Love me like you loathe me

Chapter9

I hated it.

Everything was in the fancy lobby of the old government building, which was now a modern real estate firm. There were leather sofas, green plants, and posters, as well as a shiny marble floor and dim, comfortable lighting.

Everything was made for people to be awed inside the oldest house in town, standing inside the entrance, having Mike drop me off, and telling me to act nice.

I had new shoes and a dress that probably didn’t fit, but I didn’t care since I knew that Lewis wasn’t going to hire me anyway.

My next stop was employment in a restaurant I had already applied for. It was right after this one, and then Mike couldn’t complain to me about not paying the bills or not having tried to ease a truce with his precious best friend.

“Miss Stratton?” I nodded and got up, not smiling at the woman in the front desk, probably knowing the whole story about me being her boss's best friend's younger sister, asking if I wanted anything with me shaking my head, wanting nothing from her or this place, holding my tablet hard against my body, following her towards the office with a significant golden plaque was on the door that made me scoff before even seeing him - Lewis Caldwell, real estate agent.

“Oh god…” I had stepped inside, and to my frown, he was still on the phone, giving me a soft nod like we liked each other or could even stand being in the same room. I was shown the leader's seat before the desk, still staring suspiciously at the wandering man with his hand casually inside the dress pants, with rolled-up sleeves and, to my surprise, suspenders to match his pants.

“Yes, that’s right, that’s what the sellers want… let me call you back about that…” He was smirking, turning around, and giving the thumbs up to the woman who beamed back at him, being pregnant and glowing, to my scoff, so that’s why I was here, she was leaving, and I was just here to put down the pay he was spending on a temp.

She looked great compared to me, huddled down and staring at the man, ignoring me with a flowery dress and new sneakers.

“Oh… hello Stephanie, sorry about that... "I had to take it…big turn over…” He was still grinning with a great white smile that made me stare at him speechless. I still wasn’t used to seeing him like this, all prim and proper and not trashing around my fridge in search of something to eat.

“Whatever….” I had sunk down more in my seat, my legs parted, and gave him a scoff, starting at me like he didn’t like me looking like someone who was here against their will. He was basically keeping me hostage with money since I had none!

Lewis was about to say something, carving his arched lips like he was about to tell me to sit up straight. This made me even more annoyed when his phone started to ring again. He dropped his hard gaze on me and smiled like he was seeing the person face to face and not just answering his phone!

“They settled? "Rachel, that’s great! "We will get lunch next week, my treat!” He was hanging up the phone and doing a fist like he was celebrating a touchdown more than getting the sale of a property I had just witnessed.

“We just closed the deal on the beach estate, got the paperwork done, would you please, Samira?” he was smiling brightly at the woman, who nodded, taking her leave and leaving me with the celebrating jerk that had forgotten I was still inside the room, loosening his tie like he had been working hard to my scoff which made him turnaround from the big window he was facing and giving me a smirk only reserved for when nobody was looking inside his stupid office!

“Well, Stephanie…. "You’re on time at least…” he was looking at the clock on his arm. It looked expensive. I think he spent half the money he made on this business on stuff and cars he wanted, since he grew up dirt poor and spent all his time at my parents’ place instead of his own.

“I can leave it, that’s what you want?” I got up, screw him and his long-prepared torment of having me under his thumb. I would have made it without him having me at his mercy!

“No, no stay… I'm just surprised you showed up this time since Mike told me that you weren’t that happy about working here….” His eyes were burrowing down deeper, crossing his arms and making me stare at him, looking so damn arrogant that I wanted to puke. He had better not think that I was here to watch him power play me, no matter how silent I was around him.

“I’m not happy, I mean...” I said back confidently to his eyes, changing from superior to annoyed. He was ready to watch me crawl in the dirt before him, the same guy that used to make me beg him to stop taking my stuff when we were kids and then pushed me out of my brother’s room as a teenager.

“Yes, I can tell, since you didn’t even dress properly for an interview…” he was still mocking my outfit doing a sigh and sitting down on his deck, leaning his long legs and looking like he didn’t know what to do with me being here and holding on for my dear life to the real work I was going to show him before he decided to start acting like himself, a jerk with no heart, smirking when I was crying all my life, making sure that people knew that I was weird, and taking Mike along with him.

“Well, clearly, you are hired, but…” he put up his hand and gestured at me, to my scowl. Didn’t he like the way I dressed? Well, nobody was surprised since there wasn’t anything he liked about me. He gave me another face before finally sitting down, sighing in the process over the generous god he believed himself to be.

“Didn’t Mike take you shopping last week?” he was still staring at me when I didn’t answer. Lewis knew more about everything Mike did than me, and we both knew that, so why was he even asking me? I scowled back, wanting to leave and apply for the next job down the street. I could even juggle if that’s what people wanted if I didn’t have to sit here and be judged by the only guy who hated me more than my ex!

“He did.” I was snappy back, my fierce eyes not leaving him, who nodded like he knew, to my annoyance, that this was a waste of time. I got up and wanted to go. The hamburger gig sounded more alluring because I was inside this office every second!

“He let you choose, didn’t he? Yeah, always been too soft on you….” I inhaled, hearing him mumble that last part about Mike that I disagreed with, my chest hurting seeing his cunning eyes catching mine, smiling, knowing he had hit me right where he wanted, that he had taken my brother and was dangling him before me being hurt.

“Alright… I don’t have time today, but… we’ll get you something better… or maybe Allie can help…” he said calmly when I didn’t answer, angry and knowing that if I did, Mike was going to call me and accuse me of ruining my chances of my own money, and the precious chance the jerk before me was offering!

“Anyway… Samira will work her last week and try to ensure you can get the organization right and the drill, but… You should know I’m not carrying you forever like this, since she is returning, and you are just a temp…” Lewis was still staring at me seriously, to my own nod, not wanting to show him that he was hurting me again, telling me I was just someone he needed right now. When I was done, he wouldn’t care about me since this was just a favor to Mike, as always when he did something nice.

“I understand….” My voice had dropped, and I wanted to leave with him staring unfriendly. I sat down awkwardly, trying not to wring my hand too much, ready to take my bag and go.

I had dinner with Jimmy and didn’t want to spend another second in the company of a guy who made me miserable around the clock. I was done with all that.

“Don’t be late, and don’t show up dressed like that…” Lewis sighed, seeing my sneakers pointing towards the colorful dress reaching my ankles. He wanted me to look like the pregnant woman who had been greeting me, in a long white maternity dress that made her look even more appropriate than me. For some reason, I just couldn’t get it right, no matter how much I tried.

“I got it, Lewis, don’t show up late and don’t look weird…” his cold eyes shifted to my mocking voice, letting him know I still hated him, even if Mike had told me not to be rude.

I couldn’t hide the distaste I felt seeing him again after all the years of him bullying me, my stomach burning from meeting his stern eyes across the big room in his office.

He was still the same monster that took my brother away from me, leaving me alone and an outcast for most of my life before finally leaving this place. Now I had to be back here and grovel in the dirt before him; it made me sick.

“Great… now that we got that out of the way….” I was already on my feet when Lewis started talking again, his mouth open, staring at me, scowling back, picking up my bag, which was handwoven. It made me look even more out of place in this stiff box of suits and empty spaces.

“…I’m leaving, I know…” I sneered. My mood dropped below zero when I walked inside this building and saw him, the charming devil in disguise. As always, time hasn’t changed much for us.

Lewis dropped his arched eyebrows, dark and heavy, the same as him, and nodded before leaning back in his big, expensive chair, holding a pen and twisting it around his emotionless face, like he suddenly forgot that he was going to say anything to me. Still, whatever it was, I didn’t want to hear it.

“See you Monday, Stephanie…and don’t be late…” I gritted my teeth, hearing the sarcastic voice walking out of his office, my cheap sneakers smacking down the glossy floors. Why did I let him get to me every time?