Jeremy didn't look convinced, but he changed the topic right away: "Guess what? I ran into your sexy boss at the gym. When are you going to introduce me to him?"
"I already told you he is not into men," I laughed, glad for the sudden change of topic.
"Well, the way he sees himself in the mirror while training says otherwise. I made breakfast, by the way," he said, standingup. "Pancakes and sweet coffee, just the way you like it. Come down when you're ready."
I nodded, relieved at the change of subject. "Thanks, Jer. Really. For coming to get me and staying. I don't know what I would've done without you."
"What are honorary sisters for?" he said with a grin, heading for the door. "Besides, your couch is more comfortable than my bed, anyway."
After he left for my kitchen, I sat in the quiet of my room, trying once more to piece together the missing hours from the night before. But found nothing.
The rest of the day passed comfortably, just as I'd hoped. Jeremy stayed at my place, and when my dad heard Jeremy was home, he showed up with some food. Then the three of us went for a walk when I was feeling better.
But then, Jeremy and my dad left, and the anxiety I'd been keeping at bay began to creep back in. Tomorrow would be Monday. Tomorrow, I will be back at work. I couldn’t avoid him forever, but I was still not ready.
CHAPTER 7
Lily
If I were working hardto hide from Kyle, he was working even harder to be unavoidable. It was already extremely obvious that he was looking for ways to stand out in the office because every day this week, he did something different to make everyone talk about him nonstop.
One day, he brought donuts for the entire accounting department; another day, he gave a flower to every girl who arrived early "to reward punctuality." He even solved every computer problem for every employee who had been having issues for months. It was as if he were trying to force everyone to love him.
The girls called him "Prince Charming." Charming my ass.
By Friday, I was so irritated that I forgot I had a biweekly meeting with the administration department's CEO to discuss budget approvals for the following month. I had to excuse myself by telling him I had trouble with my digital calendar, which showed "3:00 PM" instead of "2:00 PM".
"You should call the new guy to check out your computer. I've heard he is doing wonders for every department," Ronald said as I sat inhis office.
I forced a smile but didn't say anything. The last thing I needed was to disrespect my boss because of my bad mood. But if even Ronald was already talking wonders about Kyle, I knew it was only a matter of time before I was screwed. "Okay, let's get to the important stuff. What did you think of the document I emailed you this morning?"
"Fine as always," my boss responded, “but I don't have good news for you. The camera supplier will need the money before the 25th because their employees will be taking a collective vacation on the 30th, so I'll need you to make that change today and also change sections 3 and 4 so everything matches."
I looked at my watch nervously. "That will take at least 3 hours of work."
This affects my daily plan to leave the office as quickly as possible,I thought, but I didn't say anything.
He looked at me, confused by my sudden change in behavior. "You've never complained about working late some days."
"Yeah, of course, I don’t have any issues. I was worried about you. Will you stay until it's ready?" I rapidly lied.
"Oh no, no, don't worry about me. I will go to the gym, have dinner, and then return to the office around eight. That will give you plenty of time to finish without feeling you are wasting my time."
"Well, that makes me feel better then," I said another lie, standing up before my nervous words could ruin my relationship with my boss any further.
I returned to my desk and took a deep breath. I counted to ten like Dr. Johnson, my psychologist, always told me to do, grabbed a couple of gummy bears from the bag I kept hidden in my drawer, and let the sugar calm me down before opening my notebook to write the list of things I needed to finish today.
"I can do this," I told myself. "If I focus hard enough, I canfinish as quickly as possible. No one has to notice I'm staying late today."
From that moment, I focused like never before, trying to ignore everything that existed around me. I knew my anxiety could get the better of me, so I tried to focus my mind only on the report I needed to write.
By the time I raised my gaze again, there was absolutely no one left in the office, so I took a deep breath and leaned back in my chair, savoring the silence that surrounded me. Everything was dark except for the light from my computer. I'd been so focused, I hadn't noticed when someone turned the lights off.
I looked at my watch: 7:36 PM.
I missed this silence, the ability to work uninterrupted, and the view through the glass toward the city at this hour. I hadn't been satisfied with the results of my work for so long that I had forgotten what it felt like to be part of this project.
I looked at the Excel spreadsheet that was open on my computer. It was ready. All I had to do was review it and email it to my boss, so I decided to take a break.
