Restart

Chapter 48. Busy day

Alexander's p.o.v.
I was waiting for her until she got home. The security guard called me at 2 a.m. to let me know she had returned, but I decided it was too late and she needed to sleep so that's also what I did, now that I knew she was home safe.
I don't know why but I was really feeling restless and worried the whole evening. I got from the conversation they had over the phone, that more people were invited at his place and that eased on my jealousy as I've done my research on this Paul guy and he was too young and too good looking for his own good, so I wasn't sure of his intentions. I mean who takes a patient out for dinner? Twice!
It's not that I didn't trust Claire, I just wasn't comfortable with the idea, but I was never going to admit it to her as obviously Michael's explosion and despicable actions were only triggered by his sickened jealousy. Maybe if I met Paul in person, I could get a better image of his intentions towards Claire and that would help me ease my mind, as it was him I didn't trust.
"Morning beautiful. I've missed you so much last night."
"I've missed you too, but I came in very late and I didn't want to wake you up."
"Did you have fun?"
"So much! We laughed so hard that my mascara had run down my eyes and thankfully Paul handed me a wet wipe before anyone else saw."
I am so happy to see her like this. She looks refreshed although she only slept for a couple of hours. Maybe this Paul guy does really want to help her, as he wouldn't have invited all those people, if his intentions were to flirt with her.
"I was going to tell you I would drive myself to work today so you could sleep a bit more, but I knew you'd never accept this."
"Of course I wouldn't, it would have offended me if you had."
Truth is, I had a very difficult schedule ahead as it was Monday and I would be from one meeting to another nonstop. I wanted to tell Claire about that call I received yesterday from Mr. Yang, when he demanded I would be the man in charge of his daughter's internship twice a week, as I needed suggestions to help me get rid of her.
She now knew everyone on my floor and they all loved her. I don't know what it is about this girl, that makes people like her, but she had even changed my father's opinion of her, which is next to impossible, as my father liked no one, not even me!
She was so sweet and kind but in a genuine way, so honest and different from all the others, that she had won everyone else along with enslaving me.
"Uhm, yesterday I was talking with Mr. Yang and he is trying to impose his daughter's internship on me, but that is not something I can tolerate."
"Ok, then talk to your father."
"It's him I was talking to last night, when you came in, right after I hung up with Mr. Yang. There is no way around this and he says this is a business obligation that had nothing to do with everything else."
"Is it really that bad if you train her? You are indeed the best to learn from, so I do understand Mr. Yang's persistence towards you."
"Claire you saw her yourself. She is not the innocent little girl we thought she was when we first met her. She is evil and fake, so I want to be nowhere near her."
"You will keep it strictly professional and give her loads to do, to keep her off your back."
I am not happy with this and Claire sees it, so she pulls the car over and she brings herself in my lap, like I always bring her when I want more body contact with her. She grabs my face in her hands, looking intensely in my eyes for a minute and just when I think she will say something serious and deep she cracks me up by saying we can have office sex every time I'm upset to ease off the tension. I can't say I don't like the idea, it's just that she caught me by surprise.
I kiss her and hug her a bit too tight, making her sigh.
"I love you." I tell her.
"And I love you, but let's get going because besides the fact that you are late, we are starting something I want to postpone until later tonight."
I give her one more quick kiss before letting her go and I am now calm with a silly smile plastered on my face, thinking of the things I'll do to her tonight. God, does she have a way with me or what!
The day was long and tiring but surprisingly Mingmei was a big help, as she pulled through all of the errands I assigned to her and saved me time.
"You did good today. I thought you'd only be in my way, but you actually managed to help."
"I told you Mr. Alexander that I am a smart, hard working girl. You will be very pleased to work with me in the future."
"I didn't think you were that smart when you agreed on that unspeakable idea our fathers had."
"I said I am smart, I didn't say I am sentimental. I could do anything to succeed and achieve my goals. Marriage has nothing to do with love, is what I believe, so I didn't mind getting married to help my professional career, as I would never marry the man I truly loved which would make me vulnerable and weak. Marriage is a big lie for everyone anyway, so I don't see why did it bother you so much."
I am stunned by this eighteen year old girl's way of thinking, but I am quite happy as I have a strong, ruthless future business partner in front of me. Eventually I will get everything back either it's from her or her father and I even like how things turned out to be, as I will be the one to succeed this on my own and not with the help of my father.
"But you said you wanted to be a doctor and that you are saving yourself for the man you will fall in love with and other boring shit like that."
She laughs hysterically and I felt she was making fun of me.
"It was all a lie of course. Did you really believe all that act of me being the perfect bride and daughter? Oh I am nothing like that I assure you. I do whatever I please with whoever I desire and my father already knows, this is partly why he agreed on this anyway. He thought you might be able to tame me and put me on the leash. All I care about is to keep myself entertained and climb to the top. I'll show my father I am better than him and more capable of taking over, once I'm older and ready."
I smile as I am thinking she is the female version of me and things might actually turn out better than what I thought as far as this company's future is concerned.
Claire is back from that errand I sent her to and we are now on our way back home. I am so disappointed when we reach home and she tells me she will go shopping with Paul's roommate and then to the gym for her first self defense class, as I wanted to spend the rest of the day with her. She gives me a quick kiss and abandons me with my lips pursed, looking like a baby who is about to cry.
I call Ronan and ask him to meet me for a drink, as I haven't spoken to him for a very long time, to give him an update on my relationship. I am sure he'll make fun of me for saying 'I love you' too soon and I'll make fun of him for being too responsible and careful to the point he doesn't even have a love life.
We meet at a pub and thankfully the hours pass so quickly as it was nice to be able to be myself and enjoy the company of a good trusted friend. He was extremely mad at me at first and he told me about Claire's visit, that she never mentioned by the way, but when I updated on how everything was working out between us, he softened up and promised to meet with her again to try and make amends, as I didn't want my best friend and my girlfriend to remain in this awkward situation I've put them in.
Then I tell him about Claire's past, explaining her bizarre behavior back at the beginning when I first met her and he is left speechless.
"Please don't tell her I told you, as she will never forgive me."
"Then why did you tell me? Why do you always have to put me in that difficult position where I need to lie for you?"
"Because you are my best friend man. If I can't talk to you for the things that burden me, then who can I talk to?"
He promises to keep his mouth shut and I return back home, thinking Claire has already returned by now but she hasn't. Where can she be? She knew I was waiting for her so she wouldn't go to dinner without telling me.