I hummed quietly to myself as I waited patiently for the ding of the elevator signalling that I had arrived on the sixth floor. Glancing at myself in the mirrored walls, I took a long, hard look at the white chiffon top and black pencil skirt I had on today. When the elevator doors slowly slid open, I strolled cheerfully past the various people in business suits clogging the corridors and made my way towards the staff lounge. My heart was sent into a sudden, fluttering frenzy when I spotted none other than my strikingly handsome boss roaming freely around the coffee area.When did he get here? I didn't even see him leave his office!After a few seconds of lingering in the doorway, I forced myself to stroll in. I could tell as I made my way across the room that everyone's eyes, including my own, were trained intensely on Nicholas as he gently refilled his coffee. His hair was still slightly scruffy, but I noticed that he seemed to have found a tie and the will to tuck his shirt in sin
The minutes leading up to 6 PM dragged on ridiculously slowly, and I felt as if it may just be time playing a trick on me in order to balance out the good that fate had recently brought into my life, because I couldn't conjure up any other possible reason as to why the hands of my clock seemed to have been stuck on 5:59 for the past ten minutes.Finally, the door of my office clicked open, revealing the marvelous sight of Nicholas Kendrick peering through the small gap."Ready to go?" he asked with a small smile on his lips.I nodded as I gathered up my phone and wallet before hurriedly following him out. As we stepped into the elevator, I told myself repeatedly to resist looking at him, despite the fact that I could tell that something had changed since lunch."Shane texted me; he has your laptop in the limo," he suddenly said out of the blue.It took me a good five seconds to soak up his statement. Oh my God. So he really did that?"Ophelia?"I realized that staying silent just made
Achingly slowly, the limo came to a stop, and as my eyes focused on the dimly lit exterior of the restaurant, I realized that it was definitely not the Italian restaurant Nicholas mentioned yesterday."We are not going to Aventi's, then?" I asked quietly."No. This place just opened up so l figured we should try it. Come, " he said, informing me about of the change of plans as he slid the car door open, stepping out as I paused momentarily to pull my skirt down."Come," he repeated again, slightly more forcefully this time, as I climbed out of the comfort of the car, joining him on the sidewalk.As my eyes tried to understand what the glistening golden sign hanging above us read, I felt a light tug on my lower arm, and then, without warning, Nicholas's hand latched onto mine. My natural instincts kicked in, and I yelped and tugged my hand away from his grasp."What are you doing?" I whispered as he turned around, reading my thoughts exactly."I don't want you to be dragged away by papa
At that moment, I was suddenly hit by the memory of a game Rianne and I used to play in college whenever the guys we liked were at the parties we were. It was a pretty foolproof game to play when you wanted to find out more about someone. I couldn't help but smile as I folded my hands on my lap and introduced it to Nicholas."Let's play a game," I began, and he glanced up, staring into my eyes as if he was searching for the reason as to why I had suddenly transformed into a teenager."A game?" he asked slowly.I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Yes, a game. I used to play it with my friends in college. It helps you get to know someone better," I replied.He dropped his wine glass down on the table slowly."Come on. I think we need this if I am going to accept a new laptop and a new phone too from you."That woke him up from his musings and he nodded to show that he was listening. I tried not to focus on the parts of his toned chest that I could see through his unbuttoned shirt now that
"Okay. I told you a very harrowing story so you could finally answer my burning question. Why are you so concerned with what l eat?"The words rolled off my tongue before I could even process why I was asking them, but he already promised that he would tell me the answer if I ate a decent amount tonight, which I most definitely had. I ate all of the starter which was broccoli soup and almost all of the main dish which included lasagna. I watched attentively as Nicholas's face suddenly morphed into a look of surprise, and then what looked a bit like annoyance."I thought you would forget..." he admitted quietly, not even acknowledging the waitress beside him as she dropped our desserts quietly on the table."Why would you think that?" I asked incredulously."Because..." He trailed off, sighing loudly, as he closed his eyes for a moment before shifting in his chair as if he was uncomfortable. I narrowed my eyes at him before he continued. "I know the way women act around me, Ophelia. Th
I scrambled through the glass doors looking like a literal madwoman; messy hair, minimal makeup with the absence of coffee slowing me down. I ignored the decent amount of judgmental stares I received as I walked through the reception. Patting down my hair, I waved absentmindedly at Sarah and I slid clumsily into the elevator. An odd feeling of deja vu swept over me as the doors slid shut, and I realized that it was because my less than luxurious flats did the same thing yesterday. l also happened to remember the endearing laugh that left Nicholas's lips when I nearly fell, face first onto the floor.Oh, Nicholas. How awkward was it going to be seeing him today? I felt a lot closer to him now, that was for sure, but not really in the way I wanted to be. I was hoping to walk in today having found out his favorite color and maybe where his parents were from, not a heartbreakingly tragic story about his origins. I didn't expect to get so personal myself either, but what he admitted to me
"Mr. Kendrick," I called out.He glanced up, his eyes widening at my poisonous tone."Why did you fire Diego?" I asked him.Without warning, he shot up to his feet and strolled up to me, standing mere inches in front of me before he spoke."Because he has a sharp mouth and I don't value that in an employee," he said simply, before turning and he began to hastily organize a stack of papers which were strewn over his desk."I have a sharp mouth and you haven't fired me because of it," I pointed out.He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "He came into my office with the wrong type of coffee, argued back when I said it was rather lazy of my assistant to be recruiting other employees to do her job, and then refused to tell me why you were incapable of doing it yourself. In my eyes, those are three perfectly good reasons to fire someone.""Maybe, they are, but.." I started but trailed off when he gave me a deadly glare, instantly rendering me speechless."Look," he said. "I suggest you go and
"Hey, Ophelia!" a female voice called out.Phina's liiting Pittsburgh accent caught my attention, and I spotted her balancing precariously on a ladder at the front entrance."How early did you guys get here?" I asked playfully as I approached her, and she just shook her head as she dipped her roller back into the paint can clutched in her hand."We wanted to get a head start. Cranky Collins is expecting this finished by today, remember?"I couldn't help but grin at the return of that creative nickname. "Smart move," I replied.She grinned in agreement, pointing to the supplies at her feet when I asked her where I could get my own roller."Oh, that's William over there, by the way. He is your replacement," she added.I turned and narrowed my eyes in the direction she pointed to, but all I could make out was a mop of curly blond hair atop another ladder. Phina noticed this and cupped both of her hands around her mouth before yelling. "William, this is Ophelia!"My cheeks flushed at how o