Distracted

The only thing that Owen Jones did was stand there and look at the ground. David Miller was absolutely correct. "Are these men the reason for the rift between you and your brother?" David asked. After he let out a sigh, Owen ran his hand through his hair. This was not something he wanted to discuss, especially after learning what his brother had done to him; he was upset when he realized that Noah wanted him to be locked up in prison. He did not want to talk about that.

Owen's brother Noah had always been the superior individual to him, and Owen had always looked up to him throughout his entire existence. When he was ten years old, Noah knew what he wanted to do with his life. Owen needed a clearer idea of what he wanted to accomplish with his life; as a result, he quit school and lived off the money his parents provided for him. His father, however, eventually became weary of supporting his son's extravagant lifestyle and resigned after some time.

Owen was the kind of person who moved with the times; he purchased every new designer shoe that had ever been able to create, and he advanced with Samsung and Apple mobile phones. Because he didn't wear suits and ties, his father and others looked down on him. They also constantly compared him to his older brother and sister. After his father stopped providing him with financial support, he found himself mired in the shadows of his brother and ultimately embarked on a path that led to its demise.

Noah was always there to support him when he made a mistake, even during his time in school before he dropped out. The betrayal by the only person in Owen's life devastated him. He had trusted Noah with his life.

Owen's thoughts abruptly stopped when he heard David's voice. I want you to know that I am very sorry for what I said the day before. The frustration I was feeling led me to take it out on you. David expressed his regret with a wistful smile.

Owen smirked as he sauntered up to the table to pour their drinks. "Your smile would have repulsed me as a lady," he remarked. Afterward, he took two glasses and handed one to David. After that, the two of them sat down on the couch.

"I want you to know that I have been celibate for three months now," David said after a while, to which Owen responded with a look of disbelief as he gulped down his drink. At that moment, Owen was midway through his drink.

"No way!" David nodded and muttered, "Yup," before setting his glass on the little coffee table. Owen's eyes twinkled with humor as he laughed and shook his head. David then placed his glass on the table.

He leaned back on the couch and placed his feet on the coffee table. David was in a relaxed position. He untied his tie and closed his eyes before proceeding. As of now, he could feel the strain exerted on him from the previous day. "This is what it is? Are you implying that this signifies your intention to proceed down the aisle? He laughed and sipped his drink, but when David did not respond, Owen choked on his drink and sat up straight. David did not respond to Owen's joke. "WHAT?" David shrugged his shoulders and smiled shyly in response to his question. "Are you planning to propose to April Williams? You are a whipped man, indeed." Following his laughter, he sat back and then cocked his head to the side to face David.

"I love her, man," David murmured as he gazed off into the distance as if he had a mental image of her. I've learned a lot throughout the last few months. David expressed his realization that life is too short and mentioned that he was not growing any younger. Throughout the years that Owen had known David, he had never witnessed him being so serious about anyone other than his sister. Owen almost exploded with laughter upon hearing this. Despite being in his mid-thirties, I have yet to achieve anything significant. I want to find a permanent home and start a family. Aside from that," And with a sneer on his face, David turned to face Owen. "I have always wondered how mine and April's kids would look." Owen recoiled and trembled in response to the concept he had just expressed.

"You love her, don't you?" When Owen was staring at the wall in front of him, he questioned with a hesitant chuckle.

"With my life," David answered. "I mean." Once more, Owen trembled; he could not imagine himself loving someone like that or spending his life with another person. "So, are you going to tell me what is going on?" he asked after a period of silence, to which Owen grunted.

"You are not going to let this go, are you?" Owen heaved a sigh, and David looked at him in disbelief.

"I didn't travel two hours searching for you just to tell you that I was whipped."

Owen did nothing more than smirk and shake his head. "Fine, let me get us drinks because we'll need them." As he spoke, he stood up. He took the two empty glasses and walked over to the side table, pouring some whiskey and ice into them.

David warned, "I shouldn't be drinking; I'm heading to the office after this." He looked at the glass he was holding with a suspicious expression.

"You appear to need it more than I do," Owen murmured sneeringly.

With a sigh, David drank his beverage in a single mouthful. "Talk," he murmured as he poured himself another drink.

*****

It had been almost one hour since work had begun at Miller Corporation, and it was now well past eight o'clock in the morning. Despite the noise, the workers continued their work as usual. Getting out of the situation was more important than how they did the job. On the other hand, Aria Wilson was having difficulty concentrating on her work once she had become accustomed to working in silence. Even though it had only been an hour since the day had begun, she was already generating confusion between messages and files. "Aria, I asked for the June 2018 file, and you gave me June 2008." One of her colleagues made the statement, and Aria let out a sigh of frustration.

"I'm sorry; I'll get it for you now." She gave the girl a brief smile, and the girl smiled back before leaving. A groan came from Aria as she pulled on her hair.

The events with David the previous day scattered Aria's mind, despite her tendency to avoid mistakes. She directed her anger not only at David but also at herself. She was frustrated with them both. Despite knowing he was in a relationship with another woman, she couldn't help but hold onto the hope that they shared something.

On the other hand, David tends to hurt her whenever she believes they are making progress, so they frequently go ten steps backward. Even though David had never made any overtures toward her, except for the moment he wanted to get into her pants, she harbored a secret desire that he might have feelings for her. Every time she saw his face, adorned with his signature sneer, she felt a surge of emotion. The same look caused her to lose her rationality when she poured her heart into him years ago. Despite the passage of many years, her heart stubbornly refused to acknowledge the fact that he would never be hers.

The same employee who had approached her abruptly interrupted her thoughts. "Aria, I have been waiting for thirty minutes already, and you haven't even moved an inch since I left, and Brie is still waiting for the copies she asked you to make for her about an hour ago." The girl spoke with a profound frown on her face. "And your phone has been ringing for the past five minutes." Suddenly, Aria's eyes shot to the telephone sitting on her desk and making a loud noise. "Get yourself together, Aria." We know the boss has a soft spot for you, and she wouldn't fire you, but some of us need this job." The young lady made this comment shortly before she departed.

Aria gazed at her back with her mouth drawn into a small and tight line. When the phone began to ring again, she let out a sigh and picked it up. "Miller Corporation, Aria Wilson speaking, how can I help you?" Aria said the words monotonously, her expression etched into a stern scowl.

"Hi, Aria." She responded with a female voice. "My name is Pearl, Mr. Mason's PA." A tiny amount of panic began to creep in as the girl delivered her words, arousing Aria's interest. Olivia would go insane if she discovered that David and Zoey had not yet arrived at Mason Construction Company, despite their scheduled business trip to meet James Mason Junior. "We scheduled a meeting with Miss Miller for eight this morning, but we haven't received any response yet." Aria cleared her throat, undoubtedly recognizing that Pearl awaited her response. As Pearl explained, Aria's mouth formed an 'O' before she cleared her throat.

She was searching for a file among the pile of paperwork on her desk when Aria's voice faded away. "Another business trip may keep Miss Miller out for two weeks. Mr. David Miller, her brother, is currently in control of the company and will handle the discussions with your Chief Executive Officer." While scrolling through the files, she indicated that she was balancing the phone on her shoulders and moving through them until she located the one she was looking for. To browse the file, she put it down and held the phone with one hand. She then used the other hand to flip through the file.

"Oh!" What would be the earliest possible time for him to meet with Mr. Mason?" Pearl inquired with apprehension.

Following the confirmation that "it is scheduled for this Saturday at 10," Aria closed the file.

The lady who was on the other end, let out a sigh. "All right. I appreciate it, Miss Wilson; please keep me informed." She expressed her optimism.

Aria smiled slightly and responded, "I will, Pearl. Please call me Aria," but Pearl could not see the smile on her face.

"All right, Aria. Pearl mumbled and said, "Bye."

Aria said, "Bye," and then hung up the phone.

After putting the phone down, she gave one of the files to the girl who had been there earlier. She then printed copies for Brie and other employees who requested them. Aria returned to her desk after sending the copies to their respective destinations and immediately began reorganizing the files she had messed up during the previous session. She felt better and better as she worked more and more.

After some additional time had gone by, lunchtime finally arrived.

Aria always stayed at her desk during lunch; she always brought her meals from home, even though there was a restaurant in the building where she worked. She did not like the thought of other people handling her meals.

Following the beginning of lunch, the first floor was nearly completely devoid of people; most individuals walked to the cafeteria, while others left the building to eat at their chosen restaurant. Aria did little more than perch herself at her desk and continued with her work, reserving her lunch for fifteen minutes before the lunch break ended. It was her habit, and no one troubled her during that time of the day, so she utilized her headphones and listened to music while she worked. She didn't anticipate any disturbances, so she didn't have to worry. However, she was surprised when a deliveryman showed up at her workplace with a beautiful bouquet of red roses. "Hello." Aria sent her greetings.

"I'm sorry." I am looking for Miss Aria Wilson, the man said while he was reading from the signing board he held in his hands.

Aria stroked her forehead; her frown became more pronounced, and her eyebrows began to knit together further. Who would send roses to her? "I'm Aria Wilson." Her lips suddenly became dry, prompting her to moisten them while placing her glasses in the crook of her nose. She said this while wetting her lips.

"Please sign here for me." After saying that, the man handed the board to her. She took it, signed it, and then returned it to him. "Thank you. Here you go." She immediately took a deep breath of their aroma when he handed her the flowers. The man said, "Enjoy the rest of your day," as he exited the building.

After nodding and setting the flowers down, Aria collected the card in a small white envelope. Throwing away the envelope, she opened the card, her heart breaking as she read the words. When he did things like this, she was meant to feel the way she did and make assumptions, but she didn't do either. As soon as she read the lines, her heart started twirling. It didn't delve into specifics, yet it provided ample insight.

"You are a beautiful woman, and these flowers are beautiful."

The dinner is tonight at my house, and my driver will pick you up at seven.

PS: Remember to dress nicely."

—David