Wickedly Wicked

Chapter Eleven

On Monday, woe to anyone who dared cross his path at work. He was ready to rip their heads off. Uncertainty in life gripped him for the first time. It alarmed him. He had taken many decisions in the face of the unknown, but this hurdle felt different. The worst wasn't when Lilliana had left his place, but how she had ignored him since then. No one dismissed him like that, especially twice. Period.

The mystery of Lilliana Burton stupefied him. She claimed they didn't know each other that well anymore. Such oxymoronic nonsense. They had been friends forever. Good grief! She had turned him into a contemplative idiot. After all, he was a man of action.

The first casualty of his misery had been his trainer, Oliver Frances. Over the weekend, Thomas blew off his steam through a gruelling workout, which involved martial arts. After the intense session where he had nearly bludgeoned a shell-shocked Oliver, he had let out a string of expletives and went golfing to relax the disquiet inside him.

Lilliana had gone coy on him about the bloody favour. She had revealed something that had caught his attention at the French restaurant. He had stored away the information for later.

Whatever it was, it had to do with her company. What did he know about L&L? Thomas reflected hard, forehead creased. The contract with The Sevens was a new development. Were they threatening to drop their line? He frowned at the unpleasant thought. 

"The Sevens," he muttered. His instincts told him he was getting closer to figuring out the missing piece of the unsolved puzzle. He had bought several items from there for many women, including his ex-wife and mother. It was time to call them again, but this time the conversation would be of a different nature.

A few minutes later, he had the manager on the phone. John Campbell said politely, "Mr. Sullivan, what can we do for you today?"

"I've heard a rumour about The Sevens trying to recruit a new company called Lily and Lara Inc., the L&L. Is there any truth to it?" He swung his legs on the desk, waiting for the man's affirmative answer. Let's see what you are hiding from me, Lilliana.

"I'm not at the liberty to discuss things that aren't public information, sir. Your business means a lot to us, and we're always here to provide excellent service," Campbell spoke with the right amount of professionalism and a perfect dose of simpering.

"I understand, but my mother is fond of this brand. They sell online, and she's averse to buying anything online. My mother is old school. She wants to touch and try on things before making a purchase. It's why she frequents your stores," Thomas let his words sink in before continuing, "and she wants to know when she can come in to look at their collection."

John hesitated. "I would appreciate it if you keep this to yourself. It's confidential. But as you and your family are our most valued client, I can tell you L&L products are slated to hit our stores around the first week of September if all goes well."

"If all goes well? Are they coming to The Sevens or not?" He planted his feet to the ground and sat upright. The last part of his sentence caused uneasiness to slide down his spine. "I don't understand. You can imagine my mother's disappointment if the rumours are baseless."

One thing was certain, Erica was utterly clueless about L&L. She never bothered with things if the famous stores such as Tiffany or the like didn't carry the line.

"They're having a bit of trouble securing finance, but I'm sure the deadline will be maintained."

"Securing finance?" He closed his eyes as all the pieces fell into place. It made sense. Lilliana had mentioned a financier before she had changed the subject.