Escaping to Ireland

Liam

We were having our first real conversation in weeks since she started working for me.

At first, it was fantastic coming to work and having her be the first person I interacted with, but then it became so frustrating.

I had all these questions I wanted to ask her; I wanted to know her favorite color; from her desk, I had a feeling it was green.

I wanted to see if it was because of all the green grass in Ireland or because she just grew up liking the color green. Or if it was because her eyes were all sorts of shades of green. I wanted to know her favorite food, which I was pretty sure was pizza, but I didn't know because I didn't come right on out and ask her.

She was working for me, and she was the best assistant I had ever had. She made my work life easier than anyone had ever done before. And I loved working with her, but then the normal conversations we used to have slipped away, and when she would come into my office, she was all Mr. Brennan and nothing else; it was always work.

Which I understood; I just did not enjoy it.

Then we have our first entertaining conversations in weeks, and she says the name Shawn and I see the male figure standing outside of the cottage; it was her Shawn.

I was planning on dropping her off and telling her I would pick her up the next day for work, but instead of staying put in my car, I got out and grabbed the umbrella from the back seat again. I opened the door, but I saw the look on her face.

"Vinessa. Are you okay?" She looked pale and as if she had seen a ghost which, of course, she probably thought she was seeing.

"Yes," she swallowed and took my hand to get out of the car. "I'm fine, Liam," she said, looking at me since I was standing directly in front of her.

"Do you want me to stay?" I asked her, hoping and praying she would say the three-letter word I wanted to hear.

But instead, she said, "No. You are my boss. I'm fine."

I grabbed her arm, quickly turning her back to me. "Vinessa, you know at any point if that line needs to be crossed, I'll cross it in a heartbeat."

"I know," she said. She started walking away but then turned around. "Could you pick me up for work tomorrow?"

At least she was asking me for help; it was a start. "I'll be here bright and early."

"Thanks," she said, turning and walking to Shawn, who was waiting for her.

It took everything in me to drive away from the cottage, to not stay parked outside and watch as they talked to one another. Once I got home, it took everything in me not to drive back there, so I did the only thing I could think of that would keep me from going back over there.

I got trashed.