The Assistant (36 page)

I blushed at his words before continuing. “Well, for one. This is just a theory, it may not be true! And secondly, what if it is true? If you fire her, David would get suspicious and eventually figure out the fact that I’ve basically told you everything involving him and our encounters. God knows what he’ll do, Adrian. I can’t risk that.”

Adrian looked away in thought, before his jaw clenched. “You’re right. Fine, we won’t do anything for now until the next time he wants to interact with you. Come on, let’s get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow.”

“We do?” I asked, frowning curiously. “What’s happening tomorrow?”

Adrian smirked as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and I laughed before slapping his bare chest. “Perv.”

“I’m a man. It’s only in my nature to react to something so beautiful the way I do,” Adrian replied as his smirk grew wider.

“What do you mean by-” He began to shift from underneath me, and I instantly groaned and rolled off him. “Idiot.” I scowled, blushing.

Adrian chuckled and pulled me into him again just as he reached over and turned off the lamp beside him.

“Goodnight,” he mumbled, clumsily placing a kiss on my eyelid.

I laughed in response before cuddling into him with a light smile on my face.

Chapter Twenty-six

“
Another
freaking event?” Amy exclaimed while opening up her laptop. ”Seriously, does this guy have nothing else to do?!”

“Aims! It’s not like he does it for
himself.
He actually hates that stuff; he just needs to do it to keep the name of the business strong. Plus, I haven’t gotten to the good part yet.”  I grinned.

“What is it? Hot male strippers are going to be there and I’m going to miss out
yet again
?” She pouted.

“You- What? Why would there be male strippers at a formal dinner?” I laughed. “No, that’s not it. You’re invited this time! But,” I warned, “you’re not allowed to speak to anyone you don’t know because you’re not even supposed to be there if you’re not a part of a corporation.”

Amy laughed humorlessly. “You don’t need to make me feel better about being a rejected loser while my best friend is a socialite.” She groaned, before her fingers flew across the keyboard.

“I’m being serious! Adrian even gave you $2,000 for you to buy a dress.” I reached over to take my wallet out of my handbag, and took out the thick stack of money and handed it over to her.

Once Amy’s eyes landed on the stack of green notes, her blue eyes popped out of their sockets. “Fuck off.” She breathed, before looking up at me in disbelief. “Are you fucking with me, Emily?” She scowled.

“No you idiot! Would I really casually carry $2,000 in my bag?” I asked her with a pointed look.

“I’m in love with your boyfriend.” She sighed as a grin made its way to her lips.

“I’m the one who spent all night begging him to let you come,” I grumbled under my breath, glaring at her.

Amy’s grin – is possible – grew wider as she waggled her eyebrows. “All night, eh? No wonder he was so generous with the amount of money.”

She snickered once I threw a pillow in her direction. “Not like
that!
” I exclaimed.

“Yes like that. You have that after-sex face on today. Don’t think you can hide it from me.” Amy smirked, before taking a bite of the chocolate bar beside her.

“No I don’t,” I responded, blushing slightly.

“Shut up. How fancy is this thing?” she asked, looking away from her laptop screen. “Is it like last time?”

I nodded and shuffled closer towards her to get a look at the dresses she was going through. “I’m surprised you’re still focusing on my dress when I just gave you $2,000 and told you that you’re invited to one of these things,” I pointed out in amusement.

She scoffed. “Please, I’ve had my outfit planned for this day ever since you
met
Mr. Sexypants; he’s just provided me with the funds to make this outfit actually happen.” She falsely grinned at me before averting her attention back to the laptop screen. “Now… I was thinking something along the lines of gold…” She trailed off to herself.

My phone rang then, and I answered it immediately. “Save me,” I begged Adrian, who chuckled through the speaker.

“You sure seem to do a lot of begging lately, Shortcake.”

I was already envisioning his usual arrogant smirk as he spoke those words, and glared at Amy’s small television across from me. “Shut up. What do you want?” I asked, trying to avoid the subject.

“Were you serious about me saving you?” he asked in a concerned tone. “Do you want me to come and pick you up?”

“DON’T LISTEN TO HER, ADRIAN!” Amy suddenly screamed out. “SHE JUST DOESN’T WANT TO ACT LIKE A GIRL FOR A FEW HOURS!”

I turned around in horror. “You can hear him?”

“Duh, and he proved me right! You
did
have begging sex last night!” She burst into a fit of laughter, tossing her laptop carelessly to the side in the process.

Adrian chuckled in my ear, and I groaned in mortification. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed about our lovemaking, Shortcake-”

“Okay I’m going to stop you right there and hope to God that there is an actual point to this phone call or else I’m hanging up,” I warned, throwing a glare at Amy, who was still laughing.

“Yes, there is a point to this phone call.” His voice suddenly turned serious, and I frowned at the brown pillow in my lap.

“What is it?”

“Good news or bad news first?” he asked.

My frown deepened and I bit my lip. “Bad news.”

“Okay.” He let out a breath before speaking up again. “Well… the bad news is that I have a boner thinking about you.”

My frown instantly flattened. “Adrian”-

“But the good news is,” he interrupted, “You’re in love with me, and you’re willing to come and get rid of it!”

“Idiot.” I hung up in his face.

“I’d never thought I’d see the day where I’d be jealous of
your
relationship, of all people,” Amy scoffed, before pouting at me.

I raised an eyebrow as a sly smile made its way to my lips. “Why Amy, how
ever
could you be jealous of Adrian and me when you’ve got the perfect relationship with my brother? Oh
wait,
that’s all in your mind.”

“GET OUT MY HOUSE.”

I burst into a fit of laughter and dodged the pillow she launched in my direction, before taking back my original seat on the sofa.

“I’m serious.” Amy glared. “Leave. You distract me too much and you need this dress by the weekend. Plus, I hate you right now.”

“Aw, Aims.” I pretended to be affected by her words and pouted in her direction. “Do you-” I got cut off by my phone shrilling to life again.

I gave Amy a flat look before answering in the same fashion. “Adrian.”

“Shortcake, I need you to get to the office immediately. We need to sort out a large financial error that just occurred in one of the hotels in London.” There was no humour in his tone, and my expression sobered up immediately.

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes,” I murmured in reply while packing my handbag.

Adrian hung up after that, and Amy looked up at me. “Have my prayers been answered?”

I glared and pulled my tongue out at her grinning expression. “There’s an emergency at the office, I have to go. Thank you so much for doing this.”

“’An emergency,’” Amy smirked. “Right.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I slung my handbag over my shoulder. “I’m being serious. Some financial thing that just happened in a hotel in London. I’ll text you later!” I called out to her before closing the door shut behind me.

***

“Damn. I’m pretty sure I’m ready to give you the D now, Emily.” A familiar voice said from behind me.

A large grin spread across my face before I turned around and pulled Allen into a hug, laughing into his shoulder. “You’re a stupid head. If Adrian hears you say that-”

“Say what?” Adrian asked, appearing beside us.

“That I’m going to give her the D,” Allen replied with an arrogant grin, pulling away from our hug.

Adrian’s jaw clenched at the same time his fists did, and I instantly rushed to his side. “He’s kidding.” I laughed, sending a playful glare in Allen’s direction.

He grinned childishly before speaking up again. “In all honestly now Em, you look absolutely incredible. I had to physically wipe drool off my face before talking to you. Look!” Allen’s arm suddenly shot out as he pointed to a dark grey spot on his light grey suit sleeve with wide eyes.

“Ew, Allen!” I laughed, shoving his hand away. “Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself.” I winked.

“But I look better, of course,” Adrian spoke up, glaring down at me.

I tapped my chin and pretended to think about it. “Hmm. I’m not so sure…”

Adrian’s glare intensified and I broke out into a smile, instantly making his expression soften. “You’re going to pay for that tonight.”

I raised an eyebrow before bringing my lips to his ear. “I can’t wait.”

Allen groaned in front of us, cutting off the small exchange between Adrian and me. “I’d never thought I’d see the day where I’d want to kill my best friend just to have his girl.”

“That’ll never happen, mate.” Adrian smirked, but tightened his arm around my waist. “I’m stronger than you are; we both know that for a fact.”

“Ugh, I think I’m already too drunk to function.” Amy’s voice sounded from behind us. “Seriously? I didn’t think these events would be so
boring.
They looked so much cooler in the magazines and stuff.” She scoffed, before taking another gulp of her red wine.

“Amy, take it easy on the liquor, okay?” I warned with an amused expression. “Remember this event is for the business; and there’s someone coming tonight that you’d want to be sober around.”

“There is literally no one in this world that I would want to be sober for at this stupid thing,” she grumbled, before walking off.

“You invited your brother? Dammit, I was hoping to get some from her tonight.” Allen cursed to himself, making my gaze drag away from my best friend to give the man a look of disbelief.

“Did you pay Rita once she finished your hair?” Adrian asked, ignoring Allen’s comment.

“Yes, she was so nervous about tonight for me. I have no idea why.” A small frown appeared on my face as I bit my lip at Rita’s nervous behaviour earlier this evening.

Adrian grunted. “Who cares. As long as you-”

“Smelly Emily. You look amazing tonight, little sis.” I turned around to find a smiling Blake walking over to us, looking dapper in a navy coloured suit.

“Blake!” I grinned, wriggling out of Adrian’s grip and pulling my brother into a bone crushing hug. “Thank you so much for coming.”

“Anything for you, little sis.” Blake smirked.

I glared up at him. “I prefer Smelly Emily.”

Blake just shrugged in response, still smirking, to my annoyance.

“Oh!” I suddenly remembered, turning to Allen. “Blake, this is Allen, Adrian’s best friend. Allen, this is my brother Blake.”

“Hey man, it’s nice to meet you.” Allen smiled, holding a hand out for Blake to shake.

Blake’s eyes narrowed in Allen’s direction before he cautiously took his hand and shook it slowly. “Let’s talk, Allen.”

“Wait, Blake-” I didn’t bother finishing my sentence because Blake was already dragging Allen away from Adrian and me. “He’s going to give him a lecture,” I sighed, cringing at their retreating figures.

Adrian smirked before snaking his arm around my waist again. “Good. At least now we can have some time alone.”

He bent down and placed a lingering kiss on my lips, and I kissed back immediately before pulling away. “As much as I’d love for this to continue, you actually have investors to talk to. That’s the reason this thing was hosted in the first place, remember?” I grinned, before wiping my thumb across his lips to get rid of the red lipstick that was transferred.

Adrian groaned and placed his forehead at the crook of my neck. “I hate everyone.”

“You sound like a whiny teenager.” I laughed, pushing his head off gently. “Come on, go charm them to a stupor.” I smiled while fixing his tie.

“I love you,” he mumbled, before pecking my cheek and walking away. I watched as he stopped at a small group of men and women not far from where we were standing, and he plastered on a smile as he began shaking their hands and nodding.