Hidden Sanity

Chapter 19 - Darkest Secret

Jack immediately went his way back to Alice's house. He arrived and the first thing he witnessed was an anxious Alice.

He walked toward her and said "Okay, calm yourself first... Breathe in, breathe out. Don't think of anything bad. Are we clear?"

"How could I frigging calm down in this situation?", Alice freaked out.

"Alice, what did I say?", his voice sounded so tough as if it proclaimed authority.

"What?" She replied in panic.

"I said don't think of anything bad, right? You're just doing the exact opposite of what I said." He held both sides of her shoulders and said "Calm down, okay? Calm down. You are not thinking well! So don't panic!"

Eventually, she calmed herself down. She was panting.

When Jack saw her contemptible condition, he wasn't able to help himself, so he hugged her tightly, aiming to make her feel the comfort. He kept on saying, "It's okay, Alice... It's gonna be okay."

Alice was never up to cuddles this time but she found herself wrapping her arms around Jack's back. She realized that she really couldn't resist his touch.

Just when she was tightening her grip to Jack's body, he said, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"A tea?" She responded, not letting go.

"Yeah. Just for you to relax."

She didn't answer. She wanted to remain still, covered with his warm embrace.

"I'd make you one, come on...", he said as he slowly moves away from Alice. She was disappointed that the hug thing ended way too soon when she needed it the most. But she couldn't request, never in her lifetime came a time that she asked something like that to her boss. She never really did want her image looking like a desperate woman.

But not until Jack slid his arm to hers and held her hand as he walked toward the kitchen. She never felt so electrified by it. Perhaps because this is the first time that Jack ever held her with nothing but that simple physical contact. It's quite new but it felt like they've done it in ages.

He suddenly said without looking at her, "Know what, you're the first..."

"First to what?" She wondered.

"First woman I held hands with. I've never held hands with the girls I've dated in the past... I guess you're the only exception to that." He said unromantically but enough to make Alice smile and blush.

"Wow.", she said.

Jack looked back at her and a crooked smile appeared. "You don't believe me?"

"No! I do. It's just... so sweet... though you didn't sound sweet-ish. But I think... I think it's cute."

He laughed very manly. "Tell me more." He faced her and held both of her hands. Both of them, leaning their hips on the kitchen counter's edge. "What do you see me as? What am I to you?" His face showed eagerness and interest to know about her thoughts.

"Why?"

"I just want to know how I was in another person's perspective."

"Well..." She stared at his eyes that are sincerely looking at her eyes as if they were asking for something good to come out from her mouth. He had that small grin on his face. Very appealing.

She stuttered because of Jack's stare. "I am...I-I mean, you..." It wasn't much of a big deal, heck it wasn't supposed to be because she saw his face almost every time in the office. His stare wasn't something to be taken as a big deal because first, he usually does that to her and second, because they already had sex so what's the consciousness about.