Business in LaRousse

So not quite picking up from where we last left our beloved couple since that last chapter. To save you from flipping back, last chapter was set on the 8th of June 2011. There will be some date jumping again in this chapter but you're probably used to that, right?

Chapter 11

13th June 2011

May sighed whilst watching the plane touch down on the tarmac in Hoenn. Her trip away was more than she could've hoped for and coming home felt like her world was crashing down. She was sure she could get used to the nice weather, boutiques, good food and life out with the hustle and bustle of the city… With Drew.

She shook her head. Don't think about that man. She silently willed herself.

Drew had reclined his seat back and drifted off. By the time they arrived and disembarked the plane it would be 8AM, just on time for him to go to work and go about his day as if he hadn't just been on a 'romantic getaway' with his 'wife'. He woke up at the bump of the plane's tyres against the ground and pulled out a tie that he had chosen and stowed away in a bag prior to leaving the hotel and fixed it around his shirt which had miraculously buttoned itself up.

The moment movement had stopped Drew rose to his feet and dialed numbers and started making short calls to several different people, signalling his staff to grab the small bags he had with him.

May stood and watched him. He had changed from holiday mode to business mode in less than a day, the length of time May was going to need to recover from her jetlag.

"I'm heading into work first." Drew stated to May over his shoulder once he finished a call and walked off the plane first, leaving May to move at her own leisurely pace.

May watched his back as he left, remembering the day after that night.

9th June 2011

May had awoken with a splitting head the next day. It took a brief moment for her eyes to adjust to the light of the drawn curtains, and the silhouette of Drew standing with his back to her as he admired the view of the gardens below them. May had no memory whatsoever of the night before. She looked about the room, clothes strewn everywhere – including hers from last night – and it took her mind a second to click. She was not in her room.

"You're awake." Drew turned to face May. "About time."

She slowly sat up and covered up her front with the duvet. "What happened last night?" she asked groggily.

"I realised that you can't handle your drink and you become very pushy when drunk." Drew stated.

"Okay, so why am I like this." She said, referring to her nudity.

"Do you always strip for guys when you're drunk?"

May could feel her cheeks heat up from embarrassment. Surely not! "No! And why were you looking."

"I don't know if you've noticed May, but I'm a straight guy."

"Well, then I take it you decided to not hold back then?"

"I'm a straight guy with standards, May." Drew said, leaving out the main reason why nothing more than kissing and caressing happened.

"We dated before our arrangement, didn't we?" May shot back at him. She was amazed that she managed to comeback with something decent given her hazy state.

"Why do you think I have standards now."

May quickly picked up a pillow and threw it at Drew, who caught it and chucked it aside. He leaned forward, using an arm to trap May between the headboard of the bed and his body.

"Go get dressed and get today's itinerary sorted, and make sure there are no bombs of any sort." He said then got up and left the room, letting the door shut slowly. "I'll be back by noon."

Afternoon came around in blur, and May felt like she had only been up and out of bed for mere minutes but she felt restless waiting for Drew. She felt that she had really bonded with Drew the previous night, and that he had loosened up around her, although, that thought may have stemmed from the remnants of last night's alcohol – unreliable and wishful.

She spent her free time waiting for Drew planning what to do, like he had ordered and, and organised transportation to Jubilife City, one of Sinnoh's biggest cities, and carved out of the mountains no less. Needless to say, the unique city intrigued her and she was more than excited about their visit.

Eventually when Drew returned, his expression seemed to differ. He seemed tense, stressed even, but over what? They were meant to be enjoying their 'honeymoon' and he had left all his work to his right hand man so what could he possibly be stressed out. He entered their penthouse suite on his phone, a semi-anxious look smeared over his face. He completely ignored May and went straight to his room, talking in hushed tones until the door had fully shut over. May tried to listen in to his conversation, catching the odd word only: Prevent, money, context. The few words was not enough for May to piece together anything.

Drew locked himself in his room for a few hours, trying hard to negotiate whatever it was – May still had not managed to work out what it was that he was discussing, but she had managed to catch a few other words: Publishing, slander, and reputation. She guessed it was something to do with a gossip magazine trying to publish something that was taken out of context and Drew was trying to prevent it from publication by offering money or he'll sue for slander. But who was he trying to protect? In between her detective work, May had ordered up some room service once she had gathered that her itinerary was going to waste.

May hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure if she should leave the room or not. By the sound of things, Drew was nowhere near coming to a resolution and the day was still young. Taking a chance, May slipped into her room, picked out a bikini and slipped into it before packing a bag to bring poolside. This was after all a holiday to her and she was not about to let her stressed out 'husband' ruin it. She spent the rest of the day relaxing on the rooftop pool, drinking a couple of cocktails and reading a romantic novel- if she wasn't getting any action in her love life, as least the protagonist in her book should.

10th June 2011

It seemed May had made the right choice going to the pool yesterday. It was the last day that May and Drew appeared as a happy couple to the public eye, for early this morning, the rumour Drew tried to suppress had broken free.

May's eyes darted at the newspaper that Drew had seen and thrown on the floor in a moment of rage.

Playboy CEO strikes again

The headline was followed by a photo of Drew sitting with a girl, a long haired brunette at a table. From the angle the photo was taken at, it wasn't clear if they were holding hands but one thing was for sure: both their hands were on the table. And judging by the scenery, it was not taken in Hoenn.

13th June 2011

Drew and May's relationship had gone back to being relatively strained ever since the article was published, though it was strained in a different way than before. They'd still avoid talking to each other but the silence in the room was no longer stale and uncomfortable. May did not bother asking Drew about it. There was no point since they were not a real couple anyway. But there was no need for her to pretend to the public about looking distressed by the rumours- she looked strained enough as it is.

Once back in her marital penthouse, May wasted no time unpacking and tried to think of what to say to people should she be asked about the situation. She anticipated a call or text from friend and client Paris at any moment since she was so keen on May and Drew as a couple, and there was no chance that she could have missed the whole situation since it was all over the news and still is, with no end in sight.

May noticed that her reflection looked more gaunt than usual. She had read all the articles about her and Drew; one magazine even did a comparison of her and the mystery girl. According to the article, the mystery girl was taller than her, skinnier than her, younger than her and had a bigger bra size than her – overall she seemed to be more of a sought after type. It was hard for May not to compare herself to the mystery girl.

May's appetite had dwindled from before, but not from the stress. If anything, May was normally a stress eater, finding solace in the form of consumables – both for the stomach and for the purse. But the article with the comparison bothered her, enough so to prevent her from stuffing herself to the verge of throwing up in tears.

With a quick change of her outfit, May had decided her best option was to deny the rumours and play the supportive, corporate wife and act as if nothing was going on. She intended to go through the day as normal, as if she had not just returned from her honeymoon, as if she had not just been hurt mentally by the press and as if she had not just cried about the situation while no one was looking.

She grabbed a matching handbag from her walk-in wardrobe and left the house, leaving an order for Alfred not to make dinner for her, for she shall not be home for the meal.

Post work saw May once again drift to her favourite hotdog stand in the city. The server knew her well enough to know what she wanted. A hotdog with extra onions and extra mustard.

May sat at the nearest bench to the hotdog stand and reminisced the time that she had bumped into the Drew not long after they had met and introduced themselves to each other. And when she thought about it, sitting at the bench with a hotdog and a can of Coke each was kind of like their second date.

29th December 2010

The sky had been threatening to rain all day but May did not mind, as long as she got her favourite hotdog, she was sure she could withstand any gale force wind or flood. Plus she had just been paid at work, something she had been looking forward to.

She approached the hotdog stand and ordered her usual. "Hotdog with extra onions and extra mustard." She said then reached into her bag for her money. "And a can of coke."

"May?"

She looked up at the mention of her name and came face to face with Drew. "Hey, what're you doing here?" She asked.

Drew leaned over the counter to grab May's hotdog for her since the brunette was too stunned to notice that it was ready.

"Thanks." May said and took it, handing the change to the man. "What're you doing here?" she asked again.

"I was at a meeting nearby and decided to stop for a hotdog. I used to come here a lot." He said and signalled to May to follow him to the nearby bench.

May laughed. He seemed like such a normal guy, not the one who paid fifty dollars for a twelve dollar coffee and cake only days earlier.

"What?" Drew asked, laughing slightly from May's reaction.

"Nothing." May said, "Just I never expected a big shot like you to eat street food." She indicated towards the last bite of his hotdog and giggled.

Drew watched May as she laughed. He liked the way her eyes would crease into little crescent moons she laughed, and how her smile allowed her to flash her teeth, and how seeing her happy made him feel relaxed.

"Why're you looking at me like that?" May asked.

"No reason." Drew replied smoothly then proceeded to talk to her normally, asking about her aspirations, her studies and her love life. And those few hours he spent just sitting with her was the highlight of his day.

May smiled as she took a bite out of her hot dog then remembered the scene last time when she sat here and the scary thing was, she felt like it was repeating itself. She could see Brendan approach her, preparing to speak.

"May I?" He asked, gesturing to the spot next to me on the bench.

"Sure." May replied, like she had a choice. Brendan was not the type of person to respond well to a 'no'. Plus he was already starting to sit. May watched him closely. She knew what was coming next.

"Sorry about Drew." He started.

May crumpled up the remaining quarter of her hotdog out of anger. She knew people were going to talk to her sympathetically, like she is in a failed marriage. Their 'marriage' had merely stumbled upon a hitch and nothing more. "What about him?" May said. She had to keep up a strong front, as if the rumours were merely rumours and nothing more.

"You know, the thing about his other lady?" he said.

"What, a guy and a girl can't go out for food as acquaintances?" May replied defensively.

"They can but when the man is married and the women is single and an ex then it's a different story." Brendan shrugged.

May could tell he was trying to get a reaction out of her. Why was he trying so hard though? Did he enjoy seeing her and Drew suffer? Most likely since his previous actions spoke loud enough: Fuck you, Drew Hayden. Was he here to snipe her for his own company while things were ruff?

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't affect me," May started the turned to face Brendan with a determined look. "But he's my husband and I trust him not to betray me."

Brendan looked taken aback by her comment. Clearly May should have become an actress instead. "I don't mean it like that." Brendan said.

"Your words say one thing and your actions say another." May shot back.

"You're much more carefree when you're drunk." Brendan said as he sat back on the bench.

May could feel her cheeks heat up when he said that. She had forgotten about the time she was upset by Drew and practically spilled everything to Brendan – most of what she had regurgitated metaphorically and literally was still a mystery to her. May was determined not to get riled up and make the same mistake again.

"If unconscious and carefree means the same to you then sure." May replied then stood up and opened her mouth to excuse herself. "I'll be heading then. Goodnight Mr Birch."

"Take it now's not the time to discuss your contract with Drew then?" He asked rhetorically, stopping May in her tracks.

"What contract?" May asked.

"You and Drew's work contract. Why? Is there another one?" Brendan laughed.

May looked back at Brendan and held in the shudder that the glint in his eye was sending through her body. "No." She hated how easy it was for him to mess with her head, and how easy it was for him to find out so much about her and Drew without her coming out and saying so.

It was almost eight by the time May made it home and Drew was home too. He sat on the couch with the news on and his work and personal phone on the table as well as a stack of paper surrounded by several scattered sheets. As soon as May stepped into the penthouse Drew signalled for her to come over.

"Where have you been?" He asked, not taking his eyes off the news.

"Out for-" May stopped herself from saying hotdog and refrained from telling Drew about her encounter with Brendan. At least for now. "A walk." May finished. "What's going on?" May asked indicating to the mess, an uncharacteristic trait for Drew.

"Just this whole scandal. We're almost at the bottom of it."

May looked at Drew as he worked away, emails, pinging up on his phone, probably from his lawyers. Though, what really went through May's head was if Drew was going to finally explain the whole situation to her. Sensing that he was going to do no such thing, May took the plunge and asked him herself. "What's going on Drew?" She asked sternly.

"I suppose you know about the story about me in the press recently?" He asked her.

May nodded. How could she not know? People spoke in hushed tones whenever she walked by and the paparazzi at their front door was not exactly letting her forget either. She was thankful for having a personal car and access to the underground parking, safety from the reporters. "You and that girl? Yeah, care to explain?" May asked, only realising that she may have come across as jealous after the words were spoken.

"She's an ex of mine, and she asked to meet up with me during our first days in Sinnoh." That explained Drew's disappearances. "All she wanted was trying to borrow some money from me."

"If she's your ex then shouldn't she be rich?" May asked. Didn't rich people only date rich people? May always assumed that she was an exception.

"Her family is but they've hit a couple of financial problems so she came to me."

"And the picture was taken out of context?" May guessed.

"Kind of." Drew started, looking at May. "We think she was paid to take my hand at the table and that someone made sure that the paparazzi would be there, ready to take the shot."

May opened her mouth but did not know what to say to that. Was it the truth? "So you don't think she's lying about needing money?" she asked after a long pause.

Drew shook his head. "No, her family have been in the papers recently about a financial crisis. We'll need to find her and get her to act as a witness so we can successfully sue the papers for slander and defamation." Drew said and turned to his phone again.

"But I'm guessing you can't find her?" May hazard a guess.

"Alyssa? We can't seem to get a hold of her. "

"Well that's not suspicious at all…" May mumbled sarcastically.

Drew let out a snort of laughter. "Anyway, go take a shower and go to bed. We've got a busy day tomorrow."

May frowned. Was she forgetting something? "What's going on tomorrow?" she asked.

"Abigail Hayden is coming for a visit and if my suspicions are correct, she'll have Grandma Hayden with her too."

May groaned. She did not want to deal with Drew's mother again. But Grandma Hayden did not sound too bad, after all, grandmas are humble people, right?

Next time… May and Drew are back on good terms during the family visit but what happens when may stumbles upon a document that Drew kept hidden? And will May pluck up the courage to talk to Drew about Brendan? Stay tuned to find out and I promise to update sooner!

And reviews are the best way to get a gal to update ;)

Until then,

Silver-hedgehog

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