The Alpha King Call Boy: Chap 47-128

Fiona

We stayed up late Thursday playing.

I was already sleep deprived from several days of staying up late working, because Friday was the first day of Conrad’s leave. The first day I’d be leading the morning meeting in his place.

I was, in fact, fully prepared for the meeting by the time I returned to the palace Thursday night. Conrad had been prepping me for days. I’d finished all my required reading.

But if left to my own devices, I surely would have stayed up late worrying about it and spinning my

wheels over-rehearsing. So Alexander’s little stunt with the candles and such was very well-timed. I needed to be forced to take a break. And spending the night soaking up his energy was the best thing I could have done with all that tension and anxiety I had thrumming inside me.

But still I found myself wishing, when my three a.m.

alarm went off, that maybe we had called it a night a little earlier. Alexander had left me feeling good, yes.

But days upon days of sleep deprivation – some of that fatigue you just can’t get away from.

He must have been worn out, too. For once he didn’t wake to my alarm, or even while I was moving around the room with some of the lights on. He usually liked to laze in bed watching me start my day. Today he was dead to the world. I watched his broad chest rise and fall with even, peaceful breaths, his lips slightly parted, golden hair splayed on the pillow.

I still whispered “Bye” to him on my way out the door.

It was just routine.

The meeting went off without a hitch. It really could not have gone any better.

I was surprised and mortified, though, when Gerald started a wildly inappropriate round of applause after I’d concluded the meeting, and then the entire room joined into it. I kept my professional smile plastered to my face and thanked them, waved them off, and gently told them to stop until they did.

It was all very congenial. I simply had not expected such an effusion of goodwill and appreciation from my colleagues and was, at first, afraid that it was being done ironically. A joke on me, a vote of no confidence from the group due to my greenness. I had been fearing that my peers in the meeting might begin

casting me reproving glances in the halls this week, assuming that my appointment to cover for Conrad was thanks to nepotism.

But no—they were cheering because I had covered our business matters thoroughly but done so within the confines of the actual scheduled meeting time. In other words: I got them out on time. Conrad had a tendency to ramble sometimes, stretching the meetings late simply if he was feeling talkative.

My colleagues were sincerely supportive. The positive feedback felt great. But even greater was the relief that the first meeting was done, and I’d done it well.

And tomorrow I got to sleep in.

I was vibrating with pride and energy all the rest of the work day.

But highway traffic was extra heavy this evening, and

the car ride back to the palace took twice as long as usual. I was fighting a nearly irresistible urge to nod off in the back seat the entire drive.

By the time I reached our bedroom, I was practically dragging myself forward.

God bless Alexander and his strange enjoyment of removing my shoes and clothing for me. He even took my purse and briefcase and put them away exactly where I like them to be, while I made for my dressing room in pursuit of a comfortable nightgown.

I absolutely had to lie down before dinner. Alexander agreed when I asked him to hold me until I fell asleep.

I also asked him to make sure to wake me up in twenty or thirty minutes.

I woke to my ringing phone.

It was on vibrate; I kept the sound off at work. But in the dead silence of the pitch dark room, the vibration of the phone on my nightstand was plenty loud enough to rouse me.

It took me a long, confusing minute to figure out what day it was and how long I’d been sleeping.

Alexander was naked and asleep beside me in bed.

I’d lain down for a nap. That was my last memory.

I found my phone, squinted at the screen. It told me two facts that only confused me further.

Conrad was calling my cell. That had never happened before.

Also, it was five o’clock on Saturday morning.

I’d already been staring at the screen for at least half a minute—I was about to miss the call. So I had to pick up before I was fully back to my most coherent self.

I cleared my throat noisily, then answered.

“Hello?”

Alexander began to stir at my side.

“Good morning, Fiona. I hope I’m not waking you and I apologize if I am. I know you’re an early riser like me and hoped you might be up.”

“It’s no problem at all,” I said. To my overwhelming relief, my voice came out clear. “What can I do for you, Conrad? Everything alright?”

“Well.” His tone was not a happy one. “It is already looking like I will be needing more time away. Rather than postponing a few days at a time, I’m going to go ahead and push my return one more full week.”

“Okay.”

“I want to give you as much time as possible to prepare. Best to plan as far ahead as we can. How are things going? First meeting went alright?”

“The meeting went very well.”

“Good. And the expansion project?” He was talking very fast.

“Still on track.” I was answering as quickly as my half-asleep brain was allowing. Gratefully, Conrad did not seem to need me to contribute much to the conversation.

“Good. You feel alright keeping it up for the next two weeks?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You have any questions, need anything—you talk to Alexander.”

At this, I was stunned speechless. I needed a moment to process some new information: Conrad knew that I now knew about Alexander’s role in the company.

Hm.

“I’ll email you my notes for next week’s meetings by end of day Sunday. And Fiona?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem. Travel safely.”

He hung up without saying goodbye.

“Why in the world is Conrad calling you this early?”

Alexander asked, falling into a yawn as he started on the word “early.”

“Great question.” I returned my phone to the nightstand. Alexander snatched at my limbs and pulled me into him. Between his easy strength and the slipperiness of our silk sheets, I practically went flying across the bed. It was impossible not to laugh.

“What did he want?” His voice was sleepy, his tone playful. He pressed his nose and mouth into my hair, rubbing his face into it.

“Telling me he’s gonna be out a while longer. Another

week.”

“Hmm.” Alexander tensed up a little. Seemed like this had him suddenly awake. “You okay with that?”

I nuzzled my face into the crook of Alexander’s warm neck. It was just there begging me to.

When I started answering his question with my lips on his warm skin – that was when I started feeling odd, again. About our still mostly awkward workplace entanglement.

“I guess,” I said. “It’s not like I have much of a choice.

Your boss gives you something to do, you do it.”

Alexander’s next exhale sounded heavy.

I didn’t want to talk about this with him anymore.

I kissed his neck. Ran my tongue lightly up the length of it. Dragged my nails down his chest, my touch going soft and gentle when I slipped down and below the trail of golden hair on his abdomen.

Then the work conversation was over. More important matters prevailed.

After a few more hours of snoozing, Alexander departed to begin his weekend morning routine of making me breakfast in the kitchen, while I showered and dressed.

Nina texted me while I was drying my hair. She asked if I had any free time to hang out this weekend.

I replied: Tell me when and I’ll be there.