6. Chapter Six
There’s a vast disparity between thinking before you do something and thinking that you thought about it before carrying out your actions.
I had not carefully considered this plan, and it became apparent that there was no Plan B. My mouth moved faster than my head, and I blurted out the most ridiculous thing ever.
Fiancée? As I continued with the presentation, I was no longer delivering with the force of passion I initially had but with head knowledge from delivering the same.
My voice is barely audible to me. Someone would point out if they cannot hear me, right? The words dance before my eyes as I get to the last slide. There could be a catastrophe if I do not sit down and gather my thoughts in the next ten minutes.
I proceed to close the curtains on the presentation; there is no going further with this.
“You all have made an excellent choice to join Selware, and I am convinced you will enjoy your stay here.”
“I will let Jenny here continue with the presentations, and I hope to see you more often.”
My eyes fight to not look at her to avoid further embarrassment and eyes feeding for emotion of any kind.
“Before I forget, there will be a staff party in a few days just to unwind and get to know one another better. I hope to see everyone here on that day.”
“Jenny will share more details on that later. I need to run off now. Congratulations once again.”
Jenny stretches out her hand to take over the controller from me. I glanced at her before handing over the tiny remote that kept my hands steady throughout the presentation.
The recruits offer a standing ovation and a resounding clap when I make to leave, but none of that affects me right now.
Avoiding the salutations of other staff, I hurry into my office like I am in a hot chase with a cheetah who lacks mercy for a seemingly weak opponent.
Samantha tries to make me glance through some documents before I proceed to the next meeting, but I stop her right in her tracks.
My head is not in the right frame to contain any information that requires processing. She probably has no clue what I have done either, and I needed time to think of how to fix this.
The horror in Lea’s eyes as I spewed the unintelligible rescue words of her being my fiancée flashed before my eyes again. How do I remedy this situation?
My door bangs louder when I close it as I walk into my office.
From the order of events, Jenny showed me earlier, they should take a break in a few minutes. This would be a good time to calm her nerves.
Hesitantly, I pick up the documents needed for my next meeting, my phone, and a paper towel to wipe out the sweat from my forehead in an air-conditioned environment of fewer than sixteen degrees.
Opening my door like a little kid playing hide and seek, I go through the kitchen area and hear voices that make my heart stop.
“I’m sure she got this job from sleeping with the CEO,” the first voice said.
“That lady will give anything to work in Selware.”
“Who knows what position she would work in? CEO’s toy, maybe?”
They laugh at the improper jokes they just made about Lea, and I am tempted to fire them in that instant. However, one rash decision was enough for today.
They scurry to grab their lunch like scared kittens as I clear my throat to cut their conversation short. Their eyes follow me as I walk past them to the side door of the conference room.
Now, more than ever, I am grateful for the architectural style of the building and the fact that each room has a smaller room attached to it. This one was coming in handy now.
I see her through the glass window in the conference room and stick my head out of the door, signaling for her to come in.
She tiptoes towards me as if making sure the lions in human skin do not hear her footsteps and mistake her for prey.
When she walks in, she lets out a deep breath; she probably never realized she was holding in.
Her hair still appears in a beautifully chaotic curl around her face. She looks unarguably stunning in the navy blue corset-style blouse she has on, with black pants and stilettos.
Breathtaking. That’s exactly how she looks. I struggle to keep my eyes off her and concentrate on what is most important right now.
Being in this confined space with her, I wondered if she could hear my heart beating fast within the walls of my chest. Why did being with her make me feel this way?
I take in her scent, a unique fragrance from last night, but it still makes my nostrils tingle. Taking in more of her, I am brought back to reality when I hear her speak louder to me.
“What the hell is going on, Damien? Fiancée? How could you say that?”
I gather my distracted thoughts together to let out a reply that doesn’t show my genuine emotions. She has received enough embarrassment for one day and anything further will only make things worse.
“You know, you should thank me for saving your back from Jenny and from getting fired.”
“If I hadn’t done this, you would be on your way out of here without your job,” I say emphatically.
She responds grudgingly, “Thank you for saving me.”
“Now, why did you have to say the word fiancée? You could have said a million other things, but that.”
A million other things like the truth?
“Well, I was thinking on my feet, and that was the only valid excuse I could think of on the spur of the moment. Would you prefer I say you overslept from drinking too much wine last night?”
“You wouldn’t dare say that.” She stares at me like a little girl threatened with her lollipop. I cannot help but laugh a little as she continues with her rant.
“Come to think of it, how in heaven’s name are you the CEO of Selware, Damien? No one ever tells me anything!”
“First, I find out you’re my next-door neighbor, and now you’re my CEO?”
Kelvin. I slap my palm over my face as I think of the mess that could have been avoided if the man had simply let everyone know important information like this one.
“Wait…do you mean Kelvin never told you about this? I founded this company two years ago, the same year he was called to the New York bar. Didn’t he know you got a job in Selware?”
How hard could it have been for him to inform her she got a job at my company? He needs to be taught basic communication skills at this point.
“I told him I got a job as an executive assistant, but we never discussed where I got the job, as he was swamped around the time. Why does no one ever tell me things?”
“He also didn’t tell me you got a job at my company. I woke up this morning and wanted to come to your place to check on you.”
Letting her into my thoughts, I tell her what I almost did earlier in the day.
“However, I didn’t want to disturb your preparation for work, so I killed the thought. If I had known you were coming to my company, I certainly would have even offered you a ride or anything else to ease your stress.”
She rolls her eyes and lets out a tired grunt. Placing her head on the wall, she jolts up like a scorpion has stung her skin. Her reaction makes me jerk forward as well.
“You are avoiding the main topic right now, Damien. How do we resolve this mountain of lies that we have cooked up, or rather, you have cooked up for everyone in your office?”
It was not a sting on her skin after all; it was one in her mind that caused her reaction.
“One thing is certain, it worked. If it didn’t, Jenny would have sent you out the minute you struggled with Jack to get into the conference room.”
“I’m also glad you got the job. I heard the process was a rigorous one. Congratulations, Lea!” I say to reassure her as my heart beats restlessly.
“Thank you, Damien. Stop avoiding the crucial question.”
“As for the elephant in the room, we just have to go through with it and eventually come clean. We could say that we broke off our engagement, as we had irreconcilable differences.”
Sounding as calmly as I can to calm her nerves down. If she had heard what the other recruits were already saying about the situation, she would have been caught dead in her tracks and would never have come back here.
That bullying is something I will never allow in Selware. Thankfully, she’s the new executive assistant in my office, as Samantha will be on maternity leave soon. After the baby, she’s planning on moving back to her hometown.
“What happens all the while before we’ve broken things off? Would we just go around like an actual couple?”
“That’s what it means, Lea. It becomes an obvious lie that people can see through if we do not.”
She paces around like she is getting ready for a marathon or one of those events she used to take part in. Her teeth hold her lips as she nibbles on them again.
I recall seeing her do the same while the presentation was going on and all the years I’ve known her. Nibbling her lips was a sign of raking nerves.
“I noticed you doing that during the presentation. You always do that when you’re nervous.”
Her eyes seemed to light up a bit at my words, and I pumped my fist in the air mentally. She needs to be calmer to go through the whole day.
“Let’s say we go through with this. Everyone in the office is going to look at me differently. They won’t let me be ‘me’ and will place me under your shadow. They will say I have ‘CEO Privileges’ and will not value the worth of the work I put in here. Even when we…when we break off our engagement.”
The conversation I overheard between the recruits in the kitchen replays in my mind again. Sadly, they were already saying the things she dreaded, but it would take time for the side talk to fade away. That’s how it is with office rumors.
“Don’t worry about that, Lea. This will be over before you know it. Everyone is busy around here, so no one would have time to notice what is a lie or not.”
Could it be as easy as I make it seem? I’m unsure, but we can never know if we don’t try.
Her phone buzzes and shields her from the awkward moment.
She lets out a sigh of relief, and I guess it is a sign of good news from the text. At least one good thing from this morning’s madness.
Lost in thought, she props her back to the wall again as she glances at her phone again.
I take in her appearance and notice the freckles beneath her eyes. It’s not my first time seeing them, but they seem conspicuous and gorgeous this time.
They blend in perfectly with her golden brown eyes, which have a bit of glitter in the mix. Her collarbones accentuate her shoulder, and the corset blouse amplifies her curves.
Business calls as my reminder alarm goes off. I checked my wristwatch and realized I had less than twenty minutes to arrive at the conference room on the sixth floor.
“Lea…I am already late for my next meeting, so I need to run off. Don’t be worried, there’s no lion here that is going to eat you up. Blend in with the other recruits and have a good time. Welcome to Selware, Lea!”
I place my hands on her shoulders as I smile at her to cheer her up. There’s a temptation to plant a kiss on her forehead, but I shake it off as fast as it comes.
She tries to give off a fake smile and giggles like a girl playing hide and seek. We both end up in laughter.