Meeting Mr. Mogul: A Billionaire Contemporary Romance (22 page)

“I’m sorry, Ms. Maxwell. I was... He was...” I stuttered as I try to come up with something to say. This call was not going to go well.

In reply, Alexandra chuckled at my discomfort. “Did my brother finally get your attention?” she asked, still chuckling.

“What? I’m sorry. I don’t seem to follow you, Ms. Maxwell,” I admitted in confusion.

“Oh. He still hasn’t asked you out?” she asked guiltily. “I thought my brother was better at his game,” she added with a giggle.

“What do you mean?” I probed as my eyebrows scrunched together in frustration.

“Well, I’m sorry for assuming anything since you don’t know anything yet. But, please email me next time you take a day off. I’ve got to go. Michael is calling,” she stated gleefully and ended the call.

When the phone beeped, the call ended, I looked down at it in uncertainty. I think I was missing something in this whole situation. Maybe it wasn’t luck that had landed me in this job after all.

The weekend passed by too fast. It seemed that there was so little time to be spent with Billy. We visited my dad and stayed there during the day, while in the afternoon I took him out for a tour of the city. Well, there wasn’t much sightseeing we could do since I wasn’t familiar with the area yet. Terry had better luck as he gave Billy a grand tour of all the bars in town on his last day.

On his last night, the old man almost drank himself to death. If that were the case, Billy would have died when I was in college. The thing that awed me the most about Billy was his tolerance to alcohol. No matter how much alcohol entered his system, he could still stand straight the next day. Maybe when you start drinking at an early age, it gives you that inhuman tolerance to alcohol. And from what my father told me, Billy had been drinking even before he started sleeping with girls. That was saying something.

The farewell was short and slightly emotional between my dad and him, but they were men. They sucked it up and insulted each other until the end. His flight was on Monday early morning, which made it hard for me to take him to the airport as I had to get to work. So he stayed at Terry’s place on his last day.

When Monday morning came, it felt like I just woke up from a dream and came back to reality with a kick rather than a kiss from a prince. Without warning, my mind raced back to the conversation I had with Alexandra. What did she mean about William not asking me out? Maybe she saw the article and started to assume that I was like her other secretary. I needed to straighten out that misunderstanding.

As I entered the company building an hour later, I felt as if everybody’s eyes were on me. I made a quick scan around the lobby as I made my way towards the elevator. And every time my eyes landed on someone, they would turn and walk away from me. Something is up.

“Hey Andy!” Danny called in a whisper.

I looked at her in confusion, not sure why she was whispering. Danny gestured with her hand for me to come closer as I remained standing, eyeing her with trepidation. I snapped out of it and walked towards her, scanning the room again as I felt someone staring at me again.

“Andy, did you see the latest article?” Danny asked as I reached her, her voice low as a whisper.

I look at her with my eyebrow raised. “Why are you whispering?” I asked as I grabbed the paper she held out to me.

“You’re on the paper again. And you’re not going to like the photo of this one,” she stated as I looked down to check what she meant.

I took in a sharp intake of breath as my eyes went wide. It was a picture of William and me, his hand on my arm as he dragged me towards the hospital. I knew that I should have insisted him to leave me. And then it clicked. Maybe this was why Alexandra assumed all those things. She saw this photo.

“When was this out?” I asked as I checked on the date of article being published.

“Yesterday,” Danny replied as I found the date.

“Is that why people are staring at me?” I asked in defeat as I scanned the lobby again. I caught a few eyes on me.

“Yes. No. Okay, yes, they are looking because of this,” Danny replied as she tried to comfort me.

I turned to look at her in pleading eyes. “Help me out please?”

She gave me a weak smile before replying. “Already on it but...” she trailed off as her eyes landed on something, or rather someone behind me.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” William asked, stunning me before I could turn to look who caught Danny’s attention.

“This isn’t really a good time to talk to me,” I pointed out grimly as I quickly make another scan of the lobby, where everyone was glancing at William and me not so discreetly.

“Right. Then let’s go up to my office,” William stated after he made a quick scan of the lobby, too. He grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the elevator.

It was very amusing how people almost jumped out of our way as we walked towards the elevator, their eyes firmly on us. Suddenly, I felt self-conscious. Do they think I’m some tramp who slept their way up to this position, although I work for Alexandra and not him? How am I going to work while these people looked at me like a slut?

When the elevator door closed, I heard William let out a sigh. I turned towards him, finally realizing that we were alone in the elevator. I perused him for a second until he looked towards me. I tore my eyes away from him and moved a little further from him.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he stated grimly, breaking the silence.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I tried to remain oblivious to his presence. Suddenly, my thoughts rushed back to the last time I was alone in the elevator with him. I’m not letting that happen again. I’m prepared now, I think.

“I’m so sorry about that. I didn’t know that there was paparazzi following me. I assure you that would be the first and the last time,” he said, sounding like he had already taken care of it.

“What do you mean the first? Haven’t you seen the other articles about us?” I asked as I faced him angrily. I don’t know why I’m angry since it wasn’t his fault. Or maybe it was. “You should have distanced yourself from me. This friendship thing is really not working,” I added.

He was about to say something but he closed his mouth after I said those words. His eyes hardened a little as he took a step closer to me. I shrunk back until I felt the cool metal wall against my back. This situation was starting to seem very, very familiar.

“Is that what you really think about everything? Do you really hate being that close to me?” he asked softly, yet his voice was deep and menacing.

“It’s not like that...” I countered as I tried to sound stern, but my voice had failed me.

“Yes. It is like that,” he interjected as he took another step closer to me.

I held up my arm as he stood only inches from me. “Wait!” I exclaimed in frustration. This was not how I envisioned things would go.

Without warning, William raised his hand as he lightly caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. I looked up at him in shock. “You know, you are the only woman who can resist me this long. I think I have to try harder, which is something I have never done in my life,” he admitted quietly.

“What are you talking about?” I choked out.

“You know what I’m talking about,” he said as a smirk played at the ends of his lips.

Before I could ask or say anything, the elevator doors opened. William moved away from me and walked towards his office without giving me a second glance. I followed behind him absentmindedly and sat down on my chair. I don’t know what just happened. I will pretend that it never happened.

“Andy! Hey! Are you daydreaming?” Maggie asked with a playful grin as she waved her hand in front of me.

“No,” I replied sheepishly as I felt my cheeks flush in embarrassment.

“Have you read the newspaper?” she asked as her eyes gleamed with amusement.

I eyed her for a second as I tried to read her expression. “Did William ask you to do something about it?” I asked in suspicion.

“No. He just ignored me and went directly into his office. Since you came out with him in the elevator, I assumed you both talked,” she stated as she raised her eyebrow at me questionably, yet the glint in her eyes didn’t falter.

“No. We didn’t,” I replied softly as I turned away from her and started up my desktop computer.

“So, have you read what the tabloids have printed?” she asked as she placed a newspaper on my desk.

I didn’t give her a reply and glanced down at the newspaper. I was preoccupied with the photo of William and me that I didn’t bother to read what was written under it. I mentally cringed as I finally read along the lines. I was right about the slut bit and being the new item to his lists of girls he supposedly dated. But what made me stiffen was the part where the journalist assumed I was pregnant. I mean, do I look that fat?

“Do I look pregnant to you?” I asked Maggie, as I glanced down at my stomach. It was slightly flat, since it was covered with my blazer and silky shirt.

“You are not fat, Andy. Trust me,” Maggie assured as she returned to her desk. “But, are you not fazed about the fact that people think you are together?” she asked as she looked at me seriously.

“I
am
pissed about that,” I replied angrily. “Can we not talk about this?” I pleaded grimly as I turned back to my computer, pretending to be busy.

“Sure,” Maggie replied with a soft chuckle as she turned back to her work.

I couldn’t really concentrate on my work as Maggie’s question lingered on my mind. William and I together, what kind of alternate universe would that happen in? I’ve hated the man since we met. I supposed that at some point, he grew some sort of feelings towards me…
or me towards him
. I slapped myself to get that thought out of my head. I did admit that William Maxwell could be sexy at times. And, he may have a softer side to him.

When I glanced down at the clock on the lower right side of my monitor, I stood up and excused myself for an early lunch. I needed a breather and a cup of coffee. So, I headed out to the coffee shop across the street.

When it was my turn to order, I froze in place as the person in front of me looked at me with wide eyes.

“Andy, hey. Long time no see,” Mase greeted half-heartedly as he gave me a small awkward wave.

“Mase, hey,” I finally gathered enough courage to talk. “I’m sorry I couldn’t call you last time...” I continued trailing off, not sure how to explain to him why I didn’t call.

“No. I should be sorry for hitting on you. I didn’t know you were dating Mr. Maxwell,” he interjected, giving me bleak smile.

“What? No. We are not...” I defended frantically as I tried to find the words to explain to him. But then, I remembered the photo and the article. “God!” I hissed in frustration.

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

“No. I’m not,” I replied with a weak smile.

“So, you’re really pregnant?” he asked in a whisper as he eyed my flat stomach.

“What? I’m not freaking pregnant! Do I look that fat to be pregnant?” I asked angrily as I gestured to my flat stomach.

“No! I didn’t mean it like that... It was just... in the newspaper,” he stuttered in his defense as he gestured at a newspaper on the counter between us.

I ignored his reply and gave him my usual order. Then, I handed him the payment without bothering to look at him. I was pissed. Now I’m getting back to my senses. I’m going to straighten this out. I don’t want another episode of telling people that I’m not having William’s baby.

As I waited in the sidelines for my coffee, I could feel people’s gazes on me. I didn’t dare to look up and I pretended not to overhear some of their conversations. When my order finally came up, I grabbed my drink and made my way out of the place. Well, that would be the last time I’m getting coffee in that place. William is making my life more miserable without his presence. I think he finally found a way to get back at me.

“Excuse me. Are you William’s baby mama?” Suddenly a man with a camera came up to me, making me stagger backwards in surprise.

“What?” I asked in surprise.

“Hey. Can I get a picture of you?” another man with a camera walked up to me.

“Excuse me,” I ignored them and continued to walk back to the building.

“Hey! Guys! That’s her! That’s William Maxwell’s new girl!” another man called behind me, making everyone look at me.

I turned to the voice and saw a few men with cameras gathered around like they were doing some photo shoot. Then, in a snap, camera flashes came up to me on all sides, cornering me a few steps outside the coffee shop. I looked down on the ground and started increasing my pace as the paparazzi walked up to me.

“Are you having William Maxwell’s baby?” one asked as I stopped for a second when someone blocked my way.

“When did you start dating?” another asked, as the camera flashes continued.

“Excuse me,” I ignored their questions as I tried to maneuver away from them. This is not happening to me.

“What is your name?” another man asked as I squirmed away from another reporter.

“Please. Leave me alone,” I warned as I held up my coffee and continued walking.

“How far along are you?” another one asked, blocking my way again.

Finally, I snapped. I stomped my foot and looked up to a dozen or so reporters standing in front of me as I felt a few cameras flashing behind me. “If you guys ask me another question about me being pregnant, I’m going to shove that freaking camera up your ass. You got that!” I snapped in rage.

For a second, I thought that they would leave me. But it only added fuel to the fire. I should have not said anything. I should have continued walking until I reached the company building. Now, I just indirectly admitted that I was the girl in the photo with William.

When I finally reached the lobby of the company building, a few security guards held up a fortress in the entrance, blocking the paparazzi. I let out a huge sigh of relief as I placed my hand on my knee.

“Andy! Are you okay? I just heard...” a familiar voice urgently called.