Chapter 96

" I didn't know you could play, " she said once I was done. I shrugged.

" There's literally a piano in the penthouse, " I reminded her.

" Yeah but I thought it was for decorative purposes!" 

I chuckled. She wasn't wrong, I never played the thing, I had it put there because I thought it would look good. The fact that I could play didn't mean I liked to, I was simply proving a point and seeing as I had succeeded, we could proceed. 

" That was really cool, " she told me and I felt a strong sense of pride. Knowing I had rendered her so speechless fascinated me. She asked me whether I could play anything else and I shook my head. That was as far as my musical expertise went. 

" Play something else?" she asked me and I laughed. I wanted to but it was almost noon and I had to prepare for the conference call. So I asked her to remind me once we got back to the house. She seemed a little disappointed but she understood and let it be. 

" Are you hungry?" I asked and didn't wait for her response. I knew that she was, it had been a few hours before she ate and I hadn't eaten anything myself. I knew of a good restaurant nearby and it would be perfect since I'd have some privacy to carry on with my call as she ate,then afterwards we could do whatever it is she wanted to do. On our way there, I asked her when she planned on going back to work and she told me that it was better if she just found something else to do. 

" How come? Tired of your dream already?" 

" It's no that, it's just..." she stopped talking and sighed. I turned to find her playing with her fingers, and I could tell that something was on her mind. I was about to ask when I figured it out. 

" Is it about the kiss? You're still worried about that?"

" Of course I am, " she admitted. I realized I hadn't told her that I had already spoken to Miguel, so I did just that and her face fell. 

" Wait, what?" 

" It's all solved, they know you and Arden aren't really married so there's nothing to worry about. "

" You told them?"

" It was necessary, "

" No it wasn't. Gabriel, now they think I'm a liar. No one wants a liar working for them. "

I should have known that she would find a way to make things seem more complicated than they actually were. She was overthinking everything again. Miguel didn't seem to have a problem with it. And she hadn't been fired so her failure to go back to work was her personal choice and it had nothing to do with Dahlia's feelings towards the kiss. I knew that she was just scared to face her after what had happened. The tiniest and most irrelevant things always bothered her. 

" Go back, stop jumping into conclusions, " I calmly told her as I pulled into the parking lot, she glanced outside and then at me. Garnet was a highly praised and recommended restaurant. I had only been there once before but I liked the service. And they carried themselves out well. 

" Wait! I know this place, I saw it in the food network. It's like a classy food haven! "

" You can take down some notes and use them for WHEN you go back to work," she would be going back. I'd make sure of it. 

That fear she had of disappointing everyone was going to end her one of these days. Sometimes she just had to put her feelings and thoughts aside and do what she knew ought to be done.

The restaurant really intrigued her, she was dressed in a pretty red dress. And I had insisted that she put the jewelry I had bought her to good use instead of just letting the pieces sit idly by. And she had listened. I liked the gold earrings on her, they matched her radiancy if I could say so myself. Her hair was up and she held onto the strap of her black sling purse, I had realized she liked them so I had purchased a few of them. She always put minimal effort into her appearance but somehow she still stood out. 

To me, she deserved the entire fucking world, had it been for sale I would have purchased it as well. Knowing that she had been so willing to offer me something so precious last night proved that she was serious about her feelings. And I wanted her to know I was also serious about mine. I had never slept with a virgin before, literally. So I believed it was fair to say last night had been a first for both of us. We were led to one of the tables. The set-up was such that each table had its own personal space. I ordered for us and placed my laptop on the table, ready to work. 

I had some concerns so I was talking to my entire marketing board. I had just told them what to do a few days ago but I doubted they had listened, otherwise the sales would have already increased. I first of all checked the charts, and I realized that not only was there no change but the graph was starting to decline. I valued my businesses, every last one of them. I had built them from the ground up and they were the most important things to me. Or at least they had been..There were chances that Layla had surpassed even them, which would in turn mean I valued her more than money.

If so then I was done for.

" Everyone logged in and the head of the marketing board greeted me, I was really in no mood. 

" Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we?" From the looks of everyone's faces,they seemed intimidated. Unwilling to talk. I was sure they knew why I had organized the meeting.

" Ken, what did I ask you to do last time? If I recall correctly you wrote it all down in a notebook. Please if you'd be so kind as to remind us. "

Ken started talking, he'd pause to catch his breath. And when he was halfway done I got bored of listening.

" It's clear that your memories aren't the problem then, how many of those things have been implemented?"

He said something about time and I put my hand up to stop him. 

" You've had five days, the planning itself ought to have taken hours at most. All the resources are at your disposal!"

The waitress brought the meal over and placed it in the table. 

" I'm giving you three days, after which I'll have my P.A search for an entirely new team. "

I hoped they noted how serious I was. 

" Your biggest problem is believing you're irreplaceable. " 

They assured me that they'd get right to it and I cut the call. I hadn't told them everything I had planned to but it didn't seem fair to spend the entire meal in a meeting. Layla would have definitely felt abandoned.

I placed the laptop aside and pulled my plate closer, then I glanced up to ask Layla something only to find her staring at me with a look I couldn't read. I frowned.

" Don't you like the food?" I asked and she shook her head. I had never liked it when I asked someone a yes or no question and their reply was a shake of the head. I always got confused. Did she mean, no she liked it or no she didn't like it?

I took a bite, it tasted good to me. It could have been better but I wasn't complaining. I took the wine and poured her a glass, wondering why the waitress hadn't done that already. And as I was pouring my own glass I realized she was still staring at me. 

" If you have something on your pretty little mind all you have to do is talk Layla. "

It was crazy how her mood always suddenly changed and I hoped that it had nothing to do with me this time, but I was sure it didn't. I hadn't even talked to her. 

" That was rude, " she suddenly said and I looked around, puzzled as to what she was referring to. 

" I beg your pardon?"

" Is that how you treat your employees?" 

I glanced at my laptop as if it were the employees in question, then I turned to her and arched a confused brow before I took another bite of the food. 

" Only when they haven't met my expectations. "

" You could have been nicer, if I worked for you I'd hate having to wake up and go to work. "

" Well that's hurtful, "

" It's the truth. "

I shook my head, clearly she new nothing about heading an entire business, the amount of work and dedication it took. I paid people to do what was required. If I had to shower them with complements just so they could work then they weren't fit for the positions. 

" Your kindness is admirable, but you'd make an awful business woman. "

" This isn't even about business, it's about being a human! "

I sighed and reached for my glass of wine, wishing I had just postponed the call for another time when I could carry it out how it ought to. All I had managed to do was make Layla think I was some sort of shark prying on smaller fish. Although I did like that description. 

" Just eat and quit complaining. They're my companies so I know how to manage them. "

" Call back and apologize, " she suddenly said and I asked her to repeat what she'd said because I was sure I was hearing things. 

" Layla, eat and let it fucking be!"

She shook her head and reached for her fork. Her entire focus switched to her plate, but all she was doing was playing around with the contents on it. I didn't get why she had to be so sensitive! 

" I'm not apologizing to them, let's make that clear. But I give you my word that I'll be more thoughtful next time, " I promised her. She raised her head and studied me intently. I was telling her the truth, and it's not like that's how I always talked to them. On a normal basis I didn't even talk to them at all otherwise it was an urgent issue. But maybe Layla was right, perhaps they had been trying their best and my expectations were too high to be met in such a short period of time. 

I hoped she'd cheer up but she still looked conflicted. 

" What now?"

" You don't really think that though, right?"

" Think what exactly?" 

She turned to the side, then she placed both her hands on her laps and began playing with the fabric of her dress. 

" Layla?"

" Am I irreplaceable?" 

Goodness fucking gracious! 

She still didn't completely trust me, how much more did I have to do to get her to believe me because clearly none of what I had already done was enough. The remark hadn't even been directed at her yet she still managed to think it was. 

" Come here, " I moved my chair back a little and beckoned for her. She looked around at the other people in the restaurant, they were all at a convenient distance but they could clearly see us. 

" We're in public, "

" Just come here, or should I stand and get you instead? I was trying to refrain from causing a scene but oh well, if you insist, " I attempted to stand but she bit me to it, then after she mumbled something to herself, she reluctantly came over to where I was and I made her sit. She was uncomfortable and kept her gaze focused on my chest, she wouldn't even look at me. 

" See that right there is your problem, " I informed her. She eyes me with a raised brows and I cradled her face in my hands. 

" You both care too much and are too insecure. "

I explained, she parted her lips but didn't say anything. 

" You're never going to fully trust me, are you?"

She was about to say that I was wrong but I asked her not to. I knew what I was saying, I knew it was the truth. At the first sign of doubt she was going to forget everything I had said and done and she was going to automatically believe that I didn't care. But either way, I was always going to be there to reassure her because it was either that or risk her leaving.

That wasn't an option available anywhere in my book. 

" You are not irreplaceable, deep down you know that's true. I really have nothing else to say because words clearly aren't enough. Neither are actions apparently, " I sighed and lowered my hand to her shoulder, then I gently massaged it as I thought about something I could do to make her believe that I cared. That she was important to me. That I had never felt for another the way I felt for her. 

" I'm sorry, " she suddenly said and I asked her what for. 

" For not believing you, it's just..." she groaned and gripped my t-shirt, then she pressed her forehead to my chest and apologized again.

" You won't leave me?" She asked into the material of my shirt. Almost as if she hoped the words wouldn't be audible enough for me to make out. And she refused to face me. I gently held her ponytail and angled her up to face me, then I chuckled and tried to withhold my laughter. The situation seemed humourous all of a sudden. And all I could think about was making her smile and dispelling her silly fears. 

" Afraid I'm too attractive for you? "

She gave me an eye roll and attempted to stand and go back to her seat but I held her in place. 

" Is that why you're so on edge? You fear that I'll be snatched away by one of the million or so females that want me?"

" Oh please, "

With a shake of her head she told me I was delusional. 

"  People are staring, " she told me and I glanced around. Then I told her I knew.

" Actually, there's a pretty blonde over there that seems infatuated with me. Is she the reason you sensed a threat?"

" Gabriel!"

" I think I recognize her from a men's magazine. She's quite physically loaded, " I attempted to place my hand on Layla's breasts for illustration purposes but she slapped my hand away. 

" That's enough, "

" But I'm only saying what you were thinking, "

" If you don't stop then you can keep last night as a precious memory since we won't be doing that again. "

" Now that's where you're wrong, unlike you I believe in my capabilities. I know my worth sweetheart. I want you but I also know that you want me too. It's called confidence. "

She grew tired and just let me be. I still had my hand around her waist, and when I thought she was going to try and stand again, she rather picked up my cutlery and started eating from my plate. 

" Tell me when you're done with the self praising, " she told me in between bites of the food. But even from that angle I caught the smile she was trying to hide. Relief washed through me.