Denying Mr. Parks (The Parks #1) by Lilly James Read Free Book Online

muttered under my breath, throwing my Samsung back into my bag.
    “Okay, now I know someone has pissed you off.”
    I stabbed my fork into the remaining half of the chicken breast and cut it harder than I needed to.
    “Evey, you’re going to cut the whole fecking plate in a minute.”
    I looked up at him, then down at my plate and saw that the chicken was already cut. Damn Parks. Then I realised something and pointed to Alex with my fork.
    “You just said fecking .”
    He howled along with me, and that sort of put my distraction of Parks pissing me off to the back of my mind for the rest of the night.
    Alex shifted on his feet at the end of my path after he’d given me a lift home. I was rubbing at my arms from being so cold, but he stood beside me, not making any attempt to leave. I knew he wanted me to invite him inside. For a coffee? Yeah, right.
    “Thanks for tonight, Evey. Another date Monday?” he asked, his manner utterly hopeful as he moved closer.
    “Sure.” I shrugged. “Why not?”
    He bent down to peck me on the cheek, but I sensed he wanted more, so I moved away on a forced, uneasy laugh and turned it into a horrifyingly awkward situation.
    “Oh look at the time.” I looked at my wrist—even though I knew damn well I didn’t own a watch.
    “Sorry.” He chuckled, apologizing for wanting to kiss me.
    “I’m going to head in.” I pushed my head in the direction of the door so he’d finally get the hint.
    “Monday?” he called, giving a small wave.
    “Monday,” I agreed in haste.

 
    Chapter Five
     
    I headed to work the next morning, ignoring the black Jaguar outside my flat. I knew Parks had sent it because he, for whatever reason, didn’t want me riding the Underground. What in the hell gave him the right to dictate what I did? That made me even more determined to ride the Tube.
    After collecting my usual coffee from Starbucks, I made small talk with the girls and settled my bill with them. Apart from Steph, I had no other friends, but Mindy and Keira were forming a fresh relationship with me. I would normally have a friendly girly chat with them whilst waiting for my coffee, but that day, I was in no mood to talk.
    “Here you go, babe,” Mindy, who was originally from South India and had the most beautiful skin and the most extraordinary brown eyes, said as she handed me my paper coffee cup.
    “Thanks,” I muttered, passing her the money.
    “Why the frown?” She crossed her arms and pouted.
    I lifted my brows. “Work. Duh.”
    We laughed at my unenthusiastic remark as she gave me my change.
    “I thought you liked it?”
    “I do.” I sighed. “Just a complication hindering it at the moment.”
    “I’m sure you’ll figure it out, Evey,” she called after me when I tried to squeeze my way out of the shop.
    I stormed through the office door like a bear with a sore head. Clarke noticed my mood instantly. “Tell me, is your date the reason you’re wearing that frown, my girl?” He peered over his glasses as I took the seat at my desk and turned on my desktop.
    “No. It was… nice.” I didn’t have any other word to describe it.
    “Nice?” Clarke inquired flatly. Okay, nice wasn’t a great word. It was a shit word, actually, but that’s all I had.
    “Nice,” I agreed on a sigh. Clarke knew better than to go on at me, so he set me my jobs and we got to work.
    I had a productive morning, and by lunchtime I hadn’t heard a peep out of Parks. I was waiting for him to come and shoot me down for not going to his office like he demanded. I envisioned him with a ruler in his hand, ready to slap my palms with it for disobeying. But nothing. I was glad, really, because I would have given him a piece of my mind and would probably, most definitely, have been fired. What I did see, though, was Carla fuck-witting about and a lady that was seemingly Parks’s assistant doing the same. She was a big woman, maybe in her early forties, dressed immaculately and with dark blonde hair