The Stranger, page 26
They were private, and for my eyes only.
I’ve simply been protecting his reputation. I know how much his father’s unwanted advances towards the female staff in the past have upset him. Spencer was nothing like that man, and I refused to let anyone believe otherwise.
When I reach my desk, I stow my handbag in the drawer and then pop my head into Marcy’s office. “I’m here,” I say. “I’m sorry I was late.”
“It wasn’t your fault. I had a look online after you called, but I couldn’t see any major accidents reported in the area.”
“It was on the M5.”
Her eyebrows jump. “The M5. I thought you lived locally.”
“I do. I was away … my sister’s engagement party was held over the weekend.” This is not the reason I was on the M5 motorway, but technically, it isn’t a lie. “I left super early this morning, which should have had me back here in plenty of time.” Normally, I wouldn’t go into so much detail, but this is Marcy. I’m confident she wouldn’t be involved in idle gossip. I’ve noticed in my time working for her that she keeps to herself. “Is there anything I can do for you before I get started on my work?”
“Not at this stage, no,” she answers.
I soon forget the events of this morning as I get stuck into my work, but that all changes around 11 am when Shay-lee buzzes me from reception.
“Delilah,” she whispers down the line. “Eloise Prescott … Mr Prescott’s mother is on the line for you.”
Shit. I inwardly cringe. This is not what I needed today. I must remember to give her the number for my direct line.
“Oh,” I say, trying to act as casually as I can. “I wonder why she’s calling me.”
“I don’t know. Do you want me to ask her?”
That is the last thing I want; I can’t trust she wouldn’t unintentionally say something to make this situation worse. “No, that’s fine, Shay-lee. Put her through.”
“Darling.” Is the first word out of her mouth once we’re connected.
“Eloise.”
“I’m sorry to bother you at work, but I’ve been dying to hear how the engagement party went on the weekend. I would’ve called you yesterday, but I knew you had your shift at the restaurant.”
“I quit the restaurant.”
“You did?”
“Yes, Spenc—” I cut myself off just in case someone is listening. “We spent the day at the estate.”
“Oh, how lovely.”
“It was just what I needed.”
“And how did Saturday night go? I bet you knocked everyone’s socks off in that dress.”
I blow out a puff of air. “It was … a disaster.”
“The dress?”
“No, the party.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Delilah.”
“I have so much to tell you, but I don’t want to get into it here.”
“Can we do lunch?”
“Today?”
“Of course, today, you can’t allude to a disaster and then leave me hanging. The suspense will surely kill me.”
I laugh into the phone. “Always so dramatic.”
“I’m a widower without a life … let me have something.”
“You realise your ex-husband is still alive, right?”
“And like I told you once before … he is dead to me, so technically, I am a widow.”
“Fair enough,” I say, smiling. “What time do you want to do lunch?”
“I’m available whenever you are.”
“How does noon sound? I can meet you out the front of the building.”
“Perfect. See you then, darling. Mwah.”
I should’ve been more insistent about where we were going to meet. The last thing I’m expecting is Eloise to show up on my floor at a quarter to twelve with Shay-lee in tow.
“Mrs Prescott,” I say, standing and forcing out a polite smile, hoping she doesn’t sense my mortification.
She arches one of her perfectly sculptured brows. “Mrs Prescott? Since when have we been so formal, darling?”
I bow my head. “Sorry … I mean, Eloise.”
“Don’t be silly, sweet girl,” she says, rounding my desk and placing a hand on each shoulder. I feel my cheeks heat when she air kisses either side of my face.
“I thought we were going to meet downstairs.”
She waves a hand. “I came in early to visit my son and since I had some spare time, I thought I’d check out your new workspace and make sure you weren’t placed in the dungeon somewhere. Although, I know Spencer would never do that to you. Shay-lee was lovely enough to bring me up here.”
My eyes dart to her, and I can see she’s riveted by our exchange.
Yikes.
The situation only escalates when Marcy steps out of her office. “I thought I heard voices out here. Oh … wow … Mrs Prescott,” she says, surprise in her voice. She steps forward and offers Eloise her hand. “It’s so lovely to see you again.”
“It’s lovely to see you too, dear.” But I can tell by her tense smile she has no idea who Marcy is.
“Is there something I could help you with?” she asks.
“No, I’m here to take my sweet Delilah to lunch.”
Ugh. Just the thing I was hoping she wouldn’t say.
As the week progresses, the speculation increases. I even got wind of an alleged secret betting ring, where employees could place down money either for or against Spencer and me being in a relationship. It’s nuts, and I feel sick about it.
I’ve told so many white lies over the past few days, denying all the gossip, that I’ve lost count. I would never consider myself a dishonest person. All I’m doing is defending Spencer’s honour. I was even forced to lie to Marcy, who flat out asked me if something was going on. I’m sure she had her suspicions anyway, since she has been privy to his calls and occasional visits to this floor. She was the one who told me about the bets being placed.
I’ve gone as far as asking Damien to drop me off around the corner instead of out the front of the building. He wasn’t keen, saying, “Mr Prescott would not be impressed or likely approve,” but he was the very reason I was doing it, and besides, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Thankfully, in the end, Damien agreed to do what I asked of him.
I have mentioned none of this to Spencer because I’m worried about what he might say. His privacy means a lot to him, and I know how hard he has worked to prove he’s nothing like his father.
Around midmorning, I get another call from Shay-lee. My heart drops as soon as I hear her voice, but when she tells me it is my mother on the phone this time, my anxiety morphs into something else. Panic. I never know what to expect from my family, and this will be my first conversation with her since the disastrous engagement party.
“Mum,” I say when the call is put through.
“Lilah, how are you?”
“I’m doing okay. How are you?”
“The last few days have been … rough, to say the least, but I’m doing okay, I guess. Better than your sister and father. They exchanged some heated words on the way home … it wasn’t pretty, and Abigail has been locked away in her room ever since.”
Her words have me wincing. I’m grateful that Marcy is away from her office at the moment—attending a group meeting—so I can speak freely. I still keep my voice low as a precaution. The last thing I need is to add to the office gossip.
“I’m sorry for how things played out, Mum. I never intended to ruin everyone’s night. It was the last thing I wanted. Despite what everyone may think, I meant it when I said I have made peace with them being together. I wasn’t trying to break them up, but I thought Abby had a right to know what Kayne was doing behind her back. I had to go through extensive testing for STIs, and it was not only humiliating but really scary.”
“You don’t need to explain yourself to me. I understand you were just trying to help your sister, and I’m sorry you had to go through that. It’s just unfortunate that all the lies and betrayals had to come out in front of all our family and friends. Those kinds of conversations are best done behind closed doors.”
“I agree.”
“Kayne came to the house last night. He had a long conversation with his grandfather—the paster—and was advised to take ownership of his sins. He seemed genuinely sorry for all the things that he had done and was very apologetic.”
“Hmm,” is my only response. Is he sorry for the things he’s done, or just sorry he got caught out?
“He mentioned apologising to you as well. I wanted to give you a heads-up.”
“I’m not interested in anything he has to say, Mum. Like I said, I’ve made peace with it all. He did me a favour. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.”
“I’m glad to hear that. You and Spencer are a couple now?”
“We are.”
“Your father and I think he’s a little old for you, but you seem happy and that’s all we want for both our daughters.”
“I am happy. He’s good to me. He treats me way better than Kayne ever did, even before I found out about the infidelities.”
“I’m glad he’s good to you. You’re a sweet girl, Delilah, and you deserve that. Unlike your sister, you’ve never given us any trouble.”
I rear back slightly when she says that. It’s the first time in maybe forever that I’ve heard either of my parents speak negatively about Abigail. In my mother’s defence, though, I feel like she often goes along with what my father says to please him. He’s always had rose-coloured glasses where my sister is concerned. I can only imagine how much of a shock the other night was for him. Especially if it led to them having heated words afterwards.
My attention flickers to the doorway when I see Marcy return. She says nothing but smiles as she passes on the way to her office.
“Listen, Mum, I’m at work, so can we continue this conversation another time?”
“Of course. Don’t be a stranger, Delilah. We miss you.”
She may, but I doubt the others do. “Okay, Mum. Bye.”
“Goodbye.”
When I place the receiver down, I sit back in my chair and sigh. That went better than I expected, but the whole thing still makes me feel sick to my stomach.
Me: I’m getting ready to head home. Any special requests for dinner?
Spencer: Yes, you!
Me: Be serious. I have to call past the store. What do you feel like?
Spencer: I am being serious. I’d like nothing more than to have you spread out on the table naked so I can feast on you.
Me: You need something more substantial than that … you’re a growing man.
Spencer: Growing? Since you’re constantly reminding me how old I am, I think I’ve reached my potential there. The only thing growing right now, Miss St. James, is that monstrosity in my trousers.
I squirm a little in my seat.
Me: How about I cook us a nice dinner, and then you can have me for dessert?
Spencer: I could get on board with that.
Me: Consider it done. Any preferences for actual food?
Spencer: I love everything you cook for me, sweetheart. x
I’m looking forward to getting out of this place. I love working here, but this past week has been trying. Why do some people feel like they have a right to know the ins and outs of someone else’s personal life? What I do outside of these walls, and with whom, is nobody’s business but my own.
After saying goodbye to Marcy, I head for the elevator with my head cast down. I don’t want to make eye contact with anyone. I’m not interested in seeing the speculation or judgement in their eyes.
I do the same when I reach the lobby, so I’m unaware of what is awaiting me until I hear my name being called.
“Delilah.” When I look up and see Kayne standing before me, my heart drops into the pit of my stomach. Great, just what I didn’t need to end off an already shitty day. “Have you got a minute?” he asks.
“Sorry, I don’t. My ride is waiting for me.” I go to walk around him, but he grabs hold of my arm.
“Who? Your sugar daddy? I may be poor now, but one day I’ll be rich.”
I roll my eyes. “Good for you, Kayne. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” I say, tugging my arm out of his firm grip.
I turn to leave, but pause and spin around to face him again when he utters, “I never would’ve picked you as a gold digger, Li.”
I don’t want to get into this here since the lobby is full of Prescott Enterprises employees who are heading home. These people don’t need more things to gossip about, but I refuse to stand by while Kayne makes assumptions about me that aren’t true.
“That’s laughable coming from a guy who’s mooched off people his entire life.”
“I study full time, Delilah.”
“So does Abigail, but she has earned herself a nice little nest egg on the side.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call whoring yourself out, work.”
“At least she’s getting paid to do it.”
“I told Abby last night that if we have any chance of getting back together, she’ll need to give that up.”
My eyes widen with a gasp. “You two are talking about reconciling?”
“You sound jealous. Would you rather it was us? Because I’d be willing—”
“No,” I screech, cutting him off. There is no chance in hell I’d ever consider getting back with this douche. I’d rather be a lonely old maid with a dozen cats to keep me company. “I’m just surprised since she’s pregnant with another man’s child.”
He puffs out his chest. “We had sex all the time, Li, so there’s a chance it could be mine.”
I shake my head as I turn to leave again. Those two are bigger idiots than I thought.
I only make it a few steps when I hear someone bellow, “Hey, arsehole.”
Please God, no.
I don’t even need to look to know who that was, but I glance over my shoulder anyway, and bile rises to my throat when I see Spencer storming towards us with one of the building’s security guards flanking his side.
My first instinct is to keep moving as fast as I can, but I can’t do that. The look of pure rage on Spencer’s face is enough to make me stay put. The last thing I need is for him to assault my ex with countless witnesses present.
We now have an audience. Everyone in the vicinity has stopped to rubberneck. Great.
The first thing Spencer does when he’s close enough is to reach for me, placing me protectively behind him. Then all hell breaks loose as he lunges for Kayne, grabbing him by the throat. “I fucking warned you to stay away from her,” he growls.
He did?
When?
I step around him and reach for his arm. “Spencer,” I scream. “Stop.” I’m not angry at him for attacking Kayne, but not here … not in front of his entire staff.
He sobers, letting go of Kayne’s neck and then glances at me. “You’re protecting him?” he accuses.
No, I’m protecting you! You big dummy.
When his eyes narrow, mine do the same. “You know what? I’m not doing this here.” With that, I release his arm and take a step back, followed by another. Then I spin around and run towards the exit.
The last thing I hear before pushing through the glass door is Spencer call out, “Delilah, wait.”
Chapter 35
Spencer
“The show is over,” I growl when I notice we have an audience. “Move along.” The shocked look on some of my employees’ faces should concern me, but my only worry right now is Delilah. I turn to Tony—the security guard—and jut my chin in fuckface’s direction. “Get him out of here and make sure he doesn’t return.”
“Yes, Mr Prescott.”
With that sorted, I storm towards the elevator, pulling my phone out of my pocket as I go. The first number I call is Delilah’s, but I’m not exactly shocked when it goes to voicemail. I dial Damien next.
“Is Delilah with you?” I snap as soon as he answers.
“No, but I have a visual on her. She just turned the corner and is heading my way. She looks—”
“Pissed?”
“Yeah.”
“Makes two of us. And why is she turning a corner?” I ask, confused. “You are supposed to pick her up and drop her off out front.”
“Oh … yeah … umm, about that—”
“Spit it out, Damien.”
“She’s been getting me to drop her off and pick her up from around the corner.”
“Since when?”
“Monday.”
“Why?” I bark down the line.
“I don’t know, sir, she didn’t say.”
“And why am I only hearing about this now?”
“I—”
“Never mind,” I grumble, ending the call.
I’ll sort this out when I get home. Right now, I need to calm the fuck down. I stab the button when I reach the elevator, and although I can feel a thousand eyes burning into the back of my head, I don’t bother turning around. In the mood I’m currently experiencing, I’m liable to sack everyone on the spot.
By the time I reach my floor, I’m no calmer. Slamming my office door closed, I stalk towards the bar in the corner and pour myself a bourbon. Once I down the amber liquid in one go, I pour a second glass and bring it over to my desk, placing it down on top.
Opening the top drawer, I pull out a cigar, cut off the end, and after flipping the lid on my lighter, I let the tip hover above the flame until a glowing ring appears around the edge. Only then do I bring it to my lips.
Taking a slow draw, I swirl the smoke in my mouth to savour the flavours before exhaling. I do this a few times before taking a seat and reaching for my glass. I need to get home, but first and foremost, I have to get my anger under control. The last thing I want is to start a fight with Delilah and make this situation worse.
