Chapter 23
"Good morning, Eliza," she heard, after the elevator doors spread apart.
Her Monday would start with a stomach turning event, and she never liked early morning surprises. However, neither did he.
Eliza parted her lips and bravely returned, "Good morning... Andrew."
The ride to their floor was quiet as usual, though she expected more from him in a confined, or more appropriately trapped, space.
With unexpected peace, she rushed to her office and closed the door behind her. She sat quietly at her desk, sitting still and staring at the frosted panes, and expecting a shadowed figure to appear at any moment. Yet, she was surprised once more by the distance she was being given. What was he doing? Was he really coming around?
After cautiously settling in, she took a glance at her phone to check for any new messages. There were none so far from Emmy, but she did finally open up a message from someone that could also put a smile on her face with ease.
She replied "Good morning, Mr. Daniels." back to Troy, and she knew that would prompt a particularly scandalous response from him. Eliza had to admit that she was having fun again. The goodness from the weekend carried over though she couldn't stop interrupting the memories with the brief encounter with Andrew in the elevator.
What would it mean from this point forward? Would it be possible for Andrew and her to get along? Would she be okay with introducing him to Lulu? Their baby?
Though she didn't want to dwell on all the questions during a meeting covering the weekly financial update, she had to. She had to because Andrew's attention was on her when he didn't have to speak or pay close attention. His behavior was strange; he had never even been this obvious when they were fooling around with one another more than a year ago.
Eliza looked back up to the projection and couldn't believe that she had hardly heard Troy's voice as he was speaking. And she wasn't the only one to notice her drifted demeanor. He shot off a smile to the Cheshire Blackwell before uncomfortably looking in Eliza's general direction without making eye contact.
She couldn't wait for the meeting to come to an end. Luck was on her side, with her not having anything crucial to report. The meeting had been adjourned and Eliza packed up her things and rushed back into her space. She pulled her face tight at the sound of soft knocks at the door, merely seconds after she closed her office door. Eliza shyly opened the one panel and let Troy rush in.
"Liza... what was that?" he asked with frustration, but somehow his inflections were still sweet.
She poorly dodged the obvious, and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Are you okay? You look... did something happen?" he asked finally slowing down and taking a step back.
"He was nice to me," she confessed with wide eyes to the floor.
Troy grunted, "So nice that he kept staring at you the entire meeting? You know I had a mind to ask him what the hell he was staring at, in front of everybody!"
"Troy, don't get so worked up over it. I promise it's nothing," Eliza urgently interjected.
He turned away and took in a deep breath. Shoving his hands on his hips and strolling away from her, he shook his head.
"All he did was say 'good morning' and he surprisingly left me alone," she added with caution. "I don't want you to be bothered by nothing."
Quickly, Troy swiveled on his feet and loudly whispered, "You can't ask me to not be jealous, Liza!"
"Jea... jealous?" she asked flabbergasted.
She took a good look at his stance and his flush from frustration. He had a point, she couldn't control how he felt. She couldn't control how anybody felt, and she quickly recalled how she had experienced a similar sentiment over him before.
"Yes," he sighed, averting his eyes again.
"You don't need to be, I promise," she smiled.
However, her joy faded when he immediately rejected her thought, "Don't promise me that, Eliza. People make promises to break them all the time."
"Troy... what's going on?" she asked, taking a step closer to him.
With embarrassment, he rolled his eyes and said, "I knew this would happen."
"What would?!" she asked, knowing her heart was seconds away from breaking.
"Him trying to make his way back into your life like this," he admitted with disappointment.
She scoffed, "So. His attempts at anything have nothing to do with you."
Troy shook his head, "It's got everything to do with me because it means I could lose you."
Eliza laughed with confusion, "But I'm not going anywhere. I make my own choices, don't I?"
"Of course, but you two had something before, and now you have a beautiful baby girl together. How am I ever going to compete with that?"
She was quiet, watching him again. His chest was pumping and his stance screamed uneasy all around. This was Troy Daniels in a nutshell- a man that some would say cared too much.
However, caring too much isn't how she would put it anymore. Before, he was seemingly invasive, and maybe that fact would still stand in retrospect, but she didn't turn down any of the memories. This supposed weakness wasn't a weakness at all. It was an incredible strength.
Eliza lifted her hands and showed him open arms, "Troy, come here."
He tilted his head, slight doubt and sadness shaping his brows. Eliza's heart felt the impact, but she lifted her head and said it again.
He took a steps halfway closer, but then she held up one hand. Troy stopped and looked at her palm before examining her eyes once more. Eliza took the last few steps to close the space between them and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Troy knew he could never resist her and enveloped her in his warmth as well.
"What did that mean, Liza?" he drunkenly asked, breathing heavily into her hair.
"I don't want you to think that you have to make all the efforts for us to stay together. It could never work that way, and I don't just want you... I need you," she told him, before holding him tighter.
"I need you to, darlin'," he said, finally cracking a grin.
Eliza pulled her head back and rested her chin on his chest, "Now how is anyone supposed to compete with no competition?"
His green eyes lit up, and he asked, "Really?"
"Yes, really!" she snickered. "Now please, let doubtful Troy go away and have Mr. Daniels come back to me."
She gasped, and quickly covered her smile, when he took a firm grip somewhere unexpected.
"Troy, not here," she giggled.
"Just give me ten minutes," he mischievously begged.
"We can't," she shyly returned.
He slyly reminded her, "I know, but you know I can't help but want the taste of ya... especially not after last Saturday."
"You know... I couldn't stop thinking about last Saturday either... or when you would let me return the favor..." she grinned.
The look of a sexually frustrated Troy was priceless. She was happy to tease, but somewhat disappointed when he told her they couldn't see each other for lunch or most likely for the rest of the day, due to the temptation being too overwhelming.
She texted him back, "But what if I need you to explain a report to me."
"I will have to tie my tie around my eyes before entering your office."
"You want to use a tie, huh? ;)"
"Forget that I said that!!!"
"Fine, fine... Mr. Daniels. I will just wonder what it is like to experience ten minutes with you in my or maybe YOUR office."
"Please... I don't think my boss taking advantage of me this way is appropriate at ALL!!!"
"She is just asking for ten minutes of your time"
"Could this time be allotted after business hours?"
"Absolutely."
And five couldn't have come around any slower. Eliza scrambled to check her hair and face in her mirror. She had also been on her feet for a good portion of the day as well and sniffed her underarm too. Laughing to herself, she checked her phone once more to see if Emmy received her text about being home about twenty minutes late. Eliza was in the clear and she collected her bags and excitement to head out the office.
She was grinning knowing that Troy was expecting her down the hall. What was going to happen, she had no idea. But she had waited many hours to find out.
"Eliza," she heard as soon as she yanked open her door.
"A... An... yes?" she questioned, completely taken off guard by his presence.
Andrew's withdrawn demeanor was the most obvious thing about him.
"I was going to see if you had a minute or two to talk, but it looks like you're already heading out," he noted.
"I am," she muttered. "What are you doing here so late?"
He sighed, "I couldn't leave the office since I had so much on my mind today."
Eliza took note of how he looked over her face and asked, "So... I'm still not understanding what it is you need to speak to me about. If it is a report that was due today, it can wait until tomorrow afternoon-"
"Eliza, you look happy," he cut in.
Her lips came together and her eyes darted off to the side is surprise, "Uh, ye... yes. I appear this way because I am."
"So you're happy with our baby," he muttered.
Immediately, Eliza looked him right in the eyes. She was offended by what he said though it was fact.
"You're happy with Lulu," he added.
Her nostrils flared, but she held her tongue.
"I would have agreed to that name too. It's pretty," he crooned, drifting off in thought.
Eliza took in a breath and prompted, "Is this what you needed to tell me? That you think the name Lulu is pretty?"
"Well yeah... and that I hope that we could talk about me... seeing her." He finally let out with a blank look on his face.
"You want to see her," she repeated.
"Yes, I want to see our baby," he mildly corrected.
Eliza lifted her chin, "I've thought about it before, Andrew. I really have."
"I'm sure you have," he shrugged.
She lifted a brow and smirked," Is that so? Why would you think I have?"
He moved his lower jaw around for a moment and stared at her chest before jutting his head in the direction of the hall.
"What does that mean?" Eliza asked nonchalantly.
"It means, I know you and Troy are messing around," he scoffed.
"You have no evidence of Troy and I 'fooling around'," she corrected.
"Sure, Eliza. It's obvious," he snipped.
She cocked her head to the side, "To whom?"
"To me and others."
Eliza let out a deep breath and said, "Don't forget my position here, Mr. Louis. If there is office gossip that is distracting you being able to concentrate on your work, the I do appreciate you informing me. However, at the end of the day, it is gossip. And that is not what we need to turn in reports or communicate with clients. Do you agree?"
He rolled his eyes, finally unveiling the Andrew she was used to, "C'mon Eliza. Cut the formal bullshit."
"Troy Daniels is the CFO of this company, and he is also your boss. It would be wise not to entertain rumors about him. He is CFO, he does report to me which does require allotted times out of my day that require his attention. What happens outside of this office to any of my employees is no one else's business. And if you must know, Mr. Daniels and I do also have a friendship outside of this building."
"So I know that means you've let him be around our baby," he stated with irritation.
"I said he was my friend," she repeated. "Now, is there anything else that you need? I do have to get going."
Andrew pursed his lips together and narrowed his eyes. Eliza raised her brows, waiting for anything else.
"You know, I knew that 'good morning' was just a guise to a moment like this," Eliza smiled.
"I actually meant it," he snapped.
"I know you did. It was a means to make an effort. But it was towards an effort that we both know you're not capable of maintaining. Though I should appreciate you trying, Andrew... I don't know if I can," she shrugged.
He scoffed with a smile, "I guess, you're right, Eliza. People can't change."
"I disagree. I believe you mean not everybody wants change though we're all capable of it," she finished with a sincere smile.
"So are you saying you've changed?" he practically mocked.
Eliza kept her smile and asked, "Well... You were the one that came to my door and told me that I look happy, no?"
His snarky facade faded, but he kept the irritation and insecurity front and center.
"Now, have a good evening, Andrew. Don't stay around here any later if you don't need to."
Though she knew what she said was harmless, Eliza knew it would have him flying away in heated anger.
He was out of sight, and she was knocking on a set of frosted panels down the hall.