What did the CEO do?

Chapter Four - Here Again

A few more weeks passed, and Daniel still didn't come back.

At first, I didn't think much of it. People took time off work, got sick, went on vacation, or simply had things going on in their personal lives that had nothing to do with the company, so there was no reason for me to immediately assume something was wrong. But after the first week, I started noticing his absence.

Every morning when I walked through the lobby, I found myself looking toward the entrance without even realizing I was doing it, expecting to see him standing there with his coffee in one hand and his phone in the other. He never was.

Then I started looking for him in the evenings too.

I told myself it was because I was curious. That was all.

I hadn't known Daniel particularly well, but we'd gotten along, and after our conversation about Brian, I couldn't help wondering whether something had happened to him.

Every time I asked someone casually if they'd seen him, I got the same vague answers.

No.

Not recently.

Maybe he's taking some time off.

Nobody seemed particularly concerned, which somehow made me feel even stranger about it.

I eventually stopped asking. I didn't stop looking, though.

One evening, Solomon and I were having dinner at a small restaurant we'd been to a few times before. I was halfway through my meal when I realized I had spent the last several minutes staring toward the entrance. Solomon noticed. Of course he did.

“You're still worried about Daniel?”

“Yeah.”

He continued eating as though he'd asked about the weather.

“I haven't seen him in weeks.”

“You've been keeping track?”

“I mean… kind of.”

Solomon's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes did. Only for a moment.

“I didn't realize you were that concerned about him.”

“I don't know if concerned is the right word. It's just weird. I used to see him every morning and evening, and now he's just gone.”

“He probably has a reason.”

“Probably.” I pushed some pasta around my plate. “I just hope he's okay.”

Solomon didn't answer. I looked up at him. He was staring down at his food, his expression completely neutral.

“Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.”

“You're quiet.”

“Am I?”

“Very.”

“Maybe I'm tired.” A faint smile appeared on his lips.

I nodded. That seemed reasonable enough. The conversation moved on, but I noticed that Solomon didn't mention Daniel again. Neither did I.

That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. My apartment was quiet, and the only light came from the street outside, filtering through the curtains and casting faint shadows across the room.

For some reason, I couldn't stop thinking about Solomon.

Maybe it was because of dinner.

Maybe it was because we'd been spending almost every evening together for the past two months.

Or maybe I'd finally reached the point where I could no longer pretend I didn't have feelings for him.

Solomon was kind. That was the thing nobody seemed to know about him.

Everyone at work seemed intimidated by him, but I had seen a completely different side of him.

He held doors open for me.

He remembered little things I said.

He made sure I ate when I was too busy working.

He never complained when I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu, even when we were somewhere ridiculously expensive.

And despite everything that had happened between us that first night, he had never once made me uncomfortable about it.

He hadn't teased me about waking up beside him.

He hadn't told anyone.

He hadn't even mentioned the fact that I had found him half-naked in my apartment.

He could have made things incredibly awkward. Instead, he had acted like a gentleman.

I smiled faintly to myself. Maybe that was why I liked him so much.

I closed my eyes. Then I heard a knock and I opened them again. For a moment, I wondered if I'd imagined it. Another knock came from the front door. I frowned and sat up.

Who the hell would be visiting me this late?

I got out of bed and walked toward the door, still trying to figure out who it could possibly be. I looked through the peephole and my heart stopped.

Solomon.

I opened the door.

“Solomon?”

He didn't answer. The moment the door opened, he stepped inside, pushed me gently but firmly back against the wall, and kissed me. Hard.

My mind went completely blank. For a second, I couldn't even process what was happening. Then instinct took over. I put my hands against his chest and tried to push him away, but Solomon caught my wrists and held them above my head.

I froze. He looked at me for a moment, his breathing uneven, his usual calm expression completely gone.

Then he kissed me again. This time, I didn't push him away, I kissed him back.

I didn't know why.

Maybe because I'd spent weeks thinking about what it would feel like.

Maybe because I had wanted this more than I was willing to admit.

Or maybe because, in that moment, I simply couldn't bring myself to stop him.

But after a few seconds, something in me snapped back into reality and I bit his lip hard. Solomon immediately pulled away and took a step back. I stared at him, breathing heavily.

“What the f**k?”

He looked at me. For the first time since I'd met him, Solomon seemed completely lost for words. Then he ran a hand through his hair and exhaled.

“I couldn't hold back anymore.”

I stared at him. He stared back. Neither of us said anything. I had no idea what I was supposed to say.

I didn't know why he'd come here.

I didn't know why he'd kissed me.

And, perhaps most terrifyingly, I didn't know what I was going to do about the fact that I had kissed him back.

So I just stood there and stared at him.

And for once, Solomon had nothing to say either.