12
I got out from Lexi’s car and pulled on my skirt. “This is so uncomfortable”
“You’re doing fine” Lexi dragged me out of the parking and Brian stood at the entrance waiting for us.
When he saw me, his eyes widened. “Wow! When you said short, I didn’t expect it to be this short”
I pulled on my clothes again. “What do you expect me to do? My clothes got kidnapped. I have no choice but to wear Lexi’s for today”
Lexi was a lot shorter than me so her clothes don’t exactly fit me. The skirt I wore today was too short and the shirt was too tight. And all of this happened thanks to Ian stupid Kingston.
Even though he invited me to live in his luxurious Prescott penthouse I would never ever live with him. If he gave it to me as a present I might reconsider but never, not ever will I live with him. So being downgraded to status homeless, I crashed into Lexi’s last night like I got robbed which I actually did.
“So you’re gonna buy new clothes today?” Brian asked and I sighed heavily.
Spending money was never my favourite thing.
“It’s not just clothes he stole. He even got my laptop, my books, my penholder and many more. But yeah” I pouted. “I have to buy an entire wardrobe today” I slumped my shoulders in defeat.
I knew asking Ian was never an option. He would never give them back. I had to find an alternative. Like, smacking him with a cement bag or pushing him off a cliff.
“What about your other things?”
I sniffled in sorrow. “Let’s just think that’s a tomorrow’s problem”
“So how long are you gonna stay with Lexi?”
I sighed. “Till I find a cheap place”
After sharing my miserable life story with Brian we walked inside the ATC. As we did, someone suddenly whistled from the lobby.
I turned to it’s direction and saw Oliver, an employee from another department, leaning against a pillar with his friends.
“Never knew you were so hot Hailey” Oliver smirked, his eyes checking me from head to toe. His friends gave me the same lust full gaze and I felt anger and discomfort at the same time.
I pulled my handbag in front of me to cover myself and glared at them. “Go choke on your tiny dicks assholes!” I spat angrily and strode forward.
Lexi gave them the middle finger and Brian glared at them before getting on to the crowded elevator with me.
Inside, I could feel even the older guys checking me out, their gazes lingering on my butt and then on my breast. I wanted to claw their eyes out but their positions in the company were higher than mine. I was completely powerless. If only I could meet them outside ATC I would hit hit double smack punch and kick where the sun doesn’t shine.
When the elevator opened I stomped out and grabbed a tissue from my bag, wiping the sweat in my forehead.
“I can’t wear this” I groaned. “Everyone is looking at me. And to be honest-” I looked down at my clothes. “This is not very work appropriate either. The VP will kill me”
“Just wait till evening” Lexi placed her handbag on her desk and sat down. “We’ll buy new ones”
“Fine” I exhaled in dejection and collapsed into my chair.
Across the room, VP spotted me and she lowered her glasses to get a good look at my clothes.
“I’m not gonna say anything Evans. You already give me too much blood pressure” She placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath, calming her temper. Then narrowed her eyes. “But don’t you dare think being the CEO’s fiance could get you out of this”
Ha being his fiance is what got me in the first place.
Afters others filled in, the VP gave her terrible morning speech and we started working. But I couldn’t stop yawning. I had a lot of murderous thoughts last night and those kept me awake.
“I’m gonna get coffee” I wearily stood up, yawning again and sauntered to our breaking room.
As I was making my coffee two hands came from behind me, one circling around my waist and the other on the counter.
I gasped.
“What are you wearing Miss Evans?” Ian’s husky voice came, whispering in my ear. His lips grazed my ear lobe and I stilled in his arms. “I like it” He leaned closer, his nose nuzzling in my hair. “If you wear it elsewhere, not here” Then quickly recovering from my paralysed state I turned around and smacked him in the forehead.
“Shoo you evil”
He took several steps back, hand on his forehead. “That hurts”
“Good”
“You haven’t answered my question”
“You haven’t answered my unasked question”
Ian raised a brow. “Which is?”
“Why did you steal my things thief?”
Ian scoffed in disbelief. “I didn’t steal. I merely moved them to my house”
I gave out a humourless laugh. “So now you expect to me live with you?” I asked in a mock tone.
“Yes it’s natural. We’re engaged”
“We. Are. Not. Engaged” I punctuated the words to make things more clear to his tiny brain. “And I would never live with you. I’m going to find a new place”
“Why?” He folded his arms.
“Why what?”
“I’m offering you a chance to live in your dream house. Why are you pushing it away?”
“Because Ian stupid Kingston-” Ian smiled at that. “My dream includes not just ‘live’ but also ‘buy’. It’s buy and live. So you’re not really fulfilling my dream”
He cocked his head to the side and gave me a lop sided grin. “You keep amusing me everyday Miss Evans. Now answer my question”
“Isn’t it obvious? You stole my clothes and I had to wear my friend’s ones”
Ian stared at me for a while with a conflicted look and then sighed. He took a bag from the table and extended it to me. “Here. Take this”
In confusion, I peeked in and saw my clothes in it, my grey pencil skirt and a light blue shirt.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
“Change if you want to. You looked uncomfortable in that video”
“What video?” I glanced up.
Ian raised his brows. “You still haven’t seen it?”
“Seen what?” My forehead creased.
“Check the company group chat” He tucked his hands inside his pockets and frowned. “Daniel showed it to me”
Puzzled, I took my phone out and checked the group chat. And my jaw dropped was an understatement.
Oliver had posted a picture of me at the entrance and then a video of me uncomfortably pulling on my clothes with the hashtag CEO’s hot chick.
Many had replied with different emojis and Melissa even wrote the word ‘Slut’.
“How dare he?” I shook my head in dismay “I’ll kill him”
“Is that your favourite phrase Miss Evans?”
“Not funny” I scowled at him.
“I know” Ian’s face turned serious. “And don’t worry. I’ll take care of him”
“What are you gonna do? Fire him?”
Ian smirked sardonically. “I do worse things when I’m angered Miss Evans. Oliver will pay for it” Then he strode towards me, pinning me to the counter, his hands on either sides of me. “And you-” He leaned in. “won’t get your stuff back unless you come and live with me”
I tried pushing him away but he didn’t move a muscle. “Why do you want me to live with you?”
“It’s good for the press and-” His expression hardened, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “It keeps my family away”
Before I could argue, he turned and walked away, leaving me to curse at him.
Idiot.
I got back to my desk and the VP glared at me. “I’ll just pretend that the CEO didn’t walk in here” She pursed her lips and nodded. “Doctors told me not to get angry too much and I’m doing a very good job” She smiled to herself proudly.
“And yes, this” She took a file out. “Why don’t I see anyone filling their names for the event in California?”
Suddenly everyone looked down as if they didn’t hear her. The event in California, which includes stressful trade shows, conferences, incentive programs and workshops lasts for four days and no one wants to go because it includes working in the weekend.
And specially, they pay you no extra money for participation. So for that reason I’m out.
“James” VP looked at a guy in his early 30s. “Why aren’t you going?”
“My wife gave birth recently. I can’t leave her for five days”
“You, Richard. What about you?” VP asked the next guy.
“I have soccer practice with my son”
Many gave excuses like that and the VP had a hard time keeping her words to the doctor.
“Oh my blood pressure” She pounded her heart and looked at us “You, the unmarried lot” She pointed to five of us. “You go!”
“What?” Alan asked. “I don’t want to”
“Don’t disobey me Mr. Brown” She glowered. “Or else you’ll feel the wrath of this great VP”
…
“Let’s buy these pink pj’s and oh these tops” Lexi said excitedly, pointing to several clothes.
But I kept scowling.
After work, we came to a store to buy clothes for me but I couldn’t make myself to, knowing my clothes are very much alive even though they got kidnapped.
And it’s not just clothes. He stole my everything. Stupid Kingston.
“So this one or this one?” Lexi showed me two tops. “Tell quickly, we have an entire wardrobe to buy”
“We are not buying an entire wardrobe” I stated firmly, finally coming into a decision.
“Then what? You’re gonna walk naked everyday?”
“No” I raised my chin up with determination. “I’m gonna get my stuff back”
“How?” Lexi asked. “You can’t just sneak into the Prescott’s”
“Actually you can” Brian furrowed his brows.
“How?”
“Last night I slept with a girl who works part time in a cleaning agency that also cleans the apartments at the Prescott’s”
Wheels began turning in my head at the new found information.
“She said that they send one of their staff every Friday evening to clean Mr. Kingston’s penthouse”
A grin curled up my lips as a devious idea popped into my mind.
This is going to be lit.
“Hailey, why are you grinning like a mad woman?”
I straighted up. “Let’s buy clothes only to last till Friday.
“Why?” Lexi raised a brow.
I smirked. “Because we’re going to break into the Kingston’s lair”