Assisting His Assistant

Chapter 43

CHAPTER 43

Violet

We'll talk soon.

That's all the message had said from Eric. I received it last night. The words reeled in my mind eliminating my sleep. I haven't seen Eric since our night together and he had just said goodbye to his father some days ago. I wish I could've been there for him. To be by his side. I wondered if he was okay, but I wanted to give him space during this difficult time too.

The office was abuzz with new life as the gala approached the Saturday night. That's all that people could talk about, fueled with energy and excitement. Unfortunately, I couldn't match them.

But I couldn't help my feeble feelings. I missed him in the office, I missed our silly conversations and topics, I even missed his instructions and orders. Everything seemed so out of sync now. It seemed like a lifetime ago since he gave me dating rules, and now it seems like a lifetime ago I've seen him.

It's been close to a week, and I had no further contact. This lack of communication was a needle stuck in my chest. The longer it went, the further it dug in.

I slumped further into my seat, not feeling good at all. I had bought a vanilla cream donut from the café this morning, still untouched in its box. My hands slapped my cheeks, my appetite gone. I felt disorientated. I had no idea if I was coming or going. There was still a question of Eric becoming CEO.

Would I still be his assistant?

I fidgeted with my star charm trinket and bit my bottom lip. Sitting alone, bored in the office room, ate me up slowly. I had to get all these unspoken feelings out, before it ripped me in half in the next five minutes. I grabbed my notebook and read past entries, more like small notes jotted day by day. I wrote most things in there, from goals to stresses, lists, favorite quotes, book reviews and even love notes to Jake. I shook my head at those ones.

I breathed in deep, grasping a pen and scribbled relentlessly. Every single detail I could remember about my encounters and relationship with Eric, from our first meeting in his office, to the pool talk in Miami and all the three dating rules with its awkward and sweet moments. It was reflection and I smiled at each sentence I wrote down. 

The corner edge of a paper peeked out from the notebook. I took it fully out and opened it, realizing it was my 'perfect man' list. I scanned through it again, noticing something that made me flutter. I didn't want to, but I compared Jake and Eric. 

I hadn't even realized how close Eric was to my list. My heart hopped and sank at the same time. Even though he was far from being Mr. Perfect. Yet Jake failed at some points, I gave a small giggle at the irony. My heart opened at the thought of Eric now. Yet a scary and pleasant one came to mind. Eric is not a normal man to be with. So many women, melted for him. But did I too? How could I compete? I sighed, not wanting to accept it. But it wasn't just my body that melted away for him, it seemed like my heart now too.

The realization scared me, I couldn't be feeling like this, I shouldn't. My mind gave a list of cons not to fall for Eric. He's a womanizer, a charmer, he hates commitment, and finally he'll just break your heart. The last part echoed in my mind.

I'll just see what happens once Eric and I see each other again. I breathed out softly and stretched my arms above my head. My fingers reached in the brown box and retrieved the plumpest cream donut. I licked my lips; this could help take my mind off that sexy man. I took a huge bite of the delectable soft bake. The cream smothered my mouth. I closed my eyes briefly, savoring the perfect moment. Sugar! This was simply heavenly.

My eyes snapped open. I needed to get it together. I was at work after all. I couldn't brood at my desk over my lovesick heart. I grabbed a report and started to capture data on the computer, my mouth still chewing. My mind trying to get off Eric, and after moments, thanks to all these numbers it finally did. A faint hum serenaded from my lips.