Just a colleague

ISLA'S POV

HEY, MIND PICKING YOUR GODDAMMED CALLS???

It was a text message from Hailey. I hadn't even noticed it. There were 8 missed calls from her. I dropped the phone back on the bed. I wasn't in the mood to engage my best friend in a conversation. She'd definitely know I was not okay. My phone beeped again, I groaned frustratedly and picked it up with the intention  of switching it off when I saw Robert's text pop up on the screen.

8AM TOMORROW, YOU START YOUR JOB, DON'T BE LATE.

I scoffed as I shoved the phone away. Was he going to be so formal after abruptly ending the kiss and leaving me alone, locking himself away?

I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing. It was another text from Robert. The time was 5:25AM, I almost screamed,what the hell!

GOOD MORNING, ISLA. REMEMBER, YOU START YOUR NEW JOB TODAY. BE READY BY 8AM.

My heart squeezed inside of me. What was this sudden formality for?. A job as his secretary? I wouldn't have believed it in my wildest dream, but I couldn't deny the thrill of spending more time with him. I quickly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. A shower and a quick makeup routine later, I immediately felt refreshed and ready to face the day.

I had opted for a simple yet elegant outfit: a crisp white blouse paired with a tailored pencil skirt. I slipped on a pair of black heels and secured my hair in a neat bun. As I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of confidence. I looked both professional and striking, exactly the image I wanted to project. Just last week, I’d gone shopping for some exquisite office wear, and it felt good to finally put it all together.

I walked into the living room, the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air and making my stomach rumble in anticipation. To my surprise, Robert was already seated at the breakfast table, a plate of pancakes and a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

"Good morning," he greeted me, his voice low and steady, carrying an undeniable authority.

I nodded in return, suddenly feeling a wave of awkwardness settle over me. The air between us was thick with tension, and I could sense it in every glance, every word we exchanged.

"I made breakfast," he said, gesturing toward the table with a slight tilt of his head. "I thought it would be easier than stopping by a café."

I smiled and thanked him, sitting down across from him. We ate in silence, the only sound, the soft clinking of forks against fine silver plates. The atmosphere was heavy with the unspoken words that neither of us seemed ready to address. 

After we finished, Robert stood and began clearing the table. "I’ll take care of this," he said, his voice barely audible.

"No, let me help," I offered quickly, eager to break the silence that had settled between us.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded, allowing me to join him at the sink. We worked together, but my attempts to start a conversation were met with short, monosyllabic replies. It was clear that Robert was putting up a wall. He was trying to keep a distance.

I knew I had to tread carefully. I didn’t want to push him away any further than I already had. So, I decided to give him the space he seemed to need, letting the silence linger as long as he damn wants. For now, I would just go with the flow.

The drive to Robert's company was silent. Neither of us said a word, and the thick tension between us seemed to stretch the minutes into hours. I kept stealing glances at him, but his expression remained impassive, unreadable. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind. Why the silence? Was he angry with me? Or was it something else?

When we finally pulled up to the garage of the modern building, a surge of nerves hit me. It was my first day at work, and already I felt overwhelmed. I had never worked as a secretary before, and the pressure of it all was starting to settle heavily on my chest. But that wasn’t the only reason for my unease. The fact that Robert hadn’t spoken a word to me the entire drive was starting to grate on my nerves. I was beginning to get angry at him as well.

As we stepped out of the car and walked toward the building, a stunning woman approached us. She had long, flowing blonde hair that cascaded down her back, and her confident stride exuded authority. Her smile was bright and enthusiastic, but there was something about it that made me uneasy. Damn it, she looked spicy yet elegant.

Her gaze shifted from Robert to me, and the moment her eyes landed on me, her smile faltered, just for a second. 

"Robert," she greeted him, her voice sweet but with an underlying sharpness. "It’s good to see you." They exchanged a handshake.

She turned to me then, her eyes assessing, calculating. "And you must be Isla, I guess," she said, her voice cool, but I could hear the faint edge beneath the words. "I’m Mia."

I forced a smile, extending my hand, trying to keep my composure. "Nice to meet you, Mia."

Her grip was firm, too firm, almost like she was trying to assert dominance. "I’ve heard a lot about you," she said, her tone dripping with something I couldn’t quite place. Sarcasm? Disdain? It was hard to tell. "Well, Robert, I’ll see you later."

She walked away with a confident sway in her step, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was sizing me up. And why the hell was she addressing him by his first name? There was a familiarity between them, an intimacy that made my stomach churn. 

What had Robert told her about me? I turned to him, expecting some sort of explanation, but his expression remained as unreadable as ever. His face was a mask of indifference, and I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me the more.

"Who was that?" I asked, trying to hide how furious I was.

"Just a colleague," he replied, his voice flat.

I wasn't convinced. There was something more to their relationship, something that he wasn't telling me. Well, he has no reason to tell me right?