Chapter 23

Zander's Pov
Allison was a distraction, that's what she is. I have been in this meeting for two hours and all I can think about is her and how she is doing here without me. I know Lacy would love her and they would probably be immediate friends from the start. But just the thought of her being here in the building was enough to distract me from work. And this meeting is important. I can't let my mind wander thinking about her. Unable to stop myself, I excuse myself and step out of the room. I get my phone out and call Lacy's office number.
“Hello boss. What can I do for you?” I hear her say in a professional tone.
“Oh I was wondering how Allison is doing. Is she in my office?” I ask.
“Yes Sarah brought her up and she has been in your office since. I thought I could show her around the other offices after lunch since I will be free for a couple hours.” She says.
“Yes that's fine, I will have meetings almost all day so could you please keep her company throughout the day?” I ask.
“Sure thing boss, I can do that.” She says over the line.
“Alright, I have to go back to my meeting now. Bye.” I end the call and put my phone away and walk back into my meeting.
Allison's Pov
I am getting bored, after an hour of just sitting there in the empty room, I took my phone out to listen to a podcast and I had found some blank paper and a pencil and I started drawing. I haven't drawn since I was a teenager, probably about thirteen or fourteen. My parents would just rip up my drawings or my sisters would find them and burn them. I shake my head of those sad thoughts and go back to my current drawing. It's Zander from our wedding day, I drew his eyes that looked so sad and distant. I drew his full lips and frown that he wore that day. When I was done, I folded it up and put it in my pocket. Next I drew the building and all the windows and the door in front of the building. I forgot how much I had missed drawing. I smile thinking about it and continue to draw a wolf. It's a drawing of my wolf from what I have seen of her. Next I draw a landscape of the woods I used to run in alone at home. I used to feel lonely but as time went on I would look forward to spending that time by myself running full force without a care in the world. Tonight is the full moon and Ash will feel the calling, the need to run tonight. To feel the moonlight on us as we run. I go back to drawing the park next with the pond I found and the pathways throughout the park. I look at the time and it's 12:30. I remember Lacy saying that she would be back after lunch. My stomach growled at the thought of food but I put the thought away. I don't need food. I have built my body throughout the years to condition myself to go without. I'm not sure when Zander will come back. Just as I was about to text him, the door opened and Lacy walks in with two trays of food.
“Hey sorry I'm a bit late but the cafeteria was full of people. I brought some food up for you and I thought we could eat together. I usually eat alone so it'll be nice to actually be able to chat for once.” Lacy says as she comes over to me and sets the trays of food on the coffee table.
“Don't you have friends here you can watch lunch with? I don't want to take you away from them.” I say looking at her.
“Oh I have friends here but we don't really have the same lunch schedule so I eat alone. It gets pretty lonely after a while.” She says opening her pop can.
“Thank you for bringing me food but I don't usually eat during the day.” I say trying not to offend her.
“You don't eat during the day? You must be hungry!” She says, looking at me with surprise.
“Well I guess I could eat, I am hungry.” The thought of food makes my stomach revolut. All I can think of is my parents calling me fat and that I don't need so much food. I look at the tray of food and the slice of cheese pizza loses its taste so I put it down and eat some hash browns and munch on baby carrots. After a few minutes I push the tray away and take a sip of pop from my own can.
“Thanks again but I can't finish the rest, I'm full.” I lie trying to keep my stomach from making any noise that would give me away.
“You hardly ate anything. Are you sure you're full?” Lacy gives me a look like she doesn't believe me.
“Yes I'm sure.” I say giving her a reassuring smile hoping she buys it.
“Ok as long as you're sure.” She says looking around. She spots my drawings I had put on the table. “Wow, these are really good.” She says going through the drawings.
“Thanks, I'm not a professional or anything but I can draw ok.” I say shrugging my shoulders.
“Draw ok? Allison these are really good, there is so much detail in these.” She says praising me.
It felt good to have someone else like my drawings and actually think they're good.
“Thanks, I haven't drawn since I was a teenager so I'm a little rusty.” I say my face hot from so much attention.
“You should definitely draw more, you are already so good. You have a good eye for detail. It looks so real.” She says with awe in her voice.
I smile thinking how much this really means to me. Nobody has ever really acknowledged my work except for Stacy and Wyatt, my brother. The only two people in my life who really cared about me. Up until Zander it was just the two of them.
“Well lunch is over so now if you would like I can take you around to meet some people and see the building.” Lacy says drawing me out of my thoughts.
“Ok that would be nice.” I get up and take my tray with me. I go toward the elevator and get in once it opens. I don't look forward to being in there again. Lacy hits the thirtieth floor and we go down. I start to get sick again and think about breathing in and out. The door opens and we step out and walk toward a crowd. I'm used to a lot of people being in one room and I could feel stares on me as we passed. I didn't like it, it made me nervous being the center of everyone's gaze. We went around to different offices and I met lots of nice people. Some of the women looked at me with contempt after they found out I am Zander's wife. It secretly made me happy that these women were jealous of me and that to them Zander was mine. We made our way around different rooms and continued to meet different people. I was getting tired from all the interactions in one day. I got so tired that I ran into a body and this person was built. I landed on the floor which doesn't happen often and papers floated above me.
“Oh my gosh I'm so sorry I didn't see you there.” I say as I frantically pick up the scattered papers all around me.
“Hey it's fine, don't worry about it. In fact I should be saying sorry to you. I did bump into you.” I hear a man's voice say close to me. I look up and there is a man crouching next to me holding a stack of papers. The man was good looking but no were near as good looking as Zander is. I stand up and so does the man, I hand over the papers still in my hand.
“I don't think we've met.” The man said in a deep voice.
“Oh I'm only here for the day as I'm visiting.” I say looking up at him. He's taller than me by about four inches. He has light blind hair and blue eyes.
“I'm Paul, I'm a director here. It's nice to meet you?” He questions hiding out his hand.
“It's nice to meet you too. My name is Allison.” I say taking his hand.
He looks me up and down with a strange glint in his eyes. I don't know why but he made me feel a bit uncomfortable by the look he was giving me.
“What is a pretty lady like yourself doing here?” He asks again, looking me up and down like he is trying to see more.
“Oh I just came with my husband today.” I say shifting uncomfortably beneath his gaze.
“And who might your husband be?” He asks getting closer to me. It's making me want to retreat but I stand still.
“Her husband is me.” I hear a dark angry voice behind me.
I could smell him and I turned around and there Zander was giving the guy a death glare.
“Paul, don't you have work to do?” Zander bites out looking at the man.
“Yes boss, sorry boss.” He says and shuffles away.
I turn back to Zander and he is mad. He gives me a look and suddenly takes my hand and starts pulling me away. I look back at Lacy and for some reason she has a smile on her face. We reach the elevator and get in. Zander is standing facing the door still holding my wrist. I know he's mad but I can't resist the sparks and tingles I feel when he is holding my wrist. I resist the urge to move not wanting to make him more mad. I'm not even sure why he is upset.
Zander's Pov
I was done with my meeting finally and I decided to go find Allison. I rounded the corner and I could see Paul flirting with my wife. Allison didn't seem interested in what he was saying but the look he was giving her made me want to punch him. How dare he think he can flirt with my wife. I resisted the urge to punch his face and make him bleed. I had to get Allison out of there before I did something I shouldn't.