Chapter Three – You Have No Right Showing Up Here

Alyssa

I am so annoyed as I leave the building. I should have refused, but it would have meant unemployment. I would have risked it if I'd known it was only for two nights. I can't believe I have to share a hotel room with him. It's going to be awkward and uncomfortable.

The walk back to my apartment is exactly what I need. Fresh air will do me good. I could take a cab, but it's only a ten-minute walk. My car's in the garage; that's the only reason I didn't drive.

All I want is to get home, change into my pajamas, order pizza, and have a glass of wine. I need to relax and prepare for this weekend. How I'm going to do that, I don't know. I sigh. How did I get myself into this mess? No, I'm not blaming myself. I blame my jackass of a boss who thinks the world revolves around him. It probably does most of the time, but I'm not letting myself become part of that world. We are boss and assistant; there need to be boundaries.

I have no idea where the wedding is. I should have asked more questions. Hopefully, he'll tell me what I need to know tomorrow. I'm dreading the shopping; I hate it. It's one of the most boring things in the world. I'd be a terrible rich person. I put in my earphones to listen to music on my walk. Music always calms me. I hum along and lose myself in my own world rather than dwelling on what happened at the office.

I arrive at my apartment in no time. First, I dump my things and head to my bedroom to change into pajamas, let my hair down, and remove my makeup. I feel much better. I order my pizza and pour a large glass of white wine. I usually have a small glass if I'm working the next day, but tonight, I need a little more after everything that happened. I close all the blinds and snuggle up on my sofa with a blanket. I don't plan on leaving again tonight.

I find something to watch while I wait for my pizza and mozzarella sticks to arrive. I'm starving. I didn't have lunch today, unless a large coffee counts. I enjoy my wine until my food arrives; it shouldn't be long. The place isn't far, and the service is great. I could have stopped by on my way home, but I couldn't be bothered tonight.

Twenty minutes later, my intercom buzzes. I get money from my purse, including a tip. It'll be my usual delivery guy. I wait at my front door.

“Good evening, Alyssa,” he greets.

“Good evening, Jason. How's your night?” I smile.

“Not bad. It's been busy, but it's going quickly. How was your workday?”

“Always good. I'm glad it's over,” I laugh.

He hands me my food, and I pay. We say goodbye, and I lock up for the night and settle down to eat my pizza. I don't even finish a slice before there's a knock at my front door. Who the hell is that? I'm not expecting anyone. My friends would have told me if they were coming.

I check through the peephole. I live alone; I need to be cautious when answering the door. I groan when I see who it is. What does he want? How does he even know my address? I work for him, and I'm sure it's all on record, but should he be looking at those records?

I take a deep breath and open the door. I'm surprised to see him in casual clothes: jeans and a hoodie. I'm used to seeing him in a suit every day. It's a good look on him. I keep the door slightly ajar.

“Mr. Sutton, what are you doing at my apartment?”

I try to hide my annoyance. I don't like him showing up unannounced. He has no right. My life outside of work shouldn't intersect with my boss.

He looks me up and down, smirks, pushes the door open, and walks into my apartment uninvited. I roll my eyes and close the door behind me. He strolls towards the living room. I quickly follow.

“What are you doing eating this crap?” he asks, pointing to my pizza.

“Excuse me? There's nothing wrong with pizza. What do you want?”

He turns to face me and shakes his head. “You're better off making your own. The ingredients aren't good for you. You should take better care of yourself.”

“My eating habits are none of your business. I do take care of myself. I just treat myself once a week. Again, it has nothing to do with you. What do you want?” I snap.

My patience is wearing thin. I'm trying not to lose it. Yes, we're outside of work, but he wouldn't hesitate to fire me if I yelled at him even outside of work.

“I was bored. I wanted to come by and discuss the wedding details. We need to be on the same page.”

“It couldn't have waited until tomorrow?” I sigh.

He shakes his head. “No. I'm a man of action. If something needs doing, I do it as soon as possible.”

“Fine, we can discuss, but I'll be eating my dinner while we do so,” I say firmly.

“Or I can throw it in the trash and make you eat something healthier.” He smirks.

“You touch my pizza, and I will kick you in the balls. What I do with my life is none of your damn business. You're my boss, not my father or boyfriend,” I hiss through gritted teeth.

I'm normally a calm person, but something about Wyatt tonight is irritating me.

I see Wyatt grip the edge of my sofa, his jaw clenching. “You probably wouldn't have this attitude if you were mine,” he growls.

He stares at me, his eyes darker than usual. He's looking at me like a wild animal, ready to pounce on unexpected prey. I swallow hard, and my heart pounds.

What the fuck? What is happening right now? I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out.

Wyatt’s lips curl into a smirk. “Speechless?”

I need to compose myself. I shake it off. “No. Annoyed.”

“I'm sure you'll get over it. Now, we need to talk about the wedding.”

He's just going to ignore what just happened? It's probably for the best. I don't know what that was and would rather not find out.

“Okay. Tell me everything I need to know,” I say, faking a smile.

I'm sure it can't be that hard to play along. There can't be too many details to remember.