into a railroad crossing sign on my way to work. My deepest apologies to you. "Don't worry about it," I said, tugging at my tie around my neck. "I know it's a rental and under your insurance, so I'll take care of it." I didn't feel suffocated. I asked, "Where are you?" It is my pleasure to come and fetch you." "I'm sure you can drive it." "I am sure it can be driven." I sighed as the man apologized. Despite my short distance, I lived just five minutes from your house. I lived right next to the railroad track that ran down your street. I said, "I'll be there soon," and I hung up. It was just as I was leaving my office when Channing stepped into the elevator. He grumbled and said, "Is there any possibility I can return the car to the rental office after Ella had crashed?". As I felt a sharp pain shooting through my skull as I rubbed my free hand over the area. While Channing remained silent for a while, I just wished that he could speak again. As I remained silent, my mind flooded with memories. He asked, "Are you alright?" I was sure, "I'm okay." As he continued to linger silently for a while, I began to recall the accident that had caused James to be involved in a car accident. He is not going to make it to the end of this. Why weren't you with him?" "Take over now, Luke." "Don't let your brother down, Luke." "Lucky?The moment I snapped out of it and started to realize what was happening, Channing stared at me with a worry on his face. When I snapped out of it, he looked at me worriedly. I snapped at him and continued my driving to Ella's place, knowing that I had to hurry us there so that I could concentrate. The trip through town was swift and I had no problem navigating my way across the highway. I weaved through traffic as fast as I could. As Channing held on to the grip assistant handle for quite some time, I thought it was an excessive amount of time he was being concerned about. The police already called me, but they said someone would come look at the pole later." I repeated. "I'll have Channing bring the car back to the rental place." I was an excellent driver and my car had impeccable handling. I was very easy to find, with the front of the rental hugging the railroad crossing sign, so I was able to locate it very easily. I parked my car and Channing and I both stepped out. As Ella stood by the car, huddled together with her friend, her arms folded over her chest. That last bit of tension I felt faded away the moment I saw her hunched over form. "Luke," Ella said, as I approached. As she shifted from shoulder to chest, her hair slipped over her shoulders and onto her chest, damp from the rain, as if she was trying to figure out what my response would be to the situation. I opened my mouth to say something, anything. "I didn't know your hair had red in it." She blinked at me and glanced down at a lock of her hair. "Oh." she muttered. When I reached out to her and took her lock and let it slide between my fingers, I said, "Yes, it does look a bit copper-y when wet." I felt grounded as I pulled it from her. A faint blush spread across her cheeks and she shuffled her feet. "Sorry," she said. I shook my head, thinking, "I'm fine, Channing's going to handle this. I'll take you home." She chewed on her lower lip and looked up at her brother. "I'm sorry, Channing." Henry waved his hand in dismissal. It was fine." My petulant look at him was met with a bewildered expression. The only other thing I could do was glare at him and say, "I'm glad you weren't hurt." He returned that look with one of his own. My apologies for not telling Lisa that sooner." "I should have told Lisa that to begin with." Donna spoke up, her lips curling up the slightest bit as she spoke. "I don't think this will affect your insurance too much," she said. "We slipped on the tracks because they were slippery." I cleared my throat and turned away from her, "I can tell." She stared pointedly at Ella. "I can tell." She nodded. Why you are waiting in the rain outside the car I am not sure because it is not clear to me why you are waiting there. She stepped out of the rental and pursed her lips as she tried not to get too wet. "Maybe I should go Channing." I said firmly. Her posture relaxed, and she gestured at Donna, then they headed towards my car. After looking like she wanted to argue, she relaxed and gestured at me. My rental car was under my name, and I didn't want to deal with multiple insurance companies or getting sued (even though I doubted that would happen). Channing said goodbye and took the keys to the car. "Tell them I crashed it," I replied lowly. I thought Ella might be stressed out enough about it. Thanks, Channing." "No problem." "I'll handle it." I'll call you later and let you know what happens." I walked back to my car, sliding into the driver's seat. Both Ella and Donna were sitting in the back seat, dead silent. "I'm not a taxi driver," I said pointedly. Ella sighed and began pulling herself through the middle gap between the two front seats. I leaned away from her, eyeing my leather. "Watch your feet! Why are you climbing through?" She carefully

lifted herself over the middle console and somehow managed not to touch her feet onto any of the leather. Once settled, she snapped on her belt buckle. I stared at her. She stared out the window. I swallowed thickly. What was up with her? Was she mad at me? She was the one who crashed my rental car. Was she embarrassed? Did she still feel awkward about the whole fiasco at the outlets? "Donna, where do you need to go?" I spoke up. First thing first. "My car is at Coffee House you can just drive me there." I shifted the car into drive and made a u-turn, heading back the way I came. The rain was starting to fall heavier now and the only noise in my car was the squeaking of the windshield wipers that needed to be replaced. The moment Donna got out of my car, she was running through the rain, covering her own car. I glanced at Ella once in a while, but she always kept her eye on the outside world while she walked. I sat in silence for a while, but I became increasingly agitated as she drove away. 'Ella,' I yelled out as she sped away. Did she really not want to talk to me? It seemed as if I was just worrying about nothing. When I shook her head, she started looking at me. I glanced at her unappreciatively, not appreciating her sarcasm. "What? You scared me?" "Why aren't you talking to me?" "Do I need a reason not to speak?" I frowned, unappreciating her sarcasm. I apologized for the accident. She told me that it's just a habit. As she ran her fingers through her bangs, the bangs got messy. "I'm sorry about the car.". My auto repairs can be covered by my own means, so there's no need for me to apologize.' "Don't apologize, unless you're trying to tell me that you don't care about me." Her pretty eyes widened a little as she was speaking. My palms were getting clammy as I subtly rubbed them on the steering wheel. I didn't feel like I worried about you. You don't need to worry about me, she said. My voice shook her head, and she turned to face me. "What? In my opinion, you scared me. You did not talk." "Why aren't you talking?" "Do I really need to be told not to talk?" "Do you really need to tell me not to talk?" "Are you giving me an attitude after you crashed my rental car?" I grumbled, not understanding her sarcasm at that moment. She rubbed her bangs in an effort to make them look like messed up. "I'm just thinking." It was possible that I had been distracted while driving. I was sorry." I would pay for what was broken. If you are sorry for making me worry, then stop saying sorry until you are

sorry for causing me to worry." It made my palms feel clammy, and I subtly rubbed them against the steering wheel. "Did I worry you? Why? I was fine." Then she added, "You don't have to worry about me." "You just have to worry about me," she said sheepishly. I didn't know what to say. I wanted to tell her she wasn't alone, but I didn't know how to say it. She laughed. "You gotta be careful next time." She said. She groaned, stretching out a bit, thinking about how much money she would have to pay after a crash. "Oh no," she said, thinking about how much money she would have to pay after a crash. "I could sure use a bath in that Jacuzzi tub." I pressed my lips together, eyes on the road, wondering how someone like Ella had sunk into my veins so deeply.