"So you can imagine my shock and disappointment when I found out they hired a new, official secretary for Sir Holz," Jakob said, his voice deep and filled with pain. "They hired you, officially taking me down from being Sir Holz's proxy secretary."
"I..." Eternity tried to speak, but the words failed her.
Jakob smiled at her, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You don't need to say you're sorry or feel sorry for me, for that matter," he added as an afterthought. "I know I never had a chance with him, but there was a tiny hope inside me that he could at least be attracted to me. So when I found out that there was no possible way for him to even be attracted to me, I just—God, I'm not making sense, am I?"
"I actually can understand where you're coming from," Eternity assured him softly.
"Thank God!" Jakob exclaimed. "I was worried that I might be over-explaining things again. But anyway, let me continue."
