Beyond Love and Lies

Chapter 16- Folder

“Charlene! Excuse me….” Andy whispered, knocking on the door. Charlene was holding the phone. Charlene lifted her head and cupped the phone receiver.

“Hmmm?”

“I’m sorry! Is Mr. Davidson in?” she whispered again,

“Yes, he just arrived from Washington. Go inside. I’m sorry, busy,” Charlene apologized, pointing at the receiver. She received many phone calls from people who wanted to make an appointment with her boss.

“Okay, thank you!” Andy mouthed.

It would be her first time in a while again to meet and talk in person with Damien. She didn’t know what came to her smart mind to decide to give him the accounting report for the month personally. She usually handed it over to Charlene, but today, she changed her mind. She wanted to see Damien. ‘You miss him, lady,’ Said her capricious mind. ‘Yeah, she does,’ said the other.

Andy knocked gently on his door. “Come in!” said the faint deep, baritone voice inside. She slowly opened the door and found Damien sitting on his swivel chair, scowling at some papers on his hands.

Damien didn’t dare to look who came in, “Charlene, wheres my…” cutting off his words when he saw the person standing in front of him. It was Andy holding a folder. He grinned wide, making sure he was showing his pearly whites.

“I'm sorry, I thought you're Charlene. How are you, Ms. Paxton?” Damien greeted with a glow in his eyes. He hadn’t seen her for months. He had been occupied with so much work, and the only way he could see her was on the screen when they did video conferencing. He missed her, bigtime. Since the day they almost shared a kiss, Andy never left his mind. Scratch that, she has been running on his head until now. He was so glad to see her standing in front of him.

Andy cleared her throat, seeing Damien looking petrified and spacing out, so she coughed again. “Mr. Davidson,” She called out, smiling at him.

Damien flickered his eyes as he was brought back from his deep thoughts, “I'm sorry, Ms. Paxton. It's been a while”. He said sternly.

“Yes, sir. I came here to give this report, Charlene was busy taking calls, so I did the liberty to bring this to you.” Andy explained. ‘And I want to see you, too.’ Her f*****g alter mind added.

“Sure, give me, let me see,” Damien answered, looking at her hands.

Andy walked towards his table and handed the folder. Upon giving it, her hand unintentionally brushed on Damien’s hand. The next thing she knew, a thousand shivers ran on her spine, making her heart a double flip. The invisible electricity encored her whole body. She was stunned.

“Ms. Paxton, are you okay?” Damien noticed Andy’s shocking reaction.

Andy was brought back to life after spacing out. “Yes, that’s all, Mr. Davidson.” She said as she turned around and walked towards the door. She knew her face was a hundred shades of red. And she also knew she had to leave soon. ‘You touched him, woman,’ her thoughts teased again. She was about to open the door when,

“Andy, wait!” Damien called her. Andy stopped, she silently prayed he wasn’t behind her, but her prayers were too late to reach heaven. He was indeed again behind her. She could feel his close presence by the smell of his cologne, giving her chills, tingling her neck. She then took another step before turning around just to be extra sure.

“Yes, Mr. Davidson? “ She asked innocently, smugly smiling. “Did you forget to say something?” She added in a professional tone.

Damien was taken aback. He didn’t know what pushed him to follow Andy again, and she seemed acting apprehensive, “Nothing, I just want to say sorry about what happened last time…I..”

Andy understood what he meant right away. “I… It's okay, Mr. Davidson, that was nothing. That shouldn’t happen in the first place. I apologize, too,” she answered back. The tension between them was getting thicker. She must get out now before she regretted what might happen next.

“No, I mean, yes. That shouldn't happen. You may take your leave and have a good day,” Damien said. He didn’t want to regret what he might do next if Andy stayed in front of him. Damien didn’t know what kind of spell she was bringing to him, but it was bizarre. All he knew was it was awesome. ‘You’re getting smitten because you want her in your bed.’ His fickle mind said. Damien shrugged his thoughts away before going back on his chair to continue his work.

Andy opened the door and left Damien’s office without looking back, fearing Damien would be standing behind her again. She walked by Charlene’s door and thanked her.

“How was it?” Charlene asked

“Fine? Why ask? I just gave him the papers.”

“Yeah, for ten minutes?”

What the f**k? Ten minutes had passed? That long?

Charlene noticed the dilemma on Andy; she was just pulling her leg.

“Just kidding, hahaha!” Charlene blurted, then laughed.

Andy inhaled deeply, deep enough to mind her senses not to strangle the woman she called as a friend.

“Your face Andy!” Charlene added. She was favoring Andy and her boss, knowing they were both single and seemed compatible. Though she knew Damien’s antics, maybe Andy would be the person who could stop him from his game. The last time she suggested to Andy about flirting with her boss, she earned a big slap on her arm.

“Shut up!” Andy said, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, whatever,” Charlene tittered.

“You two women! It's time for you to work. Why are you chatting during working hours! The company isn't paying you to do shits!” the sneaky loud voice roared, startling both of them.

Andy and Charlene both looked at the owner of that voice. Charlene stopped herself rolling her eyes at the woman. Andy, on the other hand, was gaping wide. This pretty woman just called them out in the office.

The short blond hair woman with dark brown eyes, a small nose, and lips filled with filler. She was wearing a body-hugging blue dress that stopped above her knee. It was too tight that it looked like her second skin.

“Oh yeah, we were talking about work,” Charlene shamelessly answered. She knew the woman. She had seen her before in every business meeting or parties she attended with her Boss Damien. The wealthy model Jastin Lionel, a living Barbie doll in a socialite world. The sophisticated daughter of East coast business moguls, the Lionels.

Jastin just rolled her eyes at Charlene, “Where is Damien?” she asked impolitely.

“He’s inside. Let me call him first and ask if he’s busy or not, plus you're not listed in his schedule,” Charlene nonchalantly said. Andy noticed the annoyance of her friend’s voice.

“No need!” The woman sneered. She then walked straight to Damien’s door and opened it abruptly.

“Stop!” Charlene tried to stop Jastin from getting inside the office; she knew Damien was busy with work. But it was too late Jastin had already opened the door wide. Charlene followed the woman. “I'm sorry, boss, I tried to ask her first,” Charlene apologized to a surprised-looking Damien.

Andy was just watching afar and listening to the commotion. Whoever the woman was must be a pain in the ass. She thought.

“How dare you stop the fiancé of the CEO!” Jastine barked, eyeing Damien’s secretary.

Andy’s eyes widen. ‘Fiance?’ She was shell-shocked. A pang of jealousy kicked her heart. Damien has a Fiancé. ‘What the f*ck?’

Charlene tried not to make a face upon hearing the b*tch standing next to her.

“It's okay, Charlene, let her in,” Andy heard from Damien. The woman then went in and shut the door loud.

“Bithc!” Charlene muttered, rolling her eyes. Andy had never seen Charlene appalled and angry before. Her pale skin flushed red in exasperation. She must’ve hated the woman so much.

“Who is she?” Andy couldn’t help but asked the annoyed Charlene. They were now inside her office room.

“Oh, just some bithc from hell. I don’t believe he’s Damien’s fiancé, don’t believe her either,” Charlene held, waving her hand. She was never a fan of that woman, neither her Boss Damien, but why would she say she was Damien’s fiancé? She questioned herself. ‘Fiance, my foot!’

Andy chuckled. Charlene couldn't control her emotions. She was livid to the bone for some reason.

“She’s pretty tough,” Andy said. Though, the lady indeed was harsh. She was impressed by the woman’s striking appearance though Charlene was right; she seemed like a b*tch.

“Yeah, but you're a prettier woman than her. Inside out, the name is Jastin Lionel, one of the greatest b***h in the city,” Charlene blurted. “Can you believe she has the guts to tell us she’s Boss Damien’s fiancé ?” Charlene held, rolling her eyes for the nth time.

“Must be telling the truth; she may be his fiancé,” Andy said, cooly. Making her feel uneasy uttering those words, though.

“My foot! I don’t think Damien will marry her, not unless that’s the old Davidson wanted, Damien has always been a yes-person to his mom, so I don’t know. Marrying satan’s mistress isn't a good idea.”

Andy burst out laughing at Charlene’s uncontrolled infuriation against the lady named Jastin. Her friend was beyond irritated. It took her a while to recover from laughing. Jastin was indeed right. They shouldn’t do chatting during work time. Andy inwardly thought.

“Yes, well, I don’t know, but if the old Davidson will insist, he would probably say yes to her.”

“Really?” Andy asked, trying to hide the discomfort. She wasn’t sure about what she felt about Damien, but her heart was aching by what she heard from Charlene.

“Well, I hope our boss grows a spine. He shouldn’t marry the woman who had slept with half of the men in the city.” Charlene irritatingly spilled.

“Well, it's Mr. Davidson's choice, not ours.” Andy replied, “Got to go, Lady. Hold your horses still. We don’t know if she was telling the truth or not, for all we care,” She stated. ‘Maybe I still have a chance.’ She thought, ‘stop it, Andrea!’ her capricious mind retorted. ‘Yes, I know,’ she answered back.

“What do you know?”

Andy was taken aback, saying what was in her head. ‘I seriously need to stop having this inner monologue!’ She huffed, “Nothing, I was just talking to myself. See you later, woman!” Andy bade before leaving Charlene’s office.

"Weird lady!" Charlene puffed, going back to her interrupted work.