She passes me a drink once I reach her, and I can’t help but stare at her until our company becomes uncomfortable. I always load my table with people I want to talk to in and out of the event; maybe I’m an old soul. Outside of Beau’s empty seat, Heaven and I are the youngest and the only unmarried people at the table. I don’t mind not one bit, and I’m happy Heaven doesn’t either. Her laughter makes me grin at her profile while she prattles on about makeup types with Blanche and Rea.
My eyes connect with Alfred, and I know what he sees. I’ve fallen and have no desire to hide it. I nod in confirmation then excuse myself.
“I’ll be back. I’m running to the restroom. Want me to bring back any drinks?”
With brown liquor and wine orders floating in my head, I professionally navigate through the social throng, passing pleasantries on the way to empty my bladder. There aren’t many people near the bathroom which isn’t surprising since it’s not exactly a hot spot to hang out.
I sigh as I relieve myself, but that relief is short-lived. My skin prickles, and I cannot shake the uneasy feeling. Zipping up when I’m done, I turn to find Allie leaning on the door.
“What the fuck? Why are you in the men’s room?”
Allie is in dress code with a long blue dress that’s much tighter than her dresses from previous years, but she still looks frazzled. Her skin is paler, and her eyes have dark circles as if she hasn’t been sleeping well. I keep an eye on her as I wash my hands. It’s only been a little over a week, yet it feels like it’s been a long time since I watched her get carried out of my office.
“I just wanted to talk to you,” she finally says. “Give us another chance, Axel.”
The napkin I’m using crinkles up the pressure of me clenching my fists.
“Do you hear yourself, Allie? Give us another chance? There is no us. You were just my employee. Nothing more. This isn’t healthy for you or me. Look around. You followed me into the men’s room!”
Her face crumples as she starts to cry again. “I miss you so much!”
“There’s nothing to miss.”
I’m ready to dismiss her when she grabs my arms, her fingers pinch my biceps in her desperation to keep me in the bathroom.
“I can be everything you need. I’ll do anything you want. You don’t understand how much I love you!”
She’s the last person I’d want to love me. “You can’t love me, Allie. You don’t know me.”
It takes more effort than necessary to pry her off me. Allies lurches forward with her lips puckered out to kiss me. I’m tall enough to easily avoid it; Allie falls on the counter when I move out of her reach. Someone knocks on the door; she must have locked it.
“No!” She cries when I reach for the lock.
“Hello!” Anderson, my VP yells from the to side.
“Call security!” I yell as I push her off me again. I really don’t want to knock her out. The door clicks once I unlock it and a bewildered Anderson is on the other side with his phone to his ear.
“Are you okay?” he inquires as he takes in the scene.
“Hell no. She didn’t hurt me, but it’s fucked up that she was waiting for me in the bathroom. The hell?”
Security arrives discretely to remove her. It’s obvious I forgot to revoke her invitation.
“No. Axel! You will love me. I’ll make sure of it.” It comes out as more of a threat than a vow. The desperation is replaced with something colder. I feel the chill from her eyes as she disappears.
“Anderson, I think it’s time for a restraining order.”
He’s still staring in the direction Allie and the security just went. “It looks that way, Axel. Can you imagine if you’d actually dated her. We’d teased her from time to time about her obvious crush, but I never thought she was this out of it. She always seemed so controlled.”
“Obvious? I never noticed.”
Anderson shakes his head then runs his fingers through his waves. “You didn’t want to notice.”
Damn. Heaven said something similar.
Heaven
Axel was gone longer than expected, When he appears, his fake smile remains in place when he sits at the table, sans drinks.
