Chapter 17 A Nuisance
A Nuisance
Anika
The familiar buzz of her phone drew her out of the small reprieve she’d managed to cocoon herself in at a local coffee shop.
It was only lunch time, the work day dragging on as constant paperwork—both digital and physical—piled up on her desk.
Anika had barely had a moment to take a breath, mind constantly whirring and working.
Escaping the confines of her office, she’d tucked herself away for a quick lunch, but the constant string of notifications on her phone prevented complete solace. Setting her coffee cup down, she unlocked her phone to find the usual suspect flooding her messages.
Levi.
Ever since the warehouse showing, he’d been texting her.
At first, it’d been harmless, an occasional check in about her thoughts on the property—she’d passed it up, unable to get over the sense of dirtiness clinging to it—and if she was interested in others.
She wasn’t. Yet it never deterred him. If anything, he fought harder, eager to weasel his way into her life.
While her interest in him was waning, she couldn’t help but soak up the attention and pathetic nature he exuded around her. It had a small smirk spreading across her face.
Men are so utterly pitiful, she thought while messaging him back.
Somewhere along the way, he’d gotten more personal, more focused on her and her life.
Levi was rapt when it came to her job, her lifestyle—since she was somehow still a single thirty-one year old—and anything else he even remotely discovered about her.
In all her years away from grade school, she’d forgotten what it was like to have a clingy man around.
Especially these days. Most men veered out of her path, the coldness settling into her eyes forcing them to steer clear of her. It was a side effect of her tragic upbringing, but she preferred it this way. It allowed her to think and focus on herself.
Until now…
Levi: Are you free to grab lunch right now?
Rolling her eyes, she hit send on her own text.
Sadly, no. Work has me running a three person job. Alone :Anika
Levi: Boo
Levi: How about later? Dinner?
You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you? :Anika
Levi: I will but I’ll be sad :(
Anika stifled her derisive snort, taking a sip of her hot coffee. The strength of the beans made the corners of her eyes crinkle.
You don’t even know me, how can you be sad :Anika
Levi: I know that I love talking with you, no matter the occasion
A few seconds passed, the dots dancing across the bottom of her screen while she waited for him to double text, again.
Levi: C’mon, just one date and if you don’t like me, I’ll leave you alone
Oh, so it’s a date now…not dinner? :Anika
She really didn’t give a fuck what he labeled it, she was only giving him a hard time because she was bored.
Levi: It can be whatever you want it to be
Do you do this to everyone you give showings to? :Anika
Levi: No only you
She scoffed. Sure.
Does your boss know? :Anika
Levi: No, he’s too busy to care about what I’m doing
Anika felt her brow arch in interest; duly noted.
And if we have dinner and I hate you, you’ll delete my number? :Anika
Levi: Whatever you want
Dangerous words to say to a stranger :Anika
Levi: You’re hardly a stranger
Levi: So, is that a yes?
Persuasive little twat. She’d admit that Levi was attractive, someone most women would fawn over, but she found him to be slimy. Besides, her life wasn’t meant for finding love. It was forged for revenge.
Which had an idea popping into her head.
She was certain Mikko had her in his crosshairs, their interaction outside her gym all she needed to know.
While it’d been unexpected, she knew it was only a matter of time before he let his compulsive tendencies win.
From her own personal research and experience, Anika knew he tried to remain unfeeling and unreadable in the face of others, but there were telltale signs of his facade cracking.
She’d heard rumors and murmurs of his men spreading their dissent. Comments of him “being too young” or “too emotional for the ruthless family business” or “he’s nothing at all like his father.” The last one had piqued her interest a couple weeks ago. How could Alek’s spawn not be like him?
It was an impossible feat, one Anika wanted to discover for herself.
Levi: Man, you’re playing hard to get with me right now, aren’t you?
His persistence reminded her of her own. Maybe fate had a reason for allowing her to meet Levi. Another sip of her coffee had the feelings in her chest settling as another layer of her mind unraveled itself.
I’ll only agree if you take me to my favorite restaurant :Anika
Levi: Done
* * *
A FAINT KNOCK sounded on the frame of her office door. Expecting a fellow coworker heading out for the day, she glanced up—
What the fuck.
There, standing with his hands behind his back, was Levi. His icy gaze tracked her movements, something coy laying in wait there. Anger pooled in her gut; she’d never given him her work address.
“Didn’t expect you to be tucked all the way back here in your own office,” he began, voice easygoing like she’d invited him here.
Keeping her fury in check, she cocked her head. “Not sure what you mean by that”—she glanced at her watch—“and you’re early.”
“Nervous habit.” Doubtful. “You’ve got a nice view though,” he continued, stepping into her space.
She noted the exquisite detailing of his suit, the price of it more than her mortgage payment if she had to guess.
And as soon as she was about to counter, his hands unveiled what had been hiding behind his back.
A bouquet of flowers.
A romantic gesture to most, but her extensive plant knowledge couldn’t help but force her to linger on what kind of flowers he’d brought.
Leafy ferns were the backdrop to golden columbines and vibrant purple snapdragons.
Fascination, foolishness, and deception.
Did he know what this meant? Surely he had to, but Anika wasn’t entirely sure his brain functioned so acutely.
Her teeth gritted. Through text, he seemed eager like she was his first ever date, but now he was off-putting.
Even last week when she’d walked through the warehouse with him, he’d been lighter.
Maybe he’d set his sights on trying to persuade her to buy from Romanov Real Estate.
Most people were either too scared to work with them or too scared to turn them down.
She had a feeling Levi was hardly ever told no.
Glancing over her shoulder, the act of taking her eyes off him hopefully giving him false hope of her faux comfortability, she said, “Worked hard for this office. How does it compare to the one in your tall tower over at Romanov Real Estate?”
“It’s close.” His grin widened as he ran a hand through his short, blond hair.
“Guess real estate pays well.”
“It has its pros.”
“Like picking up female clients?”
Levi’s smile might’ve reached his eyes, but there was something weird about it. She knew he was playing with her, watching her reactions and cataloging everything. There wasn’t much to notice, most of it hidden behind the facade she wanted him to see, but it annoyed her all the same.
Is he going to report back to Mikko? Or does he have his own motives?
Men had a habit of trying to thaw her exterior, claiming she needed to “smile more,” but the only connection she craved was the wicked promise of retribution. Levi would do well to learn that quickly.
“I swear this is the first time I’ve done this,” he answered.
“Of course, it’s rude of me to assume. It’s as they say, ‘innocent until proven guilty.’”
“Innocent isn’t the word I’d use, but…” he trailed off, his words painful to hear.
“And there’s plenty I’d use, but we’ll start with ‘I still have thirty minutes left of work.’”
He leaned forward, setting the flowers down on her desk. Their scent was pungent and made her head spin. Unaware of her internal battle, Levi picked up a stray pen off her desk before twirling it between his fingers. “Do you really have to stay?”
“Yes,” she said dryly.
Anika knew she was being rude, but she wanted to let him stew in his own misery for a moment. She never claimed to be a good person. All her life, she’d considered niceties as subjective, especially when it came to those involved with Romanov Real Estate.
Turning her attention back to her computer, she resumed her last few tasks of the day. There were emails awaiting her response, ones she wanted to get out before going on this date.
“Have you given any other properties some thought?” he asked, unable to not be the center of her attention.
“No, I’ve put that endeavor on hold since my day job has picked up.
” Her voice was cordial, but there was underlying sarcasm.
The man before her missed it. While she usually knew how to read people, their true colors showing no matter how much they tried to shield them, Levi didn’t have the same ability.
Plucking one of the snapdragons free from the bouquet, Levi leaned over her desk.
His height invaded her personal space, but she forced herself to sit still.
Gently, he tucked the petals behind Anika’s ear.
Frozen and unable to process this man’s audacity, she sat there with a painful smile on her face.
Of course it had to be the fucking snapdragon too, she thought.
Her instincts were screaming, encouraging her to smack his hand away, but she refrained. Anika’s game was with Mikko; Levi was a stepping stone to get there. She’d known what she’d signed up for when she agreed to his stupid dinner.
“That’s a shame, I was looking forward to celebrating a sale with you.” Annoyance flared in her gut.
“Never say never,” she muttered as she continued to type. Louder she said, “Besides, I wouldn’t want to look at too many properties at once and overwhelm you.
“It takes a lot to overwhelm me, I can assure you.”
Anika made a mental note to check his background, mind suddenly curious to know who he truly was.
Why does he work for Romanov Real Estate? What does he hope to gain with me? And why is he so damn insufferable?
The last one felt rhetorical.
Flicking her gaze over to him, reminding herself to play along, she teased. “Good to know.” Ugh. “Do you always talk this much?” Her honeyed voice softened the underlying edge of her question. Again, Levi missed it.
Levi’s laugh was an unexpected reaction; Anika’s sharp edges usually resulted in others being short with her, not this.
“Are you always this reserved?” he countered playfully.
“Depends.”
“Well, the same can be said for me too,” he said. “But I think once you get to know me, once you give me a chance, you’ll like what you find.”
Resisting the urge to shake her head, Anika forced a grin. “Of course, but as much as I enjoy your company, I need to finish up a few things. If you wait in the lobby, I’ll meet you when I’m done.”
His good guy facade flickered, then righted. “Ever the business woman, I see,” he teased. “Don’t leave me hangin’ now, yeah?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
As soon as he left, Anika snatched the snapdragon stem from her hair and threw it in the trash along with the whole damn bouquet.