Mr. Lawson's Assistant

Chapter 53

I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, glaring at my reflection. I was wearing a pair of black jeans and a white shirt with a black throw-over and small heels. For make-up I only had mascara on. Kenya and Soma had gone out to pick up pizza for dinner, under the impression that I was going out for a work meeting.
Why am I doing this?
I thought, changing the flat part on my hair.
This is going to be a disaster.
I thought to myself with a scoff.
Glancing down at my phone, I frowned at the time. I had twenty minutes before Damon was going to be here, and I was already starting to back out. I reached down to grab my phone and text Damon that something had come up, but someone knocked on the bathroom door first.
"Who is it?" I asked, trying to sound annoyed. I ended up sounding more anxious than anything.
"Your favorite brother." David cracked the bathroom door open, "You naked?" He asked sticking his mouth through the opening, but keeping his eyes closed.
I snorted. "If I was, do you think I'd let you open the door?"
David smirked and pushed the door open the rest of the way, scanning my outfit once. When he said nothing, I knew he approved.
"What do you want?" I started putting my things away.
David leaned against the doorframe and raised his eyebrows, "You're a nervous wreck," He observed, and I turned to him with a sharp look. David chuckled, gesturing to the way I'd turned to snap at him.
"Get out," I muttered, turning back to the counter.
He paid no attention to my demand and said, "What's the worst that could happen?"
You have no idea.
"If I wanted to think about that, I would have already cancelled this stupid date!" I pursed my lips, reaching up to put on some chapstick.
"Don't tell me you're thinking about backing out on him?"
I scoffed and shoved the chapstick into my bag, "Not just thinking," I said, lifting my phone. David laid his head back against the doorframe, watching quietly. I turned on my phone but didn't unlock it.
"Where are you guys going?" David asked me, and I dropped my phone on the counter with a frustrated breath.
"I have no idea."
"Oana, relax. It's not like you've never been out alone with this guy." David laughed, "He likes you, and you like him. You're going to have fun."
I started to deny what David said, but stopped.
Of course, I like Damon! What woman in her right mind wouldn't?
Instead, I said, "It's going to be awkward and...weird," I breathed, facing my brother and letting worry leak out into my expression.
David smiled, looking me over once, "If he has a brain, he's going to make it exactly the opposite." My brother said, standing to his full height. "Now, get out of the bathroom, I have to pee."
*
I was in my room when a knock sounded on the door, and my phone buzzed at the same time. As I walked out into the living room, I checked my phone to see a message from Soma. It was a picture of Damon standing in front of her talking to Kenya in the parking lot. Lifting my eyes from my phone, I saw David talking to Jared as he walked through the front door. Blowing out a breath, I grabbed my purse and headed towards the door.
"Bye, brat." David called after me, and I stuck my tongue out at him, slamming the door shut.
"Perfect timing."
I spun around to see Damon standing behind me with a pizza box in his hands, with Kenya and Soma on either side of him.
"What kind of a friend doesn't tell me she's going on a date!" Soma frowned, and Kenya nodding, hiding a smile.
I groaned, "Soma, you know exactly why."
"You told me you had a business meeting!" She accused, but she didn't look angry in the slightest.
Kenya stepped forward, smiling at Damon and grabbing the pizza, "Thanks, Damon. You guys have fun." She patted Damon's shoulder and turned to grab Soma's arm.
"But-"
Kenya shushed Soma and pulled her towards the apartment door. I shook my head at the two and faced Damon as my apartment door closed behind me.
Damon was already looking at me and smirking, "Buisness meeting?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"You don't know the half of what they would've done today if they knew I was going out with you." I pursed my lips.
Damon nodded slowly, "Fair enough." He stepped aside in the hall, "Ready?"
*
Damon and I walked down to his Range Rover without so much as a word. By the time he'd unlocked the doors and opened the passenger door for me, I could feel my stomach twisting itself into knots.
"You look scared," Damon commented quietly, when I moved past him to climb into the car.
I inhaled, "Maybe because every time I go somewhere with you, something bad happens." I met his gaze, raising my eyebrows.
Damon smirked and shrugged, "It's always an adventure..." He winked, closing the door behind me as I climbed into the passenger seat.
No kidding.
*
I'm such an idiot! Why did I ever think this would be a good idea!
I gripped my hands together as Damon pulled the car around into a parking space and shifted into park. We had just pulled up to the nice restaurant where David had taken me the night we found out our mom had been hospitalized. The night that she died.
Damon glanced over at me as he shut the car off, and I blinked quickly, trying to clear the sudden tears. Now was not the time to cry.
"Oana?"
I inhaled and shook my head, "I'm fine. It's nothing." I reached to unbuckle my seatbelt, but Damon reached over and caught my hand. I looked up at him and opened my mouth to say something harsh, but he cut me off.
"You're crying," He murmured. When I realized he was right, I reached up and wiped away the tears quickly. "Tell me?" He asked, watching me, waiting patiently for me to react.
I looked at Damon. Really looked at him. His gaze rested on mine, solely focused on me, not distacted by anything else. He was genuinely concerned.
Of course, his is! When has he ever not been?!
"David and I came here a few weeks ago," I paused, swallowing and carefully reaching up again to wipe my tears with the hand Damon wasn't holding, "that's when we found out about Mom..." My voice broke and I shook my head, pulling my hand away from Damon to hide my face. I tried desperately to stop the onslaught of tears.
Of all the times to be emotional!
I scolded myself.
"It's alright," Damon said gently, reaching over to tuck some of my hair behind my ears so he could see my face more clearly.
I sniffed and wiped my eyes, letting out a bitter laugh, "What a way to start a date," I muttered.
Damon lips stretched up into a half-smile, "Our last date, you were wearing dirty sweatpants and had two black eyes." He cocked his head to the side, peering down at me as I struggled to pull my emotions back together.
"That wasn't a date," I said weakly, not really in the mood to argue. He chuckled, but didn't argue back. Silence quickly fell over the car, aside from my occasional sniffing, yet in spite of the circumstances, it was a comfortable silence.
Before I had the chance to apologize for losing it, Damon started the car and backed out of the parking lot.
I lifted my head to look at him, suddenly feeling guilty. "Where are you going?" I frowned, quickly wiping my cheeks and straightening in my seat.
"Somewhere."
I shook my head, "No, I'm not ruining our date because-"
"You didn't ruin anything, Oana." Damon moved his eyes to me as we pulled up to a stop sign. I forgot everything I had been about to say when he looked at me like he did. "I've decided to spend our night somewhere else," He smiled faintly, pulling out onto the road again, "I think my chances are better if I don't start out with two strikes." He smirked, and this time I crossed my arms.
"Who said you haven't already struck out?" I pursed my lips.
Damon didn't even hesitate, "You're in my car, on a second date with me."

Hello to all my lovely readers! Thank you guys so much for 1k! I'm amazed and so incredibly happy that over a thousand people have gotten to read "Mr. Lawson's Assistant!" Thank you all for sharing and voting on my story, and I hope that you guys keep it up! Don't forget to drop comments (constructive criticism helps me become a better writer!) and happy reading💙