Chapter 6
Aoi
I wake up with a maddening headache, feeling like a boulder sinking deeper into the bottom of a lake.
Ever since this morning, my phone has constantly been buzzing and ringing with messages and calls from Dixon, urging me to get my ass to work. So, I’m not in the least surprised when he assaults me with questions the moment I step into his line of sight.
“What were you up to last night? Why didn’t you pick up my calls? You better not have been screwing around in shady places.”
“Of course not. You know I’m a good boy,” I say, not really hiding the sarcasm in my tone.
His jaw drops, hanging lower than Buddha’s earlobes as he scowls at me, outraged.
“Oh no, you did not. Aoi, why the hell do you have to do shit like that before the press conference? What if word gets out that you fuck around, God knows where? What if your circumstances get pulled out of proportion and your reputation gets ruined before you even get the chance to expose your identity? Stop acting like a reckless teenager and act your age.”
He storms off toward the elevator, waiting for me to catch up. No matter how furious he is, he won’t be for too long, and eventually, he will ask me about how my night went.
Once a gossip girl, always a gossip girl.
As expected, the second the doors close, he turns toward me and crosses his arms, waiting for me to speak. Seeing that I won’t say a word, he takes it upon himself to worsen my headache.
“You’ve got to at least tell me how it happened?
Where did y’all go? You were with Rachel, I presume.
She’s drop-dead gorgeous, yet you always seem so indifferent.
” He shakes my shoulders, almost giving me a concussion.
He frowns when I laugh, hiking both hands on his hips.
“First, you ignore my texts and calls, and then you refuse to spill the tea about your steamy night?”
I roll my eyes at him fussing over something as unimportant and uninteresting as the guy I fucked last night. I don’t see myself coming out to him in an elevator because he’s too curious about my last fuck.
“Why do you even care? We met up last night, talked a bit, and ended the night in my hotel room. Nothing more, nothing less,” I explain, internally begging the Lord for a way out of this conversation.
Dix huffs, unsatisfied by my answer and about to push for more, when the elevator doors open, and I step out. He stalks behind me, opening the conference room’s glass door for me.
I smile, sharpening my tone. “Not another word now, okay? The whole company doesn’t need to know my personal business.”
Mr. Williams appears right in front of us like a bad joke.
“Oh, but do tell us about your personal business, Aoi. I’m really curious about your little secrets.
” He claps his hands together and viciously gapes at Dixon.
“But apparently, you don’t tell your dear manager either.
What a shame. And here I thought you two were friends. ”
I scratch an invisible itch on my nape and rush to my seat. There’s no way I’ll tell my freaking boss that I had sex with Aiden Morgan. Talk about scandalous.
“We are, but private matters have no place during work hours.” I glance at my manager, who mouths an apology. “I’m sure you agree.”
“Of course I do,” he laughs richly and plops down in his seat next to mine. “But you could tell me all about it after work. How about dinner tonight?”
“That would be highly inappropriate, sir.”
“Aren’t you sweet?” he teases, and I’m tempted to perform a satanic ritual to sacrifice his wretched soul.
The rest of the people present in the room take place around the long oval desk, and the meeting soon begins.
For at least half an hour, we discuss the details of the press conference scheduled for Monday in two weeks and tomorrow’s photo shoot.
I listen attentively as I get briefed about the planned events.
It’s mind-blowing how fast they organized all of this.
It was only yesterday morning that I announced my not-so-meticulously curated idea, yet they’ve already scheduled the necessary appointments.
I just want to go home and sleep for the rest of the day. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about any of this, even if it was my idea. Everything is just so exhausting.
“Tonight, we’ll celebrate at the Grand Air Hotel. The entire team is invited, as well as the rest of our flourishing authors and some A-list celebrities,” Mr. Williams declares, extremely proud of his achievements and his visibly already perfected guest list.
He shoots me a telling glance. I must attend, and I won’t be given a chance to run away before at least greeting half the guest list.
***
I get ready for the soiree by wearing my most expensive suit and arriving in a limousine, as requested by the boss.
Personally, it makes more sense to be more modest and take my own car, but he insists I flaunt the privileges bestowed upon me by his generosity.
It’s all just pretense. He wants me to look like royalty while treating me like a replaceable asset.
How convenient to make it seem like he dotes on me when he makes millions off my back.
Greed is truly a sin.
The hotel is as grandiose as ever, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceilings and a splendid red velvet carpet covering the entrance.
Who knows how much of our budget has been blown for this unnecessarily luxurious party.
If the hotel didn’t belong to the boss, this event would be even more expensive.
I start the evening by greeting my fellow coworkers, until I’m caught by Mr. Williams and forced to converse with renowned figures I haven’t the slightest clue about.
While he’s too busy discussing boring affairs with his guests, I manage to slip into a hallway farther away from the main room to catch my breath.
“I can’t do this,” I sigh, exasperated from socializing.
“Can’t do what?” a familiar voice rips me out of my reverie.
I spin around and meet Aiden’s handsome face. Of all the people I could have stumbled into, it just had to be him. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He laughs, his voice low and devilish. “I’m staying at this hotel.”
“Leave me alone, will you?”
“Nah.”
I roll my eyes and fiddle with the cuffs of my suit, sensing the scar burn under the fabric. “Why are you here?”
“I told you. I’m staying at this hotel.”
I cock a brow. “So, you just happen to be in the same hotel as me the night after we…you know? I don’t believe you.”
“Maybe I missed you so much I stalked you and found out that you were here tonight?”
I gawk at him in disbelief, but then he starts laughing. “God, you’re adorable. Don’t worry. This is all just a coincidence.”
As if the hundreds of people in the main hall weren’t enough to drive me nuts, now I have to hear him spout a year’s worth of nonsense.
I bite my bottom lip. “Can’t you just pretend not to know me? I’m here for work. I don’t have the luxury to get into trouble for-”
“Fucking me?” he finishes in my stead. “You wound me, Aoi. I can’t just pretend that torrid night never happened.”
“Shh!” I hastily cover his mouth. “Don’t say shit like that so loudly. What if someone overhears?”
Frowning and glaring at his attitude, I pull him into a dark and hidden corner, farther away from the commotion. I sense him smirk under my palm and yank my hand away as I feel the contact of his tongue against my skin.
“What the hell?” I slap his arm. “Stop that.”
Aiden laughs, taking a step closer toward me and caging me between his body and the wall. “You can’t imagine my disappointment when I woke up this morning, and you weren’t there.”
“I had no obligation to stay. Thought that was obvious,” I scoff. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had a one-night stand before?”
“You were my first time with a man.”
“Yeah, right.”
I carefully push him out of my way to get back to the party before someone notices I’m gone. Aiden grabs my wrist the same way he did the previous night at the bar.
“Where are you going?”
“Back to work,” I say curtly, making him frown.
He lets go of my wrist and smiles cockily instead. “Then at least give me your number.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “You can do that much for me, don’t you think?”
“No.” I start walking away, and oddly enough, he follows after me. “Stop following me, you stalker.”
“If you don’t give it to me, I’ll come find you where you work and make a scene.”
Fucking hell, why do I always stumble across weird men? I need a fucking drink.
“You’ve gotta be kidding.”
“I’ve never been more serious, baby.”
“Don’t call me that.”
His smirk widens. “But you love it. Don’t you remember how you clenched around my cock last night after I called you baby? You can deny it, but we both know it’s true.”
I flush and scan our surroundings. “Shut up.”
“So?” He grins, hovering over me with his tall build.
“Fine, but don’t fucking call.”
He hands me his phone, and I type my number in. He gives it a call–unbothered by what I just told him not to do–then grabs my hand and presses a kiss to the back of it.
“It was a pleasure seeing you again, Aoi.” He winks, his lips grazing my skin. “See you soon.”