Enraptured

Chapter 8

Oh, I was so wrong, so very very wrong.

Even though I had filled up my week with meetings to address quarterly reports and the status of my investments in other companies, I still couldn't get my mind off her.

I didn't even spend any time around her besides a random exchange of greetings here and there out of politeness, but it still felt like she was in every corner of my life.

Every time she walked passed by my office, I couldn't help looking up from my desk.

Every time I turned a corner, I couldn't help feeling like I had caught a glimpse of her light curls, only to find there was no such person.

Every time I ended up near any sort of sweets, I couldn't help thinking about whether or not she would like it.

And, worst of all, she continued bringing me dinner to my office every evening at 7 PM on the dot.

Even though I barely interacted with her anymore, she would always come knocking on my door in an adorable little outfit, whether it be a simple black skirt or a dark-colored a-line dress falling just below her knees. She would always ask about my day with a sweet little smile as she set the usual black Tupperware of food and cup of coffee down on my desk.

It probably wouldn't seem like much to anyone else, but I cherished this meaningless tiny exchange of words every day. The words were nothing of value, but my mood would always be instantly lifted by the sound of her soft voice, even if it was something as little as a single word.

It was both the highlight and downfall of my day.

This little, supposedly harmless chat would always bring my useless feelings back to full force despite all my efforts to forget them during the day. These very few minutes of the day would put me in such a good mood that I'd forget why I wanted to stay away from her.

But then, she would always need to leave right after dropping off the food, reminding me of her husband, who was patiently waiting for his beautiful and caring wife at home. I would immediately remember that my feelings were those of a sinner, one who pined for a woman who was happily married.

I'd feel so disgusted with myself that I wouldn't be able to eat the food she gave me. It would seem so bland to my taste buds— even though I knew it wasn't that— that I would always end up pushing it aside and return to my stack of paperwork, desperately trying to distract myself from my invading thoughts.

I knew that I should've just told her to stop, but for some reason, I was never able to bring myself up to it.

The only thing left to bring me any solace was the warmth of the hot coffee cup, the one that was always a bit too sweet for me but nonetheless brought a nice feeling of warmth to the tightness in my chest.

However, today was a bit different from usual.

It was finally Friday, the dreaded blind date with Odette's daughter set up by my mother.

I stared at my calendar with a heavy heart. There was a 7:30 PM reservation at Le Bernardin in midtown, scheduled by Lukas as per my mother's hounding.

I really wasn't in the mood to entertain some random girl, especially not after such an exhausting week from having my mind constantly drifting off to a certain someone. But, I knew that my mother would only make a much bigger fuss if I dipped out at her last minute.

I sighed as I slowly shut down all my electronics and gathered up all the papers I needed to bring home for the weekend. As I stuffed my laptop and files into my bag, there was a light knock on my door. I mindlessly replied, "Come in."