Collateral Damage

35

Alexander and Audrey sat at his desk; both quiet and working hard, the clock on the wall ticking in their warm comfortable silence before Alexander pierced it.

"We should get married. Not now, but soon."

She raised her brow, looking up. "What made you think of that? Interest rates?"

"I won't be here forever, Audrey. Marriage, before it is a romantic event, is also ironclad paperwork that grants you legal protection."

"Oh," she intoned. "So like one of your favorite things,"

He grinned. "Exactly. You know I adore a good contract. Anyway, girlfriends don't have rights and you are half my age. Even with your heart you've got a long life ahead of you."

"This proposal is lame as hell, geezer and I will be declining it."

He chuckled. "It isn't a marriage proposal. It's a proposal of a marriage proposal. I want you to be protected Audrey. I want you to have the rights you'll need. The deed to the house to the business—"

Audrey shook her head. "I think your shits are too regular to die easy. They say people with a quick digestive system live a while."

Alexander sighed his steel eyes on her. "Yes yes, but I could get hit by a bus."

Audrey chuckled.

"Okay, really?" His eye twitched.

"I'm sorry I just pictured your body going, whooo and it's was kinda funny. But no, I want you to be alive, Alexander. Anyway how would you get hit by a bus, you don't walk anywhere."

"Buses hit cars," he frowned deeply. "Anyway, you clearly don't love me—"

Audrey chuckled and stood kissing his cheek. "Don't say that, Steel. You know I love you, right?"

He faked and sniffle, looking away obstinately. "Actually no. I'm beginning to wonder about that now."

She laughed boisterously and peppered kisses on his face. "How bout now? Believe me now? Geez what a frigid old man, look at you."

He grinned squirming away from her. "Okay, okay you win brat! Must you always persecute me?"

"Yep," she kissed his forehead.

He pushed her face away gently, kissing her cheek. "You'll marry me. Not now. Before you're 30. It'll be grand. You'll have a good time."

"Oh I will huh," she whispered.

He nodded. "I decided."

She leaned in closely, his large hand cupping the nape of her neck. "You decided?"

He nodded again, his nose nudging hers. "You disagree?"

Audrey just shrugged and his a smile. Disagree to be his wife? To his demands? Of course. If only in principal.

"Is this a hostile acquisition, Mr. Remington?"

"If it must be, Mrs. Remington."

She smiled. "Well I am just like my mentor. I know how to end a hostile takeover."

"I taught you everything you know. But I didn't teach you everything I know," he smirked, twirling a beautiful spiral of darkness around his finger.

"Those things you didn't teach me? I learned on my own. Plus some new tricks. And some Audrey originals."

He bit his bottom lip. "Hm, tell me how you end to stop my takeover."

"I'm gonna starve you. Even if it kills the fucking company. I can already start again. Make a new one. But I just don't want you to have this one. I'll fire half the work force. Decrease productivity. And approve all time off. At the same time. Run it into the ground. Fudge the numbers until there's nothing to want anymore."

"So heartless. God really knew what he was doing huh?"

She chuckled. "Don't be an asshole, Steel."

"But it's apart of my charm," he grinned back.

"That's what we're calling it?"

"That's what I call it, what do you call it?"

She pursed her lips and tried to think of something cutting to say, but the way he was looking at her, hanging off her every word, brows raised in anticipation of hearing her speak made her mind blank.

"Will you look that way," she put her hands on his cheeks pushing his head back as he protested.

"Hey hey, not the face this is my money maker."

"If anything people give you money to hide this face,"

He grinned from beneath her pitch fingers. "Oh you know I'm gorgeous."

Her face went hot as she stood. "I am getting coffee and I'm not bringing you back any, so don't ask."

He smiled. "You know how I like it."

"I said I'm not bringing any back," she called, as he watched her walk away.

"Black and bitter, like my favorite woman."

She glared at him. "I'm not bitter. You're just annoying."

He smirked and leaned on his hand. "Sounds bitter. But you're so cute and you give me so much energy. Besides...I like the taste."

"You know what I almost preferred you when you had the emotional capacity of a bag of rocks," she cursed sauntering away.

"I love you so much!" He shouted.
"Fuck off you bastard!" She shouted back.