You Were Always Mine

A Serious Distraction

“Why the hell were you close to my face then?!”

Charles frowned as elevators finally opened to the executive floor.

He paused outside Vivian's office, one hand still wrapped around the tray of coffees he had just bought on his way up.

“You say that like it was intentional.”

Charles heard Vivian chuckle in disbelief.

“Am I supposed to believe you weren't then? You were breathing down my neck!”

“Saying that when you snored half the time is…”

Vivian gasped in horror.

“Snored?!” She asked in disbelief. “I do not snore!”

Charles blinked, still rooted to the ground at Vivian's office entrance, not sure what the problem really was.

He looked toward Cassandra who was already in her work station right outside the office.

She stared back with exactly the same expression.

"...did they just wake up?" Charles whispered.

"No. They've been at it for ten minutes at least."

Charles could not believe his ears! He'd been rooting for the duo just last night and now?

He sighed, great heavens.

Charles carefully knocked but the duo were way into their bickering to hear him.

The young man chose to let himself in instead. The scene before him almost made him laugh.

Vivian and Oscar had clearly only just woken up.

Vivian still had Oscar's jacket draped around her shoulders while several documents were stuck to her cheek.

Oscar looked no better.

His hair was slightly messy, sleeves still rolled up, and there was a faint crease across one side of his face from sleeping on the desk.

Yet somehow...they were arguing.

"...You pushed the files onto my side," Vivian accused. “Isn’t that you being a jerk as usual?”

Oscar looked genuinely offended.

“A jerk? You pulled them over to your side! How is that my fault?!”

Charles looked between them.

"...Good morning?"

Both CEOs turned, more annoyed at him for interrupting their little fight.

"What?!” They chorused.

“Coffee.” Charles said like a deer caught in headlights.

Silence wrapped the room as Vivian immediately straightened.

“I figured we would wrap up the rest of the files today.” He said calmly, eyes swinging from one face to the other.

Vivian clears her throat.

“Right. We…we need to wrap it up.”

Oscar calmly reached for the nearest report as though nothing unusual had happened.

Charles swallowed, hell he thought they were both going to pounce on him or something!

He set the coffee on the table quietly as the duo resumed work.

He was so done trying to understand married couples.

Charles hands Vivian her coffee.

“I got an iced frappe for you, Ms. V.…”

Vivian smiled. "You're my favourite person."

Oscar's eyes still glued on the papers he was supposedly reading.

"...unbelievable."

Charles wisely pretended not to hear him. Cassandra stepped forward with breakfast boxes.

"I managed to convince the cafeteria downstairs to prepare something before opening."

Vivian's stomach growled loudly and the room fell completely silent.

She closed her eyes. "...Nobody heard that."

Oscar quietly slid one of the breakfast boxes toward her.

"You should eat."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"...Are you poisoning me?"

"If I intended to poison you..."

Oscar looked toward the empty coffee cup she'd accepted from him hours ago.

"...I'd have started there."

Vivian looked down at the empty coffee cup and back at the man who gave it to her who just so happened to have a suspicious smirk on his lips.

Goodness, you never know what you get from Oscar Onyx honestly.

Charles thought now that they were back to work, there would be relative silence but f**k no.

"Is that my pen with you?"

Oscar turns the pen in his hand over and meets her gaze in silence.

“Is your name on it?”

“It's mine! Hand it over!”

Charles looked upward as he stepped out of the office for a moment.

"...Dear heavens."

Cassandra bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself laughing as her cousin walked towards her desk.

“Whose bright idea was it for those two to get married?”

He wouldn't want the answer to that because he might just lose his job right after.

Half an hour later, every remaining document had finally been signed.

Vivian closed the final file.

"...We're done."

The words echoed through the office and seconds later, cheers erupted from somewhere outside.

Several exhausted executives actually applauded.

"We survived!"

Oscar stood first, now wearing his serious look again.

"We'll review implementation Monday."

Vivian nodded.

"Cassandra, tell the executives everyone gets tomorrow off."

Another cheer echoed down the hallway.

Charles almost pitied the Onyx employees; Ms. Pearl had just given everyone tomorrow off but Mr. Onyx would probably schedule another meeting just because he could.

♡

Nearly everyone had already left the building.

Charles stood beside the underground garage holding his phone to his ear with a slight panic in his tone as he spoke into the phone.

Why did Cassandra have to have a terrible stomach pain now that they were at the finish line?

Oscar met his gaze, brows furrowed.

“What is it?

"...Right." he laughs nervously.

“Uhm…none of the drivers are available at the moment and Cassandra is having terrible stomach problems..”

Vivian looks stunned. “Is she alright? Why didn't she mention this..”

“I believe it started out of the blue. She asked that I inform you and she sincerely apologises.”

Vivian said nothing, whatever was wrong with Cassandra must be serious and she felt somewhat terrible and at fault for this.

“Send her my regards.”

“Yes ma'am. On that note..” He held up one set of keys. "...Perhaps both of you could take the same car?"

Vivian looked at Oscar. Oscar looked at Vivian.

"...No." They answered together.

Charles blinked. "...That was quick." He muttered.

Vivian folded her arms. "I'd rather walk."

Oscar adjusted his watch. "I support that decision."

She turned sharply, eyes staring at him in disbelief.

"...Excuse me?"

"You said you'd rather walk."

Her brows knitted even further. "I wasn't inviting your opinion."

Charles sighed, this is what he gets to deal with whenever Cassandra decides to bail on him like this!

Is this the part where he yells about quitting and screams to the heavens about how they were both driving him insane?

Vivian grabbed her keys from Charles.

"I'll take my own vehicle."

Oscar nodded once. "As will I."

Charles stared after them as they walked toward completely different cars.

"...Last night they looked like a romance novel."

He sighed. "This morning they became a courtroom drama."

♡

By the time Vivian arrived home, showered, and changed, the exhaustion from the previous night had finally begun fading away.

Warm water had worked wonders. So had nearly three hours of uninterrupted sleep.

She stood in front of her wardrobe deciding between two dresses when her phone rang.

It was Maya.

Vivian smiled before answering.

"You called at the right time.”

Maya's dramatic voice exploded through the speaker.

"The missing CEO lives!"

Vivian laughed. "Barely."

Jordan immediately joined the call.

“You sound exhausted.”

Drew chuckled. "A little birdy told us you practically lived at the office yesterday."

Vivian blinked. “How did you ..."

“We have our ways!” Maya teased.

Vivian laughed harder. "What do you people want?"

"Brunch." Maya offered.

"It's evening."

"Dinner then." Drew offered.

"I'm tired."

"Exactly why you need to come." Maya offered.

Vivian hesitated. "...I don't know."

Jordan sighed. "Vivian Pearl."

"What?"

“You are going to get ready by eight and be on your way to…where are we going again?”

"Kelly's.”

“Right. Thirty minutes. I have shots to get through tonight.” Jordan added.

“Why? What happened?” Vivian asked.

Jordan rarely drinks but when he does, something horrible must have happened.

“He asked Stella out and she turned his ass down." Maya laughed.

“No. I decided not to date a girl who thinks I'm a rebound. You should learn something from this Maya. V, I need your help with something.”

Vivian nods. “More than ready to help.”

“Sly way of calling me out but okay, sugar boy.”

“Uhm. Throwing shade and all.” Drew tuts. “I see you Jordan.”

Vivian laughs again. “Fine. I'll see you all by eight. Happy now?”

Three voices shouted together.

"YES!"

The call ended before she could change her mind.

Forty minutes later, Vivian descended the staircase.

She had on an elegant emerald-green dress that rested just below her knees. The colour made her eyes seem brighter.

She looked effortlessly beautiful.

Oscar had just finished wrapping up the rest of his work for the day in the dining area when movement caught his attention.

He looked up. Then forgot entirely what he'd been doing.

Vivian reached the final step.

"...Madam Zara, I'll be back later tonight."

"Certainly, ma'am."

She adjusted her necklace in the mirror, oblivious that Oscar was still watching her.

He couldn't seem to stop watching her until she was completely out of sight.

Oscar leaned on the table, his blood rushing down to all the wrong places.

Bloody hell, she hadn't even glanced his way!

Madam Zara smiled knowingly.

"Sir?"

Oscar didn't answer. His eyes were still fixed on the front door.

"...She's wearing heels," he muttered almost absent-mindedly.

Madam Zara blinked.

"...Yes?"

Oscar frowned. "Nothing."

He picked up the file in front of him again.

Three minutes later, he realized he hadn't read a single word.