Gema's Pov
I'd woken up to a text from someone I never expected today.
Ross Lynch.
Well, I wasn't really sleeping- more like taking a nap.
But, it was a surprising thing to wake up to either way.
"Hello. Sorry for not contacting you for a long time coming. Are you free two hours or so from now? I'd like to discuss about our date. Laura advised me to reach out, but I would understand if you didn't want to see me. Hope you're doing well."
My heartbeat quickened at every word- it was just wild, but I guess, I had my answer.
Laura.
She was behind why he wanted to contact me. He actually listened to her.
I really wondered to myself, how close they were exactly- because I sure as hell knew it was not all just business. I couldn't see it that way no matter how much I tried.
There was a connection there I had yet to witness.
Well I guess, I kind of saw it once.. at our dinner, where he showed up out of nowhere and called her to him.
That simple touch on the jaw made my blood boil. It was so casual, so I wasn't sure why it looked so intimate.
I wasn't mad because he was mine. It was because.. well, I wanted him to be, but his eyes lit up at the sight of her.
It was sucky. It was sad.
And I'd mourned that loss for a while- even got under some people just so I could remind myself that yes, I was loveable.
Except those one night stands didn't make me feel loved. Sure, I was wanted, or rather, my body was- and maybe that was the issue.
I wanted to be loved for more than my body for once.
Either way- I was on the road to forgetting about him, so what is it with men and coming back whenever you try to move on? It's like they can sense it.
Whatever.
I didn't want to reply to him, really, but I wanted to see him again- even if it was just to simply say bye.
So, I got out of bed quickly, and washed my face a couple of times, before coming out of my room.
I saw Nadia got home from work- so I hurried over to her, turning my screen so she could read the text.
"What?" she questioned "What's so urgent?"
"Read!" I hissed.
"Keep your hand steady then" she reached out to grab my hand with hers, and I waited for a minute while she read the text.
Once she did, she looked at me, and I put my phone down.
"Laura advised him?" she questioned, and I shrugged.
"She loves you Gema" she pointed at me "This is proof of it"
"I know that. I love her too" I shrugged lightly "But yeah, perhaps Camille was right. I was a bit... jealous- maybe I still am"
"Well at least you can admit it now" she chuckled, shrugging as she walked away.
I followed her to the couch, and we both sat down.
"Are you going to see him?" she questioned.
"I should" I nodded, pressing my lips "What's the harm in it, right?"
"You fall for him again" she raised an eyebrow.
"I never fell for him" I sighted, looking away "I don't know. Maybe I.. well, he's a prize, I wanted to win. I wanted to win for once"
"Maybe that's the thing" she sighted "You stop looking at people like prizes you need to race for, and more like people. Sure he's undoubtedly handsome, but at the end of the day, does it matter if he's not yours?"
I stayed silent for a while, just resting back on the couch as I looked up at the ceiling "Do you think Laura looks at him that way?"
"What way?" she hummed.
"Human like. Personality, soul" I shrugged "Does she see his true character? Know more than she lets on?"
"I don't know" she admitted "From what Camille has said, they do seem comfortable with each other- I'm just not sure of how good of a guy he is. The man looks like he eats crime for breakfast"
"Right, and of course she gets the bad boy" I sighed, shaking my head.
Nadia chuckled at that, shrugging slightly "All I know is that if she gets involved with him, it'll be trouble"
We talked a bit more- moving our conversation to my room so she could help me get ready.
Nicolas came from work a bit later, joining the conversation. Meanwhile, I'd replied to Ross' text that I'd be there.
I was a bit nervous, but more curious to see what he had to say.
"Maybe if I dress like Laura he'll like me" I joked "Maybe like a tight business skirt and sweater, a little bit of make up and minimal jewelry- bam, wifey material"
Nicolas and Nadia cracked up at that, booing me.
I ended up picking up a pair of light wash ripped jeans, a crop top, and a jacket- because the weather was not one to mess with.
We left it to meet at a coffee shop, so I drove all the way there, and parked, only to see him getting out of his car at the same time.
My heartbeat quickened at the sight of him- once again, he looked so damn sexy. It was a shame really. We could've been so good.
All of that... jesus christ.
I ended up weaving at him, then approaching "Hey!"
"Hi there" he spoke up, before giving me a light -too friendly for my liking- hug.
We ended up ordering before we sat down, and he payed for both of our coffees. His voice was sugar sweet and soft as we talked.
A few seconds in, after all the small talk, he sighted.
"Right, well- this is where I'd like to begin with my apology, as I am sorry. I'm getting used to saying that a bit more" he cleared his throat "And honestly, communication too. I'm bad at it. I should've been up front. I don't usually need to explain anything to anyone"
Right... the man in power.
"Up front about what?" I raised a curious eyebrow.
"Dating, in general" he shrugged "I don't do it. I don't go on dates. I shouldn't have accepted your offer in the first place, and gotten your hopes up. That wasn't my intention"
Right, fine, I'd admit. That one stung a bit.
A lot.
"Well I wasn't planning on marrying you either way if that's what you're implying" I shrugged "Why did you accept if you didn't date?"
He stared out of the window, and I got to admire his jawline for a while, before he spoke up.
"Laura's pretty convincing" he licked his lips, before looking back at me.
I narrowed my eyes at that comment- suspicious on the real meaning of it.
Hearing her name on his mouth was.. god, something else.
"You mentioned you don't date" I spoke up "But you seem to talk of Laura a lot"
"I see her a lot" he raised a brow "Don't you talk about her? You live together"
Oh, so apperantly he knows that.
"I talk to her more than I talk about her" I clarified "Well-" I made a face.
Maybe not recently.
"Look I'm not here to speak about Laura, right? I'm here to clarify with you what exactly happened. Our date wasn't very.. fun, for me, though I'll admit you're a bright woman. I'm sure any man would be lucky to have you" he smiled slightly.
I wasn't sure how to feel about that comment- sad? flattered? both?
"You have a brother?" I placed a strand of hair behind my ear, making him laugh.
His laughter felt like a reward.
"It just kinda sucks" I sighted then, looking away from him "You're an unattainable fantasy for a lot of women"
"I'm not a fantasy Gema" he sounded serious, as I looked back at him "I'm human, and maybe if you knew me, you wouldn't like me as much as you think you do"
Laura's Pov
I felt tired.
Exhausted.
No, ruined.
I sighted, leaning back in the empty elevator.
And I sure as hell looked it too. Messy hair, and melted make up, was not a look. The rear view mirror in my car wasn't very nice.
I didn't waste time to step out as the door dinged open, Camille right behind me- and made a turn to head to my apartment after hugging her bye.
First thing I did as I got home was take a hot shower, then dressed in a pair of cotton soft pants and matching sweater- reading over my songs, and practicing them silently for tonight.
I tapped the pen to my bottom lip, as I stared at the paper.
Then, I heard the door to my room open.
To my surprise, it was my friend, dressed in pjs- looking tired.
Even more surprising, were the tears in her eyes- that made me immediately worried.
"Gema?" I questioned.
"I miss you" she sobbed, approaching the bed, then sitting down next to me.
I sensed this wasn't good, so I put my songs away, and scooted over so I could take her in a hug.
She continued to sob- and I wasn't even sure what she was crying about, but it was clear she wanted to let it out.
Meanwhile, I was here to give her that support. I always would be.
I rubbed her back for a few seconds, before speaking up "Did something happen?"
"Yes" she replied, then pulled away "-Or .. no. I'm not sure"
"Do you want to talk about it?" I suggested.
She let out a deep breath, and I reached out for some tissues, giving her a few.
She cleaned up her wet eyes and red runny nose, before looking at me "I don't like being me"
I narrowed my eyes at that "What do you mean?"
"I feel like I have nothing going on. I feel like a waste of space" she sobbed, then kept the tissue to her nose "the man I want doesn't like me, I have no job, I feel objectified all the time, I feel terrible about not paying my part of the rent like everyone else and I miss my family. It's all gone downhill. What the fuck am I doing with my life?"
"Hon-"
"It's just difficult" she sniffled, interrupting me "It's difficult seeing you be the complete opposite of me. I guess we've always been different, but right now, you're the one that's got it all figured out, and I'm the wreck. You look so put together, you have two jobs- you have the most handsome fucking man after you- yes, I've been jealous, mean, and the whole time I've missed you."
"Oh Gema" I sighed, letting her lean on my neck as I rubbed her shoulder "I've missed you too. You have no idea"
She continued to sniffle.
"I'm glad that I look like I know what I'm doing, because, truly, I do not" I sighted "I've got two jobs, yes, but they're exhausting me to the brim. I'm tired every single day. Shit- I'm in the brink of losing one of them, as voting approaches, and Ross.. well, he remains my coworker"
"Oh please" she pulled her head off my shoulder "I went out with him today and he mentioned you twice"
"And that's significant how?" I raised an eyebrow.
"You're blind" she blinked at me "That man does not seem like the type of man to speak of anyone much, but here you are. I think you both have a fascination with each other- and honestly, yeah, fucking go for it. It'll be hard seeing you together, but I'll get over it. Ross was always a dream for me, and from what he said today, you know what he's really like, outside of daydreams"
I stared at her- not sure how to reply to her rant.
Yeah, she perhaps had hit the nail on the head- but I wasn't willing to accept that to myself just yet, never mind say it out loud.
And as much as I liked to believe I knew Ross... I was pretty sure I didn't. At least not the very depths of him, and I was certain he didn't know me.
We were still stranges from that perspective.
"It doesn't matter in what way I know him" I narrowed my eyes, tilting my head to the side "As much empathy as I've gained for him after the incident that got him in the hospital- I'm still not sure what even put him there in the first place. He keeps me away from that side of him. It's always been professional- but if lose that job, he'll disappear from my life just like that. I can't rely on someone so temporary. Men like that don't just change. He's a whole lot to deal with"
She stayed silent for a while, before sighting "Really? You're not going to go after him? I can't tell if you're too smart or if something's wrong with you"
Or maybe I was scared.
She pressed her lips, then laid her head on my lap- her blonde hair going everywhere, as she looked up at me.
"It's probably both" I admitted, chuckling lightly.
Her eyes then drifted down to my wrist as she shakingly spoke "I like your new bracelet"
That bracelet.. had been the very gift Ross, or rather, Ross' mom had gifted me.
A delicate, gold, elegant bracelet, with a tiny key attached to it.
I loved it the second I saw it- however, it simply was too much for one gesture.
That woman seemed to have a lot of love, and, let's be honest, a lot of money.
"Thanks" I hummed, pressing my lips as I patted her shoulder, before looking away.
"I just want my own life to have a purpose again" she sighted right after.
My eyes returned to hers.
"Okay" I nodded "So, we start step by step. I can help you out of this slump, but you have to get ready. I can start looking on if can get you a job at a company GG's partnered with? And perhaps if that doesn't work, we can look at job listings together, but you have to promise not to quit after one week"
"I haven't even prepared my
cv" she narrowed her eyes.
"I can help you with that too, and maybe you can take a trip to go visit your family soon. Wouldn't that be fun?" I suggested, making her hum.
"I'm not much a matchmaker- I'm more of a workaholic, but Sebastian, Camille and Nick know a lot of people you might be compatible with. You can go on a few dates- but don't fuck them immediately" I pointed at her, making her grin through her wet tears "Wait it out. Do the cheesy shit. It's necessary if you really want to bond with someone. Just be yourself - they'd be damn lucky to know someone like you. I know I am"
She stared at me for a second, then sighted, closing her eyes "Thanks mom"
I laughed at her, making her smile as her eyes stayed shut.
"Now get the fuck out of my room" I ordered "I've only got an hour to prepare before my next shift"
"Fine" she lifted herself from my lap, then looked back at me "You want me to join you tonight?"
"If you don't get drunk" I narrowed my eyes "That's going to make tomorrow twice as horrible"
"I won't" she sighed "I'll just get a fruity drink and listen to your lovey dovey angel voice"
"Ha ha" I sarcastically faked a laugh "Do you know what you want to wear?"
"Nope" she raised her eyebrows, getting off my bed "Shit, I have to cover up these puffy eyes"
"Gem-" I didn't even get the chance to say her name, before she'd run out of the door.
And left me with her wet tissues in my bed.
I rolled my eyes, binning them myself, before jumping back in bed.
It felt nice to have her back. My heart felt lighter. I loved her little chaotic spirit.
,,,
A couple of days later, Ross had returned to the office, and though I felt grateful to have him around (which was another thing confusing me of itself), it felt temporary.
Because today, as I drove myself (and Camille) to work, I felt nervous- this heavy weight on my chest.
It was voting day.
And honestly, perhaps, maybe my last day working for GG.
I wasn't having a great morning, to say the least.
"You've got a fetish for my love"
My head whipped around at the song, and I noticed Camille mouth the words. I felt my face flush.
Immediately, I turned it off.
She turned to look at me "Oh come on! I love that one"
Oh I loved it too.
A bit too much.
"Sorry. Just nervous about today" I pressed my lips, looking back at the road.
That, activated an encouragement speech that lasted up until we arrived to work, said hi to Becca, and even in the elevator.
I appreciated every word she was saying, but at the same time... it was way too damn early for this.
And honestly, I'd already given up. Why try to control what's not in your power?
So I rested against the elevator, listening to her- eyes on the mirror in front of me that showed the amount of layers I'd put on my body that morning.
The air outside was practically out to kill. It was that fucking cold.
Either way, once we got out of the elevator, and walked into work- I was surprised to have the first faces I see be that of Ross, and John's.
John looked awfully gleeful as he made conversation with Ross, while Ross was just looking down at him- staring.
I couldn't help but stop and admire his profile, and physic. The way he leaned his head down to listen to what John had to say. The way he was standing there like he owned the place.
And maybe.. perhaps after today, he would.
"I'll go take my seat in the conference room" Camille pat me in the back, and before I could look at her she'd left.
As I turned my head again, I noticed the interaction had gained both of Ross' and John's attention.
"Good morning" John weaved at me as I approached the two.
I shook his hand, nodding as I smiled.
It was a sucky morning.
"Hey" Ross looked down at me, and immediately I felt the palm of his hand on my back.
I tried to act unaffected, as I sent him a small smile.
"I do have to say- this is quite the dream team" John nodded "It looks like you've been partnering well. I feel bad even separating you two"
Ross' hand didn't fall from my back, but I did notice his brow furrow.
It didn't seem like he was going to reply to that, so I took it upon myself to.
"That's business" I spoke up, looking away, but I could feel his eyes on me.
Please stop looking at me.
"Yes well- I've taught you well" John smiled, shaking his index finger at me "Since we're all here now, I'll go check in with the IT department on the website"
We watched him walk away, as Ross' hand made it's way to my shoulder, pulling me closer.
Then I felt his hot breath at the side of my face "That's business tesoro?"
I didn't look at him. I knew that if I did, I'd crumble.
And I wasn't about to show the whole office what this man exactly did to me. There was people walking in and out of the conference room, a few already on their work, some saying hi to other coworkers.
Buzzy mornings, always.
"Was you gifting mini chocolates around the office last night, also part of that business?" he questioned.
My eyes shut at that- shit, he'd found out.
As I opened my eyes, I licked my lips "Perhaps"
I looked at him then, noticing just how much he'd bent his neck to look at me so closely.
I could see every pretty little detail of his face- just how I liked it. He made me weak.
"They were delicious" his smirk made my fingers curl into my hand.
"I don't remember giving you one" I narrowed my eyes at him.
"I have my ways"
"I'm sure you do" I murmured.
We started at each other, then heard someone clap their hands together loudly- so we looked away.
It was John.
"We're good" he spoke up "We can go look at the results"
I looked at Ross, only to see him looking back at me at the same time.
The glance lasted a mere second, before we looked back at John and nodded.
His hand stayed at the small of my back as we walked in the conference room.
My arms were crossed- I felt nervous beyond belief.
As we entered the room, Ross' hand fell, as the three of us stood in front of everyone. It felt awfully familiar to be in this position again.
There was a screen behind us- counting down the votes digitally.
If there was one thing John loved, was being dramatic. We could've looked at the results in the main office in one minute, but no- there was a whole conference meeting being held just so he could 'annouce it', in front of everyone. It just placed a different type of pressure.
I hated it.
But, either way, it was happening now, and this was the last decision John had over GG.
After today, he wouldn't come back to this office again, and even if I wasn't here - I was happy about it, for the others.
For Ross.
"Okay everyone settle down" John called out, silencing the whisperes like he was a teacher in front of his class "The results come out in about five minutes"
When he didn't get a reaction, he looked back at us.
Ross and I clapped a little, encouraging everyone to do the same- and they actually listened, surprisingly enough.
He smiled again, looking away.
"As we wait, I'd like to make a speech about GG Homeware, my years of managing the brach, and now, the few months the branch has been managed by not one, but two managers at one time" he pointed out, looking back at us "However, that is, as you know, about to change"
He went on to say about three hundred more words as Ross and I stood there next to each other like sticks, staring at his back.
He loved making meetings unnecessarily long with words and empty paragraphs. I felt like Ross and I were more onto the point.
I'm certain he was.
My head would occasionally turn to look at the bright screen behind us, and the minutes that seemed to be passing way too slowly.
Between John's proud ramble, and the counting clock, it felt like forever by the time he said:
"And now, let's all look back at the screen, to find out who GG Homeware's more permanent manager for the New York branch, will be"
As Ross and I turned around slightly, I felt him reach out to his side, and discreetly grab my wrist, pushing my glove slightly down, as his fingers wrapped around my wrist- right on top of that bracelet.
I flushed.
The counting stopped.
⋆˚☽｡⋆.
hellooo.
sorry I sorta disappeared after the spam. life got busy.
updates: yes, I'm living in the dorms now. It's been a week I believe. having a pretty 50/50 experience. overall doing well ( I have indeed not straved myself yet), but what's annoying about living here in all the inconsiderate people slamming doors & screaming and shouting when people are trying to sleep.
my anger issues be acting up 😭
oh, and the joined kitchen I refuse to go in without my roomate bc the one time she left me alone a guy started cooking right next to me and I felt violated for no reason. I do NOT like this.
at least my roommate seems nice and I'm seeing someone I tomorrow who's also bringing me a lap top which will make writing SO much easier.
hope I don't get too busy. I'm trying to still be able to update despite busy days, by staying up at night bc that's just the kind of person I am 😂
oh did I forget to mention my dorm is also the last one in the FIFTH floor and there's NO elevators in this place? it's leg day every day
anyway, I wanna talk about this chapter and see your perspective on everything that happened, and what will happen.
did you expect that from Gema? obviously, these characters ...these people are human, therefore, not one of them is perfect. I try to make that clear.
I'm excited to write about the votes in the next chapter.. I don't think you'll expect where this is headed x.
if you want to find out more, as always, comment and vote. follow if you'd like :)
I love you dearly.
- G
58 votes and 63 comments required for next chapter!
follow my book's Instagram page for more updates!