Chapter 11

I was still fuming by the time I got outside of Nathan's the office building. The conversation I had with his mother was still fresh in my mind. It was not something I couuld easily get rid of.

I'm the mother-in-laws could be nosy, but not to that extent. This afternoon she had crossed a line And Nathan was going to hear about it.

I step out of the car into the sun shining street. The was beating down on the hot summer day it was. It was close to nearing fall but not soon enough for me.

Carl kindly close the door after me when I proceeded in my way to the door.

Getting inside the elevator, I pressed the appropriate floor to reach where I needed to be.  

To my surprise, when I entered, there was a different secretary working the desk. Not the snotty one from before.

"Hello Mrs. Holbrook, how are you this evening?" she greeted me kindly.

Her recognition of me caught me by surprise, but I smiled politely at her anyway.

" I'm fine, thanks," I replied. "Is Mr. Holbrook in?"

"He is," she said reaching for the phone on her desk. "One moment and I'll page him for you."

I held my hand in protest. "That is perfectly alright. I'd much 

rather be seen to his office, if you don't mind."

She looked a bit apprehensive as she spoke. "Well, all guest are supposed to be announced upon arrival. However, for you, I'm sure we can make an exception."

She stood from her chair and motioned me to the door that lead to the back offices. "I'll show you the way."

I followed her through the door and past several small offices. They were much smaller than Nathans.

When she came to stop in front of his, she knocked on the closed door. I waited patiently for him to answer.

"Come in," he grumbled from inside the room.

The secretary slowly open the door.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Mr. Holbrook, but you have a visitor," she said peaking her head in the door.

To my dismay, I wasn't able to see inside the room.

"All visitors are supposed to be announced, Rita, you know that," he stated.

I frowned at the tone he took with her. Could he be more rude? He was starting to sound more like his father with every passing day. I didn't like that very much, but there wasn't anything I could do about it.

"I know sir, but it's your wife. She insisted," she quickly explained.

I internally felt bad for getting her in trouble.

However, I blamed the entire situation on Nathan and his mother. They were the reason I was down here today.

Nathan remained silent for a moment before he spoke. "Send her in," he said a little more politely.

Maybe his mistress was there with him and he didn't want to be interrupted.

Though I hadn't seen her in quite some time that didn't put my mind at ease. I knew she was still around there somewhere.

The woman's name whom I learned was Rita, pushed open the door allowed me inside.

I nodded my head to her politely before brushing past her and entering the room.

The first thing I noticed was Nathan's stressed, worn look. He was indeed covered up with paperwork And I was having second thoughts about coming down here.

Now that I had time to cool down, this all seemed a bit ridiculous. I suppose it really could have waited until he got home. There would be plenty of time for letting him have a piece of my mind then. And uninterrupted at that.

He stood from his desk abruptly. "Peyton, is everything alright?"

I frowned at him "Yes. Why wouldn't it be?"

Well apart from the obvious that is.

"It's just that you don't come here often," he explained.

When I heard the door close behind me I took the seat in front of his desk and glowered at him. Since I was already here, I might as well tell him why I’m so angry.

He watched me cautiously for a moment before deciding it was okay to sit and sat back down in his chair. He didn’t go back to his paper work and instead raised an eyebrow to me.

“So, would you like to tell me what’s up?” he asked.

I shrugged not taking me eyes from his. “You mean I can’t just come down to visit my wonderful husband at work?” There was a certain amount of bitterness in my voice that couldn’t go unnoticed.

Nathan frown at my tone I used on his and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Mind telling me what this is really about?” he asked impatiently.

I laughed bitterly and crossed my arms, matching his manner. “How many children do you think we should have? Four…five? Oh I know, how about six? We can be just like the Brady Bunch. I can stay at home and take care of them while you work and run the house hold. Oh, and how about that, Amelia can be the maid.”

I could see a slight smile tugging at the sided of his mouth as he stared back at me. I took it he knew exactly what it was about now.

“I mean let’s face it. I’m not getting any younger,” I said repeating Tonya’s words from earlier.

“So mother visited, did she?”

“You better believe it.”

He chuckled leaning up and resting his elbows on the desk. “I swear, I talked to her. She said she’d watch herself today.”

Well, in all honesty, it could have been a lot worse than it was; she probably went easy on me.

“I know she can be a bit much at times, but he heart is in the right place,” he continued.

I scoffed. “A bit much, really? That’s putting it mildly.”

“Payton, don’t start,” he sighed looking at his watch then back up at me.

“Have somewhere to be?” I guessed.

He shook his head. “Actually I was just about to take off. You hungry?”

My stomach growling was enough to answer his question and I stifled a giggle. “A little I suppose.”

He stood up from his desk and grabbed his blazer from the back of the chair and threw it over his shoulder. We he rounded the desk he held his hand out for mine.

“Come on, we’ll grab something on the way home.”

As angry as I was, I wouldn’t turn down food. I was pretty famished. I reluctantly took his hand and stood with him.

“What do you want?” he asked as he lead us out of the office.

“Hmm…”  I thought for a moment. “I could really go for some Japanese.”

“We could do that,” he said.

When we passed by reception he waved to the secretary before stopping at the elevator and pressing the down button. We stood silently as we waited for it to make it to us.

Nathan still hadn’t let go on my hand yet, and my mind was focused on that. I had to tell myself not to read too much into it. Though the words of his mother came flooding back into my mind every chance they got.

Unintentionally my body tensed.

I still couldn’t believe how oblivious I had been through my high school years. I was almost mad at myself for it.

In my mind, Nathan had never been more than a friend, but now I had much to consider. Things have changed. Maybe this was just the universes way of throwing us together. How could it not be?

One night stands, a drunken marriage, finding out that my friend had harbored feelings for me all these years. I mean he must have. Why else would he refuse to sign the divorce papers?

I let that thought drift from my mind, unwilling to think of it anymore. If he felt anything at all for me, than he should have told me.

I sighed impatiently that the elevator was taking much longer than necessary to arrive. Nathan himself kept checking his watch every so often.

I know we were just standing here, but how rude. Did he have more important places to be after all?

I was so lost in thought that I didn’t even realize someone had walked up to the elevator and was standing with us; or more importantly, with Nathan. I scowled when I realized who it was. Beautiful blond was back; the same one who was shamelessly flirting with Nathan only a few days ago.

“Bridget,” Nathan greeted warmly when she brushed her arm with his. He had been busy looking at his watch again and didn’t notice.

“Nathan,” she smiled. “I’ve just came to let you know that it seems the elevator is out. A technician phoned to let us know they’re doing routine maintenance. It won’t be available until in the morning. You’ll have to take the stairs.”

He groaned and placed a hand over his eyes and rubbed them.

“Thank you, Bridget,” he said looking back up to meet her eyes. “Payton and I will just take the stairs.”

Her eyes unwillingly shifted to mine as she forced a fake smile upon her face. It was an act that annoyed me to no end. It took a lot of restraint to keep from rolling my eyes at her.

“Yes, we will,” I said as nicely as I could muster. I tugged on Nathan’s hand pulling him along with me towards the stairs until Bleach blonde, Bridget, called after him.

He pulled me to a stop.

“I’ll see you at tonight, won’t I?”

He tensed at her words, but nodded after looking at me. “You will. Is it still the same place as before, Mellon’s?” he inquired.

So he had a date. That’s it. That is why he kept checking his watch so often. I had to force down the foreign feeling of jealousy that arose within me. It was unsettling. I didn’t like feeling this way.

“Okay,” she grinned showing off her perfectly white smile. “I’ll see you then.”

Nathan quickly usher us from the lobby and into the stairwell. I briefly considered pushing him down the steps, but realized that might be taking it a little too far.

I don’t know why I was being so violent. I’m normally not this person.

By the time we both reach the town car I can no longer hold in my anger at him. Putting up the separator between us in Carl, I start in on him.

“Who was your friend?” I asked with extreme distain.

He grimaced at my question. He knew this was coming.

“That was Bridget. She’s my assistant.”

I’ll bet she is, I thought bitterly. I’m sure she has assisted him with plenty of things before. Thing I shudder to even think about.

 I pushed down the nausea the stirred inside me.

“She’s pretty,” I stated.

His brow creased. “She’s a friend Payton.”

“It hardly seems like that,” I remarked. “Friends of the opposite sex don’t go out drinking at bars together.”

“Why not? We did,” he said matter-of-factly.

“And look where that got us.”

Images of the night I’d tried to forget were now fresh in my mind. The vows we took at the chapel. Then at the hotel room when Nathan’s hands were all over me, the pleasure I felt when we made love. It was all still there. It was haunting me.

He didn’t have a reply to that and I felt smug. He knew I had a point.

“It’s not what you think,” he finally said. “Alyssa from accounting is getting married this weekend and everyone is taking her out for drinks, that’s all. As the boss it would appear rude if I didn’t show. The drinks are on me tonight. She’s been with the company for five years now and she’s a good friend.”

“Yeah, you have many of those it seems,” I mumbled.

He narrowed his eyes at me before speaking. “I wanted you to come along too, but it seems like you’ve already decided.”

“I don’t want to spend the evening with your stuffy office staff and watch you get drunk with that leggy blonde you call your friend,” I bit out.

I was surprised to hear Nathan chuckle at that and I scoffed. He wore a look of pure amusement.

“You think this if funny?” I asked offended.

“No, it’s just that I’m not used to seeing you so jealous. I’m honestly flattered,” he admitted keeping a smile on his face.

I let out a breath of air in disbelief. “You think I’m jealous? I’m not jealous. Go do whatever you want Nathan. I could really careless.”

That was a bald face lie and I knew it. I was jealous. I was insanely jealous. Though I’d never admit that to him. That would be giving him too much power.

“So you’re not coming with me then?” he asked in a teasing tone.

I steadied my breathing and turned to look out the window. I refused to answer him.

Hell no I didn’t want to go. But then again, the image of him and Bridget having way too much to drink and her being all over him struck a nerve. I knew I couldn’t leave them alone together. She wanted him. I could see that much.

I tried to concentrate on the passing buildings and let my anger go. I knew that it wouldn’t get me anywhere. Maybe I was overreacting just a little. Just because she wanted him, didn’t mean that she’d get him.

I breathed steadily still focusing on the buildings outside of the window.

“I’ll go,” I muttered quietly.

“You will?” he asked surprised.

I simply nodded. “What time do we have to be at Mellon’s?”

“Six, but it’s customary for the boss to be late,” he chuckled. “So dinner?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I replied.

“Wonderful,” he smiled.

He rolled down the separator between us and Carl and gave him directions to the Japanese restaurant he had pulled up on his phone. It wasn’t fare from our location, just a couple of miles. Though now, I wasn’t feeling as hungry as I was before.

I knew better than to tell him that though. He would only become concerned for my health and another argument would break out. I think we’d done that enough already. Right now, I just wanted peace.

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A/N

Short and late again, guys. I’m so sorry, but I’m really am trying. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Please- comment, vote and follow!

Anyone have any song suggestion for this story? I’d be happy to add them. :)