Chapter 10

CARMELA THOMPSON

"Could you bring these papers to Mr. Steele and have them signed?" I looked up to find Ms. McCarthy, my trainer, looking at me with a worried look.

I sighed as I put my pen down. I nodded at her and took the papers from her. She looked at me for awhile. I can tell that she wants to ask me something but when I avoided her gaze, she just left without saying anything.

I knew this would happen. Sooner or later, I knew I will speak to him, but for work at least. Trying my best to put on a poker face, I walked my way towards his office and gave myself a minute before knocking.

"Come in." I heard him say.

I struggled a little as I am holding quite a lot of papers but I managed to open the door eventually. My eyes immediately fell on him and he's busy with his laptop. He didn't say a word nor looked at me as I stepped inside and again, the pang in my chest didn't go unnoticed.

Clearing my throat, I said, "Ms. McCarthy wanted you to sign these, Mr. Steele." I said as I walked towards his table, leaving the papers on top of it, beside his laptop.

I heard him sigh. Keeping his eyes off his laptop then to me. I immediately looked away, afraid that if I looked a little longer, I might cry for whatever reason I could make up so instead of making myself look like a fool, I decided to just looked down with my hands clasped together.

He started signing the papers and I'm sure it won't take just a few minutes so I decided to just go away and leave him alone--like what he wished and asked of me before.

"May be, I should just come back for the papers." I said. As I turned around and took a step towards the door, he stopped me, like he always did.

"No. Just wait for it." He said with full authority yet it sounded like a plea at the same time. 

Shrugging off that impossible thought, I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. Nodding my head, I turned to find him looking at me.

His eyes, darn those eyes. They always have something I cannot decipher. A set of emotion that confuses me every single time I catch them digging holes into my own ones.

I cleared my throat and that kind of pulled him back to his senses. He then went through the papers and I am growing impatient standing here, waiting for him to finish everything that will surely take at least ten minutes.

I can't stand being in his office, breathing the same air, because the more I stay with him, the more I think about what happened that night. My mind keeps reminding me of that kiss we shared. Of how excited I became when he asked me to kiss him back. How my skin melted from his touch. How he said I was his that made me think, yeah, I am yours but what I cannot forget the most is how my heart broke when he gave me that look.

The look that told me everything he felt. That everything was a mistake. A mistake he didn't want and he will never repeat. As much as I wanted to leave him and take a hold of my pride that night, I had no choice but to ride with him.

The woods he had brought me was far and it felt like we drove for three days because of the silence between us. Neither of us talked during the ride and the silence was deafening. After he dropped me home, I cried again, just like the first time I cried for him. I cried myself to sleep but unlike the first heartache, I showed up in his company.

I came the next morning like nothing happened and went on with my life as his secretary. From then on, I never talked to him unless it was about work. I only greeted him and he would just look at me and then leave.

For almost a week now, it has always been like that and I keep telling myself that it is how things work. It is how things are done and are supposed to be so I should act like it. Like a professional and keep my personal feelings all to myself. But, I have to keep the kiss off my mind too, which is giving me a hard time to be honest.

"Done." He announced and I couldn't be any happier that I would finally step outside, away from him.

I walked towards his table and picked up the papers. I checked to see if everything's signed and clear. Once I was done, I looked at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Steele." I said and then dragged myself out.

*****

"Carmela, honey, are you alright?" I looked at Cyrene and she's looking at me as if I am some kind of an unidentified object.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" I said defensively. I forced a laugh and played with my food.

"Come on! What happened the night you brought him home? Did he do anything to you? Did you fight with him? Ms. McCarthy said that you seemed off these past few days." She asked. I know she is worried but I don't want to talk about it. I just sighed and smiled sadly at her.

"Nothing happened. I'm just tired." She looked at me for a while. She nodded in understanding. I know she doesn't believe me when I told her nothing happened but I'm glad she didn't push the topic more.

I know that she knew something is not right at how she is looking at me now. I just have to pretend like everything is alright to avoid questions.

"Okay." She said then she picked up her phone from the table when it made a small sound.

I just looked at her while I leaned on my chair. It's almost 4:30 in the afternoon. Soon, I'll be getting off work. I won't be taking any over time because I need to some time alone. I don't want to wait outside his office because nothing good will come out of it anyway.

"Are you free tonight?" Suddenly, this question filled my ears. I looked at Cyrene and she's smirking.

What a beautiful smirk she got there. I thought.

"I guess so?" I said as I try to think of the things I would do later.

Probably nothing.

"Good. You're coming with me." She said then she put her phone back on top of the table. I sighed.

"I don't know. I'm tired and I want to rest. I didn't get enough sleep last night..." She then raised her hand--her palm, facing right in my face to shut me off.

"You're definitely coming with me." She said as she nods her head. Her eyebrows raising up and down. I know she's up to something.

"But the last time I went clubbing with you, a guy was punched." I closed my eyes, feeling really tired and drained about the things I don't know.

You know it's about Cyrus and the kiss. A voice whispered.

"Tonight will be different." She said smirking at me. And when she smirked, it means bad luck, at least for me.

"But..."

"Hurry and eat that pie already and get your stuff, I'll wait for you in front of this building." She said leaving me with no other choice.

Two hours later, I am standing in the entrance of a mansion. I didn't expect Cyrene to bring me in a birthday party of someone unknown to me.

I was about to run away when she pulled me by my arm and kept me still, beside her.

"You can't leave Carmela."

"But I don't know the celebrant, hell I don't even know why you brought me here. I don't belong here." I said as I looked at the gorgeous women laughing and talking to their acquaintances.

I'm pretty sure they are all rich and well-known. Just by looking at their gowns and jewelries, I can say they are elites. Even the gentlemen, they all look so good in ties though I'm sure that what they are talking about is purely about business. That's how it is in their world. Nothing is more important than business.

"Don't give me that crap. You said the same thing at the club." She said.

"And I have a feeling that the same thing will happen tonight." I told her truthfully. She just smirked at me.

"It won't, at least not with the same guy, Dylan." She whispered to herself. I didn't catch what she said but she's smiling.

"Cyrene..." I called her. She held my face up and smiled at me.

"Carmela, you look great, even without this gown and make up, you would have looked gorgeous and you sure belong here, with us." There's something in the way she said it that made me feel at ease. It's like I'm a part of their world and I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad about it.

"Who's birthday party is it anyway?" I asked her trying to change the topic.

"You would have known if we got inside the moment we reached here, you know." And I nodded at her. Sighing deeply, I just hope I would survive tonight.

She happily pulled me, making our way inside the mansion. I could feel everyone's eyes on us, may be because of Cyrene, I thought, but I'm not used to this attention so I moved closer to her and she just laughed a little.

Finally, we stopped, somewhere in the middle and the lights dimmed as another light went to focus directly at the staircase where I think, the celebrant would come from and I was not mistaken when after a few moments, someone descended from above with this powerful aura but instead of a long and beautiful gown, a pair of black expensive shoes stepped on the stairs and he walked his way down leaving everyone else in awe except for me who was shocked instead.

I couldn't believe my eyes. My heartbeat quickened as I realized that I am not in a stranger's birthday party.

His eyes roamed around the mansion, like he was looking for someone in the crowd, then, his eyes met mine and for a moment, I saw happiness in his eyes.

"Tristan?" I whispered-yell and I saw Cyrene smile like she won in a lottery with the mega jackpot.