The following morning, Anna woke up earlier than she would have expected and was surprised to find the duvet perfectly tucked around her.
She had always been a heavy sleeper and also moved around a lot. When she was married, Fary sometimes had to sleep in another room because she kept moving around, ripping the duvet off and would end up laying on him instead of the bed.
After she had taken a bath the way the nurses had told her to, Anna found a simple dress to wear, donning a cardigan on it to cover up the bumps from the bandage wrapped around her body.
She stepped out and knocked on his door twice.
When she didn't get a response, she opened it just a little and peeked in. The design was the same as hers except that his were black and so were the curtains. His vanity was almost blank save for some perfume and lotion bottles.
Her curiosity got the better of her and she stepped in, walking to the vanity to access the perfume and bottle of sunscreen. At least he was a man that protected his skin.
The door to the dressing room was open so she went in, her fingers touching the rows and columns of black shirt and suit. All perfectly pressed. She opened his drawers, finding black ties and a lot of wristwatches.
"Is he cursed with black?" She whispered as she picked up a silk tie, aware she was trespassing.
"Everything is easier with black." Sullivan answered behind her and Anna shrieks, the tie flying off her hand as she sharply turned around, bumping into his chest.
He placed his hand over the small of her back to steady her. Her lips kissing the cold button of his shirt before he let her go, his body reacting to the close proximity.
Anna picked the tie off the floor and rolled it around, placing it back where she found it. "I…I thought you would be in." She lied.
"I ordered food." He said, closing the open drawer of his wristwatches. "My chef will be flying in tonight, you can meet her tomorrow and explain your preferences." She gave a sharp nod and tried to walk away but he placed a hand to her front to stop her, the smooth material of his shirt pressing against her chest bones. "You talked big about boundaries yesterday…" he noted. "...yet here you are."
"Sorry. I couldn't help it." And it was true. She had seen the man but wanted a glimpse into his internal affairs. Not the matters that concerned his bed, she glanced at it from where she stood, it almost looked like no one slept in it. "It won't happen again."
He dropped his hand and said, "I don't mind it."
Of course. There he goes again, being so considerate of her.
"What did you order?" Anna quickly changed the topic as she let her leg hurry out of his room. It felt like the walls were closing in on her and the heat was getting unbearable.
"It's not porridge." He assured as they went down the stairs.
"Thank God. If I have to taste another porridge, I will puke out my intestines." She comments and Sullivan smiles. "Shouldn't you be at work?"
The clock on the wall read a few after ten and he was an early bird, just like any other workaholic.
"You don't have a phone. How am I supposed to go to work and leave you be?" He said and she almost choked on the salad she was now eating.
She had known he ordered something healthy when he said it wasn't porridge and she didn't argue when she saw it was mostly salad.
"Oh…"
"Will you come with me to get a phone?"
"Aren't you worried people will see us together?"
He frowned, like he didn't understand why she spoke that. "Why? Are you worried?"
Anna shakes her head. It wasn't her she worried about but his pristine reputation regarding women matters. If they appeared together in public, no doubt she would shatter that. "Okay then."
They ate in silence after which he disposed of the plates and drove her to the phone shop. Anna knew she was spending his money and it did make her feel uncomfortable but beggars can't be choosers and she had the plan to return it all when and if she manages to get back the multi billion dollar company she threw away by being stupidly in love.
When they got to the phone shop, a lot of people were surprised to see them—Sullivan especially—but they didn't speak on it. She didn't have to look for too long because she already knew what she wanted.
After picking the same Samsung Flip 5 she had been using before the accident, Sullivan paid for it and she retrieved her line, quickly setting it up as they exchanged contacts. To think she didn't even have his contact yet had trusted him to save her life three months ago.
And he had. He didn't hesitate and stayed by her side every single step of the way.
Anna stole a glance at him as they returned to the car, smiling to herself for no reason. Micheal Sullivan wasn't a bad person. Well...if she excused that she had seen him kill three people. Not exactly seen but she knew he did it.
"Will you be bored staying at home?" He asked. "You can come with me to the office."
She laughed before shaking her head. He really was such a kind person. "What!? Your workers would have a heart attack." And what would she be doing there anyways?
"As long as you want to be there, you don't have to worry about other people."
Anna wondered if he had always spoken like that. Soft, calm and thoughtful. She had watched interviews of him online. Anna couldn't deny that she stalked the man at some point and she knew he spoke calmly but with a reckoning force. The type that made people mute till he was done. The kind that made people consciously aware of their behavior around him.
"Eish..I wouldn't impose like that. Vice chairman Sullivan, you can just…"
He stopped her then. "Why do you still call me that?"
"Hun?" His eyes on her were intense and piercing, so much that she couldn't look away. The sun was finally coming to its morning brim and it settled on her thighs, the reflection of it bouncing against the shiny interior of the car.
He was straightforward when he spoke next. "You crashed into my building. You joke with me. You have kissed me Anna and we are living together. Why are you still being so formal?" His eyes searched her face for the pickle of truth but the lady looked like he had impaled her with his words. He couldn't understand how her mind worked.
Does she think the formality would cloak everything between them? The unspoken words, the quiet actions and the heart fluttering moments they couldn't deny?
"I…" she struggled to find words to say. "I..I didn't want to be rude."
Wasn't it rude enough that she kissed him, riled up his emotions despite being aware of them and then set boundaries after?
But he looked away instead, not wanting to put her in a difficult position. "You don't have to be so formal Anna. I wouldn't bite." Even though he wished he could mark her skin with the points of his teeth and let everyone know she belonged to him. Even if that meant defying the universe.