Business Always
CHAPTER 19—AMELIA POV

After we're done eating and Alexander puts the plates in the washing machine we get to talking.

"What are you going to wear on Friday, I think we should wear the same co lours," I suggest.

"Friday?" He drags his attention off the TV and looks at me. "What's on Friday?"

I slap his arm playfully. "Don't joke with me."

"I don't know what's happening on Friday," he admits.

"It's the ABAB."

"The what?"

"American Business Associates Banquet," I say slowly, hoping it'll ring a bell.

"Oh that." He relaxes a little, and so do I now that I know he knows what I'm talking about. "I'm not going."

"What?"

"I am not attending," he says slowly as if I'm some idiot.

"Why?" I ask more calmly.

"Because I don't need to. My business is not part of the American Business Association -I'm British," he explains.

"You can still come." I pout. "Especially since your fiancée will be there."

"Everyone else is so busy with the banquet that I'll have time to worry about my international partners. It's the best time for me," he explains.

"So, you can worry about them but not about me? I'm going to fucking marry you for God's sake!" I exclaim, getting up from the sofa and out of his embrace.

"It's not like that Amelia, I just won't be of any use there, there's nothing to benefit me," he says, staying seated on the couch.

"Are you hearing yourself? Whatever." I shrug it off. "I'm going to bed. Get out of here."

"Get out? Why are you being so dramatic?" he yells as I'm already in my room.

Dramatic?

I march out the room again. "I'm being dramatic? You're leaving me alone," I say. His face doesn't change. "Besides, you want me to go with someone else when I'm engaged to you?"

"You and Mr King get along pretty well, and you're also business partners-take him," he says.

"What? You want me to go with my ex-husband?"

"No. I want you to go with your business partner," he says.

"Aren't you going to worry?" I raise an eyebrow.

I hoped to stir his jealousy into making him come with me.

He drags the back of his palm across my face. "Is there anything for me to be worried about, darling?"

I clench my teeth-he was playing games. If I say he should be worried, then it won't look good for me, but if I say no, then he can leave me carefree.

"No. There is nothing for you to worry about," I say through gritted teeth.

He can feel my jaw tighten under his hand, making him smirk. "Don't be angry, my love."

I snatch my face away from him, making his hand drop which only makes his smirk get bigger. "Goodnight," he murmurs before grabbing his phone and leaving my house.

What do I do now?

The banquet is 2 days away and my fiancé, who's meant to be my date, isn't going with me.

Maybe going with Xavier is my best option. He's single from what I know, and he's my business partner, so it wouldn't be completely implausible that I'm going with him.

I groan into my pillow. The paparazzi are always at this event. What will the media say? Still, it's better to go with a business partner than alone.

I glance at the clock, it wasn't too late to call him and ask, especially if he says no then

I need to make another plan.

"Hello?" he answers after a few rings.

"Hey, it's me is this a bad time?" I ask.

"Never a bad time for you." His voice gets a little cheerier. "What's going on?"

"Alexander won't be accompanying me to the Banquet on Friday, so I was wondering

"You're wondering if you can go with me?" he completes my sentence. I nod as if he can see me. "I must say, Miss Davis, it hurts me that you assume I have no one to take." I can hear the smirk in his voice.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know," I begin apologizing. "It's OK. I—"

"I'm kidding." He chuckles. "Of course I'll go with you."

"Thank you, it'll help us out too-we can meet clients as a partnership." I try to make the deal sweeter for him.

"Count on you to take the fun out of everything," he mutters. "I'll pick you up at 8-I'll be wearing white."

"I don't need to know what colour you're wearing," I snap back.

"Come on," I hear him scoff. "I know how much you like colour coordination."

"Whatever." I roll my eyes. "Thank you," I say after a short pause.

"No problem." And he hangs up the call.

The next 2 days pass rather quickly, a mix of meetings and welcoming Jodie back from her honeymoon.

"So, what are you wearing?" Jodie asks, rummaging through my racks of dresses. "Anything but white," I say.

"Why? You look pretty good in white," she says.

"Xavier is wearing white, so I'd rather not," I say.

"You're going with Xavier? What the hell happened when I was gone?" she exclaims. Her recently tanned skin makes her expression even more dramatic.

"Alexander decided he doesn't want to go so," I say, putting in no further explanation. She nods in understanding but doesn't push it further.

"I'll wear this." I pull out a black mermaid style dress. It's still in its clear plastic packaging I bought it but have never worn it.

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The slit down the leg is classy but still gives the dress an edge from being basic, and the netted train is not too long but visible.

Jodie nods enthusiastically, giving me a thumbs up, unable to speak as she sips on a baba tea.

I pick a pair of glossy black heels and a diamond jewellery set and start getting ready. "I've never heard of this Business Banquet before," Jodie mutters aimlessly, playing games on her phone.

"It's an annual thing. I just didn't get invited until this year-I'm still a newbie at this business game," I explain. "I've been before, though. 4 years ago, with Mr King."

A sneaky grin appears on her face but she only nods.

My mind wanders off to that night as I run a comb through my dampened hair.

The Miranda-the big blue letters said across the clean white building. The windows were gleaming, as if they all had been cleaned-which they probably did. Soft blue lights bordered all the doors.

My concentration at the building was broken when Xavier grabbed my hand. His hands were cold, like usual.

I tried to pull my hand out of his, but he forcefully held on.

"Paparazzi are watching," he warned. The edges of the red carpet were lined with lots of paparazzi and reporters with their bright lights, cameras and burning questions.

That was one of the worst nights of my life. I breath out, knowing it won't be nearly as bad this time.

After a quick swipe of a nude lipstick, I put my heels on just in time to hear Xavier's car horn beep outside.

"Good luck." Jodie blows me a kiss, not wanting to ruin my makeup.

I walk out, my heels clicking against the concrete and see Xavier in the driver's seat of

the car. I walk over and sit beside him in the passenger seat.

"You're driving, aren't you going to drink?" I ask.

"Not tonight, Miss Davis. I don't want to forget anything that happens with you," he says, not focusing on me but rather on reversing the car.

"Oh."

After a few minutes of silence, I point out, "I thought you said that you were going to wear white." He was very well dressed in a classic black tux with a thin black tie.

"I knew you would do the opposite of whatever I said." He smirks.

He's right. Wanting to defy him so badly, I chose the opposite of whatever he said he would be wearing, and he knew I would do that.

"Why isn't Alexander going with you?" Xavier asks, eyes focused on the road.

"He said since his company isn't part of the American Association, he has no business coming and that he could attend to other things instead."

Xavier's knuckles lighten as he clenched the steering wheel and I turn to see his jaw tight.

"Everything OK?" I ask.

"Yeah, just missed an exit for the shortcut."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, Miss Davis?" he asks.

"You were listening to me and missed your turn," I explain.

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"I'm not here as charity work for you," he says strictly. "This is not a favour-I'm quite happy to spend my time with you. Don't act differently."

"Okay."

When we arrive to the Miranda, I see that the building is unchanged. The chattering of the paparazzi seems to be louder, however.

"Miss Davis!" A reporter stops me and Xavier from entering the building. "Are you here with Mr King?" he asks. "Where is Alexander Chopra?"

"I'm here with my business partner Mr King. My fiancé is not an associate of the American Businesses, so I don't want to waste his time bringing him here," I say calmly. Before he could ask me any more questions, I link my arm into Xavier's and drag him inside.

"Billionaire and CEO of Eva Enterprises is here tonight, surprisingly not with her fiancé but her ex-husband," I can faintly hear him say into the camera, creating tomorrow's headline.

Xavier could obviously see my anger when he grips my arm tighter. "Don't entertain it," he advises me, and we go inside.

The inside of the place looks beautiful, the purple lights make nothing too bright and

give it an elegant touch. The ceiling is a deep blue, with loads of small lights to

emanate the night sky.

"Looks good," I say to Xavier.

"They've upped their game the past few years," he comments.

We sit down at the table with our name cards on. I had called Mr Walker-the chairman for this year-and told him I was coming with Xavier in advance.

"I still can't believe they let Walker be the chairman," Xavier says irritably. "Are we salty because he stopped working with you?" I joke. Before he could respond our pairing for the night came and sat in front of us.

The way these banquets work is quite interesting, to say the least. The chairman, whoever they are, will pick a pairing of businesspeople to possibly make new and otherwise unlikely business deals together.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Xavier says as soon as he looks at who's sat in front of

us.

"Robin?" It was the guy from Atlec in front of us, with his date beside him. "What's happening?" he asks.

"I can't believe he paired me with someone I already have a partnership with," Xavier

grits out.

"Why would he do that? I thought you two were still friends?" I ask.

"We here until I wouldn't tell him where his sister was getting married," he grumbles.

His mood stays sour for a little while whilst I make uncomfortable small talk with Robin

and his date a guy who looked a couple years older than him.

"Miss Davis," Xavier says against my neck while Robin and his date are going through

the drinks menu.

"Y-yes." His close proximity to me in public makes me hot.

"Do you really want to be here?" he asks with his head turned to whisper in my ear, I

had a very good view of the scorpion tattoo on the side of his neck.

"Not really," I whisper back, looking at my shoes instead of him.

"Then let's get out of here."