The Only One He Wants

Chapter 8

They hadn’t talked in a few days. Perhaps it had been a week since… that horrible event took place in Gabrielle’s apartment.

And days after that, she felt like a wasted plant without a drop of water. She was there, but not quite there; she was looking but not seeing, hearing but not understanding. Constantly feeling like something was on the verge of happening, she thought that she had lost her mind. The only thought jogging around her brain was of Michael and their absurd fight.

Yes, now she was thinking more and more that it was absurd. He had hurt her, but she missed him so, so bad. If someone had told her that she would be in this state the day the argument had occurred, she would definitely slap him in the face.

She had been so resolute then. She had hated him then from the bottom of her heart. But she knew better now. How could she possibly hate him when she loved him with all her heart, her soul, and her being?

Taking a leap of faith, her hand reached toward the work phone on her desk. She was in her office with papers piled up everywhere around her, which added to her sense of being squished in a jar.

“Should I call him?” she whispered under her breath. After all, he only wanted to take her with him to Mauritius because he loved her.

With a firm grip, she took hold of the phone and dialed his number.

It rang once. Her legs were vibrating under the desk.

Twice. She drummed her fingers on the desk.

Thrice. She put a nail between her lips to chew it.

Nothing.

He didn’t pick up.

“Sh*t,” she said and pushed the phone into the corner with all of her force. Letting out a deep breath she put her face in her hands. Of course he wouldn’t pick up after all those tough words she had said to him. It was over, she was sure. Wasn’t there a wise man who had said that everything good only lasted for a short period of time?

A brief glance at the clock proved to her that it was getting late, so she picked up her stuff and was quickly out of the office.

Once at home, she didn’t feel like doing anything. She felt like ten consecutive trains had run over her, so the sole object her eyes were seeing was the bed. She fell on it like a sack of vegetables and sank into a dreamless, dark sleep.

The morning wasn’t any better. Actually, it was way worse. A severe headache tore through her , making her unable to do anything. She stayed in her bed for a few minutes, battling the headache with sheer willpower. Since that didn’t help, she stood up slowly and popped a pill. She quickly showered, dressed in the previous day’s clothes, and left her apartment. Although she wanted to go back and spend the whole day in bed, she had to go to work, because any more sick days were definitely out of the question.

Her red car reminded her of the moment when she had met Michael and a pang of nostalgia and sadness overwhelmed her all of a sudden. Her mind envisioned the place where it was hit, the way she cried in his arms. A then total stranger.

A small smile graced her face. Those were good times. Oh, how she had changed in just a couple of months.

She wasn’t even aware when she hopped in the car and drove all the way to the firm. Perhaps due to her excessive thinking, she started doing the other activities mechanically and without noticing. The modest building of the pharmaceutical company loomed before her and after she parked she entered.

A grim atmosphere greeted her. It was like that almost every day. But today it was somehow different. Her colleagues were all chattering between themselves as she stepped into the corridor. It seemed as if the mere sight of her sparked all that talking.

Her eyes darted from face to face, trying to decipher their jabbering, but it was fruitless. Unease instantly filled her and she wanted to go to her office as fast as possible. She wanted to run so badly.

Then as she passed in front of her boss’s office, his head popped up from inside and called her.

“Yes, boss?” She stopped in her tracks. What was happening now, for God’s sake?

“Come inside. I want to speak with you,” he said in an icy tone that speared her.

She obeyed and once inside she was instructed to sit in the chair opposite of him.

“I want you to hear something,” he said and pressed a button on the phone. Her guts twisted and turned, anticipating what was going to become of all this. She was motionless and didn’t reply because a third voice filled her boss’s office.

It was a sexy, husky, deep voice that spoke in a seductive tone she knew so, so, so good. “Hey Gabby, it’s me. Your man, Gab. I miss you so much. I miss your body lying right next to mine. I miss your breaths and your touches and your love. How the fu*k did this happen to us? We love each other to the moon and back and yet we aren’t together. I’ve had enough of us being separated, honey. Let’s get back together, baby. I love you, Gabrielle Basset, and I’m so sorry if I said something wrong or offended you. You know it’s the least I can do. These several days have been the worst in my life. Come back to me. I want to feel you again. I want to kiss your lips and your tits and make love to you in the moonlight. I want to hear you say my name as I enter you and hear your moans that mean the world to me. Please, Gabby. I love you.”

The voice message ended. Her boss stared in her eyes, judging her with fire in his eyes. He wanted to burn her to the ground in that second, she knew that.

Heat rose to her cheeks. She’d never felt more embarrassed than she did then. She was kind of glad that Michael had left her this message. He wanted to get back together. So it wasn’t over. And her heart rejoiced at that. But the fact that he had left it there on the office phone ruined everything.

“This voice message was recorded on your office phone yesterday when everyone apparently left the building. What is this, Gabrielle? How can this happen? We are a serious company, for God’s sake!” Her manager was shouting and it felt like the walls shook from it.

“It’s not my fault. I didn’t leave this message!” she defended herself. She’d called Michael the other day from the phone in her office, which she regretted now.

“And how does this certain gentleman know this number specifically? You had to give it to him. You had to use the office phone for your private needs!” His voice thundered across the office, scaring her. She had no idea that such anger could be hiding in that man.

She felt like she was standing before a court of justice and her manager was the judge and jury that would sentence her to death any minute now.

“But…” she began.

“There is no but. This is a huge offense to the whole company, to its stakeholders, to the staff, the customers, and me as your employer. Honestly, I didn’t expect this of you,” he said sounding resigned.

“I’m sorry,” she said, looking at the floor.

“You’re fired, Gabrielle. It’s the only thing I can do right now. You have to understand me.”