Chapter 12 XII
The silence in the office was heavy, and the tension in the air could be cut with a butter knife.
It was afternoon already, and Alessandro and I returned to the office after I showed him all the places I could show him. He didn't say a word as we looked around, and I guessed that maybe he was still annoyed because of last night.
Now we were both alone in the office. Alessandro was seated across from me, but he was looking anywhere but at me, and I, on the other hand, did not have the courage to start a conversation with him.
I felt guilty because I knew he was telling the truth. I felt like I had to explain myself to him. To at least get rid of the bad blood in the air around us.
"I'm an orphan," I started, my words echoing in the silent room. I didn't dare to look up to see if Alessandro was listening, but I continued anyway. "Back at the orphanage, I had no hope for a better life. We all didn't, but then it was like some power above was looking down on me. Your grandfather appeared that day for a charity event, and out of all the kids he could have picked, he chose me." I smiled as I reminisced about the memory.
"Your grandfather molded me into who I am today. I would never have dreamt of a life as comfortable as this if he hadn't come into my life." I looked up at Alessandro, now noticing that he was no longer looking angry, but interested. "That's why I promised myself to do whatever he asked of me, because that's the only way I can repay him for his kindness."
Silence followed my revelation, and this time Alessandro no longer looked angry. He actually looked guilty, which made me relieved. I was glad that he understood my dedication now.
"Rowan, I—"
The rest of his words were left unsaid when Tina poked her head into the room. "Sorry for interrupting, sir, but Mr Jackson called to call off the meeting for this afternoon. He said something important came up and he wants to reschedule it for tomorrow at ten."
I cleared my throat to hide the fact that I was annoyed that she interrupted whatever Alessandro was about to say. I won't deny I was dying to hear it.
"It's fine, Tina. Add it to my appointment for tomorrow."
She nodded. "Yes, sir." She gave Alessandro a weird look that all the ladies seemed to be giving him ever since he started training at the company before leaving the office.
Once again silence filled the room. I waited for Alessandro to go on with what he was about to say, but he just kept looking at me like I was a puzzle he was trying desperately to solve.
Fed up with the silence, I spoke first. "So," I began, "uh... there's nothing left for me to teach you today, so you can leave."
Alessandro tilted his head in thought, then he said something surprising. "Your meeting tomorrow, can I come with you?"
I squinted at him in suspicion. The last time he came to a meeting with me, he ruined everything. "I don't think so, Alessandro. I don't think I can trust you to act respectfully."
He smirked that cocky smirk of his that made my head spin and said, "Don't worry. I'll behave this time." He promised, but that mischievous smile on his lips made it hard to believe.
Either way, I decided to just trust him this once. We shared an important moment a while ago, and I'm sure he wouldn't do anything stupid.
He was giving me puppy eyes, kind of, and I couldn't resist. I sighed and pushed aside the file in front of him. "Fine, I'll let you come with me, but I do have a condition."
He raised an amused brow. "And what's your condition, Mr Brooks?"
"You should dress more formally. Mr Jackson is a very important client, and he's a man who likes to judge everyone based on how they look. If you want to earn his respect, you would have to dress like a real businessman."
He scoffed. "It's not like I care about earning his respect. I only want to come with you to make up for being a dick last time."
His words shocked me. He wanted to make it up to me? I never expected that, but I found my heart growing light.
He was looking at me in a way that made the hair at the back of my neck rise. I cleared my throat. "So, do you agree to my condition?"
He shrugged. "I don't mind wearing a suit, but the only problem is that I don't have a suit."
I kind of expected that, but it still surprised me. "I shouldn't be surprised, but I still am. How do you not have a suit?"
"That's clothing for businessmen, and I'm not a businessman. I've never really seen the thrill in wearing suits and being all formal. So, I've never worn one."
"So you're saying you've never gone to a formal event?" I asked curiously.
He grinned. "I have, but I've never bothered with a suit." My eyes widened. How the hell would he wear a casual outfit to a formal event? At my expression, he chuckled. "There's a reason why my grandpa thinks I'm a nuisance."
I sighed and shook my head. "Well, if you must come with me, you'll have to dress the part. Mr Jackson wouldn't give us the time of day if we aren't dressed professionally."
"So what do you suggest?" he asked curiously.
"You'll have to buy a suit, Alessandro. That's if you really want to come with me," I said with a shrug.
"I don't mind, but I would like you to go with me, so you can decide what the perfect suit for me is."
My eyes widened at his suggestion. It wasn't supposed to mean anything, but why did he make the words sound sensual?
"Uh, if you want me to go with you, I don't mind," I answered, trying to hide how nervous he made me feel.
He grinned. "Yes, I want you to come with me." He leaned closer, that seductive smirk still on his lips. "And if you don't mind, we can go right now."
I gulped, ignoring the heat that flooded my body. "Y-Yeah, let's go!"