Beyond Love and Lies

Chapter 14- Almost

    Andy heard a soft knock on her open door.

    “Lady, Mr. Davidson wants to talk to you,” Charlene said.

    Andy nudged her head up and looked at Charlene. “Yes, be there soon, thanks.” She said. It must be the overall report that she sent him this morning. She had been working in the company for nearly a year and couldn’t be happier with her job. She was slowly getting used to Damien’s presence, but somehow there were still bizarre feelings lingering in her.

    “Here we go, Andy,” she mumbled before taking her notepad and pen, leaving her own office.

    Andy gently knocked on Damien’s door.  She always anticipated this moment. Meeting and looking at him from afar made her giggle inwardly like a teenager. She has a massive crush on her boss. Well, everyone does in the office. Charlene was oblivious, though.

    “Come in!”  Damien answered loudly. He knew it was Andy. He was standing at the bookshelves, looking for files he needed for the meeting.

    Opening the door, “Good afternoon, Mr. Davidson.” Andy greeted Damien. Her smile was so wide Damien almost could see her molars.

    “Good afternoon, Ms. Paxton. Come sit down, please.”

    Andy walked towards the receiving chair, and Damien sat down on his swivel chair.

    “I saw your annual financial report of the company’s earnings for this year,” Damien started, “I am so impressed how you made it simple yet understandable." He paused, staring at Andy's gleaming eyes, “I've never seen any annual information stated clearly and visibly. A way so different from the old report of Ms. Powers,” He added, praising Andy’s work. He loved how she modestly reported and how it presented on a sheet.

    Andy beamed, hearing the commendations, “Oh, thank you so much. No worries, It's my job,” she replied elatedly, “I reviewed the preceding documents and saw the hitches. That’s why I thought of another way to present it clearly without giving the board and directors trouble. The report doesn’t need so many details at all, though,” Andy answered. 

    Her heart was beating unsteadily upon learning Damien liked the report she made using her sweats and blood for a week.

    Damien smiled at Andy.

    “I have spoken to the HR, and as a reward, though I knew you barely stayed in your post as Accounting manager, you deserved an increase.” Damien happily broke the news. He was indeed impressed by how Andy did her job. It wasn’t only her receiving the upgrades; all of the staff showed their hard work; he only wanted to break the news to her personally.

    Andy’s eyes broaden and as she cupped her mouth in disbelief. “Oh, wow, thank you, Mr. Davidson.” She exclaimed. She may not know how much it was, but she was grateful that her works were appreciated. Her current salary was high enough to slowly pay the debts of her mom’s hospitalization and her school loan.

    “Don’t mention it. You deserved it. Go to HR and confirmed it,”

    Andy stood up happily. “Again, thank you, Mr. Davidson, for It's always a pleasure to work with you and with the company,” She said, turning around and started walking away towards the door.

    Damien couldn’t resist seeing Andy’s beautiful happy face. He stood up from his chair, walked around, and strode towards following her, “Andrea, wait!”

    Andy heard Damien making her body turned around. She was shocked to see Damien standing in front of her. There was a small gap between them, so close, they could feel their body heat and deep breaths.

    “Mr. D…Damien.,” she mumbled. She was stunned by his actions.

    “Andy…”

    Andy heaved a deep breath; she couldn’t find the courage to look up at him.' What the f**k is he doing to me?"

    “Andy, you're so beautiful…” Damien murmured, cupping Andy’s soft cheek, brushing his thumb over it, lifting her head to meet his gaze.

    Andy was shocked. Her heart was beating unevenly once more, ‘what kind of spell is he doing to me,’ she thought again. Her blue-gray eyes were locked on his, doing a staring game with his mesmerizing green orbs.

    Damien was eyeing Andy’s red plump lips. ‘I want to kiss her,’ his thoughts said, ‘then do it!’ his fickle mind ordered. He slowly moved his head down and nudged his lips to Andy.

    Andy closed her eyes as she saw Damien’s leaning his head forward to kiss her. She was waiting for his lips to touch hers.  Damien was about to lock his lips to Andy when they heard a loud knock on the door.  They were both stunned, poising themselves hurriedly as they knew someone was at the door, waiting. Unexpectedly interrupting the kiss, they were about to share. 

    Andy turned around quickly as she walked towards the door and opened it in haste. A beautiful lady greeted her with a smug smile. The middle-aged lady’s green eyes glared, eyeing her from head to foot. She must still be flushing from the interrupted act that she and Damien were about to do had not the loud knock intervened.

    “Mom?” She heard Damien said behind her. Andy opened the door wider and let the woman enter Damien’s office. She then took her moment to leave and went straight to her office.

    Andy was so speechless upon remembering her almost-kissed with her very own boss, Damien. She could still feel his hot minty breath on her face. Slumping back on her chair, “Argh!”  She frustratedly blurted, scratching her hair, “i***t Andy!” she cursed herself. ‘You should freaking stop, woman! You aren’t worth it. He’s a womanizer, and you're nothing to him but a toy!’ her fickle smart mind reprimanded her.

    “You're right,” she answered back to herself, rolling her eyes, huffing.

    “Andy, you okay?”  

    Andy half startled as she looked up to the person who broke her inner monologue. It was Diane standing next to her door.

    “Diane! Hi, I'm sorry, I was talking to myself,”  she said unflappably. “How are you?”

    Diane walked towards Andy’s table. “I’m good. I came here to check on you. I was with mom, but I let her and Damien talk. She had so many things to patch up with him,” She said, sitting down at Andy’s receiving seat.

    “Oh, They probably have missed each other,” Andy said. She can imagine the horrific scene if they got caught kissing by his Boss’s mother.

    “Yeah, they do. They're probably strangling each other’s neck now,” Diane kidded

    Andy snickered, “No way!”

    “Yes! I hope I'm not disturbing you. Can I stay here and wait for them?” Diane asked permission. She didn’t want to be anywhere around the people she loved and hated at the same time.

    “Sure, you are always welcome here, lady, no worries.”

    “Don’t worry; I'm not going to talk to you or make any noise.”

    “It's okay, just don’t be shocked if you find me having my monologue,” Andy said. It was a habit for her, having a conversation with her thoughts.

    “I would love to join if that happens,” Dianne sniggered. She knew the most intelligent and smart people do inner dialogue. Andy was both; she silently wished her brother grew a spine to ask Andy out or maybe give his infatuation a chance.

    Andy continued her work while Diane listened to music on her headphones. Her body was doing the work. However, her mind was all about Damien and their little shenanigans minutes ago.

    Diane silently observed Andy as she worked on her desk; she wished their mom would leave her brother alone and stop pressurizing him for making stupid things. Her mom asked her to join in visiting her dearest brother. She sounded in a hurry, and it seemed like they needed a dire talk.

    After some time, Diane received a call from her mom telling her they're leaving soon.

    "Yes, mom, I'm coming. See You downstairs." She said on the phone.

    "Leaving?" Andy asked Diane

    “Yes, Got to go, Andy! Thank you, I shall see you around.”

    Andy looked at beaming Diane, “No worries, lady, you're always welcome here.” She said, smiling. “Lovely girl," she muttered before going back to her business.