68
Rachel was tossing and turning in bed the night before. Her mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts and emotions, all centered around her encounter with Leo in the storage room.
The passionate kiss they shared had left her in a state of confusion, and she couldn’t seem to shake it from her mind no matter how hard she tried.
The next morning, Rachel was filled with nervous excitement as she made her way to the office. She didn’t know how Leo would react to seeing her again, but she was eager to find out. When she finally stepped into the building, however, Leo was nowhere to be seen.
As the day wore on, Rachel found herself growing more and more frustrated with Leo’s lack of attention. She couldn’t help but feel like he was purposely avoiding her, and the thought made her heart ache.
During lunch, Rachel picked at her salad, barely even noticing as William made fun of her. She was too lost in thought to respond, her mind consumed by the feelings she had for Leo. She quickly disposed of her meal and made the decision to go see Leo in his office.
As she approached the door, Rachel’s heart was pounding in her chest. She didn’t know what she would say to him, but she was determined to get to the bottom of the tension that had been building between them. When she finally pushed open the door, however, she was met with a sight that made her heart drop.
Roseline, the new staff, was leaning over Leo’s desk, her cleavage and all displayed for his gaze. The hurt Rachel felt at that moment was overwhelming, and she was deaf to Leo’s call for her as she quickly turned and left the building, tears streaming down her face.
Rachel stared at the missed call from Leo on her phone and felt a pang of hurt in her chest. She had been so sure that after the passion they had shared the previous day, things would be different between them. But now, she was starting to second-guess herself. Was it all just a fleeting moment of passion for Leo?
She sighed and tried to push the thoughts aside, focusing instead on the sketches she was working on for the fashion competition. But even that brought her little solace. Every time she heard a noise outside her apartment, she couldn’t help but think it was Leo coming to see her.
The next day at the office was just as tense as the previous one. Rachel had managed to block Leo’s number, but she couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease every time she saw him. It was clear that he was still upset, and the knowledge that Roseline, the new staff member, was still flirting with him only made Rachel more angry.
As she sat at her desk, picking at her salad, William walked by and teased her about her lack of appetite. She tried to ignore him, but her mood was sour and she felt like she was ready to explode.
When lunch was over, she made her way to Leo’s office, determined to confront him about Roseline. But as she approached the door, she saw Roseline leaning over Leo’s desk, her cleavage on full display. Rachel felt a pang of jealousy and hurt, and before she even realized what she was doing, she had turned on her heel and was rushing out of the building.
She didn’t answer Leo’s calls that evening and instead focused on her sketches, determined to channel her frustration into something productive. But even that brought her little comfort. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of Leo and Roseline, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was losing something that she had held so dear.
The next day at the office was just as tense, with Rachel ignoring Leo and Roseline continuing her flirtations. Rachel couldn’t help but wonder if Roseline was truly efficient or if she was just playing games.
She would find herself swearing about it that she would deal with the woman if she was actually after husband because it looked pretty much like it.
The atmosphere was palpable and no one seemed to be able to escape the tension that had settled over the office like a dark cloud.
That evening, Rachel’s mother tried to talk some sense into her, but she was still too hurt and angry to listen. She simply retreated into her own thoughts, wondering if she had made a mistake in ever believing that she and Leo could be something more.
*****
Rachel followed Celine to the wine and cake tasting center the next day, filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. She was seeking a temporary escape from all the things that had begun to bug her lately.
This was meant to be an outing in preparation for Celine and William’s wedding, but Rachel couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. As they arrived, her suspicion was confirmed when she saw Leo walk in with William.
She felt tense around Leo, who pointedly ignored her. Trying to hide her discomfort, she walked away from the group and found herself drawn to a display of intricate cake designs.
Suddenly, she heard Leo’s voice beside her. “Rachel, have you seen this? My other company just launched a new line of luxury wedding cakes.”
Rachel turned to face him, caught off guard by the sudden attention. “That’s great news, congratulations,” she replied awkwardly.
The silence between them was palpable, both unsure of what to say next. Then, they caught a glimpse of Celine and William, who were giggling and cooing over the various cake flavors as if they were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship.
Leo and Rachel exchanged a knowing look, realizing that they were both the subject of their friends’ matchmaking attempts. A small smile played on Rachel’s lips as she caught Leo’s gaze, the air between them charged with a mix of discomfort and attraction.