by Kahele, J
I shrugged. “I’ve been trying, she keeps denying me. I don’t know what to do, Martin, I ask her practically every day to marry me and she basically tells me no.”
“Keep trying, Chain. It took me nearly two years before my missus said yes.” Two years. I didn’t want to wait two years to marry Violet.
“Christ, Martin, I’m not sure I want to wait that long.”
“Will you leave her?”
“Of course not.”
He smiled. “Then you’ll wait.” He was right. I would probably wait an eternity to be married to Violet if I had to.
***
It was after nine when I got home and Violet still wasn’t there and I became worried. I wasn’t sure if this was normal for the hours she kept when working late, but I didn’t like the idea of her being alone in the office building this late.
I texted her to no response, then dialed her cell and there was no answer. I didn’t want to be the overbearing boyfriend and chase her down, but after about twenty minutes, I decided to drive over to her office and check on her.
I walked into the office building and was surprised when the door was not locked, opening with just a push of my hand. The place was deserted, the receptionist desk empty. As I strolled down the hall, I could see a light peering out from beneath Violet’s office door. I opened the door and smiled as I took in the sight of her.
Her head was slumped down on a stack of papers, her one hand still holding a pen as it rested next to her head.
I walked over to the desk and gently pushed her back before scooping her up into my arms. She let out a light moan.
I kissed the top of her head. “Shush, sweetheart, I’ve got you.” She snuggled into my chest and I carried her out.
Chapter 4.5 – Violet
My head was pounding and jarred me out of my sleep. I sat up, rubbing my temples, feeling like I was hung over. I glanced around, surprised to find myself in my bed. The last thing I remembered was being in my office, sharing a latte with my new client Lonnie. I tried to think but the storm that was brewing in my head was overtaking every thought I had. I needed aspirin stat. Quietly, I lifted the covers and slid out of bed, creeping into the bathroom. I felt dizzy and leaned against the counter to get my senses in check. Blindly, I reached into the cupboard and grabbed the bottle of pills, sliding two out and popping them into my mouth. I turned on the faucet, placing my mouth under the streaming water to wash the pills down. Then I remembered when I was younger, I often had migraines when I skipped meals. I had been so engulfed in my work, I had completely forgotten to eat. The last meal I remembered eating was a small bagel from the office.
“Are you okay?” Chain asked with concern as he walked into the bathroom.
I nodded. “I woke up with a migraine. I think it’s because I didn’t eat last night.”
He growled. “Violet, I know that your job is very important to you and all, but you can’t work yourself to exhaustion and you most definitely cannot skip meals!”
I reached for my toothbrush and pasted it. “I know, Chain, the first day is always the hardest; it will calm down.”
He folded his arms as he leaned on the counter next to me.
“I don’t like you in that office building alone.”
I slid the brush briskly across my teeth, then spat and rinsed. I grabbed the cup, filling it with water, dumping it in my mouth and spitting it out.
I heard him exhale before saying, “Violet, why weren’t your brothers there?”
“They had something to do.”
He raised a brow. “They left you alone?”
I turned to face him, throwing a raised brow right back at him. “Chain, do you really think my brothers would leave me alone?”
“I would hope not. But they had to have, because when I showed up, there was not a soul in the place. How could they leave you there alone?” I was a little shocked by his words. I remember my client Lonnie being there; surely she wouldn’t have left me alone.
“They didn’t leave me alone, my client was there. A tall brunette. She wasn’t there when you came?”
A look of concern flashed in his eyes. “There was no one there when I showed up. I don’t like it, Violet, falling asleep on your desk is a clear indication that you are over-exerting yourself and it is probably why you woke up with a migraine. Not to mention that you are a woman alone in a building that should have been locked up!” I was confused, really confused. The security guard was stationed in front of the doors, given strict orders by my father to stay until me and my client were done. I rubbed my temples as questions floated through my mind. Where did Lonnie go? Why did the security guard leave me there alone? I couldn’t believe I fell asleep. Had I fallen asleep on Lonnie, was that why she left? God, I wished I could remember something to explain all of this. Chain rubbed my arms gently.
“Anyone could have walked in off the street. What if I hadn’t come by?”
I cracked a smile. “I would still be sleeping on my desk.”
His eyes thinned. “Not funny. Not funny at all.”
I gave him a quick squeeze. “I know, I’m sorry, that was a bad joke.”
I released him before saying, “I’m going to hop in the shower real quick.”
He grinned as he curled his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest. “I think I will join you.”
***
It was 7:45 before I got to work. I was suppose to meet our new client at 7:30, but Chain was insistent on me eating breakfast with him, wanting to make sure I had at least one meal in me. I thought about fighting him on it, but being as my car was at the office and he was my ride to work, I had no choice but to wait.
I rushed into the conference room to see my brothers practically drooling all over Lonnie. And who could blame them? The woman was sexy with just that right touch of class. Long, sleek black hair that hit her waist, olive skin, rounded off with big dark brown almond eyes. She was dressed in a taupe business skirt suit that accentuated her curves in the right kind of way, and showcased her long toned legs.
After shooing my brothers away, I gave Lonnie an apologetic smile before sitting and blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “I am sorry I am so late, my boyfriend was pushy about me eating breakfast before I left.” I couldn’t believe I just said that out loud. What did she care that I had to eat breakfast with Chain! How unprofessional. I flushed with embarrassed as I tilted my eyes down. Trying to redeem myself, I said, “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” she said with a wry smile. I was still a little confused about last night, so who better to help answer my questions than Lonnie.
“Lonnie, did I fall asleep on you last night?” I queried.
She seemed surprised and confused at the same time. “Why would you ask such a question?”
“My boyfriend came by the office late last night and found me out cold on my desk.”
“Don’t you remember, we finished up the presentation and left. You walked me to my car.”
I was shocked. “I did?”
“Yes—” She stopped, snapping her fingers. “You did say you left your cell phone in the office and you were going back to get it.”
“I did?”
“Yes and I remember you telling me before you left that you needed to go through the pictures to see which ones you wanted to give the graphic designers to put up on the billboards,” she explained. That did make sense and I did remember thinking about going through the pictures for the billboard. It was obvious what happened. I probably walked into my office and saw the pictures and went through them. It was like Chain said, I probably worked myself to exhaustion and fell asleep. Not that I would ever admit that to him. If he found out that was what happened, he would never leave me alone in my office again. Chain wasn’t overbearing, more paranoid, paranoid that something would happen to me. I was now confident in what happened last night and all the confusion was gone.
I smiled at Lonnie. “Thanks for helping me figure out what happ
ened last night.”
“Anytime.”
My father strolled into the room and glanced around.
“I’m glad everyone is here. Let’s get this meeting started.” With my pen in hand, I turned my attention towards my father.
***
The meeting ended at exactly 12:15 and I made my way back to my office. My brothers and father were taking Lonnie to lunch and asked me to go, but I refused. I had promised Chain that I wouldn’t work another long night, so if I was going to get done what I needed to, taking a lunch break was not an option.
I was surprised to see a box of chocolates sitting on my desk. I lifted them up, looking for a card, but it was nowhere to be found. I lifted the box to see a plethora of mint patties, my favorite. This was the second time someone had left something for me. Just yesterday afternoon, I found a steaming hot cup of coffee on my desk, doused with caramel. Definitely one of my favorite coffees.
“I see you got the chocolates I sent you.” I looked up to see Harrison leaning against the door of my office. I practically choked on the mint in my mouth as I tried to swallow quickly.
“You sent these?”
“Of course I did.” He smiled and sauntered into the office, taking a chair in front of my desk.
“And the caramel coffee?”
“Guilty as charged.” I should have known it was him. Who else would know all of my sinful pleasures except a man who I had spent four years with?
He leaned his elbows on the desk. “On a more serious note. I just heard what happened with that Phillip character; one of the girls in accounting mentioned it today. I’m really sorry you had to go through that. I would have been there for you had I known. I really would have. I thought about calling you a few times, but I was not certain you would want to talk to me.”
The mention of Phillip’s name always soured my mood. But I didn’t want Harrison to know that it bothered me, so I forced a smile. “I have no ill feelings towards you, Harrison, I’m over it, really. And as far as Phillip goes, I’m over that too, but thank you for your concern.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Violet, I will always care about you, always.” Why did him saying that make me so uncomfortable? Did I still hold a grudge against him? I had to put the thoughts out of my mind. What Harrison and I had was over and done with and putting any thought into it would only rehash the past and it was not something I wanted to do. I needed to leave the past where it was and move on to the present and the future.
I folded my hands and sat up straight. “So what have you been up to?”
“Not much, working and paying the rent, what about you?” I almost slipped and told him about Chain. He was a big part of my life and I did spend most of my time with him. But, I wasn’t sure if Harrison even knew that we were together, it wasn’t like he hung around my family or Callie anymore and I was pretty good at keeping my private affairs out of the office. I wanted to tell him about Chain, I should tell him, but a part of me didn’t want to ruin this moment, the friendly conversation we were having, so I retreated into a different topic of discussion.
I smiled as I folded my hands. “You know Callie and David got married.”
He looked at me, surprised. “No I didn’t know that, good for them. Did they have a big wedding?”
“No. David went through some pretty serious medical issues, so they ended up eloping.”
He crossed his legs. “Ah. So Callie passed up the chance for a big shindig?”
“Yes. But I don’t think she regrets it at all, she seems very happy.”
“What about you, Violet? Are you happy?”
Chain entered my mind instantly and I grinned. “Yes, Harrison, I’m happy.”
“That smile tells me that you have someone special in your life. Is that true, Violet? Is there a special man in your life?”
“Yes, there is,” a voice answered. I glanced towards the door to see Chain marching towards my desk with fierce determination. I had barely whipped my chair around just as he bent down, cupping his hand behind my head and smashing his mouth against mine. The kiss was so intense, it left me dizzy with passion.
He lifted his head and smiled. “Hey, baby.”
“Hey,” I responded breathlessly. I spun my chair around to face Harrison and saw his eyes locked with Chain’s. Something passed between them and Harrison nodded, stood up with a quick wave and left the room. What was that all about? Was it some sort of man code that included a tilt of the chin and a nod of the head? Before I could ask anything further, Chain lifted me from my chair and took me into his arms.
“So, I was thinking that maybe I could persuade you to come to my office for lunch. I ordered your favorite, Vinio’s,” he said in a voice that a parent would use when offering their child sweets.
But my mind was still on Harrison and him.
“What just happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“You and Harrison, what was that all about?”
He shrugged. “Just us saying hello.” Why were men so secretive? Why couldn’t he just tell me? Just as I was about to completely lose my mind and demand that Chain tell me what was going on with him and Harrison, he swept me into his arms, kissed me and gave me that panty-wetting smile that made me turn to mush in his arms and made my brain go blank.
“So what do you say? Lunch at my office?”
“Huh?” I was still disoriented from his kiss. If there was one thing Chain did better than any other man, it was kiss. Not that I had anyone but Harrison to compare him to.
He laughed. “Lunch, Violet, at my office.
I regained my composure. “Sure, okay. But I have a meeting at 3:00, so I’ll have to drive separately. Let me just finish what I’m working on and I will be over in twenty minutes.”
He gave me a quick kiss. “See you in a little bit.” Then he turned and left.
***
The doorman opened the door for me as I approached the front of Chain’s building. I couldn’t believe what a little paint and flooring had done for this building. The tattered room I remembered from before had been transformed into a large open lobby with a round dark reception desk dab in the middle. The floors were a black marble, and the walls were swirled in gold Venetian plaster, with large pictures of Chain’s mall attached to them. I sauntered to the receptionist desk. A pretty short-haired redhead smiled at me.
“Hi,” she said pleasantly.
“Hello.” She leaned forward and that’s when I noticed her light lavender silk button-up shirt was opened to the third button, revealing her red bra beneath. I was not one to put a person down for her choice of what to wear beneath her shirt. I myself had been guilty of not matching my lingerie with my shirt, but I would never purposely reveal it. Either this woman needed to wear a cami to hide her bra, or she needed to button up!
I went to walk past the desk when she stood and blocked me. “How can I help you?”
“I am here to see Chain Alexander, I know where his office is, so I will just go down,” I responded pleasantly.
She stood still like a brick building, not moving an inch. “And your name?”
“Violet Townsend,” I answered.
Her face lost all expression and the room suddenly grew silent as her eyes twitched and her face twisted into an angry scowl. “I’m sorry, Mr. Alexander sees people by appointment only,” she muttered, her jaw clenched.
“He’s expecting me.” But she would not falter; she stood in her place, hands on her hips, glaring at me. I decided it would be best if I called Chain.
I rummaged through my purse, grabbing my cell.
He answered on the first ring. “Hi, sweetheart.”
“Hi, Chain. Look, I’m standing in your reception area.”
“Well come on down, did you forget where my office was?”
“No.” I turned away from the receptionist. “Your receptionist won’t let me by,” I whispered.
He growled. “I’ll be right there.”
Chain walke
d out minutes later and smiled as he saw me. He gave me a quick hug then took my hand. He stopped at the receptionist desk.
He blinked hard and I could tell he was contemplating what to say to her. “Candace, Violet Townsend can go and come as she pleases and neither you nor anyone else is to ever stop her, do I make myself clear?”
“Of course, sir,” she mumbled. He shook his head and we proceeded down the hall.
Chain’s office was the size of my house. It had a small living space with two couches and a chair, a bar area equipped with a large television and a circular counter. His desk sat behind a large picture window.
He walked us over to one of the couches and sat down.
Displayed on the table were two plates filled with an assortment of my favorites from Vinio’s. Chain lifted one of the plates and a fork. “Linguini with white clam sauce,” he said as he dug the fork in, spinning the noodles around and lifting it to my mouth before handing me my plate and lifting his own.
I ate so much I couldn’t move. I sat back on the couch rubbing my overfull stomach.
Chain lifted a white box. “Dessert?”
I held up my hand. “I have no room. I am so full.”
He placed the box down then grabbed my hand. “How’s your project going?”
“It’s exhausting but getting better. The woman who owns the salons is very nice. And absolutely gorgeous, you should see Vince and Victor, they’re practically tripping over each other to get a piece of her.”
He laughed. “Your brothers are definitely one of a kind.”
I exhaled. “I wish they would find someone special, Chain, a girl to call their own.” Even though my brothers bragged about sleeping with different women, I knew their lives were empty and deep down inside they were looking for that one special person to love them unconditionally.
“They will, Violet, just give them time. When you’re a player, it’s hard to give up the game.”
“But you did.”
“Because I found the right girl and they will too, I promise.”