Date Night (3)

ALANA

"Sit," He ordered, motioning a finger to the chair where that girl had sat in.

I clutched a dramatic hand to my chest. "Did you just command me, Sir? I'm not sure I'm that much younger than you." Oh, I was damn sure he was way older than me. Still, he didn't need to know that.

"You are, not to mention I'm the boss here," He did that thing with his fingers again. "Now, sit."

Huffing and puffing, I sat, pushing the untouched coffee to the side. Leaning back, I crossed my ankle over the knee of the other leg, completely unladylike and all.

Knight's raised eyebrow told me he had the same thought. Pulling his gaze from my legs, he focused on my face, frowning at something. Worriedly, I wiped under my eyes. Had my kohl ended up smearing? Oh, Lord. I hadn't cried that much!

"Stop that," There he was. Commanding again. I wasn't two anymore, Knight! "Are you sure you're okay?"

My heart stopped beating. "Don't speak with me like that,"

"What?"

"Why are you being so gentle?" My voice broke at the end and I struggled with the tears that threatened to spill over.

"Do you want me to be rude?" His tone didn't change in the least. I'd rather he commanded me, than doing this . . . whatever it was he was doing.

It was breaking my heart. It was making me want to fight for us. I was losing sense of why there couldn't be an 'us'.

"Never mind," I shook my head. "You had something to say?"

He eyed me for what felt like forever. Then, "Why are you here? And why did you lie to Ayşe about being my assistant?"

So her name was Ayşe. I did not like it one bit on Knight's tongue. It should be banned.

"I didn't lie to her. Your father has appointed me as your new PA and Rees as the chief assistant," His surprise was palpable and I felt oddly satisfied with myself. As soon as Rees had let his Dad know, he'd told him to make me Knight's PA. "It's only for a short period of time, though. 'Till you find a wife." I smiled at the end to cover up my anxiety over his marriage.

"A wife," he repeated. Recovering quickly, Knight let out a long sigh. "He's retired, did you know that? He isn't in the position to be hiring people. Plus, you work in the café."

I did know that. I also knew he wouldn't say no to his dad. "As of today, I'm starting as a junior chef in the kitchen two floors down your office. I'm only going to be assisting you with the dates so my job isn't a problem."

He looked like he was ready to bang his head into a wall somewhere. I almost cracked a smile. He really didn't want to get married. It made me sad, because I could guess why that was. I knew. Although, he never told me, I knew what had happened that night and so many nights following that. Mr Steve didn't just hit him. No. He did something way worse.

My leg dropped to the floor, foot hitting the floor with a thud. I shook off the shudders that threatened to eternally settle into my bones. I wouldn't think about that right now. The guilt that weighed down on my shoulders didn't lessen a peck in all those years. Everything that happened to him was my fault.

Imagine how he would feel if he knew I was back in his life? He would be shattered. He would be reminded of all the horrors he had to face just because of my careless mistakes.