Love's Deception

Chapter 8 - Trust

How do you prove yourself to be trustworthy when you're really not? Trust is important to any relationship, and it's just as important to life. We have to trust ourselves first, before we can trust anyone else. But what if you're past that and you need someone to trust you, when they shouldn't? Of course, you can't tell that that they can't trust you, but you need them to believe they can.

Do you keep their secrets? Tell them yours? So that if one day you break their trust, they'll break yours for revenge and release all your secrets. Or do you do nothing except show them that you're open to trust? And then what if one day once you build up a tower of trust, you have to break it all? What will that feel like?

Because not only are they beginning to trust you, but you can also feel a sense of trust. A sense of happiness that they are beginning to trust you. And then when you have to break the trust you may not just hurt them but hurt yourself as well. Doesn't that just seem cruel? You begin to think that maybe they were better off when they didn't trust you at all or when they weren't sure if you could be trusted. Isn't it cruel when you already know that you can't be trusted but still let the other person grow to trust you, only to one day shatter them and ruin their lives? Isn't it cruel when you can begin to feel the other person slowly grow to trust you and to feel connected to you, and you're the only one who knows that one day they'll despise you.

Yeah, I agree. It is fucking cruel.

****

When I arrive to work the next day, I suddenly remember what my job is today. To get Cooper to ask me out. I arrive in the office and show my badge to the guard who lets me past. I smile to my coworkers as I walk to my office and spot Cooper talking to an employee in front of his office.

I remember what Paige said, to flirt with him to get him to ask me out. So when I walk by him, I throw him a shy flirty smile and then look away. I enter my office and shudder once the door is closed. That smile made me feel so gross, but it's what I had to do. Like I've said before, I know I'm attractive, so I just hope that a smile will be enough to draw him right into my trap.

Sure enough, right after I set my purse down on my desk, the door to my office opens and Cooper slips inside. He's wearing a sly smile on his face and he saunters in, like he knows a secret. A secret he's just dying to tell.

"I know something is off about you," He says as he approaches my desk, "Your background check doesn't go back too far, no social media, and Mr. Dyer told me that you stood up to him yesterday. No one has ever done that. So what's so different about you?"

I shake my head and give him a look as if I have no idea what he's talking about. He laughs in disbelief and continues to go on his rant.

"I'm onto you, and I'm not going to stop until I figure out who Zoe Collins is — or who she says she is." He takes a step closer and leans in, "But, I'm willing to ignore everything suspicious about you, if you let me take you on a date."

Bingo. I feel my face form a smile, but not because an attractive wealthy man wants to take me on a date. But because if I play my cards right, I can take down an attractive wealthy man without him even seeing it coming. It seems like Cooper has no regard for the simple rule of ethics in the workplace: employees can't date their superiors. But that doesn't matter, I'm glad he's a conceited egotistical idiot, because if he wasn't then he wouldn't have asked me out. And I wouldn't have this chance that I'm now presented with.

I turn my head and pretend to blush at his comment, the good thing is I'm wearing blush today so it seems a little more believable. I turn back to Cooper and look at him in his stupid face. He's taken the bait so now I have to reel this in and secure the date.