34. Chapter 34
Rory
The guys dropped me at the front door and waited until I was in the lobby before pulling away from the curb, heading to the private parking under the building. The receptionist looked up from her computer as I walked into the lobby. “Can I help you?” she asked. Her voice was polite and she smiled as she greeted me.
“I’m here to see Cal, please.” My eyes wandered the lobby, marveling at how well decorated it was. I’d never been here and had kind of expected it to be dark and dreary. That’s the kind of office mob bosses had, right?
But it was open and light, the windows allowing the early afternoon sun to filter in and gleam off the white marble and gold accents. The receptionist raised her eyebrow as she made a show of glancing up and down my body, clearly taking in my dance attire and finding it inappropriate for such a professional establishment.
“Of course. You’ll take this elevator. Mr. Byrne’s office is on the top floor. His receptionist will be waiting for you.” She smiled kindly as she passed me a visitor’s pass.
When I stepped out of the office, Cal’s personal receptionist stood to greet me. I ran my eyes around the large space, noting that there was a small alcove marked as public restrooms and only one other set of doors, large glass ones with long gold handles, which were closed.
“Did you have an appointment, Miss…” She drew out the last word like it was a question.
“No, I don’t have an appointment. It’s Mrs. Byrne, actually.” I tried not to sound smug about it, but being Cal’s wife did make me proud, so why shouldn’t I be?
The receptionist stared at me blankly before she burst into laughter. I stared at her with an eyebrow raised until she wiped tears from her cheeks. “Lady, do you know how many times a week you people come in here claiming to be Mr. Byrne’s wife, girlfriend, or anything in between?”
I narrowed my eyes. “You people?” I asked, my voice tight. I was getting really tired of people looking at me and finding me lacking for no reason other than I didn’t match what they thought Cal deserved.
“Listen, Mr. Byrne isn’t a wallet. He’s a person and you people showing up here, looking to seduce him in the hopes of getting your grubby hands on his money, it’s really disgusting. It makes me sad that you guys stoop to this level, but still - it’s disgusting.” She looked at me with a mix of pity and revulsion.
Anger lit in my gut and made my muscles clench. “You people?” I questioned again.
She rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you just give up and leave before I have to call security? You’re pretty enough, but you’re nowhere near what Mr. Byrne would want. I’ve seen what he likes. I know personally what he likes,” she said with a heavy dose of smugness. “So just quit wasting your time. Go ahead and leave now. I’d hate to see what Mr. Byrne’s security would do to someone as tiny as you.”
I was so angry that a thin sheen of sweat dotted my body, pooling on the back of my neck and making my palms slick. My stomach was knotted so tight that nausea swam like a million butterflies. I took a deep breath as I tried to settle the feeling of rising bile and closed my eyes.
When I opened them, the receptionist was staring at me like I’d lost my mind, her hand resting on the phone receiver like she was getting ready to make a call.
“What’s your name?” I asked, my voice much calmer than I felt, with my chest vibrating and my breaths trying to saw through my lungs.
“I don’t have to tell you that. I’m serious, ma’am. If you don’t leave, I will call security.”
“Do you like your job here?” I asked, ignoring her threats.
“Mr. Byrne is an excellent employer. He’s very…kind to me,” she said with a self-satisfied smirk.
I hummed. “Have you worked here long?” I asked, my eyes catching on the three men coming down the hall behind her desk.
“I’ve been here for six years. And you’ve been here ten minutes too long. Now go.” She made a shooing motion with her hand as she lifted the phone.
“I hope you enjoyed your tenure,” I said as I walked around her desk, making my way toward Cal and the twins. The receptionist made a mad dash to grab my arm and stop me but I shook her off, focusing on Cal’s angry scowl as he watched her actions through the glass doors.
“Mo solas, what are you doing out here? Why didn’t you come to my office?” Cal asked as he pushed through the doors and made his way to my side. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and brought me to his side.
“I tried to, but your receptionist is very dedicated. She wouldn’t let me up. She seems to be under the impression that people like me aren’t good enough to be your wife.”
I held the receptionist’s gaze and watched as she paled. She stumbled for words and I found a heavy satisfaction in it, despite the nausea in my stomach that refused to settle, even as Cal’s scent wrapped around me. I took a deep inhale, hoping it would fight the nausea down, like it always did, but it didn’t work.
“That’s not- No, I mean, I didn’t- It wasn’t-”
Cal’s hand stroked down my arm as he looked down at me. “What do you mean, mo solas?”
“Apparently, people like me show up all the time pretending to be your significant other just so we can get our grubby hands on your money.” Recounting the conversation made my anger swell again and I swallowed heavily as my mouth began to water. “She seems to know personally the type of women you prefer, and I’m not it.”
Cal growled. “Pack your desk, Valerie. You’re done here.”
She gasped in outrage. “You can’t be serious, Cal! After everything I’ve done for you over the years, all the things I’ve done for you outside of my job description, you’re just tossing me out because I offended your walking contract obligation?!”
My muscles clenched, my anger swirling to new heights as my instincts demanded I protect my position at Cal’s side. But only a moment later, before I could react, my throat clenched and my stomach heaved. I turned and ran towards the lobby bathroom I’d seen on my way in. I shoved through the heavy door and had barely slid to a stop in front of the toilet when my stomach expelled everything I’d eaten in the last three days.
I was still heaving as heavy footsteps echoed through the room. Cal called my name, his voice panicked. I felt hands pulling my hair away from the danger zone, then his hand rubbed up and down my back in a soothing rhythm.
When the heaving stopped and I rested my forehead on my arms, Cal lifted my hair and blew cold air on the back of my sweaty neck. “Are you alright, solas? Have you eaten something bad today?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t eaten anything other than what I had for breakfast. Oh god.” I felt the color drain from my face as a cold shiver wracked my body. I looked at him with wide eyes. “Cal…what if-”
“No. It’s not that, baby. I ate your food first. If it was tampered with, I’d be sick, too.” He cupped my face. “I promise, baby, you’re okay. But if it makes you feel better, we can call Arthur and have some blood tests done.”
Tears burned my cheeks and I nodded weakly, my head falling back to rest on my arms again. Cal wiped my chin with some toilet paper and flushed the toilet before lifting me into his arms.
I rested my head against Cal’s shoulder, eyes closed as I tried to tune out the screaming banshee in his lobby. Cal stopped by Finn, who had joined the twins.
“Why wasn’t Rory with you two?” I could hear the anger in his voice and I lifted my hand, resting it on the side of his neck. His scent was now working its magic, calming my raging stomach, and feeling his pulse drum against my fingertips helped further soothe me.
“I asked them to drop me at the front so I didn’t have to walk all the way from the parking lot. My feet are a little sore from rehearsal. It was my fault, Cal, not theirs.”
He huffed, but didn’t say anything more about it. “Carson, please stay and be sure that Valerie leaves. I’ll call Stefanie in HR to clear my schedule for the rest of the day and roll my phones. If Valerie gives you any trouble, Dario and Ryan are down below.”
“Of course, sir. Please keep me updated about Rory’s condition.”
Cal didn’t say anything as he strode toward the elevator, his grip around my back shifting as he pressed the call button.
The ride to the house was quick and by the time we got there, I was sweating with the effort it took to fight another bout of vomiting. As soon as the car stopped, I scrambled across the seat, climbing over both Cal and Connor to jump out of the car. Ebony opened the door in greeting, surprise on her face as I dashed through as fast as I could. I locked myself in the closest bathroom and heaved until I couldn’t breathe. Cal knocked on the door but I couldn’t stop long enough to open it.
Once the wave passed, I flushed, rinsed my mouth out and opened the door to find a distressed Cal pacing back and forth. As soon as it opened, I was in his arms, his hands cradling my face.
“That’s it, we’re going to the hospital. Whatever the feck this shite is needs immediate attention and I don’t think Arthur is equipped.” His accent was thick with worry and even through my discomfort it sent goosebumps across my skin.
I shook my head weakly, holding onto his wrists to keep myself steady. “Let’s just let him do some bloodwork and if he thinks it’s something he can’t handle, you can take me to the hospital, okay?” I used his hold on my cheeks and rested my heavy head in his palms, allowing my eyes to close.
He lifted me into his arms again. “Fine, but if he thinks it’s anything other than a fecking stomach bug, we’re going,” he said as he climbed the stairs and carried me up to our room.
He laid me on the bed and then hurried to the bathroom, coming back with a wet rag and the trash can. He set the trash can beside me and just as he brushed my forehead with the rag, there was a knock on the door.
Two hours, an IV drip with liquids and nausea medication, and a restless nap later, Arthur came back into the room. Cal immediately stood and started pacing, running his hands through his hair.
“Is she okay, Arthur? Do we need to go to the hospital? I told her we needed to go to the hospital but she wouldn’t go. She wanted to see you first. I told her we needed-”
“She’s fine, Cal. Calm down, son.” Arthur laid a heavy, wrinkled hand on Cal’s shoulder. “Her blood work doesn’t show any toxin of any kind. She’s still a little malnourished, but her levels are much better than they were the last time we drew blood. She’s just fine.”
Lorcan sighed and his weight shifted the foot of the bed as his body relaxed. He laid his hand on my ankle and gave it a little jostle. “Then what’s wrong with her? Is it just a nasty stomach bug?”
Arthur smiled at me as he listened to my heart with his stethoscope again. He was quiet while he listened, nodding to himself. Then, he removed the stethoscope from his ears and rested it around his neck as he spoke. “No, nothing like that, Lorcan. This is just your normal, run-of-the-mill morning sickness.”