Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tegz 
Because of course Eddie again chooses the worst possible places to say his damned piece. Althea was of course aware of the arrival of one of her newest employees, along with the quick high-tailing it of the others.
Uh huh. Gossip, was it? She didn't ask what the gossip was, nor did she point out that she would not give him a job. Althea eyed him levelly. "It isn't appropriate for you to be here, especially not to drop in unannounced, with a bouquet of red roses." A flower which clearly denoted romantic intentions, and he'd sure as hell not earned that right yet, especially after everything.
She gave him an incredulous look. That he'd just randomly decide to 'apologise' when he'd said himself that this little visit had supposedly been unplanned despite the roses -which lets face it aren't cheap- and that the intention was to congratulate her?
"I don't think you listen to anything I say, Edvard. Or if you do, you hear what you want to hear and nothing else at all soaks in. Its been months since I saw you last; if you really meant to apologise you would have made some effort to do so sooner. And again thank you for making another public declaration that paints me as mean and unreasonable because I'm not willing to compromise my standards or my self respect for a man who still has no idea who I am as a person, and reduces his supposed attraction toward me to my being pretty." It didn't impress her.
"I don't know if I can forgive you Eddie, because so far I've not seen a single thing to suggest that you actually listened to what I said to you when you made your little confession. I think you should leave now, and take your flowers with you. If you think you can put some big boy pants on and talk to me privately, you can owl me and I might agree to meeting with you, when I have the time. I hope your sister is well. The lifts are just there to your left, they'll take you back to the atrium and you apparently know your way from there."
She deliberately stepped back, away from him. It was a dismissal.
It seemed like they were destined to have what should be private discussions in public places like halls or in this case a reception area. Maybe it was his fault Edvard mulled to himself but he couldn’t change that now. Even if he wanted to, he doubted in any case that Althea would invite him to her office.
Of course she had to get defensive and pointing out that his being there now with a bouquet of roses was inappropriate. Trying his best to remain cool and collected he answered.
"If I always focused on what was appropriate I wouldn’t have come here in the first place. But I did since I wanted to lay what happened behind us."
Feeling his anger and irritation surge within, he defended himself hotly
“I listen Althea… I just don’t do or say everything that you think I should. And I couldn’t apologize sooner even if I wanted to. I have been caring for my sister in a remote retreat in the mountains without any connection to civilization. So forgive me for focusing on my sister in her time of need when I clearly should have been apologizing to you." Hmpf. Edvard didn’t understand her. Why did she have to be so darn complicated?
"I don’t go out of my way to make you seem unreasonable or mean. You make a good of job of that yourself. And just so you know my sister died." Flinging the bouquet of roses into a nearby trash can since he felt that no matter what happened next she wouldn’t accept them.
Grounding his feet he met her gaze.
"Now tell me what would it take me to get you to forgive me and to stop being so guarded around me? I want to get to know you, not hurt you. I’m not leaving this floor until you at least tell me that." Edvard wasn’t leaving even if his mind was telling him too.