Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Seraphine
Elliot got stuck late on a conference call, so I offered to head down and pick us up some lunch. Mostly because I needed to get out of the room before I combusted.
I sat across from him at his desk while he spoke and listened to those on the call with him.
Of course, they didn’t know I was there.
The dark looks he kept shooting my way were enough to have me crawling out of my skin.
The more he looked at me, the more I wanted to put on a show for him.
Before that happened, I had to get out of there.
So, I wrote him a note and slid it to him, letting him know I’d go get food.
He held up a finger, tugged open his drawer, and handed me his credit card that he took from his wallet. If he weren’t on a call, I would have argued. But I didn’t want to make a scene in front of whoever he was meeting with.
The cool air is refreshing, bringing my body temperature down to normal.
I go to the sub shop and order us each a sub and get myself a brownie.
I recently bought us reusable water bottles that I fill from the water fountain in the office multiple times a day.
Elliot told me he didn’t even know they were there.
I make sure he uses them now, so we aren’t wasting plastic.
It also ensures we both get a good intake of water daily.
It takes about twenty minutes to get the food, and then I’m hurrying back to the office. As the elevator doors are closing, the car already cramped, someone shoves their hand in to step on. It’s Harrison.
He smiles when he sees me. “I thought that was you.”
I smile back. “I do work here.”
He moves in close to me and I bunch my shoulders to make more room. It’s hot and stuffy in here, the mix of colognes and perfumes making a noxious scent.
I’d already scanned my card to get to the top floor, and I’m grateful when the last person gets off on the forty-third and the rest of the ride up is roomier. That doesn’t stop Harrison from standing on top of me though.
“Let me take you out for dinner tonight.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I’m working.”
“You get off at five.”
“Your father and I have to go over some things for a new project.”
“I’m sure he’ll make an exception.”
I huff out a breath, knowing I’m not going to get anywhere with him on this. He thinks because I work for his father, he can get his father to pull strings for me. If this is what he’s going to keep doing, no one is going to take me seriously. I don’t want that.
I’d thought of going back to school now that I have that opportunity, but I’m not sure what I would go for.
I like what I do now, though I’d like to be more than a secretary.
Only I know this is a field dominated by men, and if I want them to take me seriously, I need to work hard and prove myself.
Taking time off for dinner with my boss’s son because my boss said it was okay is going to make me look weak.
But Harrison makes me feel weak and small, and I don’t know why. I do know that I don’t like it.
When we get to Elliot’s office, I’m relieved. Though I can tell he’s shocked to see his son, and maybe not just that but him walking in here with me, he hides it well. Harrison doesn’t seem to have any idea that his father is annoyed by his presence.
I don’t like that either. I don’t want to be the reason they don’t get along.
I can’t be the reason a father hates his child. I just can’t.
For the first time in a while, I’m regretting what happened.
I’d fallen into this teasing game with Elliot over the last few weeks and have had fun.
I went completely overboard that first time and got revenge on Harrison because I was angry and not thinking clearly.
Nothing after that had been for revenge because I realized I didn’t like how it made me feel.
But Elliot’s attention is good. I like the way he looks at me, how he treats me with respect and like I’m a human.
I like that his words make me feel strong and give me confidence.
I like that he sees things in me others don’t.
Things I don’t even see in myself, most days.
Getting myself tangled up in a father-son relationship is a bad idea. After the way my father treated me… I just won’t be able to handle it if I’m the reason Harrison and Elliot have tension between them.
Yes, it was there before. But it’s clear I’m making it worse now.
Harrison never spoke of his father before and hardly talked to him at all.
Now he’s here all the time. Why? Because I’m here.
He isn’t being subtle about what he wants.
He’s trying to get back into my life. And though we only broke up close to two months ago, it seems like a lifetime ago.
So much has happened to me in that amount of time.
I feel like a new person. I don’t want to go back to who I was.
The last thing I need is to get caught up in Harrison, especially now that I’m no longer blind to the way he treats me. It’s like I don’t have a voice when I’m with him. Elliot helps me find my voice. Only a fool wouldn’t see what the right decision is.
“Harrison. I’m so glad you could stop by,” Elliot says to his son.
Most people would think he’s being genuine, but after spending so much time with him and seeing the way he is in meetings, putting on this facade, I know he isn’t glad his son stopped by.
“I had time between classes, so I thought I should pop in.”
Funny how he has so much time between classes to pop in now. Where was all this time when we were dating?
“Had I known, I’d have gotten you food too.” I place the bag on Elliot’s desk that he’s already cleared off. He works on getting them out of the bag while I get his blue water bottle and my purple one to fill up.
I take my time doing so, hoping Harrison will go before I return.
I don’t like him showing up here and ruining my day.
Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. He doesn’t ruin it, but he makes it difficult.
I feel safe and comfortable when I’m here, and when Harrison shows up, it makes me uneasy.
It reminds me of a time when I wasn’t happy.
The farther away from that time I get, the more I see how much better off I am. Without Harrison bogging me down and without my father’s toxicity, the sky is the limit.
When I get back to the office, Harrison is standing off in the corner on the phone. Elliot has our food laid out on his desk, so I take my usual seat, hand him his water bottle, and slide my sandwich toward me. He hands me a few napkins, one of which I tuck on my lap.
“How was your meeting?” I ask.
“Boring, as usual.”
I take a bite of my food, enjoying the different dynamics Elliot and I have. We can be appropriate and have normal conversations when needed. Though, if I’m being honest, it isn’t easy. The more time I spend with him, the more I want him.
“Is everything all set though?”
“It will be once my team gets on it.”
I reach for my water to take a sip, just as Harrison curses.
“I have to go,” he says, storming past us. “I’ll call you later.”
Elliot and I share a look, not sure which of us he’s talking to. Doesn’t matter. If he calls me later, I won’t answer.
“I was thinking…” Elliot says, taking a napkin to wipe his mouth.
“Uh-oh,” I say with a smile.
“Let me take you for dinner tonight.”
“Dinner?” I ask, unable to hide the shock from my voice.
“Sure. You’ve been doing so well here, and I think you deserve something nice. I want to do that for you.”
I don’t even have to think twice.
“Yes.”