Chapter 8: Hurt

It was the same scene in the 9th floor. When they both entered the room, their colleagues looked at both of them. As soon as Jamie entered her office and she sat at her seat, Jane came running towards her. "You came with Ms. Miller? When did that happen?" She was so curious. Some of her colleagues even went to them trying to hear her answer.

"We.. We just happened to come at the same time and rode the same elevator." She decided to lie.

She didn't want them gossiping about them or think that maybe she was kissing her ass to get ahead.

And even if their "relationship" was pure friendly, people would still think of the worst of it. They were on that positions, Jane was in her space and the others stood near her table when Jamie opened her door.

"Dav-"

She looked at Claire before looking at everybody else.

"What are you doing?" She asked them.

Suddenly everybody hurriedly returns on their seat, scared.

She looked at her again with questioning eyes. She just shrugged her shoulders and started opening her computer like nothing happened.

"Is David here?" Claire heard her ask.

"Not yet, Ms. Miller." Somebody answered her.

"Tell him to see me once he comes!"

She didn't wait for any answer and closed the door behind her.

An hour passed and Claire had a stack of documents on her table, some needed scanning, copies, some need to be rechecked if all pages that needed signatures were signed by Jamie.

"For Ms. Claire?" She heard someone say. Claire looked back and saw a delivery guy with a bag in his hand.

One of her colleague pointed at where she was seating.

"Ms. Claire?" The delivery guy handed her the bag.

"But.. I didn't order..."

"Are you Ms. Claire?" The delivery guy repeated.

Claire nodded at him and accepted the bag. He left without saying anything and she was still confused.

Her colleagues were busy and didn't even look at her direction.

She opened the bag to check what was inside.

It was food, breakfast food to be exact. It was avocado toast with egg and beans on the side.

There was only one person who would have sent her those.

Thinking about Jamie, her phone vibrated.

Bon Appétit. Was all in the message, it was from unknown number but she knewexactly who it was.

How did she get her number?

Umm, probably she was the Boss and have access to everything, duh! Her mind shouted.

She hit reply and typed, "I told you I don't eat breakfast."

She sent the message and just stared at the food blankly.

Her phone vibrated again signaling for another message.

"You eat it now or I'll come there and watch you till you do."

It was more of a threatening than a concern. Was she kidding her? She was not gonna do that.

Claire set aside the food on her table and continued to work, 15 minutes had passed and she was deep into what she was doing when Jamie's door opened.

She looked up and and suddenly felt nervous. Her heart beat rhymed almost the same as clicking of her heels walking towards her table.

She didn't utter any words and just pulled a chair and placed it beside her.

Claire could feel everybody's stare, confused eyes looking toward us, mouths hanged open.

The room suddenly felt hot and she could feel the heat reaching her cheeks and she know for a fact that her face was flushed, she felt naked in everybody's stare.

She turned her face slowly to the woman occupying the space around her, feeling suffocated yet the room was huge. She knew the AC was working but how was she feeling like all the air was sucked out of her?

As soon as her eyes met Jamie's, she gave her a smirk and eyed the paper bag that was on the side of her desk which her eyes followed as well.

She suddenly realized what was happening.

You eat it now or I'll come there and watch you till you do. Her message from earlier.

Her head turned to her almost immediately, claire's eyes telling her, you can't be serious?

She seemed to get it and blinked both her eyes like telling her, yes I am.

Two minutes had passed with just their eyes talking. The room was in silent, nobody even dared to move an inch, like everybody was scared to break the awkward silence.

Jamie cleared her throat not minding the people behind her.

"So?" She said.

"Um.. You're not.. Um.." she stuttered.

She eyed again the paper bag and looked back to Claire

Not thinking, she grabbed the bag and walked towards Jamie's office.

Jamie followed her and as soon as they were both inside, she could hear the people outside seemed to have finally breathed as movements were almost back to normal.

"What the hell was that??" She asked her with her tone a bit high.

"I mean, what was that?" She rephrased with a much lowered voice when she realized she was talking to her Boss.

She let out a soft laugh before answering her.

"I already told you, didn't I?" Her arms crossed in her chest.

She suddenly felt stupid standing in the middle of her office with the paper bag clenched in her fist.

"Fine!" Claire sighed in surrender.

She sat in the couch and opened the bag. She put everything in the center table.

Jamie sat beside her and leaned her back.

Claire started eating while she watch her, like literally.

She didn't throw her a single look as she was annoyed... happy? Nervous but excited?

What was she doing to her? Giving her all these mixed emotions.

Feelings that she never thought she would ever feel, specially to a woman.

She didn't waste any time and finished her food in no time, she guessed her staring helped her eat faster.

"See how easy that was?" Jamie mocked her as she started to gather the paperware and put them back in the bag.

Claire didn't answer her and stood up, she threw the bag in the bin in the corner. She was already at the door and her hand in the doorknob when she remembered something.

Her brows furrowed and turned to the girl who was still sitting comfortably at the couch already looking at her, was she watching her?

She was just staring at her still with confused eyes.

"Claire?" Jamie called to her.

"What am I gonna tell them? She asked her still confuse.

"What?" Confused as well, she asked Claire.

"The people outside, they are gonna ask me what was that." She pointed my finger outside.

She seemed to get it immediately.

"Whatever you want to tell them." She said nonchalantly.

"Aren't you even worried of what they may think about that? I mean, it was... bizarre, wasn't it?" Her hand was still on the door knob fidgeting on it.

Jamie let a long and lazy sigh.

"You think too much, you know that?" She stopped for a second.

"If you don't want to answer their questions, just shrugg it off. But if you do, make something up or whatever. Or tell them the truth, Claire. Whatever you want to do, really, I don't care."

Claire could sense in her tone that she was annoyed already and she was starting too as well. She wanted to tell her that she was the one to put her in that situation, people would ask Claire not her, who would dare ask their Boss about their actions? Who would be brave enough to do that?

"You gotta stop minding what other people think of you, Claire. You will never live a happy life if you will depend to what those people might say about you." She went to seat in her swivel chair and started to busy herself, signaling it was her cue to leave.

She let out a sign before opening the door.

As expected, all eyes were on her, questioning eyes. Don't mind them. She told herself.

She sat back on her chair and gathered all her strength to ignore the meaningful look that they were shooting at her.

It was Jane who couldn't stand it, she went to her side and elbowed her.

"What was that?" She didn't even say it in a discreet voice.

She pretended to browse the folders stack in her table. She knew all ears was on them, waiting for her to break it to them.

If you don't want to answer their questions, just shrugged it off. But if you do, make something up or whatever. Or tell them the truth, Claire. Whatever you want to do, really, I don't care.

That echoed in her mind multiple times before she found her voice.

"What? That? That was nothing." She told her with a convincing voice but she must've failed as she started to question her again.

"That didn't look like nothing, that was... bizarre!" When she heard the word, she immediately stopped and looked at her.

Right? She wanted to tell her but Claire stopped herself.

She looked at the waiting eyes and ears before she answered Jane, hoping that all of them would buy it.

"Um.. It was, umm.. It was her food and I forgot to give it to her on time so.. she was, umm.. she actually scolded at me in her office because of that, yeah. It was.. yeah." Claire tried to be as convincing as possible.

Jane was just staring at her with her eyes narrowed, she guessed she was trying to see If she was lying or not.

But even before she could comment on that, Jamie's door opened again. But this time, with her upset mood.

She looked at Claire and Jane before averting her eyes.

"Is David here?" She asked in a very authoritative voice. Claire actually felt scared and she was sure the whole room too.

"Y-Yes, I'm here." Anybody would be able to sense that he was nervous.

Her gaze turned to everybody before speaking again.

"Didn't I tell all of you to send him to me the minute he comes?" Again with that voice and both her hands were on her waist.

Nobody dared to answer, or even breathe she thought for several seconds that Jamie was eyeing everybody but her.

She turned her back and closed her door very loudly. She saw some people pushing David to go to the lion's den before she came back and scolded her some more.

Claire could see the terror in David's eyes, it was like he would be killed brutally as soon as she entered Jamie's office.

Jane looked at her and said,

"Girl.. tsk! tsk! You angered the bear." She stood up and went back to her seat.

All of her colleagues were looking at her shaking their heads.

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

She could hear some of them agreeing with Jane.