Chereads / Barmecide flower / Chapter 22 - twenty-two–of slight hand

Chapter 22 - twenty-two–of slight hand

"Thank you." Nicholas welcomed my offer of his lunch as his voice slightly hummed as it often did whenever he spoke.

I had placed a shiny black tray with his sandwich and his coffee as I did whenever he had his lunch. I was in no mood for anything which I would need to chew, I feared too much action with my jaw would end up connecting with my temples and would be the end for me, as dramatic as that sounded it was true. The pounding headache would return and these types of headaches made me moody beyond tolerance. And there was no effective way to make moody less rude or hurtful. It didn't matter how polite you wanted to sound like you would always just be snappy and would utter something close to 'bitchy' because you didn't want to be bothered. I wouldn't allow myself to bring that to my workplace and I wouldn't want anyone to know me like that.

My eyes settled on his lean figure clad in nonother than one of his simple suits that had convinced me a long time ago that he was capable of turning an ordinary piece of clothing into something striking and I was sure it was those shoulders of his and his figure. I never really paid any attention like that to a man's built, and men in general as of late, and especially his waist, but there was something about him that almost demanded you to take in every detail. The subtleness of the slight tinge of a sandy tone that colored his skin to the arch of his upper lip and their ample form. They were distracting and I had cursed at myself in my head some times at staring at the way they moved so softly, if it were up to me I would stare at his full and wide mouth and distract myself from worrying about a place to stay or if my sister was to bring our mother up to speed regarding my 'new' life choices.

He was just one of those humans, easily granted features that made it hard to not take note of them, and his jaw, though not that harsh, brought out the prominence of his lips and cheekbones. Even the slimness of his elegant fingers and how the slight whiskey tone brought out this harshness that danced in his eyes viciously on some days. Some women were so lucky in my opinion. Even with my former partner and his great athletic body, which once used to rock me right to sleep on nights when I had practically begged for it, I had been fortunate. Being a certain woman you just are well aware of how some men deem you far too 'big' or perhaps too 'provocative' to take you seriously and then consider my behind and I was doomed. I accepted it because it didn't matter anymore and I didn't need a man in my life.

I didn't even need to be thinking this way, especially with my boss involved and I was well aware of the age gap and the professional lines I wasn't meant to cross even in my head. He was just good-looking enough to sort of wonder about, but I never led myself too far and I had never been with a man of another culture or one who was a decade older than I was. It was just how things went with me and they weren't going to change, though I was certain I needed to stop gawking at him–it was probably creepy. He was probably not pointing it out because he was being nice and I wasn't even sure if I could describe him as nice, he kept to himself as much as I did. I didn't dare to try and strike up a conversation either, so I just let this be this way.

I noted the loosened tie as I did half of the time. I watched him as he pulled out a bottle of pills and I had to stop myself from going over there and yanking the bottle from his hands because that would just be uncalled for and plain rude. I instead got him a bottle of water and handed it to him before he could start chewing on those pills and scaring me.

He almost gulped down half of the water I handed him and I stood there doing my best to act unbothered by both the pills and his Adam's apple, which both were difficult to ignore at some point. I licked my lips just as he did as he placed the bottle of water down and as soon as his eyes met mine I refused to wonder about it as much or allow myself to fall under the hands of the urge which begged me to bite my bottom lip.

I jumped for that pill bottle as soon as he placed it down and pretty much threw all those rules out of the window and held it up. "How long have you been taking these?"

"I changed prescription just recently, so. . .maybe a month," he said, his voice quite soft despite how deep it was. Beautiful were his usually indifferent whiskey-colored eyes and the slight frown his plump lips always sat in. He licked his lips again and his eyebrows met as he bit his bottom lip. "Why are you asking?"

"Painkillers are very addictive," I said, after a long pause between us involving some staring and more frowning from his side, "but I'm pretty sure you've heard of that before."

"Yes, I have." He rolled his eyes. It was quite cute how he did it, widening his eyes before he practically rolled them to the back of his head. "And yes, I have gone a day or so without them."

I found myself smiling as I watched him bring the styrofoam cup to his lips. "Already in trouble for these?"

"I don't know why everyone thinks I can't handle myself," he said, his eyes holding nothing noteworthy or even readable as he set his eyes upon me.

"We're talking about highly addictive pills you take like it's candy," I said, not putting the bottle down as I narrowed my eyes at me, "I'd be worried if I were you."

His lips curved into a slightly lopsided smile. "You already are."

"Why wouldn't I be?" I put the pills just near the edge of the desk.

"You're very. . .distant in the way you carry yourself." He shoved his fingers into his hair and brought his hair away from his face.

I found myself slightly scrunching my nose up. "I come across as a. . .bitch?"

"No." The corner of his lips lifted.

"I'm cold then?" I arched my left eyebrow.

"No." He shrugged.

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my empire-waisted dress pants and tilted my head to the side. "Am I going to get only one-word answers?"

I preferred pants because they were professional despite how loose they were and they being empire-waisted just suited me well for my comfort. The deep navy blue-colored pants matched the slightly baggy suit jacket he had draped around the leather chair he was currently occupying with his crisp white shirt neatly ironed as always. I had opted for a faded blue cotton blouse I had tugged into my pants and hid just about enough of my cleavage to not be worried.

"You keep to yourself."

"You keep to yourself pretty much more than I do." I folded my arms carefully as I offered him a soft smile.

"It comes with the job." He smiled.

"Is it? Then–"

"And it makes you comfortable to keep things. . .as distant," he cut in, arching his brow. "You like to keep people at bay, it's easy to notice."

I hated how he was right. "I'll try to be. . .friendlier."

"It's not a must." He leaned forward, hair slightly falling over half of his face quite beautifully, stressing the prominence of his features, as he folded his elegantly long and slightly masculine hands before himself. "I'm not forcing you, it's your decision."

"My decision?" I eyed the pill bottle.

"It mostly always is." Something flickered in his eyes before he tossed them to his folded hands.

"Can I ask you a favor then?" This was probably crossing a line and I was worried about upsetting him.

Deep whiskey brown eyes met mine. "Okay."

"Can I keep these?" I waved the pill bottle for emphasis.

"Why?"

"Do you have only this one or. . .?" I tried my best to be nice about it.

"You want to share?" He narrowed his eyes at me.

"I want a deal." I smiled as I looked at him trying to let him down easy in case this hit hard.

Curiosity glistened in his eyes. "I'm all ears."

"If you can't go fourteen days without–"

"I could go a month." He shoved both of his hands in his hair and pushed it away from his face as he set his eyes sternly at me.

"You're such a....guy," I said, noting his childish eagerness.

"Is that a bad thing?" He lifted both his eyebrows.

"Half of the time it's just better to not take it that seriously," I said, sheepishly.

"The other half?"

"You're my boss." That was both true and fair.

"You can keep the pills." Two prominent dimples softly decorated the sides of his face.

"You don't only have these." I arched my brow at him.

I thought he would be upset by this point.

"I will have them delivered to you." He entertained me further.

"You mean that?" My eyes must have lit up.

"My pills and what else?" His voice slightly tempted me there.

"You just stop taking them for a month. . .and I'll see what else. " I attempted to press my smile down but ended up leaving it worse and was close to grinning.

"Fine."

I turned away from those eyes and faced the floor while doing my very best to not seem as if I had cowered. "Need me for anything else then?"

"Did you set up that meeting with the architect?" He instead chose to say, leaving me unsure whether we had just returned to our cautious way of interacting or if it was just seriously his nature.

I could only wonder.

"I have." I nodded.

There was more to him than met the eye, I was sure of it, and hell I was curious, unfortunately.