Chapter 3
EJ 🖋️
We just got inside the mall and like I said before, this was going to be a very long night. I confirmed that when Alaric asked me to climb the steps with him instead of making use of the elevator.
"We're climbing the stairs." I heard his gruff voice Infront of me.
"I cannot climb the stairs. I don't remember when last I did." I said glaring at him.
"Ha. As if you've ever climbed the stairs in your life." I heard him say quite loudly in his still gruff voice and I think people heard us cause they were turning Thier heads to look at me while I shot Alaric a very annoyed look that he didn't see. That was Literally the only thing I can do currently.
"This can be a very difficult night or a Very annoyed one or probably the easiest depending o! Your cooperation." He said barely sparing me a glance.
I really don't know what I like in this iron of a man in Lyra's voice. Well I do now that he's walking and his back muscles are visible in the four pieces Brown suit he is wearing, and the tan of his skin glistening under light.
I was looking at his back as we climbed up the stairs and bumped into his back cause I didn't realize he had stop walking. If embarrassment was a coat, I'll be clothed in one as big as Alaric's size.
"Focus Tesoro if you want to go home on time." He said sending me a glare. I looked around to see people glancing at us only then did I realize that my head was still pressed against the back of the aloof CEO and that's what is causing the stare at me.
I immediately stepped back and I think I heard him chuckle but I wasn't sure I've never seen him show any positive emotion that's not a smirk if that even count as a positive emotion but it's the closest to a positive emotion.
We walked into a male section of the mall and straight to the section that's for suit under Alaric's guidance. He seems to be a regular here.
He picked up a brown suit and brought it up to his chest." How well does this look on me?" I heard him ask. I totally forgot he was talking to me until he cleared his throat and I remembered I was the only one with him here.
I put down my nails that I have been examining since we stepped into this compartment I didnt look at the name because I might or might not have been admiring Alaric and placed my hands by my side.
"Honest opinion or flattery opinion." I asked since he wants to shop with him, I might as well make this fun for mine and Lyra's gist tomorrow.
"I don't need your flattery Tesoro I know how to butter myself plus I have been getting flattered since childhood." He replied staring blankly at me.
If there's one thing I wanted to be sure of before, I was completely sure of it today and it's that this man before me is emotionless.
"Honest opinion it is." I said when he snapped his fingers in front of me."the suit is boring." I paused and heaved a breath for dramatic effect.
"It's so boring especially on that well tanned skin tone of yours. " I paused to see if I was having the desired effect but got nothing other than his blank look.
"You definitely want to stand out right?" I asked sounding like a mother tempting her child. All I got in return was the same blank look and an eye roll.
After going through a lot of suits, we finally settled for a royal blue suit mostly because Alaric needed a positive response with an equally positive emotion whenever he raised a suit up his chest. I didn't know that, I guess that's what he meant by my cooperation and when I finally did, we've spent more than forty minutes trying out just suit before we headed to the tie section.
When we got there I personally picked a black coloured tie with glitters and handed it to him. If I had known this, we wouldn't have wasted so much time that we didn't have. My parents will be so worried and my legs are killing me.
I think I saw him smile a bit when I turned from picking the tie but it was gone as fast as it came making me wonder if I was imagining things but the look he gave me when I started at him for too long confirmed I was definitely imagining things. But somewhere in the back of my mind I was convinced I saw him smile.
We headed over to the counter and Alaric gave his card to the woman for payment and the clothes he picked out for packaging. He took out his phone and texted someone cause I saw his fingers move. I think I left mine somewhere in the car with my bags.
"It's packed sir. " The counter lady said to Alaric bowing her head and he pointed to me with a glare before focusing on his phone.
The nerve of this guy. Who makes a lady carry their bag for them? Right!only CEO Alaric Elwood does that. I glared at his back real hard before picking up the bags. He must have an eye at the back of his head cause he just walked away the moment I picked up the bag.
We headed downstairs and this time, I hurriedly took the elevator without waiting for him to step inside, I pressed it shut and and then pressed the floor I was heading to.
When I got out of the elevator, I took with me the bag containing his clothes and walked outside the mall sitting on the bench outside while waiting for him. He is so lucky he happens to be with my car key or I would drive off without him, leaving him here. He can complain to my father for all I cared.
I sat down for quite a while and was beginning to think he was lost when I saw him appearing in front of me with a very small shopping bag with him.
"Are you tired?" He asked when I stood up sluggishly.
"It's pretty obvious isn't it?" I replied. He didn't respond to that not until I felt him carry me in a bridal style and pick up his bag with his left hand.
I was in a daze his rock hard chest pressing against my side. I must've been dreaming about this again but those firm hands holding me made me realize this was reality. Me in Alaric arms like in one of my many imagination involving him coming out from the mall.
"Here sir please buy a flower for your girlfriend." I heard the voice of a little girl call out to him as we walked towards the parking lot. Me, his girlfriend? I waited for him to deny it and say I was his niece or his daughter like he has done in the past but none of that came forth.
"Come with me child." He said to the little girl of about eight years old and continued his journey towards my car with me in his arms my car wasn't so hard to spot plus it was dark the lot and the mall was almost empty except for few people trooping in and out.
He dropped me by the door of the car. And my feet wobbled but he was quick to support me with his hand till my feet stabled. I wasn't expecting him to drop me down so soon because I was enjoying being carried by him I sent him a glare he didn't see.
"Go inside." He said retrieving my keys from his pocket before opening the door. Nodding my head, I went to seat in the passenger princess seat according to Lyra.
I saw him take out money from his wallet and handed it over to the girl before secretary Bradley approached him and they talked for a bit and he disappeared again.
When did he get here? Where is Alaric's car? My parents must be so worried it's dark already and I don't know where my phone is. Everything was getting to me the shopping stress, climbing the stairs, standing, carrying bags everything that I didn't know when I fell asleep.
I woke up when I heard Alaric's voice close to my ear saying "hey wake up." I was awake but my head felt foggy and distant like it does whenever I'm still sleepy.
"Give me five more minutes please." I pleaded closing my eyes. I heard the car door open and shut then open again and I was being lifted up that's when I woke up properly.
"What are you doing?" I asked looking around my surroundings. "I'm home." I announced wondering when I got home.
"Yaah! Finally you noticed." Alaric replied his voice dripping with sarcasm while I rolled my eyes.
"Well put me down I can walk." I said but he paid no heed to my request and continued walking towards the house with me still in his arms.
"Put her down Alaric." Dad's voice was heard in front of me there was an edge to which dad request I be put down and I saw mum's hand wrap around his arms in a calming manner.
Alaric put me down and I noticed his jaw ticked. What's going on? Alaric used to hold me as a child but suddenly stopped but Dad reacting this way makes me think there's a reason he stopped doing it.
"She fell asleep I was trying to get her in caelum." Alaric said to dad in a calm manner. I don't know why he saw the need to explain he never does that.
"You could have woken her up or called me to do that I'm still functioning you know." Dad replied Alaric maintaining his tone from earlier.
"Jessamine! Talk to him." Alaric requested placing his arm around my back and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach hosting a party due to this small act from him.
Alaric guided me into the living room and towards the dinning table. I let him pull me a seat and tuck me in mostly because he wanted to do it though.
He sat next to me and father and mother sat down too. Father was at the head of the table and mother sat to his right. I was by his left and Alaric was sitting beside me. That's our sitting arrangements or somethimes, he sit at the other end is the table or beside mother.
"Say a prayer for us Eli." Father said and I felt all eyes on me. Those of his, mum, Alaric and the maid that is incharge of meals for the evening look at me. Father always prayed over each meal whenever he's around for him to request I pray, something was wrong. It was a family tradition I grew up in to pray before meal and after meal. Just that after meal is individually.
"Uhm." I cleared my throat before folding my hands and closing my eyes.
"Thank you lord for family, thank you lord for food. Bless and satisfy us, keep us happy. Amen." I heaved a breath after the prayer and I kind of freaked out Alaric was here and I badly wanted to impress him.
"Amen."
"Amen."
"Amen."
Mum, Dad and Alaric chorused before we began our meal of pasta and meatballs with whipped cream cake for dessert.
The dinning table was quite during the course of dinner and as usual, father and Alaric finished first.
"Alaric, let's head to my study I have something to say to you." Dad said and Alaric nodded before standing up from his seat.
I still wonder how they became friends. Alaric is a very aloof person and my dad was cheerful but somehow they clicked.
After Alaric and dad left for dad's study, mum and I talked about her work and my day with Lyra as we had our dessert.
"Thanks mum." I said after I finished dessert and stood up to head for my room.
"Are you sleepy yet?" Mom asked.
"No." I said and she nodded. "Any problem mom?" I asked again feeling something was off today.
"Not really. Just that your dad and I wanted to speak with you." She replied gathering the plates and the maid came over to join her.
"Okay. I'll be in my room." I said and she nodded before I walked away from the dinning room and towards my room wondering what she and dad wanted to talk to me about that got her so nervous. Jessamine was usually a calm woman.
Authors note:
The next chapter would be in Alaric's POV and I'm so exited it's gonna be my first male POV everrrrrrrrrrrrr.