Chapter 22: Chapter 22

DANIEL

A week later, Daniel opened the door to his office for Gloria. “Welcome back. The replacement assistant was a nightmare,” he complained.

Gloria smiled brightly as she entered the room. Jackson Corp had over two dozen employees, but Daniel knew she felt her job was the most important.

“I’ll go over all the files and correct any mistakes,” she said. “I’m sorry, my cousin has no experience with this sort of job. I took a risk using her because it was only for a week.”

Daniel nodded and sat back in his chair. “I’m glad you’re back. I didn’t realize how much I needed you until you weren’t here.” He shuffled through the business letters scattered all over his desk. “I can’t find anything. It’s like I’m a stranger in my own office.”

“Sir, stop. I’ll file those immediately. If you’re looking for the proposal from the last meeting, it’s in the top drawer.” She sounded professional and genuinely happy to be back. No signs of an emotional breakdown, despite the circumstances of her break.

Daniel checked the top drawer for the missing document and smiled when he found it. “What would I do without you?”

After approving the document, then faxing it to the appropriate parties, Daniel felt like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. For seven days, he’d felt defeated, but today, some of his usual strength returned.

Gloria then made a statement that caused him to look up. “The doctor said I can have sex any time after the bleeding stops.” As plainly as she would say that she went to the fair, she continued, “I stopped bleeding last night.”

When Daniel didn’t respond, she added, “Have you been entertaining other models in my absence?”

Hearing the difference in her tone, he sighed. How was he going to admit that for the first time, he went a whole week without any female company?

“How are you feeling?” he asked instead.

“I’m okay,” she reassured him with a smile. “I was a little nauseous, but otherwise everything is okay.”

Daniel argued with himself several times in one minute. Argued over whether or not he was going to say these words out loud. But he decided to say it once and for all. ~“I’m sorry.”

Gloria looked up at him, eyes full of wonder. “Sorry? For what?”

“I love control, Gloria… I need it. I’m lost without it. Sometimes my decisions and my actions hurt other people, and I never cared who suffered the consequences…until recently.”

Gloria looked shocked. She was probably wondering if she was the reason for this drastic change.

“Sir…” She paused. For a moment, his assistant seemed to be searching for the right words. “Daniel, I got an abortion because I don’t like children. You know I hate birth control, what it does to my body, but I want to keep working for you. I wanted to have sex with you over and over and over again, and I still do.

“For the record, I like you just the way you are. No apologies needed.”

Her confession shocked him. Deep down, he wished Draya could be as forgiving and understanding.

For a week, Daniel had thought of nothing but her lips, her smile, her skin, her moans—and her unforgiving words.

“Gloria,” he called out before his assistant had a chance to leave. She turned around to look at him. “There’s something I need you to do.”

He scribbled a note and handed it over to her. “Please take this note to my favorite café. Ask for Draya; no, ask for Lexi. I think they know her better by that name there.”

Next thing Daniel knew, Gloria was unfolding the piece of paper. The paper that said, ~“Please forgive me.”~

Her eyes shot back to his face immediately. “What’s this?” she asked in an accusatory tone.

“What’s what?” He was annoyed, no doubt about it.

“Don’t patronize me, Daniel. What is this?” Her voice was louder, not loud enough to be considered a yell but loud enough for him to know she was serious.

And just like that, Daniel slipped back into old habits. The voice of his usual self came out, along with his familiar assholery. “What gives you the right to question me? Are you my mother? Are you my girlfriend?”

When Gloria did not respond, he continued, “I will ask my driver to deliver the message then. You may go.” He turned his attention back to piles of paperwork on his desk.

His assistant was seething now. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me who this note is for.” She stomped her high heel on the marble tile until it made a screeching sound.

“Fine!” he said, raising his head to look her in the eyes. “I met a woman,” he began. “She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met or slept with. At first, I wanted to prove a point to Josh that there’s more to me than just the typical cliché, but instead, she opened my eyes to the possibility of being the man I never thought I wanted to be.

“She challenges me in ways I’ve never been challenged before. She’s the first and only woman on this planet to tell me ‘no’ and mean it. I can’t explain my reasons for wanting her; I just do. Maybe so I can get tired of her and get her out of my system… or maybe because I want to see all that’s in store for me if I become a brand-new guy.”

Gloria sank into the chair across from Daniel. They sat in an unbearable silence for a long time. No words, no eye contact, nothing.

“So, you’re in love?” she finally asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Gloria. Are you going back to work or not?” He hated explaining himself.

“I’m ridiculous because I’m assuming that you love this girl? Or because you think I would actually deliver this message?”

She crumpled the note in the palm of her hand.

Before Daniel could respond, Gloria added, wide-eyed, “There are no titles on what we do, but you can’t honestly expect me not to be emotional after everything that we’ve been through.”

“Typical female. Just five minutes ago, you made a statement that what we do is no big deal. Even the loss of a child wasn’t a big deal. Your words, not mine.

“I even apologized, something I’ve never done in this situation. And yet here you are, acting like a jealous girlfriend, when you know you are my employee and nothing more. We fucked a couple of times, but nothing else happened.”

Daniel could tell that Gloria was beginning to regret starting this argument, because now that he’d started, he couldn’t stop.

“I never asked you how your day was. I never kissed you outside of sex, never cuddled you afterward, never called just to talk, never asked about your past lovers, never wondered where you go when you’re not with me, never missed you. The only reason why I was even sorry about the abortion is because Draya made me rethink everything I’ve ever done.”

When his assistant didn’t respond, Daniel kept going. “You work for me, that’s all. From now on, just focus on doing your job. Nothing more, nothing less. I will never touch you in that way again. I couldn’t do it even if I tried because I can’t seem to find any woman appealing besides her.”

Gloria’s body seemed to have gone into a state of shock. Daniel ignored her.

~After years of mixing business with pleasure, I finally feel that it was wrong. But is it too late to turn over a new leaf? Can I really consider a commitment to one woman?~

Those questions nagged him, but the answer wasn’t in his office. The answer was with the auburn-haired woman who walked into his life and turned everything upside down.

“Sir, I…” Gloria began, her voice low, but she apparently couldn’t find the right thing to say.

Expressionless, Daniel got up from his seat and walked around his desk to stand in front of her. “Get back to work,” he ordered in a deep, domineering voice.

Knowing it was not a request, Gloria stood up on wobbly legs and returned to her desk.