[009] too close for comfort

                               Today was Thanksgiving and she was already starting the day off underneath another man.

                               Realistically, Alice knew that she needed to get ready for the Roys' thanksgiving dinner. Her parents were already going which meant that Alice had to go. But, of course, she had to make sure she had a little bit of fun first. Now the fun was over and Alice was pushing Harvey off of her, sitting up in his bed. His wife was nowhere to be found which was the only reason why Alice and Harvey were bold enough to fuck in his house again. 

                              Alice tries to put herself in his wife's shoes. She tries to picture being married and imagining her husband cheating on her. She tries to think about how awful it'd make her feel... but Alice is incapable of it. Alice wasn't the type of woman to ever marry and even if she did, she'd be doing just as much dirt as her future husband so it was difficult to empathize with Jillian. 

                              "Do you really have to go?" Harvey questioned, reaching out towards Alice in an effort to keep her in bed. But it doesn't work.

                              Alice scoffs, standing up to her feet so she could find her clothes and put them on. "Don't be clingy. It sounds pathetic."

                              "Then I guess being around you makes me pathetic. I can't help it," Harvey responded.

                              "It's just a crush. Mere infatuation. You'll get over it in no time,":Alice shakes her head.

                              Harvey doesn't think so, but he stays silent, watching Alice get dressed. Obviously, she wasn't going to show up to the special dinner like this. She had to rush back home and wear the dress her mom had picked out for her. Marlo Kim didn't want her daughter looking like a slut. But little did she know, Alice was going to wear her own dress.

                              She was the editor-in-chief of one of the top fashion magazines. Who would Alice be if she was incapable of dressing herself?

                              "I'm not used to this," Harvey then remarked as Alice finished buttoning up her shirt.

                              "Sleeping with women behind your wife's back? I thought this was a regular thing you did," Alice furrowed her brows in confusion.

                              "I mean, not having you chase after me. I'm used to women chasing after me. Begging to spend more time with me or making me try to leave my wife. But you don't do any of that. You're like a man when it comes to sex and I feel like the mistress," Harvey explained.

                              "If you want me to pretend to give a shit, I can. But what's the point when all of this will be over soon?" Alice shrugged.

                              And with that, Alice leaves without giving him the satisfaction of answering her. But maybe... that was for the better. Harvey didn't have an answer for that one. He didn't want things to end between him and Alice. As foolish as it sounded, he wanted things to remain permanent. Why not have his marriage and his affair at the same time? Harvey was a man used to having his cake and eating it too.

                              But Alice wasn't giving him the chance. Simply put, she was getting bored with him. The thrill of the illicit affair was beginning to wear off and now it just wasn't the same. Sooner rather than later, Alice was going to move on to someone else. But until she found that someone else, Alice would continue to see Harvey because it was better than being alone. 

                              When Alice made it back to her apartment, her phone rang as soon as she walked through the door. Alice locked the front door behind her before checking to see who was calling her. It was Roman who was probably the only person Alice wanted to talk to.

                              "Hello, bitch," Alice greets with a smile.

                              "Happy thanksgiving to you too, slut. Are you getting ready now or what?" Roman responded back.

                              "Of course I am. You know I wouldn't miss your family's fucked up thanksgiving for anything in the world," Alice chuckled.

                              "Well, hurry up, I'm bored," Roman whined and Alice could picture him sprawled out on the couch or the bed, looking like a poor little orphan.

                              "I'm so sorry to hear that but I have to be fashionably late, duh. Besides, you have Grace to keep you company, don't you?" Alice shakes her head.

                              "Yippee," Roman replies in a less than enthusiastic voice, "What are you wearing?"

                              "Nothing at all," Alice teased with a smirk.

                              "That's what I love to hear. But seriously, what are you wearing to dinner?" Roman questioned.

                             Alice bit her lower lip, glancing down at the dress her parents had picked out for her to wear. It was formal and professional, something an editor-in-chief would probably wear. But it just wasn't Alice's style. "Hm, I think I have an idea. It's probably going to piss off my parents though."

                            "Since when has that ever stopped you, Alice Kim?" Roman remarked.

                           "Fair point," Alice grinned.

                            She was probably going to earn the wrath of her parents (yet again) but Alice was going to make sure that she looked good for tonight's dinner. Even if she felt like shit, she was never going to have a bad fashion moment.

( 🥀💔🍸 )

                             "Happy Thanksgiving," Marcia Roy, in all her glory, says with a smile as Alice walks into Logan Roy's apartment, the place just as elegant and clean as it had been the last time Alice had been there. She doesn't think she's ever seen a single thing out of place. "You look beautiful, by the way."

                             She was wearing the dress of her own, looking absolutely stunning in all black. The dress was short and had a plunging neckline, leaving little to the imagination. This dress was definitely more Alice's style than the last one had been. And Alice knew that she looked absolutely amazing in it so there was no problem.

                              "Thank you. So do you," Alice responds with a smile.

                              Her smile falters when she sees her parents now approaching her. And although they had a smile on their lips, Alice could see just how pissed they were in their eyes. Alice was fully prepared for the lecture that was bound to come.

                              "Alice, darling, may I speak with you for a moment?" Marlo asks, flashing Marcia a friendly smile before focusing her glare directly on her daughter.

                              "Do I have a choice?" Alice murmured, but she follows behind her parents regardless into a private room so they could talk.

                              When they were all inside of the room, Marlo closed the door behind all of them. Alice made sure to put as much space between her and her parents as much as possible, determined to remain on guard for whatever vitriol they were getting ready to throw her way.

                              Iseul frowns, turning to look at Alice. "What the fuck are you wearing?"

                             "I'm wearing a dress, Dad. You have to know what that is," Alice retorted.

                             "Don't get smart with me," Iseul warns her, narrowing his eyes at her.

                             "Sorry," she instantly apologizes, hating how she quickly reverted back into being a child all over again. No matter how much distance she put between her and her parents, it wouldn't change shit.

                             "What happened to the dress we picked out for you? That one was more respectable and less revealing than... this. Your breasts are out," Marlo frowned, pointing directly at her daughter's lack of cleavage. 

                              "The other dress was nice but I felt as though this one represented me more," Alice weakly explained.

                              "It makes you look like a whore, Alice. You've embarrassed me and your mother plenty of times before but this was the last place I'd expect you to do that," Iseul remarked.

                              "It's just a dress and it's one I look amazing in, so I don't see what the problem is," Alice argued.

                              "Of course you wouldn't, you insolent child," Marlo scoffed.

                              "I'm not a child," Alice responded, her hands balled up into fists. Although she had a feeling that she'd regret standing up to her parents like this, Alice was getting really fed up constantly being called a child.

                              "What did you say?" Marlo questioned, tilting her head to the side.

                             "I'm not a child, Marlo," Alice glared directly at her mother as she spoke the words.

                             It's her father who grabs Alice by the chin, harshly shoving her against the wall. Alice gasps in surprise as she hits the back of her head. Out of all the things she expected her father to do, it wasn't this. He hadn't attacked her like this in years. He swore he'd never do it again. Alice should've known better. Marlo attacked her with words, Iseul almost always became physical. He couldn't control his need to inflict fear into his only offspring. 

                             If he couldn't get his daughter to love him, he'd get her to fear him instead.

                             "Never forget your place, girl," Iseul spat, leaning in close and tightening his grip onto Alice's chin which made her unable to move. All she could do was look at him pathetically. "You may be an adult but you will always be my daughter. And your mother and I will not tolerate back talk from a disappointing child like you. Continue to embarrass me like this again and you will be dealt with. That is a threat, Alice, not a promise."

                             Iseul finally lets go of Alice, allowing her the chance to properly breathe. Her breaths come out shaky and her vision becomes blurry. She quickly sucks up her tears though, not wanting to cry in front of her parents. But as much as Alice tries, a tear slips down her cheek and Alice quickly wipes it away before either one of her parents could see.

                             "Get yourself together before you step out of this room. I want to see nothing but a smile on your face when you're out there. Do you understand me?" Iseul remarked.

                             Alice nods, feeling a faint pain in the back of her head that wouldn't go away. "Yes, sir."

                            Satisfied with her response, Iseul merely fixed his tie before leaving the room. Marlo, the dutiful wife, follows after her husband instead of checking on her daughter. She loved him more than she loved Alice but that wasn't shocking. Marlo Kim felt nothing for her daughter except regret, seeing a mistake every time she looked into Alice's eyes.

                             Alice sucks in a sharp breath before she fixes her hair, plastering a smile onto her lips and walking out of the room. With her head held high, Alice keeps her emotions hidden behind a wall and tries to maintain her smile. She holds it when she greets Tom and Greg and even Connor's escort girlfriend, Willa. She's a little surprised to be seeing Damian Han, another rich kid Alice had gone to school with years ago there. But when she sees Catherine close behind him, it suddenly makes a lot more sense.

                             "Are you okay?" Catherine asks instead of greeting her like everyone else. 

                             Catherine could tell that something was up with Alice, judging by the glossy look in her eyes and the way her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes. Catherine understood because she had been in the exact same position as Alice many times before. But seeing as Alice would rather kill herself before asking anyone for help, she opts to do what she does best. Lie.

                             "I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" Alice shakes her head.

                             "You seem a little upset," Catherine pointed out.

                             "I'm fine," Alice insisted.

                             "Well, you look fucking sexy. But before you go out there, I think we should touch up on your makeup," Catherine offered.

                             Alice couldn't help but agree.

                             The two women find a refuge inside of the bathroom, Catherine keeping Alice close to her as she does her makeup, the distraction helping Alice to forget about what had happened earlier. But the silence unnerves Alice and she has to say something. So instead of talking about herself, she decides to bring up something more important.

                            "I saw your new boyfriend earlier," Alice replied.

                            Catherine chuckles as she does the finishing touches on Alice's makeup. "Damian's not my boyfriend."

                            "He seems to really like you. And from the way you're blushing, you must like him too," Alice pointed out.

                            "It's complicated," is all Catherine says.

                            "Complicated," Alice repeats. "I think I know exactly what that means."

                            Catherine glances over at Alice, pulling away from her. "You and Rome are the very definition of complicated. I can't think of anyone more fucked up and weird than the two of you, and you haven't even fucked. Wait, have you two fucked?"

                              "No! Why does everyone seem to think that?" Alice rolled her eyes.

                              "Because my brother worships the ground you walk on, he hates all your boyfriends, and you're kind of a slut. The only reason I think you two wouldn't sleep together is because of Roman's... intimacy issues," Catherine admitted.

                              "Wow, thanks a lot. Are we finished here?" Alice raised a brow.

                              "Yeah, we're done here," Catherine chuckles.

                              Now Alice felt a little better with her makeup done, strolling outside with a little more confidence than before. She made her way to the main parlor room with Catherine close by her heels, although the two would soon part ways the moment they walked inside. Catherine went over to go and talk to Damian while Alice's eyes locked on Roman's.

                              He was sitting on the couch with Grace, sprawled out and looking like a bit like a bored child. Although he lit up dramatically when he saw his best friend.

                             "Allie, it's about time you showed up," Roman grinned, looking like a kid in a candy store as he hugged his pillow closely.

                             "I told you, I had to be fashionably late," Alice responded, sitting on a nearby lounge chair with her legs crossed.

                             "Hey, Alice," Shiv greeted next.

                             "Hi, Shiv," Alice nods over at the red head with a small smile.

                             Shiv then gives Alice a once-over, her eyes taking in Alice's appearance. "I love the dress. Definitely shameless. There's no way I'd be able to pull it off."

                             "Are you kidding me? You'd look so fucking hot in it. You have to let me style you sometime," Alice remarked.

                            "I'll think about it," Shiv chuckles.

                             "Besides, Thanksgiving's the one time you're allowed to dress like a slut and no one can judge you for it," Alice continued.

                              "I thought that was Halloween," Roman furrowed his brows in confusion.

                              "Whatever. I think it should apply to all holidays," Alice shrugged.

                             "How are things going with Moderne?" Grace spoke up, a smirk on her lips as she focused her attention onto Alice.

                             "Wonderful. I can't complain at all. I mean we're selling, like, billions of issues every day," Alice responded.

                            Speak of the Devil, she heard her mother's familiar laughter ringing throughout the halls and it's enough to make Alice's smile falter.

                            "Everyone was worried things wouldn't be the same with you taking over after your parents. But it seems like you're handling it on your own just fine. You haven't fucked up yet," Grace remarked, causing Roman to even look at her. 

                             It seemed as though Grace was in a particularly bitchy mood today.

                            Alice chuckles. "Thanks for the encouraging words. Remind me again, what do you do exactly?"

                            "I'm in between jobs at the moment," Grace replied.

                            "I'm sure you are," is all Alice says, her tone as condescending as the smile on her lips.

                           "So...," Shiv trails off, eager to change the subject, "How's it going?"

                           Roman and Grace share a look, obviously prepared to fuck with Shiv a little. Alice just leans back in her seat, waiting to see the bullshit that was about to unfold.

                           "So sorry to hear about your woman, Shiv," Grace starts first.

                           "You mean Joyce?" Shiv asks, focusing her sharp gaze onto Roman's girlfriend.

                           "Mm-hm."

                           "No, she won, Grace. She's a US senator."

                           Alice can't help but snort at Grace's blunder and Grace briefly glares at her before focusing her attention back onto Shiv. 

                           "No, I don't think so, because I...," Grace trails off, realizing that there was no use in arguing. She was wrong and trying to prove her point would only make her look like an even bigger idiot.

                            It's Shiv and Alice's turn to share an amused look, enjoying the mistake. Of course, they had very different reasons. Alice just didn't like Grace and Shiv didn't appreciate anyone trying to make her look like a fool.

                           "No, I'm pretty sure. I was there. I mean, I was up for seventy two hours. It was kind of a big deal for me. I've been asked to be senior advisor," Shiv continued.

                           "Oh, well, congratulations," Grace says next with a little smile.

                           "Thanks," is all Shiv says, her tone laced with a sarcasm that even makes Alice chuckle again.

                           "No. You did a great job because she was really quite... unlikeable," Grace adds.

                           "It's true. I never liked her," Roman nods.

                           Alice narrowed her eyes. "Since when did you give a fuck?"

                           "Hey, I have many interests, Allie. Not only am I incredibly fuckable but I also have a lot of emotional depth and intelligence," Roman pouted.

                           "I wasn't aware that lying to yourself was one of your talents," Alice retorts, head canted to the side.

                           "You wound me," Roman remarked, placing his hand over his chest and pretending to be hurt. That just makes Alice roll her eyes.

                           "I guess she's kind of... you know... she's kind of - kind of phony," Grace tries again.

                           "Kind of scary?" Shiv frowns, glancing over at her brother to see if he felt the same.

                           "She wanted to take all of my lovely money," Roman teased, laughing into his pillow.

                           "Right. So too fake and too real?" Shiv questioned, clearly not finding any of this funny. Alice feels a little bad for her.

                            "I guess she comes off as kind of a... bitch. But, like, you must get that a lot, right?" Grace explained.

                             "Yeah. You know, not usually from family... at Thanksgiving...," Shiv retorts before finally leaving the room, presumably to go and find Tom.

                             "Nice one, asshole," Alice says as she gets up, making sure to hit Roman in the back of his head as hard as she could.

                             "Ow!" he clutches the back of his head. "What the fuck did I do?"

                             "What don't you do?" Alice retorted.

                             "I can totally see under your dress," Roman replies, glancing up at her with a grin.

                             "Get a good fucking look then because it's as close as you're gonna get," Alice replies.

                             The both of them had quickly forgotten that Grace was right there, watching the two of them play around like no one else was around.

                             "I can see it all. You're so wet right now, it's disgusting," Roman replied, once again choosing to act crude.

                             "And I can see your boner through your pants. We really need to talk about your pain kink," Alice shot back, not missing a beat.

                             "Shut up!" Roman shouts, using the pillow to cover his pants anyway.

                             Alice just throws up the middle finger before leaving, unaware of Roman watching her the whole time. And Grace was just watching the two of them, feeling more like an outsider than ever before.

( 🥀💔🍸 )

                            After Thanksgiving dinner had finished, Alice decided to wander around the large apartment on her own. With everyone going through their own thing, no one had really noticed Alice slipping away. She needed to get away from the fake conversations and the judgmental gazes of her parents who loved making Alice feel small.

                           She had also managed to sneak a bottle of champagne in the process, taking sips from it as she wandered around the various guest rooms. Alice remembered when she was a child and she used to wander around her family's old mansion. It had seemed so much larger and terrifying back then. Now that she was older, she realized that it wasn't the house itself that had been terrifying. It was the people inside and the memories it contained that had made it so awful.

                           Alice ended up barging into one of the rooms, realizing that Grace was inside with Kendall's kids. They were all watching The Biggest Turkey in the World, which was a movie Roman starred in, and one he hated more than anything. Grace paused when she saw Alice standing in the doorway and Alice also paused, realizing how pissed Roman would be if he found out that she was watching it. Alice decides to leave altogether, taking a large sip from the bottle.

                           She didn't realize that Grace had left the bedroom and was now following after Alice, chasing her into another guest room. "Hey, Alice, wait up!"

                            "I don't want to get involved. I won't say shit but -," Alice began to say.

                            Grace grabs a hold of Alice's arm, causing her to stay in place. "I need to talk to you."

                            "What is it?" Alice sighs, setting the bottle down onto the nearby counter. "What do you want to talk about?"

                            "Roman," Grace answers, as though it should've been obvious.

                            "I said I wasn't going to tell," Alice replied.

                            "It's not about the stupid movie. It's about your relationship with him. You and Roman are close, I get that. But you two are way too close for comfort. It's uncomfortable," Grace explained.

                             "Oh my god. Please don't tell me you're jealous," Alice chuckles. Maybe that was a cruel thing to do but it was genuinely hilarious to her.

                             "I'm not jealous," Grace argued but the sour look on her face said otherwise.

                             "And yet you're pulling me off to the side so you can... what exactly? Warn me to stay away from your man? Roman and I are best friends, that's it," Alice snorted.

                             Grace scoffs. "You really expect me to believe that? I see the way you two look at each other. I see the way he looks at you. And given your reputation, what's stopping you from sleeping with Roman?"

                            "If I was sleeping with Roman, you wouldn't be around anymore. Do you really think he'd keep you around if he was with me?" Alice folded her arms across her chest.

                            "I don't know at this point. All I know is that you're always going to be his first choice. You're the one he keeps close, the one he tells everything to. That's never going to be me," Grace sighed, clearly frustrated. Things between her and Roman must've been worse than Alice thought.

                            Alice frowned. "Maybe you should talk to Roman about this. I'm not in the mood for this soap opera bullshit."

                            She storms off, harshly bumping into Grace's shoulder as she made her escape. She forgets all about the champagne, now on the hunt for something a little stronger. But she doubted the Logan Roy would be packing anything powerful enough to make Alice pass out. She walks into another guest room to clear her head, only to find that Roman was already in there. He had been looking for Alice the entire time, having been worried when he saw that she had disappeared from the festivities.

                          There was no way Alice could say he was a shitty friend now. Okay, maybe he was a bit shitty. But that was because he liked her a little too much.

                          "Hey, are you alright?" Roman asks, closing the door so no one could walk in and interrupt their conversation.

                          "I'm fine," Alice quickly answered. Between her parents and Grace, she was the very opposite of fine.

                          "You know, the more you say it, the less I believe you," Roman scoffed.

                          "Whatever, were you searching for me or something? Were you worried about me?" Alice taunted.

                          "Yeah, maybe I was," Roman shrugged, trying to seem more nonchalant than he actually was.

                          Alice pouts, seeing right through him. "Aw, did you miss me? Was my little slime puppy lost without me?"

                          "Fuck you," Roman spat.

                          "What are you waiting for then?" Alice grinned.

                          Alice wraps her arms around Roman's neck, pulling him closer. The two of them are inches apart and Alice is able to see the way his eyes darken. Alice doesn't actually expect for Roman to kiss her and yet he does, pressing his lips against hers before engaging in a passionate kiss. Alice quickly kisses him back, pressing him up against the wall as the kiss between them quickly intensified.

                         Neither of them were focused on the consequences or the fact that Roman still had a fucking girlfriend. In that moment, they were willing to forget about all of that and just give in to their hidden desires.

                         Alice grabbed Roman's hands, making sure to place them on her hips before she'd run her fingers through his hair. They'd only pull apart for a couple seconds to catch their breath before their lips would reconnect, continuing the kiss all over again. Although there was a little voice in the back of Alice's head screaming at her to stop before things could potentially go further, she didn't bother to listen to any of it. 

                         But unfortunately, someone else would interrupt them.

                        "Roman?"

                       Roman and Alice quickly pull away from each other, only to find that it was Grace who had caught the both of them kissing. Fuck, fuck, fuck! How could this have happened?

                        "I can't fucking believe this. I was right! I was right all along," Grace nearly shouts, looking absolutely upset.

                        Unable to take the heat, Alice did the second thing she's best at. She immediately ran, storming past a very pissed off Grace. She even ran past Catherine who had been in a deep conversation with Damian, instantly causing Catherine to pause the conversation and chase after Alice instead. Alice would make it as far as the front door before Catherine finally caught up to her, grabbing Alice and pulling her back by her arm so Alice would stop running.

                       "Where are you going?" Catherine questioned.

                       "I have to get out of here. If anyone asks, I'm dead," Alice replied, pulling her arm away from Catherine's grasp.

                       "Dramatic much?" Catherine snorts.

                       "I'll see you around," is all Alice says before she leaves the apartment.

                       All she could think about the whole time she ran away was how good it had felt to have Roman's lips on hers.

( 🥀💔🍸 )

word count: 4479
notes: here's chapter nine! this was way longer than intended but i hope you enjoyed the mess and the drama!