Chapter 7

He drove us in his car to a small restaurant and we sat down to place our orders.

"So how are you doing?" He asked.

I smiled "Very well thanks. You?"

"Not good actually. I'm trying to prove my best friend wrong and that means, going for a boring two hour therapy session. The worst part is that my friend won't even be around to stay with me" He explained

I then thought about Caroline.

"I was lying when I said I'm very well. I had a misunderstanding with my best friend and then later saw her naked with my brother. I was trying to process it and I left the house. I came back to find out she's travelled to California."

He burst into laughter and held my hand.

"She'll call you back. Don't worry" He assured.

"What makes you so sure?" I stared up at him

"Because ..." He paused. "You're a sweet soul and I don't think anyone can intentionally stay away from you for too long. Just like me, I met you that first day and then I couldn't just take my eyes off you. I still can't"

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Jimmy's PoV

Honestly I really don't know when, how and even why that came out of my mouth. I noticed her discomfiture and I quickly corrected myself.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean that... really" I stuttered.

She gave a fake smile and then said "Oh yeah. I get... you didn't mean it"

Just then the waiter brought our orders. While eating, we slipped back into conversations about work.

"Tell me about your wife." She said, right in the middle of the conversation. I frowned.

"Its okay if you don't want to talk about it." She added.

"No. It's fine... Let me just..." I reached over to my glass cup on table and then, the unspeakable happened. The cup toppled over and fell, spilling out its entire contents on the table and on her dress.

She gasped.

"Oh Jesus... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." I said and stood up. I fished out my handkerchief and tried to dab at her dress that was stained. She held my hand that was still on her dress and looked at me. Our gaze lingered for a while, before I pulled away.

"Let me take you home."

"Yeah" She said.

"Don't get me wrong Cassie. I'd really love for us to stay a little longer, but I don't want you to feel embarrassed by the stain on your dress and for the fact that it's a red stain... I don't want other women around thinking it's..."

She laughed.

"I understand perfectly well Mr Cross. On a normal day, I'd have declined but you're actually right, I wouldn't want to feel embarrassed so let's go" She replied and I sighed in relief. I footed the bills and led her out of the restaurant.

As soon as we got into my car and she'd gotten strapped to the seatbelt, I turned to her.

"What's your house address?"

"I don't want to go back home yet. My brother isn't around and my best friend has left so I'll just be all alone. Can we go to your house?" She said sheepishly all in one breath. Honestly, I didn't think I could refuse her anything at all. I squeezed her hand gently and smiled.

"It's alright." I said.

She pulled her hand away from me and then said. "Or on second thoughts, Just drive me back to work. I'd go home from work."

I wanted to object, but then I kept mute and nodded.

"But wait. If my employees see you coming out of my car in a stained dress, what do you think they'll say?" I asked her.

"Normally, I don't care about what people say, but concerning this, I think you have to drive me home. I'll change and then come back to work."

"No" I replied. "Just rest, okay? I'll drop you home to make sure you're safe and then I'll drive back to work."

She smiled gratefully at me.

"What's your house address?" I asked.

She paled and then frowned and her face expressed mixed emotions.

"Is everything okay?"

"Let's go to your house" She replied.

I removed my hands from the steering and looked her. And then I burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

"Why?"

"Because I can't remember my house address... I know it's absurd and all... but I'm new here. I've only been in America a month now so I haven't gotten a good look at the streets. Everything is still so brand new to me."

I stopped and absorbed everything she said.

"Okay then. Let's get to my house."

I then drove to a boutique first and bought a change of clothes for her, much to her displeasure and then we drove straight to my house.

I didn't take her upstairs though. She touched the marbled chair that I had refurbished months after Sarah's death.

I hesitated a moment longer before sitting down. I sat a little far away from her.

"Where is the bathroom?" she asked me.

"It's just down the hallway." I pointed and she went there, probably to change her clothes.

After a while, she came out already dressed in clean dry clothes. She sat beside me and smiled.

"Thanks for today." She said.

Then the silence that followed it was so tranquil. I decided to speak up my mind.

"Look, actually Cassie...." I started.

"About that. My name is Allison, not Cassie. I gave you a fake name."

"What the fucking hell??!!!!! Why would you lie about your name?" I half-yelled at her.

"The same way you lied about yours."

I stood up and scratched my head.

"Oh shit. You women are cunning. Yes I lied about my name, but then I told you the truth immediately you started working with me. Why couldn't you do the same?"

"It escaped my mind" She replied.

I smiled, before clearing my throat and making up my mind to express my feelings for her. I also braced myself up for anything she might say.

"If not for the fact that I really like you, I'd have been very angry."

"Why do you really like me? And besides when did you start liking me, because, last I checked, we haven't known each other for long." She replied.

Before I could respond to that, my phone rang. It was Gabriel.

I looked at her and mouthed an "Excuse me". She smiled in approval.

"Whats up man?" I asked.

"There's a little issue here. Are you at the office now?" He said.

"No. What's going on?"

"Its nothing to be worried about actually. I just needed you to help me do something from the administrative work station, but since you're not there, Don't worry I'll handle it out myself."

"Are you sure? What happened?" I asked again, but then He hung up the call. A little part of me was worried, but then of course I trusted Gabriel, with my life.

Allison's PoV

"Is everything okay, Jimmy?" I asked. I could tell he was worried, but was trying to keep his cool.

"Yeah, everything's fine. My best friend, who happens to be my Personal Assistant at work just called me now. I really didn't understand what he said, but he insisted that everything was in control." He explained.

He reached out a hand to my cheeks. I leaned into his touch on instinct. He widened his eyes in shock and I smiled.

"Yeah. I feel the same way too, Jimmy." I answered.

That was all the assurance he needed and he moved closer to me and leaned his forehead on mine.

"I really have strong feelings for you Cassie"

"Allison" I interrupted.

"What??!!" He asked.

"My name's Allison, not Cassie" I replied.

"Such a sweet name for a sweet soul like you" He purred so sweetly and kissed me hard on the lips.

My hands went straight to the back of his head, pulling him closer, not wanting to break the connection. He raised me up and pulled me to the wall. He snaked his hands on my waist and kissed me deeply again, his tongue searching deep in my mouth. I moaned breathlessly.

His hands went to my breasts next. He was trying to open the buttons on my shirt when I pushed him back gently.

"No Jimmy"

"What!!" He searched my face wondering whether he had done something wrong to hurt me.

"No it's not you. It's me. I'm still new to all these. I'm scared of...."

He kissed me on the lips and rubbed my cheeks. He held my hands and led me back to the chair we stood up from.

"Its alright darling. I'm actually scared too. I understand. I remember one time my mum was teaching me about girlfriends and relationship. She told me that whatever the girl says, I should always nod in the affirmative cos girls are sensitive to words and all." He laughed.

"No you don't" A drop of tear fell from my eyes. "You don't know what I went through. I miss my mum. I fucking miss her like hell, but I hate the bitch for what she did to me"

He was shocked, obviously by that revelation. He looked like he wanted to ask me and inquire further, but then he sighed and said "Do you want to talk about it now?"

"No!!" I sobbed. "No not really. Not now" i hugged him immediately for not wanting to pry cos I didn't want to break down in his presence and make him think I have a lot of baggage. Of course I do have a lot of baggage, but there's something called dignity and ego which I have to preserve.

"When you're ready to talk about it, I'll always be ready to listen to you, okay?"

I nodded.

He stood up and asked. "What would you like to eat? Please don't tell me macaroni."

I chuckled. "Thats actually what I want to eat. I'm hungry and starving."

He feigned pain. "Please manage whatever I cook and don't complain, okay? Cos you asked for it."

"No problem. Mr Cross"

He laughed and went towards the direction I guess was the kitchen. I admired his perfectly built body, while wondering within me if I should open up to him and trust him.

I hoped the future holds great things for the both of us