Chapter 15
The color drains from Rylie’s face as she lifts her head to see the person getting on the elevator. Her phone slides out of her hand landing on the elevator floor near her foot. Chace’s brow creases in a heavy scowl pressing his lips together in a thin line. Her eyes get momentarily stuck staring at his lips having memories of where they were a little more than twenty-four hours ago.
Stepping on the elevator with her he bends over to pick up her phone. Taking his time standing up he gazes appreciatively at her in her grey suede heels and raspberry dress accentuating every curve. Her dark mahogany hair caresses her shoulders bordering her shocked face. Her natural pink lips don’t look swollen or bruised. Chace is thinking the guy damn sure kissed her everywhere else.
He’s standing in front of her gazing at her with his deep blue eyes like waves crashing down on her. The width of his broad shoulders in his charcoal striped suit is blocking her view of the elevator doors closing her alone in the six by eight confined space with him.
He hits the pause button on the elevator panel then flips a switch turning on the intercom telling security to keep the door closed and the intercom off, he’s having a meeting.
Rylie scowls at him, what meeting…. in the elevator just because she’s late? Okay….an hour late, he did threaten to punish her. Chace takes a step closer to her she backs up against the elevator wall, he’s moving forward, she drops her purse on her shoulder neither picks it up. His hands rest over hers holding onto the elevator’s safety bar pinning her into the corner.
“You’re late.” He comments bluntly his nose almost touching hers.
“I’m not really late, there’s an explanation.” She utters feeling guilty and uncomfortable. She tries not to squirm but bumps her head anyway on the back of the elevator wall. “Ouch…” She yelps but is unable to move her pinned hand to feel behind her head to rub the spot.
“Does it hurt?” He ask as if speaking to a small child.
Blood rushes to her cheeks with humiliation at the look in his eyes. She nods her head.
Chace slips one hand behind her head massaging the bumped spot. “Better…” His voice softens but she can still see the turmoil in his eyes. He seems to be mad at her. Gathering a handful of her hair in his hand he pulls her head closer to his lips but they don’t touch.
“Tell me why you’re late Rylie.” Her rich pecan eyes are looking into his deep turbulent ones this isn’t about her being late it’s about something else.
“Chace….I was in the parking garage getting my things out of my car I dropped my flat shoes underneath it. I couldn’t reach them, I had to get one of the guards to help me.” She softly says. It’s partially true she did drop the shoes when Jayson approached her but the guard was walking by after Jayson left he was able to reach under her car getting the shoes for her in about a minute.
“You expect me to believe that took an hour.” He narrows his eyes at her, anger and frustration evident in his look.
“I don’t know how long it took you can ask the guard his last name was….. Hanson.” Rylie is shaken by his perceptive gaze.
He releases her hair stands up straight but the scowl doesn’t leave. “That’s what you want to tell me?” He responds sounding disappointed.
“Yeah….that’s what happened the shoes are in my bag.” She calmly says.
“I don’t give a damn about the shoes Rylie, I give a damn that you’re lying to me.” Is his curt response his voice echoing inside the elevator? He hits the pause button again on the elevator panel, the doors open he walks out leaving her alone in the elevator. “Go to work Rylie.” He says brusquely his back to her. The elevator doors close between them. Rylie leans over holding on to the elevator railing. “What was that?” She says out loud to herself.
Chace takes a different elevator up to his office. He swings the wide double glass doors open walking fast pass a talking Marisol and Evelyn. There’s no morning greeting just a heavy scowl on his face as he opens his office door to go in and slam it shut.
“Are Ivana and Carolyn at each other’s throat again?” Evelyn ask Marisol both women are looking at his slammed door.
“Always.” Marisol responds. “I don’t think it’s because of them.” Marisol speculates about his dismal attitude.
“Did you see the video?” Evelyn inquires. Marisol grins wide. “Of course seen it twice, just wish I had some popcorn to go with it.
“You think it’s because of her.” Evelyn wonders out loud.
“Last night he called me he told me to find someplace else for Ivana to work so he wouldn’t have to look at her on this floor. He was fine with her working up here until she got into that fight with Rylie.” Marisol says.
The two women are laughing when Chace’s office door swings open. “Marisol….his voice is stern filled with grave emotion. “I need to talk to you.” He leaves the door open walking back into his office.
“Good Luck, I know that tone.” Evelyn tells her. “Thanks, if I don’t come out soon just make sure my kids get put through college. Marisol responds walking swiftly into his office.
He’s getting frustrated with trying to slide a flash drive into his laptop. He doesn’t give Marisol a chance to close the door all the way before he starts speaking. “Have all the applicants for the executive positions been interviewed.” He instantly tenses up waiting for her answer causing her to fill more on edge.
“Yes…they’ve all been interviewed we’ve made the preliminary decisions I emailed the list of final candidates to you this morning. They could end up shifted around if you don’t like who we picked to work directly with you. Ivana is helping you out or so she thinks she is….her vote was not to select anyone for your office she said she is now here working so closely with you, she can fulfill all of your…..needs?” Marisol says in a teasing manner that catches a glowering look from him.
Throwing her hands up exhibiting surrender she answers. “Don’t come after me, I’m just passing along Ivana’s message on the position vacant in this office.”
“Message received, the answer is— Hell No…. I don’t want that woman anywhere near me.” Is his scowling response.
He can’t seem to get his video working properly she walks over to the side of his desk taking the flash drive out of his hand reinserting it for him turning the video on.
“Where’s Langston?” He says in a stiff voice. She knows he and Langston seem to have a love hate sort of relationship. Langston’s oldest sister was Chace’s father’s third wife.
Chace believes because of Langston’s height and slim build he could fit the description of the man in the parking garage with Rylie.
“He left about eight this morning so he could get to DC on time for his meeting with the accountants at Leman and Dunhurst.” Marisol answers.
“Did he come in to the office this morning?” He says abruptly.
“He was here at seven when I arrived.” She responds. Chace leans his elbow on his desk rubbing his fingers across his forehead. Marisol knows that look, she’s known him long enough to know when something is bothering him but he’s too stubborn to admit it.
“What is it, can you just tell me what’s wrong I know it’s something.” She says walking to the front of his desk to have a seat in his visitor chair.
Chace is playing the video he swings the laptop around toward her. On the screen is the part of the video showing Rylie and the man in the garage hugging.
Swallowing hard before breaking his silence he gruffly ask her. “Is that Langston?” Marisol leans forward to look at the screen, she can make out Rylie but she can’t tell who the man with her is. She’s a little shocked to see what’s on the video but it doesn’t look to her as suggestive as Chace seems to think it is. She can understand how he’s gotten it into his head that Langston likes Rylie he flirts with her, they have lunch together all the time but she also knows he’s sleeping with Carolyn and she doesn’t think Rylie is the type to share a man or anything else with Carolyn.
“Chace….I don’t think…” She pauses, he gets more frustrated.
“Damn it Marisol, just tell me is it him?” He says his serious blue eyes catching her off guard.
She sighs saying, “I don’t know, it doesn’t look like him the man’s hair is different. He wasn’t dressed in his suit when he came in this morning he had on jeans and a jacket. He changed before he left, I just don’t know.” She tells him.
“Right.” He slams the laptop shut with the video still running.
“Chace….why don’t you ask her.” Marisol says gently.
“Ask her what, she was late this morning….an hour late. I told her not to be late again I just want to know if the guy works here.” He presses his lips together in frustration.
“Uh-huh…. if her lateness is a problem you need to do something about it she’s one of our final candidates for the executive positions. She’s a bit of a workaholic so it’s nice to see her having a little fun with somebody.” Marisol says purposely to see the reaction she will get out of him.
“You know when I told you to look somewhere besides my office for Ivana to work?” He says with a subtle smirk capturing Marisol’s full attention, she doesn’t want to have to talk to Ivana or have anything to do with her.
“I changed my mind, you don’t have to look anymore, I’ll tell her I’m going to put her across the hall in your unit.” A sly smirk crosses his face.
“You know what Chace sometimes you’re as pleasant as an itchy butthole.” Marisol stands up about to leave his office.
“I’ll make a note of that.” He responds giving her a shit face look of sarcasm.
“I’m serious Chace, you put Booboo Kitty in my unit you better keep an ambulance on standby, Rylie dusted her up I’ll finish her off if she comes near me or my assistant. I can’t take any more of her.” Marisol says glaring at him.
He follows behind her to his door. She knows he’s wearing that shit face smirk of his. Marisol stops before leaving his office turning around giving him some final information.
“You need to make the final selections by the end of this week. We think it would be a great idea if you announced the selection of the new executives at the next company cocktail party. We have to make sure they all can attend it.”
“I’ll work on it this weekend and have the names to you next Monday.” He replies.
“What about Rylie….” Marisol isn’t afraid to go there she knows he’s upset with Rylie.
“What about her, she didn’t put in for the position in my office? If you put her on the list for one of the other positions I’ll consider it. She’s made it clear she doesn’t want to work with me.” He says through gritted teeth.
“Chace, take your time and think about this. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but don’t make any rash decisions.” After Marisol leaves Chace stands at his window thinking about when he and Rylie were together making love, he’s unable to get her out of his mind.
Rylie stays in her office all morning. She can barely get much work done, she keeps thinking about her disturbing conversation with Jayson. She wants to burst into Chace’s office and tell him everything but he seems so upset with her.
She decides to get out of the office for lunch grabbing her purse she heads out the building to run across the street to a deli to get a sandwich. The stop light is red, a couple of people join her waiting on the light to change.
A black Mercedes CLS has been sitting half a block down the street since her arrival to work this morning. Rylie is unaware that the driver behind the tented widows is watching her. It pulls down to the stop light when it changes Rylie starts crossing the street never noticing that she is being watched by the car’s occupant. A few pictures of her are taken from a cell phone. Inside the deli is crowded, she places her order having to wait a while for her number to be called. The Mercedes pulls into the parking lot of the deli, taking more pictures of her as she waits for her order. After she gets her sandwich she makes her way back across the street to her office.
The Mercedes pulls up in front of the drop off area of the building just as she has her back to it going inside. A window is rolled down and a few more pictures of her are taken as she stops just inside the doorway to talk to some of her co-workers then the car drives off.
After their encounter in the elevator Chace and Rylie don’t see each other the rest of the day. Chace does have Evelyn call Rylie’s office, she speaks with Beth finding out that Rylie is staying late at work until six. He leaves at five-thirty deciding to stop by and see his father on his way home.
By the time Rylie leaves the black Mercedes has been gone for several hours. She runs some errands after work and is home just before nine o’clock. Her neighbor is out walking his dog. He glares at her as the dog does his business on the sidewalk near the tree between their houses.
She could tell when she pulled up that he was hanging around on purpose. Getting out of her car she waves at him then starts to grab her things out of her trunk not paying attention to him anymore.
“Do I have to have an expensive car to get you to go out with me Rylie?” He’s standing behind her as she grabs a grocery bag from her trunk. Hearing the tone in his voice makes Rylie jump turning around to face him. She’s holding onto her grocery bag with one hand and her house keys are in her other she’s wishing she had pulled her car into her garage. His brown and white miniature bulldog is making himself a nuisance biting at her grocery bag, he claws it open causing an orange to fall out it rolls down the driveway. Rylie grabs at the bag to keep anymore of her groceries from spilling.
“Gavin….you scared me, why would you say something like that to me? We had a date, it didn’t work out except it.
“Accept it….is that what you just said to me. I planned this big expensive evening for us, we were supposed to have this wonderful dinner at this great place. I bought tickets to a concert we were going to sit on the second row, I even had our nightcap planned. I thought we would go back to my place…..I had this bottle of wine the kind you like but none of that happened did it Rylie? There’s a sneer on his face.
“Gavin….it just didn’t work out. We had dinner together….I’m sorry my boss called and I….” Rylie is cut off by his shaking his head.
“Don’t patronize me, I see the men that come here to take you out in their expensive suits. The cars they drive to pick you up…. An Audi, a Maserati and now a Mercedes for the last few days. How many Rylie, how many men are you seeing instead of me. I don’t understand why you only gave me one chance if it’s not about how much money a guy has I can show you a good time. I’m able to take care of you but you never gave me another chance to finish our date. You say it’s not about my bank account then why won’t you go out with me again?” He yells at her, his body shaking. She backs up away from him, he calms down pressing his lips into a thin line of anger. His dog has wandered into the street Gavin let go of the lead when the dog started chasing after the rolling orange.
Rylie is getting nervous. He’s lived next door to her for about a year she just tries to stay away from him. He seemed alright until she agreed to go out with him. He showed up at her house the day before wanting to know what she was going to wear. When he picked her up for the date he asked her to change her shoes because she was the same height as him.
During their dinner he wanted to order what she ate and drank, he was so excited that she had finally agreed to go out with him he let it slip that he stalked his last girlfriend scaring the hell out of Rylie. Rylie received a text from Jayson while they were having dinner. She texted him back asking him to help her get out of a bad date. He sent her a fake text telling her he needed her to come by work she showed it to Gavin to get out of the rest of their date.
Rylie has been avoiding him since that disastrous evening until now. Their date was almost six months ago she can’t believe he’s been watching every man that’s been coming to her house maybe before then.
“Gavin…..I’m sorry things didn’t work out between us, but…..uh…..I’m actually seeing someone.” Rylie lets the lie roll off of her lips, she doesn’t know what her relationship with Chace is.
“Looks to me like you’re seeing a few of someone’s Rylie, I didn’t take you for a whore.” He’s glaring at her.
“Rylie looks around the streets not seeing anyone else on them. Slamming her trunk closed she inches herself a distance away from him. “I really don’t care what you think of me Gavin I have to go.” She exclaims walking away from him, she keeps turning around looking behind her not sure what he will do. He’s standing by her car pouting, his dog jump around him as he stares at her. She walks quickly up her steps fumbling with her key to get into her house she drops more of the groceries in her busted bag. Once inside she locks the door sliding the chain on it she left two of her grocery bags in the trunk of her car she doesn’t dare go back outside to get them.
**Thanks for Reading....
Anyone that's dated has someone they regret going out with at some point. Gavin is Rylie's biggest mistake. Sadly he happens to live next door to her. I think there is a lesson in there somewhere but it's to late for her to learn it. Keep reading things between her and Chace..errrrrrrr.......you can't hide real feelings especially when you're forced to work together to find out what is happening to your loved ones....can you? Working on the last paragraph of the next chapter, will get it out ASAP.
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