Chapter 79 Dirty Games
ALICE
The night was so long and tense that my neck was starting to hurt.
A few minutes ago, Carmella dragged Theo to the dance floor, and though I heard him refuse the first three times, he eventually decided to go. I couldn't see them, and it wasn't like I was looking. I felt terrible for everything that had happened so far, and I just wanted to go home.
Freddie kicked me under the table lightly and I looked at him. He then gestured toward the restrooms and I nodded. He gave me a pointed look afterward, and I nodded again. If he had to go, then he had to go.
Besides, I wasn't afraid of being alone with this asshole. If he tried something else, I'd probably punch him in the nose. Thankfully, for the past hour, he left me alone. Then again, it could simply be because he hadn't had a chance to.
Freddie stood up. I held my breath, then released it slowly. I could already feel him shifting in his chair and it pissed me off before he even opened his mouth.
"You know," he began, reaching for his fifth drink of the night, "I haven't stopped thinking about you since Helsinki."
"Oh, give it a rest."
He chuckled. "You don't believe me. I see. That's understandable. So, what's with you and Theo?"
My heart jumped and I couldn't control this inward reaction. I told him, "Nothing, and in any case, I don't think it's any of your business."
"Sure it is. I want to make your business mine, Alice, or Miss Rhodes, or whatever it is you want me to call you." He turned in his seat so he was looking directly at me but my eyes were straight ahead. "Look, I don't know what's going on, but I can offer you a way out."
I frowned, but again, made an effort not to look at him. "A way out? What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know. Maybe you feel like you owe him something because you're still working for him, in a way."
I whipped my head around, narrowing my eyes at him. He had that smile on his face that crept under my skin each and every time. God, I despised this man. He was worse than a parasite. "What are you talking about? I'm not working for him. Are you implying sex work or something? If that's the case, then you can shove your fucking—"
"Relax, Miss Rhodes. That's not what I meant. I'm sorry for being untoward, then. It's just that since you're working for his grandmother, I thought maybe he was involved in that decision. That was my mistake."
I felt like I'd walked into a brick wall. I was so stunned that I physically couldn't open my mouth to say anything, and he looked even more satisfied.
"You...You do work for Francesca, right? His grandmother?"
My world stopped spinning. It...It couldn't be. Surely this had to be a malicious game Todd was playing. There was no way that Francesca was Theo's grandmother.
"Oh," he said, feigning ignorance. He even put his glass down. "Don't tell me you didn't know."
I couldn't stop myself from looking at Theo. His eyes were already on us and Carmella was clinging to him. She was dancing, moving her hips from side to side. He was standing perfectly still.
Could this be true? Yes, why else would he have been at that birthday party? When she approached the group, they hadn't exchanged a single word with each other. It also couldn't have been a coincidence that I first met her on my way to his office.
I thought he had finally let me go.
It seemed I was wrong, and he lied to me this entire time.
I stood up, completely ignoring Todd, and went to the restrooms so I could search for Freddie and wait for him there. This evening was over. I wasn't sure what kind of games were being played here and I didn't care in any case.
Todd came after me, of course. He grabbed my arm, saying my name, "Miss Rhodes—"
I whirled around with a cry, freeing myself easily. "Don't put your goddamned hands on me again! Get this through that thick skull of yours—I don't want you and I never will. I wouldn't fuck you for all the money in the world. I wouldn't do it even to save my life! Stay the hell away from me and invest your time in someone who'll be impressed by all this superficiality!"
Maybe my outburst would work this time around because he didn't come after me. When I reached the restrooms, Freddie was walking out.
"What happened?" he asked right away.
"Let's go. I can't...I can't stay here for a second longer."
I wasn't sure how Theo and his grandmother managed to get me employed, but I didn't want to think about that right now or my head would explode. I stopped suddenly, though, and turned to Freddie again. He worked for Francesca for longer, right?
"That man who's with his fiancée," I began. "is he Miss O's grandson?"
"What?"
"Is he?"
Freddie looked at me with an expression that made me step back and shake my head. "Why won't you answer me?"
"I think you need to calm down, Alice."
"You knew?" I asked wildly. "You...You're aware of what's happening here, aren't you?"
I backed away from him when he tried to reach me. He still hadn't answered me and at this point, I didn't need an answer from him. I got it now. I understood everything. This was a setup from the very start.
This was Theo trying to trap me all over again.
I headed toward the exit, ignoring Freddie. I had to get the hell out of here because if I didn't, I'd lose my shit completely.
Freddie approached me once we were outside. "Alice, at least let me take you home."
Tears pricked my eyes. I ignored him and kept going. The one good thing that ever happened to me was all a setup and I definitely didn't know what to do about it.
"Alice."
I whirled around and looked at him, prepared to lash out or take my anger out on him. He said quickly, "I know you're upset, but I guarantee you that you don't know the full story. Look, just let me take you home. You don't have to say a single word to me on the ride there. When you're calmer, come into the office, and we can talk."
"We, huh?"
He shoved his hands into his pockets but kept his eyes on me. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, then shook my head.
I went with him.