His Appointed Wife

8. lonely nights, ugly tables and job offers

"I sometimes pretend that I am listening to people, when I am actually not hearing anything. But here I am, listening to your silence, everyday, hoping you would break it soon." - Logan

~~~

8. Lonely nights, ugly tables and job offers

(Logan)

The next morning, Logan woke up to the emptiness. Again. The silence clawed on him until he couldn't bear the sound of it. God, the sound of this empty silence was so loud against the lonely looking walls and he hated himself for being weak.

How could he? He wasn't supposed to be.

God, he had lived in the emptiness for so long. He had thrived in it and to be honest, he had enjoyed it. It was the only reprieve he has had amid constant bustle and chaos in his life. With a book and a cup of coffee, with a swim in the pool, he had loved his solitude.

Now, oh so suddenly he didn't like the idea of waking up to an empty house and walking in back to the dark hallways. It twisted his stomach when he thought of going back to that.

What did she do to him? Was she a witch or something? Did she put a spell on him with her misty green-gold eyes?

He rubbed his face with a sigh. He had so much work to do, so much to plan and here he was, again, thinking of her. It had been a bad habit.

She has become his bad habit.

The first phase of Aiden's restaurant had started and he had to oversee so many things and having an angry Alex was such a distraction. She was always at the forefront whatever he did and wherever he was. He didn't like it, but he couldn't avoid it.

At night, she was already in her room before he came back home. He knew she wasn't sleeping. He had even knocked at her door yesterday, feeling like a creep, but she hadn't opened or responded to him.

He sighed and opened the damn refrigerator.

He drank some milk, ate a dry loaf of bread, but after Alex's breakfast, everything else was just so bland. So so ordinary. He hated her for getting him addicted to good food, homemade food and then pulling the rug from under him when he least expected it.

Should have though that before handing her a bunch of stupid papers. Eh? That voice, the same irritating voice added.

He wanted it all back. The smell of butter, the warmth in the kitchen that would tell him she was there before him, making something for him, her lingering smell in the air. But even then, he wouldn't take back the contract.

Oh, God, two days, two terrible days. It had been 48 hours and she was still so stubbornly holding onto her anger. He wanted to punch something.

She sure knows how to twist a man from inside out. Or at least him!

He stared at the ugly table she hated so much and sighed. It's emptiness made it uglier still.

Sometimes, before when they were not fighting, as he ate, he would think of her in the kitchen, working her way around and it would always put a small smile on his grumpy face. Now everything was missing.

That woman was tying him in a knot and it had to stop.

Unable to bear it any longer, he tore a paper from the stack of sticky notes they had used to banter back and forth and started writing.

...

Hi Lex,

I know you are angry, but stop being so childish. We can talk it out like adults, you know. We have one month to convince others that we are in love and how do you suppose we do that without seeing face to face?

I know, you think I am wrong. But I had to do that no matter what. You might not understand, but I have my reasons. So please, stop with the silent treatment. Two days of it is enough for the poor me. Impatiently, Logan.

....

He knew she would get angry again after she saw it, but he could take her anger if she just talked with him. However this silence, it was making him nervous and he was feeling weird without talking to her.

He would be surprised if anyone told him that he had met Alexandra just days ago and he had picked her out from the side of the road. It felt like a lifetime and some more.

He grabbed his coat and brief case before closing the door.

His phone rang. "Yes?"

"Are you and Alex fighting?"

"Why do you ask?" Logan pulled the car door open with unnecessary force.

"She called me to drive her somewhere."

"Where?" Logan wanted to punch something. The feeling was growing faster with each passing minute.

"I don't know." Daniel was silent for a moment. "Did she get socked from work? I think she want to look for another job?"

"Why would she?"

"Why wouldn't she?" Daniel asked, shaking him from the reverie.

"What?"

"I said she was looking for the job and you said why would she? I mean, why can't she look for a job? Why did you say that?"

"I am just distracted. I was just thinking about something else. So did you agree?"

"I did."

Logan grunted his response.

"Speak up, Logan. Do you have anything to say to me?"

"You don't have to come. I will drive her."

"What about the meeting you had with Lowell's lightings? You said you are gonna talk to them about the cost of light fixtures."

"Ah, that I can push forward."

"Are you sure she is just a friend?"

"I am sure, Dan. Now, please don't psychoanalyze me. I am not in the mood for that."

"You are doing a hell of a lot of rescheduling for a friend." Daniel laughed at the other end as if he was really amused and Logan glared at the phone. His friend wasn't funny, but the poor guy had a strange idea that he was and once he got an idea, it was hard to change that.

"Have you stopped amusing yourself, child? I would love to go now."

"Hey Logan, remember that girl from the college? Is that Kristy or Krista? How you had always said you didn't have anything for her and she was just a friend and then one day, you were finally being honest to yourself and you decided to ask her for the homecoming game. But she went with Matt. And you were left licking your wounds. Just a friendly reminder: wake up. If there is something there, you have gotta admit it before it is too late."

"Yeah? And it turned out Kristy used Matt to get to Finley and then she married Finley and divorced him and she now owns half of his assets? What did that tell you? Moral: look deeper before you leap. So thanks. I will keep sleeping." Logan got inside his car.

Feelings we're messy and he would be fine without that. That was why he was so eager to marry Stacie, wasn't it? She was cool. He was cool. They would have been cool.

"You are so-so... Whatever." Danny huffed as he hung up.

Logan laughed as he started the car. And he finally felt like it would be alright.

He knew what he had to do. A plan slowly formed in his head and he knew she had to talk to him after that.

Oh, yes. It would be officially called bribing. But, he was desperate enough to do just that.

(Alexandra)

Okay. She missed him. No matter how angry it made her to think about those damned documents, she still missed him.

Missed talking with him. Sharing stories that weren't a least bit important. Laughing and making fun of each other.

The large house felt like a tomb without their laugher echoing off its walls. It was so silent. She wanted to scream. At least, then, it wouldn't be silent anymore.

She stomped to the bathroom when she saw him driving away.

Yes. She felt like a crazy stalker staring at him through the windows, but it was only because she wanted to avoid him. Not because she wanted to look at his stupidly handsome face because she missed him.

Tell that to yourself, again and again and maybe you will eventually believe it.

Alex hated that stupidly honest voice. If she could just press a pause button and make it stop. It was like she was carrying her own enemy with her.

She dressed in a floral dress and swirled. It looked good on her. She ran a comb through her brown hair and walked downstairs.

She stopped when she noticed the familiar looking note on the refrigerator.

Her smile turned into an angry scowl when she read it.

"Logan Forte. I am gonna to kick you in that face when I see you next time. And I won't be sorry." She said as she took a packet of bread from the refrigerator, and a jar of peanut butter. This had to do. She didn't have the heart to cook and eat it all by herself.

When she finished it, Esther came, with her air of disdain.

"You separated laundry?"

"Yes. I did. Mine in this bucket."

"You sure? Everything right in place."

Yes, commander. Alex had this urge to salute the woman like they do in military camp, but she refrained.

"Yes. Esther. I did. Did you eat anything?"

"Good. You are a good girl. And I ate."

Alex was startled. That was the first ever praise she had heard from Esther. She looked at the woman with eyes wide with bewilderment and Esther shook her small head with a smile.

"Go. Let me work here."

Alex was so gone. She didn't want to wait another second to give Esther a chance to change her mind.

Later that noon, when Alex was relaxing in the pool house, her phone rang.

"Delivery. Can you please open the door?" A man asked.

She dressed before she walked outside and stopped when she saw two men standing outside the gate waving hands at her.

"Ma'am, can you please open the gate. We have a delivery." One man in red cap said.

Alex looked at them and wondered whether it was okay to open the door. What if they we're here to kidnap her in that big truck?

"For who?"

"Mr. Forte sent it. For Alexandra?"

She narrowed her eyes. It was a truck. What could he have possibly sent now in that massive truck?

With suspicion clear in her eyes, she opened the door and the truck stopped in front of the house.

"Where do you want me to put it?" One man asked as they lifted a big lump covered in papers.

Where did she want to put It? How would she know without knowing what that it was?

"What the hell is that?" She pointed a shaking finger at the lump that now sat on the center of the stone pathway.

The man in red cap looked at her before he smiled in understanding. "Oh, it is a surprise, uh? Ma'am, your husband just ordered for a new table to be delivered here. Now, he also wanted us to take the old table back. Can you show us inside."

Alex gaped at them as the two men shared an amused look.

"He-he is not my husband." She muttered as she walked, or more like stormed inside and the two men with the lump that was a table followed her.

(Logan)

He knew it was done, and he had expected a call from Alexandra. But no, the stubborn woman was still not calling him.

One of the delivery men had called him to give that news when it was done.

"You two are fighting, Mr. Forte?" He had asked. "Mrs. Forte was surprised, yes, but she was still angry, I think."

How did everyone knew they we're fighting, dammit? It wasn't like he wanted to announce it to the whole world.

But he was curious enough to ask, "why do you think that she is still angry?"

"She said you are not her husband." The man had chuckled then, as if it was all so amusing.

It wasn't. Not even a little bit.

He stared at the phone, again. It had been an hour and some.

She wasn't going to call him, was she? No matter how long and hard he stared at the phone, it stayed silent. The useless thing.

Damn you.

"Boss? You want some iced tea?" It was Tom. The man was like a constant pain in his ass, next to Alexandra. "You are kinda overheated. It will cool you!" He continued, a look of amusement in his face.

"I want you to stitch your mouth shut."

"Umm? I would, but then who would read you all your meeting schedules?"

"You can sign it." Logan grunted. "Better yet, I will hire a new assistant."

"Oh, boss. You are so naive. Nobody will last a day with you."

"What do you mean? I am not a horrible boss." Logan narrowed his eyes at the now smirking man.

"No? You sure, boss?"

Maybe, just this time, he wanted to give in to his need and throw the paper weight at his PA's face, but because Logan had some semblance of sanity still left -- even though everyone around him were testing its limits-- he restrained.

Professionalism. He thought.

"Tom. One day or the other, I will tell myself it is okay to be unprofessional."

"Boss, that paper weight is Ms. Fortes' gift to you. You break it, they are going to break your head." Tom said with his all-knowing smirk.

"How do you know?" Logan looked at him with doubt.

"You keep looking at it and I can almost understand. My wife does that all the time, looking at her rolling pin."

"Did she ever throw it?"

"Plenty of times. Woman is a wicked witch. I love her, so much."

"I am really proud of Alice for doing that." He said as he closed his files. "Now, I am going home."

"Hope no rolling pin is waiting for you there." Tom said with a chuckle. "Since your new friend moved in, you have become an enigma to me." Tom said as he walked out and this time, Logan almost reached for the paper weight.

He sighed as he stood up. It was all his fault. His fault was showing all his emotions like an amateur.

He had never been stupid enough to wear his feelings in his face. He had always been closed off. Private. And now, here he was.

Since Alex... Since Alex, everything was changing. And he hated that, but he couldn't hate her, now, could he?

"When Mathilda calls, tell her I have found someone she would like."

"The mystery woman." Tom said.

"Yes. You know her name is Alexandra."

"And still I know nothing else about her."

"I am not inviting you to my home, no matter how much you want me to. Get it?"

"Have some pity, boss. My head is going to burst if you keep up with it."

"I would want to see that day. See you tomorrow, unfortunately. " Logan said as he walked out. Tom chuckled.

"Oh, you won't admit it, but you can not live without me." Tom laughed as Logan stepped inside the elevator. And then his PA threw him a kiss and Logan swatted it away.

The man was such a pest.

He opened the car door when Amelia, one of his workers came running.

"Mr. Forte. Wait, sir."

"Yes, Amelia?" He looked at the petite woman in front of him.

"Ms. Rose from Lowell lightings called. She said it wasn't possible for them to lower the proposed rate. What should we do?"

"Ms. Rose." He sighed. That woman was a boulder to move. Stubborn like his Alex. "I would have preferred to talk with Jack. But okay, if that is the case, find me another supplier. With proposed budget and equal quality."

"Yes sir, I will do that." Amelia walked away and Logan started his car.

If he waited any longer, he was going to burst, too. He needed to see her right this instant and bring back their banter and friendship.

Yeah, that is why you are working so hard. For your friend.

"Shut up, mind. No one is asking your opinion."

When he reached his home, he opened the door and sneaked it.

How did it come to this? Sneaking inside his own house like a thief?

Since Alex.

Most of his questions had only one answer these days.

"And stop. Don't disappear." He said when she stood up from the couch when he walked in. "We are talking."

"I don't want to talk with you." She sounded like a disgruntled child.

"You have no other option, Lex. Sit or I am making you sit."

"Jerk." She muttered as she sat down. "Arrogant moron."

"That is my girl."

"I am not your damn girl. Don't patronize me."

"Do you need a s******g?"

And her cheeks reddened. Her eyes shot bullets as she bristled. And he really wanted to do all the bad things that sprung up in his mind when he looked at her red stained cheeks, to her.

He felt hot. His body was tensed, and he was so ready to break his vow.

But... Shut up, stupid imagination. Stop torturing me.

Her lips were so pink and it was now in a moody pout and would they taste just as sweet as they looked?

No. No. Don't you dare go there.

"Smug little..."

"Stop being so difficult, Lex."

"I am bring difficult? The nerve. You are... Are- ugh!"

"Can we talk like adults now that you have finished with your tantrums?"

"Why waste time talking? You can go type a long document and we can save both our time. And then I can sign with my fist. In your face."

"Can we move past that, Alex?"

"Oh, why? Because you bought me this damn table? You think you can buy me with a table? Bribe me into talking with you for this? I won't talk with you even if you give me hundred tables."

He laughed. He couldn't help himself. She was just so cute when she was angry. Oh so cute. And at that moment, he realized he had never thought of an adult woman as cute, never in his life.

"Jerk." She spat. "Smug jerk. Moron."

"I know you are this close to giving in to my charm. But I have something else. A bribe, if you may. And then you will talk with me."

"No, I won't. I won't talk with you even if you are the last man in this universe." She rolled her eyes. "And what charm? You have a charm as much as a fire breathing dragon has. Not Toothless. But the monstrous one."

He laughed. "You watched how to train a dragon? Are you sure you are 23."

"I am almost 24 and how did you know Toothless is from that movie if you haven't watched it." He gave her a sheepish look.

Caught red-handed.

"It was Daniel. And stop changing the subject. As I said, I have something that will make you talk with me. I am so sure of that."

"Ego. Your ego is amazingly big. God has wasted all these attractive features on your stupid self. You open your mouth and I, I just want to- strangle you." She gritted her teeth.

"So you think I am attractive?" He smirked as he looked at her green eyes, which was now wide and startled as she stared at his face. She blinked twice and shook her head.

"I have seen better and that is not the damn point."

"Have you?" He joked and she blushed and he stared at her with wonder.

She was so beautiful when she did that: blushing. The red stain in her cheeks always made him think thoughts he shouldn't. God, she always made him think of things he shouldn't.

And he wanted her. It was like a burn deep in his gut. The urge to kiss her was so strong and... Would it be so bad to do that?

No. He shouldn't want her. He couldn't. He couldn't mess this up.

"Shut up." She crossed her arms across her chest and mutantly stared at him, a frown lifting her lips.

"There is this big house that needs an interior decorator." He said and watched her with a small gloating smile.

She instantly perked up. And her green eyes, like magic, altered. The gold in them intensified as they reflected her eagerness. Excitement.

She stared at him. He stared back at her.

The minutes passed. The clock ticked. His breathing was wayward, so was his thoughts.

Could he just pull her and kiss her and then give some excuses? It was physically hurting to stand there and watch her, without kissing her. Without touching her. Without having her.

"Are you not going to say anything?" She huffed as she uncrossed her arms.

"What? You wanted me to shut up." He stifled a chuckle when she glared.

"You think you are very funny, do you?"

"Don't you? I think I am totally amusing."

"Haha. You can do your own circus act when the circus come to the city. Now speak."

"Your wish is my command."

"When did you turn this annoying?"

"Since you walked into my life." He said. Since you.

You changed every dynamics in my life. Strangely enough, I don't abhor most of it.

"Dan called and he said many annoying things, but he also said that you are looking for a job?"

"Yeah, I thought why not. I have time now and means to actually try. I mean I am not hungry anymore and living in the motel..."

"Yeah. That is why I said no to Ms. Hot."

"Your interior decorator? What?" She looked at him, confused. Oh, he so wanted to see the look on her face when he breaks the news. God. His eyes were intense on her and he didn't want to look away or blink. He wanted to see everyone of her expressions.

"You will be perfect for Mathilda Shine. She bought this new/old house. She needs a interior designer."

Her mouth hung open. Oh, she was so expressive. Her eyes were as big as saucers.

She gasped. She opened her mouth. She closed it. She looked like an adorable gold fish. Her hands flailed, but...

She was speechless. His firecracker was speechless. He did that!

He smiled.

"The Mathilda Shine?" Finally, it seemed like she had got herself together.

"Yes."

"The Hollywood celebrity? That Mathilda?"

"Yes."

"Oh, oh, God, God, Logan, I love you."

And she was hanging off his neck and kissing him.

___