The Territory

Chapter 6

                After lunch everyone is moving slow. I have to admit, the sandwich was amazing. I can see why Damian was craving it. I begin working through the books while Damian goes around to different offices handling business. He texts me on my company phone and lets me know we will go over the plans for the architect when he is done. That is fine with me, I have plenty of work to do today and the longer he is handling his business, the longer I have to get some accounting done. I know Damian said not to take any work home, but I doubt I will follow that rule. There are so many books to get through and I would ideally like to get through it before my three years are up. I’m just kidding of course, I will be through them in a few months, but the sooner the better. Then I can possibly do more architect assignments which is my real passion.

                An exhausted Damian comes in looking through papers, sighing heavily and shaking his head. He doesn’t even look at me when he enters, instead he walks right in to his chair and sits down, throwing the papers on the desk and letting out a groan. I peek in through the door to see him with his head laying back, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He clearly has had a hard day. I hope the sandwich helped to make it a little better at least. We only have about an hour before quitting time, and I don’t want to disturb him, but we need to go over the plans for tomorrow. I also need to find out where I am going and how he wants me to get there.

                “Ahem… Sorry Damian, I know you are beat, but I wanted to remind you of the plans we need to go over. I want to make sure you get the building you want.” He lowers his eyes to meet me and smiles. For the first time he is really showing his age and position. The stress and anxiety that weighs on him every day is plastered all over his face. His smile does not reach his eyes and they seem sunken and dark. My heart goes out to him. He always seems to be trying to do everything for everyone, making everyone else happy… It can’t be easy. “Yes, Em. Thank you for reminding me. Will you go see Tripp and get them, then we will go over them.” I nod and turn to leave, but then pause. “Can I get you something. A coffee, or tea… A pastry… Anything?”

                Damian smiles again and this time it does hit his eyes. “A chia tea would actually be amazing. Extra hot. Like rolling boil hot.” I return his smile and nod. I put a pot of water to boil in the kitchen and then walk down to see Tripp for the plans. The water will take awhile and the small mousy orange haired woman who sits near the kitchen but doesn’t talk to anyone said she would watch it. I knock on Tripp’s door an hear something inside, but couldn’t make it out. I open the door and peer around the door, “Hey Tripp, Damian…” I slam the door immediately and rub back to the kitchen… UGH! Why was Tripp’s secretary not at her desk to tell me he was not alone… he was very much not alone. He was on top of his desk shirtless with a man full on making out. Holy moly… I am so embarrassed that I walked in on him. Ugh. I always find a way to mess things up. I just hope Tripp doesn’t hold it against me. I stand near the pot waiting for the water to boil, my face red all the way to my ears.

                “Hi.” I hear Tripp behind me. I don’t turn around, I am too embarrassed. “Hi.” I say, but it is a whisper and a squeak all at once. He starts laughing loudly. “Are you embarrassed because you a homophobic, or are you embarrassed because you walked in on me and my husband?” I laugh a little and turn to look at him. “The second one. I am so sorry. Your secretary wasn’t at her desk, I knocked, and I heard something, I thought you called me in, so I opened the door. I did, in no way, mean to intrude or interrupt what you were doing. I am mortified.” He smiles at me and I can feel how genuine it is. “It’s fine, Brad and I are not the most subtle. I wish I could say that was the first time we have been walked in on. Anyway, I think you were coming to ask for these…” He bonks me on my arm with the blueprints. I smile and nod. He elbows me and starts to walk away, but calls over his shoulder, “And if you tell anyone that you caught us I will be forced to punish you somehow. Damian has already yelled at me for fooling around in the office.” I snort unexpectedly, unable to contain my giggle.

                I make Damian’s tea and return to the office. The sight of the tea seems to cheer him up a little. We go over the plans and I make notations on the blueprints as well as notes in my personal notebook. There are so many changes that need to be made, it is almost like the architect didn’t listen at all to what it was that Damian wanted for the building. It takes us so long to finish that it is time to leave when we are done. I roll up the plans and put them back in the tube, put some books in my bag, and begin to tidy up. “Oh, Damian. I’m sorry. You didn’t tell me where I am going or what time I need to be there.” He sighs. “Yes, thank you for reminding me. I would literally be lost today were it not for you. You ran all my errands, got me my sandwich and have reminded me of all my important to dos. You need to be here earlier tomorrow. Seven am should be good. That will give you and Viktor plenty of time to get there. You might even be able to stop for coffee.”

                I nod, “Okay. Sounds great. I will be here.”

                “Oh, and I am sorry. Friday is usually casual Friday and we wear jeans and t-shirts, sneakers… just be comfortable. But I need you to dress like you normally do for work since you are meeting with a business partner.”

                “That is fine, I had planned on dressing formal anyway.”

                “Great. So, I will make sure Vice meets you on time tomorrow. I won’t be here yet. Just call if he is late, his number is also in your phone.”

                “Wait. Why is Vice coming?”

                “What do you mean? I just told you that he was taking you.”

                “No… you said someone named Viktor was taking me. I’m sorry. I am confused.”

                “Damn, I must be tired. Vice’s real name is Viktor. Viktor Andres Cruz. We call him Vice because he is my second in command. Wow, I have not called him Viktor in a long time…”

                My face falls. “How far is this place we are going?”

                Damian doesn’t notice my facial expression and continues getting ready to leave. “About two hours.” He looks and sees me. “Em, it will be fine. Vice is my second in command, he is who I trust with all my most important things, like you. So, you better get used to being around his sour puss. I promise, he will warm up. Just ignore him for now.”

                “Oh, I am important, am I?” I giggle, teasing him.

                “Yes, you are. Tine really liked you and told me I better not do anything to mess us a good thing. If you quit I would never hear the end of it.”

                “I knew I liked her!”

                He laughs. “Yes, you woman always stick together. Come on, I will walk you out.”

                He walks me to my car and opens the door for me. I climb in and turn the car on, lowering the window. Damian gives me a very serious look. “Em. I promise you will come to like Viktor. Just give him a chance. He is a like a baguette. He is hard on the outside, but soft on the inside. And in the end, everyone always loves carbs.” I laugh at his expression; he is such a unique person. I nod and Damian leans forward and kisses my forehead. “Be safe tomorrow, keep Vice close, and if you need anything you can always call me,” he says in a very serious tone before walking away to his truck. Caden dropped it off right after lunch. That is what I call service. I turn on my car and head home.

                When I get home, I feel sick to my stomach. I don’t know if it is nerves about having to be with Vice all day tomorrow, or anxiety about getting the plans fixed to Damian’s liking, or if it is loneliness… Who knows? I make myself tea and a piece of toast as I think that is all I will be able to keep down right now. I sit at the bar and make my way though the books. I ended up bringing extra when Damian said how long the drive was. In four hours, I can get a lot of work done, it will also give me an excuse not to talk to Vice at all. I get through one book and don’t feel motivated to do any more. I lay on the couch and turn on the television trying to distract myself, but I can’t get into anything that is on.

                I find myself making my way upstairs to my bedroom. I look at the outfit that Liza set out for me tomorrow, and it is more casual than the others were… I think I better find something else. An hour later all my clothes and Liza’s clothes are on the floor and I am in a panic. Why am I so worried about this one outfit?! I just need a normal work outfit, but everything I try on I hate. I have to look perfect… No, stop it Em, you are being stupid. You don’t have to look perfect. Who are you trying to look perfect for? The architect?... or Vice?... Gah! Stop it! You are engaged and he is an ass hole, stop fantasizing about the man. I am going to take a shower. Yes, that will help me get out of my head and then I can pick an outfit, put all the clothes back and go to sleep.

                After the shower I feel better and begin to blow dry my hair… but suddenly I am panicking that my hair has to be perfect. Ugh! I am like possessed. Another two hours and I have my hair prepped and pinned for tomorrow morning, and I have decided on an outfit that is a little sexier than I have been wearing. No matter how many times I told myself to calm down and pick a normal outfit, I couldn’t stop myself. I decide on a black fitted dress with a higher slit on the right thigh, a lover cut neckline with a keyhole below the V, and a royal blue blazer. Lastly, I top the outfit off with a long silver chain necklace and black ankle boots. This is something more like I would wear on a date, but I think the blazer makes it office appropriate. I have my hair pinned in curls, so hopefully, tomorrow morning I can take the pins out and have nice easy beachy wave.

                I am exhausted by the time I have come to terms with my outfit. I laydown and close my eyes, desperate to go to sleep. I toss and turn, but sleep alludes me. I am so in my head that I can not seem to let my brain relax. Ugh! You are going to look hideous tomorrow if you don’t get some sleep, so calm down and rest. I toss and turn a little more, but finally sleep is able to find me. I wake up before my alarm, and though I didn’t sleep long, I feel strangely refreshed. I get up, start a pot of coffee and being getting ready. I put eye shadow, eye liner and mascara. That is about the max makeup I usually wear. But I want something else. I go to Liza’s bathroom and look through her lipsticks, picking out a blush rose color that looks good on me. I take out the hair pins and am pleasantly surprised that the curls look perfect. Once I am dressed I go downstairs and pack myself up, pour myself a travel cup of coffee, and open my front door.

                I freeze immediately as I am met with Vice on my front step, about to knock on my door. He is wearing a black suite with a white button-down shirt, and a royal blue tie. We look like we coordinated our outfits. His hair is in his signature side parted pompadour, and his beard is trimmed short to his skin. He looks mouthwatering good, except for his hazel-green eyes which are hard and cold. I just stand there gaping at him. He clears his throat. “Damian asked me to pick you up. He wanted to save time by not having you drive all the way in before we leave.” I nod. I don’t know why but I feel like I lose my voice when he is around. I want to tell him off, tell him he is a jerk and I would rather be with anyone else today, but I can’t. He looks at the large bag filled with books in my hand and holds his hand out to me, offering to take it. I had it to him and for some reason I feel a blush spread across my cheeks.

                He carries the back to the back-passenger door and puts it in, then opens my door for me. I lock up the house and make my way to his car, the blush on my cheek deepens with his gesture. Once I climb in, he closes the door and walks around to get in. He gets in and opens the sunglass holder, removing the pair I borrow just yesterday. I was right, this is his car. Ass. Of course, he would make me take his car. He begins driving, though this time it is different. He isn’t speeding or putting the windows down. Instead he seems to be taking a large amount of care as he drives. “Do you want the radio on,” he asks. His voice wraps around me like silk, it sounds so good I could almost moan in response to hearing it. But I fight my attraction to him and shrug, then reach behind me and pull out an accounting book.

                He turns on the radio, a song I love comes on, but I ignore it and start up my laptop and being working through books. We continue like this for two hours, me ignoring him and him not saying much. We pull up outside a tall building with tinted glass windows. ‘FMP House’ is written in big silver letters across the top. The valet comes and opens my door. I grab my bag with my laptop and the blueprint tube from the car. I see Vice take the accounting books and place them in a floor compartment, then lock them with a key from his pocket. He then hands the valet the car key. “We have time, let’s grab a coffee and something for breakfast.” I give him a sideways glance. I she always so bossy. His attitude is completely unnecessary. He starts to walk away. I want to stand here and ignore him, just to prove a point about the way you speak to people, but I have no idea where I am or where I am going… So, I just follow him.

                He walks up a French style café and opens the door, moving aside to let me pass. Inside there are a handful of tables, but not much else. He walks to a table in the back corner and pulls out a chair, gesturing for me to sit down. It smells amazing in; the scent of fresh brewing coffee and baking pastries entices me to take his offer and sit. He pushes my chair in for me and then unbuttons his coat before sitting across form me, his back against the wall. The waiter walks up and greets us.

                “Bonjour. Welcome, what can I get for you?”

                “I would like a black coffee and a plain croissant please.” Vice says, not bothering to meet his eye. He really is such an ass.

                “And for you madame.”

“Bonjour. Vous pouvez me servir un café crème, s’il vous plaît ?

(Can you pour me a coffee with cream, please?)

                “Et avec ceci?”

                                (And with that?)

                “Un pains au chocolat,s’il vous plaît.”

                                (One chocolate croissants, please.)

                “Bien madame.”

                                (Very good miss.)

                After I order I look out the window, ignoring the stare that Vice is giving me. His mouth is slightly parted in shock and he is staring so hard that he could burn straight through me. Finally, he breaks the silence. “I didn’t know you spoke French.” I lift my eyebrow and purse my lips at him, showing my lack of interest in talking with him. Why he thinks he knows anything about me is astounding. He has never even spoken to me really before today. And even then, he really hasn’t said much. The drinks arrive shortly after and I have a little bit of conversation with the waiter. He moved him from Fance about a year ago and is staying with family while he goes to college. He is a very nice young man, and I will leave him a generous tip when we finish. I tell him in French that we will be on separate checks, not wanting to owe Vice anything.

                When the checks come, I can see the anger on Vice’s face as I pull my card out and return it to the waiter. Vice takes out cash and slams it on the table causing the waiter to jump. Vice then stands and storms outside and stands waiting for me. The waiter returns with my check and receipt, I leave him double the total of my check, thank him for his service, and wish him the best in school. He thanks me as well and tells me that he hopes my companion gets in a better mood. I nod in agreement and point a thumb a vice, rolling my eyes.