The Stalked Assistant (Chapter-24)

"You want to just head and get an early dinner? "Ryder asked making me to stare at him a bit, where did that come from? Why is he being so nice? Is it because this morning? If so, I'd feel worse because I have just been lying to everyone.

"Um, sure?" I said, okay I'll admit my heart's doing that stupid little fluttering thing again, I can't help it. I know it's not a date, just co-workers going have a bite to eat together, I can do that.

"You don't sound sure." He chuckles before standing up, and she starts gathering the file before walking towards the door and tossing it into the trash can next to it. "Coming?" He asked, looking back at me.

"Hmm," I clear my throat trying not to embarrass myself anymore today." Yes, sir. Let's go, Mr. Claiborne" 

"You can call me Ryder when we are alone" he says, looking down at me as we work, I quickly look down making sure I won't trip, because that caught me off guard. I really didn't think he would ever give me leave to call him by his first name.

"Okay, sure" oh crap I stuttered. Come on. It's okay. It's just his first name and it's just dinner, no need to freak out so much.

"Want to see if Amanda wants to come along?" I asked him, if this is a work thing I don't want to leave her out of it.

"I was going to talk with you about my meetings next week. We will need to go out of town" He says softly but I see his eyes turning cold.

"Oh, that's okay then." I tell him, I understand. Amanda really doesn't have anything to do with the meetings and stuff like that with the business so I wouldn't want to leave her out of the conversation.

15 minutes after we are being seated, the waitress hasn't taken her eyes off of Ryder and it's getting a little uncomfortable and I found it extremely rude, even when she takes our orders she doesn't even look at me. He ordered a steak and noodles and I ordered the Spaghetti. The restaurant is nice, it's a little Italian place and the food around us on the table both looks and smells good.

"Where will we be going?" I asked him, picking up my glass of sweet tea and taking a small sip, trying to make my mouth not be so dang dry.

"It's with one of our small partners. We will be meeting with him and his son. It's just about a 2-hour drive. It's nothing major just to keep them up to speed with the business and going out to dinner" He says before changing the subject. "How are you feeling? Did the cops call you back to let you know they changed the locks? If not, I can have someone do it."

"I haven't heard anything from them, so I'm not sure. I can let you know when I get home. Just let me know how much the person charges" I say as the waitress lays our food on the table and pushes them towards us and again never once looking at me but sends a big flirty smile towards Ryder and I take a moment to check the women out, making sure to keep the jealous emotions at bay, she is very pretty ill give her that.

But she doesn't know that we are co-workers, we could be on a date, she doesn't know but I guess Ryder is used to the attention of women.

Ryder's phone starts to ring and he sighs before pulling it out of his jacket pocket and narrows his eyes when he sees who's calling.

"Ginger" He tells me and swipes across his phone and answers it. "Ginger. Stop calling me. You have called me 10 times in 15 minutes. That's enough. I'm trying to eat and you're disturbing me. We are done. Our relationship or lack of one is done. My business with your father is done" He snaps before clicking his finger on the phone before tossing it onto the table.

"You didn't need to do all that for me, you know? I'm used to people judging me, it wasn't the first time." I murmur, I feel horrible, he fired Ginger and ended that business deal with her father because they were saying things about me.

"It wasn't really about you, I mean don't get me wrong I didn't appreciate how t

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hey were talking about you but, I knew Ginger only wanted one thing from me, and her father that man would have tried pushing his opinions on me with my business and I wasn't going to let that happen. The company has been in our family for 3 generations. I'm not going to let anything happen to that." 

I listen as he explained what he did and I completely understand where he is coming from, and I got the same feeling as he did during that meeting. The man spoke like he would have been able to change Ryder's mind and he apparently promised his daughter something before even sighing the contract.

"Yeah, I get it" I assure him, picking up my fork and twirling it around my noodles, making sure they won't fall onto my shirt before I take a bite.

Oh this is good, my check from last week hit, so I'm not really worried about the price today, this time I ordered what I wanted to eat, not bothering with the price for once.

"Plus, my father would not have been happy if I gave that man any say so in our company." He shrugs before copying me, and taking a bite of his food.

"Yeah your father wasn't very impressed with Ginger" I snort out and regret it as soon as he comes out my mouth, that's none of my business to speak on.

That's between him and his father, and even though his father made sure everyone at the table knew his displeasure I shouldn't have said anything.

"I'm sorry. He didn't tell me anything, it's just the vibe I got-" I rushed out to say before I shut my mouth when I seen him starting to laugh.

"You're right, though. Don't worry, he has made that known from the start. At first I will admit I didn't see it, but he did. The first time I introduced them he said she wasn't the one for me that she was only after what I could give her and I didn't believe him, I believed he thought what he said was true but she played the game good." He sighed. 

"What changed your mind?"Crap, crap. Izzy! That's none of your business either God dangit. Just stuff your food in your mouth and hush up! "That's none of my business. Never mind, I struggled out after I shoved a bite of spaghetti into my stupid mouth.

"First time was when you came into my office, and she was in here. Remember?" He paused. I nodded my head letting him know I very well remembered walking in on the women that made me feel like shit and the man I was starting to crush on.

"She called me that night, telling me I needed to fire you. She said that you weren't there for the job, you were working for me, well, to get me" He said, looking like he didn't believe a word he said which makes me glad but I'm also pissed off that she would dare assume that of me.

"Actually no offense Ryder but I didn't take the job for you, I didn't even know you. I took the job because I needed a job, I would have taken anything" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Yeah, I know, you have made that clear. My money, or who I am, doesn't make a difference for you" he hummed while a grin starts to form on his lips.

"None at all. I'm sorry. I'm sure you're not used to hearing that" I giggled out.

"No, I'm definitely not used to that. Most people think I'm a hard ass because I went through so many assistants, but unlike you they were only there to try to get me, they weren't interested in the company, they were messing up left and right causing me to be late for important meetings and even a few charity cases. They would come into my office and purposely try to show off their body to try to lure me in. It's been a mess." He grunts, looks displeased. "Don't get me wrong, I run my company with strict hands and a strict mind but I'm not exactly an asshole many think I am"

I actually believe him, don't get me wrong, he was a total freaking asshole to me the first week, but when we would text at night I saw a different side of him, over the weekend I spent with Amanda I saw a different side of him.