Chapter 93. A question
Lilly Bradley
I stared at my computer screen, my mind replaying the scene between Oliver and Jackson from this morning over and over again, making me restless. I knew it was bothering Jackson, even if he didn't say it out loud, but... What could I do? I hurriedly grabbed my phone to message Leah, hoping she could help me solve this issue. I tried again, for the second time since the first attempt had a busy signal.
"Hello," she answered, slightly out of breath.
"Am I interrupting something?" I asked, curious.
"No, no, I'm just climbing the stairs. I've realized my physical condition... is deplorable. I'm at the new project with my boss and your boyfriend."
"He's not my boyfriend." Saying it out loud made me shiver, and there was a silence on the other end. I pulled the phone away to check, but the call was still connected. "Are you there?"
"Yes, yes, but... Has he really not asked you to be his girlfriend yet?"
"Leah, I called you for something else," I complained, not wanting to touch on a topic I hadn't yet thought about or labeled with Jackson.
"Go ahead, talk," I heard her breathing calm down, a sign she had stopped somewhere.
"It's Oliver."
"Ugh, don't mention that jerk. What's wrong with him and Michelle? They've become so obsessive."
"I know. Well, this morning we ran into each other. He insisted on driving me to work, but we didn't count on Jackson waiting outside the building for me."
"Oh my God! Tell me nothing happened..."
"Nothing happened, but Oliver enjoyed rubbing it in Jackson's face that he lived in the building."
"What a jerk!"
"Exactly, but anyway, I want to find a way to get him to leave me alone."
"Well, I'm not sure how to help you with that," there was a brief silence, "How about a restraining order?"
I raised an eyebrow, not having thought about something legal against Oliver, but given the situation, I might need to look into it.
"I'll investigate, thanks for the idea."
"By the way, we haven't talked since Miss Bradley disappeared for the whole weekend," she cleared her throat, "Are you okay... you? Are you calm? Are you enjoying whatever it is you have with Jackson?"
I bit my lip, wanting to tell her every detail, but not over the phone.
"Yes, I'm fine," a smile appeared on my lips, "Jackson has been..." I took a deep breath and let it out loudly, "...exceptional."
"Wow, I love hearing you like this!" Leah exclaimed excitedly. "I'll let you go, I have to keep moving, we'll talk tonight at home."
"Okay, take care." I ended the call, biting my lip again and thinking about the restraining order.
A few minutes before lunch, I decided to message Jackson to ask if I could see him. An immediate response with "I'm in the attic, come up." made me think he might still be upset about this morning. This time, he didn't include the usual emoji at the end of his message.
"Miss Bradley," I looked up and saw one of my colleagues, specifically the new replacement for Maxine.
"Yes, sir?" He smiled politely.
"Do you have the document ready with all the active leases for this week in the north zone?" I nodded.
"I'll send it by email." I was about to get to it when he walked in. I imagined he would take the seat in front of my desk, but no, he walked further than permitted. To my surprise, he leaned his butt on the edge of my desk, making me tense as he took liberties I hadn't given him.
"Can I ask you a question?" I looked up at him, wanting to get up and put some distance between us.
"Yes, of course."
"Are you seeing someone?" he asked, catching me off guard. What's wrong with this man? Hadn't Efray left? I asked myself ironically.
"I thought you were going to ask about work." I replied directly, now catching him off guard. I gestured for him to get up from where he was leaning, and I finally stood up. The scent of his cologne started to make my stomach churn. He raised an eyebrow, and I could almost imagine he was offended by my creating distance. He stopped near the chair, placing both hands on its back. "Anything else?" I insisted.
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I know I'm your boss now." He smiled, "I know people must ask you that daily since you're a beautiful woman in an office full of nerdy colleagues..."
"Do you want the reports by email or printed?" I asked in a serious, professional tone.
"So, you're one of those who play hard to get?" I pressed my lips together, trying not to say a few choice words. I glanced at my watch and then looked back at him.
"I'll skip answering your question, because if I speak, it won't end well."
He crossed his arms.
"Why do you think it won't end well? I just asked you..."
"Is everything okay, Miss Bradley?" Richard arrived just in time. My heart was pounding, and I hadn't realized my hands had formed fists at my sides. I swallowed and nodded at Richard, extending my fingers again. "Mr. Johnson is waiting for you."
"And who are you?" Mr. Paige asked Richard.
"I'm Mr. Johnson's head of security, the owner of this company, your direct boss." Richard said everything in a serious, direct tone without taking his eyes off him. Mr. Paige straightened up and raised his chin slightly.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know Mr. Johnson had... security." Richard narrowed his eyes, then looked in my direction. "Send what I asked for by email when you get back from lunch."
"Shall we go, Miss Bradley?" I nodded. Mr. Paige left without stopping to look at us, and we watched him, puzzled by his attitude. He looked like a rooster in a henhouse. Once we were alone, Richard looked at me closely. "Are you okay?" I nodded, placing a hand on my stomach, which had turned quite a bit from his cologne.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine, it's just that..." I stopped my words, and Richard waited for me to continue. "Please don't tell Jackson." He tensed.
"I have to report this behavior," he pressed his lips, then softened his gaze. "He cares a lot about his employees, especially you. Do you know that?"
"Yes, but I don't want him to get into another fight. Besides," I cleared my throat, "he's new. I promise if he bothers me again, I'll report him directly."
"Alright, just this once, Miss Bradley."
"Thank you."
I closed the office, and Richard escorted me to the building's penthouse. He didn't leave the elevator when I glanced in his direction. The doors closed, and he disappeared. I looked around the place, the background piano music let me know it was a piece by Chopin.
"Why did it take you so long?" His voice suddenly sounded, making me jump. His figure appeared in the middle of the room. He had his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. I sighed, loving to see him dressed like that, without his jacket, just his dress shirt and pants, making him look incredibly sexy. "Lilly?" I snapped out of my thoughts.
"Oh, sorry, Mr. Paige asked me for something at the last minute."
"Why did you want to see me?" I could hear the coldness in his voice.
"If it's not a good time, we can talk later."
"If it wasn't a good time, I wouldn't have sent that message." Now, I felt more uncomfortable.
"Are you upset?" He pressed his lips, his jaw tensed, then he started walking towards me.
"No. But I've found out that your ex-fiancé lives... across from your apartment, and from what I see, he has every intention of winning you back, winning over your family, and one day just taking you to England and resuming the engagement."
"Wait, wait," I said quickly. "I don't have to resume an engagement I ended myself." He moved away and approached the table to take a manila envelope, then handed it to me. I took it and checked the contents. My eyes widened. There was a photo from a London newspaper from weeks ago. The headline said that the engagement of the Chester Fergusons' son had only been postponed and a new date would be announced soon. In the center of the column, there was a photo of Oliver and me—the photo we took to announce our engagement the first time. I felt a strong shiver run through me from head to toe. That's why Jackson was like this. How could he not be when my words made me seem like a liar seeing this headline? Then seeing him in the building... How could he not distrust me? I raised my eyes and looked at him intently, confident.
"I ended my engagement. I told you weeks ago. If it weren't true, I wouldn't be going on dates with you, I wouldn't be wasting your time."
"Do you still love him?" he asked suddenly, the vein in his neck standing out.
"No."
"Are you sure?" I saw something in his eyes I hadn't seen before. Was it fear?
I crumpled the newspaper photo in my hand. I looked at him closely, ready to finally say words I had kept to myself out of insecurity.
"So sure, that I'll ask you a question..." He furrowed his brow, then confusion.
"Ask it." He pressed his lips.
"Do you... want to be my boyfriend?"