"What's wrong with her?"
"Someone broke into her apartment last night."
A gasp, then, "Are you for real? That's awful. What did they take?"
"That's the thing... They didn't take anything."
"What?"
Rosie lifted her weary eyes up at her two co-workers. Jenny was still giving her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder while Cindy was looking quite worried.
"I don't understand," Cindy said to her. "They didn't take anything?"
Rosie straightened in her seat. "It's like what Jenny said. Nothing was taken."
"But someone did break into your home."
"Yes," she whimpered. "They destroyed the lock on my door and practically turned my place upside down. They even tore my bed sheets apart. Those were my favorite bed sheets."
"With a knife?" Cindy whispered.
"I guess."
Jenny slapped her shoulder lightly. "I can't believe you're still moaning about your bed sheets."
"They were really expensive, Jenny."
"But they could have torn you apart if you had been home last night. Thank God, you worked overtime."
"What did the police say?" Cindy interjected.
"Well, they did a report and everything," Rosie said with a forlorn sigh. "But since he didn't steal anything, it'll probably just be for unlawful entry. And the culprit wasn't caught on the security cameras so I don't know how they'd find him."
"That sucks."
Completely.
They might have not taken anything but they did destroy everything and because of that, she needed new everything. Whoever it was there last night, they were quite thorough. Even her poor dish towels were ripped apart and her indoor plants wrenched out from their pots. Fortunately, she had renter's insurance. Fortunately, she made sure to back up her cheap and very smashed in laptop so all her precious data weren't lost for good. And fortunately, some of her clothes were still salvageable.
Opening that door and seeing all that had been a horrifying experience.
But what was even more terrifying was having someone sneak into her home and not steal a thing.
"Where did you sleep last night?" Cindy was asking. "Did you even get some sleep? You look pale. Still pretty. But pale."
Rosie leaned back and exhaled heavily. "Where else?"
Cindy was horrified. "You stayed in your apartment?"
She closed her eyes tight and saw flashes of the destruction of her apartment so she opened them fast.
Then she said, "I didn't have anywhere else to go."
"You slept there?" Cindy pressed.
"She's insane, I know," Jenny grumbled.
"Not exactly," she muttered, rubbing her temple. "Remember my neighbor who I thought was a complete creep? Well, he offered to let me stay at his place for the night."
"Really?" Jenny said with great interest.
Her lips twitched despite herself. "I know what you're thinking so stop. He's just a friend. He dealt with the police himself since I was pretty much out of it and even made me tea though he was terrible at it. If it weren't for him, I'd probably just cleaned up the mess and gone to bed."
"Really?"
"Seriously, stop."
"Alright," Jenny said with a chuckle. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to make you feel better."
"Well, Maribel's back, right?" Cindy said. "You can just take it easy today. Or better yet, take the afternoon off. I can't believe you'd just come to work after what happened last night."
"Yeah, well, I wanted to keep myself busy so I could take my mind off it."
"And in the meantime, while your apartment is getting fixed, stay with your neighbor. I heard he's hot."
"Not you too," Rosie moaned, making Cindy and Jenny laugh.
"Let's discuss your living arrangements later," Jenny suggested, spotting their supervisor eyeing them. "Just try not to worry and focus on your work, Rosie. Everything will be alright."
It was easier said than done. But Rosie had no choice but to block last night's events and focus on her work. And she was finally getting a good job at forgetting when come afternoon, she was summoned up the Executive Offices.
"Did you have a great vacation, Maribel?" she greeted when she walked in.
Maribel's head came up from her computer and she smiled at Rosie. "I did. I have some souvenirs for you. I'll give them to you after you have your talk with Mr. Orion."
"Did I forget something?" Rosie thought out loud. "You did see my memos, right?"
"Yes, and everything is in place. Thank you for filling up for me. Now go on. He's ready to see you now. Oh, and if you could just give these files for him to sign. Thank you."
Rosie entered Cedric's office after knocking and hearing him say to come in. Holding the documents tightly pressed to her chest, she took a deep breath, wished she didn't look as hideous as she saw on her reflection on the glass office walls, she walked up to his table.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Orion."
"Good afternoon," he muttered absentmindedly. He was frowning at whatever he was reading on his computer.
"Maribel needs you to sign this," she said, putting the files on his table.
He finally looked up at her. And whatever he saw on her face made him grimace and she turned appalled. The glass wasn't lying after all.
"Sit down, Rosie."
"Am I in trouble?" she asked as she did.
"No. And stop biting your nails."
She quickly dropped her hand.
"I heard what happened to your apartment last night?"
"Oh." Her shoulders slumped over. "I guess Aiden must have told you."
"He did."
"He's actually been such a real godsend last night. I don't know what I'd do without him..." she trailed off when she saw the look in his eyes. "A-Actually, he was the devil incarnate himself. He was pushy and a bit overboard and wouldn't even let me talk to the police. He dealt with everything himself and that's pretty selfish, don't you think? He also makes horrible tea."
Cedric let out a sigh. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you had someone to help you."
"You didn't look glad," she slowly said and he scowled.
"I'm not a complete monster that you think I am."
"I never thought you were a monster... okay, maybe sometimes," she admitted when his scowl deepened. "But I think it's because you're a perfectionist. And I know that you're truly a kind person even when I want to think you're really not. Please stop me from talking now. This isn't the way I should be talking to my boss."
He shook his head. "No, it's fine. You've been through a horrible ordeal."
"I have been, haven't I?" It was her turn to sigh. "I've had more than my fair share of bad luck lately. You know, now that I think about it, all my bad luck started when Aiden moved into my apartment building."
"I'm telling him you said that."
"I'm just kidding," she hurriedly said. "I just... tend to make fun of my misfortunes. It's how I cope."
For a few moments, Cedric was silent as he studied her. She tried not to squirm under his gaze and squeezed her hands together on her lap. Then he reached for the files she gave him and opened it.
Thinking she was dismissed, Rosie stood up to leave.
"We're not done. Sit. And stop worrying. I'm not going to reprimand you."
Rosie actually wished he would.
She wouldn't be able bear the silence and the wait while he finished signing the papers. So she tried to distract herself by looking around his office. Her eyes landed on the picture frame on his table then that she hadn't noticed sat there. She'd usually try to get in and out of his office as quick as she could.
It was a photograph of the Orion family. In it, Cedric was surrounded by his parents and his older brother. It must have been taken a year or so ago because Cedric looked younger in it. But he still had that perpetual scowl on his face and she began to wonder if he ever did smile in his pictures or if he hated getting his pictures taken.
She stared at his mother's face next. Colleen Orion was rarely shown on the news and articles. It was said that she didn't like being out in the public eye at all. The woman was beautiful and her smile looked happy. Satisfied. Like there was no place she'd rather be but with her family.
Her eyes began to narrow.
There was something about her that she couldn't quite place. She couldn't help but feel that she'd seen this woman in person before...
Rosie almost jumped out of her skin when Cedric suddenly shoved the files her way.
"We're going out for dinner tonight," he announced.
"R-Right," she muttered distractedly, checking if he had signed everything. "Do you have a place in mind so I could tell Maribel to make reservations?"
"Where would you prefer?"
"Where would I...?" Her head shot up when his words belatedly sunk in. He was smirking at her. She started giggling. "Oh, you were making a joke. Very good, Mr. Orion."
Cedric leaned back on his swivel chair, crossed his legs and steepled his hands on his knee. He was still smirking at, like he was enjoying her discomfort wickedly.
"I was serious. And don't bother making the reservations."
Rosie was stunned by this. She knew she should be asking him to enlighten her but his words so astonished her, she just stared at him, bug-eyed.
"You may go," he said.
"You weren't joking?" she asked in a whisper.
"No."
Rosie took a deep breath. She didn't dare speak another word until she could control the urge to either shout at him or smack him. "Just to be clear, you want to have dinner with me?" she asked in a much stronger voice. "With me?"
"Don't be mistaken, Miss Conley," he stated in a hard tone. He leaned forward in his chair, his hands clasped together on his desk, scowling at her. "This is going to be strictly platonic. We have something to discuss."
"Why can't we discuss it here?" she asked him suspiciously.
"Why can't you just say yes like a good employee and stop questioning my orders?" he responded in frustration.
"I do try—."
His tolerance was at an end. "Get out," he growled.
She nodded. "I'll just go give this to Maribel."
Then she turned on her heels and walked away, screaming mentally at whoever was listening up there because of being given one more thing to worry about.