RACHEL

TWENTY NINE

Anna's POV

Getting Ken cleared of his nonsense was everything I had envisioned and more. It was a terrible experience.
Just like Ken had said, Mrs Gudingham had died. Not like it was my business, she had been my personal enemy since I was twelve. She had taken it upon herself to spy on me every single minute of her life. She had once caught me when I was in the car with one of my crushes when I was twelve and my crush was eighteen. She had rushed off and told Dad and I was grounded for one month. No school, no television and phone. It was so frustrating, I had later seen her grinning at me a month's later when I was released from my prison. I so hated her and if not anything. I was glad she was dead, she had followed me over to this street too but she couldn't do anything anymore. It was better she was dead.
I climbed out of my car and unwillingly turned attention to myself. Lifting up my cloth, I showed Ken's picture on my stomach where I had gummed it. I began to shout like a mad woman, saying the opposite of all I had said the previous day. The reporters turned to me and the women who were at the scenes where I had accused him the last day shook their heads and some even spat at me. I didn't need anyone to tell the that Ken would be smiling happily by now. When I was done, I rushed to my car tears flowing down my cheeks. I was there for only five minutes before I sped off. I drove to a bar and alighted from the car. Looking left and right, I walked into the bar.

"Hey" I said to the bartender
The scrawny lady who tended to the bar looked me over uninterested "what do you want?"
"beer" I said "two bottles"
She turned to get my order too, not interested in anything pass that. I looked around the bar and saw people laughing loudly and drinking. I saw a girl whose mouth was almost as wide as a ruler when she smiled that I wondered how someone could be so ugly.
"Here" the bartender banged the bottle in front of me, startling me "if that's the only drink you will be having, then you know the usual price" with that she was gone.
I cocked it open and gulped down half of the beer, I was about taking another long gulp when my phone rang. I answered it knowing who it already was
"Ken" I said tiredly.
"Good job" he just said.
"I..." I began to say.
"Get a lawyer and get him fast" he said before he dropped.
I threw my phone into my bag cursing.
"Get me my usuals please" I heard a voice say beside me. I turned to behold a handsome sight. I gasped at his handsomeness and he noticed.
"Hey" he said making me blush. It was strange how I forgot Ken like he never existed.
"Hey" I managed to say.
"Mind if I join..." He began
I smiled and took a long gulp of my beer. "Annabel"
He looked at me for a second and said "Really? I'm Joshua, but my friends call me Josh"
I drank down the last one and shifted the next bottle closer.
"You look quite a sight" he said calmly searching my face. He made no attempt to look down my chest, he had this gentleness that captivated me. If anyone had said what he had just told me, I would have flared up but this man got me. He wasn't like the guys I met before, he was different and it made me want to have him but in a different way.

"I was busy this morning" I said hoping he hadn't seen the news for this morning.
The attendant gave him his Vodka. "Same goes here, I did a little something for my girlfriend" he said
My smile faded a little "Oh, that's so romantic of you"
He looked at me for a long time "Strangely, you do look familiar"

I drank up "This is a big place but maybe we've run into each other previously" I said.
He nodded and shrugged "You want to talk about it?"
I looked at him and smiled. Then took a long gulp. By this time, my head was already rotating. I giggled and took out a pen and immediately scribbled down my address.
"Th...er..e" I said and chuckled.
"What is going..." But my face had already banged the counter and I slept off even before I landed.

Josh's POV

"Holy Shit?" I muttered as she slept off. I stared at her and wondered why she would drink so much in broad daylight. I paid for both our drink and carried her into my car, I didn't know if she had any car so I carried her in mine and drove her to the apartment she had written down and with great care and attracting unwanted attention, I carried her into her house and left.

Rachel's POV

I walked into my office praying not to run into Mr Miles but God must be against me today because he was right there talking with Lucy.
"Hey Miss Hall" he said grinning.
I lowered my head "Hi Mr Miles" I could see that Lucy was really very glad to see me but I didn't understand Mr Miles, so I just walked past.
"You missed your days at work" he accused.
"I sent in a letter to you through Lucy, Lucy?" I asked.
She looked at him "I did send the letter to you"
Miles frowned and nodded, I smiled and walked into my office.
"Rachel!" Lucy cried rushing in behind me and hugged me.
"You look great" I said. She wore a dark green gown with a black jacket and on beautifully designed green and black shoes. Her face was mildly made up and her hair was packed loosely but neatly.
She giggled "you too" and took her seat. We began to chat and she filled me in on things I had missed. I was glad I missed some of them but when she told me her boyfriend proposed, I squealed and hugged her and few cups of coffees later, we were bent on our tables working.

Ken's POV

I walked into the office afraid that Mr Price might be mad at me and he was.
"Mr Alsina!" He yelled "If your personal life is getting into your head then I'm afraid I will have to do something about it! Because once something gets into your head, it takes your head out of the business!"

I told him I would fix myself and flashed my best smile at him. It didn't work of course, but I rushed past him into my office.
"Hey buddy" Jared said walking into my office.
I looked up and frowned, remembering what he did to me on the day Anna embarrassed me. "What do you want Mr Jared" I said coldly.
He threw up his hands "See I'm sorry buddy, I just saw the news"
"You didn't believe me when I told you, you thought I raped that psycho!" I accused. I was deeply hurt by his actions "you believe the word of an asshole over those of a friend, you aren't my friend man. Buzz off, I got work to do"
Jared nodded "you have every right to be angry, I'm really sorry. I'll be in my cubicle if you need me" with that he left.
I picked up my pen and a file when my phone rang, I cursed and picked it up.
"Mr Kenneth Alsina" The voice I knew too well greeted over the phone.
"Mr Starrydoc" I replied. He had been our lawyer since I could remember and he did more than fine.
"You asked me to keep you on track. I just left the court but I couldn't secure a date, will go back in an hour's time"
I sighed "then call me when you do" I said.
"Don't you think this is a waste of money Mr Alsina? I think I..."
"Mr Starrydoc! I pay you to argue in court and not with me. Keep your thoughts to yourself and start preparing your files for battle" with that I told him bye and dropped.
I was about to pick up my pen to start work again, when my phone rang once more. I cursed and picked it up ready to yell at whoever it was.
"Who the f...!"
"Hi Kenneth" I heard Rachel's calm voice say over the phone. I swallowed and calmed down.

"Hey Dolly" I said, honestly happy to hear from her.
"I wouldn't want any of us to waste time on this call" she continued coldly. Normally, that name always calmed her down but this time she ignored me like she didn't hear me.

"I am organizing a birthday party tomorrow" she said "wanted to know if you would love to come"
I smiled to myself, she was asking me to come to her party, maybe she wanted me back I immediately jumped at the idea.

"Of course I would Dolly, I..."
"Thanks" she cut me off curtly "I will send the address later in the day with the time..."
"Rachel..."
"See you at the party then, thanks" she ended the call.

I dropped the phone and threw my head into my hands, when I raised my head to begin my work again, my eyes were all red and I did nothing but think about Rachel the whole time.

What do you think is Josh's plan this time?
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