Trouble With Us

Chapter 7

Chapter 1 ........running in circles

I hate waiting. My entire life I have been known as the impatient one. Weather it be Christmas morning, line ups in general or waiting of any sort I always felt as if I would loose my mind. My skin became itchy, my temper rose and I would start to fidget. God most certainly didn't bless me with patients and waiting on Wills next move was nearly causing me to tare my hair out. Nothing like waiting to see which hammer he was going to drop first.

See that's the thing I had noticed with Will over the past year as I watched some of his business dealings. People always thought they had him figure out. Positive they knew what his next move would be. The thing of it was Will was always three steps ahead of them. It was a game to him and one he always won. He never slipped up or made a mistake. Every detail planned, your every move already anticipated. You may have thought you were making your own choices only you were making the ones that a Will wanted you to make. Ice cold and calculating Will never let his guard down.

So I waited angrily and beyond frustrated. Impatiently I watched my phone like a hawk waiting for it to ring. I stood in silence as Will sent his henchman to come pick up and drop off the kids. Each day I expected a pink slip or a demotion or anything at work but nothing came. It was a game of chess and I had no choice but to wait on his move. The bucket of ice cold water dangling over my head.

I badgered both Rory and Vanessa to see if they knew anything at all. The smallest detail as to what Will was up too. The only thing Vanessa could say was that Mac had become extremely tight lipped when it came to anything to do with Will. Out of sheer desperation I even talked to Mac but he wouldn't tell me anything. As far as Rory she was in the dark as much as I was. Before long the rumour mill started to churn at work and the whispers ran rampant. Everything from wide spread layoffs to the total disillusion of the company. Other yet said that the firm was to be a wedding gift to his fiancée. Each day there was a new rumour crazier than the last but no less believable.

Then inevitably the changes came sweeping through over night. Monday morning the new sign above the doorway said NRB advertising with each of their last names written underneath. Conference room number three was no longer as it had been magically transformed into Wills ultra modern new office. My hands shook as I ran my fingers across the plate on the front of the door.....William Casey CEO. Glancing at the other two offices their plates didn't say CEO but partner behind their names. . I watched as all Wills companies he owned one by one came through the door and started new add campaigns. Moral around the office boomed at the increase in substantial and important cliental. I however could not join in my coworkers joy as I knew this apparent calm was designed to lull me into letting my guard down.

It was the night of Wills big birthday bash. Rory and Vanessa had tried talking me into going but I figured the further I stayed off Wills radar the safer I was. It was nearly midnight and I had just crawled into bed and was going to read a book when my cell rang. The sound piercing the silence of my room as if a bomb had gone off. My breath hitched in my chest as panic froze me. It had taken nearly a month but The time had finally come. Leave it to Will to strike on his birthday so he could have more to celebrate. Wishing I had more time I slid my finger across the screen.

"Hello," my voice sounded so timid.

"Hello," I could hear the party guests in the background. I assumed Will had excused himself and gone to his office so he could shit on my parade.

"Will," My anxiety rocketed through the roof as I waited for him to answer. "What's up."

"Not much," his accent was unbelievably thick. "I just thought I would see how things were."

"Things? Things are ok I guess." I paused confused trying to figure out exactly what direction this conversation was going in. "How are you?"

"Busy but good. I've been travelling a lot lately." Ya I know I thought miserably. I heard all about you Paris trip with Mis wonderful. I heard the click of his office door closing muffling the sounds of the party below. " I didn't wake you or interrupt anything did I"

"No I just finished laying the twins back down and was going to bed." I tried to detect the usual anger or superiority in Wills tone but there was none. I would almost say he sounded sad if I didn't know better.

Will was silent for a moment before he let out a sigh. "Do anything exiting tonight? Big plans and all with Brad?"

There it was. Just the mention of Brads name and I knew our civil conversation was about to get ugly. I hadn't seen Brad since work but I doubted Will would believe me. "No nothing really. Just a quiet night in. Logan is starting to run a fever. I think he might be starting to teeth. Why?"

I braced myself for Wills accusations but was only met with silence. "Will are you still there?"

Will chuckled softly, "Ya I'm still here. I can't imagine what it's going to be like having two babies teeth at the same time." Clearing his throat Wills voice seemed to soften. "It's my birthday today."

"Happy birthday," I said out of reflex. "It sounds like you have quite the party going on."

"It's not bad if you like that sort of thing," again there was a pause as I listened to Will pour himself a drink from his liqueur cabinet. "You didn't come."

To be honest I was surprised Will even noticed my absence. "I didn't think you would want me to."

"I feel left out. You went to Brads but not mine," Will teased

"Sorry," I caught myself twirling my hair around my finger. Giving my head a shake I tried to remember this was Will I was talking to. Not some ordinary run of the mill guy but a master manipulator. Still I found myself drawn to him. Despite it all I still wanted his attention.

"Seriously I'm crushed," he whispered his voice low and husky. A warmth pooled in my groin and began spreading outward. It almost angered me at how just the sound of his voice could turn me on. "How am I suppose to get my birthday kiss now?" Will murmured softly.

Closing my eyes I sucked in a deep breath trying to make sense of what was going on. "Will how much have you had to drink."

He wasn't slurring his words but if he wasn't drunk I truly was at a loss to explain what was going on. "Not enough. Why?"

"I don't know it's just your being..." What could I say.

"Being what?" His laugh wrapped around me in a smooth caress.

"Why did you buy the firm?" I blurted out.

It took Will a second to answer but when he did his tone had turned ice cold and straight business. "I was tired of outsourcing for advertising. I wanted to cut out the middle man." Regretfully I knew I shouldn't have asked. "I had better get back to my party. I'll be sending a driver tomorrow to grab the kids. Goodnight."

I laid still, motionless and empty as my screen slowly faded to black. Curling in a ball I cradled my phone toy chest.