Their Blu Dilemma (Book 2)

8 Her first day at work.

Blu

“You came to him?”

Xavier’s word echo in my mind over and over.

I close my eyes as guilt scalds my insides.

Damn…why do I even feel guilty. I don’t know. It’s not like I slept with Vic or anything like that. I just…

“What was she supposed to do? You kicked her out!” Vic shouts behind me, still standing so close to me, I can feel his breath washing over the back of my neck. Xavier’s eyes move from me to Vic. They narrow on us, clearly taking in our close proximity. Vic’s hands are still on my waist – feeling like a brand.

I hold my breath waiting for him to explode in anger.

“First of all...” Xavier starts to say and I cut him off.

“No one is going to fight over me. I needed a place to stay and Vic was there for me, end of story. Now can we get to work?” I say to Xavier feeling all the frustration of my life settle on my shoulders.

I don’t need this. I look him straight in the eyes unblinking so that he knows I am not playing. I want to look away at the intensity in his eyes but I refuse to back down. Let him do what he wants to do, I don’t care.

He steps close to me and gives Vic a deadly look. He grasps Vic’s hands and removes them from me. I gasp as their hands move over my stomach at the same time. My stomach summersaults, and then flutters as desire rips through me.

I don’t even know who my desire is for…

Is it for both of them…?

No…this is ridiculous.

I move away from both of them. I turn to Vic.

“Hey,” I say to him so he can look at me. “I’ll see you after work.”

 He looks down at me and smiles. His smile loosens something inside of me, and I relax slightly. He leans in and roughly pulls me into a tight hug. I feel Xavier’s eyes on me but I hug Vic anyway.

“See you later,” he says and lets me go. He looks back at Xavier as if he’s wants him to say something. I’ve never seen Vic like this, he’s always been so soft and gentle with me. This is new.

I turn and walk to the car. Xavier follows me there.

He is pissed to say the least. I ignore him and get into the car, I’m surprised he opens the door for me, helping me inside the car. He bangs the door hard when I get in and walks around to the driver’s side. He opens the door and gives Vic one last look and then gets into the car. He says nothing to me and starts the car and puts it in reverse. I can feel anger radiating from him, I shift uncomfortably in my seat. All of this tension is f*****g with my balance and people wonder why I prefer to travel the world instead of making friendships and dealing with people. The only person I can deal with is Luna. The rest can go to hell.  

We drive in silence for a few minutes then he turns to me.

“You ran to him?” he asks with that accusatory tone of his.

“I’m confused… was I supposed to be homeless? Or was I supposed to… what? Beg you to give me a place to stay? Unless you have amnesia, I remember you telling me to get the f**k out of your house,” I say feeling my anger rise, and I let it grow, feeling all the pent up frustration and hurt from last night fill me. I want to hurt him as much as he hurt me. “So, please don’t start with me. I’m only here because my parents got me in some f****d up arrangement and then disowned me. And you want me to pay that debt. So forgive me if I don’t give a s**t about your feelings. I’m dealing with a lot right now. And Vic is the saint in all of this, so lay off him,” I say to him speaking a little too loudly.

“Maybe I wanted you to want to be there with me,” he says looking at the road. “I wanted to give you a choice. I guess your choice led you to him.”

A lump forms in my throat at his words. I don’t know what to say to him. I didn’t even think of it like that.

I didn’t think he cares, not enough to give me a choice.

The car speeds up as he focuses on the road. We head back towards Johannesburg, and I am surprised that his company’s offices are deep in the city on Simmons streets – where most of the big banks in South Africa are found. He turns into an underground parking space, and comes to a stop next to the lifts.

We get out of the car, and he reaches in the back for a laptop bag. I wait for him to come around, and then we walk to the lift.

“Your duties will be simple. You will receive my calls, set up meeting for me, take minutes during meetings and do everything I want you to do,” he says his demeanor changing to the man I’ve known all my life – the sharp and cold business man who didn’t have a sympathetic bone in his body. Even his black suit looks different – all pristine and sophisticated in a way that was untouchable.

“Everything?” I ask wondering if he knew what that word implied.

We step into the lift, and he turns to me. “Am I going to spend every day reminding you that I’m your boss, because this won’t work if I have to do that. It will be a waste of my time, and I am a very busy man.”

“No. I’ll do everything you say,” I say.

Fuck…I can’t lose this job on my first day.

“Good,” he says as the door opens. He walks out and I follow him. We pass the reception area where a woman sits manning the desk. She greets Xavier warmly, and then turns to me as if I am something the cat dragged in.

I look back at her, until she breaks her stare to focus on her computer screen.

Really? I shake my head following him.

I might be inexperience in business or working for a living, but no one is going to look down on me.

I’ll show them before I allow anyone to treat me like I am less than.

I follow Xavier to his office, where he rounds his desk and picks up his phone.

“Yes, Cathy can you come to my office please,” he says.

I take the time to look at his office. It’s not as big as I thought a billionaire’s office would be. The office boasted of a large wooden desk, with a high backed chair that Xavier used and two visitor chairs in the front. There was a pot plant and a filling cabinet on the other wall. There was large window facing a park and that was it.

I guess he is a minimalist, I think as a woman in her late twenties walks into the office.

“Cathy, this is Blu.  Can you please set her up with an access card? And please ask IT to come and set her up with a desk. They can put it next to the door,” Xavier said pointing to a tiny spot next to the door.

I frown.

Where exactly was he pointing at?

“Uhhh…isn’t it a bit small for another desk, sir,” Cathy asks shifting uncomfortably. I guess his employees don’t question him either. “May I suggest you move into the main office, since you have an assistant now.”

I wait for Xavier to refuse. But he nods.

“That makes sense,” he says walking to the door. “I have a meeting now. Please get everything sorted for me.” Xavier says giving her a warm smile.

“Of course,” Cathy says with a smile of her own. Xavier walks out closing the door behind him, leaving me with Cathy. She turns to me, giving me a once over.  “So… you are the new toy, huh?”

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb,” she takes a few steps to get close to me. “Don’t think you’re special. They all come and go. He’ll use up and be done with you. I’ll give you a month. At least you’re pretty.”

“You don’t know me. Why would you say something like that to me?” I say, wanting to push her away from me, but I can’t do that this is a work environment.

“Of course I don’t. But I know him. He brings girls in here, and gets rid of them once he f***s them. You think you’re special…dream on girl,” she says walking to the door. I stare after her shocked at her word.  I never imagined that Xavier did that. “Don’t just stand there, come on.”

I walk out of the office still shocked. I didn’t expect that…not from Xavier.

Exactly, what kind of man was he?