A Second Chance At Love

Jessica’s Pov

“Ouch!” I exclaimed taking unsteady steps back only to feel a thick muscled hand to my waist steadying me. I immediately popped my eyes open, wondering who had rescued me from hitting the floor.

Watch where you’re going,” came a deep voice, laced with irritation and slight concern.

I looked up, my breath catching in my throat. There he stood all 6 ft 2 of Aaron Gates , his piercing blue eyes locked on to mine and the startling effect left me feeling light headed.

The air around us seemed to frizzled with electricity.

“Sorry! I was just—” I stammered, flustered.

“You were just heading up to resume work as my assistance , I take it?”

His smirk was infuriating and captivating all at once, the same as it was years ago. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Tell me why the hell I was having this sort of reaction to freaking arrogant and full of himself Aaron Gates . “I didn’t mean to run into you.”

“Jessica’s , right?” he interrupted, tilting his head slightly as if sizing me up.

I nodded in agreement.

The hell he knew my name, we grew up together! He was only acting like he didn’t.

The whole lobby seemed to be frozen and kept silent watching the exchange between myself and the CEO Aaron Gates.

He cleared his throat and everyone seemed to immediately go back to what they were all doing in fear and slight frenzy, he faced me.

“Follow me to the office, I really hope you’re ready and capable for this job. If you’re clueless enough to not look where you’re walking to, I can imagine the sort of mistakes you can likely make.”

I wanted to answer him but he walked away quickly and I had no choice but to follow. In the elevator I wiped my calmly hands down on my dress, I had an unsettling feeling as though something I wouldn’t like was looming in the air.

The elevator arrived at the last floor and dinged, myself and Aaron got out. I followed his lead to the last door in the hall. It had a huge red wood cherry door, the door scanned his thumb and the door opened automatically after saying, “welcome back Gates.”

When the door closed behind us I felt extremely nervous for no reason. He walked to his office table dumping his briefcase on it before plopping down on his office seat.

“Have a seat.” He said to me as he tossed his glossy hair with his thick long fingers.

“Thank you.” I responded.

He didn’t even give me a second look, his eyes were immediately fixed on his computer screen. “So we have a meeting with a top client in an hour, I hope you know how to take proper minutes of meeting.”

I nodded but to be honest I felt dizzy and mesmerized by him, an odd desire pooled in my lower stomach as I looked at him. His lean muscle, athletic build, his former handsome boyish looks had transformed into that of a handsome attractive man.

He would have even been more irresistible to me if he had a pleasant attitude.

“Jessica, Jessica?” His voice immediately snapped me out of my lustful thoughts.

“Si….. sir” I said, stuttering turning red as though he had heard me ogling him in my head.

He gave me a serious look with his piercing blue eyes.

“Is your attention span that low? I did warn you already about slacking off, I could fire you and the first early payment would count as a loan which I highly doubt you can pay.”

I immediately felt a flint catch a spark in my chest, what arrogance is this? And why would he automatically assume I couldn’t pay back the 300k even if I couldn’t afford it.

“Did you really assume just because we used to have play dates back in the day, I wouldn’t do a background check on you? I know you’re penniless, me hiring you was me putting in my good deed for the year.”

I clenched my fist in anger. Something about this conversation and the tone of his voice reminded me of my ex husband Micheal, he too looked down on me and made me feel like a liability.

I felt tears sting the edge of my eyes, but I refused to let them pour down my cheeks, I wouldn’t let any of them see me cry.

His eyes seemed to soften a bit when he noticed my demeanor but he immediately covered it with an aloof and unconcerned expression. He jerked his hand at me, “your office is the one opposite mine, get accustomed to it. We leave in thirty minutes .”

I didn’t trust my voice to come out confident and strong as I wanted it to appear, so I simply nodded and turned to leave. The door opened for me and i easily located my office.

Now in the privacy of my office, I let the water work burst freely. I wiped away my tears in anger wondering why once men become rich and influential they become something else.

To distract myself I took out my cell phone and called the nurse to check up on my mum’s health.

At thirty minutes exactly, myself and my new boss Aaron were seated in his exotic latest model of Mercedes Benz limousine heading to the North point view restaurant located in the most exquisite five star hotel the city had to offer.

The car ride was quiet and awkward. Aaron sat opposite me in the limousine typing away on his phone, although there were times I felt his eyes on me but when I raised my head I found him typing on his phone.

I let out a breath, fingers crossed that the meeting would be fast and end quickly. The car came to a halt at the restaurant and we got down from the car escorted by the security into the restaurant.

There was something in the air that made it tense and heavy, it reminded me of those dramatic moments about those soap Operas before something happened.

Familiar scent grazed my senses, the woody smell caressed my nostrils, I raised my eyes and they connected with a pair of gray ones. I couldn’t even stop myself from saying loudly, “ What the fuck?”