Swapped Feelings | ✓

■ Return of Grey

"What?" I let out a squeak as I failed to repress my cool demeanour. Thank god, the files didn't tumble out of my hand because I was gripping it so tightly that my knuckles had turned white, "You are joking, right?"

"No, Allison. You know I am not joking at all. Jared Grey, or rather Grey enterprises is buying our company," Ford, my boss replied dejectedly.

"But...but...why him?" I asked, thunderstruck. I waited for him to tell me it was all a big, bad joke again but his face looked pretty serious to me as he clicked on his laptop keyboard impatiently.

"Our company is going at a loss, Allison, you know that very well. Its a small company with no big potentials as such. He is a very powerful man. From the time he has returned and his father stepped down, he is like an unstoppable force. He is buying all the small and at a loss companies and ours..." He trailed off, opening his glasses and rubbing his face, looking really tired, "I have to clear my room soon."

"I get it, people were speaking about it since months now even before he came back," I sighed, "He is buying the company, big deal."

But still, it was a big deal. Five years was a lot of time. I had seen him on TV and read about him in papers. I knew he had returned from London a month back, but I didn't think he would actually go and buy the company in which I worked. I admit the company I currently worked in wasn't doing well in terms of profit but I didn't assume it would be this bad. That was ridiculous.

Out of all the people. I knew Grey was a conglomerate that dealt in my line of business too, but why him. Why not any other company? Hell, even I was bound by contract here.

"Thank you, Allison. Don't worry about his presence here much. He is just buying and will bring few changes maybe. He won't be sitting here everyday or changing the entire staff. His main office is somewhere else," He smiled as a poor attempt to sugarcoat the situation.

"I don't understand why you have to leave though."

"I was thinking of resigning since five months now. I have been in talks with some of my friends. I would also spend some time with my son. He is about to start college soon and I would spend the summer before he leaves. Jared won't be troubling you much."

"I hope so," I muttered. I really, really hoped so. But I knew, I was kidding myself, "You were a really good man, Ford. I'll miss you."

"You too, Allison. You were the best PA I had till date," He said as a matter of fact.

"What are you going to do now?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Maybe start my own small business. I have always been interested in travel agencies and I have saved quite a lot over these years. I will take a break for few months and spend it with Brad, my son. I haven't been able to give him much time so I want to compensate for it," He gave a gentle smile, "If you ever want, you can come work for me, though it will be a starting salary. You have been a very hardworking and dedicated girl, Allison."

I nodded sadly. I was happy for him but the job paid me more and knowing Grey enterprises, there was a chance my salary could be hiked if the takeover had been done and we would be informed soon of that. Going back to Ford was tempting but the salary would reduce. And no matter what happened, I knew money was the most important priority. Everything came later.

"I will keep that in mind. I have your number," I gave a tight lipped smile.

"If you ever need help, contact me. Thank you for your services to me. I have to clear some things now. You may leave," He dismissed me politely.

I gave one last thanks and went out, cursing mentally. At him. At Ford. At everyone I could possibly think of.

Five years. Wasn't it enough for him that he had to come back again? Not only that, he had to freaking go and buy our company!? He had so many companies to buy, but he had to buy this one?

He had no idea I was working here, so what if he saw me? I wasn't afraid of him as such, but things could be awkward if we bumped into each other. He never contacted me in all these years and I stopped after one point of time.

No, no, I couldn't face him again. I waited so long for him to come back so I could explain everything, but he didn't. So, I had nothing to say to him now.

I had done a very good job of avoiding anything related to him these few years, Hailey, his family, friends, even Trevor who was finally dating my sister, Alice and were touring Australia together. I barely saw Trevor because it was usually Alice whom I met few times in two three months.

They had started dating a year back after staying in contact for five years. Alice finished college and decided she was set to date him. Trevor shifted back to Manhattan and in present, they were too much in love to marry anyday now.

For five years, nobody had spoken about Jared at my place. I tried not to think much about him and absorbed myself in work. They say that time healed everything, but it didn't. Yes, I might not faint if I saw him now but I couldn't forget anything. It was like the glue of a jackfruit, it was not easy to get rid of.

The main reason was my explanation. He never heard it and maybe thats why he was still present in some dark corner of my mind. It felt like a need, a need to explain and prove that I didn't purposely hurt Jared. Any romantic connection was far gone but I always felt if I ever saw him, the first thing I would do is explain everything.

And yet, now when I heard he was back, I didn't know if I wanted to explain myself. I knew he wouldn't listen to me. I had seen him on shows and read his interviews, he didn't seem like the old Jared. He sounded too smooth and arrogant. Not the Jared I had fallen for way back, he was a businessman in the true sense of the term.

Jared back then stuttered and stammered, he blushed and even flirted nicely. He felt too royal and high class for me now. I had kept track of his deals and interviews and it was evident that there were hardly any traces of the old him.

Maybe he was the same, it was just in front of the camera that he acted like that. He could have a girlfriend too. Rumors of his linkups weren't rare, I would say. I didn't care for them but that didn't mean a pang of curiousity ran through me when I read about them.

I decided to call Alice and inform her about this piece of information. She worked as an assistant fashion designer now at while I was an employee here at TP Industries, which was soon coming under Grey Industries Ltd.

My life was going pretty okay I guess, till now.

I was living in an apartment an hour away from my parents place with my new best friend of three years, Wade Adams. Naomi and me weren't much in contact. Last time I heard, she was in Europe with Kyle. It had been few months since I heard from her after she left.

Wade was a pretty fun guy. Somehow, he reminded me of old Jared. He knew the whole story of my past with him. I met him when I came here. He tried to hit on me but soon realized I wasn't giving him any importance, so we were better off as friends. But I really enjoyed his lame flirting, sometimes. He was like the big old teddy bear you wanted to cuddle.

He also reminded me of old Jared so much, that I was a bit protective about him and vice versa. He was a gem of a person and had helped me a lot through my post-Jared depression syndrome.

I loved him as a brother and he fulfilled the parts of brother, friend and guardian of me.

Just not a lover.

I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for my twin to pick up the damn bloody phone.

"Hi, Alli! What's up?" Alice shouted when she picked up. I heard some laughs behind her and her giggle.

"Guess what, I got great news for you," I said softly.

"What? Wade finally persuaded you to go out with him?" She asked excitedly.

"Yucks, no," I wrinkled my nose.

"Then?"

"Jared Grey is buying the company I work in and if things go alright according to him, I might be soon working under him," I said without going round in circles.