“Excuse me?” I can’t mask the shock in my voice, and my father looks at me with his well-known determined eyes.
“I doubt I’ll need to repeat myself. Chanel will be joining us for Sunday dinner.”
“That’s a family event, father.”
Cedric rolls his eyes, “I’m well aware of that. But you’re new to the dynamics, and in my book, Chanel is family. She’s the daughter I never had since your mother only gave me boys.”
Christine huffs, “You’re never going to let that one go, are you?”
Cedric shakes his head with a proud smile on his face as he plants a chaste kiss against her temple. “Absolutely not.” He turns back to Chanel, “Come around the house at 5. Dinner is served at 7 as usual.”
Chanel turns to me, her eyes full of questions. “Are you alright with this? I don’t want to intrude.”
Mom wraps an arm around me, “He actually doesn’t have a say, my dear. It’s my house, after all.”
Chanel glances down, and the blush instantly reddens her cheeks. It would’ve turned my cock to steel if it wasn’t for my mother’s hands on my body, keeping my hormones at bay.
“Of course. Should I bring anything?” Chanel asks when she lifts her gaze from the floor.
Mom shakes her head, “I’ve got everything covered. Just don’t be late.”
Chanel nods enthusiastically. My father lifts his hand like a child in school about to ask a question. “If I can put in a request, would you be a dear and make that fillet that you whipped up for Oliver’s birthday?”
Chanel throws her head back in laughter, “Of course. Beef or pork?” She asks with a playfully raised eyebrow, and my father’s face is almost split in half by his grin.
“Surprise me.”
“I’ll do my best.” She winks, and my mom chuckles as she takes her place beside my dad again.
“We’ll leave you two for now. Enjoy the ball.” My father says, hooking my mom into his arm, and they disappear almost instantly into the crowd.
I turn to Chanel, whose eyes are blazing at me, “Why the hell would you do that?”
I stare at her, confused. “Do what?”
“Rope me into your plans to go to Milan. I never agreed to go with you.”
“You just did.”
She pouts, “Because you forced me into it.”
I arch an eyebrow, “A free trip to Spain. Who says no to that?” I ask.
She huffs, “You didn’t even think about the logistics of it.” She mumbles, and I’m about to probe her about the logistics when another thought comes to mind.
“So, you’re the daughter my father never had?” I implore, still taken aback by his words.
Chanel’s eyes refuse to meet mine, and I watch as she grabs a glass of champagne from the tray. I didn’t even notice the waiter. “How did you find a way into my family without marrying any of my brothers? You became my father’s favourite child, my mother’s inspiration, my middle brother’s crush and my younger brother’s best friend. All while I didn’t know that you existed.” I say, unable to keep the envy out of my voice.
The jealousy I’m experiencing has little to do with Chanel and everything to do with the fact that everyone knew her before me. I feel like I’m the last one on the planet to learn of her existence, and I won’t be able to catch up, even if I run at full speed.
She shakes her head and takes a quick sip of champagne, “It’s all because we run in the same circles due to work. Proximity matters.”
I arch an eyebrow, closing in on her personal space so much that I can see a faint sheen of sweat form at the beautiful base of her neck. “You and Oliver don’t work together.”
“Saxon. A word, please,” My father’s voice intrudes on my conversation, and I have never been more annoyed in my life. I nod in his direction, and to my further irritancy, he doesn’t leave. Instead, he remains rooted at arm’s length away from us, which doesn’t even give me a chance to touch Chanel, let alone kiss her, which is actually what I want to do.
I take a step back and watch the mask of ‘I’m fine’ slowly return to her face. Now that I know there is a layer of beautiful mystery beneath the iron-clad shield, her wind-up doll routine doesn’t fool me anymore.
“I should go get the event started.” She subtly excuses herself from the conversation. My father offers her a genuine smile as she shimmies past him and disappears into the crowd. I continue to look over his shoulder, trying to keep Chanel in my line of sight.
“We have to be on stage soon, but after that, I’d like to talk to you in private.”
I clear my throat, “Look, Dad, if it’s about the ball…” He cuts me off with a lifted hand and pushes a page against my chest. I slowly reach up to take it.
“So, Chanel has prepared a program that shouldn’t take us more than 20 minutes. I’ll start and do my speech, then you’ll say a few words and she’ll make a speech. After that William is going to take over and then we’re done for the evening.”
I frown, “I didn’t know I was included in all of this.”
My father grunts, “If you had checked your emails, you would’ve been informed. You are after all the CEO of my company.”
I want him to clarify his statement but Chanel appears on the stage and the spotlight frames her like a halo. I’m drawn in like a moth to a flame, mesmerized by the woman before me.
The introductions and speeches pass one after the other. I’m not even sure what I said while I was up there. Everything felt mechanical, almost automated. When I step down from the stage, my father grabs me by the arm and leads me to the edge of the ballroom.
I turn my gaze towards him and cock my head, “I hear you’ve been probing into the company finances, and one of your focuses was the expense of the renovation of Chanel’s office.”
Now he has my full attention, “Did she really rat me out?”
He shakes his head, “Actually, the head accountant informed me.”
I grunt, “People in this company have too much time on their hands if they can still keep the old CEO up to date.”
My father chuckles, ignoring the jab. “If you had any questions, you should’ve asked me.”
I arch an eyebrow, “I was just curious. It was an obscene amount of money that was spent on an office for just one person. And her suspiciously close relationship with William raised a few questions.”
Cedric nods, “The office was a gift from me, though she doesn’t know it.”
“Pretty spectacular gift,” I mumble.
“Not what you think. When I promoted Chanel to the HR manager, I witnessed first-hand how a strong and capable person fell apart before me. I saw myself through your eyes and what you saw all those years ago. That is why the office was so costly. I needed to give her a space where, once she was inside it, she had full control over every aspect of it. From who enters, to who can see inside, to the way her coffee is made. Because selfishly, I needed her to be in control of herself, to do the job she was destined to do.”
My father’s revelation knocks me flat on my ass. He pats me on my shoulder, “So now you know. It was a selfish decision I made to give her that office, but it was by far the best investment I have made in my employees to date.” He glances around before stepping closer, “As for her relationship with William, you’ll have to ask her yourself, but I’m pretty sure it has something to do with William’s boyfriend and the fact that he thinks we don’t know about him and Fielding.”
My eyes widen, and more than half of what my father said is lost when my mind grinds to a halt on one piece of information. “William has a boyfriend?”
My dad chuckles, “He thinks we don’t know, and we’ll all continue to be in the dark until he’s ready to tell us.”
And with that, he turns away and heads for the table that’s damn near buckling under the snacks. My eyes automatically roam the hall in search of Chanel. I find her alone on the opposite edge of the room and navigate my way towards her. She has quite a bit of explaining to do.
“Enjoying your evening?” I ask casually.
Chanel opens her mouth to respond, but her attention whips to her clutch. My temper takes off like a rocket. Why is it that every time she wants to speak, there is always an interruption? It’s as if the universe is purposefully taunting me because I can’t get her to say something.
She places the empty champagne glass on a tray that’s passing by and digs her cell phone out of the tiny bag. She glances at the screen with confusion written all over her face, “Excuse me for a moment.”
Chanel turns her head and presses the phone to her ear. I try my utmost best not to eavesdrop, but my attention spikes when she doesn’t put the phone back in her bag.
“Is everything alright?”
The frown on her face doesn’t disappear, “It was the general hospital. Jen was just admitted. She just went into labour.”
I cock my head to the side, “They called you for that?”
“Her husband is unreachable. He is doing a demonstration of our new tech in New Zealand. I’m her second emergency contact. I have to go.”
I raise an eyebrow, “It seems the women of this company always go into labour when their partners are in a different part of the globe.”
“The difference is Jen is an employee and a close friend to me. We were all aware that Devan might not be back in time for the birth. The demonstration is crucial for the business. If it’s successful, a huge contract will be coming our way. One with a really long term. They both agreed to the sacrifice, knowing the benefit it could have for everyone in the long run.”
“And that’s why you stepped in?” I ask sardonically, and I wish I didn’t from the way her face falls instantly.
Chanel shakes her head, “You wouldn’t understand.”
She glances around the hall frantically, and her eyes lock on my father standing on the far side of the room. With tangible determination, she heads straight for him. My amazement is entirely based on how the room parts for her without anyone looking in her direction. I start to follow. By the time I catch up to her, she's already engaging in conversation with the lively group. I quickly survey the company and find my mother and father, William, Fielding and Kiera chatting cheerfully. Kiera’s face changes when she lays eyes on us.
“It’s happening?” She asks quietly, and Chanel nods frantically.
“I’ve got you covered.” I hear Kiera say. “The baby bag is in your car, packed and ready to go. And since we don’t know how long the labour will be, I got you and Jen each travel bag. 2 fresh changes of clothes, pjs and toiletries. Also, a phone charger each, brand matched. A James Patterson novel for you, Nora Roberts for her, and a decent amount of snacks. And extra cash if you run out. Oh, and this,” Kiera digs into her clutch and pulls out what looks like a hotel key card.
“How’d you get this? And how did you know?” Chanel asks, slowly taking the card from Kiera’s hand.
She shrugs, “Before we left work, Jen said she wasn’t feeling too hot. So, I helped her get everything ready just in case. The key I was supposed to give to you regardless.”
Chanel wraps her arms around Kiera, “You’re a lifesaver.”
As everyone gives their well wishes and greets her, I stand on the side-line and watch, struggling to understand the bond between Chanel and the people who work in this company. To me, they are just employees, but to her, it seems like they’re so much more. I wish I could see what she sees. Maybe I wouldn’t be so wrecked with jealousy as William also gives me a tight hug. The information my father dished out earlier seems to have no effect on my disdain of their bond.
Chanel spins on her heel and starts in the direction of the door, and I follow short on her heels. She steps outside of the building and starts to tap on her phone.
“What are you doing now?” I ask, and she doesn’t look up from the screen.
“Getting an Uber.”
I place my hand over the screen. “I’ll drive you.”
She shakes her head, “You have to stay here.”
“I don’t. You came here with me, and I’ll make sure you get to where you need to be. Besides, you can’t drive. You have three glasses of champagne in your system.”
She says something more, but I ignore her protest and instruct the valet to pull my car around. “We’ll go around to your house, get the bags from your car and then drive to the hospital.”
The finality in my voice makes her clamp her mouth shut. A moment later, the valet rolls around with my car, and in a few seconds, we’re pulling out of the estate grounds and onto the main road. I usually prefer silence while driving but being in a confined space with her for the second time in one day is a little too much for me.
“Tell me about the couple.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see her head whip towards me in surprise. I keep my eyes on the road, focusing on weaving through the night-time traffic, which is substantially less than before. I wait for her to answer.
“Devan and Jen met in the company. They had been dating before I was transferred to this branch.” I flick a quick gaze towards her, and she glances at me with a sweet smile, her eyes staring off into the abyss as if she’s pulling up a cheerful memory in her mind. “It was the first office romance we had. I was still working under Dickhead when they got married.”
I snort, “We have an employee named Dickhead?”
She chuckles, “No, I guess that wasn’t polite. I was the personal assistant to Don Jefferson before I was transferred to HR. He resigned just over a year ago.”
I groan in understanding. “DJ was a prick. I did my internship under him.”
There’s surprise on her face, and I want to relish it but return my focus to the road. “I didn’t know that.”
I nod. “Not many people do. I applied for the internship like every other graduate. My name probably got me in, but I worked my ass off for the two years I was there. Especially since Dickhead didn't let me forget that just because I was the boss’s son didn't mean I could have the easy life. Little did he know that I was receiving the worst kind of heat from my father. Dickhead on a bad day is Cedric Markinof on a good day.”
“I can’t imagine Cedric Markinof being anywhere near as bad as Dickhead.”
A smile pulls on the corner of my mouth. “He mellowed out over the years. You definitely got to know the lighter side of him. He used to be a proper drill sergeant. The company was the family’s only source of income, and things weren’t always so smooth sailing. Four boys, a wife and a basically drowning business would’ve been enough to take most men down. I remember instances when we wouldn’t see my dad for days. When he eventually came home, he was too wrecked with stress to do anything besides sit in the Lazy Boy chair in his study and stare out before him.”
She winces, “That sounds intense.”
My hands tighten around the steering wheel as I think back. For years my father was a hollow shell of a human being, in battle alone against his mind and his fears. “That’s why it was so easy for me to see the signs when I walked into your office. You both experience it the same way. Drowning in air.”
Chanel frowns at me, and it takes a second before her eyes widen, and I nod.
“She gets it,” I whisper to myself. “My father suffers from anxiety, just like you. I remember it clearly, the first time I saw him. He was white as a sheet, searching for his breath. I watched in complete fear as my father waged war against his fears. And he was alone on that battlefield.”
I take a shuttering breath, “14 years old and paralyzed. That’s what I was. I had no idea what to do or how to help him. I just sat next to him where he lay flat on the cold tiled floor of his study and kept talking to him until he came back. He explained it to me, but my young mind didn’t see anything else besides my father being held captive by invisible forces.”
A shiver runs through my body, and the steering wheel vibrates in my grasp. Chanel sits beside me, not saying a word, but I don’t need to hear or see her to know that she is 100% in the moment with me, reliving one of the most frightening memories I have. “After that, I began studying the condition and how to help. I have only witnessed 3 attacks since then. But thanks to that, I recognized it in you. I guess that’s why my father has taken such a liking in you.”
There is silence in the car before she speaks, “I was 18 when I experienced my first attack. I lost my position on the school council due to a photoshopped photo of me with a dildo ending up in the principal’s DMs. This led me to be kicked off all the extracurriculars I was part of, including hockey, and I lost my varsity scholarship too. The last blow came when I was dumped by my boyfriend the night before my math finals. I was out of it for a few days.”
I pace myself to not slam my foot on the brakes and pull her into my arms. The pain in her voice cuts through my soul like a red hot blade. “Why the fuck would people do that to you?” I ask, my voice vibrating with rage at the thought of a scared 18-year-old Chanel watching her life fall apart.
She sighs, “Kids are cruel, and I guess they were jealous. I was forced to take a year away from studies to get a handle on it.” I hear the smile in her words, “I eventually got back on track, so I guess they didn’t do too much damage.”
Except for the fact that you still become overwhelmed with fear over situations and people you can’t control. I keep the thought to myself and shrug, “What can you do. Like you said, one agrees to the sacrifice with the long-term benefit in mind.” She sits quietly for a second, and my willpower nearly buckles beneath the urge to turn to her and demand what is going through her mind.
“Did you know that one day you’ll take over from your father?”
Now there is a question I didn’t expect. I take a deep breath, and where my brain would usually carefully calculate my answers, the response I give flows as naturally as a river. “The possibility was in the back of my mind, especially when I was younger. To tell you the truth, none of us wanted to join my dad. My parents raised us to each have our own ambitions. To be independent of the family business. I think it backfired on my dad when almost all his kids chose a career away from his field. William was the only one who showed any interest in the IT world. He caught a lucky break there.” I sigh, “Some days, I wish William would’ve taken over the reins.”
She frowns, “William doesn’t want to run the company.”
I nod, “I know. Which is why I was sort of roped in.”
“And besides,” She continues as if I hadn’t spoken, “I don’t see you struggling in your new role.”
A proper smile breaks out on my face. The fiery Chanel is back again. “I’m doing what needs to be done to ensure the continued success of Markinof Intelligence.”
“No doubt there.” I hear her hiss through her teeth, and I realize with a tinge of disappointment that the time for comfortable conversation has passed, and we’re back to sparring with each other. I remember the reason we are in the car. I reroute back to my question. “Devan and Jen met in the business. Does that mean interpersonal relationships are allowed?”
She shrugs, “To an extent. I can’t stop people from falling in love. I can only mitigate it so that if shit were to go sideways, no one feels compelled to leave the business without a damn good reason.”
I nod and blink in sudden surprise when I see we’re approaching her apartment building. I didn’t even feel the trip go by.
I quickly park the car on the side of the road. She turns towards the door.
“I won’t be long,” She says before she hops out of the car and disappears into the building. I sit for what feels like hours in the car, watching the building entrance with anticipation. Somewhere in my subconscious, the thought rises that maybe she ditched me, grabbed her car and decided to drive herself to the hospital instead.
Just as I unclip my seatbelt to go inside and find her, she comes racing out of the building. A sling bag draped over every shoulder and another bag in her hand. She wobbles on her heels towards the car, and I jump out to help her fit the bags into the trunk. For the first time since I bought this car, I wish it came with a backseat. It would've been so convenient to toss the luggage on the backseat instead of trying to manoeuvre it into my trunk, which is smaller than a matchbox.
After great effort from both of us, we get all three bags in the trunk and slide back into our seats. I listen carefully to Chanel’s instructions as she guides me through the city while trying to contain her head of curls in an elastic band. Despite the darkness of the night, the town is lively. Random groups of people float around the city. Every single intersection is crawling with cars. Chanel checks her phone almost every 10 seconds, and the anxious shaking of her leg makes me push the petrol pedal down a little more.
She almost tumbles out of the car when I pull up to the hospital.
“Will you slow down?” I taunt her, but she shakes her head as she pulls herself and her dress out of the car.
“I need to make sure she’s okay.” She calls out and takes off towards the ER entrance.
“The bags!” I yell after her, and she waves a hand in the air.
“I’ll get them later.” I hear her respond just as she disappears behind the double sliding door. Attempting to catch up to her would be a waste of energy. Instead, I pull the bags from the trunk, load them onto my body and take my time walking inside. I don’t remember when I became a pack mule, but I sure as fuck feel like one as I stand in the ER reception looking lost. It’s oddly quiet for a Friday night. Not the chaos often depicted in medical dramas. Most of the beds are open, with just two curtains being drawn. The fact that there is peace in the ER of a hospital located in the largest business district in Cape Town makes me extremely uncomfortable.
I approach the nurses' station, but before I can organize a coherent sentence in my mind, Chanel comes around the corner with a young woman. The two of them are chatting like they’re long-lost friends. I huff the luggage along and approach the conversation. Chanel sees me and immediately grabs one of the bags from my shoulder.
“It’s really rare for a ballgown and a tuxedo to walk into the ER before 9.” The young woman quips.
Chanel waves her hand and smiles, “Jen’s water chose a really stellar moment to break. The speeches were just wrapping up when I got your call.”
She turns to the brunette and gestures to me, “Jade, this is Saxon Markinof. Saxon, this is Dr Jade Parker. She’s the ER doctor on call tonight. But usually, she spends her time hiding out in the maternity ward. Now she’s covering for Dr Simpson who’s skipping out on her shift.”
Dr Parker jabs her elbow into Chanel’s side, “Hey, be nice. Having two kids under the age of 10 get German measles and then getting taken down by the rubella virus herself, you can believe she’s having it worse than any of us.”
Chanel laughs, “It’s ironic that Simpson is the head of Emergency Medicine, has been a doctor for over 15 years, and her own sons gave her German measles.”
“You would think that she of all people would have the infectious disease protocol down by now. I mean, it’s practically her life.” Jade wiggles her eyebrows and Chanel giggles sweetly.
Chanel readjusts the bag to the other shoulder, and the instinct to lighten her load is almost instant. I keep my hands to myself, knowing she won’t let me take the bag. Instead, I stand quietly and listen to them banter back and forth.
“Doesn’t look like she’s having too hard a time. She’s at home, bathing in calamine lotion, and you’re working a double shift between two wards.”
“Says the one who is standing in the ER in a ballgown.” Dr Parker glances down towards Chanel’s feet, “In heels, no less. I bet you have some place better to be.”
They laugh at what seems to be an inside joke before the doctor takes her hands out of her coat and extends one in my direction. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet Cedric’s successor. I was wondering when you’d come by.”
I shake her hand, but clearly, I’m doing a bad job at hiding the confusion on my face because Chanel shoots off on an explanation. “Markinof Intelligence sponsored the upgrade of all medical equipment in the newly constructed maternity ward. It was one of the social outreach projects we did with the money we raised from the ball last year.”
“It has been a pleasure coming to work ever since,” Dr Parker interjects and motions for us to follow her. “Being a government-funded hospital, a lot of things are left up to chance. Unfortunately, the life of a mother and a child is not something we like to leave up to chance. I have to say, when Cedric came through with the upgrade of our equipment, especially the machines we use in the NICU, it really boosted the morale of my staff. And as Chanel here knows, happy staff means happy patients. And a lot of happy little patients.”
I listen with rapt attention as she talks about the improvements made in the ward. I barely notice when we stop in front of a room. “By the way, Jen is doing great. She's definitely having this baby soon. But since it's a premature birth, there is a small chance of complications."
Chanel's face falls, and she turns ash white. Jade steps forward and rubs her shoulder. "I said small chance. No need for you to freak out already." She glances at me, "To minimise the risk, I can only allow one visitor at a time. If anything were to go south…"
Chanel rolls her shoulders and nods, “Of course. I understand”
A beeping sound goes off, and the doctor pulls the sleeve of her coat up, glancing at her watch. “I have to run, but I’ll see you two later.”
Chanel turns to me and grabs the baby bag from my hand, “Thank you for bringing me.”
I nod and glance past her. “Will she be alright?”
Chanel peeks over her shoulder and nods, “Yeah, she’s alright.” She glances at her watch, “You should go back. The ball only ends at midnight.”
I frown, “There is no way I’m leaving you here alone.” I’m just as surprised as she is by my response, and I quickly clear my throat, “I mean, you might be here all night. How will you get home?”
She cocks her head to the side and smiles. For a moment, I hear a ringing in my ears.
“It’s a possibility, but from what Jade just said, things will probably start happening pretty soon. Don’t worry about me. The hospital is just a couple blocks from my apartment. I’ll be fine.”
I shake my head, “I’m not letting you walk home.”
“Saxon, I’ll be here all night. It’s…” She breaks off and glances passed me. “Or not. Seems I won’t be needed anymore.”
I frown and turn around just as a young man comes rushing to us.
“Did I make it?” He asks, almost out of breath.
Chanel smiles as her head bobs up and down, “Just in time.”
The young man sighs with relief as she pulls the bag from her shoulder, “Saxon, this is Devan.”
The man extends his hand, “Pleased to finally meet you, Mr Markinof. I’m sorry we had to meet under such pressing circumstances.”
I shake his hand, “Good to meet you. And I take it congratulations are in order.”
He starts to beam with joy, but his face drops almost immediately.
Chanel holds out the baby bag to him, “You’ve got this, “She whispers as he takes the bag.
He nods, glancing from me to her, “Crap, you guys came from the ball for Jen. I’m sor…”
Chanel lifts a hand. “Don’t say you’re sorry. I’m just glad you made it in time.”
I take a step back and allow the two of them to converse privately. After a few minutes, Chanel gives Devan a quick hug before approaching me. I straighten from where I'm leaning against the vending machine, still holding Chanel’s overnight bag.
“Devan is going to take over. We should head back to the ball.”
I nod, but my attention whirls in another direction when the floor beneath us starts to shake. The vibrations continue for a few seconds before my instinct kicks in.
I grab Chanel and pull her to the floor, diving underneath the coffee table a step away from us. She bites her lip to keep herself from screaming. We listen as things crash and break around us.
The earthquake starts to subside, and when the shaking finally stops, I crawl out from under the table, helping Chanel to her feet.
“An earthquake in this part of the world. Imagine that.” My words sound ominous in the sudden silence around us. I glance around the place, and suddenly the hospital goes completely dark. Chanel gasps, and I reach out to locate her in the pitch dark that surrounds us.
“What the fuck?” I ask, pulling her into my arms. The darkness only extends for a few seconds, but it feels like ages before the lights return. I wish the lights stayed down a little longer. Chanel’s body moulds into mine as if it is a missing piece of the puzzle that’s been left unsolved for an eternity. The rational part of my brain grabs hold of the unexpected sentimental thoughts and slingshots them into the back of my mind.
The overwhelming sound of a generator starting up quickly fills the quiet corridor. Lights start to flicker on, and by the looks of it, they’re trying extremely hard to stay on.
I glance around and see that power has not returned to everything yet. The emergency lights barely light up the floor we’re on, and the confused faces of the nurses make an alarm go off in my head. Chanel turns her head to look up at me, question written on her face.
“Power failure in a hospital? Load shedding?” She asks the question that ran through my mind milliseconds ago. I arch an eyebrow and let her go just enough so she can turn her body towards me.
“I don’t think so. Looks more like an outage to me. Probably caused by the quake.” I remark, glancing at the elevator hesitantly. “Perhaps the stairs are a safer choice, given the circumstances.”
“Good thinking,” She nods and allows me to lead her to the stairwell. Two floors down, I feel resistance in my hand.
“Hold on.” I hear Chanel’s voice from behind me and stop just before starting another flight down.
I spin around to see her holding on to the railing. Her body is hunched over, and the few dark curls that have escaped bondage on her head cover her face like an aesthetic curtain. I watch as she unceremoniously yanks the heels off her feet.
I bite my lip to control my chuckle, “Heels really aren’t your thing.”
Her head tilts up, and the sardonic expression on her face is almost comical, “They are the most gorgeous torture ever invented.”
The sound of the two shoes slapping together as she pulls her feet free echoes through the empty stairwell like a set of cymbals. A smile tugs at the corner of my lips as I watch her pretty soft toes wiggle against the rock-hard concrete.
“Better?” I ask, swallowing the groan lurking in my throat as my eyes threaten to trail up her body on their own accord. I stare against the material of her dress and try to reign myself in. This is insane. More than once tonight, I have caught myself thinking about Chanel in a less-than-professional way. Ignoring the feverish kiss we shared in her office kitchen. I need to get myself under control.
“Much better.” She sighs, and I hear the relief in her words before I see the grateful expression on her face. I extend my hand. This time, she takes it without hesitation. A few flights of stairs further, and we reach the ground floor safely.
As I push through the double door, the sudden and unexpected bustling of the emergency area has me reflexively pulling Chanel closer to me. The ER is packed with people, which wasn’t the case an hour ago when we arrived.
“Jade," Chanel’s voice is almost drowned out by the sound of patients grumbling, nurses yelling and a lot of radio chatter. Somehow Dr Parker hears it because she looks up from where she is bent over a desk with her face in a computer. After exchanging quick words with the nurse beside her, she grabs a tablet and hurries towards us.
“If you both are injured, I'm afraid you will have to share a bed. There’s barely space for us to move here.”
I rear back at her candour. Although, the idea of sharing a bed with Chanel is not an unwanted thought.
Chanel, however, shakes her head, “We’re not hurt. What’s going on?”
Jade slips the tablet under her arm and reaches up to haphazardly tie her loose hair. “Looks like the quake caused a city-wide power surge. Outages were reported on several blocks, including this one. Failed traffic lights led to several collisions. The damage to the city will be assessed shortly. We're waiting on the fire department to hear if there are any major injuries, specifically in the industrial section. But so far, things seem to be minor.”
Chanel’s face crinkles. “Minor, but you don’t have any available beds?”
Jade smirks, “One is the best I can do.”
“That won’t be necessary. How long do you expect the outage to last?” I ask, still trying to take in the chaos in the ER.
She shrugs, “Hard to say. Emergency response teams are spread pretty thin right now. Apparently, the quake caused some of the older buildings to short out, and there have been reports of fires across town.
“Electrical fires?”
She nods, “It sounds like a lot of people could be in danger. Right now, the teams are just trying to get everyone out of harm’s way. Hence why I can’t spare an extra bed. If anything goes south, the influx of patients will possibly drown us.”
“What about the hospital’s power?” I ask, reminded of the badly lit maternity ward we left just minutes ago.
“Emergency power. It should last the hospital a day at most. We’re set up. The absolute essentials are on the backup grid.”
I nod, and she pulls the tablet out from under her arm, “I see Devan made it in time.”
Chanel’s face breaks out in a smile, “He did. Which means we have to go now.”
The intercom buzzes loudly, drowning out most of the noise in the ER. “Dr Parker to the Front desk. Dr Parker.”
Jade shakes her head, “I should’ve known I’d be announced as missing soon. I will catch up with you again. If you guys are driving, take it really slow. I wasn’t kidding about the bed thing.” She says as she waves the tablet in the air, speeding away from us before we can respond.
Chanel stands stunned for a second before clearing her throat, “I guess there’s no point in going back to the ball.”
I nod and turn to face her, pulling the strap of her overnight bag higher up on my shoulder. “Shall I take you home?”
“Please.” She says, and with her hand still in mine, I navigate our way through the influx of patients. The feel of her hand in mine makes a roaring possessiveness surge inside my body, and I am reluctant to ever let her go. I hold onto her as we fight our way through the hospital to the exit.
Dogging incoming ambulances and gurneys, we clear the exit and reach the car a few seconds later. Within a moment, we’re driving down an eerily dark and quiet road back towards Chanel’s apartment. Just as we turn the corner, flashing blue and red lights make me hit the brakes. The car comes to an abrupt stop, sending us both hurling forward. My arm instinctively shoots out to catch her body as we both bounce against our seats, locked in place by the seatbelts.
The sight of emergency lights makes my heart race as we both take a breath.
“What the hell?” Chanel asks as she unstraps herself and hops out of the car. I watch as she lifts her dress and runs towards the barricade. Her hands start to flail, and soon, I see her fingers dig into her hair. I’m out of the car in seconds and hurry to her side.
“What’s going on?” I ask, my gaze fluttering between her and the police officer she is talking to.
“I can’t get inside my apartment. The building next to caught fire. Being anywhere near it is a health hazard. Given the damage it took from the earthquake, the whole structure could collapse at any moment.”
There is a trace of sympathy on the officer’s face. “I’m really sorry, ma’am. But it’s the safest for everyone to be far away from this block right now. At least until the fire department has cleared the site.”
Her desolate feature morphs into dread that almost rips my soul from my chest, “Mr Caliver?” She inquires, panic dripping from her voice.
The officer checks his clipboard. “Mr Caliver is accounted for. He’s been moved to a care facility.”
For a second, I think Chanel is going to burst out in tears of relief, but the officer keeps talking, and my attention quickly returns to him. “The only people not accounted for are Miss Lawrence and Mr Markinof. But according to the building’s log, they weren’t inside at the time of the surge.
Chanel puts her hand over her chest, “I’m Miss Lawrence. Mr Markinof is at a charity event at the Edgefield Country Estate.”
The officer nods, “I will confirm with the estate that he is still there.”
“All this just because the earth shook a little,” I grunt, and she glares at me.
“Do you even know how the physics of an earthquake works, Mr CEO?”
I lift an eyebrow at her, “Do you, Miss HR?” I snap back, and a ghost of a smile flutters over her face.
“I know the basics, and from that, I can tell you that the little bit of shaking that happened was more than enough for an area not accustomed to earthquakes. Our infrastructure isn’t engineered to handle seismic activity of any kind.”
The officer nods his head in agreement, “The miss is right. The fire chief said the same thing when the power station gave in.”
Chanel digs her fingers into her hair and starts to pull on the elastic band.
“The East side of town has power, but it's fed from a different substation.”
“Unbelievable.” Chanel throws her hands in the air, snapping the band and sending it flying through the air. Her frustration is palpable. “I don’t suppose you know which hotels might have available rooms?” She asks, and the police officer’s face falls.
“Most of the hotels are in this section of town. Which has no power. Even if they had available rooms, facilities would be really hard to use. The hotels that have open rooms have been earmarked for residents of the North and West side who can’t access their homes due to wreckage in the roads.”
He smiles at her sympathetically, “As soon as it’s safe, we will inform you all so you can return home.”
He tips his hat and strolls away from the barricade. Chanel’s gaze turns to the car. “I’ll have to let William and Oliver know they shouldn't come home tonight. What are they going to do?”
Misery drips off every syllable of her sentence, and the urge to wrap her in my arms rises like a tidal wave. I frown at her. “You do know they are grown, adult people. They can take care of themselves.”
I find it adorable that she cares for her friends, but I’m more annoyed that her first thought wasn’t about herself. Here I came up with a solution that will most definitely get me kicked in the ankles, but it’s worth a try. Chanel stands with her hands on her hips, staring at the blocked-off road, “Looks like I’m going to have to take Jade up on her offer. Hospital food isn’t the greatest. But at least I’ll have a bed.”
I cock my head. “My house is on the South side of town.”
She groans, “So you’re down too.”
I shake my head, “I have a backup generator that should be able to run through the outage. And the roads are clear through to Simon’s Town. You’re welcome to spend the night.”
Her eyes widen, and she takes a quick step back, “Oh no, Saxon. That’s very generous, but I can’t.”
“Why not? I have two guest bedrooms, food and electricity. I don’t see why you can’t.”
She shakes her head, “I can’t be in the same building as you. Alone.” She whispers the last words, and I close in on her, grabbing her wrist before she can take another step away from me.
“If only you knew how much I’ve wanted to get you alone.” I bring my mouth to her ear and trace the shell with my lips, “I’m not offering you a place out of the kindness of my heart. We both know I don’t have one. I’m offering you a place because I want to fuck you in my house on the hill.”
A magnetic shiver runs through her body, making my cock twitch against the zipper of my pants. Given the absence of the sun’s heat in the night, I doubt the goosebumps that erupts over her gorgeous skin is because of the weather. My gaze rakes over her body, and the sudden stiffness in her tells me she’s holding her breath.
Unfortunately, if I turn to look into those beautiful eyes of hers that will tell me everything I need to know, I’ll ruin the moment. So instead, I bring my head lower. I grit the words out between my teeth. “Fuck you until you scream. In a place where you don’t have to hide your voice. Where you can cum on my cock as many times as you want and as loud as you want because the ecstasy will be too much for you to contain in this gorgeous, walking sin of a body you were blessed with. Not because you’re so tightly wound up from work that you need to take the edge off so you can return to your usual dictator self.”
Her breath puffs against my neck. It takes every ounce of control I have, to keep myself from hoisting her up on the top of my car, pulling that dress up and sinking my cock into that tight channel that probably feels like a vice. I don’t have to touch her to know she’s clenching her legs. The way her throat works as she swallows tells me everything I want to know. This woman wants to fuck.
I move my lips to the soft spot behind her ear, “Call me selfish, but this disaster is exactly what I needed to show you what would’ve happened if we weren’t interrupted in your office a week ago.”
I step away, searching her eyes, and I want to drown in the black pools that stare back at me. I extend my hand to her, “So, will you accept my offer or not?”