Chapter 10: Chapter 10

After hours of travel, we finally landed on British soil. The day was dawning in London. Traveling with Joshua was a tranquil experience, as we barely saw each other inside the Jet. He had work to do, which forced him to look for an exclusive space for himself, and thus, we didn't have to exchange any contact. And I took advantage of the trip to sleep, as I had been awake almost all night.

Joshua's private driver was going to take us to his apartment, a bit far from the city center, as Joshua said that the further away, the more magnificent the view would be.

After a few more minutes of travel, the car stops in front of a building with almost countless floors. The entrance was decorated with artificial grass and reflectors that harmoniously illuminated the place.

I get out of the car, right after Joshua, and follow him into the building, heading towards the elevator. Upon entering, Joshua types in the top floor, which momentarily surprises me, but after remembering the jet, the penthouse of the building no longer has much effect.

I head to the living room, stopping near the couch as I wait for the driver to bring my luggage.

"Do you want to eat something?" Joshua asks, taking off his coat. "We can order breakfast if you want. Mrs. Taylor will take a while with the shopping."

"That's fine," I agree with a nod.

"The rooms are upstairs," he says, making me arch my head and stare at the huge, luxurious staircase of the apartment. "You can choose any one."

"Thank you. And know that as soon as I get an apartment, I will move out."

"You can stay as long as you need," he says calmly and throws himself on the couch. "It won't be a bother."

I smile gratefully.

The driver enters the apartment, bringing my luggage. I thank him and alert Joshua that I will be settling in one of the upstairs rooms.

Without much knowledge about the environment, I climb the stairs a little hesitantly. I come across an extensive corridor with several doors, which makes me a little anxious because I didn't know which one to enter. Joshua had said I could choose any, so his room probably wasn't here. I stop in front of the first white door with a crystal handle.

I enter the room and make a brief analysis of the entire room. It looked like a suite, even though there were some boxes and packages on the floor, resembling a small deposit, but it wasn't anything too important. I close the door, walk to the bed, and put my luggage on it. I took a towel out of my suitcase, deciding to take a shower.

The room had a frosted glass partition that separated the bathroom from the rest of the room, allowing whoever was in the room to see blurredly who was on the other side. For a moment, I was hesitant, but I remember that I would be the only one using the room.

I undressed right there, leaving my pieces of clothes on the floor near the bed. I walked to the partition, entered the bathroom, and turned on the shower. There was a medium-sized bathtub there, which was still stunning.

A few minutes later, I heard someone enter the room. I tried to see who it was, but with the partition glass a bit foggy, I only saw a silhouette, which I couldn't identify. After seconds, the silhouette moved towards the exit.

I turned off the shower and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around my body and walking out to return to the room. I froze at the thought that it could have been Joshua because, until then, it was just the two of us at home.

The door suddenly opens, which elicits a sharp scream from me, and automatically from the woman trying to enter the room.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," she takes a deep breath.

"It's okay," I try to control my breathing and compose myself. I look at the young middle-aged woman. "Are you Mrs. Taylor?"

"The one and only," she smiles slyly. "I didn't know you were already in the room. I came to take these things." She looks at the boxes and packages. "But if you're too tired, I can come back later."

It was still early in the morning. London and Los Angeles had a very different time zone.

"You can take them. I'll change and leave the room soon."

She agrees and closes the door again.

Soon the thought that it could have been Joshua who had entered the room runs away from my mind, with the idea that it was Mrs. Taylor, since she intended to remove the boxes.

I go back to the bed and start changing, picking some pieces of clothes from my backpack.

I only need to put on my long-sleeved shirt when someone unexpectedly opens the door, catching me with my bra still showing.

"Could you give me that cellphone on the bed?"

I widen my eyes when I see Joshua at the door. Automatically, I turn around, trying not to show my front side to his eyes.

"Uh... slide to the side to get the cellphone."

But what the hell is this cellphone doing here? I don't remember seeing it when I arrived.

In a quick movement, I pick up the towel on the bed and wrap it around my bust, trying not to make my breasts visible. I walk backward toward him so that he cannot see anything. "Here!" I toss the cellphone over my shoulder so that he can catch it.

"...Thank you."

"Y-You're welcome."

I heave a sigh of relief when I see him leave. I close the door and lean my head against it, closing my eyes for a few seconds. Why was his cellphone on the bed?

"Don't create paranoia, Alice," I murmur and try to push those thoughts away.

I take a deep breath and lean away from the door. I go back to the bed where I had left my shirt and finish getting dressed. I would hurry to leave the room so that Mrs. Taylor could begin what she intended.

I went downstairs and went to the kitchen where Mrs. Taylor was putting away groceries.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

Mrs. Taylor raised her eyebrows and looked at me as if she was mocking me. "You're a guest, Miss Collins. You don't need to worry about anything."

"It's okay. I'm used to heavy lifting. I used to work at Joshua's parents' house."

She smiled slyly and looked intrigued. "That explains why he brought you here," she said, redirecting her gaze to the groceries on the counter.

I looked at her doubtfully. "What do you mean, Mrs. Taylor?"

She shrugged in disdain and breathed evenly. "I don't think it's a secret, so...," she turned her back and stored some wine bottles in a small cellar in the wall. "I've been working for Joshua for ten years, since he was 18 years old. He moved here with a friend, and everything Joshua has today is thanks to this millionaire friend of his. From time to time, I overheard them talking about all the women they went out with. And Joshua had a little reputation for hooking up with the girls who worked at his parents' house. But I never knew if it was really true. Until now."

I furrowed my brow indignantly. "Are you thinking that I'm one of those girls?"

"And what makes you think you're different?"

"We talked about it, and he said it wouldn't happen again."

"And why do you believe a man's word so much?"

I blinked rapidly, incredulous. "Mrs. Taylor, that's not going to happen."

"Yes, Miss Collins, it will happen. It only takes a short period of time. And then, you'll be like the others. Just another one. But of course, if you don't back out first."

"Why... Are you telling me this?"

"I have my reasons. And because I'm a more experienced woman than you are."

I shook my head skeptically. I licked my lips and turned, leaving the kitchen. I wasn't going to stay there with a woman who thought I would easily become one of the girls who would be with Joshua. She didn't know me well enough to assume that.

That conversation really bothered me. I was so indignant that I needed to get out of the apartment for a while and get some fresh air. I didn't want to risk running into her again, not today, not now.

I grabbed my coat from behind the door and continued walking to the exit of the apartment, going to the elevator and pressing the button to go to the building's exit. I took a deep breath. I didn't know where to go, after all, I was in London, but walking for a block wasn't a big deal.

The street was busy. Cars passed by without stopping, and people walked along the sidewalk without pause. I looked around and decided to head to the end of the block. A sign advertising a promotion caught my attention. It was a café. I remembered that I hadn't eaten anything since arriving in London. Taking advantage of the fact that I was already there, I didn't hesitate to go in.

The place was very cozy. Despite its simplicity, it still had a luxurious feel. I approached the counter and looked at the menu, ordering a coffee and a slice of pie.

***

I lost myself in my daydreams. After I arrived at the café and received my order, I decided to stay a little longer in the establishment.

"Do you want anything else?" the boy in front of me asked, drawing my attention. He was the one who took my order.

"No, thank you," I smiled gratefully.

"I saw that you've been here for a long time. Do you live nearby? Because there's a forecast for a storm and all the routes will close."

"I live on the other side of the block. Actually, I arrived in town today."

"You're not from here, are you?"

"No, I'm from Brazil, but I was living in Los Angeles before coming here. And... I was born in London"

"Wow, that sounds like an adventure."

"Not so much, but... yeah." I chuckle and shrug my shoulders.

"I've always wanted to visit different places. Maybe one day, I will." He flashes a contagious smile. "Oh, my name is Gregory."

"Alice." I return the smile.

"Alice, I think I've taken up too much of your time. It's started to rain."

He says, and I turn slightly to the side, looking through the glass door.

"I guess I'll have to run home."

"You can stay here and wait for the rain to pass if you want."

"Are you sure?" I look at him hesitantly.

"You have the owner's word." He reinforces his smile.

"Wait... You're the owner?" I say impressed. He seemed too young to have his own business.

"I hope your reaction is in a good sense." He laughs.

"Yes, of course. That's amazing. You seem very young."

"Family genetics." He shrugs and sits in the chair in front of me. "And what about you, Alice, what do you do?"

"Well, I work..."

I'm interrupted by someone who suddenly enters the coffee shop. I look back and see the drenched figure behind us.

"Joshua?" I say surprised.