Falling for Rosie

|| 17 ||

Rosella's POV

A week has passed since that night when Mr. Blake went had an outburst, and him walking me home, since then he has been walking me home every night, and during that time we've gotten closer

Even our dynamic at work has improved, even if he hasn't taken me up on my offer to help him with his mom, or has he brought it up again nor have I attempted to bring it up.

It wasn't my place to open up such sensitive issues

So instead I've offered to take up more work that goes beyond my job description

Despite me telling him he doesn't have too, and me warning him that if tabloids find out it would make his already bad reputation worse, but he wouldn't listen to my protests and insisted that he cant let me walk home alone at night, especially since we had to stay back after hours, while I have been helping a substantial amount there was just somethings I didn't have the authority to do so.

Mr. Blake has been preparing for the upcoming meetings, and possible collaborations, and since I refuse to leave before him, he insists to walk me home

Although he says I can go home before him, I barely make it two steps out the office before I end up returning to my desk. I cant help but worry he might have another outburst and have to go through it alone.

No one deserves to feel that kind of pain and anger alone, and also I don't hate the extra time we've been spending together, the walk home and the conversations we have on the way home are effortless, and even if we don't have anything to say its not awkward, its a comfortable silence, as if just being together is a comfort in its self, to not just myself but also to him

Which is wrong. I shouldn't be thinking to deep about this, at the risk of blowing our harmless friendship out of proportion

"Rosella, what time is the general meeting today" Mr. Blake's voice breaks me from my train of thought, as he enters the office. thats another that has changed. He calls me Rosella now.

Not how those who barely know me "Ms. Badeaux"

Or my nickname which only my friends call me "Rosie"

But Rosella.

He knows me enough not to call me Ms. Badeaux, but not well enough to call me Rosie. His way of establishing there is a wall, a line, a boundary between us.

We're more than strangers, but less than friends.

And it bothers me, I brush the thoughts away, my professional mask back on "2:30, right after you video call with Mr Petrova rising from my desk grabbing the tea I had prepared a few minutes ago, stepping in front of his door to his main office, stretching my hand with the tea in front of him

His eyes glance down to the tea briefly, and then trailing back to my eyes, before breaking out into one of his handsome smirks, my head turning to the side to avoid his eyes, I don't know when he started to affect me like this, but it has to stop "I said I wanted coffee" he says a hint of amusement in his voice

Still unable to meet his gaze, I merely nodded before handing it to him quickly to walk away "My mistake, I must've misheard you" I said innocently "it would be a shame to waste it wouldn't you agree" I add as I return to my desk before briefly looking at him hoping he doesn't realize I made him tea on purpose, or he does realize but still chooses to ignore it and take the tea "i did put a-lot of effort to make it after of all"

His eyes still had an amusement glint in them before shaking his head with a laugh, his finger waving up at and down at me, "well I can't let your efforts be in vain after all" he says before turning to enter his office