Unknown Calls

Macy's point of view

He was here. Arthur was here. Macy sighed in relief, she was afraid when she saw David in front of her door instead of Arthur when the doorbell rang. Now she was glad he was here, he was here.

"What are you doing here?" David asked as he faced Arthur who wasn't happy to see him either.

"I should be asking you the same." He retorted and then his eyes landed on Macy searching her face for the answer to a quiet question.

"I'm fine." She replied under her breath and he turned back to David.

"Leave or else you won't like what I'll do to you," David remembered the pain on his nose and with a reluctant glance at Macy he retreated and Arthur watched him get into his car and drive away.

"What were you thinking opening the door for him?" He asked as he walked closer to Macy. His eyes drifted over the black dress she wore, it was her signature colour as though she was hiding a piece of herself from the world.

Her lips were coated with red, an irresistible red that teased his willpower.

"I thought it was you." She answered and walked away from the door leaving it open for him to step in. She stopped by the counter when grabbed the necklace lying on the marble and held it around her neck. Her manicured fingers missed the clip while Arthur watched her huff in frustration.

He walked towards her, closing in the distance between them. Macy's breath hitched in her throat as his Cologne invaded her nose, his fingers glazed over hers as he held the necklace.

"Turn." he said and she obeyed. With her back to him, she brushed her hair to the side giving him space to clasp the necklace. The warmth of his hands made her body relax but yet she wanted to get away from him.

"Done." he muttered and took a step backwards. She brushed her hair back but avoided his gaze. "Next time, check before you open. What would have happened if I was here on time?"

"I would be fine." she replied and grabbed her clutch. They walked out of her apartment and down to his car.

"You didn't carry a coat."

"Because I'll be fine. It's a long sleeve, enough to keep me warm." "Macy-"

"Just drive Arthur, we wouldn't want me to lose my appetite before getting to where we need to be." he drove out of the street ending the argument. "Where are we heading to anyway?"

"Somewhere."

"If you wanted to take me hostage you should've just told me."

"Your delusion is exceptional, you're not that important to me." he expected a comeback but Macy just stayed quiet and stared down at her phone.

A notification had come onto her screen and it was upsetting- there was a public announcement of David and his girlfriend. Another notification came in and it was for a strange number.

"Be careful, we wouldn't want any funny accident to happen to you." the message read sending chills through Macy's bones.

"Macy?" her head snapped up at Arthur who was staring at her. "Is everything okay?"

"You ask that question a lot and it sounds as though you care."

"Can you not turn everything into a fight? Look, if we are going to sell the idea that we're together we have to go easy on each other." She hated to admit that he was right, but it was hard to ignore their former history.

"We can do it like this, in public you'll be a love-sick woman and in private you can hate my gut."

"Why do I have to act like the lovesick woman? Why don't you act like one that is ultimately obsessed with me?" she proposed with a sly smile which she didn't expect Arthur to reciprocate.

"Are you sure that you want that?" he asked. "Me, obsessing over you? Are You sure you can handle it?"

"There's nothing you would do that I can't handle, bring your A game on Arthur, I'll like to see you try."

...............

The restaurant was unfamiliar to Macy, she wasn't one to go about one place to another. In fact, she is a picky person.

"What's this? A five star?" she mocked as she stepped out of the car. Arthur didn't mind her comment instead he extended his hands towards her waiting for her to stay by his side. This was it, they were out in public and they'd have to sell their relationship well.

Her hand moulded into his easily and her fingers felt his toned- hard muscles through his coat. It was pretty cold but she wouldn't admit that to Arthur.

"Shall we do this love?" he turned to her with a sly smile and her eyes widened making him laugh. He leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"You're already failing Lockwood, don't mess this up."

They stepped into the building and Macy swallowed back the awe of the decor.

"Mr. Kent, right this way." a woman in a deep purple dress led them through spiral stairs, Arthur was patient to follow at Macy's pace. In the end, they were in a more private space which had a few people having dinner.

The woman in the purple dress led them to the table close to the window which overlooked the city.

Arthur helped Macy settle down and did the same for himself. "Would you like to order now or would-"

"In the next five minutes, thank you Kate, can you let Gerald know I'm here?" the woman nodded and left them alone.

"Who's Gerald?"

"My good friend and the head chef," he replied while staring at her. Macy stared out of the window, the sight was a memory she would always remember. Even though it was with Arthur she liked how calming it is.

"You like the view?" he asked and the corner of her lips tugged up in a smile. "It's not bad." she faced him. "So this is your first step to wooing me?"

"And talking about the content of the plan." Right, this was about the Cox.

"To make our relationship believable we need to make some rules, one, you should begin staying with me, that would keep David out of your hair." Arthur started.

"No." she said firmly. "I'm not leaving my apartment just because you think I should."

"I'm not asking you to leave just because I think you should but because it's the only way to keep your scrawny ex out of your hair. Unless you want me to move in with you-"

"No-" he raised his brows at her. "There's no way I'm keeping you in my house."

"Exactly. If you're worried that you'll lose control and fall in love with you then you have nothing to worry about since you'll have your own quarters."

"I'll have my own quarters?" She noticed the disappointment on his face since she ignored his first sentence.

"Yes, I'll stay on my end and you get to stay on your end too. It'll be easier for us to work that way."

"And you don't think I can stay in a hotel if it means to keep David away?" She was curious why he was adamant for her to stay with him.

"It's going to be far away and it'll be odd having to come to a hotel and pick you up. What if I invited Neila to the house for dinner- what do you think she'll say when she hears you're in a hotel?"

"I freaking ha" She stopped when she noticed a man in white heading towards them.

"Kent, my man. You're here and with?"

"Macy. My name is Macy." She replied with a bright smile, Arthur stared at her as she and Gerald exchanged pleasantries.

"She's my wife to be." Arthur announced and reached for her hands on the table, her smaller hands sank into his own and his finger brushed the top of her skin.

"I never thought I'd see this day. Congratulations you two, why don't I bring a special, to the house."

"You really don't have to Gerald." Macy said with a small wave.

"Trust me, I want to. It's my way of being thankful that Arthur here found someone. If someone told me he'll be romantically involved with a woman, I would've laughed at how out of mind that would be."

Macy noticed that Athur had retreated his hands and stared out the window. After he left, Arthur turned to Macy.

"Seems like you have no existing love life, I'm not surprised."

Macy's brows snapped together as Arthur's careless jab landed. "At least having none is better than a failed one," he scoffed.

"Can we just focus? We both want the Cox contract, you for your project, me for their shelf space."

"How do you know that?" she countered, forcing a smile as food arrived.

Arthur's eyes glinted with a knowing glint. "Let's just say, Macy, I know a lot of things."

Her phone buzzed on the table, momentarily forgotten. Then it buzzed again, twice in rapid succession. A flicker of unease mirrored Arthur's sudden shift in attention as his gaze darted to the screen. No name displayed, only a chilling sense of something amiss.

Arthur's gaze flicked to Macy's phone, catching the flash of an incoming call. No name displayed. A flicker of unease crossed his face.

Macy met his worried eyes before raising the phone to her ear. A tense silence stretched as she listened.

"Hello?" she finally ventured, her voice barely a whisper.

A mocking chuckle filled the air. "Seems like you're having a great time, aren't you, Mace?"