A fleeting grin appeared on Andreas’ face, but it disappeared a moment later as Alex sat directly in front of him. He sighed, then offered Alex a glass of drink, which was met with a flat expression.
Obviously, Alex would not be enjoying the drink anytime soon. A feeling of unease enveloped him and he asked, “What do you want, Reas?”
Andreas did not answer right away. He played with the glass of alcohol in his hand. He swirled it slowly, causing the ice cubes to collide and create a faint splash.
“What do I want?” Andreas repeated, exhaling deeply. He put the crystal glass back on the table and looked at his interlocutor. “You shouldn’t ask that, I should.”
Alex decided to remain silent for a moment. He looked at Andreas with a slight frown and found a hint of pity in Andreas’ eyes.
Andreas chuckled. He shook his head and looked at Alex with a sympathetic expression. “Look at yourself, Lex. You’re a man who has devoted himself to someone who doesn’t appreciate it at all. Pathetic. Frankly, in my eyes, you’re needed like someone who means nothing.”
Alex took a breath. A breath of air illuminated his reasoning. He pointed accusingly, “Are you trying to provoke me, Reas?”
“Provoke you?”
Andreas laughed. He remained relaxed, showing no trace of emotion. Instead, he showed a confident grin.
“Why would I do that?” Andreas asked mockingly, seemingly contemptuous. “For what? Besides, you can see for yourself what’s happening now. Without provoking you, I can already control the situation. So, provoking you won’t get me anything.”
Damn.
Alex’ face turned red, but he admitted it. The atmosphere at Progun had already started to lean towards supporting Andreas. It wasn’t just about the performance between Andreas and Jonas, even the personal sphere was starting to be manipulated by them.
“So why do you want to talk to me here?”
His eyes narrowed; his gaze seemed to be probing. Alex was sure that Andreas had a reason for inviting him. Despite his efforts to provoke or not, he was quite curious. What would Andreas do?
“It seems that everyone knows that Jonas’ chances to keep his position at Progun are diminishing. After several failures he’s accumulated, not to mention his success in pissing off the shareholders, maybe only fools think Jonas can still hold on. Meanwhile, smart people might be wiser to predict the future”.
Alex’s mouth opened, but Andreas signaled that he wasn’t finished. There was still something he wanted to say.
“Now I’ll be honest with you about my intention to talk to you privately.”
Alex waited. Without pretending, he was also curious. “Say it.”
“I’ve been interested in your performance all along. For years you’ve been accompanying Jonas, and I’m sure that without your help he wouldn’t be in the position he’s in now. Jonas managed to kick me out, and that proves your competence”.
Without comment, Alex just sighed. He, who had been tense before, began to relax a little. Andreas noticed.
“Well, I think it’s a shame if you have to be kicked out when Jonas has to leave Progun later. You don’t live for Jonas, right? You have to live for yourself.”
Done. Andreas had said enough for now. Exactly his conviction all the time, not too much.
Andreas stood up and exhaled. He left Alex confused and astonished, not expecting their conversation to end so quickly.
But Andreas did not leave right away. He approached Alex and his hand landed on Alex’s shoulder, squeezing it gently.
“Whenever you want, I’ll be happy to welcome you. You are the person I need, Lex.”
Only now did Andreas really leave, right after he had closed the grip on Alex’s shoulder with a pat. He left Alex with several uncertainties.
When will Alex contact me? One day? Two days? Hmm, or a week?
This question accompanied Andreas on his way home. His mischievous side came out, then he made a bet with himself. A week was the longest it would take for him to get the news he was waiting for.
Arriving home almost at midnight, Andreas found the house quiet and still. He immediately went to the bedroom with a brief memory that flashed before he left earlier.
Of course, being a married man, Andreas didn’t forget to inform Vlora about his departure. Vlora just nodded and showed no objection, so now he wondered.
Could Vlora be jealous? Did she not feel uncomfortable when she saw her husband going to a club on a Sunday night instead of spending time with her?
Basically, men don’t like women to be jealous. Some say it’s excessive. It seems childish and makes things difficult, so it’s not surprising that jealousy often becomes a bone of contention in a marriage.
But Andreas saw it from a different angle. It would be strange if Vlora didn’t feel a little jealous. After all their history, shouldn’t Vlora be worried?
Oh, don’t let this suspicion come true. It was as if Andreas had lost his dignity and self-confidence. Did Vlora believe too much in her marriage, or did Andreas not really occupy an important place in her mind?
Andreas was confident that he would get his answer tomorrow morning when they woke up and he would see Vlora’s attitude towards him. He would wait, because he assumed that Vlora would be asleep by now.
As it turned out, there were times when Andreas’ assumption was wrong. He entered the bedroom and found the bed still neatly made, a clear sign that no one had lain there that night.
Vlora hadn’t slept.
The thought made Andreas happy. He smiled at the possibility, which seemed to be true.
“She’s waiting for me.”
A wave of happiness filled Andreas with enthusiasm. He looked elated with the goal of finding Vlora. Maybe Vlora was in the bathroom or…
Something made Andreas stop. He was stunned and almost opened his mouth in disbelief at what his eyes saw.
A beautiful woman emerged from the dressing room. Her slender figure was adorned in a red, transparent outfit, adorned with lace, stockings and a small buckle.
The scent assaulted Andreas’ sense of smell. Soon his blood was tainted by the magic. He was hypnotized and his eyes stared deep into the room.
Andreas froze. He was like a statue, unable to move even as a gasp escaped his lips.
It was embarrassing, but the reality was that Andreas could only say one word.
“Vlora.”
*