CHAPTER 7
1418 Words
I’m awakened by the banging of my bedroom door. I sit upright and glare at Sage who is glaring back at me.
“Ugh!” I let out a groan and run a hand on my face. I glare at him biting my lip angrily. “What’s your problem? Now I have to wake up early?”
“We are leaving in thirty minutes.”
“Leaving for where?”
“It’s a Monday. People work on Mondays.”
“You trashed my resume so I have no job.”
“My friend liked it. You are going to be working for him so be downstairs in thirty minutes.” He looks at his watch. “Actually it’s twenty-eight minutes.” He opens the door and storms out before I can utter another word.
How am I supposed to deal with this guy? I thought he called my resume trash. Now he is talking about my going to work? Is he some psycho? Because I don’t understand him.
I step out of bed and strip naked. I pick a towel from my closet and step into the bathroom. I turn on the faucet and let the lukewarm droplets fall on my hair and trickle down my whole body.
I don’t understand Sage and I don’t think I will ever get to understand him but this is better than staying locked up here the whole day. I signed up for this so I have to deal with it.
I have around twenty minutes so I step out after drying myself. I do some light make-up and settle for a blue pencil dress. I look at myself in the mirror and tuck a stray hair behind my ear. I must have missed it when I was styling it into a bun.
I settle on some black heels and a black purse and step out after picking my phone from the nightstand.
I take the stairs and enter the kitchen where I assume he is. Our eyes meet and he shifts his gaze to the omelet before him. There is an elderly lady preparing some pancakes.
“Welcome, dear.” She gives me a friendly smile. Finally a friendly face here.
“Thank you,” I say and sit on one of the bar stools, far from Sage.
“What will you have?”
“It’s late. Pack her something to eat. She will take it at work.” He tells her without sparing me a glance.
“Okay, sir.” She says and looks at me. “Okay with pancakes and sausages?”
“Yes.” I look at Sage and swallow with bitterness. Is this the life I’m supposed to be okay with?
I watch as the lady takes some can of orange juice and adds it to the pack of sausages and pancakes. She hands it to me with a smile and walks out.
“Let’s go.” Sage orders and pulls his stool back. I do the same too and follow him outside. The door to a Mercedes is open and a man who I haven’t met yet is standing next to it with a stoic expression on his face.
“Morning Abel?” he gestures to me to step in.
“Morning sir. Ma’am?”
“Morning.” I give him a smile and step inside. Sage does the same and fastens his seatbelt.
“You don’t expect me to tell you to buckle up, do you?” He really hates me. The feeling is mutual. I just can’t stand him. I should have been allocated to some other car. He has many but the desire to punish me makes him do this.
I buckle my belt and look outside the window. I’m not going to stoop to his level. I will just do what he wants. It will make living with him easier.
Abel pulls up outside some building and steps out to open the dickhead’s door. I open mine and step out, looking at the building before us.
‘Harley Publishing house.’ That’s the name of the building. Is this where we are going? Because it’s one of the best publishing companies that I know of.
“Follow me.” He leads me through the entrance with Abel behind us. Does he follow him everywhere?
“Sir?” the lady at the reception calls with a smile.
“Morning? Here to see Harley.” He says walking past her to the elevator.
“Do you have to be rude to everyone?” I can’t control myself anymore.
He punches a button and the elevator doors slide open.
“Wait for me outside.” He tells Abel and steps into the elevator. I step inside too and watch him punch the seventh-floor button.
“You should mind your own business. You are not the receptionist!” he says rudely and leans against the wall, glaring at me.
“You are such an ass.” I glare back at him.
“Glad to know that.”
“You should know your place, Miss Jones. Know your place.” He grips my arm and glowers down at me. “You are a nobody to me so don’t push me. I might snap and when I do you won’t like the outcome. Am I clear?”
“You are hurting me.”
“Answer my question.” He grits his teeth. “Am I clear?”
“Yes.”
“Good!” he lets my arm go roughly and grips the rail. “Something else, we are going to have a lot of press from Wednesday so be ready. That’s when the news of our marriage will come out.”
“There is no certificate.”
“That should be my business I guess!” he snaps as the bell dings and the elevator doors slide open.
“It’s my business too.”
“This conversation is over.” He steps out and I follow him. “Try and smile. Make this believable. Let people think we are the happiest couple in the world.”
“Yet we are enemies. I loathe you.”
“That’s the drill. You are finally getting it and for your information, I loathe you too.” He grins and approaches two ladies.
“Good morning sir?” They greet and look at me.
“Good morning ma’am?” one of them, who looks more friendly gives me a smile.
“Good morning. Is Harley in?”
“Yes sir. Should I take your coat?”
“No.” He adjusts his coat and gives her a smile. “My wife and I would like to see him.” He reaches for my hand and lifts it to his lips. He kisses the knuckles and gives them a squeeze. I feel disgusted and I just want to throw up but I have to pretend we are in love. I have to smile when around him and pretend to love him. My cheeks will hurt at this rate.
“Let me inform him.” She retrieves the receiver and keys in a number.
“Mr. Carter is here to see you, sir.”
My eyes lock with the less friendly lady and she gives me some sort of a sneer.
“Okay, sir. Will show them in.” she replaces the receiver and gives us a friendly smile. “He is ready to see you. Let me show you in.”
“Don’t bother. I know my way around here.” He tries to smile and fails miserably. “Let’s go in baby.” He lets my hand go and wraps an arm around the small of my back.
“This is uncomfortable.”
“You just have to pretend to like it.” He smirks and turns the knob, opening the door.
He leads me into a large office where a man seated behind a desk smiles at us.
“Didn’t expect you this early.” He pushes his chair back and rounds the desk to greet us.
Damn!
He is so handsome and I feel my heart flip for the first time in my life.
- Writer
