9 - All Fun and Games
Following their romantic encounter at the gala Friday evening, she and Max chatted pretty much the whole weekend. He said it was not his time with Alastair until the following week, so he had lots of time on his hands to talk with her.
She called him, he called her - they eventually lost track of who had initiated the conversation and when, for they all flowed and blended together as though in one long, everlasting conversation.
It was all so fun! If only it could have stayed that way.
It was all fun and games until reality came knocking, sticking its nose into everything, prying into everything.
She should have known it wouldn't last. Should have known it was only a matter of time...
"Morning Barbara," she greeted her colleague on her way into work. "How did you enjoy the rest of party?"
"Oh, it was fantastic!" the blonde exclaimed. "I had such a great time! Can't wait until the next one!"
"That's great! I'm glad."
"How about you?"
"Oh yeah - it was really great..." She smiled at the memory of kissing Max just down the hall in her office.
An office which was quite the mess she found.
She smiled, recalling the events of how it had gotten to be such a mess - their snogging leading to knocking the file off her desk, the pages spilling all over the floor.
The surface of her desk looked rather bare, less covered than she remembered.
What had she been working on on Friday before leaving to get ready for the gala? The stone, oh yes, the only artifact that had them stumped.
The stone - it had been sitting right there on her desk, right in the middle, but was now definitely not there.
After searching her office floor to ceiling and finding nothing, only then did she start to panic. Asking around, no one had touched the stone, moved it from her office. Of course, no one had been there over the weekend, since Friday night...
That could only mean one thing...
And like a crumbling building, reality came crashing down upon her.
How could she have been so stupid?
She cursed herself and her careless and reckless behaviour.
What the hell had she even been expecting? Well, certainly not to be used like that, certainly not, but maybe a business friendship at least...
Looked like even that was too much to ask for.
"I'm such an idiot," she kept mumbling under her breath to herself. "Such a bloody idiot..."
The now heavy guilt that trampled her made it no easier. The stone was gone, and it was all her fault. Because she had let herself get distracted, and now one of their new artifacts was lost.
Bloody idiot was right. Absolutely right.
"Thank you." She handed the cash to the cab driver before storming up the stairs and to the front doors of the Black Gold building.
Oh, there was hell to pay...
"Oh, good morning, Dr. Laurel," Raquel the secretary greeted from behind the front desk. "Can I help you? I assume you're here to see Mr. Lord-"
"Yes, yes I am. He's in his office I'm guessing."
"Uh, yes, he is, but on a very important call-"
Audrey was inclined to wonder whether or not that was true. "I guess I'll find out." With that she headed further into the building, Raquel calling behind her.
Once upstairs she threw the doors to his office open. "You smug bastard-"
"Audrey!" Clearly startled, he leapt up from his desk chair, scrambling to his feet upon seeing her, and in such a furious state. "So nice to see you - to what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit-"
"You used me!" she yelled, pointing an accusing finger right in his face.
"I don't, I'm afraid I don't-"
"Oh don't you do that, don't you dare! You know exactly what I'm talking about! The stone!"
"Ah, yes, the mysterious stone-"
"You stole it! Where is it?" She looked around his sprawling office but couldn't see any sign of the missing artifact. "Where is it?"
"I-I- I sent it in," he explained. "To that friend of mine who's an expert in Roman antiquities. Yes, I sent it to him so that he could have a look. Hopefully he'll be able to help you with your investigation-"
"I told you it shouldn't leave the museum."
"I wanted it to be a surprise-"
"Well surprise is right, and not a good one! You have no authority to decide what happens with that stone! Do you realize what you've done? You could cost me my job!" And he knew how much she loved it.
"Audrey, I promise you, it was never my intention to-"
"Just give it to me and that'll be it."
"I-I can't."
"Can't what?"
"Can't give it to you?"
"Why not?"
"Because it's not here..."
The clenching of her jaw tightened of its own accord. "What do you mean it's not here?" she ground out.
"Like I said, I sent it away..."
"Without asking permission of the department?"
"Well, yes..."
"Oh my God-" She sighed heavily and rubbed her temples. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because I want to help you."
"And not because you want to impress me? Because you stealing the stone while kissing me has really confused me."
"Audrey, please believe me when I say I find you extremely, wildly attractive-"
"But?"
"But? What but? Does there have to be a but?"
"Well clearly there is."
"No, I assure you, there's not!"
"Why don't I believe you? Yes, you may find me attractive, but you only needed to use me to get the stone, and now you're tossing me aside-"
"No! No, I would never-"
They were interrupted then. "Daddy?" A little boy in jeans and a jumper appeared, coming to stand close against Max's side.
She hated the way her heart churned at the adorable resemblance she saw between father and son.
Well this wrinkled her plans considerably - with Max's son here, she couldn't very well continue her accusations.
"Alastair this is Audrey - uh, Doctor Laurel, from the museum. You like the museum, right? We're business partners."
The little boy turned to her wearing a grin. "You're working with my daddy?"
Not anymore, was what she wanted to say. Really wanted to say. Instead, she said, "Yes."
Max must have sensed she wasn't done speaking to him, for he said, "Run along, Alastair. I'll be right there, I just need to finish speaking with Dr. Laurel."
"Okay Daddy!" Alastair gave Max a squeeze around the waist and ran off out of the office.
Max turned back to her, clapping his hands together and holding them that way. "Now, where were we?"
"Don't think that just because your son is here that I will let this go. Because I will not. I'd better see that stone back on my desk, and soon," she ordered, before stalking out of the office herself.
Noooo! Well, I guess we all knew it had to happen at some point!
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)