Chapter11
“How’s your day today?” she asked, cradling her phone in between her ear and shoulder. She had just gotten home after classes, and James had arrived in London a few days earlier.
“Filled with meetings and car rides, but otherwise okay. I’m taking you to this incredible hotel next time. I think you’ll love it here. Where are you?”
“Just got home. Exams were tough, but I think I’ll pass.”
“Of course you will; you’re smart,” he said.
She overheard someone talk to him, something about dinner by seven in the evening.
“Hey, listen, I’ll talk to you later, okay? Something came up,” he said.
“Okay, bye.”
She couldn’t say those three words yet; sometimes, she wanted to, but it was too soon. She’d scare him. That wasn’t how he worked, she thought. Aliya sighed, wanting to put her mind on other things. She was heading out for work in a few minutes, and she needed to be there quick. Sandra had been kind enough to give her a half-day shift to accommodate her exams.
Moments later, Aliya found herself staring into space inside the café.
“You okay?” Robert asked Aliya, as she stood frozen behind the counter.
“Huh? Uh, yeah. Yeah, I am,” she replied, blinking multiple times. “Just stressed out by exams, that’s all.”
“It’s just teeth.”
“If you didn’t have teeth, do you think your face is still gonna look fine?” She laughed. “And it’s not just teeth; it’s overall mouth care and hygiene.”
“And here I thought you were stressed with finding a job, cause I certainly am,” Robert told her with a sigh.
Aliya found herself sighing as well. Sandra had told them earlier that the café was closing for good; their owner couldn’t compete with the existing rent in the area. It was really happening, wasn’t it? The café that had grown so close to her heart—it was finally closing in less than 2 weeks. The developer who had bought the building was pushing for a quick demolition.
“Tell me about it. I mean, don’t we all need a job?” She stopped talking the moment she saw three men wearing suits come in. “Hi,” she said in a brighter voice. “Welcome to Sunshine State Café!” And we’ll be closing soon.
“Sad to see this place go,” one guy said to his other buddies. “My mom really liked this café.”
Another shrugged. “That’s business for you.”
Aliya found her eyes narrowing, obviously disliking what she was hearing. “What’ll you be having?” she asked them. The customers prattled on their orders as she punched it on the register, and then she asked for their names.
“Oh, could you give an official receipt with this on it?” one of the men asked, presenting a card with the company name on it.
Her eyes widened, but she forced herself to calm down. She nodded, her expression considerably changing. She was glad the men weren’t paying attention. They ordered everything to go, and she breathed out heavily as soon as they left, leaving the café in quiet.
Robert saw the look on her face. “What is it?” he asked her.
“I think their company bought the building we’re in,” she said, staring at the men who stood outside the coffee shop, laughing and oblivious to the tenants’ suffering.
“Should’ve spiked their coffee with laxatives,” Robert said with a huff. “How’d you know?”
“They asked me to charge it to the company. Plus, they were talking about how sad they were to see us go,” she added, her irritation becoming difficult to control. It ruined her mood for the entire shift, and she still felt betrayed, even after she had gone home. James had texted her three times in a few hours; she didn’t reply.
Douglas LTD had bought their building. She was going to lose her job, as were her coworkers, because of James Douglas III. As soon as she got out from her shift, she saw a newspaper stand, and she stopped to check if there were magazines on sale. Her eyes hovered over a tabloid. Someone looked familiar on the cover. It was a smaller feature, but it was him nonetheless.
“Billionaire dating British Heiress,” the headline said.
She grabbed the paper with shaky hands.
“Hey, no free reading,” the man said.
Distracted, Aliya gave him a bunch of coins, not caring if it was too much.
“Hey, lady, your change. Hey, lady!” he called out as she walked away, flipping the tabloid pages as quick as she could.
It was James, pictured walking out of a restaurant with some leggy blonde-haired female. She was stylishly dressed, with thigh high boots, a cashmere coat and a black turtleneck top.
Everyone’s favorite newsworthy heiress, Lady Sarah Ashbury, 26, was seen making the rounds in London’s hottest nightclubs with American billionaire, James Warren Douglas III, 27. The two have dated previously but were seen cozying up on a couch at Vortex. Rekindling the romance on a chilly December? We’re all for it!
She found herself breathing heavily. He couldn’t have done this to her. He wasn’t the type. This was just a tabloid. It wasn’t real news, but the whole thing had gone from terrible to unbearable. First, he took away her job, and next, he had the audacity to be photographed with Lady Sarah Ashbury.
Aliya tried to calm down, but she couldn’t. She flung the tabloid on her dining room table, trying to come to terms that they were just dating, and that he could still see other people. What did he say again? That they were exclusively dating? Did he take her out on that short vacation to see her family so he could have a hall pass?
He was an asshole! No, asshole wouldn’t compensate for what he had kept from her. He was the lowest of the low. He was a liar!
*
James was pissed. She wasn’t picking up her phone. He had called and texted her in the last 24 hours constantly, keeping in mind her work and class schedule, and the time difference.
“Why aren’t you answering me?” he muttered.
“Sorry, sir. I didn’t hear you,” their British secretary said.
He shook his head. “It’s not you.”
“We’ll be arriving shortly at the site, sir.”
“Right,” he said, the frown still on his face. “Will Lady Ashbury be there still?”
“Afraid so, sir.”
James shook his head, preparing himself for another onslaught of the vapid woman. She was nice to look at, yes, but she was too full of herself. She was a celebrated socialite, content with her jet set life, excessive shopping, and non-existent work ethic. He didn’t have much of a choice. The property he wanted was owned by her father’s family. This was just work, he told himself again and again. They had dated for a month, three years ago, when he had enrolled in a Master’s course. Sarah was just another of those quick relationships. They were both young, easily distracted, and they both had quick tempers.
Meeting her now didn’t bring back bad memories, but he didn’t want to be associated with her. Who knew what the media had seen already? And then, it struck him. Tabloids. The tabloids could have been following them. Sarah was popular, after all.
Damn it, he thought, taking a deep, exasperated breath. “Lara, would you be so kind as to check the tabloids later on?”
“Of course, sir.”
Lara did as she was told, buying off every tabloid that had his face and Lady Sarah’s on it, and showing these to him hours after his site visit was through.
Damn it, damn it.
James was looking at four papers splayed on his hotel room table. They were photographed sitting side by side, with him whispering in her ear, and she was laughing. What did he tell her again? It was something stupid, he was sure of it. While it was strictly business for him, the photos showed otherwise. He began to panic, but he kept this panic well-hidden, of course.
Answer me, Aliya, he thought, as he spoke to one of his associates in America. The deal was going to push through, he told himself. Fifty million pounds for a prime lot within the city of London, but all the while, he was distracted with the thought of Aliya. What was she doing? He was hoping against hope that she didn’t see these yet. Did tabloids like this reach Miami, even?
He was going home tomorrow, but tomorrow seemed so far away.
*
As soon as Aliya looked up, she saw James walk through the front door of the café. She scowled, asking Robert to take over her duties for a moment. She began to walk for the backroom when James called out to her.
“Aliya,” he said.
She didn’t turn back to look at him, not wanting to make a scene, especially with the customers inside.
“Aliya,” he called out again; this time, his voice was louder.
Robert froze, suddenly realizing Aliya was giving the boyfriend a frosty reception. He cleared his throat, as if warning James to back away and get the hell out of the café. Apparently, James was too concentrated on getting her attention. She didn’t heed this.
“Look at me,” his voice commanded.
The customers looked up, surprised.
Aliya took a deep breath and spun around. “Yes, sir?” Her voice was icy.
“Let’s talk,” James said, lowering his voice.
“I have no business with you,” she replied, wishing she could melt off the face of the earth. The customers were still here, and she didn’t want to escalate the situation further. She could see it in his eyes; he was pissed. She had gone three days without sending a single text, not even a call. He was going to demand a talk with her, within earshot of everyone.
James took a deep breath. “Let’s talk like civilized people.”
Aliya took one step forward, and then she walked to him, facing him, looking up to him as he towered over her. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Why did you ignore me for three days? I was worried sick about—”
“You weren’t worried,” she said slowly, emphasizing every word. “You were busy.”
James then knew she had seen the tabloids. She had seen those sleazy pictures taken by paparazzi with no moral compass. “The news, it didn’t mean anything. That was just gossip; everything was just tabloid fodder.”
“Get out,” she said, her voice rising.
James lost his cool. “I’m not leaving here until we talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, James Douglas. You lied to me; you made an idiot out of me. You’re the one that’s shutting us down. We’re losing jobs because of you. We’re losing a coffee shop that’s been here for decades.”
James heard the collective gasps from everyone in the café, and he felt his composure drop by a few degrees. She had found out? He had wanted to move her out; in fact, he had grander plans of saving the café itself. He knew how much it meant to her, the work and the people in it. He had wanted to tell her at the right time. He had forgotten to do so…
“This is something to talk about,” James said, looking at her eyes.
“Liar,” someone else whispered from among the customers.
“So, you’re the reason we’re closing?” Sandra said, coming up to the counter. She stood beside Robert, and her eyes were filled with a sudden anger.
James looked back at Aliya, momentarily distracted by the other people. “It was a purchase that was long coming. We made the necessary arrangements before I even knew you.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that you kept this from me, from us. I could have done something; I wouldn’t have given up on this,” Aliya choked.
“This place would have still closed down. I could have helped you find another job; I want to keep this place open.”
Aliya shook her head. “You think you can get away with everything? Just because you own America or something? Tabloids cross seas; they get to other countries. Your business is too visible to be kept a secret. You hired idiots, by the way,” she added, reminded of the time some engineers from Douglas LTD loudly talked about the café closing. “You’ve killed us.”
The words stung, partially because people needed this job, and he knew it also meant another thing. He knew that Aliya was referring to them. This couldn’t be the demise of their relationship, right? The tabloids weren’t even news to begin with.
“I believed you,” Aliya told him in a quiet voice. “I thought the world of you. In one day, in a single day, I found out about all the crap you’ve kept from me.”
“I didn’t keep anything from you—I don’t keep anything from you,” he said.
She shook her head. “Get out,” she said, clenching her fists. “Get out!”
James blinked, fighting back the urge to react in despair and anger. He had never seen her this way; he had never seen her so pissed at him, at anyone. He nodded once and walked out of the café, amid the cheers of the customers and the jeering from Robert and, perhaps, Sandra.
Aliya stood there, oblivious to the cheers. She could only hear her heartbeat aloud, and she could only feel her blood boil. Seconds later, she walked out of the area, heading for the backroom, her chest still pounding from the scenario.
She was surprised she didn’t cry in front of him. She had thought she would; her voice shook, her hands trembled, and yet, she didn’t back down. She didn’t heed his demand. That was something to be proud of, right? She was still independent. Relief flooded inside her, realizing she hadn’t started moving her things to the unit that was waiting for her. Screw the free accommodations and all the designer stuff that was waiting for her!
Anger and sadness began to take over her reasoning, and she couldn’t shake it off. He was so thick-skinned to even demand that he talk with her! All those gifts, all those sweet words, it ain’t worth it, she told herself. She should have known better. She heard someone knock on the door, and she looked up to see Sandra, her face still livid, but her eyes were sympathetic toward her.
“You okay?” Sandra asked her. “Wait, don’t answer that. You’re not.”
“I trusted him,” Aliya told her superior. “Sandra, I am so sorry. If I’d known ahead, I wouldn’t have—”
Sandra held her palm up. “You didn’t know; that’s the thing. So, you shouldn’t be sorry. Besides, even if he was a jerk, he’s still an attractive jerk. Just think of this as a painful lesson, alright? Life goes on, even if this café closes,” she said with a sigh.
“I thought—we’re like family here…” Aliya’s voice trailed off.
“We’ve had good times here, and bad times as well. I think you’ll do fine working somewhere else. Besides, you’re going to be my pro bono dentist, right?”
Aliya nodded, biting her lower lip. Then, she gave a small but sad smile. “Yeah, of course I will.” She didn’t want to cry, not here, not in front of Sandra. There was something about another person’s empathy that made one want to cry. She needed to release the agony that was building up inside her, and she had two more hours before her shift would end.
“Come out when you’re feeling better, but I won’t hold it against you if you choose to go home.”
Aliya nodded. “Let me just stay here for a while. Did the customers—?”
“They were amused and mostly annoyed. Now, everyone knows he’s the reason for Sunshine’s closing,” Sandra said. “I’ll leave you alone for a while, okay?”
Aliya watched as Sandra went out to cover her shift for a few minutes. She gave herself fifteen minutes to recollect herself before going out once more, unable to silence the emotions screaming inside her.
*
James’ ears felt like they were about to explode. Never had he felt so put down, so embarrassed. The last time he had felt like that was when he was bullied at his boarding school in England. He had put that tormenter in his right place, after stabbing that boy with a fountain pen in the hand. He had been circled by people who had loved the establishment; he had been challenged by Aliya…
“Office,” he told his driver curtly, as he clasped his fists over and over again, replaying the scenario in his head. She wouldn’t listen. That was what was wrong with her.
“There’s nothing to talk about, James Douglas. You lied to me; you made an idiot out of me.”
The timing wasn’t right, he thought. He had closed that deal in London successfully, only to lose Aliya’s trust in the process. He had wanted to tell her again and again that he hadn’t lied to her, only that he withheld information, waiting until the time was right. There was no easy way to tell her about the purchase. Business was separate from his relationship, and he never backed down on a business deal he closed with minimal effort.
Would he back down on Aliya? She had effectively shut him off. He frowned, realizing women reacted the same; they were either almost hysterical or too hysterical. This was the reason why he hated being in a relationship in the first place. Aliya was making things complicated for him. He had wasted his hours worrying over her, and she wouldn’t even listen to him first.
As soon as he arrived at the office, he canceled the rest of his meetings for the afternoon, wanting to seethe but still work at the same time. Instead of heading back to the office as soon as he arrived, he headed for Aliya immediately.
It was the feeling that he disliked most of all: rejection. To be rejected by someone like Aliya… He cursed under his breath as he checked emails, signed checks and documents, and answered calls. It had taken years of discipline to not get affected by trivial emotions. He was not going to let what had happened earlier get in the way.
Aliya was going to regret doing that to him, he thought. She would come running back to him in a few days, and he would expect an apology and demand a few things out of her.