Youthful Discretion (wlw)

Chapter 12

"Mom please, I need to impress her, this is my chance to do great things at this company." I plead while my mother and father stare at me from the other side of the dinner table.

"I don't know Lil; this will be your first time out of Washington and how do I know this Ms. Lenore will keep you safe?" She retorts.

"I say we should let her go." My father interjects.

My head snaps up from the palms of my hands. My father grinning proudly at me.

"Well after all, she's eighteen and we all know how ambitious we were at that age. Plus, when was the last time Lilith has been this excited about anything? I think it will be a great experience for our girl." He continues.

I could see the doubt in my mother's eyes but nevertheless, my father had much pride for me and my goals which my mother also had pride for.

"Okay, you can go Lilith." My mother finally sighs.

"Really!?" I jump up from my seat.

"But I want updates on everything you do, I need to know about when you're going out and who it will be with, and I also want you to have your own hotel room, no one else." Her tone stern.

Another moment I would be annoyed by her over protected nature but now I was just more grateful for her letting me go.

"Thank you, mom and dad, I promise that I'll let you know about everything." My teeth showing through a ecstatic grin.

...

"So, they really let you go?" Cullen gripped his hands harder around the steering wheel.

"You don't seem too happy for me." My smile fading.

"No, I am, it's just so sudden you know. I mean you just started and it's like she's practically handing everything to you." He mumbles.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Anger and suspicion rising in my chest, while I stare at his death grip on the wheel.

"Nothing. It means nothing."

In this moment I could leave this be but I'm too stubborn to let a man, especially Cullen talk to me this way.

Just before Cullen picked me up to take us to work, he was late which is making us run behind today which Cullen is never later. A strong sent of perfume came off his blazer when I entered his car, and I could only assume it's not from me.

"You're acting as if you aren't getting to play CEO while we are gone and get to take over the most important role of the company. Clearly Ms. Lenore has tremendous trust in you and your abilities so don't even give me that bullshit about everything being handed to me." I spat.

He stays silent for the remainder of the car ride, and I can't event force myself to look at him. He thinks that I'm just Ms. Lenore's little pet that she can boss around and take everywhere. Well, hes wrong, I don't belong to anyone, not him, not to her, and I will be damned if anyone tries to tell me otherwise.

...

Ms. Lenore sat across her desk while I sate stiff shouldered in the chair in front. This scene between us felt comfortable now that I've been in here so much.

Her office had a different essence to it than it usually did, today I smelt lavender and salt with a colder temperature.

Across the long desk that sat front, and center of the office was her.

Her hair tied back into a ponytail, lose stands hanging off the sides. She wore two rings on her left hand which she touched often when I looked at her.