Chapter 9

-Sebastian-

"Yes. I accept." Jianna said.

I was elated, yet taken aback; I hadn't expected her to agree so quickly. But she had accepted my offer without any hesitation, even though it was an unexpected request and one that flew in the face of reason. Her determination was undeniable, and I couldn't help but be impressed but I also have become immediately worried.

"Wait. Really?" I blurted out.

Everyone suddenly looked at me. Confused. Morgan leaned in and whispered, "What do you mean? This was your idea."

"Well, I didn't think she would agree," I whispered back.

"Well, she did. What do you want to do now? Just say we're just kidding? Thank you for letting us waste your time?" she said starting to get snarky

"No. Well...No. We'll just go with it." I waved her away because Jianna was starting to look at us suspiciously. God those eyes!

"What I mean is that I'm just surprised that you're willing to take on more responsibility. It's admirable." I tried to cover it up. I think I did a pretty good job.

"Oh. Ummm... Thank you." she said still a little bit confused "I like the challenge." she pauses and I can see her mind racing. Anticipating what's to come next.

"So does this mean I got the job?" when no one speaks.

"Of course! I thought that much was obvious," said Morgan. She does have a way with words sometimes.

Her eyes lit up and she smiled the most dazzling smile.

I couldn't help but feel a flutter in my chest as I watched her smile. It was infectious, and I found myself unable to look away. I had always found Jianna attractive, but at that moment, I realized that it was more than just physical attraction. There was something about her determination and drive that drew me to her.

"Sir?" my thoughts were interrupted by Justine. "Sir? Are we all set? Shall I start her paperwork?"

"Yes. Yes." I waved her away. She leaves and I look at the rest of the people in the conference room. "You can go too." I looked at them and they all stood up and started to leave one by one. I looked at Jianna and pointed at her. "You. Stay."

She looked at me and was stunned. "Stay? Why?" she asked.

I was stunned. No one had ever challenged my authority before, and I wasn't sure how to react. "What do you mean why? Because I said so," the words came out of my mouth involuntarily. Instantly regretting it, I shook my head in frustration, desperately trying to think my way out of this situation.

But Jianna wasn't having any of it. I was amazed. She stood her ground, her eyes blazing with stubbornness.

"That's not good enough," she said firmly. "I need to know why you want me to stay. What is it that you want to talk to me about?"

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. This girl was a force to be reckoned with, and I was suddenly very aware of how much power she had over me.

"Alright," I said, trying to sound calm and collected. "I want to talk to you about your job. I need to know that you understand the responsibilities that come with it and that you're ready to take them on."

Jianna frowned, looking at me skeptically. "I thought we already talked about that. I'm ready for the challenge."

"I know, I know," I said quickly, waving a hand. "But there's more to it than that. You see, this job requires...a certain je ne sais quoi, n'est-ce pas?" I tried to impress her with the remedial French I do know.

"Je ne pense pas que tu saches de quoi tu parles," she said in fluid French. She rolled her eyes. "If I'm not needed here, I'm gonna go. I will see you tomorrow," she said turning around and starting to walk out.

"Ummm... Ok. So you know more French than I do." I sighed. "Wait! I just needed to ask you something." I didn't have to ask her anything. I just wanted her to stay.

She turned around and looked at me. "Yes?" she asked.

"Ummm... " I was floundering. "Ummm...do you...do you...ummm. Look..." I nervously chuckled. "I'm really bad at this. " I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to gather my thoughts.

“Really bad at what?” she asked suddenly piquing her interest.

“This whole interaction is like a normal person thing,” I said, defeated.

She chuckled softly, and a playful smirk tugged at the corners of her lips.

“It's not that hard Sebastian,” she replied with a warm smile that reached her eyes. "Just be yourself and let the conversation flow naturally.”

My heart skipped a beat. Her smile would be the death of me. “I guess… I'll see you tomorrow?” I said reluctantly.

“I'll see you tomorrow Sebastian. Good night,” she said. Turning back around and walking out of the conference room.

As soon as I heard the elevator ding twice, I knew she was on her way down so I sat in one of the chairs and let out an exasperated sigh.

“What the fuck was that Sebastian?” I said to myself angrily. “You can't even hold a decent conversation with her. What is wrong with you?” I let out another sigh and leaned forward to rest my head on my arms.

*cough

I looked up immediately. To my horror, Jianna was standing by the door. Her head tilted slightly to the side.

“Umm… I left my bag,” she said slowly and pointed to the floor next to the chair she was sitting in earlier.

“How…how much…” I stammered.

“Pretty much all of it,” she replied, hearing some amusement in her voice.

I felt the heat rising to my cheeks as I scrambled to gather my thoughts.

We stood there looking at each other for what seemed to be an eternity then she suddenly spoke.

“If I may be too bold, Mr. Cross. Would you perchance, like to accompany me for some coffee?” she said amused by my flustered reaction. Her offer caught me off guard, but it was a welcomed distraction from the embarrassing situation.

I chuckled at that statement. “Coffee sounds great.” I finally replied.

I left her in the conference room to get my things from my office. When I got back she was on her phone.

“Telling your boyfriend you're coming home late?” I said teasingly. I'm sure she'll see through my feeble attempt to find out if she's single.

“Nice try Sebastian” she teased. She placed her phone back in her bag and stood back up. “You know, after today, I can't be interacting with you so informally like this,” she said, addressing the elephant in the room.

I suddenly had a renewed sense of confidence and did something impulsive. A first in my book.

“Then I guess I should do this now before it's too late.”

I stepped forward and grabbed her waist, pulling her close to me. The warmth of her body against mine sent a surge of electricity through my veins. I clutched her hair gently and leaned closer to kiss her. Our lips connected and everything in me exploded like fireworks. I wanted to push my luck so I opened my mouth slightly and let my tongue trace her lips. She responded in kind and her tongue met mine. I deepened the kiss slightly and a very soft moan escaped her lips. That was my cue to let all the pent-up frustration I had since the first time I met her escape. I grabbed her hair a little harder and pressed her lips against it a little more. A louder moan came from her lips, my tongue exploring every inch of her mouth.

When we finally came up for air, I kept her close to me rested my forehead on hers, and closed my eyes. “Where have you been all this time?” I asked without thinking.

Yep. Definitely a force to be reckoned with.