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“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!”
