Chapter Ten
Tim parked the car right in front of Isabella's house. He got down and unloaded all their shopping bags. Arianna was puzzled by all that was happening between Laurence and his chauffeur. Why was he unloading the shopping bags here?
"Sir, these are for your girlfriend. Aren't they?" She couldn't help but ask him. He shook his head. Tim picked up the bags and went towards the front door of the house.
"Nope. It don't have a girlfriend," he said with a small smile on his face. If he would have told her that before, she wouldn't have chosen any dress for herself.
"What about Lisa ma'am? Is she your wife then?" Asked Arianna at last the one question which was bothering her a lot. How could such a handsome and successful man be single? Maybe because he was married already.
"No. She's my twelve year old sister," he informed her. Arianna gaped at him. Her cheeks coloured profusely while his smile widened.
"Are you jealous Aria?" He whispered into her ear, bringing his face closer, his lips grazing her neck.
"N no not at all sir," she said with brighter cheeks. Laurence didn't probe any further. He just led her possessively towards the door. Was he coming in with her? She rang the doorbell acutely aware of his hot touch on her back.
"I can't afford so many expensive clothes, sir. Please understand, " she pleaded.
"They're on behalf of the company, a part of the package. You don't need to pay for them. You would need to attend meetings with me from now on," He just said. Isabella opened the door and grinned at them.
Arianna introduced Laurence to her. "Sir this is my best friend Isabella Harrington. This is her Foster family," she said. "Isa, this is my boss, Laurence Lennard. "
"Oh so you're her boss. I was dying to meet you. I'm tired of Arianna harping on your name day and night," said a cheeky Isabella. Arianna's eyes widened with embarrassment.
"Shut up. I absolutely do not, " she whispered at her best friend. Laurence chuckled.
"Won't you invite me inside Aria, " he said, his eyes shining with excitement at the latest news. Isabella nudged Arianna hearing him call her by a cute nickname.
"Yes sir. Please come inside, " said Arianna avoiding his gaze. Isabella led him inside the house and Arianna followed him inside with red cheeks. Why did Isabella have to tell him that she harped on his name? Now he knew that she had a crush on him. Aunt Henrietta and uncle David welcomed Laurence into the living room after the introductions were made. Hudson came inside and was introduced to Laurence as the oldest son of the Grays.
Arianna noticed Laurence's hostility towards Hudson. It seemed as if Laurence didn't like him although they were meeting for the first time. He refrained from interacting with Hudson. Hudson was however unperturbed by his behaviour. He sat between Arianna and Isabella with his arms on either side behind them. It made Laurence clench his teeth with jealousy.
"Hudson doesn't live here. He has come over to announce his wedding, " informed aunt Henrietta.
"Oh, " said Laurence, his face falling. Was he marrying Arianna? But he couldn't ask directly.
"Arianna is a very hardworking girl. She learns very fast. Thank you for giving her an opportunity Mr Lennard, " said Aunt Henrietta.
"She deserves it," he simply said as Tim brought the shopping bags inside. Arianna got up and helped him keep them in a corner. Then she went into the kitchen to get something for Laurence. She made a glass of refreshing lemonade and some cookies and brownies and brought it over for her boss.
"Mr Lennard please help yourself, " said uncle David.
"Thanks," said Laurence, sipping the lemonade. Arianna sat down on the chair beside Isabella.
"What are in those shopping bags?" Asked Isabella.
"Oh some clothes for Arianna. Since today she handled an important meeting well, I've decided to take her to all my other meetings as well. For that she requires proper formal clothing. So the clothes are on behalf of the company, " he said and Hudson grinned.
"You're so lucky, little one, I wish my boss too took me shopping, " he said as Laurence glared at him. Arianna punched him in the stomach.
"Wouldn't it look ridiculous?" Isabella. "Why don't you take us shopping for your wedding? It's your duty as a big brother,"
"Yes please Hudson. Take us shopping else we'll complain to your fiancée that you're stingy," said Arianna with a laugh. Hudson grimaced.
"Even after Mr Lennard took you shopping, you want more from me?" He asked with a groan.
Laurence was perplexed by their conversation. So Hudson was marrying someone else, was it? He treated the girls as his sister? Aunt Henrietta saw the confusion on Laurence's face as he watched what was going on.
"Oh never mind them Mr Lennard. Hudson is like a big brother to them and whenever he's here they both stick to him," said aunt Henrietta with a laugh. Laurence visibly relaxed at the piece of information. So Hudson wasn't marrying his Aria after all.
"Well I think, I should get going. Thank you," he said to Mr and Mrs Gray. He shook hands with Hudson and waved at Isabella.
"Arianna, see your boss to the door," said aunt Henrietta. Arianna got up and escorted him to the door but he led her outside the house towards his car.
"Be at the office at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. From now you will only wear the clothes I bought you to work. Is that understood?" He ordered. Arianna nodded.
"Yes sir," she said quietly.
Laurence wanted to hold her close and kiss her just like he was about to at the conference room. However it was impossible on her front yard with her family inside most probably watching them. "See you tomorrow then," said Laurence and went to his car and sped off. The piece of news that Isabella gave him made him hope that Arianna too felt something for him. He would have to find out how she felt about him. Arianna went inside the house to take her revenge upon a cheeky Isabella.
"Why did you have to tell him about my feelings for him? Now he'd know that I have a crush on him," said Arianna, glaring at a grinning Isabella.
"He should know your feelings. You would never have told him. So how would he know if I don't tell him?" She asked her, as she wiggled her eyebrows at her.
"Why does he need to know my feelings?" She asked, perplexed.
"Are you blind? He's fallen head over heels for you, can't you see that? God, he was so jealous of Hudson," said Isabella rolling her eyes. Arianna's mouth fell at her words.
"I didn't notice. You're imagining things. You need a psychiatrist, " she said, walking off to her room with her new clothes. Isabella too followed carrying some of the shopping bags for her.
"You're weird. He's very interested in you. Why else would he spend so much buying clothes for you? Which boss buys stuff for their receptionist or PA? By the way, what are you? PA, receptionist or both?" She asked with a giggle.
They climbed the stairs and entered Arianna's room with the shopping bags. "I don't know what I am," admitted Arianna as she placed the bags on her bed. "Sir bought me these clothes because he wants me to attend meetings with him," she informed Isabella.
"Are you his PA then?" She asked, taking out her clothes to see what she bought. "Oooo lingerie! Why did he buy you so many?" She asked taking out all of them with a knowing smile.
"Shut up and put them inside, " she said with red cheeks.
"You didn't buy so many lingerie sets? You might have selected one or two," said Isabella selecting all her clothes and accessories to check them.
"Sir dumped every single coloured ones available into my shopping basket, " she informed and Isabella's eyes shone with excitement.
"See? I knew it. Who cares what undergarments their PA wore?" She asked with a knowing smile.
"You're seeing too much into this than there actually is," she said with a sigh. Thankfully Weston yelled from his room for Isabella and she hurried off. Arianna rearranged her closet with her new stuff but she couldn't ignore what Isabella told her just a few seconds back.
Did he really like her? Would he have kissed her at the conference room? She trembled as thoughts of his deliciously hard body against hers flooded her mind. It felt so good to be held against him. She remembered the feel of his lips against her neck, the feel of his fingers teasing her soft lips, the scent of his cologne. She felt excited to see him again tomorrow. Why did he tell her to reach office at 8 o'clock in the morning? Was there any important meeting?
She would go crazy if she thought anymore about her hot boss. So she went downstairs to make dinner.
