Chapter 23 Twenty-three
"Oh my, Miss Alexa." Ryder walked in briskly as he engulfed Alexandra in a surprise hug which she quickly pulled away from.
"Mr Welland!" She called shockingly and Ryder opened his mouth in shock, quickly regaining his composure.
"I'm really sorry about that. By the way, how is your...." Ryder pointed to his chest area and Alexa quickly understood what he was asking.
"It's fine. Thankfully, it didn't peel off." She said embarrassingly.
Doreen cleared her throat slowly to tell them that she was still in the office and Alexa raised her brow, turning her head towards the door.
"Go." She mouthed and Doreen nodded, walking outside immediately, she closed the door afterwards.
"So, have your seat please." She pointed towards the cushion chair as she sat opposite him.
Doreen returned again with a two cups of coffee and she placed them in front of Alexandra and Ryder, before leaving them once again.
"Wow, I can say I really didn't expect this would happen, Miss Alexa. You are the president of such a large company, Velvet Vixen." He clapped his hands as he looked around the office.
"What a fine interior design this office has." Alexandra smiled appreciatedly as she picked her cup of coffee, sipping it slowly. She used that time to take a look at Ryder well. This man...is weird. Really weird.
He flashed her a smile as he crossed his legs and relaxed backwards, staring deep at her. She almost choked on her coffee but she regained herself quickly, dropping the cup down.
"Mr Welland, what exactly do you want?" She asked after cleaning her lips.
"You," Ryder replied in a daze and she raised her brows.
"Huh, I mean you...and I, our partnership." He immediately corrected himself and she nodded her head.
"You could have sent one of your employees but you decided to come yourself?" She asked and Ryder nodded, placing the brown file he had in his hands on the table, he shifted the file towards Alexandra.
"I take my job very seriously." He said, his fingers lingered on the file and Alexa made no move to pick it up until he removed his fingers.
"I'm glad I came her today. I would have missed the chance to meet you again." He said.
"Did you come to flirt with me, Mr Welland? Because if you did, I wouldn't like it one bit and this proposal," she shifted the file back towards him, "would be off." She said calmly.
"If I had met you somewhere else, I would have loved to flirt with you, Miss Alexa but I respect your office, so I would just talked about business here. I can't say the same if I meet you somewhere else." He said and she sighed, taking the file back. She rolled the string over it and opened the file, going through the details calmly.
She felt Ryder's eyes on her throughout the time she read the papers and she shifted uncomfortably on the chair, clearing her throat.
"Are you alright?" He asked and she nodded slowly.
"Mr Welland, if I read this well, your company is going for a model show and you want me to create all the dresses?" She said and Ryder nodded.
"Yes. For every design you make, the amount is stipulated there. I'm pretty sure it's a good deal."
"Whether it's a good deal or not, it's up to me to decide. It's my company's speciality." She said calmly, dropping the file on the table slowly.
"I'm pretty sure you know a good deal when you see one." Ryder said teasingly and she smirked.
"Yes, I do. But that doesn't mean I'll jump into it without consulting my workers and directors first. I'll get back to you in a week, Mr Welland." She said professionally.
"Well, there's enough time. We have two months before the program." Ryder replied and she nodded.
"That's nice." She said.
"I hope we can have dinner sometime, Alexa." He said as he stood up and Alexa stood up with him.
"Well, Mr Welland, that's depends on if this contract works out."
"I'll take that as a yes." He smirked before leaving the office and Alexa sighed, collapsing on the chair. Her phone rang almost immediately and she rushed to her desk to pick it up.
It was Liam and she rolled her eyes immediately.
She picked the up the phone and placed it on her ears without saying a word.
"Alexa, where do I drop the kids? We are done having fun?" It was about eight years when Liam used a calm voice like this to talk to her. After their marriage, things had changed.
"Bring them to my office." She said plainly.
"They are extremely tired and have fallen asleep."
"Jace too?" She asked.
"Yeah. I think they are light sleepers. Why don't I take them home directly?"
"My house is not your home!" Alexandra snapped. How had Liam easily known that the children were light sleepers?
"I'll come and meet you and pick them up." She said.
"Alexandra, just let me drop them at your house. I won't visit if you don't want me to. I promise." He said and she sighed, before giving him her address.
She immediately put her things into her bag and picked up Helix proposal on the table, before leaving the office and getting into the elevator..
"Doreen, you don't have to overwork because I'm not around. Leave the office early okay?" She said as she left the company.
"Yes ma'am." Doreen nodded in understanding.
When Alexandra got home, Liam was just coming out of the kids room and unexpectedly, her mother was home.
"Good evening, mom."She greeted Louisa, ignoring Liam as she went upstairs to check on the kids. Liam was right, they were deeply asleep after playing for so long. Jade was even snoring lightly.
She felt his presence beside her and she turned lightly, "Where exactly did you take them to?"
"The amusement park. They wanted to go there."
"Jade right?" She asked and Liam nodded. With that, she left the door and closed the door quietly.
"Thank you for taking 'my kids' home. You can leave now, Liam." She said coldly.
"Don't mind her, Liam. I made dinner. Why don't you come have dinner with us?"
"Mom!"