Alice packed Ella's things as she sat on the couch in a daze. "Are you okay?" Alice asked as she set up Ella's bags near the door.
Ella glanced at her, her expression blank.
"Stupid question, I know..." Alice sighed. "Well, since you can't get out of this, why don't you try to make it work? Who knows, maybe you'll even fall in love with him."
Isn't that what he said?
Alice sat beside her and took her hand. "Look, I know this isn't ideal, but this is the hand you've been dealt, so you're going to have to roll with it. I'll be there for you as best as I can; the others will as well, and you know it. Any chance I can move up there, too? I'm sure there's enough room."
"I highly doubt it." He was clear about others being up there... for now, at least. Although, he already invited Alice in for my sake...
Alice sighed. "I was afraid of that. At least this place is great. Hopefully, they won't try to give me a new roommate; it's you or no one!"
"Thanks, Alice..." I guess...
"I'll visit you often."
"I don't know if that's a good idea; might jeopardize your job."
"Psh! He wants to keep you happy, meaning he probably won't get rid of me unless I seriously mess up and he has no other option."
"Are you using me for job security?"
Alice shrugged. "It's just a perk. Now, come on before he sends someone to get you." Alice picked up two of her bags and tried to motion for her to pick up some as well, before opening the door.
Zeke and one of his helpers were waiting on the other side. They took the bags from them and headed off.
"Okay, not so bad having them help us bring your bags up, right?" Alice took Ella's hand and dragged her out into the hall. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help, Ella, but I think it'll all work out in the end." She held her hand and walked with her to the elevator, then she let go of her hand.
"What are you doing?" Ella asked.
"My break is probably over."
"He called you up there; you aren't on break."
Alice thought for a moment and smiled. "I suppose you're right, but he'll probably send me away soon." Ella grabbed her hand this time as they stepped into the elevator.
I can survive this with her around... But don't I want to do more than survive? This is a for-life type of thing! Her grip on Alice tightened.
"Stop freaking yourself out," Alice whispered, hoping the elevator music was loud enough that Zeke and his assistant couldn't hear her. Ella always did it, though; she had a pattern of overthinking, which always led her down a bad, destructive path.
"What do you expect?" she whispered back. "My whole world has been turned upside down."
"Wasn't it already with the whole Nathan thing? So maybe this will turn it back in the right direction."
That's... an odd way of looking at it. Ella pursed her bottom lip as she looked at Alice, who smiled back at her. She huffed and laid her head on Alice's shoulder.
The elevator arrived, and they brought her things into the penthouse suite, into her new bedroom.
"At least he let you have your own room." Alice started unpacking right away.
"But for how long?"
"Until you two fall in love?"
"And if we don't?"
"Then until you're married? I can't imagine him being okay with separate beds for that long unless you end up hating each other."
"And even then, I have to stay with him..."
"At least you'll be rich." Alice shrugged, not sure what else to say.
"Alice!" That's not the most important thing, but if we don't work out, it'll probably be the only thing I get to enjoy about the relationship.
"What? You know I'm not wrong. Besides, how about you stop being such a defeatist and give him a chance?"
"Me? A defeatist?"
"Duh, what else would you call it? You're planning for a relationship to fail before you've even tried to make it a success."
Ella went silent.
"Besides, if what he said is true about his first time being with you, I'm going to say he sees something in you that he didn't see in others. I mean, you saw him." Alice fanned herself.
"He saw a drunk, distressed woman who was easy to manipulate? Oof!" Alice hit her in the face with a pillow. "What was that for?"
"I saw the video; you weren't that drunk."
"Too drunk to be making a life decision."
"Ugh, stop going back like this. What's done is done, and now you have to live with your choices. Don't keep putting all the blame on him. You wouldn't have left the bar with him at all if you didn't like him, and yes, that's including if you're drunk, because I know you. It's not like you were unconscious and taken away, or too drunk to walk. There, the important things are put away. I leave any decorating to you, though you rarely decorate..." Alice always thought it was odd how little Ella decorated. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be a minimalist or to be ready to leave quickly. "Need anything else before I get back to work?"
"You're leaving me?" Ella pouted.
"It's our first official day, and as much as I like hanging out with you instead of doing real work, they're bound to want me to do what I was supposed to. I'm sorry, El." Alice hugged her. "We'll talk soon. Do you... want me to explain everything to the girls?"
"Uh..." It's not like I can hide this. "Yes, please; I'm not sure I'd be able to explain properly."
"Alright, call me if you need me again." Alice headed out.
"Have you calmed down yet?" Leon appeared, leaning against her doorway.
She glanced up at him. "Now what do we do?"
He glanced at his watch. "Seeing as the morning's pretty much over, I'd say we have lunch, and then I have work to do."
"What about me? This place is clean at the moment, and you have Zeke to handle most of your affairs, so there isn't much for me to do, is there?"
Leon thought for a moment. "You will be free to work with other guests, but should I call for you, I expect you to come as soon as possible. Now, do you feel up to making lunch or should we order something? Or we could even go out to a restaurant nearby. I think it's in our best interests to get to know each other better."
"I'm... not hungry."
He sighed and knelt down in front of her, pressing his hand to her forehead to check on her. "It's best not to skip meals; it'll eat away at your strength."
"I guess you're right..."
"Come on." He took hold of both of her hands. "Let's go out to eat at a restaurant nearby. We can have something hearty, like soup, and maybe you'll feel better after eating." The look he gave her was like a puppy pleading for attention.
Alice is right; I have to give him a chance. "Okay."
"Great." He smiled and stood, still holding onto one of her hands. "Let's go."
His smile actually is quite charming...
Alice packed Ella's things as she sat on the couch in a daze. "Are you okay?" Alice asked as she set up Ella's bags near the door.
Ella glanced at her, her expression blank.
"Stupid question, I know..." Alice sighed. "Well, since you can't get out of this, why don't you try to make it work? Who knows, maybe you'll even fall in love with him."
Isn't that what he said?
Alice sat beside her and took her hand. "Look, I know this isn't ideal, but this is the hand you've been dealt, so you're going to have to roll with it. I'll be there for you as best as I can; the others will as well, and you know it. Any chance I can move up there, too? I'm sure there's enough room."
"I highly doubt it." He was clear about others being up there... for now, at least. Although, he already invited Alice in for my sake...
Alice sighed. "I was afraid of that. At least this place is great. Hopefully, they won't try to give me a new roommate; it's you or no one!"
"Thanks, Alice..." I guess...
"I'll visit you often."
"I don't know if that's a good idea; might jeopardize your job."
"Psh! He wants to keep you happy, meaning he probably won't get rid of me unless I seriously mess up and he has no other option."
"Are you using me for job security?"
Alice shrugged. "It's just a perk. Now, come on before he sends someone to get you." Alice picked up two of her bags and tried to motion for her to pick up some as well, before opening the door.
Zeke and one of his helpers were waiting on the other side. They took the bags from them and headed off.
"Okay, not so bad having them help us bring your bags up, right?" Alice took Ella's hand and dragged her out into the hall. "I'm sorry I can't be of more help, Ella, but I think it'll all work out in the end." She held her hand and walked with her to the elevator, then she let go of her hand.
"What are you doing?" Ella asked.
"My break is probably over."
"He called you up there; you aren't on break."
Alice thought for a moment and smiled. "I suppose you're right, but he'll probably send me away soon." Ella grabbed her hand this time as they stepped into the elevator.
I can survive this with her around... But don't I want to do more than survive? This is a for-life type of thing! Her grip on Alice tightened.
"Stop freaking yourself out," Alice whispered, hoping the elevator music was loud enough that Zeke and his assistant couldn't hear her. Ella always did it, though; she had a pattern of overthinking, which always led her down a bad, destructive path.
"What do you expect?" she whispered back. "My whole world has been turned upside down."
"Wasn't it already with the whole Nathan thing? So maybe this will turn it back in the right direction."
That's... an odd way of looking at it. Ella pursed her bottom lip as she looked at Alice, who smiled back at her. She huffed and laid her head on Alice's shoulder.
The elevator arrived, and they brought her things into the penthouse suite, into her new bedroom.
"At least he let you have your own room." Alice started unpacking right away.
"But for how long?"
"Until you two fall in love?"
"And if we don't?"
"Then until you're married? I can't imagine him being okay with separate beds for that long unless you end up hating each other."
"And even then, I have to stay with him..."
"At least you'll be rich." Alice shrugged, not sure what else to say.
"Alice!" That's not the most important thing, but if we don't work out, it'll probably be the only thing I get to enjoy about the relationship.
"What? You know I'm not wrong. Besides, how about you stop being such a defeatist and give him a chance?"
"Me? A defeatist?"
"Duh, what else would you call it? You're planning for a relationship to fail before you've even tried to make it a success."
Ella went silent.
"Besides, if what he said is true about his first time being with you, I'm going to say he sees something in you that he didn't see in others. I mean, you saw him." Alice fanned herself.
"He saw a drunk, distressed woman who was easy to manipulate? Oof!" Alice hit her in the face with a pillow. "What was that for?"
"I saw the video; you weren't that drunk."
"Too drunk to be making a life decision."
"Ugh, stop going back like this. What's done is done, and now you have to live with your choices. Don't keep putting all the blame on him. You wouldn't have left the bar with him at all if you didn't like him, and yes, that's including if you're drunk, because I know you. It's not like you were unconscious and taken away, or too drunk to walk. There, the important things are put away. I leave any decorating to you, though you rarely decorate..." Alice always thought it was odd how little Ella decorated. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be a minimalist or to be ready to leave quickly. "Need anything else before I get back to work?"
"You're leaving me?" Ella pouted.
"It's our first official day, and as much as I like hanging out with you instead of doing real work, they're bound to want me to do what I was supposed to. I'm sorry, El." Alice hugged her. "We'll talk soon. Do you... want me to explain everything to the girls?"
"Uh..." It's not like I can hide this. "Yes, please; I'm not sure I'd be able to explain properly."
"Alright, call me if you need me again." Alice headed out.
"Have you calmed down yet?" Leon appeared, leaning against her doorway.
She glanced up at him. "Now what do we do?"
He glanced at his watch. "Seeing as the morning's pretty much over, I'd say we have lunch, and then I have work to do."
"What about me? This place is clean at the moment, and you have Zeke to handle most of your affairs, so there isn't much for me to do, is there?"
Leon thought for a moment. "You will be free to work with other guests, but should I call for you, I expect you to come as soon as possible. Now, do you feel up to making lunch or should we order something? Or we could even go out to a restaurant nearby. I think it's in our best interests to get to know each other better."
"I'm... not hungry."
He sighed and knelt down in front of her, pressing his hand to her forehead to check on her. "It's best not to skip meals; it'll eat away at your strength."
"I guess you're right..."
"Come on." He took hold of both of her hands. "Let's go out to eat at a restaurant nearby. We can have something hearty, like soup, and maybe you'll feel better after eating." The look he gave her was like a puppy pleading for attention.
Alice is right; I have to give him a chance. "Okay."
"Great." He smiled and stood, still holding onto one of her hands. "Let's go."
His smile actually is quite charming...
