It takes a few days, tarnished by glimpses of weakness and exhaustion, before I'm able to say that I've completely returned back to my normal state. I went to the doctor that day with Jess and he had confirmed what we had both known, I had caught a stomach bug but my stress and lack of rest allowed it to completely overwhelm me. So not only was I prescribed a round a antibiotics but also some much needed relaxation. In the doctor's exact words, I needed to 'relax and look after myself more'.

Easier said then done.

With my doctor's certificate and a day of indulging in my leisurely side in tow, I returned to work the next day feeling that I had waisted enough time already and would be fine. I continued with the same workload that I always took on, the one that impressed Monique and that would hopefully get me places one day. Stella would check up on me regularly, after she pestered the reason for my unusual absence out of me, but I was truly fine. I even gave myself an early mark that first day, letting me get home just in time for the 6:30 reruns of Friends.

The rest of the week would go by ordinarily, my body slowly returning back to its regular state, whilse my workload had achieved that at a much more accelerated rate. The office was still a swirl of chaos with everything end-of-the-year related still very much going on and wreaking havoc for us all.

I was so preoccupied that I had completely forgotten about needing to organise a time with Damon for what I presume we'd classify as a date. If it wasn't for a message from him mid-way through Wednesday, which I would only see as I walked out of the office late than night, I would have completely forgotten about my agreement to go out with him.

We would send a few messages back and forth, with the basic social greetings and small talk included, before we'd come to the conclusion that we would meet on Friday night at a restaurant in the city after work. We both worked in the city and quite close to each other, something I'd learned thanks to my little rescue from Theo, so we agreed the most efficient idea was to simply save time by meeting up right after work.

With the both of us self-professed workaholics, we agreed on a time that would surely fit in any inability to stop working and agreed on the setting of our date, a restaurant I had heard only good things about but which I had thought was definitely out of both my price range and social class.

Before I knew it Friday had arrived and I was no where near ready to spend a night socialising with Damon. It had been a while since I'd had a proper first date, having been in a relationship for over half a year which I don't think even had a proper first date. Even before that I had only been on one another first date now that I thought about it and that was with my first boyfriend.

I'm quite the perfectionist and the over-thinker, and when those two traits of mine combine it isn't exactly ideal for situations like a first date. Usually I was try to alleviate the anxieties of such a situation by perfectly planning everything out. I would plan my transport, my outfit, my back up plan if I needed to escape the date; everything down to the smallest detail.

Whilst I had a good feeling about Damon, from the little I had seen and knew of him, it still worried me that I had completely overlooked my need to prepare myself due to my being preoccupied to returning my life back to normal, after the disastrous beginning of this week.

I stood before my wardrobe this morning and, after having looked at my planner and seen our date penned in, I had to completely throw out any ideas for my outfit out of the window. I had intended to simply wear a button up collared blouse under a sweater with a pair of pants on but even a social recluse like myself knew I should do better than that.

Thankfully, I was always early to work to be safe so I allowed myself some extra time to plan a new outfit and prepare a few things to bring along with me to work so that I could touch myself up a bit if necessary right before our date. I grabbed a slighter bigger hand bag then usual and added in a makeup purse filled with the necessities to combat a long day such as concealer, some powder, mascara, a makeup brush, hair brush, and, of course, deodorant and perfume.

I had luckily blow dried my hair yesterday so it was quite smooth and easy to style today; allowing me to leave it down in its natural loose waves for the day. I went through my wardrobe three or four times looking for something that would be suitable for both work and a date, and which wasn't stuck in my laundry basket along with the other half of my wardrobe due to my lack of free time.

Just as I was about to admit defeat and announce to the world that I officially have nothing good to wear somehow, I found my last pencil skirt that was actually clean and which I could wear. Yes, it has a thigh high split, which is a bit more of a statement than I'm used to making, but I planned to wear a coat over my outfit for most of the day and it at least goes to my knees so I hope I can get a way with it.

I quickly throw on a long sleeve, white v-neck sweater that I figure can go with the outfit since white goes with everything, plus it's one of my first available options that I could see in my rush. Either way, I decide I'll throw on my camel toned coat over the outfit to keep me warm and hide away any potential outfit mistakes.

I found myself truly grateful for my decision to wear my coat once I was about to leave the apartment and was slipping on my nude stilettos in front of the mirror, discovering that my imminent visit from mother nature had left me with an even fuller chest than usual which the top I was wearing truly emphasised. Figuring that I'll be covered up anyways and that it was too late to do anything about my outfit now, I grabbed my relatively heavy bag and made my way out of the apartment to leave for work.

Thank god Damon and I had planned our date a bit later because my day is so filled with mayhem and I'm so occupied throughout it that I'm only just left at the end of the day with enough time to go touch up my face in the bathroom before I plan to leave and meet up with him.

I just finish packing all of my things back into my handbag when I receive a message from Damon telling me that he was running a bit late. He is asking me if I'd be willing to meet up with him at his work that way we can walk to the restaurant together and I'm not required to sit alone waiting for him. I agree and he sends through the address of the office to me in case i've forgotten its location, leaving me to make my way there.

Once I exit the safe walls of the office I'm thrust into the bustling streets of New York City during peak hour as people rushing to find their way back home collide with those joining the commotion of the nightlife. As the people swarm around me I find myself feeling mildly warmed up and the fast pace which I'm walking at as I attempt to rush over to where I remember Damon's work to be is not exactly helping to moderate my temperature.

When I reach the office building and escape into the walls of it, I let out a sigh of relief as I try to recollect my breath and cool myself down. Now that I have the space around me, I quickly take off my coat which had felt like it was engulfing me with heat at this point, and make my way to the front desk where they direct me to the elevator and to which floor Harrington, Albert & Co. offices were on, as Damon had instructed me.

Once I reach my intended floor I find myself at yet another receptionist's desk as I attempt to find my way to meet Damon somewhere in this maze.

"Good evening Miss. How can I help you?" chirpily asks the blonde haired, kind-faced receptionist awaiting me from behind the desk right out of the elevator.

"Good evening," I respond, "My name is Ella Adams. I'm here to see Damon Morales. He's expecting me."

"Mr. Morales has just finished up with a conference. He asked for you to meet him there in the conference room. I'll show you the way." she informs me, getting up from her seat to guide me through the office walls to where Damon was awaiting me.

We make our way down the hallway, rich timber and glass adorning the walls, before she stops at a set of double doors and opens the doors slightly so that only she might see inside the room.

"Oh, I'm so sorry sir. I don't mean to intrude. I was just looking for Mr. Morales. He had told me he would be here and to bring someone here to meet him." she instantly explains in a rushed manner which tells me she's intimidated by whoever stands behind those doors.

"No need to apologise Emily," I hear, the voice immediately grabbing my attention as I think I can recognise who it belongs to, "Mr. Morales has just stepped out for a moment to collect some of his belongings. He'll be back in a moment. Please feel free to continue with whatever you had intended."

With those words, the receptionist I now know to be Emily steps backwards to open the door for me to make my way through. Sure enough, as I stepped through the doorway into the conference room I found who I had guessed was awaiting me. Sitting at the head of the long desk, piles of documents laid in front of him, jacket tossed aside and with the sleeves of his button up top rolled up to reveal his tense forearms, was Theo Harrington.

He looks up as the heels of my stilettos make noise against the tiled floor, bewilderment flashing across his face as he finds me awaiting him.

"Ella, I'm surprised to see you," he honestly remarks. "What brings you here?"

Emily subtly makes her way out of the room, leaving me awkwardly shuffling from one foot to another as I answer, "I'm here to meet with Damon."

As I look back at him to answer him, after quickly observing the luxurious room I stood within, I find him to be observing something different: me. When I realise this he is just about to finish covertly observing my appearance; instantly looking away sheepishly once he realises he's been caught. I remember the rather tight fit of my top and immediately become embarrassed myself as I move my coat closer to myself to try and hide behind it somehow.

"Oh.. um.. he'll be back soon," he answers me in a flustered manner, looking anywhere but at me for a moment, "You look very nice tonight Ella. I take it he finally mustered the courage to ask you out on a date."

"Thank you," I reply, looking down at the floor timidly, "And I guess so."

I know that I had told myself that I would converse with Theo in a more friendly manner due to my appreciation for his actions the other night but no level of appreciation could go against the level of awkwardness I was feeling right now. It wasn't only the fact that I had just caught him looking at me rather oddly but also the fact that our relationship had already passed through so many different states, from interest and attraction to anger and irritation and so many places in between, that I didn't know how to behave anymore.

I knew I owed it to him after Monday night to at least make an effort so I take the first thing I can think of and say it to him in my attempt to make conversation.

"Long day at work?" I ask rather foolishly considering of course it had been a long day at work for him since it had now passed 7:30pm and he was still sitting at the office with a pile of documents waiting in front of him.

He seems to find this question and my oblivion amusing as he makes a sound between a scoff and chuckle whilst letting go of the documents he had been holding and leaning back in his seat.

"Yeah, you could definitely say that," he comments, finally looking at my face once again to converse after overcoming his embarrassment. His hand moves up to rub his freshly stubbled jaw with tension, "I woke up at five thirty this morning and we only just finished a meeting regarding our plans for the hotel I announced we were building."

"Oh right, the one you announced at that party of yours. You plan on running it too, don't you?" I check, trying to bring back the memories of that night.

"Yes, I would have a share in it. That's at least the plan. I appear to have aimed a little too high this time around." he tells me, a look of hopelessness coming over his features as he stares at the sea of papers before him and then at his watch.

"Don't say that. There'll be some challenges along the way but I'm sure you'll be able to overcome them. Just give it some time." I attempt to reassure him, shuffling from one foot to the other as I do so to distract me from my discomfort in this situation since this wasn't really my forte.

"Let's hope so." he simply replies, giving me a small smile along with his words.

With these few short words yet another topic of conversation is brought to an end and I'm left searching through my antisocial brain once again for something to talk about. The silence is overbearing as the sound of the clock on the wall chimes through the room loudly leading me to bring up a topic I probably should.

"I know I said this before, but I just wanted to say thank you again for taking care of me the other night. I really do appreciate everything you did." I tell him, playing with my fingers anxiously while he moves out of his chair to stand leaning against the table near me instead.

"You're welcome. It was my pleasure."

He tells me, looking at me now with that intense depth that he pulls off so well that makes you want to spill out every bit of information within you for him and surrender yourself to him. I knew that this was the type of gaze and attention that had most likely won over countless individuals throughout his life, drawing people in with ease. Even right now it felt like he had a rope wrapped around me which he was reeling me in with slowly.

"There was something I wanted to tell you." he begins, his arms noticeably tensing as he gripped onto the glass desk he was leaning against.

"Okay."

"I— ,"

Just as he is about to reveal whatever he felt he needed to tell me, he is cut off by the abrupt entry of Damon into the conference room, the both of us instantly turning to look at the latest entrant to the room like guilty children caught in the act of their latest mischief.

"Ella, I'm so sorry that I'm late," Damon apologies, immediately striding over to me where I stand close by the door and to Theo, "Things ran later than I expected but I'm ready now." he tells me, pulling me in a for a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before he stands beside me.

Upon Damon's entry into the room Theo seems to have immediately become more tense, his relaxed stance against the desk transforming to one more rigid as he stands up and straightens his shoulders so that he almost looms over Damon in an almost intimidating manner.

"Thanks for keeping Ella company," Damon says to Theo, not letting him do so.

"No problem. Any time." Theo responds curtly, hands now rested firmly within the pockets of his pants.

"Well," Damon begins, putting a halt to his stare off with Theo to look at me, "we better be heading off if we don't want to miss our reservation."

I nod at his suggestion and he moves aside so that his arm is outstretched to lead the way out of the room for us.

I'm about to follow Damon's lead before I remember my manners and the eyes watching us intently as we leave the room.

"Goodnight Theo." I say, looking back at him over my shoulder one last time.

"Goodnight Ella." he replies as he watches me walk off with Damon's arm around my back leading me away.

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Finally got around to finishing this chapter. Hallelujah! Uni work and assessments have been brutal lately so sorry for the lag. Two weeks till mid-sem break though so very excited and I can hopefully do some more writing then.

A little bit of funky interaction, if you know what I mean👀,  between Ella and Theo this chapter. Hope this new type of interaction as Ella tries to form a civil relationship with him following the events of her last week proves to be interesting.

Next chapter we'll be seeing a bit more of Damon. Let me know how you guys are feeling about him

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TheFictionDreamer

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