Chapter 19.
Emily strutted into Lucas's office, She had put on her signature bright red lipstick and her hair was styled to perfection. As soon as Lucas saw her, he knew what she wanted, but he was not in the mood for her games.
"Hello, Lucas," she purred, leaning over his desk and giving him a sultry smile.
Lucas barely looked up from his work. "What do you want, Emily?" he asked, his tone curt.
"I was hoping we could celebrate the end of the day," she said, sauntering towards him.
But as Emily leaned in to kiss him, Lucas pulled away. "Not tonight, Emily. I have a lot of work to do."
Emily's expression turned from seductive to angry in an instant. "What's wrong with you, Lucas? You used to be all over me. Now you act like I'm nothing."
Lucas sighed heavily. "Emily, I'm just not in the mood tonight. Can we please talk about this another time?"
"No, we can't!" Emily raised her voice, frustration evident in her voice. "You've been avoiding me for weeks. What's going on?"
Lucas leaned back in his chair, his expression turning cold. "I've been busy, Emily. That's all. Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do."
Emily wasn't satisfied with his response. "You know, Lucas, I'm not just your secretary. I'm your mistress. I deserve more than this."
Lucas's eyes darkened with anger. "You don't deserve anything, Emily. You knew what you were getting into when we started this arrangement. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."
Emily glared at him for a moment before turning on her heel and storming out of the office, slamming the door behind her.
Lucas let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of his decisions bearing down on him. He knew that he couldn't keep stringing Emily along like this, but he didn't know how to end things with her without causing a scene.
As he turned back to his work, his thoughts kept drifting to Andrianne. He wished he could be with her, hold her close and take away all of her pain. But for now, he had to focus on work and keep his feelings in check.
Lucas slammed the door to his car shut and took a deep breath. He needed to calm down. Emily's words were still ringing in his ears, and he couldn't help but feel guilty about how he had treated her. But he couldn't ignore the growing feelings he had for Andrianne, and he knew he had to figure things out.
As he drove down the winding roads that led to his home, Lucas couldn't help but think about Andrianne. He had never felt this way before, and it scared him. He had always been the type of person who kept his emotions in check, but Andrianne was making him feel things he couldn't explain.
Finally, he arrived at the house, and he made his way inside. The house was quiet, and he could hear the sound of his own footsteps echoing through the hallways. He made his way to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of whiskey.
As he took a sip, he noticed that the kitchen was empty. Usually, there would be someone around, but it seemed like everyone had gone home for the day. He walked around the house, taking in the emptiness, and it made him feel even more alone.
Lucas was surprised to see Andrianne walking down the stairs. He had assumed that she would still be in her room, trying to process the events of the past few days.
"Umm…. Food is ready, why not go upstairs, freshen up and come downstairs for dinner," Andrianne said, the words stuck to her tongue.
He nodded in response to her suggestion, still feeling a bit unsettled from his argument with Emily earlier.
"Thanks," he said, his voice a bit strained. "I think I will freshen up before dinner."
Andrianne gave him a small smile, her eyes reflecting the sadness she still felt. "Take your time," she said softly.
Lucas walked past her, heading towards the stairs. As he ascended to the second floor, he couldn't help but think about how different things were from when he first met Andrianne. Back then, he had been so focused on his business and his ambitions that he had hardly even noticed her. But now, with everything that had happened, he found himself drawn to her in a way that he couldn't quite explain.
He entered his room, feeling grateful for the space and luxury that it provided. It was always a relief to be away from the demands of work and other people. As he began to change out of his work clothes, he thought about Andrianne and the sadness that seemed to cling to her. He wondered if there was anything he could do to help her.
After taking a quick shower, he put on a fresh set of clothes and headed back downstairs. The smell of dinner greeted him as he entered the dining room, and he was surprised to see that Andrianne had set the table with candles and flowers.
"This looks great," he said, taking his seat at the table.
Andrianne smiled at him, though her eyes were still filled with sadness. "I thought it might be nice to have a proper dinner," she said. "We haven't really had a chance to talk since... since everything happened."
Lucas nodded in agreement, though he couldn't help feeling a bit apprehensive. He knew that Andrianne wanted to talk about her mother's death, and he wasn't sure he was ready to confront his own feelings about it.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, savoring the delicious food that the maid had prepared. Lucas was just about to suggest that they talk about something else when Andrianne spoke up.
"Lucas, I want to thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He looked up at her, surprised. "Thank me? For what?"
"For being here for me," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "For being my friend and my roommate. I don't think I could have made it through these past few days without you."
Lucas felt a sudden surge of emotion, realizing how much Andrianne had come to mean to him. "You don't have to thank me," he said, his voice soft. "I want to be here for you."
Andrianne smiled at him, and he felt his heart skip a beat. He knew that he was beginning to feel something for her, something more than just friendship. But he also knew that it was complicated, that there were still so many things that they needed to work through.
As they finished their meal and cleared the table, Lucas couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that there were difficult conversations ahead, and he wasn't sure how he was going to navigate them. But for now, he was content to be there for Andrianne, to help her through her grief and to try to make sense of his own feelings in the process.