Oops! I Sexted My Boss On New Year's Eve のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 61 - チャプター 70

THEODOREIt didn't matter how long I'd been a part of the Linden-Hawthorne family—I'd never get used to the extravagant, lavish dinners. There was something so undeniably fake about the whole ordeal.All these guests. All these fucking people who only ever showed up in our lives to find out what we were doing with it.It made no sense why we had to invite so many strangers to an engagement party. It was a family event, so it had to be kept among us.Nobody agreed with me, though, so there were around five hundred people downstairs plus photographers and journalists from huge magazines, all ready to spread the latest news to the world.They'd been pushing me for an answer for the last couple of months and it was hell for me. I didn't want to marry Carmella, but I realized there was no good reason for me not to. A huge opportunity was attached to our union, so it was time for me to grow up.Oliver knocked on my door before pushing it open. I was fixing my tie in front of the full-length

ALICEThe meeting continued but my mind was elsewhere.Fuck, I wished I wasn't so hyper-focused on the fact that Theo was engaged to Carmella Westenberg. I knew they were dating, so it was bound to happen, right? What did I care, anyway? I didn't want him. I pushed him away and put a stop to the little, or maybe not so little, game we were playing.This was good news...right?Wrong.The truth of the matter was that I felt like absolute crap since I heard it. If anyone asked me, I'd lie straight to their faces about it, but I wouldn't lie to myself. I couldn't in any case. My heart thudded in my chest and I felt sick to my stomach.I tried convincing myself that feeling this way was normal—it was like hearing that the guy who was pursuing you found someone else to obsess over. You didn't want him, but losing that attention felt...off.It was a perfectly normal feeling, even if that made me a terrible person.This explanation wasn't enough to make me concentrate on the meeting, though.

ALICEAt this point, my heart was slamming against my ribs so forcefully that I wouldn't be surprised if it turned to mush in my chest.Theo was coming up.Oh, God. He was coming up!I wrung my hands together, pacing the floor of my living room back and forth. Should I have given him access to my building and in that way, to my life again? No. But I was way too curious to settle whatever happened tonight, and despite everything, there was a part of me that wanted to see him, even if I had a feeling that this conversation would ruin the weeks of progress I'd made where forgetting him was concerned.When he knocked, I nearly cried out. My chest ached. I rubbed it absentmindedly with the heel of my hand as I walked toward the door. I was still in the dress I wore to dinner and my hair was still in place.I opened the door slowly, trying to appear calm even though I was crumbling on the inside. Downstairs, he told me that he needed to speak with me urgently, and I didn't question it at al

ALICEMy thoughts were still on Theo, even after I went to sleep promising myself that I wouldn't allow him into my system again.A knock on my door interrupted my troublesome train of thought. Freddie walked into my office, smiling politely. I smiled back, hoping and praying that he wouldn't bring up last night. I was so embarrassed.I didn't act professionally at all. I saw Theo and went running, and the worst part? I hadn't even been consistent enough to tell him to leave me alone when he rang my bell.I was an incorrigible mess."You okay?"Already, my face was growing as hot as hell. I managed to say, "Yeah, just fine. Thanks.""Someone's here to meet you."I leaned forward. "Meet me? Who?"I didn't have any scheduled meetings. Just as I started pulling up my calendar on my laptop, he told me, "The owner. Miss O."My eyes bulged out of my head. "Really?"I immediately started smoothing my hair down and Freddie laughed at me. "It's alright, Alice. You don't have to worry about all

ALICEFrancesca didn't come into the office all that often.Freddie told me she had other businesses to run, and so she divided her time between all her companies because she was rarely in the country. So, I hadn't seen her since the day we met.The restaurant was only twenty minutes away from Ember & Ink, and it was expensive, but cozy. We sat at a small round table close to the window. I had a perfect view of the sidewalk and the streets.It was a perfect sunny day."I've been looking forward to this little chat of ours," Francesca proclaimed. "I had to make sure I had enough time on my schedule to meet with you. You know, with my birthday coming up, I receive too many calls. So many old friends stop by to say hello to me.""It must be great to have so many people around you who care about you.""It is," she smiles. "How about you? Do you have friends in the city? Does your family live nearby?""No, I don't have as many friends. And my parents aren't from here, no."Francesca nods.