Samuel’s phone rung at that moment and he answered it abruptly as his father stared at him with intense eyes. “I will be there in a few minutes,” Samuel said before hanging up his phone and getting up. “I will see you at home, Dad.”
“We will finish our conversation,” his father stated stonily as he stood up also and Samuel only looked at him before he walked out of the conference room after gathering his things together,
Trace watched his son leave the room and he pulled his own cell from his pocket as he followed behind him saying as whoever he called answered, “Where is Alina?”
Chapter 12
“Janice called Dad,’ Samuel said a few days later as he and Alina met up to buy a birthday gift for Uncle Sarette.
Alina sent him a surprised look before she scowled, “I should’ve known that she would try that trick.”
At his look she explained about the phone call she received from her mother a few days ago and how she hadn’t done what her mother had wanted.
Samuel shook his head at Alina’s words as she stopped to look at a watch.
Before she could even say a word, he responded, “He has one that Aunt Theadora bought him some months back.”
Alina groaned as she stated with exhaustion, “What do you get a damn man who has everything?”
Samuel laughed aloud earning a glare from her as they continued walking through the store trying to get ideas.
A thoughtful look started to cross both of their faces and they both stopped as they turned to one another and exclaimed, “I know.”
Their excited voices carried across the store to where Marla and Trystan were checking out. They glanced up as Samuel and Alina came into view talking animatedly and Alina reached into her purse pulling out a small notebook as she began to make notes.
Samuel laughed at her and without missing a beat, Alina bumped into him almost knocking him over.
“I think you shouldn’t laugh at me, Sam,” she called out as she continued walking.
“Why you…” he began only to stop as Alina turned on her heel giving him a look and he grumbled under his breath.
Marla’s face paled as they continued out of the store and Trystan, eyes narrowed to slits, placed an arm around her shoulders.
“Marla,” he said softly.
She turned tearful eyes to him. “I love him, Tryst,” she said simply telling him without words that she wasn’t going to give up on him.
He sighed as a light glinted off her engagement ring and his jaw clenched as he told her quietly, “All right, Marla.”
He gave the clerk a smile as she looked at them questioningly wondering why they were upset over the brother and sister who left before them. She shrugged her shoulders and went back to work dismissing both set of siblings from her mind.
Trystan sat in his office at home later that evening his face hard with anger as he thought about Samuel and Alina being together.
After that kissed they shared, he believed that she had been as attracted to him as he was to her, but after that display today he believed that he had just been useful to her at the right time his mind forgetting that it was he who initiated the kiss to begin with.
A grim smiled settled over his features as he reached out for the phone and dialed her number.
His eyes were hard when the phone was answered with a simple, “Hello.”
Although his face was hard as stone, his voice was charming and calm as he said, “I just wanted to call and see how you were doing.”
“I am fine,” Alina told him and he could hear a smile in her voice.
He made small talk with her asking her simple questions and she answered him truthfully although he didn’t know that.
Then he asked nonchalantly, “I thought I saw you in a store today.” He gave a store name not the one they were in and waited for her reaction.
Alina frowned as she said thoughtfully, “I don’t think it was me although I was in that area because I was with my…” she hesitated her before she continued with a slight wince, “my friend as we were shopping for a birthday gift.”
Alina shook her head wishing Samuel would finally tell his fiancée the truth, but he keeps putting it off although with the meeting next week she understood he had a lot on his mind, but she had a feeling that if he didn’t explain soon it was going to be taken out of context unaware that it was already.
Trystan’s mouth hardened at her explanation before he asked, “Did you ever decide on a gift?”
“Finally, yes, we did although it is going to take some planning on our part,” she told him with a chuckle as she thought about what she and Sam had come up with.
Trystan heard the soft chuckle but before he could respond, there was a knock on the door as it opened and Marla walked into the room.
“I’ll call you back,” he told Alina abruptly hanging up without giving her a chance to say another word. He felt a moment’s regret for hanging up on her like that but he pushed it down as he saw the sad look on sister’s face.
“Samuel just called me,” she told him.
“Did you ask him about today?” He asked her as she settled down on a chair in front of the desk.
She bit her lip and shook her head before she told him, “I wanted to, but I didn’t want to hear his answer.”
Trystan tilted his head back as she glanced around the room her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
“Have you fixed a date for the wedding?” He asked quietly his head still tilted back.
Marla turned her gaze to her brother seeing a shadow on his face that she never saw before as she remarked, “The 23rd of October.”
“Six months from now,” he muttered, and Marla nodded her head.
He got up from his chair and walked around to kneel down next to her.
“Marla, I believe that Samuel loves you,” he told her getting a shocked look from her. He knew why she was surprised but he didn’t comment on it as this time. “Right now, he may be feeling pressured with his proposal meeting coming up and everything. This woman is good and using that to her advantage, but she is also interested in me.”
Marla looked at him in understanding dawned. “So you have been seducing her?”
“As you requested,” he told her with a small bow of his head and she smiled at him. “This weekend you are spending it with Samuel and I will keep his friend occupied, but I suggest that after next week, take a couple weeks off and go somewhere that you won’t be bothered.”
Marla closed her eyes at this and she said, “I still have my show coming up in three weeks myself, but I’m not as prepared as I would like to be so I was thinking of extending it out for another month.” She flinched slightly at her own words as she added, “Although it won’t do my shop any good, but I’m not prepared to put on a show when I haven’t even come up with any new designs.”
Trystan frowned at this news knowing how the appearance of Alina had made a heavy impact on his sister at her most important venture into the design world.
“If you want to push it back then I will support you,” he told her giving her a hug. “Take those two weeks for you and Samuel to enjoy some relaxation and each other before you come back to tackle your showcase.”
Marla nodded her head as she sat up and told him, “I think I will go call Samuel and see what he says about the idea because I know that he has been stressed lately about the proposal meeting coming up.”
Trystan nodded his head as a frown crossed Marla’s face as she stood up. “What about Bea, Tryst? Although I really don’t like the woman for you, I don’t want what you are doing for me to cause any trouble between the two of you either.”
“Don’t worry about Bea,” he told her with a smile kissing her cheek. “I will explain everything to her.”
Marla nodded her head as she walked out of the office grateful that Trystan was her brother as she headed to her room to call Samuel.
The weekend arrived quickly and Alina smiled as she woke up thinking about Sam spendin
g the weekend with Marla even if they were going to a charity event. Sam had called her late last night getting her opinion on what Marla had suggested to him.
“She wants to get away for a few weeks,” he explained with an eager note in his voice that had Alina laughing.
“So do it because whether or not the proposal is accepted,” Alina told him, “I think that two weeks without interruptions would do you two good. Just be careful and make sure that you have a phone wherever you are.”
“I will have my cell…” he began only to be interrupted by Alina.
“No, leave your cell at home although I would leave the number where you would be staying with Dad and your secretary,” Alina advised.
Sam liked those ideas and he told her so with a laugh before he got off to call Marla back with the same advice, and Alina had hung up laughing so hard that she toppled out of bed.
Alina took a quick shower and got dressed as she had a plan in mind for her brother and his fiancée as she walked out of her hotel room thirty minutes later a purse swung over her shoulder.
As she entered the lobby, she froze as she heard a voice call out, “Mr. Tyeson, we need…” but she didn’t hear the rest of the sentence as Trystan looked up when the name was called.
Alina frowned as he strolled over and started talking with the woman before they headed into the manager’s office behind the reception desk, and Alina stood there for a second before she walked out of the hotel.
“Hi Rob,” Alina said thinking quickly. “Is Mr. Tyeson here by any chance?”
Rob, unaware that Trystan hadn’t revealed his identity yet to her, said “He just went inside, miss. If you need to see him, you can call his secretary I believe her name is Trudy and she can make an appointment for you.”
Alina smiled at him although her eyes were filled with anger that she shielded from him. “Thank you, Rob, but I have an appointment at the moment so I will do that when I return,” she told him before striding over to her car.
She waved as she drove out of the parking lot but her eyes were hard with anger at what she just learned. Her cell rung as she drove and she glanced down at the caller id before she ignored it her eyes focused back on the road. She didn’t understand why both had to lie to her and at this moment, she didn’t truly care although her heart cracked a little and her hands trembled as she continued driving.
It was late evening before she finally stopped and pulled up to a nice looking hotel, and she grabbed her cell from the passenger seat where she had thrown it after the tenth call.
She walked into the hotel with a stiff stride and as she walked up to the counter, she smiled. “Can I have a room for a few days?”
The woman smiled as she checked the computer for any vacancies available for the next two days and her smile widened when she find one asking a few questions before she printed out a paper that Alina needed to sign.
After she checked in and was taken to her room, Alina collapsed on the bed just as her cell rung again and without looking at the caller id, she pulled out the battery leaving both lying on the bed as she went into the bathroom to wash up. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she wondered how she let the man get so close in such a short period of time. She shook her head as she leaned down splashing herself with cold water as her eyes began to burn with tears that she had been holding back.
Trystan frowned with worry as the phone just went dead as if the battery was pulled and he took the phone away from his ear as Trudy came into the office her jacket on.
“I called Alina’s room as you requested, Trystan, but there was no answer,” she told him. “As for the receptionist and other staff members, no one has seen her all day and Rob left before I could talk with him.”
Trystan nodded his head as he scowled saying aloud, “She probably is in a huff because Samuel left without contacting her.”
Trudy didn’t comment although she believed that had nothing to do with what was going on at the moment and she shook her head before saying, ‘goodnight’ walking out of the office.
Trystan left an hour later and as he left the hotel, Bea was waiting for him with an inviting smile that Trystan noticed was losing its appeal to him.
“Good evening, I was just about to go see you,” she told him in a sultry voice, and he was about to respond when he saw the man who got out of a very expensive car give Bea a once over before he smiled, a smile that Trystan often used himself with certain women.
He looked at her more shrewdly as she glanced up at him, but he noticed that she had peeked over at the other man as he passed by, and Trystan shook his head smiling at the situation.
“Is something funny, honey?” Bea asked him as they headed to his car.
Trystan shook his head as he said cryptically, “Just laughing at myself, Bea.”
He helped her into the car before going around to the driver’s side and he wondered when he lost sight of Bea’s true nature. He frowned when he realized that he had started to fall into the trap that Bea had set for him, and another light entered his eyes as another thought crossed his mind. It was something he would have to look into as he pulled away from the hotel heading for Bea’s condo.
Alina returned two days later after giving herself time to think about why Trystan did what he did and she came to the conclusion that he had his reasons although what they were she wasn’t sure. As she walked into the lobby of the hotel after her weekend away, she met Trudy who was leaving for an early lunch.
“Alina,” she said in relief as they bumped into each other. “Mr. Tyeson was worried about you.”
Alina looked at her with wary eyes before she smiled, “Mr. Tyeson had no cause for concern as I just wanted a few days for myself that is all.”
“I will call and let him know,” Trudy said pulling out her cell phone only to still at Alina’s next words.
“Trystan can wait a little longer before learning that I have returned,” she said without anger.
Trudy looked up her eyes wide in her face and she said, “Alina, I am sorry but Trystan…”
Alina shook her head as she walked around her only to stop to say, “I don’t know what Mr. Tyeson truly wanted from me, but please tell him for now to leave me alone. I will be gone in a few weeks anyway so he doesn’t need to concern himself with my welfare anymore. Thank your boss for his excellent care.”
She didn’t look behind her to see how Trudy reacted to her words as she headed for the stairs going up them two at a time when the elevator doors opened and Trystan stepped out.
He noticed Trudy standing still in the lobby and walked over to her. “Are you okay, Trudy?” He asked and she turned wide eyes to him.
“I just met Alina coming in as I was leaving,” she told him watching his eyes light up as he turned on his heel but she put out a hand to stop him. He turned a frowning face toward her as she explained, “She knows that you are Mr. Tyeson, and she told me to tell you to leave her alone.”
She backed away at the fury on her boss’s face at her words and she didn’t try to stop him again as he headed for the stairs taking them with his long strides as if they were nothing.
She shook her head as a voice said behind her, “Are you ready, Trudy?”
She turned around to see the man that she had been dating the last few weeks and she smiled as she walked toward him hoping her boss could fix the misunderstanding between Alina and him.
Trystan made it up the three flights of stairs in record time and Alina was just closing her door when he stopped her pushing it open with enough force that caused her to stumble back.
She almost fell but Trystan was a little quicker as he caught her arm with one hand as he shut the door with the other.
She glared at him as she yanked her arm free and walked further into her room. She turned to him as she stood in the middle of her room and asked an indifferent voice, “What can I do for you, Mr. Tyeson?”
He flinched at her tone before he admitted, “All right, I will take anything t
hat you think I deserve for lying to you about who I was although technically I never actually told you I wasn’t Mr. Tyeson.”
“No, you didn’t but you made it seem as if you were two different people,” Alina told him bluntly.
He admitted silently that was true as he said, “You have me on that, but there was a reason for what I did.”
Alina didn’t ask but she waved a hand for him to continue and he thought fast before he admitted, “The flowers that you thought were being sent to the wrong room…” he stopped as she looked at him in confusion. “I sent them to you.”
Her hazel eyes widened in disbelief as she stumbled back landing on the bed and she whispered, “What?”
“I saw you at the restaurant and then again in the dining room here as I went down to fix a problem as my day manager has been on vacation,” Trystan said as he stepped over to her. “I never could get a hold of you so I sent the flowers thinking that you would accept them, but other than the first delivery, you rejected every single one.”
“I thought…” Alina started only to shake her as she trailed off.
“I didn’t know until the flower shop told me that the deliveries were not being accepted,” he told her not being totally truthful with her. “It wasn’t until we had dinner that I learned you believed them to be delivered to the wrong room.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me the truth instead of making it seem like you and Mr. Tyeson were two separate people,” she said with a frown her eyes back to normal.
“I don’t know,” he said with sincerity and Alina looked at him hearing a touch of confusion in his voice.
“Trystan,” Alina said on a sigh before she closed her eyes and flopped back on the bed.
Trystan sat down on the bed next to her and although her body stiffened slightly, she didn’t say anything to him as he laid down next to her on his side his eyes watching her.
“I don’t know what I should do,” she whispered her eyes flashing open as she turned her head to look at him.
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