A Business Love

chapter 36.2

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The next day, Jessie made sure to come in very early in order to be the first there and hide in her office. She wasn't ready to face people's comments and stares, but she also knew it was inevitable.

She was mostly stressed to face Massimo. She didn't know how he would react and she feared that she had forever lost his trust. 

Her colleagues arrived one by one, and she kept her door closed, avoiding their stares from behind her glass door. They all spied on her subtly, trying to remain respectful of her, but this news was at the forefront of their mind. They still couldn't believe that she was dating Julian, the COO.

Jessie only came out of her office as soon as Massimo arrived. With her head down low, still avoiding her colleagues' stare, she quickly reached his office.

"Can I talk to you?" she said in an uneasy way, holding her hands together, visibly nervous.

Massimo looked at her and approved with his head. "Sure, come in."

She closed the door behind her. "So..." she said.

"So!" he repeated as he removed his coat and sat on his chair.

She remained downcast, avoiding meeting his eyes,  burning with humiliation from within.

She breathed deeply, and finally spoke, "This is very embarrassing for me. I am so. So. So. So sorry. And I know that I've probably lost your trust forever. I'll never forgive myself for that."

She shook her head and looked down to the floor. 

'Not again freaking cry-baby!' she thought as she felt the tears forming in her eyes.

"Kiddo," he said in a gentle way. "I'm not mad at you and you have not lost my trust."

She looked up to him with a ray of hope and seeing his compassionate expression, she narrowed her eyebrows while her eyes flooded with tears. She couldn't hold them back anymore.

"Why are you crying?" he asked concerned. 

"I don't know. I just really respect you...and I just...I hate that I've been so...sneaky with you," she said wiping her tears.

Massimo looked at her in a serious, yet fatherly way. "Jessie, wipe your tears. I don't want none of that. Listen to me carefully. This is your private life; it's nobody's business, not even mine. The only faux-pas you did here was not disclosing this to HR. That's it. Other than that, it is absolutely nobody's business. And as a matter of fact, I do not want you going around walking shamefully in here. I won't tolerate it. You're gonna keep your head up. Because you have deserved these promotions and I have no shame to say it proudly. And if anybody says otherwise, have them come to me. I'll tell them that you are the best employee I have ever had in my whole career, and that I still trust you and I will continue to go to bat for you."

She listened to him, nervously twitching her right leg, and feeling so much relief that she couldn't stop the tears from falling down even though he had commanded her not to cry.

"Thank you," she let out with much relief.

Meanwhile, Jessie's name was on everyone's lips, with mixed opinions about her. Some thought it was obvious she had used her good looks to get where she was today. They saw her as a tease that purposely went after the most coveted man of the place. Others, mostly those who had had the chance of rubbing shoulders with her, believed that she was a competent employee and that it wasn't her fault if she was pretty. They had noticed that she was a nice and charismatic approachable girl and they highly doubted she was the kind to flirt and use her physical attributes to get what she wanted.