The next morning, Alyssa felt very apprehensive about facing Nicholas at work. After the way they parted last night, she wondered what type of mood he would be in. Would he still bear a grudge upon her?
She reached the office but strangely Nicholas still didn’t arrive. She checked her email for work and found two emails from him, both work-related. Was he not coming to the office? Why else would he send her so much work that might take her all day to finish? For the next few hours, she absorbed herself in the work Nicholas gave her. It was lunchtime and yet Nicholas hadn’t arrived at the office.
“It’s lunch, Alyssa. Come over to the cafeteria with me,” said Phil as he walked into her cubicle. Alyssa looked up at him and smiled, closing her laptop.
“Oh, hi! I’ll be there in a while,” she said, getting up.
“Stop working so much. Nicholas wouldn’t be coming in for two weeks after all. Aren’t you, his girlfriend? Why didn’t he take you with him?” asked Phil suspiciously.
“He offered but I declined since I have other obligations,” she lied with a fake smile knowing that this would be the topic of the day at the office.
“Family obligations?” he asked and she just nodded to ward him off.
“Yeah, that was a wise thing to do. You should always take care of your family, especially parents if you’re an only child,” said Phil. Alyssa agreed and walked out of her cubicle with Phil following her. She wanted to know where Nicholas was but with the whole office expecting her to know, whom could she ask? Could she ask Maxwell? What if he told Nicholas? It would be very embarrassing indeed.
Phil kept on chatting about the staff and the gossip that was circulating but Alyssa wasn’t interested in it. She bought her food and returned to her cubicle. Throughout the day, she just worked hard to complete the tasks Nicholas had given her. However, even by the end of the day, she hadn’t received any update on Nicholas’s whereabouts. She drove over to the apartment and decided to message him directly. As his PA, she had the right to know where he was. She sat down and drafted out a message to him.
Didn’t see you at the office today. Will you be coming tomorrow? The staff was discussing a two-week business trip you have gone on. As your PA, I feel I need to know about this. When are you returning? When do I reschedule your meetings?
P. S. So the dinner at your granny’s house stands canceled, I guess.
She sent the message and waited for Nicholas’s response which came two minutes later.
I was busy with an important business conference the whole day, so couldn’t drop in at the office. The business trip is scheduled for tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’m not going without you. I will update you when I pick you up in an hour’s time.
P. S. Nothing is canceled. Not the dinner, nor the proposal! See you in an hour!
Alyssa’s jaws dropped and she reread the message all over again. What did he mean? Would he force her to accompany him on his business trip? She couldn’t protest since at the interview, Mr. Stewart had specifically mentioned that she would need to accompany him on his business trips.
“Oh my Gosh! I haven’t packed anything!” she panicked when her eyes went towards the wall clock and she panicked more. Nicholas would be here in an hour and she hadn’t even showered or selected a dress to wear. She rushed towards the bedroom to get showered and ready. The moment she emerged from the washroom and checked through her wardrobe, she realized that she had nothing to wear. The LBD wouldn’t be appropriate, the half a dozen blue dresses would only turn Nicholas on, the two red dresses were too bold, the pink one was too feminine, the green one exposed too much skin and the wine-colored dress had a dipping neckline. She didn’t want Nicholas to get the wrong idea that she was trying to seduce him. So should she choose the white outfit? No, they looked like wedding dresses. What if Nicholas changed his mind and married her instead? Was she overreacting?
Finally, she settled for a satin, peach, and white, floral embroidered, fit and flare, midi dress that gave her a subtle elegance, an angelic look that was feminine and soft. However, she failed to notice so much and just liked the neutral shade more. Sweeping her hair up in a casual updo, with loose tendrils escaping all around, she was ready to go. The lip gloss gave her lips a dewy, freshly kissed look and she herself wasn’t aware of the overall effect it gave her. The moment she went out of her bedroom, the main door clicked open and Nicholas walked inside. Alyssa’s breath hitched seeing him looking drop-dead gorgeous in a soft warm beige, full-sleeved tee shirt, rolled up till his elbows, paired with a pair of figure-hugging jeans. With his hair damp and combed, she could inhale his cologne from afar.
“Ready?” he asked with a husky catch in his voice as he gazed at her, taking her in from head to foot.
“Yeah,” she said breathlessly, looking away. His gaze unnerved her and made her extremely conscious of herself. Was she looking odd? Didn’t he approve of her dress? However, instead of leaving, he approached her with a strange gleam in his eyes. What was he up to now?
“Aren’t we getting late?” she asked nervously, licking her lips in the process. Nicholas’s gaze dropped to her dewy lips and he knew what he needed right now to stay sane the whole evening.
“What’s the hurry? I have some unfinished business with you,” he whispered as he stopped inches away from her. Alyssa took two steps back but couldn’t get far as his arm clamped around her waist, pulling her to his hard chest.
“What unfinished business? My decision won’t change Nicholas.” He seemed to be in a world of his own and her protests hardly registered in his head. He leaned forward to her level, his eyes boring into hers.
“And neither will mine. I’ll want you till I die.” Alyssa’s eyes widened and her heart raced with anticipation. A strange sense of excitement filled her heart hearing his confession. It seemed as if her heart liked the way he was pining after her. He leaned more while his fingers caught her chin.
“Nicholas, please,” she breathed and he crashed his lips to hers, his mouth parting hers slowly as if he had all the time in the world. He sucked, bit, and when she totally surrendered to the passion mounting between them, he plunged his tongue deep inside her sweet mouth. This time, the kiss was more than se*ual desire. It was tinged with a basic, elemental need, a longing that Alyssa couldn’t miss. It wasn’t a thirst that could easily be quenched with one kiss! He ravaged every recess inside her mouth, taking all that she offered. Alyssa was too dazed, the kiss turning her insides to jelly. She grabbed his shoulders to support her legs but Nicholas suddenly released her, making her grab at his shirt.
He stared at her thoroughly kissed look. “Good. Now you look like my real girlfriend. Let’s go,” he said, walking away towards the main door. Alyssa blinked with confusion, her brain processing his words. She realized what it meant. He kissed her only to prove to his family that she was indeed his girlfriend! Disappointment coursed through her whole body as she followed him out. Did she really mistake those emotions while he kissed her? Did he not feel a thing for her?
He led her to his car and opened the door for her. Without a word, Alyssa climbed in, feeling humiliated and used. How could she melt in his arms and consider kissing him back when he was simply manipulating the truth for his own selfish reasons?
“What happened? Are you going to sulk all the way home?” he asked, starting the car.
“Why should I sulk? I’m just waiting for the ordeal to end.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad. You always enjoy being with mom and granny.”
“Yes but I don’t like fooling them, giving them false hopes,” she said, avoiding looking in his direction. Her head still reeled from the passionate kiss she shared with him and she still couldn’t accept the fact that it was just an act.
“We aren’t bluffing anyone. Mom and granny are happy to discuss us the whole day. It’s their favorite pastime. So let them be happy and occupied.”
“Won’t they feel hurt when they find out that we were just faking it?” she demanded in a solemn tone.
“Relationships don’t always work out.”
“Still I wouldn’t lie to our loved ones. It’s wrong,” continued Alyssa.
Nicholas gave her an exasperated look. “If you’re that concerned about their welfare, why don’t you marry me instead of lecturing me?”