The Billionaire & I

26.

My hand dropped from William's shoulder while my eyes sharply turned to the door. I sank back in relief. It was still locked. But Lilian was currently on the other side of it. Without sparing William a second glance, I moved to the door and quickly unlocked it.

"I figured you were in here trying to rectify your mess. Have you been able to rinse the stain out of the shirt?" Lilian asked as she walked in holding a shopping bag.

"That's what I was just doing, rinsing the shirt." I pointed to said shirt on the sink then scurried over and placed it under the tap again.

"Okay, good." I heard her reply. "I had the items delivered from a nearby store sir. I believe they will fit well."

I looked up to see if my cheeks were still red but met William's eyes through the mirror instead. He grinned and I started coughing. The jerk was clearly unfazed. If the door hadn't been locked and Lilian had walked in... I shuddered just thinking of the outcome.

"They should, thank you Lilian. And by the way, HR sent a report this morning. Taylor McKenna filed a complaint about you two bullying her?" He said and I glanced at Lilian through the mirror.

"That intolerable woman," she scoffed, "who was bullying her?"

I silently laughed.

"This is your third issue with her this year."

"She is completely insufferable sir." Lilian made a small noise of disgruntlement.

He smiled, "HR won't see it that way. I'll be fine Lilian, I can handle myself. So try to get into less headbutts with her, okay?"

"Okay sir." She nodded resignedly then turned to me, "you are going to rinse that shirt to fibres, let's take it out to dry and we can leave Mr Illston to change."

"Oh, yeah sorry." I smiled a little too enthusiastically then handed the wet, unsqueezed shirt to her.

"I did not mean you should not squeeze it," she sighed, "you are quite full of it today miss Duhamels."

"I think I might actually be coming down with something." I faked a cough. The sound of a small chuckle reached my ears and if Lilian wasn't, at that moment, eying me doubtfully, I would have glared at the source.

"Well, I guess that explains your flush."

"That is totally it." I chuckled. "I'm going to go now." I smiled wobbly and passed by William who sent me one last wolfish grin. His plan was clearly to get me sent me to an early grave. Thankfully, Lilian's focus was on the shirt she was now squeezing.

Out of the restroom, I happily welcomed the cooler temperature. I patted my cheeks then sighed.

"I'll take this to spread, you can go sort through those design templates on my desk." Lilian said as she too came out of the restroom, holding the well squeezed shirt.

"Okay."

She was soon gone and I turned to face the restroom door, staring intently at the handle. A not-too-deep part of me was now nettled remembering the trajectory William and I were heading down before Lilian's timely arrival. If only her timing wasn't so impeccable. I stared at the handle once more but shook my head and turned away, returning to my desk instead.