Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

I knew I shouldn’t have done it. I should have woken him up, told him I was going to work. Told him to get up and get ready too. I don’t know why I didn’t. Actually, yes, I do. I was being petty after he thought he could just show up at my apartment unannounced and impose his will on me. And I knew the moment I saw him storm into the office that I fucked up.

He gives me a glare before slamming his door behind him.

Shit. I knew he’d be upset, but I didn’t think he’d be this pissed off. Unfortunately I have to go and face him. I can’t just ignore him all day. I need to work with him. This is why it’s never a good idea to get into bed with your boss. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ve always prided myself on being intelligent. Yet, for some reason, whenever I’m around Alistair, it’s like all of my brain cells are fried. I’m only able to concentrate on one thing.

Him.

And that’s a problem. I need to focus on me, on my career. I swore after the whole Hunter ordeal that I would never let another man overtake my life. And after weeks of being with Alistair, I’m risking everything just to have him in my bed. Or his bed.

Deciding I need another coffee before facing my boss’s adult temper tantrum, I head for the kitchen, make a cup, and go back to my office. I sit down just as my phone vibrates across my desk. I almost don’t pick it up. I’m not ready to deal with a grumpy Alistair Warner if it’s him. I peek at the phone and see my mum’s picture flash across the screen. A smile splits my face.

“Hi, Mumma, how are you?” I greet her.

“Good, good. How’s my baby?” she asks.

“Not so much a baby,” I tell her.

“You will always be my baby, Danielle. Tell me, what’s new? How’s the job going?” she presses.

“Good. It’s busy but I love it.”

“And they’re treating you well?” she questions me.

My thoughts drift to just how well my boss is treating me. Images of Alistair above me, thrusting in and out of me, flit through my mind.

“Danielle? Are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m here. Sorry… just thinking about a case,” I lie. “They’re good here. It’s a great company,” I tell her, because it is. It’s the best firm in the city.

“Good to hear. What about on the man front? Any news there?”

Rhonda Hutchinson is a hopeless romantic. She has it in her head that I’m going to find my one great love. She never really cared for Hunter. She tolerated my ex because I picked him.

“Not really,” I say.

“You’re hiding something from me, Danielle. I can tell. Who is he?”

“No one I’m ready to introduce to you and Daddy yet,” I reply.

“Sooo, is it good?”

“Is what good?” I ask her.

“The sex?”

“Oh my god, Mum, you did not just ask me that,” I screech at her.

“What? It’s a perfectly reasonable question. God knows Hunter was a dud. You deserve to be having good sex, you know. Your father and I?—”

“Mum, I gotta go. Sorry. Got a meeting.” I hang up the phone and throw it on my desk. The last thing I ever want to hear about is my parents’ sex life. Like, seriously, ew. Just gross. I feel like I need to floss my ears out after just that little bit.

I reach for my coffee cup and sip at the hot, overly sweet brew. I may have added extra sugar. I need the pick-me-up. Maybe I should go home this weekend, spend some time with my parents. I used to visit them at least once a month. I’ve only been back there twice since the Hunter ordeal. There are too many memories of him in that house. Not only did he manage to humiliate me on the damn altar, he also ruined the comfort I found in my childhood home.

I hate him. I never thought it possible to hate someone as much as I do my ex.

Filled with a renewed anger at what Hunter did to me, I decide now is a good time to face Alistair. If he wants to be pissed off, then I’ll match his mood.

With my head held high and my shoulders pushed back, I walk through the office in the direction of Alistair’s. Stopping at Terri’s desk. “Hi, Terri, is Alistair free?” I ask her.

“One minute,” she says, picking up the phone. “Mr Warner, Miss Hutchinson wants to see you,” she says into the receiver. I don’t hear his response, but Terri’s brows draw down before she hangs up. “You can go in, but he’s really not in the best mood. Just warning you.” She smiles at me.

“Thank you.” I nod my head at her, take a huge breath, and open Alistair’s door, closing it behind me.

He’s typing away at his computer. He doesn’t even stop to look up at me as I enter. He usually drops everything to give me his full attention. Why do I suddenly feel guilty? Like I’ve done something wrong?

Screw that! I haven’t done anything wrong. If he wants to sulk, then that’s on him. Not me.

I sit down in the chair across from him. Cross my legs and place my notepad on his desk. And wait. I don’t say anything. Just sit silently and watch him focus on that damn screen.

It feels like an eternity before he huffs out a breath and turns to face me. “What can I do for you, Miss Hutchinson?” he grunts.

So I’m Miss Hutchinson now? Just a few hours ago, I was ‘little girl’ or Dani.

“I have the notes you asked for, for the Jameson case,” I tell him, pulling the manilla folder out from under my notepad.

“You can leave it,” he says dismissively.

“Okay, is there anything you need me to work on today?” I ask him. I’ve finished everything he wanted me to research last week.

“Have you checked your emails this morning, Miss Hutchinson? I’ve emailed you a list of tasks I expect to be completed by end of day,” he says, without looking at me.

“Right, I’ll get on that then.” I stand, pick up my notepad, and walk to the door.

“Miss Hutchinson,” he calls out after me just as I’m about to turn the knob.

“Yes, sir?” I pivot to face him.

“Close the door on your way out,” he grunts.

“Of course, sir,” I say in the sweetest voice I can muster.

Shutting the door harder than necessary, I smile at Terri as I pass. I head back to my office, sit at my desk, open my emails, and see there is in fact a message from Alistair. I click it open and read through the list of tasks. It’s all clerical work, things Terri usually does for him. Make copies of this, type up that.

I roll my eyes.

It’s a long list and he probably expects me to fight him on it or not get everything completed. Well, he doesn’t know who I am if he thinks I will ever fail at something.

I press print on the email and head to the copy room, somewhere I’m probably going to be holed up in most of the day anyway. With that thought, I unplug my laptop and bring it with me. Picking up the printed email, I get started at the top of the list. It might be menial work, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do it to the absolute best of my abilities.

I set up in the corner of the copy room. I have my laptop on the floor and a heap of papers spread out around me. I lose myself in the files I’m sorting through. I’ve crossed off ten things from the list of forty tasks.

“Dani, is there something wrong with your office?”

I look up from the paper I was highlighting to find Nathan Miller staring down at me.

“Ah, no, I just needed to print a heap of stuff and figured I’d do it from here. I can move,” I tell him, busying myself with packing up the pile of documents.

“No need. As long as you’re okay,” he says.

“I’m fine. Just focused,” I tell him.

“Right, I’ll, ah, leave you to it then.” He shakes his head and walks out of the copy room.

I barely notice anyone else come and go for the next couple of hours. I work through lunch, ignoring the growl of my stomach. I will not let hunger interrupt or hinder me. I know it’s stupid, and I should stop to eat. But I’m determined to prove to Alistair I can do anything he throws at me. I want to beat him at his own stupid game. Which I know is petty.

That’s where I’m at though, and now that I’ve started, I’m not changing course. I’m more than halfway done with the list. Ticking off another item, I roll my neck and look at the clock. Three in the afternoon. I have three hours to get another ten items crossed off, and then I’ve won.

What exactly? I have no idea.

Standing, I stretch my arms over my head. I walk into the kitchen to get an energy drink from the fridge. I briefly eye the muffins in the break room before deciding against them, in order to stay focused.