The color of our love

Chapter 4

Justin descended the stairs four at a time. In no time he was in front of them.

"Good evening sir," Roxy greeted him.

He nodded in response. He was rather preoccupied with this young woman who intrigued him greatly. She seemed to avoid his presence as if she feared him, and he hated that. It was the first time he'd gone to such lengths to get a woman to notice him or pay attention to him. Usually, they were the ones chasing him for a little attention, but this one didn't even want him near her; she literally trembled in his presence.

"I'll leave you now, I still have work to finish," said Roxy, faced with the increasingly heavy silence.

She slipped away, leaving them alone. After long, interminable minutes, it was Justin who broke the ice.

"Let me walk you home," he implied, more than an order, more than a suggestion.

"It sounds like you're giving me an order," she replied, daring to look him in the eyes.

"Indeed, that is an order," he acknowledged. "Now come."

He didn't even give her time to answer before he was leading her out of the hotel. A few minutes later, she was in a luxury car. He got behind the wheel and drove straight to her house.

"I see you know my address," she remarked.

"Of course, I know your exact address since it's on your file," he replied with a sly smile.

"Oh..." she replied simply.

Justin looked up and saw that she was biting her nails until they bled. He saw that she was nervous. This made him angry, an illegitimate anger he couldn't explain. The journey was made in silence. He walked her to her door, and once he was sure she was home safely, he left for his own place.

Justin arrived at his apartment and went straight to the bar. He grabbed a glass of cognac and downed it in one gulp. He had to restrain himself from exploding. He had always promised himself he would be in control of everything; he didn't want to be like his father, who had been too fragile and had died of grief. He had sworn to always control his feelings, but this young woman seemed to have shattered his efforts. He took a shower and went to bed, convinced he needed rest.

~~~

Olivia got up a little late, quickly got out of bed, took a quick shower before going outside to find Roxy, who had already finished her breakfast. She handed her a steaming cup, which she eagerly took.

"Roxy, why didn't you wake me up?" she asked her friend.

Because it's the first time in two years I've seen you sleep so peacefully. Now tell me how it ended?

Olivia rolled her eyes. Roxy was one of those people who appreciate life as it comes. She'd had a hard life. An orphan, she'd grown up in orphanages and foster homes. All she knew was that she'd been abandoned in front of the hospital where she was born. Her mother had at least had the decency to give her a name. Even though she seemed happy, Olivia knew that deep down she hoped for a better life, she longed to build a life, to start a family.

"Nothing happened, Roxy," Olivia replied.

_ You mean to say that this man, this Adonis, accompanied you just like that? I don't believe it.

_ I remind you that "this Adonis" is our boss, so a little restraint, darling. Besides, he's so cold that I just get goosebumps when I see him.

_ Yeah, right, and I'm Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Seriously Olivia, you've got a crush on him and I think he's not indifferent to you either, you seem to be ignoring it but I'll prove to you that I'm telling the truth or my name isn't Roxana Melina Gonzalez.

_ Meanwhile, we're running late. Let's go before we get kicked out of the hotel.

Roxy wanted to retaliate, but Olivia had already left. She threw her hands up in the air and vowed not to leave her side. She knew those two would end up together; she was absolutely certain of it.

~

Justin straightened his suit, went downstairs, and found his friend Kyle, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He smiled slightly. "That Kyle," he thought. His friend had this habit of drinking early in the morning. He got up as soon as he saw him. He finished his drink and placed it on the table. He greeted his friend with his ever-present smile.

"Kyle, you'll never change, always drinking early in the morning," Justin said once he reached him.

_ You know what they say, my dear friend, alcohol is like women. It's better early in the morning.

Justin remained perplexed; Kyle had these crazy theories that he often didn't understand, but he liked them because they were often full of humor.

What is the connection between drinking alcohol early in the morning and women?

Ah, my friend, what would you be without me? There's nothing better than making love early in the morning, it's so pleasurable. And drinking alcohol is even better, you should try it.

"I still don't see the connection," replied Justin, visibly more perplexed than he already was.

"To be honest, there isn't one, I love doing both early in the morning, that's all you need to know," Kyle replied, looking completely amused.

Justin shook his head slightly. Kyle had this habit of messing with his head with his convoluted analyses. Despite his ideas being difficult for him to grasp, Kyle was one of the best lawyers. That's precisely why Justin had called him. He handed him a stack of files. Truthfully, he wanted to be sure that this bastard didn't set him up.

_ Can you analyze this for me? I need to be sure I don't fall into a dead end like my father; I refuse to repeat the same thing.

"You can count on me as always," Kyle replied.

"You're a great friend, the best there is," Justin said sincerely.

"I love you too, Justin darling," Kyle replied, coming to hug him.

Something Justin hated, he knew Kyle was doing it just to make him angry, but he decided not to fall for it.

"By the way, how is our little African girl?" Kyle suddenly asked once they were in the elevator.

Justin acted as if he hadn't heard anything.

Seriously, Justin, I know you. You didn't ask me for information about her for nothing, and you know it perfectly well. I observed her before you arrived; I had the privilege of knowing your employees before you, and I can tell you that this young woman is pure. She's not like us, so leave her alone, don't break her.

That's for me to judge, Kyle. I didn't say I was interested in her. Stop giving me advice when we know you're not without fault yourself. Besides, I don't plan on dating that girl; she's just a kid.

Even though his face was impassive, Justin was seething inside. Kyle was his longtime friend, and he knew him better than anyone. He'd been right, and even if he refused to admit it, Kyle had been right. He was starting to take an interest in Olivia. He knew that if he continued, he'd end up breaking her; she was too good for him. His mind and reason told him not to go near her, but his heart, which he thought had been frozen since the Madison Parks incident, was urging him to get closer to her.