Bring Me Back

chapter nine

The moment when you think your worst fear might come alive, you end up getting a nervous breakdown.

But having it on the day your career is on line forces you to beat the fuck out of that anxiety's ghost attack.

In that matter, your heart hardens up, switching off the emotional barrier and moving ahead with the trauma to kill and ride over.

That's how immense I feel right now with those words ringing in my ears.

"...Charm, I've got you, now."

"...Charm, I've got you, now."

It keeps on repeating like Landon is here to drill a black hole inside me.

That's when my defense mechanism gives me another chance to revive and ask.

"What did you just say?"

My body floats away from his soft embrace, hating the distance but knowing its essentiality.

"What? Oh, I said I've got you, now."

"Before that, what did you just say?"

"Excuse me, what's wrong?"

His hands fold in front of his chest in defense and his eyes darker in return.

He is wearing his professional cover again, but before I can slap his face, I need to know I heard it right.

"Can you please clarify that, sir?"

"Alright, if you say so, I only said It's okay, no harm before everything else."

I don't believe him but his eyes are silent and not letting me know what's his intention behind of all this.

His hand suddenly grips my waist again and I am about to protest when he nods behind me.

"You were about to hurt yourself."

"Can you please stop touching me, Sir."

My voice is finally coming into place and I want to act only professional with this man who might or might not be the guy I have been running away from the last half a decade.

Suddenly, I feel warmer and sweaty. My temples hurt and my heart beats faster.

That's when I realize he has both of his arms around my waist and moving forward with me in his arms.

My steps are happily moving back in synch with the gait of this man I only have limited intel about.

Maybe, the thought of dating men was completely right earlier.

All this is happening because I never gave myself another chance after that night.

And now any man who walks into my life with the same name is going to give the most crazy and dreadful memory ever.

If that's not the case, then I have no further explanation why my skin feel like it's on fire already. My pants are growing heavier but the moment he whispers, "relax, breathe, focus on my voice," I find the axis again and the reality closes in on me.

I am in the office and any moment my boss and her boss will be walking inside this door where a man who I am suppose to interview and write article about is trying to get cozy with me.

To others, it might look like I have already seduced this man within 5-10minutes of our encounter.

It will deteriorate my image and credibility in the firm.

So, I push him away and plead, "Sir, can you please take a seat. Let's just talk professionally. I am sure my boss will be here in a minute to get down with the terms with you. I am just a newbie right now, and I am completely fine. Thanks for helping me out, but I wouldn't be needing your assistance. I am pretty good on my own."

My confession shocks both the people that are currently in the room.

He perches his back on the table, near my stuff and the recorder.

His eyes watch me like I have lost my mind and his tongue clicks the right hollow curve inside his cheek in frustration, I guess.

He must be thinking something to say next, when I stilt beside him to grab my stuff.

I was hoping he got the hint but he grabs my free hand to question my intention that I was building up to stay away from his touch, at any cost.

"I'll be seeing you around."

He confesses with a nod and that exact moment the door clicks open as the much waited audience appears , luckily finding me with a suitable distance apart from Mr. Landon.

We all greet and meet and then settle down, finally.

I purposefully take the farthest seat from Landon but find him watching me over like he cant wait to see me alone.

I don't seem to understand that if he's not the same guy, what is his problem with me.

It takes about two hours more while both bosses continuously chat with Landon and drill into his business strategies and future goals.

Luckily, Dorothy allows me to take a leave 30 minutes before the meeting ends.

But as soon as I stand at the exit, I feel his eyes drilling holes onto my back, as if daring me to step outside.

That's funny, though, because I have no intention to stay wherever that man is going to walk the earth like he owns the goddamn soil.

So, I exit like I own myself, nobody else.

But, I do hear a slow cough from behind me, as if he got hit in his gut for getting rejected by a small town girl.

Poor, Landon Moriarty.

He just got a taste of his own medicine.