I just sat there staring at the printed letter. I had read it so many times that I knew every word by heart.
If you think you got away, think again. I'll give you one week to work your end of the deal. Hope you liked the drinks from the bar. They had some special ingredients.
My name wasn't addressed but it was clearly for me. I should have been scared out of my wits due to the letter, but somehow he made me stronger by giving me those drugs. I kept the letter under my bed's mattress not wanting to let any evidence go from now on. So he gave me one week to spy on Alex?
Then I take it up as one week to prove that I'm innocent.
I ran inside the bathroom and showered as fast as I could. I couldn't waste a day resting at home; I had to go to the office and check for footage from the CCTV. I picked the closest t-shirt and blue jeans, pulled my boots up and ran to the living room. Ellie and David were sitting on the couch with their feet up on the coffee table. As I entered the room, they looked up at me. I averted my eyes guiltily and walked towards the door, picking my bag from the top of the lobby cupboard.
"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" David's stern voice echoed through the room.
Uh-oh. He's mad. Don't let him see the tension on your face, Bree.
I stopped and turned around to look at them, putting on the sweetest smile that I could.
"Yeah, I was actually going to work. I have had enough of lying around like a couch potato. One must be active you know."
Oh man, I'm blabbering again! They'll know something's up.
Ellie raised her eyebrows while David narrowed his eyes at me.
"You need to rest. The doctor said th..."
I interrupted Ellie's sentence, "But just sitting around is making me feel really down. I need to go work, please." I gave them my best puppy dog look. David sighed and walked towards me. He took my hands in his warm ones and looked into my eyes,
"Bree, if there was something that was bothering you, you'd tell me right?"
I immediately felt guilty. I looked down to avert his gaze. I prepared a convincing smile and looked up at him again.
"Yeah, David, of course. Please, I wanna go to work."
"Okay, then, if you say so. You work too much, Bree." He chuckled and gently poked a finger at my belly. Ellie laughed, leaning on the wall.
"Oh, preach," I said sarcastically and left the apartment, hearing them chuckling behind. I took a cab and while I sat, I couldn't think of anyone but David. Good, old David. Would it really be bad if I told him the truth? Of course, he would help me but would that be enough? Burke had the power and money to throw us both in jail. He could manipulate the way through the court. No, it was too risky. David's too dear to be allowed to get involved. So I shrugged the possibility of getting Dave in the loop. The cab stopped in front of the office building. I got out, paid the fare and nervously made way to the 9th floor.
Whom should I talk into showing me the CCTV footage? Isn't there a certain Bob in security?
While going to my cubicle, I stared down at the floor, fidgeting with my fingers as everyone stared at me. Did they know about me being drugged? I sat on my chair and let a puff of air out of my mouth in a single blow, not realizing that I had been holding my breath. Zach wasn't around. I checked my email and the company email. I had tons of work to do, so I checked the company email first. I saw the name on the message in my inbox, sent about a week ago and I jumped out of the seat.
The Hamilton meeting!
Had they gone through with the meeting? Or had they lost it because I hadn't replied to their queries or meeting schedules. I realized that I was standing with my hand on my chest, staring at my computer screen wide eyed. I glanced around and saw people staring at me, quietly. I cleared my throat to dismiss my audience and they seemed to look away after that.
I should ask Alex.
After that conversation with Alex, I wasn't as mad at him as I was before. In fact, I wasn't mad at all. He did a lot by taking me to the hospital and saving my life already. I really should give the guy a break. Except the times when he is an arrogant ass. It wasn't lunch time yet, so I hoped he was still in his office. I took my phone and went to Alex's office room. Standing outside his door, I subconsciously straightened my t-shirt and flipped my hair back. With steady hands, I knocked his door.
"Come in."
His voice had my heart racing, so before I backed out, I opened the door and let myself in. He looked up at me, surprised to see me in there. Then he narrowed his eyes and stood up.
"What are you doing here, Brianna? You're supposed to be resting." He started walking towards me, causing me to subconsciously take a step back.
"Just resting all day isn't going to do any good. I needed to work."
He was standing really close now and our faces were only inches away. He placed a loose strand of my brown hair behind my ear and smiled.
"I should be really mad at you for not resting at home, but I'm feeling relieved that you're here." He snaked his arms around me and I looked up at him. As much as I would have loved to be in that position all day, I pushed his chest to have some distance between us.
"Hey, you said you'd start over, didn't you? What's wrong?" He inquired, disappointment clearly written on his face.
"I know I did."
"Look, Brianna, I don't want to force you into anything, but you need to know that I really like you. I don't know how, its been such less time, but I really do. Can you please atleast try?"
"Try what?"
"To figure out if you do feel something. I understand, for you, its only been two days knowing me, since you were unconscious for a week, but the one week that you weren't awake, I was by your side, taking each of your facial features to be sculpted in my mind. I wanted to be there when you wake up. That is how much I like you. Please, let me take you out for dinner and let me know how you feel. Okay?"
Did he just ask me out again? Oh sweet potato fries!
I did not know what to say. I was still processing what he said in my mind. Dinner. With. Alex.
My heart was thumping against my chest, which was against his chest, so obviously he could feel that.
Oh boy.
"Hey, no pressure or anything. Just let me know later. Dinner, tonight."
So he did hear my heart. Now he'll think I'm nervous. Great. But I am nervous. And tonight? Is he crazy?
"You like Italian, right?" he asked, unfazed by the war in my mind.
Huh, apparently, he is crazy.
"Brianna?" He shook my shoulders to wake me up from my perplexed mind ranting.
"Yes. I'm listening."
"Would you like to join me for dinner tonight? For Italian, perhaps?"
He raised his eyebrows and pinched the bridge of his nose, a mannerism he followed out of nervousness, I guess.
"Okay."
Okay? What am I saying?
"Okay? Really?" he asked, wide eyed.
"Yes, really. Won't hurt to try."
Oh well.
He smiled ear to ear and his ocean blue eyes sparkled like how the waves in an ocean would sparkle due to sun rays. He hugged me, pulling us together in a tight embrace. I breathed in his cologne while he held me close with his arms. He put his face in the side of my neck, inside my hair and took a deep breath.
"Your hair smell like strawberries. I love strawberries," he muttered against my neck, his warm breath tickling me.
"Uh... thanks?"
I thanked him with uncertainty, to which he chuckled. I clutched his chiseled back tight.
How'd he make himself so sexy?
Okay, time to get out of the hug.
I gently pulled myself out of his embrace, but still remained in his arms. With that, I remembered why I came to his office in the first place.
"Alex, what about the Hamilton deal? Did you have the meeting?"
"Yes Brianna, we did. He was really impressed actually. He said he'll let us know in a few days."
"Oh, okay. Great." I smiled at him, just then someone knocked the door. We stepped away from each other.
"Come in," Alex called with authority.
Jack, the copier guy, walked in holding a file under his arm.
"Mr. Armenti, these are few emails that have been sent from our company account in the last few weeks. Do you need to crosscheck or should I shred them?"
Jack asked with a hint of nervousness.
My mind raced so fast that my knees buckled, thanks to Alex, I didn't actually fall.
Of course! The company's email account, the same one that I used to send the email! A backup was always made all in hard copy, but what if they disposed it? Burke didn't know about it, I guess, Jack always asked me first.
"Did you really come here to ask me that, Jack?"
Alex's voice brought me to my senses that were dancing the salsa in my mind. I had a clue, a sweet ray of sunshine. I had to find the old hard copy, because if I find it, I can find the CCTV footage of that time stamp! And some software engineer or hacking expert could clearly point out that I could have not sent a link with those emails. Those were just words. No attachments. Burke had a loophole anyway. What motive would I have had to send corrupt emails to other companies? And for whom? I didn't love the company that much.
"I actually went to see Miss White, but she wasn't there. I couldn't take a risk just dumping them."
My cheeks reddened, I wasn't at my cubicle because I was with Alex. Alex had a smirk on his face when he glanced at me.
"I'll check those, Jack. Thank you." I answered for Alex.
Jack nodded, leaving the file on the mahogany desk and then left. I had to go after him to ask him for the earlier email print outs. I looked at Alex, stood on my toes and gave him a quick peck on his lips.
"I'll see you tonight," I whispered and smiled at him, stepping back from his embrace. Then with my head high, I walked out of there to find Jack, leaving behind a wide eyed and flustered Alexander Armenti.
Hey guys, this chapter is unedited. If you like this story, please do vote and comment. Thank you.☺