Chapter 69 #2
“I don’t compromise on who I am. That world is full of shit that will try to compromise you.
I just refuse to let it into my personal life.
I travel with Alfie for certain projects, but mostly I live in London and design from there.
I live in a small one-bedroom. It’s understated and relatively cheap.
Of course, he hates it, doesn’t want his top designer living in a hovel, but it’s none of his business where I live.
” I followed him up the stairs as he talked.
What he said made a lot of sense except for one thing.
“But Alfie is my personal life. I can’t exactly tell him to give up his penthouses and mansions and move into a one-bedroom with me.”
“Why not? He probably would.”
We reached the top of the stairs and Riley began the series of turns that I was pretty sure would lead us to Alfie’s office.
“You overestimate my power.”
“Nah, love. I think you underestimate it.” I didn’t know how to respond to that so I said nothing. If I had power, how come I was the one in the passenger seat? Hell, I wasn’t even in the passenger seat anymore. I was in the back, strapped into a kids’ car seat.
As we approached Alfie’s office the sound of female laughter echoed down the hall. I looked up at Riley, who had a grim expression on his face. I sighed as another giggle permeated the air.
“Well, you did say he was dick-deep in work.” It was a lame joke that fell flat.
“They’re not what you think they are,” he said gently. I believed him, but it didn’t help.
“But they are something,” I muttered, knowing that Riley wouldn’t give me any answers. I didn’t want to go in there. I wanted to go back outside and look at my designs some more but of course, my feet would take me to wherever Alfie was.
Riley knocked and opened the door without waiting for a response. I was greeted by a painfully familiar sight. Alfie seated at his desk, a dark look on his face as Angie stood at his side, arms folded. We all stared at each other for a moment before Riley cleared his throat.
“Sorry for commandeering your girl. I wanted to show her the designs for the Evergarden. They look great by the way.” I could have kissed Riley then. He knew what the garden meant to Alfie. He was trying to bring him back to me, but Alfie’s mask was firmly in place and he didn’t even flinch.
“I look forward to seeing them.” His tone chilled me.
“I sent a copy to Angie this morning.” Riley sounded confused. “As it was pertaining to Lola I assumed she would have shown you immediately.”
“We’ve been busy.” Angie placed a manicured hand on Alfie’s shoulder. I really hated this woman.
“I bet you have.” Sick of the formalities, I stepped into the room, kicked off my shoes, and took a seat on the leather couch where Alfie had fed me Chinese food a week ago. Angie eyed my discarded shoes with a smirk and turned to Alfie.
“Maybe you should send her to those etiquette classes after all.” She gave me a sneering smile and out of nowhere, an old remnant of the fire inside me ignited my tongue.
“Maybe he should send you to the trash heap of loser PAs who never got to fuck their boss.” Riley burst out laughing but Alfie didn’t look impressed. Mike was doing a very good impression of Elliot’s trademark stoicism. Angie stuck out her lip.
“Alfie, I’m sorry but I can’t work like this.
I’ve known you for ten years. I don’t deserve to be verbally abused by your…
girlfriend .” She folded her arms, and she actually looked like she was close to tears.
I rolled my eyes. Riley snorted, decidedly unconvinced.
Before I could send another scathing retort her way, Alfie sat forward in his seat and with just that small movement, the whole room stood to attention. The boss was taking over.
“Thank you, Riley.” Without another word, he dismissed my only ally.
Riley gave me a small nod as he left the room.
Alfie’s gaze turned next on Mike, giving him a wordless instruction to get the hell out, which he followed immediately.
I was next. He fixed those steel greys on me and I tried not to wilt under his stare.
“Lola, apologise.” Instead of wilting, I burst out laughing. Not a fucking chance.
“Lola,” Angie took a step towards me, her hands folded in front of her, “I know that you have a grudge of some kind against me, but I was really hoping that considering how you’re going to be travelling with us, you might be able to let it go.
” Her voice was sickeningly sweet. I stared at her, my mouth open.
“You’re fucking crazy, you know that?” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“Lola,” Alfie snapped and I winced. Daddy’s home .
Alfie glared at me for another moment before turning to Angie.
“Leave us.” She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, as if I was the errant child needing discipline and she was the supporting wife.
She stopped in front of me and gave me a simpering smile.
“I really do hope we can be friends.” Then she left before I could strangle her. I was too angry to sit. I flew off the couch and turned to Alfie, arms folded, eyes blazing.
“You aren’t seriously falling for that, are you?” I skewered him with my gaze but he just sat there, cold and impassive, bearing no resemblance to the man who had taken such gentle care of me last night.
“Uncross your arms.”
I paused, his instruction shocking me out of my rage.
“What?”
“Your posture reeks of attitude and I don’t care for it.
Uncross your arms, and fold your hands in front of you.
” Without thinking my body obeyed him. I looked down at my now demure posture.
I felt instantly cowed by my new pose. “Better,” he said.
I looked up at him, waiting for my Alfie to snap back into play, but I was still dealing with Mr Tell.
“Lola, this is my company and Angie is my employee. You don’t like her and that is your choice, but you will be civil.”
“I am civil,” I argued, my teeth clenched together. He gave me a steadying look.
“You called her crazy.”
“Well, if the red stiletto fits…”
“Enough. Lola, I try to bend with you when I can but this is where I draw the line. I cannot allow my girlfriend to create an inhospitable work environment for my staff. It is bad for business. I will tolerate your moods, but not to the point where they reflect badly on me.” I opened my mouth to argue but he raised a hand and my words got stuck in my throat.
“This is a lesson on how I expect you to behave in the future. If you are upset then you will swallow it and smile anyway. You can be angry with me in private, but here, in front of my employees, you will not embarrass me.”
“I didn’t mean to but she baited me. How can you, the master of manipulation, not see that?”
“I do see it and I will speak to her privately but she isn’t going anywhere.
If you can’t learn to be civil with her then I will have to keep the two of you separated.
Considering how much time I have to spend with her, you will come off worse.
” I saw visions of them spending late nights at the office while I stayed alone in a penthouse suite, waiting for him to come home.
I would rather swallow her sneers and smirks a billion times than spend a single night like that.
I sighed and hugged my arms around myself, wishing they were his arms instead.
“I hate this.”
“I know. Your blood runs hot and thick. You’re passionate, possessive, and easily jealous.
I carry those qualities too and I don’t hold them against you, but you will learn to control them in public.
” His instructions were clear and my stubborn side barely squeaked at his audacious orders.
She didn’t care anymore. She was tired of the fight, and so was I.
He won. He always won.
I nodded, hoping he would come to me now, kiss me, and let me back in again, but apparently my punishment wasn’t over yet. I still had a lesson to learn. He gestured to the sofa.
“You will sit and wait until we’re finished.” I searched his face for some sign of my Alfie, but came up empty. He wasn’t in there and for once I felt powerless to bring him back to me. But as always, I had to try.
“Alfie…” I wiped my eyes. I was so damned tired and my swollen cheek throbbed but I tried to make sense of my thoughts.
To tell him what I needed him to know. “I’ve felt the cords of your power constricting around me over these last weeks, weakening me one fight at a time, and the weaker I get, the less strength I have to pull you out of your monochrome world and into my colourful one. ”
“Your point?” He feigned disinterest, but the way his eyes fixed on mine I knew he was anything but indifferent underneath his frozen exterior.
“My point is that you’re robbing me of the power to do the very thing I know deep down you want me to do.
I don’t know which one of us hates it more.
Believe it or not, I think it’s probably you.
” His jaw stiffened, ticking…ticking. I waited to see if he would come back to me but his mask didn’t budge.
“You will sit and wait until we are finished.” He repeated his instruction and I sighed, defeated.
Part of me wanted to go to him and coax him back to me but anger tinged with fear kept me where I was.
If I pushed it he might just send me back to The Carlton to wait there alone.
Weeks ago, I would have flipped him off and flounced out of there, but now I just slid my feet back into my shoes and resumed my seat on the coach.
How can this be the same man that held me in the bath last night and washed Adam away?
Tears threatened but I blinked them back. I wouldn’t give either of them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
Alfie ran his steely gaze over me and once he was satisfied that I was going to behave myself, he called Angie back into the room.
She sauntered over to him, smirking at me over his shoulder as she took her seat beside him.
I sat on the couch, with nothing to do except watch them and ruminate on my dark thoughts.
I didn’t pay attention to their words. I didn’t care what they were talking about.
I cared that her hand landed on his arm, squeezing his bicep gently.
He eyed me but I said nothing. For once, I kept my fucking mouth shut.
See Alfie? I’m learning.