CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: the risk
1483 Words
“Aren’t you going to show me around here?”
Zephyr asked. He was now sitting on the couch. He did not know what to do yet. The boss had not given him instructions yet. In fact, she had not said a word since her assistant walked out of the office, leaving them alone with each other again. Zephyr thought that if he would keep her distance from her and move to the couch on the right side of the room, she would finally open her mouth and asked him to do something, but he did hear not anything.
No reply.
Zephyr sighed when he got ignored again.
I guess I’ll just look after her and we don’t really need to talk.
Zephyr shrugged at the thought and leaned his back on the couch. He sprawled his arms and legs and sat like a boss. He purposely let out a loud yawn. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ava finally turn her head to look at him.
Great. I got her attention.
“Why are you sitting like that?”
Oh, she has a mouth. And oh. She hates it when I act like more than a boss than her.
“I…uh… I’m just trying to relax my muscles.” He replied, meeting her eyes. “I just figured out that I need to know all the places and rooms and corners in this building. I have to be familiar with it.”
“Go. Show yourself around.” Her voice was soft. Maybe, she did not really want to say that? Maybe, she really wanted to show him around?
“Are you sure?” Zephyr asked, finally sitting up and crossing his leg, putting his foot over his knee.
“I’m always sure about things,” Ava said and looked away from him. She was working on her laptop.
“Are you sure I should go out there alone? What if I get lost? This building is freaking huge. Besides, I need to know what department this is and that.” Zephyr reasoned out. “And I just can’t leave you here alone.”
Ava looked so focused on checking out for commercial models again, but she was listening to him. After Mason left, she started to feel uncomfortable around Zephyr. She was more than embarrassed when she thought he was going to kiss her. The worst part? She just had to verbalize it to him. So far, that was the most embarrassing moment in her life. She couldn’t look at him in the face, most importantly, in the eyes anymore. She knew she would blush hard again. It was the reason why she wished her complexion was not that pale and white. People could easily figure out that she was blushing.
Anyway, the last sentence of what Zephyr just said made her look up from her laptop and to his face. “I’ll be fine here alone.” She said and looked away and back to her laptop. She could not stare at him for too long.
“Then I’ll stay here with you. I just hope you will have some time to show me around soon, though.”
“Later. During lunch break.”
Zephyr sighed in relief and he could not help the little smile that was threatening to come out. Standing up from the couch, he walked over to the glass walls where he could see the view of beautiful New York City. Now, he understood why she had her office on this floor. He had his back to her as he crossed his arms over his chest. Silence filled the room and he was not sure if she was looking at him.
“It must be very nice to work here with this view.” He said, just wanted to confirm it.
“Not really. It’s not like you can work and look at that view at the same time.” She said.
“Is that sarcasm?” He chuckled. Yes, he chuckled.
Zephyr’s eyes widened at the realization. He could not believe he just did that with her. It had been a long time since he let out a chuckle or laugh.
Damn it. What’s going on with me?
“If you take it as so, then so be it.”
It was her sassy response. Zephyr wanted to chuckle again, but he held himself. He just smiled. Well, she could not see it so he guessed it was fine. “I’ll take that you’re sarcastic.”
“You’re more sarcastic than me.”
Oh, he thought she was going to stop talking already.
“I’m sorry if it annoys you.”
“It does,” Ava answered.
Yes, she was staring at her laptop, but the truth was, she could not really focus at all. She was just pretending she was busy. Deep inside, she just wanted to turn around on her chair, sit back and relax while staring at the view with him. Not just that, she wanted to have a random conversation with him. It was what she really wanted to do, but since she was embarrassed, she could not do that.
“How long has he been working here?”
Does he want to get to know me?”
Ava frowned, wondering. Well, they must know each other since he was basically going to be with her almost all of the time.
“Are you talking about Mason?” She asked, just wanted to make sure.
“Who else?”
And that was when she thought their conversation would flow smoothly. How could she forget that he was the most sarcastic and sassiest person she had ever met? Annoyed, she shut her mouth and decided to finally check her emails.
Ignore him. Please ignore him.
Yes, she was talking to herself. She just hated that she had to ignore him, but there was a huge part in herself that wanted to talk to him. He was trying to make a conversation, but he was being sarcastic himself.
“Almost two years already.”
Damn it, Ava.
Ava closed her eyes in annoyance. She hated herself sometimes for being so weak. She made a ‘tsk’ sound and shook her head.
Please ignore him for real this time.
Zephyr, getting satisfied with the view, finally started walking around the room. He walked over the door on the left so he decided to ask her about it.
“What room is this?”
“My room.”
“Oh. You sleep here?”
“Sometimes.”
Zephyr nodded his head slowly in understanding.
“Can I get inside?”
“Go ahead.”
“Is the main door locked?” He had to make sure it was locked.
“Maybe, you can check? You’re near to it.” She replied, without looking up at him. He wondered if he had something on his face.
Handsomeness.
Right.
Why won’t she look at me, though?
“Right.” He muttered, walking over to the main door and checked if it was locked. It was not, so he locked it.
He walked back to the other door and opened it. He looked at her first and saw her so focused, so he just walked inside her room. It was dark so he put his hand beside the doorway to find a switch. He found it, turned it on, and the room was lit up.
A very cozy and aesthetic minimalist bedroom was what greeted his sight. The walls were white. The bed was looking so comfortable with white sheets and pillows. The gray comforter laid over the thick mattress. There were not so many things inside the bedroom, but a cute nightstand with a digital alarm clock on top, beside the bed, and a three-door wardrobe cabinet on the left. Above the headboard were three hanging wall shelves where she put some indoor plants and books for display. There was also a huge plant on the other side of the bed, potted in white ceramics. He did not know what it was called, but the leaves were big and had holes in them. There was another door to his right, which he assumed was the bathroom.
With his curiosity satisfied, he walked over to the door and turned the lights off. Just when he was finally out and had closed the door behind him, he saw no Ava on her desk. Panic rose up as he hurriedly looked around the room, searching for her.
“s**t. Damn it. I don’t have her number.” He muttered, getting frustrated when he could not see her inside the room. “Ava?”
Nothing.
“Oh, shit.”
Profanities would not leave his mouth. He now regretted walking into her bedroom. Thinking that she might just be outside, he hurried out of the office. The hallway was empty. He saw Mason’s door and barged in without a warning. There, he saw them, laughing.
“Can you at least let me know that you are going somewhere?!”
- Writer
