Messed up again!

Paul shot up, panting. He looked around in a daze. Expecting to see Bella beside him. Instead all he saw was his empty office. His office was dark, save from the glare on his computer screen. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and sighed. He picked up his phone and sighed.

"Two am? Really?" he said out loud to the darkness.

He got up, turned off the computer and headed home. He left a note on Kim's desk before he left.

'Kim, cancel everything tomorrow. I am not going to be in, Paul'

As he got to the top of his street, he stopped. He looked down at his house and sighed. His home, a place he had decorated and restored himself, a place that once looked warm and inviting, now stood cold and empty.

Paul sighed, he wanted to see Bella desperately. She had refused to see him, even speak to him. He looked ahead, towards the house she lives in and before he could talk himself out of it, he headed towards it. Her apartment building was dark save for a light in one set of windows.

"Bella?" he said in a whisper and as if she heard it, she appeared at the window and peered out.

Paul's heart stopped but she didn't look down. Bella stared out at the city scape and sighed. Paul wanted to know what she was thinking. So he raced inside using her scent to find her door. He could hear her moving about inside. He raised his hand to knock, but he stopped. He stared at his raised hand willing it to lower.

Eventually, he stepped back and sighed, he couldn't think of a good enough reason to be there at that time. He left as quickly and as quietly as he arrived and went home. He slammed his door closed and stomped to his room.

---

Bella awoke the next morning sluggishly, she had only just managed to get to sleep around 4am. She sighed as she got up and went for a shower. She hoped the hot water would help her wake up.

As she strolled into the office; Emily smiled at her. Bella tried to smile back, but all she could manage was a half-smile. Emily frowned.

"Are you ok?" she asked concerned, Bella nodded.

"Yeah, just tired," she said as she opened the door to the office.

Angel was sitting at his desk, he jumped when she opened the door. She was in no mood for him today. Ignoring him, she headed to her desk and started to go through the paperwork in the box again. Angel looked at her in surprise.

"What's in that box?" he asked, as he stood up.

"This is the box I asked you for, the one Emily was able to get for me. I'm going back through it." she said.

"Oh yeah, I erm ... I remember. I did try and get it, but they told me it would take a few weeks to come." He didn't sound so sure.

Bella raised an eyebrow at him and then continued to work.

"Then why did you try to have it sent back when I was off ill?" she accused.

Angel rubbed the back of his neck.

"I thought you were finished with it," he said lamely, causing Bella to shake her head at him in disbelief. "Have you found anything useful?" he asked.

"Yes and no," she said cryptically.

"What does that mean?" he asked a little flustered.

Bella could see his face turning pale. She had her suspicions about him for some time now, it seems like she was right to be suspicious.

"It means I have work to do and so do you," she said, finishing the conversation.

Angel rushed back to his desk and started to text someone on his phone. Bella did her best to ignore him.

After a few hours, she was sure that Angel was up to something, she just had to figure out how. She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Emily poked her head through and smiled.

"Sorry to interrupt you two, but just a heads up. People from head office are coming around for an inspection. They will be here in about ten minutes. Sorry for the last-minute notice but I was only just told too." She was blushing as she spoke which had Bella curious.

The only other time Emily had blushed like that was when Sam came to see her. Bella chuckled at her as she turned to Angel, who seemed to go even paler. Before either of them had a chance to even move there was a knock on the door. Angel seemed frozen so Bella called for them to come in. Emily opened the door, her face the colour of a tomato, as she brought two large imposing men into the room.

"This is the floor manager's room. Normally this room only has one person in it, but we have a special auditor in from New York," She spoke as two large men walked in.

Bella gasped in shock. Sam and Paul stood in the doorway looking at her. Bella was in shock; she couldn't understand what was happening.

"Bella! It's nice to see you again!" Sam greeted as he stepped forward holding his hand out.

She took it slowly. He then turned his attention the Angel, who shrank back. However, Bella couldn't take her eyes off of Paul.

'What did Emily say? Visitors from head office, did she mean these two? That means Paul works for this company too,' Bella's mind was racing.

"Hello, I remember you. My name is Sam and you are?" he asked as he held his hand out to Angel.

"I'm ... I'm Angel, the team manager," he stammered.

"Ah great, you can show me around. I want to see everything and who better to show and tell me everything than the manager."

Angel was pretty much manhandled out of the room not that Bella took any bit of notice. Sam shut the door behind him with a smirk. Paul stood staring at Bella. Neither moved nor spoke. Bella was still in shock.

"Bella?" Paul said as he took a small step forward. "Are you ok?"

Bella nodded slowly, then once his question fully registered she shook her head.

"Am I ok? Are you serious? Just who the hell are you?" she demanded, Paul sighed.

"I will tell you, just don't freak out until I have finished," he asked.

Bella glared at him and folded her arms. She gave him a look that said you better start or I am leaving. Paul sighed and took a deep breath.

"When we first met, I only told you my first name," he said and Bella nodded. "Well my last name is ...… Lahote."

Paul could almost see the wheels in Bella's head starting to turn, her brows creased. He waited patiently for her to connect the dots.

"Lahote? As in the Lahote Development Company? As in the company I work for?" she asked and Paul nodded. "So, does that mean that you're the owner of the Lahote Development Company?" she asked, again he nodded. "That means you're my boss's boss, right?"

He nodded again and sighed. Bella went pale, Paul took a step towards her. She took a step back.

"I wanted to tell you when I found out who you were, but I couldn't until I knew more about you," he explained.

The background check flashed through her mind again, making her angry.

"You could have just talked to me!" she shouted. "Then you would have found out about me, I don't have any secrets."

Paul's shoulders sagged.

"I know I should have, but I've made a mistake like that before. Please give me a chance to explain properly," he pleaded, Bella shook her head.

"I'm sorry Paul but no, there's no point. We've already started off on the wrong foot too many times," she sighed. "I will be finished here soon anyway and then I'm going back to New York."

She wasn't lying she was close to figuring it all out and all she needed to do was connect the dots and then she was done. Bella knew nothing else could happen between her and Paul. Even if she ignored the lies and background checks, they still lived in different cities. She knew it was pointless. Paul took out his cell phone and Bella watched curiously as he dialled a number and put it on speaker.

"What's up boss?"

Bella recognised that voice. That was Jake, her boss in New York, the one that sent her here.

"Sorry to bother you Jake, but I'm keeping Miss Bella Swan in New Orleans for the time being. I need her expertise," Bella's eyes widened.

"Sure, no problem, thanks for telling me."

Paul hung up and looked at her. He had thought he had done a good thing, this way they could get to know each other better. However, when he looked into her eyes he changed his mind. Bella was seething, Paul instantly realised he had just fucked up again. 'Fuck!' he thought as Bella packed up her things and left.

"Shit!" he shouted out to the empty room as Emily came in.

"Is everything ok sir? What happened with Bella? She looked really angry," she asked.

Paul walked past her without saying a word. Emily followed him and grabbed his arm, stopping him. Both Paul and Sam were looking at her in surprise.

"What did you say to Bella?" she accused him, surprised at her own voice.

"Excuse me?" Paul asked.

"Bella is a wonderful person and amazing at her job. She was fine before you came in, if …. If …. If you've fired her, I am going to complain about you," she sounded stronger than she felt.

Both Sam and Paul were impressed. Paul gently pulled her hand off his arm.

"I have not fired her," he assured her.

"But then why was she so angry?" Emily asked concerned.

Sam stepped forward and took her hand out of Paul's. He really hadn't liked them touching despite the fact that he knew Paul liked Bella.

"Don't you worry, he most likely said something stupid and will now go and make up for it," he said cheekily.

Emily smiled and blushed. Paul stared at the interaction curiously. 'Sam might not be single much longer,' he thought as he left to find Bella.