#5 Farewell party

I froze, literally not knowing how to react. I just stood there; my eyes cast on the marble floor.

"Seriously, Sebastian. What's your problem? It was her lunch break," Nickolas said, glaring at his brother.

I wished I could vanish into thin air. My cheeks were burning, and Sebastian's grey eyes bore holes into my skin. It was almost impossible for me to breathe.

"Miss Russell, go help Tonia. Nick, come with me, right now," my Boss ordered.

"I'm sorry," Nickolas mouthed to me, and I just nodded in response.

I gulped nervously and tried to compose myself. Tonia was in our office, going through some papers. She beamed when she saw me.

"How was your date?" Tonia asked.

"Haven't you heard what happened outside?" I inquired, biting my lower lip.

"Oh, well, the Boss doesn't like to share," Tonia said casually.

"What do you mean by that, Tonia?"

"Dear, you're Mr. Leclair's new secretary, and he doesn't like that his brother spends time with you or distracts you from work," Tonia explained.

I thought about her answer for a few moments. I didn't know Sebastian that well, so I wasn't sure whether that was true. He looked like a possessive man, but that was making no sense. I was his secretary; he shouldn't give a damn about what I do in my free time, as long as that didn't affect my job.

"Anyway, now tell me, did you have a nice time with Nick?"

"Yeah, he's a true gentleman," I said with a small smile.

"Are you going to see him again?"

"If the Boss is going to throw a fit about it, then probably not," I replied, massaging my temple.

"Evelyn, you must be the only woman on earth that would turn down Nickolas Leclair," Tonia said with an amused look on her face.

I got back to my work, focusing on the task Tonia gave me. Right now, I prefer having a well-paying job than dating someone. Well, that someone was a billionaire, but what if things didn't work out well? Besides, I didn't feel any sexual attraction for Nickolas. Undoubtedly, he was handsome, but I'd rather have him as my friend.

The rest of the day, Sebastian barely talked to me or glanced towards my way. Nickolas was nowhere to be seen, and I only hoped the Boss hadn't lashed out on him. I contemplated whether I should approach Sebastian and apologize. I didn't want him to think that I was after his brother or something like that. Judging from his glare and the permanent scold on his face, I decided it'd be better not to tell him anything.

The only thing that cheered me up was my new phone. Once I was finally back home, I had the chance to explore its features. Sophie was delighted to see my new gadget. She kept taking photos and uploading them on Social Media. Moreover, my best friend made me tell her everything that happened with Nickolas. She couldn't believe my luck and nearly begged me to go on another date with my Boss' little brother…

Friday finally came; I was relieved that the weekend was almost here, and on the other hand, I was sad that I had to stop working with Tonia. It was a bittersweet day; all the employees threw a farewell party for Tonia. I was happy that she was moving to the next step of her life, but at the same time, afraid that I might not be able to handle all the work without her.

I saw Nickolas at the party, but he didn't approach me, and I just politely saluted him from afar. Even Sebastian came to the party. Tonia shed many tears of happiness and promised that she would visit us frequently.

We were at our office, well soon to be mine, and I helped Tonia pack her personal items. As soon as the last box was closed, I sighed, trying to hold back my tears.

"Evelyn, I may know you for only a week, but it's still so hard for me," Tonia said, readjusting her glasses.

"I know. It won't be the same without you," I replied, wiping a stray tear.

"You'll do just fine, sweetheart. You can call whenever you need my help," she said, opening her hands for a hug.

"Thank you for everything," I muttered, and she chuckled.

"Always try to be happy and ignore him. The Boss may be grumpy, but he likes you. If he didn't, you'd have already been fired," Tonia said, and a chill went down my spine.

"Hopefully, I can keep up for a few more months," I shrugged.

"You will do more than that. Next time I'll come, I'm bringing apple pie," Tonia told me, and I smiled brightly.

We finally bid our goodbyes, and a guy helped Tonia with the boxes. I watched her walk down the corridor with a heavy heart. It was like someone threw me into the ocean, without a lifesaver, and I didn't know how to swim…

The next couple of weeks were indeed hectic. My Boss gave me all sorts of tasks, finding ways to keep busy all the time. I was proud of myself, though, since I managed to handle every task that was assigned to me. Sebastian was cold and talked to me only to give me instructions. At least he didn't yell or scolded me, so that made me think that he was satisfied with our collaboration.

Most days, I had to stay a few extra hours to finish the job I had, and others nearly skipped my break. Nickolas came to my office with healthy snacks and fresh juice or tea almost every day. I enjoyed his company a lot, and he always found a way to cheer me up. The Boss either seemed not to notice his brother hanging out with me, or he just didn't care. Nevertheless, that made me feel more comfortable since he wouldn't throw another fit over it.

Sophie seemed to worry that overstressed myself while my parents kept reminding me to sleep and eat properly. It wasn't like I didn't take care of myself. I had to admit that this new job was keeping me on edge, but I liked it a lot. It was a bit weird, considering my Boss was rude to me, yet I felt somewhat proud of working beside him.

A month had already passed; it was exhausting some days, but other than that, I liked it. My Boss seemed to enjoy having me double and triple check various files, work overtime, and follow him around in different meetings. As long as my job was done without any mistakes, he'd dismiss me. Nickolas made me feel more welcomed into the company and lifted my spirit when Sebastian gave me a hard time. Other than that, the youngest Mr. Leclair was a perfect gentleman. We were more like friends, and to be honest, a friend was what I needed most.

Although most of the time, the meetings and the tasks I was assigned were interesting, there were some occasions that I was bored to death. Especially when we were in a meeting that seemed endless, and this was one of these never-ending ones. I kept writing notes, but Sebastian and the other company's representative couldn't come to an agreement.

Apparently, time passed by quicker than I thought, and I was startled when my phone started beeping. I frantically searched into my pockets and closed the alarm off. It was almost midday, and I had to take my medication. I bit my lower lip; this seemed impossible considering the circumstances. I glanced up, frowning a bit when I noticed that the whole room had gone silent. Once my eyes fell on my Boss, I knew why; he was glaring at me. A chill went down my spine, and I gulped nervously.

"I suppose you know that you must keep your phone in silent mode during meetings, Miss Russell, don't you?" Sebastian said, his voice cold, yet his eyes were spitting fire.

"I… I'm so sorry, sir. I must have forgotten," I stuttered, looking at the papers in front of me.

Truth be told, alarm notifications rang even when the phone was in silent mode, and mine was almost all the time while I was at work. Besides, at this time, I was supposed to take a break, but I didn't dare to oppose him. Thankfully, Sebastian's attention was quickly back to the meeting. I stole a glance at him, but he seemed disinterested in me. A silent sigh escaped my lips.

Almost half an hour later, we were still in the same positions, hearing both parties argue about the contract. Nickolas, who was sitting opposite me, looked bored, too. Sebastian had a frown on his face, not very pleased from all this fiasco. And I was trying to think about what could possibly happen if I didn't take my medication on time. Well, a blood clot couldn't form in a few hours. My blood tension seemed to rise, though.

"How about we all take a break?" Nickolas suggested, and I nodded in agreement without a second thought.

"You seemed very quick to react, Miss Russell. Is there anywhere else you should be?" Sebastian asked, looking more annoyed by my reaction than his brother's idea.

"Actually, I do, sir. If you'll excuse me," I said with a steady voice.

For a second, I enjoyed Sebastian's shocked look, but I stormed out of the room before he had the chance to compose himself. Well, now that I gave it a second thought, I talked back to my Boss and then left in the middle of a meeting without his permission.

Oh, I was totally screwed…