Part 6 (2/2)
”Sorry. I don't know maybe I'm coming down with something.”
”Why'd you call?”
”Uh...I need some money.”
”How much?”
”Not much. A thousand?”
”I'm off to a meeting,” I said, checking my watch. ”When I get there, Stanton can come by the loft and give you the cash.”
”Thanks.”
”He can also drive you anywhere you want to go.”
”That won't be necessary,” Lane said. ”I can manage.”
I said goodbye to him and tried to focus on the meeting. But between Lane and Elena it was next to impossible. ”Stanton,” I said. ”You'll have to make a trip to the loft. Give Lane some money.”
”Of course sir.”
”Stanton?”
”Sir?”
”Do you think you can keep an eye on my brother?”
ELENA.
I don't know how I traipsed through those next couple of hours, but thankfully, I never ran into him again. Which was good. I think. When I finally got off work, I was running all the way back home because I felt like I had to grab Penny's throat and shove something deep down in there. I managed to go up to our apartment on trembling feet from the adrenaline that my body was pumping, and I don't think I had ever been this mad at Penny before. I had trouble using the keys to get inside, I was that furious. Penny was sitting on the couch, in front of the television watching some stupid show that I couldn't care about.
”How could you?” I glared at her, throwing the keys and the bag noisily on the table. She turned to me and there was nothing on her face that showed she had a clue what I was talking about.
”What's going on?”
”You knew!” I said. ”You knew who I was working for, and you sent me there anyway!”
She kept staring at me the same way, completely clueless. ”Elena, I have no idea what you're talking about,” she said. I rolled my eyes in frustration, and finally started to explain.
”I just found out who my boss is Penny,” I said. ”It's Thorne Ryker!”
”The stalker guy?”
”You're kidding me, right?”
”You think I knew about this? You really think I would do this to you? Come on, Elena! Give me a break.”
My anger lessened but it wasn't exactly gone, because I was still annoyed that it was Ryker I was working for now, but at least I knew Penny wasn't involved. ”You really didn't know?” I said. ”Oh G.o.d, Penny. I'm so sorry! I thought this was one of your plans where you don't tell me a thing until it goes down.”
”Sit down and tell me what happened.”
I sat with a heavy movement, still feeling c.r.a.ppy. ”I was having a good day,” I said. ”I was actually having a good, productive day, and then, I found out Ryker owns the d.a.m.n company.”
”You met him?”
”More like saw him. We said h.e.l.lo and then he went away.”
”So he didn't try to hit on you or anything?”
”No.”
”So what, Elena? He's a freaking billionaire playboy. It's not like he was just waiting for you to turn up. He's probably moved on to greener pastures.”
”That's certainly what it seemed like.”
”You seem disappointed.”
”I'm not,” I said, lying only a little. ”It's just...it was awkward!”
”I know babe,” she said. ”I get it. But is it worth losing a good, well-paying job over?”
”Of course not.”
”Then, it's all well and good. You'll be okay in a couple of days when this becomes a normal routine.”
”Yeah I guess,” I was feeling so much better now that I had discovered she wasn't involved. The whole thing was still bothering me, but I hoped that too would pa.s.s.
Penny brought me some wine and we snacked on whatever was available in the kitchen, and while Penny immersed herself in reality TV again, my head held on to its stubborn distraction, and I was unable to concentrate on anything.
I know I wasn't supposed to make a big deal out of it, but it's just...that strange feeling I got when I took a whiff of that cologne, I just couldn't seem to wrap my head around it. It was as though inside my heart I knew who it belonged to, I knew it was him, before I saw him, knew that in my gut. As though it was unique, not because I haven't seen people smell that good, but because it was on him.
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