Barely twenty four hours later, the next day, the next catastrophe occurred. Rather than hilarious or dubious, it was the most melodramatic.
"Where are we going?" I asked William just as the elevator opened. He pressed the button for the lobby once we were in, then finally looked at me.
"To see all the Illston tech shop outlets in the city."
"I thought you were joking about that."
"I wasn't."
I looked away and stared at our reflections slightly visible through the elevator doors. After much turning and mental churning more than half the night, I begrudgingly admitted; yesterday afternoon, William got to me.
I remembered how close he'd come, the feel of his hands, the look in his eyes and it all still affected me. Which was ridiculous considering there was no love lost between us. None at all. But I was able to pacify myself. It was just the effects of remnants of a chemistry that was once there and I was that affected simply because it happened unexpectedly. If another situation like that ever happened again, handling it wouldn't be a problem. At all.
Still in the course of the night, my mind almost dug up another hole wondering why he, all of a sudden, decided to toy with me that way. But I realized it was simple. There was nothing to it. William Illston was simply a mean man. That was all.
"Sit with me at the back." William's words stopped me from opening the passenger seat door.
"Why?" I queried.
"So I can throw you across the seats and have my way with you," he rolled his eyes but his words already painted a vivid mental image which I quickly shook out of my head. Get a grip.
"Just get in and don't worry, it's not like you are that appealing." He shrugged non committedly, wearing a lazy grin.
"Oh yeah and that's why you were all over me yesterday afternoon." I said in a sing song voice on my way past him, to get to the other side of the car. He held my arm, stopping me then leaned in till he was mere inches away.
"Careful there Ophelia, you don't want to get burned." He grinned widely then his gaze suddenly went soft. "You are making it very, very hard for me and I think I'm going to land in so much trouble because of you." He whispered before relinquishing his hold on me.
I was dumbfounded.
What just happened?
Making it hard for him? Land him in trouble? At this rate, he was going to land me in trouble.
The car ride was silent till I broke the stifling silence with the first thought that popped into my head.
"Do bodyguards follow you daily?"
He glanced at me then nodded.
"I don't see them," my gaze went around the interior of the car then behind.
"Jay is one," he said and I glanced at Jay who was solely focused on his driving. I never would have guessed he was also a bodyguard. "The other two only come in when there's an important event. I believe an entourage makes me noticable."
"Do you enjoy being semi famous?" I asked then laughed before he could respond, "of course you do, it is after all, all you ever wanted."
"I just wanted to make good software and hardware."
"And you have, haven't you?" I retorted but he didn't reply and the silence enveloped us again. My phone dinged and I opened my messages app.
From: Joanne Dupree
Yo! We miss you big time! When are we seeing??
I smiled.
To: Joanne Dupree
I miss you all too! tell everyone I'm saying hi and I should be back in like 2 weeks
From: Joanne Dupree
Hot boss keeping you under hostage huh? ;) cool cool, that weekend still on yeah?
To: Joanne Dupree
Yes it is!
I returned my phone into my bag and stared out the window.
"Texting during work hours. You do it so effortlessly." William commented sarcastically.
"What if it was important?"
"Was it?" He challenged.
"Maybe."
The car came to a halt minutes later, in front of a tall building that looked over ten floors high. William and I alighted the car then I titled my head back a bit, to get a good look at the building.
"This is one of your sales outlets?" I asked.
"Yes."
"You are a total show off." I scoffed.
"I don't own the whole building."
"Oh."
"Just half," he smirked and walked in through the revolving doors.
What an infuriating man, I thought before walking in too.
At the end, visiting his various outlets was a good reprieve from sitting behind the desk all the day long. It was also pretty informative. Illston tech boasted of good gadgets as well as software programs that were indeed a rising hit in the market. Laying aside my bitterness for two scant seconds, a tiny, very minute part of me felt proud of him. He'd set these goals years ago, clueless of what the future truly held and had since achieved them.
We went to two more big stores of his and grabbed lunch before returning to the office. It was precisely at that hour the day really kicked off.
The lobby had the usual stream of staff and guests going about their various activities and I followed behind William as we walked in the direction of the elevators. Out of the blue, he paused and I nearly collided into his back. I regained my footing and stepped to the side, ready to question his sudden pause but stopped when the pregnant woman who looked near tears, became visible.
"Why did you abandon our baby? You don't have to love me but why our baby?"
My jaw instantly dropped.
Heads soon turned as they began to notice the confrontation involving their CEO and a seemingly hapless pregnant woman. The woman's voice either went higher or the lobby became quieter.
"How could you?" She was in tears now. William turned slightly and stared at me expectantly. Then it occured to me, I was his PA and my job included dealing with issues like this.
"Sorry miss but I think you have the wrong person." I moved forward saying softly but she shook her head repeatedly and more tears fell.
"I don't have the wrong person! William Illston got me pregnant then left without a word!" She pointed an accusatory finger at William and the silence of the once still lobby broke with a few gasps.
My gaze temporarily shifted over to the long receptionist desk. There was only one receptionist seated and she looked terrified. I wondered how these people continually managed to get past security and the receptionists.
"I know exactly what I'm saying. He got me pregnant and has refused to talk to me since finding out!" She continued her rant.
"Why don't you sit down and we will talk." I tried placing my arm over her shoulder in a ploy to steer her away from the prying eyes but she resisted, showing more strength than I initially assigned to her.
"No! You said you loved me!" Her hands flew to William's chest and before I or anyone could stop the motion, she grabbed a hold of his tie and shook him.
"Ma'am please don't do that." A security guard now appeared by my left. He cajoled her with his hands to let go of William's tie but she refused. William, the scorn of everything looked pissed, annoyed and frustrated all at once.
"Ma'am, please stop." The security attempted pulling her away again. In the struggle, she fell and my eyes widened. Afterall, she was pregnant. Or so she claimed. Her baby bump was now askew. She quickly made to fix it but it was too late. The gig was up.
"Have her arrested immediately," William's voice was devoid of emotion and so was his gaze. Then he left. The number of people standing around had undoubtedly increased and some even had their phones up recording. I stared back at the woman whose hair was a little messed up, her fake bump to the side and clothes rumpled. What was the gain in trying to destroy someone's image?
"I'll handle it." The security said to me before bundling the woman away and out of the lobby. People slowly dispersed from the scene but the excitement remained in the air.
Reaching the elevators, William wasn't there. The ride up seemed slower than normal and I willed the metal box to move faster. Finally upstairs, I checked his office but he wasn't there either. My search for him led me to the boardroom we last used for a meeting. There he was, seated at the head of the long oval table looking disgruntled as he stared at the screen of a tablet.
"Have you come to gloat and laugh?" He asked without turning in my direction.
"I'm not completely insensitive."
"Like you aren't enjoying all this." He chuckled dryly.
"I understand you are angry but don't channel your anger at the wrong person." I frowned.
"Am I? Is my anger really misplaced?" He stood up and faced me.
"How is any of this my fault? Lilian already said to expect situations like this." My frown deepened.
"Yeah, once in a while, a woman like that or an over zealous hacker appears. But those articles and posts about me, 'buying a company to woo an ex'?" His laugh was dry again, "they turned to a fresh gateway for all the schemers and opportunists. So knowing the cause of that first post, is my anger really misplaced?" He finished morosely.
Guilt immediately filled me.
"Or it's easier for you to blame it on me."
"Don't make me think you actually care." He said quietly.
"I don't and maybe you aren't completely undeserving. They should eat you alive." I said callously although within me was a dilemma. I felt bad and guilty knowing the people stalking and trying to tarnish his image now were an indirect cause of the lie I told. Yet, bitterness ate at me too as I also believed the feeling of guilt wasn't warranted. Because it was him. Maybe karma was partial afterall. Or maybe I was just a horrible person.
"Make sure videos of what just happened don't spread and meet with HR, we need new security personnel and receptionists." He said and stalked out of the boardroom.
I remained in the same spot wondering then hating how the tables had turned so fast.
As the days proceeded, security intensified at Illston tech. William ended up pardoning the security and receptionists after promises of a less lackadaisical approach to their jobs. The pregnancy farce was the last of melodramatics for the week and the next.
On the other hand, William continued to sulk. All banter and needless conversations ceased between us. It was just work which was fine by me. He'd started messing with my head anyway.
***
*Sighs, these two. It's like one step forward and twenty backwards.
Happy Holidays🥂🌲💕💫