Spice Of Love (Phoneix 2)

Chapter 26

The following three weeks were horrible for both James and Emily. They both managed to keep their relationship thoroughly professional. They were only speaking when absolutely necessary.

James thought that in a week or so, when Emily had calmed down, she would come around. But she didn't. In fact, she did the complete opposite. She made it her mission to stay clear of him.

The next day, after the cat was out of the bag, Emily was already sitting at her desk with her eyes immersed in the screen when James came into their cabin. He hoped she had calmed down by then, but that was just a wish. She didn't even look at him, or if she did, it was a fleeting glance.

If inadvertently, they were standing even a foot apart, she would take astep back. He never expected their relationship to shift so drastically. His hopes were dwindling with each passing day, and his heart was aching more and more with each passing moment.

Emily, on the other hand, was not doing any better.

Having James' presence so close to her only made it difficult for her to breathe. She didn't have the courage to look at him in his eyes and see the hurt expression. If there was any doubt about his real affections for her at first, they were only reaffirmed with the passage of time. But it was too late at this point. It was better for both of them if they didn't engage with each other too much.

Fiona, Justin, Jake, Kate, Bob, and the two ladies who were the masterminds behind the entire ruse tried to get through Emily, but it was a futile attempt, as Emily had cut them off. She only spoke with Mason, who, to her surprise, was unaware of the entire charade.

James didn't harbor a grudge or blame anyone.

When he found that even his parents were aware, he didn't really care because, from the beginning, he knew that he felt something for Emily. It was later when he had the courage to accept his feelings for her, but for Emily, it was not the case. She felt betrayed by each of them, so it was taking her much longer to recover.

It was Monday morning.

Emily was trying to work and was eagerly waiting for James to enter their cabin. Even though there were unresolved issues still hanging between them, James' presence has always been soothing. She enjoyed the sensation, even though it made her heart race. It was reassuring to know that, despite everything that had happened between them, he was always there for her without her having to ask.

Even after their breakup made the news in the entire office, he stood by her. One of the female co-workers tried to demean her. She was silent since she didn't know what to say, but James came to her rescue right away. He made it plain and clear to everyone that no one was to comment on their relationship.

His exact words were, "I have never given into the office rumors, and I will not start now. Our involvement with each other has never impacted our work, and this will be no different. And I don't want anyone talking shit about Emily. She is a hard-working employee who never once took advantage of our relationship. So, before making any assumptions, ensure you have all of your facts straight, or you will be answerable to me."

An hour had already passed since the wait, but James still hadn't shown up. She wondered if he was working from home and then became anxious if he was alright. After another few minutes, Fiona came to check on her. She had been worried sick about her friend, but Emily was hard-headed. She was not talking to her, and Fiona missed her.

"Hey, Emily. Do you mind if I come in?" Fiona asked her with a small smile, hoping to get a few words out of her.

"It is a free world, Fiona. Do whatever you please." Emily said. She was still pissed that Fiona hadn't told her the truth.