Golden Opportunity

Chapter 9

AYLA

"Gavin?", I try to grab his attention, but he seems lost in thought.

He's been like that all day. He only spoke a few words and then he would go back to silently brooding. He wasn't even paying attention to the sketches and documents scattered on the table we worked at yesterday. Now he's silently sitting in his chair and looking at the hourglass on the desk like he's never seen one before.

I wonder where his mind is. Maybe he's thinking about what happened yesterday - or what almost happened. I still can't believe we almost kissed. I can't believe I almost let him kiss me. When I left Brad, I promised myself not to let another man fool me and my feelings. And it's not even been two weeks since I broke up with him and I'm already feeling attracted to another man.

I'm not going to denie it. I do like him. A lot, and now that I think of it, I may have liked him for some time now, even before he noticed me and decided to offer me a promotion. But I never gave space to my feeling, I just thought that I missed the attention of a man when Brad was not giving it to me, and I would feel attraction to any man. But it was only Gavin who attracted some feelings from me. But Brad is not in the picture anymore and the more time I spend with Gavin, the more these feelings surface.

I wanted him to kiss me yesterday. I felt an unexplainable urge to feel his muscled body pressed against mine, to feel his strong arms around me. At first I cursed Beau for interrupting us, but then, as I thought better of it, I couldn't be more thankful. I didn't want Gavin to think that I'm one of those women. To jump in the arms of any man who showed me a little bit of kindness. Because that's what he did. He proposed to me an opportunity that would help me in the future and I don't want to ruin it because of my twisted feelings.

After all, we only got acquainted with each other five days ago and it feels completely inappropriate to even think about him like anything else than my boss. And friend.

The little kiss on the cheek I gave him yesterday was a silent thank you. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for having faith in me. Thank you for not pressing the matter. Because he didn't. We left the office yesterday exactly as we entered this morning. Like nothing happened.

He might not even like me this way. I might not be he's type. Not that I know what type he likes. I may not be a model or really tall, but I would say my 5'6 height is enough; I have a slender, almost sickening pale body and small breasts. The ass is there but not really. But I like myself the way I am. Although, he may like curves.

But now he's been staring at that hourglass for more than thirty minutes. And I'm beginning to worry. Maybe he's not feeling well.

So, as the friend I am, I get up from my seat in front of the desk and go around it until I'm behind his chair and put my hand on his forehead.

He startles at my touch and looks up at me in surprise and confusion.

"You don't have a fever", I declare as I take his right hand and press on his wrist. "Your pulse is regular."

"What are you doing?", he asks amused now.

"I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with you." I sit on the edge of the desk and arch an eyebrow at him. "Well? Are you gonna tell me or not?"

He shakes his head with a small smile on his lips as if saying that he's okay.

"Do you want me to guess?", I ask.

"It's nothing, really", he assures me, but I don't believe him. I narrow my eyes. He sighs. "How about we go to meet Mr. Clifton and after that I tell you?", he suggests.

"So there is something! Okay, I can wait a little more", I get down from the desk and go to the couch to take my phone and purse and turn around to face him."Let's go!", I gesture for him to get up when I realize he's still sitting down.

***

"Mr. Clifton, it's good to see you again", Gavin offers his hand.

"The pleasure is all mine, Gavin", the man - Mr. Clifton - shakes his hand.

James Clifton is a man in his mid forties and has black eyes, black hair and a black suit hugs his stalky body. He is 6 feet tall, a little shorter to Gavin's height which is 6'2.

"And who might this young lady be?", he smiles at me, giving me a once over.

I feel a little self-conscious in this moment. When I woke up this morning I couldn't care less what clothes I was going to wear. So I grabbed the first thing I touched. A plaid pencil skirt, a beige turtleneck sweater and a light brown coat. I paired them with a pair of black ankle heeled boots. I think I might have exaggerated a little with the skirt as I feel shivers down my spine at his gaze. And not the good kind.

"This is Ayla White", Gavin says while putting a hand on my lower back. "She's going to work with me on the project."

I extend my hand with a small smile and he takes it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. White", he says and I nod my head. "I hope we will work great together."

"Likewise", I take my hand out of his a little forcefully when I realize he's not gonna let go too soon.

Gavin pulls a chair out for me and he takes the one beside me. Mr. Clifton sits on the other part of the table.

"So you took my advice. What have you done with your previous assistant?", he asks.

"He's still my assistant", Gavin replies. "I didn't say that Ayla is my assistant, I just said we're working together." His voice holds an edge to it that I can't distinguish.

"Ayla", he says like tasting it and I try not to recoil at the way my name comes out of his mouth. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He looks at me again. "Are you going to keep her only as a work partner or are you planning to make her your new addition?", he asks casually like I was there only to be looked at.

His comment makes me angry. New addition? What does he think I am, an object, a pretty thing to be displayed and then forgotten? I don't know what disturbs me more: the fact that he only sees me as a possible addition and nothing more or that it is not his business but he still asked? So I respond to him before Gavin even has the chance to.

"I am my own person, Mr. Clifton; I can speak for myself and no, I'm not going to be a new addition for anyone", I say keeping my emotions in check. "I'm here only to do my job."

As if sensing my uneasiness, Gavin puts his hand on my leg and starts rubbing slowly. I let it there because it calms me.

"Can we start, Mr. Clifton?", he asks, the edge in his voice a little more pronounced.

In the next 45 minutes we talk about our ideas regarding the new resort and all the materials needed. We discuss the details and the prices. At some point a waiter comes over to take our order and I take a Greek salad and the men something that I was unable to pay attention to.

Gavin's hand on my leg has not left the entirety of the meeting. He kept rubbing the skin on my leg and sometimes his hand would go higher only to go back to its initial position. He would squeeze my leg, his hand would go between them only to massage back up.

I was getting hotter as minutes went by. The sweater I was wearing became almost suffocating and I was getting bothered. Something inside me wanted release. It wasn't new for me to feel pleasure because I've felt it at the hands of Brad, but I new that not even Gavin will manage to get me off the cliff. Even though he makes me all bothered by only touching my leg.

Why am I even thinking that?

I feel his hand squeezing a little tighter and I bite back a groan. I could swear the redness in my cheeks was visible. I look at him from my salad and he is munching his own food. He doesn't even seem to be aware of what he's doing. It's like he almost forgot that he has two hands.

"I think that would be all for now, sir", he says to Mr. Clifton after a few more minutes.

"I guess so. I should probably go", he replies looking at his watch. "I have another meeting to attend to." With that, he pulls his chair back and gets up extending a hand to Gavin which he takes while raising to his feet.

His hand is gone. Sweet relief! But I felt its lost, the leg it was caressing was now cold.

I get up too and take the hand Mr. Clifton offered.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. White", abhorrent from the beginning of the meeting his whole demeanor changed. The flirtatious guy I met turned into a serious businessman.

"The pleasure was all mine, sir", I reply.

As he leaves I turn towards Gavin with my eyebrows raised.

"Seriously?", I say incredulously.

He just shrugs with a secretive smile on his face. I shake my head at him and take my coat from the back of the chair and my purse and leave the terrace, going to his car in the parking lot.

The car beeps opened and I look over my shoulder to see Gavin coming behind me. I get in the passenger seat and fix my belt as he gets in the driver's.

I don't know why I'm angry. Maybe because of what he did with his hand or maybe because he doesn't seem to care. My mind is going haywire. I don't understand a thing of what I'm feeling.

How did this even happened in the first place?

***

He stops at the edge of a parc and I get out the car looking around. The door at his side shuts and I look at him confused.

"We're going to talk, remember?", he reminds me.

And I remember his weird behaviour from today so I nod. He leads me through the parc until we stop at a bench. The parc is silent at this time of day, the chirping birds the only sound. Around us are trees, their canopies protecting us from the sun's rays.

"So are you going to tell me what happened to you?", I ask as minutes pass by and we just sit there.

"I am, but I want you to know that I'm sorry", he sighs.

"Sorry?", I ask confused.

What is he sorry about?

"I did something yesterday that I didn't take your permission for and now I have to ask for your help", he confuses me even more.

I shake my head in confusion. He has a guarded look in his eyes.

"I told my sister and Mother that I have a girlfriend", he spills the tea.

Girlfriend. He has a girlfriend, I say in my mind and I can't help the helpless emotions I'm feeling.

"And what's the problem?", I ask.

"The problem is that I don't have one."

"What?", I look at him.

"I told them that you are my girlfriend so that I can get away from my mother's plans", he looks down almost ashamed.

He did what?! my mind screams.

My heartbeat increases and my eyes are wide as I look at him. I don't understand my self. One moment I'm devastated that he has a girlfriend, the other I'm irritated at myself for thinking he would want me to be his girlfriend after what happened yesterday and a half an hour ago, and then, the next, I'm angry at him because he called me his girlfriend when I'm not.

I open my mouth to tell him... something, I don't know what, but he interrupts me.

"Hear me out! Before you say anything, hear me out", the desperation in his voice stops me.

I sigh nodding. I didn't even know what I wanted to say.

"After what happened with Beatrice, my Mother began to plan blind dates for me with different girls and I told her not to, but she's set her mind on finding me a woman."

Beatrice. That's the name of the i***t who left him at the altar.

"You know that the anniversary of the company is this Friday", I nod. "Yesterday, Lana came to tell me that Mother found me a partener and that she will force me to take her with me, whether I want it or not. So I came up with this lie." He pauses. "She didn't take it this morning when I told her and she's going to bring the girl either way, just in case. So, I have to go with someone as to not have to take that girl. And now I'm going to ask you a favour. Will you be my date for the anniversary and pretend to be my girlfriend for a little while?"

I look in his eyes and see genuine intentions there. He wants me to be his date? But that's only to make his mother stop.

"Why not go with someone else?", I ask in a small voice. "They don't know me. You can take anyone else to be your pretended girlfriend."

"I don't want someone else", he shakes his head. "I trust you, I like your company, I think that's enough to have you as my date. Do you trust me?"

Do I trust him? The answer is simple.

"Yes, I trust you", I say. He looks at me expectantly. I know what he wants from me. "Can I think of it for a while?", I ask instead.

"Alright, but I want your answer tomorrow."

I nod.

"Why is she so set up to find you someone if you don't agree?", I ask him.

"I think it has something to do with her repaying me", he sighs. When he sees my confused expression he chuckles and smooths the frown on my forehead with his fingers. "How about we leave this conversation like that for now? It's not a story I want to talk about yet.", he asks instead of responding.

I nod. I see in his eyes that there are still open wounds about this one so I let it alone. I don't want to overwhelm or anger him. We sit there for a while, both of us enjoying the silence and cool air. I hear him sigh all of a sudden and look at him to see him gazing at his wrist watch and then at me with an apologetic grimace on his handsome face.

"We have to go." I nod at him in agreement and he takes my hand in his when I'm up my feet. He puts our intertwined hands in his coat's pocket and we walk to the car.