Tempted By My Boss - Chapter 21

“A lady like you shouldn’t be sitting alone.” Before she could turn, Colhane was sitting next to her. She saw him assessing her, but he didn’t say anything. “I wanted fresh air.” She responded. “You don’t mind if I join you right?, I myself could use some fresh air too, It’s a bit crowded for my liking.” he responded.

“Is this not your type of scene?”Colhane said.

“It is, it’s just I needed a bit of a break.” As she tried to evade the question.

“I’m glad that in life some people know when to be the bigger person.” as he looked at her.

She decided to ask him a question that she has been dying to have an answer to, “Why is Charlize your date? Isn’t she Valerian’s ex?” Colhane seemed to be taken aback by her bluntness as he chuckled a bit.

“She insisted that I bring her, she normally comes with Valerian, but this is the first time that he hasn’t asked her to be his date. And Valerian doesn’t mind at all.”

“Oh.” as it was all she could afford to say.

“So, Hailey, how did Valerian manage to make you his date?”

“It was more of a bargain.” She replied, as she remembered the events that had occurred that lead up to this moment of her coming with Valerian. The sad thing was that the very same people she did it for now treated her like dirt, they didn’t even bother to ask how she had managed to do it. Hailey didn’t even want to come to this dinner in the first place, but now she was forced to because she wanted them to be happy, to get what they wanted.

What was the use of regret now, everything had happened the way that it had.

“Are you okay?” as she was bought out of her thoughts by Colhane.

“Yes.” She replied quickly. She wasn’t in the mood to tell Colhane her sob story. All she knew was that this would pass, and she would mind her own business as she had always done in life. Hailey wanted her life to go back to normal which meant hashing things out with Matt.

“There you are.”

Hailey and Colhane turned to find Valerian.

“I’ve been looking every where for you.” as he carried on.

Wow he must have been looking in a very difficult place as she sarcastically thought.

“If you don’t mind Colhane, I would like to have a word with Hailey.”

“Of course not, after all she is your date.” said Colhane.

Colhane stood up and he looked at me, “are you fine?”

“Yes, I am alright.” she responded to him.

Then she felt a cold breeze when she realized that Valerian had taken off Colhane’s blazer from her shoulders. “You forgot something” as Valerian handed the jacket back to him. Colhane took his jacket reluctantly and he left.

Then Valerian took off his jacket and she saw him pause a bit as he noticed the red wine stain on her dress. He took off his jacket and then he put it around her shoulders.

Hailey felt warm once more, “Thank you.” she said.

“You’re welcome.” he responded calmly.

He tilted his head as he looked at her neck. She tried to cover it with her hand. “What happened in the bathroom?”

“Nothing.” She replied.

“Hailey just stop it!”

“Stop what?” she retorted.

“I saw Charlize wearing the necklace, I put on you!”

She didn’t know what to say or what excuse to come up with as to why she was wearing, but she thought of something. “I gave it to her, it was too heavy for me, plus it didn’t match my outfit”

Valerian gave her a look of disbelief, “what happened to your dress?”

“I spilled wine on myself by mistake, I hit the waiter on my way to the restroom.”

“Why are you sitting outside?”

She gave him the same answer that she had given to Colhane “I wanted some fresh air.”

“JUST STOP LYING TO ME!” he growled out, “tell me what Charlize did to you?”

She was getting angry at him for raising his tone at her, who did he think he was?

She turned and gave him a stern look.

“You can see for yourself what she did! So stop it Valerian I don’t want to talk about it for crying out loud. Now leave me be. You might be my boss at work but you’re not the boss of me everywhere, so get that through your thick skull!”

As she was turned away, he didn’t say anything as he just sighed.Then he took out his phone and from the corner of her eye she saw him dialing a number.

The other person must have picked up the call as she heard him answer a couple of times, then he told them where they were sitting. She was wondering what this was all about. Yet she didn’t bother to ask as she wasn’t in the mood.

“I will see you soon.” then he hung up.

They both sat there, both of them weren’t speaking to each other. Her back felt very rigid.

Thirteen minutes later a man approached them, he was carrying a pillow on the one hand and a package on the other. Valerian stood up to greet him. Then he suddenly turned to her “Hailey, come here.”

“Why?” as she looked at him.

He gave her a stern look that didn’t leave much room to argue.

He didn’t repeat what he said, then she went up to him and she was handed a bag. “Go change into this.” She took the bag reluctantly.

This meant she would have to pay him back the amount no matter how much it cost.Hailey went to the bathroom, and saw a white beautiful gown that was similar to the one that she was wearing. She changed into it and twirled around, she didn’t feel as bad as she did before.

She wouldn’t let anyone ruin this gown, as they had with the previous one.

When she came out he smiled at her approvingly. “You look lovelier than ever Hailey.”

“Thank you Sir for the dress.”

“Don’t mention it,”

Then he motioned for her to come over. Which she did.

She went next to him and to her amazement, the man from earlier on was still there and on the pillow was a diamond tiara. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen in her whole life. It was sparkly, and it shined so brightly. She was mesmerized by it.

Valerian took the tiara and he put it on her head, Hailey was more than dazed. She felt like a real-life princess, then he pulled out his elbow for her. “shall we my queen?” he asked.S

She laughed a bit. “That’s what I like to see Hailey, smiling suits you more.”

She linked her hand through his elbow, then he smiled down at her mischievously. He then leads her back into the room and to her shock and horror he leads her to the dance floor. He pulled her close and he started dancing, she was following his lead, and he would twirl her once in a while and she would be met by many glares. She looked over Valerian’s shoulder and there she was met by familiar vicious eyes.

It was Charlize, she looked as if she wanted to kill her on the spot. She wouldn’t give her the chance again to ruin her second dress and evening for that matter. She wanted the feeling of being a princess to last for as long as possible, now she knew how Cinderella felt like and this was a moment that she would never forget.

“I hope this feels like a fairy-tale” as he whispered in her ear. “It does.” She replied lightly. Valerian’s scent was really intoxicating her in a good way. It felt nice to be held in his steady arms, yet she felt no assurance that she belonged in them. How many girls had he done this for and how many did he have, and how many more were there to come?

She pulls out his arms as she gets a wake up call and she gets a puzzled look from him. “I’m tired, can we go and sit down?”

“Sure.” he responds as he leads them back to their seats.They get to their seats and Valerian once more opens her chair for her and she thanks him.

“You look stunning again.” Colhane exclaims to her again. “Thank you.” she replies sincerely as she remembered he had come and checked up on her before Valerian even noticed that she was missing. It made her a tad upset that Valerian hadn’t even realized she went outside for a while, but why was she upset? He was doing what he does best, flirting with other women.

What made her any different? He was used to playing girls and making them feel special as he had the means to do so. It seemed as if the only person that had moved his heart was Charlize, as he usually went back to her. She didn’t think he would ever be over her. She was his first love after all.

“Are you okay?” he whispered in her ear.

“I am fine.” She reassured him.

“You didn’t look fine seconds ago Hailey, what were you thinking about?”

“Nothing Sir.” She gave him a firm look that suggested that he better drop the case.

And thank goodness he did, he didn’t ask her any further questions after that. The evening carried on smoothly, except from the times she would get evil looks from Charlize, which was most of the night.

She didn’t let her get to her. If she had a problem she would have to deal with it herself. And this time she wouldn’t give her the tiara that Valerian had given her, that she has been eyeing so much. How can someone so beautiful as her be so vicious.

She wondered what Valerian had seen in her? There obviously had to be a strong reason, but she couldn’t ask him that now.

Hailey wasn’t paying attention, when all of a sudden Valerian got up and people were clapping for him. She also started clapping rapidly. He then walked up on the stage, then he started giving a speech about being a top entrepreneur. She was zoning out a lot. She was trying very hard to keep up with what he was saying. “I would like to thank my date Hailey Hartfield, for accompanying me here.” Everyone turned and they looked at her, she felt a bit uncomfortable.

Valerian, closed off his speech then he thanked everyone.

Then we stood up and clapped for him as he came down. He then gave her a kiss on the cheek and they sat down.