In Love After Office Hours (Wrong For You series Boxsets #7)

Twenty-Eight

"Y OU MISS HIM," ASTRID said knowingly over breakfast two weeks later. "It's written all over your face, so don't bother denying it."

Eyes that were both blue and bloodshot at the same time glared at Astrid. "I admit to not being over him, but I also believe it's just a matter of time before I learn to move on and forget about him."

No one bothered correcting Pippi, but the looks her family exchanged among each other spoke volume. They didn't believe her at all, the traitors!

On her way to work, Pippi did her best to clear her mind of all things that had to do with him, but it proved impossible. Her family might think she didn't have it in her to forget him, but she couldn't let herself lose hope like that. She had to find a way to get over him - or die trying.

Gareth Evans was already at the office when she arrived, and she couldn't help shooting him a suspicious look, saying, "It's not like you to be early, sir."

"It's not like you to come to work looking like you've been run over by a truck either," her boss pointed out dryly, "but that's life for you."

Sheesh. Pippi rolled her eyes. "Touchy much?" But she was grinning as she said the words. The one good thing that came out from her breakup was that it had somehow granted her immunity to the opposite sex, and she was now able to handle Gareth Evans' occasional flirtations without getting flustered—-

"If you're the one doing the touching...by all means."

Like now.

"Ha ha ha, Mr. Evans. Very funny."

Gareth released a sigh of mock regret. "You're no fun these days, Ms. Jones. You used to blush so easily."

She noticed him glancing at his watch as he spoke and frowned thoughtfully, trying to recall if they had any important meeting scheduled for today. Mm. She reached for her appointment book and flipped to today's page. Odd. There was nothing scheduled for today so—-

A phone alarm suddenly sounded off, and Pippi jumped in surprise.

"Finally," she heard Gareth mutter just before reaching for the remote control to switch the TV on.

Oh no.

The last time he had done this, she had ended up with a broken heart.

"Are you waiting for today's stock report?" she asked hopefully. Please say yes. Please say yes. Because if this ended up being about him again -

"Actually," Gareth drawled, "there's this indie movie I've been looking forward to watching."

"An indie movie?" She would never have thought him the type.

Gareth grimaced. "You make it sound like I'm incapable of appreciating the arts."

"Well—-"

"Don't bother answering that," her boss grumbled. "Just grab a seat and watch this with me."

"But—-"

"It's an order, Ms. Jones."

"In that case - very well, sir." She sat back down, back straight, hands on her lap, and gaze pinned to the TV. She worked hard to keep her face expressionless as well, wanting to hide her thoughts.

An indie movie, of all things!

The credits started to roll, and Pippi sent a quick prayer to God to keep her awake. It would be horribly embarrassing if -

Wait.

Her eyes widened when she realized she was staring at her face - on the TV.

She rubbed her eyes hard.

But when she returned her gaze back to the TV, she saw that it really was her still - and it appeared to be from the CCTV footage—-

"This was the first night I met her."

It was his voice, doing the narration for the movie.

"The woman I will love for the rest of my life, although at that time I didn't know it yet."

SHIT.

"Pippilotta Jones."

NO WAY.

"Most people call her Pippi or Pi. But I like to think of her as my little blusher."

JUST NO.

"And as you can see...it's something she does rather easily."

And then she heard the narration fade just as his voice - from that time - came barking out.

Are you just going to stand there like an idiot?

She knew the safest and smartest thing to do now was to leave, to forget what she had watched, but instead she turned to her boss, saying unevenly, "I don't understand..."

"It's his apology," Gareth said gently. "And it's a good one, too - if you'd take the chance to watch it until the end."

Her gaze slowly moved back to the screen.

The movie turned out to be a montage of mostly CCTV clips, artfully woven together to tell a story that was threatening to rip her heart into pieces. Although it had its moments of comic relief, it could never pass for a rom-com, with its refusal to shy away from the most painful moments of her life. And of his.

She tried her best not to cry when it showed a flashback of Acheron confronting Amelia for the way she had almost wiped his fortune in a single fortune. But then she saw they had also managed to acquire footage from her neighbors' own security cameras, and one of it showed her three Great-Aunts walking with proud expressions on their faces.

It was that day Astrid's affair had been exposed, and she gazed at her Great-Aunts with blurry eyes, her heart fit to bursting as she watched them to take things by stride.

We will weather this together, their faces seemed to say, just like we had weathered the past storms.

And in spite of her better judgment, Pippi started to cry once more in Gareth Evans' presence.

Oh, if only she could just have even a fraction of their strength...

At that point, she didn't think there could be anything else that would make her cry harder, but she was wrong.

The second half of the movie comprised of a series of interviews, and the first "guest" to show up on the screen was none other than Gareth himself.

I never thought the day would come that Acheron Simonides would come asking for my help - and I had certainly never imagined my secretary would turn out to be the only woman who could bring Simonides to his knees.

And then it was Millicent Longbourn's turn, and her words were as candid as ever.

I'll be honest - I once thought it wouldn't matter who my successor would be. I'd hate her all the same because, obviously, I'd rather have Acheron for myself. But when I met dear Pippi - let's just say I'm not the type to fight a losing battle. And I don't mean it's because I'm afraid to compete with her. I'm saying it's no good since Acheron's only got eyes for her.

Wickham and her whole family were also interviewed. Everyone was in it, even her neighbors, her old boss Mr. Collins and near the very end of the movie - there was Amelia, too.

Acheron told me that you think he loves me more because the only risks he's taken were for my sake. I guess it's true, if you're thinking about how he's risked his life and livelihood for me. He's even asked me countless times to run away with him, start a new life with him - but you know one thing he's never asked?

He's never begged me to love him.

And yet with you...

The screen suddenly went black, and Pippi started in her seat.

Was that it?

A moment later, Acheron showed up. He was alone in his living room, and he was looking directly into the camera.

"I don't mind begging over and over again. Because otherwise, it would mean I've lost you for good, and that's the one risk in this life I could never afford to lose. I love you, Pippi. Always and forever."

Gareth glanced at his secretary, saying, "In case it's escaped your notice, this movie's actually playing live on all of the company's social media platforms as well." He saw Pippi turn green at the words and suppressed a smile, thinking that a shy thing like Ms. Jones indeed had her work cut out for her once she became the billionaire's wife.

Pippi glanced at the TV and saw the camera following Acheron as he walked towards the front door.

Oh.

She rose to her feet, saying awkwardly, "Um...can I...um...?"

"Do I translate that to a request for taking the rest of the day off?"

Pippi smiled sheepishly. "Yes, sir."

Ten minutes later, and she was inside the elevator and well on her way up to see Acheron. A part of her was still terrified beyond belief, but the bigger part of her wanted to jump for joy. She would take on all the risks in the world as long as it meant they would be together.

The elevator doors slid open, and Acheron was already there.

Oh.

For several moments all she could do was stare—-

"Are you just going to stand there like an idiot?"

The familiar words made her laugh even as her eyes stung. With her heart on her sleeve, she gazed up at him, a smile wobbling to her lips as she murmured, "I'm sorry for the unseemly reaction, Mr. Simonides."

The words were more than he had allowed himself to hope, and hearing them made Acheron drew his breath sharply. If she had wanted to, she could have made him bleed first, and she would have had every right to do so.

But she hadn't.

Because she loved him.

Even after having a taste of what kind of hardships she'd face just for choosing to be with him - she loved him still.

She loved him.

Acheron slowly went down on one knee. "Take this one last risk with me, and I promise to dedicate the rest of my life to bringing you happiness. Will you marry me, Pippilotta Jones?"

––––––––

H E COMES FORWARD. TAKE this one last risk with me, and i promise I'll dedicate the rest of my life to making you happy. He goes down on one knee. Will you marry me, Pippilotta Jones?