Alesandra’s POV
He rejected me. I was R-E-J-E-C-T-E-D. What did I do wrong? Was I not sultry enough? Was I a bad kisser? Was he seeing someone? All those questions and then some worried me. He’d looked so good, so perfect and he didn’t want me.
Winter told me that if I tried anything and everything to get him in bed, he would. That was why I grabbed at his towel. Now looking back, it was honestly the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.
I tossed and turned all night and when Lucian tried to wrap a pitying arm around my waist during the night, I rolled away.
After a terrible night, I rolled out of bed at 7 to attempt and make something for us to eat. The sunlight coming from the floor to ceiling windows was reason enough to wake up along with the fact that I’d fired Ginny and hadn’t gotten another maid to take over Ginny’s chores.
As I shuffled past the bathroom, I could hear the shower running, steam roiling out from under the 2 way mirror door. I couldn’t see in, but Lucian could see out. With a heavy heart, I stomped down the stairs and into the large kitchen to begin breakfast.
After I’d finished making waffles and eggs, I heard Lucian walk in. I spun around to find him in his usual sleek, black suit, his hair trimmed and styled as usual. His gray eyes scanned mine with pity before he walked closer, his tall and muscular frame preeminent compared to me. He leaned forward and slowly brought his fingers to my face.
He trailed his thumb down my jaw, his gaze never leaving mine. Lucian leaned so close to me, our lips were millimeters away. I inched forward slowly. “I’m sorry about last night.” He whispered before stepping back.
I shook my head, heat spreading up my neck. “That doesn’t matter anymore. Can we–uh, just forget that ever happened?” I spun around and grabbed both porcelain China plates and set them on the dining table.
After we took our seats, we began to eat in silence.
“Where’s Ginny?” Lucian asked quietly after a long time, a vein was visible on the side of his neck.
I cleared my throat and took a sip of my orange juice. “Who’s Ginny?” I asked carefully. I was treading on thin ice.
Lucian’s head snapped in my direction. “Ginny. The maid who served me breakfast last week.” He dropped his fork on the plate.
I shifted in the plush seats awkwardly. The seats seemed too plush. “I don’t remember a maid.”
“Ales. This is the last time I’m asking.” His voice dropped several decibels, a warning tone to them.
“I fired her.” I said, my words coming out harsher than I’d intended.
“Damn it, Ales.” He pinched his nose bridge, no doubt a headache has sprouted up. “Do you even know who Ginny was?”
“No. And I don’t care. I’m sure you can afford another one.” I said, anger bubbling inside me like a shaken up soda bottle.
Lucian slammed his fist on the table. “What gives you the right to fire people on your accord?!” He shouted.
“Well being that I am your wife, I would think I’d be able to fire whomever I wished!” I shouted back with as much force, maybe even more.
“Ginny was my mother’s best friend!” He shot up from his seat, sending the chair flying to the floor.
I froze. Why was his mother’s best friend so special to him. “What does it matter?”
“Ever since my mother left me and my father, Ginny’s been like a mother to me, and you decide to fire her just like that?!” Lucian said, disbelief crystal clear on his choked up voice.
I just realized I knew nothing about Lucian. I hadn’t even know that his mother was out of the picture. I didn’t know the gravity of my actions. My pride got the best of me when I spoke next. “Lucian, I think you should be going to work now.” I gathered the plates up.
Lucian shoved on his suit jacket and collected his keys. “In fact, I think you’re right. For once.”
Then he slammed the door as he left.
***
Lucian’s POV
I slammed my office door behind me and froze in surprise when I saw Malea sitting on the couch. Her pencil skirt had lifted up her toned thighs, and I itched to lift it higher up her legs. What am I saying?
I shook my head and glanced at my table. A tall cup of coffee sat on the desk along with stacks of filed and organized paperwork. My desk was cluttered last I remember and now it was spotless, all the paperwork neatly organized in their corresponding files.
The room had been vacuumed and the misplaced chaise in the corner from yesterday was now furnished with pillows and arraigned correctly. Paintings hung from the wall and the whole room emanated a cozier feel than beforehand.
“What are you doing here, Malea?” I asked, my voice coming out strangled as I continued to survey the room.
She stood up from the couch and pulled down her pencil skirt which had lifted up when she’d been sitting. “I organized your cabinets and got your coffee. The Contract from Ficara Co. is on top and the files have been alphabetized.” Malea forced a smile.
She found the paperwork? I’d been bothering myself all day because of that missing contract and now that she cleaned and redecorated the whole room, the contract had been found. “Why did you do this, Malea? I was nothing but a jerk yesterday.”
She stepped forward, her face emotionless. “It’s my job, Mr. King.” The way she said my last name was almost like a slap of reality. She was just an employee, nothing more, nothing less. Yet, I ached to hear her say my name, to scream it out the way she had yesterday except I was imagining a completely different scenario.
Malea picked up the coffee cup and held it out to me. “I got this brewed at 210 degrees and it cooled. I already checked its temperature and its 202 exactly.” She shook the cup a little to get my attention after I hadn’t taken it from her. Her dark hair was down from its usual bun and cascaded down her shoulders in natural waves.
I swallowed and grabbed the cup from her waiting hand. “I really appreciate what you’ve done with the–uh, room. It looks–”
“Don’t worry about it. I redecorate when I’m angry. And I got new pillows just so I could punch them.” She motioned towards the chaise with assorted pillows. “Don’t they look so nice?”
I crossed the room and settled into the seat behind my desk. “Listen Malea. We have to talk about what happened sooner or later,” I began.
Malea shook her head, her smile dropping. “No we don’t. Let’s just forget what happened, okay?”
“We have to discuss this, Malea. Whether you like it or not.” I pushed the coffee to the side and shuffled through the files, gratitude swelling in me. She did all this, when all I did was shout at her for helping me. Suddenly a flash of the day replayed in my head. Her hands at my neck. The steadying of my heartbeat. The amount of affection in her eyes when she undid the tie.
“Mr. King? Are you okay?” She asked, worry in her tone as she stepped forward. When she realized that she’d asked the same question that triggered my panic attack the day before, she stepped back and cleared her throat.
“Well, I have some paperwork to sort through with Elaine in the financial department. She said you needed someone to fax details over to Wailers Co.” She said matter-of-factly, turning around. As she walked towards the door, she her shoulders slumped slightly.
“Malea.” I said. She turned around. She’d been twisting the ring on her pinky around and around.
“Yes?” She asked.
“Thank you. Really.” I said lamely, my heart speeding up rapidly.
She nodded once. “Anything else you need before I go?”
I needed one thing. “No, I’m good.”
Then she walked out.
***
Levi’s POV
“Myra. We need to talk.” Myra stopped staring at her butt in the mirror and spun around. The black bodycon dress she had on fit snugly against all her curves.
“About what?” She asked curiosly while slipping on her red pumps.
“I think it best if we stop seeing each other.” I said matter-of-factly. Myra paused, one heel poised above her foot.
“You’re such a joker, Levi.” She laughed airily while slipping on the other heel.
I threw my suit jacket onto the bed and sighed. “I’m serious, Myra. I don’t think any of this is working out. Everytime I’m home, you’re always off to a club and everytime I’m at work, you’re complaining about me never being home.”
Myra stood up fully, her short figure elongated, courtesy to the heels. Myra’s nostrils flared once. “You didn’t think I was serious did you?”
I took off my shoes. “Myra. I am not playing. I can’t deal with the fact that you could be off with another man whenever you leave.”
Myra walked up to me, a sultry smile on her face. She placed her hands on my chest. “You can’t do that, now can you? You want me more than you want to admit.” She walked her fingers up to my jaw.
No I don’t. Myra was old news. One of my friends ran into her at a club and sent me a picture. She’d been making out with a man in the back of the club. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and pulled up the picture then I showed it to her. Confusion, realization, then shock passed over her features. Her skin blanched, her lips falling into a frown.
“How did you get that?” She asked after swallowing the lump in her throat.
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is the fact that we’re over. I expect your things to be gone before tomorrow.” I sideswept her and placed my phone on the dresser.
“It’s that girl you were talking to on the phone isn’t it?” She asked, her voice dangerously low. “She’s the reason you’re dumping me, isn’t it?”
“That’s besides the point.” I said calmly, surprising myself with the steady rhythm of my words. At the mention of Malea, my heart sped up.
“I knew it!” She screeched. Myra reached down and scooped up her handbag. “Don’t worry. I’ll be gone before tomorrow, but you and that girl will regret the day you decided to make me angry!” And with that, she slammed the bedroom door shut and left.
Now I’m asking myself the same question. Did I really break up with Myra because she sucked a man’s face off or because I knew I wouldn’t be able to be with Malea if Myra was in the picture? Man I’m such a douche.
***
Malea’s POV
I’m still pissed.
“Malea. Are you okay?” Elaine asked. She stopped typing on the iMac and glanced at me. Elaine had such lovely dark skin that looked like pure Cocoa, and with her amazing set of teeth, she was easily one of the more gorgeous women here.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I shook my head and turned my attention back to the iMac in front of me. “It’s just that my brain’s all fuzzy and so many things are going on right now.”
Elaine nodded and sighed. “You’re honestly so lucky to be Lucian’s personal assistant.” She said dreamily.
“How come you didn’t call him Mr. King?” I questioned. Being his assistant isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. I almost rolled my eyes.
Elaine shrugged. “Everyone calls him Lucian behind his back.” She turned to me. “Don’t you?”
I shook my head. “Being his assistant isn’t as amazing as you made it seem.”
Elaine gasped before tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “How is it not amazing? I mean you could woo him!”
I burst out laughing. “Yeah, I would woo him with my ability to buy coffee and deliver paperwork.”
Elaine giggled. “If I was an assistant to such a sexy man like that, I would take my opportunity and woo him with my typing skills.” She began typing, her slim, dark fingers flying on the keyboard as if she was born from the womb with a keyboard.
I clapped. “Yes! Any man would wanna tap that if they saw how fast you could type!” I joked.
“I agree.” I looked up at the person who owned the voice. Levi stood at the entryway, 2 cups of coffee in his hands, a large grin on his face. He winked at Elaine before moving a chair over to my work station.
Elaine’s eyes expanded to the size of saucers. “Hello, Mr. Ficara. How are you?”
Levi nodded at her. “I’m fine, thanks.” He turned his attention to me. “How are you doing, Dolce? How’d things go after the unexplained episode?”
I shot him a look and glanced over at Elaine who raised an eyebrow at his nickname for me. “I accomplished a lot that day.”
He raised an eyebrow, setting the cups on my desk. “What’d you accomplish?”
I grinned and pointed my pencil at him. “I successfully ate an entire tub of Ice cream without an ounce of guilt. You can begin clapping now.”
Levi threw his head back and laughed, Elaine’s giggles thrown into the mix also. “Not one ounce of guilt, eh?”
I caved. “Okay fine. I maybe might have doubled the time at the gym to work off the ice cream because of guilt, but it’s worth it.”
Levi slid one of the cups towards me. “I got you coffee. I didn’t know what type of coffee you like so I got a vanilla bean.”
I shook my head and wrinkled my nose at the smell. “No thanks. I hate coffee, Levi.” I giggled. “But, it was a really nice thought.”
Elaine swooped in and took the coffee from me. “I’ll have this.”
“Be my guest.” Levi said, a blush creeping up his neck. “So what are you doing this weekend?”
Nothing. “I don’t know. Depends. Why?”
Levi scratched the back of his neck. “How about that movie we discussed last time you ran into me?”
I pondered this for a while. I’d never even been on a real date that actually counted before and I wasn’t 100 percent on board. What if I made a fool of myself? “Sure, Levi.”
Levi grinned. “Good. I’ll give you a call of Friday.”
He stood up and returned the chair. Levi waved at both of us and walked towards the door.
“Wait. Levi.”
He turned around.
“What are we watching?” I asked, fiddling with the eraser on the pencil.
A sly smirk made its way on his face. “Something scary.” Then he was gone.
“Oh my Goodness, Malea.” Elaine gasped. “How did you manage to score Levi Ficara’s attention?”
I shrugged. I wasn’t even sure myself. I wasn’t much to look at and my jokes suck. “We met at the proposal Gala.”
Elaine sighed deeply. “Oh, so you knew him a little before now?” She asked, after finishing up a document.
I cleared my throat. “I don’t know, I guess so.”
Elaine lifted a manicured hand to her lips—her lipstick was this amazing plum color— and smiled. “How cool!”
I nodded. “How about we get this done and get this to Mr. King and then talk over lunch?”
“Sounds good. I’m starving.” She said while rubbing her flat stomach.
“Tell me about it! I’m hungry all the time!” I exclaimed before printing out a document.