Hired (Forbidden Lovers: Rosie Anders)

21 - That's Not The Point

Friday has finally arrived and I'm sincerely hoping that Matthew will keep his promise of letting me know if we can set a provisional date for my promotion. He may be an arse at times - in fact all the fucking time if we look over the last few years and definitely weeks - but this won't exactly hurt his precious contract. I'm sure I'll still have to fulfil duties until then and I am fully prepared for that.

I've tried my best all week to keep the noise down when I've been with him in the mornings, but it doesn't seem to have stopped people from gossiping. Every time I turn around for whatever reason, I notice a head quickly looking away. Sometimes I'll walk past a group of people on my way to the toilet or the printer, and they'll suddenly stop talking. Nobody ever makes what they're talking about very subtle. A couple of times people have clearly wanted to say something to me, but haven't had the guts to and they've scuttled back to their desk, looking a little embarrassed. That's not to say I'm not glad they don't say anything because the last thing I want to do is divulge information about Matthew and me but they really need to work on being inconspicuous.

This morning is no different, as I enter the top floor, clearly after coming out of Matthew's office and everything goes quiet. Guess everyone knows what we were up to. There really are no secrets here anymore.

I slowly walk over to my desk, trying to ignore the onlookers, so I can finally set up my desk for the morning, thankful that Kacey and Chloe are there. At least once I am sat down, nearly everything and everyone will go back to their duties and the usual atmosphere around here will resume.

"So, I'm the talk of the office, then?" I mention without looking at them, as I sit down and fire up my computer.

"Seems that way." I see Chloe nod out my peripheral vision. "But there are worse things to be known for at work."

"I guess." I turn to face them properly, knowing I need some hard truths from them. "Be honest - am I a complete idiot for carrying this on?"

"Yes!" Their simultaneous reply clearly needed no thought at all.

"Good to know." I turn back to my screen and check my e-mails first. With nothing there, I open up the next edition of our fashion magazine that needs to be ready in just under a week.

"Can I ask...?" I turn to face Kacey knowing she will anyway. "In all seriousness, why are you carrying this on?"

I find myself glancing at his office and suppress a smile threatening to spread. It's a valid question and one I've been asking myself since our confrontation on Monday. I was so adamant that I was going to end that contract and then he took his shirt off and I was suddenly in the palm of his hand again. I knew I wasn't really transfixed by his half nakedness - well part of me was; the horny part - but there was something telling me that we have something. Is that so crazy to believe? Is it so weird to think that maybe what we nearly had all those years ago has found us both now? Okay, so we've had a bit of a messy, complicated start, but what if this is meant to be? Maybe it's the hopeless romantic in me, but I can't help but wonder if this is all leading somewhere. I know you're all thinking everything that got us started is red flag material and maybe he's just going to break my heart but if I never try, I'll never know. Better to have loved and lost, than never loved at all.

"Oh God!" Chloe interjects, breaking my thought bubble. "Are you in love with him?" She hisses her last question, which I'm grateful for because everyone has enough to talk about without thinking this too.

"Rosie...?" Kacey adds in a warning tone, telling me I can't possibly lie here.

"I may have... some... I don't know." I settle on that, because the honest truth is, I don't. "Maybe we have something; maybe we don't, but I don't want to give in until I know for sure."