"I Surrender"

Chapter 4: Tuesday

“Some assholes are trying to steal the contract from Red Marks.”

His eyebrows furrow in confusion as he looks up at her, “I thought you closed that deal yesterday?”

Fallon sighs, “So did I, we agreed to it, but we have to wait for my lawyers to draw up the contracts so technically they can still take a different deal until it’s official.”

She knows better than to not take failed business deals personally, but this company is her heart and soul and she finds she can’t help the jolt of anxiety that all of this causes to begin stirring inside of her, waking up insecurities like demons in her head, telling her she isn’t good enough.

Liam seems to watch all of this happen, almost like he’s somehow got a window into the inner workings of Fallon Carrington and he grabs hold of her hand, placing a chaste kiss on the back of her palm, breaking her out of her spiralling thoughts.

“Hey,” He says softly, bringing her attention back to him, “All it will take is a bit of that Fallon Carrington charm and they’ll be eating out of the palm of your hand.” His hand comes up to cup her cheek, “They’re not just making a deal with a company, they’re making a deal with you, make sure they know what that’s worth.”

Even after the stunt he’d pulled last night, it is impossible for her to stay mad with him after saying such sweet words of encouragement, his confidence in her persistently unwavering.

Rather than respond, Fallon simply smiles at him and leans down to kiss his lips, knowing that this is likely the last moment of the morning she would get which is actually filled with calm and happiness. Her mouth lingers there, pushing against his, savouring the feeling of his pliant lips and the scrape of his stubble against her chin, before pulling back a few inches.

“If you need my help…” He begins, but Fallon cuts him off with a shake of her head.

“You already did help,” She responds.

Fallon had asked Allison to think of what she could offer to swing the contract in their favor, but Liam was right, it's nothing materialistic they could offer which would win the company over. It'd her and everything her sharp intellect can offer. It's time she began to rely on that, rather than throwing money at every problem she encounters.

She places a quick peck on Liam’s cheek before clambering off of the bed and walking into her wardrobe, searching for the perfect outfit to go into battle with. After a quick scan, her eyes narrow in on an all-black, custom suit with a subtle leather effect printed over the material that she hasn’t taken out for a spin yet and decides it’s perfect. All she has to do is make sure her hair and makeup is fierce and she’ll be fully equipped for the war ahead.

~

It takes her almost an hour to get ready, ensuring her hair is perfectly curled, her eyeliner is as sharp as possible; she even paints her nails a crimson red to match her lipstick and the soles of her Louboutin heels. Then there’s the suit; smart, sophisticated but still sexy, hugging her figure perfectly to accentuate her hips, showing just the right amount of cleavage to show off her femininity but still keeps things to the imagination. She dons the set of peach colored pearls Liam bought for her on the anniversary of the first time they’d slept together, matching the diamond on her left hand and spritzes on her signature rose-scented perfume.

She twists in her full-length mirror, patting herself down to ensure she’s satisfied with the look.

“So, what do you think?” She asks out loud, turning towards the bed when she doesn’t receive a response, noticing that Liam’s fallen back to sleep, snoozing peacefully on the pillow. A small smile appears on her face as she approaches him, “Hey,” She says softly, nudging Liam back awake.