Blurry Nights

Chapter 2: Decoding the facial expression

"Good morning Olivia, how are you doing this lovely dawn?" Hearing the taunt behind the deep voice that spoke to her, Olivia's body became stiffed for a second before gathering the courage to look at her Boss that was clouded with a wide smile on his devilish handsome face.

"Good morning sir, I'm alright and you?" Olivia replied with a fake smile plastered on her lovely and innocent face. "s**t, he's really happy today and it seems he already figured everything out" she thought as panic filled her demeanor momentarily.

"Oh, I'm perfect" Nelson replied simply without adding another word which made Olivia to breath out a sigh of relief but his next words reverted everything almost immediately as Olivia turned her head around from the desk she was facing to look at her Boss. "Another failed date huh?" He said with a smirk on his face.

"Is it that obvious? I thought I hid it well?" Olivia unknowingly blurted out her thoughts.

"Of course you did my dear, but you know me, I would as always crack the look on your face. The look of disappointment and hopelessness, now get your acts together and do your work properly, the files you dropped on my desk is scattered." Nelson snapped as the smile on his face disappeared replaced with anger that he himself doesn't know where it came from.

"Yes sir" Olivia replied as she fought the tears that was threatening to fall from her eyes. By the time she finished arranging the files on the desk, Olivia had managed to blink the tears away replacing it with fake smile which she knew very well that the man standing in front of her could read through. She really didn't care, in fact she wanted nothing but to run away from the disgusting sight, still she had to finish her work in a professional way.

"I'm sorry for my bad manners sir" Olivia apologized as she turned to look at her Boss before continuing, "sir, you have a board meeting by 10:00 am, I will go now to get your coffee, would you like me to do something else for you?".  "That's all for now and yes, please, get this file to the head of marketing department" Nelson replied ignoring the camouflage smile on Olivia's face.

"Yes sir" Olivia responded politely as she took the file and made her way out of the office.

Nelson sighed after Olivia left his office. He knew that he reacted harshly to her but didn't know what prompted him to act that way either. He felt awfully relieved knowing that the blind date failed but couldn't accept the fact that Olivia was feeling bad about it since the man in question never valued her enough, although part of him still felt sad for her. She shouldn't blame herself, it's not her fault that the i***t didn't like her enough but loved money instead.

"Hello" Patricia, Olivia's colleague greeted her on her way to the marketing department but the young lady was lost in her head to notice that someone was even walking close to her until Patricia started to wave in front of her.

"Hey" she replied finally getting out of her head after attracting so many weird stares from passerby. "I have been calling your name for a while but you seem to be lost, what are you thinking about?" Patricia asked.

"N-nothing...just work" Olivia lied. "How are you doing, Patricia?" She added while forcing a smile on her lips as she pushed every other thoughts back. "I'm good unlike you, just don't work too hard" Patricia spat before hasting her pace.

"Okay," Olivia nodded as she tried to calm herself down. She tried to brace herself up as she got to her destination, after all this is her place of work and shouldn't let any harsh words from a certain crazy Boss get to her.

After handing over the document to head of the marketing department, she made her way to the coffee room to make one for her Boss. While she approaches, she gave the door a gentle knock before pushing the door open praying to God to seal her Boss' lips for that moment so that he won't be able to say anything that would hurt her more. And as if the heavens were listening to her, she unexpectedly got her wishes fulfilled as she dropped the cup of coffee on the desk gently before dashing out of the room immediately without getting any remark from Nelson.

Nelson raised his head up to look at the retreating figure almost immediately before the door got shut. He stared at the door with a distance look in his eyes; while abandoning the files he was reviewing.

 Looking back now, it's been three years since Olivia started working as his secretary. But the weird possessive feelings he gradually developed towards her, has been going on for quite a while; one year to be precise. Which means that for over a year now, he's been protecting her in his own way, there by hurting her altogether without her knowledge. And there's no stopping at all, no..he couldn't back down now, not after that promise he made to her that night to which she consented to, even if she was drunk. Being drunk isn't an excuse at all, because that was how she definitely felt; that very night her true feelings and her hurting side showcased itself to the light. It always does when she was drunk each time her blind date failed and he was always there to comfort her. Not to mention, he himself was loosing it with each passing day and there's no turning back, "even though she was hurting?" A voice reminded him in his head but he countered it with the words; It's for her own good"

.A knock that came to the door, snapped him out of his thoughts as he watched Olivia close the door behind her before walking towards his desk. "Sir, it's time for the board meeting" She said as she got close to him. Nelson checked the watch on his wrist to see that it was almost 10:00 am, others must be there by now waiting for him, "I guess that's one of the benefits of being the Boss." He thought within himself as he stood up from his chair.