A love called hatred

Chapter eighteen

"Seeing that you've already worked out, I'll go get your breakfast immediately." She said already making for the door. But then she paused and turned around dramatically. "Or I can whip up something for you. Your call".

"Huh", Alex uttered, not expecting it at all. "Tick tock. Time is a virtue. Make your choice." "I'd prefer a homemade food, thank you."

"Okay then." She walked to the kitchen still in her heels.

Quickly, she made him some toast with grilled sausages and some scrambled eggs.

"Do you know how suspicious you're acting right now?" Alex asked eyeing the food.

"A happy boss means a good paycheck. Plus, I'm really happy." Kim answered in her most annoying girly voice.

"Paycheck huh?" Alex repeated. "Does you being happy have to do with anyone?"

"Is it that obvious?" She asked shyly.

"Yeah," he mumbled. She smiled. It meant it was working. "I didn't realize."

Silence hovered over the both of them. Kim ate her food enthusiastically, savoring every bite she took. She didn't have to pretend to enjoy the food. Just the thought of her plan working, gave her unmeasurable pleasure.

"Clear this place up," he instructed in his usual cold demure.

She rolled her eyes at his rudeness. "Yes Sir," she answered coyly.

After clearing up the kitchen, she went to meet him in the sitting room. "You have a meeting with Mr. Marshal by 10 am today. After which you would meet up with Producer Tim by 1 pm and by 5pm you'd be meeting with a Sophie Moore." Her face contorted at the last part. She had practiced this like a million times, so why was she still jealous. She had even checked her out on the a, Boy! it did not help matters at all. She was an A-list actress with the body of a model. Her pictures haunted her. No wonder Alex said she wasn't his type.

"Right Sophie," he said with a smug look. How she wanted to wipe that look off his face. "Reserve a hotel room for me would ya, the meeting would definitely last longer than expected."

It seemed like he was purposely messing with her mind. "Do you have any hotel in mind or do you trust my judgment?" Two could play the game.

He paused and looked at her appallingly, not expecting her response. "You can do the picking, I really don't mind as long as Sophie would like it." He was playing mind games with her. She didn't even want to imagine what would actually go down at the hotel room.

"I'll do that right away Alex."

"Make sure it's a suite, thank you". She felt like strangling him.

"Yeah sure," she said through gritted teeth.

"All done?" she said after about three minutes of being away. "So that means we're just have to lounge here till 10 then."

Kim glance at her watch, it read 8:56 am. "Unfortunately yes," she sighed. "I'll just go set out what you would wear."

"Make it three, wouldn't want to repeat outfits." "Sure thing Alex."

Once in the room she went straight to the closet to get to work. She laid out the three outfits on the bed.

"All done Alex." "Okay."

"Um," she stopped him, "I was curious, did you hire a new cleaner?"

He fixed his hands in the pocket of his short. "No I didn't. So you have to hire someone by tomorrow."

"So how did you manage with the cleaning?" "Don't worry Kim did the cleaning."

"Who the hell is Kim" she wondered. "Don't tell me he fucking named the automatic vacuum cleaner after me". She was furious. She waited outside the door tapping her foot impatiently.

"Did you name the vacuum cleaner after me?" "Yeah why?" He asked smiling.

"It's an object Alex, I'm a person."

"It's my 'object' Kimberley, I have the right to name my things whatever I want", he said enunciating on object. Maybe he did have a point, it wasn't like she hadn't named her pillow Alex, and given it some good beating. "Still, I find it disrespectful."

"That's your problem, not mine."

"Of course", she said biting her lower lip.

"I need you to take the day off," he said unexpectedly. "I thought I was supposed to go with you."

"I'm telling you to stay back. Just make sure that by the time I get back, there's a cleaner for the job."

"Yes Sir," she answered.

Wasn't this the dream of any employee? So why was she so sad about it? She realized that without even planning on it, she was getting addicted to his presence. She really needed to stop this, seeing how preposterous the whole thing was. For goodness sake, she was the very one who jeered her sister for her crazy romantic expectations. It was like it was a romantic book or movie, where the girl falls in love with the man and they lived happily ever after, bla bla bla. She was already rejected by him. There was no need trying to prove anything. Looking down at her outfit, she felt disgusted by herself.

"Why did I bother trying so much?" She groaned. Maybe the best thing was just to find happiness with someone who was ready to love her.

"Like Chris who wants you back", her subconscious whispered.

She shook her head, definitely not Chris. She didn't love him anymore, at least that was what she found out from their meeting. Her heart didn't skip a bit anymore looking at him, she didn't even yearn for his touch like before anymore. Even when he touched her, she didn't feel anything. Her heart belongs to someone else. Someone incapable of loving her. And to think that he might like someone else drove her insane, especially if the person was Sophie Moore.

She decided to go see her parents. It wasn't like he needed her for the day again. Rushing home, she changed into some comfortable jeans and a flora top with long sleeves. The ride to her parents house took longer than expected. She almost dozed off in the bus. Stepping down from the bus, she suddenly felt nostalgic about home. How she missed spending time with her parents. She took slow steps to the house, trying to clear her head. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

"I'm coming," she heard her mother's melodious voice shout from inside. Her mother literally screamed when she saw her. She engulfed her in a tight hug. She didn't mind suffocating, she missed her mother.

"Antony,"her mom shouted inside, "guess who's here?"

"Would you please let me in, before you announce my arrival to the whole neighbourhood?" Kim joked nudging her mother.

"Where's my manners? So sorry baby."

The house looked exactly the same. She could feel the warmth the house offered.

"Antony?" Her mom called out again.

"Maybe he's resting or something mom," Kim told her mother. "I'm famished by the way, I miss my mother's food."

"I'll whip up something delicious for you honey," her mother said, a wide smile on her face. "But in the mean time, go check up on your father, would you?"

She nodded. She went upstairs, pausing for just a few minutes, admiring the family portraits in the hallway. She ran her finger tips along the pictures frames, reminiscing about old memories. She took a few snaps of the pictures on her phone. Smiling, she shoved the phone back in her pocket. She made her way to her parent's room.

Knocking softly she called out, "dad? Are you in?" When there was no answer, she turned the door knob slowly, sticking her head in first.

"Dad?" She called out unsure. She saw her father's figure sprawled out on the floor. It took her brain a few seconds to make out the situation. When she did grasp what was going on, a loud scream resonated from her throat. She ran forward to him.