Manipulative

Steve's POV 

I stepped outside in disgust and anger, almost colliding with my father. 

" What's going on in there ?" He asked and I'm glad he came to see this childishness. 

I was surprised when she quickly got up from her seat and ran to my father sobbing. I was taken aback as realization hit me, this little brat is setting me up for trouble.Imagine the impetus, if she really knew who I was she wouldn't be trying that shit with me.

 " What's wrong Alexa ?" My father asked gently.

'Oh,cool,he knows her'.

" Mr. Lakewood, I'm glad you.. you.. came, he's.. been very difficult, I came in late for the meeting and he adjourned it, you know I would never come in late" she said sobbing, scratch that, I couldn't believe my ears, never in a million years.

 "Really. " I smirked and clapped my hands. "So what drama school did you attend, you pathetic liar."

She stood behind my father screaming loudly.

" Enough!!! " My father yelled. "The board members told me how you adjourned a meeting because of a senseless issue, do you know what you have just caused me Stephen ?"

I took a deep breath," Father, would you rather believe a stranger more than your own son?" I asked unbelievably.

" Alexandria is not just anybody, she's my best friend's daughter and she's more responsible at age twenty-five than you" He yelled. 

" I better leave, else someone will be in an ambulance. " I said walking away.

" You wouldn't dare leave this room Steve Lakewood " I was familiar with his harsh tone and I wouldn't let that stop me, I've built my own companies from scratch without his help, coming to his company to stand in was because mom begged me to. 

" Father, I have other important things to do than stay here with you and that deceitful manipulator," I said slowly, over the years I'd learnt to control my emotions and make them unreadable.

" Did you just call me a deceitful manipulator ?" Alexa asked." You better watch it. " I spat.

 "I said enough. " My father yelled. "You both, listen up, I don't care what happened between both of you, I don't freaking care. I want this meeting to commence now. "

"I'm afraid Father, the possibility of that happening is very slim besides who says two can't hold a meeting. " A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

 " Don't worry Mr Lakewood, I'll go away and come back at the adjourned date" Alexa said so humbly that you'd think she couldn't hurt a fly.

I looked at her with visible disgust and walked out of the boardroom seething with anger, I mean who wouldn't after being with a pain in the ass for about two hours.I didn't care what my father thought but I went into the car and drove off. There were lots of things on my mind. I had lots of paper works, files to go through, emails to respond to and lots of documents that needed my signature to care about a crazy lady. If only Mollie, my secretary hadn't called in sick, I could have had a stress free day. I felt so frustrated that I needed to channel my energy somewhere, without going home to change.

 I drove off to The Drinks, a popular hub which belongs to a long time friend. If grabbing a drink or two would calm my nerves then I'm definitely doing that. The parking lot was surprisingly filled up considering it wasn't evening yet. 

I went straight to a table overlooking the streets, leaned back on my chair and squeezed my eyes shut as if it could make my anger go away. 

"Who do we have here. " Joe limped to where I was. 

Ever since the accident two years back that claimed the lives of his wife and little daughter and left him limping, he had opened this hub and tried to be happy.

 Speaking with him does release the stress and bottled up anger in me. 

"It's Steven with the "V".I tried to smile, giving him his favorite lines.

 " Hey buddy, it's been long, how's it going?" Joe took a seat before me, clashing his palm with mine.

 " Hey Joe, it's all good,how is it going?"I asked with a straight face and not in the normal mood we speak.

" Uhuh, someone needs to channel the energy somewhere, I see ." He smiled revealing a missing tooth, he knew me quite well" Yeah. " I exhaled and wiped my palm across my face. "Had such a hectic day then a daughter of Medusa came to worsen it up. "

 He laughed. "It is Meg ,I thought you guys had called it quits. "

"Nah, not Meg. " I had a flashback of my ex-girlfriend, she depicts the word "trouble" in human form. 

"We were supposed to have a meeting and this girl who insulted me hours ago on my way to the meeting..... "

"She insulted you ?" Joe said, sounding surprised. 

"Yeah, you know how women are blaming me for bumping on her and calling me an old blind bat. "

"Really?" Joe said and burst into laughter, I wasn't ready to join him for such but I just had to.

 "You sure do look like an old blind bat. " He laughed so hard his face turned a bright red.

 "I'm going to punch your sorry ass." I feigned annoyance. 

"Okay, okay, okay. " Joe waved his hand in the air trying to stop laughing, then he began to cough from laughing too hard. 

"So, the usual ,right. " He asked and clapped his hands, and a waiter in light blue and black trousers appeared holding a tray of empty wine glass flutes. 

"Get him a Pinot Noir. " He nodded to the waiter. 

"I'm so stressed out right now, I thought of hitting the gym but nah. " I leaned back on my chair and let my gaze sweep past the entire pub.

 "Stupid girl was acting all smart with me, I was really pissed off and adjourned the meeting. "

"You what ? You are one hell of a sadist. 

"Me? " I asked the waiter to take the wine flute from the waiter. "that daughter of Medusa is the real sadist, can you imagine she locked us both up in the conference room. "

"Ahhh. " Laughed Joe, "You have met your match. "

"She can go to hell. " I took a sip of my wine. "A tireless liar and manipulator, got my father to believe her pathetic story and lie. God, girl knows how to lie. " I tried to remember what had happened but it only pissed me off the most. 

"Wait, she got your Doubting Thomas of a father to believe her, man, this is serious. '' Joe said, trying to suppress a laugh. I gave him a long side eye look and continued sipping my wine. 

"So are you going to commence the meeting any

time soon? "I chuckled. 

"Me? I rather sit on my poop and clap than do that. "