A Millionaire, His Suit, And Poor Me

Noras didn’t answer my first call. Nor to my second in command. Nor to my third.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, I was pacing back and forth in front of the large window of my apartment, the phone in m hand, answering business calls when necessary and spending the rest of the time trying to control my anger, which could easily be described as a need.

Mrs. Jennifer arrived around two o'clock in the afternoon with the easy smile that she wore punctually on her face on Saturday. “Hello, Mr. Steve. How're you doing?”

“Good."l answered sharply.

“Don't be so rude."He scolded me, approaching me with an affectionate expression. “What's going on with her lately? She hasn't eaten most of her meals.’

I frowned as I watched her, her cheeks flushed and her hair gray, standing in front of me, so worried that I almost orderec her to leave. She had the same look as Noras when I left the football match and smoothed my hair.

“The merger agreement is not going according to plan.’l answered. It was true; the other company was not accepting my negotiations as quickly as I had hoped. The real problem, however, was the fact that Noras was so blatantly ignoring my calls.

“And why not, joy?”

I sent him a bad look at the affective name. “Because they are idiots. In any case, their business is going to hell. They mig as well close up shop with a little dignity.”

“So why are you standing there with your phone in your hand and not yelling in his face, hmm?”

“Because I yelled at him on the phone last nightI huffed, gave him a brief kiss on the cheek, slipped out of the room anc walked down the long corridor, avoiding any further questions. My office greeted me with the sight of glass walls, stacks papers to read and the sight of a jacket that Noras left behind a few days earlier.

With a serious but annoyed air, I took a seat on the leather armchair and started reading some papers. Investments and negotiations occupied my mind for three hours, at least, until Mrs. Jennifer gently knocked on my door. Then my mind we back to Noras, the last thing I wanted right now.

“Come!’l said aggressively. He came in with a plate full of food in his hand. “You can put it on the desk. Thanks."

The housekeeper put it down delicately and I immediately noticed that it was a toast with peanut butter and jam, something she is used to preparing for me when I am stressed. She then left the room with a smile.

“Call herHe ordered on the doorstep.

My heart was beating so hard that I was sure she could hear it. “He won't answer.”

“And you give up like that? That doesn't sound like you at all, Mr. Steve!”

Then she left and I didn't even bother to ask her how she knew, because Ms. Jennifer was always the type to come and tel me things that I didn't even know. Last time, she burst into my office after Noras left and pointed her finger at me, accusi me: “You care about her, Mr. Steve’.

I vehemently denied it, to the point that I had to fire her from my office so as not to hear her slander again. Three days later, I sent the flowers to Noras, promised to try and ignored the annoying glances of the housekeeper who told me “I to you so”.

With a sigh, I picked up the phone and dialed Noras's number, but she still didn't answer. The answering machine rang or the phone and I immediately ended the call I searched in my contacts for the name of Jace, who at some point was one my contacts.

it rang several times before a cheerful voice answered. “Jace Parker's phone!”

“Louis”? I need to talk to Noras."

There were some strange sounds, followed by the sound of a movement and others indicating that the receiver was covered. After a minute of impatient waiting, her voice rang again on the phone. “Of course, Henris, one second. She just got out of the shower.”

it was enough to make me shudder with boredom. Then Noras spoke, faintly and without certainty. “Hello?”

“Noras, why the hell aren't you answering your phone?"My voice almost sounded like a growl, I tried to ignore the feeling relief and the frantic beating of my heart at the sound of his voice.

He let out a slight sigh. “I've been busy. What's going on?”

It was at that moment that I realized that I had no logical reason to call her, especially after she got out of the car and I watched her leave without saying a word. I spent the whole way home looking at N+H out the window and mentally insulting myself.

I squeezed the bridge of my nose between two fingers at this idea. “What time do we go to the club?”

“Oh. You don't have to come. Don't worry."

“Noras...

“Henris, don't worry. I'm sure you have more important things to do, right?"

My fingers clutched thoughtlessly at the edges of the mahogany desk. Noras’ voice was hesitant and a little hoarse, as if every word she said could rock me. Which was easy at that moment.

“Yes,” I breathed. “We will go to lunch tomorrow.”

“Of course. He whispered. “Whatever suits you.”

For the first time since I met Noras, she ended the call without waiting for an answer. In a fit of rage, I threw the phone across the room and watched it go against the wall and fall in small shimmering pieces on the carpet, then turn off with small beep.

Mrs. Jennifer walked through the door a few minutes later, a worried look on her face. I pointed to the pile of glass on the floor and saw his expression change from worry to anger, then worry.

“This is the fourth time” He said softly, turning to me with a hand on his abundant hip. “Four phones in perfect condition that you broke.”

“Ym going to buy another one."

He looked at the phone in pieces. “Why did you do that?”

“Noras doesn't want me to go to the club with them tonight"l answered with bitterness. “She said I shouldn't worry, because I'll probably have more important things to do.”

“I wonder why."Mrs. Jennifer replied with annoyance. “Now seriously, Joy, pick up that drink so I don't have to. And I'm not going to sit here and watch you mope all weekend, so either you go to the club or you move on."

I pressed my lips together. “I'm going to go.’

“Good, and try not to be so mean for once in your life. You should behave differently with the girl you're in love with." “Ym not in love..I spat out the words like poison. “from Noras."

He smiled slightly. “Mr. Steve, this is so obvious that I wonder how you haven't figured it out yet.”

Noras’ tone of voice did not change when I told him that I was going with them to the club. She remained exactly the sam every time I spoke to her during the day: monotonous, hesitant and hoarse as if she had just woken up. We clarified the details before ending another call with an awkward click.

After filling out other documents and spending two painfully boring conference calls, I put on a clean pair of jeans and a shirt. I rushed downstairs where the car was waiting for me. The journey to Noras' house seemed much slower than usual so that by the time I got there, my leg was shaking anxiously up and down.

I took the stairs two by two and entered the apartment, greeted by the sound of Jace’s laughter and a squeak from Noras that made me smile, a smile that was immediately erased when I entered the living room.

“Come on, Rah!"said Liam, motioning for him to come closer. “I swear I won't let you down this time!”

Noras was standing against the wall, his tousled curls gathered in a nest above his head and his arms crossed on the defensive, so perfectly imperfect and so Noras that I let out a little sigh. “You said that last time, too, Lit"

He throws his head back and bursts out laughing. “Ym sincere this time!”

“Its really stupid."She remarked, turning to the two boys hand in hand on the couch, then turned around and ran into Liam's arms, squeaking slightly.

I watched him from the doorway, frozen with rage, as he grabbed her by the waist and desperately tried to lift her, before failing and letting go, then bursting out laughing as she hit the ground and fell into his arms like in a f*****g movie.

Liam took it with a smirk, before turning to Jace. “We may not be able to do the Dirty Dancing take, but you certainly can't either”

Jace burst out laughing and Louis said: “Oh, hi Henris!”

Everyone then seemed to notice that I was standing in the doorway and greeted me with small shrugs of the hand, excep Noras, whose shoulders immediately tensed when he saw me. Her mouth formed a forced smile as she straightened her shirt, then rested her gaze on the floor.

In a second, I found myself at his side. “What the hell was that?"

“We were trying to do the Dirty Dancing take."He explained in a low voice. “Don't be crazy with me tonight, I'm really not i the mood.”

“He was practically on youl answered him with a grunt.

She shook her head and turned around, leaving me behind, her mouth open before I could find the good sense to follow her. Jace greeted me with a smile, Louis with a punch, and Liam with an awkward handshake that made them both step back.

“Noras said you wouldn't come." Lous said.

I shrugged my shoulders and searched blindly for Noras's pelvis, or her hand, or any part of her that I could touch to brin her closer to me. “I changed my mind."

My fingers found her wrist a few seconds later and I pulled her to my chest, trying to hold back the sigh of relief when sh snuggled up to my neck as usual. Noras was wearing a shirt with bloody tears on the back, which I noticed when I ran my fingers over his exposed skin.

“You should change”'l whispered in her hair.

“I like this shirtHe whispered in response. “It doesn't even f**k that much, OKAY?"

“Noras.’

I felt her withdraw from my arms. “Henris."

Then she turned away from me, leaving only our intertwined fingers as a form of contact. Something was wrong with her; she would not let herself go to my contact as I like to do, and tried to avoid that our eyes crossed more than usual.

I absolutely did not pay attention to the conversation while we were in the living room. Instead, I focused on how Noras snuggled up against my shoulder and how she squeezed my hand a little tighter every now and then, but still didn’t look my face.

Thirty minutes later, when they decided that they were finally ready, I took her by the waist and pulled her close to me to 20 to the car. “What's the matter?”

A slight sigh escapes his lips. “Just tired, you know, I couldn't sleep last night.”

“Why not? Are you not well?"

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “I think I have a flu, or a cold.”

His voice was slightly higher than normal, a clear sign that he was lying. But before I could point it out, we got into a sma taxi that they had called earlier. We all tried to get in, stacked on top of each other, in the back seat.

I carried Noras on my lap, letting her hair caress my neck as she snuggled up to me with a smile, wearing her usual scent vanilla and Chanel no. 5, with a slight essence of its strawberry soap. “Did you have a good day?”

“Yes. Hey, Li” He called, leaning over Louis’ legs to talk to the other boy. “Li, can I have my phone?”

The brown-eyed boy took the silver phone out of his pocket and handed it to its owner. “Don't forget to give it back to me before you get there. We all know you'd lose it, Rah."

Noras nodded and settled into my lap, typing a message or something on her phone and apparently ignoring the evil loo I was throwing at her. She only looked up when I touched her knee. “What?”

“I can hold your phone for you. said it was irritated. “And stop moving."

He immediately froze. “Yeah, OKAY. It doesn't matter.”

The rest of the ride in the too narrow taxi took place with little sighs from Nora and she shook my hand every time I plac a kiss on her shoulder, especially on the two moles located just under her collarbones.

“Mine sighed when we arrived in front of the club, and I didn't ignore the way it came out as a question.

He passed the cool tip of his nose over my neck, causing chills throughout my body, as well as an intense feeling of need “Yes. Yours and everything else.”

“And everything else?"l frowned.

“Nothing"said Noras, shrugging his shoulders briefly. “Do you keep my phone or do I give it to Li?"

My fingers involuntarily tightened their grip on her waist. “You can call him Liam. That's his name, isn't it"

“Yes, but Li is his nickname."He sighed. “Will be."

Having said that, she opened the door and got out of the car, pulling down her shirt, which revealed a strip of pale skin, and took Liam's arm. Annoyed, I rushed after her.

She smiled at me before turning to her ex-boyfriend. Henris is going to hold my phone. Do you want to have that drink w used to order? You know, the pink one I was always teasing you about when you ordered itz"

“A cosmo?"He laughed, looking at her like she was a fucking ray of sunshine, and the simple fact that his little hand was clenched in mine prevented me from pouncing and hitting him in the face.

“Yes, that one!”

We took our positions at the end of the row, Jace and Louis at the front, followed by Noras, Liam and me. You could alrea hear the music through the walls and, unfortunately, it was one of the few rooms that I didn't own, so I couldn't go in and order it.

“Are you coming?" Noras laughed, pulling my hand and pulling me closer to her. I answered with a nod and kissed her as I would have liked to have done all evening, because she had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, exactly as I had hoped. “Let's go." I whispered against his lips, trying to ignore the fact that he was still wearing the shirt that exposed part of his back. And the fact that my heart was beating too fast, and it was not due to the exhilaration of entering the club.

The cause was the awkward girl who, at that moment, was guiding me through the crowd to the bar, her hands, with brigh red nails, pressed to my shirt so that they could not be separated. Then I noticed that his hand was also in Liam's in front of us.

“Let go of his hand."I said, annoyed, when we reached the counter. “Now, Noras."

His lips tightened on each other and he turned to me. “Henris, we are not in a relationship.’

The words were bitter and full of reproaches, and they made me regret every time I said them to him. I looked on her fac for a trace of the smirk that I had hoped to see appear, meaning that she was only joking, but there was no sign of it, whi only made the situation worse.

“But you are mine” tried desperately to insist. “Are you mine?”

“Christ, how many times do I have to tell you that I am?"She replied irritably, taking a step in my direction so that I could hear her better and crossed her arms defensively. “I am yours. I might want to hold Liam's hand too, though.”

I turned pale at his words. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me. I'm yours. And yes, I only want to be yours, but apparently we're not in a relationship, so whateverShe whispered. “Now, can we have some fun? Tonight was supposed to be fun."

For the first time, the only response I could make was to nod my head. Noras smiled weakly and ran her thumb over my cheekbone, a gesture that immediately comforted me, then she turned to Liam.

He looked at her with a smirk that immediately disappeared, replaced by concern. He looked like a huge puppy and, once again, I had to restrain myself from hitting him, because Noras was my concern. “Rah, are you crying?"

“What?"She huffed, bit her lip and looked in my direction over her shoulder for a second. “No. Did you order my drink? Dg you want to dance?”

The higher tone of her voice and her slightly quivering lip made me understand immediately that she was lying and sent waves of guilt, jealousy and annoyance through my body. But besides all these feelings, there was one that I avoided at a costs every time I approached her just to feel her touch.

I continued to ignore it as best I could as they walked into the crowd of people dancing, because that feeling makes you weak and never ends well. How fucking stupid, I thought as Noras wrapped his arms around Liam's neck, Mrs. Jennifer ha no idea what she’s saying.

Not even three seconds later, I was following them into the crowd on the dance floor.