Page 100 of Company Ink
Blake's eyebrows knit together, his gaze landing on the roses. "I could ask you the same thing, Adrian." Blake turns his head slowly towards me. "What's going on, Cassandra?" His tone is strained, low, husky...hurt.
I bite my lip. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do! "Hi..." is all that comes out of my mouth.
"I asked you what you're doing here, Pearson?" Adrian asks again, more assertive, sterner, as he walks further into the room. "Why are youwet?"
"Our canoe flipped," I whisper, swallowing away the nervousness. "We uh—flipped."
Blake narrows his eyes, his jaw clenching. "Why do you have flowers, Adrian?"
Adrian looks at me and I shake my head subtly. Please don't.Please. "I—uh," he stammers. Just lie! Make something up!
Blake, swallows, his gaze flickering between the two of us, his eyes darkening. "Are those for Cassie?" he asks through his teeth. "And the champagne?"
I close my eyes. Think of something. Anything. My mind is blanking. How do we explain this? "Umm..."
Nothing. Na da. Zilch.
Adrian and I just stand there like two mutes with doe eyes. I half expected Adrian to gloat, to brag, to shove the flowers in Blake's face. But he's silent. Like me.
"Nothing? No explanation?" Blake lets out a dark, low chuckle. "Should I guess?"
"Blake, please—" I begin but he puts up his hand, his eyes red with anger.
"You're sleeping together," he says, clenching his fist. "Of course. I should've known. Doesn’t surprise me."
I shake my head. "We're not—" My heart is in my stomach, covered in ice and dirt and unease. "It's not what you think..."
Blake scoffs. "It's not? Then what is it?" He stares at Adrian with frigid eyes. "Are you sleeping with an employee, Adrian? Hmm?"
An employee? Fuck. This is bad. This is no longer Blake, my Blake, this is the boss talking. Adrian's boss. Mine. I dig my nails into my palm.
"We're not sleeping together," Adrian finally says, taking a deep breath. "You're overreacting, Pearson. As per usual."
"Adrian," Blake hums maniacally, taking a step closer to him. "I'm a very understanding man, I can put up with a lot, especially from you, but right now, is not the time to antagonize me with insubordination. Now, I ask you again, what is your relationship with Miss Carrington?"
Miss Carrington? I think I just died. My breath is unsteady, my knees weak. How did this all get so twisted?
Adrian's eyes flicker towards me, apologetic and dim. "We're dating," he states, throwing me off guard. No... Oh fuck.
Blake blinks, turning his head slowly towards me, his face laced with betrayal. "Dating? Is that true, Miss Carrington? Are you dating?"
Frozen. I'm stunned. Unable to move. Barely breathing. Adrian looks at me with desperate eyes, like he's begging me to confirm. But my mouth is wired shut with shock.
"I'll take your silence as ayes," Blake says dryly, walking towards the door. "Carry on with whatever you had planned." He opens the door, turns his head, his glacial eyes on mine. "I expect your resignation on my desk Monday morning." And he leaves, slamming the door.
Resignation?I need to resign? I sink down on the floor, crumbling. "Did he just fire me?" I mumble out loud. After everything. That's it? After kissing me? Yelling at me? Looking at me...like that. Fired. Huh.
Adrian kneels down beside me, dropping the roses and champagne to the side. "Cassie, are you alright?"
I listlessly look up at him. No energy. Deflated. "Why did you tell him that we're dating? Why didn't you just stay quiet? He would've left. He wouldn't have—"
Adrian cups my face, dragging this rough thumb along my cheek. "Pearson isn't an idiot, Cariño, he knew the moment I walked into the room."
I nod slowly, burned out and tired. "Right..." He knew. He saw it.
"I'll help you find another job," Adrian says softly, lifting me up to my feet and walking me over to the couch. "I have contacts at different firms if you want to stay in law, or we can find you something completely different. Whatever you want, I'll help you."
"Uh-huh," I murmur lifelessly. "Okay. Sure. Thank you."