Cath

Working with Gavin after what happened with my phone is just simply awkward, to put it lightly. I don't want to be left in a room with him. I can't help but overthink each and every remark he makes. I keep having this feeling that he might be talking about what he read whenever he talks to me and I don't know how to respond to him. I know that he read them, I just knew in my gut that he read my conversation with Matt.

"Miss Aragon? Are you okay?" I was snapped back to reality after hearing his deep voice besides me.

I looked around the conference room and saw over a dozen pairs of eyes looking at me like I'm a nut job. My gaze fall unto my best friend and she looked at me twitching her lips, signaling for me to get my head out of the clouds.

"Ah, yes. Sorry Sir Mitchel. My head started throbbing suddenly. Please go on." I answered, looking right at him, trying not to stumble through my words. He looked back at me raising his eyebrow with an amused expression on his face, clearly trying his best not to laugh at my face. He then cleared his throat and brought his focus back on his audience.

"As I was saying..." He said continuing the briefing for the new anticipated project of our department. I tried paying attention as best as could but every time our eyes meet my face can't help but heat up.

"What is happening to you Cath?" Andrea suddenly asked as we are walking to the parking lot.

"What do you mean? I'm fine, Drea." I answered, brushing off her question.

"You don't look okay, my dear." She answered as she was getting into her car.

"Still bothered with Mr. Gavin Mitchel reading your messages." she asked as soon as I got in her passenger seat.

"Who's not going to be bothered by that? And to top it all off, I think he's rubbing it on my face. He knows that I know that he knows something and he just can't help himself with teasing me." I ranted as I buckled up.

"Chill Cath. I'm just messing with you." Andrea laughed as she was starting her car.

{Something bothering you?}

I stared at my phone for a few minutes, pondering if I should open up to him or not.

{Just something at work. Someone is just being a pain in the *ss.}

I replied, sparing him the details that our private conversation has been compromised by none other than my boss.

{Do I have to be jealous of this someone?}

{Why are you jealous?}

I asked smirking as I wait for his reply.

"Is that Matt again?" Zab asked with an annoying grin on her face.

"No its not. Can't I just be happy with no reason at all?" I asked trying to shoo her away from grabbing my phone.

"You're grinning like an idiot. And that only means that you are talking to Matt again. Can't you just date like a normal person?" She ranted ending her attempt at snatching my phone away.

"This is how people date nowadays." I replied but she just looked at me like I'm some sort of newly discovered species of idiot.

"Yes! We, normal people, text each other, but we also go on dates. You know! Meeting the person we like in person." She said, and I know I don't have anything to rebut what she just said.

"Come on Zoe. You know the guy like the back of your hand and you don't even know what he looks like. Any guy who would settle for that kind of relationship for months is a bit creepy but also quite romantic. So for heaven's sake just meet up with him." She lectured as she got cozy in the sofa.

"Don't you think I know that? Of course I know, but what if he's expecting some pink flurry princess and I turn up like this? The ugly step sister?" I asked and she turned her focus on me.

"You are far from ugly step sister, my dear sister. You just need a little bit of cleaning up. And with that I can definitely help." She said eyeing me like I some sort of meat in the deli counter. She stood up from her chair and slowly walked towards me, making me eerily uncomfortable with whatever it is swirling inside her head.

"Now that is the Catherine Zoe Aragon that I became friends with." Andrea said as she was gawking at me right after I opened the door to meet her.

"Oh shut up." I said, pushing her out the door.

"Have fun at work!" Zab called out as Andrea and I got in her car. I wave back at her and she just smiled before closing the door behind her.

"Hi. Cath, right?" I looked up at my computer and tried my best not to roll my eyes at the person leaning against my cubicle. I recognized him as an employee of the company, but I don't remember even saying a word to him, ever.

"Hi. What can I help you with?" I asked as politely as I can, getting back at the revision that I'm working at.

"I was just wondering if you have plans later? After work?" He replied with a hopeful and confident tone in his voice.

"Sorry, I have lots of work to do. I honestly don't know when I'll finish it." I replied still focusing on my revision.

"It's fine I could..." my eyes lit up as soon as his voice was stopped by the sudden ringing of the phone in my desk.

"Hello?" I answered cheerfully, I honestly couldn't have picked a better time to answer a call.

"Hi Cath. Its Kyla. Mr. Mitchel wants to see you in his office right now." The person on the other line said.

"Yeah sure. I'll be there in three." I said hanging up the phone and started saving all the work I did on the computer.

"Sorry, but I have to go. Bye." I said to the guy and left him there without waiting for him to respond.

"Looks like you're miss popular again." Andrea whispered to me as I walked by her cubicle.

"You know I've always hated being the center of attention of superficial people like than." I whispered back at her and went my way towards Gavin's office. Kyla just told me to knock on the door and I did. I heard a low voice telling me to come in from the inside and then I did.

As I walked inside, it hit me, we are alone inside the office again. I scanned the room and saw him on his desk but unlike the other times that I have been in here, he looks so gloomy and dark. The ambiance inside the room also feels colder and creepy. I don't know if its just because the lights are dimmed and his curtains are closed but I knew in my gut that something isn't right.

"Sir Gavin? You called for me?" I asked in a quiet voice as I approached him slowly.

"Have a seat Miss Aragon." he said to me as he was typing away on his keyboard. I took a seat in front of him and waited for him to say something. A few minutes passed and he finally stopped his hands from typing and finally turned his attention on me.

"I know its none of my business, but I noticed that men from different departments frequented your station today. I have no say whatsoever on who visits you because it is not against company rules, but I felt like I had to intervene this time because it is disturbing other employees under me while they are doing their work." he explained in a very serious tone, showing me a totally different side of the playful and carefree, Gavin Mitchel, that I knew.

"Sorry, about the disturbance sir but I think you should know that I never invited anyone to my station today. I honestly don't have any idea why those people where hovering around my desk." I explained to him and he whispered something under his breath that I couldn't hear clearly.

"What did you say sir? I didn't catch that." I asked and he just shook his head.

"Its nothing, just please don't let this get out of hand again. You can go now." He finally said, focusing back on his work. What the heck just happened? First the guys paying too much attention on me, then girls eyeing me like I have a contagious disease or some thing. Now, even Gavin is acting strangely around me.

"Bye Ky." I greeted Kyla as I exited Gavin's office.

"You look good today Cath. You should dress like this every time." she said to me.

"My sister just wanted to try something out this morning. It takes too much effort to look like this everyday." I jokingly said to her.

"I don't think you need a lot of effort to look this good. But Kyla's right, being all dressed up like this suits you Cath." I turned around, facing the owner of the lovely voice.

"Miss Gabriela. Good afternoon. Thank you for the compliment." I said to her, trying to not look intimidated,

"No problem." She said still smiling at me.

"I know someone who would be so delighted to see you like this." she then whispered to herself.

"Anyway, are you going in?" She asked me.

"No ma'am. I was just inside. Sir Mitchel had something to say to me. I'll be going back to my desk now." I said to her and turned to start walking back to my station.

"I guess that idiot couldn't help himself, Kyla." I heard Gabriela say to Kyla in which Kyla answered with a slight giggle.

Are they talking about Gavin? Are Kyla and Gabriela close with each other? I guess Gavin's girlfriend should be close with his secretary. And as that realization dawned on me I felt a slight pang on my chest as I seat back down on my chair, closed my eyes and relaxed for a few minutes before heading to lunch.