“Settle down boy, I didn’t come here to argue.”
“I can’t tell. You keep calling me boy even though you know how much I hate it.”
He pins me with a look before continuing.
“Like I said, I didn’t come here to argue. I just want to let you know that if you need any help or access to any of my contacts where Alexa’s safety is concerned, I’m here to help. Don’t let your pride get in the way of her wellbeing.”
“Honestly, Dad. I know you think I don’t give a fuck and that I’m not taking this seriously, but you don’t have to worry about Alexa’s safety. I have everything under control. Nothing is going to happen to her on my watch. The situation is being handled.”
My father smirks before composing his expression again.
“She better be protected. I promised her grandmother as much before she died. I don’t know how much you know about that Pearce character, but in that regard, I’ve been doing a shit job.” Just at the mention of Pearce has my anger rising.
“Like I said, I got it under control. With Pearce and this nut job chick that seems to have some type of fixation with Alexa.”
“Since you have it under control, I guess you know Pearce has made ties in the area. He’s even had the nerve to show his face a couple of times.” He pulls a file that is now piquing my interest out of his jacket, throwing it on the desk before he turns to leave. Stopping with his back turned to me at the door, he says.
“I know you won’t admit it now, boy… but I’m not blind. You’ve loved that girl as fiercely as you’ve resented the attention I gave her. I know you’ve always felt like she’s wanted to take your place. But that not true. All she really wanted was to take the place by your side. I don’t know what’s going on in that home of yours right now, but pay attention, boy. Don’t fuck this up. You and Dane should’ve had this information by now.”
With that, he leaves. As soon as the door shuts, I’m dialing Dane’s number and diving into the file of information that apparently we’ve missed.
Alex
I can’t believe me right now. Not only did I go down on Chance last night, like my life depended on it. I feigned sleep, burrowing into his side, hoping he would initiate something. He seemed to respond to my touch. But that could have just been morning wood for all I know. Then my alarm went off, killing any excuse for me to continue playing sleep. I even made a show of being surprised by my nakedness and still got no reaction. Irrationally irritated and horny, I went to the bathroom to take care of myself and get ready for work, locking the door on any chance of him walking in on my little jam session.
When I walked downstairs, Chance was at the bar drinking coffee and eating fruit, looking completely unbothered by my obvious annoyance. “I’ll be driving into work today I have some errands to run later.” That seemed to get his attention.
“Don’t worry about that. I’m flexible today I can take you where you need to go.”
“No. Tim, or whoever’s working today, can go with me. I have a copy of your schedule, remember. I know you’re lying about how flexible today is for you. Besides, we’re still supposed to be keeping things under wraps at the office. Us coming in together and leaving together makes for horrible office gossip.”
“Fuck office gossip.” He says, looking more anxious than angry. I go over and give him a kiss before reassuring him that nothing in our relationship has changed.Nothing besides the fact that I’m going crazy over him.
Now I’m sitting in my office trying to figure out when I became the type of girl to play games like I did this morning and get mad when it didn’t go my way. Chance probably has no idea of the argument my inner self had with him all morning.
For the fourth time today, I try to focus on knocking out some of this week’s work when I get a knock at my door. I hit my keyboard quickly to get my computer out of sleep mode...because that’s how long I’ve been daydreaming.“Come in,”I say, trying to sound alert and busy when I’m exactly the opposite.
“Hey, I just came to check on you and make sure that my boy hasn’t chased you out of the building yet.” Mr. Sullivan says.
“You know Chance is more bark than bite, we’re still civil these days, anyway.” I say nonchalantly. While screaming on the inside with glee. It would really be in bad taste to spill the beans about my exploits with my boyfriend’s father, wouldn’t it? It would be a little weird as well.
“Yeah, I know my son well enough to know to come in and check on you. He’s still a moody bastard.”
We both laugh at that before he continues on. “Has that ex of yours tried to contact you recently?” He asks, completely souring my internal giddiness. I try to think back to the most recent contact I’ve had from him, and realize I’ve heard nothing since the hospital in New York.
“No, not since the New York trip. Why, is he trying to make trouble for the company?”
I know how cunning Pearce can be. I wouldn’t put it past him to try and buy the company or even some other company to just to make trouble for my current employer and the only family I have left.
“No silly girl, I was just checking to make sure that you were ok and not getting harassed by my boy and that other waste of a man. Since when have you known someone to make trouble for me?”
Never, I think to myself, but I don’t answer out loud because I know he’s not looking for an answer. I do know that Pearce is in a different league than the locals that he’s used tohandlingthough. “Well, don’t you and Chance kill each other before the year's out. It would be a shame to lose my two best employees. I have big plans for you two.” He says with a smile before getting up to leave.
After the visit from Mr. Sullivan and all that talk of Pearce, I’m able to sober up a little and focus on getting all my work up to date. Pleased with my progress, I look over at the clock to see that it’s 5:05pm. I shutdown everything and call Chance to let him know that I’ll be heading to the gym with Cacey. I don’t know what I expected out of our relationship, but I thought that he would have at least tried to lure me into his office, called, or come to have lunch today. All I’ve gotten is radio silence. So, when he picks up the phone after several rings to tell me he’s in the middle of an important meeting, I get nervous because I knew he didn’t have any meetings this late in the day. Shaking off my nervousness, I gather my things and get ready to leave, with James close behind. I pass by Chance’s closed office door and make sure I have the location of Dane’s gym, texting Cacey that I’m on the way.
Alex
Somewhere across fromthe park and between my townhome and Dane’s house is Forge Fantasy, Dane’s gym. I remember this area years ago before I left for New York. Like our street of old townhomes, it too has been completely renovated, leaving only traces of the historic building facades. When I enter the gym, I realize despite the outward facade that it takes up half the block and even has an entrance to the adjacent smoothie shop. It’s impressive. Not that I have anything to compare it to. This may be the second time I’ve been in a gym outside of school in my life. I must stick out like a sore thumb because the lady at the front counter singles me out. Addressing me immediately, even though there have been several other people coming and going. “Welcome to forge fantasy. Can I help you?”
