A Rainy Day [COMPLETE]

Chapter 12

I'm still a little foggy from yesterday. The alcohol, the memories...Luke. All of it is dragging me down today. My posture is off and I keep having to shake my head in order to concentrate. A sudden beep alarms me and I turn my body to read off the name.

"What?" I respond after catching the name of the caller.

"Meet me." The person says. I reach over for my tablet and paperwork, then abandon my little office area. Knocking on his door, he signaled me to come in and so I do. After shutting his door I find him leaning back in his office chair.

The sun is bleeding through the glass of his windows, making his room a little warmer than usual. "So what did happen to your make out client?" I wonder out loud.

"I got bored." His answer almost stuns me. What a douche bag answer. The correct answer for only the best of jerks.

"Of course," I reply widening my eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He catches my tone of voice and makes it a part of the conversation.

"It's nothing—"

"Enlighten me," he sparks. I stand very still, not wanting to disturb the mood in the room.

"It means that you're just another guy in the world, picking up sexy women for his own needs," I explain, averting my eyes to open the calendar app.

"You don't know that," he jeers defensively. I raise a brow and approach his marble desk.

"Says the one who kept me hostage in his home." I put down the tablet and cross my arms.

"I was keeping you safe." Oh really? That was his go-to answer.

"Safe from what?" I inquire with wide, questionable eyes, feeling as if there were only lies spouting from his mouth. Tension rises and I feel like this conversation is going to reach a dead-end sooner than later.

"From yourself." I consider this for a moment before opening my mouth.

"You mean from the hangover," I correct him.

"No, from you," he repeats.

"Why do you care?" I squint my eyes at him as my brows crease.

"What makes you think I care?" he growls harshly. My suspicion is killed after that comment as I bring myself back to reality. A slick smile appears on my face as I shake my head.

"Oh, I get it. I'm just another one of your—"

"My what?" he interrupts my sentence, crossing his arms in a way that makes him feel like he's better than me. Better looking, better dressed, better everything. Disbelief travels over my face as I scoff. I pick up the tablet and papers, making sure they're secure in my possession.

"Your make out puppet girls." I work my way out of the room with everything in hand.

"Danni wait." I turn back around only to look him dead in the eyes.

"I printed out your meetings, just in case." I throw them on a nearby chair, beside the door and leave the room, charging down the hall. 

"Miss Sharp." His face is the only thing that forms in my mind when I whirl around.

"Since when do you call me—oh. Mr. Curtis." My expression is wiped clean and ready for work.

"I was wondering, if you're not busy, could you run down to the store and get some more coffee? All of the assistants got the day off today," he replies with a sweet smile.

"No problem. I'll be right on it." I fetch my purse and head out of the building towards the market. When I walk inside, cool air shoots over my head from a vent, sending shivers down my spine. Like feeling the air in the office isn't already cold enough.

I soon come across the coffee bags before checking out with a cashier and swiftly trudge back to the office. After passing a few streets here and there, I arrive at the office building. The moment I step inside, my phone goes off.

"This is Dannielle," I answer, adjusting the groceries in my hand. "No, the starting date is tomorrow."

In the corner of my eye, a black suit and tall body drift into view. Time comes to a slow just before we come into range of each other. He stares me in the eyes with a frontal wall blocking any emotions from escaping. Fear, anger, worry, joy, relief, everything.

I refuse to stray from my path and neither does he causing our arms to barely brush up against each other. The second my eyes redirect in front of me and pass Luke, time speeds up again, faster than the cool breeze on a winter evening.

As the day fades into night, Jess is one of the last people to leave the building. Jess brings her presence to my attention with a knock on my door. "Hey, you going home soon?" I glimpse back at her.

"Hopefully." She smiles at my response, wishing me goodnight. That was something I actually needed....a good night's rest. The thought circles me before consuming me whole. Some of the best feelings have to do with sleep. When you're so tired that you collapse on your bed, knowing you'll be out in seconds.

Around thirty minutes later, I'm in the middle of finishing up a report for one of my assignments, when all of a sudden, I hear a second knock on my door. "Hey." Of course. Who else would it have been? Santa Clause? I think not. No presents for me this year.

"Mr. Blake how—"

"Luke. Just Luke." I hear the sincerity spike his voice and add the last finishing touches to my document. My senses heighten, knowing he's nearly six feet away from me. "It's almost eleven." Luke leans against the door frame with his arms crossed.

"I'm just finishing up this last.....assignment." I send out the report and closed my laptop before packing my things.

"Danni." My ears are turned off as I slip papers into my bag. "Danni," he calls again and I continued ignoring him. The moment I finish up packing my things, I lift my bag onto the desk and move it over to the side. Out of the blue, a hand gently wraps itself around my wrist and shifted me around.

A brief sting slashes my heart as I latch onto his eyes. "Danni." His voice comes out more benign than usual, almost broken. My discoveries envelop my mind and see how close he is to my face.

"What?" I ask diving straight to the point as his hand unravels around my wrist.

"I do care," he states with a shade of sadness covering his eyes.

"Then why..." I begin to talk, but my words fade away. This is pointless.

"Why what?" His politeness is scorching my emotions as I focus on anything except for him. Silence clouds the room in an instant like a sunny day consumed by darkness. I feel like I'm suffocating and can't breathe. Maybe I'm drowning. Maybe I'm being strangled by my own thoughts.

"Goodnight Luke." I manage to say normally and rush away, but his strong hand clutches around my arm.

"Danni, you were never one of my makeout puppet girls." He gazes in my direction but I can only pay him back with an emotionless expression. My hands aim to reach my bag and pick up the straps, tossing them over my shoulder. I scurry down the aisles of office cubicles, ready to break apart.

Keep it together, just a little further.  I tell myself as I accelerate the further I go.

Just as I reach the elevator, the doors part as if by command and I jump inside. The office area is empty. Not even Luke was standing in the aisles. I doubt he's moved from my office.

I was done. All I wished was for all of it to be over.

Why am I crying? Stop crying. There's no point in wasting tears on him.

The tears that had parted from my eyes ceased to tumble down my soft cheeks. This is so...stupid.