6. Crushed Presence

"Sir."

He only said this, in his dominating and deep voice.

"Huh?" She said with a tensed expression, and he made a disgusting face after all this, and said again.

"Call. Me. Sir."

She nodded hesitantly and began to say, "O-Okay. Sir.. It's nothing like what you are thinking right now, really. It was my friend who-"

"I don't have any time to waste on you. Remember what I said to you just now." He said ruthlessly and walked away from there. Not exactly revealing why he came behind her in the first place. She was looking at him leaving with the prayer in her heart he won't misunderstand her for anything.

She made her way back to her seat without having anything for lunch, thinking about several things that wouldn't make her hungry enough. She was tense as she finally got a job but where she never thought about getting in her whole life. That she didn't know how she'll survive.

Soon in her work, she was texting Jenny,

'Are you crazy? Why were you giving me absurd ideas earlier? I would never let myself fall that low to break anyone's heart, in any circumstances now.'

She texted her and continued her work, but when she took a look around every corner to at least see him and his mood, her tries were becoming useless. Because, she just wants to say what probably won't change anything in his heart but wants to take a chance if it would replace his bit of feeling to something else.

Few minutes later she got a text back,

'Sorry. Don't take me seriously, okay? I know this will not suit you in this situation.'

'Is this the only reason?' She replied.

'Fine. Forget it.'

'He was there. That's why I didn't say anything. Now how will I apologize? Half the day has already passed..'

Just when she sent this text, someone came to her seat with files in their hand. "Hey, Sir ordered to give you these files and to inform you have to work on them today. And that you can't leave from here before you finish it."

"But, soon I will be leaving-"

"We had to finish the given work before leaving, and you can take your time around your leaving hour." He placed them on her desk and walked away. She began to look at them and thought sadly,

'Shaydon? What more do you want me to do so that you will understand me? And my life would be free from your thoughts..'

What she didn't know, when she was thinking this, was that these thoughts didn't come to leave anytime soon. 'Or, ever.'

It was evening and everyone was leaving, half the office was emptying. Mark, as usual, walks casually to Shaydon’s office before leaving because this habit of years won't change since he is his friend. Whatever he thinks. But he knows what he has to do every time he goes there, to take a look at her seat.

He stooped his hand on the door handle and began to look around with no expressions on his face. He saw she was still there, and immediately left the handle and began to walk towards her without another thought.

He walked to her, took a chair next to her and brought it near her, and sat beside her. Selena looked her side, "Oh, hey, Sir-"

"Mark." He said, giving his natural smile. 

"But now we actually work in a place where you are my senior, even if it's not the college. Then why should I?"

"Fine. Then say this when only I will be around. That's okay?"

"Okay." She said, passed him a faint smile and began to look at her work. 

"Are you not leaving for home?" He asked, not removing his eyes from her.

"I.. was given this work at the side so I would leave after completing it." She told him while still looking at them.

"Who gave you this?" He asked, thinking about the person. "Is it Ben? Why would he-"

"Um, I don't know his name. And, he just listened to Sir’s order." She looked at him, "You should be going too. It's not something hard to do and look, there are people still present here. But you asked.."

He cleared his throat, "Because you are new. That's why- Yeah." He finished and began to give an awkward smile. She nodded, "Thanks.."

"Are you adjusting here? Is there something you are finding difficult to do here?"

'He is making my mind restless.'

"Yeah, I am. I'm still finding new things and adapting here of course. It's not even been a few days.." She said and chuckled faintly. He nodded in understanding, 

"Yeah.. if you need to find something, you can ask me." He smiled and his eyes shined. 

"You?"

"Yeah. After helping you that day.. I would love to help you again."

'And again and again and again and again-'

"You are a really nice person.. Um, Mark. I sure would ask you. You did help me find Anna that day even if you didn't know where she would be."

He chuckled aesthetically, "Then you should. You should-"

Shaydon got straight out of office and in between his walk he just glanced only a bit at her and said in his usual tone without stopping in his tracks. "Mark. Come with me."

Mark quickly looked back at him, and he said again while still walking straight out. "This is your time to leave, not to gossip with your workers." 

"I will be leaving now, so, I hope you won't stay long." He said, getting up then he looked back at her for a second. "I'll see you tomorrow." 

She nodded and he ran to him. She look at her side and thought,

'You will know someday that I was never gonna do something stupid again.'

And continued her work.

Mark came to him and began to walk beside him. "Hey, what were you saying back there? What was I doing?"

"I didn't see you talking with any worker at this hour until today even when they had finished their work. Do you know her other than the office?"

"Oh.. you missed me since I didn't come into your office but began talking to her, right?" He asked teasingly. He looked at him as they both stopped in front of the lift. Mark began to say again,

"Fine. Yeah, I happened to meet her recently before she joined. That's why I asked you about her because of her name, remember? So I was just asking how she's doing."

"Alright-"

"And she just joined, why did you give her loads of work?"

Shaydon raised his eyebrows, "Huh? When did I-"

"You know.. That work which she didn't have before but now she does." He said and began to look around himself because he didn't know if that made any sense.

"Mark. Whatever it was, but work is work. She has to do it no matter what. Leave it." He told him seriously. And soon the lift opened and they left.

Later when Selena was ready to leave, he saw his eyes looking at her soul. He was standing far enough so no one could see him, but the expression on his face could be seen perfectly with her eyes. She quickly turned back and began to take rapid breaths.

'Despite that I don't like your very being, I'd still not leave you alone for good.'

His words came back into her mind and she slowly began to look back from her side. He was not there. She didn't understand what he wanted from her after clearly showing what he felt around her. She again looked ahead, but not sure what she should do.

When she went back to her apartment, she threw herself at the couch and began to think.

'I want to try telling you that I'm sorry.. And I will.'

Next morning at the company, everyone was busy with their work. Mark was looking at her from afar as he was about to walk past those people seated around her. He smiled to himself and went that way.

From this morning the thing which Selena did repeatedly, was to look back to see him come out of his office. Thinking how she could talk to him.

So, she gathered courage, took a look at everyone, got up from her seat and turned to go into his office. She thought about taking a step ahead to start letting the series of her heart out step by step.

She stopped in front of the door, and took a deep breath before knocking. After hearing his voice, she went in. When he saw who entered, he locked both his hand’s fingers and placed them above the table while he moved his eyes along with her steps until she stopped far in front of him. He was not moving his eyes from her, and waited for her to speak.

"Can we talk?" She let this out, saying quietly. 

"Sorry, but Ms Selena from where I'm seeing, we don't 'have' anything to talk about." He said, then began to say with non interested tone, "You can leave-"

"But, what if 'I' only have something to say? Does this still apply?" She asked hopefully and he stared at her for about a minute. Then, he hummed and quickly began to look somewhere else.

"I.. wanted to say.."

He began to work at his laptop and she was nervously finding words as to what to say first. Then after mixing her mind for a few seconds, she blurted out which made him stop his movement and thought what made her talk about this to him.

"Please forgive me for the past."

She stopped and looked at him for a few seconds, then began to say with a low voice and soft eyes. "I have changed, Shaydon.."

Just after hearing this, he closed his eyes for a brief moment and let out a breath- after hearing his name.