15- Stop Interacting With Me In Public
He could not see the face but the familiar scent told him who it was…
“If. Next. Time. You. Ever. Try. To. Communicate. With. Me. In front. Of. Anyone. I. Will. Murder. You! Got. That?”
Abigail’s hissing sound appeared near his ear. Gulping down his laughter he slowly nodded his head.
“Say it, you monster!” She said between her clenched teeth.
“I got you, sugar!” His heavy voice appeared through the dark.
“Stop. Calling. Me. That.”
“Stop. Calling. You. What?” He mimicked her effortlessly.
“This stupid … sugar thing.” Now, why was her voice shaking?
“Ok. What’s the deal? Why so angry?” when she did not answer, he again said, “We can sit and talk about it. Let’s bring it in open.” His both arms were raised in a ‘hands up’ position.
Did she detect friendliness in his tone? But no. Right now only Kyle and Chloe mattered.
Removing her arm from his neck, she moved back a little. She did feel guilty when she saw him
massaging his neck.
“I am not interested in talking to you. I am bound to work for you … just for two years. Till then better be civil and no need to show any pleasantries in front of anyone. Treat me as you treat others.”
Without a backward glance, she opened her portion’s door and closed it behind her. Right after closing it she leaned on it and started taking deep breaths.
She had never been this hostile in her entire life.
But now she was becoming something else.
Someone else.
Why?
Why did she do such a thing?
Regret and remorse were taking over and were quickly replacing the fury she felt earlier. With great struggle, she stopped herself from running back to Hunter and saying sorry to him.
Right now best option was to go far away from this place. She immediately collected her things and went to Molly by her office car and chauffeur, for a night stay.
She was always welcomed there even if her friend was not home. She always kept an extra key hidden under a plant pot placed outside her apartment door. Molly did offer her to stay when she was broke but Abigail did not accept the invitation. She wanted to do it on her own.
Luckily Molly was home and was getting ready for the date with Richard
“Will you be ok on your own if I don’t return at night?” Molly gave herself a once over in the mirror and started spraying the perfume all over her
“Just enjoy your night, Moll. I will either watch a movie or will go to sleep.”
“Yeah. There is some leftover pasta in the fridge.” She was checking her purse when the doorbell
rang
“Ready?” Richard asked Molly when she opened the door, just then his eyes fell on Abigail, “Oh. What my favorite person is doing here?” He came inside to give her a bear hug.
“And what my favorite man is doing here?” Abigail smiled before lifting on her toes and kissing his cheek
“Why don’t you join us, Cherie?” He invited her with sincerity.
“Yes, Abi. What a great idea! Come along!”
But Abigail pushed both of them towards the door, “Get out you guys. I have to watch a romantic, hot movie!”
They both were adamant that she should accompany them
“Abi. Don’t you dare watch a Rafael Wyatt movie without me.” Molly was still speaking when Abigail almost kicked them out and closed the door. She smiled to herself.
She could not take their moment away just because she did not have anyone in her life.
Molly did not return that night but Abigail again had a nightmare that made her awake at midnight.
***
“These are our coffee shops across the State and according to our planning these beauties will be running full fledge within eighteen months” All the coffee shops were displayed on a wooden board in the form of a map.
Putting the stick down, Abigail turned to her team members.
Chloe had a bored expression on her face. She did not know why all the team members found Abigail so praiseworthy. Chloe knew her better.
According to Chloe, Abigail always used to flatter the people around her while Chloe always thought of herself as a straightforward person who could never lie on anyone’s face.
She wished she could tell all the members how annoying she found them and their queries too.
She had to roll her eyes when Kate asked some stupid question just for the sake of it.
Well! Abigail could impress all these inept women.
But not her.
Right now, Chloe was waiting for the display board to fall. First, she wanted to do it herself then she knew that she would be caught red handed. Doing it before leaving office was out of the question but making a guard agree to do it was easier.
She did pay him with money as usual and then the rest was all easy. She asked him to lose one or two nails of the wooden map but now she was feeling restless. If the board would not fall today then that guard would be in trouble.
She was thinking to pay a bathroom visit when she not only heard a bang but also a girlish screech following it.
At once, all women stood up, gasping in panic. Abigail was sitting down holding her left foot and her lip was quivering in controlling the pain.
“Oh, God. Somebody should call for help.” Kate sat beside her and tried to lift the huge board but Abigail screamed in pain, “NO!”
“What is it, dear? What’s going on?” They all heard Mrs. Ann behind them who was accompanied b y Hunter Levisay.
“Sir! Ma’am. Please help her!” Kate was crying hysterically. Other employees on the floor came running from their cabins when they heard the commotion.
Quite briskly Hunter made his way through all the women and came forward.
“Dear God!” No one had ever heard much from him except a few rude words. But right now he seemed like a different man.
One of the employees came forward and helped Hunter to lift the board.
Hunter at once leaned on one knee and examined Abigail’s foot.
“Can you stand by your own?” He asked her gently. When she nodded her head, he helped her in standing up, holding her by her waist. But the moment she exerted pressure on her foot she could not stop herself to cry in pain.
Without even a second thought Hunter scooped her up smoothly and started taking long strides
giving instructions to Mrs. Ann.
“Ask Dr. Debbie to prepare the medical room. Tell James to book a room and the doctor in our hospital just in case it proves to be an emergency.”
Mrs. Ann, while walking with him started punching numbers on her phone.
The office staff was standing there worried and open mouthed. Despite Hunter being cruel and heartless everyone knew how he favored his employees and often took it upon himself to take care of them.
But he never showed his caring side so openly to anyone. Chloe was fuming like anything. How could this… How could this happen! She never planned this.
Tables had turned against her.
In her rage, she picked up her phone and stormed out of there.
***
“I have washed and cleaned the injury. The cut was deep but not extensive enough to damage any vein. You need to be very careful while moving around.” Debbie was wrapping her foot with a bandage.
“It’s good that you are residing right in the hotel building. Just go there right away.” After cutting the bandage Debbie stood up to wash her hands from the nearby basin.
Hunter was standing there quietly folding his arms on his chest. Coming towards the patient’s bed, he sat near Abigail examining her foot.
“You should go back to work. I am doing just fine.” She said without any eye contact.
“The hell you are doing.” He cursed trailing his finger lightly on her foot. The simple act was sending shivers down her body yet making her relaxed against the touch.
“Abigail. If you want, you can take a quick nap here.” Debbie returned to her. Before Abigail could open her mouth Hunter spoke up.
“I can take her to her apartment upstairs.” Abigail did not want him to carry her again.
“No need. I can go there by myself. I don’t need favors but thank you.”
“Hell. Why you are so stubborn?” Hunter was trying, not to flare up.
“Hell. And why are you so persistent?” Abigail shot back.
She did not know why Debbie was smiling like a fool.
“Now for God’s sake, Abigail. You are my employee and it’s my fuc*kin duty to take care of my staff. Now better don’t make it any harder. Please.”
When Abigail did not answer, Hunter held her hand in his, “Sugar. I …” When Abigail’s eyes went wide he raised his palms, “Ok. Sorry for calling you sugar. But how can I not help or not talk to you when you are hurt?”
Poor Debbie was scrunching her nose not understanding what Hunter was trying to say. But Abigail knew he was referring to their last night’s encounter when she asked him not to communicate or to call her sugar.
“I am staying at my friend’s place.” She whispered staring at her lap, “I can manage to go there by car, and chauffeur provided to me officially.”
He reached out and very gently tucked her hair strand behind her ear, “Let me drop you, Abigail. W e can’t leave you like this on your own.”
Abigail was still in process of making up her mind when she heard Debbie’s voice, “If it’s not a problem then I can drop her.”
“I will appreciate it, Debbie. I just want her in safe hands.”
15- Stop Interacting With Me In Public
Abigail felt disappointment surging through her when Hunter did not seem to mind it and accepted Debbie’s offer.
