Damien's attraction

Chapter 54

Damien just stared at October with his elbows on his desk, supporting his hands that held up his chin. He had been staring at her for minutes now, while she talked. He still hadn't given her a word yet. His eyes moved from her, to his bottles of beer on his table which she sat across. He cleared his throat.

"So," he finally broke the silence. "Why did you decide to come back? What changed your mind?" He crossed his legs and took another sip from his beer bottle.

"Just something." She shrugged. "Or did you change your own mind? You don't want me to work here anymore?"

"Stop insinuating, October." His smile faded. "Your spot is still here for you." She examined him. "So does this mean I'm forgiven?"

"You could say so." She pursed her lips. Why was he being so nice all of a sudden? She sighed. "So what now? Do I start immediately? What's next?" She folded her arms.

"You know what, how about we continue what we started in the Philippines?" He tried to hide his smirk. It took her some seconds to get what he meant. She opened her mouth to say something but it seemed like the perfect words failed her at the moment.

"Like, how much weed are you on, right now?" Was all she could utter as she scoffed.

"I'm definitely on something, but not weed." He paused as he stared at her. She slowly froze and was surprised when he leaned over the table to her, and her heart skipped a beat. He inhaled deeply, as if taking in her scent, and winked. "Yup, that's it." His breath smelt like alcohol.

"That's not going to work on me." October rose an eyebrow, when if she was honest her heart was beating fast.

"It isn't?" He clicked his tongue. "Thought it would."

"And what were you trying to gain by doing that?"

"Just something." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Nice play." October said as she realized that he was using her own words against her. "I never knew you had this side of you."

"What side?"

"The not too serious- not rude- not confusing side. You seem....."

"Free?" He interrupted her. "It's because you never knew me. At least now, you have an idea. Well, only a number of people know this side of me." He put one of his opened bottles to his lips and took a long drink.

"I guess I'm lucky then." October smiled sarcastically.

"I think we could finally work together and not only put our differences aside, but burn them, bury the hatchet or whatever. I'm ready to move on and stop being petty and immature. I can't still be angry for what happened five years ago, it was not your fault. You didn't want to get married, and I was relieved that you stopped it. Neglecting other reasons I may have wanted it, I still wasn't ready."
He paused, deep in thought. This was the first time they were talking about what had happened so casually. No anger, no quarrels, no hating.

Now she felt bad. If there was one thing she was sure of about him today, it was that he was saying the truth. Here he was being nice and ready to let it all go, and she was planning to use him to get back at Jessica.

"What changed you?"

"I guess you can't stay vengeful for so long. The weight pulls you down. As you gain wisdom, you'll realize that grudges like this just seem to make you distracted from what really makes you happy. Sometimes, it makes you fail to see what you can want, until it's out of your grasp." He smiled, which October could say was one of the only genuine smiles she had seen on him.

Damien wished she didn't understand what he truly meant. That she couldn't read in between the lines. "And sometimes, it takes that thing you want to get hurt before you realize what you're doing."

October's forehead creased. Was he still talking about the same thing they were just talking about about a minute ago?

"I think you should get that wisdom too."

October's scoffed.
"I am- so wise."

"Never said you weren't." He pointed at her. "Guilty conscience." His words slurred and October shook her head. The effect of alcohol. Was he always an honest drunk? Was he even ever the type to get drunk? Was something wrong? She looked at the number of empty bottles on the table. Just two. He was in his third and last one.

"Are you drunk? In your own office?" October asked him after he had taken another sip out of the bottle of beer in his hand.

"I'm the owner. I question the employees, not the other way round." He slurred on as he dropped the bottle harshly on the table. He stood up and moved towards her, staggering.

She was about to move her chair backwards so she could go far away from him when as there was a knock on the door. He halted.

"Sir, the chairwoman is here to see you." A voice came from outside.

"His mother." Someone corrected. October gasped. It was Claudia.

She would be so disappointed to see him in this state. October rolled her eyes and stood up. She grabbed his arm and headed for the polished bathroom door at her right making him tag along, not like he had a choice.

"You owe me." She whispered to him. He flashed her a grin as she pushed him in.

Just then, the doors to his office opened and Claudia walked in. It was obvious that she had gotten tired of waiting for a response. She scanned the room and turned to Kennedy.

"I thought you said he was in today."

Kennedy scratched his head.
"He was, ma. Maybe he stepped out with our middle manager."

"Who?" Claudia almost forgot that she had gotten October that job. "Oh." She smiled immediately, like a child who had just been given loads of ten naira notes.
"You should have said so earlier nau." She turned to go. "Just tell him I stopped by when you contact him. Let him know he has a meeting with the enterprise. Tell him exactly what I said, he'll know what I'm talking about."

And with that, she was gone. Kennedy sighed. What was it with his boss? He should have just gone to his other businesses. This was stressful. He shook his head and walked out too.

October made sure she didn't hear anything from the office before she let out a shaky breath.
Like they could even hear her breathe if they were still there.

She slowly turned around to the sink and caught Damien staring at her.

A/N:

I don't know why, but I feel like I somehow left the whole Nigerian concept out of the recent chapters. Is it just me? 😂😂
I'll still using it little by little though. Don't want the book looking all foreign ❤️
@Ebuglow @Rambling_Thoughts @olaide6887 @prettylilgirl_123 @OliviaUmeanagbogu @keniemarsh1212 and @allothers
(Cause some of you have long names tho😂😂)
Thank you. I feel so loved by what you guys do🥰