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And to think I almost fell for it. I thought of the taste of her lips and the way she'd leaned into me. It had taken a lot of control to push her away and to maintain my stony facade until she'd stepped out of the door.
I walked to my closet and settled on a crisp white shirt and black pants, black silk socks, and black leather loafers. As I dressed I found myself wondering if I should ask her out on an actual date. She’d hate it. Of that I was certain. I was going to enjoy making her do all kinds of things she didn't want to do. I shook my head. Maybe this was going to be a lot more fun than I thought.
In the kitchen, I turned on the coffee maker and made a quick bowl of oatmeal, adding some fresh fruit on top.
As I ate, I checked my phone for any important messages or emails that had come in during the few hours I'd slept. I replied quickly to a few work-related messages, and then sent Alex a text, advising her of what I had planned for the weekend. After all, I promised her my help, and I always delivered on my promises.
I checked my watch, and then did my few dishes. A housekeeper cleaned for me every morning, but I tried not to let her do my dishes. I picked up my briefcase and stepped out of the door.
***
I sat at my desk, my mind racing with thoughts of the day ahead. I had a meeting with the board of directors, a lunch date with a potential client, and a pile of paperwork that seemed to grow larger by the minute.
As I ran my hand through my hair, I looked up to see Ellen entering the room.
"Good morning Christian," she said, a warm smile on her lips. "What can I do for you today?"
I looked up and met her gaze, my eyes narrowing slightly as I considered her question. "I need you to send flowers to Alex," I said, my voice low and even. "And include a note."
She nodded, taking out her notepad and pen. "Of course, sir. What would you like the note to say?"
I paused for a moment, considering the words carefully. I wanted to make sure my message to Alex was anything but clear. "Just something simple," I said. "Tell her that I'm thinking of her and that I hope she has a good day." Let's see what she makes of that.
Ellen took notes and nodded. "I'll take care of it right away, sir," she said, her tone professional but friendly. "Is there anything else you need?"
I shook my head, my attention already back on the work at hand. "No, that's all for now. Thank you, Ellen."
After she left the room, I allowed myself a few moments to appreciate my surroundings. My office was a sanctuary, a place where I could focus on my work without distractions. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes on business, finance, and history. A large painting of a sailboat hung above my desk, reminding me of my love for the open water.
I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes, breathing deeply. I knew that sending flowers to Alex was perfect. She definitely wouldn’t be expecting it. It was part of my plan to letting her know that I was serious about our “relationship.”
Surely she would be raving mad. Better mad than not thinking about me, I mused, half in a daze, not sure why I suddenly cared what she was thinking about.
I opened my eyes and reached for my phone, rechecking my calendar. As I scrolled through my appointments, my mind kept wandering back to Alex. I kept wondered what she was doing at this moment and that moment and if she was thinking about me too.
I couldn't wait to see her again, as surprising as that was. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I had work to do, people to meet, decisions to make. Thinking about her all the time wasn’t so bad, as long as I approached it analytically. The more I got to know her, the easier it would be to find her weak spots, in preparation for the moment when I could execute my plans.
Chapter Four
Alex's POV
I sat on my couch, fidgeting uneasily. It was time to tell my friends the news. I wasn't sure how they would react, but I was sure they would find it infinitely hilarious if they knew the whole truth, which was why the whole truth was not what I would be telling them.
After a few rings, Sophie picked up.
"Hey, Alex! What's up?"
“Wait just a moment. This is a big announcement. I need to add Valerie, so I can tell you both at the same time. Valerie picked up after the fifth ring, croaking her hello and yawning on the phone.
“I was up all night, and I plan on sleeping all day, so this better be good,” she said, almost slurring the words.
"I did it, ladies, I won the bet," I exclaimed, a huge grin spreading across my face.
Sophie let out a squeal of excitement. "Oh my god, really? You got Christian to date you?"
“What?” asked Valerie, sounding wide awake now. “You’re not really taking my practice, are you? You know that was a joke, right?” she asked, laughing.
“You’ll have to speak to my lawyer about that,” I replied smugly, snuggling into the couch.
