Alpha Billionaire Series

ALICIA

Agatha Hayes and some model walked into Christophers office as if it was theirs. I didn’t have any warning that she was in the building. She swept past me as if I wasn't even sitting right there. I didn’t need an introduction to know who I was dealin with. Ina panic, I hit the floor running to get her hot tea. I thought the front desk was supposed to call and warn me.

Shit. I started going through all the cupboards in the break room. The notes Valerie had bequeathed to me in her departure indicated that Agatha expected a teapot with boiling water and china cups. I had all the doors open and I stared at what was available. Double shit.

I ran back to my desk and grabbed the binder. I flipped through the pages until I found the information I needed. Tea bags were to be placed on a separate plate.

“Fine, but I need a plate!” I yelled as if the notes would answer me directly. “Come on, tell me where?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

My first-time meeting Agatha Hayes and I was fucking everything up, badly. I flipped another page and there it was. The tea service and her teas were stored in a cabinet drawer. I spun around, and there it was. I hadn't thought to look in a drawer.

It had a key lock. Of course, it did. I ran back to my desk and rooted through the drawer that held the file cabinet keys. “Key, key, key”

I sorted through the keys until I found one that was labeled Agatha. I sprinted back to the break room.

“Yes I cheered in triumph as the drawer opened, and a pristine Wedgwood roses in pinks and reds with a gold rim set of China dishes sat there nestled up against a variety of boxes of tea. Shit, what was she going to want?

Ifilled a couple of paper coffee cups with water and shoved them into the microwave and hit three minutes. I needed the water to stay warm between here and Christopher's office. While that heated up, I looked up the schedule that indicated which tea Agatha preferred first thing in the morning.

Earl Grey, crap. There was only one tea bag left in the box set aside for her. I dove back into the regular cupboard. Earl Grey was an office staple. Thank goodness, disaster averted.

I snagged a few pieces of fruit from the company-provided fruit bowl and opened a couple of packages of breakfast pastries After cutting them up into finger-sized bites, I arranged everything nicely on a tray.

The water was taking forever to boil. I danced in place nervously. What was I forgetting? I had three teacups. I rinsed the teapot in warm water, so the boiling water wouldn't be a shock. Coffee! Christopher did not drink tea.

I couldn't carry a tray with a full cup of coffee and not spill. Back to looking through the cupboards. Score. I found an extra carafe for the coffee maker. I poured about three cups worth of coffee into it. I didn't know what that model was going to want to drink.

It took forever for the microwave to ping, indicating it was done. I yanked the door open. I didn’t have time for the hot cups to burn my fingers. I poured the superheated water into the teapot and carefully picked up the tray.

I needed to hurry, but I couldn't run while carrying a tray of expensive China and hot liquid. I turned the corner and let out a sigh. I could see the doors to Christopher's office. I was in the home stretch.

As I got closer to the partially open door, I could hear yelling. Oh shit, I really didn't want to carry this in there right now. The model shoved her way out of the office. She was red with anger. Her eye twitched as she barreled down the hall toward me. I stumbled as I jumped out of her way.

I stared after her. I almost expected to see a trail of steam coming from her ears. She was so mad. I blinked hard a few times and turned toward the door. I froze. With a gulp, I forced myself to take a step closer.

Christopher was laughing like some maniacal evil villain. I carefully set the tray down on my desk and tried to listen in. I heard Agatha say something about having a crush on his receptionist. How the hell had she found out about us? She had to have spies all over the building. We had kind of sucked at being discreet.

I bit my lip and leaned in a little closer. I needed to know what Christopher was going to say to that.

“I never slept with her. I don’t know where you get these ideas. I was never attracted to her. I'm insulted that you would thinI that of me”

I don't think I really heard anything after that. He could have told her a less painful lie. But that's all I was to him, someone to lie about. Why hadn't I realized that earlier? He would never tell his mother there was something between us. Even if we were mad at each other right now, it still hurt that he couldn't or wouldn't claim to have feelings for me.

Staying here was a bad idea. A very bad idea. I should have quit the week after the conference when he started acting so angry. If he couldn't be an adult and talk to me properly, why was I still hanging around?

I didn’t need this aggravation and constant panic. I spent the past month tiptoeing over eggshells whenever I was around him. No more. And I certainly didn't need to break my back for some harpy like his mother. Damn, her reputation preceded her, and I was willing to cow-tow as well

Yanking on my ID, the lanyard's breakaway tap snapped against my neck. I left it on my desk and pulled my purse from the drawer where I stored it. Scanning my gaze over my desk, I grabbed the few things that were mine before grabbing my jacket off the coat tree and leaving.

I walked out the front of Hayes Imaging Solutions and didn't look back. I was afraid if I did I would run straight to Christopher and confess everything. I had to stand my own ground and do what was best for me.

I didn’t cry until after I had a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream from the coffee shop. I pulled over in the parking lot and sobbed. What had I done?

I walked out of the best-paying job I had ever had three weeks before Christmas. I wasn't even done with my Christmas shopping. Shit, what had I been thinking? I let my feelings get hurt and suddenly I couldnt do my job?

I had been letting Christopher be an asshole to me for weeks, why walk away now? Now I could no longer ignore the warning signs. Those were flower petals floating in the breeze, those were red flags flapping around and it was time for me to really open my eyes to that.

It was time to believe Christopher's actions were the real him, and not him throwing a fit. The sweet, sexy, attentive Christopher had been the lie. Time to believe his actions, and words. After all, he told his mother he wasn't attracted to me. Fine, he didn't have to see me. I dried my tears and drove home.

Ceejay ploughed into my legs when I walked in the door. “Mom-meee”

I dropped my bag on the floor and swept him into my arms and hugged him tightly. I had to work so I could provide for this little boy in my arms, but I needed someplace that wasn't actively trying to break me on a daily basis. I made the best decision I could have. I only hoped it was the right decision to have made.

“You're early,” Hannah said.

I nodded and tried to wiggle my eyebrows at her. “My boss is letting me take all of Christmas off. That means I get to stay home and help get everything ready for Santa!”

I grimaced at her, hoping she figured it out. I didn't want to talk about grown-up things around Ceejay. He didn't need to worry about whether Mommy had a job or not. That wasn't something I ever wanted him to have to be concerned with.

My mother had been really open with me when she didn't have a job, and I remember nights pretending I wasn't hungry, so she didn't need to feed me dinner. I was just a kid, that wasn't something I should have had to worry about. I was going to di my best to make sure Ceejay never had to be concerned about our finances.

“So, the boss gave you time off?” Hannah asked. Her careful phrasing contained the unasked question of if I got fired or not. Ceejay started squirming in my arms. “I got to potty.”

I put him down and ran into the back of the apartment.

“I walked out. That man is a liar and mean, and 'm done. So I gave myself an early Christmas present and quit. I quit that jo! and I quit older rich men who think they can get away with being assholes because they are rich. Give me a nice honest man Do you think Santa could handle that?”

“Maybe you should ask Santa for—"

“I want to ask Santa for more Legos,” Ceejay announced.

“Did you wash your hands, and flush? I didn't hear water,” Hannah said as he came running back in.

Ceejay’s eyes went wide, and he rushed back toward the bathroom.

“He's learning.” she said with a chuckle. “And you should ask Santa for a job."

“I know. I know.”