chapter3
909 Words
Jessa
She stormed into the open-plan office at Lowe Inc. the next morning with a certain queasiness gnawing into the pit of her belly.
It was one of those days, and Jessa’s employees could practically feel the tension radiating from her.
She was not an irate person, but Damien White managed to dig that side of her out within a couple of hours.
Jessa could recall the day before clearly: his taunts, his jokes, and his arrogance. Without even noticing, her lips fell into a deep frown. His smugness alone was out of this world.
As Jessa made her way past cubicles and rows of workstations, her usually warm smile was nowhere to be seen. She approached Brian, a software engineer deep in thought at his desk. Without a word, Jessa snatched a forgotten coffee cup from his desk, her irritation evident as she took a sip.
Brian flinched, but he knew better than to ask her about it.
Even the usually chatty receptionist, felt the shift in the air. Jessa's curt nod and clipped response made her rethink any conversation she had planned as she hurried past them all.
On the flip side, Anna has been right behind her since she stepped out of her Cadillac. The glass door gently hitting its frame behind her told her that Anna was still there. She ignored all her random outbursts.
Spinning around, Jessa faked a smile. “Hey, babe.”
“You look like shit.”
Jessa felt so wound-up already that she could not even react to the insult. “Gee, thanks,” she muttered dryly.
Anna was a sharpshooter; said exactly what she was feeling all the time. That was why yesterday’s shitshow was such a shock. It was unlike her friend to be that timid: that was usually Jessa’s forte.
“Don’t shoot the messenger,” she exclaimed, putting both palms up in mock surrender. “Just telling it how I see it.”
“Of course you are.” Jessa laughed for the first time in over twenty-four hours. Being stuck in a meeting with an asshole for hours would do that to a person. There was no reason to get upset. This was just Anna being Anna.
That thought lasted only five seconds before Jessa’s face reverted to a scowl.
“But damn, girl! That man was fine!” Anna suddenly yelled as if she’d been waiting for the right moment all day. She made sure to emphasize the last word.
Jessa’s friend might as well be on cloud nine, if that irritating grin dancing on her face was any indication. The man was not even in the room and she was back to being the Blushing Jane from yesterday.
“What the hell is wrong with you? He’s a client. The only person that can save us from this mess.”
Jessa did not have to turn back to know Anna would be rolling her eyes. In the office or otherwise, the latter never cared that she was her boss and the CEO of her workplace.
However, now that she glanced at the stupid smile on Anna’s face, she quickly corrected herself. Timid was not the right word. Smitten was more like it. Anna looked neurotic.
“You don’t need to remind me, boss,” she quipped. “I’m just saying—”
“He is arrogant and very annoying. Why are you smiling?”
“Smiling is a crime now?”
Jessa gave her a deadpan look. It was a crime when he was the reason.
“You need to relax. He didn’t even do anything, damn.”
“Are you serious? He taunted me throughout and you, instead of helping me out, just sat there blushing.”
“Easy, tiger. It was hot in the room. I wasn’t blushing! What do you take me for?”
It took everything in Jessa not to hiss in irritation. Who in their right mind could be attracted to that self-serving jerk?
Of course, Jessa also willfully ignored the memory that popped up in her head: her yesterday. All but leaning into Damien’s embrace, yearning for something other than his breath to touch her body.
“You were practically drooling, Anna. It was embarrassing.”
Like the entire situation was not bad enough, Anna folded again, blossoming all over like an over-tan lovestruck schoolgirl. Jessa shook her head.
“Give me a break, Jess. I know you like to act so innocent all the time, but I’m sure you were thinking the same thing too.”
This time around, Jessa did hiss in her face. That was ridiculous. “In your dreams, girl. Some of us actually have some self-respect, you know.”
It did not help her argument that her mind decided to remind her of him at that moment.
Jessa remembered how a faint blush had tinged her cheeks when her body shifted in response to his presence. Her posture became just a touch more rigid, a subconscious attempt to maintain her composure in the face of her libido putting her to shame.
“In that case, I’m sure you wouldn’t have any problem with my news,” Anna told her as she stood up.
“What news?”
“Damien White, the smoke-show, has asked to see you again today, boss. I hope you’re ready to flaunt that sexy self-respect once more. I’m sure he’ll be blown away.”
Jessa froze. Wait, what?
- Writer
