Chapter 3

Skyler

It's been a month since I got hired here and Shane challenged me. He is making every possible effort to make me resign. He gave me never-ending tasks and I ended up working overtime.

If that wasn't all he calls me early in the morning and that in turn made me exhausted because I wasn't getting enough sleep. You may be wondering everyone with jobs does it but transferring hundreds of files two floors down via the stairs and making almost five to six cups of coffee a day and sending me back again to reheat it because it isn't that hot and how he wants it to be.

Also how he calls me to his cabin making almost twenty rounds to his office and then he forgets what he called me for is not what everyone signs up for.

I need this job and the pay is good. Whatever he does I will bear up to it because it wasn't just my desperate need for a job but it was also the challenge I accepted. I am not going to let him win.

I wanted to prove his arrogant cocky side wrong and that you can't always win.

On the other hand, Tyler was the exact opposite of Shane. I bonded with him fast and he is the only person here I can rely on. He was the cooler one and way better than Shane. He was friendly and helped me with my work. He also brought me coffee and food when I was doing work during lunch breaks.

He was nice. Shane can be good-looking but that doesn't explain his rude behavior. I am always wondering how two brothers can be so different at the same time and Tyler is always trying to convince me that Shane is not what he shows and that I should give him time. He will come around. I hope this is true.

"Take this key and sort the files of the last three months." He says not taking his eyes from his computer.

I roll my eyes and take the key placed on the table."Ok, sir."

I go downstairs into the archive room and open the door with the key. This place is so closed up. There are no windows. 

I kept the door open and place a ladder to take the files. Ugh. Where the hell is this file and this ladder is so shaky. I climb up the ladder carefully looking for the file Shane asked for.

I felt a little suffocated because this archive room had no windows and I feel suffocated in closed places like this. I was claustrophobic.

I take out some of the files and checked them. I take out one and put it back in its place. Why I am not getting this file?

"Skyler..." I heard a voice and I knew who it was.

"Sir." I slipped as soon as I saw him. I wasn't expecting him to be here and I was caught off guard. Before I fall he comes in time and gets a hold of me.

"Careful." He whispers. He holds me tight in time and I get a hold of him by putting my hands around his neck. After I was done being startled by my clumsiness. I noticed how close our faces were.

He looked straight into my eyes and I could smell his cologne. I was surprised to see him look at me like that. I could see the innocence and care in his hazel eyes behind the rudeness he shows.

Maybe just maybe he is not what he shows like. There was this spark between us which was undeniable. Oh lord, those eyelashes are to kill for. His hazel eyes are so addictive. No, Stop it Skyler what are you thinking? He is your boss and you hate him.

"Thank You, Sir. I don't know how I slipped." I mumble while still in his arms. No one trying to get away.

"You can leave me now." He was embarrassed as his face turned red. I found it adorable. He said awkwardly."Uh-huh yeah."

He let's go of me and I slip again but I didn't fall because I got a grip of the closest thing beside me. Shane. I got hold of his shirt and manage to not get hurt."I am so sorry. You left me suddenly and I slipped again."

"It's fine." He nods. I slowly get down and stand in front of him figuring what to say when the door was slammed shut. I run to the door as soon as it closed. I panicked. I started to bang the door and tried opening it. It was jammed."Why did the door close?"

I say looking at him.

Shane comes up to me and tries opening the door.

"It's not opening." I could feel suffocated. My breathing grew faster second by second and I held my chest tight as it started paining. This never happened before. When I feel suffocated. I find difficulty in breathing but I never experienced any chest pain."Get me out of here now. (takes deep breaths)I am..."

I saw Shane take out his phone and call for someone and then he yells in frustration."No signal."

I find no strength to stand as the pain in my chest was increasing as I fell on my knees taking deep breaths.

"I am claustrophobic. I can't breathe..." I mumble out and Shane sits down beside me. Everything was a bit blurry but I could see Shane a little worried and concerned."Relax. Everything will be fine. I WILL NOT LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO YOU."

"You promise..." I say and he holds my hand hugging me from the aide while rubbing my back.

"YES I PROMISE. Okay take deep breaths and hold my hand." I take a deep breath and I got hold of him hugging him. I felt his body tensed by my sudden action and then he hugged me back. "I am here.Relax."

I closed my eyes and felt him as I took deep breaths. My body relaxed at his touch. I was calm now. I buried my head on his chest as he enveloped his arms around me. My breathing was back at its regular pace but I was still worried. It felt so good in his arms. It was his spicy sweet cologne that soothed me. I wish I could stay here forever like this. I was still anxious but I realized something.

I heard the door open and a familiar voice spoke out."There you are. Am I missing something?"

but I preferred staying in his arms. He held my hand and I get up with his support.

I look at Tyler who was confused. He had always seen our bickering and arguing, shooting deathly glares to each other that this was surprising to him. Shane says ignoring him."Skyler lets go out to get some fresh air."

That's when I knew that Shane is not what he portrays himself. He may be the rude, arrogant, cold work-oriented person but beneath that shield, he was a caring and sweet man.

He just puts on that shield and only people close to him know who he is. After that day I started to see him in a different way than usual. It was something else.

Every scolding I got from him was like a sweet melody and I found myself lost admiring his face while working together. Very quickly four months passed by and Shane stopped all his tricks to drive me out and I can't believe I survived five months here. I was loving it not only because of work but because of Shane.

He was not like he was used to before. He was still professional. Whenever we sat down at work and his fingers brushed through mine while pointing out something or passing a pen we shared a look at each other. I felt jolts of electricity and I can say he feels it too.

We didn't have a moment like what happened in the archive room but I couldn't stop thinking about it. The look in his eyes when he was looking at me and when he held me and said I will not let anything happen to you. I couldn't help but be drawn towards him. I was snapped back to reality when Shane started speaking of the fashion show we had to attend in LA. "Skyler you know this Fashion show we have to attend in LA. Tyler and Taylor will be joining us. Have you packed for the trip?"

"Yes sir. I wanted to ask when will we back?" I nod my head even though I didn't hear a word he was saying. If he knows I wasn't paying attention. I am in for another lecture.  "We are going to stay for the weekend. Make sure everything is in place."

"You don't have to worry about that. I have already prepared for it." He nods in agreement as he goes through some files. He looks up at me.

"That's great. We will leave tomorrow after work and catch my private jet to there." The weekend away with the Smith brothers.Oh my god! This is going to amazing. I will have to arrange a fine dress for myself. I wonder how it will go.

Shane

It's been a month since she started working for me. As I said I was making her do all sorts of work and I didn't expect to stay here more than a week with everything I was doing. Anyone in her place would have left the job in a day.

It's either she needs this job or she is adamant in proving me wrong. After a while, I kinda felt bad for treating her so bad so I started giving her work for which she was hired for and this is the first time I am doing this.

When it comes to work I don't cut any slack, I never go back on my word. I do what I say but there was something about her. I guess I was growing fond of her. I would look at her all tired when I called her early mornings after working overtime. I would stare at her from afar when everyone left and she was doing her work.

I was growing a soft spot for her which was so unlikely of me.

Now, what's taking her so much time. I walk up to the archive room. She was standing on the ladder finding some file.

"Skyler..." I called out for her and she turned around to me.

"Sir." She murmurs. I was almost close to her when she was finding the file I asked for standing on the ladder. When she saw me she was startled to see me and slipped. I went in close and hold her before she falls and now she was in my arms as I was carrying her bridal style with us looking into each other eyes and our faces inches apart.

She was looking at me and I was looking into her eyes and I couldn't stop looking at her. She was beautiful and I couldn't deny that and she looked more pretty this close. There were a few moments of silence after which she spoke.

"Thank You, Sir. I don't know how I slipped." I was still carrying her in my arms. I was looking at her brown eyes and I realized how enchanting they were that I cannot take my eyes off. I could spend hours looking at her eyes. She had her hair tied up and lose strands of hair were covering her forehead. Her citrus fruity smell was drawing me to her.

I was in my world, lost in thoughts which is why I didn't hear what she said. "Sir, You can leave me now."

"Uh-huh yeah." I was flushed in embarrassment. She might have seen me staring at her. I let go of her and as soon as I leave her she slips again and grasps me again tugging into my shirt. This time I hold her hand and help her to stand unlike last time leaving her so suddenly.

"I am so sorry. You left me suddenly and I slipped again." She apologies and I nod my head."It's fine."

And I don't know why I was still looking at her? The door was closed and she ran towards the door trying to open it and failed.

"Why did the door close?"

"It's not opening." I try to open the door but it was jammed. I couldn't open it and then I take a look at Skyler. She had her hand on her chest and I could see her gasping for breath.

"Get me out of here now. (takes deep breaths)I am..." She was taking deep breaths and I immediately grabbed my phone to call someone so that someone lets me out but Alas! "No signal." I see Skyler fall on her knees as she tried to take deep breaths to calm herself.

"I am claustrophobic. I can't breathe..."

I sat down on my knees beside her. Something stirred in me. I was worried to see her in this state.

"Relax. Everything will be fine. I WILL NOT LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO YOU."

"You promise..." She mumbles taking deep breaths.

"YES I PROMISE. Okay take deep breaths and hold my hand."

I tightly hold her hand while rubbing her back in circular motions with the other. I didn't know what to do in situations like these and hence I did what I thought should be done and on top of that, I didn't know why I said that.

I need to figure out all of this. I have never felt something like this for anyone before. I was holding her hand when she took me in my arms. I was startled for a second because it was sudden. I hugged her back. "I am here.Relax."

I felt her body calming down. She was breathing at a normal pace as I held her in my arms.

Is it normal to be liking this?

I embraced her in my arms and she rests her head on my chest and as much as I want to ignore it. I was liking this. This feeling. I heard the door open and saw Tyler looking at us surprised."There you are. Am I missing something?"

I thanked God he came here on time. This could have gotten worse and I would have hated to see her in that condition.

Again. This feeling. My brain is gonna explode from all of this. You care for your employees and wouldn't want to see them hurt. Right? Never in my life, I hugged one of my employees. You fool, it's her you care.

I hold her hand and help her get up and with the look on Tyler's face I could already say he was confused as to what was happening but now my main concern was Skyler and I knew Tyler won't leave me at this.

"Skyler let's go out to get some fresh air."

I need to figure out about these feelings. I hope it's soon.

(What happens at the fashion show? The weekend away with Shane and Tyler. Will Skyler be able to handle it or not? Find out in the next chapter.)

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