Good Night
Good Night
The music was still on but the volume was reduced and it wasn't the same song that was still playing. She was sure she could perfectly sing the previous song now. That song was going to be really special to her.
She looked at Leo's direction. He hadn't seen her since she left the bathroom. He was at the end of the room with his camera in hand while he looked at something inside with a broad smile on his face. She really wanted to see the video and the pictures he would make out of it.
"Ahem." She cleared her throat to get his attention and his head came up immediately.
She saw the look in his eyes flicker as he looked her up and down. She was wearing his shirt. It was a tee shirt and it was big enough to cover half of her thigh. She was always comfortable dressing like this at home and didn't see anything wrong with it even when Leo complained about it, but now she was self conscious as he stared at her. She didn't think she was going to comfortably sleep beside him without any underwear so she wore her old ones again.
Leo watched her quietly. She looked small, innocent, simple and pretty. If it was possible, he wanted to he just hold her and merge their bodies into one so he would know she was always right there with him.
"What a temptress!" He muttered under his breath before looking one more time at his camera.
"Let's take some photos by the beach tomorrow. You are going to love them." He assured her before he stood up to go shower.
He noticed her hair wasn't wet and nodded in approval. She was smart to not have washed her hair. Since they were by the beach, it was going to be really cold at night and even now, it was cold already which was why he hadn't opened the windows and had built a fire to keep them warm.
"It's going to be my first time doing that. I hope I do not disappoint you." She said with mock modesty that made him chortle.
"I don't think ye would mi lady." He said before taking her hand to place a kiss on the back of her hand with his eyes never leaving her face.
Mia's face flushed instantly. Just tonight, she had been embarrassed enough to last for an entire year.
"You must be exhausted?" He asked, releasing her hand and standing upright.
"Yea, I am." She really was tired, but she was also happy!
"You should rest then. I'll go shower."
Mia nodded and walked to the bed to lie down while he fetched something to wear from the closet before heading to the bathroom.
Mia gently placed her head on the pillow as she looked at the door to the bathroom where he had disappeared into. A smile tugged on her lips and she closed her eyes.
Leo took his time to take his bath and when he was done, he checked himself again in the mirror to be sure he was looking good. When he was certain he still had the charms ladies would fall for, he trodded out of the bathroom but when he got to the room, he realised Mia was already asleep.
She was curled in a fetal position and breathing evenly while some loose strands of her hair which had been tied in a ponytail, covered her face.
Even though he was a bit disappointed to see she was already aleep with the duvet covering her, he smiled as he watched her sleeping peacefully before approaching the bed.
"Good night Mia Lucas." He said and placed a kiss on her forehead before adjusting the duvet to cover her properly.
As he moved away from her, her hand reached out to hold him.
He was a bit surprised, wondering if she had been awake but when her eyes opened, he noticed she looked sleepy so he guessed he had woken her up.
"Where are you sleeping?" She asked him groggily.
He looked over his shoulders at the couch. "The couch."
Mia shook her head slowly. "Sleep with me."
"I mean.. on this bed.. that.. is.. you should sleep here." She quickly corrected when she saw his eyes widen and color rush to his cheeks.
"Uhm... Mia.." He scratched the back of his neck nervously and looked away from her.
"Stay with me. I don't want to be alone. It's cold." She said when it looked like he was about to protest.
He noticed she was about dozing off and nodded to her request before climbing on the bed behind her and tucking himself under the duvet.
Even though the bed was small, it was wide enough to contain the both of them but he snuggled closer to her and cuddled her from behind.
'Such warmth!' He hissed in pleasure.
"Good night Lion King..." And she slept off.
Lion King? He smiled before also closing his eyes.
********
Chloe's PA hadn't bothered to follow Jeremy inside since she already knew how he always went in and came out like he owned the place.
So after one knock, he peep inside to see Chloe pretending to go through a document when what she needed the most at that moment was to eat and sleep.
"You know, I'm not surprised that the part timer who broke the bottle of wine is you. Why did you touch it?" She asked without raising her head.
After waiting for an answer and nothing came, she raised her head to look at his face and noticed something was wrong.
"What's wrong with you?" She asked him but because she didn't want it to seem like she was worried about him, she changed her question.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
"...."
She thought he would at least be happy to see her but why was he looking at her blankly. He looked really dull and so unlike himself.
She sat up and rubbed her hands together. "At least give me an excuse or something." She said impatiently. "Unless you really want to get fired or work for years without getting paid."
He tried to say something but kept stuttering and touching his hair. Jeremy was a bad liar and she knew he only behaved like that when he wanted to tell a lie.
"It wasn't you, was it?" She asked with a raised brow.
"It was!" He said a bit forcefully making her confirm her guess. He really wasn't a good liar. She wondered why the others didn't notice.
"Who broke it and why did you have to take the fall for that person?"
"..."
"So now you let people walk all over you?"
"No." He said softly.
She gave him a stern look, "So...? And I need the truth."
"He... needs money to take care of his family. If he gets fired—"
"Oh! So you are taking the fall because he needed the money? Is there anyone who doesn't need money? Isn't that why you work here?" She stopped talking and stood up with her hands folded across her chest.
"I think I understand what is going on. Did they by chance brainwash you into thinking that I won't fire you?"
He looked at her quietly before he slowly bobbed his head up and down, making her feel very frustrated.
"You are even nodding? I can't believe you nodded right now. You think I can't fire you? Just wow!" She exclaimed in frustration as both her hands went to her hair to smoothen it. "I am Chloe King. I don't think twice before laying workers off."
"You look sad... and hungry. Did someone annoy you?" He asked in a quiet voice which made her stop talking to look at him.
He seemed really different tonight. He wasn't talking much, neither did he look happy. She didn't want to ask him about it. Asking him meant showing care. And if she showed care, he would think she was giving him greenlight to pursue her and that was going to hurt him on a long run.
"Is that important right now?" She snapped at him. "We are talking about a bottle of wine which costs over fifty thousand bucks here!"
"You could use my salary for being your bodyguard and working here and maybe lend me some money also." He said thoughtfully which earned him a look of disbelief from her. She really couldn't believe it!
Arguing with him like this was pointless. "Why are you letting people walk all over you? Do you think that is healthy?"
"Then why do you let people tell you what to do? Is that healthy?" He asked back with the same dour expression on his face, taking her aback.
Chloe was left tongue tied for a moment before she turned around to return to her seat.
"You... should leave." She said before looking down at a document.
"Am I being fired?"
"You would be if you do not leave here right now." She threatened.
"Should I get you something to eat?" He asked in a soft whisper, afraid that she may blow up at him.
Chloe looked at him and then at the nylon on her desk to let him know she had dinner so he nodded.
"Good night boss." He said formally before leaving her office.
Chloe's fists balled and she didn't raise her head even after he left.
She was angry, but she didn't know why exactly she was angry or who she was mad at.
Was it her family, was it Jeremy, was it herself or was it the part timer who was making Jeremy take the fall for him?
"Stupid!" She muttered.