Wickedly Wicked

Chapter Thirteen

Lilliana sat, staring blankly at the invoices in front of her. Her untouched lunch grew cold. As the meeting had progressed with Kevin, she knew she would never give up an iota of her company's control to him. His suggestive language had made her stomach drop in a chilling misgiving.

Her company's future looked to be without The Sevens. Bleakness swamped her, blurring the edges of her vision. The re-mortgage wouldn't cover the amount they needed to move ahead with the giant retailer. She was loath to call them and request an extension.

At some level, she marvelled at how Thomas had tried to save her from the clutches of the soul-sucking lender. But at the same time, she didn't want to be indebted to him. He had no right to shred the agreement before leaving. Didn't he trust her judgement? Lilliana hated being looked down on. She was fed up with it.

Her mind wandered to his hardness that had pressed against her stomach. Did she excite him or was she one of too many to stir him? Lilliana blew out a frustrated sigh of breath. It was all too confusing.

Her office phone rang. She answered, "This is Lilliana Burt—"

"Lily, why aren't you picking up your cell phone?" Lara squealed. Her high-pitch voice made her wince. "Oh my God, I don't know how you did it, but you did it. I could kiss you right now. Thank you. Thank you."

"What are you talking about? Calm down, Lara." Lilliana tried to make sense of her over-the-top excitement. Was she drunk? "How did the meeting go?"

"Hell with it." Her giddy laugh came in response. "Thomas called and told me how you pitched our company's five-year business plan, which I had no idea about. He said that he was blown away with our... the word was business acumen—"

"He did," she interrupted, flabbergasted. 

"Yes, he has agreed to give us a loan facility up to fifteen million dollars with no bullshit conditions, and it's interest-free. There's a five-year grace period before repayments start. It's fucking crazy."

Her jaw hit her desk. Lilliana tried to speak, but no sound came out. Fifteen Million Dollars! She demanded, "Did you accept it?" She already knew the answer.

"Duh. What idiot wouldn't? Of course, I did. I mean, he's your friend. And right now, Thomas is drafting the formal agreement as we speak. I've asked the lawyers to release our banking information for the money transfer," Lara rambled. Happiness slurred her words.

"You didn't think to ask me?" Lilliana felt betrayed. It was petty of her, and she knew it. It bothered her that Thomas had bailed her out when he had condemned her in the first place for reaching out. The hurt was there.

"He said you have given it your blessings or something."

"Did he now?" Lilliana muttered, picking up her cell that was on silent mode for the meeting. She unmuted it.

"Is something wrong, Lily? You don't sound too thrilled."

She stared at the ceiling in need of fresh paint. "No, I'm just tired." Then she couldn't help asking. "When are we getting the money?"

"Soon," Lara cried, bubbling with joy once more. "We can buy the best diamonds. Imagine the possibilities. We can now afford the cutting-edge machines, including a top-notch safe and premium security." Lara choked with suppressed emotions. "I'm so happy. I don't think Thomas knows what he has done for us. And thank you so much, Lilliana. I owe you one."

"Hey, it's going to be fine," she assured her. "We did it."

"I know." Lara sniffled.

"Don't cry." She swiped at a wayward tear with her hand. "Now look, you made me emotional too." Lara's watery laugh met her ear. They talked for a while about the immediate steps required to get the ball rolling, including the additional hiring. After hanging up, she packed up and stepped out.