The Chairman's Assitant

chapter 19

Gabriel's pov:

It's been a week since Andrea moved out. Fights for us were never something new, but who thought she would end our 5 years old friendship like that.

Bailey's story was different than Andrea's. She said Andrea provoked her by telling her that she should go back to her dad so she talked about Andrea's past.

I don't know who to believe, but I know for sure I shouldn't have told Bailey Andrea's past. She barely trusts anyone so I could feel the hurt in her voice when she addressed me, and it never left it.

Her dryness these days kills me. The thing about Andrea is, she can wipe you out of her life the moment you do something wrong. I saw her do it with her ex and now she's doing it with me.
           _______________________

"Good morning Andrea," I greet her, a smiling Andrea.

"Good morning sir. I brought you your schedule for today." She says smiling and goes out.

That's how good she is with blocking people out. I sigh and start my work. I wait for her to break into the office because we needed to discuss a certain meeting but I hear knocks... I hear knocks? That isn't her I'm sure.

"Come in," I voice into the air and Andy comes in. I look at her paranoid.

"I thought we were over the knocking faze," I speak smirking but I take it off the moment she looks at me weirdly.

"We are in a professional working space. If I had a friend here then I would be carefree." She responds sitting in a chair.

That's what you get for being funny!

We discuss business and then she leaves again with her cold facade.

I exit my office to get lunch, I look to Andrea's office and see Matia opening the door for her while acting like a noble.

She bows like the princess she is and walks out chuckling. I feel a sting in my chest, because of her cute chuckle or because I'm not the one who made her chuckle I would never know.

The moment our eyes met she freezes, probably because I caught her by surprise. I don't break the eye contact, neither does she. And for the first time, I give my fast heartbeats attention when she's around.

Matia moves her the moment he realizes who's she looking at. I curse him in my head even though the only thing I saw is sadness in her eyes, but she wasn't acting at the moment and that's enough.

Now, with whom should I have lunch? Bailey isn't an option because I asked for some time alone from her to clear my mind.

I'm serious with all my workers so it would be awkward if I had lunch with one of them, so dad it is.

"Hello, old man, lunch, the usual place," I say through the phone.

"I'll meet you there" He replies and I end the call.

I walk into Batter&Berries and sit across dad.

"So, where's Andrea?" He asks the moment I sit.

"Hello to you too," I say rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, hello. Now, where is she?" He asks again.

"I feel like you love her more than your own son," I point out with accusation.

"Well, Your feelings are right," He says sighing.

"Then the situation is complicated," I say after ordering my food.

"What did you do?" He asks as if I'm always the only one who's wrong. I tell him the story short and he smacks my head once I'm done.

I whine in pain but he doesn't give a care. "You really fucked up this time, son. You know Andrea's past is a sensitive matter and she trusted us so what you did was wrong," He adds lecturing me.

"I'll try to make things right then," I say.

"We both know how stubborn she is so good luck trying to make her forgive you," He leans on the table and becomes serious all of a sudden, "I know Andrea she doesn't start something unless you provoke her. And I don't like your girlfriend she seems too fake,"

"She's not fake, she's really sweet once you know her. I think this is a misunderstanding," I respond not being able to imagine Bailey as a bad person.

"If you say so," He ends the subject. We have our lunch talking about the company and work-related things.
        _________________________

I open my apartment's door at around 7 in the afternoon, I get greeted by the cold apartment. I walk to the kitchen in the darkness, steps been memorized due to the many times I walked around it.

I turn the lights on wondering where Bailey is. I look to the refrigerator subconsciously to see if Andrea has left any notes but remember that she doesn't live here anymore.

I text Bailey to make sure if she's fine. The fact that I'm not talking to her doesn't mean I'll kick her out of the house.

=>babe:
At the library, will be back soon.

I lay on my bed with my clothes on and sit there in silence.

Andrea has always left her mark in the house. A smell, a note, a breakfast and sometimes it was just her warm presence wandering around in the apartment.

but this week, the penthouse was cold. her light steps in my room were replaced with my blazing alarm, the smell of her Italian food fainted since the last time she cooked, her mocking comments in the morning are playing again and again in my memory like it got stuck.

Maybe I was too excited about my new relationship that the past one became boring, known if I'm being honest. Bailey was something new, someone I didn't know. I wasn't wrong when I said she intrigued me but the wrong part was that it was more than that.