Wednesdays with the CEO (English) COMPLETED

Chapter 7 - Lowell's Strange Night

   “You - ” Lowell’s eyes narrowed as he examined the drunk woman leaning against the wall. He blinked several times, making sure that his eyes were not playing tricks on him. 

    “Yes, me?”  she mumbled. This time, he was sure of it. This was the same woman Alexiel invited into his penthouse this morning for a lunch meeting. It seems like she was too drunk to recognize him. 

    “Do you know this trashy woman?” His estranged father asked. There was a hint of disgust written on his parent’s face. 

    He scoffed in dismay of the words he’d just heard. Nothing less from the person he despised since he was seven. Just when he was about to mouth mocking words, the woman caught his attention again. Her eyes were suggesting a fiery warning, and for some reason, she was irked at his father. 

    “Yes, I’m the woman he’ll sleep with tonight,” she announced and grabbed his arm to pull him closer. 

    Everything happened too fast, Lowell didn’t have the chance to evade her grasp. She lost her balance while holding onto him. As a result, he got dragged down and fell on top of her. As if that’s not awkward enough - their lips were now brushing to one another. 

    At first, he became dazed. Who wouldn’t? When he regained his senses, his first instinct was to stand up. He was about to move but she reached her hands to his nape and pulled him into a deeper kiss. His mind went to a trance when he felt her tongue entering and teasing inside his mouth. It must be the alcohol taking its toll on him because he can’t seem to move - or maybe he just didn’t want to.

    The sound of footsteps running away brought back his discernment. He was able to pull away and the lady seemed to have fallen unconscious. The young man stood up and exchanged glances to the group of men adorned in black suits stationed in a corner of the hall. With a single nod, the men ran to the direction of where he had heard the footsteps.

    “What a drag.” He muttered while running a hand through his hair. Before he could properly think, his gaze stopped at the woman lying on the ground. 

    Wednesday Curtis. Lowell couldn’t possibly forget that name after he’d read her manuscript during the selection period. In fact, almost everyone at the meeting was in favor of it - excluding him and some conservative senior editors. 

    “What are you going to do with this woman?” He turned to look at his father who’s visibly irritated and nudging Wednesday’s leg. 

    This is why your novel is superficial, Wednesday Curtis. He thought and gawked at the person in front of him. Hiding behind a provocative women’s clothing, that muscular figure still reminds Lowell of the bitter truth. The man who left him and his miserable mother is now a free woman with no sign of remorse.

    “None of your damn business.” 

    Just when he was about to walk away, one of his security personnel came running back. “What happened?” he asked.

    The man gulped before responding to his question. “It’s a reporter from a popular entertainment tabloid. We got a hold of him already but we’re still checking if he’s alone. We’re also checking if the area is already secured.”

    Lowell drew a deep breath while nodding. He turned to look at Wednesday once again with a defeated face. “That means there can be more reporters lurking around.” 

    It was unusual for him to feel concerned, especially over a stranger he barely met twice. But there’s a faint whisper in his head telling him not to abandon this woman on the cold hard ground of this hallway. And not to mention that there’s a reporter who saw them kissing, it’ll be dangerous to leave her here. 

    “Take her to the car,” he commanded as casually as possible. From the corner of his eyes, he saw how shocked his employee was. He tried to ignore it and averted his gaze. “Let’s drop her off the police station and have them escort her home.”

    The security personnel scratched the back of his head. “But sir, we can’t risk it. I’m sure other reporters will be here any minute now, we need to bring you back as quickly as possible - “

    The young gentleman gestured his hand up to stop him from talking. He didn’t need to hear his entire objection, this man knows what he’s doing and Alexiel sure did a great job training them. 

    Now that the Police station was out of the question, the only option left does not sit well with Lowell. He even scanned the lady from head to toe in hopes of finding a purse where they can look for an ID with her address but there was none. How the hell can he send her home?

    “Fine, let’s bring her to the penthouse for now.” He finally gave in and the man immediately scooped Wednesday up from the floor.

    “Lowell, my son. We’re not finished talking.” He stopped on his tracks when he heard his father call his name. But instead of turning around, he balled his palm into a fist. 

    “If you have any decency left, stop begging your ex-wife just to meet me. I don’t have time for this nonsense.”  

    After mouthing those harsh words, he marched out of the bar with his security team trailing behind. They were able to leave the place peacefully and the reporters were already dealt with. Half of the problem was settled, the only thing left to do was to handle the inevitable situation in front of him. 

    With his arms folded together, he sighed while staring at the drunk woman laid above his bed. There’s no extra room in this penthouse, that’s why it was ridiculous of him to think that he can keep her here for the meantime.

    “What a drag. “ he whispered and touched his nape. The memory of the kiss briefly crossed his mind. Caught off guard by his own thoughts, he immediately cleared his throat.

    “Hmmn.” Lowell flinched upon hearing her groan. He walked closer to see if she woke up but it seems like she’s still in deep slumber. A breath of relief escaped his mouth. 

    Right now, he kind of wished that Alexiel can come over and fix this awkward situation. That assistant of his might be cheeky but he’s not as rash as him. 

    He shook his head and turned to step out of the room. Three steps towards the door, he heard a thud. He immediately looked back, only to see Wednesday sitting up with eyes closed. 

    “Are you awake?” The young chairman asked but the woman remained silent.

    Another minute has passed but she didn’t move an inch or fell back to sleep. Lowell grew impatient so he decided to tiptoe his way to the side of the bed. He waved his hand in front of her to see if she’ll react but to no avail. 

    "What’s wrong with this - “ 

    His words were cut off when she suddenly grabbed his hand. It’s a relief that he was able to maintain his balance or else he might’ve fallen on her lap. He turned his head to see if she’s awake but her eyelids remained shut. After a while, tiny sobs started to come out of her mouth. 

    Unable to perceive what’s happening, Lowell stood frozen. He watched as Wednesday burst into a loud cry. Is she crying in her sleep? He wondered.

    “Chael,” She said in between her sobs, still tightly tugging his hand. “He called it garbage. The story about you - your struggles - a mean rich guy called it garbage.” 

    He scoffed, the mean rich guy was obviously him and there's no denying it. Strangely, there was a feeling of amusement stirring inside him. Her tears continued to fall as she gripped his hand tighter. He almost made a sound but was able to endure the pain by biting his lower lip. 

    "I-I'm sorry." For a moment, Lowell thought she'd gone back to her senses. "Maybe I don't have it in me. Maybe… I didn't write it properly. Avery must be right, pursuing this won't get me anywhere because I'm not good at it."

    You're good at it. he silently admitted. Sure, her novel has a very disturbing theme majority of the masses won't like - but her style was unique. The character development infuriated him yet he can’t deny how skillful it was laid out. If he’s not thinking business-wise, he would’ve agreed to sign her work.

    "Should I stop writing?"

    "No." His eyes widened when he realized that he thought out loud. 

    "Re-really?" Wednesday's face lit up, her tears stopped and a smile slowly traced her lips. "Thank you. I'll make you proud, I promise."

    A few moments after, her grip loosened and she back fell into the bed. On the other hand, there was a glint of interest budding in the young CEO's eyes. The tip of his lips slowly moved upward, suggesting curiosity.

-

    Lowell can't help but snicker at the memory of that night. He looked over the calendar and tapped his fingers on his desk. It's been two days since he offered to train Wednesday Curtis. 

    "Looks like it's time to call." He smirked. The look in her face when he said he'd call still gets him amused. 

    His good vibe quickly turned grim as he found Alexiel grinning in front of him across his desk. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "What do you want?"

    "You hold grudges for way too long, sir." The tall man pouted and placed a folder down. "Here's Wednesday Curtis' CV."

    "Good. You may go." he said without meeting his gaze, but his assistant stood still as if waiting for him to look at his direction. “What?”

    Alexiel showed a thumbs up and rambled his way out of the office before his boss could react. Lowell shook his head at the comical act and reached for the folder. As much as he wanted to torment him, his mood seems to be way too good to be trampled over little things. 

    Wednesday Curtis. He silently read from the piece of paper in his hands. The thought of her words about his novel slowly filled his mind. For the first time after a very long while, he felt anticipation creeping its way up to his head. He wants to know more about what she can do - or what kind of writer she can become.