Captivated

Nine

Ellie

My plan was to just be calm and forget what Parker and I last talked about that dinner night. I need to be a professional once and for all. No relationship talks, no personal topics. Just pure business.

I’ll just put tape on my mouth. Or cut my tongue out. I said to myself.

As I sat here in this business-class flight seat, I could not stop but wonder where my boss is. Where is that guy?

I leaned over the aisle seat to take a look but there was no sign of Parker.

I was about to grab my phone and call him when a flight attendant approached me to tell me that Parker is here. I fixed my posture.

Parker in classy business suits radiates an elegant vibe, a man who knows what he wants and how to get it. but Parker now, who is in his jeans and a dark V-neck shirt was different; he looked like a man who just does what he loves and enjoys the challenge.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I wasn’t used to this type of Parker. The casual, rugged one. He put his hand carry bag in the baggage compartment and sat down beside me.

When he met my stare, I immediately blurted out. “You know, I was about to flip a coin and to see if you’re still flying with me,” I said in a joking way.

“Clarke drove me to the airport,” he said in a serious tone. I guess he took my joke way too far.

“Oh… did he fetch you late?” I asked.

He got a magazine from his seat compartment. “Clarke’s fault. He got too confident that we’ll get here on time,” he said.

“Then why did you let him drive you?” I asked.

He sighed. “Relax, Ms. Brown. I made it here, safe and sound,” he said.

“You know what, Ms. Brown is too formal. You can call me Ellie if we’re outside the office,” I said.

“Okay. Call me Parker then,” he said. I nodded and smiled at him. He relaxed and silence dawned upon us.

I diverted my attention to look at the window. This is actually my first time flying, and I feel so nervous. My fingers were tapping on the arm support. Suddenly, I felt strong, warm hands on top of mine. I looked at my side. Parker was not looking at me, but he was reading a magazine.

“Don’t tell me you’re a nervous flyer,” he said.

“I don’t really know,” I said, taking his hand off mine. “I’m just a little nervous.”

“What? Don’t tell me this is your first time flying?” he asked irritably. I bit my lip. “Did you even bring valium or something?” he said. I think he’s mad.

I sighed. “I don’t need drugs. I just need to be distracted,” I said.

When the plane started moving, I could feel the wheels are slowly lifting above the ground. Being nervous as I am, I held unto Parker's arm. Now I’m legit nervous.

When I got the hang of it, I cleared my throat and went back to the conversation. “Don’t worry. I may be nervous, but not to the extent I’ll jump on your lap,” I said jokingly.

He looked at me as if he wants to kick me out of the window. “That’s good to know,” he said.

“Sorry,” I said, smiling weakly. I took my hand off his arm and fixed myself. I hugged my hand carry bag instead. I unzipped my bag and got a pack of cookies and my book. Parker was also going through a magazine he was reading a while ago. I started to distract myself by reading. When I was into the story, I got a cookie from my pack.

“Are those chocolate chip cookies?” he asked while looking at me.

“Yes,” I answered. “But since you don’t want to hold my hand, I’m not giving you any,” I said.

He gave out a smirk. “You’re cranky tonight huh,” he said.

I shrugged. “Probably the nerves. I think I just have to go through it,” I said. I got my bag of cookies in my bag and offered it to him. “Here. Peace offering. I baked these,” I said.

He got one from the bag. “You still can’t jump on my lap,” he said.

I chuckled. “Okay.”

“But I think you can borrow my hand if you feel you need it,” he said.

I felt warm inside. This can’t be.

“Thanks, but I’m good,” I said.

“Alright, good. We still have a long way to go. Do you think you can manage to sleep?’ he asked, licking a smear of chocolate of his fingers. Damn, that was hot.

“Ellie?” he wavered.

“What?” I said. Damn, I think I stared at him way too long.

“Do you think you can still sleep?” he said.

“Yeah. I can sleep anywhere,” I said. “How about you?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I think I’ll sleep off,” he said.

“I think you’re the one who needs valium here,” I joked.

He let out a soft laugh. I got surprised. It was my first time hearing him laugh. And seeing him smile.

I felt like my heart is about to burst.

I’ve been working as Parker’s assistant for almost two months now but not once did I see him smile or heard him laugh. Hearing the way he laughed now makes me want to make him laugh more. He needs some light in his life.  He’s always busy and full of work. Sometimes I’d think that maybe he forgot how to live a life out of it.

But I shouldn’t meddle with it. I’m just his assistant. I assist him at work, not about how to live his life. This is one thing I could not fix without putting myself on the emotional line. It’s something I should not risk.

I couldn’t risk opening a chance for a man who only thinks about work.

I could feel the loneliness, the lack of support, the disappointments all in one now. And I don’t want to fo through that again.

To divert the conversation, I said, “Is it okay if I’ll just read?”

All of a sudden I got tired of talking.

“Yeah, sure. Go ahead,” he said. “Will it bother you if I work alongside?” he asked.

“Not at all,” I responded. I went back to the book that I was reading.