𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒

EIGHTEEN | THE CONFRONTATION

↳ Base idea of Felicity's dress for the big gala!

Once Christine returned to work, the rest of the day could not approach quickly enough after what she had witnessed.

She had no idea how to handle the situation, let alone whether or not she should even say anything about it. She didn't want to see Mateo with someone else, but she also didn't want to do anything that would make him despise her.

"Christine, I'm headed home for the day. I will see you tomorrow night at the big gala."

Christine nearly jumped out of her seat as her boss waved goodbye to her.

"Goodbye," she said rather quickly.

Mateo scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion at his receptionist's anxious response, but quickly shrugged it off as he stepped into the elevator. He was actually pretty excited for the big event that was about to take place. Everyone around the office was showing enthusiasm about getting to attend, and Mateo was glad that all the money being raised would be going towards so many good causes.

Christine released the breath of air she had been holding in as Mateo disappeared behind the elevator doors, and she quickly realized that it was going to be too difficult for her to keep what she had seen to herself.

So she marched over to Felicity's desk.

"We need to talk," she said sternly as she slammed a hand down on Felicity's desk. Felicity looked up from the papers she was reviewing, then glanced around to see if people were staring.

"O—Okay," she said hesitantly, and Christine immediately started walking away. Felicity took a deep breath before standing up and following Christine towards their boss' office. When Felicity caught up to Christine, Christine unlocked the door to Mateo's office and stepped inside.

"You have a key to Mr. Belmonte's office?" Felicity asked curiously. Christine simply rolled her eyes as she led the way inside the room.

"So, what's this abou—"

"I saw everything," Christine interrupted.

"Um...what?" Felicity asked with genuine confusion.

"I saw Mateo kiss y—" Christine started, but the words only made her cringe, "I saw you kiss Mateo."

Felicity's face dropped. Her and her boss had been caught in the act. She had no idea what to say. Nothing could make this seem better, especially to Christine.

Before Felicity could even open her mouth to speak, Christine went off, "I realize that you have some little school-girl crush on him, but you need to stay away from him before someone actually thinks there's something going on between you two. Do you even care that this could ruin his reputation?"

"Excuse me?" Felicity said in shock.

"You heard me, Felicity. Do you think this is a joke or something? This is Mateo's life we're talking about here. You are jeopardizing everything that he has worked his entire life for with whatever game it is that you're playing."

"Okay, first of all," Felicity finally said, "I am not a child, Christine. I am 18 years old, and have been the entire time I've known him. Second of all, it takes two to tango. I am not 'doing' anything to him. He's a grown man with his own free will, and he makes his own choices. So do not come at me like I've got some mind control over him, or am forcing him to act in a way that he doesn't want to. I am not here to sabotage him or his life, and you're not the only person who cares about him."

Christine stood there with her arms folded over her chest and her teeth gritted before she scoffed and moved her hands to her hips, "Oh, you think you care about him? Like you said, he's a grown man, Felicity. You're nearly half his age. An 18 year-old barely knows how to love another 18 year-old, let alone a 33 year-old man. And how old do I think you are? Well, that's exactly my point. I don't think you're old at all, I think you're extremely young—way too young to be chasing after Mateo. I don't care that you're considered a legal adult, it makes absolutely no difference to me. You are simply not old enough to be with him."