Nice try Mr.CEO

Chapter 13

As I drive to work, my brain goes into overdrive. Why would he lie to me about being at his friend's house instead of at The Belluccini? He can't be... cheating... right? I shake my head of all these thoughts and try to focus on the positives. Maybe he just felt like I'd freak out if he told me he was crashing at a very expensive hotel because of-one, the price, and two, the reason.

If he had just told me he crashed at The Belluccini's, I would've just asked him why and then be done with it. But now, he lied to me and was acting suspiciously. He knows how I take betrayal and what my past is with it. My ex-boyfriend was cheating on me with two of my best friends, at the same time! Like what the hell, and now, if Mark is cheating on me, I just don't know what I'd do.

Driving into the parking lot, I try to clear my head of all this. I don't need to be coming to work already tired and jam-packed with thoughts about my boyfriend- who may or may not be cheating.

Walking through the front entrance, I stop and say hi to Sam, who was, as usual, is chirpy as hell. He smiles and offers to walk me up to my office, but I kindly decline his offer as the reason that I need some alone time. Taking the stairs to my office, I notice Alexander sitting in the middle of a step just staring at the wall in front of him.

Taking a step forward to maybe push through him or try to go around him, I just get a grunt in response. I back up once again and try to pass him from the left side, he just reaches out an arm. I step back again and this time I put my hands on my hips and stare at him. He still hasn't met my eyes but he begins to speak.

"How do you know if someone is bad? How can you tell whether or not a person means well or just means to use for the gain of others? Someone once told me that no one has the sight to see the future, but we can try to prevent bad things from happening to us. But if we can only try to protect ourselves, how can we protect the things we love?"

With that final phrase, he looks up into my eyes. His steely grey eyes boring into mine with an intensity that is worth being in a Fifty Shades of Grey movie. I stutter as I look away and begin to speak,

"Well, the only way you can protect the things or people that you love from harm is I guess to keep yourself out of trouble and out of harm's way. If you love someone, usually they love you back, so if you yourself get hurt or in trouble, in turn, you're hurting them too."

He keeps staring at me and lifts the arm that he was guarding his left flank with, motioning for me to pass. I just nod as if I understood, and while walking away, I almost felt like in a way, I could relate to what he had just asked me about. So when I turned around to see if he was still sitting there, I just said,

"You're not alone Alexander." and I walked away before he could respond.

When I reached my office, I took a seat and tried to run my day as normally as possible. Figuring out payrolls, deductibles, and looking over company expenses was going pretty smoothly until I saw that to finish and submit this one payroll, I had to go verbally ask Liza to approve it. It had been at least 4 hours and I was exhausted, so a small walk to Liza's office would do me some good.

Reaching her office, I saw someone outside it, almost ready to knock. Recognizing it as Elaine, I sped my walk up so I could reach her before she went in.

"Hey Elaine," I said, as she almost jumped.

She turned around with a horrified look on her face as she clutched her chest.

"Hey, sorry. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I tried soothing.

"It's - it's ok." She responds in a quiet voice.

"Are you waiting for Liza?" I ask. She nods her head in affirmation.

I smile and say joyfully, "Well then, let's go in together."

I knocked on the glass door before Elaine could protest. You may ask, how did you know she was going to protest? It's the look that someone gets before they try to stop you or contradict you.

I hear a distinct, 'Come in', as I open the door and beckon Elaine to go in before me. After we both step in, I turn around to close the door before hearing,

"No, it's ok. I'm about to leave. You may keep it open." I turn back around to see Alexander leaning over Liza looking at her computer.

For some random reason, that sparked something inside. I wasn't really liking the feeling. It seemed that it sparked something inside Elaine as well because you could see how her shoulders tensed, as she immediately asked to be excused. Alexander shot me a look of confusion as I realized my face had become very cold and distant. He then smirked as I tried to smile some.

"Hi Liza, I was just wondering whether you could approve this payroll for me please?" I ask.

She nods her head and I walk over to her as I put the paper down in front of her.

I nod at Alexander as we both walk out of her office. Once in the corridor, I briskly walk away thinking,

Is everyone in this office except me infatuated with our CEO?