Reflections [Complete]

Chapter 10

It wasn't for another 4 days that Kong made his appearance back at work. I had long since moved his desk back outside my office to its original spot. We had hired an external consultant weeks ago and in all honesty there wasn't any real reason he was in my office the first place. I obviously wouldn't fire him or call him out at work, all I could hope is for things to go back to the way they were before the time I paid him a little too much. And it might as well have.

He entered and took his seat behind his desk exactly in the same manner he had for all those months when he had gone unnoticed. He ignored the people around him and they in return left him alone. He strictly stuck his head low, immersed in work until the clock struck 5 before he wrapped his desk and left for the day.

The moment outside the store I had made up my mind to put an end to my crazy obsession. I had paid him a little too much attention and it was high time my other employees got better treatment. And I kept chanting the same mantra for the 4 days he was sick. Making sure I had hardened my heart that no matter what he said or how much he groveled nothing would change. He lied to me. Repeatedly. For no goddam reason. In fact I don't even know what else he was lying about. And I was in no mood to give him the benefit of any doubt. I didn't want to hear his reason or his excuse.

Or atleast that is what I was desperately trying to convince myself. If any of that was remotely true I wouldn't be obsessing over him night after night. Coming up with one fantastical scenario after another to explain why he was so flippant in lying to me.

Grovel? Seriously? Why did I assume that was actually a possibility? He hadn't even attempted explaining anything. No, worse, he hadn't even looked at me since he got back. He went through the entire week without once looking me in my eyes. Which naturally means I was getting progressively pissed while pretending to not care.

Infact our first interaction wasn't until our group meeting at the end of the week when he was once again walking with his head lowered and ran right into me while we tried entering the room together.

"Oh, sorr..."

His response cut short when he realized who it was and he attempted a weak, shy smile, before he saw the dark brooding look on my face, and it immediately wavered to resume back to the expressionless face that I know only too well. He lowered his head once again and walked to his regular seat, hunched over, ready to ignore the meeting like he generally does.

It's like the past few months hadn't happened at all. Like we hadn't gone to China together. Or like we hadn't shared weeks of close work space and many, many conversations. Like he hadn't tried cooking terrible food and offered it to me as lunch. If he didn't have that plant on his desk which he kept unconsciously fidgeting with anytime he was deep in thought I would almost believe that any headway I had made with him was a figment of my imagination.

How did he go from very clearly trying to build a bond with me to completely ignoring my existence. He seemed essentially unaffected by this overnight change. Then there was me where I glared at his unmoving back almost every chance I got. And the more I try to get over my obsession, the more nights I stayed awake fuming at his behavior.

"Alright everyone, great meeting. Now don't forget tomorrow night is the company annual party. It is mandatory. It is important. Your boss will be there. My boss will be there. My boss's boss will be there. So please no getting drunk before the clock strikes 8. But have fun and make me look good."

My entire team nodded and murmured their excitement before they began filtering out. But before the thorn in my side left the room, I had one more thing to say.

"I just wanted to stress on the fact that it is mandatory. I expect to see everyone there. So unless you are stuck to a hospital bed breathing your last breaths, you had better slap on something fancy and show up."