The Billionaire’s Stripper

CHAPTER 33

I stared at the face of Alexander McAllister, with the most unbothereud expression that it could muster.

Of course, I could not even hide it. That little bit of confusion that married it no matter how much I had tried not to show it.

The fact that he was smiling. That in fact, he could smile, it raised so many question marks right there in my head. Reason being the image of this guy that I had concluded in my head, that dark, mysterious, possibly sinister aura that I had associated him with, it was odd to see that even after possessing that so heavily, he could alike so brightly.

I had never seen anyone look so different while smiling.

And that caught me off guard.

I expected one thing off him

And he gave me the exact opposite.

The more important question I asked myself was, "Why was he smiling at me?"

Without even giving much thought to it, and rendering myself standing there in front of the giant that stared me down, like a tower to an ant, I turned around.

And starting to walk away.

Walk ahead of him.

Aware that I could hear footsteps coming behind me. Footsteps that I supposed belonged to none other than Alexander McAllister.

Slow, agonizingly slow footsteps.

It was ironic because he was the one supposed to be keeping up with me, since I was walking ahead of him, but unfortunately, with the tormenting slow steps of his', I found myself walking slower to keep up with his pace.

Can you imagine?

"So what? You're going to just ignore me?" I heard him scoff behind me as I walked to his slow pace ahead, "So much for a warm welcome on a first day."

His sarcasm was like a syringe of poison to my back, but how I was able to chest it full and ignore, I had no idea.

"We both are going to get be working together in the Purchasing Department," I started to tell him instead, ignoring all the pleasantries that he was trying to dish out, "So, get ready to meet Betty and Veronica. They're bitches, but they'll most likely drool over your a*s like the rest of Ciel is doing."

"Oh yeah, what makes them bitches?" He asked me and I noticed the tease in his voice, "Did they throw some shade on your outfit?" His words stopped me dead on my tracks and I could not even stop myself from turning around to look at him.

To glare at him.

He looked unapologetic. Very unapologetic. That look of playfulness lingered on in his eyes and he didn't back down as he twitched that smile there at the corner of his lips. It was so annoying.

"Because if they did, I think it's quite justified." He shrugged nonchalantly.

I stared at him, unimpressed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked him.

I genuinely wanted to know.

I made it a dear mission to look my best for every day at Ciel, and I did that just right. I was a pro at anything that had to do with fashion, so who was he to stand here and try to make me question everything I ever knew?

"What's wrong with my outfit?" I asked him.

He raised a brow that read out 'Do you really want me to say?' to me, in clarity.

I stared still, challenging him to say his s**t already.

"It's a bit too much," He spilled, ripping a knife into my heart, "The ponytail is unnecessary, and the shade of lipstick makes it look like you're a receptionist in a kid's TV show. And what's with the pink? God damn it, lose that s**t. It's giving Disney Vibes. It's giving High School Musical.—"

My hair may have sliced through the air and made it bleed the way that I whipped my head away with a turn and walked out on him, mid sentence.

"A little quick to anger, now are we?" He laughed to himself, clearly mocking me, "Whatever, Sharpay Evans."

I swallowed a rock to stop me.from exploding at the man behind me.

God. He was even worse than I had expected. Way, way worse.

And I had barely even gotten to know him, for a fact.

"Follow me," I said with a formal tone as I took a turn to my left, heading for the elevator, and I had to even slow down my steps a bit more because I knew that he was the least bit interested in following me around.

"Maybe you can walk faster so we can get there faster?" I said to him.

"Why? I'm in no rush," He easily answered behind me.

"Well, it's a thing here to always be quick and proper, so if you're going to be here, you have to adjust to the rules." I informed him.

"Who says I want to be here?" He scoffed again behind me and I rolled my eyes so hard that I felt it at the back of my head.

"Well, in life, we don't always get everything we want," I said to him.

We walked into the elevator and I pushed the bottons, surprised that I knew them all even without the help of Richard.

Sometimes, my own ability to pick up and remember things left me completely speechless.

There was silence between me and Alexander for that time being. Then, he broke it, unfortunately.

"First thing I will agree with you on."

It was so little a mutter that I almost did not catch it. But at the spur of the moment, I heard Alexander say that to me.

I frowned, lost for a bit.

"First time agreeing with me on what?" I asked him.

"The thing you said about not being able to get everything you want from life?" He said to me, brow raised slightly as he reminded me, shook his head and chuckled, "Well, I agree. Life does suck, Sharpay."

"The name is Rachel." I deadpanned.

He looked like he genuinely could not bring himself to care less.

"Call me Miss Kelly." I instructed.

He laughed.

I didn't know why, but for some reason, something I said made him laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked him.

"Nothing," He shrugged.

"What is so funny?" I asked again, this time, my tone warning.

"It's just that I prefer to call you your nickname," He said to me.

I grind my teeth because I had an idea of what nickname he was talking about, and my mouth opened, with lips trembling with growing resentment and trigger, to ask Alexander, "What nickname?"

"Sharpay.—"

"CALL ME MISS KELLY, YOU ASSHOLE!"

Jesus Christ.

Where did that outburst come from?

That seemed to startle Alexander, but he had a look on his face that seemed to me like he was holding back laughter.

While, I, was standing there, staring up at his towering frame and brewing hot, with flames and steam blowing out of my nose and ears.

The elevator clinged open that exact moment.

With a heavy sigh that mixed with all the frustration that I felt, I stepped out and continued walking ahead of Alexander.

"Jeez, someone is cranky." The guy played fun behind me as I stormed out into the narrow, half-empty hallway that led to the work hall of the Purchase Department.

This time, I walked faster than him and I didn't give a damn about his pace. Not even a single, flying damn or two. If he liked, he could take all the time he wanted in the world and never reach his destination.

There were people around us and I had not even fully noticed or acknowledged their presence until I saw theirbeys diverting my way, or, to be honest, Alexander's way, and whispers were filling the air. There were just a few of them, a few men and women, around here, and still, the Whispers were enough to become noise.

All in the name of Alexander McAllister.

Who everyone was watching walk behind me like he couldn't care less how fast I was going.

"Damn, you really are angry, Sharpay." He teased me again and I lost it.

I turned around to face him at that point.

"I don't understand you," I said to his face.

"My father tells me that everyday," He chirped without much emotion. Shrugging nonchalantly.

"I don't understand the kind of person you are," I said again.

His smirk broadened. "Nothing new still."

"I walked in on a gangster the first day I saw you," I let out, "A mysterious man with loose screws in the head whose dream was to burn down the world with a stick of cigarette, and now, you're all—"

"Playful. Free. Unserious?" He finished for me.

Exactly.

"I still don't understand how you had the balls to take on this job," He said to me.

"Why do you keep saying that?" I frowned at him.

"From the first day I saw you, I thought you were hot as fuck.—"

"Excuse me?" I raised a brow.

"Relax, you were not hot enough to make me want to stay in this f****d Company," He bluntly said to my face.

"Excuse you!" I fired at him, poking him on the chest.

"So, I thought if I presented myself to you in the worst version, you would back down," His eyes glinted at me as he spoke, lips pursed for a moment as he added, "But, you didn't."

I almost.

If not for the fact that I wanted to prove myself to both Michael and Lyon McAllister.

"Well, I am not a quitter," I said to his face.

He shrugged. "Good for you."

"Maybe you shouldn't be one too, and decide for yourself that it's high time that you proved yourself to your father." I told him.

"I don't prove myself to anyone." He said to me.

"That's not my problem." I deadpanned, "I promised to finish my work on you, and that, I must do. Whether you like it or not, Alexander McAllister."

With that, I turned my back away and walked ahead to the Work Hall.

He would catch up with me eventually.