?? written by Bunmi B. Gabriel ??
? Brought from BB Gabe’s Ambry ?
?? Episode 13 ??
?? Bloom ??
I clicked my tongue as I watched Alis talking business with an elderly woman, they were talking about one construction work or something like that. I had to record it down by voice record because I didn’t have strength to write. Anyways, when I said was watching him, I meant his lips. Jeez! That guy knows how to seduce a woman unknowingly, how am I suppose to cope with being his assistant with the way he was going. He was talking very calmly, his eyes blinking slowly like it always did unknowingly. His soft dreamy light pinkish purple lips moved slowly, calmly, in a way his teeth didn’t show at all. I could barely see it part but I knew he was speaking. Next is his sweet voice that was nicely blend with an Australian accent, a silken voice in an Australian hold, unique!
I don’t know about you but I love his accent, but sometimes, he switches to American, Russian and then Mexican. I wonder why.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea Mrs. Hart, I don’t want my building to collapse so easily.’ He said briskly.
‘I assure you Mr. Kendrick, my company will provide the best building material and architectural design, you won’t regret coming to us.’
‘Point of correction, you came to me and I do not trust your company….’
‘I know you are judging me due to my husband’s past accomplishments but I assure you that I am different from him, I run this company now and I intend to bring it to a greater glory than any of his family ever did.’
‘Hmmm,’ he hummed, leaning back on his swaying swivel chair with his pen playing between his fingers.
‘Very most impressive but just words won’t make me give you such project. This building is very important to me, a hospital for orphans and the less privilege children. I cannot let an inexperience organisation end the lives of so many under my name. When that accident takes place, I will be the one to blame, not you.’
‘I understand sir,’ she said sadly. ‘I will get out of your way then.’ I snapped out of my admiring state with beating heart and raised my hand, he needs to listen.
‘Sir?’ He averted his eyes to me, I was sitting on a chair at the side of the table. ‘Can I speak?’
‘What is it Bloom?’
‘Don’t you think you are being too harsh?’ I asked politely. ‘I don’t mean to be disrespectful but everyone deserves a second chance, a great chance to redeem themselves.’
‘What is this preaching for?’
‘Instead, of sending her away like that, why not test her new work? You can never know if she’s changed her husband’s way of handling the company until you give her a shot. If no one tries, who will help her? For a woman trying to get back on her feet and fend for her children after the death of her greedy husband…. Sorry ma, she needs a shot.’ I say with pleading eyes, he smiled, a very weird smile that seems to startle her because Alis never smiles to anyone. Wow, I’m special.
‘Okay love…’ Huh? What’s he saying? ‘What do you suggest I do?’
‘Well,’ I stroke my chin thoughtfully, he called me love! Eeeeek! ‘When I was going through the large death sentence you gave me yesterday, I saw some few abandoned and forgotten projects you ought to pick up. I went through them, most already move the project to somewhere else but like seven projects still stands and are desperately waiting for your assist.’
‘So you want me to give her the minor projects first?’ He asked frowningly.
‘As a test, trial. If the building gets complete and the strength of the foundation is guaranteed, the rest of the six will be given to her and after that, you can trust her with your bigger projects.’
‘Ok, since you suggest it, I’ll do it. What project will you give her?’
‘There was a request for a greenhouse for one Mrs. Belinda, for tourism but you left it on hold. What if she handles that one first?’
‘Too risky, people’s life are involve….’
‘Sir, I promise you that I can handle it, please,’ Mrs. Grayson interjected.
‘Let’s do this instead,’ he leaned and rest on the table, his palms folded under his chin. ‘I intend to build a warehouse to keep unused and reusable products, you can deal with that first.’
‘Is that it?’ She asked disappointedly.
‘Like Bloom said, for trial,’ he said looking at me like I was his wife, what’s his problem?
‘Alright, thank you very much sir.’
‘It’s okay, when I’ve concluded the papers and agreement, Bloom will give you a call and inform you when to come, is that good by you?’
‘Yes sir, thank you Mr. Kendrick,’ he looked at me instead, a sly wink following. I flushed embarrassedly, that’s odd. ‘Er….’ She stammered, looking from me to him and back again. ‘I will take my leave now, thank you Bloom.’
‘Should I escort you out ma?’
‘No, I’m fine. I will be expecting your call,’ I nodded. Alis pressed that remote again, the door opened slowly as she walked to it.
‘Babe, come here,’ Alis said before the door shut, I’m pretty sure the woman heard it with the way her ear twitched.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Nothing,’ he said mischievously, slowly drawing his chair to where I was. ‘That was smart of you, nice too.’
‘Thank you, I will get back to w….’ He stopped his chair and turned mine. ‘Can I help you Mr. Kendrick?’ I asked confusedly, is he alright? He chuckled, taking my hands daintily and lacing our fingers together. My heart was palpitating again, beating against my chest furiously at the tingles his hands were sending throughout my body. The back of my neck was getting flushed and sweaty, one thing I was sure of was I am stupid.
‘Have lunch with me, please?’
‘I have s….’
‘Hey, I’m the boss, I won’t scold you for skipping the work I gave you.’
‘Baby shark, are you alright?’
‘Very much,’ he hissed erotically and smirked. ‘I love that name,’
‘Seriously?’
‘Why shouldn’t I?’
‘You are acting strange, your erratic behavior is causing me to worry. Is it fever?’
‘Did you like the teddy I bought for you?’ He asked smilingly, ignoring my question. I would have snubbed his too but thinking about that big teddy made me grin, especially because he bought it for me. ‘I will take your goofy grin as a yes, hope you will tell me soon why you get scared in a car.’
‘It’s a phobia, how did you know?’
‘I don’t know, instinct and maybe the fact that Kristal reacts like that when she sees a ferris wheel and get on a boat.’
‘Who’s Kristal? Your girlfriend?’ If I didn’t know how my own voice sounded, I wouldn’t have realised I was the one talking. I asked him that with a strange unexpected tone, jealousy.
‘Sebastiano’s sister, she’s like a sister to me too.’
‘Okay, who’s Sebastiano? That brown haired guy that helped me yesterday in my office?’
‘Yes, that one,’
‘He’s hot, is he single?’ I asked twinklingly, he squeezed my hands which was still in his.
‘Don’t comment on other men in my presence,’
‘Why?’
‘How long have the phobia been there?’
‘Ever since I was a child,’ I said with a shrug, remembering the day it started. Mom took Leila, Odyn and I to an amusement park. We were done but then Odyn wanted to pee so mom took him out with some guards while Leila quickly snuck out to get a boy’s digit. I was in the car alone, in a quiet parking area. I sang softly as I played with my pretty doll when he came. At first I thought it was Leila because of the claret smoke but then, Leila’s is black, not claret.
The smoke enfolded me completely, he took me to the past where I witness all the killing of the past sacrificial lambs, it was horrible. Then I saw myself being killed, my own h….
‘Bloom!’ I flinched, I was panting, his eyes were bearing into mine with worry as his hands cupped my cheeks. ‘Please, stop crying, don’t think about it.’ He said anxiously, I was sobbing.
‘He killed me, I’m going to die one d….’ I choked on my saliva, closing my eyes and remembering how my own death was placed in replay over and over again until Leila jumped into the world he trapped me in and then pulled me out. For weeks I wasn’t stable, it was then I really did believe I was going to die.
‘Bloom, listen to me,’ he said, shaking my head. ‘Snap out of it, no one is hurting you, not when I’m alive.’
‘You don’t understand, he is nothing you can handle…’
‘Bloom,’ he called softly. ‘I don’t know what you are talking about but shut up, no one is hurting you, okay?’ I nodded, if only he can just hug m….he lifted me up from my chair as easy as a breeze and sat me on his laps. Yes! Estella should see this! ‘It’s okay Bloom, very soon you will be under my care and nothing, no human will harm you.’ Don’t know what that means but it did make me feel safe. He wiped my tears and put my head on his shoulder, wrapping his hands around my waist. I could hear his heartbeat accelerating just like mine, it was in perfect sync.
Who won’t sleep in the warm arms of a handsome guy? His heavy muscles held me so tight, in a way I didn’t even feel anything again. Two, his cologne was literally melting my brain to mush and making me moan silently. Let me not forget his touch, the way he was acting, I could mistake him for a philanderer and I definitely will teeter about my decision to go see his mother and fall victim to rappe or $eduction.
The door tweet, I flinched and made to move but he refused to let go. ‘Alis?’
‘Don’t move unless I say so,’ he pushed his chair back to it original position, with me still in his arms. He picked up the remote, clicked a blue button and cleared his throat. ‘Who is that?’
‘Estella sir, I have the document you emailed to me printed out and ready for signing.’
‘Hold on,’ he pressed the open button, my heart was fluttering, this is intense. The door opened slightly, Estella’s eyes bore that of shock and incredulity, it’s not everyday you see such wonder from a man the internet classified as “workaholic misanthropist” or possibly a “secret androphile”, carry a woman on laps in his office. ‘Drop the file on the table and leave.’
‘Y….y….y….’ She stammered. She kept shut and walked in, I could see her eyes flashing with fury, in a way I am sure she will tweep me in a heartbeat. She dropped the foil file with shaky hands, her eyes never leaving us. My eyes scintillated with excitement and pride as I looked at her, he intentionally stroke my hair for his own reason. ‘Sir, should I bring your lunch over for you?’
‘Yes,’ he looked down at me. ‘Would you want anything, love?’
‘No, I’m good,’ before she poisons my food.
‘You can leave,’ she turned and scurried out, she will hate me for life. ‘Did you see her face,’ he laughed.
‘Like a galloped ass,’ I added laughingly. ‘Why did you do that?’ I asked gigglingly, curious to know why. He shrugged, I chuckled and tried to stand up again but he wouldn’t let me.
‘Stay here for a bit,’
‘I can’t, staying like this is uncomfortable.’
‘Stop acting like a misandrist,’
‘I am not,’ I said defensively.
‘So, you’re a philandereress,’ he said with a sly smirk.
‘No! I’m just normal,’
‘Liar,’
‘Philalethist,’ I said proudly. He rolled his eyes with a smile.
‘How would you react if something start projecting as a result of where you are sitting on?’ He asked with a very sly and teasing smirk. What will protrude?
‘What are you talking about?’
‘What do you think,’ he said with a suggestive wiggle of his brows. My face went crimson immediately as what he was directing at dawn on me. I sprung to my feet in a very fast motion and scurried to the chaise longue while he laughed. ‘Fk girl!’ He exclaimed between his laugh. ‘Your mother’s right, isn’t she?’
‘Right about what?’ I asked feigning ignorance. He shook his head amusedly and waved his hand dismissively, thank God. Estella walked in again since the door was open, a tray in her hands.
‘Sir,’ she dropped the tray, glaring at me hatefully. I gave her a sassy wink, one that made her scoff. ‘Would you need anything else sir?’
‘Nothing, I have a personal assistant now, she will handle all my personal needs.’ He replied strictly, like the him he was.
‘All,’ I drawled purringly, winking at her again. She understood what I meant and bite down at her lip. Time to add some ham with this hot slice. ‘Baby shark,’ I called coquettishly, crossing my legs seductively and teetering with a sweet smile.
‘Yes love?’
‘Can I join you? I suddenly feel hungry,’
‘Help yourself,’ he murmured, opening the file she dropped earlier. I stood up elegantly and cat walked to the table while she watched me with distaste. I sat on the table right close to him and cross my legs, he glanced at it but ignored me. Well, to say the least, I enjoyed eating and feeding him while she watched in bitterness. She couldn’t leave because he said so.
‘Here, clear this,’ I instructed, pushing the tray to her. ‘And don’t $trip me with your eyes, someone else have got that covered.’
‘Right,’ she said through gritted teeth. He gave her back the file.
‘Have this handed to Vincent, he knows what to do.’
‘Ok sir,’ she collected it along with the tray, gave me one last glare before stomping out. ‘You are sly,’ he chuckled.
‘I prefer the term, foxy,’ I smirked. He shook his head and look up at me. ‘I better get back to work.’
‘Now,’ I jumped down from the table and adjusted my dress.
‘See ya later Baby shark,’ I waved and walked out majestically. And Dark says working here is bad, what can possibly go wrong?
? Leila ?
Bloom narrated her day with such enthusiasm, excitement and….and….hmm, what can I use? I was busy dressing up for my date with Eric and I wasn’t smiling. Now I’m starting to get what Dark was saying and it was bothering me, Bloom is falling in love with this man. It is easy protecting her because she don’t care much about men but now she’s talking about one. I admit that over our life together, she had crush and liked some couple of guys, cool ones but she easily forgot them when she remembered her fate. This one feels different, she has never shown such excitement and interest in someone she met not up to two weeks ago.
This is bad. It will be cruel reminding her why she should not like him.
‘….and then we laughed so much, he’s a Chocolatian like me, we ate a lot of chocolate in his car. Leila, I ate messily like I do when eating chocolate, I thought he would yell for messing up his car but do you know what he did? He leaned closer to my face and licked my chin and then my fingers!’ She squealed, she looked like she was about to fly out of the bed as she hugged a giant autumn teddy. ‘My heart went crazy Leila, when his face was coming closer that is….oh my God! I couldn’t breathe and….and….and…I can’t explain it but it is the best feeling I have ever felt in my entire life….Leila, are you listening?’
‘Er, yes, very.’ I said distractedly. It’s my duty to remind her, she looks too happy to crush her feeling. I averted my eyes to the mirror while she continued. I was wearing a tight hazel pair of skinny-leg jeans, orange pumps, a hazel ripped band T-shirt and orangs leather jacket. I threw on some chunky jewelry, smoky eye-shadow and brown lipstick. I used my mousse to add edgy volume to my hair before packing it into a ponytail. Hopefully, what I was wearing was good enough.
‘So, tomorrow is another day and I’m still super nervous about Friday, what should I wear? I have you to decide though, right?’
‘Yeah,’ I murmured shakily.
‘Leila,’ she called blushingly. ‘I think Alis likes me, don’t you think?’
‘Uhm, no.’
‘Why?’
‘You guys haven’t known for long, give it time though.’
‘Exactly!’ She squealed. ‘With time, he will like me a lot….’
‘Bloom, even if you like him, you can’t be with him, remember?’ I cut in sharply, each words cut my heart deep.
‘Of course I can, he’s single.’
‘The oath Bloom, don’t forget that,’ her happy smile slowly dropped, breaking my heart.
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘For a moment there, I forgot about….I thought,’ her eyes glistened with tears. ‘I’m sorry,’ she stood up from my bed, still hugging ththe giant teddy. Where did she get that from?. ‘You must be running late for your date, I have some work to attend to.’ She said with quivering voice.
‘Bloom….’
‘It’s okay Leila, I’ll be fine. Don’t let this ruin your date. At least if I can’t be on one, you should, bye.’ She walked out of my room quickly, to go cry for sure.
‘I hate this, seeing her like that,’ I said to Dark. ‘Now she will stop liking him, stop seeing him all because of a stupid tradition.’ I hissed throwing my hairbrush away. Dark chuckled.
‘Even if the sky tear apart, she will always go back to him.’
‘What….?’
‘You should be more worried about the end Leila, your date is here.’ He poofed away leaving me to brood over her sadness.
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What is Alisdair up to? Are you loving the story so far?
Who realise that Sebastiano is still looking for Leila?
Well, the story is just getting started.
?? Authoress Bunmi B. Gabriel ??
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