“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.
“Beverley! Are you okay?” I asked and realized that she had her eyes open. She wriggled against me and finally managed to push me away.
“What do you think you’re doing? Leave me alone!” she hissed and I stepped away from her. I pulled my jacket back down in place and fixed my cufflinks. She was glaring at me and looked me up and down like she was assessing me.
“What are you doing here? And why are you in a suit?” she said.
“I had a morning meeting, and what are you doing here?” I asked her in a softer voice. Beverley reached for the glass of clear liquid in front of her and emptied it in her mouth. I clenched my jaw as I stared at her.
“What are you drinking? Why are you drinking?” I said, in a low guttural growl and she arched an eyebrow at me.