Chapter 9 CHAPTER 9
ALINA’S POV
Honestly, I think the second worst thing after a bad breakup is being the accomplished ex.
The ex that things didn’t really go well for. You didn’t get to change or get better than the way you were when they left you. That has to be the worse thing, and I was already topping it all off by being exactly that.
Exhibit A— Alina Monroe.
So what if life treated him better? Gave him better opportunities than it did me, that’s no fault of mine. It isn’t my fault at all, so I refuse to be intimidated or looked down upon. I refuse to let him ride on me and just do whatever! Like the way he was staring down at me right now.
Reason why I chested it all. Summoning every bit of nonchalance and audacity in my system and bring it unto my face! Staring him head on. “You want to stare? Let’s stare on mister!”
Bastard I mean.
“Hey spunk, I think I’ll have to go back out front.” Ms. Vega said behind me, but I didn’t blink. My eyebrow arching daringly instead, locking on his stare from my bar stool. Clear sign his stupid green eyes didn’t affect me. I raised my glass, drowning it’s contents in one go. Forcing that swallow and stilling my features, even if my butt cheeks clenched in protest.
Damn drink was just too strong and burned hot in my throat!
But I ain’t showing that. No way does he has to know that I didn’t do this on a regular. Drink. With what money even? If it weren't for my girl Cleo, I wouldn’t even take the little shots I regularly take after work.
But that was unimportant, main thing here was why this man wasn’t coming down. I was the newly appointed Consultant, the one he specifically asked for, shouldn’t we meet at least? Talk? Trust me, I wasn’t in the slightest excited about that but we had to address some issues here. I had questions, ones that needed answers.
For instance, why did he insist on bringing me on board, bringing here, when he so clearly wanted me gone during the presentation just last week?
“Alina!”
I turned sharply, facing Ms. Vega who had tapped on my arm. Herself and Mark, the bartender sharing the same questioning looks. Seems like they had been calling for a while.
“I’m going to leave you here with Mark.” Ms. Vega said, “He’ll tell you more about things you should know, answer a few questions while I get back to handling a few… complaints.”
Right. She was a manager here. The general manager, not my personal shopper. Or in this sense a baby sitter, just as she’d introduced when I came in earlier.
I sighed as she walked off. My attention going back to that glass,only to see he was gone now. So I faced Mark at the bar. Did I mention that he was hot? Really hot, and not good for me who already had a nasty drink in my system, and yet… taking another that he just handed to me.
“So it’s me and you, little Angel.” he smiled, “What do you wanna know?”
Well first, were the drinks free? You see I have to make sure I wasn’t digging my own grave considering the bunch of debts under my name.
Anyways, Mark went off explaining a whole lot of inner workings. Things I should know, avoid, beware of… even clients. He called them by alias though. The wolves, saints, Vice, Siren, and soon the Seraphs from the section I’d work on.
Says it was kind of the hierarchy around here. Same way the floors and sections were classified too. At the end I got something, even the rich were made to seem poor inside the building. Like the hierarchy of the rich. More money equals more privacy, more pleasure. Making Roman even richer. Over a million bucks every night.
A million.
I had lost the game of being the more accomplished ex even before it even started.
Later that night, “Cleo, I’m telling you it’s worse than we imagined.” I said on call, getting into bed. “Way worse, do you know how much, just a rough figure of how much the staff get paid?”
“Ohhh, don’t tell me please. Pleasseee,” She wailed dramatically, “It’s already bad that I don’t get to have a tour or introduction like you do. My bikinis are dying for the spotlight and I’m here!”
I chuckled, “At least you have a job.” I said,
“Yeah, right. One that doesn’t let me have the entire day off and resume at night when I can actually get pleasure while working!”
“That was only for today though.” I corrected, “Ms. Vega said I could resume normal hours from tomorrow.”
“But you still get to show up at night twice in a week.”
“Well… that is correct too.” I grumbled, remembering him and that glass again. That was the last I saw of him. He truly didn’t come down or call for me. A few sentences of introduction would be nice. “An adventure night twice a week, plus driving you home too, I would take that any-day over Boldlines, Lina.”
Yeah… wasn’t so bad. I enjoyed the drinks. Talking to Mark… the view, absurdity of it all. It was nice.
“Tell you what,” I said, “When I get the chance tomorrow, when I finally get to talk with… ‘you know who’ I’ll speak to him about you joining me over on those two nights. You’re a part of the project too, just because you work from Boldlines end and I, in their building specifically doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get the same perks I do.”
“Oh, you can’t take that back.” she sang, “You cannot.”
I smiled, “I won’t. Having you with me will be even better, at least I’d have some base while I try to process all these and just…”
“You’ll be fine, Lina.” She sighed, “Trust me, you’ll be. This is only temporary, it’ll be good for you too. And even if it won’t, at least you’ll get the money. The promotion, an office at Boldlines… just think about that, okay? Think only about that.”
Yeah, I should.
Really should. First, the benefits. Do my job, concentrate, get it done and get out. No Roman shenanigans. No bringing up the past and acting like a stupid schoolgirl like I’d done before.
This was strictly formal. Professional.
I was a professional Creative Consultant, and that’s what I’ll be.
Easy peasy.
And after that, i went to bed. Drifting off into a dreamless sleep for once in the past 3 weeks, and by the time I woke up the following morning, I was ready to get things done!
First, take an hangover tea though. That, and found a black dress to wear.
Black this time.
Want no one calling me an angel, even if it was day time. “I’d need to upgrade a few clothing when I get paid.” I muttered as I looked at the almost worn out skirts and tops I had lined up. I chose a dress, but the thought of when I get paid rang in my head. Bringing smiles to my lips.
Haven’t discussed the actual pay check, but I know it wont be the regular.
I just know. And that alone was enough to leave me energized as I stepped into Oxygen. Using a back entrance this time. The one for staffs instead of that dark hallway at front— used for screening and handing membership tags.
“This is your office, Miss Monroe.” The security said, holding out a transparent glass card. “This is your key & exit permit. With it you can swipe every door in the building. Within your bounds that is.”
I couldn’t even speak. Too starstruck. Speechless as he swiped to show me how, the glass door clicking right open to present the most perfect space in all of office space history!
Black marble floors, a glass sleek desk with golden legs. A matte-black laptop sitting on there, printers, book shelves sitting on one side, leather chairs and couch to match. All of it still smelling new and shiny.
Golden lights hanging softly on the perfect ceilings, reflecting against the tinted glass surrounding the entire office. My reflection perfect on it’s surface but not showing outside it. The entire atmosphere was just elegant and so soothing. So, so, so soothing!
The perfect office I’d ever gotten in my entire life! And I’d never had an office before.
“Ah!” I gasped loudly, hands covering my mouth. Eyes wide and dramatic as the security watched me slowly move to the desk. The other glass thingy proudly sitting on it.
“Alina Monroe. Creative Consultant.” I read out slowly, blinking. Careful as I touched to confirm I wasn’t dreaming. “Oh my God… I have a nameplate. I have a nameplate. I have… A NAMEPLATE.”
Oh!
I couldn’t even stop the excited giggles and chuckles that left my lips as I rounded the desk. Taking it in my arms, smiling. “I’ll… I’ll be leaving now, Miss.” The security said from the door, giving me a slight questioning look as he drew the door shut.
I didn’t let it bother me. My phone already jumping out of my bag so I could make a video for Cleo. “This is out of this world. This is perfect!”
A couple of minutes to an hour later, I calmed down. Finally reminding myself what was important, and well… getting Joe’s text of; “Don’t fuck this up, Monroe. Else you’ll get it.”
Like I intended to ‘get it’ whatever that meant. So therefore, I got to work. Tracing my steps to the Seraph wing, with the help of a cleaning staff. And there I took notice of all that had been put in place already. Everywhere way cleaner and organized than yesterday.
Like they’d been aware I was resuming my duties today. So everything stood clean, waiting for me to put down my designated designs on it and bring it all to life.
This was the best part of my job. Been able to imagine things, draw them out and watch them unfold just the way i imagined. Perfect.
Even if I hadn’t designed a pleasure house before, I would like to think it was the same process as usual. So I drafted my ideas. Floor concepts, sensory routes, materials required— lighting, scent diffusers, sound regulators…
Budget projection; High.
Timeline; six to eight weeks. The earlier the better.
By noon or thereabout, I was done. Workers trickling in. “Hi, I’m Alina. Alina Monroe— the new consultant for this space.” I greeted, “We’ll be working closely together to bring this all to life.”
They nodded, some curious, some indifferent. Not bad, that’s how it always starts. I tried explaining some tones, colors, we’ll be working on. Different from other sections that was either blood red or silver or gold. We were dealing with grace here, allure, not brutality.
They listened. It felt good.
But at the end, all this needed approval. The bastard’s approval, and I tell you, I wasn’t in the slightest bit excited about it. And guess what?
He proved me right all the way.