Unforgettable Feelings

Chapter 24

Kaiden made his way to Josie's office with a plate of food in his hand. He walked past the glass walls watching her all the while as he made his way to the door. He paused at the door taking a step into her office that felt more than just that.

Josie's eyes were glued to her screen, she didn't notice when he walked towards her desk but she could smell the food. The sound of ceramic on the glass top pierced her concentration as Kaiden placed the plate on her desk.

"Thanks, Georgie." She said without looking up.

She was too caught up with what she was doing to eat but she was also really hungry not to eat. So, she accepted the food.

Kaiden stood there in front of her desk watching her, now that she wasn't aware it was him and with her guards lowered, it was easier to take her in fully. Josie could feel the presence of someone else in her office.

"Do you have something for me?"
A document to sign, maybe.

"Yes," Kaiden said. "The food."

He watched as her shoulder tensed, straightening, her fingers stopped moving on the keys, the pronounced blink of her eyes before she slowly lifted her gaze to him. Their eyes met and stopped for a moment as she took him in, acknowledging his presence inside her office. Her gaze fell to the plate of food on her desk as she took a moment just looking at it like it was more than food.

A peace offering.

A clean slate.

Whatever he really wanted from her.

"It's just food." Kaiden said when she studied the plate for a little too long.

Josie's gaze lifted to find his.

"I promise." He added.

His promises meant nothing to her. So, she just watched him waiting for him to come up with something else.

"I'm not hungry." She said when he said nothing else and went back to typing.

"Of course, you are."

It took all her willpower not to make a fist but she kept typing.

"Josie."

The way he called her name, the urgency in them, the plea, the softness all reminded her of the way he used to be with her in college. It made her freeze up for a moment before captured breath escaped through her lips. She looked up at him.

"Thank you," She forced out "Mr. Williamson."

Kaiden smiled as he got her point.
"You're welcome, Ms. O'Callaghan."

She paid him no mind and went back to typing, all her senses all focused on him. When she knew he was out the door and past her off, she looked up, hands resting on the keys, sighing. She watched the few people that were at the work area, chatting away with a box of food in their hand.

Everyone at the office loved him, including those who weren't on the team working on his project. She shifted her gaze to the plate of food on her table. He might have brought it with no intention but there was no way she was eating it especially when she was hungry.

It wasn't because she was doing it to spite him but because she couldn't eat the food without her heart in it. With that conclusion, she got up, closed her laptop, and put it in her bag, put on her jacket, grabbed her bag, and walked out of her office.

"I'm going out for lunch." She told Georgie who was making her way back to her desk. "There's an untouched plate of food on my desk, find a home for it please."

"Oh, okay." Georgie said as she looked at Josie's office while Josie walked past her to the elevator.

Georgie walked to Josie's office and took the plate of food and went back to the office kitchen. Kaiden saw as she walked in and frowned at the plate in her hand and Georgie gave him a sad smile.

"She went out." Georgie said, intentionally not telling him where.

"To have lunch." Kaiden said.

Georgie looked away from him and then frowned before handing him the plate.
"You can eat it." She said. "Since someone else ate your previous plate of food."

Kaiden smiled and took the plate from her. He stayed back until everyone else was done with lunch and went back to work, only then did he leave.

Josie was seated in a restaurant that wasn't Harper's. Dinner with Andre and Izzy had revealed a lot like Kaiden's dad owned Harper's. She thought Andre knew about it but all he knew was a James Williamson owned the franchise, he didn't know Kaiden was his son.

He didn't run background checks on the owner of restaurants he dined at.
According to him.

"Here you go Ms." She pushed her laptop to the side as the waiter placed her plate of food in front of her.

She looked up at the waiter and smiled.
"Thank you." She dug in almost immediately.

"Hello again."

Josie heard a moment later. She looked up to find the guy from the garage standing by her table.
"Hello." She gave him a small smile.

"It's nice to run into you again."

She wished she could say the same. But her current mood wouldn't permit it.

"May I join you?" He asked.

"Yes please." She offered the seat across from her.

She watched him and he smiled at her when he was seated.

"I didn't catch your name the last time." He said too sweetly, with that smile she realized was his signature smile. He had used it on her the last time as well.

"I'm Josie." She said with a smile.

"Well, it's nice to officially meet you, Josie."

"You as well."

"Here often?" He asked.

"My first time."

"Do you mind me eating with you?"

"Oh no, please go ahead."

He signaled for the waiter and placed his order.
"So, Josie, from what I've gathered, you work at O'CE."

She looked up at him.
"That would be correct." She said. "I thought you were a new employee."

"Oh no, was there for a meeting." He said.

"That early?" She asked.

He shrugged with a smile.
"There's no specific time for doing business." He said. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"I do but that would only mean you're a workaholic."

"And you aren't?"

"I make time for my personal life."

"I'll have to try that sometime then." He smiled and so did she. "So, what division do you work in?"

"IT." She said without a beat.

"Tech? I would never have guessed."

"Why's that?" She asked, playing along.

"In my line of work, I haven't seen someone from the IT department as beautiful as you."

Josie didn't like compliments for one reason which was that she didn't know how to respond to them, physically and verbally.
"And what is it you do for a living, Evan?" She asked.

He smiled but never got to answer her question because his food arrived and he brought up something else as soon as the waiter was gone.