The Love of a Stepbrother

Chapter 13

Simone had been absolutely right. The evening was an awfully long one.

With Alicia Cooper, a trust fund baby par excellence, making eyes and passes at William, Simone barely made it through the business negotiations sane. She had to bite the inside of her cheek a few times, so as to keep the enraged shout caged in her lungs.

Alicia Cooper, a beautiful redhead, shamelessly parading in an evening gown, which wasn’t in the least bit suited for a business dinner, didn’t miss an opportunity to hit on William.

And what troubled Simone the most was that he didn’t object to her advances. She had been around him long enough to know he usually put desperate women like her back to their place. And yet, he was lenient this time around, not quite giving in to her, but definitely allowing her a few liberties.

Simone could imagine herself ripping off the hand that was inching forward, seemingly itching to catch a touch.

William would each time get busy, handling papers or rearranging his tie, doing anything to avoid said hand – but that wasn’t enough in Simone’s book.

That evening, as annoyingly torturous as it had been, had the knack to allow Simone to make up her mind. She wanted to have a claim on this devilishly handsome man sitting next to her. No matter if he was nonchalant, or even cold at times, she needed him as a jun*kie would their next fix.

Derek Cooper soon presented William with the contract that had been drafted, “Here’s the final offer, revised as per our last communication.”

“Great,” William smirked as he took the folder from the man’s hand.

“Shall we order now?” Derek then asked.

“Yeah, sure. Let me just go over the contract first,” William nodded in agreement, before adding, as he addressed Simone a lopsided smile, “You know what I love best. Do order for me, Simone.”

Alicia’s eyes settled on the latter for the second time that evening. The first time she spared her a look, it was full of disdain. This time, however, it was mixed with something akin to jealousy.

Simone didn’t pay her any mind, and looked over the items on the menu.

“Which will you have, ravioli or penne?” She soon asked William as he was still reading through the contract – which she now noticed was already signed.

William’s business phone lit up on the table, before he had the chance to answer her, and he took the call without delay, “Hello Marcus.”

He soon was rising to his feet, heading out of the private room, so as to speak freely no doubt.

Simone bit on her bottom lip as she wondered what he would rather have. She knew she would have loved a simple fatty burger, but that wasn’t on the menu – she didn’t have to look for it to know so.

“William might be oblivious to your little games, but I am not,” Alicia iced out a few moments after the door closed behind William.

“Games?” Simone echoed after her, quite bewildered by the audacity of this woman. “What games?”

“Do not cross me, or I will have you fired,” she hissed, just as the door opened, to reveal William.

She looked shell-shocked to see him back so soon, and even paled slightly at the sight of him.

William had his usually detached face on, his eyes, hard and unreadable, settled on Alicia, making her blush for reasons Simone would rather not know, before he grumbled, “We will need another clause, Mr Cooper.”

“Oh? Did my legal team miss something?” The man asked. Although he had played it cool up till now, the greed and desperation were now unmistakable on his face.

“Not quite,” William shot Alicia a look, to which she smiled awkwardly.

Simone felt rather than saw William stand behind her, his hands on the back of her chair… and she felt the hairs of her neck rise to attention.

“What seems to be the problem then?” The businessman asked in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

“Your precious daughter doesn’t need to attend any of our meetings, does she? Unless she takes on a high and relevant position within the company, I don’t see the point of her presence,” William declared without missing a beat.

“I always thought you two got along just fine,” Derek let out in a tone which was only feigning ignorance.

“What did I do?” Alicia put on a grave look with crocodile tears on the ready.

“Deal or no deal?” William’s voice was cold as he regained his seat.

Alicia shot Simone a murderous look which the latter promptly ignored, in favor of looking over the menu. William’s hand soon came to handle said menu and put it away. He was not a patient man. Simone knew that much already, and wondered what was wrong.

“We’re going, Simone,” was his only explanation.

“Deal,” Derek Cooper was quick to say at that point. “It’s a deal, Mr Stone. Needless to add it and delay our collaboration further.”

“But daddy…” the trust-fund baby drawled, sounding and looking on the verge of tears.

Her father shot her an impatient look, “Hush. You’ve been enough of an embarrassment…”

Simone’s eyes widened at the words at the same time Alicia began to cry.

“I invite you to drop by the office tomorrow for the signing of the new contract,” was William’s answer to the man’s comment. He then looked at Simone and asked, “Which time would be most appropriate?”

Simone soon showed her beloved stepbrother the schedule, which only had one opening – the very one she was pointing at.

William nodded at her in agreement, and she soon told Mr Cooper in an amiable tone of voice, “Does 11 am sound good, Mr Cooper?”

The looks he sent her were rather disdainful, but he still let out in a composed tone of voice, “I’ll be there.”

“Great,” William rose to his feet, “We’ll be on our way now. See you tomorrow, Mr Cooper.”

“See you tomorrow, Mr Stone,” the man eagerly rose to his feet and shook hands with William, without even insisting on a dinner. It seemed like he wanted to have a word with his precious daughter urgently.

As William and Simone were leaving, she wondered what had prompted him to behave in such a manner. Had he heard Alicia threatening her perhaps? Surely, it shouldn’t warrant such a reaction though?

“A penny for your thoughts, Angel?” William asked the moment they were inside the car.

“Why did you make such a demand, when just a moment before you seemed ready to sign the contract?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” He scoffed. “I don’t take well to provocation.”

“Huh?” Simone raised an eyebrow at him.

“I made sure to include you at every turn, but she refused to take a hint,” he let out in a detached tone of voice. “She’s desperate, I know that, but her actions were outrageously infuriating. And as funny as it was to watch your reaction, as you seemed ready to strangle the woman or claw her eyes out, I won’t tolerate her disrespecting you.”

Simone had her answer. He had definitely heard the last part of their short exchange. She was moved by his reaction, more than she could put in words, and simply nodded in response.

“What would you like for dinner?” He then asked, changing the subject like the pest, Alicia Cooper, didn’t even exist.

“What are you willing to make for me?” She shot back challengingly.

William didn’t cook often, but whenever he did, he never disappointed.

“My place or yours?”

“Yours,” she said, tacitly sealing their own deal.