Chapter 5

August

The first thing I heard was the laughter.

It felt so freeing, so pure, echoing all around me, the grainy feel of hot sand burning beneath my feet, the wind rhyming with the bubbles of it.

It was coming from me.

“You are so cheating,” I gasped, catching my breath for the millionth time. “How is it fair?”

“I am not cheating, I am winning,” a voice answered back. It was male, strong and sure. “You just hate losing, August.”

I threw my head back, running down the seashore as my chest hurt from laughing even harder. “One of these days, I will beat you, cheat.”

“Oh will you?”

Strong arms wrapped around me, lifting me clean off the ground. I let out a sharp squeal, pushing against his shoulders.

“Put me down.”

“Accept you are a sore loser,” he retorted. “Just say it, I am a sore loser.”

“I am a sore loser,” I laughed. “Now down.”

He dropped me, still laughing. The vibration rumbled from his chest to mine, striking all the way to my toes.

I had never felt safer.

I pushed his chest, desperate to see his face when suddenly, all I could see was white lights racing towards me with speed.

“No,” I gasped, waking up with a start.

Ugh, every single night, I fell for the dream. Garrett peeked his head out of the bathroom, worried.“You good?”

“Yes,” I replied, clutching my head. “I just need my medicines, and I should be fine.”

“Here let me help you,” he replied, crossing the room to the medicine cabinet. He popped the pills into his hands as I poured myself a glass of water from the nightstand.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, taking the pills from him.

“Another dream?”

I nodded, swallowing them down. “I don't know how much of this I can take,” I groaned.

“The doctors said you shouldn't stress yourself trying to remember so hard,” Garrett replied, taking the cup from my shaky hands.

“What did you see this time?”

“It was the same. I was running on a beach, and then there was a car, it was all just a big blur.”

“Are you sure you don't want to stay home, baby?” His eyes were filled with concern. “Just so you rest well.”

“No, I am fine. I will go to work today.”

“Okay,” he smiled. “Would you like a ride?”

“No thank you,” I stood up from the bed and walked into the bathroom. The memories of the dream were so vivid, and for the first time, I had seen something that was not there before.

Green eyes.

Maybe I was just hallucinating. I splashed water across my face, then had a quick shower. By the time I was done, Garett had a plate of pancakes and orange juice out for me, along with some fruits.

I had breakfast quickly, then drove to the office. Throughout the drive, I couldn't stop thinking about the dream, even as I walked to the elevator that led to the last floor where I worked.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

“Woah,” I jumped back, blinking. Rebekah stood in front of me, bored. She was dressed in a similar fashion as yesterday except this time she was wearing a tan coloured suit. It was nice to see she allowed certain colours…

“You cannot be zoning into your head so much,” she groaned.

“Sorry, I just couldn't sleep well,” I smiled at her. “Here I am, ready to start my first day.”

“Wonderful. Well, follow me.”

We walked through the office as she explained every floor, what each office was for and how I was to interact with them. “This is the public relations team,” she smiled at the group of four students.

“Hi,” a girl raised her head up. “Do we know her?”

“She is Ross’ latest victim,” Rebekah smiled at her.

“Gee, wouldn't want to be you.”

“Thanks I guess,” I muttered. “When does Mr. Ginattoni come to the office?”

“He isn't here, girl , you can call him Ross,” Rebekah laughed, taking me to another floor. “And to answer that, well whenever he wants. You however would have to be present for him wherever he wants you to be.”

Shit. That was going to be a problem.

“Ross is a huge perfectionist, so I was not shocked he did this, but you are the only assistant he has actually given an office inside his office,” she said, opening the door to his room.

I stared in shock. Yesterday, this place was just a bat cave, everything screaming a man that loved his personal space. Today however, there was a small glass partition where the couch was.

“That's my office?”

“If you can call it that,” Rebekah replied, leaving against the door. I walked to the cubicle, opening it. A desk, similar to the one he has and a chair that rotated where placed there, perfectly facing his own desk.

“Wow,” I breathed.

“What exactly are you doing in my office, Rebekah?” Ross’ voice cut through.

“I was showing your latest assistant her new office.”

I shot up on my feet immediately. “Good morning, Mr. Ginattoni.”

He barely glanced at me, striding to his desk. “Good luck,” Rebekah mouthed as she left.

I sat down, confused. There was a laptop on the desk so I opened it. He hasn't even bothered to answer my greeting, even though I had put in so much effort, slicking back my hair so tight ignoring the ache that came with it.

Ignore that August. A good impression was all that mattered.

I managed to log in to the laptop. It was time to do some research in what exactly I had gotten myself into.

Ross Gibattoni.

There were many articles on him, all mostly scandals. I started reading, deeply engrossed when a shadow fell across my desk.

“What are you doing?”

I slammed the lid shut. “Nothing.”

His mouth was a thin line. “I need you to set up a meeting for me,” he looked down at me frowning.

“Who told you to do that?”

“What?” I was confused.

“Your hair.”

I touched it. “I heard a rumor that you liked this, so I wanted to make an impression,” I smiled, my face flaming.

Something dark flickered across his face.

“Don't. Leave it the way it was.”

He was way too intense. I struggled not to squirm, averting my eyes.

“The meeting,” I cleared my throat. “Who is it with, and what is it for?”

“It's with my board members. Set the meeting time for twelve pm.”

I typed down his instructions. I had no idea who the board members were but I would definitely ask Rebekah. “And the purpose of the meeting?”

“Yes,” he said, his voice low. “The purpose is to discuss my marriage proposal.”