"I was busy." for some reason I couldn't seem to tell him about Finn. Plus I didn't want him to know. Things were just starting to look up for us and I didn't want to start another fight.
I could tell that he didn't believe me but he didn't say anything about it. He just stared at me. I walked over to him and he pulled me in for a hug burying his face into my neck
He retreated away from me and his nose scrunched up in disgust. What was wrong?
"Why do you smell like cologne" he asked as he wiped his nose on his shirt. He was referring to Finn's shirt that I was wearing.
He looked closer at the shirt and said, "Why are you wearing a men's shirt. And don't try to lie to me again. That's a Yves Saint Laurent shirt. It priced at over a thousand dollars. I have the same exact one in black. I know I pay you a lot but certainly not enough for you to be wasting on expensive men clothing."
He stared at me waiting for an answer and I couldn't move my mouth to speak. Even though me and Ian were not technically together I still felt guilty. Me and Finn didn't do anything wrong but I still felt like I cheated on Ian. This was confusing. I liked Ian and I also liked Finn.
"Who is it? Your boyfriend?" he sneered
"Stop this Ian" I said back to him. I walked up to him and placed my hand on his chest
"Don't touch me" he spit out. I felt my steps falter and I unconsciously took a couple steps back.
"Why are you wearing another man's shirt?" he was fuming. His eyes were a dark brown shade and his lips were pressed into a thin line.
I couldn't believe him. He had the nerve to be angry when he had a girlfriend! He cocked his eyebrow at me waiting for a response. I would open my mouth to say something but then close it back up. I couldn't put how I felt into words
He stood there watching me as I struggled to speak. My struggle ceased as the door banged open. I couldn't be happier to see Valentina walk through the door. She was wearing a pair of sneakers and shorts.
She skipped towards Ian and gave him a hug. Ian stood there unmoving with his eyes still on me as his girlfriend showered him with affection.
I shuffled my feet around not knowing where to look. Valentina paid me no mind as she placed kisses on Ian jaw.
"Baby I talked to my father and he said yes. We can leave as soon as possible"
Leave? Where were they going? Ian moved his eyes back and forth from me to Valentina. Before he moved them I could see a glint of mischief in his eyes.
He picked Valentina's head up and kissed her. I could tell he did it on purpose since he opened his eyes to see if I noticed.
I rolled my eyes at his behavior. Before I turned my head to walk away I saw him grope her butt. She let out a giggle in response and I quickened my steps towards my office.
Before I could open my door he said, "Don't go anywhere"
I stopped my steps but I refused to turn around. With my back facing him, I tried to bring my breathing under control. I know he did it on purpose just to prove a point but I couldn't help but be hurt. Once again I let him hurt my feelings.
"Come here Ms Suren"
I rolled my eyes but grudgingly did what he said. I stood in front of his desk and I composed an emotionless mask on my face.
Before Ian could speak Valentina interrupted him by screaming, "We are going to Mexico!"
My mouth dropped open but I quickly closed it.
"We need you to book two tickets. First class only" Valentina ordered
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was leaving? I didn't take my orders from her so I waited for him to tell me what to do. I avoided eye contact since I could already feel his intense gaze on me.
"Book three tickets. You're coming with us."
This time I didn't bother trying to hide my shocked expression. What made him think that I would want to go on a trip with him and his girlfriend? Was he trying to torture me?
I wasn't the only one who protested since me and Valentina both said, "What?!"
"Ian why is she coming? I don't want her there"
"We need her there. She's my PA."
"For what?" she interrogated
"Yeah I would be of no use to travel with you" I added.
"I'm having a business meeting with your father. I need my PA with me" he said to the both of us.
"Baby I just wanted it to be me and you. Picture it. Me. You. Alone. In. Mexico" she kissed his ear after each word and I resisted the urge to slap her. He kept his eyes on me and it was extremely frustrating since she kept kissing his face.
"No. She comes with us." she pouted in response but didn't respond or say anything, "Ms Suren go check my schedule and tell me my next free days"
I couldn't believe him. Valentina couldn't believe it either since she huffed out loud.
"Ian no. I don't want her there"
He ignored her and she stomped her foot and stormed out the door. He rolled his eyes and continued looking on his laptop.
"Are there any appointments for today?" he asked as if he didn't just force me to fly with him and his girlfriend out of the country.
"I'm not going"
"Are there any appointments for today" he asked again
"I don't want to go"
He ignored me and kept his eyes on his computer screen.
"Listen to me!" I screamed at his face. His head immediately shot up.
"You're coming." he stated
"No I'm not" I said back.
"Yes you are. I will carry you kicking and screaming into the airport if I have to"
The look in his eyes showed me that he was serious, "Now type these papers and go tell me my schedule for next week."
I snatched the papers out of his hand and grudgingly walked back to my office to type them. I pulled up his schedule and saw his free days.
After recollecting my thoughts I opened the door and stormed towards his desk.
"On Friday you have to see the board draw up and also the construction team. Monday & Tuesday is the safety workplace test. Unless you want to fly on the weekend the next available day would be Wednesday"
He nodded my head and pondered what I said before replying with, "Alright fine. Book three first class tickets for Mexico on Wednesday. Very early in the morning. Preferably around 6am or 7am"
I was glad he didn't make us fly on the weekend since I was looking forward to the Charity Gala on Sunday. While I was jotting his words down the door opened and Sophie, the receptionist, popped her head through the door.
"Good morning Mr. McKinley. Hey Delilah you got a second?"
"Yes what's the matt-" I started to say
"Yes Sophie what is so important that you found the need to barge into my office" he interrupted
"Ohh...umm...sorry about that sir" she stuttered out, "But there is a gentleman waiting downstairs who is claiming to be Delilah's boyfriend"
"Boyfriend?" he asked. I turned to see his face and he had no emotion on them
"Yes and he says he has your phone" by this time I could feel his stare on the side of my head but I refused to turn around, "Should I send him up?"
"Yes." I stated since I needed my phone
At the same time I said yes Ian said, "No"
"Sophie send him to my office please" she nodded her head and before she could scurry away Ian spoke up.
"No Sophie. You won't be sending any boyfriend of hers into her office" he said with a glare in his eyes
"Yes you will. He has my phone and I need it"
"I will buy you another one" he responded simply.
"Ummm..maybe now is not a good time. How about I come back later?" Sophie mumbled from the door
"No" I said
"Yes." Ian jumped in with. Why was he doing this? "Send the gentleman away. Give him a complementary pen or something"
"No. Sophie. No. If you don't send him up then I will go downstairs" I said as I stormed away from him.
"No unless your shift is over, you're not going anywhere"
"Ia...Mr. McKinley!" I quickly corrected since Sophie was there.
Ian stared back and forth between me and Sophie before he said, "Ms Suren what the hell do you think you're doing? I am you boss. We are not equals. So if I say something it gets done. If you want to keep your job I suggest you keep your mouth shut and do as I say. This includes you too Sophie. Now get Ms. Suren's phone and send the boy away."
Sophie nodded her head and soon left the office while I glared back at his anger filled eyes. His hands were clenched together and after thinking about it I realized that the only reason why he was acting this way was because he was jealous.
"Your jealous. And you don't get to be jealous because you have a girlfriend"
"I'm not jealous about some low life shitface" he said stubbornly
"Yes you are. Because that low life shitface is my boyfriend"
"He's not your fucking boyfriend now leave and go be useful." he said as he turned his back on me and gripped his desk in his hands.
I stormed into my office and continued typing the papers. Sophie soon brought me my phone.
"I'm sorry about that Sophie. It's my fault he yelled at you"
"Yes it is your fault but it's okay because I can handle a little yelling." she smiled at me and continued, "You two look cute together"
"What??" Shit! How did she know about me and Ian. Cute? Cute! Cute?! Did she just call me and my boss cute?
"You and the guy. I think he said his name was Finn."
I sighed in relief and said, "Oh yes....Finn.....Thank you"
She said her goodbyes and I sighed back into my chair and turned my phone on. As soon as it was on many notifications popped up. I had calls from Ian, Kayla, Jason and Maria.
I quickly texted my friends that I was okay since I was gone for a while without telling them. By the time I was done informing all my friends that I was alive I texted Finn.
Hi I said simply
After shuffling around my phone beeped with a response, Hey Lilah
Thanks for bringing me my phone
No problem. Sucks that you had an emergency meeting. I was looking forward to seeing you.
That's was the excuse that Sophie told him? I was surprised he believed her. I didn't like lying to him. But I knew that if I told him the truth he would realize what's going on.
As soon as the clock striked 6 I went into his office with the typed papers in my hand. I placed them on his desk and said, "My shift is over. Can I leave?"
His eyes briefly glanced at the clock and then they looked at me, "No."
"I finished typing the papers and I booked the tickets to Mexico. I am done."
"No your not"
"You can't keep me here. This has to be some form of illegal"
"Yes I can because when you got this job you signed a contract which stated that I can keep you after your shift is over."
"Stop! I have been here all day and I want to go home. I'm hungry and tired. I have done everything you've asked and you're keeping me here because you think that it's going to make me stop seeing him."
He reached into his office phone and dialed a number.
"Direct me to Adryana" he waited a couple of seconds before he said a series of yes, no's, and after saying "Send it up" he hung up on the phone.
"What do you need me to do."
"Sit down"
I choose to sit instead of arguing and waited for further instructions. He didn't say anything as he wrote on his paper.
"What is my task."
He ignored me and kept scribbling on his paper, "I can't just sit here all night and do nothing"
"Wait"
"Wait for what?" After my question there was a knock on the door.
"Come in" he said as he got up and started pushing his laptop and papers to the side.
Three women walked inside each with a covered dish in their hand and I realized that he ordered food.
"Mr. McKinley. Ms Suren. I'm Chef Adryana"
"Hi, nice to meet you" I stated politely
She smiled at me as she placed two cans of soda on the table, "It was the best we had"
The other two women placed the covered dishes in front of us and then they made their way out.
"You said you're hungry so eat"
He opened up his plate and it was chicken and rice. It looked really good but I didn't want to give in.
"You're making me stay after hours because of food"
"Yes I am. And you can either eat the food or sit there and stare at me for the rest of the night" he said as he ate a piece of chicken
I opened up my can of soda and took a sip. It wasn't till I took a bite of the chicken that I realized how hungry I really was. We ate our food in silence. The only sound that could be heard was the clanking of the fork against the plate and our body shuffling.
The silence was beginning to get awkward since whenever I would look up at him he would have his eyes firmly planted on mine. I quickly finished my chicken and played around with the leftover rice.
Ian made a quick call and Adryana returned and got our empty plates. The clock showed it was almost 7pm.
"If I dismiss you right now would you go to his house?"
I thought about it and replied with, "Yes"
"Why"
"Because I need to thank him for bringing my phone and apologize for the way he was treated"
"A simple phone call won't do?"
I rolled my eyes at him and said, "No it won't do"
He sighed loudly and said, "Fine"
"I can leave?"
"Yes. Whatever" he looked away from me and kept his eyes on the table
Do I thank him? No I shouldn't thank him for sending me home after he kept me after hours. With this thought in my head, I walked towards the adjoining door.
My steps halted as I thought maybe I should say goodnight.
No that would be weird. Just open the damn door. My subconscious piped up from my brain.
I opened the door and got my bag. After shutting of my office lights I got into the elevator while refusing my temptation which was to go back to Ian and say goodnight.
After the elevator ride I hopped inside my car and quickly drove myself home. I was planning on going to Finn's place but I just felt exhausted. When I walked through my doors I was attacked into a hug by Maria.
"Don't you ever do that again! I was so scared" she was suffocating the life out of me.
After I escaped her arms she said,"Your boss came over. Dee you didn't tell me he was that hot!"
I rolled my eyes at her and she said, "What? He's hot!"
I went inside my room while explaining to Maria what happened yesterday and this morning.
"Wow! You get to go to Mexico?!" she exclaimed
"Yes unfortunately." I replied back as I pulled out my laptop.
"You aren't excited? I know that Mexico has great beaches"
"Yeah but it's not the vacation you're thinking"
"What? Why?"
"It's not just me and Ian going. Valentina is coming too."
She frowned at what I said and rolled her eyes. Ever since I told Maria about Ian saying that he liked me in the elevator she has been rooting for us to be together.
"But, are you doing to be okay? I mean with flying." Maria said referring to my parents since she knew that they died in a plane crash.
My laptop screen showed the airline prices and I felt the hesitation creep into my system. I only flew on planes a couple of time and I was always with my parents. And now my parents are not here anymore due to the plane ride they got on which caused them their life. I felt some fear sink into me. What if we got into a crash? What if the air suddenly got too thin?
I didn't notice my hands were shaking till Maria grabbed them. She looked at me and said, "Dee it's going to be okay. You're parents are in a better place. If they were here what would they want you to do?"
"Enjoy my life" I responded saying the truth. I blinked back the tears. I wasn't going to cry again.
"Exactly. You're a strong, brave, beautiful woman and you're not going to let a plane ride bring you down. You will conquer this fear."
I nodded my head and finally my shaking palms eased.
"If it gets bad we can get sleeping pills and you won't feel a thing"
"You're right" I said agreeing with her about the pills and her advice.
I still hesitated to purchase the tickets even after Maria's advice. I reminded myself that it was going to be fine. It's okay Delilah. It's okay.
If I was going on the plane then I made sure that my seat was very far away from them. They sat together in the front while my seat was further down. After buying them I turned of my laptop.