Chapter 27 Chapter 27
ALINA'S POV
He didn't know when to stop, did he??
I hadn't even finished processing his outright misbehaviour earlier today and yet he does this? Assemble all of these in my office? Write this...this damned note?!
Who brought all of these in here? Him? I doubt that, meaning someone else did on his behalf. Someone got all of these set-up, delivered and then added the note. Right here.
And how many people saw that said person do all of these in my office?? Saw that said person follow the 'boss's instructions, especially after his stunt this morning!
"Just what is he thinking?" I snapped, throwing the note to the floor. My emotions more pissed off than disbelief. "Is he really going to act dumb here? Really do this, play this stupid games?? All for what exactly?"
I looked at the flowers again, the change of clothes and heavily packed lunch, my stomach growling loudly almost immediately. Making me close my eyes, wincing in shame, "Damned betrayer," I cussed under my breath, "You're not even letting me have the option of rejecting it all first."
I should at least get to reject it all and preserve my dignity. Not start having... betraying thoughts and wondering if the seasoned chicken was as tasty as it looked.
"They do look yummy though," I grumbled, seating down. My fingers slowly reaching to unwrap. "It won't be wrong to eat them right now, I can't waste food after all. I'm hungry too."
Besides, Roman obviously wanted to spend his money. He had too much already, so what's the big deal if I ate out of it by appreciating this meal right now?
And as for the flowers... Well, I could throw those away. I could definitely. Didn't need his clothes either, was very much comfortable in my own clothes.
"So that's it," I said, smiling like I'd solved the mystery. "I eat the food, throw out the rest. Simple. Easy peasy."
Everyone would see I rejected it and I wouldn't be left hungry at the same time.
Problem solved.
I got into it then. Unwrapping the lunch and after one bite? I deeply congratulated myself for a good decision well made.
"Oh Alina, you make the best decisions!"
After lunch, I handled a little necessary paperwork in my office. Taking the time to relax too, my meal to digest and thankfully everything was uneventful throughout.
I didn't see Roman, he didn't see me, and no one gave me weird glances either. Unless you were counting the time I dumped all the flowers in the trash outside before leaving for the day. That got a few stares. Intriguing stares.
But that was good, right? If they saw the staff that set it up in my office, then they now saw me trashing it all out. That should ensure the end of any nasty rumours, right?
"You seriously think dumping a few roses in the trashcan stops a rumour?" I blinked.
"Whenever has that happened Lina?"
"I don't know, but doesn't it show my disinterest?" I complained, confused now. "It should show I'm not interested and nothing of such is going on. Shouldn't it?"
"You'd think so, but it doesn't." She said. Cleo. "You throwing away those roses doesn't mean nothing's going on. If anything, it confirms it."
"What confirms it?" I exclaimed, sitting up. My phone between my legs on the bed. "It doesn't confirm anything and shouldn't. Oh my God, Cleo. Please. Just please."
"Lina, I'm telling you. The moment those flowers got into your office, everything was mere speculations. Not many saw it happen, and the few that did would've been doubted if they told others."
"But now you brought out those same flowers! You confirmed its existence and then went on to trash it. Meaning what could've been a rumour is now a fact, and that fact won't die off so easily. You just stirred up the bubbling pot my love."
I stared blankly for a moment, her words settling in. "Oh God," I groaned out, falling back dramatically on my sheets. "What is this? Are you really serious about this Cleo? Are you sure this is the situation or you're just pulling my legs right now."
"Pulling your legs?" She scoffed, "Girl, I'm more interested in the outfit he got you, send me a picture. Quick!"
I rolled my eyes, knowing she was anxiously waiting for that part. "I was going to give it you anyway. That's why I kept it." I grumbled, reluctantly getting up to reach for the shopping bag.
"Seriously? Now I want to see it even more! Send me a picture, c'mon." She whined from the phone, her voice echoing even as I left the bed to my closet to search for the bag.
It didn't help that our call with her name glowing on my phone's screen was the only source of light in the room right now, making it more difficult to spot the bag.
"Alina, c'mon already. I'm dying over here!"
"Will you wait? I can barely see a thing with all the boots you packed in here." I called out, "Why's your stuff all over my closet anyways? The boots most especially."
"Well it's not my fault you're rarely home." She retorted, "Do you know how many times you've come wait for you to be home? You leave me no choice but to use your apartment for you."
Pfft!
"Like I'll believe that," I chuckled, checking for the last time. "We both know you're constantly coming over because of the makeup kit, no other reason."
"The jewelleries and panty hosts too!" She confirmed, shameless as usual. It made me smile. Reminding just when last we were like this.
Truthfully, I'd been too busy at Oxygen these days. If I wasn't home late, then I was totally knocked out when she came to check up on me later at night.
I knew cause my mini fridge would be stocked with fresh sandwiches and drinks to go along with it.
It was like she was silently saying, 'don't go to bed hungry and tired. Don't leave without breakfast either. Have some sandwiches at least. Besides, you can never go wrong with a couple of drinks!'
Cleo was basically a drunk. She'll always be the first to want to have drinks, be it a bar or at home. She always pushed me to have some when things felt too hard.
I wouldn't want to of course, given my mom's history and current predicament. But, "There's no sunny day without a couple of drinks to pass through the night, Alina." she'll always draw out sluggishly, smiling regardless.
So yeah.
I did drink with her. Not as much, but it was something. And I appreciated the company and love.
Right, it was past 10pm. I was long back from work, showered and everything before deciding to check up on her. We ought to have one of our usual gossip nights and she couldn't agree more. Leading to us exchanging info and gossip from both our workplaces. Up until I landed on Roman's drama.
The truce drama. Then my obvious errors as she'd already pointed out.
"Alina?"
"Found it!" I called out in response, finally pulling myself out of the dark and heavily loaded closet. "Finally found it amidst a set of purple feather like stuff that I know I don't own."
"Didn't you bring that package today? How come it's so far deep in there?"
"I don't know I just threw it in when I got back." I shrugged, laying it out on the bed. Ready to send her some pictures.
"Whatever lazy Bee, send me the pictures."
I grabbed my phone then, smiling as I stood upright to take the pictures. It wouldn't take more than a minute. But as soon as I held up my phone, a light flashed through to me.
"Huh?" I checked my phone, wondering how my flash became so bright all of a sudden. Only to confirm it really wasn't it.
It wasn't coming from my phone at all. Rather it was opposite me. My window. My window opening to the street outside.
It flashed again. This time right at me, lighting up my room.
"The hell?" My eyebrows furrowed quickly, worse thoughts already coming as I instantly abandoned the clothes on the bed. Cleo sensing it too.
"What's wrong?" She called out, hearing as I stepped on the shopping bag, the squishy sound loud in the air as I headed for my window right then. "Alina?"
"It's nothing Cleo," I muttered, looking out. My curtains ready to be swiped shut. "Someone's just trying to pull a stunt on me by-
I paused. Eyebrows furrowing even more as I stared at it, the scene right out there. On the street.
"Lina? What is It? You're starting to get me all worked up."
"Errm... Cleo, it's ... it's nothing." I tried not to stutter, blinking. Uneasy. "It's nothing Cleo."
"What do you mean it's nothing, you just said someone's pulling a stunt on you."
"Yeah, with a flash. I noticed a sudden flash in the room and-
"A flash?? Someone flashing- someone's flashing their lights at you? Your room? With what, a torchlight? A phone? Wait, a phone? Someone's flashing their light, taking pictures of you?!"
What?
"No, no. No. I mean, yes." I sighed, pulling on my curtains now. "That's what I thought initially, a phone but now... I don't." I said, voice low. Eyes now conscious and watching the movements outside my window.
"What are you saying, Lina? I'm confused. What is going on?"
"What I'm saying is... " I swallowed, "It's a car, Cleo.The flash was from a car."
"A car?" She repeated, "Who the hell's driving the car, they're no cars in your neighborhood."
Exactly.
"Exactly, Cleo. Exactly. There's a flashy car in my neighborhood and i think that's what made the flash in my room."
"What?"
"It's leaving now." I whispered, hushed. Hiding partly behind the curtains, watching it go. The individual inside barely noticed.
Tinted glasses.
An expensive fucking car.
What was it doing here?
"Is It gone yet?"
"Yeah," I confirmed, rising back up. Shutting my c
urtains completely, sighing a breath of relief. Cleo's worried words filling my ears right then.
"That area is not safe at all, Lina. You really need to pack up and move! That's the first thing you're doing with your paycheck."
"Yes ma'am."
I really needed to move. It was long overdue.