Rosalie?
She didn't go home? She came to the bar?
His eyes widened when she almost fell. She held on to a stool as her eyes threatened to close. Her face was tear-stricken and her eyes looked puffy.
He knew she had been crying and she was drunk.
A prickly feeling of regret washed through his veins and he found himself heading to her.
"Rosalie —" he called and she raised her head to him. She batted her lashes and retrieved a step backwards which caused her to stumble but Alexander was quick to reach out for her.
"Miss Jones —" he held her firmly to himself and once again, he was attracted to her cognac eyes.
"Sir…" Rosalie stuttered with her lips quivering. "Did…you hire me again?" She grabbed his face like she needed it to be true.
"Miss Jones, you're drunk" Alexander cautioned when she grabbed the bottle of alcohol in her hands. "Oh yeah, I shouldn't" Rosalie chuckled and held on tightly to his shirt.
"Please don't fire me, please" she begged and clutched tighter to him "I need the job, I promise I wouldn't make anymore mistakes" she promised and her tears stained his t-shirt.
His heartbeat became erratic at her closeness as he kept his gaze on her bronze hair. His fist tightened into a ball at the urge to touch her hair but he dared not.
His heartbeat quickening was already one.
"So, you won't fire me anymore right?" Rosalie raised her head and her lips parted as she awaited an answer.
Alexander cussed at her innocent face. God knows she was stirring up an emotion only him could feel. His hands itched to touch her and he did.
His large hand wrapped around her face and he swore his body wanted more of her silky skin. "Rosalie —" he called her name once again and she paused in his hands.
"You…will you fire me?" Rosalie asked with her eyes almost closing. She staggered but Alexander held her firmly in place, "I fired you already Rosalie" Alexander asked, almost chortling at her quirkiness.
He couldn't believe she was that way when drunk. Her high-pitched cry brought him out of his admiration. She wriggled out of his grip with tears running down her face.
"Your girl?" A man asked and Alexander turned to him. "She has been drinking, try to settle things with her" the man casted his gaze to Rosalie before he walked away.
Alexander scoffed. How long had she been there? "Rosalie" he grabbed the drink she was about to gulp down and she cried harder.
"Please give it to me" her voice broke and tears streamed down her cheeks and Alexander felt his insides tighten at her face. She was crying way too much.
"It won't help Rosalie" he whispered and held her tighter. "Then don't fire me, please" she mumbled and bit on her lips. "Please Xander, sir."
Alexander paused. People barely called him Xander. The heart that had failed to function for years palpated and pumped more blood through him. Her voice was hoarse but the way she called his name honeyed it.
"I need the job please, I have to feed my mum" she cried and held tightly to him. "Please sir—" she choked on her tears and inhaled his cologne.
"Rosalie —" Alexander raised her head to face him but tore his eyes away from her at the urge that stirred in him. "You have to go home, it's not safe here."
"It's not safe at home either."
"Huh?" Alexander casted his gaze to her with puckered brows. What did she mean? Wait…her actions in the morning. What if there was a reason behind it?
He had to know.
"Tell me Rosalie, why are you not safe" he held her face and his gray eyes desperately searched for answers in hers. "Rosalie —" he called when he saw she was dozing off.
"I—" she opened her mouth to speak but the drowsiness hit her; at the same time, Alexander's eyes traveled to her lips.
The urge rose inside of him again and that moment, he heeded to it.
He covered up the distance and sealed her mouth with a kiss. She gasped into his mouth but their lips remained locked.
She held onto his hair sleepily while he did the work. His tongue explored her mouth like he had never done to any.
All the despair,worry, anger he felt moments ago was all gone as he kissed her.
His hands ran into her hair and his tongue searched every corner of her mouth despite the smell of the alcohol.
His pulse jumped to his ears as he kissed her. He knew it was wrong; he was taking advantage of her drunken state but he couldn't help it.
The kiss was wrong but intoxicating.
His arms went around her waist as he pulled her to him and her taste filled his mouth until she pulled away.
She gasped for breath and he held her tightly to himself, his mind admiring her flawless face.
She was a beauty to behold.
His eyes clung shut at the calmness in his heart. He clung tighter to her like he sought protection. But he sought comfort. The kiss comforted him.
At the thought of the kiss, he exhaled.
How could he heed to the urge to kiss his secretary; ex-secretary.
His eyes snapped open when her whole weight was on him and she was asleep. Her lids were shut and he saw the drowsiness and paleness of her face.
He sighed and glanced around. He came for a drink to calm himself but he got something else; either way, it calmed him too.
There was one thing, what if she remembered? His eyes widened at that. No, she better not remember.
She mumbled incoherent words and held on to his neck and he exhaled. He had to take her home.
No, his driver had to.
————
Her hands were screeched out and in a moment, she gripped the percale sheets in an attempt to stop the aching in her head. She groaned when her head banged causing her eyes to snap open.
A groan escaped her lips as she rolled on the bed. The bang in her head persisted and at then, she felt her head was ripping off her body.
It felt like a force was hitting the head so it could shatter to pieces. She grunted and sat up.
Her eyes threatened to close at the same time her head felt like it was pressurized to fall off.
Her breath was clogged and her lips were parted with her disheveled hair brushing her lips.
Rosalie looked the worst she had ever been. She sniffled and forced her feet to carry her off the bed.
That action made her mum's eyes snap open, "Rosie!" Her mum called and she turned to her with drowsy eyes.
"How…" Rosalie stopped at the nauseous feeling in her chest. She ran to the bathroom and emptied her bowel. As she washed the vomit crust off her mouth, her mum stared at her with reddened eyes.
She was the cause of it; her daughter rarely drinks alcohol. She batted back the tears that pooled in her eyes as she watched Rosalie settle on the floor.
"Are you okay Rosalie?" She questioned and crouched down to Rosalie's level. Her heart sank at the puffiness in her daughter's face.
"How did I get home?" Rosalie's hoarse voice came up and her mum grabbed her hand. "Someone brought you home, it was a driver. He said his boss sent him" Her mum answered and Rosalie sighed.
As much as unrealistic it sounded, she could swear she saw Alexander. It seemed like a dream because she saw a glint of care in his eyes.
No, why'd he care for her? He clearly fired her.
Why'd he even be in the bar in the first place?
"Take a shower and let me get you breakfast" Pamela, Rosalie's mother muttered and Rosalie scoffed.
"Were you able to get money?" Rosalie questioned, causing Pamela to stop in her steps.
Money. Hell no, where was she going to get it?
Her shop didn't even excel. Her dream of becoming that caterer was cut short when she watched her shop burn.
The flames in that shop will continue to hunt her. The little money they got from insurance was the one sustaining them.
Rosalie scoffed when she got no answer. Of course, she had no source of income but she could go and get a loan without informing her.
What a blithe decision!
But she knew she couldn't blame her mum, her obsession for her passion drove her crazy. She loved cooking a whole lot.
"No but, there…" Rosalie cut her short and stood up. She made sure to hold her head firmly since it felt like it was being dragged off her body.
Of course it should be. Not after what happened yesterday.
"I lost my job," she mumbled as she walked past her mother and Pamela gasped. No wonder she had gone to drink. She knew there was a reason for that.
"What? How?" She hurried after her daughter but paused at the tears on her face.
Her heart shattered into a million pieces when she saw her daughter cry. It felt like her heart was being ripped off her chest. She couldn't do anything to help her daughter.
"My anxiety was at it. I promise I…I couldn't control it" muffled sobs escaped her lips and Pamela trotted to her immediately.
She understood how Rosalie was feeling. She understood it.
"I'm sorry…everything will be fine. There'll be a way out" Pamela pacified her and Rosalie nodded. She bit on her lips and wiped her tears.
Of course, there'll be a way out.
She flopped on her bed, her mind wandering around. Did a good Samaritan help her? Why did she see Alexander? Goodness, why couldn't she remember?
She hauled her hair and licked her lips.
Thank goodness, she was all good. She promised to never drink again.
A bang on the door made the duo jump to their feet. Rosalie's eyes widened when she heard fast footsteps.
"Mum…" her lips quivered at the realization.
It was Saturday!
The thugs needed their money. She gripped her cloth with shaky hands.
"Rosie…" her mum called as they exchanged a gaze. Rosalie's heartbeat quickened and dilated when she remembered the thugs' words that day
They'll turn her into a tool.
No, she couldn't envisage that happening to her.
The door to her room was pushed open revealing a man in his mid fifties, "where's my money?" He questioned with a clenched jaw.
Rosalie's heart skipped at intervals as she stared at the burly structure of the man. Her body shook as he ambled to her mum while her mum moved back.
"No…" Pamela shook her head and the man stopped. "You think my thugs own the money? You think you could get away with it because you have a…" his eyes darted around and landed on Rosalie.
"Beautiful, rosy daughter.." he clicked his tongue and sauntered towards Rosalie who shook her head repeatedly. "Please… don't…" her lips quivered when her hunted memory flashed in front of her.
The man smirked when he reached her, "you're truly a beauty" he trailed his hands on her exposed arm and Rosalie trembled. "Please…" she stuttered as he traced his hands on her chest. "I don't mind having this coupled with my money."
"Stop!" Pamela cried out and the man stepped back. "Don't touch my daughter!" She choked on her tears when she saw Rosalie's tears.
It was all her fault; not her daughters.
The man's eyes darkened, "and when will you pay my money woman?" He gritted and bashed the wall causing Rosalie to shiver.
His money. She had to get it else she was going to pay.
"When?" The man growled and grabbed Rosalie. He pulled her to him and she gasped wide-eyed. "When little Rose" he whispered and she shook in fright.
Her throat tightened and her hands trembled while Pamela cried. "When?" The man gripped her arm and she whimpered.
"When?" The man shook her back to life and she spoke.
"End of month! End of month please!" She blurted out impulsively. "Please let me go, I'll pay you by the end of the month," she reiterated while tears ran down her widened eyes.