Mark took Alexandra by the arm and led her towards the desk to the right.
The secretary—a pretty woman around Alexandra’s age, with dark brown hair and brown eyes—rose to her feet and gave Alexandra her hand. “Welcome, Miss Stewart,” she said.
“This is Pauline,” Mark introduced the girl.
“Hello, Pauline,” Alexandra said and gave the girl her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Pauline is my right hand,” Mark added. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”
“You would be just fine,” Pauline pointed out with a smile and stepped aside to let them go into the office. She followed them inside and asked Alexandra if she would like something to drink.
“Some coffee, please,” Alexandra replied, feeling the need for caffeine. Her nerves were all tangled up, thinking of her upcoming meeting with the president.
Mark walked to his desk, and Alexandra had a chance to look around. She was impressed by the huge corner office with soft cream-colored carpet, heavy mahogany furniture, burgundy leather sofas and chairs, and an amazing view of the city. There was also a bar in one corner and a large aquarium in the other.
Alexandra walked towards the aquarium and peered at the colorful fish swimming around in a beautiful and peaceful setting.
“It helps me relax,” Mark said, and she turned to face him. “I love scuba diving,” he added, “and this is a small substitute for the hours I have to be here, away from the sea I love so much.”
“It’s beautiful,” Alexandra admitted. “Your office is really nice,” she added.
“What about you?” he asked.
“What about me?”
“Do you like the water?”
“I sure do,” Alexandra admitted, “even though the sea is hours away from Atlanta.”
“I could never live away from the sea,” he said. “I try to go sailing almost every weekend.”
“I don’t have that luxury,” Alexandra admitted. “I go to the beach only once or twice a year, during my vacation. However, I do go to Lake Lanier every other weekend, which is almost like the sea. The lake is huge, and one can go swimming or boating.”
“I’ve been there once,” Mark said, and Alexandra glanced at him curiously.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
Pauline came in with a silver tray holding two cups, a carafe of coffee, milk, and sugar. Cream and sugar cookies decorated a small porcelain plate. She placed the tray on the table in front of the sofa and left the room quietly.
“You go ahead,” Mark said. “I need to check my e-mails for a moment,” he added and sat down in front of the computer on his desk.
Alexandra sunk on the comfortable couch, taking one cup in her hand and adding some milk and sugar to it. She stared at Mark working away on his computer and enjoyed the chance to examine him without his enchanting blue eyes watching her.
She had to admit he was a handsome man, tall and well-built, but not heavy. He must work out, she thought, to keep in shape like this.
All of a sudden, Mark raised his gaze, and their eyes locked. A sexy smile appeared on his lips, catching her watching him unabashedly.
Alexandra felt her cheeks blushing and glanced away.
Mark stood up and came to the sofa to sit right beside her. He took his cup of coffee and took a sip, not taking his eyes off Alexandra.
“What time is the meeting?” Alexandra asked, avoiding his look.
“Right now,” he responded, calmly.
“Then we have to hurry up,” Alexandra said and stood up, nervously.
“Hurry up for what?” he asked, and Alexandra felt her temper rising. It was bad enough she was so worried about meeting the president. She didn’t need him to play games with her.
“Mark, stop fooling around! Let’s go and get it over with,” she reprimanded him, and immediately bit her lower lip, realizing that she’d called him Mark. Then again, how could she keep on calling him Mr. Taylor when they had shared such passionate kisses? She should be careful, though, not to call him Mark in front of the president.
“Go where?” he inquired, drawing her from her thoughts. “The meeting is right here. We’ll finish our talk, and then I’ll show you around the company.”
“Our talk?” she asked in disbelief. “What do you mean our talk? Just the two of us?”
“Yes,” he replied slowly, like talking to a child. “Just the two of us. Why? Do we need someone else?”
“Listen,” Alexandra said and tried to control the anger in her voice. “I flew all the way up here to meet with the president, and I would appreciate if you would let me know the schedule of this business trip. It’ll be a lot easier for me to know exactly what you expect and when.”
“Alexandra, sit down,” Mark said in a soft, but firm voice. “I understand your anxiety, but the president is an extremely busy man with a heavy schedule. You’ll meet with him, but I can’t tell you when. He’ll send for you when he’s ready. In the meantime, we’ll go on with the deal and discuss any remaining issues.”
“Okay,” Alexandra agreed and sat back down, feeling defeated. “At least tell me this,” she said. “Am I going to see him today?”
“I doubt it,” he admitted. “It’s kind of hard, since he’s in Japan right now.”
“Japan!” Alexandra cried out. “And what am I doing here?” she asked confused.
“You’re talking with me,” he said, and she could tell from the sound of his voice he was losing his patience.
Be careful, she cautioned herself. After all, he is the Managing Director. It might be possible that they wrap up the deal without the president, after all. To be honest, she preferred dealing with Mark than this mysterious president… if only, she could control her feelings and the way her heart thundered whenever she was close to him.
There was a knock on the door, and the attorney she had met in Atlanta came in and gave his hand to Alexandra.
The three of them spent the next couple of hours going over figures and details.
At one o’clock, the attorney left, and Mark took Alexandra to a cozy restaurant on the twentieth floor of the building. Alexandra enjoyed a delicious meal with shrimp casserole for the first dish, spaghetti with lobster for the main course, and some more of that delicious wine she had tasted the day before at the apartment. They ended their meal with strawberry cheesecake and went back upstairs to Mark’s office.
“I have to make a couple of phone calls,” he said, “and then I’ll take you home.”
The word home sounded kind of strange. It wasn’t home; it was just a company apartment, no more than a luxurious hotel suite. And even if it was home for him, it wasn’t for her. Then again, why did she like the sound of it? Puzzled by her thoughts, she turned and glanced at him talking on the phone. He was smart, gorgeous, sexy, dynamic, successful, and everything she had been dreaming of in a man, but he was also arrogant and overbearing, not to mention the fact that he couldn’t be trusted.
A few minutes later, Mark placed down the receiver and stood up. “Let’s go!” he said and walked towards the door.
Alexandra followed him out the door, to the elevators, and onto the street. She searched for the limo, but it wasn’t there. She was surprised to feel his hand on her arm, pulling her towards the traffic light to cross the street.
“Let’s take a walk,” he said and walked towards the park across the street from the office building.
The shade from the trees was revitalizing, and Alexandra drew a deep breath of fresh air. Mark had taken his jacket off and thrown it over his shoulder.
She felt so nice, walking there right beside him. People were staring at them, and she could see jealousy written all over women’s faces. They probably think we’re a couple, she thought and had to admit they looked good together. Oh, well, she decided. I need to stop worrying so much and try to enjoy the day.
“So who is John?” Mark asked, suddenly.
“What?” Taken aback by s
urprise, she stopped and turned to stare at him.
He stopped as well and looked at her intensely.
“I asked you, who is John?” he repeated the question, keeping his voice flat.
“I don’t understand,” Alexandra mumbled. “What does this have to do with the deal?”
“Nothing; I just asked you a question.”
“Which I don’t care to answer,” she said and raised her eyes to face him stubbornly.
“Because, you don’t want to talk about it?” he insisted.
“No, because it’s none of your business,” she retorted and turned to go back the same way they had come from. All of a sudden, the afternoon had lost all its magic.
Mark followed her without another word. When they reached the street, he waved for a taxi, which took them back to the apartment. They remained silent all the way back, and as soon as they walked inside the apartment, Alexandra went straight to her room. She could feel her temper rising and didn’t want to lose control in front of him and say something she might regret afterwards. Besides, his mentioning of John had brought back all the uncertainty and fear of these last few days.
And by the way, how on earth does he know about John? She had heard stories about these big companies running checks on people before doing business with them, even scrutinizing their personal lives. But that was too much. She wasn’t about to discuss John with Mark, especially when she wasn’t really sure who Mark was and what he was after.
She remembered the phone call she overheard the day before, and a chill caressed her spine. What if there was something more to this deal than what appeared to be? Don’t be ridiculous! she tried to caution herself. You’re making too much out of all this. It was just that John was working on the old case again, and she was worried about his safety. That was the reason why she was overreacting and misinterpreting everything.
A soft knock on the door startled her.
“You have a phone call,” Catherine said as soon as Alexandra answered the door. “You can take it in the study,” she continued, and Alexandra followed her down the hallway to the study.
What on earth? Alexandra wondered. Who could it be? If it were John or someone from work, they would have called her on her cell phone.
She walked around the desk and sunk in the armchair behind it, picking up the phone. Instinctively, she searched for the folder she had seen this morning, but it was no longer on the desk.
“Alex Stewart,” she answered the phone and was relieved to hear Holly’s voice.
“How is it going?” Holly inquired.
“Don’t ask.” Alexandra let out a deep breath.
“That bad?” Holly sounded concerned. “Is there anything I can do?”
“No, everything is under control,” Alexandra replied and couldn’t help but smile, thinking that nothing could be further from the truth than that statement.
“How is it going with him?” Holly asked.
“He’s watching me like a hawk!” Alexandra replied with a bitter smile.
“Are you sure everything is okay?” Holly insisted.
“Yes... Have you heard from…” Alexandra hesitated for a moment and then added, “our friend?”
“No, he hasn’t called.”
“I should be back by tomorrow night, or the day after, at the latest,” Alexandra said. “And then, we’re going by the station to find someone to talk to. This waiting is driving me crazy.”
“Me, too!” Holly admitted.
“Oh, by the way, try to see if you can get me an appointment to see Mr. Hughes while I’m up here,” Alexandra said. “I’m sure he would want to be filled in on how the deal is going so far.”
“Okay,” Holly replied. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Try to make it for tomorrow, if possible,” Alexandra added. “I don’t want to stay here a minute longer than I have to.”
“I’ll let you know,” Holly reassured her. “By the way, turn on your cell phone.”
“What?”
“Your cell phone,” Holly replied. “Turn it on. I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.”
“And I was wondering why you called me on this number. And how on earth did you find this number anyway?”
“I called his office, and his secretary gave me this number.”
“I see. Let me know about the meeting with Mr. Hughes.”
“Will do,” Holly said. “Take care,” she added before hanging up.
“Is everything okay?” Mark asked, standing at the door.
“Yes,” Alexandra replied, feeling agitated with his bad habit of showing up out of nowhere.
She stood up and walked right by him, heading back towards her bedroom.
“Is there something troubling you?” he asked curiously.
“No,” Alexandra replied firmly. “Now, please excuse me. I would like to lie down for a while. I have a terrible headache,” she lied and strode to her bedroom.
Walking inside, the first thing she did was to check her cell phone. The battery was dead. Crap! I might have missed a call from John.
She left her cell phone charging and went to the bathroom to take a shower. She stood underneath the hot water and let it hit her body hard. She needed to relax her tense muscles and clear her head.
***
A couple hours later, Holly called Alexandra on her cell phone to confirm an appointment with Hughes for next morning at eleven.
“Okay,” Alexandra said. “I’ll be there. Thanks.”
“Good luck!” Holly said and hung up the phone.
Alexandra let out a deep breath. For the employees of the company, meeting with Hughes was like meeting with the Pope. He had a reputation of being tough and demanding, and everybody feared him. Alexandra had only met him once, when she had come for her final interview before getting the job with the company.
She looked at her watch. It was almost seven o’clock. I guess dinner will be served soon, she thought, feeling uneasy to face Mark again, especially after the way they had parted earlier. It was against her nature to be rude, but, to her surprise, this time she didn’t care. Prying into her personal life wasn’t something she appreciated.
She walked into the living room, to find it empty. Sitting in an armchair, she felt kind of awkward as time passed by, and Mark was nowhere to be found. Where is he? Is he coming or is he still mad at me? She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, replaying in her mind the events of the day.
The sound of the grandfather’s clock striking the half hour startled her. Seven thirty, she thought. I guess he’s not coming, after all. She stood up and decided to go down the other hallway to see if she could find the maid.
She walked by a couple closed doors, but felt uncomfortable knocking on them. Hearing voices from the end of the hallway, she decided to go down that way.
She reached the door to what seemed to be the kitchen, which was halfway open. Now, she could clearly hear the two maids talking with a man in Greek, but she couldn’t see them from where she was standing. She went to push the door open and ask them if they knew what time Mark would be back when she heard Catherine saying, “I’m telling you it’s her. My mother told me on the phone last night.”
“No!” The man’s voice cried out in disbelief. “How could your mother know that?”
“Well, you know she works at the mansion. She overheard him on the phone, talking about her. She’s the one, I’m telling you. You just wait and see.”
“I’m scared,” the other maid cut in. “With all this going on, during the last few months…”
“I know,” Catherine said. “I just have this eerie feeling that something is going to happen.”
“If it’s her, some people aren’t going to be happy at all,” the man said.
At first Alexandra was intrigued, but on second thought, she decided to turn around and leave. Too much was happening in this house, and she didn’t want to know anything about it.
She rushed to the living room and down the ot
her hallway, towards her bedroom. She was going by his bedroom when his door opened, and they almost ran right into each other.
Seeing Alexandra losing her balance, Mark reached and held her in his arms.
“Take it easy!” he said. “Why on earth are you running like this?”
“I wasn’t running!” she lied.
A half-smile appeared on his lips. “Why are you in such a hurry?” he rephrased his question.
“Everything’s okay.” Alexandra twisted in his arms to free herself.
Mark released her and put his hands in his pockets, looking at her curiously.
“I’ve arranged something special for tonight,” he said.
“What do you mean?” Alexandra was curious.
“A Greek night!” he said. “I’m taking you out to a nice Greek restaurant with music and dancing.”
“That would be nice,” Alexandra replied. “But you really don’t have to entertain me.”
”I’m not doing it because I have to,” he pointed out. “I’m doing it, because I want to.”
“Okay, then,” Alexandra unwillingly agreed. It’s just one more night, she thought. I’ll somehow make it through, and after that, I’ll never have to see him again.
Mark smiled, and Alexandra felt embarrassed, thinking he had probably guessed what was going through her mind.
“How about leaving around eight-thirty?” he asked.
“I’ll be ready,” she said and turned towards her room.
She decided to change into something more appropriate for a nice restaurant. She checked in the closet and realized she didn’t have much of a choice, since she had only brought a few things. After all, she didn’t expect to stay more than a couple of days, and all she needed was professional clothes for the office. Thank God, the very last minute, she had decided to bring her cream, silk dress with a dark green flower design on the bosom and her cream high-heeled sandals.
She put on some blush to give a little bit of color to her cheeks and dark green eye shadow to her eyes. Stepping back, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror and smiled satisfied with her appearance.