Baby Steps

Chapter Seven

Bella

A couple of days have passed and my morning sickness has only gotten worse. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I'd run straight to the bathroom just to throw up and it would take me a few minutes to gain back my strength because honestly, throwing up everything in my stomach ends up making me weak. I would look pale and a throbbing headache would accompany me all the way to work; sometimes I even wonder, if I'm able to drive to work in the next few days.

I try as hard as I can to focus onto this meeting but the headache seems to be a distraction.

"We can always try to improvise. It'd make things go a lot better," Daniel says to another employee. They keep on talking as I sit still in my spot, increasing my grip on my pen. The pain wasn't too bad before but right now, it seems unbearable.

I lean back on the seat before tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, trying my best to take deep breaths. Everything around me starts to feel like a blur and the noises are somehow muffled. It feels harder for me to concentrate and all I can think about is lay down on the floor to ease the headache but that'd make me look like I've completely lost my mind. Therefore, I keep on looking at Daniel as he speaks, even when I don't understand a single word.

There is also this urge of throwing up at the spot.

Daniel looks at me, frowning. "Are you alright, Bella?"

The other two employees turn to look at me as they stop talking. They seem to be a little worried because I continue to blink, trying to regain my composure. "Bella . . . can you hear me? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Without thinking any further, I start to stand up in a hurry which causes my whole body to lose balance. My hands try to reach out to something in order to stop my fall but it seems as if I'm standing on air. Daniel quickly makes his way towards me before grabbing my waist, preventing me from tripping and falling onto the ground. The rest of the employees begin to stand as well, they seem concern about the situation. A few people have turned to look at us but all I can focus on is the throbbing headache.

"Bella? What's going on?" He asks, slowly letting me sit.

"I just need to go to the bathroom," I answer, trying to massage my temples.

"Okay, I'll help you."

Daniel turns towards the two employees, "Excuse us for a moment."

We both walk towards the nearest restroom with his arm wrapped around my waist, helping me walk a straight path. To be honest, if Daniel isn't here to help me out, I'd fall the moment I started walking. He continues to grab onto my waist as he looks down at my face, trying to see whether things are actually fine. "Can I lean here for a second?" I point out at the nearest wall before leaning the side of my body, my legs are somehow jiggly.

I close my eyes, controlling my breaths.

"What's wrong, Bella?" He asks.

"Nothing. I just have a bad headache," I mutter.

"I think you should go home and rest. You look really pale, too." He grabs a hold of my arm before taking a few steps back, "Did you drive here today? I can take you home and pick you up tomorrow morning. You can take your car when you get back,"

"I have a lot of work. I can't just go home," I look up, meeting his eyes.

"Work?" He scoffs, shaking his head. "Bella, I'm your boss—when you're not feeling well, you're supposed to go home and rest. You're not supposed to be thinking about work. Come on, I'll take you home."

I raise one finger up as a sign for him to wait before running towards the restroom, leaving him behind in confusion. As soon as I reach the toilet bowl, I start to throw my breakfast out. My whole body shakes in pain as I squirm, rubbing my stomach in order to ease or at least soothe the pain a little bit. Once I'm done, I flush and head towards the sink, gazing at myself in the mirror.

A pale woman with slightly smudged mascara is staring back at me and it doesn't take me long to realise that it's my own reflection. When I left home for work this morning, I was looking pretty decent but now, even my hair is a mess; a few strands have fallen instead of being tucked nicely. Anyone would judge me or walk away the moment they lay eyes on me.

I step out of the restroom, seeing Daniel still waiting for me.

"You okay?" He asks, looking really concern.

"Yeah. Can you please take me home?"

"Okay, let's go." He grabs a hold of my waist again, helping me walk straight to where he parks his car—right in front of the entrance. We both step inside the car and I immediately lean back on the seat, closing my eyes. Even though he's my boss but we are quite close, he likes the way I do my job and as far as he's concerned, I'm a really good employee. Besides, he's not that much older than me. Some would expect a sixty-year-old man but Daniel here, he's just thirty-six.

Daniel drives down the road and he would glance at my direction, once in awhile.

"Did you eat something spoiled?" He asks, breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?"

"I heard you throwing up."

I clear my throat, "Must've been the Chinese food."

"Right . . . I heard you were going home late, again. You shouldn't do that too often,"

"I thought bosses like it when their employees spend the night at the office," I joke, eyes focusing on the road.

He chuckles, "We do but not until you get sick. That's a cost we have to pay as well,"

"I'll be fine tomorrow and ready for work. You don't have to worry,"

"Bella, I just want you to get better. Take a couple of days off and stay at home until you're ready to go back to work. I don't want you to come when you're looking like a zombie—believe me, just get enough rest and come back when you're all well. You can't do anything if you're sick," He responds. "Besides, I won't miss you if I don't see you for a few days."

We chuckle, knowing how well he likes to joke around.

"Please, we both know you'd miss me too much." I add.

Daniel remains quiet for awhile which causes me to turn and look at him, seeing him looking down the road with his jaw slightly clenched. Then, as soon as we stop at a traffic light, his eyes meet mine—those hazel eyes are mesmerising sometimes. Honestly, when we had a transfer a few years ago, everyone expected a grumpy old boss but the moment we found out that it was Daniel, everyone was thrilled. The women were drooling over him sometimes but they know they wouldn't stand a chance. Daniel is a very handsome man and he's very committed with his career. Ever since we met, I haven't heard any scandals or anything bad.

"I'd be lying if I say no," He smiles, showing off his dimples.

The whole ride back to my house seems a bit awkward but we manage to find peace in the silence. Neither of us said another word and I can't help but keep looking out the window, feeling as if he's glancing at my direction every few minutes. So, the moment we arrived, he starts to speak. "Please, just get enough rest. I'll see you at the office when you're better,"

"I'll be back on Monday. I promise you," I reply, knowing well enough today is Thursday.

"Good. Do you want someone to send over your car?"

"It's fine. But, uh," I start to look for my car keys in my handbag before sighing, "I left the keys in my office."

"Don't worry. There are no thieves at the office, yet."

"Very funny," I smirk.

Daniel continues to smile, eyeing my every movement but respecting the space between us. We take a few seconds to look at one another before I clear my throat, "Thank you giving me a ride home. You didn't have to but you helped me,"

"Of course. It's my pleasure," He replies.

"Okay, I'll see you on Monday."

"Oh, can you walk? I can help you—"

Just as he's about to step out of the car, I grab onto his hand to stop him; once I've realised my action, I immediately pull my hand away. He seems to have noticed it as well but he remains quiet, only looking at my face.

I cut him off, "I can walk. Thank you so much,"

He nods, smiling one more time as I step out of the car.

There is nothing else that I can say to myself except for: you're being stupid as hell. It was awkward the moment I grabbed his hand and honestly, if I was able to walk straight and wasn't sick enough, it was even awkward the moment he held my waist. Of course we were close enough but it was just a relationship between an employer and an employee. I have no right to touch him or do things that would suggest anything.

Just walk inside. Just don't look back. I thought to myself.

As I walk, I spare another glance to find him still looking at me. So, I immediately step inside and mentally knocking myself back into my senses.