“Hey! Just because she did that doesn’t give you the right to call her names behind her back,” I scolded, giving him a warning look.
Adrian turned to face me fully with a look of disbelief. “Are you kidding me right now? Emily, the girl practically wrapped you up and gave you to David Walter to be his sex slave! And you’re defending her right now?!”
“I’m not defending her! What she did was wrong and inexcusable. I’m just saying that you shouldn’t call her names behind her back…” I trailed off as I felt my cheeks begin to heat up in embarrassment from how stupid I sounded; even to myself.
Adrian, on the other hand, instantly dropped his angry glare and replaced it with an all too familiar glazed smile before he pulled me in for a long kiss on the lips. “I love you, whale.”
My smile instantly transfigured into an annoyed glare as I pushed him off me. “Idiot.” I scowled.
“’I love you too, Adrian. Your wit and charm and god-sent good looks are what get me through each day without’-”
I rolled my eyes and tried to fight the grin that was fighting its way onto my lips. “Do us all a favour and shut up.” I laughed.
Adrian snapped his mouth shut and turned to face me fully again with an eyebrow raised. “Oh really?”
I didn’t have time to react before he held me down by my waist and dug his fingers into the side of my ribs and began to tickle me; causing me to go into a full-fledged laughing fit.
“She looks and
sounds
like a whale now. What am I planning to marry?” Adrian asked no one in particular with a mock horrified expression on his face.
My laughing instantly died down and I glared at his smirking face before throwing a bunch of sand at him; using the brief distraction as my getaway.
“You’re asking for it now, Shortcake.” Adrian warned from behind me. I laughed and continued running, well aware of the fact that he was coming up close. Before I was able to get any farther away, his familiar pair of solid arms wrapped themselves around my waist and entrapped me in an embrace I couldn’t wriggle out of.
“Let me go!” I laughed, trying to smack his arms away.
“Say it first,” Adrian replied.
“No.” I grinned, casting him a sidelong glance.
“Well, good luck escaping my arms then.” Adrian shrugged before resting his chin on my shoulder.
“Fine,” I said with fake exasperation. “I love you Dave Franco.
Whoops!
That was a slip-up!” I gasped with wide eyes, before bursting into a fit of laughter.
Adrian glared down at me before spinning me around and picking me up so that I was straddling his hips. “Yep, definitely not letting you go now.”
“Dammit,” I mumbled, before letting another cheesy grin escape.
Chapter Thirty
“I don’t believe that’s the proper way to go about it, Mr. Kingston.”
“Let me tell you something. The stocks right now are lower than they have been for a while. If you believe that your ‘cutting down’ method is going to help this company, leave and never come back,” Adrian announced impatiently, giving the man an annoyed glare.
“S-Sorry sir, it won’t be brought up again.”
“Good. Now are there any
useful
suggestions?” Adrian asked with an annoyed look around the conference table.
I took a sip of coffee before speaking up. “Why don’t we just increase our marketing on the hotels we’re losing consumers in? That way we’re increasing the attention in the struggling areas of the company and not losing as much money by spending on areas where it isn’t needed.”
“Yes! Abby thought of a really good marketing campaign last week that would help expand on your idea,” Daniel brought up from across me.
I ignored the glare Adrian gave the man and nodded. “Okay, can you please get her to send up the campaign? Mr. Kingston and I will look over it as soon as we get it and let you all know what his final decision is.”
They all nodded in understanding and looked over at Adrian, who clenched his jaw. “Well? Why are you still here? Get back to work,” he snapped, sending off the table of 20 to scurry out of the room nervously.
“You know Shortcake, sometimes I think you run the company better than I do.” Adrian smirked, wrapping his arms around my waist as I got out of my seat and began stacking loose papers on top of each other.
I gave him a smug smile and pushed him away by his chest. “That’s because I
do.
”
Adrian pouted. “I was hoping you’d say something along the lines of ‘No baby, you know that’s not true. You’re the best businessman ever to exist on this earth’.”
“And inflate your ego even more? I’d rather not.” I smiled.
“Someone’s in a feisty mood today,” Adrian commented. He pulled me into his torso once more before I felt his lips near my ear. “It’s hot.”
“And not going to let you get any,” I replied with another smug grin.
He pulled away slightly and glared down at me. “Why not.”
“Because I said so.”
Adrian’s hand slid down so that he was cupping my backside, and I gasped before looking around the glass-walled room. “Adrian.” I hissed, frowning up at him.
He placed a soft peck on my cheek before pulling away with a slight smirk. “What?” he asked innocently.
“Get your hand off my ass before I break your baby maker.”
Adrian mock gasped. “In public? That’s
so
rude!” he exclaimed in a girly voice, before his grip on my behind tightened slightly as he squeezed.
“Someone is going to see!” I exclaimed, flushing in embarrassment at the thought.
“What’s that thing kids are saying these days? That’s right, yolo.” He began chuckling at his own comment and I rolled my eyes before a smile made its way to my lips.
“Idiot.”
He puckered up his lips and began to make kissing noises while looking down at me. “Just one kiss and I’ll leave you alone and buy you a coffee.”
I shook my head before placing a quick peck on his lips. “Now leave me.”
“No.” He grinned.
“Adrian.” I groaned, trying to wriggle out of his hold.
“Mr. Kingston, Martin Harrison is on the – oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt-”
“You’re not interrupting, Mrs. Brown. Emily here was just trying to make a move on me in the workplace. I should punish her for being so insubordinate.” He kept his eyes on me as he spoke those words.
My jaw dropped once the realisation of what he had said settled into my mind and I slapped his chest. “I was not!” I squeaked, growing red in the face as my eyes landed on Suzie and found her smiling knowingly in our direction.
“Transfer the call to line 6, I’ll answer it here,” Adrian told Suzie, dismissing her.
“I just had a weird sense of déjà vu,” I mumbled, frowning slightly.
“Maybe because we’ve been in this position, in this room, while Suzie has walked in on us before.” Adrian smirked, before stealing another quick kiss on my lips.
I scowled once he pulled away from me completely and he chuckled before picking up the phone in the corner; his tone instantly switching to his cold, business one. “Adrian Kingston.”
I quietly continued to gather up the rest of the papers that were scattered all over the desk as Adrian continuously murmured and spoke up in reply to Mr. Harrison on the phone. By the time I was done, I threw my empty coffee cup in the bin that was positioned in the corner of the room just as Adrian put the phone back into its slot and sighed while rubbing his temple in exhaustion.
“Is everything okay?” I asked with a worried frown.
“Martin Harrison wants to up his price on everything we buy with him by 10% or he’ll stop supplying to us. We have the money for it but I don’t want to agree to it and then regret it later on.” Adrian looked up at me with a tired grimace and my frown deepened.
“When does he want an answer by?”
“Next week.”
“It’s okay, we still have a little time to sort something out. For now, go have a break and eat something to take your mind off things,” I suggested.
“You have to come with me for that to happen Shortcake.” He smirked once he finished talking, and I threw the pen I was holding at him once I realised the double meaning behind his words.
“Pervert.” I scowled.
“You don’t complain about it when we’re-”
“Just stop talking!” I squeaked, cutting him off with wide eyes. “We’ll go eat lunch together. I just need to put all of this stuff upstairs. Are you going to help me?” I asked, referring to the huge stack of files I had in my arms.
He shook his head, grinning. “Nope. Your ass sways side to side even more than usual when you carry shit up to the office. I like to watch.”
I gave him a flat look before I broke and glowered. “Stop being a pervert!”
“Start walking sweetheart,” Adrian spoke up, ignoring my comment.
I huffed in annoyance and attempted to balance the stack of files while walking out of the conference room with as little sway to my hips; knowing that Adrian was looking from behind me. A deep chuckle sounded from him once we almost both made it to the elevator, and he decided to bless me with his help by pressing the button to get the doors opening.
“You look like a penguin trying to waddle back to its home when you walk like that.”
“I wouldn’t have to walk like that if some pervert behind me wasn’t staring,” I shot back, sticking me head out of the tall pile and pulling my tongue out at him.
He shrugged. “I’m your boyfriend, I’m allowed to be a pervert towards you.”
I ignored him just as we reached our floor, and instantly began walking towards our office to get rid of the files and grab my bag.
“Keep walking,” Adrian called out from behind me, amusement thickly enlaced in his tone.
I rolled my eyes and continued to ignore him just as I reached the office door. I sighed in frustration, struggling to get a grip onto the door handle before I felt him come up beside me. “Poor Emily, do you need some help? Why didn’t you ask me earlier?” Adrian asked, giving me a sympathetic look before I felt the entire stack of files being lifted out my arms effortlessly.
“You – ugh!” I groaned, opening the office door with another scowl as he chuckled at my reaction.
Adrian placed the stack of files onto the small coffee table in the room just as I collected my handbag and briefly glanced at my phone. “Are you ready to go?”
“I need to use the loo,” Adrian commented, shaking his head.
My face scrunched into a look of confusion. “The what?”
“The loo? The toilet. The bathroom. Whatever you American’s call it.” Adrian dismissed in a bored tone
“Well don’t let me stop you,” I replied sarcastically. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“Okay, feisty. Are you getting your period? You’re on fire today, Shortcake.” I turned back around to face Adrian who was already smirking in my direction. “Wait, wait, let me give a go at this. ‘Adrian! Oh my god! Like, don’t say stuff like that!’” he squealed in a girly voice, attempting to imitate me.
I flipped him off and rolled my eyes at his immaturity. “I’ll be downstairs!” I called out before slamming the door shut behind me and leaving Adrian alone in the office.
I decided to text Amy while I waited by Adrian’s car in attempt to look occupied and not as awkward and alone as I felt. Amy replied within 30 seconds after I sent the message, and I smiled down at the phone at her desperate attempt to have company at her job before someone cleared their throat.
I looked up and froze in the position I was in as I realized that Rita was standing in front of me, nodding slightly at the device in my hands. “Adrian?”
I blinked back blankly before a frown etched itself onto my face. “What are you doing here?” My voice was meant to come out strong; instead, it sounded more like a reply to my parents after being scolded for coming home too late.
“I… I came to apologise to you Emily,” Rita responded, a cautious look on her face.
“I don’t want to hear it,” I snapped back in reply. I didn’t bother waiting for her to respond and turned around and began to walk away.
“At least let me tell you the reason behind my actions,” Rita begged from behind me.
I stopped walking away and breathed in deeply before turning around and crossing my arms over my chest. “Go.”
The look of surprise on her face showed me how much she was not expecting me to turn around, but she spoke up anyway. “My husband… he… He gambles a lot. We fell into debt just two weeks before I met you for the first time. I was desperate… I didn’t know what to do. Somehow, David found out about our debt and offered me the money if I did what I was told. I didn’t think he’d go to that much extremes, Emily, please believe me. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“Why didn’t you just ask Adrian if you were so desperate for money? You
know
he would’ve given it to you in a heartbeat; especially if I helped with asking him.” My tone came out bitter; not willing to be sympathetic towards her just yet.
She hesitated before responding. “I… I didn’t want to ask that much off of you… or him… please you have to understand-”
I shook my head, cutting her off. “I’m sorry.
You
have to understand that what you did is so low in my eyes that it’s unforgiveable. You know how much David frightened me. You
saw
how he kept me prisoner in a hotel room and even hurt me and tried to push for sex-”
“I didn’t know he would-”
Angry tears began to spring up into my eyes. “Yes, you did! And the worst part was you
still
didn’t think to tell us! You let us believe that
Anna
was the guilty one and that you were just as angered and uncomfortable at the mention of him just as much as I was!”
“Emily, I didn’t-”
“I think you should go,” I interrupted her, my face falling straight as my voice turned cold. “Go before Adrian sees you here. I may be kind enough to hear you out Rita, but he will turn you straight in without a second of hesitation.”