Page 81 of Pride
The moment I walked in, I had to stop to take a breath. The room smelled like him, and realisation hit me that I found that comforting. The scent of expensive aftershave lingered in the air, and I could see a table set up in the corner, similar to the one in the drawing room, with glasses and a decanter of whisky.
I walked over to the table and picked up the decanter, took the stopper out, and poured a shot of whisky. Then, I placed the decanter down and picked up the glass. But as I swirled the amber liquid around and the strong scent of the whisky reached my nose, I recoiled and put it back on the tray.
What the hell was I thinking?
It was ten o’clock in the morning.
And I didn’t even like whisky.
But I liked Alex, more than I’d realised. Because him not being here didn’t feel right, and thoughts of him crossed my mind more often than I’d care to admit. And now, here I was, trying to emulate the things he did.
I turned away from the table and walked over to his impressive mahogany desk, marvelling at the expensivecraftmanship as I ran my finger along the surface. Then I sat in his office chair, feeling my body sink into the supple leather. I could get used to working at a desk like this. It’s funny how an environment could alter your whole perspective and make you feel empowered. This office made me feel like a boss.
In front of me were several large monitors, and I wiggled the mouse, making one of those monitors come on. Alex had disabled the password protection, so I was able to click into a Word document and open up a blank page. But I had no idea what I should write.
I didn’t want to write a novel. My brain wasn’t ready to tackle the challenge of drifting off to another world.
I thought maybe I should start writing a new resume, something that’d showcase my talents for the future career Alex said I was destined for. I typed out my name, stared at the screen, then started to tap the delete button to make it disappear. A resume would need to look professional, in a format that’d stand out, and part of me couldn’t be bothered to search for a template. And don’t even get me started on the mountain I’d have to climb in order to compose a summary of my strengths for a personal statement. That was a step too far today.
My head was all over the place. I couldn’t focus and it felt useless to try and do anything, because whatever I did would probably be rubbish. I guess the girl boss vibes I was feeling were just that, vibes. It’d take a little more time to put them into practise.
I sat back in the chair, throwing my head back with a sigh. Then, because I was nosey, I opened the top drawer of his desk, and what I saw nestled in there made me sit up. On top of the stationary inside the drawer was a photograph of me, taken at the gallery. I was standing in the corner of the courtyard,focusing on the performance from that night, and the photo had been taken from the side.
I looked mesmerised by what I was watching. I’d had no idea this had been taken, but it made me realise that he’d been right in what he’d said. He had seen me that night, and something had drawn him to me. He’d been watching me. So much so that he’d felt compelled to take this photo on his phone and print it out, to keep in his office.
I was shocked and flattered.
He wanted a reminder of me.
And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling of why me. What made me special to him?
I placed the photo back where I’d found it and closed the drawer. The ways in which this man was burrowing under my skin was unexpected, unique and so powerful, it was starting to become an obsession for me too.
Where would this journey lead us, and where would it end?
Later that night,Alex came home to find me in the drawing room, reading one of the classics from his library.
“I love a girl that reads,” he said with a hint of a smile, then he came to sit next to me and reached for the book, looked at the cover to see what I was reading and placed it face down, open on the table so I wouldn’t lose my page. “I bet you hate me for interrupting you.”
“If it was anyone else, I would punch them for disturbing my reading,” I joked. “But seeing as it’s you, I’ll make an exception.”
His brows shot up. “I get preferential treatment? Damn. I must be doing something right.”
“You must be.” I tried to hide my smirk.
“How have you been today?” Alex asked with genuine concern. “I hope the news this morning didn’t upset you too much.”
“It wasn’t the best news,” I replied. “But I’m okay. I’ve had a quiet day.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re okay. So does that mean I can tell you where I want to take you for our second date?” he asked, looking a little apprehensive. “Or is that too insensitive?”
I leaned forward to show I was interested and asked, “Where do you want to take me?”
He laughed to himself. “Down the hall to my cinema room, because I’m not ready to share you with the rest of the world just yet. I’d like to keep you for myself for a little while longer.”
“You have a cinema room? How did I miss that?”
He stood up and held his hand out to me. “What can I say? I’m a man of mystery. And don’t worry about changing. You look beautiful as you are.”
