Despite being hungover, I perfectly remembered the previous night. Why had I just decided to show up at Grant’s house? Why hadn’t I been able to resist undressing?
And then the phone call! I remembered the phone call as well and I winced. That was such a disaster. I had said embarrassing things to him about enjoying orgasms and beer-pong. I hoped I would never have to see him again. That this deal could just get over, and I could finally move on with my life.
I’d been happy when I was engrossed with work. I didn’t have time for a social or love life and I was content with that. And now, all I could think about was Grant and how good he had made me feel. All those unrequited feelings I had for him in college came gushing back in an avalanche that was set to bury me. And this time, I knew exactly what I was missing out on.
I walked to the bar around the corner from our office building and walked in. It was dark inside the place, even though there was bright sunshine outside. I pulled out a stool at the bar and sat down, covering my face with my hands.
“What can I get you?” the bartender’s voice cut through my thoughts and I slowly dragged my hands away from my face.
“Just some water, please, thank you,” I said to him and buried my face into my arms on the counter. I wished I could just shut the world out for a few days and wake up as a new person.
Chapter 14
Grant
I hadn’t been able to concentrate all day at the office. My lawyers had already begun the process of absorbing Beverley’s company and other than signing a few papers and an early morning meeting, I had nothing else to do.
I was mad at her, mad at myself for feeling the way I felt. I wished she would just talk to me so we could figure things out. I didn’t want her to think that this was just a seduction. I wanted her to know that I was buying her company to keep her work safe. I had tried to explain it to her the previous evening, even on the phone call, but she wasn’t willing to listen.
“I’m going out,” I said to my assistant as I pulled my jacket over my shoulders and walked out of the building. Paul, my chauffeur held the door of my car open for me but I dismissed him.
“I’ll drive, thanks Paul,” I said and he handed the keys over to me.
In the car, I tried to settle the thoughts I had of Beverley. I had made the wrong decision. We should have just talked. I shouldn’t have kissed her and we shouldn’t have stripped down naked the previous night. We needed to talk and have a logical conversation before taking it to the next step.
What next step? Why was I even thinking there could be a next step? Hadn’t she made it very clear that she despised me? Besides, I wasn’t the kind of person and neither was I at the stage in my life where I could think of next steps in a relationship.
I parked my car outside the office building and took two steps at a time upstairs. I barged in through the door and found a woman sitting behind a desk. She looked up at me, surprised to find a man bursting in through the door.
“Can I help you?” she asked standing up.
Sasha appeared from a room when he heard the door slam.
“Grant!” he exclaimed and I swung my head from the woman to him.
“Is she in?” I asked him and they must have both seen the madness in my
crazed eyes. I was desperate to see Beverley again. Before she completely slipped through my fingers.
“Bev?” Sasha asked and I let out a sigh.
“Yes, where is she?” I asked and Sasha exchanged looks with the woman.
“She said she was going to Pop’s Bar. It’s just around the corner, but we can’t be sure if she’s still there,” he said and I clenched my jaw. What was happening to her? Why had she gone to a bar in the middle of the day? I was worried for her well being, but also conscious of what the others might be thinking. They were her employees after all and she must have an image to maintain. I didn’t want them to get the wrong idea.
“Thank you, Sasha,” I said and forced a smile on my face.
“Is everything alright?” he asked and I smoothened the lapels of my suit.
“Yeah, of course. We just needed to discuss some things,” I told him and nodded at the woman who had been glaring at me all this while. She didn’t look too impressed with me. I figured that everyone else, except Sasha apparently; probably hated me for buying the company.
“Hopefully she’s still at the bar,” he said and I smiled at him again.
“Thanks, I’ll find her. So stupid of me to not try her phone,” I said, trying to sound casual and taking my leave, I walked out of the office.
Out on the streets again, I caught sight of the bar at the corner. I clenched my jaw as I walked towards it. I may not have been best friends with Beverley, and I might not have even been in her life for all these years but I was sure that she wasn’t the type of person to be lounging in a bar in the middle of the day. I hoped she was alright.
I walked hurriedly and pushed open the doors of the establishment. It was a dark place, with a handful of people in there already. Techies with their laptops and glasses of cold beer beside them. I scanned the room and found Beverley slumped on the counter. The barman was listlessly polishing glasses in front of her, unbothered. I weaved through the tables towards her, and before I could stop myself I was pulling her up by her shoulders.