Chapter 168 At Your Disposal
Just before Caroline got off work, she received a call from Leopold.
"I had lunch with Maddox and drank too much. Can you come pick me up?"
"Okay, how much did you drink?" Caroline tucked her phone between her shoulder and ear, quickly organizing the files on her desk.
Leopold said, "Five bottles."
Five bottles and he's drunk?
Who's he kidding!
Caroline didn't call him out on it. "Wait for me."
She hung up and left her office. In the hallway, she ran into her colleague Axel, who stopped her.
"Ms. Tudor."
Caroline stopped. "Mr. Campbell."
Axel handed her some materials. "This is the promotional content I drafted for tomorrow's safety training event. I'm not sure if these points are good enough. Take a look. If it works, I'll go with this. And do you have time tomorrow? If so, come say a few words to everyone."
Caroline took it. Axel had always been in charge of these regular meetings. If she gave a big speech, it might steal his thunder. Plus, Axel really cared about appearances.
So his real intention in calling her wasn't to have her review the promotional content, but to get her to attend the meeting. That way, it would show that the work he was responsible for was valued by leadership.
Caroline said tactfully, "Mr. Campbell, the draft is definitely fine. I won't speak either. Safety training is very important work, and leaders at all levels take it seriously. You've always been in charge of this, you understand all aspects of it. No one knows it better than you. If I speak, I won't have much to say. How about I just sit in? I'll learn from you."
Hearing this, Axel was pleased. "Sure, why not? Tomorrow at nine, third-floor, conference room."
Caroline handed the draft back to him. "Okay, I've got it."
Leaving the power company compound, Caroline drove straight toward Maple Avenue. When she passed a pharmacy, she went in to buy some hangover and stomach-soothing powder. Last time after Leopold's drinking session, this powder had helped ease his discomfort.
From a distance, she could see Leopold's car parked at the entrance, and Leopold was standing inside the glass door looking out, timing her arrival.
Seeing her car appear, he said to Maddox inside, "Caroline's here, I'm leaving."
Maddox quickly followed him out to see them off.
Caroline had just parked when Leopold and Maddox came out. Both looked normal, except for flushed faces, no obvious signs of being drunk.
Leopold opened the car door and got into the passenger seat. Maddox braced his hand on the car roof and said to Caroline in the driver's seat, "We drank three cases. Let him sleep more when you get back."
Three cases? Wasn't it five bottles?
Leopold sighed helplessly. "Move your hand. You're drunk and still talking so much."
Caroline's expression remained calm. She smiled at Maddox outside the car. "Okay, got it. We're leaving."
Maddox raised his eyebrows at Leopold. "Bye-bye."
With that, he not only closed the car door but also shut the door on Leopold's lie.
The car was quiet. Caroline kept looking ahead while Leopold kept stealing glances at her, observing her expression.
At the intersection waiting for the red light, Caroline still didn't say a word. Those thirty-some seconds felt agonizing to Leopold.
He rested his elbow on the window, unconsciously rubbing his thumb and index finger together.
Unable to find a topic to break the oppressive atmosphere, Leopold noticed the hangover powder in the glove box. He picked it up and asked with a smile, "You bought this for me?"
"Yes."
Leopold leaned on her shoulder. "My wife is so thoughtful. You're so good to me."
Caroline said, "When we pass the pharmacy up ahead, I'll buy another box."
"That's enough. One box can be used three times." Leopold was still leaning on her shoulder.
Caroline said, "One packet of powder can handle three bottles of alcohol. You guys drank three cases today. One case has twelve bottles, three cases have thirty-six bottles. Say you each had eighteen bottles—don't I need to buy another box?"
Leopold was speechless.
The light turned green, and Caroline pressed the gas pedal.
Leopold said with a smile, "Maddox had something bothering him, so I kept him company and we drank a few more."
Caroline wasn't unreasonable. She asked, "What happened?"
"He's hit some rough patches lately. Employees are leaving, there's not much work, and funding will probably be tight next month. He used all his money to start the company, so he's broke now."
"That's serious." Caroline asked, "Is the problem easy to solve?"
Leopold told the truth. "Not really. The competing company has connections. They've taken most of the market share in Seaside City, leaving Maddox with scraps. If he wants to work, he can only pick up jobs others don't want. But with his talent, that's kind of a waste."
Caroline understood.
"How can he make money without a business? His company must have a lot of daily expenses, right?" She asked.
Leopold didn't mention money. "His parents have money. His family will probably support him. He can manage for now."
"Can his parents help or not?" Based on what Leopold said, Maddox's company sounded pretty shaky.
"They can. His parents spoil him."
"Does Erica know?"
"Maddox hasn't told her."
Caroline nodded knowingly, getting the picture. "Will Maddox tell Erica?"
Leopold shook his head, and the motion made his head hurt. "Don't know."
Caroline glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "If you're not feeling well, sleep for a bit. I'll wake you when we get home."
He really did need to rest. The alcohol was making him drowsy—he'd almost fallen asleep at Maddox's place earlier.
Leopold crossed his arms and leaned his head back. "Okay, I'll sleep for a bit."
The car drove smoothly, and Leopold fell deeper asleep.
When they reached the underground garage, Caroline gently pushed him. "Wake up, we're here."
Leopold opened his eyes, and his alcohol-laden breath hit Caroline's face, nearly making her gag.
Caroline covered her mouth and looked down, trying not to throw up. Leopold stared at her. "Are you pregnant?"
Caroline shot him an annoyed look. "Pregnant with what? You drank so much that the whole car reeks of alcohol. If we ran into a traffic cop doing a drunk driving check, the breathalyzer would go off without you even blowing into it."
Leopold laughed. "Not that bad."
Caroline unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. But after she got out, the person in the passenger seat didn't move.
She came around to Leopold's side, opened the door, and said, "Get out."
He didn't move, smiling with roguish charm, and crooked his finger at her. "Honey, help me unbuckle my seatbelt."
He was handsome, so even his drunk antics looked good.
Caroline decided not to argue with him. She leaned in to unbuckle the seatbelt, but Leopold grabbed her and ambushed her with a kiss.
Caroline pushed her hands against his chest, but he held the back of her head firmly. The intoxication on his tongue swept through her lips and teeth, stirring her until she felt dizzy.
Leopold's body stiffened.
His gaze dropped. Caroline's hand was gripping below his belt. She narrowed her eyes. "You're drunk and still acting cocky. Let's go upstairs. I'm going to punish you good today."
Leopold was already aroused. He curved his lips in a wicked smile, his eyes full of wild desire, and spread his arms, saying, "I'm all yours."