Falling for Her Boss Again

19. Ambushed

Larry

I hate leaving Gemma to deal with her issues on her own. But I can't leave in the middle of a very important negotiation. And Gemma knows me well, she has been working with me for over a year. She knows about how workaholic I can be. I just need one push to get my foot in the door then I'm good. I can send Tyler, my brother to deal with the rest of the contract or I can do it from our home office. It doesn't have to be done from Hong Kong, a sweet thing called technology can go a long way in smoothing any business deal.

The suite feels vacant without Gemma. I already had dinner, thinking I can rest as soon as I'm back. There's no Gemma so there's no point in getting back early to the Hotel, the best thing is to work myself to exhaustion so I can finish everything early and then fly straight home to Gemma.

Fuck...I'm so smitten by her, it's not even funny anymore. She's all I think about today. The flirtatious that May Lee has been throwing me all day has started to annoy me. It seems that since she found out about Gemma and me she is relentlessly flaunting herself at me.

When I finally lay back on the bed, with my phone in my hand I press her number and wait. It's not until the fourth ring that she answers my call.

"Hey,"

"Larry, I should've known you're still awake." She greets me, then asks if I just get back from work.

"I did, I decide to work my ass off so I can get back to you earlier than Friday. The room feels empty without you."

She laughs softly from the other line and the sounds soothe me inside, it stupidly calms me down and we talk for another hour talking about my work and her succulents. Yes, I was that desperate to hear her voice. She also told me that she did meet with her doctor and had scheduled another meeting with her.

I am glad that she's taking care of her mental health. But all this talking still feels different, I still want to touch her, to be there with her and it frustrates me that we have to be separated by the distance. Knowing it's my damn fault I take a deep breath and keep on listening to her.

When morning comes I groan hearing the buzzing of my phone. I stop myself from throwing it to the floor when I see Dad's name on my screen.

"Dad, it's a bit early don't you think?"

"Morning Larry, get your ass off the bed, you're meeting me downstairs. We have a brunch meeting to go to."

"Woah...woah, hold on Dad. You know that I'm still in Hong Kong, right?"

Seriously, he knows about my Hong Kong trip, why would... unless...oh fuck!

"You're in my hotel lobby aren't you?" I sigh asking the dreaded question.

"You know better than to ask that question. But yes, I'm having coffee in the restaurant by the lobby, waiting for you to join me for a cup of coffee before we go to our brunch with Samuel and his Father."

I let out another groan when I reluctantly get out of bed after ending the call. I take a quick shower before putting on my pants and button-up shirt. It takes twenty minutes for me to finally find Dad sitting with two cups of coffee on his table. Mine must've just been delivered since it's still hot. I sit down in front of him and drink my cup of coffee before I greet him.

"Morning Dad, thanks for the coffee."

"Son, glad you can join me. How are you this morning?"

We talked about my dealings with the new contract and how Samuel is going to invite me to meet with his colleagues and business partners. Dad nods, he seems happy with my progress. Though I should've known that he had something more up his sleeves when we arrived at the appointed restaurant.

Samuel is present with his father, but there are also two females at their table and I already know an unwelcome surprise is going to unfold. My gut feeling never fails me, and when I am introduced and seated next to the younger woman, Samuel shakes his head in amusement and plasters a little smirk on his face.

Oh...fuck, this is definitely not going to go well.

"Alan, Larry, thank you for coming." Samuel's Dad, Robert Chong says as he welcomes us to their table. He introduces us to his wife Lucy and their daughter Alix, both whom we never met though we have been in business for years.

Samuel then explains how his Mom and his sister are excited about the longer stay in their home country. Especially Lucy who says she misses her relatives after years living abroad.

"Alix here has just finished her business degree, so the timing is just perfect. We can stay as long as we like now." her dad announces with great pride. "I want her to one day work alongside, Samuel, that is if her future husband will let her." The older man smiles as he takes a sip of his drink. And with the waiter walking my way I decide to keep myself busy and order drinks both for me and Dad. This heap of a mess is calling for more than a glass of morning wine. I need a stronger drink. It's always five o'clock somewhere, right?

I thought I saw Samuel give me the look. The man must've known what was happening. I give him a raised eyebrow and he just silently throws me back an I'm sorry smile.

We spend the next half an hour talking about how beautiful Hong Kong is and then Robert quickly throws his daughter into the conversation where he says, "Alix can show you around the city and Samuel can bring his fiance with him. You young people should enjoy life, you need to take a step back from working, Larry."

There's nothing I can do but politely accept. I can not decline the generous invitation from a client. Even I know it'll be a deal breaker. And I am not going to ruin the days of work I spent here because I can't fake having a good time around Hong Kong.

Not to mention months of buttering up to Samuel Chong and going back and forth with their new contract. Then there are his colleagues who are there for the taking, I'm a couple of steps away from opening more Richardson Worldwide offices in southeast Asia.

"Larry is my last bachelor son, he may be too hardworking to find his future wife." Dad boasts, making me take another sip of my drink.

Goddamn, it...just throw me into the lion's den Dad, nothing too obvious as offering your son to your business partner. I want to roll my eyes, but I keep my composure and take another sip of my Macallan. God...I wish Tyler was here. I was always safe until the lucky bastard got married to Jessica.

"I'm sure he's never short of a female companion." Robert Chong chuckles, but I can hear the warning tone in his voice. Yeah...right, look who's talking. I am aware of his mistress whom he actually introduced us to a while ago. But still, I keep my mouth shut and play along.

"Maybe it's a good idea for that sightseeing after all. Samuel can take me to the newest business district, can't you? We can check out the possibility of our office moving into a swankier business neighborhood?"

Samuel laughed, saying he would surely take me tomorrow. But then his Dad butt in telling me that Alix can show me around some of Hong Kong's best museums.

"Of course, I would never say no to such a beautiful companion." To my words, Alix smiles softly and I can see the smirk on Samuel's face.

Damn...I really need to talk to that guy.

It takes almost three hours, but brunch finally ends and we say our goodbyes. Samuel is to see me again tomorrow at the office and surprisingly so is Alix. I am not sure how she managed to slip into my plans but there's nothing else to do but just to get it over with.

At least Dad is scheduled to go back tonight, so the rest of the afternoon I spend it with him showing him around our Hong Kong office and then talking some more about the new contracts.

All day long I am waiting for the moment where I can relax back in the suite, in bed, and call Gemma to talk about our day. I won't tell her about my Dad and Robert's little matchmaking project. Obviously, since it means nothing to me. I just want to hear her voice. I want to tell her that I miss her and can't wait to get back home and have her in my arms again.