The Heartless Billionaire (TBB 2)

Just A Fling To Him

Chapter 14 - Just A Fling To Him

TESSA COLE

Something had changed. She could feel it. She could feel it in the way he smiled at her, in the way he guided her towards the elevator placing his hand on the small of her back.

Dave was either glaring daggers at her or avoiding her.

Today he had given a full smile-teeth and all. For a guy who had been sued he was sure smiling too much.

Tessa didn't smile back. She stepped in the elevator that closed with a ding.

An uncomfortable silence spread between them. This is why she never liked closed spaces. The silence  always uncomfortable and with tension which was then followed by weird awkward small talk.

"So..." Dave tried.

There goes the small talk.

Tessa turned towards him and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay." He muttered as he shoved his hands in his white coat pockets.

She heard a beep and then a string of curses.

"I-I have to go. It's an emergency."

"Do you want me to come back later?" She asked

"No."he said a bit louder.

"Just gimme a few minutes, okay?"

The elevator came to a halt Dave guided her out of the elevator.

"Just go down the hall. It's the last door to the right."

Dave smiled at her. "I'm sorry." He apologized

Tess stopped him. "It's okay. I understand. Go. I'll be waiting." She smiled back.

"Okay." He said but Tess could tell that he didn't wanna leave. That he feared she might leave if he didn't stay with her.

It doesn't matter. I'm with Dan now. Daniel Hunt is my boyfriend. Not David Miles.

"Go. " She insisted and then started walking towards the direction he pointed out.

The floor was much different than the other three. It was kinda quite. A few people loitered around. She saw a door ajar and peeped into the room.

A few doctors sat on bean bags watching the news.

She rolled her eyes. Why was the TV even on if they just wanted to play it on mute?

"Hey." Somebody yelled and she jumped, startled.

"You can't be here." One of them said.

"I'm looking for Mr. Miles office."

"It's just four doors down." He said taking a sip from his mug. "This is the doctors lounge."

"I thought the doctor's lounge didn't exist anymore."

"It does. But not many come here. We just got a break. We are supposed to file the paperwork but then we just wanted a break from the work."

A pager beeped. The man groaned.

"All I wanted was five minutes." He muttered as he pulled the door open and walked out grumbling under his breath.

Tess took that as her cue to leave.

She walked all the way to the end and opened the door with a steel nameplate with "Dean's Office" written on it.

She pushed the door open and frowned.

The office was so small with a desk, a leather chair - Dave's she guessed. And two chairs out of which one was occupied by someone.

"Finally." The man in a suit sitting in the chair said in an exasperated gruff tone as he swivelled his chair towards her.

Inky black lock of hair fell over his hazel eyes as he turned to look at her.  Straight long nose and a square jaw. His eyes though, seemed a hell of a lot familiar.

"Have we met before?" She asked.

Something flashed in his eyes but it was gone in a blink of an eye.

There was something...

"Who are you?" He asked in what seemed like an Australian accent.

"I'm Tessa Cole. Dave's-"

"Lawyer. Thank god the man finally listened." He finished and stood up.

"Um, what?"

The man waved his hand dismissively.

"Nothing. Sorry. I'm Zachary. Dave's partner." He stuck his hand out

"Partner?" She asked and shook his hand.

"Yeah."

"Partner in what?" Tessa asked impatiently.

"Oh. We own two companies back in Australia." Zach said.

Tessa was shocked. Dave owned two companies. Nobody ever told her. She should've known a lot of stuff about him what with spending one whole month being Dave's girl. To think of it, she didn't know a single thing about him. All she could think was Was I just a fling to him?

"Hey, are you alright? You look pale."

Tessa closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she pasted a smile on her face.

"I'm good. Just waiting for Mr. Miles to get up here so we can be done with this." And I can move on.

She sat on a chair beside the one Zach had occupied.

"So, what can you tell about Dave?" Tessa asked. Might as well get to know about his personality considering that what she had with him was all fake.

"What about him?"

"His personality, why be a doctor when he already owns two companies? I need to know everything before I go defending him in the court."

"Oh. Dave and I've been friends for a long time now. Dave was just 21 when his father died. He was in his last year of college when he was suddenly handed over the reins to his father's company. As much as he wanted to run the company, he also wanted to become a doctor. I had just finished my MBA then. Cassandra, m - Dave's aunt knew me and she told me to help out Dave. Since then we run the two companies together. And it also helped Dave to pursue his career without actually worrying about the companies.

"Dave is like the brother I never had. He went through some things back in Sydney, last year. But it's good to see him work here. He had a pretty rough childhood. Dave had to fight for everything in his life." Zachary said with a soft smile on his face.

Tessa knew she shouldn't ask. She knew that asking him what she wanted to ask would only prove how little she meant to Dave. But she had to. She had to ask. She wanted to know that it was really over. She was so dumb that his rejection wasn't enough, she just wanted more hurt. Maybe she was a masochist. But she couldn't help it. She had to know. Because if Dave talked about her to his best friend then maybe she meant something to him right?

"You're his best friend, yes?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"And you know nothing about me?"

Zach frowned.

"Is there something I should know about?" He asked, his eyes had lost the softness and had a scowl on his face.

Tessa's heart broke all over again.

"No." She was surprised that it came out in a calm voice considering she was shaking inside.

That's when Dave stumbled in and she looked up at him.

"I don't think there's anything to tell."

********

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- Nami