Claire's POV
That night as I lay in bed, I'm going over the pros and cons of accepting my boss's proposal. I wonder if the offer was still on the table.
He hasn't sought me out on the proposal in some days. Maybe he meant it when he said he wouldn't pressure me anymore. Or did he truly go ahead to find someone else.
All these wondering and pondering has got my head aching. I finally decided to leave it all till tomorrow when I get to work.
But what I do know is that right now, my only hope to clear off the mortgage rests in the One month contract that Mr. Smith proposed.
The next day at work, Mr. Smith is yet to arrive. His office is empty. I don't remember him having any outside meetings scheduled. I'm starting to lose my resolve in taking him up on his proposal.
I'd been staring at my screen for so long that the numbers had started to blur when Stella's voice cut in.
"You've been frozen like that for five minutes," she said, leaning against the edge of my desk. "Should I be concerned, or is this just one of your intense work mode?"
I blinked and looked up at her. "What?"
She smiled knowingly. "Exactly."
I exhaled and rubbed my temple. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was zoned out."
Her expression softened. "You rushed out of the office the other day."
My shoulders tensed. "I did?"
"Yeah," she said gently. "Mid-afternoon. You looked like you were about to bolt. I wanted to check on you, but you were already gone."
Stella is my colleague at work, she's the assistant PR manager. We've grown to become quite close. She's a really lovely lady.
I forced a small smile. "I was just… dealing with something."
She studied me for a moment. "Work something, or life something?"
I hesitated, my fingers tightening around the pen in my hand. "Both."
Stella nodded, as if that answer explained everything. "That makes sense."
Silence stretched between us before she spoke again, quieter this time. "You know you don't have to handle everything on your own. If you need anything, you can always talk to me"
"I know," I said, though my voice lacked conviction.
"Good," she replied. "Because you look like someone who's going through it."
A breath slipped out of me before I could stop it. "Is it that obvious?"
"To someone who sits ten feet away from you every day?" She shrugged lightly. "A little."
Her gaze drifted toward the executive wing. "Mr. Smith isn't in yet, by the way."
My heart jumped despite my best efforts to stay neutral. "Oh."
She glanced back at me, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Were you waiting for him?"
"No," I said too quickly. Then, softer, more honest, "I mean… maybe."
Stella didn't push. Instead, she smiled faintly. "Well, when he does come in, try not to look like you're walking into an interrogation."
I let out a quiet laugh. "I'll try."
"And Claire?"
I looked up at her.
"Whatever you're weighing," she said gently, "you're allowed to take a moment before deciding."
I nodded. "Thank you."
She straightened and stepped back. "Anytime. Now I'll leave you to it, before I accidentally start acting like your therapist."
That earned a genuine smile from me. I feel a bit lighter talking to her, I realize.
I am in the process of weighing out whether this was truly a good idea, when I notice him casually stroll into the office.
My heart skips a bit. 'Calm down, girl' I caution myself.
At work, Louis remained professional, almost painfully so. No reminders. No pushing. Just space.
Which somehow made it worse. I was already considering accepting his offer and I would have preferred he pushed just a bit more so I don't look desperate bringing it up.
I find myself noticing him more than I ever did before: the way he loosened his cufflinks when he was tired, the way his face softened when he spoke to his grandparents on the phone, how he always waited until she'd finished speaking before responding, like her words mattered.
That scared me. It bothered me big time. I was becoming increasingly conscious of him.
Just a few minutes ago, I spotted him loosening his tie and the view made my mouth water.
'No, this can't be, Claire get your head straight', I thought to myself.
I shake my head vehemently in an attempt to push down the improper thoughts I was beginning to have.
I picked up the stack of documents on my table that needed approval and headed to his office.
"You don't look well," he says, as I placed the documents on his table. His face edged with something that looked like concern.
"I'm fine." I respond guardedly. Not wanting to show him my cards.
"You're lying."
She sighed. "Why are you so calm about this?"
"Because panic won't help."
"And what if I say no?" I asked evasively, wanting to figure out if he still considers me suitable for the role.
He met my gaze. "Then I'll respect it. I'll leave you alone."
Something about the certainty in his voice unsettled me, especially now that I was going to accept.
"You don't even know if I'd be good at this," I say warily. "Pretending."
"I don't need you to pretend," he responds. "I need you to be yourself."
I laugh softly at his response. "You don't even know who that is. You don't even know me".
He held my gaze, "I know enough." I find myself staring into his eyes. Trying to determine if this was really going to be my last resort.
It is already the 28th of the month. Soon, I would have to pay the mortgage on the house and I need to find a way to pay it off one and for all.
"Let me think about it more carefully" I state, "I'm still not sure that I am not at the short end of the stick with this".
His eyes find mine. Scanning and contemplating, "Oh Claire, there's also something you're not considering".
I glimpsed at him, his eyes holding a bit of mischief "What do you mean by that?".