CHAPTER 28
All that swirling in Riley’s head came to an end when she felt a strong grip around her waist steadying her and preventing her from falling-it took a while to compose herself.
Still recovering from the shock she had felt when she was about to fall to the ground, Riley was breathing heavily, her gaze fixed on Damien who was staring at her intensely.
“Are you alright?” He asked, pulling her to himself.
“Uhm, yeah. Thanks.” She said, flipping her hair away from her face, to her it felt like too much contact, the fact that she didn’t know too well to have him have his hands around her that way.
Yet, it was intriguing if she’d have to admit, his cologne, his scent…Everything!
Forgetting she fell because of her broken heels, he let go of her waist and the next second, he had to repeat his earlier action. This time round, more swiftly.
“Dammit, I’m sorry.” He muttered. “You’re alright?” He asked, searching her face for a reply.
Nodding, she replied, “Uh, yeah.” She muttered, still feeling intrigued.
Just like before, he pulled her to himself and not wanting a repeat of what had happened, Riley immediately grabbed his shoulder, their faces a few inches away from the other.
Standing in this awkward position, the next few minutes was tension filled, each staring at the other with a different scenario in mind.
For Damien it was how beautiful she was, and for the woman he had in his hands she couldn’t help but think about a way to stay detached as fast as she could, and perhaps the thought of her shoe as well.
It was at this moment that Rhys walked in-He had wanted to have a conversation with Damien on account of Christian request but on seeing this, all he wanted to discuss died down and was replaced with jealousy.
He didn’t know how to react to the scene unfolding, Damien attention switches immediately he sees the man that had given him a lift to the place.
Clenching his fists together, he racked his brain for the best way to disentangle the couple without giving them the feeling that he had done it on purpose but he couldn’t find any.
“Hello, Damien seems busy … Guess he would give you a call when he is done.” He muttered into the phone that had been hanging for long-Obviously Christian.
Rhys’ mind at that moment was filled with the notion of : “I can’t stay back and watch them make out in my presence.”
Riley! he had been fantasizing of having a taste of her lips, He had thought about how it would feel to hold her and enjoy the thrilling moment, yet he was finding her in the arms of another.
The eyes were in the direction of Rhys, as a still confused Riley disentangled from Damien, her eyes now fixed on Rhys who was shooting daggers at them with a phone hanging loosely from his hand.
“I am sorry for keeping you waiting, I will be out here as soon as I can.” Damien mutter’s running his hands through his hair at forgetting Rhys grand gesture at dropping him off after his car broke down midway.
Rhys, still fuming with anger, or perhaps jealousy whichever of the two pretended not to hear him speak. Damien, on the other hand, not wanting that disdainful look on his face to become more obvious he made quick strides towards the door.
“You have to be quick, I can’t wait for long.” He said with a calm tone walking out of the office and masking the fury in his voice.
Rolling her eyes to the back of her head and biting her lips in response, Riley straightened up and then turned to see him leave, there was a look of concern on her face.
Soon as he was leaving, Damien made quick steps after him and met with him as he was approaching the exit. Rhys’ guard tries to come between them before being waved off.
“Wanted to see me?” Rhys asked, wondering why he was leaving as soon as he had come since he had something else to do.
“Yes I forgot to tell you something.” He stated.
“Go ahead and speak!”
” Can I ask a favor?” He replied, not bothering to look in their direction.
“Go ahead.”
“Can this stay between us, you know don’t tell my boss this happened under your watch.”
Rhys stared at him, lighting up a cigar … “Your words are safe here.”
Damien returns after hearing this, he met with
Riley, who was grabbing the rails, didn’t stop looking at the direction Rhys had taken until Damien appeared in front of her.
Waving his hand in her face, he asked, “What are you staring at? Having a conversation with a ghost?” He asked, bringing her back from her revive.
“No.” She muttered. Wiping her brow which had become sweaty all of a sudden, she turned in his direction and with a raised brow asked, “Why is he here… wasn’t expecting him.”
“You shouldn’t be, we were not doing anything serious.”
The words felt like an arrow in her heart…
“He is friends with our bosses, what if he mentioned to them that we were being unethical?” Riley replied and immediately, Damien snapped her head sideways in quick succession. “We would be fine.”
With her hand still lingering on her forehead, she tried to probe further but her tongue which had suddenly become heavy refused to cooperate.
“You’re confusing me with your reaction. Is there a problem?” He asked, leaning towards her but she was swift in shaking her head in the negative.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, she returned her gaze to Damien who was staring back at her with his hands tucked into his pockets. He was in a dire need to know what was running through her mind that explains why he hasn’t left yet.
“You look rather more worried than you should.” He said with a raised brow.
“What is he doing here?” She asked again. “I haven’t seen him around since the banquet?” She asked, her gaze directly on him.
Damien could see that she was panicking-
“He decided to help me here since my boss was busy with something I don’t know about, this is something my boss Christian would have done if available. ” he explained. “Is there a problem? Seems there is, your reaction and facial expression says it all.”
“No, I was just wondering because this is the first time I’m seeing him around.” She muttered.
“Well, his presence here is solely because of the merge that is about to happen. Remember, my boss and Laura plan on meeting the company.”
“Yeah… that’s true.” She replied, nodding vigorously.
“I guess that explains why he is here. I spoke to him and be rest assured our bosses won’t get to know …What happened..” He said, smacking his lips.
Rubbing his jaw lines as he thought of what he would say to make the conversation going, he allowed his eyes to start wandering about. Meanwhile, Riley was still pondering about Rhys ‘ presence but didn’t want to come forth as being overbearing.
“Hey, go get your heels fixed.” Damien said and before Riley could react. ” He picked the file he had brought in.”Would drop this with your accountant.
Setting down on the couch, she crouched and then quickly unbuckled her heels.
“Let’s see if my knowledge of cobbling still exists.” she said observing the extent of the damage.
She still couldn’t get the thought of everything out of her head and the silence made it worse, she could feel herself slowly reaching that point she dreaded so much in her heart, one that was filled with concern.
She sighed in relief, grateful that the situation wasn’t more serious than it had looked, pushing her hair behind her ear. Her gaze trailed outside the window to see the car still parked.
She thought of what Rhys probably thought of her now, she had probably seen the look in his eyes and it was either assumptions or the mind was playing tricks on her and had caught that look of jealousy.
When she was done, he placed the heel on the floor and then strapped it around her ankle.
Holding herself up, she tried on the shoes, this time with both heels out, there was zero fear of
doubling over and losing her teeth.
“You wouldn’t fall when I’m here.” Damien called from behind her giving a wink which she blushed at.
“Look I fixed this.”
After going around the office twice to confirm if she could walk with the shoes she returned to where he stood.
“Thank you so much.” She said, grinning from. side to side.
“You’re welcome but I hope you will take my sincere advice…”
“And that is?” She asked, wondering what he wanted to say to her.
“Discard it as soon as you get home or find a good cobbler to work on it.”
“But I already did.” She protested, staring at her feet.
“It was just a shift adjustment.” He replied, walking towards her.
He glanced at his watch, and stared at the door. “I have to go now… Don’t want to make him more mad.” He stipulated.
“Oh, thanks for today.” She started with a smile.
“You are welcome.”
She watched him leave, a smile creeping on her face.
Later that weekend…
It had been three days since the entire madness at work and Riley was out grocery shopping when she got the Sight of Rhys car outside the mall.
She contemplated returning to herself and about waiting close to it, so she could meet with Rhys. After what seems like forever, she decided to meet with Rhys before heading for her home so she waited-
Ten minutes all by herself felt like eternity, but at long last he did show up.
After adjusting her dress, she began to walk briskly toward where she had seen him close to the entrance, aware that he was definitely going to give her an attitude.
She let out a scoff as she got closer to her destination.
Getting toward where Rhys was, she took in a deep breath and then proceeded to get his attention as it seemed like he was on a call, he motioned to her however, inviting her closer.
After three minutes and no response but silence, he drops the call only to lock eyes with her who was looking at him rather intensely.
“Hey, you didn’t tell me I was going to bump into you now. m and then ” he said as she walked in and then closed the distance between them.
“What are you doing here?” He asked, concerned.
Raising her brow at him, she asked, “This is a mall, it is obvious what I came here to do, is everything alright?” Rhys didn’t respond, instead he scoffed.
Riley, who was standing right before him, left a few feet to separate them. With her hands across her chest, she leaned towards him, “Are you going to tell my boss what happened?” she asked but didn’t get a response from him.
Rolling her eyes, she repeated the same question, still yet, no response from him.
Rhys sighed-
“Why do you two keep asking that I kept your secret?” He asked.
“Nothing really happened, he was just there at the right moment to prevent me from falling.
” Is that so? ” Rhys joked. ” Not that it was my business, but you two should be more ethical.”
“We were, nothing happened.”
” Anyways, your secret is safe just as you say.”
She is appreciative of this and turns to leave, Rhys hands felt warm as it gripped her wrist sending waves of adrenaline through her veins.
” Where are you going? ” He asked.
” To wait for my Uber. ”
” Oh that, You don’t need to worry that you can ride with me.”
” Are you sure of that? ” Riley asked.
” You can. ” He grimaced.
It felt crazy to her all at once, the fact that she was about to be given a ride in Rhys limousine, most women would kill to be in her shoes, so she thought.
Was this a grand gesture from the all and mighty Rhys, or he had his plans.
She shrugged at the thought, there was Only one way to find out.