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'Caden, what?' I gasped, panic instantly setting in. 'He's coming here! I can't...I-I-I don't know what to say! Caden...Caden, help me, what do I-!'
Ping!
I slammed the phone down and gulped as I stood to my feet and watched Victor slowly walk out, followed by Kam. Kam looked like he was in a state of shock, obviously from being alone in a lift with Victor Clark, and he slowly edged out behind him. Victor approached the desk and stopped as Kam subtly headed around it to his seat.
'Good afternoon, Sir,' I said, my voice weak and pathetic.
'Ava?' he questioned, and Kam slowly turned around in his chair to watch us with scared eyes.
'Yes, Sir,' I replied.
'Who do you report to, Ava?' Victor asked me, his tone flat.
'Joanne Truman,' I told him. 'She's the purchasing director.'
'Joanne? Okay, well, slot out thirty minutes for Joanne tomorrow and email it over to me,' he said. 'I'll see you both upstairs in the office.'
'Okay,' I replied, nodding as he turned around and moved back into the lift. When the doors closed, I exhaled and collapsed into my seat.
'Oh my god, A,' Kam mumbled. 'What was that about?'
'It's a meeting about the rumours,' I sighed. 'God, I feel like just running the hell out of here!'
The lift pinged again and I bolted upright in my seat, making sure I looked like I was working.
'Ava!' Caden hurried over to the desk and I sighed in relief. 'Are you alright?'
'No!' I squealed. 'I don't know how I didn't piss myself!'
'What did he say?' Caden asked.
'He just asked me to book out some time from Joanne's schedule so he could meet with us both tomorrow,' I told him. 'I don't know if I can do this.'
'You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Ava,' Caden said. 'I can call him and tell him I lied about it being a rumour.'
'No, you've said it now, you'll only get in deeper shit,' I sighed.
'Ava, you shouldn't lie and make yourself look bad to protect someone else,' Kam said, and both Caden and I turned to him and he shrugged, looking right at Caden. 'I'm sorry but it's the truth.'
'Kam...' My tone was a warning; I didn't want him to get in trouble with Caden.
'No, he's right,' Caden said. 'I shouldn't have let you do this.'
'I'll be fine!' I exclaimed. 'Just leave me to it; I know what I'm saying.'
Caden sighed again heavily and nodded. The glass doors opened and a group of designers hurried out, pausing to glance at Caden and I as they stepped into the reception area. Caden rolled his eyes at them and turned around, heading back into the lift. They all waited until he'd disappeared before they pushed the button to bring the lift back, all making glances at me as they waited.
