Chapter 4
Two hours later after an uneventful flight, Amanda left Bristol Airport and waited in line for a taxi to take her home. As she had slept for most of the flight, she still didn't know what she was going to do about work the next day. On the one hand, she knew that things were going to be incredibly awkward between her and Alex. She'd managed to put on a brave face at the conference, but would she really be able to keep up the act indefinitely at work? She knew that the slightest whiff of controversy would be enough to make Eva, her jealous manager, pounce - and right now, she just didn't have the strength to put up a fight. On the other hand, she greatly enjoyed working at Advertech, and yes, a large part of that enjoyment came from seeing Alex on a daily basis, but aside from that - she enjoyed the work, the vibe, and the buzz she got from putting forward new ideas, and she knew she had the potential to make a real impact on the company. And, if all went according to plan, and Advertech were to be acquired, she'd also be able to walk away with a large wad of cash from her share options. At least enough money to help her father out financially with his struggling business.
The thought of her parents struggling was enough for her to almost make her mind up to go back to work. But then she had the best idea she'd had all trip, and that was to go home, get a good night's sleep, call in sick the next day, and give herself another 24 hours to make a sensible decision. After all, how clearly could she be thinking right now after the emotional rollercoaster, fuelled by alcohol and lack of sleep, that she'd been on. Finally it was her turn in the line to take a taxi, and she suddenly felt better about everything. Her head had cleared, her body was no longer sore, and she had given herself a way to postpone her decision without making one in a haste which she may come to regret. She lent back into the back seat of the cab, and contently looked out of the window, onto the motorway as they glided along in the direction of the setting sun.
Chapter 5
Once back at her apartment, the plush one bedroom that her parents had set her up with after she graduated from college, she threw down her bags and took off what was left of her suit. She'd had to make do with wearing a camisole under her suit jacket, and she couldn't help but chuckle as she remembered the ferocious way he'd ripped her white cotton shirt off earlier. Their lovemaking had been as passionate as she had been angry, which was a lot, and she wondered how much of the passion was down to lust, or god forbid, the feeling that she thought she was starting to feel for Alex... Love. But he couldn't possibly love her, could he? For a start she was at least fifteen years younger than him, possibly more, and of course he was married. She'd planned to ask him about his wife on the trip, but never got the chance. She'd only ever heard his wife's name in passing, but never met her in the flesh. Suddenly she became very curious to know who the other woman in his life was, so after making herself a snack, and pouring herself a glass of Merlot, she huddled down on the sofa with her laptop and started to search.
She remembered Alex's wife name, as it wasn't one you heard much of anymore. Amanda opened up her browser window and quickly typed in "Sheila Simons," before she could change her mind. Internet stalking wasn't usually her style, but desperate times called for desperate measures, that's what she told herself anyway. She pushed the guilty feeling away, and eagerly clicked on the the first couple of links, each one opening a separate window for her to view in order. Then she began to read. The first window was Sheila's Wikipedia page, and had a photo of a handsome looking lady with striking red hair, which lay straight and touched her slim shoulders. She wore an expensive looking suit, with a string of pearls around her neck, and everything from her eyebrows to her nails looked immaculately manicured. Amanda guessed the woman was in her mid 30s, and was surprised to see that Wikipedia had her age as 42, but then of course it could be wrong. While Sheila wasn't exactly what one would describe as a "stunner" she had a chiseled, distinguished looking face, and the red hair made her stand out a lot more than she otherwise would have if she'd been a mousy brown or blond.
Amanda viewed the basic facts about her, "Born: 3 May, 1974 - Spouse: Alex Simons, m. 29 May, 2001, Children: Alyssandra May Simons, born: 9 June, 2006 and Sebastian Grey Simons, b. 30 October, 2009 - d. 14 December, 2009 (SIDS - see link for more information)." Amanda gasped when she read the last part. She'd had no idea that Alex had lost an infant son. But then why would she know? She hadn't done anywhere near the kind of stealthing on the company and its cofounders that she was engaging in now. She'd read the company website and some press releases and that was about as far as she'd went. Now, she suddenly had a possible explanation as to why he had stayed in an unhappy marriage, and had thrown himself into his work - building up a company from zero to $1 billion dollars value - the figure that they were aiming for to be bought out by Google, or to float on the London Stock Exchange - in just a few short years. You had to be a workaholic to achieve that, as well as fiercely determined, which having spent the last few weeks working with him - she could tell this was precisely what he was. Amanda suddenly felt loaded with guilt. Not just because Alex and his wife had suffered a terrible loss, but because she felt that in some way, she was benefiting from the situation. If he hadn't have lost a child, maybe he wouldn't have been so determined to grow Advertech, or at least wouldn't be staying there all hours of the day and night, and she would not have had the opportunity to grow close to him. "Oh god, what. Have. I. Done." she asked herself for the second time that day, but this time the gravitas of the situation caused her to slam her laptop shut, gulp down the rest of the Merlot and lie back on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.
Chapter 6
Then, out of nowhere, she heard a knock at the door. It was way past 10 o'clock and she didn't have any friends who would show up unannounced. Then she remembered that her phone was still off as a result of its dead battery, so even if someone had tried to call her, they wouldn't have gotten through. She quickly rushed over to the door, and looked through the peephole, and was surprised to see Alex's driver standing there.
"Yes, Miguel?" she asked, in a tone that said, "What do you think you're doing here, at this time of night."
He looked apologetic, but simply said, "Alex sent me to fetch you. He'd like to see you now, Miss."
"What? Now? But I only just got back from the airport a few hours ago, and I'm - I'm not actually feeling very well," she lied, prepping her excuse for the next day. "Couldn't he call me?"
"No, Miss, I believe he did try, but couldn't get through. Your phone may be off. And he said he needs to speak to you face-to-face. Please, Miss - can you pack a bag and let's go? He's waiting." She wanted to scream, "I don't bloody care if the Queen is waiting," but refrained herself. Then she realised that actually, she did want to see him. It hadn't even been a full day without him, but she missed him like crazy. And after learning about the secret of losing his son, she suddenly felt a great deal of empathy for him. Maybe he wasn't the arrogant prick she thought he after all, maybe he was just in a great deal of pain?
"OK, OK, I'll grab my things," she said, much to Miguel's relief. She strode off to find an overnight bag, and packed it with a few random things, going as quickly as she possibly could in order to get back to Alex without further delay. She was in such a rush, she almost forgot she was wearing slippers, so quickly kicked them off and pulled on a pair of Ugg boots instead. She couldn't tolerate having cold feet, no matter how desperately she wanted to see him.
Outside in the cool night air, she wondered if she was making the right decision. But it was too late to change her mind now. Miguel shut the door to the limo, and she stretched out her legs on the now familiar leather seat. Thoughts swam around in her head, about what she was going to say when she saw him, and what she was going to do about work, which she was still due to go into the next day. She pushed down the anxious feeling, and stared blankly out of the window, not fully recognising where they were going. Miguel turned off the motorway and onto a slip road, then took a right down a small, winding road, with a f
ew picturesque cottages dotted along the way. The road went on for what felt like forever, and then doubled back onto itself, revealing a vast country estate, illuminated by floodlights, and bordered by heavy-duty security gates. The house looked like it was at least three-hundred years old, and security cameras darted over to the limo, then a few seconds later, the gate automatically unlocked. They drove down the gravel pathway and finally reached the front entrance of the estate. Miguel stopped the car, and courteously opened the door for her, and held out his hand to take her overnight bag. Amanda's heart fluttered with anticipation. She knew Alex was rich on paper, and had started the company with half of his own money, but she had no idea he was as wealthy as this... Assuming the house was his and not his wife's of course.
They stood for a second at the entry way, and again, a camera darted toward them. A second later, the door popped open. A butler greeted them, and gave Amanda a small bow, and stated in a stuffy English accent, "Good evening, Miss, Mr Simons will see you in the drawing room." She was too taken aback to respond, just gave him a curt nod, and followed him in towards a large room, adorned with a chandelier, oil paintings, Persian rugs, and more Chippendale furniture than she'd ever seen before. Alex was standing in the corner of the room, holding a whisky. He'd changed out of the suit he had been wearing earlier, and was not dressed in beige chinos, and a checked flannel shirt, with arm patches, a puffy gilet, and a black cravat. He looked every bit the country gentleman that one would expect to find in a house like this. But he didn't look like the Alex she had come to know. It was disconcerting, and again, she felt like she was being pulled into a dangerous place, where just as she seemed to get her bearings, another curveball was thrown at her.
Chapter 7
"Hello, Amanda," he began, "Thank you so much for coming." As if she'd had a choice, she thought ruefully, but simply nodded, keeping her emotions within, for now. "I owe you an apology. A big one," he said, looking away from her, down into his glass. She wanted to nod her head in agreement but sensed that chiding him may cause him to close up to her again, just as he started to sound like he was opening up.
"The truth is, you deserve to be angry with me. The way I acted towards you on the way to the hotel from the airport after we'd - we'd - well, you know what we did," he gave a weak smile, "Anyway, my point is - I sometimes use my arrogance as a defence mechanism, to stop myself from getting hurt. Yes, I've been fortunate enough to be successful, thus far, and I'm confident in my business, because I know my business, and my industry inside and out. But when it comes to beautiful women, and you know how beautiful you are Amanda, you must do, well, truth is... I've always been terribly shy and insecure." Part of her didn't believe what she was hearing. "Shy" and "insecure" were not words that she would have used to describe him. But at the same token, it did kind of make sense. She knew she could have a powerful effect on men, without even meaning to, so just because he was CEO of a company, didn't mean he wasn't susceptible to her wiles. She had flirted with him rather a lot, and had given him the innocent young girl look, opening her pretty eyes big and wide whenever he spoke to her, fluttering her dark, thick eyelashes, saying, "Yes, Alex" or "No, Alex," of "Absolutely, Alex" whenever he'd ran an idea by her. Really, she was as just to blame as he was in initiating the affair, she almost felt sorry for him now, the way he was standing so forlornly in the middle of a big empty room, in a big empty country house.
"Alex," she began, but didn't know what to say, "I just, I guess, I just - over-reacted, a little bit. I'm not used to being treated that way," she confessed, wanting to match his honesty, share an equal amount of truth, so that they could finally get on the same page. "Truth is, I have never had a one night stand before in my whole life, I'm just not a 'hit-and-run' type of girl. Every man I've ever slept with, and it's not many, believe me, but every single one, I've ended up having a long-term relationship with. And, I just assumed that by us sleeping together, that you liked me, more than just a one-night-stand kind of like," she paused and saw that he was looking at her intently, taking in every word she said, waiting to hear his fate, as if she were a judge that had the power to sentence him to a terrible fate, if she didn't speak the words that he wanted to hear. She read the anguish on his handsome features, and her voice cracked as she said, "I couldn't stand the thought that you might not want to be with me. That's why I was so angry, you know, you totally ignored me, after I'd laid myself bare to you, literally!" She let out a deep breath, and clutched her stomach in an effort to steady herself. He rushed over to her, and wrapped his arms around her tall, slender frame. "Amanda," he started, looking deeply into her beautiful, stricken face, "I do want to be with you...Really, really, be with you..." he said soothingly. These were the words she had been waiting for, but she sensed a "but" coming. She wasn't wrong, "But..." he said, "Oh god, no buts, please, no buts, Alex!" she pleaded.
"But..." he started again, "I am still married... Not happily mind, far from it in fact, but it's going to take just a bit more patience on your part until we can be together. And when I say together, I mean properly, out in the open, no sneaking around or hiding from anyone. OK?" She felt like she was being deliberately handled, yet his words mollified her, and she was too exhausted to fight his will any longer. She let herself sink into his warm chest, and he held her tightly, tucking her head under his chin, while she quietly sniffled into his flannel shirt.
"Why don't I pour you a nice, soothing glass of cognac - it's vintage Remy Martin - then we can go over the fireplace, lie down on the sheepskin rug, and hold each other all night. No naughty business, I just want to hold you, and talk to you, and hear more of your amazing ideas for Advertech." That made her smile, and she pulled away from him and giggled, finally allowing herself to stop feeling anxious, and let herself believe the incredible words he was uttering to her. "Carry on..." she said, not wanting the moment, and stream of compliments to end. "And then, tomorrow, we'll go into work early, before anyone else... I'll call my lawyer, and, Amanda, I promise you, I will start making plans to divorce my wife."
"Really?" she beamed, "You're not winding me up?"
"No, Amanda, I'm not. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long, long time, but for one reason or another, life kept getting in the way, and giving me an excuse just to carry on being miserable with her. But now that I've found you, I've had a glimpse of what real happiness can feel like, and I know that I don't need any other excuses, to finally do what I should have done years ago," he stated, with no trace of sadness in his voice. If anything, he sounded very relieved, like a weight had been lifted off around his neck.
"Oh god, Alex, is it possible to love someone after just a few short weeks of knowing them? Because the way I feel right now, I've honestly never, ever felt before in my entire life. And actually, I'm pretty sure I loved you at first sight, if I'm honest!" She wasn't holding back now. All fears about him returning to his wife, and casting her aside, had been assuaged, and just like him, she was letting her barriers down. He seemed to relish her words, but before she could say anymore, he planted a huge kiss on her lips. Not a sexual one where he'd immediately stuck his tongue down her throat, but a passion-filled one, that let her know that what he said was true. He was on his way to falling in love with her, and he was going to prove it with his kiss.
Chapter 8
Six hours later, Amanda blinked her eyes open, as she felt a warm, licking sensation on the side of her face. For the second time in two days, she didn't have a clue where she was. "This is becoming a bad habit", she thought to herself ruefully. Then she realised she was being licked by an adorable labrador and soon remembered why she was on a worn, Chippendale sofa, in the drawing room of a large country estate. "Mmmm, Alex," she smiled, and then realised that the man she had declared her love to, late last night, was nowhere to be found. "Great," she thought, "I'm never going to be able to find him in this place! I don't even remember where the bathroom is!" But just as she was starting to panic, the butler who had greeted her
at the main entrance last night glided into the room, and in his haughty manner stated: "Breakfast is served, mi'lady, would you like to follow me, please?"
"Wow," she thought to herself, "mi-lady? It's like I've walked into an episode of 'Downton Abbey,' but she kept the joke to herself, got up and followed the butler, who she assumed was called 'Jeeves' or something, into the dining room. Alex was sat at the head of the table reading a broadsheet newspaper, and tucking into a grapefruit. "Finally awake I see, Amanda," he teased, back to using his alpha-male voice. She giggled, and then her heart dropped as she realised she'd neglected to ask him where his wife was. "Is this OK?" she said, hoping he'd get the meaning from her worried look, "I mean, sitting here with you, having... breakfast?"
"Yes, it's fine, don't worry," he said assuredly. "Sheila is in America, fundraising for SIDS. It's how she spends most of her time. When she's not tormenting me, that is."
"Right, I saw that, um, you had a son that died of it. I'm so sorry, I wasn't being nosy, but it was the first search result that came up for you."
"No, that's OK. I was going to tell you anyway. Yes, it was a terrible tragedy, but it was many years ago. And I've still got my little girl, who I absolutely adore. She's nothing like her mother, ha," he laughed ironically.
"So that's why you stayed in the marriage for so long... For your daughter?" Amanda ventured, determined to finally get to the bottom of it.
"Well, yes and no. Of course, I want to be around her but I'm always at work anyway, so it doesn't make too much difference if I'm with her mother or not. The main reason, I hate to say it, is money. Not because I personally want or need a great deal of money. But Advertech does you see. In order to become the world's leading advertising platform, we need to invest a great deal of money."
Romance: Alien Romance: Having The Kings Baby (A Paranormal Science Fiction Shifter Romance ) (Sci-fi Alien Invasion Abduction Romance) Page 128
