Chapter 14
Evening came by just as quickly as Anneliese's calm display. She was beyond nervous, terrified and even to a degree excited? No, she couldn't be excited. She wasn't in love, she didn't like Howard and she wouldn't return his feelings. No matter how his eyes filled with pride for her, made her knees weak, or his knitted eyes when he was confused or how he parted his lips... seconds after being caught off guard. No, she would't adore him. He was her boss, and simply... only that.
Yet, he wasn't only that. He was Howard Stark, America's brightest and sexiest bachelor according to the The New York Press, and he- No. Anneliese refused to think any further, she was just a perfectly normal employee trying to keep her family safe from the forces in Germany, specifically her uncle, because that is clearly what a perfectly normal employee does.
Going through her paperwork, she made a plan to finish it before she left the office. Editing speeches, signing off paperwork and creating a plan for the Expedition Stark Industrials was funding. It was enough to keep her mind from wondering the what if's.
What if her father wasn't in mortal danger of a radical scientist, would she return Howard's affections?
What if her mother was alive instead of her father? No- that was too taboo to even dream about, having her parents switch from dead and alive, a cruel and unsettling idea.
What if... she just cared for him?
Everything was screaming for her just to play into his hand, form comfort from his strangely smooth hands, tracing his veins from his fingers and up his arm, and secret glances at his lips. Her fingers begged to touch his hair, and how good it would feel to rush her fingers through his ragged hair. Cruel thoughts filled her mind, distracted.
"No," She whispered, snapping her eyes to focus on the latest speech she was editing for Alexander, as he was incapable of doing it himself supposably, "Don't think about that."
But her mind wondered, again. His eyes dark, licking his lips and smile wide as her lips parted. Skin on skin, would he feel too hot or too cold? Hands hungrily touching anything, and everything, as if they were staved beings. Anneliese even dared to imagine his chest, his neck, and just him... bare in front of her.
Slamming down the pen, she loudly whispered, "Stop thinking!"
Obviously she was too busy thinking like a teenage girl who's just discovered that men are attractive; cooties and all... to realise that someone had opened her door and entered. And of all people, it had to be Alexander. In his fine navy suit, his pale purple button up shirt and his blonde hair, gelled back to give off a 'wet look'.
A cheshire grin appeared on his lips, as he leaned against the doorway staring her down. Anneliese dared to glance up to his face, and she knew, just from the way he had bitten his tongue, that she was in deep trouble.
"What did you do to make Stark actually pay attention in the financial meeting?"
Groaning, "I'm busy with work, go annoy someone else Alexander."
Anneliese grabbed a random piece of paperwork as she tried to convince herself that she was busy. Busy with work and not day dreaming of the possibilities- a chuckle instinctively forced her eyes to meet the words on the page. None of the words made sense, no matter how much she squinted her eyes.
Alexander made his way to her, she didn't need to stop failing to read her paperwork to hear the click-click-click on the floor from his leather shoes, or the radiating smirk plastering her walls with his wicked mind. He was dreadfully impossible to ignore; a small sound that never went away.
He was leaning over her shoulder, and Anneliese did not dare to meet his gaze. She could only imagine what he was thinking: Why is she reading the same thing over and over again? Is she illiterate? What was she thinking about before? But none, not one of her thoughts, was truly what Alexander was thinking.
"You're reading the paper upside down", he whispered, his breath warming her ear, "So are you going to tell me what Howard did to you?"
Slamming the paper down, Anneliese closed her eyes to try to maintain her temper. Impossible. Her fists clenched until they turned white, her cheeks grew redder by the second; anger or fluster, Anneliese would never know. Again, Alexander chuckled, as if Anneliese's reaction was amusing.
Blinking her eyes open, she jumped.
Alexander had taken the seat in front of her desk. How on earth did he move so quickly? Yet his grin remained boyish as he tapped his long fingers on the wooden table, and his gaze did not leave hers. She would not be leaving her office until she told Alexander. The spoilt little bra-
"Don't give me that look."
"What look?"
"That I'm spoilt."
Her mouth gapped, "but YOU are spoiled rotten-"
"-Exactly, so I don't do well when I don't get what I want. Tell me", he paused and Anneliese knew she just fell into his trap, "What has left little Starkey a little bit jittery, yeah?"
Closing her mouth quickly, she could hear her heart racing, "You do know it's improper for me to tell you-"
"-I'm pretty sure it's more improper to do anything romantic within an office with your boss", he said, winking at her
Groaning, "It's weird to talk to you about this-"
"-Are you discriminating against me'" his hand flew to his chest as he pretended to be horrified by such an accusation. "I never expected this treachery, from you of all people."
Ignoring his comment, she knew Alexander meant well, yet it irked her to tears how little he knew of the world outside of his bubble. He was only a product of the environment he grew up in, and as the son of a wealthy white banker, he would never face the discrimination within society: or at least, be doubted for his work.
"Come'on", He groaned, "Aren't we best friends?"
Her eyes lazily met Alexander's, his teeth shining white as she begun sorting out the mess she made with her paper work, "You're Howard's best friend. Not mine. Go ask him."
The answer wasn't what Alexander wanted, and trust fund babies tend to not take well to not getting what they want. So when he mellowed in self pity, Anneliese ignored him until she finished sorting out her paper.
"I thought we were best friends", Alexander mumbled quickly, yet in a matter of seconds, his eyes lit up, "Wait- who is your best friend. Can I date her?"
Mouth gaping at his comment, completely unprepared by what he had just said. "You most certainly cannot-"
The same clever grin reappeared on Alexander's lips, "-Tell me what you did to Howard and I won't find out who this mystery woman is and ensure we get married... out of spite of course!"
Raising from her seat, she knew her friend wouldn't enjoy Alexander's pestering. After all, she was happy to be without a man begging to settle her down and get married, more interested in pursing her opera career. So, she sighed in defeat as she got up from her seat to close the door.
"I had to bribe the press," she begun, and Alexander's eyes lit up as if it was Christmas Day, "They were going to publish about the explosion and Abraham and so much more."
Alexander's eyes became gentler, "So I tipped the press off, that Howard will be driving me home from work-"
His eyes widen, as he shouted, "You're giving the press your address?!"
Seems like Alexander may be the smarter one out of duo, as Howard hadn't figured out all the minor complications outside of creating a massive scandal.
"Hush," Anneliese hissed, "You're not to say a word at all- to anyone."
Her eyes were beyond threatening as Alexander backed off as she continued, "He is to throw himself at me on my porch and that alone... I know. Will be enough for the press to keep quiet, as relationships seems to be a new favourite for newspapers to gossip about."
She watched him get up from his chair, and slowly walk towards her, "They will all know where you live, you'll be danger-"
"-But if I don't do this. Everyone at Stark Industrials will be in danger. It's like a chess game, sometimes you have to sacrifice pawns to keep the king in the game."
Alexander's sigh was enough for her to know that he understood, "Abraham and Howard need to live if we want to win this war."
He made his way out the door, his grin no longer there, "If you ever need to leave your place, unannounced. Come to my place, okay? Promise me that, please."
It was a useless promise, and they both knew this. Because when Johann Schmidt attacked, he was merciless, and he wouldn't let Anneliese go easily.
She would be dead before she could even ask for help.