As soon as the private elevator doors closed, Claire turned to look at Aiden who had been facing her the whole time. Her serious expression immediately shifted into a complicated one.
"Umm..." Claire looked down at her fingers while she nervously played with them. "I'm sorry about that out there."
"What's there to be sorry for? You said it yourself. We were making a scene." Aiden's voice didn't let Claire know what was really going on in his head.
"Yeah but..." She looked up at him slowly. Not because she feared him, she never did, but because of something else entirely.
"But?" Aiden took a step closer forcing her to crane her neck to properly look at him. "But you feel bad for talking to me like that in public?" He was initially surprised by her irritated expression earlier, but her choice of words while she scolded them was more than enough to figure out she was keeping up with her work mode persona.
Claire shyly nodded up at him. "Today hasn't really been a good day on multiple levels. And then the secretary called saying there was a problem downstairs. I had to make an example out of you three for the rest, but I didn't like speaking to you like that after I figured out you had been trying to reach me before coming here." She was obviously feeling guilty since he had only come to check if she was okay.
Aiden smiled. He didn't really care if she scolded him in public, but he didn't enjoy that her earlier irritated expression was being directed towards him. "Well, we we're making a scene." He gave her forehead a kiss. "But to be honest, it only escalated after that Flinn guy disrespected Jacob."
"I imagined as much. I'll talk to him later." Claire sighed in relief that Aiden didn't take her earlier boss mode scolding personally. "He's used to making big calls. So given the fact that he isn't really anybody's boss right now, it makes him take whatever order I give him as a chance to establish dominance."
"And that order was..?" The answer to Aiden's question was delayed by the elevator doors opening. As soon as they did, he heard the buzz of a dozen people working.
They both stepped outside into what seemed to be an office war zone. People were discussing with each other while phones rang nonstop. There were stacks of papers on top of every desk. Nobody had a relaxed or happy expression on they're face as they didn't even seem to notice Claire and Aiden walking through the chaos. Aiden simply walked behind her while trying to make sense of the mess in their surrounding. Once they made it to her office, he could see that it wasn't all that different from the rest of the floor.
Claire's desk was filled with documents and folders. Her coffee table practically disappeared under the stacks of papers on top of it. There were even two pushing carts filled with books and what seemed to be rolled up floor plans on them. He was starting to understand why his little lady was a bit touchy when she fetched him downstairs. Including Jason's dry attitude.
"My orders where that I was not to be disturbed." Claire began to say as she searched through a few of the documents on her desk. By doing so, Aiden spotted her cellphone buried in between all the papers. It explained why she hadn't answered his messages. "As you can see, the sudden reappearance of Mr.John's son made quite the buzz in the business world so my floor has been more than busy since he did."
"But that isn't all is it?" Aiden placed his suit jacket on the couch before approaching her.
"No. It isn't." Claire turned to one of the carts and picked some of the large rolled up plans. "Two of my largest projects were put on temporary hold due to cutting off three investors. So now I'm working overtime to find replacements before the company takes a hit."
"Why'd you cut them off?" Aiden saw her reach for a book, but beat her to it. Her hands were already too full for his liking so he took everything she was holding and held it for her instead.
Claire couldn't help but smile up at him for a moment before continuing what she was doing.
"Well two of them thought it would be a good idea to try and take me for a fool by backing out on our agreed terms after the projects started. So I bankrupted them. Thus making them useless to invest." She spoke as if she were talking about the nice weather, not ruining two entire businesses. Something that amused Aiden very much. Her attention was on the documents she was looking for, so she didn't realize the expression he had on his face.
"And the other one?" Aiden asked while she continued to stack papers and documents on to the steadily growing pile in his arms. If anybody walked in at that moment, they would be horrified by the sight of their CEO using 'The' Aiden Villan as what looked like an intern.
"He made an inappropriate pass at one of my secretary's. So I bankrupted him too and outed a couple of his mistresses to his wife and the general public." Again she spoke as if she did not just casually admitted to ruining another man's life. "Here it is!" She seemed to have finally found what she was originally looking for, but her excitement was short lived when she suddenly bent over while clenching on to her lower abdomen. A low wince escaping her lips.
"What's wrong?" Aiden was about to let everything fall on the floor to reach her, but then he remembered the things in his hands seemed important to her.
"Nothing. Don't worry." Claire took a deep breath before straightening herself. "It's just like I said. Today hasn't been a good day on a number of topics."
"What do you mean? Are you okay?" Aiden was already pushing things on her desk to make space for the things in his arms when Claire tugged his sleeve for his attention,
"I'm fine. Just come with me." She replied as she guided him to her office's private bedroom.
As soon as Aiden stepped inside the room and saw the set up, he understood why she said she was fine. He immediately started to relax a bit. He set down the things in his hand on a small table in the corner of the room as he scanned it.
The bed had an extra thick comforter on it, the side table had what could only be described as a mountain of chocolate and the side of the mattress where the comforter was most messy had a heating pad laid over it.
Claire sat on that edge of the bed while taking her heels off. Once she did, she got under the covers and placed the heating pad over her abdomen. She dragged her laptop on to her lap while she spread a couple of papers to her side.
"So even your period decided to work against you today huh Angel?" Aiden couldn't help but chuckle. Thanks to growing up along side a very bubbly and outspoken cousin, or better said sister, he had a clear picture of how rough his little lady's day had been going.
If she was anything like one of the only other two women in his life, she wasn't the kind of girl to have it easy when her time of the month came around. And judging by the setup she had, it was indeed a very rough one.
"You have no idea." Claire started tapping away on her computer as Aiden stood next to her.
"Move over." He raised her laptop from her lap to make it easier for her to move. Once she did, he placed it back for her to continue what she was doing. He sat closely next to her while he leaned back on the headboard. "Why didn't you just work from the base? You should be in pajamas, not in business attire."
Claire was wearing a long sleeved pencil dress. It's navy blue color matched with Aiden's tie, detail he noticed immediately after seeing her, but he was well aware of how uncomfortable she must be feeling all dressed up like she was.
"I only take one day off a week for Lily's sake. I made an exception these past few days due to the attack, but now I have to go back to my routine. Something as silly as period cramps aren't reason enough for me to keep delaying my plans. Besides, if every woman took time off during their days like this the world wouldn't last another year." Claire was slightly hunched over her computer, which unintentionally made enough space for Aiden to sneak his arm around her. Something he automatically did as soon as he sat down.
"Well if I've learned anything about period cramps it's that their anything but funny. And by the looks of it yours are especially unfunny aren't they?" The room and her sensitive mood gave him a clear understanding of how accustomed she was to that work through the pain.
"Nothing I can't handle." Claire lifted her face and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry I don't really have much time to pay much attention to you, but did you need something? I didn't go through all the messages you sent me."
"It's fine. I just wanted to see you." He caressed her cheek before pecking her lips. "Although you can help me with something."
"What do you need?" She leaned into his palm letting herself be soothed by his touch. She had been working non-stop for hours so his presence was especially appreciated at the moment.
"Do you have another laptop? I don't think I can leave you here by yourself after seeing you like this, so I'd very much rather do some of my work from here." Aiden purposely left out the part of him being so smitten with her that he could hardly concentrate in his own office. Hence his insistence on going to personally check up on her at her company.
Claire smiled. She very much liked the idea of having him near while she worked. He always made her feel calm and her current hectic situation made her feel in dire need of his calming presence.
"It's a work date then." Claire said as she smiled up at him.