5

CHAPTER 5

JENNY

“Damn! I still can't believe you told Aiden no. He's such a perfect boyfriend” Stacy said as we plated our food at the little party my parents had set up in our backyard, courtesy of our graduation.

“And that's exactly why I said no, Stacy. He's too perfect for me” I responded and she turned to face me.

“Are you sure that's all, Jenny?” She asked and I sighed. She was always good at reading me.

“I just graduated from college and I've got my whole life ahead of me. So marriage isn't the first thing on my mind at the moment, okay? Aiden can't rush me into something I'm not ready for just because he wants it. I love him but no… not enough to want to say yes to marriage with him”

I explained how I felt to her without leaving any part out and she dropped her plate of food to take my hand. Then she smiled at me and nodded her head in understanding.

“I get you… We've got many years ahead of us so why rush, right?” She tried to relate and I smiled.

“Yeah, right” I agreed and she squeezed my hand.

“Don't feel guilty about what happened, okay? You just placed yourself first–as you should, and did what was best for you. Aiden will eventually be alright” she tried to make me feel better and we hugged. Then she pulled away and picked up her dinner.

“Now, I'm going to take a seat outside and eat. I’m starving” she told me and I waved her off before she walked out of the kitchen through the backdoor, leaving only me in there.

Soon, I heard footsteps behind me as I placed a burger on my plate and I looked back to see it was Sebastian.

The cooking tong in my hand fell as we stared at each other and I quickly looked away before swallowing hard to calm myself down.

I wasn't expecting to see him because Stacy never said anything about him joining us for the party. I thought it was just going to be the two of us and my parents.

But I should have known he would show up unannounced.

Especially after witnessing the spectacle between me and Aiden. He must have had a good laugh and probably came to torture me with his presence.

Silence heavily settled in the kitchen as I picked up the tong and rinsed it. Then I placed it on the table before taking my plate of dinner to leave… more like running away.

“Thanks for not telling Stacy about what happened that night” his voice suddenly broke the silence between us and I stopped walking as we stood side by side.

“I did it for myself, not for you” I snapped without looking at him and he sighed while tucking his hands into his pockets.

“So tell me, Jenny… Did you turn down your boyfriend's proposal because of me?”

He asked and I finally met his gaze. His forest green eyes searched mine for an answer as I found the right words to say and after what felt like an eternity, I forced a cold smile and tilted my head to the side.

“No, Sebastian. Not everything is about you and by the way… Having such a discussion in my parents house isn't a good idea” I fired and I wondered if I was being honest to myself.

Did I turn Aiden's proposal down because I wanted to? Or was it because of Sebastian who still had a space in my mind and made me feel this annoyingly mixed emotions about him?

“Then when can we have a proper discussion? I haven't seen you in six months”

“How about never, Sebastian? You're the one who told me off first and I'm just sticking to what you asked of me… So lay off and quit asking me weird questions”

I snapped as my temper started to get the best of me and he eyed me closely, his eyes accessing my countenance.

“About that message, I was just being careful, Jenny. I didn't want Stacy to find out” he said and I scoffed in disbelief.

“What about me? Did you think about me before making your advances? Or were you only interested in getting it on?” I gritted my teeth as I shook all over in rage.

“We both wanted it, Jenny. You're the one who walked up to my room and we both had fun that night… didn't we?” he asked and I shook my head.

“Thinking back now, I can say I regret it. I shouldn't have given in to your convincing words only to be reduced to a one time fling” I spat and he stared at me for a few seconds.

“You're angry…”

“No shit, Sherlock!” I fired at him and the door to the kitchen was pushed open at that moment.

“What's going on here guys?” Stacy asked while she stood by the door and watched us both and I quickly took two steps away from Sebastian.

“I was getting a glass of water and pissed Jenny off by asking about the proposal” Sebastian quickly came up with a believable explanation and Stacy was surprisingly quick to believe it.

“Dad! You shouldn't be asking her such a sensitive question, of course it'll piss her off” she scolded him and with that, she walked into the kitchen and fetched him a glass of water.

“Now, can you please leave?” She begged and he briefly looked at me before drinking the whole cup of water. Then he left and Stacy took my hand.

“Come on, let's have dinner together”

**********

A WEEK LATER…

“Jenny, I spoke to my dad about hiring you and he's cool with it. He even said he could make you his secretary if he's impressed with your credentials. What do you think?”

Stacy suddenly dropped the bomb on me while we were out on a lunch date and I almost choked on my boba tea as my eyes widened in shock.

“You what?” I shrieked and she rolled her eyes at me.

“I knew you'd overreact but my dad's company pays well so I wanted to help” she explained and my heart fell as I sat back in my chair and imagined working for Sebastian as his secretary.

Chaos… it was going to be chaotic because we weren't getting along at all. So why would he agree to hire me? What was he playing at?

At the same time, Stacy was right. I needed the money because I couldn't entirely depend on my parents anymore and I even planned on moving out soon. So this job was going to be a great start for me.

“So I have to go for an interview?” I asked her and she shook her head.

“Nope. All his team needed was your CV and you'll get a response via email by the end of tonight” she smiled knowingly and I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Stacy Anderson. When did you apply for this job for me?” I asked her and she giggled.

“A night after our graduation” she confessed and she laughed hard when my mouth fell open. How could she keep it away from me for so long?

Many instances ran through my mind as we ate and chatted and I couldn't help but wonder…If I got the job, would Sebastian act like a boss toward me or would he try to be more?

I tried to not let it get to me and instead focused on having fun while hanging out with Stacy. Then I returned home for the night and got ready for bed and immediately I laid in bed, I received a notification.

Turning on my phone to check, I saw it was an email from the company and my heart skipped a beat as I tapped on the screen to see if I got the job or not.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hello, Miss Jennifer Mason.

This is ANDERSONS & CO and we're reaching out to inform you that you have been given employment for the position of a secretary to the CEO.

Work begins from Monday and we look forward to receiving you.

Congratulations Miss Mason.

ANDERSONS & CO.

~~~~~~~~~~

Holy shit. I got the job!