#Chapter 67- Going To See Her
Adrian
I stare at the clock in my office, watching as the small hands tick by, slowly counting down the seconds. The flowers should have been delivered by now, right? So why Isn’t Stella calling?
I have to fight the urge to call Stella myself, to ask and see if she received my heartfelt gift.
When will she respond? Will she even respond? Does she still need time and space from me?
The questions burn themselves into my mind, a small, searing pain forming from behind my eyes. I pinch through bridge of my nose and lean forward, my fingers slowly moving to my eyes to massage them.
To the side of me, I grab my office phone and press a button. My secretary is quick to answer, their calm voice sounding through the phone’s speaker.
“How may I help you, sir?” They ask, always ready to step in when I need it the most.
“I
“The flower shop, get me in contact with the delivery man, please,” I grunt into the phone. The pain behind my eyes slowly grows, “and an ibuprofen.”
“I will get that for you right now, sir, please hold,” the line clicks dead and my ear is filled with the hold music of the company.
Funny, I know, just absolutely hilarious that the CEO of the company has to listen to his own hold music. I move my ear away from the phone and groan, waiting as my mind wanders back to Stella.
I hope that everything is okay with her. Her health has not been the best recently, mainly due to me and the amusement park I dragged her along to, and her silence has me worried. I am trying my best, though, to remember what Tracer said about loose reigns and taking the backseat in situations like this.
“Sir, the delivery man is on line one. I will have your ibuprofen in when the call is done.”
“Thank you,” I open my eyes and press the button.
“Hello?”
“Yes, hello, you delivered the flowers to Stella, yes?” I ask, getting straight to the point.
“I did, yes! She accepted them and then I left,” the man answers with a cheery tone.
“Thank you. You’ll be receiving a tip from us soon for the call,” I sigh and hang up the phone.
Just as the phone slides into place, my secretary walks in and places a cup of water and pill on my desk. I smile at them and quickly take it just as my phone begins to ring again.
“Hello?” I ask, not even bothered to look at the caller ID on the small display.
か
“Adrian,” Michaels voice sounds through the speaker, “I just wanted to call and remind you about the shareholder gala and apply some more pressure for you to join us.”
“Ah, right, yes, “I breathe out, the pain behind my eyes beginning to fade away. “I’ll be there. I still have a plus one, right?”
“Why? Do you have a date?” Michael laughs, a small cackle that I can hear from his office which sits below mine.
“My wife may want to attend alongside me,” I say with a hint of smugness to my voice. “She likes wearing fancy dresses.”
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67 Going To See Her
“Mhm, well we would love to have her. You better bring her now! I’m expecting it,” Michael quickly hangs up the phone and I am left with the silence of the office.
A weight has been placed upon my shoulders. If I do not bring Stella, Michael will make me look like a bad husband in front of the shareholders, which will only make the target on my back bigger than before.
I need to convince Stella to join me to the shareholders gala. It will be me killing two birds with one stone: I keep my bright and shining image in tact in front of the shareholders and I get to see and check in on Stella.
All I can do now is hope that she accepts my invitation.
If the flowers didn’t work, maybe I need to take a half day and go see her, invite her in person instead of waiting for the phone call or text message that I know will never come my way.
I stand from my desk, slowly gathering some of my belongings and shoving them into my briefcase. After a few seconds, I walk out of my office door, sharing a look with my secretary. They stand from their desk and begin to follow me.
“I’m taking the rest of the day off, this migraine will not leave me alone,” I inform them from over my shoulder. “ Screen all of my calls and make whatever excuses you want for me. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
I step inside the private elevator and click the button to go to my car, loosening my tie just as the elevator doors close.
The drive to Stella’s apartment is one that I have come to memorize these past few weeks. It is quiet inside the car and I am left with nothing but the radio to keep me company. I stop at a red light and look to my side, staring at the empty passenger seat.
There is a small memory of Stella with the way the seat is positioned. I ever haven’t even adjusted the visor, keeping it the way she left it.
The light turns green and I take a right at the light, pulling up to her apartment. I park down the street and get out, heading down the sidewalk with nothing but my phone and wallet on me. I stop in front of the lobby doors and wait under the shade of the awning.
An hour passes and Stella has yet to show up. I thought that she would have left by now, always scheduling her doctor’s appointment in the middle of the work day. Maybe she is inside her apartment, hiding away from the world.
Or maybe, just maybe, she is with Sebastian. Maybe he is taking care of her instead of me.
I can’t think of that. It will only rile up negative feelings that will worsen things between us.
I turn around and stare at the apartment, the building shooting up and into the sky, one of the tallest among other apartment complexes in the area. It’s nice but she deserves something better, something bigger and more comfortable.
“Adrian?” Stella’s voice calls from behind. I turn around and pull my hands from my pockets. “What are you doing here?”
“Stella,” I breathe her name out, my eyes doing an automatic scan of her body to make for sure that she is okay. “I was wondering if we could talk? I come with no ill will or bad intentions.”
“Really?” Stella asks and crosses her arms over her chest, one eyebrow perking up. “The last few times we’ve seen each other, it has always ended in an argument.”
“I swear on my job that I won’t,” I step towards her, reaching for the bag that hangs over her shoulder.
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#Chapter 67 – Going To See Her
She steps to the side, though, and dodges my gesture, narrowing her eyes at me. She looks me up and down, her lips pushed to one side of her face.
“Fine. But if it starts to get out of hand, you’re gone. Deal?
“Deal.”
