Page 58 of Claim Me
"This alpha’s authorization to work inside this building is revoked. He’s no longer permitted on the premises. Understood?"
"Understood," the guards answer while glancing nervously toward Blue, who remains silent throughout, letting me deal with it the way I see fit.
A moment later they haul the stressed-out alpha away toward the security office.
I turn and look at Blue, his sapphire eyes lifting toward my face. For a moment there’s silence before he finally says,
"I’ll admit, I probably wouldn’t have been firm enough to get him fired myself. But since you are now… what was it you called yourself? Ah yes, the head of my security, I suppose that technically makes it your decision."
There’s a subtle smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
I shrug. "Maybe it wasn’t a huge deal, but it still showed exactly how he sees you, Mr. Lowen. His disrespect. And the fact he discussed it with his little group first means they were all on board with it. That kind of behavior should get shut down quickly. Why should you provide jobs for people who openly hate you?"
"Oh, Gabriel, if I fired every person who hated me, I’d have to fire a very large number of people."
"Maybe now his friends will learn that actions have consequences and people should know how to behave with some class even when they disagree with someone. I had to faceconsequences for my own stupidity, didn’t I? I went to prison. Why should he get a free pass?"
"That’s a good conclusion," Blue says while turning toward the elevator. "Avoiding consequences is one of life’s greatest luxuries."
"And it makes people spoiled and entitled," I add darkly.
Then Blue speaks again, this time much quieter, his voice saturated with something softer.
"And regarding your intervention… make no mistake, I appreciate it. It may have been harsher than what I personally would’ve done, but I know your intentions were good, and for that I’m grateful. Situations like this happened to me way too often in the past. I learned to ignore them in a way. I’ve had drinks thrown at me, been splashed with piss, and insulted directly to my face. Maybe I’ve become numb to it, especially since my previous security teams failed to catch some of the incidents. But it seems the standard of my protection has now improved considerably, which is, in its own way, a pleasant change."
I feel heat flood into my cheeks.
Am I really this desperate for compliments? Or maybe I’m especially desperate for compliments from… Blue?
The thought is unsettling, maybe even a little worrying. Have I really changed this much? Am I a hypocrite here, being the one who protested against Blue’s company, now being holier than thou?
As the elevator rises, Blue looks down at his phone while I keep staring at him the entire time. At one point he must feel the weight of my gaze because he lifts his head, and our eyes meet. My heartbeat speeds up slightly and then, for reasons I can’t even explain myself, I smile at him softly and shyly.
Blue’s eyebrows lift just a little. He doesn’t smile back, but I could swear the corner of his mouth twitches like he almost wanted to.
???
The next break doesn’t come until lunch, and Blue takes me back to the penthouse again.
James serves us food, and this time there’s another generous spread of delicious food for me as well.
When I’m halfway through it, Blue finishes his meal. He lifts his head and watches me for a moment as I stuff my face like a starving animal.
"This morning, you said you’re good at math. What exactly did you mean, straight A’s you crammed for all night, or something else?"
I square my shoulders with a smirk. I like talking about this, I know it impresses people. I wonder if I’ll manage to impress… a genius?
"I won a bunch of math competitions and Olympiads back in school, and…" I pause briefly. "I don’t need calculators. I can do mental math," I say, like it’s nothing. "Big numbers, not just basic stuff. Addition, multiplication, division, exponentiation, roots, and so on."
Blue doesn’t react immediately. He glances at the tablet lying beside him, reads something on it, then slowly lifts his head back toward me.
"Interesting," he says finally, but he doesn’t sound interested at all. "Show me."
I’m almost sure he doesn’t believe me, or thinks I can only work with small numbers.
I lean back slightly, already feeling that familiar surge of excitement. My relatives used to throw tough challenges at me,tossing out huge numbers for me to calculate. It fascinated everyone, they always said my brain worked like a computer.
So with a grin, I say, "Give me something."
