The Boss in New York

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen:

"Kristine, is that you?" I heard a familiar voice call me from behind.

I turned around and saw Jasmine. I grinned. "Jasmine, hey!"

She squealed and hugged me. "Oh my gosh. This is crazy! I thought you were back in Cali?"

I chuckled. "Well, let's just say things are back now."

Her eyes widened. "No frickin' way! So you're saying you're back with him?"

I smiled sheepishly.

She whacked me on my shoulder using her hand. "About time!"

I groaned and rubbed my shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?"

She smiled innocently. "Coffee?" She asked.

I rolled my eyes at her but nodded.

We walked through the busy streets of Manhattan and settled down at Starbucks. She ordered a latte and I ordered my caramel frappuccino. We sat down on a vacant table by the window.

"So, tell me what happened between the two of you," She got straight to the point.

I scratched the back of my neck. "Well, we found out that I was a Garcia - "

She gasped. "No way!"

I sighed. "And then he turned cold towards me - "

"That b***h! I hate him now."

"And then I went back to California - "

"Good choice," She took a sip of her coffee.

"Then I found out something - "

"What is it?"

"Jasmine!" I groaned. "Will you or will you not let me finish my story?"

She looked at me sheepishly. "Sorry. Continue?"

I sighed. "So as I was saying, I went back to California and I found out that I wasn't a true Roberts."

She just looked at me, her eyes wide and her mouth trying not to talk. I tried my best not to stifle a laugh.

"You can say something now," I told her, my eyes rolling in the process.

"Wait, what? So you're adopted?" She burst.

Everyone's eyes were looking at us. Great. I groaned once more, putting my head on my hand, my elbow on the table. Maybe that wasn't such a great idea. I didn't exactly plan on giving everyone in Manhattan my life story. This was truly embarrassing.

"Sorry," She whispered.

I looked around and nearly everyone resumed to what they were doing. Good lord. This girl is loud!

"Yeah, I'm not American. When my parents were in Amsterdam someone left me on their doorstep in a basket," I told her, tears tried to escape my eyes but I won't let it. "So Miranda and George took me in."

"Who are Miranda and George?" She asked.

"My so-called parents."

"Ah," Was all she said and took a sip on her coffee.

"Anyway, I went back here as soon as I could, went to Brendan and tried to reason with him. He said hurtful things," I sighed. "But really, I wasn't to blame him. He was hurt. Just before I was going to say who I really am, we were interrupted. The Garcia's were there."

Her mouth was in an 'o'. "Talk about perfect timing!" She gasped.

I chuckled. "Yeah, but I was confused as hell. Brendan hurt me. He never went after me. Isn't that what every girl's dream is?"

She nodded. "Yeah, that's true. What happened in the conference?"

I sighed. "That's where the truth was all revealed."

She gave a curt nod. "You know, I saw Brendan that night you left."

I raised my eyebrow. "Oh?"

She nodded. "Yeah, he was drunk as hell."

I stopped. "I'm sorry, what?"

But Brendan is never drunk! He was the responsible drinker, not me.

"Yeah, he was walking the streets by himself and yelled out random s**t like 'I loved her', 'I'm an i***t' and I think it was 'Why did you leave me'."

I froze.

"Don't worry," She cooed. "I helped him."

"Did he say anything?" I asked quietly, looking down on my untouched coffee.

I could feel her gaze on me. "He said that he loved you and he's an i***t. That's it. And then he passed out on me so I called Josh to help me."

Josh! So that's where they came in the picture. I smirked. "So you and Josh, huh?"

She blushed. "Yeah, um, that's never going to happen."

"Why not?" I asked curiously.

She sighed. "He's out of my league."

I shook my head in confusion. "You're crazy. I think that you're perfect for him," I smiled.

"He's a bachelor and I work for him," She reasoned.

I rolled my eyes. "You work for Brendan."

She was about to say something but stopped. I wonder what it was.

I sighed. "Look, all I know is that he was ecstatic to finally meet you."

Really ecstatic. I chuckled at memory of him smiling like a teenager.

She raised her eyebrow. "How do you know?"

I winked. "I just know."

She smiled, hopeful. "Really?"

I nodded. "Really."

She stayed silent.

"What happened to your boyfriend?" I asked out of the blue.

"He - " She paused. "He said some bad things about me to his friends and I found out. I ended it as soon as he came home."

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

She sighed. "Are you really?"

I chuckled. "Hell no. You got to meet Josh, didn't you?"

She laughed. "You are so right."

I winked. "Baby, I know I am."

Now I only had one thing to do.

~

I looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a red skater dress that goes just above my knees. I grabbed my black stilettos, small black cardigan and my black clutch bag. I felt like the devil in disguise with my red and black attire.

When I got to J.M.I, I went straight to the elevator, not giving Chloe as second glance. The elevator doors opened and I let everyone out before going in. Thankfully, I was all by myself.

I sighed. "Okay, so all you have to do is give him small talk before asking him what the hell he was thinking. Okay," I talked to myself. I was nervous. Very nervous. What happens if he told me to stay out of it? I shivered at that thought.

"Stop thinking so negatively!" I scolded at myself. "Just be like: 'Hey, Brendan, what's up?' Yeah, that could and would work."

Ding!

I gasped a little. "Okay, here we go."

I walked confidently to his office and I saw him look up at me. I gave him a small smile.

I opened the door and walked in, closing it behind me. He sat up and walked towards me, his eyes still glued on me.

"Hey, Brendan," I greeted him, giving him a peck on the lips.

"Hey, what brings you here?" He asked.

I bit down on my lip. I walked towards the visitor's chair and dropped my clutch bag on it, and I shimmied out of my cardigan, placing it on the seat.

I turned to look at him. I could tell that he was thinking dirty thoughts.

"You look beautiful," He said, his mouth was dry.

I chuckled. "Thank you."

He wrapped his arms around me. "What can I do for you?" He asked.

I looked into his beautiful blue eyes. I was so lost in them I didn't even realize that the question had slipped. "What happened with you when I left?"

He froze as well as I.

'What the hell was I thinking giving out the question so easily?' I scolded at myself internally.

He tensed up and dropped his arms from my waist to his sides. "Nothing," He said icily.

I groaned out of frustration. "Dammit, Brendan, just tell me. You know that I hate liars."

"How did you know about it?" He asked quietly.

I contemplated. Should I tell him about Jasmine or should I find a loophole? Well, he should know that Jasmine wouldn't tell anyone - except I - and that she and Josh were the only ones who knew.

"I - a girl just knows," I reasoned. Loophole it is.

He raised his eyebrow. He was now giving me a crooked smile. "A girl just knows?"

Oh dear god. Please, please, please don't let your guard down.

I cleared my throat. "Yes."

"Would that 'girl' be called Jasmine?" He asked, smirking.

I gasped and rolled my eyes. "Yes, no, maybe."

He walked up to his window. I saw that people's heads turned quickly. He closed the blinds.

He sighed and mumbled something. 'Stupid staff?' If that was it, I couldn't agree more.

He grabbed my wrist gently and lead me towards his chair. He sat down on it and I looked at him curiously.

He gave me a sheepish smile and I laughed at him.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" I asked him.

"Sit on my lap?" It turned out as a question than an order.

I raised my eyebrow. "Why?"

He sighed. "Please?" He tried to give me his best puppy-dog eyes. I must admit, the way his eyebrows are scrunched up is adorable. And that pout - oh god - it's kissable.

I sighed, and gave in. "I must warn you, I'm heavy."

He chuckled. "I think not."

I shook my head. I sat down lightly on his thighs. He brought his arms around my waist and I could feel his hot breath behind my ears. I shivered.

"Sit properly," He ordered. "Pretend I'm a chair. A comfortable one."

I chuckled. I sat down 'properly'. I wasn’t going to lie, he does feel super comfortable to sit on.

"That's more like it," He said.

He brought his back to the chair and brought me along with him, so my whole back was on his stomach and chest, and my head on his shoulders by the crook of his neck.

"Aren't you uncomfortable?" I asked, worriedly.

"I feel perfect, thanks," He grinned.

I sighed out of relief. "Just tell me when you feel uncomfortable and then I'll get off, okay?"

"That won't be necessa - "

"Okay?" I urged.

He sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

I grinned triumphantly.

"I believe I have something to tell you."

My eyebrows furrowed. What was it he was going to tell me? And then it clicked. "What happened?" I asked quietly, looking up to his eyes.

"I was devastated," He started. Devastated? "That last dinner we had, the one with Wendy in the picture," He made a sour face, "Before she came, that's where I realized I was falling."

"Falling?" I asked softly.

He nodded and looked into my eyes. "I realized I was falling for you."

My stomach fluttered and my eyes closed by instinct. He was falling for me. Was. My heart dropped.

With my hand, I drew random shapes on the back of his hand that was rested on the side of the chair.

"Was," I said quietly to myself.

"Let me finish my story before jumping into conclusions, okay?" He told me.

I nodded. "Of course."

He breathed in and out deeply. "Like I said, I was devastated. When you left, I had a, um, chat with Wendy. She was happy. I was not. She finally found her heir, I lost the person who owned me. I had to say those things to you. I was taught - my grandparents taught me - to stay away from a Garcia. All my life, every single thing I heard and saw from a Garcia were nasty. They are my rivals in business and business got personal. Please forgive me Kristine. Please do."

I felt something drop on my forehead. I looked up at him and saw him crying silently. I wiped away his tears and inhaled deeply. "I forgive you."

"I tried to push you away and forget about you. I grew up like that. I said things, I tried to push you away but as soon as those words left my mouth, I felt a pang in my chest. Kristine, you own my heart. Every piece of it."

A tear rolled down my face. That last part was the most sweetest thing a guy has ever told me.

"Everything was so unexpected - so fast. I really hoped you weren't a Garcia. Kristine, I love you.”

More tears streamed down my face. I couldn't speak. I couldn't. If I did, I would break down and I wouldn't be able to hear anymore of what happened. I believed every single word he had said. It was evident in his movement - his eyes. He looked broken. His eyes showed so much emotion, so much pain, and so much guilt. I nuzzled my head against his neck and hugged him.

"I wanted to go and chase after you as soon as you left that restaurant but she stopped me. She told me to never get involved with you or come near you. I hated myself for hurting you. Seeing you hurt made my heart break into tiny little pieces. Seeing you walk out on my life, I thought I wasn't going to be able to make it," He continued. "Call me cheesy but that was how I felt," He chuckled lightly.

I shook my head. I was now seeing Wendy as a witch. It suits her. W-W. Double double-you. It was fitting.

"I thought about flying out to California the next day to come and get you but I found myself at a pub, getting myself drunk, forgetting my mistake, forgetting you."

I felt a pang in my chest.

"And that's basically how Jasmine found me. I drank way too much that I went to work during the afternoon. I hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch since then. I didn't care. I was reckless. And then you came into the room. I was angry at myself. I saw you and saw how beautiful you were. I could not believe I was missing out on being with you but then I remembered your family was coming to see me and maybe you visited because you wanted to rub it on my face. I tried to put all of my anger into everything I said to you. I'm really sorry," He apologized again.

I sighed. I just nodded.

"I said some things I never meant. I'm sorry again," He apologized once more.

"If you say sorry again I swear I will have to slap you," My voice sounded different. I tried to make the tension lighter with a lame joke.

He sighed. "You'll never know how sorry I am."

I playfully slapped his chest.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'm so - " He stopped. "Anyway, and then everyone came. I honestly thought you were a part of their plan. And then you dropped the bomb. I was grinning internally and I could've jumped in glee if I wasn't shocked at the same time. Like I said, everything happened so quickly."

"Are you happy?" I asked him.

He nodded and kissed my forehead. "I'm happy. You're here with me now. Nothing else matters but us."

I smiled and then frowned. I remember he told me about him getting seduced by other female Garcia's. "What did you mean by 'You're just like every Garcia's' or something like that?" I asked him.

"Oh," He simply said. "That. Well, girls from that family who are a few years younger than you try to come and seduce me to try and get my heart. They would do anything - and I do mean anything - to try and get my heart."

I frowned. Does that mean he -

"And no, I did not fall for any of them. Or sleep with them. I only fell for one girl in particular and she's sitting on my lap."

I smiled. "You're very cheesy, you know that?"

"I'm your cheesy," He grinned, tickling me.

I squirmed around him and I suddenly felt something hard on my thighs.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "I see your friend is awake."

He groaned. "Don't say a word."

I chuckled. I sat up and straddled him, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Okay." And then I kissed him on the lips.