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Chapter 16 : The Non-Incident
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Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 17 : Recollection
**IsaWhat a tease, I thought to myself. But to be honest, I was enjoying myself. Even though I had been avoiding Callan at work, there was no avoiding the relentless thoughts of him in my mind. I was just trying to figure things out first. Was I still hung up on that one night we had together, or was it something else? It suddenly dawned on me. How would I know if it was that night or something else if I didn't just let loose and have a little fun with him? Though I hadn't put my flirting to practice in quite some time, I was feeling up to it thanks to the little remaining alcohol in my system. I bundled my arms into the sleeves of my coat and held them against myself. "Well, if that so-called incident had happened, then what would have happened after the doors opened?"Callan hummed. "That depends. What would you want to have happened?"I laughed and shook my head. "You're avoiding the question.""Says the person who has been avoiding
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 18 : Boyfriend Behavior
**IsaMy heart pounded steadily as I made my way up to my floor in the elevator. It seemed like any one of these strangers could have called me out for being a pulsing, nervous blob. Since Callan and I made out— mostly sober— during the Thanksgiving weekend, it was all I could do not to text him to meet up. In fact, I didn't text him at all other than to tell him Happy Thanksgiving, to which he replied the same but with a smiley face.I thought our minimal contact over the weekend would have helped to ease my mind of him, but that certainly did not end up being the case. My mother got onto me several times for being zoned out when I visited her on Thanksgiving evening. I told her that I was just tired, but then she mentioned the smug smile on my face and the blush on my cheeks. Of course, I denied all of her guesses about what was going on. Besides, we weren't actually dating. We couldn't. Not while I was working under him. I told myself that I wasn't going
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 19 : Two-Faced
**Isa"Woah, David," I said, stunned. I still wanted to believe that he was just playing a joke on me, but there was a serious and hopeful gleam in his eye that told me otherwise. "I don't know…""You don't have to say anything right now," David said.He put a hand up to stop me and just smiled down at me.I wasn't expecting this at all. I mean, sometimes we got a little flirty, and we had been getting closer. I also couldn't deny that he had made my heart flutter a few times and he was unbelievably kind and patient with me. I pinched the bridge of my nose as I realized that I couldn't let our relationship go in that direction. Simply put, I wasn't interested in him. Not in that way. As much as I hated to admit it, my heart was really only affected deeply by one person lately. "Anyway," David said. He wore a goofy smile as he rubbed the back of his neck shyly. "You can think about it for a little while if you want to. Like I said, you don't have to
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 20 : Meeting the Fiancee
**CallanIt was like my body felt her presence before I even saw her. An uncomfortable weight settled on my shoulders, and my desire to breathe or work or do anything just totally dissipated. When I heard my office door open, I didn't even look up. I knew her by the clack of her high heels on the marble tile, by the smell of her too-sweet perfume. "What are you doing here?" I muttered without looking up from my computer. Catherine chuckled lightly and didn't hesitate to invade my personal space by coming around my desk and spinning my chair to face her. She leaned down near my face. "C'mon, babe," she crooned. "That's no way to greet your future wife."In the corner of my eye I saw a familiarly-shaped shadow rush away. "Hah… I seriously don't know how to get it through your dense head…" I pressed my chair away from her and stood up. My intention was to leave my office and go after Isa, who I feared had just witnessed a very misleading circumstanc
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 21 : Too Much Coffee
**IsaThe break room was hot and steamy, but not because the coffee machine was busted.With the stairwell out of the question, Callan and I were back to our break room trysts.Callan's hands slid under my shirt. He thumbed the bare skin of my lower ribs. It was dizzying the way he overwhelmed my senses. One hand was sneaking slowly up my side, the other lightly massaging the nape of my neck, and his lips pressed firm but measured against my lips. "You can touch me," he murmured against me. "I wouldn't mind."I chuckled softly with embarrassment. Even though I was in a four-year relationship before, and in general I was a confident woman, it had been a while since I had experienced this type of intimacy. And even though it was late enough that pretty much everyone else was gone, I was nervous to get too into this moment.It wasn't that I didn't want to…With a heap of hesitation and excitement that made my hands shake, I placed my hands g
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 22 : Scandalous
**IsaWhile I was in my whirlwind with Callan, I still made it a point to keep up with my friends.Erin met me in the cafe downstairs for lunch. "Uh, excuse me, but why do you look so fine today?" I asked her when she walked in.She was wearing a pair of high-waisted trousers and a satin top. She blushed a bit as she shrugged off her coat and draped it over the chair. "Oh, you know. I have another date later today," she said. "Another one as in… with the same guy or another one, as in, a new guy?" I asked. She had started dating again at the beginning of the year as one of her resolutions. As a pretty introverted woman who survived well on her own, she didn't necessarily have the desire to date, but she wanted to get married someday, so she knew that she would have to put herself out there. After almost an entire year, she had yet to meet a man that was worth more than two or three dates. "It's a new guy," she said. "I'm feeling hopefu
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 23 : Mom's Gnocchi
**Isa The clock read 8:00 AM. Just as the sun was really starting to come up. I blinked my eyes and turned onto my side to curl into a ball under my fluffy comforter. Soaking up the warmth, I laid there and tried to keep reality at bay for a little bit longer. Despite my mind swirling around like crazy the night before with thoughts about Callan, the mysterious email, and Catherine, I had slept well. It was a deep, long, dreamless sleep. Just what I'd needed. I wanted to go back there, to that dreamless rest. I didn't realize how exhausted I was from worrying and obsessing over everything that had happened in the past week. Callan had finally taken the lead and asked me to come over to his condo for a date night, but I couldn't in good faith. When Catherine had talked down to me like that, she had managed to get under my skin. Then, on top of that, I'd received that weird email from a mystery address. I literally felt sick thinking that someone had c
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 24 : No Hesitation
**CallanI had to face it. She was avoiding me.I looked down at the last couple of messages I'd sent her. Read. Unanswered.I laughed dryly at myself. Did I screw up already?"Mr. Arison, it's time to leave for your meeting with Mr. Evanchron," Jeffery informed me.I sighed at my phone and slid it into my jacket pocket. As we were leaving the office, I snuck a peek into Isa's office. She was there, staring intensely at her computer screen.Her hyperfocus left her eyebrows pinched slightly and her mouth muttering whatever she was reading. I decided to stick my head in the door.Or better yet, my whole body."Just a minute," I told Jeffery before closing the door behind me. Isa's eyes snapped up at me. She looked alarmed, maybe nervous. I approached her desk and leaned down on it, hovering over the top of her computer."Callan, what are you—""I don't know why you're avoiding me lately, but I don't appreciate it, and wh
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Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 48 : Ground Rules for the New Norm
**IsaRather than being exhausted when we got back home from Portland, I felt lighter. I had been amazed by Callan this weekend. He got along so well with my friends, he handled my father with silent and stern strength and composure, and even if my mom didn't say anything, I thought he might have had a positive effect on her too. I was really starting to feel like things were going to be okay now.Callan was so much more than I thought from the first night I met him. But my first impression of him was right: he was special. I was glad that my feelings lingered as long as they did, and that, when he finally came around to remembering me, we found a way to become part of each other's lives. Yeah, for too long I'd let myself get knocked around by the fear of what other people would think of me, but now, especially after the weekend, I really felt Callan's love. I really felt my appreciation for him, too. It made me realize what him and Myalin and even his aunt
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 47 : Non-Father
Chapter 47 - Non-Father**Isa"It's my dad," I said. The muscles in Callan's jaw tightened. I hadn't talked much about my dad with Callan, and I never told him about the last time I met with my father or his demand to give me the inheritance money. But I guessed learning what kind of guy he had been during my childhood was enough to make Callan dislike him. "He didn't say what was wrong exactly, but he said it's urgent, and that he needs to speak with me in person as soon as possible. He even… mentioned that my mom is with him and that they want to have a family discussion," I said. I felt like I was in a daze. If my mom was involved, it must be something serious. That thought scared me.Callan patted my hand. "Should we go? I can go with, if that's okay."As much as I didn't want Callan to have to meet my father, I was more afraid of another scene breaking out between us. If Callan was there, I knew I'd feel safer, and perhaps my dad wouldn'
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 46 : A Good Day
**IsaEven if I didn't exactly get Tevin's blessing, it was still worth it to go to Alyssa's birthday party. By the end of that day, Alyssa and I felt like sisters, and Veronica felt like my aunt, too.I even got to talk with Veronica's husband for a while, as well as a couple of Callan's cousins. Roman showed up at the end, and we were able to get fairly acquainted.To be honest, I was on a high after that weekend. A happy high.Even the continued whispers at work weren't enough to bring me down. Yes, it was discouraging to hear people say that I was using Callan, or even that he was being irresponsible by dating someone who worked under him, but I really took Veronica's advice to heart.She had told me that people wouldn't understand or come to accept our relationship if we kept trying to hide it. Well, now that it was out in the open, there wasn't any reason I thought of that should keep us remaining in the dark.So even if we weren't holding hands or o
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 45 : The Little Sister
**Callan"I guess that means it's you and me again this year," Aunt Veronica said with a sly smile. She slid her hand through the crook of my elbow and tugged me towards her. I glanced at Isa, who looked both surprised and nervous. She was watching Alyssa skip towards us wearing a big smile like Alyssa was taking a jaunt down the yellow brick road. "Isa," I asked, "are you sure you're okay with this? If it's too much then—""No. No, it's fine," she replied with a small grin. "It'll be a good chance for me to get to know your sister. I just hope she doesn't hate me for never having made a cake before.""The only way I could hate you is if you did something to hurt my brother," Alyssa said nonchalantly, popping up behind Isa. "Contrary to popular belief, I actually kind of like the guy–most of the time."Isa startled. "I don't think you have to worry about that, dear," Aunt Veronica told her, winking at Isa. "We had a good talk earlier.""I gues
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 44 : Meeting the Family
**IsaI wondered if it was really okay for me to go to Callan's sister's birthday party as his girlfriend when I hadn't yet met any of his other family members. The only one I'd seen was his father, and last I knew, he didn't seem to be a big fan of mine. "Won't your dad be upset that I'm here?" I asked when Callan opened up the passenger side door for me to get out of his car. Callan helped steady me on the grass as I was wearing my new purple Gucci heels. "I've talked to him," he said. "He won't make you feel uncomfortable. I have his word."I intertwined my fingers with Callan's and let him lead me up to his family's house. It still felt too soon to be meeting his whole family at once. "And what about everyone else?" I asked as we neared the house. My whole chest was vibrating with my anxious heart. Callan stopped me and spun me gently to face him. He placed his hands on my hips and planted a little kiss on my lips. "They're gonna love you, I'm sure
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 43 : The Drama After the Drama
**IsaI hung up the phone and headed to the printer to grab the new documents that had just been sent to me for another client SoulMode had picked up. Earlier that morning, Callan and I had filled out the HR paperwork signifying that we were beginning a serious relationship, but that we would remain professional in the workplace, and there would be no favoritism played between us. It was a strange thing to do, I thought. It was as if we had to get permission from his place of work. But on the other hand, I felt a great sense of relief. Since the documents were so official, it felt like I would have a good defense if anyone asked me about our relationship. On my way to the printer, I watched everyone out of the corner of my eye to see if any news about Callan and I had been leaked yet. Considering all of the rumors I'd heard about him when I first got here about him being a playboy and having had something to do with the last few people who worked here, I assumed
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 42 : Promise Fulfilled
**Isa"I'm putting this all in your hands," I told Callan.He grinned and handed me my bag as we started our way out of the door. "Oh, I've been planning this for a long time," he said with a little chuckle. "And first, since it's still early and you happened to not bring any extra clothes, it gives me a good excuse to take you shopping to find a nice outfit for today."I blushed. It touched my heart that he had been planning this for a long time, but it also made me feel kind of guilty. I thought perhaps if I let him do whatever he wanted today I'd be able to pay him back for making him wait so long. "You're taking me shopping?" I asked. "Are you sure that's your idea of a date?"He nodded and shrugged. "I know people might hate it when people with money say things like this, but I just want to spend some money on you," he said.I laughed out loud. "I don't care about the money, but if that's what you want to do then we can do it."He kissed me on t
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 41 : Promise
**IsaI shook my head. "I'm not going to run away anymore, I promise."Callan looked up at me doubtfully. "I'm sorry to say this, but I have a hard time believing that since you tend to change your mind a lot."I walked around the front of the dining room chair and settled myself in his lap. He rested his hand gently on my thigh and looked up at me. "I mean it this time," I said. Seeing how upset he had been before, and realizing that I had been way too wishy washy with him, I wanted to show him that I really did care about him and that I wanted to take our relationship seriously. "It seems like you should have done this a lot sooner, and maybe then it would have saved you from some of this trouble," I said, glancing at the newspaper. Though the article mentioned his and Catherine's ending the engagement, he was still catching a lot of flak for flaking as soon as he found out that she and her father were bankrupt. "All of that is nothing that I ca
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 40 : The Drama Unfolding
**IsaI hadn't been this nervous in a long time. My hands were sore from me trying to wring them of my anxieties. My chest was so tight, I wasn't even sure if I was breathing unless I made the audible sound. And my stomach ached and pinged with reminders that I was supposed to be laying off of stressful endeavors. But this seemed unavoidable. And frankly, I was curious. This man who my mother and I had managed to escape over ten years ago was there on the other side of a dingy diner window waiting for me to meet him. The man who'd caused me and my mother so much trauma, he was here. I hadn't seen a picture of my dad, let alone seen his face in person, since my mom and I got away, but I recognized him in an instant. He was a little rougher around the edges, dressed in a ratty bomber-style jacket with patches and with oily ringlets of hair hanging over his forehead. I took a deep breath and entered the diner. It was small with worn leather barstools and booth
