CHAPTER NINE: UNREASONABLE
1887 Words
LIORAÉ
I stretched my neck, ready to plant my lips against his, but alarms went off in my brain. ‘THIS MAN IS YOUR BOSS!’
“Mr Vale,” I muttered as I ducked underneath his hand, slipping away before I did something I would regret. “Did you need me for something?”
I forced myself to say it even though those weren't the words bubbling inside of me. He blinked and turned. I had stood in an open space where there was no way for him to trap me as he had done with the door earlier.
“Who was that and what did he want?”
“A staff of yours and he was just saying hello,” I lied.
He was already too invested in my personal life; I did not need to drag him into more of it. I straightened my back and pulled my blouse down.
“He did not look like a staff,” he murmured, his jaw tickling and the air in the room dropping by several degrees.
“Maybe you want to invite him in here and ask yourself?” My chin raised in the air. He pulled a smirk as he covered the distance between us. “Sir,” I added, feeling my throat bopping as he drew closer.
“Lioraé, you belong to me, and I do not like to share.” His finger trailed my jawline carefully as if he was trying to invoke a reaction out of me.
“I do not belong to you!” I made sure he heard how firm I was being about it. “Not to you, not to anyone,” I added.
He smirked again and tilted his head. “I will ask for the last time.” He pulled my chin with his fingers and leaned in. “Who is he?” His voice came out in a bare whisper, air from his face fanning mine.
“This is a workplace, and you are out of line, sir,” I murmured, trying to keep my cool. “If you do not stop, then I might have to report you for workplace harassment.”
“Then we should meet after work.”
“I can’t, sir; I have an appointment.”
“It is part of your work responsibilities,” he added, and when my eyebrow went up in confusion, he clarified. “You would be required to work overtime and be compensated accordingly.”
I knew from his expression that it was in the contract I had signed. Too bad I did not read it.
“If that would be all, then I should really get back to work.”
“Work from in here today,” he said before I could manoeuvre around him and slip out. My hands froze at the handle and curled back towards me. “In fact, I would have them put your table in here and work from in here.”
“I can’t, sir,” I said with a head shake. “I have to be out there to make sure that no one comes in here without first clarifying that they are on your schedule, and I doubt I would be able to get any work done in here,” I added the last part in a lower voice.
“Then I would employ someone else.”
“It seems like you have enough to throw around? Why don't you give me some of it?”
“Sure, if you would just give me your account number, I would be sure to…” I raised my hand in the air and waved it around rapidly.
“I was joking; my salary is quite enough for me to live.” I opened the door and stepped out at once.
As I lowered myself into the chair, I could not help but compare Evan and Soren. Soren was far better than he was, and there had barely been any interaction between us yet. I sighed as I pulled open my laptop and got to work.
Evan kept on sending messages, and by lunch, he was at my table once again.
“Did you get my messages?”
“I did.”
“And you ignored them?”
“Shouldn’t I have?” I asked with a blink, and he frowned. His ego was hurt, and that was the one thing he hated the most.
“Let us get lunch and put all of this behind us. This is the best we can all do,” he said. Like, the reason we were fighting was because he forgot my favourite ice cream flavour.
“Get this behind us?” I murmured as I nodded gently. I was trying to understand what he meant by 'get this behind us'. “What does that mean?”
“I am human, and I can make mistakes, so you should cut me some slack.”
I scoffed and slammed my open palm into the table, rising slowly until we were at the same level. “Mr Evan Mercer, I have broken up with you, and I do not want to cut you any slack.”
“Lioraé, you are…”
“Being unreasonable?” I cut him off. He gulped and nodded. “Am I being unreasonable when I caught you cheating on me on the same night you asked me to marry you?” I asked.
My throat tightened and began to itch even though I could not reach it.
“It was a mistake, the kind that would only happen once.”
“Did it happen only once?”
“What…a…are…” he stuttered, unable to form a sentence.
“From the way you were all over those girls, I would find it hard to believe that was your first time.”
I was only assuming, but seeing the way his neck stiffened, I was right. Like a fool, I stayed beside this man while he slept round, having foursomes with harlots. I gulped and shook my head.
“I am really such a fool to have believed you all this time.”
“Lioraé…”
“No, Evan,” I raised a finger in his face, pressing my lips into a thin line. “I want nothing to do with you ever again. If you approach me, then I would have no choice but to call the police and report you for stalking.”
“Stalking? Lioraé, we are engaged.”
“I returned your ring already….”
“Ms Alcott, I have an important and urgent meeting over lunch; you have to come and take notes.” Soren’s voice cut in before I could ramble.
When I looked up, I realised that Soren must have stood there long enough to hear the conversation. Evan shifted from the front of the desk to the side, stumbling over his feet until he had cleared off.
I knew there was no meeting over lunch. What game was he trying to play with me right now? I nodded regardless, thanking him for saving me from whatever rabbit hole I was about to go down.
I picked up all of my essentials and pushed them into my bag before I walked to the elevator, Soren following behind every stride, causing a wave of frozen time through the office. Once we were alone in his private elevator, I let out a breath I had no idea I was holding.
“I thought he was just my staff?”
“How much did you hear?”
“I want you to tell me everything.” He sounded like I did not have a choice with him. I shook my head and stared at our reflection in the glass of the elevator door. With his hands in his pockets behind me, his eyes stayed fixed on me through the glass.
“He was the reason I was at the bar that night. He proposed and then went upstairs with three women and they were having s*x,” I said. Why was I explaining to him?
He shifted closer, the heat from his body radiating against mine. “I was foolish to have loved him and thought that my life was going to be with him but he thought so little of me; it’s actually too embarrassing.”
“Lioraé…”
“I know, I know how pathetic i seem and I lied so you don’t think I am a train wreck ready to explode. I won't let him get in the way of my work. I can assure you that I would be as effective as…”
I only stopped and looked up when I felt his hand rest on my shoulders. He had moved, and I did not realise it. I took a deep breath when our eyes met, a confused set of emotions swirling in his grey eyes.
“I am not worried you won’t do well.”
“Oh!”
“I am just worried that the man who hurt you seems to be doing well while you are hurting.”
“I am over it,” I lied.
“Lies”
“It does not matter if it is true or not. What really matters is that I can do the work,” I replied.
“Do you want me to fire him?”
“As much as I would love that, I do not see the reason you would do that for me.”
“Because you are mine.”
Those words left a sting against my skin. Evan had said that I was his, and yet see how it turned out.
“I do not belong to you or anyone else,” I muttered, and his hands fell to his sides. “The only relationship between us is that of boss and assistant,” I muttered.
I feel like I had overreminded him of this way too many times in just the two days we had spent together. I cleared my throat, ready to change the topic from me to work. I looked down at my tablet, tapping on it until I came across his calendar.
“This meeting isn’t in your calendar. Do you want me to add it and move things around so it does not affect your other schedules?”
“We are just having lunch; it won't be long.”
“Where is it?” I asked, and when his gaze lingered and lips stayed shut, I explained. “So I can call and confirm the reservation.
“I have already confirmed it.”
“Next time, sir, I can handle all of that.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s my job after all.”
When we stepped into the restaurant, once again empty at lunch break, I could tell that this was a repeat of last night.
“If I had asked you to have lunch with me, you would have refused.”
“Rightfully so,” I said with a nod.
“It’s just lunch and nothing more.”
“Then why did you rent out the entire space?”
“So you do not feel too burdened by it.”
“This burdens me even more.”
“I will keep that in mind next time.”
- Writer
