Cold

The familiar smell of black coffee welcomed Damien into the office and he couldn’t help but smile.
He wanted to forget Céline but there were some things he couldn’t force his body to stop doing. Like the smile that grew on his face every morning when he got to work and found his coffee waiting. The fact that Céline made it, was even more difficult to keep a straight face.
Thankfully, he had gotten a separate office down the hall prepared for her. That way, he didn’t have to worry about showing his weaknesses to her. He could maintain his cold attitude for as long as he wanted, till he was certain of what he wanted.
Despite the fact that he had changed drastically towards her, Céline hadn’t stopped taking care of his morning coffee nor his office.
Céline was amazing. It hurt to admit it but, he still admired her. He wished things were different. He wished she didn’t have so many things in common with his first love.
How she managed to get to work and prepare his cup of coffee and get all the files sorted before Damien even got there was unimaginable.
At first, most workers thought she would tire out and quit the job in no time, especially with the way he treated her. Even he wanted her to quit the job because it looked like easiest solution to the constant battle in his mind, but he didn’t have the heart to do it. Deep down, he still wanted her. Even if he couldn’t have her, he wanted her to remain close enough for him to reach.
Céline acted strong, but Damien knew how much his attitude affected her. The more the days passed the more Céline showed her competence. She concentrated on her work and kept her butterfly inducing smile alive.
Every morning she prepared his coffee and sorted all arriving and pending files. Damien had almost nothing to do in the office except revise document and give approval. Even the figures in the financial report was growing higher than the former level it was in, thanks to her eye for details and follow up.
Damien settled in his chair and opened up his laptop. He went to his mail and opened the latest summary Céline had sent to him. He saw the speech she had prepared for the Trés Chic’s sale gala, which would be happening in just two weeks. He relaxed his back, took his coffee and started reading through the speech.
Half way through a soft knock sounded on his door and when he raised his eyes, they met the sea blue eyes of Céline. Her red hair was left to freely frame her face, the hue of her hair shone a deeper shade of red in the light that seeped from the window behind him. The redness of her hair and the blue of her eyes created a contrast that was impossible to ignore.
His eyes moved down her body and milky long legs greeted him. She was wearing a small black dress that ended just below her ass.
Damien found himself gawking at her.
He had been playing such a nice job of acting cold towards her but it was getting harder with each passing day.
Céline was too perfect in his eyes. He had nothing to complain about when it came to her work ethics and her beautiful body added to his dilemma.
Catching himself almost drooling, he snapped out of the enchanted trance Céline’s presence as put him in.
“What do you want?” He tried to make his voice stern, but it came out more sexy than cold.
Céline’s cheeks were slightly pink as she looked down to the cleaned floors. She passed a finger to move some of her hair to her left ears and then she brought out a document from behind her.
“This file came in from ‘The Grandees’ the manager said it was very important you looked at it.” Her voice was so soft, it came out as a whisper.
She took two steps and walked closer to the table. She placed it there and made to leave but stopped when she found Lucas standing by the door.
“I do not come to this office for what- three weeks and you are already contaminating the holy grounds!”
His sharp voice booms from the door and Damien throws his head towards it. He finds a grinning Lucas.
“Good morning Mr Smith,” Céline greets politely.
“Oh, please you have earned the right to call me Lucas.” He took her hands and placed a light kiss at the back of each hand.
Damien felt heat flush through him as he watched them with raised brows.
“Hey bro, how have you been?” Lucas said, turning his attention to Damien. He still held Céline’s hands as he spoke to his friend.
Damien frowned as he glared at his best friend.
“You can let her go now. She has work to do!” Damien breathed through clenched teeth.
Lucas was almost like Damien’s mother. He just walked in and out of his house and office without prior notice, it was annoying.
“Okay, tiger. I will let her go!” Lucas dramatically dropped Céline’s hands and curtsied. “Mi lady…” He whispered.
Céline was blushing by the time she excused herself out of the office.
“I’ll be with Tiana.”
Damien followed her with his eyes until she walked out of the door. He groaned inwardly in frustration. Why did she keep imbedding herself in his mind like that? And why should he care if she was touched by someone else? For all he knows she might be married by some bald man in the province just like his first love!
“Damien! Damien! Earth to Damien!” It was Lucas calling.
Damien forced himself to withdraw his eyes from Céline’s shadow, and he turned to look at Lucas, glaring coldly at him.
“What do you want?” He demanded.
“Waoh! Slow down bro. I didn’t do anything to your Celine, or did I?” Lucas raised his arms in defence and turned to the door, raising his brow.
“I don’t care what you do to Céline!” To his surprise the words hurt to leave his throat. But when they did leave he felt dehydrated like he had told a lie.
“Tsk tsk tsk… You have no idea don’t you?” Lucas asked, watching his friend.
“No idea about what?” Damien’s face was slowly transforming into a frown.
He really needed to get something done with the way Lucas and his mother walked into his life.
“First, you have changed. It’s been two Saturdays now and your attitude in the club as been nothing like my old pal,” Lucas said, holding out one of his fingers.
“Secondly and most importantly I think you are in love with her…” Lucas trailed, holding his second finger up.
Damien’s glare deepened. He thought, surely his friend must be going mad.
“And you my dear friend, have no idea that you are already in a relationship with her.”
Lucas occupied the visitor’s chair and made himself comfortable. A smug smile on his face as he felt he has hit the bull’s eye.
Damien’s glare dropped and a forced laughter left his lips.
“You have lost your mind Lucas!”
Lucas didn’t laugh. He raised his brow and stared intensely at his best friend, waiting till he stopped making a fool of himself.
“The only one here with a lost mind, is you, Damien Culhane! You are blinded so much you can’t even see what your heart is seeing.”
Damien’s awkward laughter soon died down and he stared back at his friend. “I do not know where you get these crazy ideas from but I am a very busy man Lucas, I don’t have time to love a woman.”
“Ah! You do not have time? Yet, during her first week you took her out for lunch every day?” Lucas asked. The question was more rhetorical than ordinary. He sighed.
“You also drove her home everyday of that week.” Once again, Lucas was counting the points with his fingers.
“Who told you-” Damien was confused. He felt like his company was full of spies. His best friend obviously had people watching his every move. Likewise his mother!
“Forget who told me and open your eyes to the obvious.”
“What obvious? I did take her out but it was just for her to settle into her job. Do I take her out now? I am sure your spies have told you I stopped that nonsense a long time ago!”
Damien defended himself. Taking Céline to work didn’t mean they were in a relationship or that he was in love with her. Lucas was delusional.
“That’s why I am here. The guys are worried. I am worried about you Damien.”
“I already told you guys, Céline isn’t my problem.” Damien shrugged.
“Can you take Tiana on a lunch today then?” Lucas suggested and Damien made a scowling face.
“Why should I take Tiana out for lunch, I pay her enough to take care of her own feeding.”
It made no sense. Why would he take Tiana out for lunch, rather than do that, he might as well invite the entire company for lunch.
“I also know that you pay Céline three rimes the amount you pay Tiana. So why did you take her out for lunch?”
“You know what? Do not answer that. Why did you take her to The Maroon? Of all places, why there? That place was designed for couples only!”
Touché.
In his defense his subconscious had directed him there. It wasn’t entirely his doing. He just couldn’t think of a more worthy place to take Céline if not there.
“Lucas I said I have stopped that already! I have work to do please let me be!”
When he took Céline out for lunch, he was infatuated by her beauty. He wanted her. But then she said she wanted to get married and that had turned him off. Lucas had nothing to worry about and bringing it up only caused him aches.
“We both know Céline has done all your work for you. Damien, talk to me, what’s going on?”
Damien sighed. He dropped his pen and loosened his tie.
“You don’t have to be ashamed bro. We only want what’s best for you. I only want what’s best for you.”
“I know Lucas…” Damien trailed, thinking about what Lucas was insinuating.
He hadn’t considered being in love with her, maybe because he completely denied and frowned at the idea. But no, he wasn’t in love with her. He couldn’t be in love with any body. What if they broke his heart and trust again?
“I admit I was infatuated by her…” He closed his eyes and Céline’s alluring body flashed in his mind.
Lucas remained quiet, waiting for him to pour out his mind.
“I agree I became obsessed with her… But I can assure you that all that is in the past now…”
“You say it’s all in the past but no other woman has ticked your fuck box for four good weeks now.” Lucas folded his arms across his chest and raised his brow.
“What the fuck is wrong with you man?”
“I told you, nothing is wrong with me. Céline is simply just my personal assistant.”
Once again, Damien’s throat hitched as if his body refused to accept what he was letting out.
Lucas narrowed his eyes at him.
“Good, then.” Lucas rose from his seat and started walking to the door.
“Since you claim not to be in love with her. I will consider her single and next time I meet her I will flirt with her!”
The sound of the door banging did not shake Damien as much as Lucas’ parting words. His heart squeezed and his fist itched to hit someone or something badly.
Why was he getting so worked up over Céline being considered single?