UNEDITED
WARNING: IT'S A BIT DRY AT SOME POINTS
You know there is a point in every girls life when she wants to choke the life out of someone.For me that is every time I'm in a two mile radius of my mother or my sister.
Unfortunately for me today I had to face both of them.
Please shoot me already.
"Yellow isn't your colour." My mom comments looking at me.
You see my face? Does it look like I fucking care?
My sister drops a hanger and it's then that I realise that I spoke out loud.
Oops, did I just say that.
"Is this how I taught you to behave young lady?" My mom hisses, trying not make a big scene in the middle of her own shop.
"Well," I say suddenly feeling brave,"You see there was the matter of you actually being there to teach me."
My mothers eyes widen and my sister gives me an amused smile. She is clearly liking where this is going.
That was my first clue to stop.
"Clara take that back right now." My mother says her greyish eyes flashing me warning signals," What has gotten into you lately? You were never this wild."
Yeah I was never this wild. I should probably stop now but my mouth was on autopilot.
"And how do you know that?" I say,"How do you know that I have not been partying , drinking and sleeping with people left, right and centre."
I don't know what's gotten into me but lately I had an extremely short tolerance level. I had never had any respect for my mother and right now when she had spent her entire morning criticising me I was at the end of patience.
My mother glares at me.
"You were never like this." My mother says,"Must be that ill behaved boys influence on you. Jeanine could never keep her son in line here and he is clearly influencing you."
My mouth falls open and I am staring at her shock.
"But you were over joyous when I told you." I say kind of dumbstruck.
"Yes, well I thought you could change him." My mother says sifting through the pile of clothes my previous outburst clearly forgotten,"But clearly he hasn't improved."
"He is the sole heir to his fathers company and he is extremely smart." I defend him my anger rising ever so slightly.
"But he also sleeps with girls and uses them." Michella states and I throw her an icy glare.
"Well, then the girls are just as pathetic as him." I say,"mooning over a guy who is pretty much a jackass and they yet have no self respect for themselves."
"Says the person who is dating him." Michella yells back.
"Michella watch your volume." My mother says as she gives a fake smile to the attendants,"But I have to agree with her Clara. Jake is a troubled child and when you started to date him I was just happy that you weren't lesbian seeing your poor track record with boys."
"Besides." My mother says,"I have never seen him in a relationship either. You must be just an experiment of his who must be playing hard to get."
I stare at my mother trying to control my anger. I'm literally second from slapping this stranger who thinks she has a say in my life.
I am not angry with the fact she just called me lesbian but the fact that she just called me a slut and Jake a man whore.
News flash lady it's my job to call him that.
"You know nothing about Jake." I seethe,"And you know nothing about me. Do not try to act like my mother just be happy with the title. You are someone who gave birth to me and ran out on me the first chance you got. You have no right to judge the person I date and you have no right to criticise him. He is million times the person you will ever be."
I glare at my mother for a few seconds daring her to say something but all I get is a look of pure rage and an icy stare.
I am first to break eye contact with a triumphant smile and I grab my purse and walk out.
The security guard stops me as I am still wearing the bright yellow dress. One look at my mother he gives me a simple nod and I rush out into the cold winter air.
I try to find my cellphone in my bag trying to call Jake. That idiot hasn't returned my call since morning but I really hope he picks up now cause I have no idea where the hell my fathers office is and I need a guide.
I find my mobile and yell aha and raise it up but suddenly I crash into someone making me fall backwards on my ass.
One day.
Just one day. That's all I ask. Will it kill me not to embarrass myself so royally for just one day.
I look up to see who I crashed into and I see.....
Alec?
Okay is this one of my crazy day dreams again trust me I've had them before and I almost ended up kissing someone else.
But more on that later.
"Oh god Clara." He says smiling as he lends me a hand,"Im sorry."
I am confused but I'm already happier. Alec just has that effect on me.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Oh Michella called me and told me that I had to pick you up."
Michella called?
"Well, then can you get me out of here." I say knowing that if I tried to roam all alone in New York I would be embarrassing myself so badly as I knew absolutely nothing about this place.
Alec did though. He had spent an entire month last year during the summers here with his dad. They were extremely close despite the fact that his dad was always busy in the dealings of his advertising firm.
I wish I had that kind of relationship with either one of my parents then I wouldn't be telling them to fuck off even if it was unintentionally.
Or Intentionally.
"So where do you want to go?" He says,"And where is your boyfriend?"
I try to hide my smile at the irony if the situation. A few months back it was the first question I asked Alec whenever I met him.
"Where is your girlfriend?"
"Around, I suppose." I shrug nonchalantly, "But I need to go to my fathers office, do you know where that is?"
----------------------------------------
"Holy crap." I say looking at the tall glass building,"My dad's company is in there?"
"Yup." Alec replies tugging me through the sliding doors into the warm lobby,"And the Henderson Co owns the building."
I gasp looking at the posh surroundings. I knew the Hendersons were rich and their houses attested to that but this was a whole new game. The building was up to 70 floors at least and made up of glass and stood proudly at the end of Wall Street.
I may not know much but I knew enough to know that Wall Street did not come cheap.
"There are several offices here." Alec pipes in as the elevator door opens spilling dozens of people in black blazers and high heels making me in my bright yellow dress stick out like a sore thumb.
"Your fathers firm is on the 56, 57 and 58th floor." He says and I raise my eyebrow.
"How do you know all of this?" I ask raising my eyebrows up.
"Oh Jeanine thought it would be a great idea to put myself in use by interning under Mr. Henderson." He replies and a million different things go through my head.
"Oh."
Doesn't Alec's dad have a problem with that? I mean sure the Henderson boyishness was probably hundred times the net worth of the Evans small advertising business if not more.
"Yeah." Alec agrees,"I was here all morning and I visited it yesterday. Its pretty amazing. My dad is thinking about accepting Mr. Henderson's offer and collaborate."
"What do you mean?" I say.
"I mean my dad's a up for it." He continues,"Their advertising firm is brilliant and my dad would be at the helm."
"Bu-"
"And on top Jeanine wants to move here and so does my dad." Alec says,"I was anyway going to apply NYU in the fall."
"Oh but that would mean that Jake would be your boss eventually." I say and the elevator doors open.
Alec's gaze widens as I step out.
"Oh god that would be a nightmare." Alec says laughing dryly,"But hopefully nowhere in the near future."
"Oh Clara! You're here."
I turn around to see my dad who is hurrying towards me with four five people looking very flustered behind him, all arguing.
"I'm so sorry sweetheart but something has come up." He says pressing the elevator button impatiently,"I have to go now I promise to show you around tomorrow."
Well, on the good side he doesn't know about the little spat with my mother.
Emphasis on little.
"Oh." I reply clearly uncomfortable.
"Oh hello Alec." He says noticing him,"In fact I believe that Mr. Henderson wanted to meet you, Clara."
"Why?"I say.
My father gives a small smile and steps into the lift.
"I believe it has something to do with the fact that you are dating his son.
I catch his wink just as the elevator closes.
"Is it me or has my father gone slightly cuckoo." I say.
"It's you." Alec smiles and his eyes light up,"After all he is not the one who is wearing a bright yellow dress."
I bury my face in my hands.
"I never said you look bad in it."
I look up at him to figure out what his expression is but I can't. It's somewhere in between confusion and hope. He breaks eye contact with me and I desperately try to grasp the fading remains of his expression.
"So my dad was joking when he said that Mr. Henderson wants to see me right?" I say.
"Well, that your dad wasn't lying about." He says,"But your appointment is later. At about two I think."
"Appointment, really?" I say,"Don't you think thats a bit much?"
"Well, you are dating his son."Alec says,"And apparently that doesn't happen too often. Almost never really."
I give him a weak smile but all I want to do is throw up.
Why in gods name would Jake's dad want to meet me? So what I was dating his son?
Fuck I need to call Jake.
I am about to remove my phone but before I can a man comes up and stands before me thrusting his hand out to me.
"Hi I am Walter." He says smiling,"Your dad asked me to show you the ropes around here since he is busy."
I nod. Not processing it clearly my mind still whirring around the fact that Mr. Henderson wanted to meet me. Okay maybe I was over reacting but the few memories I had of him justified it completely.
"Clara so I will see you later." Alec says and I break out of my thoughts and smile at him.
"You will come and pick me up for the uh-uh appointment, right?" I say stammering slightly feeling hopeful and dumb.
Alec's eyes instantly light up and he smiles,"Of course."
He pushes the elevator button and looks back at me as if he was mentally debating something. It takes him another second to decide before taking a long step towards me and he presses his cool lips on my forehead and smiles at me.
"If meet the parents doesn't go well, you will always have me instead of Jake."
With that he walks into the elevator.
I stare after him in shock when Walter behind me says,"I thought you were dating the Henderson kid."
I swirl behind to look at the man who seemed in his forties. He was a small man but I recognised him very well from the pictures I had found while researching on my fathers company. He was Walter McAllen one of the board members.
Why would an important board member show me around when I was only an intern?
Sure it was my dad's company but it still was pretty weird that a board member would show me around.
He must have seen my confusion as he simply smiles and says,"I'm sorry but it's simply office gossip."
"What?" I snap.
He simply gives me an amused smile and says,"You are dating Jake Henderson right?"
My eyes widen as I finally make sense of his comment before.
You are dating the Henderson kid, aren't you?
Wait does that mean that the entire office knows? I mean dating him can't be such a big deal.
"Umm yeah?" I say unsurely.
Walter simply smiles and says,"Sorry for intruding it wasn't my place."
Yeah no shit Sherlock.
"Well, come on ahead I'll show you exactly what goes in your father's office and what you are going to be doing for the next two weeks."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Yeah but if you exit the loop before the software control statement ,you could probably fix the bug." I say squinting at the tiny computer screen.
The developer in front of me looks pretty much dumbfounded and slightly pissed off. I mean I would too, if some over smart eighteen year old told him to do his work.
Well, technically seventeen and a half.
I always pretend like I am eighteen because majority of the senior class turns eighteen before our winter break and I absolutely don't want anyone want to know when my real birthday is.
Because that would be a whole new problem of different proportions.
"It is not that easy." The developer snaps at me and then looks at Walter who is wearing an amused smile behind me,"Isn't she supposed to be the intern who brings me coffee?"
"Well, she was going to be." Walter says,"But considering the fact that she does your job better than you...."
He trails of with a smile and the developer turns red.
"Well, I'll prove it to you that this doesn't work." He says and rectifying the program like I had told him to before.
"And enter." He says defiantly pressing the key and restarting the program.
"Well, it seems to me that it worked." Walter says when the screen lights up with a logo.
The developer stares at me open mouthed and then simply grunts,"She got lucky."
"Well, you sure hope not, James." Walter says scanning me as if I was an extremely interesting piece of work,"She is the Wilson's daughter."
James eyes widen for a second and takes me in with my bright yellow dress and messy hair tied into a pony tail.He looks like he is going to blow up any second so I quickly said,"Maybe it was because you just needed a fresh pair of eyes. It is a brilliant program though."
He looks happier now and turns his attention back to the screen and mutters,"That must be it."
Walter gives a small chuckle and leads me through a door with my fathers name written in big capital letters. The office is huge with massive glass windows that gave a peak into the manhattan skyline.It's breathtaking seeing New York from such a height. It's exhilarating almost to see just how small a speck one was in the play of things.
"You handled that well." Walter says and I tear my eyes from the view ahead and they land on his ageing face.
"Thank you." I nod appreciatively.
"Your father has been hiding you away all this while." He says,"You handled James extremely well, diplomatically showed him how wrong he was, a skill that your father possesses and that I envy."
I blush slightly beaming with pride,"Thank you again."
"So how was the office?" He asks.
I try to find an answer to what he showed me in the last two hours. He gave me a detailed tour of every nook and corner of the three floors of the office.To be honest it left me in awe of my father and his capability to manage such a large high scale company and this was only the headquarters.
But most of all the tour had left me sure of the fact that I wanted to come here and work for my father. I had always loved maths and programming came almost naturally to me.
"It was amazing." I answer honestly.
"Your sister came here too." He says,"But I guess software wasn't her forte."
There are very few things that Michella is bad at. There are even fewer things that I am better than Michella at something.
Programming was one of them.
My dad had tried with Michella and had tried to teach her but when Michella had failed so miserably he had never tried again.
Not even with me.
I had learned to accept that I was the second choice for both my parents. My mom fought for Michella so her name in fashion would be safe and my dad fought for her because he wanted his company to be in the safe hands of his older daughter.
Whoever lost got me.
It was hard but I had to learn to accept it. My grandmother always rolled her eyes when I told her about this and she said,"you will always be my first choice."
But even my grandmother couldn't bear to stay in the house for too long. She would always take long trips around the world as if staying in the house as my grandfather both burnt her and healed her.
"Clara?"
I break out of sad story of thoughts and stare at Walter and say an unintelligible,"huh?"
"I was just saying." He says slowly," If you wanted to be a secretary instead of an intern. I'm sure your father would agree to this and you are exceptionally bright."
I blush and nod,"Of course."
As if on cue my father walks in typing on his blackberry furiously.
He looks up and is startled to find Walter and I standing in front of him.
"Walter, what are you doing here?" He asks.
"I was just showing your daughter around." He says,"she is exceptionally bright. She managed to correct James and stop him from throwing a temper tantrum."
My father looks confused dad he looks at me,"really?"
"Yes," Walter continues,"I was shocked too."
"Well, that's great." My father still looks slightly confused,"Alec was at the reception."
"Oh." I say remembering the 'appointment' I had.
"Well, thank you so much, Mr McAllen I mean Walter." I say politely.
"Be here at sharp nine." He says and smiles and I exit the office just as I hear him say,"where have you been hiding her all along?"
I can't help but smile to myself.
------------------
When Alec sees me he gets up and smiles. You would think it would be awkward considering the lingering kiss he placed on my forehead but it's completely dandy.
I would probably be a hormonal mess in the elevator if my mind hadn't kept replaying what Walter McAllen had said about me.
The door pinged as we reached the 65th floor because apparently you could only get to Mr Henderson's office by another elevator.
I step out into the crowded reception and ten different pair of eyes are all on me as if they were all expecting my arrival.
Okay.....
Alec stood beside me but for some reason he kept at least a few feet of distance between us as compared to the inches between us in the elevator.
He gestured me to follow him slowly and thats when I caught snippets of the conversations all around me.
"That's her"
"Yeah she is the one dating him."
"By dating him as in fucking him?"
"She looks like a canary."
"More like an egg yolk."
"I thought he had better choice."
"Well, she is going to meet the boss so that can't be too good."
I suddenly feel so self conscience in the yellow dress that it's ridiculous. I want to turn back but before I can Alec puts his hand on my lower back and leads me ahead to an elevator.
The door closes and all the things that they said outside run through my head.
"You look beautiful." He says looking at me sincerely and genuinely,"Don't let office gossip get you,Clara."
I blush a deep shade of read and for a second the fact that I am going to meet the godfather disappears.
"Thank you." I say almost shyly.
"Clara I-" Alec is about to say something but the elevator door shuts and once again he moves away from me and I furrow my eyebrows in confusion and follow him out where a lady in a huge reception desk sits eyeing her computer. She is young and blonde and when she looks up at me she gives me a once over.
"And you are?" She says in a nasally voice that seems to be filled with arrogance.
"Oh Trina." Alec says giving her a dimpled smile,"She is Mr Henderson's two 'o' clock appointment."
"She is Clara Wilson?"
Trina emphasis on the she as if I am some insect crawled out of the gutter and magically received the grand title of Clara Wilson, the girl who is dating Jake Henderson.
Oh god I am loosing my temper.
"Yes." He says not detecting the change in her tone.
Boys I tell you, they are so oblivious.
"Okay." Trina says apprehensively giving me another once over,"Please sit."
I head over to the couch and sit nervously inspecting my clothes. I was wearing the bright yellow dress which I had tried on in the store. Regardless of its colour it was more or less formal and my black flats were a bit worm out but still passable.I inspected my hair in the glass table which had been untidily been tied in a pony tail but managed to look okay.
"He is not that scary." Alec comments looking at my fidgety hands.
"Really?" I say?"Because it seems like I am going to meet the godfather."
Alec laughs and it echoes through the reception and Trina looks up at him giving him a dreamy stare. She then Turns to me and gives me a dirty stare at goes back to cocking on the computer.
I was used to this, the dirty stares. It always happened with Alec as most people couldn't believe that out of everyone in this room he would give me the time of the day.With Jake I wasn't used to it. I never really noticed or cared about the stares when I was with him because my hands were too full just dealing with him and it took 100% of my focus to have a decent conversation with him.
"He will see you now." Trina nods at the black wooden door and I nervously get up.
"Come on." Alec says and leads me to the door and opens it like a true gentlemen.
Ahh Alec.
The office is huge is an understatement. It's massive. Not to mention beautiful. The floor is covered with a blah carpet and the walls have paintings on them that in my estimation wouldn't be worth less than a million dollars.
Is that a Picasso?
There are couches on the far left corner of the office that face a giant tv on the wall. There is a small bar too and a large book shelf covers the wall.
On the far right of the office is a desk that is grand and enormous and is clearly made of mahogany wood. It contrasts to the modern feel of the room but follows the theme of being extremely expensive very well.
Behind the table sits Mr Henderson.
He looks almost exactly as I remembered him. He looked like an older version of Jake, similar yet startlingly different.He had the dark black hair that Jake had but his were streaked with white. He had broad shoulders and an unmistakable sense of power and wealth around him and held himself with the same arrogance as his son.
But there was one difference that differentiated them by leaps and bounds.
Their eyes.
They were green but of a different shade. Whilst Jake was A deep sea green that changed according to his moods and managed to send shivers up my spine the man who say behind the desk had hard cold eyes which reminded me a little of a snake. An involuntary shiver went up my spine.
Not of the good kind though.
"Oh hello Alec." He says getting up as we walk towards him,"And you must be Clara."
He steps around his massive desk and shakes my hand his enormous hand engulfing mine.
"Hello Mr Henderson." I say trying to sound as calm and as non freaked out as I can.
"Oh please call me Conrad." He says sounding light but underneath it was a dare to say it.
"I'll be right out waiting for her" Alec says and smiles.
"That's okay, I'm sure miss Wilson here can find her way." He says.
Alec nods and exits the office and it takes all my willpower not to tell him to stop.
If I die here it is all Alec's fault to leave me here all alone.
The door shuts and I jump slightly.
"Miss Wilson please sit." He says pointing to the chairs in front of him.
I slowly sit in front of him unsure of what to do. He takes the seat in front of me and his broad shoulders blocks almost all the sunlight that was falling on me leaving me in the dark in the otherwise lighted room.
Okay I am sure to get killed now.
"So-"
Before he could finish the door is thrown open and Jake steps into the office looking absolutely furious.
Trina the blondie rushes behind him and says,"I tried to stop him."
Jake doesn't say anything just glares at his father who has an amused expression on his face. His eyes meet mine for two-seconds and they soften but he tears his gaze from mine and glares at his father.
"Trina, thank you." Conrad Henderson says,"You can go now."
She turns on her heels and the minute the door slams Jake yells,"How dare you?"
He walks forward until he stands right behind me looking absolutely and positively furious.
His father watches him with an amused expression and then flickers his gaze towards me and says,"Is that how you are going to behave in front of your girlfriend?"
I stand up from my chair clearly not wanting to be a part of whatever they were fighting about.
"That's right my girlfriend." Jake spits,"You have no bloody right to call her here to meet you and get her involved in our matters."
Oh they were fighting about me.
"I am not the one making a scene in front of her, Jake." Mr Henderson says calmly.
"You are pathetic." Jake seethes," I cannot believe-"
"Excuse me for thinking about my son." Mr Henderson's says and gets up from his seat.
I step back towards Jake who wraps his hand around mine and suddenly I feel calmer. Electricity charges through the point where are hands meet but it keeps me grounded and does not make me want to run from here.
"Thinking about your son?" Jake says pushing me slightly behind him,"That is biggest load of shit that has ever come out of your mouth and that includes the tongue of the woman who you cheated on my mother with."
"Jake!" He yells and I flinch and my hand on Jake's hand tightens but he doesn't look fazed.
"Let's get one thing straight." Jake says standing in front of me,"You are going to leave her out of this. This is between you and me. She has no place meeting with you here."
"If you haven't noticed son, I am trying to run a multi billion dollar company." He says,"Which you are unfortunately the only heir of."
"Tragic." Jake taunts,"I feel extremely sorry for you but that does not mean that you butt in my life."
"Your life effects me and this entire company." His father yells,"And that means that I have to make sure that the girl you date isn't some gold digging whore!"
Excuse me?
Did he just call me a whore?
I am about to step in front and knock the bejesus out of him but Jake holds my hand firmly and keeps me behind him as if he is protecting me from his father.
"You have no right to say that." Jake says calmly this time which scares me much more than he is yelling,"She is the daughter of one of the only friends you have and yet you..."
"Which is why." His father roars,"Don't you dare point fingers at me Jake. I do not want her to end up the same way like everyone else you come in contact with. I clean up your mess every time Jake and I was just assessing how much if a mess this one would be."
"You have a knack son, of ruining everything you come near." His father continues walking towards him,"And this company is not going to be one of those things. So my advice is that you finally act like a grown up instead of the spoilt little brat you are acting like and get out of this office so that I can complete talking to miss Wilson here."
Jake is vibrating ever so slightly. I think it's because of anger but then he throws his head back and laughs.
"You think that I am going to let her be alone with you?" Jake says," Because let's get something straight, you have clawed your way into every aspect of my life and ruined it. But Clara is the one good thing in my life right now and I swear to god I will show just how vindictive I can be if you ever do anything to ruin my relationship with her."
The one good thing.
My relationship with her.
It plays over in my head and can't help thinking if that was just a spur of the moment improvisation or a genuine comment. Jake has a death grip on my hand that is almost painful but I don't mind it. It gave me a feeling that it grounded Jake here just as much as it did to me.
"It''s about time you get serious son."
"I am about her." Jake says and exits the office.
With my hand in his.
__________________________________________
Author: *squeals* I SHIP JARA
Alec: *pouts* What about me?
Author: I ship you too, *tears her hair* How am I going to write an ending for this?
Michella: With good grammar hopefully, and I come in and steal both boys
Clara; *rolling her eyes* Like that is happening
Author; It just might
Jake: *Jumps out from behind the curtain shirtless* Happy Birthday Nylla and thank you for updating.
Author: *ogles at Jake for a few moments and then snaps back to reality* Yeah.. so smooth.... I mean yeah thank you and as a birthday treat I updated this chapter, yes I know it was long overdue but..... abs.... *shakes head and stops drooling* I mean Happy Birthday to me and I hope you guy have as much fun reading this chapter as I had today. *turns attention back to Jake*
Alec: So don't forget to comment on just how much you ship me and Clara and vote for us.
Jake: comment on how much you ship ME with Clara.
Clara; *sighs* Do I get a say in this
Everyone Reading: NO!
Author: Oh I almost forgot The Guy Next Door reached a 50K reads and that is a big deal because that was my aim when I wrote the book so thanks sooo much.