Chapter 4

“Did you say something?” He rested his two hands on his hips as he turned fully to face Laura.

“Miss cotton? Did you say something” he asked again, this time much more demanding.

Fiddling with her shirt, looking everywhere but at him hoping she was the only one hearing her heart pound this hard—this shit better not rip out.

She tried coming up with a decent excuse but he beat her to it.

“I believe you said nothing.” he stated, matter of factly. Daring her to say otherwise.

He smells nice too. Damn! Laura thought.

She nodded in agreement. Briefly meeting his gaze before angling her head to look at the secretary who was now dialing something on her phone and struggling to get into her dress.

Still mumbling incoherent words, Stephanie glanced at Laura with a bemused look as she headed for the door. Ready to drop a whole trailer load of bullshit before Mr. McGorritth stopped her.

“The door. Stephanie.” He seethed through clenched teeth.

“Fine. I’m leaving. But don’t call me. I promise you this wouldn’t be the last time you’ll be hearing from me”

She hadn’t even finish speaking when he began walking up the stairs.

Laura couldn't help but this to herself if this really what it’s like to be one of his women? Is it worth it? For a billionaire he sure acted like a bipolar kid quite too often.

“Get a life Stephanie. And miss cotton clean up this place. You’ve been standing there like some sick ghost.”

One would think an hour had past with the way laura had been sitting on the floor, face palmed with her knees drawn up. It had been five minutes and she still hadn’t gotten to work.

Thank you and fuck you Stephanie for ruining my perfectly planned day. Laura cussed inwardlt.

“Hey Madds, I’m sorry I missed your call earlier on. This is me telling you I’ll be coming to the cafe a little late today. And try not to blow up my phone after you receive this. Please watch out for Matthew, I still haven’t heard from him. Bye muah.”

Laura ended the voicemail and reached out for her earphones before getting to work.

After putting everything in order, she leans on one of the grey sofas marveling at the unique architectural design of the house. And the lighting in the house is impeccable!

I should be making breakfast his right now. Smiling to her thoughts as she ran her hands over the exquisite artworks on the wall. Amazed at how much of an art collector Mr McGorritth was.

Laura heard his steps hurriedly coming down the stairs and yet breakfast wasn’t ready. She had been searching for container of salt for—God knows how many minutes.

"Where the hell is the salt!! And why is this bacon burning!! " laura yeleld to herself.

Almost at the verge of crying still, frantically moving round the kitchen trying to set up his breakfast tray. She stopped as she heard the sound of a car driving out.

Is that?? Fuck! He just left. There goes your pitch. And your raise ma’am. She deflated.

Done with the days work at the mansion, Laura got ready to leave as she closed the door to his study wondering why he’s okay with her attending to every part of the house but his room.

There was still no sight of Mav who doubled as the Gardner and the errand boy of the house.

“Ohh hi Alex I was just about leaving, I haven’t seen Maverick all day and I’ll like to give him a list of some things the house needs” she said hastily while handing the piece of paper to him.

“Hope you won’t mind helping me give this to him. Pleaseeee.”

“It’s no problem Miss Laura. Anytime” he replied softly.

“Alright see you tomorrow.”

~~~~~

Ever since her uncle—Dave— who owned the Cafe she worked at put out discount offers on every item, the place had been buzzing. It’s been hours and Laura was still yet to take a break, she’s been walking around busy attending to one disgruntled customer or the other. Feeling her legs weak and her back aching she goes to find a sit behind the counter. Her cousin and the other two staffs seemed to be having fun with all the attention.

Standing infront of Laura, breakdancing in her apron Maddie whisper yelled at her “Lulu it’s just few seconds past 6pm. Come on!. Girlll I’m trying to be your support system here”

But Laura’s mood wasn’t having any of it.

“Laura get up!” Maddie grumbled.

“You’re not my mum now are you?”

“Well, you don’t have one so I may as well double as your cousin and mother!” She fired back jokingly.

Laura couldn’t stop herself from laughing as she gave Maddie the—oh really?— look.

The joke is an old one and it always does the magic in getting Laura loosened up.

“Come on now Lulu” She spoke with a mischievous grin.

“Huhhnn?” She began, but stopped as she saw a group of boys acting up just outside the cafe’s outdoor area.

“Isn’t that your boyfriend clowning there? Holding that girl’s waist?” The irritation in her voice was clear as day.

Laura’s face was unreadable but her mind was giving her a hard time staying quiet.

I just try to tolerate this guy cause we’ve been together for what? 8 years?. What a waste.

Maddie’s voice broke her thought “lu don’t worry I’ll handle them, you just..”

“No.” she interrupted. Her expression hardened as she walked over to the group.

“Hello my beautiful Laura Verguson good to see you” Matthew spoke first sounding as though he was happy to see her and his friends behind him still laughing and chatting loud like a pack of untrained dogs.

If looks could kill. I’ll have him and his pack buried. Right here. Right now. Laura hissed internally.

“You need to get your friends to stay quiet. This is embarrassing” you’re embarrassing.

“Come on Laura is that how to greet your man?” Not even bothering to look at her, he turned back to his friends, holding his chest laughing.

“Matthew, you know what? I don’t even care. Where is my money”

“What.. what money Laura? I thought ..”

She held up her hands cutting him off.

“I have been trying to reach you for the past three weeks and you come in here acting like some dimwit who’s high on cheap drugs?. I need my three thousand eight hundred dollars or I’m calling the cops.” This guy infuriated her every single time they met.

How have I managed to stay with him for this long?

Matthew had always won in gaslighting her whenever it comes to money—not just money. Everything— this wouldn’t be the first and if not that she saw him acting all loved up with that girl right now. It sure would not have been the last. But now she was determined.

“You just gon throw me under the bus ‘cause of some cheap change? What of all our years together baby. You no longer love or care for me Lau?”

Shootin him a dirty pathetic look.

“My money or I’m calling the cops. And quit with the love drama. You never loved me Matthew. All these years and you still can’t get my surname right. It’s Ferguson not Verguson!”

“Alright alright. By Wednesday I’ll have your money.” Grabbing his things he left before she could even utter a word. Leaving his friends running after him.

Maddie dragged her to the kitchen area. “Dad still wants to see you. It’s about Dr. Hakeem I think.” She whispered with a gloomy look on.

And before Laura could even drop a comment Maddie was now bouncing on her toes, squealing as she brought out her phone from her pocket. “But before that I have something to show youuuu.”

“Madds I’m really tired and I just want to go home. Can we do this at home?”

“No!” She deadpanned.

Holding up her phone to get Laura’s attention “look, these are pictures of your man! Well, maybe not technically but Yh he’s our man. The paparazzi definitely knows how to take good angles of him”

“Madds what am I looking at exactly”

Still acting all pumped up “Don’t be a kill joy girllll. So you know how last night—your— Mr. Kingston Lucas McGorritth went for this charity event, I’m sure you didn’t even know that.”

“Right.” Always the melodramatic Queen.

“Maddie did you really have to do the full name thing? You’re going to have a heart attack one day with these your dramas” Laura threw her head back laughing.

“Yes my honey pot sugar ant Lu! The full name was for effect. And the heart attack?” She gave a sly smile while wiggling her brows.

“Whattttt?”

“I almost had one this morning with my vibrator. Don’t give me that look miss, what would you know? I’m 25 and you’re what? 23?. You don’t even own one”

Nice one Madds.

“So the thing is, he went with his secretary!!!! Stephanie Pearson. He hardly goes for these type of events with any plus ones. But here. Take a look.” She dramatically zoomed in on the photos on her phone.

“These are cute pictures of them together. I’ve been jumping from blogs to blogs going over every thing I can get from last night. And and.. he’s always so private and whatnot. Luluuu these pictures are so cute! wait..” She suddenly paused.

“I haven’t even asked how your salary pitch went. Yh, part of the things dad wants to talk to you about. Buttttt take a look at the way he looks at her!”

Maddie had a habit of rambling, stuttering and moving all over the place when she was either too happy or sad.

Hold on. Does she really think they look cute together right now? Laura could not hide her snort.

“What’s so funny? Oh! How I wish to be Miss Pearson right now. Or don’t you think they look good together?”

How ironic.

Recalling all what transpired between them this morning, Laura couldn’t help but laugh at her cousins enthusiasm.

“Of course they look good together.”

“Lu what’s on your mind? Out with it already..” Maddie groaned.

Laura scratched an invisible itch on her nose, rethinking if she should actually let Maddie in on what’s been bothering her all day. Something she had been trying to get her mind not to bring up.

“I saw something I shouldn’t have… in his room.” she confessed.