by A. E. Murphy
“Oh, and Gwen?”
“What?” I call from my place at the bottom of the stairs.
“You’re welcome.”
Damn it. The clothes.
I forgot to thank him. I rush back inside the dining room, his eyes go wide when he sees me charging at him.
Gripping his wrist in one hand and his shoulder in the other, I press my lips to his cheek, say, “Thanks,” and leave the room. Wanting to snigger at his shocked face but not having the energy to do it, I sit and wait for him to wash his cheek. After counting down from ten I spy him rush into the kitchen and scrub at his cheek with a clean cloth.
I definitely wish I could laugh, this would be hilarious. Okay, so I’m evil for playing with a man’s mental issues. Who cares?
“Why do we need to go to the city?” I ask as we pull out of the long driveway, shocked that he hasn’t chastised me for my earlier antics.
“I need to go into the office to deal with a few things, you can keep my father’s secretary company.”
“You’re dragging me out of the house just so your father’s secretary can babysit me? That seems a bit extreme, I haven’t been that bad.”
He doesn’t respond, this makes me huff.
“I really don’t fancy meeting your parents,” I admit after a few minutes of silence. “I mean… your mum blames me and your dad hung up on me.”
“What?” He seems to be astonished by my revelation. “When?”
“I called them, asking them for financial support from Caleb’s trust fund. They refused. Your mum specifically told me it was all my fault. She called me back just to tell me.”
“That…” his hands twist on the steering wheel. He does this a lot. “Don’t worry, my parents aren’t here this week. They’re abroad.”
“Abroad?” I squeak in horror. “How can they be on abroad?”
Nathan shrugs, “My parents aren’t good people, Gwen. I would never introduce them to you.”
Caleb said the same thing.
It takes forever to get to the city, almost two hours due to traffic being horrendous and the distance of which we live from it. When we make it to the office building where he works I’m relieved to see he has a designated parking space. The parking situation is worse than the traffic around here.
I’m guided in through an entrance at the back of the building and straight into an elevator. We get off at the fifth floor, it’s unremarkable.
“Come on,” he says and pulls me toward a large round desk. I instantly spot a young woman, not too far from my age with huge brown eyes and short brown hair. “This is… umm…”
“Sophie,” she sighs with a roll of her eyes but I can see her heart has been crushed.
“Great.” Nathan pushes me into a chair and walks through a door across from us.
“How many times have you told him your name now?” I ask, noticing Sophie’s lingering look.
She purses her lips and sighs heavily, “About a million and one.”
“That sucks.”
“He will never notice me,” she whines and taps away at her computer. “You’re Gwen right? The pregnant heathen who stole Mr Weston’s son away?”
“That’s me, although I prefer the term slut if you wouldn’t mind.”
She laughs loudly and her sparkling brown eyes come to mine, “Ignore them, they were very protective of…”
“Sammy!” Nathan shouts from the doorway. I didn’t notice him come back out.
“It’s Sophie,” she bites out.
“Know your place,” he snaps and slams the door. I see her face pale and wonder what the hell that was all about.
“Coffee?” She asks and stands abruptly.
“No thank you. I’m not allowed caffeine.” I clear my throat and watch her smooth down her skirt. “What were you going to say?”
“I’ll get you a tea,” she doesn’t meet my eyes as she scarpers through the door to my left. What on earth was that all about?
She brings me my tea which tastes foul but I sip it anyway, she clicks away on her computer and answers the phone on occasion all the while chatting animatedly to me about the baby and how her sister was when she was in labour. I listen politely but otherwise lose myself in my own world.
More time passes and I become more bored by the second. A few people come and go, requesting to speak to Mr Weston, all of them are denied. There’s still no sign of Nathan. Now I’m just irritated.
I’ve been sat here for two hours and the company I’m in isn’t great. She reminds me to much of Sasha and that hurts.
Before Caleb… died… I had lots of friends but none of them have called or texted since I left. Now I’m wondering if they were ever friends at all.
“Nathan wants you to go to him,” Sophie says, breaking me from my thoughts.
I sigh and head towards the door he vanished behind two hours ago. Giving it a tap, I push it open and blink when I see him sat at the desk with his head cradled in his hands.
“What is it?” I ask and walk over to him.
He looks up at me, his eyes tired. “Keep me company.”
“W… what?”
He pulls the closest chair next to his and pats the seat. I sit, all the time wondering what’s going on. “We’re going to have to stay in a hotel tonight. There’s too much to be done and I won’t be finished until late.”
Groan.
“Is that okay?”
I shrug, “I guess it’ll have to be, but be warned. I’m never coming here with you again.”
He smirks and I’m shocked at the motion. He never smiles or smirks. It suits him. “If you like I can have somebody take you to the hotel now? I’m sure you’ll find it more comfortable.”
I’m about to say yes but then I see how drained he looks and reject his offer, “No. I’ll just hang out here with you if that’s okay?”
He turns his face to his computer, I swear I just saw him smile but I can’t be certain. He turned to quick. “As you wish.”
I lean back in my seat and snag his phone from the desk. His eyes question my actions.
“I want to play a game.”
His gloved finger taps at the screen, I watch it unlock and start downloading after realising he doesn’t even have Angry Birds and his phone is extremely cool. Who doesn’t have Angry Birds when they have an extremely cool phone?
“Do you need any help with anything?” I ask after a few minutes of failing to tear down a building with a bird.
“No, you play your game.”
“It’s lost my interest. That’s a really pretty necklace,” I point at the screen, a golden locket with a tiny red gem shines back at me. “Really pretty.”
“You think so?” He asks as I admire the spiralling pattern engraved on the flat disk, leading to the tiny red gem.
“Yes,” obviously or I wouldn’t have said it.
“Why do you like it?”
I shrug, “It’s different. I like the fact the disk isn’t prominent. It makes the gem stand out even though it’s small.”
“Huh,” he licks his lower lip and flicks through a few more images. “Would you like one?”
Umm… yes. “No. You’ve given me enough.”
“It’s one of a kind,” he states, his eyes now on me. “It would suit you well.”
I’m not sure what to make of what he just said, or the way his gaze seems to be burning into me in a way it never has before. I’m reading into things. “Why do you say that?”
He turns back to the computer and crosses off the screen, I hide my disappointment by looking at the sheets of paper spread out along the desk. I have no idea what they are.
We order in food as he’s still not done and it’s now five. I have to admit though, his company hasn’t been terrible. He’s made conversation when necessary and asked me whether or not I like some of the jewellery he shows me. Some of it isn’t my style but some of it is beautiful, I make sure to give him my honest opinion on every one and my reasons behind it.
Af
ter a while he seems to get aggravated, almost like he doesn’t like my answers. I can’t help what I like and what I don’t like.
“This one?” He snaps and shows me a picture of a single loop charm with a purple disk in the centre that can be flipped over showing a mint green colour on the other side.
“It’s great, a necklace for two outfits.”
“You’ve been in my office haven’t you?” His question startles me.
“What? No!” I gape at him, my heart hammering. There hasn’t been a single time I’ve gone in there. Apart from the first time when I opened the door and immediately shut it when I realised it was his study.
His eyes narrow, “I only gave you two rules. Stay out of my way and don’t invade my privacy.”
“I swear, I haven’t,” I gulp and implore him with my eyes to believe me.
“Then how is it you like every single piece of jewellery I’ve designed but nothing that my father has?”
I laugh a little, it’s humourless and nervous, “Even if I had been snooping, which I haven’t, I didn’t even know you designed jewellery and secondly, how the hell would I remember them all and thirdly, why the hell would I like them all? You’re making zero sense.” I climb from my seat to put some distance between us. “Maybe your designs are actually really good and maybe that’s why I like them.”
“If I find out you’ve been in my office Guinevere…”
“Oh save it.” I snarl and stomp to the door. “I’ll take that ride to the hotel now, if you don’t mind.”
“Don’t walk away from me Guinevere.”
“Fuck you,” I shout and reach for the handle.
A hand comes from behind and slams against the door, keeping it shut no matter how hard I tug. “I’ll accept that I’ve upset you and that’s the reason you just spoke to me with such a lack of respect, but next time you swear I will make it so that you never even dare to swear in my presence again. Are we clear?”
His whispered threat hits me straight in the chest and no small amount of fear overcomes me. I have no idea what he means to do and I don’t care to find out.
“Now sit down. You’re right, I probably have jumped to conclusions and now I feel guilt because of your honesty over my jewellery. I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge your motives.” His hand comes to my wrist and circles it tightly, but not too tightly that it would leave a mark or hurt me in any way. “Please, come and sit and we’ll eat when the food arrives.”
“Let go of me,” I whisper, my lower lip vanishing under my teeth. He doesn’t move away and my trembling gets worse. Not from fear but from my attempts at keeping the tears away. No matter how hard I try they fall seconds later, spilling silently down my cheeks.
He spins me so my back is against the door, his eyes following the shiny, wet trails that mar my face. “Gwen. I…” His eyes roam over me, from my eyes to my nose, before finally settling on my mouth. “Don’t cry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Let me go,” I tell him again and lower my eyes. “Please.”
He slowly nods and takes a step back, I pull open the door and keep my head down as I pass the large desk.
“Lock up,” I hear Nathan order. “Guinevere, wait.”
I stop as I reach the elevator we came to the floor in. “What?”
“I’ll take you to the hotel,” he says and presses the button with his gloved pinkie finger.
He doesn’t speak until we reach the car, for which I’m grateful, “You’re correct in thinking I’ve been completely irrational.”
Scoff.
“You’re right, you have no reason to lie to me about liking them. It was just a shock because my father and Caleb hated them.”
“Caleb hated them?” I blink at this announcement. “Caleb would love them.”
“He told me so himself,” he shrugs like it doesn’t bother him but part of me knows it does.
A thought flashes across my mind. Does Nathan secretly seek acceptance from people? He seems so hard and so unaffected by everything. Is it all just a façade?
“Well I think they’re great. If I were to buy something that first disk with the red gem would be the first thing to catch my eye,” I’m not saying this as a hint for him to get me one either, although that would be nice. “Why don’t you put them on the market?”
“It’s my father’s company, what he says goes.”
“Your father is an idiot,” I grumble and relax in my seat. “You’re very talented. I imagine your father was once, he still is but his style is older, more elegant. Yours are modern and eye catching. I know obviously your father’s jewellery sells well but I bet yours would sell better.”
“I doubt that but it’s kind of you to say so,” he smiles gently at me, his eyes seeming to see me in a whole new light. “You’re not actually that bad when you lose the attitude. I’m starting to see what my brother saw in you.”
My mouth drops open at his teasing words, “I’d say the same to you but…” I tap my chin in thought. “I really shouldn’t lie.”
His laughter sounds through the car and my heart almost stops. He has a nice laugh. Very nice. It’s deep and throaty and full of joy. His smile brightens his entire face and those hard and stern lines completely vanish. He looks his age and he looks more like Caleb but this time it doesn’t hurt so much to see the similarities. For once I welcome it and find my lips curving up with it.
Chapter Eleven
We arrive at the hotel, it’s fancier than the one we stayed in before leaving my home town. I wonder vaguely about what happened to the food we ordered but that thought vanishes when I see the huge tub in the en-suite bathroom.
“Dibs,” I announce and close the door behind me.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a soak, sure there’s a nice enough bath at Nathan’s, but this is a hotel tub. You can’t go to a fancy hotel and not use half of their bubble products. It wouldn’t be right. I’m certain there is a law against forgetting to test their wares and if there’s not, then there should be.
Once the bath has reached capacity and the heat is as I desire, I step into the foamy water and sigh as it heats my body perfectly.
“What do you want to eat?” Nathan calls through the door.
“Something greasy.”
“Salad.”
“Something extra greasy.”
“Lots of salad.”
“You’re an arse.”
“Even more salad.”
I smile to myself, my hands rubbing over the bump poking out of the water. “Whatever. Surprise me.”
“Salad.”
My breath comes out in a rush as I let out a small giggle, I’m happy when guilt doesn’t follow immediately afterwards. “Thanks.”
He stops speaking through the door, leaving me to soak and wash my hair.
By the time I’m done the food is here and I’m relieved to see proper food. Not salad.
Well, there is some salad but it’s with chicken wings and ribs and steak. Oh my god, I’m so hungry. There’s peppercorn sauce, I almost cry. You can’t have steak without peppercorn sauce.
Another thing that should be illegal.
“Come sit,” Nathan says and points to the seat beside him. Why does he like me sitting beside him? Every breakfast, lunch and dinner we’ve shared, he’s pulled me next to him. When I went into his office he had me sit next to him. I don’t get it. I can still talk to him from across the way. What’s up with that?
The chair he holds out, I completely ignore it and sit in the space next to it. Nathan pulls out the chair a little bit more and pats the seat. Why am I winding him up?
“I’m okay here,” I say and gauge his reaction.
“Is there a reason you don’t want to sit beside me?” He asks as I slide my plate to my new spot.
I shrug, “No reason.”
“Okay,” he elongates the word and looks down at his food. I start cutting in to mine, happy to see it’s not pink in the middle.
I watch him ou
t of the corner of my eye as he begins to eat, his eyes drift up to me every so often. This makes my lips twitch. “So, how long will you have to work tomorrow?”
“I should be done by noon,” he says after a moment’s thought. “Would you like to join me?”
I eye him warily and tease, “Are you going to accuse me and shout at me?”
His eyes soften and I can see he’s sorry for his actions before he even says it. “No and I apologise profusely for reacting that way.”
I wave him off and flip my braid over one shoulder. “It’s fine.”
“No,” he says sternly. “It’s not fine. You shouldn’t be subjected to that by anyone. Even me.” His lips curve up at the ends. “Well, not including when you annoy me.”
Scoff. “I don’t annoy you.”
“No, you’re right,” he says, his voice soft and quiet. “You don’t.”
My breath hitches, I’m not sure why and I don’t get a chance to think on it as he’s changing the subject.
“I thought we could go out tomorrow when I’ve finished,” I continue to chew on a piece of steak as he speaks. “Have you ever been to the city?”
“No but there are a lot of places I want to see,” I admit, keeping my fingers crossed that he’ll let me see them.
“Brilliant. We’ll spend a few hours wandering around if the weather is agreeable and I’ll bring you back in a few weeks. We’ll see a show.”
“A show?”
“Theatre,” his eyes search my face. “Unless you don’t find the theatre enjoyable?”
I shrug, a smile teasing my lips, “I’ve never been, so I’d love to.”
“Great,” he blinks, seemingly surprised that I’ve agreed. “I’ll make the arrangements.”
“Thanks,” I take another bite and fail to stifle a moan. “Damn this steak is amazing.”
I notice how he only eats the food on his plate, not even touching the ribs or the chicken wings. How odd. I don’t comment though, I just eat as much as my stomach will allow.
“So, where am I sleeping?” I ask after washing my hands and face. There is only one bed and a large couch. “I don’t mind taking the couch.”
