Come Monday morning I was pretty content with the idea that this company was my only priority until I sorted out Clarke and that was made easier when Elijah hadn't called. I knew two days with no phone call wasn't surprising but if I had been a magical date for him, he would've called me by now. Maybe dating just wasn't the cards for me at the moment. I was in my last year of college and needed to apply for law school, and my job was a little more demanding than normal....maybe my career was it right now, not romance.
I got to work a little early that morning and didn't expect to see Clarke in yet, but I was surprised to see him already sitting at his desk and he appeared to be working on something. I put my bag down and my coat and decided I would tell him I was here. I walked to his open office door and tapped it slightly. He glanced up at me and the expression of his face was serious, like he was focusing but also confused.
"Wow, you look you've been here all morning," I commented, stepping in.
"Not quite," he told me. "I've been working on this since yesterday too."
"Oh, I'm surprised you had time to work on the weekend," I noted.
That caught his attention. He let go of his pen to face me. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, I just know that you were out with Alicia Moore this weekend," I shrugged slightly.
"Read the tabloids have you?" he asked me.
"No need to. I was at the same restaurant as you too," I admitted.
"Wait, you were?" he said surprised.
"Yes," I nodded. "I just didn't have a fancy table like you."
He immediately rolled his eyes at me. "They put us there to keep us away from the paparazzi."
"Right course," I said a little sarcastically.
"You don't like that I'm dating her?" Clarke asked me, a little confused.
"I didn't say that," I shrugged. "I just...she's a model. So it just looks like you're turning back into bad boy Clarke."
Clarke didn't respond for a moment but when he did it wasn't what I expected. He smiled at me and then started to laugh a little.
"What?" I frowned.
"You don't know anything about Alicia, do you?" he guessed.
"No, why would I?" I asked him, shaking my head slightly.
"Because she the newest most talked about model in the industry," he told me, "but it's more than that, it's also because she's notoriously nice. She works with charities, donates, and does fund-raisers by selling the clothes she gets. She refuses to use animal products, and constantly helps with protests-."
"Okay, I get it," I interrupted him. "She's miss perfect in the eyes of the media."
"Right," Clarke nodded. "Making it perfect for me to be seen with her."
"Okay, well I still don't get it," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "Unless of course PR team suggested it'd be a good idea to see you out with someone like her?"
Clarke sighed a little. "Yes, the public relations department of Watson International advised me to be seen with someone the public trust. If I'm seen with someone good, or even dating them they might trust me a little more as the CEO. They didn't pick Alicia, our families knew each other when we were younger. We've been friends for a while."
"So you're not dating her then?" I frowned.
"No, not exactly," he shook his head. "We're just friends, but to media sees it differently."
"Right, okay so now I get it," I told him. "Enough people don't like you, so you're pretending to date a girl everyone likes to make them think you've changed."
"And I see that doesn't work for everyone."
I'll admit I had softened up a little since Clarke had started to try and work a little harder, but it didn't suddenly mean I liked the guy. He was definitely still rude and arrogant and this little stunt with Alicia was proving that. He was lying to make people like him because he had created an image of himself that stuck in people's mind, and now he was struggling to change it.
"Just because you're suddenly kind of doing your job doesn't mean I magically like you," I admitted.
"That's fine," he shrugged it off slightly. "You don't agree with this tactic though."
"No," I said honestly. "I don't think using something that is a lie to make people like you is fair. You want people to like you after all you've done, then you need to do it honestly by showing them you're trying to change."
Clarke fell silent for the moment, looking down from me. He hung his head like he was ashamed and refused to make eye contact with me whilst he spoke.
"The PR time believe there is too much damage done to my image to make people like me so easily," Clarke explained. "Its important people like me because it helps keep clients, it helps our stock price which unfortunately declined the moment I was announced as CEO. They thought with time some of the damage would repair by itself, but apparently it hasn't. So now I have to do what I can, and if that means fake dating Alicia Moore. I'll do it."
"I get that you want to help the company now, but isn't doing your job also going to do that?" I asked him.
"If you haven't noticed I'm not so great at my job," Clarke muttered, moving some papers in front of me.
"You're still learning," I told him calmly, realising that he was starting to get frustrated.
"But I just don't get it," Clarke said, suddenly hitting his fists into the desk making me jump slightly.
I didn't say anything because I didn't know what to say. I hadn't seen him like this before, frustrated to the point he couldn't handle it. I knew it had to be hard, but I never thought it really got to him.
"It takes time," I said eventually. "Just because you studied it doesn't mean you can do it all immediately. It takes practice."
"It's time I don't have," he angrily again, keeping his hands into a fist. "I go to Paris in two weeks and at this rate I won't be able to close a deal."
"These guys in Paris are different," I told him, stepping forward to his desk. "They want to make a deal with you. Your company names still has value to them, as does your father's name. They don't listen to the media there. Plus, I've seen what you've been doing, you can close a deal."
"You...you've looked over past deals my father has made in Paris, right?" Clarke suddenly asked, sitting up straight.
"Sure, I've looked at them. I don't deal with them though," I shrugged. "The people behind the deal is who I deal with. I've never met half of them but I know them just as well."
"So you'll know most of them men and woman and the companies they work for at the party?" Clarke confirmed, standing up.
"Yes," I said slowly.
"You have to come to Paris with me," Clarke said immediately.
"What?" I exclaimed. "No...I can't go. I never go. I already told you I don't go, I don't need to."
"You mean, my father never needed you to go," Clarke said, stepping out from behind his desk. "I need you to go. I don't know any of these people. If I want any chance of keeping my job I need to do it well, and you can make sure of that."
Henry went to Paris every year and if he needed help with a deal he made, he would email and I'd deal with it from home. Usually it was a good chance for me to catch up on my studies, well it was more like get ahead. I didn't go because Henry never asked, he asked me but I never felt like going was good for me, even if I loved the thought of getting to go to Paris. I think I used my studies as an excuse which was why I couldn't go, but I also knew Henry didn't need me.
"I know I'm asking more of you then your job asks for," Clarke said, standing in front of me. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't need help. Plus I know you don't like me, so you know I must be desperate."
"I...I need to think about it," I told him. "See if I can make it work with college."
"It's three days," Clarke told me, "two of them being the weekend, so I know you won't miss class."
"I lose study time," I shrugged.
"You can study there, its one night of the weekend I really need you for," Clarke said, nearly pleading with me.
I felt put on the spot but I couldn't deny he was shooting down my excuses left, right and centre. He was right that I still didn't like him, but he was asking me anyway. The pressure of this job was already starting to get to him and now, despite his pride, he was asking me for help.
"Rory," Clarke said when I didn't speak.
"Okay fine," I said eventually. "I'll go. I'll have to book my flight with yours though. Accommodation nearby this close to the event will be difficult..."
"You'll book a first class flight with me," Clarke said, walking back around his desk. "You don't need somewhere to stay though."
"Well, I kind of do, to sleep," I pointed out.
"You're the one who booked that penthouse for me, I'm surprised you don't know it has two bedrooms," Clarke smiled slightly as he sat back down, visually much calmer than before.
"Oh...right of course," I nodded. "I forgot Henry made me book that one."
"What do you mean?" Clarke frowned.
Henry always made me book the same penthouse hotel room that had two bedrooms. He liked having the option for someone to come stay with me. He would never admit it but I know he did in the hope one day Clarke would go along with him.
"Nothing," I shook my head. "I'll book the flight before I leave then."
"Perfect," Clarke nodded.
"Is...there anything else you need?" I asked him, stepping slightly to the door.
"No, not at the moment," Clarke shook his head.
I nodded slightly as I grabbed the door knob to walk but before I could leave, Clarke spoke.
"Rory," Clarke said suddenly, as I turned around to look at me. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
When I finally got home that afternoon my mind was racing a little. Why the hell had I agreed to go with him to Paris. I mean I hated him, well maybe hate was a little strong now, but I didn't like him. I cared about the company still though, and by going I was helping the company, not just Clarke.
"Hey," Ava said appearing from the kitchen as I dumped my stuff on the couch. "You look like you've had a long day."
"Something like that," I shrugged slightly.
"Well, what happened?" Ava asked me.
"I'm going to Paris," I told her, sitting on the couch.
"Paris?" Ava asked surprised. "What for?"
"You remember that business trip Henry took each year there?" I asked her, taking my shoes off. "Well, Clarke is about to take it and he doesn't think he can handle it so he asked me to go."
"And you said yes?" Ava asked surprised, moving my stuff so she could sit next to me.
"I didn't want to," I shrugged slightly. "I didn't have a real excuse to say no though I guess. I can study there I just have to help him for one night."
"And spend the rest of your time in the hotel room?" Ava said, moving to face me. "Girl, you are going to Paris, if you don't at the minimum do some sightseeing I will go over there and personally hit you myself."
"Ava," I sighed.
"No, I know your studies are important, but you're doing well. You can take a couple of days off from it and you won't get behind. You've always wanted to travel, Rory, for as long as I've known you," Ava stressed. "Are you resisting because you have to go with Clarke?"
I bit my lip a little and Ava sighed.
"I know he's not your favourite person but you get a free trip," Ava said standing up. "I would kill for that chance. Plus, maybe you can get more work out of him on it."
"What do you mean?" I frowned, as she started to walk to the kitchen and I followed.
"Well, you said he was working more," Ava shrugged, going over to the stove to where she was cooking something.
"He's trying, yeah," I shrugged.
"So, if you go and he stays on track maybe you'll hate him less and he'll like you a little more," Ava shrugged. "Plus it might be fun that way."
I lent against the bench as Ava stirred whatever she had in the fry pan. She was right and I knew it. I knew I was sulking over nothing really. Most people my age didn't have the job I did, or the chances I did. Maybe I didn't like Clarke still and the Alicia thing didn't help, but he was trying. I couldn't deny that. I had to put my ego aside this time and maybe I could actually have fun.