Going Solo

Part 14

Nicole

"Bring those files back to Mr. Nahm, after he returns from his meeting. Tell him I've done the rest of the paperwork." I looked up at the tall frame of a very aggravated Mr. Lee.

"Yes, sir." I replied amidst the ringing of telephones in the office, returning to the fax machine that sat on the desk in my cubicle.

I looked back up, to see Mr. Lee still standing before me, his eyes squinted, scrutinizing me.

"May I help you with anything else, sir?"

"Please, come speak with me in my office."

I watched as he walked away, his long legs strode down the aisle of cubicles and made a right toward his office. Hesitantly, I left the safety of my cubicle and followed Mr. Lee there. I watched as he sat at his large glass desk.

He held his hand out. "Please, sit." he said.

"Is there anything wrong Mr. Lee?"

His eyes glanced down, as he leaned forward in his black leather chair. With his hands folded together, he said in a hushed tone, "I wanted to speak with you about... what happened yesterday."

"And what happened yesterday, Mr. Lee?" I retorted knowingly.

He frowned. "I think you know what I am referring to."

"If you are referring to your rude behavior yesterday-"

"No..."he groaned, as if he was beginning to get frustrated."You... woke me up, from a nightmare yesterday."

"I did..."

"And, I would like you to keep your findings to yourself."

"Mr. Lee," called the voice of Mason, Mr. Lee's secretary, through the intercom on top of Mr. Lee's desk. "You have a visitor."

"Tell them to wait." he replied.

"That could be important." I said.

"Don't worry about that. What... did you hear, yesterday?" he inquired nervously.

"Nothing really. You just-"

"Jasmine?" he murmured.

"Kept saying that." I said.

It was only at that moment that I followed his gaze and turned to realize that the door to his office had opened. There stood a tall and beautiful woman, though she looked a bit frail, she was indeed, gorgeous. Behind her stood Mason, his eyes frantic as he repeatedly apologized to Mr. Lee.

"She barged in! I didn't get a chance to stop her." he explained.

Mr. Lee held up a hand to Mason as he stood up from his chair. "Leave us." he said, though his eyes never left those of the beautiful stranger who stood in the entrance of his office, and her eyes were pasted to his as well.

Mason grabbed the door handle, motioning for me to exit the room as well. I wasted no time and shot up out of the chair in front of Mr. Lee's desk, but before I could exit the room, Mr. Lee had somehow maneuvered around the desk and grabbed my wrist. For the first time after the gorgeous woman in front of us had entered the room, he looked at me. His eyes begged, pleaded with me, as he said, "Stay."

Mason shut the door.

His look of desperation and sorrow was the only reason I didn't quickly remove myself from this situation. I looked him in his eyes, feeling that he looked somehow... afraid. My eyes left his and I looked to the woman in front of us, and realized that she had been looking at Mr. Lee's hand, which was still attached to my wrist. I tried slipping my hand away, but his grip only tightened. His eyes caught mine again, as he silently pleaded with me.

He turned back to the woman, once again. "Jasmine... what are you doing here?"

So this was her.

"I'm here to see you." she said, as she looked back up to meet his eyes.

"Well, if you don't have anything significant to say, I was on my way out." he said, as he slipped his hand into mine and walked out the door, stalking swiftly past the woman, dragging me along with him, hand-in-hand. As we walked out, I felt the woman, Jasmine's eyes burning through me and through the hand that was currently entwined with the hand that belonged to Mr. Lee.

He walked, as fast as he could without breaking into a sprint, down the stairwell, until we finally reached the doors of the building. He pushed open the doors and continued to walk until we reached the edge of the sidewalk.

"What was that about?!" I asked, confused.

Still in a daze he replied, "I don't know. I don't know."

I rolled my eyes and turned again to face the street.

"I'll take this to mean I can go home early today." I said, my gaze fixed ahead of me.

"Come with me." he said.

 I sighed, then looked at him. He gave me another of his looks, sad and desperate. He turned and began walking towards the parking garage. And once again I consented to follow him.  

We walked towards his silver BMW. He unlocked the doors and turned to me, finally letting go of my hand.

"Get in." he said.