Chapter 19: Chapter 19

"What do you think you're doing?" Samantha questions my actions ironically. I was on my knees behind her desk.

"Has he left?" I ask back.

"Alice," she takes a deep breath and puts her hands on her hips. "You can't hide from him forever!"

"I'm not hiding," I stand up and dust off my knees. "I'm just avoiding him."

"It's the same thing. And if you haven't noticed, you work for his company. How long do you think you can avoid him?"

"I'm not going to avoid him forever," I lean against the desk and cross my arms. "I just don't want to see him. Not today, at least not until I move out of his house."

"And when will that be?" She sits in her chair and takes a sip of her coffee.

"I don't know..." I sigh defeated. "I'm still looking for a place."

"So, you plan on avoiding Mr. Scott for all this time?" she raises her eyebrows. "Look, friend... Not to discourage you, but... It's impossible! You can't avoid Mr. Scott living in the same house as him! Besides, you're his second assistant, it's definitely impossible."

I let out a long sigh.

"I know it's a difficult task, but I don't think it's impossible!" I emphasize, trying to clarify. "But I have to stay positive, don't you think?" I look at her, and she responds with a shrug.

"But, let me ask you something," she settles better in her chair. "Why do you want to move out of Joshua's apartment? Of course, I understand that you want your privacy back and that other people's homes are not our homes and all that. But, you've been in London for less than two weeks, right? And I believe Joshua is giving you all the necessary support. So... why give that up?"

I sigh. I didn't know if I could trust her enough to tell her what was going on. My circle of friends had always been very restricted, and after London, it had only become more so.

"I just don't feel so comfortable there," I shrug.

"I understand. Being close to Joshua is really not easy. It's like every day you have to fight not to fall into temptation. Because that's a sin," she gasps, as if imagining a hot scene. But she soon realizes her act and tries to compose herself, forcing a cough. "But he's my boss. I have to respect him, of course."

I end up laughing at her attitude and shrug.

"But you're right. And, I'm a little afraid of falling in love," I confess.

"So that's why you want to move out of there?"

"At least, it's one of the strongest reasons."

"Well," she leans in. "I'll speak quietly because walls have ears." She whispers. "Having the experience that I have in being one of the lucky ones who have been with Joshua a few times, I can guarantee that he can't be found on every corner."

I chuckle quietly at her words. I had heard the same phrase the day before.

"But then, why didn't you stay with him?"

"Well, despite people thinking he's just a womanizer, the guy really has feelings," Samantha speaks again in her normal tone. "I don't know if I have the right to talk about it because it's his personal thing. But the only time I saw him completely and truly expose his feelings, he got screwed in the end. His ex-girlfriend cheated on him. And since then, I've never seen him fall in love with anyone again. Maybe, he's afraid of going through that again."

After hearing about Joshua's ex-girlfriend, I immediately think about the girl in the apartment.

"By any chance... Would her name be Madelyn?" I inquire.

"Do you know her?" she asks, surprised.

"I bumped into her yesterday."

"And how are you still alive?" she jokes, but at the same time, carries a serious tone in her voice. "Seriously, Alice. That girl is not normal."

"I think she's a bit obsessive."

"And what I don't understand is that if she was completely in love with him, why did she cheat on him?"

I shrug, not knowing an answer.

"Truly, there's a crazy person for everything," Samantha concludes.

***

After a morning of talking with Samantha, listening to her talk about the time she spent in a "friends with benefits" relationship with Joshua didn't bother me. To be honest, I had enjoyed listening. Samantha was an incredible woman, determined, and seemed to take the romance she had with Joshua as a comedy she had during her youth. She didn't seem like one of those who wanted me nowhere near him.

Finally, it's time to meet with Gregory. I wouldn't go back to Joshua's house after leaving work; I would go straight to the café.

Gregory was already waiting for me at the entrance of the establishment. I get out of the taxi and walk up to him.

"I hope I haven't kept you waiting," I approach. "But since the weather forecast is for a sunny day, there's no danger of getting wet." I say playfully, recalling what he had said earlier.

Gregory laughs and shakes his head.

"I will patiently wait for a lady to save me," he retorts, jokingly.

"So where do we start looking?" I say, stopping in my tracks.

"Actually, I already found it. I had some free time during my lunch break, so I ventured out alone."

"Seriously?" I say excitedly. "What did you find?"

"By a great coincidence, the apartment next to my house was up for rent. The rent isn't expensive, but... I might have to cut some expenses. But it's one of the best I found, that I can guarantee."

I smile gratefully.

"I'm going home now, can I take you there?"

He suggests and I agree to go with him.

***

The apartment was amazing. It wasn't so big, but it was quite comfortable. It had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, a kitchen, laundry area, and an incredible view, similar to what I had seen earlier at the real estate agency, but at a much lower price. I didn't think twice about wanting to stay there. Gregory had helped me a lot, he knew the owner, which made it easier for me to access the building for a closer analysis on the same day.

That apartment was everything I needed, especially after finding out that my younger sisters were coming to stay with me. They would have a room all to themselves.

After spending the afternoon with Gregory, night soon arrived. The apartment owner had said that I could move in the next day if I wanted, because since I was a friend of Gregory's, I could pay the first month's rent only from the following month, which was excellent news. So I would go back to Joshua's house to pack my things and leave the next day.

With that intention, I return to my boss's apartment.

"When did you arrive?"

I hear a familiar voice as soon as I enter.

"A few days ago." A female voice replies.

I cross the living room to go up the stairs and can't help but check who was the owner of that familiar voice. Mr. Scott?

"Alice!" Mr. Scott opens a big cheerful smile when he sees me.

He walks towards me, giving me a nice and suffocating hug.

"Mr. Scott!" I try to return the hug, but my arms are held by his. "When... When did you arrive?"

"Today." He moves away from me. "I came for a wedding party. And I took the opportunity to have dinner with some of Joshua's friends. You know, I am a father who needs to be present in his son's life. Even though he's already twenty-eight years old, independent, has his own house, and supports me."

I laugh at his words.

"But anyway, I think you've already met Madelyn."

Mr. Scott moves aside, giving me a view of the girl.

"Hello... Alice." A bitterly false smile, trying to express sweetness, appeared on her lips.

"The idea of the dinner was hers. And I, particularly, loved it." Mr. Scott says excitedly.

I feel a knot in my stomach as I look at her and remember her threats.

"So, how was it to be in France?" Mr. Scott returns his attention to the girl.

"You know how a model's life is. It's very busy. There's hardly any time to enjoy the places."

Her tone of voice seemed to have come out exclusively for me, but I remained looking at Mr. Scott.

"That's true." He agreed. "Are you still in university?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But, that's not a problem either. Maybe it's interesting to live the life of a university student. Although, after fame, nothing is the same as it was before."

I grumbled mentally upon hearing Madelyn bragging.

"And... Alice?" She speaks, making me glance at her. "She seems to be someone quite interesting since... She is close to the family of the sir."

"Oh, that's nothing." Mr. Scott says laughing. "We're not such an interesting family."

"How come? I would give my life to live with you guys!"

"Oh, don't say that!" He seemed embarrassed by Madelyn's compliments. "Alice worked for me. Taking care of my house. And now, she works at Joshua's company."

"Does she also want to become a 'Scott'?"

I almost choke on my own saliva when I hear what she says.

"What?" Mr. Scott looks at me confused.

"Nothing, Mr. Scott. It's just a joke." When clarifying, she lets out a low chuckle.

But I knew it hadn't been a ‘joke’.

"Well, I think it's time to go," she announced, pushing herself away from the counter. "Goodbye, Mr. Scott! Goodbye... Alice," she said, throwing me a suggestive smile.

***

A few hours later, I was changing in the guest room. I planned to go out for a walk since there was going to be a dinner party at Joshua's house, and I didn't want to be in that environment.

I heard someone knock on my door. I finished tying my shoes and walked to check who it was. Mrs. Taylor looked at me with a forlorn expression.

"Can I help you?" I raised my eyebrows, seeing her quiet.

"I know we started off on the wrong foot, Alice. And I wanted to apologize for that."

She apologizing to me? What kind of spirit had possessed her body?

"And I need your help."

I twisted my lips into a sarcastic smile. Of course, she needed something.

"Mr. Scott decided to host a last-minute dinner for some of Joshua's friends. There wasn't enough time to hire a helper, and I wanted to ask for your help to serve at least the main course."

I narrowed my eyes, wondering if it was worth helping her.

"I know it seems hypocritical of me to ask for your help after being rude to you several times. But even if you don't want to do it for me, do it for Joshua's father. He worked hard to invite all of his son's friends."

I sighed.

"Okay. But remember, I'll be doing this because I owe Mr. Scott."

"Thank you, Alice." She smiled a small smile.

***

I passed by some people in the living room, trying not to be noticed. Joshua and some friends were chatting and laughing among themselves. Mr. Scott was talking to Madelyn, a little further away from the group of five friends.

I entered the kitchen.

"Alice, I don't know how to thank you for your help. Really. I was completely overwhelmed with this dinner party."

Mrs. Taylor confided and picked up a tray of appetizers.

"Thank you so much." She emphasized, and I nodded, assuring her that everything was okay.

Mrs. Taylor left the kitchen, and moments later, the last person I wanted to see walked in. Madelyn opened the same suggestive smile as earlier.

I breathed heavily.

"I have a curiosity about you that I want to know," she said, with her arms behind her, walking slowly to the counter near where I was. "Do you...usually eat leftovers?" she moved her lips into a sarcastic smile now.

"What?" I asked, not understanding what she meant.

"It's just that...usually when there's leftover food, people tend to throw it away," she explained. "But I see that Mr. Scott has his own trash can."

"What are you talking about?" I looked at her incredulously.

"People like you are in the right place, outside of the party."

I tried to control my breathing, so I wouldn't risk arguing with her. But it was almost inevitable.

"What's your problem with me?" I ask, stunned. "Why do you seem to hate me?"

"Because I know girls like your type. And... My aunt kept me well informed about you."

That explains why Mrs. Taylor seemed to hate me. She was cooperating with her niece. Fascinating.

"Well... I'm off. I have a dinner to attend." She winked at me and walked out of the kitchen.

"Argh!" I slap my hand on the counter, trying to calm the anger that was boiling inside me. Who did she think she was? How could she be so mean and pretend to be sweet in front of Mr. Scott? That girl was a...

"Alice. Come on! Let's serve dinner," Mrs. Taylor says, interrupting my moment of fury.

For the thousandth time, I take a deep breath and walk over to the trays on the counter, picking up the second one after Mrs. Taylor.

We went in a line to the living room, starting to serve the seven people at the table. My gaze unexpectedly clashed with Joshua's. He was looking at me seriously, observing every move I made, like a hunter observes his prey. I tried several times to shift my gaze away from him, but it was almost impossible. I always found myself looking at his hair, or his eyes, or his lips, which he occasionally bit on his bottom lip. But his gaze, similar to that of a dominator, didn't help.

My attention is drawn to Mr. Scott, who had begun to speak, but the feeling of being watched didn't disappear. I knew it wasn't just Joshua who was watching me, but Madelyn too. Maybe she had noticed his gaze on me, which had caused her anger.

I finished serving the last person and walked back to the kitchen. I placed the empty tray on the counter and tried to control my tense breathing because of those stares. I was... Shaking inside.

"Madelyn is asking you to bring her some juice," Mrs. Taylor says upon returning to the kitchen.

"Me? Why me? And I just left there."

"I don't know. But you better go soon."

I grumble and make my way to the strawberry juice pitcher, pouring it into a glass and walking back to the living room.

"Your juice," I extend the glass towards her.

"I don't like strawberry juice. Could you bring me a different kind of juice, please?" A sweet smile formed on her lips, but it no longer sounded like sweetness to me.

"Okay..."

I sighed and returned to the kitchen, grabbing the pitcher with the second juice option. And so, I returned to the living room, but soon had to go back to the kitchen, because Miss Perfect didn't want orange juice, but rather mint juice. I made the same journey and headed back to her for the third time.

"Your mint juice."

"Oh. Thank you. But... I think I'll want the orange one after all." A smile of someone who was enjoying the situation appeared on her lips.

And I hear giggles from some of the people sitting at the table.

"Okay. I'll go ge..."

"When she brings the orange one, do you want the strawberry one? Or when she brings the strawberry one, do you want the mint one?" Joshua says seriously, making everyone at the table look at him.

"W-What?" Madelyn seemed to be at a loss for words.

"I know you're doing this because you want to. Stop it now!"

I looked at Joshua in shock. I didn't expect him to say that, let alone in that tone. I was as surprised as everyone else.

"J-Joshua," Madelyn said almost in a whisper.

"Go!" he glanced at me briefly, then turned his attention back to Madelyn. "I don't want to have to talk to you."

Wow. I walked back to the kitchen, leaving my juice glass on the counter and going upstairs. I didn't expect him to say that, but I was grateful. Someone made Madelyn stop, otherwise it would have lasted all night.

I entered the room and closed the door. I walked over to my suitcases and searched for a sweater. Since I wasn't going out anymore today, I decided to change my clothes.

I went back to the door to lock it. I reached for the doorknob and saw someone trying to enter. I frowned at that mini-dispute, until the person trying to enter pushed the door with great force.

"What are you doing?"

"I ask the same question." I observed Joshua.

"I'm trying to come in."

"That's obvious. But what do you want here?"

Joshua moistened his lips and entered the room, closing the door behind him. I took two steps back, trying to keep my distance.

"I just want you to answer one thing."

"What?"

"Are you avoiding me?"