I Like Your Shoes | ✓

Chapter 25 | A Call from the Devil

[Ambrosia Bellemore]

Calum Achorn was still angry. No, he was still pissed off. The news of his sister's marriage and his disapproval of it had made it to the newspapers, and that didn't help matters. And I really, really wanted him to be in a good mood, since I was going to ask him if I could go home early for my date with Benjamin Earlswood tonight.

I asked Kailey for advice, and she told me to man up and go ask him.

So that's what I'm doing.

I knock tentatively twice on his office door and wait for his response. Ten seconds later, he replies with a gruff 'come in'.

"Mr Achorn, I uh.." I stutter as I enter his office.

"What is it, Miss Bellemore?" He grunts, not looking up from his papers.

"I was wondering if I could..?" I stop halfway through my sentence. This time he looks up and gives me an impatient glance.

"Could what, Miss Bellemore? Ask and get done with it."

"Umm, I was wondering if I could go home a little early today? Would that be okay?" I let it out, my voice low.

He looks at me with one eyebrow raised. "For whatever reason, Miss Bellemore?"

"I have a...date." I admit with a meek shrug.

"With who?" He asks all of a sudden, and then his eyes widen when he realises what he'd just asked.

"It's a friend from High School. Nothing special." I try to keep my tone casual.

"What time are you leaving?" He asks, glancing down at his papers again.

"You're saying yes?" I ask in disbelief.

"Depends."

"On what?" He looks up and I gulp nervously.

This can't be good.

"If you agree to go on an errand with me." He says, his voice calm, daring me to say no.

"What? That's it?" I ask in disbelief. That can't be it! Where's the catch?

"It's this Sunday, we'll be travelling around the city."

"For whatever reason?" My voice raises an octave higher. If I'm going to work for him on the weekend, I needed a reason why.

"You'll know about it. I'll pick up at eight."

"Eight a.m?"

"Yes, Miss Bellemore. Do you have a problem?" He asks, his eyebrow quirked in a perfect arch.

"No, Sir. I'll be there." I agree hurriedly.

"Very well. Now get out of here. I need that presentation on my table before you leave." He dismisses me.

Kailey silently raises an eyebrow at me in question as I walk out of the door. I give her a thumbs up and hurry back into my office.

The walls of my office are still the drab, boring white because I was too lazy to paint it myself or get it done. But since I've been spending so many hours in here, I was surprisingly used to it.

Go figure!

The shrill ring of the telephone interrupts my inner monologue and I wait until it's on it's fourth ring to pick up.

"Ambrosia Bellemore, Calum Achorn's office." I say in a robotic voice, and then laugh under my breath.

"Hello, Ambrosia." The cold, frozen voice acknowledges from the other side. I'm so surprised by it that I drop the receiver, but catch it before it crashes into the floor.

"Mother?" I ask, my voice on the verge of breaking down. There can't be a good reason why she's finally decided to call me, I decide, she must have an evil, ulterior motive.

"Yes, Ambrosia." She says, her perfect, poised tone almost bored.

"Why did you call?" I ask, making my voice as hard and as stony as hers.

"I can call my own daughter, surely. I wanted to know how you're doing." She says, chuckling lightly. I narrow my eyes even though she can't see me.

"That's considerate of you, Mother. I'm doing fine. Was that all?"

"No. I wanted to know if you've found a date for Neave's wedding. It's in two months." I could tell that this is the only reason why she was calling me, to check if I'd found my date.

"That's more than enough time to find a man, Mother."

"It is. But is it for you?" She asks, emphasising on 'you'.

"Yes, mother. I'm seeing a man. In fact, we even have a date tonight." I admit haughtily.

Oh crap, I'm going to pay for this later.

"You are?" She exclaims in disbelief. "Very well. What is his name?" She asks. I can almost feel the smirk on her evil, small, and perfect face. My hands clench tighter on the edge of the table.

"Benjamin." Face palm.

"Oh. What work does he do?"

"He's a designer." Or works in a bank, I add numbly in my head.

"In design? That's productive. I hope I'll see him at the wedding." She says hopefully.

"Me too, Mother." I add quietly.

"Very well. I hope you haven't gained weight, Ambrosia. Would be a shame if the dress doesn't fit you." She says and the anger returns in full force. I try to loosen my grip of the wooden pencil I'm holding, but it snaps in two before I can get a grip on myself.

"I'll take care, mother." I say through gritted teeth and hang up, almost throwing the receiver back into it's place.

Today is not a good day.

~•~

[Calum Achorn]

"Timothy, are you still in contact with Miles?"

"What, the spy?"

"Yes?"

"Why?"

"Just answer the damn question, Timothy."

"Well, yeah. I saw him at your party yesterday."

"Call him and tell him he has a meeting with me in an hour."

"Why the hell do you--"

I hang up.

~•~

I don't know why this turned into a filler chapter. I wanted to write about the date but it would've been too lengthy, and I for one, don't like to write, or read lengthy chapters. So, next chapter: Date night! Or not! ;)
Do vote, ciao.